Chapter 2: You're staying with me
Harley's POV:
I let out a loud sigh as I parked my bike, glad to be home. Carrying what I'd found at the junkyard I walked towards my lab only to pause when I saw the door ajar. Temper building because I figured my sister had broken in again, I marched on in only to freeze when I saw the state of the place. It'd been ransacked. I'd been robbed!
Swearing furiously, I ran around cursing fervently every time I noticed what was missing. Whoever had robbed me had taken almost everything of value, breaking what couldn't be lifted or what they couldn't figure out. Gripping my hair tightly, I immediately thought of calling Tony, but realized that I'd left my phone in here earlier, which meant it'd been stolen as well.
Goddammit!
As I took in several calming breaths, a sudden realization hit me. Mom. Ana. Oh my god!
Bolting out of the trashed lab, I headed to my house, freezing once more when I noticed the front door was wide open. Stomach twisting painfully, I took in a huge breath before steeling my nerves.
"Mom? Ana?" I called out, unsure of what sort of response I wanted. Lights were on, but what did that mean?
Slowly making my way through my house, my heart sank as I took in broken glass and opened drawers. The robbers had come in here too.
Oh god.
"Mom!" I called out louder, now sprinting through the small house. "Ana! Where are—"
The words died in my throat as I attempted to comprehend the sight in front of me.
No.
No.
NO!
I dropped to my knees, breaths coming in gasps as I tentatively reached out a hand towards my sister. My little, innocent, baby sister. My sister who I should've protected. My sister who wasn't moving. Who wasn't breathing.
Bile built up in my mouth, but I swallowed it back as I turned to look at my mother. Reaching out again, I felt the same cold, stillness I had with Ana. Dead. She was dead. She and Ana were dead.
My breaths began to quicken, and I knew I was seconds from panicking. Looking down, I noticed my jeans soaking up blood…the blood of my family. Looking at my hands, I noticed they too were covered in blood. My mom's blood. My sister's blood.
A roar of pain and horror echoed all around me, breaking the silence, and it took me only moments to realize the sound was coming from me. I screamed. I screamed and I screamed and I screamed.
"Harley, wake up! Wake up! Come on, it's just a dream, kiddo," a voice repeated over and over as I sat up with a loud gasp. Hands steadied me as I looked wildly around me.
"Tony," I choked out, attempting to get my breathing under control. Images of my dead family flashed through my mind, and I felt the tears begin to well up in my eyes.
The older man let out a sigh, looking both relieved and worried as he nodded his head.
"Yeah, bud, it's me," he said, one hand on my uninjured shoulder keeping me steady.
"Just take some deep breaths for me," he directed, and I did as he said, my frantic heartbeat beginning to slow. I fought back the tears as my eyes flickered from one side of the room to the other, taking in my surroundings. I was in a hospital, I realized, watching a doctor walk in, Pepper closely behind.
Calm down, I told myself, calm down. Keep it together. Focus on the present. Don't think about what happened.
Tony released his hold of me as the doctor checked me over. I absentmindedly answered her questions, my focus on Tony who kept staring at me with those unreadable dark eyes of his. I hated it when he stared like that because I never knew what he was thinking. Was he upset with me? Was he worried?
He must've noticed something in my expression because the unreadable look vanished, his eyes seeming to soften as I saw concern enter them. I found my muscles relaxing, and let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding in.
Okay, so he's not mad. Just play it cool, Keener. Act natural. Act like nothing is wrong.
"Can we take him home with us today?" I heard Pepper ask, and I immediately pulled my attention away from Tony. Go home with them? Did they know what happened? Had social services been contacted? Was I going to be taken away?
"Yes, he's good to go home with you. Just remember to follow this feeding regiment, and to take care of that shoulder. I'll want to see him back here in a week just to check in," the doctor explained, a few more pleasantries being exchanged before she left.
"What's going on?" I asked immediately. "Do you know about…I don't want to go back to…I can go home with you?" I finally settled for saying, my voice coming out smaller and more pathetic than I intended it to.
"You're coming home with us," Tony answered. "I've gotten temporary guardianship until we can figure things out. I know what happened to your family, Harls, and I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am," he spoke genuinely.
"It's fine," I automatically replied, even though that was far from the truth. I was just relieved that I'd be going home with him. I didn't know how I felt about temporary guardianship, but then again I wasn't sure what I'd been expecting from Tony. At least I wasn't going back to foster care right now. I wasn't alone anymore. Tony would be able to make everything better. He wouldn't send me back to Tennessee, right?
