I honestly don't know when I should stop putting a spoiler warning for "Avengers: Endgame" on my fics. This... might... be the last one? I feel like, if I don't cap it at one month, I could probably go on forever. That being said, spoilers for "Avengers: Endgame" are below!
This fic focuses on the FAMILY relationship between Peter and Morgan, but also includes Pepper and mentions Tony. This is canon compliant with "Avengers: Endgame," which means Tony is dead in this fic. Some of the central themes are still Tony's relationship with these two, which explains the tagging.
This is set nearly two years after the events of "Avengers: Endgame."
Enjoy!
When You Fall Down
Peter didn't mind being on babysitting duty, as long as it was for Pepper. In fact, he loved babysitting Morgan.
Babysitting meant getting to spend time with the youngest Stark, which he vowed to do long ago. Babysitting also meant he could roll up to the LEGO store and buy a crap ton of stuff without anyone taking a double glance, but that was besides the point.
Watching as Morgan grew up was one of the brightest parts of Peter's life. While she wasn't biologically his little sister, it made no difference.
That was his sister – his baby sister. To him, family didn't end with blood. Family was the people that held a piece of his heart – a piece of his soul. They were the people that stood beside him, supporting him through anything. They were the people that were apart of him, and they were the people he loved so much that he doubted he'd ever be able to quantify it.
May. Morgan. Pepper.
Happy. Rhodey. Carol.
Ned. MJ.
The list was finite, but, in that moment, it felt like his love for them was endless. While May was his only blood relative, he learned a long time ago that they weren't alone.
Morgan was his sister and watching her grow was something he never thought he'd be able to see. Before Thanos, and before losing Tony, and before his own death, he never thought he'd be able to watch someone so small become something more.
God, he sounded sappy, but it was the truth. He'd been beside Morgan since she was four – almost two years ago. Now, at age six, he still stood beside her, and he doubted that would ever change.
Salt and Pepper:
Do you two have everything you need?
Peter smirked at his text from Pepper. He wasn't surprised that she was still texting him, even after being reassured a handful of times that he had everything under control. He didn't blame her though.
With Pepper being out of the country, and Rhodey doing who knows what mission with Nebula, and due to his unique babysitting abilities, he was left in charge of Morgan.
(His unique babysitting abilities meaning that he wouldn't get sick from being around her.)
It wasn't the first time him and May took Morgan for a few nights, but he knew it was part of Pepper's core to worry. She had experienced so much hardship and so much loss – it just made sense she was protective.
Especially now.
Morgan was currently miserable. Poor kid. She caught a nasty bug somewhere. She was exhausted, but refused to sleep because 'that isn't fun.' She kept coughing and sniffling and his heart broke with it.
Salt and Pepper:
I can send a car to pick anything else up.
lmk.
As soon as he heard Pepper was going out of town and Morgan was sick, he offered to take her. Pepper insisted on cancelling her trip, but they both knew she needed to close this deal.
It wasn't a big deal, really. Watching Morgan was something he loved to do. Even though she was miserable and cranky with sickness, he didn't mind.
So, as soon as plans were made, Peter got everything he needed to take care of her. Tissues, juice, soup, crackers – everything.
Salt and Pepper:
Juice? Do you have juice?
Peter finally texted back.
Peter:
Yup. Apple and orange.
Peter:
And strawberry apple.
Peter:
Her request.
Salt and Pepper:
Not surprised. Thank you.
He set down his phone and turned back to his sister. Morgan was currently snuggled into his side and a blanket was wrapped around her shoulders. Every so often, she'd let out a pathetic snuffle and rub her eyes.
Toy Story was playing on the television. Her eyes were sparkling with joy as she watched the movie for the first time.
("It's better than Frozen, I promise. It's a classic!" he told her. He didn't need to work hard to convince her to watch it. To her, if Peter liked it, she would too.)
His phone went off again.
Salt and Pepper:
I feel bad pawning her off on you so close to exams.
