I opened my eyes slowly, the late morning light unwelcome to my tired eyes. My head was still feeling a bit bleary from last night's antics, most of which I didn't entirely remember, apart from the obvious, of course. Thankfully, the building seemed quiet this morning. Tony must be out.

My head was vibrating. Why was my head vibrating? It took me longer than I'd ever admit to realise that it wasn't, in fact, my head, but my phone tucked under my pillow, that was rudely interrupting my hungover self-pity. Admittedly, the dramatic way in which I flung the pillow across the room to uncover my phone was unnecessary, but theatrics had always been my forte. Got that one from my brother.

I swiped to unlock the screen, the phone slipping from my hands and bouncing off my face a couple of times before I managed to get to my messages. I was greeted by several texts, from a variety of different people. The first of which was from Tony. Here we go.

I've got business to deal with this morning. Dinner tonight, 7 pm. Do not be late. x

Between begging for forgiveness for my drunken antics and explaining why I had announced through tears that Peter was an asshole, that was sure to be a fun dinner. I typed out a quick reply, stressing the fact that I would be on time if not early, and that I loved him lots. It was going to take a lot of ass-kissing to get away lightly this time. Lucky for me, I'd had a lot of practice with these kinds of situations over the years, so I wasn't worried. I quickly moved on to the next string of messages, which were thankfully less angry, leaning more towards incredibly apologetic.

I'm going to start by saying I have never been more sorry for anything in my life

Please don't hate me even though I'm a horrible person

I know you probably do

I'm sorry for upsetting you and getting you in trouble

Please please forgive me...

I rolled my eyes, breathing out a laugh as the ghost of a smirk played on my lips. I quickly pursed my lips together to suppress the smile. No, it didn't matter that Peter was honestly the purest soul on this earth, he had managed to upset me and make me feel like an idiot in one fell swoop. I was only mildly pissed at him for calling Happy last night, but as for the other part...

I told you to leave me alone.

I watched the screen as my message sent, the little blue tick letting me know it had been delivered. It was only a few seconds later that the text bubble popped up, alerting me that he was writing his reply.

El-bell, I am begging you to let me explain, I am so so sorry. I know I'm an idiot and I don't deserve forgiveness but please just hear me out.

Goddammit, I was weak. I already felt my resolve crumbling as I considered whether it would be weak of me to just hear him out. It didn't mean I was going to forgive him, I was just going to let him explain. Peter damn Parker why did I have to be in love with you? I groaned, turning my attention to the ceiling as I considered how to reply. I know I was supposed to be mad at him, yet there would always be that part of my brain that immediately told me to forget about it. Did it make me weak? Probably. Was I going to forgive him anyway? Absolutely.

What time is your free period?

His response came almost immediately after I'd clicked send. Knowing him, he'd been staring at his phone poised to respond at a moments notice.

12:30 why?

I may be willing to listen, but even that wouldn't come without a price. If I was going to milk his guilt for upsetting me and getting me in trouble, might as well get some free food out of it...

Buy me lunch and I'll let you explain.

Deal.

Well, that was easy. I dropped my phone onto the sheets beside me, sighing to myself. Who was I? Who was this pathetic emotionally compromised girl I'd become? I quickly reclaimed my phone, opening up the messages once more.

I'll pick you up out the front of the school. P.s. I still hate you

There you go, that was blunt and slightly rude enough for me to regain some modicum of my 'void of emotion' attitude to life and boys.

No, you don't ;) x

Oh, look. And there it goes again.

It took me longer than was necessary to drag myself from my bed, spending an extra five minutes in the shower just sitting and letting the warm water wash over me. I offered my cosmetics bag a fleeting glance before deciding that makeup would not be happening today, no matter how much of a mess I looked. I did, however, run a brush through my hair and smooth a bit of tinted moisturiser over my face just to tidy myself up a little. I threw together an outfit equally as quickly, the sun just beginning to creep through the clouds and bring a bit of warmth to the day. I went with my favourite pair of distressed grey jeans, paired with a white oversized jumper. I liked to call this look cosy couture, and I'd be damned if anyone told me I couldn't go out looking like I was wearing a blanket. I slipped my feet into chunky black boots and grabbed my handbag, slinging it over my shoulder before heading for the door.

