The world has graced us with another Friday! I'm so happy to see that everyone adores Stebe as much as I do đź’• I can confidently assure you that there will be plenty of Stebe to come!
This chapter, we get a lot of progression and maybe a hint of humanity from Tony, but more importantly we get...bananas! Which is the FANART for today! The lovely vanillabean_97 on Instagram and Twitter has drawn the cutest thing for this chapter, PLEASE go look at it on my account kevy_fanfics and send Vanilla all the love in the world! She's an amazing artist and friend :) p/B09CV4UApnR/?igshid=fy9rzt096v80
Have fun and stay safe!❤ 💛💚💙💜
Chapter 4: Fake It 'Til You Make It
Tony spends the entire night in the workshop. He works on upgrades for the holotable, patches up some of J.A.R.V.I.S.'s programming, and then spends the rest of his time drafting schematics for a new project. The project isn't anything too exciting just yet, but he had an interesting idea for a new missile prototype that might be useful for the troops in Afghanistan. He might ask Rhodey's opinion on it later when he gets the chance. Instead of getting sleep like a normal human, he hyper-focuses on the schematics and, thankfully, can't tell the difference between minutes and hours passing.
Peter, however, wakes up to a large, empty room with his heart beating a little too fast for comfort. Another nightmare wakes him up much too early. He doesn't remember what it was about, but he isn't crying this time. Instead of dwelling on it, he looks around. The room is a stark contrast to the twin sized bed and cozy room he used to sleep in. That bedroom was personalized with posters, bookshelves housing his favorite books, and toys scattered across the floor. This room has no posters, definitely no bookshelves, and only a few toys he chose at Goodwill. The bedroom he loved had light green walls and a soft, shaggy carpet. This room has white walls and a glossy, hardwood floor. Everything is different.
His stomach rumbles and he doesn't think twice before flopping from his back onto his stomach. He slowly slides down the edge of his bed, holding tightly onto the bed sheets, until his pink toes touch the cold floor. The icy, varnished floor sends a shiver throughout his body, yet he manages to land on his feet. He stumbles slightly on wobbly legs, but is quick to regain his balance. Before he forgets, he tugs down his bear Stebe and holds him close to his chest as he ventures away from his bed. He sleepily shuffles towards the door and has to stand on his tiptoes to attempt to reach the gold knob. Still, his fingertips can hardly brush it, let alone grip it to open the door. The knob jingles, but does nothing else.
"Good morning, Peter." The boy jumps at the sudden disembodied voice. He quickly backs away from the door, clutching Stebe close. "Do you require assistance with opening the door?" the voice offers. Peter stares up with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth.
"Are…are you stuck in da ceiling?" he cautiously asks.
"No, there's no need to worry," the voice politely assures. Peter blinks once.
"Who are you?" he asks in a tone filled with fascination and wonder. He hasn't ever heard a voice without a body before.
"I'm Just A Rather Very Intelligent System. Feel free to call me J.A.R.V.I.S.." Peter blinks again, then tilts his head ever so slightly as he absorbs the new information.
"Jarbis?" he repeats, unable to say his v's. There's a slight pause before J.A.R.V.I.S. responds with,
"That is correct." Not even J.A.R.V.I.S. can tell the toddler "no," with Tony being an exception. "I am always here if you need anything, such as opening doors." Suddenly, the door in front of Peter squeaks open, making his eyes widen even further in amazement.
"Woah!" he exclaims as he rushes through the door. When he realizes he accidentally left J.A.R.V.I.S. behind, he hobbles back into his room. "Thank you!"
"My pleasure. I'm here for anything you need," J.A.R.V.I.S. politely ensures.
"Anything?"
"Anything." Peter thinks for a moment, his nose scrunching up as he goes through the options in his head.
"Jarbis?" he calls up as he stares at the ceiling.
"Yes?"
"Where's Tomy?" There's a brief pause before J.A.R.V.I.S. answers again.
"He's currently occupied in the workshop."
"Do I get to see him?" Peter asks hopefully.
