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“Aunt May, seriously! I will be fine!” Peter said for what felt like the hundredth time. May had been offered the opportunity to attend a nurses’ conference in Washington and Peter was trying his best to get her to go. Not only would it mean that she would be eligible for a promotion, but she deserved some time away. “It’s only for the weekend.”
“I know that Pete and I know you’re a teenager, but I’m still allowed to worry,” May said. Peter rolled his eyes fondly at his aunt and the woman threw a pillow at him. “Don’t roll your eyes at me young man.”
“You should go,” Peter said as he stood up from the lounge. He walked over to May and wrapped her into a hug. “You deserve to have a weekend away and you know that by going to the conference, you will be eligible for the promotion you deserve.”
“I still worry about you,” May said as she pulled back from the hug.
“Would you feel better if I promised to not go out as Spiderman?” Peter asked. It would be a small price to pay to see Aunt May smile.
“I would actually. Are you sure you don’t mind?” May questioned and Peter laughed. “It’s just, I won’t be the only one away this weekend. Tony and Pepper are in Hong Kong, so they won’t be around if you need them.”
“I’ll be fine. I can handle one weekend on my own. Besides, if I need anything, I’ll call MJ or Ned,” Peter replied. He kissed May on the cheek and linked his arm with hers. “Come on. You have to pack, and I have homework.”
Later that night after packing and homework were complete, May and Peter curled up on the lounge together with Thai food. Once the food was gone and the movies were done, Peter and May walked down to their respective bedrooms.
“I larb you Aunt May. Have the best weekend,” Peter said as he pulled his aunt into a tight hug. May pressed a kiss to his temple as they hugged, and Peter couldn’t resist snuggling in closer.
“I larb you too Pete. I always will,” May replied softly. They remained hugging for another minute before peter finally broke the hug. May kissed him on the forehead before the two separated and entered their bedrooms.
The next morning after showering and getting dressed, Peter walked into the kitchen and found a note on the counter along with some money from May. The note basically told him to have a relaxing weekend and gave him a list of phone numbers to call if he needed anything.
Peter grabbed the money and slipped it into his pocket. He grabbed his phone and keys and decided to walk down to Delmar’s to grab some sandwiches. He exchanged the usual pleasantries with Mr Delmar and spent some time petting Murph before grabbing his 6 sandwiches and returning to the apartment.
By lunchtime, 3 of the sandwiches were gone and Peter had almost completed a small Iron Man Lego scene that Tony had bought him as a gag gift for Christmas. Peter was just getting up to change the movie he had been watching when he heard a knock at the apartment door.
“I bet May called Mrs Luis and had her come check on me,” Peter said softly to himself as he crossed the room. Without looking through the peephole, Peter opened the door and was stunned at who he saw. “Happy? What are you doing here?”
Happy Hogan was standing at the door with an overnight bag and a large shopping bag. Peter raised an eyebrow at the man who raised his in return.
“I’m here to babysit you,” Happy replied as he walked past Peter into the apartment. Peter closed the door behind the man and turned with a confused look. Happy dropped his overnight bag on the floor and handed Peter the bag of snacks. “These are for you.”
“Babysit? I don’t need a babysitter, I’m not a kid. I told May I would be fine,” Peter said before opening the bag Happy had handed him. “Ooh! A juice box! Thanks man!”
“Yep, totally not a kid,” Happy said almost fondly as Peter pulled the apple juice from the bag. Peter stuck his tongue out at the man as he opened the straw and stuck it in. “Yeah not helping your case kid.”
“Seriously, which one sent you?” Peter asked in between mouthfuls of juice. He walked over to the lounge and sat down, indicating for Happy to do the same. Now that he really looked at the man, it was odd to see him in something that wasn’t a suit. Happy was dressed comfortably in jeans and a hoodie with a pair of black sneakers on his feet.
“A mix of the three and my own need to see you alive after the weekend,” Happy replied snarkily and Peter couldn’t help but snort. “May, Pepper and Tony all called me and asked me to call or text you throughout the weekend to check on you. After May finally told me that you would be home alone until late Sunday, I told her I’d come stay and keep you company.”
