May's Wish
“If Mr Stark or Miss Potts ask, I protested vehemently,” Peter squinted at the computer screen over Ned’s shoulder, then added, “Maybe move the white squiggles a little higher.” Ned did so and then they played the video in silence, trying to work out if anything else should be added.
“Noted,” MJ said as she adjusted the audio settings on the recording. She was trying to reduce the echo.
After a few more minutes, Ned glanced up at Peter. “I think we’ve done the best we can dude.”
“You ready?” Peter looked at MJ as he sat back on the hospital bed with a wince.
“Sending it now,” she tapped her screen and their phones buzzed in confirmation. “Lucky I already had this video, huh Parker?”
“I wouldn’t call it luck,” he muttered as Ned started syncing up the video to the audio. “Do you really think people are going to like this?” he looked back at the screen and cringed when he saw some of the moves.
“What’s not to like?” she shrugged. “And we needed something fast, there weren’t a lot of options. Unless you’d rather we use a compilation of all your fails -”
“No! No, no, that’s okay…”
Ned snickered. “Yeah, people have already done that anyway.”
“Come on man!” Peter glared at his friend. Ned shrugged, completely unapologetic, so Peter pointed two fingers at his own eyes, then at Ned’s. The other boy paled and devoted all his attention to the laptop.
When he felt a finger poke his side, he flinched and then glared at MJ, who had resettled into the uncomfortable chair next to the bed.
“You’re still injured,” she stated with a tiny frown.
“Aren’t you meant to ask that?” he demanded. “And I’m not inj - ow!” she’d tried to poke him again and, in dodging her fingers, he’d aggravated some of his aches.
“Why haven’t you healed yet?”
He crossed his arms. “Why do you care?” She didn’t reply, just gave him a look which told him how stupid that question was, and he relented. He didn’t want to admit to the true reason, but… “A car accident takes longer to heal from, I guess.”
“It’s ‘cause he didn’t eat enough,” Ned said. “No nutrients or something.”
“Ned!” Peter’s mouth dropped. How did he even -? “You hacked into the files!”
“... Okay maybe I did but Peter -” the other boy looked guilty.
“No! You can’t just do that!”
“Would you have told us if he didn’t?” MJ raised her eyebrows.
“I -” he broke off. “I didn’t want you two to know! It’s private!”
“But now we can help!” Ned put the laptop to the side, got up from the bed he’d been using and then resettled at the end of Peter’s. “If your healing’s dependent on you eating we can make sure you do that!”
“No more skipping meals,” MJ nodded.
“But - you can’t just -” he looked between them, anger at the invasion of privacy fighting with the warmth of seeing how much they cared. “Promise me you won’t do it again.”
They glanced at each other, seemingly having a conversation without words, and Peter wondered when they’d got close enough to do so.
“Only if you promise to tell us what’s wrong,” Ned said. “We can’t help if we don’t know.”
Peter hesitated, then admitted, “I don’t want you to worry…”
“We worry more when we don’t know,” MJ’s cheeks went a little red but she didn’t look away.
“I…” The computer beeped, letting them know the video had finished rendering, and Peter said, “Later?” They didn’t look happy but agreed, so they all turned their attention back to the laptop. Ned brought it over to Peter’s bed and put it at the end, so he could rest without having to twist into an awkward position.
They played the video. It wasn’t great - the video had been shot weeks ago, in MJ’s bedroom, just for fun. Ned moved too much to hold the phone steady and the combination of all three of them singing that stupid song while Peter (dressed as Spider-Man) danced made him want to hide under the duvet.
“My reputation’s never gonna be the same,” he groaned.
“What reputation?” MJ snorted.
“I have a fierce, bad-ass reputation!”
“So you say.”
Peter turned to Ned, who always had his back when he needed it most. “My reputation is awesome, isn’t it?”
“Dude, don’t make me lie to you,” Ned looked pained.