"Friday, if Tony gets home and asks where I am, tell him to mind his damn business," I called out to the AI, a smirk on my face as I peered into the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water before I left.

"Of course Miss Stark." Despite the fact she was essentially a string of code, I could have sworn I could hear the amusement in her voice.

I slipped out the front door, closing my eyes and breathing in the warm air, letting the sunshine wash over my face. Now to start the trip back to Liz's house to reclaim my car. I did spend a moment entertaining the idea of taking the subway, or maybe a bus, though that idea was quickly discarded as I realised how far from the city I was, pulling out my phone and opening up the Uber app instead. My car arrived quickly, ready to take me to my destination. Once I'd settled in the back, I opened up my phone, scrolling through my contacts before I found the name I was looking for. I lifted the phone to my ear, settling in for what was likely to be an amusing conversation. It didn't take long for the ringing to stop and for my friend to pick up.

"If you don't see me for the next few weeks, it's because my dad has killed me. R.I.P me." I couldn't help but laugh at her dramatic opening line to our conversation, her voice slightly croaky from the night before.

"Other than a brief and emotional few minutes when I got home, I'm yet to face Tony properly... Dinner tonight at 7 though, that should be fun."

"Wow, good luck with that... he wasn't home to torture you this morning then? Lucky... my dad was."

"No he had business, so I thought I'd slip out before he gets back, avoid the inevitable for a little longer. Plus, I have to go pick up the car."

"Oh my god, I totally forgot about the car! At least it's a nice neighbourhood. Good luck sneaking back in later though." I paused, chewing at my lip as I considered whether to tell her my morning plans or not. She would find out sooner or later anyway.

"I'm not planning on sneaking back in any time soon..."

"Why? Where are you going?" I hesitated, wincing slightly as I anticipated her response to my next sentence.

"Umm... meeting Peter for lunch." She didn't skip a beat, her response coming immediately.

"You're weak and I hate you."

"I know, I hate me too. But I'm not forgiving him, I'm just giving him a chance to explain."

"Yeah well let him know that he also has to explain to me, and making my best friend feel like crap requires a pretty fucking spectacular explanation." She was right, it did require a pretty fucking spectacular explanation, and I was hoping he'd have one of those ready for me when I picked him up.

"I'll tell him you say hi then, shall I?"

"Or perhaps not."

"Listen, I gotta go. Love you, try not to die of your hangover, or of your dad's imminent 'I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed' lecture."

"Ugh don't remind me. Give Peter hell. Love you too, you pathetic child."

With that kind parting of words, I hung up, slipping my phone back in my pocket as we pulled up to our destination. I quickly thanked my driver and hopped out of the door, pleased to see that the Dodge was still sitting happily where I'd left it last night, not a scratch on it. At least that was one less thing for Tony to be mad at me about.

The drive back to Midtown high took less time than usual, mostly due to the lack of traffic on the roads on a Friday lunchtime. Unfortunately, this meant I'd arrived a bit early, pulling up outside the school just after 12. I hadn't heard anything more from Tony or Peter, the only text on my phone being a detailed word-for-word run down of the lecture Mads had received from Happy. I grinned as I read her dramatic re-telling, especially enjoying the fact her punishment was having her credit card confiscated for a week. That wouldn't last long though, she was a master at finding her confiscated items, and her most treasured credit card wouldn't be an exception. She'd be out shopping in no time.

A tap on my window startled me, my phone slipping from my hands in my surprise. I turned to the window, met with the smiling face of a boy around my age. Fortunately, I wasn't drunk when I had met him, and so was able to remember his name. I rolled down the window, plastering my best fake smile on my face to greet him.

"Hey… Adam, right?" I prayed I'd got his name right, waiting with bated breath for his response.

"Yeah, hey Elizabeth." Thank god, that could have been embarrassing. "How are you feeling today? You were pretty trashed last night." I forced out a laugh, the noise sounding a lot faker than I had anticipated.

"Yeah, don't remind me... I'm good though." I was eager to finish this interaction, leaving my responses short and blunt, hoping to discourage further conversation. Unfortunately, he had other ideas.

"So... what are you doing here?" He rested his arms on the window frame, leaning a little too far into the car for my liking.