“Well thanks,” Peter said. “It will probably be a boring weekend for you. I just planned on watching movies and building Lego.”
“Well I for one am looking forward to a relaxed weekend. I haven’t had a full weekend off in years,” Happy replied. Peter stood and turned on the second Indiana Jones movie and returned to the lounge. “What are you building there?”
“Lego version of the Stark Expo from 2010 when Tony crashed it in the suit. He gave it to me for Christmas,” Peter replied. “I only have a few more pieces but once I had finished, I was planning on building the Avengers Tower Lego set if you wanted to help.”
“I can honestly say I have never built Lego but sure kid,” Happy replied and Peter beamed at the man. The teen quickly finished building the scene in front of him while Happy helped himself to some coffee. Once he had put the last piece in place, Peter moved the scene to the side and picked up the box containing the Tower pieces.
“So, I find it best to sort pieces into size first. It just helps with finding like pieces,” Peter said as he upended the box onto the coffee table. For the next hour, he and Happy sorted the various Lego pieces.
“Ok, so now we start building right? But how?” Happy asked once all the pieces were sorted. Peter pulled out the instruction booklet and placed it open on the table in front of them.
“Just follow the instructions,” Peter replied. “Match up the pieces to the ones on each page and go from there.”
For the rest of the afternoon, Peter and Happy slowly constructed the Tower set. The second Indiana Jones finished, and Peter put the third on in the player as background noise while they worked.
“As much as I love building these by myself, it is fun to build them with someone else,” Peter commented as he started connecting the completed sections.
“This is actually more fun than I expected.” Happy replied begrudgingly. He then shot a firm look at Peter. “You tell Tony I said that, and I’ll bury you.”
“My lips are sealed,” Peter said with a smirk as he mimed zipping his lips shut. Happy glared at him but he couldn’t hold it. After a minute, both were laughing so hard their sides began to hurt.
Around 6, Peter’s stomach growled loudly and Happy laughed as Peter blushed.
“I think we need to feed that beast,” Happy teased. The pair put down the Lego pieces they had been working on and stood up. “Man, I’m getting too old to spend my day sitting on the floor.”
“I’m sorry. We should have moved over to the table,” Peter said, instantly feeling guilty about causing Happy pain. The older man rolled his eyes and wrapped his arm around Peter’s neck fondly.
“Relax the guilt trip kid. I don’t mind. Its just been a long time since I sat in the same position for hours on end,” Happy replied before giving Peter a noogie. Peter let out a squeak of annoyance and tried to pull himself free from Happy’s grip. “Now, do you want to go out for dinner somewhere local or order in?”
“We could go to the Thai restaurant down the street. May and I eat there all the time,” Peter replied and Happy nodded. Both Happy and Peter grabbed their phones and Peter slipped his keys into his pocket. They locked the apartment door behind them, and Peter led Happy out of the building.
“Lead the way kid,” Happy said once they reached the sidewalk. Peter started leading the other man down the street towards the restaurant. “So, do you guys normally eat here?”
“Yeah most of the time. May, for all her wonderful traits, is a terrible cook,” Peter said as they walked. “Seriously, the woman burns water. I love her to pieces but if she ever offers to cook for you, run far away.”
“Duly noted,” Happy replied and Peter laughed. The rest of the trip was completed in silence and when they arrived at the restaurant, they were led directly to a table. “So, what’s good here kid?’
After perusing the menu for five minutes, a waiter cam to take their orders. Once they had handed back the menus, Peter and Happy resumed their conversation.
“So, we will probably get the Tower finished tonight if we keep going at the rate we are,” Peter said. Their drinks arrived and Peter took a sip of the Coke in front of him. “It definitely would have taken me all weekend if I was doing it on my own.”
“Well glad I could help. What was your next project?” Happy asked and Peter shrugged.
“I’ve actually got a couple of smaller kits, cars mostly. Things like Ferraris and what not. I was probably going to build those,” Peter replied and Happy nodded.
“Were there any sets you were coveting?” Happy asked as their entrees arrived at the table.
