Visit to Mall Santa
“I just don’t understand why we need to go see a mall Santa? I can buy Morgan her own Santa to come to the house and take pictures?”
“It’s not the money, Tony,” Peter laughed, “it’s the memories. Mall Santa’s are where it’s at.” The man glanced at the boy through the rearview mirror, watching him closely; calculatingly, before looking towards his wife.
“Do you have any idea what he just said?”
“Hush,” Pepper shook her head with a fond smile. She smiled back at Peter, who beamed in return.
The four were on their way to visit the mall Santa. Peter had insisted they take Morgan to see him and take a picture. It was one of the memories he held dearly, a photo of himself, maybe three years old, grinning widely and making grabby hands at the camera while perched in Santa’s lap.
He wanted to share that with Morgan.
It had been easy to talk Pepper into it; she’d thought the idea was cute. It was just Tony who was still having a problem with it.
“I still don’t see it. Malls are gross, you know how many children have sat on that Santa’s lap?” The billionaire glanced at Peter in the rearview mirror, “how many have peed on him?”
“Tony,” Peter whined, leaning forward to pick up the stuffed toy Morgan had dropped to the floor. “You wanna go see mall Santa, don’t you, Mo? We won’t pee on Santa, will we?”
“Ye!” Morgan squealed, taking the toy from Peter’s outstretched hand and smooshing her face in it.
“That settles it,” Pepper decided, giving Tony a mocking expression, “three against one, Tones.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Tony snorted, “I just don’t see the point. What’s the point of having the money if I can’t buy my kids their own Santa Claus?”
“Come on, it’s fun,” Peter laughed.
“Fine,” the billionaire sighed, “if you want to bring our poor innocent baby girl who can’t consent to visit some germ-infested man in a suit of red and fake facial hair, you’re welcome to do it.”
“Glad we’re on the same page,” Pepper rolled her eyes. Tony flashed Peter a dazzling smile in the rearview mirror to show he was kidding before finally pulling into the mall parking lot and finding a parking space towards the very back.
The place was bursting with life as people pushed carts filled with goodies out the doors, shoppers hurried to try and get that last toy on sale and parents paraded children around and into their favorite stores.
“Christmas is the worst time to be shopping-”
“We're not shopping, we’re visiting Santa,” the teen reminded, then grinned as he was backed up by the toddler. If he couldn’t get the billionaire to say yes (and that wasn’t often) then Morgan surely could.
“San-da, San-da!”
“Yeah, Honey, we’ll go see Santa,” Pepper cooed back at the baby.
The family of four got out of the car. Peter had dressed himself a little fancier then he usually would, since Pepper and Tony always looked like they were about to meet the president whenever they were outside of the Tower.
He wore black slacks, new black and white converse shoes, a white dress shirt, red tie and a black sweater. He always felt out of place when he walked around with the family out in public in a sweatshirt and jeans.
Pepper had dressed Morgan in a cute little red dress, that conveniently matched Peter’s tie. The billionaire looked flawless in his usual public attire which consisted of a three-piece-suit, and Pepper was wearing a nice dress.
They were such a cute couple, and Morgan was the perfect baby.
The cutest family Peter had ever seen, and the thought always made him smile.
“Alright, mall Santa expert,” Tony grabbed Peter’s attention as they entered the mall, “lead the way.”
“Gladly,” Peter gave them a grin, stealing Morgan from Pepper’s arms and walking towards where the signs pointed Santa Claus to be. Peter talked quietly to Morgan as he led his foster parents to the small fenced in area he always remembered.
December always left the mall crowded as people hustled around to finish their shopping before crunch-time.
Finally, after walking for a couple minutes, Peter grinned at the sight of their destination.
“You’re kidding me, right?” Tony groaned when Peter led them up to the decorated white picket fence squared around the one and only man in the red suit. The line was long, as Peter remembered it being. He flashed a grin back at the couple before sidestepping into line, cooing at Morgan.
Peter managed to keep Morgan distracted and busy while they stood in line. It was a solid half an hour wait, as Peter knew it would most likely be. Tony behind him looked bored, and Pepper was on her phone, probably answering emails.
Finally, their turn came up and Peter walked forward, smiling widely at Santa Claus. The man’s attention shifted from the kid who’d just been on his lap, to Peter holding tightly onto a suddenly hesitant Morgan.
“Hi, Santa!” he chirped, making his voice extra happy so Morgan wouldn’t be afraid. Some kids were just afraid of Santa, and with the whole ‘stranger danger’ thing parents instilled in their kids; it was understandable.
“Well, hello, young man! Who might you be, and your little friend too?”
“I’m Peter, and this is Morgan,” the teen explained, moving closer to the man. He turned slightly, so Morgan and Santa could see each other. Morgan’s grip on Peter’s shoulder tightened.
