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Tony smiled as he looked at the mess that was scattered across his living room and kitchen everything was covered in Halloween-themed items. From the decorations to the food, everything was made to be for Halloween.
Even the mug in Tony’s hand was a giant jack-o'-lantern, which Pepper had gotten him a few days ago after she had gone shopping with May for Halloween decorations.
Both women, who had become as close as sisters since May and Peter moved into the tower, had decided that they were going to throw a Halloween party of sorts. The party that they had spoken of was actually just their immediate family gathered on Tony and Pepper’s floor to eat Halloween-themed food and candy while they all sat around the projector screen to watch horror movies both new and old.
If Tony was being honest, the night had actually been a lot of fun despite the fact that thanks to many, many jump scares there was now popcorn and candy all over the floor but Tony didn’t really mind he could never mind when it came to all of his loved ones who were currently passed out on the expensive sofa.
Tony smiled as he brought the jack-o'-lantern mug filled with hot chocolate to his lips once more as he watched his jumbled up family from the kitchen.
From where he was he could see Happy and May snuggled up against one another in the middle of the sofa under a cheap skeleton blanket that Pepper and May had bought.
Rhodey was sitting on one end of the sofa with his head thrown back as he snored, gripping a candy corn pillow to his stomach just like he had been doing during many of the horror movies.
Pepper was leaning against the other arm of the sofa where he and she had been snuggled up together. Well, at least they had been until Tony carefully pulled himself away from her to place another cheap Halloween blanket, this one covered in witches over her, which is what led him to get another cup of hot chocolate.
Finally, there was Peter who had been sitting in the middle of May and Tony jumping to one of them when the scares got too much, which they happily held him and let him bury his face in their shoulders and clothes. Peter had curled himself up into a tiny ball somehow and was buried underneath a spider-themed Halloween blanket complete with spider webs.
It was impossibly adorable and many pictures of Peter curled up like that had now ended up on everyone’s phone, especially Tony’s.
Tony couldn’t pull his eyes away from the small family he had created for himself and for a moment he felt like he didn’t deserve them, in fact, he knew he didn’t deserve them with everything he had done. He winced as those thoughts tried to fill his mind, but he pushed them away as best as he could. He didn’t want to think about any of that now, and he didn’t think about how some part of his mind whispered to have a drink to force them away completely.
Tony ignored the negativity that wanted to fill him in favor of focusing his attention on the horror movie F.R.I.D.A.Y it was “Night of The Living Dead” a true classic in Tony’s opinion and it made his smile return as he watched the cheesy opening bringing the mug to his lips once more.
The rustling of fabric and leather caught the genius’s attention, making his head flick back to the sofa where everyone was still fast asleep. The only thing that had changed was Peter, who now had one arm reached out to where he was once sitting.
“Leave it to the Spiderling to sense when I’m missing,” Tony said to himself, a gentle look in his eyes as he watched Peter feel around for him again as he shook his head and finished his hot chocolate.
He quickly ran water into the pumpkin mug before placing it in the skin and heading back over to the sofa. Tony didn’t even think about what he was doing as he carefully moved Peter’s arm and sat back down next to Pepper. Tony didn’t blink twice as he gently slipped Peter closer to him until the little spider hero’s head was placed in his lap.
“Calm down, kid, I’m right here,” Tony whispered as he began to run his fingers through Peter’s hair, making sure to be gentle as to not wake his kid up.
As Tony ran his fingers through Peter’s hair he let his eyes return to the horror movie that played before him. Within minutes, Pepper was cuddled up close to his side once more and Peter had moved even closer than before.
Tony didn’t dare shake his head as he once again took in the family he had made for himself that were still fast asleep Tony could feel himself begin to grow tired. With every second that passed, Tony’s eyes grew heavier and heavier until he could no longer hold them open.
With his eyes finally closed, Tony spoke a few words before falling asleep.
“Happy Halloween, F.R.I.D.A.Y,” Tony called out before letting the warmth of sleep finally take him over.
“Happy Halloween, Boss,” F.R.I.D.A.Y called back gently as she watched Tony fall asleep before turning off the project and all the lights.