“Well,” Peter said with a blush and Happy raised an eyebrow. “Tony would call me ridiculous, but Lego have released the Iron Man Hall of Armour set and I really want that. I would also love some of the bigger Star Wars ones but those are expensive. I usually try and get those second hand or something but even second hand they are expensive.”
“Yeah, we won’t tell Tony about the Hall of Armour. His already inflated ego would explode,” Happy said fondly and Peter laughed.
The rest of their meal was spent talking about school and Peter’s latest patrol exploits. When they were done, Happy insisted on paying for the food no matter how much Peter protested.
“Well since you paid for dinner, I’m paying for ice-cream,” Peter said firmly as they exited the restaurant.
“Kid, you look about as intimidating as a grumpy bunny rabbit,” Happy said in response to Peter’s attempted stern look. “But if it means that much to you, you can pay for ice-cream.”
Peter excitedly led Happy to the ice-cream parlour and after a quick debate about ice-cream flavours (in which Peter protested animatedly that ‘toothpaste’ should not belong in ice cream), Peter paid for two large ice cream cones. The pair ate their cones as they walked back and once they arrived at the apartment, separated just long enough to wash their hands.
“What movie have you picked for us Pete?” Happy asked as he started working on one of the final segments of the tower.
“Taken, the first one,” Peter replied as he joined Happy on the floor. While Liam Neeson chased down human traffickers, Happy and Peter finished the individual segments of the Tower and began putting them together. Just as the movie ended, Peter found himself yawning nonstop.
“Come on kid. We can finish this in the morning. Bedtime,” Happy said when he noticed Peter falling asleep on the table. Surprisingly, Peter stood without complaint.
“Wait, Happy?” Peter asked as Happy led him down to his bedroom. “Where will you sleep?”
“I’ll take the couch Pete, don’t worry about me,” Happy replied but Peter shook his head.
“No, you should take my bed. I can sleep on the couch,” Peter said and sleepily tried to push past.
“Pete seriously. It’s one night. You’re a growing spider child,” Happy said fondly. Peter attempted to protest but Happy was not to be moved. With a pout, Peter wished Happy goodnight and walked into his room, closing the door behind him.
Happy returned to the living room and after tidying up around him and getting into his sleepwear, he found a spare pillow and blanket in the linen cupboard and set himself up on the couch.
The next morning, Peter awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs wafting down the hallway. He sleepily walked out to the kitchen and smiled at Happy.
“Hey Hap,” Pete said as he sat at the counter. The man turned from the stove and grinned at the kid. “I didn’t know we had the stuff for bacon and eggs.”
“You didn’t. I went out for a run this morning and stopped at the shop on my way back,” Happy replied as he flipped the bacon. Peter was about to protest when Happy turned and waved the tongs at him. “Don’t even start. I wanted food after my run and this way I know your Spidey metabolism is getting a good feed.”
Peter raised his hands in supplication before letting out a bark of laughter. Happy waved the tongs threateningly at him once more before turning back to the stove. Soon enough, Peter and Happy were enjoying their breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast while both flicked through their phones.
Once breakfast was done, Peter helped Happy with the dishes before they both moved into the living room. Happy laid all the Lego segments out and Peter smiled.
“Alright. Let’s finish this tower and then start some cars,” Peter said. Happy smiled at Peter’s excitement and watched happily as the kid got to work. While the kid was preoccupied, Happy pulled out his phone and took a few photos. He sent them to both May and Tony before joining Peter in his construction of the Tower.
When the Tower was fully built, Peter stared at the structure with a huge grin on his face. Happy managed to snap a few pictures before Peter noticed what he was doing.
“Nuh uh Happy. If I’m in the photo, you need to be too,” Peter said. He pulled out his own phone and tugged on Happy’s arm. Happy begrudgingly allowed Peter to manoeuvre him into frame so that Peter could take a few selfies of them with the Tower.
“Send me those Pete,” Happy ordered and Peter nodded. Happy’s phone buzzed as the photos arrived and the older man smiled at the teen. “So, what are we building next?”
Peter ducked down to his room and pulled a few sealed kits out of the cupboard. He walked back out to the living room and found Happy talking on the phone.
