The Big Day
Peter was snug under all of his blankets, Iron Man stuffie in his arms, and everything was right in the world. Well, at least it was to a five-year-old. His mind was in a sweet dream of riding on his dad's back as he flew around the city.
Of course, that's when he had to wake up.
"Peter, honey," Peter heard his mom say, voice low and soft. Then there was a thud, followed by another.
Peter's dream was slowly fading, the edges of the city falling into the dark abyss of his consciousness as he stirred awake. Peter opened his eyes, blinking as he adjusted to the new light streaming in from the opened door.
Pepper smiled and stepped inside. "It's time to wake up and get ready, hon. It's the big day."
Peter, still half asleep, grunted out a sound of confusion. He was tired and warm, and it was still dark outside; all good reasons to go back to sleep.
Pepper ran her hand through Peter's curls, massaging out any tangles he got during the night. Peter hummed in pleasure. He could go back to sleep like this. "I know you're tired, baby, but you can't be late for your first day of school."
Peter's body slumped even further. He knew that the first day of school was a big thing to his mom, but he didn't find it that big, especially if he has to wake up when it's still dark outside. "I don't want to go," he mumbled, the action of moving his lips taking a lot of energy.
Pepper cooed. "Aw, honey, you'll like school, I promise you. You get to read, do math problems, and talk and play with other kids."
Peter's eyebrows stayed furrowed, lips pursed into a thin line. His mom made good points, but he was still tired.
"If you get up and get dressed, there will be a plate of pancakes ready for you at the table."
That got Peter's attention. He loved pancakes.
Peter mulled it over in his head and eventually caved in. "Mmm, 'kay," Peter mumbled, pushing away the blankets and the warmth that it gave him.
Pancakes, Peter thought as he swung his legs over the edge and pushed himself off.
"You want help getting dressed, or do you think you can handle it?" Pepper asked.
Peter shook his head and puffed out his chest. "I'm a big boy, mommy."
Pepper laughed softly. "Okay, hon. Your dad and I will be in the kitchen waiting for you."
Peter nodded and went to the bathroom to pee and brush his teeth. Drying his face, he looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was a mop of brown curls, but he always left his locks be free, so he shrugged and stepped down from the small step ladder, shoving it into the corner.
Back in his room, he opened all of his drawers and looked at all of his clothes. He grabbed his blue jeans and grey shirt, quickly shuffling into the clothes. Peter still had difficulty tying his shoes, so he left them untied for the time being. He was going to step out until he spotted his favorite red jacket. With no hesitation, he grabbed it and pushed his arm into the sleeves, and headed to the kitchen.
Tony turned to look at him and grinned. "Well, Pep, I'm pretty sure we're raising the next fashionista."
Peter giggled and pushed himself into a chair. "Mommy promised pancakes."
"And I always keep my promises," Pepper said, setting a plate of pancakes in front of Peter. She ruffled his curls, sweeping them back so she could place a kiss on his forehead.
"You excited for school, buddy?" Tony asked, sitting next to Peter.
Peter shrugged, mouth full of syrupy pancakes. "I don't know. Mommy says I'll like it, and I like solving the math problems you give me, but what if...?"
Tony lowered his head so he could look at Peter. "What is it, Pete?"
Peter knawed on his bottom lip. "What if the other kids don't like me?"
Tony gasped, putting a hand to his heart dramatically. "What are you talking about, kid? They are going to love you! You're the best kid in the whole world, and if they don't think so, I'll talk some sense into them."
Pepper squeezed Peter's cheek, quickly soothing it afterward. "Don't worry about that, hon. Just be yourself, and you'll be fine."
Peter nodded, mind already switching onto other things. He wanted orange juice, and he hadn't packed his backpack yet. Peter also needed to ask his dad to tie his shoes. His dad. Oh!
Peter dropped his fork and pushed the chair back. "I just remembered!" He ran back to his room and scanned his eyes over until they landed on the papers on his small work table (it's a desk, but his dad always calls it a work table). A grin pulled at Peter's lips as he grabbed the papers and ran back to his dad.
"I finished it, dad!" Peter exclaimed, regaining his composure after almost tripping. "I worked through the problems you gave me! You tricked me with the last one! I solved it using the force equation you gave me last week, but it took me a while to figure it out because I couldn't find my notes."
Tony raised an eyebrow as he looked over the papers. Peter knawed on his bottom lip, anxiety coiling in his stomach. He's sure he got everything right, but his dad is the most intelligent person he knows, and Peter wanted to impress his dad.
"Well, kid, I gotta say, I'm impressed." Peter beamed at his dad's words. "The last question was a trick. We'll be looking over friction and force in a few days, and I wanted to see if you got it. My boy's a genius in the making!" Tony leaned down and picked Peter up, twirling him around in the hug, making Peter burst into giggles.
Pepper cleared her throat. "Tony, I thought we said that Peter wouldn't be learning anything too advanced."
Tony adjusted Peter so he could talk to Pepper. "Yes, but the little stinker found his way into the lab and started asking questions. One thing led to another, and now, he knows the basics of material and science engineering."
Pepper sighed, rolling her eyes. "Well, he is your kid. It's not that much of a surprise."
"Hey, he's our kid," Tony amended. "He'll probably boss around the other kids and become class president by the end of the semester."
Pepper rolled her eyes once more, but there was a smile on her face.
Peter watched the small exchange between his parents with a smile. "Dad?"
Tony looked back to Peter. "Yeah, kid? What's up?"
"Can you tie my shoes?"
Tony laughed, shaking his head. "You know the structure and properties of the six major classes of materials, but you can't tie your shoes. Only you, Pete." Tony set Peter down on the table and proceeded to tie his shoes.
Pepper wrapped her arms around Peter, resting her head on his. "Don't let him bother you, hon. He can discover a new element, but he still needs someone to remind him to eat and sleep."
"Hey," Tony whined, setting Peter's leg down.
"Is dad in trouble for teaching me things?" Peter asked his mom, looking up, but he could only see the ends of his hair and the ceiling.
"No, hon," Pepper whispered. "I just wanted to wait before you learned anything too advanced so you wouldn't get bored at ordinary school."
"If he does, we could always homeschool him and get him the best teachers who could teach him the advanced stuff."
"Let's see how this school treats Peter and if he likes it," Pepper said against Peter's head before pulling away. "Now, come on. I already have your backpack ready."
Peter smiled, glad he didn't have to get his backpack in order. He jumped off the table and grabbed his dad's hand as they all walked over to the elevator.
(Not even a month later, the principal called Tony and Pepper to tell them that Peter should be moved to a higher level grade or to a more appropriate school where Peter's genius could flower. Shortly after moving Peter to a better school, Tony and Pepper found out it was the best decision. Peter had excelled at everything, and he made a friend on the first day: Ned Leeds.)