"I'm just picking up a friend." My god, please go away, how blunt do I have to be for him to realise I'm done with this conversation.

"Oh? What friend?" None of your damn business Adam...

"Uh, Peter." I glanced past him, noticing a few students leaving the building. I glanced at my watch seeing that it was just past 12:30. Come on Peter where are you?

"Peter Parker?"

"Yep, that's the one," I replied with disinterest. When would this be over?

"So, you're like… actually friends with him then..." I was suddenly interested in the conversation, not keen on the way he had phrased that sentence.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I narrowed my eyes, a hint of venom in my tone.

"Well you know... you're the Elizabeth Stark, and Peter's a bit of a loser." I tensed my jaw, grinding my teeth together as I struggled to hold my tongue.

"Maybe I just attract losers," I replied simply, my face near expressionless as I kept our gazes locked. His confidence wavered as he realised that my words were very clearly a straightforward insult towards him. It didn't matter that I was mad at Peter right now, you could be damn well sure that I would defend him to my dying breath if I had to. Thankfully, I was saved from doing anything stupid as I spotted Peter exiting the building. He noticed me immediately, changing his direction and heading towards my car.

"Oh look, here he is, gotta go. Bye Adam." I spoke quickly, not giving him a chance to respond before I started rolling up the window, offering a little wave as the glass barrier was placed between us once again. I chuckled as he turned and walked away, looking a little put out as he shot Peter a glare.

I busied myself fiddling with the radio, connecting my phone and browsing through Spotify for a good playlist while I waited for Peter to get in. He slipped into the passenger seat just as I settled on my 70's/80's playlist, my best one if I did say so myself. I didn't turn to face him as he put his seatbelt on, keeping my eyes on my phone for a little longer for added effect.

"I take it I'm not forgiven...?" He asked quietly, raising a concerned brow in my direction as I concentrated on sliding my phone into its dock, something Tony had added as an important feature of the car. I kept my gaze forward as I turned the key in the ignition, bringing the car to life as the music began playing. I finally glanced over at him, lips set in a straight line as his eyes pleaded with me to accept his apology.

"You haven't bought me lunch yet." I attempted to joke, but the way he deflated slightly at my monotone voice told me he hadn't found it funny. I sucked in a breath, puffing it out through my lips before I turned back to the road and put my foot on the accelerator, pulling away from the curb and towards our next destination.

"You gonna start explaining then?" He'd been silent the entire journey here, and he had retained that silence for at least the last ten minutes, so I decided it was time to press. I was just as eager to get this over with as he was, I was sure of it. I watched him as he pulled his lower lip between his teeth, eyes focused on his pizza as though it were some kind of fascinating discovery.

"Do you want me to help you out?" His gaze shot up to meet me, lips falling apart as he went to speak but was cut off by me continuing. "Do you regret kissing me?"

His eyes widened and he reached across the table, shoving his pizza aside and grasping my hands in his with a furious shake of his head.

"Absolutely not. No way. I have never been happier and more certain of a decision in my life." I rolled my eyes, slipping my hands out of his and leaning back in my chair with folded arms.

"Yet you're embarrassed for people to know? Sounds like bullshit to me, Pete." His forehead hit the table with a thud as he groaned, quickly righting himself and running his fingers through his hair with a despairing look. I quirked my head to the side, keeping my attention locked on him as I waited for any response that might explain why he acted the way he did. I was patient as he took a moment to compose himself, taking a steadying breath and meeting my eye.

"You… are so important to me. You're my best friend, and don't tell Ned I said that because he'd never forgive me. I don't have many actual friends, and as you can probably tell, I'm kind of a loser at my school. All of the people at that party, their opinions really don't mean a whole lot to me."

"Then why not just tell them the truth?" I didn't feel bad for cutting him off, even though I had clearly ruined his flow.

"Two reasons… first of all, I panicked. I don't know why I told you to be quiet, I don't know why I didn't want them to know I just freaked out because I'm an idiot and I'm not used to a beautiful girl actually wanting to kiss me and then tell people about it. Actually I'm not used to a beautiful girl wanting to kiss me at all…" I nodded slowly, softening slightly at his explanation.

"And the second reason?"

He sighed. "I wouldn't even know what to tell them. What do I say when they find out we kissed and ask what's going on between us? I don't even know what's going on between us!"

