Peter and Rhea circled one another in the ring, their fists held at the ready while Happy watched with his arms folded trying to ignore his itching throat. Despite not really needing it or wanting it for that matter they were each wearing protective boxing gear including gloves.
"I don't want any of those fancy gymnastic moves you two. This is straight up boxing." Happy warned once again. "Trying to teach you two how to throw a punch, not join the circus."
"You say that like it's a bad thing Happy." Rhea commented throwing a few quick jabs that Peter dodged. "I for one think it would be pretty cool to runaway to the circus."
"What would you be?" Peter asked delivering a few jabs himself catching Rhea in the side.
"Keep your arms up." Happy called out and Rhea did so.
"What wouldn't I be? All of it sounds like fun, but I lean towards lion tamer or elephant trainer." Rhea said with a gleam in her eye. "What about you?"
"Acrobat or the high wire." Peter said right away, catching Rhea in the side of the head, but she returned with a punch to the gut. Both of them had learned that neither of them really needed to hold back when sparring and it was a great feeling to let go.
"Can you two focus?" Happy said in annoyance.
"We are focused." Peter replied.
"Yeah, just not on fighting." Rhea bounced around a bit trying to faint to the left, but Peter saw through the deception.
"There is not conversations during fighting." Happy complained, coughing into a tissue.
"Clearly you have not been paying attention to grandpa." Rhea deadpanned making Happy groan in annoyance. They focused more on their boxing to make Happy, happy until Happy said they were done. Peter and Rhea were setting on the edge of the ring unwrapping their hands as they talked.
"So…" Peter started hesitantly as he glanced at Rhea out of the corner of his eye. "You kind of left suddenly last night."
"Yeah, sorry about that." Rhea replied, but said no more.
"Uh, can I…can I ask why?" Peter asked.
"Nope." Rhea popped up onto her feet moving away.
"I didn't mean to…I mean…I was just worried is all." Peter stood up as well. "If you ever want to talk or anything I could listen…" Peter started to feel himself start to blabber, quickly snapping his jaw shut with a bashful smile. "Sorry."
"It's alright Peter." Rhea smiled at him and he felt his heart stutter a bit. "Thank you."
"Yeah, yeah, no problem." Peter nodded quickly.
"I'm going to have to take a rain-check on our training next week, I won't be in town." Rhea said.
"Really? Where are you going?" Peter asked.
"To visit my mom and dad." Rhea said then could have kicked herself as Peter perked up, this being one of the few times she had ever mentioned her father.
"Oh, oh, really?" Peter tried to sound casual, but instead still sounded super curious.
"Yeah." Rhea nodded. Peter tried to think of a way of phrasing his question that wouldn't come across as to…questioning. "I can't tell you anymore Pete, I'm sorry."
"It's alright." Peter nodded, noting how sad she looked for a moment. "Listen, Rhea, you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, I'd never make you do that and I don't want you to ever feel like you should."
"You're amazing, you know that?" Rhea walked back over to him.
"Thanks." He ducked his head.
"No, really Peter." Rhea placed her hand on his shoulder. "You're the best friend I've ever had." Rhea pulled him into a tight hug making his face erupt. "Thank you Peter."
"Anytime Rhea." Peter hugged her back.
"I know you're both having a touching moment, but Mr. Stark is on his way." AL warned them.
They stepped apart just before Tony entered already halfway through a rant that had them both struggling to catch up on. They were both pretty sure it was some new modification to his suits that he was excited about.
To say Tony didn't notice the little looks that passed between them or the ones they shot each other when the other wasn't looking would be completely false. He noticed a lot and it took up quite a bit of his thoughts at times, but if Rhea was going to be interested in someone there were a lot worse boys out there than Peter.
-0-
Rhea was sitting on the front steps of the facility with Mischief laying at her feet when Happy pulled up with Peter. Rhea stood to her feet with Mischief picking himself up from the ground, shaking himself.
"Hey Rhea." Peter greeted with a large smile as Mischief bounded up to him placing his paws on Peter's shoulders trying to lick his face. "Hey Mischief."
