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Peter swung his way to the Tower as soon as patrol was over, and he ended it early since it seemed to be a lazy evening. No one wanted to do evil stuff on a Tuesday.
He was careful with sneaking into his and Tony’s floor so no one would see him, asking FRIDAY to open his balcony door so he could go into his room and change back into his normal clothes.
After a much-needed shower, Peter was dressed in one of his science pun t-shirts and jeans, feeling fresh. “Hey, FRIDAY? Where’s my Dad?” He asked the AI as he stole an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter. It used to have snacks but Tony had changed it when he came home to find Peter swinging from the ceiling fan. Peter + A Buttload of Sugar = A Bad Idea.
“Your father is currently in the common room kitchen. Would you like me to ask him to come up?” FRIDAY responded. Peter was a little taken back from FRIDAY referring to Tony as his father, because she’d never called him that before, only ‘Boss’ or ‘Sir’ (and once ‘Old Man’ after Peter hacked it). Well, Peter wasn’t meant to call Tony ‘Dad’ outside of the Rogues, but he had to admit it felt nice to be able to call someone Dad. Uncle Ben had always been Uncle Ben, or just Ben. As much as he loved him, Peter knew his uncle would rather be seen as an uncle and not a father.
Peter shook off the surprise, thanking FRIDAY and then heading down to find him.
There was a clanging in the kitchen, and multiple voices piled on top of each other.
“We really don’t need to do something so complicated, do we?” Peter could hear Tony whine. “Pep knows that I can’t cook. Peter was usually the one who kept me from burning the place down.”
“And you still managed to set off the alarms three times even with his diligent supervision.” Rhodey’s voice joined in.
Peter rounds the corner, watching his Dad huff and cross his arms. “I was only responsible for two of those incidents. The third was Peter’s fault.”
“Throwing your son under the bus like that?” Clint chuckles from the living room area at the same time as Peter lets out an indignant ‘hey!’.
Tony catches his eye, and it’s honestly so heartwarming seeing Tony Stark, genius/billionaire/philanthropist/superhero, change into Tony, the man who said he loved him and was willing to be his pretend father. “Peter! I didn’t know you were back.”
Peter smiles at him and jumps into the open arms, giving him a hug. “I just took a shower. What’s going on?”
He can feel his father resting his chin on top of his head, staying in the hug. “Captain Spangles here wants to make some fancy-ass dish for Pepper but I said we should just stick with ordering in.”
“Language.” Steve says.
“I think we can do both?” Peter adds. “She’s always saying we order in too much. But if we’re going to be cooking, Dad isn’t allowed in the kitchen.”
Tony playfully swats at his head, leaving the hug. “I can’t believe you’ve done this.”
Peter giggles, dodging a jab to his side. “We don’t want a repeat of the time you got ketchup on the ceiling.”
Steve laughs softly at the duo. It was still a little disarming to see Tony so parental with someone so young, but it was nice. Steve knew that after Siberia it would be hard to Tony to open up again, especially after Steve had betrayed him so terribly, but it was nice to know he always had Peter. But then, Steve has to face the fact that he’d almost killed—or at least permanently injured—Tony back then, and Peter wouldn’t have had a father. It makes his smile fade. Tony and Peter don’t notice the new somber attitude the captain is sporting, still making jokes and having an all-around fun time. Steve really needed to talk to Tony soon; there was still too much tension and unresolved conflict.
“Okay, okay! Jeez, no need to spill all of my cooking disasters to the world, kid.” Steve zones back into the real world. “We’ll order in some healthy food, so that’s a no to the Burger King, Peter.” Cue a groan from the teen. “And we’ll have Cap cook a nice, hearty dish for dinner. Cap, got any ideas on what that could be?”
Steve blinks. “Uh, roast?”
Tony snaps his fingers. “Perfect! Well, I’ll leave you to it. Peter, did you do your homework?”
The boy looks sheepishly at his dad. “I was, uh, getting to it. Can’t I do it later?”
