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“Mr. Stark? Why are you sitting in the dark?” Peter asked coming into the living room in the penthouse.
“I’m contemplating what I did wrong to make Karma come after me and attack.” Tony mumbled with his face against the pillow where he was laying on the couch on his stomach.
“Why do you think Karma is after you?” Peter asked sitting on the arm of the couch.
“WELL SINCE YOU ASKED,” Tony sat up hugging the pillow to his chest, “It all started like this.”
Tony woke up that morning and rolled over in bed. He yawned and stretched, “Fri. How much time before my alarm?”
“Boss, you never set an alarm last night. It is currently 8:05am.” Friday informed him.
“FRIDAY! I have a meeting at SI at 8:30!” Tony jumped out of bed and ran to get dressed since there was no time for a shower.
“I apologize boss. Would you like me to contact Ms. Potts?” Friday asked.
“No! She yelled at me twice to be on time to this ‘important meeting or else.’”
Tony ran into SI at 8:25 with just enough time to grab coffee and get into the meeting. He grabbed the coffee and looked in the fridge for his creamer that he always kept stocked. Nothing. Tony sighed and went to his office quick and opened that fridge. Nothing again. Tony groaned and grabbed a different creamer and poured some in.
Pepper glanced at him as he walked in, “Tony, watch out for the—“
Tony didn’t have time to process her words before he was tripping over the cord on the floor. He hit the ground hard on his knees and grimaced. He noticed the coffee that had spilled on his nice dress shirt and the floor.
Pepper tried to hold back her laughter, “Oh, Tony. I tried to warn you.”
He wiped up the coffee the best he could with some paper towel from the counter by the sink and just gave up on fixing his shirt. People could think what they wanted at this point, “I don’t even know why I’m here and where is my coffee creamer? All I could find was this “natural” stuff!”
“Oh. I replaced the creamer with something healthier. You’ll love it.” Pepper smiled.
“I guess we’ll never know because my coffee found its home on my shirt and the floor.” Tony rolled his eyes.
~
Tony was listening to this guy explain why he should be allowed to have an internship at Stark Industries. Tony really didn’t care. The only intern he cared about was Peter. Tony was lost in his thoughts about what he planned to work on with Peter when he heard his name pulling him back to the meeting.
“I mean no offense, but I think there is a lot of room for improvement in this company. I mean it may have been better if you had kept making weapons.” The young twenty something was saying.
“Excuse me. I need to leave. This is a waste of my time.” Tony stood up and Pepper excused herself to follow.
“Anthony Edward Stark! That was rude!” Pepper scolded.
“So was he! And he doesn’t understand this company at it’s core so he shouldn’t be an intern here, Pep. Point blank.” Tony pulled out his sunglasses and slid them onto his face. He kissed Pepper’s cheek.
She pushed him away playfully and yelled after him, “You owe me, Stark!”
“I plan to pay up!” Tony yelled back.
~
Tony went to the garage and found a twenty something staring at his car that now had another car backed into it. The young adult turned around, “Is that your car?”
“It was.” Tony nodded.
“I’m so sorry! You don’t understand! I was running late because I overslept. I haven’t had coffee yet. I pulled into a parking spot and realized it was reserved and I’m running late so I went to back up real quick and BAM! I hit the car and I am so so sorry! I can umm give you my insurance info!” The man started to pull out his wallet.
Tony noticed a few things. The kid seemed nervous. He also had duck tape holding his shoes together. He was wearing khakis and a blue dress shirt that seemed to be worn from use. He had a tie that wasn’t tied properly but you could tell he had tried, “You’re here about the internship?”
“Yes sir.” The man nodded.
“Why would you want to intern here?” Tony asked leaning against his broken car.
“I want to learn from the best. I want to gain valuable experience not just experience. I want to make and difference at Stark Industries is doing that.” The man replied.
“You expecting a paid internship?” Tony asked.
The man quickly shook his head, “Of course not. I just want the experience!”
“Well damn. I was planning to offer you a paid one. Now what will I do?” Tony pretended to ponder and the young adult in front of him grinned.
“I hit your car.”
“I know.”
“I am probably not the best candidate. There are people better qualified. You haven’t even asked about school or work history.”
“I think you’re a good person. You offered to fix your mistake with my car and you want to learn. That’s good enough for me.” Tony explained.
“So do I have to go to my interview then?” The man laughed nervously.
“No. Be here Monday to fill out paperwork, Mr?” Tony raised a brow.
“Avery Kyle.” The man supplied.
Tony nodded and sent a quick text to Pepper to let her know what he had decided.
Tony looked at his car and sighed, “Listen. I’m going to give you a pass on my car. I’m even going to help you fix yours. We’ll say it’s part of your internship.”
“But why?” The man cleared his throat of emotion.”
“Because there will be a day when someone standing in front of you needs you to cut them a break. I want you to remember this moment.” Tony explained as he texted Happy for a ride and for a tow truck.
~
Tony walked into his penthouse and found Bucky and Steve arguing there.
“No! I didn’t break it!” Bucky yelled.
“FRIDAY STOPPED WORKING WHEN YOU ASKED HER A QUESTION!”
“STOP!” Tony yelled holding up a hand, “What did you do to my AI?”
“We were using her for trivia and suddenly she started stuttering and just stopped responding.” Bucky explained.
“I’ll fix her. Just leave.” Tony pointed at the elevator.
“But—“ Steve started.
“OUT!” Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. A migraine was on it’s way.
After the two Avengers who had been arguing left. Tony got Friday back up and running and then went to lay on the couch in the dark.
~
It sounds like you’re having a bad day.” Peter agreed easily.
“The worst.”
“But you helped that new intern!” Peter reminded.
“That’s true.”
“And you got to see Ms. Potts!” Peter supplied.
“Okay. Okay. I do love getting to spend time with her.”
“So there was still good to this day.” Peter smiled.
“Nope. For once I get to say this and you don’t get to argue—I have Peter Luck.” Tony laid back down face against the pillow.
“Good thing I know a solution to that problem!” Peter told him.
“What’s that?” Tony asked.
“Hugs!” Peter explained and opened his arms.
Tony couldn’t resist. He just loved this kid. He may have Peter Luck but the world must think he had done something right to put Peter Parker in his life like it had. He wouldn’t mess that up. He accepted the hug his kid offered and squeezed extra tight as tears filled his eyes. Peter didn’t mentioned them as Tony wiped the tears off his cheek. Everyone got the right to have a bad day now and then.