There were people dressed as elves; taking the pictures and assisting children. Another was holding a bucket of small candy canes. “You wanna sit in Santa’s lap, Momo? Tell him what you want for Christmas!” Peter grinned, overly happy for the baby looking at him questioningly.
Morgan nodded hesitantly, thumb in her mouth and chancing an anxious look back at her parents. Peter handed her over, and noted the exact moment Morgan looked like she was about to burst into tears; bottom lip wobbling and eyes tearing up.
He was quick to lower down to her level, terrified she’d start crying. Morgan whined quietly as she reached out for him, eyes water.
“Sh, it’s alright, Mor. He’s really nice,” Peter whispered to the upset toddler.
“’etey!” Morgan cried out, making grabby hands at the teen. Peter bit his bottom lip, looking from Santa, to Morgan, then back to Tony and Pepper. Pepper gave him a little smile, and Tony, a teasing grin.
“Well, Kiddo, go sit with her. She wants you,” Tony teased from his spot, his eyes going from Morgan to Peter.
Peter looked back the man in the Santa suit, who was now holding Morgan out as a sort of offering. The teen took her back carefully, and she cuddled right into him, little face hiding in Peter’s neck.
The Santa smiled, patting his lap invitingly.
Peter flushed, chewing on his lip as his eyes dragged over everyone in the line. They fell on Pepper and Tony, watching from behind the gate, then to Morgan who was looking up at him with a little pout.
He really didn’t want to sit in Santa’s lap. Didn’t think it was right for the mall Santa to have a teenager in his lap, but the man only prompted Peter again by patting his lap with both hands.
Peter knew he had dragged everyone to the mall for a picture with Santa for Morgan, and he’d be sad if they left without one. So, if that meant he had to embarrass himself a little for it, well, he was prepared to do it.
With a little exhale, and as much confidence as he could muster, Peter lowered himself into Santa’s lap, whispering an apology in the process.
Santa was a sport about it, his arm wrapping around Peter’s waist to secure him and Morgan. Peter worked on adjusting Morgan so everyone could be seen, and trying to talk her into looking at the camera (Tony and Pepper called her name and tried to make her laugh as well).
It didn’t take too long to get a picture, and Peter almost rolled his eyes at both Tony and Pepper’s phone held up, also taking pictures. After the picture, the elf with the candy cane bucket handed them each one, and before Peter could stop her, Morgan popped the plastic covered treat in her mouth.
“And what do you both want for Christmas?” Santa asked with a laugh, smiling at Morgan.
“A ‘arbie!” Morgan grinned around her candy cane. Peter smiled at her, working on unwrapping his candy cane.
“A Barbie? Yes, yes. I’m sure you’ll get one this year. You’ve been a good girl, haven’t you?”
“She’s been very good,” Peter grinned, eyes bright. He leaned down to press a kiss to Morgan’s cheek. In her moment of distraction, Peter stole the slobbery wrapped candy cane from her mouth and instead inserted his unwrapped one in its place.
“And you?” Santa asked, gaze shifting to Peter, who was wiping slobber off the candy care so he could pocket it for Morgan to have later.
Startled, Peter looked up to Tony and Pepper, both with soft smiles on their faces, then down to Morgan who had a string of slightly pink drool handing off her fingers. His eyes fell back to Santa, and he was sure he had a dopey little smile on his face, “I don’t want anything this year. I have all I want.”
Santa tilted his head, a nod of understanding.
“A nice young man you are. I’m certain you’re on my nice list.”
“Thanks, Santa,” Peter smiled, finally standing up. He adjusted Morgan so she was settled on his hip. Peter still felt back for sitting on the man’s lap. He wasn’t as light at the majority of the kids in the line, and he also had Morgan’s added weight on his lap. He gave one last fleeting apology, as well as thanking the man before he stepped towards the exit.
The toddler in his arms squealed happily, flipping around to give Santa a floppy wave, to which the man returned. Peter made it back to Tony and Pepper, and then the four of them were ushered out of what the mall had dubbed the small square of Christmas explosion, Santa’s Workshop.
“Okay, I’ll admit,” Tony muttered to the group as Pepper took Morgan into her arms and Tony threw his arm around Peter’s shoulders, “that was better than I thought it would’ve been.”
“See? Mall Santa is great,” Peter said with a small, fond smile. He’d show them his picture with the bearded man from when he was little, later. “I’ve always loved him.”
Tony looked down in the photo print in his other hand, an adorable picture of both kids beaming at the camera. Peter’s arm curled protectively around his baby girl and a soft embarrassed flush on the teen’s cheeks. He’d get copies of this made, because one was getting hung in the penthouse, and one was definitely going down to the workshop.
“Alright,” Tony laughed quietly to the boy, “you were right.”