“Nuh-uh, if there’s homework to be done, no lab privileges. Now, go do your homework.”
Peter sulks. “Can I at least do it in here? If I’m in my room I’ll just be tempted to go to the lab.”
Tony looks at all the faces in the common room area. Steve is still in the kitchen, Clint and Sam are chilling in the living room, and Rhodey is just wandering around. “Do you think you can stay focused with the Avengers in the room?”
“Yes, Dad. ” Peter rolls his eyes, earning him another light smack.
“Where in the world are you getting this sassiness from, huh?” Now,
that
causes the entire room to collectively snort. “Hey, now what does that mean?”
“Stark, man, have you seen yourself? You’re like the Sass God.” Sam points out.
Everyone nods in agreement. Tony sighs, exasperated. “Peter, you’re meant to only get the good traits from me.”
“I did.” Is all Peter says before walking out of the room to get his work.
The adults are left speechless; Tony in particular. There’s such a fond look on his face that Steve turns away, feeling like he’d seen something he shouldn’t have.
“Finished!” Peter cheers from his place on the dining room table, throwing his pen down. “Suck on that!”
“Good job, Peter.” Rhodey pipes up, and a scattered congratulations echoes around the room. Tony had left to go to the workshop a while ago. “Want to help me destroy these birdbrains at Super Smash Bros?”
“YES.”
Pepper had gone to pick up May at her apartment (well, Happy was the one driving) and now the two were almost at the Tower.
“What do you think will happen tonight?” Pepper questioned.
May laughs. “Who knows? I just know I can’t wait to embarrass the two.”
The other woman laughs. “Goodness knows they’ve probably embarrassed each other enough. They haven’t even informed the team that you were coming, so they might mistake you for Peter’s mother.”
“Or,” May cuts in, “they’ll mistake you for his mother.”
Pepper sputters. “Me?”
“Come on, Pepper, you’re Tony’s fiancée, and you’ve been pining after each other for years before you ever even got together. It would be more likely for them to assume you were his mother.”
“Does that… bother you? I mean, I know you’re his guardian and his aunt and I wouldn’t want to make you feel like you’re being replaced or anything—” Pepper is nervously wringing her hands together, twisting her engagement ring. May places her own hands on top of hers to stop it.
“ Pepper, calm down. I may have raised Peter, but Ben and I had never planned on having kids. We loved Peter to death, but we’ve always been his aunt and uncle to him. At first, it was because he’d still remembered his parents and having us suddenly be his ‘parents’ wasn’t a good idea, but then we’d fit into the roles so well and they were so familiar that we’d never changed.” May shrugs. “I honestly would not mind if Peter saw you as a mother; he definitely sees your fiancé as a father. It's not replacement, it's just growing a family. Plus, we could be real sisters.”
At this, she nudges Pepper with her shoulder, causing a smile to form on the CEO’s face. A tension eases, and Pepper leans more heavily against May. “Thank you, May. You’re honestly one of the best women I’ve ever met.”
“And I could say the same about you, Ms. Potts.”
Pepper loved Peter from the moment they’d met; such a loving young boy, who brought a certain energy everywhere he went. Not only that, but he was so good to Tony, and it warmed her heart. She’d been there when Peter had accidentally called Tony ‘Dad’ a few times, and she could tell then and there that the two men would continue to nurture an unbreakable bond. She even got to meet May through Peter, and the two instantly became friends, bonding over their respective boys and how stupid they could be.
Peter had never really called her ‘Mom’, only ever jokingly.
(Tony was pouting as Pepper berated him on his irresponsible actions that caused the workshop to set on fire again .
Peter snickered. Tony scowled. “Shut it, kid. You’re grounded.”
“What!” Peter shouted. “What did I do?”
“You’re not grounded, Peter.” Pepper sighed, shaking her head. “But Tony, you’re grounded. No more lab time until you heal.”
Tony’s jaw dropped, shocked. Peter was snickering again. “Kid, stop laughing at your old man’s unjust punishment or you’re grounded.”
