Tony's POV
Tony’s POV
The elevator doors closed and the huge grin Tony was wearing in case Peter looked up fell from his face. He’d been worried that Peter would see his concern, but no. The boy had obviously been lost in thought and now that he was gone, Tony’s stomach dropped. Too late, he was realizing that maybe… just maybe he should have gone with him to the med bay.
Pepper, it seemed, was waiting for Peter’s departure, too, but for a completely different reason. She was gripping her phone in her white knuckled fingers, a sure sign that she was not feeling in control. As soon as she saw the elevator’s display showing its descent, she rushed to her husband and blurted out, “Tony, what are we going to do? We’re screwing this up so badly.” She was fighting back tears. “At this point, the only thing we could do worse is hook him up with a drug dealer and give him free reign of the liquor cabinet!”
Tony almost flinched at the uncalled for dig at his never forgotten past and fell back on his old Stark default mode. “Hey! C’mon, Pep,” He joked, “To be fair, there hasn’t been anything worth drinking in the cabinet since—“
“Tony,” Pepper rebuked. “Be serious.”
”I am being serious.” His entire demeanor shifted. “I know we’re not perfect, but we don’t exactly have a rulebook here, Pep.” He was trying to not feel attacked. “We’re doing our best considering everything we’re trying to balance.”
She couldn’t mask her upset as she waved her phone in the air, “I think you mean considering the fact that I’m fairly certain Peter thinks I’m having an affair?”
Tony’s jaw dropped. “Excuse me? What the hell are you talking about?”
“He heard me talking to Morgan,” she announced.
Tony was confused. “Okay? That sucks—and it will definitely need to be addressed at lunch,” he conceded, “But how exactly does that equate with you having an affair?”
“I was promising her a ‘date’ while I was talking to her, and I didn’t hear him come into the room.” She groaned and covered her face as she remembered. “He has no context, Tony. Of course he’s going to think I’m cheating on you—and then I completely froze and he looked so...” She struggled to find the right words. “Lost? Confused? I don’t know, Tony. It was like he couldn’t figure out what was going on and then you came in and I didn’t get a chance to address anything!”
Tony knew that Peter had looked a little off when he’d come back up to the floor, but Tony had half expected it after the morning he’d had. He’d seem to warm up pretty quick though and Tony hoped that meant he was feeling okay. Peter had even said he was feeling better, hadn’t he? Tony tried to remember, then realized he’d never actually gotten a reply. “Damn it.” He turned to glance back at the elevator as he finally voiced his own worry. “I should have gone with him to see May.”
“I don’t know.” Pepper bemoaned, then uselessly scanned the room. “We were so eager to get back to normal, Tony. Maybe she’ll be the one to help him find some balance in all of this?” She didn’t sound convinced, but hopeful.
Tony shook his head. “I don’t know about that, but then again, I’m not certain I know anything right now.” He ruminated on it for a second. “I was so sure we could take a page out of your playbook, babe. Just make a list of all the important stuff and follow the plan.” Tony chuckled low. “I thought it sounded too easy. I’ve known that kid for—“ Tony caught himself. “I knew the kid for more than a year and nothing about Peter ever screamed order.” Tony chuckled, almost sadly. “That kid is chaos wrapped in churros and salvaged DVD players. All he had to do was do things in order...” He smiled sadly at his wife. “First May, then MJ and Ned, next Morgan—“
A memory sparked for Pepper, and her eyes widened in horror as she gasped, “Oh!” then brought her hands to her mouth. “Oh, no, Tony!” She staggered over toward the couch and dropped gracelessly onto a cushion. “I didn’t even realize!”
Tony rushed to comfort her. “Realize what? Honey, whatever it is, it can’t have been that bad?”
Pepper nodded that it was, in fact, that bad. “He was talking about MJ, but it’s been so long since... and she’s been Michelle to me since she started interning...” Tears welled up in her eyes, “Tony, we were talking about art and getting to know each other and he was happy enough, I think. Then he asked about MJ and Ned and I never checked on Ned because Michelle did all of that with you and I didn’t really know Peter then either and it didn’t even register... I left him to check and her name wasn’t there and—“ She knew she was a rambling mess, was trying to pull herself together. “I left him alone and I could have told him that she was safe and happy—“
Tony snorted.
