Chapter 8
2008
5 days, 1 week, 0 months, 0 years
“Sir, Miss. Potts has asked me to inform you that she and Colonel. Rhodes will be arriving shortly.”
JARVIS’ artificial British accent woke Tony from a surprisingly deep sleep. Without opening his eyes, he could tell it was still much earlier than he usually awoke and he was surprised he felt so well rested despite the serious crick he was feeling in his neck.
He cracked open an eye to find he wasn’t in his bed, which he had assumed to be the case when he noticed the ache. Instead, he was on the sofa in the living room, head thrown backwards on the back cushions. There was a blanket covering his legs and a surprisingly familiar shape pressed into his side with one of his arms draped over it.
Peter.
They must have nodded off while they were watching a film last night. The television was now turned off, Tony assumes that was JARVIS’ doing. The AI must have noticed when they had fallen asleep and switched it off so the sound effects didn’t wake them.
Tony had relented and turned JARVIS back on before Pepper had left the other day. He had been pleasantly surprised by how much he’d missed the familiarity of him being there without even realising it.
He looked at his watch. 10:27.
“Hey,” Tony grumbled. “Pete, kid, time to get up.”
Peter groaned but pushed himself up anyway.
“Pepper’s coming?”
His voice was sleep-slick and somewhat slurred but excited, nonetheless. Tony let little of the kid’s enthusiasm infect him, taking just the edge off of his nerves.
Sure, he loved Pepper and he loved Rhodey. He knew they only worried about him because they cared. They wanted what was best for him first and foremost, but he couldn’t help but worry they wouldn’t understand.
Maybe this time it was going to be just a bit too insane for them to want to bother anymore.
“Yep. Pepper’s coming and she’s bringing another one of my friends. You’re going to meet him and then you’re going to go and play in your room for a little bit so us adults can have a serious talk. Yeah?”
“Okay, Mr. Stark.”
He was already on his feet and scrambling over towards the elevator doors. Grasped gently on the palms of his hands were two little dragons that he and Tony had made a couple of days earlier. The first one was Ned, and the second was orange and royal blue in waxy spots and swirls.
Tony couldn’t bring himself risk bursting Peter’s bubble of excitement by telling him that they might not arrive for another half an hour. Instead, he slumped over to the kitchen to make himself a coffee.
It hadn’t even finished brewing when the elevator dinged and the kid let out an excited yelp.
“Mr. Stark!” he squealed. “Pepper and your friend are here!”
“On my way, kid.”
He paused for a second until his coffee was ready, then picked up the mug and headed to the foyer. This mug was boring, plain grey and no where near as cool as his ‘PR nightmare’ mug. He made a mental note to ask Rhodey to get him a new one.
Peter was bouncing on the balls of his feet just off to the side of the two awaiting adults.
“Who are you calling kid?” Rhodey asked defensively.
Tony had assumed that Pepper would have told him but, from the way he seemed to think that the comment had been direct at him, it seemed like she hadn’t.
“Not you,” Tony scoffed. He had a teasing undertone to his voice. “You’re old as fu-” He paused, eyes flicking to Peter, before amending his choice of words. “Frick.”
“Peter’s here?” Pepper asked.
Taking a slow slip of his coffee, Tony nodded.
“He has something he wants to give you, Pep.”
Pepper’s eyes lit up a little and she crouched down. It was honestly impressive how well she maintained her balance, not even wobbling slightly despite the skyscraper tall heels she was wearing. Slightly unsure but without any hesitation, she held out her hand, flat with her palm up, waiting patiently for Peter to pass over whatever it was he wanted to give her.
The small blue and orange dragon was placed on her palm.
Rhodey’s eyes shot open, bulging out of his head almost comically in shock.
“Her name is Morgan,” Tony explained to Pepper on Peter’s behalf. “Peter wants you to have it so it can give you company and keep you safe.”
Pepper smiled, a soft genuine smile that made her eyes look bright and shining.
“Thank you,” she replied. “I think Morgan is beautiful.”
“I think I’m missing something,” Rhodey murmured, finally having found his words. “Someone care to fill me in?”
Rather than responding right away, Tony directed them into the kitchen. He was yet to have breakfast and he was really craving toast.
Peter rushed over to the fridge, Ned still resting in one hand, and began to pull on the handle to get at the chocolate spread as soon as they entered the room. Tony placed four slices of bread in the toaster. He pulled out two plates and a butter knife before turning back to his friends.
“Basically, I’ve got a new roommate, buddy, ward, resident ghost; take your pick. His name is Peter, he’s six and only I can see him,” Tony explained.
Rhodey tilted his head in confusion.
“Resident ghost?”
“A ghost who lives here. Simple as.”
Peter had finally managed to open the fridge and brought over the jar of chocolate spread. He placed it on the side and flashed Tony an ecstatic grin and the puppy dog eyes that the older man had found he just couldn’t say no to.
“Let’s keep to casual small talk while we eat,” Tony mused. “We can discuss the serious stuff when Peter’s playing in his room. I’m not sure he really wants, or needs, to hear about the shitshow that went down between me and Obadiah Stane.”