“Yes Tony, WE built that,” Happy was saying and Peter couldn’t help but laugh as he rolled his eyes. “Yes, Peter is fine.”
“Hey Mr Stark!” Peter called as he placed the kits on the table. Happy pulled the phone away from his ear and placed it on loudspeaker on the table.
“Hey kiddo,” Tony sounded happy and relaxed. “Is Happy treating you right? He hasn’t snored your ears off or anything?”
“Mr Stark don’t be mean. Happy has been awesome,” Peter said and Happy smiled at the kid. There was no one in the universe that could hate Peter Parker. He’d just shoot them his puppy eyes and they’d be hooked.
“Well I’m glad. Listen, Pep is pulling me into yet another meeting, but I just wanted to check in. Have a good rest of the weekend,” Tony said and sure enough, Peter’s voice was soon heard calling out to Tony. “Bye kids. Don’t have too much fun without me.”
“Bye Tony,” “Bye Mr Stark,” both Peter and Happy called before hanging up the phone. Peter looked over at Happy and both rolled their eyes in unison.
“Alright, what have we got here?” Happy asked as he slid the phone back into his pocket and made space for the new Lego kits.
“Well, we have a Ferrari F8 Tributo, a Nissan GT-R NISMO, 2 rally cars, or a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Race Car,” Peter said as he read off the titles on the boxes. “Which one do you want?”
“Give me the Ferrari,” Happy said and Peter acquiesced. “Tony has one of these and its one of the only cars he actually drives himself.”
“How long have you known Mr Stark for?” Peter asked. He chose the Nissan for himself and opened the box.
“Jeez, gotta be close to 20 years now,” Happy said as he tipped out the pieces of the Ferrari. “I used to be a boxer and on the night of my last fight, this punk kid in his 20s approached me and asked if I had thought about what I wanted to do after my boxing career was over.”
“Sounds like him,” Peter said with a giggle and Happy smiled fondly.
“Yeah, it was kind of endearing. He offered to buy me a drink, so we went out to a local bar. He told me what he was in the market for and said he’d give me time to think but he’d really like it if I came and worked for him. We stayed at the bar for a while and as the night progressed and he drank more, the old playboy Tony Stark began to show.”
“What happened?” Peter was enthralled at Happy’s tale.
“He started hitting on this woman not realising her boyfriend was there to. I got into my first fight for Tony that night. Managed to get us both out of the bar and into my car without so much as a split lip and I drove him home. That was also the night I met Pepper for the first time. She questioned me as to who I was but when I explained everything, she hired me on his behalf. The next morning, I signed all the necessary paperwork and I’ve been by his side ever since.”
“That is so cool,” Peter said. Happy smiled at the teen who then started chattering again. “So, you’ve obviously been there for all of his most epic failures?”
Happy laughed at the conspiratory smirk on the kid’s face and began regaling him with tales of his and Tony’s exploits. When it came time for lunch, Peter and Happy jumped into Happy’s car and Happy drove them across town to his and Tony’s favourite diner. While enjoying their burgers, Peter told Happy all about growing up with May and Ben.
“Wait, you were at the Stark Expo in 2010?” Happy choked out when Peter paused to eat another onion ring.
“Yeah. I was 8, I think. Yeah it was before my 9th birthday. Aunt May and Uncle Ben decided to treat me to the Expo. I have always been a huge fan of Stark Industries and I’d always dreamt of going to the Expo,” Peter explained. “We went twice. The first time I was able to get Mr Stark’s autograph and I remember being so damn excited about that.”
“Please tell me you weren’t there on the night Hammer screwed everything up,” Happy pleaded but at Peter’s blush he groaned.
“Uh yeah I was. I… that was actually the first time I really decided I wanted to be a hero like Mr Stark,” Peter said sheepishly.
“What? How?” Happy asked, trying to rack his brain and remember when Tony had met a child at that event.
