"Hey, sweetie, it's time to wake up," Pepper whispered, rubbing Peter's shoulder. The boy yawned and cracked his eyes open slightly.
"Good morning, Mom," he mumbled sleepily. Pepper's heart skipped a beat. Tony had told her that Peter had started calling him Dad, but she didn't realize that that would translate over to him calling her Mom.
"Good morning to you too, sleepyhead," Pepper smiled.
"Smells good," Peter murmured. "Like pancakes and eggs. . . and bacon."
"That's because there are pancakes and eggs and bacon," Pepper chuckled. She laughed heartily when the boy rolled off the couch and started to 'slither' towards the kitchen like a snake. She stood up and slowly followed after the boy, her bare feet cold against the tiled floors. When Peter finally reached the kitchen, he took a seat at one of the barstools at the kitchen counter.
"Can I have some pancakes?" Peter asked.
"Of course, Steve made a dozen just for you," Pepper said, preparing a plate and placing it in front of him.
"Thank you, Ms. Potts," Peter smiled, taking a bite. "Uncle Steve's a good cook."
"So I've heard,"
"I love his homemade strawberry syrup,"
"Ah, yes. The famed strawberry syrup."
"Do you not like strawberries?"
"Well, Pete, there's only one thing on this planet that I'm allergic to," Pepper began.
"Oh no! You're allergic to strawberries! That's terrible!" Peter exclaimed.
"It's not too bad, Pete. I've never actually had them before, so I don't know what I'm missing out on." Pepper smiled softly.
"I'm allergic to peppermint," Peter said abruptly.
"Ah, yes. I heard. Gave Tony quite the scare at Christmas," Pepper laughed.
"It's not my fault he's scared by anything even remotely dangerous," Peter said, exasperated.
"Not everything that is dangerous," Pepper said. "Just things that are dangerous to you."
"And you, I mean, that's why he makes us our suits, right? So he knows that we'll be safe." Peter reasoned.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Pepper agreed. The lab door eased open, and Tony walked into the kitchen.
"There you are, kiddo," Tony said. "I was wondering where you were."
"We're just talking about allergies," Peter shrugged.
"Oh, gosh. Don't remind me." Tony sighed.
"Hey, Peter, why don't you go get dressed and then you and Tony can head down to the lab," Pepper suggested.
"Okay!" Peter exclaimed. He hopped off the barstool, leaving a clean plate behind, and disappeared from the kitchen.
"Did you want to talk about something?" Tony asked, grabbing a pancake for himself.
"Peter called me mom this morning,"
"Really, that's great!"
"He was half asleep, though, so I don't think he realizes he did it. By the time we got to the kitchen, he was back to calling me Ms. Potts." she sighed.
"Hey, don't worry," Tony consoled. "The kid loves you. It won't take too much longer before you're Mom when he's fully awake too."
"You know, Tony, being a Dad is a good look on you." Pepper smiled, lightly kissing his cheek.
"He makes it too easy," Tony replied. Peter raced back into the room, almost slamming into the couple.
"I'm ready!" He exclaimed.
"Alright, boys. Have fun in the lab, and be careful." Pepper said. She gave Peter a hug and placed a light kiss on his head. Peter beamed at the gesture of affection.
"Don't worry, Ms. Pott's, I'll keep an eye on Dad," Peter promised.
"I'm holding you to that." Pepper teased.
"Okay, Mom," Peter laughed. When his brain caught up with his words, he froze. He stuttered out an apology before running into the lab.
"You should go talk to him," Tony said, coming up next to her. Pepper nodded and followed the boy into the lab. When she found him, he was sitting at a workbench, nervously fiddling with one of his web-shooters.
"Peter, honey," she said, alerting him of her presence, even though she knew he'd heard her walk in.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Potts." He said, refusing to look at her.
"Oh, Peter. I'm not mad at you," she sighed, sitting down next to him. "Sweetie, look at me."
He sighed and turned towards her. She smiled at him sweetly.
"Honey, I'm not mad at you for calling me Mom. In fact, I'd be honored if you wanted to make it a permanent thing," Pepper said.
"Really?" Peter asked hopefully.
"Really," she smiled. "Truth is, I was kinda jealous when Tony told me you'd started calling him Dad, and over the moon when you finally called me mom while you were awake. I love you so much, Peter."
"I love you too," Peter grinned, flinging his arms around her neck before murmuring the word that would always melt her heart. "Mom."
"Well, as much as I love that you two are bonding, we all have work to get to," Tony said, walking into the lab.
"Oh, please," Peter rolled his eyes. "You're just jealous that you no longer get me all to yourself."
"Excuse me, young man. I do not get jealous. I'm simply reminding Pepper that she has CEO duties, and we have things waiting to be blown up." Tony defended.
"Did you just say blown up," Pepper asked, eyebrows raised.
"Uh, no. Of course not. I'm a responsible adult. I would never blow something up for the sake of science," Tony lied.
"Oh, yeah. We'd never blow anything up, Mom." Peter said, playing his trump card that he would soon realize could get him out of any trouble.
"Mhm, sure. Fri, let me know if the boys blow anything up on purpose." Pepper said. After Friday put a new protocol in place, the Stupid Boys Protocol, she left to go get dressed for work.
"Man, you're almost as terrible at lying to Mom as I am." Peter laughed.
"Watch it, kiddo," Tony warned teasingly.
"Yeah, yeah. Anyways, so what are we gonna do now that Mom's shut down explosions?" Peter asked.
"Well, we could upgrade our suits again," Tony pondered, "or we could-"
"Leave the lab and play Compound Tag!" Peter cut off.
"Come on, kid," Tony groaned, running his fingers through his hair. "You know I hate Compound Tag. I'm the only person without enhancements or special training."
"Soooo. . . that's a yes?" Peter grinned.
"Yeah, whatever," Tony said, a fond smile on his face.
"Yes! Friday, please alert the team that we will be playing Compound Tag!" Peter exclaimed, jumping off his stool and slipping on his web-shooters. That was why Tony hated Compound Tag. At the Tower, everyone had to hide their enhancements because of the workers. Since the Compound only had a small section of workers, they were able to go all out. That wasn't even including the terrible punishment that faced the loser. Tony sighed and double-tapped his watch's face, gauntlets forming around his hand.
"Countdown five minutes until Compound Tag begins. Peter is It. End time is 11:30. Loser has to scrub the gym floors with a toothbrush." Friday called out. Tony exited the lab and laughed when he saw Peter's feet disappearing into the vents.
"Fri, let Eugene know that the Avengers are playing Tag and to be careful when wandering around," Tony said. He heard Friday's muffled voice ringing out in Flash's room. The door opened, and his head popped out. He glanced around the room until his eyes landed on Tony.
"Hey, Eugene. Settled in nicely?" Tony asked.
"Eh, nice enough." Flash shrugged.
"I didn't see you at breakfast. Did you get something to eat?" Tony asked.
"Yeah, those pancakes were terrible, though. And that strawberry syrup tasted like cough syrup." Flash remarked.