Peter slumped his shoulders and muttered, “Let’s just finish this already.”
“Don’t sulk, you can create the Reddit account and post -” MJ broke off when the infirmary doors opened, while Ned scrambled to shut the laptop before whoever it was could see.
May paused a few steps into the room and eyed them. “Do I want to know?”
“Probably not,” Ned admitted.
“Right. Well, I hope you two don’t mind, but I’d like to speak to Peter alone for a few minutes,” she said.
His friends scrambled to get out the way and, when they were behind her back and she couldn’t see, they gestured to the computer and made an ‘OK’ hand sign. Peter assumed that meant they were going to continue while he was talking to his aunt, but it could also have been a reassurance for the conversation.
“We’ll go get some snacks,” MJ said when May glanced around, curious about the faces they’d been making to each other. Peter and May watched them walk out, then come back a few seconds later.
MJ’s arms were crossed, her cheeks a little pink, but Ned was the one to ask, “Where do we go?”
“F.R.I.D.A.Y?” Peter asked because he didn’t have a clue.
“I will guide you,” the AI said. “Go out into the corridor and turn left.”
“So cool…” Ned whispered as they followed the instructions.
When they had gone, May turned to Peter with a soft smile. “They’re good friends.”
“Yeah,” Peter agreed.
“F.R.I.D.A.Y, can you switch on the news?”
“Of course Mrs Parker,” the AI said as the TV turned on.
“Why do you want the news?” Peter frowned.
“It’s been playing all day,” his aunt said.
“What has?”
She didn’t reply, just pointed, and with a huff Peter turned to watch the TV. He winced when he realised she meant his fight and the subsequent events that had blown up.
Get away from my kid!
He shut his eyes when Mr Stark’s furious shout rang out. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard it, but it still made his chest grow warm.
“He sounds so angry,” his aunt said.
“He’s just scared, I think,” Peter replied. When May raised an eyebrow at him, he added, “Miss Potts says he hides his fear either by anger or snarky comments.”
“She would know…” May mused and continued to watch the footage. It wasn’t long before -
There isn’t much I wouldn’t do for that kid.
This was the part most controversial, that Miss Potts and Mr Stark were currently trying to play down. For all that it had been in defence of himself, even Peter knew why it was a problem.
Heroes like Iron-Man shouldn’t threaten to shoot a woman in the head (and especially not on live TV).
“Peter…”
He looked back at his aunt. “Yeah?”
“Are you really okay with this?”
“… Should I not be?” he rubbed the back of his neck.
“No, no, if you’re happy, then…” she trailed off and glanced to the side with a sad smile. He’d been seeing that a lot since he’d woken up.
“You’re not,” he realised.
“I’m worried,” she looked back at him. “You know I’ve never been a fan of Tony.”
“I thought you’d got over that,” Peter frowned.
“How could I when the reasons never changed? I’ve put up with him because he’s important to you, but…” she shook her head. “It’s just been one thing after another with him, and now this…” she gestured to the TV. “Have you thought about what he said? Really thought about it? Because I have and Peter, baby, I’m terrified,” she reached out, took his hand and squeezed.
Peter’s heart sank. “May, I-I don’t – I don’t get it, what…”
“How many times has Pepper been in danger over the years? Or Happy? Even Colonel Rhodes, who’s now paralysed – they’ve all been in danger because of him,” she took a deep breath. “And now Spider-Man’s on the same list.”
“I – no, that’s – I’m not that important to him,” he looked down at his lap.
“Oh sweetie, you’ve no idea,” May huffed a small laugh. “It doesn’t matter whether you are or not now, though, because people are going to watch that and think, ‘if I go after Spider-Man, I can get to Tony Stark’.”
“But no one knows who I am,” he argued.
“Zeke found out,” she pointed out. He swallowed, suddenly unable to meet her eyes, and felt her hand on his chin bringing his gaze back to her. “I’m just saying it happened before and could happen again.”