I had to admit at this stage, that he had a fairly valid point. I also didn't know what was going on between us, but then again I hadn't really thought about it. It didn't particularly feel like our kiss had changed anything, we were the same playful, sarcastic, accidentally flirty Peter and Elizabeth that we had always been.

"You make a good point… As far as I'm concerned, nothing's changed. Do we need to discuss 'us'?" I surrounded the word with air quotes to emphasise my point, "Do we need to pick this apart and stick a label on it?" He shrugged, thinking over my questions for a moment before responding.

"I suppose not. But… I'd also kinda like to know where we stand…" I looked up, pursing my lips in thought as I composed an answer I believed would sate him.

"Okay, how about we don't shout about this for now. Until we've worked out what 'this' is... just keep it between us-"

"And Ned." He cut in.

"And Maddie," I added before continuing, "Let's just carry on as we have been, and see what happens. Just normal Elizabeth and Peter… maybe with some kissing here and there." His lips tugged into a grin, elbows resting on the table and chin in his hands.

"So… you still want to kiss me?" His innocent expression was enough to break my resolve completely, and I knew that I had forgiven him by the point, whether I wanted to or not.

I rolled my eyes, shifting in my seat and refusing to meet his eye.

"Only every time I'm anywhere near you." While I hated to admit it, it was true. Even right now, when I was still a little bit mad at him I couldn't stop thinking about it.

"I'm gonna take that as reassurance that you don't hate me anymore?"

"You still got me into trouble with Tony, that I'm yet to face. So don't get cocky." I jabbed an accusatory finger in his direction, to which he held his hands up in surrender with a laughter laced apology.

"So, how's your head this morning?" He moved on, asking sheepishly and taking a bite of his pizza as I narrowed my eyes at him.

"My head is fine thank you..." I paused, my eyes scanning his face before lingering on something I'd immediately spotted when he got in the car. "How about yours?"

"I didn't even drink last night I don-" I leaned forward, brushing his hair back to reveal a large and painful-looking bruise.

"Who won?" I raised a brow as he swatted my hand away, sweeping his hair back into place over the bruise.

"Me, obviously." He scoffed, his attention trained on his pizza rather than on me.

"Yeah, looks like it." He frowned at my sarcastic response, dropping his pizza back onto the plate with a sigh, picking a piece of pepperoni off his pizza and flinging it at me.

"Ew stop it!" I laughed, flicking the food back across the table at him before falling quiet.

"Seriously though Pete, you've gotta be more careful."

"Aw Els, are you worried about me." He grinned, shooting me a wink to which I could only frown in response.

"Of course I am. You're going to get yourself mixed up in something bigger than you and you're going to get hurt."

"You know about me being Spider-man for like two days and you're already babying me. Now you know why I didn't tell you sooner… I'm capable of looking after myself Elizabeth." He grumbled with a roll of his eyes, dropping his food back onto the plate with a sigh.

"You're treading dangerous waters Peter, don't forget that you're still a kid. You can't take on the world on your own."

"You sound like your brother." I could tell he had taken a sharp turn into irritation, not enjoying this conversation at all, but if it meant the difference between him living and dying, I'd lecture him every hour of every day until the day I kicked it.

"Good, he's a smart guy who knows what he's talking about." He didn't reply to this, simply staring at the table as he prodded at his discarded food.

"Peter..." I nudged his leg with my foot under the table, urging him to look at me. "Please just be careful, okay?"

He nodded slowly, offering an apologetic smile before sliding his milkshake over to me.

"Peace offering?" I grabbed the glass, taking a sip of the thick chocolate shake before sliding it back over to him.

"So, speaking of your brother, what did he say about last night?" I frowned, releasing a nervous laugh as I swirled my straw in my drink.

"I didn't give him much of a chance to talk… I was kinda too busy crying and telling him that you were an asshole." He gawped at this but quickly backed down when I shot him a look that dared him to test me. "But I did receive a very blunt text this morning." I noticed Peter breathe a laugh, not even trying to be sympathetic to my situation. "We're having dinner tonight, I assume he's going to use that as his chance to tear into me."

"Good luck with that..." He laughed, leaning across the table and sliding his hand into mine. "I'll write a beautiful eulogy for your funeral."