"Hey, now. The Captain made those pancakes and that syrup. I won't have you disrespecting him because he made something that the whole team loves." Tony scolded.
"Made for the team, or made for Peter." Flash glared, folding his arms.
"You know what, I'm not gonna argue with you. Peter's amazing. I love him as if he were my own flesh and blood. If you can't see how great he is, that's your loss." Tony said storming out of the room. He navigated through the endless hallways until he found an empty conference room.
"Friday, call Rhodey," Tony said, plopping down into one of the many chairs.
"Hey, Tones, you need something?" Rhodey asked. The warbling sound that came through with his voice let Tony know that he was currently flying in his suit.
"The kid is insulting my kid." Tony spat.
"Tony. I love you. You're like my brother. I'm completely lost." Rhodey said.
"So this kid, Eugene, had a paternity test come out positive and now he's staying with me on weekends. Pete's my intern, I've known him for about two years. The brightest kid I've ever met. He's staying with me too, actually indefinitely because his aunt's basically on Kingpin's hit list." Tony explained.
"So Peter's insulting Eugene?" Rhodey asked.
"What? No. Eugene's insulting Peter. He bullies him at school."
"Wait, wait, wait. So Peter's your kid then? I thought you said he was the intern."
"He is."
"Then isn't he the kid, and Eugene your kid?"
"Uhm, no. Eugene's a brat. Peter's my kid, and he was my kid before Eugene was even in the picture." Tony explained.
"How do you even know Peter?" Rhodey asked.
"He's Spider-Man." Tony shrugged.
"Of course he is." Rhodey sighed.
"Eugene also made fun of Cap's Strawberry Syrup." Tony pointed out.
"Tones, do you remember when we first met?" Rhodey asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"Do you remember how much of a brat you were because your Dad never showed you love or told you he was proud of you?"
"A little."
"It's probably the same here. The kid's been growing up with a Dad who probably resents him because he's your kid. Then here comes another kid who has a loving family, is arguably one of the smartest kids alive, and has earned your love. What kid wouldn't be jealous?"
"So you're saying I should let it slide?" Tony asked.
"I'm saying you should show him the love that he deserves. You of all people should understand how he feels." Rhodey clarified.
"You're right. Thanks for knocking some sense into me," Tony smiled.
"Anytime, Tones. Anytime."
"End call, Fri."
"Boss, Peter would like me to remind you that you are still playing tag and to 'get your butt out of that conference room because he's not allowed in.'" Friday called.
"Let him know I'm coming, but if he tags me while I'm coming out, I'll ground him" Tony threatened teasingly.
"You don't have the authority to do that," Peter said, lowering himself upside down on a web until he was at eye level with Tony.
"Gah!" Tony exclaimed, "Kid! You can't just do that! I have a heart condition."
"Sorry, Dad," Peter laughed, dropping down onto the floor.
"Yeah, yeah. I know. Tagged anyone yet?" Tony asked, reaching his hand up to 'rub the knots in his chest.'
"Nah," Peter shrugged. "Figured I'd give everyone time to distance themselves."
"Good to know," Tony said. He turned and sprinted down the hallway, double-tapping on the reactor so the suit formed around him. "Fri, open the window!"
"That's soooo cheating, Dad!" Peter called after him. Tony ignored him in lieu of launching himself out of the window and into the air. He flew around to the front of the compound where he decided to make his entrance. After retracting the suit, he grabbed an extra lab coat and pulled on a pair of tacky goggles. He wanders around the labs for almost half an hour. It's almost 9:45 when he finally ditches the mad scientist garb and heads up to the second floor.
When Tony had drawn up the plans for the compound, he decided to have more floor space and fewer floors. This led to the compound only having six floors in the building, with rooftop and basement storage for the Quinjets and other vehicles. The entire first four floors were dedicated to SI work. The first level has the lobby and human resources, the second is all the R&D labs, the third level is dedicated to legal, and the fourth is the conference rooms. The fifth and sixth levels were for the Avengers. There were a few labs on the fifth floor, mainly Peter and Bruce's, as well as the team gyms, the MedBay, and the weapons armory. The sixth floor is the living quarters, including Tony's wing. It has a small kitchen and dining area, for family dinners, Tony's lab, Peter's bedroom, and the currently occupied guest room. The whole floor wasn't dedicated to Tony, though. All the Avengers rooms were on the sixth floor as well as the common room and team kitchen. They weren't part of the 'Iron Suite' though. It had all been Stark's design. A way to mix their life with the company, and allow Pepper to work closer to home when she wasn't on business trips.
After about five minutes on the fifth floor, Tony ran into Wanda and prayed that she wasn't It. She stumbled when she saw him and tried to distance herself. He took that as a reassurance that she was not currently It, and that he didn't have to run yet.
"Do you know who's It?" Tony asked, the question calming her slightly.
"No," She muttered before stalking off once more, trying to avoid people. Tony sighed and continued to walk down the corridor. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was now 10:03. He sighed, realizing that he had an hour and a half more of sneaking around the compound. He had just turned into the hallway leading to the MedBay when he saw Peter crawling along the ceiling.
"Peter!" He whispered sharply. The boy jumped and landed on the floor.
"What the heck, Dad!" Peter exclaimed, climbing to his feet.
"Who'd you tag?" Tony interrogated.
"I got Uncle Bucky, who tagged Uncle Steve, who I'm pretty sure tagged Uncle Sam. Then I saw Uncle Sam tag Uncle Clint who is searching for Auntie Nat so that he can tag her." Peter explained quickly.
"How did you see all of that?" Tony asked incredulously.
"Not a lot of people look up," Peter shrugged. A light went off in Tony's head and he remembered the young boy he'd met during the Mandarin fiasco.
"I just had a thought," Tony said.
"What?" Peter asked.
"Well, a young boy once told me that I should use retro-reflective panels on my suit, but what if we could incorporate them into your suit." Tony started.
"We could make a Spidey Stealth Mode!" Peter exclaimed.
"Exactly," Tony smiled.
"To the lab!" Peter announced, marching down the hallway towards the elevator.
"Why did I make you a personal lab when you insist on using mine," Tony sighed, following the boy.
"My lab doesn't have you," Peter shrugged. Tony's eyes widened and (although he'd never admit it) tears formed in the corner of his eyes. The ride up to the sixth floor was short and quiet. Just as the elevator reached their floor, Peter shoved him into the corner next to the doors and placed himself in the one opposite. When the doors slid open, Tony heard Natasha and Clint bantering in the Common Room. Tony made eye contact with Peter, who held a finger up to his lips signaling for Tony to be quiet. The man rolled his eyes at the boy. Did he really think he didn't know how to be quiet?
"Clint, you don't have to do this," Natasha said. Tony could imagine her saying this with her hands in front attempting to soothe the Bird/Man.
"Remember last week," Clint said. "Yeah, me too. You tagged me .02 seconds before the end. I didn't even know that you were it until I'd already lost."
