Chapter 42
"Well hello," Peter smiled down at Harry, who was beginning to stir from where he was nestled beneath Peter's arm.
"I thought I was supposed to be the one napping, and you were going to be watching a movie," Peter teased.
"Hush," Harry grumbled, burying his face in the extra fabric of Peter's oversized sweatshirt. Peter let out a small chuckle before planting a small kiss to the top of Harry's head.
"What're you two doing in here?" A voice asked, and both boys looked up to see Natasha standing beside the couch.
"Merlin, Tasha, I didn't even hear you come in!" Harry exclaimed, and the spy couldn't help but smile.
"Well, it kind of is my job to be stealthy," she bantered, flopping down in an armchair and crossing her legs beneath her. "What are you watching?"
"We've been binging literally ever cooking competition show known to man. Right now, we're watching Master Chef Junior," Peter told her, grinning down at Harry. "Somebody's obsessed, but he keeps falling asleep while we watch them."
"Not my fault that I find Gordon Ramsey's voice to be soothing," Harry replied cheekily. "It must be the accent. It calms me."
"The only time Gordon Ramsey doesn't scare me is when he's talking to the kids, and even then, I think I might still pee myself if he looked at me wrong," Peter admitted.
Natasha snorted at the playful conversation between both teens, a smile tugging at her lips as she watched them cuddle, the show playing on TV.
Before she knew it, though, four episodes had passed, and now all three of them were on the edge of their seats as they watched the season finale.
"Addison is going to cut her finger, she's going too fast!" Harry proclaimed, hands covering half his face as he watched in dread.
"Oh no!" Peter cried as Harry's prediction came true, and a medic had to come in and help the young chef while the clock continued to tick.
"I think she can still win this," Natasha declared. "She's got the creativity and a few more years of experience than Avery. She has to win, right?"
"Don't google it!" Harry exclaimed as Peter grabbed his phone and opened the search engine. Sheepishly, Peter slid the phone back into his pocket, blushing.
"There you are, Nat, I've been looking for you ev-"
"Shh!" All three watching the show turned around to hiss at Steve, who had entered the room, completely unawares as to what he was interrupting.
"What're you watching?" He asked, walking over and leaning on the back of the couch.
"Master Chef Junior, but they're about to start judging, so shut up," Natasha commanded, not even bothering to look at the super soldier from where her eyes were glued on the television screen.
"And the winner, of Season Four of Master Chef Junior is-"
Suddenly the screen went black, and Tony came striding into the room. "Alright everyone, sorry to interrupt but the party's over. Fury just called with a mission, so I need everyone to suit up and meet on the roof in five minutes."
Collective groans echoed through the room as Tony treaded over to stand beside Harry. Grudgingly, Natasha and Steve stood up, giving Harry quick waves and goodbyes as they exited. Peter, however, was a bit more hesitant.
"Don't worry, kid, it's a pretty routine mission. Honestly, Fury just wanted us more for the numbers and appearance of the Avengers, to prove that we're still around and on top of everything. We've been a bit more quiet than usual lately," Tony directed his comment towards Peter, but Harry knew that he was the reason they hadn't been out on as many missions recently.
Guilt began pooling in his chest as he realized that he was the reason that the Avengers hadn't taken as many missions, leaving dozens of people in need, helpless. He was the reason that some people may have spent their last few minutes panicking, rather than filled with hope of being saved. All so that they could help him. He was the reason...
"Harry, I already know what you're thinking and it's not your fault at all. There, thankfully, has been no reason for the Avengers to be called into action. Usually S.H.I.E.L.D will just send agents if it's a small scenario, but ever since we teamed up, the team has been reserved just for big things or publicity. Which is what today is."
Harry could feel his body relax a little bit at the reassurance that they were in no real danger.
"Alright, then I'm going to go suit up. I'll see you in a few Mister Stark," Peter exclaimed. He grabbed Harry's waist gently and pulled his boyfriend in for a short, but loving, kiss, before giving him one last goofy grin and bounding out of the room.
"Pepper is on her way home right now, and should be getting here any time now," Tony informed Harry, setting a gentle hand on his son's shoulder. "We'll be alright, I promise. This is a routine thing, and is easier than our training.
The ding of the elevator opening up made both Tony and Harry turn, watching as Pepper stepped out. She looked as put together as always, with heels, a dressy top, a pencil skirt, her hair in a picture perfect bun.
"Good, I'm glad I caught you before you left," she let out a small sigh of relief, heels clicking as she made her way over to where her fiancé and son stood.
"I was just telling Harry that this is a routine mission, and there's no need to worry. Do I need to repeat the same lecture for you?" Tony turned to the strawberry blonde, a smug smirk playing at his mouth. Pepper bit her bottom lip in attempt to hide a smile, but ultimately failed as Tony gave her a loving look with his big brown eyes.
"Just be careful, alright. And try not to make any messes that I have to clean up, would you?" She countered, but there was no bite behind the remark. Instead, she leaned in and planted a kiss against Tony's cheek.