"Hey Peter." Rhea smiled back as she slapped her thigh getting Mischief to back off Peter. Happy muttered to himself while rolling his eyes as he headed in doors. He had been fighting a head cold, but was too stubborn to take a day off. "I left some of your favorite soup in the microwave for you, the extra is in the fridge."
"Thank you Rhea." He said in a scratchy voice as he went inside.
"You cook?" He asked.
"Yeah." Rhea nodded then pointed at him. "Don't look so surprised."
"Sorry." Peter ducked his head. "So what's the plan for today?"
"A nice hike with Mischief." Rhea rubbed the top of the large dogs head.
"Really?" Peter perked up.
"I just don't feel like training today." Rhea said as she walked on, Peter falling into step beside her. "Plus it's such a nice day."
"So I don't need to worry about an ambush or anything?" Peter asked hesitantly.
"Maybe, maybe not." Rhea shot him a smirk before laughing as Peter looked around nervously. "Calm down Pete, on my honor I'm not pulling anything on you."
"Ok, alright…" Peter cast her one more playful suspicious look.
"So how's school and the rest of the outside world?" Rhea asked as she formed a ball and through it down the path for Mischief to chase. Peter told her his general day to day events and took notice of just how interested she was in it.
"You don't really get to leave the compound to much do you?" Peter asked hesitantly.
"Not without one of my uncles, aunts, grandfather, or a detail." Rhea shrugged as she took a ball from her pocket and threw it for Mischief to chase down the path. "It's not so bad, I have a friend online named Shuri and we pass the time doing invention exchanges and there's always training with the agents." Rhea took the ball from Mischief giving it another toss. "And i got patrolling with you."
"Well…me, Ned, and some of the Decathlon kids are going to go see the new Aquaman movie that came out, looks pretty good." Peter commented.
"Sounds like fun." Rhea replied. "I've always been a Jason Momoa fan since I watched Star Gate Atlantis."
"Really? I love that series and SG-1." Peter grinned then looked a little nervous. "Would you like to come with us?"
Really?" Rhea looked a bit surprised. "I mean yeah, sure, that'd be great."
"Awesome." Peter smiled, his cheeks pinking a bit as they came back up to the facility, but Peter stopped short looking down at an imprint burned into the grass. "What's this?"
"What's what?" Rhea looked down her eyes widening before shooting up to the front doors that opened up to reveal her mother and father. "Mom, Dad!" Peter looked from Rhea to Vanessa and the tall man standing next to her, his eyes wide. This was Rhea's father, the man few had ever seen. His picture alone was worth a pretty penny to any news facility around the world. Rhea ran up hugging both of her parents as Mischief jumped around them excitedly. "Mom, Dad, this is my best friend, Peter Parker." Rhea smiled over to Peter. "Peter, this is my mom Vanessa and my dad...Thomas."
"Hello." Peter came up to them, noticing Rhea's hesitation at her father's name, but chalking it up to her being nervous introducing him to the mystery that was her father. He had reddish blonde hair, a matching goatee, and pale blue eyes. He wore a nice tailor blue blazer over a white dress shirt with matching slacks and black dress shoes. "Nice to meet you."
"You as well Peter." Vanessa smiled. "Rhea's talked about you quite a lot."
"Only the good stuff though." Rhea grinned making Peter's face pink slightly.
"But he's a boy." Loki pointed out with a small frown.
"What made you think he wasn't?" Rhea looked at her father in confusion. "I told you his name was Peter, I even said 'his name' as in a boy."
Loki merely hummed leveling a cold look at Peter that sent alarming shivers down his spine.
"Come on, let's get inside. We have dinner ready." Vanessa ushered them inside. Rhea rolled her eyes at her father's antics and entwined her arm with Peters as she walked inside. "Be nice. He's very important to Rhea."
"That's what concerns me." Loki grumbled as he followed his wife inside.
Dinner was an interesting affair with Loki questioning Peter almost relentlessly, but Peter answered each question, mostly not realizing that he was being grilled. Vanessa brought up more pleasant avenues of discussion and Tony was having a great time watching Loki go into dad mode.