"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Nat shrugged. Clint let out a battle cry and pounced onto Natasha. Or, at least, Tony thought he pounced. They could hear a loud crash that sounded similar to bodies hitting the floor.
"It's called revenge, Nat," Clint hissed before they heard the clang of him crawling into the vents. Natasha let out a curse before following into the vents. Tony was about to move before Peter held up a hand, signaling him to stop. He waited as Peter listened in just in case Nat ended back into the common room. A few seconds later, a look of panic crossed Peter's face.
"Go!" He called, yanking Tony out of the open elevator doors. They were just closing the doors to the Iron Suite when he saw Nat drop down into the elevator. The two of them quietly made their way down the short hallway to where the lab was.
"Man, that was close," Tony sighed. "If it hadn't been for your Peter Tingle, we'd probably have been tagged."
"Do not call it my Peter Tingle." Peter said pointedly. "Besides, you'd probably have been tagged. I would just jump onto the ceiling and no one could get me."
"That really isn't fair," Tony frowned.
"Ah, yes. How unfair that I was bitten by a radioactive spider and spent three days on bed rest because I didn't even have the energy to move." Peter snarked.
"Alright, alright. I get it. It's not easy being a spiderling." Tony chuckled. He pulled up the hologram blueprint of the Iron Spider Suit so they could start calculating how to add retro-reflective paneling. They each worked individually for almost an hour before Peter came up next to him and peered over his shoulder.
"The suit's nanotech, right?" Peter confirmed, "So why don't we just have the nanites be reflective on one side, and normal on the other. Kind of like a reversible suit."
"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Tony smiled. "Technically speaking, it would work, but that's only if we find some way for the nanites to readjust without you revealing your identity."
"We could just make them slightly overlapping each other."
"Kind of like those weird little sequined pillows?"
"Exactly!"
"Would your stickiness work with the extra thickness?"
"It should, but that might be something we need to test out."
"Just a thought, what can you stick to?" Tony asked suddenly.
"Anything, really. Unless it's already sticky, like tape, then it's kind of like how two negatives or positives repel each other. Like, last week, Ned wanted to stick a sticker on my hand, but it wouldn't stick. It was really crazy! It also affects how well things stick to my clothes too. When we have name tags and stuff like that, mine always comes off a lot faster than everyone else's." Peter explained.
"Is that why your webs don't stick to you when you swing?" Tony wondered.
"Yeah! That's exactly why. It was really hard to find a compound that would work without also sticking to me. Once I realized that it wouldn't stick to me, it was a lot easier to develop." Peter said. Tony grabbed his wrist and removed his panic watch. He then hooked it up to the calibrator to readjust the way the nanites would form.
"That's convenient," Tony smiled. "Alright, I've got the suit recalibrated to have overlapping nanites. It won't have the panels yet, but it should give us an idea of whether or not you'll be able to stick to things."
"Great! Ready, Karen?" Peter asked, strapping on his watch. He smirked as he tapped his two middle fingers to the hidden fingerprint sensor on his palm. The Iron Spider Suit formed around him in a little under five seconds.
"Well," Tony said, "Did it work?"
"I think so," Peter said. He crouched down and shot himself onto the ceiling. Thankfully, he stuck. Tony inwardly chuckled while watching the boy crawl all over the lab ceiling to test his stickiness.
"So, do you think that'll do?" Tony asked.
"It's perfect," Peter smiled, mask retracting.
"Should Iron Man and Spider-Man make an appearance?" Tony smirked.
"I mean, that'd be great," Peter grinned. "But, we'd be accused of cheating because we'd be leaving the compound."
"Pete, my boy, why, please tell me why, did you have to start a game of Compound Tag?" Tony groaned, running a hand through his hair.
"Uhm, sorry?" Peter shrugged sheepishly.
"If you insist on us playing tag on a lab day and we end up working in the lab anyways, I will donate your gadgets to Oscorp." Tony glared.
"Aw, come on. Not Oscorp. You know how I feel about Oscorp," Peter groaned dramatically. "Oscorp is almost as bad as spiders."
Tony burst out laughing. "Yo-you're. . . you're a-afraid. . . of spiders!"
"Hey! You try getting bit by a spider and almost dying. It's not a pleasant experience." Peter pointed out.
"Yeah, yeah. I know. It's still a little ironic." Tony chuckled.
"Whatever," Peter smiled. "Hey Fri, what time is it?"
"The time is currently 10:57." Friday said.
"Thirty-three minutes left until we're home free," Tony smirked.
"You'd think that by now they would know that we always end up here during tag," Peter laughed.
"How about we get started on my mother's lasagna? Seeing that May probably taught you everything you know in the kitchen, it will probably take a couple of tries." Tony smirked, heading to the door before the boy could answer. He inwardly chuckled when he heard a quiet 'Rude,' mumbled from behind him. Peter retracted the suit and followed Tony into the living area. Unconsciously, he moved from traveling on the floor to walking on the ceiling.
"Wh-what the-" he heard someone say.
"Oh no," Tony muttered. Peter looked down and met the eyes of. . . Flash Thompson.
"This isn't what it looks like!" Peter called, jumping down from the ceiling.
"Oh really," Flash crossed his arms. "Cause it looks to me like Parker's been stealing Spider-Man's tech."
"I didn't steal anything!" Peter exclaimed.
"Whoa now boys," Tony jumped in. "You're both right."
"What?"
"Peter didn't steal anything," Tony said. "But this is Spider-Man's tech."
"Is that supposed to be an adequate explanation?" Flash frowned.
"Look, Pete here is my personal intern. He tests all of the Avengers Tech with me. The socks he's wearing right now are synthetic spider silk, it's what makes him stick to things." Tony explained. "Because Spidey can't be seen waltzing around the compound 24/7, he has Peter test out the tech for him. Which makes sense because Pete here is Spidey's original techie. He developed the infamous web solution, and that's actually what led to him becoming my personal intern."
"So you're telling me that Parker wasn't lying when he said he knew Spider-Man," Flash growled.
"Nope!" Tony grinned. "In fact, Peter's one of the few non-Avengers that know Spidey's identity."
"Well, since Parker is such good friends with 'Spidey,' surely he can arrange a way for me to meet him,"
"Of course! Pete's working with Bruce tonight, but I'm sure he can ask the spiderling to swing by. Right, Pete?"
"I mean, I can ask him," Peter shrugged. "He might not be able to make it, though. He's got a really busy schedule between work and patrolling."
"Where does he work?" Flash asked.
Peter panicked, unsure what to say, until he heard a voice ring out. "That is above your clearance level."
"Fri's right. Sorry, Buddy. Spidey likes his secret identity to stay a secret." Tony said. "Now, Pete and I were going to order some Thai for lunch, if you'd like to join us."
"But D-Tony, I thought we were going to make Nonna's Lasagna?" Peter blinked. Tony's heart stuttered at hearing Peter refer to his mother as Nonna.
