I want to go home
Peter was surprised when he woke up and a mountain of sand was piled next to his pool. His surprise turned to excitement pretty quick and he pushed most of the sand into the pool.
He sat down on the floor and took hands full of it to rub over his skin and tail. It was nice to feel the tiny stones rub away the dirt and things that collected on and between his scales.
Peter kept cleaning his skin until Tony stepped outside and squatted down to look into the pool. With a smile he emerged from the water, “thank you Mr. Stark, thank you a lot.”
The human smiled at him but he looked tired, did he sleep at all?
“Don’t mention it,” Tony said with a wave of his hand, “kid I have a request for you, can you stay underwater for the rest of the day? I am expecting someone and I don’t want you to be seen.”
Peter nodded, “oh ah of course c-can I have breakfast first?” Tony blinked and shot to his feet, “yes, yes of course I will bring you something and I will order some fresh fish too, don’t move.”
Peter chuckled, the human really did seem tired, it was kind of cute actually. Tony came back and pushed a container into his hand, inside were some crabs and some seaweed.
“Thanks I uh I will disappear then.”
The human nodded, letting out a yawn before stepping back inside and for the first time since bringing Peter, he closed the door to the balcony.
The boy frowned at that and sunk underneath the surface to eat his breakfast alone.
Tony brewed himself a coffee and took a large sip from his coffee slowly waking up. He briefly hoped that Peter wouldn’t mind his rather brusque entrance but he had no time to think about it since the doorbell rang.
With a sigh he told Jarvis to let Pepper in and only a few seconds later his assistant walked in. As Pepper entered the room he turned to her with a brilliant smile, “Miss Potts.”
Pepper gave him a quick once over look and scoffed, “you haven’t been sleeping again?” Tony chuckled nervously at that but instead of answering he took a sip from his cup.
“And you haven’t read the reports either right?”
Tony managed to look guilty at that but it didn’t manage to calm the redhead down, the opposite was the case. Pepper’s nostrils flared and she forcefully slammed a folder onto the kitchen counter, “read it, now.”
Tony groaned but he didn’t dare to defy her and so he picked up the folder and together they sat down on the couch as he began to read.
They spent the next two hours like this. Occasionally Pepper got up and got Tony some coffee or a sandwich from the kitchen refusing to let him go since she feared he would make a run for it.
“I stay with my decision Pepper, no more weapons,” Tony finally said closing the folder to look at her. She nodded but didn’t look too pleased, “I understand.”
“But you don’t like it,” Tony added looking at her over the rim of his cup. The woman sighed, “no, I do not like it but in the end it is your decision.”
Tony nodded putting his cup down.
“However,” she said and Tony looked up to her, “we still need a decision on what we are going to do next; people’s lives depend on it.”
Tony nodded exhaling slowly, he had actually thought of something, “I might want to go into the energy sector.” Pepper gaped at him, “what?”
The genius nodded, “yes the arc reactor needs to develop further and I also want to make sure that our oceans get cleaner.”
Pepper nodded slowly, “well that is ah something now we just have to make a real plan out of it.” Tony smiled and thanked god for Pepper, the best woman that he ever met.
Hours went by and Peter grew more and more bored. He was on his back staring at the surface of the water but nothing happened.
He had cleaned himself up and inspected his wound. It was healing nicely and he was sure that not even a proper scar would remain which was good since he didn’t yet know how he was supposed to explain this to his aunt.
The merman sighed as he thought about her, she must be sick with worry and he didn’t like that at all. His heart ached as he thought about her.
Suddenly he felt the urge to get out of this pool and back into the ocean, back home. Peter sat up and sighed, he couldn’t leave now Tony was having a guest over and he could not be seen by another human.
The merman inspected his wound again and again but there was nothing he could do but wait so he grew more and more frustrated. He rolled around and sighed again.
After another hour he grew more and more restless and since he needed to use the bathroom he couldn’t sit still. He grew irritated and finally he went up to slowly peak out of the water.
He spied through the glass doors spotting Tony on the couch a woman with flaming hair opposite of him. Peter wanted to take a closer look at her since merpeople didn’t have red hair.
It would be unfortunate since it would attract predators, Peter was already unfortunate with his red tail but gladly his scales did change into the blue colour when the light hit them.