"I'm afraid no one is allowed to bother him while he's in the workshop," J.A.R.V.I.S. regretfully informs, a slight softness to his voice.
"Oh. When's he gonna be done?" Another pause. Peter just stares up at where J.A.R.V.I.S.'s voice seems to be coming from until he gets a response.
"I'm not quite sure. However, if you'd like, I can notify Ms. Potts that you're awake and require breakfast," J.A.R.V.I.S. offers with utmost kindness. Peter rubs one of his eyes with his free hand.
"Yes please," he says quietly.
"I have contacted her. You can wait for her in the kitchen," J.A.R.V.I.S. relays.
"M'kay," Peter mumbles as he nods his head. "But, Jarbis?"
"Yes?"
"Where are you gonna go when I go to the kitchen?" the boy asks worriedly. The amount of concern that is suddenly in the boy's voice would be confusing, if anyone were here to witness it. He doesn't want to leave the voice all by itself. However, J.A.R.V.I.S. answers without missing a beat.
"I can come with you, if you'd like." Peter's face instantly brightens with a smile and he nods with an abundance of enthusiasm. He waddles out of the room, but stops just outside the door frame to look back up.
"Jarbis?" he double checks and, much to his delight, J.A.R.V.I.S. still answers.
"Yes, Peter?" J.A.R.V.I.S. of course portrays nothing but patience.
"You came!" Peter bounces on his toes slightly with pent up energy as he continues to look at the ceiling.
"Of course."
"Are you crawling through the ceiling?" the boy asks curiously as he walks down the hall.
"No, my software allows me to be anywhere in the mansion," J.A.R.V.I.S. explains as Peter wanders into the living room.
"Oh…" Peter doesn't quite understand, but he accepts the information anyways. "What do you do up there?" he asks instead.
"I do my best to reach the expectations placed upon me and assist those who live here. I'm here to help," J.A.R.V.I.S. kindly informs. Peter looks to both his right and left in a vain attempt to either find the kitchen or Tony, whichever comes first.
"Do you eber get bored?" he inquires when he doesn't find either of the things he was looking for.
"Not particularly," J.A.R.V.I.S. answers honestly. "The kitchen is going to be to your left while the workshop is down the stairs to your right." Peter looks to his left, then to his right. He wants to go see Tony, but it's obvious that Tony doesn't want to see him. So, instead, he shuffles to his left towards the kitchen where J.A.R.V.I.S. said Pepper is going to meet him.
"How do you eat?" Peter questions, somewhat concerned at how the voice is going to get food.
"I don't need to eat, or consume any calories." At this point, J.A.R.V.I.S. is more than aware that Peter doesn't understand the concept of a User Interface, so he just tries to answer the questions to the best of his abilities.
"You don't eat food?!" Peter asks incredulously. "You neber get pizza?! Or chicken nuggets?! Or, or apple juice?!" Just the thought of living life without these amazingly delicious foods makes Peter want to cry.
"I know of them, but no, I've never tried them," J.A.R.V.I.S. vaguely expresses his mutual disappointment. Peter keeps his eyes trained upwards in disbelief.
"I'm sorry, Jarbis," the toddler apologizes, swinging Stebe back and forth beside him.
"It's quite alright, Peter. Not to worry, Pepper will be joining you shortly." J.A.R.V.I.S. doesn't hesitate to reassure Peter, noticing the kid's momentary distress.
A few minutes later, the elevator doors open and Pepper walks out wearing her business attire. She was expecting to step away from her work to check in on both Tony and Peter, but she wasn't expecting the issues to start at eight in the morning. Preparing herself for an early argument, she swiftly walks into the kitchen to see Peter standing in the middle of the kitchen floor with a tired face and rosy cheeks.
"Good morning, Peter," she happily greets. As long as Peter is happy and comfortable, she considers herself successful. Peter smiles back at her without thought.
"Morning, Miss Peppa," he says sweetly. Pepper smiles sadly at the engraved politeness in the young boy from going through the system.