“Peter, don’t listen to him, you’re not going to be grounded.” She turns to Tony. “It’s not an unjust punishment, I’m being a responsible human being. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Mom. ” Tony rolled his eyes, grumbling as Peter laughed at him.
“Yeah, Dad. Pepper is the responsible Mom in the Tower.”
Tony smirks. “The same responsible Mom that’s going to ground you when she finds out you also set the lab on fire this morning.”
Pepper whirls on him. “YOU WHAT? ”
Peter pales. “Uh. Happy Mother’s Day?”
“Peter!” )
She and Peter have definitely grown closer over the course of the past few months, but she didn’t think Peter actually saw her that way no matter what others would assume. She pretends that it doesn’t hurt her heart to think that way. She'd always wanted kids, but the timing was never right.
Pepper shakes off the negative thoughts as she shows May the new clothing line that had just released from her favorite brand, instructing FRIDAY to take them up to Tony and Peter. “And the new earrings would look gorgeous on you, May. We’ll have to get them for you the next time we go shopping.”
May’s barely baring attention, swiping left and right to view all the items. “Wow! Pepper, these shoes look like they were made to be worn by you.”
They’d expected to be dropped off at the penthouse level, but instead were deposited at the common room. Pepper takes it in stride, assuming the boys were here to prepare the food, and guides May towards the living room. She can hear the sounds of a game playing on the TV and Peter’s voice saying something.
She turns the corner to the living room. “Peter, have you finished your homework yet? You know the rules.” Pepper asked, not looking up from the tablet in her hand.
“Yes, Mom .” Comes the dutiful reply, but she could practically hear the eyeball rolling.
“Are you sure you actually did it, or did you just write an essay using Lorem Ipsum again?” May sasses back, eyeing a particularly pricey pair of sneakers on the screen Pepper was showing her.
“You did what? Oh my god.” Tony’s laughing voice joins in, and Peter groans.
“That was one time! One time! ”
Silence.
“Peter has TWO MOMS???” Comes a shriek from an unexpected voice. Pepper and May jump in surprise, and Pepper barely manages to keep a hold of the very expensive piece of personalized tech in her hands.
Instead of just Tony and Peter, like she was expecting, the Rogues were all splayed across the various couches (minus Steve and Wanda, who seemed to be in the kitchen). It was Sam that made the Mom comment, his jaw so open that it looked dislocated. Pepper had half a mind to be worried about his bones, but she was more worried about what was happening. Does she confirm it? Does she say no?
She frantically makes eye-contact with her fiancé, who shrugs, being very unhelpful. She gives up on him, and instead looks at Peter. He looks a little embarrassed, responding with, “Well, it’s a little complicated?” Which really isn’t much better from Tony’s unhelpful shrug, but it was something.
May, bless her heart, is the one who saves the day. “I’m actually his aunt. Hello, I’m May, it’s nice to meet you all.”
She’s met with a choruses of ‘nice to meet you, too’s, and Pepper is taken away from the limelight, much to her relief. She and May head on over to the couch Peter and Tony are sitting on. Pepper expects May to sit next to Peter, but instead she goes to sit next to Tony, giving the spot next to Peter to her.
Slightly confused but not hating it, she gracefully plops herself next to the boy. “Hello again, Peter. I haven’t seen you in a while.” It was true, she’d been gone the past 2 weeks for meetings out of the city, so she hadn’t been able to see him in person, only in the daily video calls.
Peter shifts so he’s facing her more fully, still looking a little embarrassed. “Hey, Pepper. Sorry for calling you Mom, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
She immediately starts shaking her head. “It doesn’t make me uncomfortable; I’m honored really, even if it’s only teasing. I just wasn’t sure if you’d like the rest of the team to think you see me like that when you don’t.” She says the last part in a low voice, just in case any ears were listening.
Now Peter shakes his head. “I mean, it’s not all teasing, not really.” He looks so embarrassed, ducking his head. “You’re a lot like May. Super caring and loving and responsible and just a lot like a parent, but you definitely can cook better than her.”