Salt and Pepper:
I can call Happy?
His response was quicker this time.
Peter:
No.
Peter:
We're good over here.
Peter:
Exams are in two weeks, so
plenty of time to study.
Peter:
Besides, I haven't gotten sick in
years.
Even if he didn't have his healing factor that made him immune to most illnesses, he'd still be doing this. It was just a bonus that he wouldn't get sick, unlike everyone else. In a way, maybe it was a good thing Pepper was out of town and everyone else was busy.
He glanced down at the small girl beside him, feeling his heart warm. Her eyes were glued to the television screen, even when she let out a string of sneezes. She was taking every second in.
He kept typing before Pepper could.
Peter:
May loves having her around.
Peter:
I love having her around.
Peter:
#starksibs
Salt and Pepper:
You're hilarious.
Peter smirked at her amused tone. While he was a Parker and would forever be a Parker, they both liked to joke around with that hashtag the media created over a year ago. Apparently, the recently-widowed Mrs. Stark being spotted in public with her daughter and a mysterious teenager was a cause for front page news. Who knew so many people would assume he was the illegitimate child of Tony Stark.
At the time, it was more so heartbreaking. Now, he found it hilarious.
Peter:
Plus, Morgan is enjoying
my bed. The Star Wars pillow
case is a good selling feature.
Even though Morgan stayed over a few times before, she didn't have her own space. Whenever she did stay, she'd overtake Peter's room and he'd camp on the couch. He wouldn't complain – after all, it just meant he got to spend more time with the youngest Stark.
Salt and Pepper:
Once again, not surprised.
Salt and Pepper:
You're sure you're good?
Salt and Pepper:
I'm going into a meeting soon.
Peter:
We're perfect.
To send home the message, he included a quick picture of the two of them on the couch. Morgan was so absorbed with the movie that she never noticed.
Salt and Pepper:
Aren't you two adorable?
Peter:
Go away.
Peter:
Bonding time.
Salt and Pepper:
Fine. I'm going.
Salt and Pepper:
Call if you need anything.
Salt and Pepper:
Tell Morg that I love her a million.
He held the phone towards Morgan. Her head lifted from his side slightly so she could read the text.
"Your mom says that she loves you a million," he recited. He tossed his phone to the side. "A million? Wow."
Morgan settled her head back down against her side. Her tiny fingers were wrapped up in Peter's shirt.
"A million is a lot," she admitted after a moment. Her voice was tired. Peter reached down and pressed the back of his hand to her forehead. While she wasn't running a high fever anymore, she was still warm.
"How you feeling, kiddo?"
She shrugged and rubbed her eyes again. Peter blew out a long breath of air as he stared at her. Her cheeks were flushed, her hair was tangled, his nose was stuffed, she didn't want to eat. Maybe Pepper did have a reason to be worried – he didn't really know what he was doing.
No. He had this under control. Her fever was down. She wasn't crying. She was awake, she was getting better, and she was doing fine. They were fine.
"How about some juice?" Peter asked after a moment. She needed some fluids in her, otherwise things would get a lot worse. "Strawberry apple? Apple? Orange? I can run to the store if we need more options, but-"
"Strawberry apple, please," she mumbled, turning her head slowly to face his. Peter's heart combusted. Even while miserable, she still said please and thank you. What a kid.
"Sure. Sounds good." He shifted her so she wasn't leaning on him anymore and got off the couch. "Anything else? Want to attempt some food?" She turned pale at that suggestion. She didn't need to respond for him to get the idea. "Bad call. I'll just get you some juice."
She snuggled into the cushions of the couch. The blanket was pulled tight around her shoulders and her plushie was nestled under her arm. Her eyes locked back on the screen and she let out a loud sniffle.
He wished he could make her better. Watching anyone be sick was terrible, never mind her. She was so small and so innocent. It seemed like it should be a crime for her to be sick.