"You don't have to call me 'Miss,' if you don't want to, remember? It's okay to just call me Pepper," she ensures as she crouches down in front of him. Of course, Tony's point about not letting Peter call her "mom" immediately comes to mind. Peter doesn't catch on to her hesitance though.
"I can?" he asks hopefully, his eyes brightening.
"Of course." As soon Pepper confirms her decision, Peter lunges forward and wraps his arms around her neck. At first Pepper's taken off guard by Peter's sudden affection, but she is quick to return the boy's hug. Peter lays his head on her shoulder and Pepper patiently holds him close.
"You can call me Petey too, if you wanna!" Peter offers, lifting his head to look at her. Pepper does her best to hide her overwhelming emotions behind a pleasant smile.
"Thank you," she says politely. "Hey, do you know what Eskimo kisses are?" Peter frowns in thought, then shakes his head.
"Uh uh." Pepper's smile grows to show her white teeth.
"It's where you touch your noses together," Pepper presses her nose to Peter's, earning a small laugh from the boy, "and you shake your head." They both shake their heads and their noses gently rub together.
"That's silly," Peter says accompanied by a fit of giggles. Pepper's light blue eyes look into his chocolate brown ones. What a sweet kid… she thinks absentmindedly. She pulls away and affectionately taps Peter's nose.
"Have you eaten yet?" Much to Pepper's dismay, Peter shakes his head. "Did Tony not get you breakfast?" Who is she kidding? Tony never wakes up before noon, if he sleeps at all.
"Tomy, Tomy's not talking to me," Peter huffs, trying to portray how he's feeling through words. Pepper tilts her head slightly in concern.
"He's not talking to you?" she repeats for clarification. She wouldn't put it past Tony to give a four-year-old the silent treatment, which is what worries her.
"No!" Peter exclaims with a trembling bottom lip. "Jarbis says he's doing work and, and some work in the shop but I can't see him." Hearing Peter say "Jarbis" instead of "J.A.R.V.I.S." would've been cute to Pepper under any other circumstances besides a neglectful Tony. Pepper sighs, she supposes she should've seen this coming. She just hoped that after their argument yesterday, he would've pulled himself together even just enough to make Peter breakfast.
"Would you like me to give him a piece of my mind, Ms. Potts?" J.A.R.V.I.S. cuts in to offer innocently, though it's obvious there's an underlying tone of sass. Pepper chuckles lightly.
"Don't worry, I'll give him plenty of mine," she assures before giving her attention back to Peter. "Do you want to go down and see Tony?" Peter gasps softly with excitement.
"We can?" he whispers as if it's the biggest secret in the world. Pepper nods before standing up and Peter's head tilts up to continue looking at her.
"But you have to eat something first. What are you hungry for?" Pepper walks to the overly large, stainless steel fridge and opens it to search for something edible for a toddler. Peter looks around the kitchen, standing on his tippy-toes, in search of something to eat. A bundle of golden-colored bananas on the counter immediately catches his eye. The toddler…well, toddles over to the counter and tries to climb his way up with one arm. "Woah, Peter." Pepper rushes to his side and pulls him away from his determined but unsuccessful climbing, hoisting him onto her hip.
"Nanas!" Peter exclaims as he still leans towards the counter to point at the fruit.
"You want a banana?" Pepper reiterates and, when Peter nods, she uses her free hand to tear off a banana. She's surprised that Tony even has fresh fruit lying around. She sits Peter on the countertop as she peels the banana. Peter bounces, kicking his feet with a wide smile as he impatiently waits for his breakfast. "There you go." Pepper hands off the banana to the excited little boy, who immediately takes a bite off the top.
"Thank you!" Peter says with his mouth full. He snuggles Stebe to his chest as he happily munches on his breakfast. Pepper smiles and lifts the boy up to set him down on the ground again.
"You're very welcome. Ready to see Tony?" she asks with as much enthusiasm as she can muster into her voice. Peter nods, his lips already covered in banana mush, and reaches his hand out towards Pepper. He doesn't look up to see if she'll take it, he just trusts that she will. That's what makes Pepper's hearts ache. Children are so pure. Pepper gently accepts his hand and they walk to and down the stairs together.