"We'll still make Mami's Lasagna, but I figured we should get some lunch first. Or do you not want Thai?" Tony asked. He hadn't even finished the question before Peter was shaking his head.
"Will we get larb?" Peter asked hopefully.
"Extra sticky," Tony smiled. "Just for you."
"Sure, whatever. I'll join you for lunch. I'm not going to stick around to watch you cook though." Flash said. "What kind of weird internship is this?"
"Well, it's more of a mentoring gig than an interning gig." Tony grimaced.
"What, so you're his mentor?" Flash asked. Understanding dawned on him. "Like training him to take over for you?"
"What! No!" Peter exclaimed. "I'm not like the heir to SI or anything like that. Tony is just mentoring me in the Superhero field. I need to be properly trained for when Spider-Man's suit goes down, or when he gets hurt on patrol."
"Cooking is included in the, um, the mentorship? Anyways, cooking's included because the spiderling has an enhanced metabolism. He has to eat a lot to keep up his energy." Tony explained.
"Wait a minute," Flash paused. "Spider-Man is enhanced!"
"Uhm, yeah," Peter rolled his eyes. "The guy can literally catch a bus! He can lift ten freaking tons! How could he not be enhanced?"
"I don't know," Flash hummed, shrugging nonchalantly.
"Spidey can lift ten tons?" Tony asked, looking questioningly at Peter. "How do you know that?"
"We tested it out with Cap's weight simulator." Peter shrugged, having come up with this excuse months ago.
"Oh, really," Tony said, leveling his gaze on Peter. "And how did you use Cap's simulator without me knowing?"
"We, uh, we. . . hacked it?" Peter stuttered.
"Ha, yeah right," Flash laughed. "If you're gonna lie, at least make it believable."
"Hey Fri," Tony called. "Look through the records and see when Cap's simulator was last run, and order our usual from that Thia place Pete loves with a couple extra dishes for Eugene."
"The last time the Captain's simulator was operated was April 23, 2016." Friday said.
"And who was operating it?"
"The Captain."
"Alright, kiddo. Now I know you totally could've hacked the simulator, but you didn't. Are you gonna tell me how you really know that Spidey can lift ten tons?"
"R-remember Vulture?" Peter asked, glancing at Flash nervously.
"Yeah," Tony nodded, "That guy who tried to steal my tech?"
"Yeah, him," Peter confirmed. "He, um, he dropped a warehouse on Spidey."
"He dropped a warehouse" Tony fumed, "On Spidey."
"How would you even know that," Flash questioned.
"I was on the phone with him," Peter shrugged.
"Boss, the food is here." Friday rang out, saving Peter from Tony's wrath. At least, until Flash was gone.
"Thanks, baby girl," Tony said, glancing up slightly. "Pete, I'm gonna go get the food. Can you and Eugene go set the table?"
"Sure thing, Boss," Peter murmured, giving an exaggerated salute.
"Thanks, kiddo!" Tony grinned, before stealthily heading to the elevator.
"Come on, the kitchen's this way." Peter motioned. He made his way to the dining area without bothering to see if Flash was actually following.
"So," Flash drawled, "How'd you end up with a gig like this?"
"Were you not listening?" Peter sighed. "Tony found me when he recruited Spidey and decided to take me under his wing and teach me the ways of the superhero world."
"Yeah, whatever," Flash shrugged. "I'm talking about how you ended up as Spider-Man's techie."
"Oh,"
"Well, go on."
"Before I transferred to Midtown, I went to a small high school by Oscorp. I was best friends with Harry Osborne and Spider-Man. Every year, Oscorp gives a free tour to the school's incoming freshman class for inspiration and all that jazz. Anyways, Harry, Spidey, and I were messing around a little, cause we'd all been there before. I mean, you can't be best friends with the heir without going at least once. Spidey accidentally ran into a wall and a secret door opened up. Being stupid Freshman, we decided to investigate. It was pulsing with electricity, and full of bugs. One of the spiders had escaped from their container and ended up biting Spidey. That's actually how he got his powers. It was after I'd transferred when he realized that he was enhanced. He reached out to me and asked me to help him become a superhero. I agreed. It was right after Ben had been killed, and I decided what better way to take my mind off his death than help keep the city safe." Peter explained.
"You were friends with Harry Osborne?" Flash glared.
"Really," Peter frowned. "That's all you got from that story."
"Wait, wait, wait." Flash held up a hand. "Do you mean that there was a chance that you could've been Spider-Man?"
"Uhm, yeah. I guess." Peter shrugged nervously. "Thank goodness I'm not, though. I would be a terrible superhero."
"Yeah, you're right." Flash chuckled. "You're a wimp."
"Food's here!" Tony called, entering the room with bags hanging off his arms. Peter rushed forward to help relieve him of some of the weight. They set the bags down and pulled out almost fifteen containers of Thai.
"Why is there so much?" Flash asked, taking a seat at the table.
"Well," Tony started. "When you live with a bunch of superheroes, food tends to go missing a lot. Pete and I always get extra servings so that we can add some to the communal fridge and hide the rest up here."
"Why not hide it all up here?"
"Because they'd know. Anyone who thinks they can hide from Au- Natasha, is kidding themselves. The last time I tried to hide something from her, she announced it in front of the entire team." Peter sighed, "I'm never living that one down."
"Kiddo, you don't have to hide it from Eugene. I don't think he'll care about your relationship with the Avengers." Tony said pointedly, focusing on Peter's slip up.
"So I was right, then," Flash smirked. "The Avengers don't like him."
"No, you weren't right. D-Tony was talking about something else." Peter frowned. "He thinks I should tell you that the Avengers insist on me calling them Aunt and Uncle. Except for Wanda, though. She's more like the sister I always wanted."
"If all the Avengers want you to call them Aunt and Uncle, then why do you call Tony just Tony," Flash said.
"Flash. Tony's my Boss. I'm not going to go around calling him Uncle Tony. Some of the other interns might think there was nepotism going on. Besides, he's dating Pepper. I'm not going to call my mom's fiancée Uncle."
"Pepper Potts is not your mom."
"Well, yeah," Peter sighed. "She's not my mom biologically, but she's my mom in all the ways that count."
"What, did she adopt you, or something?" Flash snarked.
"Uhm, well," Peter stuttered, looking at Tony.
"Not yet," Tony cut in. "But we have been looking into it."
"But this morning he was calling her Ms. Potts. I heard it at breakfast with my own ears." Flash pointed out.
"She hasn't always been Mom to me," Peter shrugged. "Sometimes, when I'm tired, I slip back into old habits."
"How on Earth did Pepper Potts even become your pseudo mom!"
"Well, um, you see," Peter stuttered.
"Pepper is friends with Peter's Aunt May. When Peter's parents died, May would leave Peter with Pepper while she went to work." Tony lied, "Both May and Ben had to pick up extra shifts because they needed money to support the sudden addition to the family. Peter would follow Pepper around while she worked, and she treated him like her son. With the recent loss of parental figures and the fact that May and Ben were almost always working, Peter really latched on to Pepper."