Pepper giggles, giddy from both Peter’s admission and the joke, nudging him in the shoulder with her own like May did in the car. “Well, in my defense, it’s not very hard to be a better cook than May.”
He grins at her. “Yeah, it really isn’t.” Peter grows serious again, sounding hesitant. “You really don’t mind if I think of you as a Mom? I don’t have to call you that in case the team thinks you’re my real mom, if you don’t want me to. You could be like Aunt May, and I’d call you Aunt Pepper or something. But then if Tony is my Dad, would I have to call you step-mom or something?”
The young teen is nervously rambling again, and Pepper places a hand on his leg to stop it from bouncing. “Peter, sweetheart, I would love whatever title you bestow on me.”
Peter chuckles. “It sounds like I’m about to knight you or something.”
“Well then, it would be my greatest honor to carry the title of Mom, Aunt, Step-mom, or simply Pepper, that you will bestow upon this mere mortal, Sir Peter.” The blonde gives an exaggerated half-bow, and the giggle it causes was payment enough for the silly pose.
He clears his throat, using a hand to tap each of Pepper’s shoulders like he was actually knighting her. “I hereby dub thee, Mom Pepper.”
The choice makes her smile brightly, and she pulls the boy closer to her, pressing a chaste kiss to his temple. “Thank you, Peter.” She catches May’s eye from across Tony, and May gives her a thumbs up. They’d been having their own conversation, but May always knew what was happening because she was amazing like that. She was sure Tony knew what had happened too, but he was respectfully giving them space.
Steve then walked into the room, informing everyone that the food was ready after greeting Pepper and May. Pepper wasn’t overly fond of Steve Rogers, but he seemed to be really trying so she was willing to put the past behind her for a moment.
The whole table is filled with different dishes, from the multiple boxes of takeout to mashed potatoes to all the different meats. There was enough to feed an army.
Everyone looks at the spread, shellshocked. Tony laughs. “Cap, dude, I know I said a nice meal but it looks like you’re aiming to be on MasterChef.”
Steve looks sheepish. “Sorry, I wasn’t sure what everyone would like, so I just made everything.”
“Not a bad thing, Rogers. Peter here is a growing boy and eats as much as you.” Tony clasps Peter’s shoulder.
Peter groans. “Dad.”
May and Pepper share a look before Pepper turns back to the group of superheroes. “Thank you, Steve. It looks delicious. Let’s all dig in before it grows cold, okay?”
Everyone started settling in, and the table was barely big enough to hold all the people. If Thor, Bruce, and Vision were also here, it would be a very tight fit. Tony and Peter were settled next to each other, with Pepper and May in front of them, respectively. Conversation flowed easily through the large crowd, and laughter filled the room. It was so different from what it was like after Germany that it made Pepper’s heart squeeze.
She caught Peter trying to slyly move his vegetables over onto Tony’s plate, giving him a stern look. “Peter, eat your vegetables. They’re good for you.”
“But Moooom, I don’t like them.” Peter looked at her with such sad puppy eyes that Pepper almost gave in. Luckily, May came to the rescue again.
“Nope, you’re gonna have to eat your greens if you ever want to grow big and beefy and not stay a twig.” May shakes her fork at him.
Peter looked downright offended. “I’m not a twig! And if I wanted to be beefier I’d have to eat more protein, so I should be eating more meat and not veggies—”
May wags the fork around. “Details, details. Look at your father, look at all that muscle. He eats his greens, that’s why he’s so… what do you youngsters say now—thicc.”
Peter chokes on air, and even Pepper and Tony know enough teenage slang to look at May like she was crazy. “What? You know it’s true. We’re all the around the same age, and I’m a nurse, so I know how hard it is to keep a body like that. Pepper, you’ve seen it all, you have to back me up here.”
The couple go red in the face immediately, sputtering out half finished sentences. Peter looks like he’s dying, his face red enough to match the Iron Man suits, and he sings to block out the noise. “La-la-la-la-la, I’m not listening!”