When they get down to the workshop level, the floor-to-ceiling windows are opaque to where they can't see through. Pepper is all too familiar with this since Tony does it on a regular basis. She uses her clearance code to open up the workshop doors and the blasting music immediately pours out. The sudden increase in sound causes Peter to jump slightly, but he doesn't loosen his hold on Pepper's hand. Tony is standing at his triple screen display, tapping on the touch screen with hyperfocus. The light blue glow from the screens illuminate his face and reflects in his eyes.
"Tony!" Pepper tries to yell over the music. As always, her yelling isn't any match for the deafening music. She huffs and shakes her head in disapproval before instead shouting. "J.A.R.V.I.S.!"
"Already on it, Ms. Potts." As soon as J.A.R.V.I.S. replies, the music is cut off. Tony's head snaps up and he rapidly looks around until his eyes land on the other two people in the room. Of course, his momentary peace is already ruined.
"To what do I owe the pleasure, Ms. Potts," he asks sarcastically, turning his attention back to his calculations.
"Besides Peter needing breakfast and not being able to reach you? You have that important press conference at nine thirty," Pepper informs with impatience and a glare. Peter looks up at Pepper, then across the way at Tony as he chews his banana.
"Which is in…?" Tony hasn't exactly kept track of the time, not that he needs to. Usually. He might've forgotten that he's in charge of another human being. But who could blame him? Besides, the kid was asleep.
"An hour," Pepper clarifies, raising a single, unamused eyebrow. Tony rolls his eyes and swipes his hand to power down the computers.
"Yeah, sweetheart, I get the message. I'm comin'. But you get to explain to our ever-so-patient Obi why I'm behind on all my work." He twists to stretch out his back before standing up. As soon as he stands, Peter let's go of Pepper's hand, drops his banana peel on the ground, and pitter-patters towards Tony. All Tony does is watch as the toddler slams into his leg and wraps his arms around said leg tightly.
"Good morning, Tomy," Peter greets, his words muffled by the fabric of the pants. The boy's bear Stebe still hangs from his fingertips.
"Uh, morning." Tony awkwardly clears his throat and pats the top of Peter's head twice. When Peter lets go of Tony's leg, he looks up at the man and extends his arms. He looks like he's trying to snap his fingers, but doesn't make a sound. Tony can't decipher what in the world the kid is trying to do.
"He wants you to carry him," Pepper advises, her arms crossed. She's the epitome of unimpressed. Tony looks up at her and back down at Peter. He's supposed to carry the kid?
"Up!" Peter whines longingly. It's obvious that the toddler is getting more and more intolerant by the second, and Tony can't have him upset during the conference. Everything has to work out perfectly. So, against Tony's better judgement, he picks up Peter and places him on his hip. Peter looks around energetically, taking in all the sights that he can see from so high up.
"Can you pick that up for me before this turns into an episode of Tom and Jerry?" Tony nods to the banana peel on the floor. "Arms are full. Please and thank you," he adds when Pepper doesn't make a move to pick up the peel. Pepper relents and picks up the peel since Tony has Peter.
"You have an hour. No more than that. We have to keep on schedule and Obadiah will be joining you, so that way the whole thing isn't a train wreck," she informs as she drops the peel into a nearby, silver trash can.
"Yeah, I get the gist. Have a little faith, hm?" Tony walks over to Pepper with an overly confident smirk. "I'll get dressed and-"
"And you'll also dress Peter. Right?" Before Tony can disagree, Pepper answers for him. "Right. Let's get moving." With that, she turns smoothly on her heel and walks back to the stairs. Tony doesn't exactly have the right to argue, so he just glances to Peter. The kid is already looking at him with his dark brown, trusting eyes. Tony doesn't know how to react. Instead, he simply looks away and follows Pepper.
If one were to say getting Peter dressed was an ordeal, it would be the understatement of the century. Apparently, Peter doesn't like the idea of taking off his pajamas.
"I don't wanna take off my jammies!" Peter screams as he kicks his small legs in vain to keep his pj pants on. Unfortunately for him, his persistence is no match for Tony who easily tugs off the pajama pants.