"I called her Mom once," Peter interrupted. "Back when she was just babysitting. Ben had just gotten a promotion, so they were able to take fewer hours. That was the last time I saw her before Tony recruited Spider-Man. You can imagine her surprise when Tony told her that little old Peter Parker had designed all Spidey's tech." Peter chuckled. "It didn't take too long for us to fall back into the roles of Mother and Son."
"Doesn't Michelle practically worship the ground Ms. Potts' walks on?" Flash asked, thankfully, buying their lie.
"Yeah, not as much now, though." Peter explained, "MJ actually has an internship with her, and Ned has one with Uncle Bruce."
"How-" Flash started.
"Alright. That's enough stories for now. We can come back to that later. Right now, we need to start dinner." Tony cut in. He started collecting all the empty containers and threw them away while Peter put the leftovers in the fridge. Flash shot a short goodbye before heading back into his room.
"Well," Peter sighed. "That was stressful."
Tony burst out laughing. "Come on, kid. We've got work to do."
"You know what," Tony and Peter freeze. "I'm not even going to ask."
Pepper is standing in the kitchen doorway, looking in on the large mess her two boys had made. Tony was covered in tomato sauce while Peter had flour on his shirt and noodles in his hair. Although, that was not nearly as impressive as their big showstopper. The entire lasagna on the ceiling. It seemed as though another had exploded on the boys and the kitchen. It almost looked like a crime scene.
"How," she took a deep breath. "How, on earth, did you get lasagna stuck on the ceiling."
"It-it's a long story," Tony grimaced. Pepper pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance.
"Don't worry, Mom! We'll clean it all up." Peter promised. Tony looked at the kid like he'd betrayed him.
"I'm going to hold you to that," Pepper said, smiling at her new title. As she walked away, she heard Tony praising the kid for getting them out of a lecture by pulling the mom card.
"Hey, Fri." she chuckled. "Order the team's usual from that nice Italian place down the street. Oh, and get a couple of extra dishes that Eugene might like."
"Order placed. Arrival time is estimated to be an hour and forty-five minutes."
"Thank you, Friday."
"Of course, Mrs. Boss." Pepper smiled slightly at the cheesy nickname Tony had programmed Friday to call her.
"Be a dear and let Peter and Tony know that they have that long to clean the kitchen, or I reserve full rights to tell the team all about their little 'incident.'"
"Boss and Mini-Boss have been informed."
"When did Tony change that?"
"Mr. Parker's title and clearance were officially changed to Boss level six months ago; however, I was under strict orders not to call him Mini-Boss until recently."
Pepper nodded in understanding. It was almost impossible for Tony to give someone 'Boss' clearance level. In fact, it was so impossible that the only reason she has had that clearance for so long is since she is the company's CEO. If he hadn't promoted her, she probably wouldn't have ever been given such a high clearance level. Well, that is, until he became her fiancée.
She smiled at the thought that Tony was becoming more trusting of other people. After what the media dubbed the Civil War, Tony had tried to push everyone away. Since he'd recruited Peter, he'd become much more open and trusting. It had even gotten to the point that Tony had forgiven Steve and allowed the Rogue Avengers to live at the tower. After the accords were revised, of course.
"Mrs. Boss," Friday's voice rang out, interrupting her musings. "May Parker would like to know if she can get permission to join you for dinner."
"Of course she can! She's family." Pepper smiled. "Is she free? I'd like to give her a call."
"May Parker would like me to say 'of course I am free. I've been stuck in the MedBay all day, my only visitor being Happy.'"
"Right. I'll head down there." Pepper grimaced, making her way to the elevator to give her friend a visit.
"Hey, Pepper! Is everything okay over there? Did something happen?" May asked as soon as she opened her door.
"Oh my gosh, May. So I went up to the penthouse a couple minutes ago and Peter and Tony were in the kitchen cooking. Now I knew that Tony wanted to teach Peter how to make his mother's lasagna, but what I didn't expect was for it to explode and somehow end up on the ceiling."
"Th-that," May cackled. "That is gold!"
"Don't worry about dinner, though. I had Friday order from that really good Italian place down the street. You only have to subject yourself to the terror of their lasagna if you want to."
"Oh! I forgot to tell you! Peter's school is putting on a Parent's Day next week, but I obviously can't make it. Do you think you or Tony would be able to go? You're his parents in everything except blood."
"We'd love to go! Get me the date and time and I'll clear our schedules!"
"Great! He'll be so surprised!"
"And it'll be proof that his internship is real."
"You're right! Now, a little birdy told me that you and Tony have some new titles. Is the bird right? Did Peter finally call you guys Mom and Dad to your faces?"
"To our faces?"
"Yeah, he's been accidentally calling you guys Mom and Dad around the house for months. It's just little things like 'Lunch was great today! Mom is such an amazing cook.' or 'You'll never believe what Dad and I worked on in the lab today!' Sometimes I wondered if he actually realized what he was saying."
"That's so sweet! And yes, the 'birdy,' who I assume is Friday, is correct. He made it official with Tony after last night's mission, and mine was just this morning."
"I'm so happy to hear that! He really loves you guys."
"We love him too. I can't remember a time our little family has felt so complete."
"Alright, I know you came down to share sweet stories, but I have some great news!"
"What is it! What happened!"
"I think Happy is going to propose!"
"Finally! You guys have been dating for almost a year now!"
"I know, right! And I'm so excited."
"Are you sure? You don't look too happy right now."
"It's stupid. I really shouldn't be worrying about it."
"If you're worrying then it's not stupid. What's wrong?"
"I'm just worried about Peter. When his parents passed away, he tried to be the perfect child. He spent all his time trying to get perfect grades, his room was always spotless. I'm afraid that when I'm engaged to Happy he'll feel like he needs to give us space because we'll be wanting to have our own family. What if he thinks that because we're starting our own family we won't want him around anymore."
"Well, I have the perfect solution for your problem."
"What?"
"What if Tony and I adopt Peter? Then he can still be a part of your family without the worry that he's intruding on your new life, and you'll still be able to see him all the time because you're moving into the tower."
"That sounds like a perfect idea, but I'm worried that Peter might feel like you won't want him when you and Tony are finally married."
"Well, Tony and I have been talking about kids recently. We've always wanted to have two kids, but we're getting older and it would be really hard to raise two kids. Just last night, Tony and I were talking and he told me that we only need to have one kid after we're married because we already have a son."
"Aww, that's so sweet! You know, I think you're right. You and Tony adopting Peter is the perfect solution. He'll be so excited!"
"So that's a yes! I can't wait to tell Tony!"
"We should come up with one of those Baby Reveal things for Peter, but really it's just adoption papers!"
"Like one of those gender reveals?"
"Exactly!" May exclaimed.
"Well, we can start brainstorming right now, since you probably don't have anything better to do."
"That sounds like a great idea."
Pepper pulled out her StarkPad to begin brainstorming ideas on how to tell Peter. They would want to wait until Monday to meet with the lawyers while Peter was at school.
