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“Petey! Psssssst. Petey!!!” something nudged at Peter’s side. “Wake up!”
Peter groaned and turned over in bed, opening his eyes to meet his little sister’s unfathomably energetic ones. He looked at the clock, rubbing his eyes until the blue numbers revealed themselves to say 6:15 am.
“Mo, it’s too early,” he mumbled, rolling back onto his back and closing his eyes again. “You need to go back to sleep.”
She climbed onto the bed and started patting his cheek insistently. “But PETER!” She paused to take a breath as if the next word held all the weight of the world. “ Candy!”
Peter’s eyes cracked open and he gave her a small grin as he remembered the day.
“Okay, okay. I understand why you’re excited. Why don’t we go downstairs and turn on a movie until breakfast?”
Morgan’s eyes widened and Peter could see the plan forming there. “But no candy for breakfast, little monster. We’re going to watch a movie, and that’s it.”
“Aww.”
“Don’t worry. You’ll get to eat plenty of sugar tonight after Trick-or-Treating.” He ruffled the little girl’s hair as they headed down the stairs into the living room of the Stark lake house.
Once Morgan was settled on the couch, snuggled into his side with Frozen II playing quietly in the background, Peter slowly fell back asleep.
He was jolted awake about an hour later as Morgan shouted joyously along with Elsa as she discovered Ahttohallan, and he giggled at her enthusiasm. Like most girls her age, his sister loved Frozen. He was surprised that she wasn’t wearing her white Elsa dress already and figured Pepper must have hidden it for that exact reason. Morgan would wear that dress day in and day out if she were allowed. She’d been begging to wear it for weeks, and he knew Pepper wanted to save it for Halloween.
“You excited for tonight, Momo?”
Morgan turned around and leapt into Peter’s arms. “SO excited!”
He kissed her forehead, natural as anything, and hugged her to him. When he’d first met Morgan, he was definitely a little scared. Scared because suddenly he was questioning his place in Mr. Stark’s life. Now that he had a daughter of his own, how would he ever find time for Peter? Peter was just…some kid from Queens that Mr. Stark had taken pity on. Morgan was real flesh and blood.
But then that little girl had looked up at him with wonder and awe in her eyes, and any doubt that Mr. Stark loved him started to fade as she said, matter-of-factly, “You’re Spider-Man. Daddy’s told me about you.” She had hugged him then, her little arms firm around his neck. “I’m so glad you aren’t lost anymore.”
Peter had most definitely cried. And then his fears morphed into something else. Suddenly, he was a big brother, and that scared him. He’d never had a sibling; how would he even know what to do? Would he be a good example? Would he be able to protect her? Would she love him when she got to know him more? But Morgan fit into his life just as naturally as she’d fit into his lap, and soon the two were nearly inseparable. (Tony denied it, but he got teary-eyed when he saw his two kids together, alive and well.)
Peter could hear and smell bacon sizzling in the kitchen, and soon Tony called them in for breakfast. The next few hours passed in a blur. They ate and then took on the battle of keeping Morgan entertained until she was allowed to get into her costume. Pepper coerced her into helping clear the table and helping Tony feed Gerald, and then Peter is enlisted to entertain her. He took her swinging in the woods near their house, raked a pile of leaves for them both to jump into (cause c’mon, it’s a pile of leaves! Of course, Peter jumped in them too!) and even played tea party in her backyard tent.
As the sun sank lower in the sky, Morgan got more and more impatient until it was close enough to trick-or-treating time that she could finally, finally get into her costume. Pepper made it a whole thing to make Morgan feel special, curling her hair slightly and letting her wear makeup (Pepper and Tony had decided she would wear make up until she was at least 13 except on very special occasions). Morgan preened in the living room as Happy, May, Peter, Tony, and Pepper smile and clapped and assured her she looked beautiful.
The adults dressed in casual outfits, but Peter had been roped into being Kristoff for Morgan. It hadn’t been too difficult to find a costume, and he wasn't going to complain about an excuse to dress up and get free candy, no matter his age.
So they headed out, the adults in their jeans and halloween shirts (Peter insisted on some festivity from them, thank you very much) and Morgan in her white Elsa dress and a white jacket, and Peter bundled up as Kristoff. He wore a brown shirt under a black sweater, coupled with black pants, brown boots and a red belt. He even found a black beanie to really commit to the look.
Morgan was thrilled, and Peter couldn’t ask for more.
They headed into New York, because the lake house didn’t have many neighbors, and Morgan threw herself into getting candy with gusto, knocking on doors like it was her day job. The adults lagged behind, leaving Peter, with his limitless energy, to keep up with Morgan.
Time suddenly slowed down and stopped as Peter made eye contact with a familiar face, and not in a good way.
“Hey, Flash,” Peter said, and Morgan paused as she watched Peter’s face fall, shooting a frown at this newcomer that made her big brother’s smile go away. He was some kind of character in a purple suit with green hair and some weird scars on the side of his mouth. Morgan didn’t know what he was supposed to be, but he reminded her of the song her dad had played this morning, Purple People Eaters.
“What’s up Penis,” Flash sneered. “Aren’t you a little too old to be Trick-or-treating?”