"I know, Peter, but we're going to a very important conference and you have to look nice," Tony tries to reason with the squirming toddler. Peter does his best to get away from Tony's hold, flinging his arms around.
"I don't wanna!" Tony exhales sharply without much patience left.
"Well, you have to 'cause I said so," Tony counters instead, deciding to abandon his half-assed plan of reasoning with the kid. He debates calling for Pepper as Peter yells, and he knows that she can hear it, but his pride won't let him ask for help.
"No!" Peter shouts again, devolving into shrieks of protest. Tony decides to let go of Peter's legs to stressfully run his hands through his own hair. Why the hell do kids have to be so loud?
"Fine, y'know what? Keep the pajamas on! I don't care! Go for it! It'll just be a room full of reporters and you'll be on every magazine cover in the country, but fine," he retorts gruffly. He stands tall as a pantsless Peter flips onto his hands and knees, crawls up to the head of the bed, and slams his face into the abundance of pillows. Tony rolls his eyes at the drama of it all, until he hears Peter's quiet, muffled cries. He takes a long, deep breath. "C'mon, I said you could wear the pajamas. We have to get going, alright?" he offers with an attempt at trying to soften his voice. If he doesn't get Peter to cooperate, they'll be late. Peter peeks up from the pillows with a single, glossy eye.
"You gotta say you're sorry," he mumbles. Tony pinches the bridge of his nose. This is a waste of time.
"Sorry. Okay? We need to go," he orders as he checks his watch. Peter's mood seems to do a one-eighty and he lifts his head from the pillows with a smile.
"It's okay. I forgib you, Tomy." Peter scooches to the edge of the bed and puts his pajama pants back on. As soon as he's done, he slides down the side of the bed and walks to the door with an odd sense of purpose. Tony wonders if all toddlers are this resilient or if it's just Peter. He opens the door for the kid and they both walk back out to see Pepper before the conference.
"He's still in PJs," Pepper points out with a knowing smile. When Peter sees her, he runs towards her and hugs both of her legs. "Well hello there, handsome," she greets with a chuckle before hoisting him up. Peter openly laughs as Pepper tickles his sides and kisses under his chin. For some reason, Tony feels a twinge of…something. He just isn't sure what that something is.
It doesn't take long to get to the Stark Industries location, containing a multitude of buildings. There's a specific room with a podium dedicated to press conferences, which is where they'll be having theirs today. Tony and Pepper, the latter carrying Peter in her arms, go in through the back of the main facility to avoid the onslaught of reporters that are undoubtedly waiting at the main entrance.
"Look who's on time for once!" Obadiah greets when he notices the three enter the building.
"Obi!" Peter exclaims, already reaching towards the man. Without a second thought, Obadiah takes the boy and holds him casually on his hip.
"Ready for the big conference?" Obadiah asks Tony with a cocky grin. He seems so comfortable about introducing Peter to the world.
"As ready as I'm gonna be. I have enough caffeine running through my veins to last an hour. Tops. So let's get this train wreck on the rails, shall we?" Tony responds, adjusting his tie and straightening out his suit jacket.
"I hope you two know what you're doing," Pepper mildly interjects. She looks between the two with impassive eyes, but Tony knows better than to think she isn't feeling anything. She's furious. Still, for some reason, she's letting it play out.
"We've got it all worked out. Right, Obi?" Tony looks to his friend for confirmation as he extends his arms to take Peter.
"As always, to a T." Obadiah passes off Peter. When Tony is holding Peter, the boy greets him with a not-so-quiet whisper.
"Hi, Tomy," he says before giggling. At least he's in a better mood. That'll be good for the cameras, Tony thinks, trying to remain optimistic.
"Hey, Peter. Ready?" It's more of a rhetorical question, but Peter happily nods anyways.
"Mhm!" Tony isn't sure if the toddler knows what he's agreeing to. It makes the man feel a bit guilty. Not enough to call off the press conference, though. With Peter's agreement, Tony nods to Obadiah and they all walk out to the podium. As soon as they're visible to all the reporters and journalists, the yelling and the camera flashing starts. Peter immediately buries his head into Tony's shoulder and tightens his arms around the man's neck.