"No, it isn't, but we can talk about that later," Tony replied kindly. "Let's just focus on getting you healed, alright?"
"Sure," I responded softly, giving him a small smile that he returned. Turning towards Pepper, I gave her a wider smile before saying, "Wow, you're even more beautiful in person than I thought. How'd Tony manage to ensnare you?"
"Keener!" Tony snapped in exasperation, looking very much like he'd like to smack me. Pepper, however, showed only a second of shock before bursting into laughter. I felt the first flicker of happiness I'd had in a long time at the laugh.
Covering her mouth, Pepper shook her head before remarking, "Tony, I think we've found your long lost son."
Tony scoffed in response while I shot the mechanic a smug smirk. "He wishes he were lucky enough to be related to me," I stated, and Tony just rolled his eyes before giving me a look of fond amusement, a look I was very familiar with. It reminded me of old times. Better times. Like, when I still had a family and wasn't homeless.
That dark thought extinguished the small moment of happiness I'd felt. The room's inhabitants seemed to realize my sudden mood change because focus was now placed on getting me out of here. While Pepper filled out paperwork, Tony helped (forced) me into a wheelchair and wheeled me down to the ground floor where there was a car waiting for me. A grim looking man in a suit greeted us.
"You must be Happy," I said, holding a hand out to the stoic man. I recognized him from Tony's descriptions. As he shook my hand, I couldn't help but say, "You know, I don't know who gave you the nickname Happy, but it definitely suits you."
Happy raised an eyebrow at me, looked at Tony, and then just rolled his eyes as he sarcastically mumbled, "Great, another one."
"You're on a roll, Gizmo," Tony stated with humor, giving the back of my neck a light squeeze. He attempted to help me into the back of the car, but I waved him off.
"I'm malnourished, not invalid," I protested as I slid in. My shoulder throbbed painfully, but it was better than before, so I easily ignored it. Tony slid in next to me and Pepper sat in the front next to Happy.
As we drove home (Stark tower, I assumed), Tony kept conversation casual and light, filling me in on one of his latest projects. I threw myself into the conversation, eager to discuss anything that didn't have to do with the past two months, and eager to act like nothing had changed. Him and I just talking shop almost made it seem like I was just on vacation here or something.
Happy pulled us into a private garage, and my eyes widened at the number of expensive cars.
"You've got to let me try some of these out," I gushed as I stepped out of the car, and Tony gave a loud snort.
"Did you get a license since the last time we spoke?" the older man queried with a grin.
"Pfft! I'm from a small town, Tony. I learned to drive years ago," I informed him with a dismissive wave of my hand.
"Yeah, but do you have a license?" he repeated, and I just frowned minutely before asking, "So, when I get a license I can drive whatever car I want? Nice!"
"Hey, I never said that!" Tony rushed to say as we entered an elevator.
"Fine," I replied with an unconcerned shrug. "I could probably build a better car than anything you have, anyways. Better yet, I'll build a motorcycle."
Tony looked affronted for only a few seconds at my words before turning amused. He placed a light hand on the back of my neck, giving it a squeeze as the elevator doors opened. We stepped out into a wide open area where there was a kitchen, dining room, and living room. There were large windows leading out onto a balcony, and I instantly recognized it as where Spider-man had landed with me.
"Nice place," I commented as I looked around. What I'd seen so far was larger than my house, and I hadn't even been down any of the hallways. The furniture looked expensive but comfortable and well worn. There were coffee mugs, papers, a backpack, and snack wrappers lying around showing the living room as being the center of the home.
"Come on, Harley, let me show you to your room," Tony stated, and I immediately followed him down a hallway.
"This is Peter's room," he informed me, pointing out the first door on the left, and I gave the engineer a pointed look.
"Your intern?" I broached in confusion, letting him know that having a room for an intern sounded a little weird.
"Yeah, well, he's more than just an intern," Tony defended, looking uncomfortable. "He's, uh…
"He's Spider-man," I finished, smirking at the look of utter shock on his face. He turned, looking ready to argue, before seeming to realize from the look on my face that there was no changing my mind.
"How'd you figure it out?" he asked in resignation.