“Yeah. The drone started attacking everything and well, I always wanted to be Iron Man,” Peter said and Happy groaned even louder. He started to vaguely remember Tony telling him about a kid, but he couldn’t remember specifics. “I was wearing an Iron Man mask and glove that Ben had bought me. We got separated in the panic and I found myself in an open area. A drone flew towards me and it must have scanned me. I remember raising my arm with the glove on it and just as the drone was about to fire, Mr Stark appeared and destroyed the drone. I remember him saying “Nice work kid” before flying away. Then Ben and May found me and rushed me home.”
“Tony will have a conniption if we tell him this. Let’s try and keep this a secret for as long as we can,” Happy said and Peter nodded. “Kid, have you always been such a trouble magnet?”
Peter shrugged and Happy simply threw one of his French fries at him. Peter caught the fry in his mouth, and both laughed.
After lunch, Happy and Peter returned to the apartment to finish their Lego builds. While there, Peter introduced Happy to the wonderful world of Star Wars.
---- LATER THAT NIGHT ----
May waved goodbye to Janice as she was dropped outside her apartment. The conference had been tiring but so worth the trip. She was beyond glad the Peter had essentially forced her to go.
May tiredly walked up to her apartment and opened the door. All the lights in the house were off so May assumed that for once, Peter had gone to bed early. She flipped on the living room light and had to muffle the excited squeal at what she found.
Happy and Peter were laying on the lounge, Peter resting against Happy’s chest while Happy had both arms wrapped around Peter. Happy’s legs were curled up on the lounge next to him and Peter was snuggled into the gap between the lounge and Happy’s legs. Both were sleeping soundly, several completed Lego sets scattered around the room.
May pulled out her phone and took a dozen photos before grabbing a throw rug off the other lounge. She threw it over both (her) boys and after kissing them both on the forehead, walked down to her own room to sleep.
The next morning, she awoke to a freshly cooked breakfast and a note from Peter saying that Happy would be dropping him off at school.
The week passed as normal for the two Parkers. However, on Friday afternoon after he got home from school, Peter surprised May with a weekend spa retreat.
“Peter? What is this for? You know we can’t afford this,” May protested as Peter handed her the envelope.
“May, you have been booked in for an all expenses paid weekend away. You deserve a proper break. No conferences, no work, nothing. Just a weekend of relaxation and fun,” Peter said.
“But Pete, I can’t leave you here alone,” May protested. Before Peter could reply, a wide smile crossed his face and the doorbell rang.
“I won’t be alone,” Peter said. He walked over to the door and May’s confusion turned to happiness as her nephew opened the door and greeted Happy with a hug.
“Hey Pete. I’ve brought you something,” Happy said as he walked in. May took note of the duffel bag over his shoulder and felt tears welling up in her eyes as Peter took the offered Avengers gift bag. “Hey May.”
“Hi,” May said breathlessly. Peter led Happy over to the lounge and both adults watched as Peter eagerly opened the gift bag.
“HAPPY! OH MY GOD!” Peter yelled before launching himself across the lounge at the man. Happy caught the excited teen with a laugh and hugged him tightly. May approached and noticed that inside the bag were several Lego sets that she knew Peter had been coveting. “Happy, I love you.”
“I love you too kid,” Happy replied and May felt a few tears slip down her cheeks. Happy caught her gaze and May mouthed ‘thank you’ to the man before walking down to her room to pack a bag for the weekend.
After packing her things, she walked back out to the living room. Peter had opened the Iron Man Hall of Armour Lego set and both he and Happy were sorting the pieces.
“May, there is a car downstairs waiting to take you to the spa,” Happy said as he stood and walked over to the woman. May couldn’t stop herself – she stepped closer and, on tiptoes, pressed her lips to Happy’s.
“Thank you for taking care of our boy,” she said once they broke apart. Happy was staring at her in surprise but that soon morphed into contentment when Peter’s voice was heard.
“Eww Aunt May. Stop kissing Uncle Happy and go enjoy yourself,” Peter said teasingly. May blew a kiss to Peter before pressing another kiss to Happy’s lips and exiting the apartment.
As she closed the door, May heard Peter teasing Happy and she knew that she had nothing to worry about. Peter would be well taken care of whenever she was away. He had a new uncle who would ensure that.