I rested my free hand over my heart, feigning flattery as I leaned towards him.

"Never forget me, Peter, keep me in your heart."

"You'll be in my heart till the day I die, Elizabeth Maria Stark." I snorted out a laugh at the dramatics of our conversation, falling back into my chair as his hand left mine. I found myself watching him as he took a sip of his milkshake before glancing at his watch.

"Crap, I gotta get back to school." I mimicked his action, checking my own watch to find that almost an hour had passed, and as well as getting Peter back to school, I had to meet Rhodey for my tutoring session. I hopped up from my chair, slipping on my jacket and grabbing my bag.

I slowed to a stop, pulling up at the curb out the front of Midtown high, where the grounds had grown quiet now that all the students had returned to classes. I killed the engine, both of us sitting quietly as we waited for the other to speak. Peter spoke first.

"I'm sorry, again, for last night." I offered him a small smile, shaking my head with a shrug.

"It's fine, forget about it." He nodded in thanks, drumming his hands against his legs quietly.

"Thanks for what you said too... it was pretty cool seeing you knock Flash down a peg."

"It felt really good," I broke out into a laugh and Peter quickly followed suit, both enjoying the memory of the previous night. "You should try it sometime."

"Yeah, maybe I will." He grinned, falling quiet as he watched me. I couldn't fight the smile that tugged at my lips, thoroughly enjoying the awkwardness of the moment.

"Shouldn't you get going? Before you end up in detention for being late." I quirked my brow at him as he snapped out of his daze, scrambling to get his bag as he muttered a string of profanities. He swung the door open, moving to climb out but pausing as he turned back to face me, suddenly looking nervous as he closed the door behind him again.

I frowned. "What? You're gonna be lat-"

The space between us quickly disappeared as he leaned across the seats, his left hand tangling into my hair and pulling me towards him, our lips pressed together in the way I had been craving ever since the first time. I was still a little bit mad at him, but at that moment it didn't matter. It was a fairytale cliché that I would have previously scoffed at, but had now found to be true… when he kissed me everything else just disappeared. We broke apart with longing breaths, and I could tell that he was just as desperate as I was to carry on until we ran out of breath completely. But no such luck.

He shot me a grin before swinging the door open and climbing out quickly, tripping a couple of times in the process before he turned back to me.

"Text me later? I wanna know all the details of this dinner." Oh no, I'd forgotten about that.

"Will do," I sent him a quick salute as he swung the door shut and turned to leave.

"Hey!" He turned back to the open window with a quirk of his head. "Peter Parker you cannot just kiss me and everything is fixed." My reprimand didn't hold much weight thanks to the flush in my cheeks and the way I licked at my lips in an effort to savour the moment.

"You sure about that?" He grinned, winking as he hitched his backpack onto his shoulder.

"Thin ice Peter! Thin. Ice." I waved him away as he breathed a laugh, spinning on his heel and beginning his run back to class. I snorted out a laugh as he turned back halfway up the path to send me a wave, stumbling over his feet and almost falling face-first into the pavement. Idiot. Adorable idiot.

Somehow I'd managed to avoid Tony once again as I arrived back home, only 5 minutes late for my tutoring session. To say I couldn't be bothered with it today was the understatement of the year. I zoned out on more than one occasion during our lesson, only coming back to earth when Rhodey smacked me in the leg with his crutch.

"Sorry Rhodes, my brain just isn't cooperating today." It's too busy imagining kissing Peter again. I groaned, resting my head in my hands and letting my hair fall over my face.

"Yeah, I can see that... it wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the lecture Tony's got planned for you later would it?" I chuckled guiltily, tucking my hair back behind my ear and offering Rhodey my most innocent smile.

"It might be..."

"Or perhaps it's to do with your little crush on Peter Parker." He exaggerated the name, shooting me a knowing look as he wiggled an eyebrow suggestively. Apparently, I'd breathed in a little too vigorously as I choked, coughing to clear my throat as I struggled to retain my innocence.

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about." I knew I didn't sound nearly as convincing as I wanted to.

"Sure kid... remember that I'm pretty old now, I've had a lot of life experience, and also I'm not an idiot. Plus, Pepper told me." I sighed, glancing up at him sheepishly through my lashes. "Just know that if he gets you in any trouble, I'll kick his ass."

