Chapter 11: A Day in the Life of a Citizen
On Sunday, Peter actually wakes up at a reasonable time, if you consider 11:00 am reasonable. It's the weekend, that's practically waking up early! Besides, he doesn't want to keep Tony waiting. He wasn't expecting to go shopping, especially with someone like Tony. This isn't exactly how he saw the weekend going, but then again nothing about this weekend has been predictable.
"Morning, kiddo." Tony walks out of the elevator, taking a sip of what's probably coffee. Hopefully coffee.
"Good morning, Mr. Stark," Peter greets with a smile.
"Have you had breakfast yet?" Tony leans on the arm of the couch Peter's sitting on. Peter decided to watch some TV while he waited for Tony to be done in the workshop. Normally he would go down and work with Tony, but he didn't want to bug him after yesterday.
"Yep! Did you?" Peter tries to make casual conversation. Tony holds up his mug as if it's all the answer he needs to give.
"Ready to head out? I made reservations for lunch at some fancy dancy place Pep recommended," he shrugs.
"Why not a hotdog stand or a burger joint instead? It's a lot less high profile. The last thing we want is the press spreading rumors," Peter suggests instead. "Fancy" sounds expensive. Plus, he definitely doesn't need Flash seeing him with Tony Stark all over social medias. Not that it wouldn't be great to rub it in his face, but Flash would probably find a way to torment him with it. Tony raises a skeptical eyebrow.
"Spreading rumors that you intern for me?" Tony questions, not getting Peter's point.
"Well, I mean, we shouldn't have attention drawn to us. Especially with my secret identity and what people at school would say, y'know?" Peter quickly specifies.
"Fine, but I still get to pick where we shop." Tony puts on his signature sunglasses and grabs a baseball hat off the back of the couch. He's somewhat worried about why Peter is concerned that people at his school will find out. Why would people at Peter's school care? They already know about the internship. "A day out and about with the little people, huh?" Peter smiles encouragingly and hops to his feet. He jogs over to his room to stuff his suit into his backpack, just in case he needs it. You can never be too prepared! He uses the long sleeves of his sweatshirt to hide his web-shooters before slinging the backpack over his shoulder.
"Ready!" They both get in the elevator and head down to the garage. Happy is waiting for them in a surprisingly inconspicuous black Cadillac. Well, inconspicuous compared to the Audis and Rolls Royces that Happy usually drives. Still, rarely anyone in Queens has a Cadillac, so they might get some looks. Tony opens the door for Peter, who slides in. "Hey, Happy!" Peter greets enthusiastically.
"Hi, Peter. How are things going?" Happy asks as Tony gets in and shuts the door behind him.
"Good! Fantastic." Peter nods with a tight-lipped smile. "How about you?" Great small talk, Peter. Bore them to death why don't you?
"My heart's still beating." Happy gives Tony a pointed look, who smiles innocently in return. "Where to?" he asks Tony while starting the engine.
"Peter's calling the shots on this one," Tony informs.
"Oh, then," Happy eyes in the rear view mirror shift to Peter "where to?" he repeats.
"Well, um, how about we go to Mr. Delmar's? It's the deli-grocery shop on the corner of 21st Street. He'll give us a discount, too!" Peter reconsiders his words for a moment. "Maybe. If I don't mention his daughter. Actually, we probably won't get that discount. I always have them before my patrols, though! He has the best sandwiches in Queens!" Peter rambles excitedly. He knows they're gonna love it! Tony raises a single, doubtful eyebrow.
"I highly doubt that, but off we go." He buckles his seatbelt and Peter quickly does the same. Mr. Delmar's shop isn't exactly the closest, but Peter isn't really familiar with the restaurants up here. "So, a deli, huh?" Tony looks at him, utterly unconvinced.
"Unless you're in the mood for larb." Peter shivers at the thought of that waiter hitting on May. It was almost as bad as when Tony tried to hit on her. Tony takes off his sunglasses just to give Peter one of the most baffled looks the teen has ever seen.
"Larb? Are you kidding me? Kid, you gotta get out more." Peter holds back a scoff.