While he was pouring out her juice, an idea dawned on him. While it wouldn't heal her, it could take some misery away. Sure, he was going to have to Google how to complete his idea, but it wouldn't be that hard. After all, he learned how to tie his tie before homecoming from Youtube – this shouldn't be much harder.
He whipped out his phone and quickly searched 'how to' videos. Luckily, the shortest one was thirty seconds long, meaning he wouldn't have to be gone from Morgan for long.
He only watched the video once, which, in all fairness, wasn't the best idea, but it would have to do. He grabbed one of May's elastic bands from the counter before he made a hasty return.
"I have an idea," Peter said, handing Morgan her juice. She sat up slowly and took a long sip from it. "Your hair is a mess."
"Hey." She glared at him, but he knew she was joking around.
"I've never done it before, but I could braid it for you? Get it out of your face? Maybe that'll make you feel better?" She lowered her cup and stared at him for a long moment. Peter tried to explain his train of thought. "I just… It's fine if you don't want me to attempt – I don't think it should be too hard, I just watched a YouTube video, so… I mean, I know when I used to get sick, it was nice to have the hair off my face and…" Morgan was smiling now – a full grin, too. It was contagious, seeing her so happy. He felt a similar one spread across his own face. "Is that a yes?"
She nodded her head and turned herself to her back was facing Peter's spot on the couch. She brushed her hair towards her back. Peter felt strangely nervous. He knew he couldn't mess up a braid that bad – it wasn't like he was cutting her hair – but he'd never done this before.
People do this all the time, he reminded himself. It shouldn't be that hard.
"Three parts, right?" Morgan nodded. He hesitantly reached forward and began brushing through her tangled hair.
Her hair was a lighter brown than his was.
He didn't know why he was thinking about him in that moment, but he was. This seemed to happen often; he would be doing something – anything – and then he'd be thinking about Tony.
It'd been almost two years since the Day of Return – the day they lost him – but he'd never truly be gone. Peter doubted he'd ever truly be gone – he did everything he could to keep his memory alive.
Some days, it felt like it hadn't been years, but only days. On these days, his heart still hurt, his lungs felt heavy, his throat felt tight. He had a knot of guilt and remorse in his stomach. This wasn't new; he knew all about losing people he cared about – he did it with his parents and Ben before Tony.
Not today though. Today, he sat behind Morgan and smiled because this was nice. He sat behind his daughter and thought of him because he missed him.
It was truly a beautiful life he helped give to Peter. He gave him a suit, a career, a world of guidance and support, a new family. Tony changed Peter's life – so much so that he was still feeling his presence, years after he passed away.
Peter was struggling with the three strands of hair, cursing the YouTube video for not showing him more. They were both silent as he fumbled, the dialogue from the movie filling the space between them.
Okay. Braiding hair was harder than it looked. Peter was struggling to keep all three parts separated, and he kept accidentally undoing what he did when he'd try to weave a new knot. He kept his fingers gentle and tried not to tug too much at her hair.
She was patient with him. Her eyes were locked on the screen as animated toys danced across it. She was content, which made something settle in Peter. He'd fumble around for however long she wanted, as long as it meant she'd be okay.
After a long moment, she spoke. "What does infinity mean?"
Infinity. Infinity, infinity, infinity, infinity.
Peter's hands stilled and her heart suddenly constricted. It felt like the world around him was tipping on its axis. It was hard to breathe.
His hands shook against Morgan's back and he hoped she couldn't tell. His opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't get the words out.
Infinity. Infinity Stones. Infinity Gauntlet. Infinity.
One simple word seemed to bring him back to two years ago, when they were in for the fight of their lives. The Stones. The Gauntlet. The purple titan. The snap. The pain. The nothing. The awakening. The reunion. The goodbye.
A lot of his suffering could be attributed to those stones. He died because of those stones – losing five years of his life with friends and family.
Tony died because of those stones, with no hope of being brought back.
