Hello friends! Here's a new chapter for you. I'm sorry for the delay, but you know… life. Plus, there are some other projects I'm working on. But the point is this story has just been updated, so enjoy :)
Disclaimer: no, I don't own Marvel. I wish.
Tony is watching the kid eating his breakfast. Eggs, bacon and pancakes. During his playboy years, Tony became a pro at breakfast foods. Now that skill of his comes in handy with Peter living here. Kid needs proper breakfast, not black coffee, right?
Sitting at the kitchen table, Peter practically devours his food. Old habits die hard. Tony thinks it will take a long time until the kid slows down and actually starts enjoying food. Until he realizes he doesn't have to eat fast, because there'll be always enough food.
Peter's backpack is at his feet on the floor. He's ready to go back to school.
Tony is watching him smiling, his hands clasping a coffee mug as always. This is his new normal, their new normal, he thinks to himself. From now on, every day will begin like this. Having breakfast, Peter going to school. Almost like a normal family, right? Tony is still having a hard time believing how much his life has changed in a few days. This kid has brought things into his life he never wanted: responsibility, stability and normality. Things that Tony needs to provide for the kid. He feels like Peter has made him grow up all of a sudden. And weird is, he doesn't really mind. It scares him, yes, but he wouldn't want it any other way.
"Boss, Happy Hogan is on his way up here," Friday reveals.
Peter looks up from his plate and his eyes shoot up at Tony. He looks confused and maybe a bit scared, too.
"Relax, kid," Tony assures him.
He knows Peter doesn't really like changes, he said that himself. Plus, Barton told Tony kids needed stability in general and he knows Peter is kinda allergic to changes. Not that he could blame him, change has equaled tragedy and loss in his short life.
And an unknown person showing up unexpectedly is definitely a minor thing compared to the other changes in the kid's life, but it's still a change Peter is apparently not enthusiastic about.
Tony frowns because he knows Happy's usual grumpiness won't help either.
The elevator doors open and their guest steps out. He starts walking towards them, but as soon as he spots Peter, he comes to an abrupt halt.
"Who's this?" he asks, pointing at the kid.
"And good morning to you, too, Happy," Tony shakes his head, offering coffee to the man. "He's Peter. He's staying with me and he needs a ride to school."
Both Happy and Peter stare at him in shock.
"I'm not a babysitter!" Happy protests.
"I don't need a ride!" Peter complains.
Tony sighs. "Okay, everybody calm down. Peter, Happy here is my driver. It's literally his job to give you a ride if I tell him so."
Obviously, Peter doesn't like this, though. "But Mr. Stark, don't you think it's too much if a driver takes me to school? It will look so weird."
Tony leans closer to the boy. "Weirder than swinging there with your webs?" he whispers, so that Happy can't hear him.
"I can take the subway," Peter suggests.
"Yeah, like I would allow that," Tony snorts and turns to his driver. "Happy, how many cars do I have in the garage?"
"Thirty-six," the man grumbles.
"See? I can definitely let Happy take one of them and give you a ride to school."
"It's not that," Peter lowers his head. "I just… don't want to… raise attention."
Tony smiles. This kid is unbelievable. When Tony was at his age, he loved arriving at school with a flashy, expensive car, he loved when the other kids watched him with their jaws dropped as he got out and walked up to the building. He enjoyed attention. And how ironic it is that he's stuck with a boy who is exactly the opposite: he wants to avoid attention. Tony has no doubt who's the better person out of the two of them. Kid has a great potential. Much greater than Tony ever had.
"Okay, Hap, drop off the kid a block away from school," he instructs his driver while still watching Peter with a fond smile on his face. "Will that work for you, buddy?"
Peter gives a small nod while staring at his feet shyly.
Tony sighs. He obviously couldn't calm the kid, he should try harder. He leans on the table and looks the boy in the eye. "Listen, Peter, I know Happy seems scary and terrifying… He's rolling his eyes at me now, right?" he smirks and waits until Peter looks up at Happy and nods grinning. "Okay, kid, please don't judge him based on his grumpy attitude. It's just a disguise that he likes for a reason I don't understand myself. You'll get used to it. But he's a good guy. I would trust him with my life. Seriously."
