There isn’t much in this world that Peter Parker feels he deserves. Especially after everything his Peter Luck causes. His parents, Uncle Ben, Tony, people just don’t stay when they’re around Peter for too long. So when Pepper keeps reaching out asking for him to come and get to know his “little sister”, he pushes her away. Morgan is all that is left of Tony Stark and Peter won’t let Peter Luck get to her too.
Peter has only met Morgan once, at the funeral. Her face is an even split of Pepper and Tony. He was also pretty sure she mentioned something about cheeseburgers, which would definitely have made Tony proud. Pepper tried to catch Peter after the ceremony, but Peter had slipped away. The Avengers, Pepper, Morgan, they don’t need his luck.
“Utilizing the help I’ve fallen and can’t get up protocol.” Karen says as he slips into the tower’s window.
“Not necessary Karen. I’m fine.”
“If you were fine, you wouldn’t be sneaking into the tower at two in the morning.” Pepper’s voice cuts through the air.
“I am fine. I’m not sneaking.” Peter counters her accusations as he grasps at his side. “What-what-what are you doing here?”
“Had a meeting in the city late. Decided to stay at the tower and drive home in the morning.” Bare feet pad across the floor and reach out towards the skin visible from where the wires had cut through his suit. “What happened?”
“Nothing too massive. Just didn’t see something.”
“Cut the crap Peter and tell me what happened.” He had heard her be short with Tony before but not with him.
“I swung into some telephone wires. It’s happened before. I’ll be healed by morning.”
“Well, as long as you’ll be ok.” She looks at him up and down, and he’s glad he still has his mask on so she can’t see how much he doesn’t want to look her in the face. How much he wants to escape so she’s not around his luck. “So you wanna talk about the rest of it?”
“The rest of it?” Peter’s not sure what she means.
“The avoidance. The hiding. The not taking your mask off.” Pepper pauses, drawing a hand through her hair. “Me finding out you were hurt from Karen.”
“Karen alerted you?”
“Tony set Karen to alert three people if you were hurt and he wasn’t around.” Pepper explains as if this isn’t news to her. “Happy, Rhodey, and…” Pepper trails off.
“But you have your own life to deal with?”
“And you’re a kid. You shouldn’t have to be dealing with saving the world or even just Queens.” Peter hits the release to take his mask off.
“I’m seventeen. I’m almost an adult.”
“Is that why you’re pushing everyone away?”
“I’m not pushing anyone away.” Pepper sees the anger on Peter’s face, but she’s pretty sure it’s from being called out.
“All of the Avengers haven’t seen you since the funeral. You won’t see Morgan, even though she’s dying to meet her big brother-”
“I’m not her big brother.”
“Saying it doesn’t make it true.”
“Tell yourself that.” Peter crosses his arms and lets a hiss of air out when the skin around his laceration pulls.
“I would, but I was there when Tony and I found out we were pregnant. Tony sat right next to me, promising my stomach that he was going to find a way to bring ‘your big brother Peter’ home. You’re her big brother Peter, you’ve always been her big brother, it’s what Tony wanted. That’s why he did everything, why he perfected time travel, why your picture with him sits in our kitchen just like Morgan’s does. You’re our kid.”
“No I’m just some orphan from Queen’s who’s bad luck is going to get you and your kid killed.” Peter slams his mask back on as he runs out of the apartment.
He shouldn’t have run. Or maybe he shouldn’t have said what he did. That’s just more of a chance to get them killed. But maybe because he voiced it, they’ll actually stay away.
“Peter, we have visitors.” May calls from the living room a few days after the talk Pepper and him had in the tower. To his knowledge, they weren’t expecting someone, but it would be rude not to come out. However, once he sees the familiar strawberry blonde sitting on the couch, he wishes he had ignored May.
“You didn’t say you were coming over?” Peter questions from across the living room.
The five year old spoke before Pepper had a chance too. “You’re being a bad brother.” Morgan’s face shows her anger like Tony’s used to.
“I am?” Morgan nods as if this is something that Peter should already know. “Why’s that?”
“You’ve only been over once and that wasn’t even to play.”
“I’m sorry?”
“You should be.”
“Morgan.” Pepper chides from the other side of the couch, but Peter can see the small smile on her face.
“Charlie’s brother came back from being blipped and all they’ve been doing since he got back is playing. Why doesn’t my brother want to play with me?” Peter hadn’t thought about how it would affect Morgan. He was just trying to keep her safe.
“I’ve had school and homework and stuff.”
“Do you have school today?”
“No.”
“Do you have homework?”
“Yeah but it’s not due today.”
“So then can you come play?” Pepper was hoping this plan would work. She had a feeling that once the two of them met, they would be the best of friends. But Peter had been so insistent on staying away, which she would try to talk to him about later. Especially after what he had said the other day.
“I guess I could come play. What do you like to play?” Peter didn’t honestly know that much about Morgan, besides that she was Pepper and Tony’s child. But knowing that, he could assume that she was smart and probably interested in a lot of things.