The image of Tony kneeling on the battlefield, being so close and so far away, with the stones attached to his armour was engrained into the back of his eyelids. The sound of him snapping was so crisp that it felt like he was on that battlefield again, half delirious from a concussion and blood loss.
Before he could remember how injured Tony was, or how determined his expression was, or how broken and devastated and desperate was looked as he faded away, Morgan shifted in front of him.
"Peter?" she asked, her voice small. She wasn't a stranger to these moments. The world was different after the Day of Return and this was the reality now. People could never truly heal after what they experienced, and she wasn't a stranger to that grief. "Are you okay?"
She was facing him now, her brown eyes wide and curious. His eyes. God, she had Tony's eyes. It was hard to forget, especially in moments like these. It was hard to think of anything else, when all he could see was his eyes, locked on the sky, all life fading from them.
He swallowed thickly. "I'm fine." His voice shook, so he tried again. "I'm okay. Really."
Morgan reached forward and took his hands, which were still lifted in front of him and shaking. Her hands were tiny, yet they grounded him all the same. "You sure?"
No. I'm not. "I'm fine, squirt." Peter forced a smile onto his lips and affectionately rubbed the top of her head. She wiggled away from him, her nose wrinkling. He pushed the thoughts of Tony and infinity and death away from his mind. Now is not the time. "Heh. I guess my braid didn't hold." The partial braid that he managed to accomplish had come undone with his head rub.
"That's okay," she promised him. She tilted her head to the side in thought. "I can show you how? So you know for next time?"
The image of Tony on the battlefield was slowly disappearing. Every time he blinked, it wasn't Tony's eyes he was seeing – it was Morgan's.
Smiling was easier. "Yeah. Yeah, that would be great."
Which is how he ended up on the floor, his back pressed up against the lower half of the couch. Morgan was on her knees on the seat, a pensive expression on her face. Her fingers weren't as gentle as Peter's were, but he'd never complain.
Even though his hair was short, she was convinced she'd be able to French braid it. She quickly got to work and silence consumed them once again.
It was Peter's turn to watch the television. Buzz Lightyear was posing on the screen, pointing off into the distance.
"To infinity and beyond!"
As the toys continued to move around, understanding struck Peter. Oh. That was why she was asking. She heard what the character said and was curious about what it meant. She wasn't asking about the war, or her dad, or anything like that. She was asking about her movie.
"You wanted to know about infinity?" Peter asked after a long stretch of silence. The word felt heavy on his lips.
"Mhmm," she mumbled, her fingers tugging sharply on a piece of his hair. "Oops."
"It's okay," he promised her quickly. He chewed on his lip and thought about how to explain the concept of infinity to this young girl. When he was a kid, he remembered his mom tell him it meant forever, and that was that.
This was a new world though. The word infinity carried around more baggage than it did even a decade ago. It didn't just mean forever anymore – it meant pain, and loss, and tragedy. It was linked to the universe's biggest crisis.
"Infinity," Peter echoed, mulling the word over. "You've heard that word before?"
"A few times."
He nodded. She let out a tiny huff as his movement pulled some of his hair from her grip. As she re-gathered his hair, he decided to give her the simple explanation – the same one his mother gave him when he was her age.
"Infinity means forever," he said simply. "It means never ending. It's something that is so big that there is no end."
She was silent for a few seconds. "So, there's an infinity number of numbers?"
She never ceased to impress him. She truly was her father's daughter.
"Yeah, you got it," he praised. "It's hard to understand, I know."
Morgan shrugged. "I think I understand." She hummed. "What does it mean in the movie? Infinity and beyond?"
"It means that anything is possible," he told her. "There are an infinite number of possibilities in life."
"I see." She fell into a silence and continued to pull at Peter's hair.
He blew out a long breath and shut his eyes. What felt like a ghost settled inside of him, sending his hands shaking, making his stomach feel empty. It'd been years, yet things like this – little things, sometimes – could send him right back to those moments.