"It's not your fault," I insisted, realizing that he was feeling guilty. "You never told me Spider-man's name, but you started talking a lot about him the same time you started talking about your new intern, Peter Parker. You talk about both of them in the same tone, somewhere between fondness and exasperation. I also know you're not one to just go out and hire a personal intern, especially a kid, so there had to be something really special about Parker to get your attention. Final straw was yesterday when I met Spider-man. His mannerisms and speech tell me he's a kid. One plus one equals two, y'know."
"Damn, Sherlock," Tony eventually stated, running a hand through his dark hair. "You really are an observant little son of a gun. You can't tell anyone this, though. Peter doesn't want the world knowing who he is."
I nodded my head. "No problem," I assured him. "Not sure I'd do the same if I were him, but it's his choice." Honestly, knowing myself, I would've announced who I was. Keeping a secret sounded like a lot of hard work.
Tony nodded his head, staring at me intently for a little while before beginning to walk again. "That's mine and Pep's room," he gestured, pointing to a door on the right, "and this will be your room." He opened the door and I stepped into the largest bedroom I'd ever seen. It was like the size of half my old house. The size was only accentuated by its sparseness as there was only a bed, desk and dresser.
"I know it's pretty empty and boring right now, but we didn't know what you'd like." Tony told me. "I've got an online catalog you can go through or we can go to actual shops where you can pick out furniture, electronics, decorations, and whatever else you need. In terms of clothes, Pepper got you some essentials, but we also wanted to let you pick out your own stuff," he informed me as he pulled open my closet…a large walk in closet. Woah.
I looked around the room, a little overwhelmed with what I'd been told. He'd called this my room and he was going to let me decorate it whatever way I wanted. He was buying me clothes. He wouldn't treat a guest that was only staying for a little while like this, would he? Well, he does have the money. He could just get rid of all my stuff after I'm sent to who-knows-where.
"Why don't you shower, or better yet, take a bath and change into something comfortable," Tony suggested, grabbing some clothes for me before pointing out the bathroom. My own personal bathroom in my room. Woah again.
"Uh, yeah, a bath actually sounds great," I had to admit, unable to keep from flushing as I realized it'd been almost a month since I'd bathed. Washing in bathrooms and rivers didn't really count. I had to smell horrible, but Tony had been nice enough not to say anything.
"Great, well you take care of that, and then we'll get some food in you," Tony declared, giving me a smile before leaving.
Grabbing the clothes Tony had picked out, I went into the restroom and gasped when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Staring full on, I was shocked by how different I looked. My cheek bones were more prominent, any lingering baby fat long gone. My hair was way long, limp, and curlier than I ever remembered. The circles under my eyes had darkened, and my eyes…my green eyes seemed to lack the brightness they used to have. Looking in the mirror, I didn't see a fifteen-year-old kid. I didn't know who I saw.
I ended up taking three showers before I felt clean, and then I took a bath to relax. Getting out and dressed, I couldn't help but sigh in contentment. It'd been so long since I'd felt clean. It'd been so long since I'd felt comfortable.
Looking at my PJs, I chuckled at the faded AC-DC t-shirt and worn MIT sweats. These had to belong to Tony. The sweats and t-shirt were a little big, but I preferred these to new pajamas because they reminded me of Tony, and in my mind, Tony always equated to safety. They also smelled like him, I realized, inhaling several scents like coffee, oil, and expensive cologne.
I looked back at the mirror and frowned as the person looking back still didn't look like me. Who are you?
I left the room and headed towards the kitchen. My stomach was grumbling, so when I walked out of the hallway and saw food already prepared, I grinned widely. I didn't care what it was. Anything would be better than dumpster food.
"Pepper, you are a goddess," I proclaimed upon noting she was the one that had cooked.
"And you are quite the little charmer, aren't you?" she replied, giving me a plate of soup with some saltine crackers and a glass of milk.
"Eat whatever you can, just don't push it, okay? I don't want you to get sick," Pepper suggested kindly, and I nodded my head, giving her my thanks before digging in. She sat herself next to me and busied herself with a tablet while I ate. Right as I was finishing, Tony strolled on in, smile widening when he saw me.
"Clothes a little big?" he asked rhetorically, and I shrugged.
"They're comfortable and clean, so they're perfect," I admitted, not wanting him to take them back.
"We'll take you out to buy your own clothes tomorrow, along with things for your bedroom," Pepper informed me, "Unless, of course, you're as against shopping as Peter is," she added laconically.