“Shut up, Tony!” Pepper scolded, distracted from her inner torment. “She’s as happy as Michelle can be and you know it!” She swatted at his leg, “And he’s going to hate me! Now is not the time to be laughing at the situation.”
Tony did know that MJ was happy, though it had been a difficult first couple of years for one of Peter’s best friends—but MJ wasn’t the issue. “Pepper, Peter’s a good kid. That hasn’t changed. All we have to do is explain what happened and he’ll understand. We’ll have a nice chat at lunch and it’ll be alright.”
Pepper was sceptical. “He thinks I’m an adulterer and a liar, Tony.”
Tony reached out to squeeze her hand. “Just wait until lunch. We can clear this up and then you can start getting to know him better. I know you knew the kid before, but once you get to know the real him... not the ‘freaking out because he’s meeting THE Pepper Potts’ him, you’re gonna love him. Pep. I promise. The kid has a heart the size of New York. Once you guys are past this, you’ll be in for life.” He shot her a playful wink then kissed the back of her hand. “Like with me.”
Pepper calmed a little and stood back up, keeping hold of his hand. “Honey, I already care for him.” She assured him. “I saw how much you changed and matured when he came into your life... when he wiggled his way under your armour, both literally and figuratively.” Her eyes shone as she remembered. “And I saw how much you grieved when you lost him.” She faced her husband and brushed his cheek. “I simply don’t want to wreck my chance with him before we can become...”
Tony knew what she was thinking. He pulled her into his arms and held her as she melted into him. “This is going to be a tough road, Pepper, but I know that we can work our way through this. Once we do, we’re going to be okay, love. I promise.”
They stood there together for a few minutes, drawing strength from each other. Tony was sure he could stay there with her forever, but for the fact that the two of them had to make lunch for a teenage superhero. He gave her a last squeeze and pulled away. “As wonderful as this is, it’s time to be responsible grownups so I need to figure out what to feed the spider baby.” Tony said as he walked to the kitchen. He knew that it was stocked with the essentials so there were options, but who knew what Peter would be in the mood for? “Wanna help? I’m thinking soup and sandwiches can tide him over, just in case we need to keep things light for a while longer. Does that sound good to you?”
Pepper had followed behind him and got to work, pulling out a saucepan to reheat one of the containers of deli soup she knew was frozen in the freezer in case of a sick Morgan emergency. “It sounds perfect,” she replied and they worked in companionable silence.
It was a relief to take the time to do something so blissfully mundane, so neither of them rushed. Too soon, however, they were finishing up and placing the plate of finished sandwiches on the counter while the soup simmered on the stove. With nothing else to do, Tony checked his watch, growing anxious. “Not to keep harping on it, but I can’t stop thinking,” Tony started, then checked his watch again, “That I should have gone with Peter to see May, at least the first time.” He voiced his earlier concern.
“Was May not doing well when you went to see her?”
Tony shook his head in frustration. “I honestly couldn’t tell you. It’s May. After all these years, do you really think she’s going to complain even if she is? And it doesn’t matter anyways. I’d have never asked her to hold off on seeing Peter.” Tony thought back to his visit to the med bay. “I’m going to have to talk to that doctor of hers, though. I know he’s the best in his field, but now that Peter’s back, the idea that we not give him as much access as we can is just cruel.” His mind went back to Wakanda and the concerns with Peter’s shoulder and transformation, but now that his DNA had settled—“It was bad enough when we were worried about Peter and had to delay coming back, but now that he’s actually here?”