"I can't believe her!" Tony frowned.
"What? What happened?" Peter asked, puzzled.
"I just got a notification from Friday that the food Pepper ordered has just been delivered."
"Weellll, if I was her, I wouldn't want to eat our sad excuse for a meal anyways."
"Um, rude."
"Did she at least get Italian?"
"Yeah, from that good place down the street."
"Qualche Bel Nome Italiano! That's the best Italian place in Manhattan!"
"Wait, wait, wait. It's called Qualche Bel Nome Italiano? Seriously!" Tony laughed.
"Yeah, why?"
"That literally translates to 'Some Fancy Italian Name." By now he was almost crying from laughter.
"But it sounds so fancy and sophisticated! How could it mean something so stupid!" Peter groaned.
"It's called false advertising, kiddo," Tony chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair.
"Hey, how come you'd never heard the name before?" Peter asked, looking up to meet his eyes.
"Fri's the one who looks up the places for us to eat. I just tell her what to get. Plus, the first time we ate from there, you were the one who placed the orders."
"Oh, right. I forgot about that," Peter chuckled awkwardly.
"Of course you did, kiddo. Of course you did."
Peter sent a glare to his laughing father figure before heading into the kitchen where Pepper was setting the table.
"Hey, Mom!" Peter called, walking over to pull her into a hug.
"Hi, honey. How was your 'internship' today?"
"It was pretty great! We played Compound Tag, and then" Peter glanced around to see if Flash was anywhere near, "Dad and I worked on integrating retro-reflective panels into the Iron Spider Suit!"
"You know, I've always wondered how you activate and deactivate that suit," Pepper mused.
"Oh, it's really easy. To activate it, I double tap on the hidden sensors we've placed on my right palm, they're connected to my Panic Watch, and then to deactivate the suit I double tap the emblem on my chest."
"Why would the sensors be connected to your Panic Watch?"
"Well, the Suit's nanites are stored in my Panic Watch, and if I tap the sensors once," Peter demonstrated, "like so, it sends a signal to Friday that I'm in danger."
"Did you just-" Pepper was cut off by a frantic Tony running into the kitchen.
"Where is he! What happened!"
"Nothing happened. I was just showing Mom how the sensors on my Panic Watch work." Peter shrugged.
"Kiddo, we've talked about this," Tony sighed. "Remember what I told you?"
"To only activate the Panic Watch when I'm in danger,"
"And,"
"It's not a toy to be played with,"
"And,"
"That you have a heart condition, so I better not activate it when you aren't really in danger or else you'll reactivate the Training Wheels and Baby Monitor Protocols," Peter sighed.
"Exactly. Now, as I am aware that you did not forget the rules, would you like to explain to me why you felt it necessary to activate your Panic Watch when you weren't in danger, use it like a toy, and mess with my heart condition?"
"I-um, I just wanted to show Pepper."
"You just wanted to show Pepper."
"Yep. That's all."
"Tony, don't be too hard on him. He just wanted to demonstrate what a wonderful piece of tech you made, and show me just how much he appreciates it." Pepper smirked. Peter nodded enthusiastically next to her with a huge grin on his face.
"Fine. You get off with a warning this time. No going all 'boy who cried wolf' on me." Tony warned.
"You got it! Never again." Peter agreed, quickly.
"Alright, boys. Enough with the chit-chat. Come help me set the table." Pepper shoved a stack of plates into Tony's arms and utensils into Peter's.
"Is tonight a team dinner or a family dinner?" Peter asked, unsure of which table to set.
"I ordered food for the team, but we'll be eating as a family. May's coming up, and I don't want her to worry about the rowdy crowd that comes with team dinners."
"Oh my gosh! May!" Peter suddenly exclaimed. "I forgot she was stuck in the MedBay! I feel so bad. I didn't even go visit her, like I promised."
"Don't worry too much, honey. Happy's been down with her most of the time, and I'm sure if she really cared she would have told Friday to get you." Pepper consoled. Peter turned as he heard the elevator whirring behind him. As the doors opened, he could see that it was Happy and May. The latter nursing a bandaged arm held in place by a sling.
"May!" Peter called, rushing over to her. He was about to wrap her in a hug when she stopped him.
"Sorry, baby. I'm under strict orders to not agitate this arm at all. It was the only way Happy and I could convince Cho to let me come for dinner." May explained.
"If she even tenses the muscle at all, the wound could tear back open." Happy inserted, giving the real reason May had to be extra careful.
"I'm so sorry about not coming to visit today. I completely forgot that you were stuck here." Peter hung his head, clearly disappointed in himself.
"Oh, baby. It's okay. You spend every weekend at the compound. I knew you'd probably just fall back into the flow of things." May smiled softly. "Besides, I get you all the time. It wouldn't be fair to poor Tony if you spent your 'internship' time with me instead of him. He'd probably get jealous."
"Um, excuse you," Tony huffed. "I'm Tony Stark. I don't get jealous."
Pepper rolled her eyes at that. "Except for when Peter spent time with the Rouges after they were pardoned, and when Peter goes to the lab with Bruce, and when Peter goes to the intern labs. Should I continue?"
"Okay, okay. Maybe I get a little jealous sometimes." Tony ceded. Laughter rang out through the hallways, ceasing when the door to Flash's bedroom opened. May gasped quietly when she and Flash made eye contact.
"Eugene?" she whispered.
"Au-aunt May? What are you doing here?" Flash asked.
"Wait, wait, wait," Tony interrupted. "You two know each other?"
"Eugene's mother was Mary's best friend. In fact, Peter was staying with the Thompson's when the crash happened. He stayed with them while we were working out the details of taking guardianship over Peter." May explained.
"You never answered my question. Why are you here? What happened to your arm!"
"May got shot last night," Tony said. "She's going to be staying at the Compound while she heals."
"What's going to happen to Parker, then?"
"He'll be staying at the Compound on the weekends, but we'll be at the Tower on school days so that he doesn't have to wake up three hours early just to get to school." May cut in.
"It's not the first time I've stayed with Tony, though. I stay at the Tower when May has to go to Medical Conferences, or when she has the night shift multiple nights in a row," Peter shrugged. "It's nothing new."
"Only you would be nonchalant about staying at Stark Tower and the Avengers Compound." Flash huffed.
"Just wait till he finds out Tony bought back the Tower to be close to you," Pepper whispered to Peter. Flash's jaw dropped. Peter gave Pepper a look that he hoped conveyed how done he was with this conversation.
"I think you need a lesson in the art of whispering," Peter hissed. Pepper just shrugged.
"Alright, honey. How about you grab the food from Steve. I'll finish setting the table with Tony, and Happy can get May situated." Pepper decided.
"Okay, Mom!" Peter grinned. Pepper smiled softly at the boy, and Flash glared. They'd told him that Peter called Pepper Potts 'Mom,' but seeing and believing are two very different things. Why did Peter get a life where the Avengers chose to spend time with him? He'd had to practically beg on hands and knees to get Tony to agree to let him stay, and Tony's his father. To find out that Tony wanted to be around Peter so much that he literally rebought Stark Tower, that just pushed him over the edge. Peter Parker was going to regret butting into his life.