"Get out more ? I don't think I could get out more if I tried. Between school and decathlon and patrol, I spend more time out than I do in," he rambles, partly talking to himself and partly to Tony. It's true though, he has zero free time. Not that he minds.
"I'm talking about normal teenage stuff," Tony continues "like going to the movies with your friend Ted or shopping with your aunt."
"His name is Ned."
"Him too. My point is," he ignores Peter's correction "you're only a kid for so long. Don't waste it by trying to grow up too fast or screw it up like I did." Peter narrows his eyes at the way Tony says that.
"What do you mean like you did?" he asks curiously. Happy glances at them through the rearview mirror before turning his attention back to the road.
"I'll tell you when you're older, squirt." Tony ruffles Peter's hair. Peter pouts and attempts to fix his hair.
"Technically, I'm already older by a few seconds. Y'know, we're always living in the past because of the way our brains process what's around us. By the time it takes light to reach our eyes, the image to be flipped, and then our brain to comprehend it, we're already seeing the past by fractions of a second." Tony raises both of his eyebrows.
"Fascinating," he humors Peter.
"Not that this wasn't f un," Happy interjects "but we're here." He pulls off to the curb and parks the car on the corner right in front of Mr. Delmar's. Peter can't believe he has gone two whole days without eating one of Mr. Delmar's sandwiches!
"You sure about this place, kid?" Tony questions uneasily as he stares at the deli.
"Of course! C'mon, Mr. Stark! Let's go!" With a sigh, Tony opens the door and gets out. Peter quickly follows and shuts the door behind them. Before they walk towards the deli, Peter knocks on the passenger window. Happy seems reluctant at first, but rolls down the window nonetheless.
"What?" he asks impatiently.
"Aren't you coming in too?" Peter asks. Happy seems taken aback, but quickly composes himself.
"Someone's gotta watch the car, that's my job. I appreciate it though." He clears his throat.
"Do you want me to get you a sandwich? They're really good! I promise it's worth it." Peter tries his best to convince him, but Happy shakes his head.
"Thanks, Peter, but I have to watch what I eat." He pats his chest with a small smile and Peter remembers that the man has heart issues.
"No problem!" Peter returns his smile brightly and then walks into Mr. Delmar's with Tony, who's wearing his sunglasses and hat as if it'll help him stay unrecognizable. The deli was remodeled after the ATM incident, but it still has the same charm to it. Mr. Delmar is behind the counter like usual with his forearms resting on it.
"What's up, Mr. Delmar?" Peter greets. Mr. Delmar turns towards them and raises both his arms with a smile.
"Mr. Parker lives," he announces. "I was worried I'd lost my most loyal customer." Peter grabs two bags of gummy worms off the shelf and sets them down on the counter.
"Not getting rid of me that easily," he assures.
"So, what's kept you? Not gettin' into any trouble right?" Mr. Delmar eyes Tony, who looks a bit sketchy hanging around Peter.
"No, no, of course not. Just been busy with school and the internship. This is…my boss?" Peter didn't mean for it to come out as a question, but it's technically the truth.
"Afternoon," Tony nods. He's actually being polite. That's a shocker. "Feel free to contact us if you ever need to discuss Peter. We're always happy to know." And there it is. Peter turns around to look at him with narrowed eyes. All Tony does is give Peter an innocent smile. Since when do I deserve any form of payback?!
"I don't think that'll be necessary. He's a good kid." Mr. Delmar smiles to them.
"Yeah, so I've been told." Tony nods in agreement, his face softening. It seems like everyone has the same opinion of Peter; that he's a good person. Peter can't meet either of their eyes and turns his face away from them in embarrassment.
"A backtalker, but a good kid either way," Mr. Delmar adds smugly.
"Don't worry, I know about that first hand," Tony agrees nonchalantly.
"Oh thanks guys," Peter cuts in sarcastically, but can't help the grin on his face. "Getting chastised is great and all, but I would kill for a sandwich right about now."
"The best sandwiches in Queens are worth killing for! The regular number five?" Mr. Delmar asks while standing up straighter. He prides himself in his business and Peter admires him for that.
"Yes please. And-"
"With pickles and press it down flat. Got it, chief." Peter smiles proudly and crosses his arms. "And you?" Mr. Delmar turns his attention to Tony.