Tony’s thoughts shifted to how anxious they’d all been, and how worried he’d been that they’d be too late. His heart had dropped when Dr. Bonwick had mentioned the infection and he tried to shrug off the ‘what ifs’ but his spirit darkened. He pulled in a harsh breath and dragged his hand through his hair. “She waited five years for him to come home, Pepper.” He lamented. “I’m...” He seemed to lose his words for a few seconds, then found them. “I’m so damned angry with myself that I wasted all that time.” He shook his head in frustration, “I keep thinking that if I’d just gotten over myself sooner, Peter would have had more time with May and—”
Pepper cut him off in his tracks. “No, Tony. Stop it.” She sidled up to him and placed her arm around his waist. “Everyone was in a dark place after Thanos.” She tugged at him, brought him to face her so she could wrap both of her arms around him. “Everyone. Steve, Okoye, Nat—hell, Clint decided to become a vigilante for five years. Do you blame any of them for taking time to grieve?”
“No... but Pep— May—“
“No. You listen to me. First, you know that we have done everything we could for May and she knows it too, so you don’t get to pull that card. And second, you idiot man, I know you. You still think that you have to carry the weight of those years, but you don’t... and you never should have. This was Thanos’s fault, and I know that no one blames you for any of it except you.”
Tony closed his eyes as he breathed in the sincerity behind her words. It hadn’t been the first time she’d said those words to him, and it probably wouldn’t be the last. He chose, again, to ignore them but found solace in the realization that at least she truly believed them. He whispered a tender, “I love you, Pepper Stark,” and, “I don’t deserve you,” then touched his lips to her forehead in a gentle kiss.
She pulled back, smiled with an affection reserved just for him. “No, you don't deserve me, but I'm still here and I'm going to love you even when you think you don’t deserve it."
“But I don’t” Tony replied.
It was her turn to shake her head. “Tony. Do you remember when you put me in charge of your company?”
“I do,” he agreed.
“Do you remember telling me that I was one of the smartest women you’d ever met?”
“I do,” he agreed again.
“Well then, Tony, stop arguing with me and just admit that I’m right.” She patted him on the cheek. “You do deserve me—even if you make me crazy. Besides, you know that I—“
"Emergency channel accessed." FRIDAY interrupted, "Incoming call from Lydie Calder- Head Nurse of Avengers Tower Med Bay, Boss."
Before Tony could step back from Pepper, the room filled with the voice of the woman who was currently overseeing the health needs of May Parker, whom Tony had left barely half an hour earlier.
“Mr. Stark? Are you there?”
"Lydie? What’s going on?" Tony called out as he turned to move to the elevator. "Is May alright? I can be there in one minute."
"What?” Tony could hear the panic in her voice, "No! It's Peter. I think he's left the building!"
Tony stopped in his tracks. He said nothing to Lydie, instead snapping out a tense, "FRIDAY, locate Peter now!"
FRIDAY responded immediately. "Mr. Parker exited the building one minute, forty-three seconds ago then proceeded to head south toward Grand Central Terminal. I am attempting to access CCTV and relevant security systems now."
Without a word, Pepper rushed into the kitchen to pull the soup from the stove element as Tony tried to rein in his freak out. Yes, those who’d been lost with Thanos’s snap had returned, but the city was in chaos, to say the least. He’d received the occasional report while he’d sat at Peter’s bedside, but it hadn’t been a priority. Peter had needed him, was going to keep on needing him, and he’d needed to be present for that. And now? "Lydie, tell me what happened?”
“Mr. Stark, it was a train wreck. I tried to stay close to help navigate any questions, but it was so tense…” She took an audible breath before continuing. “Peter was so nervous which made him cautious, and May was trying so hard to pretend like everything was okay, but then her fever spiked again and she was having issues with pain management. Mr. Stark, I couldn’t delay treatment-- not even for Peter.”
Tony growled. “That still doesn’t explain why Peter took off? What else?”
“May was quite upset. I made the decision to supplement her pain medication with a light anti-anxiety medication and she fell asleep. I was explaining this to Peter when a monitor disconnected and one of May’s alarms went off. I dealt with it right away, but with the tone of the visit by the end...well, it must have scared him because by the time I’d corrected the issue and come back to him, he’d fled the floor. I could see that the elevator was heading down, and with everything going on in the city, I thought it best to call you immediately.”