Peter nods and reaches for his backpack. "Okay."
Tony sighs relieved. He might overrate it, but he honestly thinks it's huge that the kid trusts someone just because Tony said he could. Yeah, he's Iron Man and people usually believe the Avengers, but he guesses the kid sees him more as Tony and not as a superhero whose job is to be the good guy.
"Good. Have a nice day at school," he says.
He hopes everything's gonna be fine. He had a meeting with the principal and a social worker yesterday. He took one of his lawyers with him, mostly to remind him not to lose his temper. But even that couldn't stop him from feeling furious before the meeting and he was really, really close to storm into the principal's office and flip the guy's desk. Then his phone buzzed and there was a short text from Peter. 'Please, Mr. Stark.'
And that immediately sobered him. He adjusted his tie, put a huge, fake smile on his face and entered the office. He told the story about the internship and Aunt Julia's moving, he told about his arrangement with Julia and stated that Peter had already moved in. Which – despite his polite smile that he was wearing all along – could be interpreted as everything has been settled already, it's not your business, stay out of it just like you stayed out of Peter's life when he needed your help and screw you, assholes.
There was a long silence in the office after Tony had finished his story. He was ready to bring out the big guns, death threats and stuff like that. But then the principal and the social worker looked at each other and they did exactly what they had done before. They just let it go without any questions. Just like before, they chose the easier way. Why fussing over it, when it's already sorted out, right?
And when Tony shook their hands, he disguised his low opinion on them under a fake smile again, happy to leave that place behind.
On his way out of the school, he ran into Ned Leeds in the hallway. He winked at the boy and Ned gave him a small smile before walking away with a tall, curly-haired girl.
Of course, Peter's decision to tell the whole truth to Ned was the right one. Just like Tony had predicted, Ned forgave Peter right away and the two boys had a really long conversation that lasted until dinner. Tony provided them the best dinner he could: he ordered pizza and while they were eating, he listened to the kids discussing school, Star Wars and Lego stuff. Tony was happy to see that Peter could be just a regular kid with Ned. With his extraordinary life, Peter deserves moments like that.
And of course, their secret was safe with Ned. That boy was way too happy to be a part of a conspiracy. His words, obviously.
But it didn't mean that Peter wanted to let anyone else in school know the truth. He insisted on Mr. Stark telling the story about Julia at the meeting and the man didn't protest. It's not like it was the first lie in his life. And as long as it helped Peter feel more comfortable, he could do it without hesitation.
"Don't you think you owe me an explanation?" Happy grunts, breaking into his thoughts.
Tony walks to the man and pats him on the shoulder. "All you need to know is, Hap, that Peter needs to go to school and you're driving him. And picking him up in the afternoon. He's a good kid, so I would appreciate if you didn't terrorize him during the ride, okay?"
"Is he your son or something? An old flame left him on your doorstep? Shouldn't you run a DNA-test first?" Happy objects whispering.
Tony glances over at Peter who is already at the elevator, looking embarrassed. The kid told him about his enhanced hearing and he has no doubt that Peter could hear everything Happy has just said.
"He's 15, Happy, he couldn't be left on my doorstep. And no, he's not my son. He's a kid who needed help and yes, I'm trying to help him. That's it. Now please, drive him to school, he would hate to be late. I would do it myself, but I have a conference call that I couldn't pass. Not after already backing out of Singapore… anyway, chop-chop, go now, Hap."
The driver rolls his eyes once again and strides to the elevator.
Tony looks at Peter and gives him the thumbs up and a smile. The boy smiles back but he looks anxious watching Happy enter the elevator before him.
As the doors close behind them, Tony buries his head in his hands. Gosh, he really hopes it was not the last time he saw the kid alive.
So did you like it? Now we have Happy, too :) And another character had a cameo, I hope you caught that. Anyway, we will stay with Tony for now, he will introduce someone again (so many new characters after just him and Peter for a very long time) and soon there will be some angst, before you could get bored with all the fluff.
Thank you for reading!