"Well, uh…" Tony pauses briefly, taking in the unfamiliar menu.
"Number seven, everything on it except the mayo," Peter answers for him before it gets awkward. Mr. Delmar nods, turning away to help one of his employees with the sandwiches. "Trust me, you'll love it, Mr. Stark." Tony simply shrugs his shoulders and clicks his tongue against his teeth.
"I prefer pepperoni pizza," Tony corrects matter-of-factly. Peter raises both of his eyebrows at him, unamused.
"Y'know, it's okay to enjoy things," Peter points out.
"Are we just going to ignore the fact that you know how I like my sandwiches?" Tony smirks, knowing he has the upper hand. Peter's face starts to heat up and he pouts as he rubs his cheeks.
"Your ego's showing," he mumbles.
"Your fanboy is showing," Tony counters. A few moments later, Mr. Delmar hands them their sandwiches.
"Thanks, Mr. Delmar," Peter says politely.
"No problem." Tony pulls out his credit card, but Peter quickly fumbles for his own wallet.
"I got it," he casually argues, but Tony just shakes his head.
"Employee lunches are on me." Peter narrows his eyes skeptically.
"Since when?"
"Since now," Tony states before swiping his card. Peter can't help but feel a bit guilty.
"Remember kid, school will get you where you need to be in life. Keep it up," Mr. Delmar encourages.
"Yeah, yeah. Just you wait, I'll be your rival sandwich shop in no time," Peter teases with a devious smile.
"Hey, I won't go easy on you!" Mr. Delmar warns.
"I'm not expecting you to!" The smile lingers on Peter's lips as he and Tony walk outside to sit at one of the tables.
"So, Mr. Delmar huh?" Tony starts awkwardly.
"Yeah, he's pretty great." Peter smiles. "He's always super encouraging. Look, Mr. Stark, about the sandwich, I'll pay you back as soon as I get back to-"
"Stop right there, kid," Tony interrupts. Peter instantly shuts his mouth. "Don't forget who you're talking to. Lighten up. I don't care if it costs me a million dollars if it gets you to eat." Tony takes a bite of his sandwich contently. For some reason, Peter can't shake the feeling of being a burden. I don't want to be some kind of charity case. Mr. Stark has better things to do than to play tourist with someone like me. "Stop it." Peter is snapped out of his thoughts with a start and looks up at Tony. Peter chuckles, trying to hide his sudden anxiety.
"I didn't even say anything."
"I saw the wheels turning in your head." Tony vaguely gestures to Peter's head with his free hand. "Stop overthinking. You need to do yoga or something." Yoga? Is he insane? I can barely sit still for five minutes!
"I just don't think we should be wasting your money. Like, I don't really need new clothes or anything like that. I'm only staying for today and then I'm gone." Peter tries to reason with him, but it doesn't look like anything will convince him.
"It's not a waste. What is a waste is arguing during our boss-intern bonding time," Tony says while holding up a single finger.
"But, I mean, what's the point of making you spend your money on me when I have the money?" Peter counters.
"Kid, let me splurge a little." Tony makes a disgusted face, causing Peter to tilt his head in confusion. "Splurge," he repeats uncomfortably. "Never let me use that word again."
"Um, okay?" Peter confirms, extremely confused.
"Good. Now eat." Tony nods to Peter's flat, untouched sandwich. Peter decides to not argue more and does as he says. Peter isn't one for being told what to do, but he's not going to waste Tony's money either.
After they finish their sandwiches, they get back in the Cadillac and Tony insists that they go to a place called Suitsupply Williamsburg. Apparently it's somewhere in Brooklyn? It already sounds expensive. Peter wonders why he would even need a suit, but doesn't argue. When they start walking down Wythe Avenue, Peter can't help but tightly interlock his fingers in front of him.
"Mr. Stark-"
"Did I or did I not tell you to loosen up? You really suck at relaxing. Most people would kill to have me take them shopping. Literally and figuratively." Tony stops in front of a building with way more display windows than needed, each containing a different, expensive looking suit.