“Everything!” Morgan throws her arms up like she can’t contain her excitement. “I have a fort and stuffed animals. Barbies and action figures. Craft kits and science experiments.”
“She really does like everything.” Pepper says softly.
“Well I like everything too. I bet we could have tons of fun together.”
“Yay!” Morgan throws herself across the room to hug Peter. He’s surprised to feel the small, warm body. Her hug though, felt entirely like Tony. And in that moment, Peter almost broke. He almost turned around and left the room, pulling himself away from the only piece of Tony left. But there’s something telling him not to. Don’t run.
Morgan refused to go to sleep in her own bed. She was sure that Peter would leave if she went upstairs. So instead, she’s curled up against her big brother, his arm wrapped around her. Each breath she takes moves her small frame ever so slightly and small puffs of air blow against Peter’s chest. At some point, he’ll move her to her room, but not yet. He’s not ready to let go of her either.
“I told you she was dying to meet you.” Peter looks up as Pepper sits down across the way from her kids. True Peter isn’t hers biologically, but ever since Tony brought him into her life, he was hers too.
“She reminds me of an excited Tony.”
“She has a lot of him in her. I see so much of him every day.” Pepper goes quiet for a moment, trying to decide the best way to bring up the conversation that Tony would have already plowed into if he was here. “Can we talk about the other night Peter?”
“I’m fine. I healed by the next morning, just like I said I would.”
“You and I both know that’s not what I was asking about.” Peter pretends to not know what she’s talking about, but Pepper knows he’s not stupid. “Who’s bad luck is going to get you and your kid killed?” Pepper asks, no louder than a whisper as to not wake the little girl asleep in Peter’s arms.
“Peter Luck.” Peter mumbles.
“Peter luck?”
“Peter Luck. The luck that if you’re important to Peter Parker you’ll end up dead. It’s my true super power.” Pepper wants nothing more than to pull Peter into her arms and never let go. A seventeen year old should never feel that their superpower is getting their loved ones killed. She may not have the relationship that Tony had with Peter, but she wants to change that. So pushing up from the chair she’s sitting on, Pepper moves to sit next to Peter.
“There is no such thing as Peter Luck that is killing your loved ones. Did life deal you a shitty hand? Possibly. But it’s not you, never you, that causes the people around you to leave.”
“It is though. My parents, Uncle Ben, Tony, they were all close to me and they’re all dead. That’s my fault-”
“But it’s not Peter. You didn’t wield the gun or drive the car. You didn’t force Tony to use the stones. Those were decisions and actions that the universe put into place and it caused a lot of pain, but it was not because of you.” Peter looks up and the tears are shimmering at the edge of his eyes. “You, Peter, are the luck. People are lucky to have you in their life. I’m lucky to have you as my kid and Morgan is lucky to have you as her brother. That’s the Peter Luck, that people are immensely lucky when they get to be a part of your life.”
“... I’m your kid?”
“I love you just as much as I love Morgan. Pretty sure that means you’re my kid. And I don’t think Tony would have had it any other way. Who are we to go against his wishes?” Pepper wants to wrap her arms around this kid that’s seen too much, but doesn’t want to touch him when she’s not sure if he’s ok with it. But he makes the decision for her, by leaning his head against her shoulder. Her arm wraps around him holding him close. She’s pretty sure a couple of tears slip out and hit her blouse but it’s not the first time one of her kids has cried on her shoulder and won’t be the last most likely. “It’s ok, Peter. Everything is ok.”
“I miss him, so much.”
“So do I.” Pepper admits, her hand coming up to run through Peter’s curls.
“Why did he have to be the one to save the world?” Peter whispers, trying to keep his tears from turning to sobs and chance waking Morgan. Even as he’s falling apart, he is still worrying about others. Pepper wants to take the burden from him.
“Because he thought it was his responsibility. He wanted to protect those that he loved. You included.”
“Yeah but any of us could have done it.”
“But he wouldn’t have wanted any of you to get hurt.” Pepper continues running her hand through Peter’s curls. “And who would you offer up instead?” That stumps Peter. He doesn’t want to lose someone else. He just wants Tony back.
“We can’t just have Thanos snap himself away?”
“I would love that, but I don’t think he would believe that is perfect harmony.” Peter curls into Pepper’s side, pulling Morgan with him. He knows Pepper is right.
“Screw perfect harmony. Fuck Thanos. I just want Tony here.”
“I’m pretty sure you’re not the only one who feels that way. In fact I’m positive you’re not the only one.” Peter doesn’t say anything but just curls into Pepper a little more. “Morgan asks about Tony at least every other day, if not more. I don’t think she completely understands why he’s gone. And she only had him for a few years.”
“She understands he’s not coming back?”
“Sort of. She understood that people go away, but then there’s people like you, who came back like Tony said you would. So I think part of her thinks that Tony is going to come back too. She’s still a bit too young to completely get it, even with how her mind works.” Peter’s hand comes up to wipe away the stray tear running down his face.
“Well I’ll be here to explain it to her. What else is a big brother for?”
“So much. From couch cushion to explaining how the world works, she got the best one.”