The whole table is laughing at their red faces, delighting in the jokes the family is making. Sam and Clint give May a high-five.
“May, why would you say something like that.” Pepper moans quietly to the woman at her side.
The woman in question just shrugs, smirking. “That’s what sisters do.”
Any bad feelings melt away at the statement, and Pepper smiles softly at May who returns the sentiment. Then Pepper’s smile turns devilish. “So, does that mean I can tease the way you and Happy have been eyeballing each other recently?”
The two men in front of them gape. “Happy?!”
Now it’s May’s turn to flush. “Pepper!”
The rest of the dinner goes by in the blink of an eye. After the initial grace period of first meeting May and not questioning her, the Rogues are eager to learn more about May’s relationship to Peter. “Well, I’m his aunt, and also the person he stays with when he’s not here.” Is what she says, and if anyone tries to get more information, she just shrugs and repeats the same thing.
Pepper is sure the Rogues are suspicious of the whole father-son ruse, but Pepper finds that she doesn’t care all too much. Peter said that he saw her as a Mom, and that pretty much made her entire week—month, year even.
After a good hour of teasing, May sighs and informs them that she has to leave.
“Oh, why don’t you stay the night?” Pepper is quick to offer, “I’m sure we could spare a room or a two dozen.”
“As much as I’d love to take you up on your offer, I have work tomorrow and it’s easier to get ready at home. I’ve had a lovely time with you all, and it was great meeting you.” Once again, she’s met with a chorus of pleasantries, and Pepper, Peter, and Tony all walk May to the elevator.
“Bye Aunt May, see you tomorrow! Larb you.” Peter gave May a big hug, and she peppered a bunch of kisses onto his face in return.
Tony also gave her a hug, albeit not as enthusiastic as Peter’s. “Thank you for coming today, May. And thanks for going with the whole ruse.”
May laughs. “No worries, this was a lot of fun.”
Next, it was Pepper’s turn, and she gave May a long hug. “Thank you so much for tonight, May. It was more than I could have ever asked for.” It’s not enough, but now was not the time to have a heart to heart. She tries to portray in her hug a thank you for allowing her and Tony into May’s small family, both with Peter situation and for the sisters comment. Pepper was an only child, but had always wished for siblings—more specifically, a sister.
The two women stay embraced for a while before letting go. “Are you sure you can’t stay the night?” Pepper tries again to convince her, but she shakes her head no.
“Happy’s already waiting for me downstairs, it would be rude to make him wait and then not go.”
At the mention of Happy, Pepper smirks. “Are you sure the reason you’re not staying is because you want to see Happy again? Maybe you both have a little something planned?”
When May’s face turns red, Pepper laughs. “Oh my god, it’s true!” She can hear Peter fake gagging in the background, whispering an ‘I didn’t need to know that! Ew!’ and Tony responding with a ‘you and me both, kid’.
“Oh, shush, all of you!”
And then May is waving goodbye as the elevator doors close, and the trio walk back to the dining room table. Everyone is still chattering, but no one seems to be eating anymore except maybe Steve, who could eat a whole whale.
“Ey, the Starks are back! Wanna come play Uno with us?” Sam cheers. Out of all the Rogues, Sam was the one who was most at ease with both sides.
The ‘Starks’ are a little surprised at the title. Only one of them is actually a Stark, but Pepper is already fond of the name. It wouldn’t be long until her and Tony’s wedding.
“Hell yeah! Uno!” Peter cheers, but Tony rolls his eyes.
“If Pete’s playing, I’m not going to. I can never win against him.”
“Stop being a sore loser, Dad.”
Tony gasps, putting a hand on his chest in mock-offense. “I’m hurt! Pep, did you hear what our insolent child has just said to me?”
Pepper rolls her eyes, a maternal feeling flaring in her chest from the words. “I’m agreeing with Peter on this one,” she teases, “don’t be a sore loser.”
Now Tony looks really betrayed. “Okay, okay, my son and my fiancée both attacking me, alright. Let’s play some Uno."