"No offense, Mr. Stark, but the last time you took me shopping was after you-" took away the suit, Peter finishes in his head. He quickly corrects himself, "after we fought. I left the store wearing a tourist 'I survived my trip to NY' t-shirt and Hello Kitty pajama pants." He tries to find any reason to get out of shopping. The outside of the store already looks expensive and intimidating enough. He and May never shop at these kind of stores.
"And you still have those, so I would say I did a pretty good job," Tony counters. Peter's face instantly feels like it's on fire and he knows it's most likely bright red.
"What? How, how did you know I still have them?!"
"I didn't," Tony pauses to smirk at Peter "but I do now." He casually adjusts his hat and pushes up his sunglasses before leading the way into the store. Peter is frozen in place, utterly mortified. I fell right into that. Now he knows I still have those dumb pajamas. He shoves his hands into his pockets and hangs his head low in embarrassment. As he walks toward the doors, something bright red catches his eye. He turns around to see a store across the street with a sign that reads "Intergalactic Imports." The bright red that caught his attention is actually a poster taped to the window with an image of…him? Well, it's Spider-Man, but that's basically him! His eyes widen in shock and excitement floods his system.
"Mr. Stark! Look!" he calls to Tony, his eyes still glued to the store. There's a Spider-Man action figure hanging in the window, a Captain America shield, an Iron Man mask, Hulk gloves, and so much other stuff that he's in absolute awe of.
"Kid?" Tony calls back from inside the suit store. Peter looks both ways before running across the street to Intergalactic Imports. "Peter!" He ignores Tony and presses his face against the glass to look at everything better. There's action figures of all the Avengers and, even more exciting, stuff of Spider-Man too! There's socks with Spider-Man prints and Spider-Man plushies with oversized heads. "Are you trying to give me a goddamn heart attack? You can't just bolt across the street like that!" Tony scolds while slightly out of breath.
"We gotta go inside!" Before Tony can respond, Peter leaves the window and runs through the door. A bell rings at the top of the door, signaling the employee of Peter's entrance.
"Welcome to Intergalactic Imports," the employee greets monotonously. Peter's eyes dart excitedly throughout the small store. There are Avengers merchandise in every corner and he has no idea where to start. He notices a Captain America backpack in the corner and takes off towards it, only to be stopped by a hand grasping the collar of his sweatshirt.
"Not so fast, kiddo."
"Hey!" he complains as he turns around to face Tony.
"Don't you hey me in that tone," Tony reprimands. "Slow down. First off, don't ever go sprinting off into the street again. I swear, I'll buy a damn leash if I have to. I already have enough heart problems as it is. Second off, do you really need this crap?" He skeptically looks around the shop, unimpressed.
"It's not crap, Mr.-" Tony instantly covers Peter's mouth. Oh, right. Calling him "Mr. Stark" would definitely give us away. Peter looks over to the employee, who thankfully seems more interested in her phone than them.
"Language," Tony scolds as he removes his hand.
"Seriously?"
"Yes, seriously." He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "You really want this stuff?" Suddenly, Peter feels even more embarrassed than before. What was I thinking? He probably thinks I'm acting like such a kid to want this kinda stuff.
"Well, I mean, I just wanted to look. I don't have to, y'know, get anything. It's your money." Peter does his best to cover up his nerves by putting his hands behind his back and looking at his shoes. He can feel Tony's eyes on him, which only makes him more anxious. Did I embarrass him?
"How about a compromise?" Tony offers. Peter looks back up at him with his eyes narrowed in confusion.
"A compromise?"
"Yep. You can get…whatever it is that you want from here. Then, we get you some actual clothes and a real suit. Deal?" Tony offers. He wants Peter to be comfortable, which apparently means getting nerdy Avengers merch.
"Deal!" Peter immediately agrees and darts off towards the Captain America backpack again.
"Well that was easier than expected," Tony mutters to himself. Peter looks through the store for about ten more minutes, deciding on the Captain America backpack, a sweatshirt with the Avengers emblem on it, a Mjölnir keychain, a shirt that says "I(53) Ru(44) N(7) Periodically," and a Spider-Man plushie. The science pun t-shirt was a must and no one can change his mind. Though, he did try to stay away from the Iron Man merch out of fear of making Tony uncomfortable. He piles everything onto the counter and the employee starts to scan them. Tony leans on the counter and raises an eyebrow at Peter.