“Mr Stark’s put in extra defences since -”
“There’s never going to be a guarantee though. It was hard enough when you were out there fighting people in alleyways, but if things like car chases become your norm…” she slumped her shoulders. He studied the small creases on her forehead, the dark circles under her eyes, and listened to her too-fast heartbeat.
Her worry for him was making her sick.
“I handled it,” he tried to reassure her. “No one was hurt, the stuff was saved and the guys were arrested -”
“Were they?” she interrupted. Peter blinked. “What happened to the driver?”
“Uh…”
“While you were recovering, he got away,” she narrowed her eyes. “You didn’t notice?” His cheeks warmed. She was right – he’d completely forgotten about the driver in favour of the gunmen. “Look, honey, that wasn’t my point. I just wish…” she trailed off and sighed.
He licked dry lips. “What?”
“Well it’s… I wish you would cool off for awhile,” she said, a little fast like if she didn’t, she wouldn’t get it out. “You know, keep the attention off yourself, just until this has blown over.”
“Cool off… you mean being Spider-Man?”
“Not forever,” she repeated. “Just – you have finals, and this work with Miss Potts, and it’s not like you don’t have other things to do. Maybe spend some time with Ned – I don’t think I can remember the last time he came over and you guys played with Lego…”
Peter swallowed. “You know I can’t, May.”
“No, I don’t!” she snapped, then took a loud breath in and out. “We’ve done this argument to death, I don’t want to repeat it. But you’re sitting in the infirmary because you worked yourself to the bone, and I don’t…” her voice trembled. “What if next time, you make a mistake that doesn’t end so well? What if, with all these new people after you because of Tony…?”
He wanted to deny it, but couldn’t, not when she looked so distressed. He remembered how hesitant she’d been in asking him to spend time with her, how she hadn’t expected him to do anything with her, or for her –
Well, it was only a few weeks.
“Okay,” he said.
“… Okay?” she sounded like she couldn’t believe it.
“Just for a little bit,” he added on. “Until after finals.”
Wide-eyed, she nodded. “Yes that’s – fine, it’s good. Thank you, I -” The fact she was so thrown only confirmed this was something he should do. “Thank you,” she repeated, more hushed. She leant across and hugged him.
“It’s just you and me,” he said into her ear, meaning so much more than just those words and she tightened her grip.
“Yeah,” her voice was choked. “Just you and me.”
That was when his phone beeped. He pulled back and opened his messages.
ACADORKS
ned (10:23): DUDES
ned (10:23): ‘Amazing and Spectacular’ Spider-Man shows off his moves
ned (10:24): and dudettes
“Oh no…” he breathed, remembering what they’d been doing before his aunt came.
“What?” May tried to see and Peter switched it off.
“Nothing!”
His phone beeped again and they both looked at it, but Peter didn’t move. There was another beep, and another, and May shook her head and sighed.
“Just answer it.”
Peter held his phone so she couldn’t see and read the new messages.
flash (10:26): tf is this
flash (10:27): no way it's legit
ned (10:27): its totally him
abe (10:28): nah i dont think so
flash (10:28): gotta be a copycat
Then he got a separate message, in the group chat with MJ and Ned.
ned (10:29): safe to come back?
He swallowed, glanced at May and knew there wouldn’t be any hiding this. He pressed the link and went to Reddit.
r/Spiderman | Posted by u/spidermanofficial | 10 minutes ago
‘Amazing and Spectacular’ Spider-Man shows off his moves
4 comments Share Save
It was a Youtube video.
“What’s this?” his aunt pressed against his side to see better.
“Uh…” he couldn’t answer her and let the video speak for itself.
Webslingin’ all around Manhattan - Tony Stark what’s happening? - Gotta new suit it’s stylin’ - So gon’ and get to snappin’ -
“Peter…” May said with a note of warning in her voice.