Dinner passed by quickly without any interruptions. Flash resigned himself to helping put away dinner because Tony said that it was a family rule that everyone help clean up. While Happy helped May to her suite, Pepper filled the tupperware with leftovers, Tony washed the dishes, Flash dried, and Peter put them all in their places. Flash was annoyed that Peter had somehow spent enough time here to know the exact layout of the kitchen. When they were finally done, they all settled down to watch TV.
"I think I'm going to go do some homework. I'll see you guys in the morning." Peter excused himself.
"Be careful, Pete. Don't stay up too late." Tony warned.
"What's he got to be careful of," Flash scoffed. "Getting a papercut."
"Now, Eugene. I know you come from a different upbringing, but in our family we refrain from making fun of people for being careful. In Tony's line of work, we find that we always have to be careful when alone. You never know when someone might attack," Pepper scolded. "And seeing that Peter's already been kidnapped, was it eight times, or nine?"
"Twelve, actually," Peter said. "But the team always gets me quickly. It's one of the reasons I have a Panic Watch. I think the longest time I've been gone is an hour and a half. But that's because they knocked me out. I wasn't able to send a signal, but they sent one themselves when they tried to remove my watch."
"Oh, um, wow. That's a lot to take in," Flash sighed. "How come you never told anyone?"
"Ned and MJ know. Nobody else really believes that the internship is real, so why would they believe that I've been kidnapped."
"Okay, enough talk of kidnappings. Gosh, kid. You're turning me gray." Tony huffed.
"I'm pretty sure that's just because you're old," Peter smirked. Tony guffawed.
"Alright, sweetie. Your homework isn't going to do itself," Pepper smiled, kissing him on the forehead.
"Good night, Mom," Peter smiled. "Night Tony, Flash."
"Night, Pete."
Peter headed down the hall and into his bedroom before locking the door. He quickly changed into his suit and asked Friday to open his window. With one last glance, he swung off into the night. It was an uneventful night. He stopped three muggings, walked a high school girl home, and stopped a convenience store robbing. When he finally got back to the Compound, it was almost eleven. He quickly changed and went down to say good night to May. He found her and Happy on the Common Room's couch watching the latest season of Downton Abbey.
"Hey, kid," Happy smiled, "Wasn't sure if we'd be seeing you tonight."
"I just finished with Patrol, and decided to come say good night before I checked in with Mom and Dad." Peter explained.
"I'd like to tell you she's completely lucid, but she took her pain meds recently. She's been in and out of consciousness since we came down after dinner. I have no idea how I'm going to get her into bed without jostling her arm." Happy sighed.
"So she's completely out of it right now?" Peter asked.
"Yeah. Do you mind helping me get her to bed? I need to ask you something without her here and I'm worried that she'd wake up in the middle."
"Of course, yeah. No problem. She's light as a feather."
"Right, super strength. Forgot about that." Happy huffed.
"No worries. How about you steady the arm while I carry her?" Peter suggested.
"Sounds easy enough," Happy shrugged. Peter leaned down to scoop May up into his arms while Happy kept her arm from being jostled too roughly. He followed Happy's directions to May's bedroom. When they got to her room, Peter was extremely grateful that she was already dressed and ready for bed.
"That wasn't too bad," Peter commented.
"Thanks, Pete. I couldn't have done it myself."
"Anytime, Happy! Now, you said you wanted to talk?" Peter reminded him. Happy hummed and led him back to the couch.
"As you probably know, May and I have been dating for a while now," Peter nodded. "Peter, kid. I want to ask her to marry me."
"No way," Peter gasped. "Really!"
"Yeah, kid. I want to ask you for your blessing. If we get married, you'll be one of the most affected. Are you okay with this?" Happy asked. Peter was touched at the man's sincereness.
"Yes," Peter nodded enthusiastically. "You make her so happy, pun not intended. I haven't seen her smile so much since Ben, so you have my blessing."
"Thanks, kid," Happy smiled, pulling the boy into a hug.
"Does this mean I can finally call you Uncle Happy?" Peter mumbled into his shoulder. Happy burst out laughing.
"Boss, Peter is in distress," Friday called. Pepper and Tony shot up in bed. They scrambled out from under the covers and rushed into his room. Peter was thrashing under the covers, whimpering.
"No. NO! Please, someone help me! I-I'm down here still! Help me! Mr. Stark, I-I don't wanna go. Please, Mr. Stark! I'm sorry. I-I'm so sorry!" Peter cried from his nightmare induced state. Tony motioned for Pepper to close the door. The last thing they needed was for Eugene to wake up from Peter's cries for help.
"Pete, kiddo. You're okay. It's just a dream. You're not there anymore. You got out, remember. You took down the plane and saved all the tech. You're okay, bambino." Tony said, trying to calm the boy down. The thrashing stopped, and Peter's eyes slowly blinked open. He saw Pepper sitting at the head of his bed, running her fingers through his hair.
"Hi, sweetie," Pepper smiled. "How are you feeling?"
"'m okay," Peter mumbled, leaning into her touch. "Sorry I woke you."
"Oh, kid. We want to be here for you, and if that means waking up so that you don't have to suffer in your own head, that's what we'll do." Tony said.
"Thanks, Dad," Peter smiled, eyes fluttering closed. "Love you guys, so so much."
"We love you too, baby," Pepper said. She leaned down and kissed his forehead, Tony doing the same after she left.
"Dad," Peter whimpered. "Don't leave me"
"I won't tesoro," Tony whispered, sitting on the bed. "I'll never leave you, bambino."
Peter tried sitting up in bed, but he was quickly stopped. He let out a whine before trying again only to be stopped once more.
"Pete, you gotta sleep," Tony said.
"I-I can't sleep," Peter choked out tears threatening to escape. "Ca-can we j-just go w-watch a-a mo-movie?"
"Sure, bud. We can watch whatever movie you want to." Tony said softly. He helped Peter sit up and make their way to the living room. Once they were both sitting on the couch, Peter snuggled into Tony's side.
"Comfy?" Tony chuckled. Peter hummed in response. "So, do you want to pick the movie, or should I?"
"Can we watch The Game Plan?"
"Sure, kiddo. Fri, queue up The Game Plan."
Fifteen minutes into the movie, Peter was fast asleep. Tony quietly asked Friday to pause the movie before he tried to move the boy. He knew from past experience that Peter weighed less than the average teenage boy because of his Spider DNA. Keeping Peter semi-still, he carried him into his room. Careful not to jostle the boy too much, Tony tucked him into bed.
"Good night, Peter," he whispered, kissing the boy's curls. "I love you so much, bambino."
When he awoke, Peter found himself in his bedroom rather than on the couch he had fallen asleep on. By now he knew that Tony had probably carried him to bed, so he wasn't too confused.
"Hey, Fri, what time is it?"