Her arm then found it's way around Harry's shoulder and she pulled him in tight against her, warmth bubbling inside her stomach as he leaned into her comfortably.
Her relationship with Harry was nowhere near as close as it was to Tony's, but they had been getting closer and closer over the past several weeks, and Harry was now comfortable calling her 'mum'.
Pepper's motherly instincts had always been present. She was always the 'mom friend' throughout high school and college, and when she found herself as Tony's personal assistant, there were days where she had felt as though she were more of a mom or babysitter, than someone helping a billionaire run a company.
But this was a different motherly feeling. This was something that she imagined to be identical to how mother's who had just discovered they were pregnant, or had just given birth, felt about their child. She was becoming a mother, and biology didn't seem to matter when it came to emotions. Harry was her kid.
"Be safe," Harry whispered, his voice a bit strangled as though he were about to cry. Which, Pepper could imagine, he was.
"I will be, son. I promise," Tony replied, pressing a chaste kiss to the top of Harry's head and ruffling his hair. Straightening up, Tony shook his head a bit as if to shake away the seriousness of the moment.
"Alright, well then I think I'd better get going before Steve chews my ass for being late again. I love you both!"
With one last look at his fiancé and son standing in the living room, Tony turned on his heels and made his departure.
"How about some baking?" Pepper asked after a few beats of silence. "I could really use some chocolate chip cookies right now, and baking helps get my mind off of things when they go on missions."
"Really?" Harry questioned, looking up at Pepper incredulously. He knew that Pepper liked to try to bake, but her food always turned out a bit off because she would always be distracted while either making it, or bake it for too long. But Harry hadn't known that baking helped get her mind off of things- that's why he liked cooking too.
Cooking had always been something that he had done that gave him safety from others. As long as whatever he was making was perfect, he was safe, and he found pride in watching the reaction of other people eating his food. It took his mind off of things that were wrong, and allowed him to make something that was perfectly measured and balanced. Allowed him to have control over something in his life.
"Yeah, I love to bake when I'm stressed, though I don't do it much because I usually get distracted by another task," Pepper smiled. "How about this- I'll go change into something more comfortable and then you can show me how to make your perfect chocolate chip cookies?"
Harry smiled, thinking about how much he would love to spend some quality time with his mum- something he hadn't been able to do as much as he had hoped since they had arrived home.
"That sounds amazing. I'll get things out and set up while you change," he returned the smile, and before he knew it, all of the utensils and ingredients to make cookies were all laid out on the counter, ready to go.
Surveying the area, Harry calculated everything, before realizing he was one item short. Waving his hand lazily, the fridge opened and a carton of eggs came floating towards him and landed gently in his hand.
"That will never cease to amaze me," Pepper grinned, making her way out of the hallway and into the open kitchen. She looked much more comfortable now in an oversized t-shirt and a pair of leggings. Her hair had been released from the tight bun and was now tied loosely in a braid that had been thrown over her shoulder.
Harry blushed, still a bit shy about using magic around other people. Muggles, he used to call them. Now, it just seemed like an insult to call the family that had welcomed him and magically turned his life around, making it 1000 times better.
"Thank you," he mumbled. Pepper could sense that he was still uncomfortable talking about anything involving magic, so she quickly changed the subject.
"Alright, ready to teach an aspiring beginner how to make the best damn chocolate chip cookies ever?"
*
Twenty minutes later, and Harry and Pepper had almost forgotten that everyone else was on a mission. Instead, they were laughing and chatting like it was the most normal thing in the world to be doing at almost 11 p.m.
Pepper had been telling Harry stories about her and Tony- how they hadn't gotten along at all outside of work when they first met. How Tony had fallen head over heels, but Pepper hadn't been convinced. How Tony had tried and tried and tried to get Pepper to like him, and had finally worn her down a few years ago. How their relationship progressed really quickly from there. How Tony had proposed to her a year after they started dating. How they were planning to get married in April the following year.
"Ooh! Can I make your wedding cake?" Harry asked as Pepper nonchalantly mentioned the wedding.
"You can make a wedding cake for us, but Tony and I have decided just to do a simple, court house wedding. We'll just have a small celebration with the team after," she replied, giving him a small smile.
"What?! I know dad mentioned that you wanted to have a small wedding, but not a courthouse wedding! I thought he liked to go all out! Go big or go home, you know?" Harry exclaimed, not believing what he was hearing. How could one of the most extravagant people he knew want a simple, boring, courthouse wedding?
"For once, he doesn't want the attention on us. He just wants it to be friends and family only, though really the only family there is would be my brother and his wife. Everyone else would just be friends, and maybe a few cousins."
"But you could have a small wedding somewhere other than a courthouse!" Harry scoffed, whisking away his frustrations as he mixed the dough together.
Pepper raised an eyebrow at him, trying to hide her laughter.
"Well what do you suggest we do, mister?" She teased.
Harry's face broke out into a mischievous grin.
"I think you just found yourself a wedding planner."