At my questioning look and Tony's laugh, Pepper said, "Getting Peter to help choose anything for his room was like pulling teeth bare-handed. He would've slept on a bare floor and insisted it was still the greatest room ever."
"Remember when you bought him those Star Wars socks?" Tony recalled, and both adults laughed aloud.
"He freaked," Tony chortled. "You'd have thought Pep had gotten him a copy of A New Hope on original VHS signed by the entire cast with how overjoyed he was."
"Point is, Peter is really bad at receiving gifts or us spending any amount of money on him," Pepper added more seriously. "In the end, the only reason he picked out anything for his room was because I told him it would make Tony happy."
"You—wait, what? That's how you got him to choose bedroom furniture?" Tony questioned, mouth agape.
"Yup," Pepper answered, giving the mechanic a peck on the cheek. "He did it to make you happy."
"Stubborn spiderling," Tony grumbled, looking put out.
I smirked at his expression before speaking to Pepper. "I don't think I'm that stubborn, but I don't want you guys to feel like you need to buy me anything. I mean, I've survived the past month with just a change of clothes."
"As of 2:48 AM last night, I was appointed as your temporary guardian Mr. Keener, so this isn't charity," Tony stated matter-of-factly. "This is me being a good guardian. You have a room that needs stuff and you need clothes, so pick whatever you want. You know money isn't an issue for me, and I want you to feel comfortable here. For now, this is your home."
"Okay," I responded with a large grin, although my mind was focused on "temporary guardianship", and that this was my home "for now". What did that mean? How long was temporary? Would he really send me back?
Stupid!
Of course, it's just temporary. What were you expecting? To be adopted? To live with him forever?
I ruffled my hair to cover up my concerning thoughts. I needed to focus on the now. I needed to show them I was fine. Maybe if I didn't cause them any trouble, then they'd let me stay longer.
"So, um, why does Peter have a room here? Does he live here too?" I decided to ask, curiosity getting the best of me. Tony had never told me he was close enough with his intern to actually have a room for him. Why were they buying him things? Didn't he have his own family?
"He lives with his aunt, but he comes by once or twice a week to help in the lab and hang out. Most weekends he spends the night since his aunt works her longest hours then," Tony answered casually.
"Or, he stops by when he's injured," Pepper added grimly, Tony giving a half nod before amending, "You mean when I figure out he's injured despite him trying to hide it and I force him to come."
Both shared smiles, and it was obvious they really cared about Peter. I felt my stomach twist as I realized they talked about Peter like he was their kid. Peter had an aunt, he had family, but it seemed like he also had surrogate parents with Tony and Pepper.
An uncomfortable thought hit me. If they already had Peter as a son, would they want me? Would I just be in the way? Peter sounded like the perfect son from what I'd heard. He was smart, smart enough to help Tony out in the lab. He sounded well behaved and polite. To top it all off, he was also a superhero, a superhero being personally trained by Iron Man.
Me, on the other hand, I wasn't really any of those things. Okay, I'm super smart too, but I don't know how I'll compare to Peter. I'm not any of those other things, though. I'm a smart-mouthed sarcastic little shit, and I'm proud of that. Rules are more like guidelines, and I've got a lot of baggage. Murdered family, crappy foster homes, and on yeah, a street rat as of the last month. Who would want me?
What was I thinking? Had this been my plan when I came here? I'd wanted Tony to fix things, but what exactly had I been expecting him to do? Honestly, if I thought it through a part of me did think that maybe, just maybe Tony would want me to stay with him.
Jeez, I was an idiot. Tony and I spent hours, just hours together all those year ago. We'd talked on the phone a lot, yeah, but it wasn't like we'd hung out or ever even been to his place. I was just a poor kid that helped him out one time, so he felt indebted.
"Harley," I heard Tony call, and I snapped my eyes towards his, forcing a pleasant smile onto my face. Tony returned my smile, but with a look of concern in his eyes that caused me to squirm. I had to do better at hiding my emotions.
"We need to talk, bud, about what's been going on with you," Tony spoke gently, and I stiffened as l looked between him and Pepper's understanding eyes.
Knowing I couldn't just say, no, I settled for letting them guide the conversation. "What do you want to know?" I asked calmly.