"It is currently 11:47."
"Cool, cool. Is Dad awake?"
"Yes, but he is not currently at the compound."
"Oh, okay. Are any of the Avengers here, or is there a mission?"
"There is not a mission. Dr. Banner is in his lab, and the rest of the team is training. Would you like me to ask them if you can join?"
"Sure. That sounds like fun."
Peter hopped out of bed, and into his bathroom. After brushing his teeth and styling his hair, he grabbed a gray tank top and navy blue joggers. He was tying the laces of his running shoes when Friday informed him that the team would be delighted to have him join them.
"Ms. Romanoff would like me to tell you that she has some new training material to teach you."
"Sweet! Tell her I'm on my way!"
Peter raced to the team's favorite gym, opting to take the stairs rather than wait for the elevator. When he walked through the doors, he was greeted by Natasha, Sam, Steve, Bucky, Wanda, and Clint.
"Well, if it isn't the Spider-Kid," Sam smirked. Peter rolled his eyes.
"Careful! Do that too much and they'll stay that way," Clint fired. He was almost certain Clint said it out of habit rather than because he actually thought that.
"Yeah, sure, Uncle Clint," Peter said, rolling his eyes once more.
"Иди сюда, Пити (Come here, Petey)," Natasha called, gesturing for him to come to her. He made his way to the corner of the room that Nat had claimed as hers.
"Good morning to you too," Peter smiled.
"I didn't call you down for small talk. Отрезки. Сейчас.(Stretches. Now.)" she said. Peter complied, sitting down next to her.
"So do any of you know what Dad had to do today?" Peter asked.
"He's hanging out with that Eugene kid, I think," Clint said, walking out of the equipment room with three quivers full of arrows.
"I think he feels bad for the kid. He's known about him since before New York and never did anything for him." Natasha explained.
"I for one don't believe that child is Tony's. He looks nothing like him," Wanda huffed.
"If they told us you were his son, now that I would believe." Sam added, agreeing with Wanda.
"When Dad told me Flash was his son, I was kind of confused. Flash has always looked like Uncle Harrison," Peter hummed. "Do you think he lied about being Dad's?"
"That's a really extensive lie, Peter. At least ten years in the making." Steve frowned.
"You never know with Flash," Peter shrugged. "I wouldn't put it past him to come up with the idea to fake being Tony Stark's son at the age of five."
"Малышка (Kiddo), we all know how much you love Tony and want to protect him," Natasha started.
"But you need to understand that he's a grown man and he can take care of himself." Clint finished.
"But Flash is his real son. I'm just some knock-off superhero that weaseled my way in." Peter sighed.
"Steve and I aren't related by blood, but he's still my brother. Natasha and Clint, they're siblings. You and Wanda. You have no blood relation, but you chose to be siblings," Bucky said. "Just because you're not Tony's flesh and blood doesn't make you any less his son. Eugene may be his flesh and blood, but Tony chose you. No one can break that kind of bond."
"Bu-but what if he forgets me?"
"You're his kid," Wanda smiled. "He'd never forget you."
"Thanks, you guys," Peter smiled.
"Alright, bring it in guys. Group hug!" Sam called. The team rushed forward and pulled him into their arms.
"Peter, Mr. Hogan has requested your presence." Friday rang out, interrupting the moment. Peter gasped, remembering the conversation they'd had the night before.
"Tell him I'll be right there!" Peter called, jumping to his feet. "Also, where is he?"
The team laughed as Friday informed him that Happy was waiting for him in the garage. Apparently Happy wanted to run some errands with him. Peter bid the team goodbye as he made his way to the elevator and down to the garage. Happy was waiting for him next to one of Tony's more conspicuous audi's.
"Took you long enough," Happy huffed, ushering Peter into the passenger seat.
"I missed you too, Happy," Peter smirked.
"Gosh, kid," Happy chuckled. "You're like a mini-Tony."
"I know," Peter grinned. "So what did you want me for?"
"I want you to help me pick a ring."
"Oh my gosh, don't you think Mom would be more help than me?"
"Nobody knows May better than you do, Pete."
"Well, I do have impeccable fashion taste."
"Kid,"
"Yeah?"
"Quit while you're ahead."
Peter's feet weren't sore because he was enhanced, but he was sure Happy's were throbbing. They had been to at least five different jewelers. He was bored. He was tired. He missed Tony. He'd had compound weekends for a whole year and Tony had always been there when he woke up, no matter how busy he was. Flash had been there one weekend and he was already ruining it. Peter knew he was being ridiculous. Tony wasn't his. Flash deserved his attention just as much as Peter did.
"Ya know, you could just propose with a ring pop and let May choose the ring later," Peter groaned.
"Come on, kid. This is the last place." Happy said, entirely ignoring Peter's whining.
"Fine."
"Good afternoon, gentlemen," The jeweler called out as they entered. "How may I help you?"
"We're looking for an engagement ring," Happy said.
"You're looking for an engagement ring. I'm being tortured." Peter huffed.
"Sorry about him. I figured he would be helpful because he knows his aunt so well, but apparently he's just a nuisance." Happy glared at the boy.
"Understandable. I have teenagers, I know exactly what you're going through," The man smiled. "My name's Thomas."
"I'm Harold Hogan, but everyone calls me Happy."
"Don't know why cause you're anything but," Peter snarked.
"And this little bundle of joy is Peter," Happy added, shooting the boy a disappointed glare.
"So tell me what you're looking for."
"Something simple, but elegant. She's a nurse, so I don't want it to be too chunky, but I would like it to be beautiful."
"I think I have just the thing for you," Thomas smiled, pulling something from the display.
"This is perfect," Happy grinned.
"Thank goodness!" Peter praised, dropping to his knees.
"Hi, honey," Pepper smiled, when Peter walked into the living area later that night. "I heard you went shopping with Happy today."
"Ugh," Peter groaned.
"I'm guessing it didn't go too well?"
"It was terrible!"
"That's too bad. Why don't you go get your pj's on, and we can have a comfy movie night."
"Just the two of us?"
"Just the two of us."
"Okay!" Peter exclaimed, rushing to his room to change. Pepper smiled as she moved to the kitchen to make hot chocolate, grabbing a plate of chocolate chip cookies as well. By the time she made it back to the living room, Peter was bundled in a pile of blankets on the couch.
"Ooh," Pepper smiled softly. "A spider-rito."
"Did you get the coco?" Peter hummed beneath the blankets.
"Yes, I got the coco," Pepper huffed lightly. "Now scooch. I wanna sit too."
Peter gave a whine before unwrapping himself so that Pepper could sit. Once she was sitting, he quickly curled into her side.
"Comfy?" Peter hummed in response.
"Pride and Prejudice, or Princess Bride?"
"Princess Bride."
"I have trained you well, young padawan."
"I changed my mind, Friday put on Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker."
"The things I do for you," Pepper sighed.
"Thanks, Mom," Peter grinned. Pepper knew in her heart that she would do anything to keep that boy smiling.