Even though his red tail was rather unusual it was not unusual for males like him to be more colourful than the females. It was intentional since almost every species had beautiful males to impress the females, while the females were rather plain to not catch the attention of predators.
He licked his lips and tried to catch Tony’s eyes by waving at him. Gladly the genius had thought about taking the seat facing the balcony while the woman had her back to Peter.
Tony actually glanced up catching the boy waving at him. Peter quickly pointed in the direction of the bathroom and grimaced hoping that the human would understand.
Tony blinked and Peter quickly dived down again as the woman followed his look and turned in her seat. With a weird sound Tony jumped to his feet, “I ah I totally forgot the thing I left down in the lab could you go and get it for me Pep?” The woman turned back to him, “the thing? Really Tony what is up?”
The genius gave her a weak smile, “nothing I just…the contract you sent me that is what I left there so would you kindly?”
Pepper huffed obviously annoyed but stood to walk downstairs and once she was out of sight Tony darted out to the balcony.
Peter surfaced again and Tony hissed at him, “are you crazy? I told you to stay put!” The boy flinched from his tone, “ah well sorry I need to use the bathroom.”
Tony turned to look if Pepper was back, “can’t you do it in there for once?” Peter looked at him with an in disgust wrinkled nose, “no that would be gross and my wound could get infected.”
Tony sighed but nodded, getting this point of his, “alright get out quickly.” Peter pushed himself up and Tony lifted him up into his arms, there was no time to get the wheelchair.
Tony had hidden it in one of the broom closets in the house.
As quick as possible he carried him into the bathroom and put him down on the lid of the toilet, “lock the door.” Tony closed it behind him and walked back into the living room.
“Well Tony? What are you hiding?”
The genius froze as he met the stern expression from his assistant. She was standing in the middle of the room the contract carelessly dropped on the coffee table.
Tony was always sure that a woman would be his end and he had also always assumed that it would possibly be Pepper who ended him. Well it was possible that she hadn’t seen anything.
“I was in the bathroom, I am not hiding anything.”
The woman raised an eyebrow obviously not believing any of it. Tony looked at her but instead of saying something else and maybe revealing something he just sat back at the couch.
“Well thanks for the contract, what is it about anyway?”
That seemed to catch Pepper’s attention but not in a positive way. She stomped closer and fell into the seat, “you didn’t even read it!”
Tony winced but was glad that she was occupied with him and not his hidden guest.
Peter didn’t lock the door; instead he peeked out of it. The woman was beautiful he thought; her hair and the thinness of her body was so peculiar that he couldn’t keep himself from staring at her.
He licked his lips and watched the humans talk and fiddle around with items he didn’t know and recognized, it was fascinating. Peter chuckled as he realized that he was right now very much like Ariel.
If he and Tony had been alone he would have sang part of your world just because the situation was hilarious in his opinion. Instead he slowly closed the door with a sigh and picked up the different bottles to smell their content.
Tony, mostly to soothe Pepper, signed the contract and finally the woman left. The contract had been about the employment of a scientist called Bruce Banner and though Tony was not quite sure why he needed him, Pepper had insisted.
With a sigh he stood, got the wheelchair and slowly walked over to the bathroom knocking on the door, “Pete you can come out.” He heard a yelp and something falling on the floor.
“Ah dammit why is that so slippery? I-I am coming!” the boy announced but the door didn’t open. Tony raised an eyebrow and pushed down the handle and the door opened.
What he saw was…confusing to say the least. The boy was kneeling on the floor a few shampoo bottles strewn over the floor holding one pink bottle in his hand.
The way Peter knelt on the floor his hands covered in pink shampoo, Tony didn’t even know he owned that, and looked up to him was hilarious.
“What were you doing?”
The boy looked a little guilty, “I wanted to know what was in those bottles.” Tony picked up a few of them trying not to laugh.
“And I cannot read your writing, it looks odd to me,” Peter continued looking for something he could wipe his hands off on.
Tony nodded and handed him a towel, “maybe I can teach you.”
To his surprise Peter shook his head as he climbed back into his wheelchair, “no thanks, I am almost healed and I want to go home.” Tony froze at that.
For some reason his throat constricted at the thought of Peter leaving him, he told himself that it was because he hadn’t yet found the cave system and he still wanted to know so much about the boy and his species.
“Mr. Stark?” the soft calling of his name pulled him from his thoughts. With a forced smile he grabbed the boy’s chair and pushed him out of the room, “yes Peter?”
