Chapter 66
Peter hurried down the street, excited to get to the bakery. His day at school had seemingly dragged on, and he once again cursed the fact that Aunt May, Tony and Harry had all told him that he couldn't miss school to be there for the grand opening.
He ducked through and alleyway and cut through the park, hoping to shave time off of his trip. When his eyes landed on the bakery, he frowned when he didn't much traffic inside. But as he grew closer, his vision was focused on a sign that was taped to the door.
Thank you for coming to Lily's Bakery. Due to overwhelming support from the community, we have sold out of everything. To make up for this, take a picture of this sign to receive 10% off your next purchase with us. Thank you for your support!
Peter's face broke out into a grin as he read the sign, and burst into the bakery. Inside, he couldn't help but laugh at the sight.
Tony, Clint, Natasha, Pepper, Bruce, Steve, Bucky, Thor and Loki all sat in chairs, toasting Harry with their designated flutes of champagne or bottles of beer. Harry was drinking what looked like sparking cider, and his face grew bright as he spotted Peter.
"Pete!" He cried, racing over and giving his boyfriend a hug. "Today was amazing! You'll never guess what happened-- oh Merlin I have so much to tell you and-"
Warmth spread through Peter as Harry rambled on. Normally, he would kiss him to get him to stop talking, because the rambling was usually negative, but now.... Harry was comfortable enough around him and his family to talk excessively, and it was the warmest welcome Peter could imagine.
Pepper, always the proper hostess, handed Peter a glass of sparking cider as well, inviting him to join them in their celebration.
"What time did you sell out of everything?" Peter questioned as Harry finished telling him all about the day.
"Around 1-- we ran through everything, even the premade stuff! Caroline just ran to the store to go get more ingredients, and then we're going to make more of everything and hope that it's done by tomorrow when we open again!" Harry replied excitedly, and Peter began to wonder if he really was drinking just sparking cider.
"That's great! I'm so happy for you," Peter replied, pulling Harry into a congratulatory hug.
And he was. Peter was ecstatic that the grand opening had been a success. He was thrilled by the fact that, for the first time in... ever, Harry was bouncing off the walls with excitement. He was happy that Harry was happy.
"Alright, that's enough. Let's share the love here," Tony announced as the two broke apart. "I, for one, am offended that Peter didn't even bother to say hi on his way in here."
The billionaire crossed his arms in a fake pout, earning a laugh from everyone else in the room.
"Okay, okay," Peter giggled, bounding over and giving his mentor a hug. "Are you happy now?"
"No, last I checked, he was taking Caroline to the store," Tony winked, and Peter groaned.
"Mister Stark, just because you're a dad now doesn't mean that you have to resort to telling dad jokes," Peter shook his head, but he was biting back a laugh.
"Oh, Peter!" Bucky exclaimed, popping out of his seat in a very 'non-Bucky' fashion. He rounded the counter and pulled out a box from under the counter. Bringing it over, he wore a smug grin on his face.
"I saved you the final snickerdoodle," he declared proudly, popping open the box to reveal the last remnants of the day's merchandise.
Peter's face lit up as he gratefully accepted the box from Bucky's hands.
"You stole from me, on my very first day?" Harry teased the ex-assassin, placing his hand over his chest in a mock-offended gesture.
"I put a dollar in the register, don't get your panties in a wad," Bucky bantered back, a hint of his Brooklyn accent coming out.
"I still can't believe you sold out of everything. Are you thinking of hiring more bakers to help keep up?" Peter turned back to Harry, taking a bite out of the cookie with a delighted sigh.
"I've got a few people coming in tomorrow for an interview," Harry nodded, "I know that it'll calm down eventually, but Caroline and I can't keep like this for long. I'm already exhausted."
At this, Bruce and Pepper frowned at one another, and both flew into mother hen mode.
"Harry, you're still supposed to be taking it easy," Bruce reminded.
"We don't want you overworking yourself to the point of exhaustion," Pepper added, giving Harry a mom-look that would rival one of Mrs. Weasley's.
"I'm not, I promise," Harry swore, switching his gaze between the two of them. "I'm really excited about this, and it's a lot of work, but it's worth it. It's been my dream for my whole life, and I'm finally living it."
This earned a smile from everyone in the room, because they knew that he was talking about more than just the bakery. He was talking about the family and friends surrounding him. He was talking about the unconditional love and support that Peter provided. He was talking about the opportunity to heal and create a new life, away from the old one that had treated him poorly.
"We're just trying to look out for you, pal, that's all," Steve spoke, earning a nod from Bucky.
"You do not wish to tire yourself, young one," Thor added. "Save your youthful spirit!"
Harry smiled, looking around the room at people that cared for him.
"I promise I'll tell you guys if it becomes too much," he announced, looking from person to person.
"And I appreciate all of the help that you've given me over the past several weeks while we prepared to open. I couldn't have done it without you, I mean it. You've all been here for me for everything, whether it be my dad's technology abilities that will never cease to amaze me, to my mom and Bruce's patience in the kitchen as they learned some of the recipes, to Steve and Bucky's superhuman strength that helped move in the appliances faster than any handy-man ever could. Clint, Natasha, you provided me with emotional support and laughter, and surprisingly good taste in interior decoration. Thor, Loki... thank you for traveling all of this way just to support me."
Harry turned to Peter, eyes gleaming with the powerful sentiment of his statement. "And Peter, thank you for keeping me level headed through it all. I've been stressed, and haven't had near as much time for you as I'd like to. But you've taken it in stride and spent all of your free time here, which I know hasn't always been where you'd most like to be."
Raising his flute of sparkling cider in the air, he faced everyone in the room once more.
"I'm rambling at this point, but I just wanted to thank everyone here for their sacrifices and unconditional love and support. I love all of you."
One by one, glasses and bottles were lifted into the air.
"Cheers to that," Bruce spoke, taking a sip of his drink.
"Cheers!" A chorus of voices rang out.
"We love you kiddo," Tony smiled fondly, reaching out and giving Harry's arm a light squeeze.
And in that moment, the words rang true. Harry felt the love slam into him like a fourteen-wheeler, hitting him so hard that it momentarily rendered him unable to draw in a breath. The force of the emotion was so powerful, so raw, that it anchored him to the floor. It felt like, for the first time, he truly believed the words were true.
"You know what dad?" Harry leaned into the touch as he spoke softly, looking up into his dad's eyes. "I know."