Tony thought she was done, and was opening his mouth to bark out another request to Friday when Lydie spoke again.
“Mr. Stark, he wasn’t in a great headspace the entire time they were together, no matter how much he tried to fool us. And I can only imagine what’s going through his head right now. I know you’re gonna start looking for him right away but… could you please be sure to tell him that May’s okay?”
Tony wanted to be mad at the woman but he knew Lydie, knew that this was not her fault. She was one of the best nurses on staff in the med bay. She was knowledgeable, she was fearless, and she had a soft spot for Peter and May Parker the size of the damned tower. “I will, Lydie,” he replied. “Go take care of your favourite patient, and we’ll update you when we find Peter.”
“Thank you, Mr. Stark,” she answered, and FRIDAY disconnected the call with an update.
“Boss, it appears that several CCTV cameras in the area have been damaged in the last forty-eight hours due to rising incidents of vandalism and sporadic rioting. I have attempted to access private security footage with limited success. It seems that Mr. Parker was last seen on surveillance footage on East 42nd Street—“
Tony almost sighed in relief. “Okay, that’s not too far. FRI, get me a suit and—“
“A suit is en route, Boss. Please note that the surveillance footage showed Mr. Parker entering an unidentified vehicle which I am still attempting to track.” FRIDAY paused. “Still tracking.”
“An unknown—?“ He sputtered, “Hey, girl, do you think you might want to lead with that next time?” He paced as he clutched at his left arm. When had it started tingling? “Shit! Where’s that suit, FRIDAY?!”
“Tony?” Pepper approached him, noticing his distress. “I know you’re worried—I am, too! But you also know that he’s going to be fine. I mean, he’s Spider-Man plus he knows New York like the back of his hand, right?”
Tony shook his head, ignoring her concern for him as he got himself even more worked up. “He knows New York from five years ago, Pep—and the whole Spider-Man thing doesn’t mean anything if Peter is distracted. That kid can swing himself into a wall if he’s chewing the wrong flavoured bubble gum. I just need to find him then get him home so we can—“
“Tony. Try to calm yourself, honey, and then you can go and get our kid, okay?”
FRIDAY popped in, and for a second both Tony and Pepper thought that maybe there was an update. “Boss? Your vital signs are indicating extreme emotional distress. Would you like for me to initiate Meltdown Management Mode for you?”
He huffed a laugh at the suggestion, “Wow, that’s a protocol out of the archives...”
“Mr. Parker found it quite helpful earlier today while en route to the med bay.”
That last part caught Tony’s attention. “What? Peter needed the 3M Protocol?” The doors heading out to the landing pad opened up and one of his newer non-nanotech suits came rushing towards him. He stepped forward to meet the armour as it wrapped around him. “You know what? Never mind, FRI. Just transfer all information you have about the vehicle Peter got into to the suit.” His face plate snapped down and he marched with a determination toward the landing pad as the surveillance footage played. Tony watched the brief snippet. He watched Peter trying to hail a cab, and then being approached by the mystery vehicle before getting in. It was official. Peter was a bonafide idiot. “I’m going to get our kid.”
“Please be careful, Tony.” Pepper’s voice came through over the comms as he launched up and into the sky.
“Don’t worry, Pep. I didn’t figure out time travel just to lose this kid to a damned freelance cab driver. I’m gonna track him down, get him home, and then we’re gonna have a little chat. After that, we’re going to figure out where we go from here.”
Tony’s faux bravado was contagious. “That sounds great, love, but where exactly do we go from here?”
He didn’t say anything for a full half minute.
“Tony? Are you there? Did you cut out?”
“Sorry about that.” He responded. “And shame on you for thinking one of my masterpieces would just cut out, by the way. Geez. No, I was just trying to come up with an answer for you, Mrs. Impatient.”
"And?"
He chuckled low, “I’ll let you know when I figure it out, Pep. I’ll let you know.”