The two adults exchanged looks, before Tony began to speak. "I've read the police report on what happened with your family," he informed me, his eyes locked on mine more intently than I'd ever seen them. "I'm not going to ask you to talk about what happened, but I need you to know that it wasn't your fault."
I automatically opened my mouth to argue, but he cut me off before I said anything.
"No, listen," Tony continued firmly, "their deaths were not your fault. I'll tell you as many times as I need to until you believe me, but I swear on my mother's grave that I'm not lying to make you feel better. If you'd been there, you'd be dead," he declared bluntly, and I flinched.
He was right, of course. Who was I kidding? I wasn't a superhero. I was just some nerdy kid, so what did I think I could've done had I been there? Taken down those robbers? With what? A potato gun? I curled my hands into fists, fighting back tears of anger towards myself. Closing my eyes, I took in several deep, slow breaths to maintain my composure. I couldn't break down. They didn't need to deal with a sniveling kid.
A hand was placed on my arm, and my eyes flew open to see Pepper giving me a sympathetic stare. I forced a small smile of thanks onto my face.
"I know that their deaths hit you hard," Tony spoke again in that same gentle tone I'd rarely heard from him. "I know you must've been suffering so much, and wish I'd been there for you. I gotta ask, though, why didn't you ever reach out? Two months, bud. Two months you suffered alone. I know we're not close, but I just…why didn't you ask for help earlier?"
I blinked in surprise that he hadn't figured it out. Did he really think I hadn't tried? Did he really think I'd willingly chosen to suffer through this alone?
"I didn't have your number," I told him simply, and his brow furrowed in confusion while Pepper's rose in understanding as a sad groan escaped her. Tony's eyes flicked towards her before back at me, and I could tell he still didn't get it.
"My phone was stolen, and I didn't memorize your number," I expanded. "I had no way of contacting you. Nobody believed that I knew you, and when I tried to call your company, nobody would forward my calls. Eventually, I made my way here, and I talked to your receptionist yesterday, but I just got hassled by security. I ended up bolting because I was afraid they'd try and arrest me, which I guess I understand. I mean, who'd ever believe that some kid from a nobody town in Tennessee would know Tony Stark and Pepper Potts," I stated with a shrug, trying my hardest to sound like this was no big deal when in reality I felt bitter.
It's not their fault, I chided myself internally. They can't help who they are. Tony has been famous since birth, so he doesn't understand what it's like to be a nobody. He doesn't know what it's like to have people look down at you because of how you're dressed or where you're from.
Pepper covered her mouth with a hand while Tony just gaped at me, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. I was hit with a bizarre desire to laugh, but figured it was an inappropriate time, and if I wanted them to believe I was okay, random laughter wasn't going to help my case.
Tony eventually gained control of himself, his mouth snapping shut as he abruptly stood up. He paced back and forth a little, and I could tell he was angry. Was he angry because I hadn't memorized his number?
"Jesus effing christ!" I heard him mutter furiously before he let out a harsh breath and sat back down. When he looked at me, I noticed the anger was gone, replaced with guilt.
"I am so damn sorry, Harley," he told me with more emotion than I'd ever heard from him. "This—god, this never should've happened. I can't believe I didn't think of this. I can't believe I was this stupid! I swear, nothing like this will ever happen again," he promised vehemently. "I'll set up protocols that if you ever try and get in contact with me through any means, the staff will know who you are."
I nodded my head, pleased by his words as it meant he was still planning on maintaining contact with me; so, even when his temporary guardianship ended, at least I'd still be able to talk with him.
Tony grumbled to himself, covering his face with both his hands in frustration. Taking in a huge breath, he rubbed his face before looking at me again with continued guilt.
"Don't feel guilty," I had to say, not liking that he was beating himself up on my account. "I knew that you'd want to help, and I mean, you're helping now. I should've memorized your number."
Both adults shook their heads at me.
"I should've reached out earlier," Tony argued firmly. "I should've known something was wrong as we've never gone two months without some form of contact, even it was just a text of what you'd been working on."
"It's fine, dude, I'm not angry," I insisted, knowing that I wasn't being completely honest. I was hurt, and I was angry, but I didn't want to be. It was hard, though, when he just admitted to not even thinking about me these past two months. I certainly thought about him a lot, and I wanted to believe that he'd at least tried to reach out, but he hadn't. He hadn't thought of me at all. Probably too busy with Peter.