“It was before you came!” he said. “They didn’t - you just said to stay low, okay, and there wasn’t any time to tell them and -” he swallowed and fell silent at how pissed off she looked, but chose the wrong time because the lyrics - you got me if you want me Tony, got me if you want me - echoed around them.
He was cursed. That was the only explanation. His phone buzzed and, at the top of the screen, the message could be read.
flash (10:34): I put it on twitter
flash (10:34): anything SM goes viral atm
“Viral?” May snapped, able to read as well. Peter refreshed the Reddit thread.
r/Spiderman | Posted by u/spidermanofficial | 14 minutes ago
‘Amazing and Spectacular’ Spider-Man shows off his moves
12 comments Share Save
He had to bite down on his tongue to keep the swear inside as he scrolled down through the comments.
FoilauTub | Falcon | 19 points | 10 minutes ago
I dunno the original song but this video is still amazing
--> Westeworldmeow | Bruce Banner | 6 points | 3 minutes ago
this is way better than the original
Amestyiestokdon | Widow | 7 points | 8 minutes ago
This is awesome!
Trekkiefan42 | 4 points | 8 minutes ago
That suit looks authentic is this the real spider-man?
--> Noodles&bubbles | Spider-Man | 4 minutes ago
Idk and idc its glorious
avengeusall | Captain America (Ultron) | 3 points | 7 minutes ago
This is surprisingly really REALLY well done considering it’s done on a phone in a room LOL
-Fortneyet- | 3 points | 5 minutes ago
WOW! More people need to see this, this is amazing
McShep | 6 points | 5 minutes ago
Is that the real spiderman?
Theoldestquestionwho | 1 point | 4 minutes ago
Ahhhhh my inner nerd is crying out in glory
Sasusakunaru | 3 points | 2 minutes ago
I mean
If I’m being honest, I’m pretty into this
--> IAmTheZeke | Superior Spider-Man | 1 point | 1 minute ago
Im gonna listen to this all day I love it
luckyflakes | 2 points | 1 minute ago
I hate spiders but this one is cute
He had to stop there as his stomach was twisting into knots. There was no way to talk to MJ or Ned properly with his aunt there, so they watched in silence as the minutes passed and the numbers on the Reddit thread (and subsequently the viewings on the Youtube video) rose, with each refresh going from ten new views, to fifty, to a hundred plus.
When Reddit and Youtube got too much, he switched to Twitter, only to see:
Flash Thompson
@Flashattack
I lie for a living.....
Manhattan
Joined August 2015
Tweets: 147 | Following: 443 | Followers: 1,098 | Likes: 345
Flash Thompson @Flashattack 20m
Spider-Man is so fucking awesome: ‘Amazing and Spectacular’ Spider-Man shows off his moves
Liz Allan retweeted
Flash Thompson @Flashattack 18m
Spider-Man is so fucking awesome: ‘Amazing and Spectacular’ Spider-Man shows off his moves
Randy Robertson retweeted
Flash Thompson @Flashattack 15m
Spider-Man is so fucking awesome: ‘Amazing and Spectacular’ Spider-Man shows off his moves
Felicia Hardy retweeted
Flash Thompson @Flashattack 14m
Spider-Man is so fucking awesome: ‘Amazing and Spectacular’ Spider-Man shows off his moves
Debra Whitman retweeted
Flash Thompson @Flashattack 13m
Spider-Man is so fucking awesome: ‘Amazing and Spectacular’ Spider-Man shows off his moves
Spider Watch @SpiderWatch 10m
We thought we couldn't love Spider-Man more. We were wrong! ‘Amazing and Spectacular’ Spider-Man shows off his moves
Super Sightings New York retweeted
Spider Watch @SpiderWatch 8m
We thought we couldn't love Spider-Man more. We were wrong! ‘Amazing and Spectacular’ Spider-Man shows off his moves
Vigilante Watch retweeted
Spider Watch @SpiderWatch 5m
We thought we couldn't love Spider-Man more. We were wrong! ‘Amazing and Spectacular’ Spider-Man shows off his moves
Ellen Degeneres @FTheEllenShow 5m
RT @spidermanofficial Why don't you show off in person? ‘Amazing and Spectacular’ Spider-Man shows off his moves #openinvite
There was no doubt now he was going viral.
