"Hey, Hap" Peter greeted as he opened the back door of the Audi
"Hey, kid!" the one and only Iron Man welcomed
"Mr. Stark? What are you doing here?"
"Why? Am I not supposed to be in my own car?" with this he earned a giggle from the young hero "Just kidding. I was just in town doing adult boring things and figured I'll go get you"
"You reall—"
"Don't have to" Tony cut Peter's response and continued the sentence "Yeah, I don't have to but I want to so let's go"
"Oh you should probably transfer in the front sit" the billionaire suggested and the teenager followed.
The trip to the compound was a short one. Time flew fast since the car ride has been filled with exciting conversations about their plans for the suits, reports on patrol and developments for the company until Tony brought up his favourite topic which Peter hated the most—college.
"Really? No plans yet? I can drop a good word for you at MIT." Tony suggested, eyes still focused on the road, "Still have some folks there you know but you never need that do you?"
Peter was looking away and just answered "Well, yeah, I'm kind of considering that also but"
"But what?" Tony quickly replied knowing that Peter again hesitated to say something. He knew the boy too well that he knows Peter is just going to hide his reason from him so he won't let this one slide
"I just thought that it's better to stay here you know…to look out for the little guy" Peter said quietly, almost murmuring but he didn't know how much his mentor's heart swelled with pride.
Tony ruffled Peter's hair "That's my spidey! Still with his great power slash great responsibility motto"
Then Peter again chuckled
"Anyway, I'm starving. Figured you are too" Peter nodded to his mentor's words
"What do you want to eat?"
"Some cheeseburgers maybe" the teenager answered
"Perfect" Tony said in his proud dad voice "Cheeseburgers it is!" He couldn't deny how much little moments like these made him rethink how the Avengers and Pep and May and Happy commented on how much the two are really alike. He would always hear them say how Peter is becoming more and more like him. He would get comments such as "like father, like son." And just the other month, Rhodey, of all the people, Rhodey approached him and said "You sure Pete's not yours? I just saw him working with the suit and his gestures and all made me mistake him for you" which Tony just laughed at until he saw Peter working at the lab and they really do dance to the same rhythm.
They drove to Tony's favourite burger restaurant and ordered two cheeseburger meals. Tony was about to grab his card but
"I'm sorry, sir but we are currently out of cheese" the crew explained
"What?" Tony said removing his glasses
"You know your cheeseburgers are your best sellers and you ran out of cheese?" he questioned. Peter just stared at his mentor a little bit dumbfounded. He knew Tony liked, no, Tony loved cheeseburgers but why not just order a simple burger? He tried to grab the man's arm , pulling him away a little but Tony stopped him
"The adults are talking, Pete" he said to the wall crawler then spoke with the restaurant's manager now.
"No..no…no…this just can't be. I've been ordering from this store my whole life and it's the first time in years that you ran out of cheese"
"I'm very sorry, Mr. Stark but the supplier—"
"No, I don't want to hear it. Let's go, kid"
They returned to the car and the next scene after that was pure silence. Peter was still thinking why such event made Tony that upset and Tony, on the other hand, was half embarrassed and half pissed. No make that fully pissed. What kind of a well-known food chain runs out of cheese for the burgers?
The silence continued until Peter noticed that Tony made a turn instead of just driving forward, the direction of where the compound is.
"Where are we going?"
"To get a cheeseburger"
"Well, Mr. Stark, we really don't have to, uhm, I mean we can always order a pizza when we get there"
Tony did not answer
"Or some spaghetti will do, really Mr. Stark, it's okay" Peter tried to argue but fell to deaf ears
"No" Tony finally spoke, eyes still focused on the road. He kept on driving until they finally got some delicious cheeseburgers partnered with fries and drinks. They ate and the mood turned light again as they return to the compound. While they were back on the suit upgrades, Tony's phone ran and the billionaire answered it.
"Yes, hun. Pete and I just went to buy some cheeseburgers"
"Yeah, but that snarky manager told us that they run out. That's why we went there"
"Oh you know me. It has to be a cheeseburger."
"Roger, ma'am. Love you"
Peter just stared at his mentor who put down his phone
"Mr. Stark?" Peter asked hesitantly
"Yes, underoos?"
"Can I ask something?"
"shoot"
"Why does it have to be a cheeseburger? Not that I don't want one but why can't we just order some burgers"
Tony grinned. Stupid question Pete! Come on. Peter then blushed and really wanted to undo what he just said out of embarrassment.
"It's not just complete without cheese. I don't know how to exactly explain it kid but ever since I tried a cheeseburger, just a burger has been so boring. I mean, yeah, I loved the simple burgers before and thought nothings gonna beat em but I was wrong…so wrong. Cheeseburgers are the best!"
"It's kind of like you discovered a tool which is more stable and efficient than the other that you won't use the old one anymore. Or when you find an easier way of solving a problem or doing something and you just dump the old one in the trash" Tony explained "it's really a life-changing event for me the first time I tried a cheeseburger and it redefined my whole definition of food love…something like that"
"Then I can't go back to a plain old boring burger. The way the cheesiness satisfies my taste buds so much, I wouldn't trade it for anything"
"So you'll really look at all the stores available just to have a cheeseburger?" Peter stated understanding how much the cheese really has to be in the burger for Tony.
"What can I say? My cravings are my weakness"
"But what if the world runs out of cheeseburgers?" Peter joked
"Impossible" Tony answered his voice sounding a little bit pissed though he's really not
"Uhhh.. hypothetically?"
"Then I'd rather not live" Tony answered surely
Peter laughed "that's kind of an exaggeration, Mr. Stark"
"Disagree. It's not exaggeration if it's true"
"Okay…so you got your cheeseburger but Miss Pots is still gonna kill you for being late for the meeting"
"As long as my stomach here is happy, then everything will be alright." Tony said while rubbing his tummy. "At least I got to eat what I want before my funeral. I mean why settle for less when you can have the best right?"
"Yeah" Peter agreed
"Some things in life are worth losing and the some others are really worth fighting for…keep that in mind, kid"
"Seconded, like we dared to be late for the meeting just to grab these" Peter remarked as he munched his cheeseburger
"Exactly my point"
Then again there was a short moment of silence. Tony then broke this
"That's why I did everything just to have you back, Pete"
Peter looked at him in confusion "Huh?"
Tony pulled the car over and said "The snap" he looked at Peter straight in the eyes. Peter tried to read his mentor's eyes but he found it hard to stare back since he can sense the brokenness from that of his mentor's "I…I just realized how I cannot live without you"
"How you were the cheese in my cheeseburger" Tony bowed his head and sniffed, "Before I met you, I thought I really have everything settled but I don't know what urged me to go to that apartment in Queens and knock, me, Tony Stark, knocking at a hot aunt's home and looking for a kid I haven't met before. It's very awkward, you know"
"Extremely" Peter added
"But it was worth it. You redefined life for me, Pete. My…my view of everything."
"Gee, Mr. Stark, I….I don't know what to say, but, er, thank you so much for everything you did for me" Peter stated with his voice a little bit shaky
"I'm the one who's supposed to thank you, Underoos. I'd never know that there could be a life better than what I've thought is the best now if it weren't for you"
"And all those sacrifices, absolutely worth it!"
"You're here now. I'm complete" before Peter can take every word coming from his mentor, Tony pulled him close and enveloped him with his arms. Yes this is absolutely a hug. Peter could feel Tony's warmth. It's the assuring feeling again that he felt when they saw each other again after the Blip. It was the warmth that kept him feel safe even when they are against a very chaotic situation then. It was the warmth that…that's worth everything.