"What are you gonna do? Whack him with your crutches...?" I nudged his arm playfully as he gawped in shock.

"You better watch your mouth or I'll practice on you." I barked out a laugh as he grabbed his crutch, waving it threateningly in my direction with his best attempt at a glare.

The rest of the lesson went pretty fast after that, a fact I was both glad and irritated by. While it meant I was one step closer to being free from work, it also meant I was one step closer to the dreaded dinner with Tony. Rhodey left just after we finished, walking much better with the aid of his crutches. He was recovering more and more every day which I couldn't be more thankful for. He was family, and seeing family hurt was something I wasn't good at coping with.

I decided to busy myself for the next few hours tidying my room. Anything to distract me from the oncoming storm that was my brother. It actually turned out to be an incredibly productive few hours, with me ending up changing my bedsheets, hoovering my room and giving my bathroom the deepest clean it'd had in its life. My productivity even spread outside of my bedroom to the kitchen, where I was currently rearranging the contents of the refrigerator. It was at this point Tony arrived home.

"Elizabeth? What are you doing?" I turned to see him watching me from the doorway, his brow knitted into a frown as he glanced between me and the fridge.

"I'm uh… rearranging the contents of the fridge…" I explained simply.

"I can see that… why?"

"Keeping busy." I shrugged, placing the juice back onto the shelf and swinging the door closed before pushing myself to my feet. I glanced at my watch, noting that it was 18:50. I definitely hadn't been late. I watched as he slid off his coat and threw his bag onto the counter, the nervous energy in me preventing me from standing still as I shuffled on my feet.

"So… Where are we going for dinner?" I asked quietly, twisting my fingers together in front of me as I shifted on the spot.

"We're not," I offered a confused frown at his response, sliding onto the bar stool in wait of an explanation.

"We're ordering in, I can't be bothered to go out." Well damn, there goes my idea of using a public space to minimise the yelling.

"Okay… I'll grab my laptop and we can order something," I started, rising from the chair and heading for the door, "What are you feeling?"

He considered my question for a moment, most likely going over the options in his head before he responded.

"Chinese?" I nodded in agreement at his suggestion before slipping out of the room to find my laptop.

Our food arrived quickly, and we ate mostly in silence. I could tell he was thinking, turning something over and over in his head. Probably thinking of the best punishment he could throw at me. Either way, the silence made me anxious, my nervous fidgeting and the way I was pushing my food around on the plate instead of eating it made that obvious. I couldn't stand this, why didn't he just get it over with and stop torturing me.

"Come on then, lay it on me…" I sighed, dropping my fork onto the table, so ready to get the reprimanding over and done.

"Lay what on you?" He looked up from his plate, his brow knotted in confusion.

"The telling off, the yelling at me and grounding me forever…" I shrugged, shaking my head at the way this conversation was going. He sighed, putting down his fork and pushing his plate aside to rest his elbows on the table. His fingers rubbed circles into his temples before moving up to run them through his hair as he took a breath.

"Actually, I'm kinda more interested in what Peter did to piss you off… before we get into the yelling and grounding you forever." Crap, I'd forgotten about my little outburst last night. Of course, he wasn't going to let that go. I winced as he watched me expectantly, clearly waiting for an explanation that I wasn't sure I wanted to give. Then again, if I didn't tell him, he'd probably just go to Peter for answers and terrify the poor boy even more than usual.

"Okay fine. Know that I'm only telling you this because I want to spare Peter your questioning. A few days ago he…" I paused, noting the way Tony was currently hanging on my every word as though it were gospel. "…kissed me."

I braced myself for Tony's surprise, or his anger because I knew that to him I was his baby sister, which meant the thought of any boy touching me usual sent him into a tailspin. However, this time I was surprised by his silence.

"Finally." I was taken aback by his response, expecting the complete opposite to what I had received.

"What do you mean finally?" I questioned, folding my arms over my chest with a frown.

"I mean, everyone's been waiting for you two to end up together for months. It's been torture." I gawped, swiping at his arm and receiving a middle finger in response.

"So wait, you're mad at him because he kissed you?" I shovelled a mouthful of noodles into my mouth with a shake of my head.

"No, I'm mad at him-" I caught myself, correcting, "was mad at him, because at Liz Allan's party he told me not to tell anyone."