“So much for staying low, huh?” he glanced at his aunt.
“I guess so.”
In the group chat, Ned messaged again about coming back. May nodded and Peter passed it on, wishing he could warn them what they were walking into.
“I come bearing gifts!” Ned shouted as he came in, arms full of snacks while bags hung off his wrists, and MJ stuck her foot out. Ned stumbled but managed to recover, then said, "Stop! You almost made me drop my croissant!"
Despite the situation, Peter couldn’t help peering at the items. “Do you actually -?"
"Somewhere," Ned shrugged. "Mr Stark had a lot of snacks..."
May cleared her throat. “Why don’t you tell me about this video, Ned? MJ?” Peter mouthed ‘run’ to his friends but they were already frozen by her glare. “Well?”
“Uh…”
“Jesus Tony, when was the last time you slept?”
“Does it matter?” Tony clicked his fingers several times. “Pass me that spanner.”
“Of course it matters! You’re not twenty anymore!” Rhodey scowled, handing him the spanner.
“Rude,” he muttered as he finished tightening the screw and stood up. The other man gave him an ‘I told you so’ look when his back cracked several times. “Yeah yeah, I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” he rolled his eyes.
“You will be if you keep this up.”
“Hey, here’s a question. Why are you even here? Asshats in DC pissing you off?”
Rhodey sighed and leant against a nearby table. “I wanted to make sure you and Peter were okay.”
“Well, as you’ve seen, we’re just peachy,” he banged the spanner down on his lab station and yanked open the car door. “Kid collapsed and isn’t healing because he starved himself for weeks and I didn’t even notice. Why wouldn’t we be okay?” He revved the engine.
“Tony…”
“Boss, you should see this.”
Tony felt the blood drain out of his face. Shit, what was it this time? Could there have been another attack? He exchanged a panicked look with Rhodey before turning to the nearest screen, where F.R.I.D.A.Y had projected a… Youtube video?
“Is that Peter?” His friend asked.
It was indeed Peter, dressed as Spider-Man. Tony didn’t recognise where they were, but he could tell it had been filmed on a phone. The kid was bobbing to a beat, then the singing started and he saw what was possibly the strangest thing he’d seen from the kid yet.
You got me if you want me, Tony, got me if you want me
"Christ," he muttered and pressed a hand to his forehead as the words repeated. If he shut his eyes, could he pretend this whole thing didn't exist?
Call me so amazing so spectacular! Do all that a spider can do!
"He's a damn fine dancer," Rhodey praised.
"No," Tony snapped without looking up. "No no, no. No. Do not say a word."
That's how I live that Spidey life, that Spidey life…
"But look! I couldn't do those moves even when I could use my legs," his friend ignored him. He sounded impressed.
"What even is this?" Tony lamented. "Why does this exist?"
The video finished, leaving a stunned silence behind, and then -
"Play it again Fri," Rhodey said.
She obliged and this time, Tony managed to make it the whole way through without looking away. It was just over a minute long. Rhodey was right - it actually wasn't bad. His friends were decent singers, Peter could dance like a pro and the animations could, by some people, be considered 'cute'. It was just so far away from anything the kid had done before that it had thrown him.
The person in the video wasn’t Peter Parker - it was Spider-Man.
“Where is he now, Fri?” Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair.
“Still in the infirmary boss.”
“Tell him to park his ass there ‘till I arrive.”
“Yes, boss.”
“I’m not missing this,” Rhodey said, falling into step beside him as they made their way to the compound’s infirmary.
To his surprise, when he turned down the corridor leading to the infirmary, there were two teenagers standing outside. They had their heads pressed to the door and didn’t notice his approach, so he cleared his throat and got a little amusement out of the way they jumped, spun around and paled.