“Aren’t you?” Peter shot back, finding strength as his sister’s hand slipped into his. His hand still trembled and his heartbeat was loud in his ear, but he had his sister at least.
However, that presented its own problem.
Why, of all places, is Flash here? Peter wondered bitterly, and prayed that the bully wouldn’t say anything more. He was determined to be a good example to Morgan. He couldn’t let her hear what they said about him, what he sometimes let himself believe. She was too good and pure.
“Duh. That’s why I’m not.” Flash grinned and pointed to a house down the street that was lit up, colorful lights filtering through the windows, and music seeping out the front door, pulsing like a living thing. “I was at this thing called a party, which you might have heard of if you were ever invited to one. Too bad you don’t have friends.”
Suddenly the small hand that was holding his wrenched away, and Peter looked over at Morgan, surprised. Only...she was already several steps away, marching right up to Flash, her eyes blazing and mouth set firm in the way she does when she really doesn’t like whatever they’re having for dinner.
“That is my brother ,” she said, glaring up at Flash, who stood about twice her height. “He is the best big brother in the whole wide world, and you should be nice to him. It’s not nice to be mean to people.” She took a breath and her glare became a little less frosty. “But Daddy says that when people are mean to other people, they are hurting on the inside, so we should be extra nice to them.” She sniffed, considering, and then shocked the heck out of everyone (because by now the others caught up and heard Morgan’s little speech) as she wrapped her arms around Flash. His face goes completely blank. “So I’ll be nice to you. But now you have to apologize to Petey.”
She pulled back to level the teenager with a look that is so Pepper, her eyebrows raised expectantly as she gestured to Peter. Nobody, absolutely nobody , can resist that look, even given from a five year old, and Pepper preened a little with pride.
“Sorry, Peter,” Flash mumbled, not meeting Peter’s eyes.
Peter’s eyes widened slightly. “Thanks. Happy Halloween, Flash.”
“You too.”
Flash looked like he’d rather be literally anywhere else, his defenses crumbling slightly, bravado effectively brought to nothing by a little girl. He brushed past the group, heading towards his car.
Peter marveled at how good and mature his little sister is. Here he was worrying about being a good mentor to her, and she taught him! He decided to follow her example and extend some good will.
“Flash,” he called. “Do you wanna come with us? You’re never too old for free candy.”
Flash flushed. “Thanks, but I actually have to go,” he said vaguely. “Places to go, people to meet. You know.”
He quickly turned and hurried off, and Peter looked back to his little sister.
“Thanks, Mo.”
“Even heroes need rescuing sometimes, Peter,” she said sagely, wrapping her hand in his again.
“I guess you’re right. You’re my hero then, Princess. Now, your majesty,” he said with a flourish, offering Morgan his arm. “shall we go procure some more candy for our loyal subjects?”
With that, they resumed their activities, knocking on doors and filling their baskets with more candy than anyone could possibly want.
They didn’t notice Tony quietly following the boy, Flash, to his car.
“Aren’t my kids just amazing?” He asked, grinning to himself when the boy jumps.
“Do I know you?”
In answer, Tony flipped off his hood, gratified even more when the teenager’s eyes widened and his mouth popped open.
“Y-your kids, Mr. Stark?”
“Yeah, Princess Elsa and Kristoff over there. I believe my daughter made you apologize for being mean to my son?” Tony raised his eyebrows, and Flash’s mouth moved, but not a sound came out. Tony’s eyes softened, and he decided to take pity on the kid. “Here’s the deal, I bet you’re a good kid. Probably got a rough home life, so you take it out on other people. I get it. But how about you stop doing that. You might make some real friends that way, yeah?” Just to be sure he got the point across, Tony hardened his voice again. “But if I ever hear about you harassing my son again, I will find you, and we will have another little chat. And I won’t hesitate to bring the little girl, either. Understand?”
Flash nodded mutely, practically jumping into his car after Tony patted his shoulder and started heading back to his family, now a block away.
Once Peter and Morgan have filled their baskets, they head back to the lake house to snuggle by the fire, watch Hocus Pocus together, and eat as much candy as they possibly can. Tony situated himself on the couch with Morgan between him and Pepper, and Peter on his other side. Happy and May elected to avoid the already squished couch, instead snuggling on the loveseat.
“Tony, quit stealing all the Reece’s!” Peter complained as his mentor pilfered a fifth one.
“Fine.” Tony rolled his eyes and took one of Morgan’s instead, eliciting a loud complaint from the little girl.
“Daddy, we already gave you so much candy. You can’t have more.”
“Will you guys pipe down,” Happy grumbled, and the others laughed before turning their eyes to the screen.
But Tony’s eyes never left his kids- his beautiful, brave, selfless, kind kids- watching as they slowly slip into a sugar-induced food coma.
Once the movie is over, he carried them upstairs, kissing his love and whispering his assurances into their hair.
Happy Halloween,” he whispered, standing in the doorway, drinking in the still somewhat overwhelming sight of them snuggled together on Peter’s bed before shutting out the lights.
Morgan really couldn’t have a better role model. Morgan may have rescued Peter earlier that day, but she learned it from him.
What a happy Halloween, indeed.