It was getting better. Day by day, it was getting better. If this same situation happened a year earlier, he would've had to excuse himself and scream in the bathroom because this wasn't fair. People died, the world had changed, things were different.
"Daddy used to get scared too," Morgan said after a long moment. Her fingers never paused in his hair. She didn't know what she was saying was so impactful to Peter.
"He- He what?" The words were hard to get out.
"Daddy would sometimes get scared, too," she repeated. He felt like the wind got knocked out of him. "You got scared earlier. He would do the same thing sometimes. I'd be scared for him, too." Her voice had a tinge of sadness to it, and it fractured Peter's heart. "He got sad sometimes, too."
Peter moved back a few inches, moving so that his back was flush against her foot, hoping a simple touch would provide her some comfort.
"He used to get sad when looking at your picture above the sink. Only sometimes though." Her hands finally stilled against his head. "Many times, he was happy when he looked at you." Her fingers began moving again. "That was very long ago."
Peter found it hard to speak past the lump in his throat. "It was a while ago," he admitted. Years ago. To a kid, that could feel like forever. "It's okay to be sad," he reassured her. "I get sad, too."
Her hands tugged at the back of his head, where the end of the braid was nestled. She began tying her work off.
"Me too," she said simply. "Daddy would let me do his hair too."
Peter's eyes were stinging and his laugh was wet. It was a fun image to imagine, even if it stung his heart. "Really? Daddy let you braid his hair?"
"Mmmm, nope. Not braid. I was too small." She patted the top of his head. "I'm finished." He turned around slowly, hoping his eyes weren't watery like they felt. "But he would play dress up with me and I did his hair." She tugged on the end of her hair. "He used to braid mine though."
Even though Peter felt like he just got smoked in the stomach, he couldn't help but feel his heart flutter. He loved when Morgan would talk about Tony because it made him feel like he didn't have a five-year gap in his life.
And, in a way, her words made him feel closer to his late mentor. Tony used to braid his daughter's hair, and she already expressed how she wanted him to do it in the future. She used to play dress up with Tony and do his hair, just like she did with him.
It was a bitter sweet feeling. He felt so close to him, but so far away.
He pushed he feelings of sadness away, focusing on the warmth Morgan's admission gave him. She was a good kid.
"Let's take a photo for your mom," he suggested after a moment. "She's gonna love what you did to my hair."
He moved forward, brushing a tangled piece of Morgan's hair out of her eyes. She smiled softly and mirrored his movement, brushing a piece of his fringe off his forehead.
His heart felt like it was going to burst from the love he felt for the little Stark. She was too precious and he loved her more than words could express.
Still, he would try. He'd babysit her, and braid her hair, and play dress up, and watch Toy Story, and take care of her when she was sick, and get her ice cream, and talk about her dad with her, and everything else in between. She was family, and there was nothing more important than that.
"I love you, Morg."
Her grin was toothy. "I know." She tilted her head to the side, clearly in deep thought. Finally, she spoke. "We should use the dog filter."
Peter let out a loud laugh at that. "Sure, kiddo. Whatever you want."
Morgan has Peter wrapped around her lil finger and I love it.
Also, let me just cry over Tony playing dress up with Morgan and letting her braid his hair. This is 100% canon, and nobody can convince me otherwise.
#starksibs is a fun headcanon I had, so I thought I'd throw it in here since I don't know if I'll ever get around to writing this out as a full fic? I just love the idea of Peter opening the newspaper and being like "? Pepper? I'm your SON? Apparently we met a few summers ago while I was interning at Stark Industries? WOW. The more you know!"
This is set as part of an ongoing series of one-shots. They are all set in the same AU, but they do not all need to be read together (which is why I'm only mentioning it now!). If you wanted to check out these other fics, the series is called "To Infinity and Beyond" (this will be put in the fic summary). Currently, there are three other fics: "Star Dust," "The Strength of Iron," and "Luminous like the Stars."
Reviews are appreciated.