"So, don't like Iron Man, huh?" Tony asks nonchalantly. Peter's heart hammers against his chest. Did I make him angry? Is he upset? Does he think I don't like him?
"It's not like that! I swear! I just-"
"I'm messing with you, kid." Tony clasps a hand on Peter's shoulder before passing his credit card to the employee. Peter hopes Tony can't tell how tense he is. The woman hands Peter the bags and Tony leads them back across the street to the fancy suit store. It's an understatement to say Peter feels out of place in this store. He tightly holds onto his bags as Tony looks through the various hanging suits. First, Tony holds up a dark navy blue suit with thin, white lines going up it.
"You want me to wear…a pinstripe suit?" Peter questions carefully. Tony smiles proudly at the suit and then to Peter.
"I think it'd look pretty snazzy," he argues. Do people still use the word "snazzy?"
"I dunno, not really my kinda thing." Peter presses his lips together and looks around at the other suits.
"Alrighty, how about this one then?" Tony pulls out a burgundy suit with silk edges. It's better than the pinstripe suit, so Peter gently takes it from him and looks it over. Actually, it's not that bad and Peter's obviously not opposed to the color if his Spider-Man suit is anything to go by. He's about to agree when he notices the price tag…$2,615.
"Um, maybe not, maybe not this one." He immediately hands it back. I can't believe I was holding something that's worth more than a month of May's income. Tony slowly takes it back, his eyes lingering on Peter for a moment.
"Remember our deal. If you don't pick one, then I'll just pick one for you. And it'll be the most expensive heap of overpriced fabric in the store. And I don't care if the most expensive thing here is covered in polka dots." Tony smiles smugly. Peter huffs and grumbles to myself before looking through the racks. Eventually, he finds a fairly less expensive, gray, $500 suit. Holding it still makes him nervous, but he shows it to Tony anyways in hopes that he'll just ignore the relatively cheap price. Tony holds it up next to Peter and then, unfortunately, looks at the price. "Of course you'd find the least expensive thing in a designer store. Go try it on." Peter is too embarrassed to look at Tony's face and just nods while staring at the floor. After he has changed into the suit, he goes out to show Tony.
"How's this?" Tony looks him over and motions for him to turn around with a finger. Peter turns out around, feeling incredibly self-conscious.
"Not too shabby, kid. Change and we'll get out of here." Peter lets out the breath he didn't realize he was holding and nods.
"Thanks, Mr. Stark." He rushes into the changing room and gets out of the suit as quickly and gingerly as possible. Tony pays for the suit without blinking, which makes sense since he's a billionaire, but Peter still isn't used to it. After shopping at literally the most expensive store Peter has ever step foot in, Tony has mercy on him and takes him to a regular department store. Peter actually gets to look around for some casual clothes, in the clearance section of course.
"You're fine with me making you a multi-million dollar suit, but not buying you a measly two thousand dollar suit?" Tony inquires as Peter look through the clothes.
"I mean, you made the suit for me. It's different then just going to the store and buying something. You put time and work into the suit. It's, y'know, special." Peter keeps his voice hushed so that other people can't overhear their conversation. When Tony doesn't respond, Peter stops rummaging through the rack and turns to look at him. Tony looks slightly taken aback, but quickly composes himself.
"Either way, it's not a problem, kid." Tony then goes back to looking at his phone. People who say teenagers are glued to their phones obviously haven't seen Tony with his Stark Phone. Actually, he looks kind of frustrated with it, Peter notices. Or with whoever he's talking to on it.
"Everything okay?" Peter asks cautiously. He doesn't want to come across as nosy.
"Hm?" Tony looks back up at him with distracted eyes. "Oh, of course. No worries." He puts the phone in his pocket and smiles encouragingly. "Let's wrap it up. Pep's making dinner tonight and trust me, we don't wanna piss her off by being late." All Peter does is nod before grabbing some of the clothes with red clearance tags.