“You will let me go, right?”
Tony stopped in front of the couch and smiled at him, “not before you tried pizza, because that would be a crime in this world.” Peter stared at him with wide eyes unknowing that the man was joking.
Tony picked up the papers on the table, “Jarvis, order us some pizza and put on a movie.” The AI replied dutifully, “right away Sir, what kind of movie would you prefer?”
Tony glanced at Peter, “how about...the beauty and the beast.”
The AI didn’t reply this time instead the movie started to play and Tony sat down at the couch after putting away the papers and handing Peter his wet blanket.
They were halfway through the movie when Tony got up to get them pizza and Peter although he always thought eating something hot disgusting, enjoyed the dish.
He felt a little heavy afterwards but it was just as delicious as Tony had told him. The movie was also good although it was a little confusing at first.
“So if she loves the beast the way he is why did he have to change in the end?”
Tony closed the pizza box with a chuckle, “because that way the can have children and all that and the guy was a prince to begin with, so he only turned back into his true self.”
Peter wiped his fingers on a napkin, “I see, are there any more mermaid movies?” Tony thought for a moment before he shook his head.
“No, not really they do make a few appearances in other movies but they are mostly portrayed as monsters, as far as I know at least.”
Peter wiped his face with the wet blanket, eating that pizza made him feel hot, “monsters? Why is that?” Tony looked at him apparently searching for the right words.
“In many tales mermaids are what led sailors to their doom, they would enchant them with their voices and looks so they would steer their boats into a reef and sink. Then they would drown them and I think eat them.”
Peter looked at him with wide eyes, “you think we would do that?” Tony shrugged, “some of us do and there is a piece of truth in every tale, isn’t it?”
The boy looked at his hands his face a little flushed, “we...some merpeople did that but that was aeons ago. Honestly we thought that humanity would have forgotten by now.”
Tony licked his lips, he loved it when the boy spilled some secrets, “can you tell me more about it?”
Peter looked a little uncomfortable and Tony feared he would just roll back into the pool but he didn’t, instead he sighed.
“We are way more civilized than we were back then, we focus on our survival and try to keep out of the human’s ways, I heard that the reason we did that in the first place was because we envied your technology and riches,” the boy shrugged, “I don’t know if that’s true though, everyone from back then is long dead.”
Tony nodded, “how long do you live normally?” Peter tilted his head thinking, “ah the oldest mermaid was, I think, two hundred years old. The oldest merman about one hundred and fifty years.”
Tony’s eyes widened, “how old are you?” Peter smiled at him a little proud, “I am an adult now, I had my sixteenth hatchingday this year.”
Tony gaped at him, “oh you are just sixteen? I uh I thought, hoped you were older.” Peter frowned, “why?” The human shrugged still looking a little uncomfortable, “well you know humans are officially adults when they turn eighteen so by my standards you are still a child.”
Peter shook his head, “I am not a child Mr. Stark I am a merman and I am able to take care of me.” Tony raised an eyebrow, “says the boy who got caught up in my net.”
Peter blushed heavily and turned his chair around to roll outside. Tony wanted to slap himself for that comment but what good would it do now?
Quickly he rose to his feet and followed the boy outside, “wait, Peter I am sorry.” The Merman ignored him as he pulled the blanket away and dropped it on the side of the pool before he gracefully slipped into the water.
Tony groaned and shook his head, dammit he was so stupid. To his surprise Peter emerged again to look at him, though he was not meeting his eyes, “I want to leave tomorrow.”
The genius simply nodded before Peter sunk into the water again lying on his side on the ground so he wouldn’t have to face Tony.
The human sighed and walked back inside his heart rather heavy, he had never been in a real relationship but he assumed that this was what a fight between spouses feels like.
Tony walked into the kitchen not knowing what he wanted there but his eyes landed on the bin. The gauze he had used on Peter was still in there.
He picked it up and studied the blood on it, “Jarvis find a laboratory which will analyse this quick and discreet.” The AI sounded surprisingly hesitant, “of course Sir, but I must inform you that Master Peter will most likely not like this action.”
Tony put the bloodied utensils into a bag and sealed them, “well then we just don’t tell him about this.”
“Sir the boy seems to trust you I recommend-,”
“Mute!”
Tony Stark, genius, playboy and billionaire was never known to make good decisions while angry.