"No, I don't like the lights. Too bright," Peter whines, squirming to get closer to Tony for comfort. Tony pats his back and bounces him slightly. Y'know, like people do in the movies.
"I know. I'll take care of it," he assures. He can't have the kid upset for the entire interview, after all. Once they reach the podium and Tony opens his mouth, all the reporters silence to hear what he has to say.
"Morning, everyone. Hi, hello. One itsy bitsy favor, no flash photography. I know I look spectacular today, but the lights upset mini-me here." He rubs Peter's back and tries to sneak a peek at his face. "You wanna say hi?" Peter looks up just enough to see Tony, then puts his head back into Tony's shoulder with a shake of his head. The crowd chuckles and Tony plasters on his fake smile. "C'mon, bud." Nicknames show that we're close, right? All Peter does is loosens one of his arms to wave at the crowd without looking up. Well, he tries to wave. He grabs at the air to try to mimic a normal wave, but he doesn't quite get it right. Still, it seems to only make him more endearing to all the people.
"Tony's going to be explaining the circumstances first," Obadiah cuts in with his usual, charming smile, "then he'll be answering questions. Until then, please hold your questions for the end." He stands to the side to let Tony have full range of the microphone. Pepper stands behind the large group of people, slightly off to the side as she dispassionately stares at Tony. The crowd stays quiet while Tony starts his explanation.
"I felt like I was missing something in my life. A constancy. Y'know, something to focus on besides the usual tinkering and highly successful weapons production. Something to ground me, if you will, when I constantly travel for the greater good of this fine country. Pepper and I decided on the mutual commitment to adopt a kid, and here we are." Tony decides not to overcomplicate it. And yeah, he might've fibbed here and there, but the reporters don't know that. As soon as he finishes, all the reporters yell his name with their hands raised to get his attention. "Yeah, you in the back."
"What's his name?" the brunette reporter asks.
"Peter," Tony answers. He bounces the boy a few times to try to get him to face the crowd. When Peter doesn't so much as move, Tony continues with the questions.
"You up front." He points to a blonde man in the front row.
"Will he be taking over the company?" Not likely when he won't be around long enough, Tony answers in his head.
"If he so chooses. Next." He points to a woman on the far end of a row.
"How's life as a parent?" the reporter asks curiously. It's probably what all of them are wondering, more so along the lines of "how are you handling it." Tony would feel insulted of them thinking so little of him if 1: he cared and 2: they were wrong.
"Oh I love it. I actually made breakfast for him this morning. Wonderful experience," he smugly lies through his teeth. "You." He nods to a woman in the middle of the group with her hand raised the highest.
"What did you have for breakfast, Peter?" she asks the toddler instead. Peter peeks up at the mention of his name, then raises his head. This fully displays his head full of wild, light brown curls.
"A nana," he answers shyly, which Tony didn't even believe was possible. The reporters laugh, thankfully taking Tony's lie as a joke. Tony laughs along, which he knows only Pepper can tell is fake. He doesn't dare to look over at her. He knows better, especially since it's more than likely that she's fuming over his lies.
"How are you liking your new home so far?" one of the reporters calls out of turn. Tony scans the crowd, but can't find who said it. For some reason, Peter perks up at the question.
"There's a nice guy who lives in the ceiling!" Peter exclaims, throwing his arms up to portray his excitement. Tony genuinely chuckles at the boy's interpretation.
"He's talking about J.A.R.V.I.S.," he clarifies. There are smiles throughout the swarm of people, which confirms to him that they're already falling for Peter. Just like they planned. Obadiah notes the effect Peter has on the crowd. "You, go for it," Tony lazily gestures to another reporter.
"How old are you, Peter?" Peter smiles proudly as he holds out four fingers.
"This many!" he declares with a giggle, just as he had when he met Tony.