“M-Mr Stark, sir! Colonel Rhodes!” Ned looked like he was going to be sick while Mary-Jane crossed her arms, shock changing to disinterest so swiftly it was obviously fake.
Putting aside the when and how they’d got here, he asked, “How’s the sleepover going?”
They glanced at each other, then back at the closed infirmary doors. Tony waited and, after a moment, realised he could hear muffled shouting. He’d been on the end of it enough to recognise –
“What pissed May off this time?” Now the teens looked guilty as hell. Tony looked over his shoulder at Rhodey, who raised his eyebrows and nodded to the phone in Tony’s hands. Ah, yes, that might do it. “Wouldn’t have anything to do with this amazing and spectacular video F.R.I.D.A.Y just showed me, would it?”
“Peter didn’t want to do it!” Ned squeaked before Mary-Jane elbowed him.
“Tony, why don’t I show them to some spare rooms while you check on May and Peter?”
Although Rhodey phrased it as a question, the way he was urging the teenagers down the hall without waiting for a reply told Tony it was an order. Still, in revenge, he shouted, “I’ll get right on it honey-bear!” and blew a kiss to the man’s back, then turned back to the infirmary door and squared his shoulders.
The shouting had stopped, but that probably wasn’t a good thing.
He strode into the room. Peter turned to him with panicked eyes, while May just took in the sight of him. He heard her take a deep breath in through her nose before she stormed up to him.
“Peter Parker is taking a leave of absence from your internship,” she told him through gritted teeth.
“No arguments here,” he held up his hands in surrender, then waggled the hand which held his phone. “Though I did wanna ask about this video…”
Her nostrils flared but she stepped back, allowing Tony to move forward and stand in front of Peter’s hospital bed. The kid looked like he’d already taken a beating and that, more than anything, doused the remaining irritation from the video. He was left just feeling exhausted, so he settled on the side of the bed instead.
“Why’d you do this?” he asked. “I gotta know. What was your thinking?”
Peter, proving he hadn’t changed in three years, glanced down at his hands and started, “Because…” he paused, sighed and then met Tony’s eyes again. “Because it was my fault, this whole situation. I was so busy that I didn’t eat - then you had to come help me -” he swallowed and looked down again. “I thought I could take some of the attention off you, give you a break.”
“Oh Pete…” Tony shook his head. “You’re meant to stay low to the ground, be a friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. You don’t need this kind of attention.”
“The thing is, Mr Stark… I don’t think I can do that anymore,” Peter crossed his legs on the bed with a small wince. “Whenever I’m out as Spider-Man, people pay attention. Miss Potts thinks it’s only a matter of time before they find out my identity.”
“So, what, you want to take charge, choose what to put out there rather than let them do what they want, right?”
Peter shrugged but didn’t deny it.
“I just… I could help you, so I did,” he eventually admitted. Tony wasn’t sure whether he wanted to hug the kid or strangle him, so it was probably for the best that May interrupted them.
“Are you kidding me?” her voice was low and dangerous.
Then again, maybe not.
“May…” Peter bit his lip.
“No, Peter, this is where you cut the crap,” she made a chopping motion over her neck. “Not five seconds ago you told me it was all your friends, but when he walks in, it’s suddenly to help him?” she ran her hands through her hair and tugged on the strands in frustration.
Tony raised an eyebrow at Peter, giving the kid his best unimpressed look, and Peter crumbled.
“I didn’t lie to you May,” he said. “I did want to do something, but it was MJ who -”
“Peter, it doesn’t matter whose idea it was! What matters is that you’re not telling me the whole truth again!” she sank into a chair and pressed her face into her hands. “Every time I think you’ve changed…”
He knew he shouldn’t get involved, but seeing the glimmer of tears in the kid’s eyes made him twist and say, “Kinda harsh, don’t you think?”