When they finish shopping, Happy is waiting out front in the black Cadillac. Peter easily carries all the bags of clothing that Tony made him get and Tony opens the door.
"How'd it go?" Happy asks as they get in.
"Productive, if I dare say so," Tony answers.
"He made me get a five hundred dollar suit," Peter grumbles. Happy starts the car and starts the drive towards the Tower.
"Only five hundred?" Happy seems surprised.
"He said he didn't want a suit, so I told him he could get his nerdy stuff if he got one." Tony shrugs as if it's no big deal.
"I said I didn't have to get them!" Peter's voice cracks as he tries to defend himself, which doesn't exactly help his case.
"Nerd stuff?" Happy raises a curious eyebrow.
"Oh yeah, kid went to town on buying Avengers merchandise." Tony smirks at Peter while taking off his hat.
"Gotcha. Fanboy mode." Happy nods in understanding.
"I'm not a fanboy!" Peter's lie isn't even half believable, mostly because they all know he is most definitely a fanboy.
"You still suck at lying," Tony notes, his arms crossed and smirk unwavering. Peter pouts, but then slowly smiles.
"You're just jealous 'cause I didn't buy any Iron Man merch." Tony raises his eyebrows and Happy coughs to hide his laugh.
"Is that sass I'm detecting?" Tony questions with a joking tone.
"You tell me, genius," Peter challenges confidently.
"Alright, you little punk, you're grounded. How about that?" Tony crosses his arms confidently.
"Little?!" Peter demands in disbelief.
"Really? That's the part you get hung up on?" Tony shakes his head with a smile, then his phone buzzes. His smile slowly fades as he does something on his phone.
"Yes! I'm not little! I'm five feet ten inches tall, we talked about this!" Peter counters.
"Okay, kid," Tony mumbles absentmindedly. He never gives up on an argument that easily. Ever…
"You okay, Mr. Stark?" This is the second time today he has gotten distracted by his phone, and not in the typical busy kind of way.
"Mhm." Something's definitely wrong.
"One word answers aren't exactly what you're known for. And that wasn't even a word. It was more like a grumble or a-"
"Peter, let it go," Tony interrupts. Peter instantly shuts his rambling mouth and presses his lips together. It's dead silent the rest of the ride to the Tower. He can't help the nervousness that begins to settle in his stomach. Did I upset him again? Dammit Peter, you never know when to hold your tongue. I can't help it when I'm anxious, though. When Happy parks, Tony puts his phone into his pocket and rubs his forehead. "A minute please, Happy." Without a single grumble, Happy gets out of the car, leaving them parked in the garage. Tony takes a deep breath looks at Peter, but Peter keeps his eyes on his hands. "Sorry I snapped at you, kid." His tone is back to its usual lighthearted nature.
"I'm sorry tha-"
"No apologies allowed. Let's go up and get dinner before you implode." As soon as he mentions it, Peter realizes that he is hungry.
"That sounds good," Peter agrees with a nod. It's barely noticeable, but Tony is tense as they ride up in the elevator. He's gripping the phone in his hand, obviously frustrated with something. Peter knows better than to bring it up a second time. When the elevator doors open, Pepper is leaning against the kitchen counter with her arms crossed. Uh oh.
"Hey Peter," she greets him with a tight-lipped smile. It's painfully obvious that she's ignoring Tony.
"Um, hi, Ms. Potts. How are you?" Her smile widens.
"I'm good, thank you for asking. How was your day out?" Peter glances up to Tony and notices he hasn't taken his eyes off Pepper.
"It was good?" Peter answers reluctantly. I'm so confused. Actually, he's surprised that his Spidey Sense isn't screaming at him due to the tension.
"I'm glad." Pepper says genuinely. "Dr. Cho is actually waiting for you in the Medbay. After your checkup, we can all have dinner. Sound alright?" she offers. Peter glances back up to Tony, but the man hasn't moved, so he just nods. Spidey Sense or not, something tells him he should leave before the tension explodes.
"Thank you, Ms. Potts." He walks back into the elevator and F.R.I.D.A.Y. selects the Medbay floor for him. He hopes that whatever happens between Tony and Pepper, they don't tear apart the penthouse in the process.