"What, he's embarrassed for people to know he kissed the Elizabeth Stark!" He laughed as I threw my hands into the air in exasperation, flinging a noodle across the table and onto his plate in the process.

"That's what I said!"

"So, I noticed you said 'was' mad. What excuse did he give to make you forgive him?" Honestly, now that I thought about it, 'I panicked' wasn't a particularly good excuse. But I had accepted it nonetheless.

I shrugged. "He panicked."

"Ah, I can see why you forgave him." He turned his attention back to his food with a roll of his eyes, clearly not sated by my answer.

"Look… Peter might be a complete idiot but-"

"He's an idiot you're in love with." My breath hitched in my throat at his words. Not because he was wrong, quite the opposite. "I'm not blind kid, you're head over heels for the boy. I'm sure you'd forgive him for anything." Realising he was right, I glanced up with a halfhearted smile.

"Does that make me weak?"

He shook his head. "It makes you human."

We fell into silence after that, finishing off our food each in our own form of quiet contemplation. I already knew I was in love with Peter, I'd known that for a while. But hearing my brother say it out loud just made it all that much more real, and that kinda scared me. I'd never loved anyone before, not in a non-platonic way, and in all honesty, I wasn't sure what to do about it. What did love entail? How was I supposed to act? I couldn't get into this now, this was a rabbit hole for another time.

"You look like you're thinking real hard." Correct.

"I was just wondering why you haven't laid into me about getting drunk last night." It was a lie, but at the same time, it was true. That didn't mean I wasn't regretting the words the second they came out of my mouth. I'd managed to avoid a reprimand so far, why would I bring it upon myself this way?

"Look, I've made plenty of mistakes in my life. I'm not going to punish you for making your own. You've gotta make mistakes because that's how you learn. It just freaks me out to see you making the same mistakes that I did." He paused rubbing his eyes tiredly. "You have the potential to be or do anything you want. And I will spend every second of my life ensuring that you get that. I'm not gonna let you become a screw up like me."

"You're not a screw-up Tony, and you're crazy to even think that. I know you've made mistakes, I know you've done things that you regret but don't you dare forget all the good you've done. You nearly died saving this ungrateful, piece of crap world. In my, completely correct, opinion those aren't the actions of a screw-up." I kept my voice as even and strong as I could, despite the fact my emotions were beginning to get the better of me. "I'm gonna make mistakes, some of them my own, and some the same as yours. But if those mistakes make me become anything like you then I'll thank the lord that I made every one of them."

He watched me silently, mulling over my words as I worked to calm myself. I wasn't about to start crying over this, not when I was trying to prove that I was capable.

"You remind me so much of me already… that terrifies me, Els." He shook his head, casting his gaze down at the table. I reached across, placing my hand comfortingly over his arm.

"It shouldn't. You have never said anything that has made me feel so incredibly proud of who I am than that just has." My words were even and strong this time, no waver or hint of doubt. He simply stared back at me, a smile fighting for place on the edge of his lips. He slid back in his chair, gesturing for me to come to him which I did happily. He pulled me down into a hug as I reached his side, the familiar smell of oil mixed with his cologne casting a calming spell over me.

"You're too wise for your own good, you know that?" He mumbled into my hair, eliciting a quiet laugh from me.

"Well, that's one thing I definitely don't get from you…" He snorted out a laugh, letting me go and shoving my shoulder with a frown.

"Less of the smart-ass comments kid." He gave me a pointed stare, a genuine smile on his face finally.

"That one I do get from you…" I giggled, squealing as he hopped up from his seat and reached out to grab me, just missing as I slipped away at the last second.

"Dial back the attitude and go find some popcorn." He jabbed a finger in my direction before heading towards the lounge. "I'll get the blankets and Pepper, and pick a movie. Tonight's family night."

He paused for a moment as he was leaving, turning back to me with a dazzling smile.

"Oh, and you're grounded for two weeks."

I sighed, smiling at his back as he walked away. Closing my eyes for a moment and appreciating what I had. We might be extremely sarcastic and slightly dysfunctional, and we may encounter crazy life-threatening situations more often than the average family. But this was it. This was normal everyday life and I wouldn't change a single aspect of it. This was my family.