"No, it's not fine," Tony protested stubbornly, "and I understand if you're upset with me. It's okay to be mad. I screwed up, but I promise not to screw up again. I'm here to help in whatever way you need," he announced, his face and tone completely sincere.
"We're both here to help," Pepper added just as sincerely. "I know we never met in person, but I'd like to think we've spent enough time on the phone to be comfortable with one another."
I couldn't help but smile as I nodded my head. Yes, she and I had spent many hours on the phone. Sometimes it'd be me just talking about school or her talking about work, but it'd been nice. She listened to me even better than Tony, and she'd helped me deal with the anger I'd had towards my mom and her alcoholic tendencies.
"Thank you," I told them with gratitude. "I know I just showed up out of the blue, and that you're really busy people, so I want you to know I really appreciate what you've done for me already. I promise I won't cause you guys any problems while I'm here. I'll stay out of"—
"Okay, knock that shit off, Gizmo," Tony interrupted with a scoff. "We'll accept your thanks, unnecessary as it is, but you don't need to promise to behave or stay out of our way or whatever nonsense you're going on about."
"What Tony means," Pepper spoke up, shooting her fiancé a mild glare, "is that this is your home now, and we want you to feel like you can be yourself. Don't try and be perfect because you feel you're a bother."
"That's exactly what I said," Tony exclaimed with a harrumph. "Kid understood me, right?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow at me.
I let out a short laugh, nodding my head in agreement. I had understood what he meant.
Tony and Pepper made faces at each other that had my smile widening, but it quickly fell when Tony broached the next topic, my foster homes.
"I've read what the child service people wrote, but I'd like to know your perspective," Tony stated. "Three homes in the span of a month, and then a month on the streets. What happened? Why did you feel that living on the streets was preferable to foster care?"
"Streets are safer," was my automatic response, and I still felt that was true. If…no, when they grew tired of me, I'd make sure to leave before child services could take me again.
"No, they're not—or, they shouldn't be, buddy," Tony refuted, looking rather askance at my response. "I really need you to tell me what happened in the homes you were placed in. It's okay if you don't want to give details, but I want to understand how you'd ever think that being homeless was the better option."
I pursed my lips, not really wanting to talk about this. I didn't want him to know what went on. I didn't want to come off like a weak little kid that couldn't protect himself.
"It's just…they weren't good places to live. The people…I just didn't like them, and it wasn't like they cared about me. I didn't want to be there and they didn't want me there, so I left," I explained, hoping they wouldn't press.
"Why didn't you want to be in those homes, though?" Pepper inquired, her tone delicate, as if she were afraid of upsetting me. I hated that. I hated that she felt she had to treat me with kid gloves, as if I were going to fall apart over a simple question.
"I just told you," I asserted, but both adults shook their heads negatively.
"You've claimed that living on the streets is safer, so what was it about those homes that made you feel unsafe?" Tony questioned softly, and I internally bristled at how even he was treating me as if I were made of glass. Tony never treated me like that.
"Did they hurt you?" he pressed in that irritatingly delicate tone. "Did they…," he trailed off awkwardly, and I knew what he was insinuating.
"Nobody touched me," I snapped, fighting to keep from glaring.
"Harley, you've got to help us out here," Pepper pleaded. "Child services is fighting our guardianship, claiming Tony is unfit, and it would help us help you if we knew what happened."
Anxiety coursed through me at her words, and I wondered how soon I would be sent back.
"Isn't it just enough that I say I don't feel safe there?" I had to ask, giving them both pleading looks of my own. "The people weren't nice. Make your own assumptions, but I'm fine now, and I really don't want to talk about it. I'd rather just forget these past two months and move on."
Silence followed my words, Tony and Pepper exchanging looks. I could tell they weren't happy with what I'd said, but I knew they'd given in when they let out twin sighs.
"We're sorry for pushing," Pepper apologized, "but we just want to help, so if you ever feel the need to talk, we're here for you, okay?"
"Okay," I agreed quickly, relieved that they were dropping the subject. I had no plans of taking her up on her offer, though. I never wanted to think about foster care, let alone talk about it.
"Alright, let's do something fun," Tony announced suddenly, standing up and sporting a large grin. "Come and join me in my lab, young padawan."
"Padawan?" I stated with a snort to which he shrugged, looking a little sheepish.
"Peteys a huge fun. Makes me watch at least one of the movies every week," he explained fondly. I held back a frown and biting response. I wanted to snap that I'm not Peter Parker, but I knew how childish that would come off, so I just smiled and followed behind, eager to check out his lab.