May tensed, then slowly lifted her head to glare at him.
Yeah, he should have kept his mouth shut.
“Don’t you dare tell me how to treat my kid when it’s your fault he’s like this,” she snapped.
“Don’t start that again May…” Peter groaned.
"What the hell does that mean?"
“Are you going to claim it's not?” she put her hands on her hips. “When he was fifteen you took him away and gave him a suit, and ever since then you’ve been encouraging him!”
“Now hold on a -”
“Weekends in the lab, teaching him engineering and computing and robotics, inventing new weapons for him to use, to say nothing of the time he was missing for weeks because you were unconscious!”
Tony didn’t protest to the last one because it was true, because he still had nightmares over it, but the rest –
“Before you blame me, have a look at yourself,” he stood up. “That kid was going out as Spider-Man for six months in his pyjamas before I stepped in – where were you? Why didn’t you question a fourteen-year-old sneaking out every night?” She broke eye contact, glaring at something slightly to his right, and he took a step sideways to force her to meet his again. “At least I gave him the tools to be safer. What did you do?”
“You don’t have the right to question me,” she snapped. “I raised that kid – I know him better than I know myself, but the person he is now? The person you and your fiancé have shaped him into? I don’t recognise him. This person who runs around at her beck and call, always distracted, always lying -”
“Pepper’s got nothing to do with this,” he clenched his fists. “Your problem’s always been with me, let’s not pretend.”
“You’re right, it is,” May said, turning to Peter. “Get your clothes together, we’re leaving.” Peter had gone white and almost looked ill as he glanced between them, before slowly getting out of bed.
“May…” Tony started.
“Not another word. We’re done here. Peter’s coming back to our apartment and he’s not going to have any contact with you. He’s going to go to school, take his finals and be a normal person."
It was the slight tremble in her fingers as she helped Peter get ready that stopped him from snapping back an angry retort - she was barely holding herself together. Instead, he tried to soften his tone. "You know that's never gonna happen."
"I don't see why not."
He shook his head. She was in that state of mind that would disagree with him, no matter what he said, so he looked to Peter. "Pete, tell her how crazy she is."
"She's not crazy!" Everyone jumped. Even Peter looked surprised at how loud he'd spoken, but he held his ground when their eyes met. "She's not crazy," he repeated quieter and then looked at his aunt. "We're gonna go back to the flat, okay? We can get a takeaway and watch a movie." May blinked back tears, reached out and took his hand as she nodded.
Tony narrowed his eyes and looked between them. He was missing something, clearly.
“You realise he turns eighteen soon.”
They all spun in surprise to the door, where Pepper stood. Her posture, her expression - they were all her business persona and she spared no attention to Tony, her eyes focused only on May.
“But he’s not yet,” May recovered quickly and crossed her arms. “Which means it’s still up to me what he does. And we’re going home.”
“I’m not stopping you,” Pepper’s tone was calm, non-confrontational - this was why she was better at managing the company than he was. “I just want to have a word with Peter before you go -” May looked like she was going to argue, but Pepper added, “He’s not going to do more work for me. We already agreed he would take a break for his finals. I just want to check where we are. Do you mind?”
After a long pause, May nodded and said, “Five minutes.”
Pepper nodded back and then beckoned the kid over. Peter didn’t look up at either Tony or May as he followed her out the room.
It was one of the longest, most awkward five minutes of his life.
When Peter returned, he looked… not happier, but more relaxed. He was more deferential to May, submitting to her fussing over his hair and clothes, allowing her to take his bag. Pepper remained by the door, her expression carefully neutral, even when Peter and May left. Tony wanted to say goodbye, wanted to be acknowledged somehow, but the kid didn’t look at him once. It hurt, more than he would have thought, and that hurt was what kept him from saying something right up until they were gone.
Then he turned to his fiance and said, “What the hell - ”
“It’s going to be okay,” she said, and proceeded to tell him what she’d talked about with his kid.