Tony finds himself absentmindedly smiling at Peter as the questions continue, no longer attempting to organize the questions being asked. Peter is ecstatic to answer the reporters at first, but the longer it goes on, the shorter his answers become. Finally, he reaches his limit and holds out his arms towards Obadiah. The moment Peter extends his grabby hands, Tony feels somewhat disappointed. Insulted, almost. Why doesn't he want me to hold him? Then Tony catches himself. Me? Jealous? I must be out of my mind today. Obadiah laughs loudly and easily takes the boy.
"He's just fitting in so well and loving everyone that he likes to take turns," Obadiah effortlessly explains, earning him soft laughs from the crowd.
"Yeah, he tends to switch from person to person. A social butterfly, this one," Tony adds, forcing a smile for the cameras. "Well, that's our cue. Peter's done for the day so we'll be heading out. Thank you all for your time and whatnot." He waves to the group as the three of them leave the podium, ignoring the shouts for extra comments.
"Bye-bye! I lub you!" Peter yells as he waves goodbye to the crowd over Obadiah's shoulder. When they get away from the prying eyes of the media, Pepper rushes up to Peter.
"No no, sweetheart. We don't say we love strangers," Pepper corrects with a chuckle. Peter tilts his head and purses his lips in a pout.
"How come?" he asks, confused. Pepper isn't exactly sure how to explain it.
"Because we only say that to…family, okay?" she explains sweetly. Still, Peter's smile drops.
"Like mamas and daddies?" Peter clarifies, biting his bottom lip. Pepper glances up to Tony, but chooses not to say anything to him. She keeps her focus on Peter.
"Yeah, like moms and dads. Family." Peter stares at her with his big, brown eyes. After a few seconds of eye contact, he looks down.
"Oh…" is all he says in response. This time, Pepper looks up at Obadiah.
"You can take him ahead, Tony and I will come get him in a second," Pepper urges. Obadiah is happy to oblige with a nod and adjusts the toddler higher on his hip.
"Come on, Squirt. Let's go take a look around," he offers the kid with a grin as he starts to walk away.
"M'kay, Obi," Peter concedes, resting his head on Obadiah's shoulder. As soon as they're out of earshot, Pepper turns to Tony with her arms crossed. Before she can start what Tony can only assume to be a lecture, he distracts from the current situation.
"Did you see that? One second the kid's all over me and the next second, he's reaching for Obi. I swear, that kid better get his priorities straight. I'm practically the coolest person on the face of the Earth," Tony insists nonchalantly, only partly joking.
"Maybe because you treat him more like an object than a human child," Pepper effortlessly offers, accompanied by narrowed eyes.
"No, I'm sure it's not that." Tony sarcastically waves her off. When Pepper glares, he holds up his hands in defense. "Alright, fine. I'll treat him more like a four-year-old. We'll go out and do stuff and things," he offers instead.
"You better be serious, Tony. You treat that kid right. He deserves it. And so help me God, you're going to give Peter whatever he asks for," Pepper reprimands curtly. Giving Peter back is no longer on the table, not that she would want to. The kid is an angel and she wouldn't be afraid to admit that she has started falling for his adorable tendencies. Tony sighs and fixes his hair.
"Look, I'll have some bonding time with the kid, okay? Satisfied? We'll go do some…fishing or something. Play catch and whatnot. That'll satisfy him," Tony suggests the stereotypical father-son activities before waving off the subject. Hopefully he can kill two birds with one stone; getting Pepper off his back and hanging out with Peter for the media to see.
"You better hope Peter stays happy," Pepper warns and proceeds to follow where Obadiah went with Peter. Tony huffs, resisting the urge to hide out in his workshop for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, he has made a commitment that he can't break. Now he even has to plan a fishing trip or some crap. And to think he almost felt a smidge of jealousy at Peter wanting to be held by Obadiah instead of him. He doesn't want to hear the kid's ramblings anyways. Still, he somehow has to come up with a fishing getaway for "bonding" and make sure the media gets it for good publicity. Having a kid is way more work than he thought.
Can...can it be? having a soul? Guess we'll find out ;) Thank you for reading!❤ 💛💚💙💜
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