When we walked in, my mouth dropped open in awe. This was everything I imagined and more. Excitement began building in me, an emotion that felt almost foreign to me. I'd missed being in my lab. I'd missed working on my tech.
Rushing around the room, I took in the suits, sped read through the holograms, and poured over blueprints. I touched everything and played with machines I knew only existed in this room. One area in a corner of the lab was a little different, even messier than the rest of the lab, if possible. Candy wrappers, empty bottles, and textbooks littered the area, and if that weren't enough clues that this was Parker's area, then the blueprints on the spider suit and a broken web shooter definitely were. Jealousy hit me once more, and I fought to shove it away. Peter hadn't done anything to me. In fact, he'd been a huge help to me yesterday. He didn't deserve my resentment. It wasn't his fault he was the perfect protégé for Tony.
Tony remained silent the entire time I looked around, and when I finally felt satisfied, I noticed he wasn't even paying attention, but working on a gadget. I eagerly headed over, desperate to know and desperate to help or get working on something. My body buzzed with renewed energy and my hands felt restless. The familiar itch to be holding and/or working on something surfaced.
"Hey, that's an arc reactor," I spoke upon closer inspection of the item. "You had yours taken out years ago, so what's this one for?"
"Housing unit for nanoparticles, or, that's the plan at least," the mechanic answered, and my eyes widened.
"No way! That sounds awesome!" I gushed. "So, it'll house your entire suit? Do you need some help?"
"Yes, it will, and sure, take a seat," he replied, kicking a stool over to me. "So, here's where I'm stuck at," he began, explaining the multiple issues he was having. I felt flattered and even touched that he was not just accepting my help, but that he was listening to my suggestions. I mean, he had before, but never on something this big. This was related to his Iron Man suit, his most prized and important creation.
We worked, and we were so engaged that we lost track of time. I would've loved to have kept going, but my body ended up giving out on me sooner than my mind. My hands started to shake and a yawn escaped me, which Tony noticed right away.
"Let's get some more food in you, and then you can lie down," he announced suddenly, standing up.
"What? No, Tony, come on, let's keep going," I nearly begged, not wanting to sleep. This was the most normal I'd felt in months, and I didn't want to lose this feeling of happiness and contentment.
"Munchkin, you look dead on your feet, which means you're no good to me," he countered in amusement, and I frowned, feeling stunned and hurt.
"Okay, well, let me just eat something quick and then I'll be good to go, I swear," I insisted. "I can still help you."
Tony's eyes narrowed before he seemed to realize something.
"Hey, I didn't mean to say you were no help," he told me sincerely. "I just meant that mistakes happen when you're exhausted. Get some rest, and we'll pick this up later. No worries."
"I don't need to rest, though!" I shouted before I could help myself, freezing immediately afterwards as I realized who I'd just yelled out. I expected anger from Tony, but it never came. Instead, he seemed to become downright concerned.
"You afraid of nightmares?" he outright asked, looking too understanding for my liking.
I shifted uneasily before looking away. How had he figured that out so quickly?
I heard a soft sigh and footsteps before I was greeted to Tony kneeling in front of me. He waited until I made eye contact before placing a comforting hand on my leg and speaking.
"I understand wanting to stay awake to avoid nightmares, but you need to sleep," he told me gently. "Talking about nightmares can help…it's definitely helped me," he admitted, and my eyebrows rose in surprise. "So, if you want to talk, I'm here, and if…if you'd like me to stay with you until you fall asleep"—
"No way," I quickly interrupted with a rapid shake of my head, mortified at the mere thought. "I'm not a little kid, man. I don't need you to hold my hand. I'll be fine," I asserted, getting to my feet with a reassuring smile.
"Thanks for the offer of talking, though, I'll, um, take that into account," I lied, making my way out of the lab and to the kitchen before he could even respond. I heard him following, so I quickly engaged in conversation with Pepper the second I saw her, offering to help cook. Tony eyed me with concern multiple times, but thankfully didn't bring up the matter of sleep again.
Dinner was pleasant, and afterwards, I went off to my room. I honestly was exhausted, and I knew sleep would come easily. Nightmares on the other hand came and went. I never knew if I'd have one or not. Hopefully, now that I was safe my mind wouldn't torture me. Hopefully.