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Pepper opened the fridge and took out the pieces of gingerbread they had made the previous day. There were bits that they would be using to assemble the house, some already cut into people and other shapes then some… that could be used once reduced to crumbs.
She put the plates next to the icing and looked up at Morgan who was drawing on the kitchen table.
“Morgan, do you know where Peter is?”
"Yeah, bedroom"
"Can you go get him?"
Her daughter nodded then jumped down from her seat just as Tony was coming in with wood for the fireplace.
"Tell him we're ready to start making the houses", Pepper added.
Morgan smiled then trotted in Peter's direction. A minute later, they heard a very loud and high pitched Hi then some mumbles coming from the bedroom. Tony and she looked at each other and shrugged. They would find out soon.
They didn’t have to wait, because barely thirty seconds after that, Morgan came back with hurried steps and a big grin on her face.
"What's going on Maguna?" Tony asked.
Morgan's eyes grew wide and she leaned in her father's ear. "Peter was talking with MJ!"
"Really?
“Yes! I think he likes her.”
“Why do you think?”
“He was blushing!” she whisper-shouted.
Well, no doubt he would be blushing now if he hadn’t been before, because he had to have heard that, especially with his senses.
Her thoughts were confirmed seconds later when Peter walked into the room, a faint blush covering his cheeks. Morgan didn’t give him the chance to say anything, because she was on him the instant he passed the threshold.
“Peter, Peter! Do you think MJ is pretty?” she asked a sputtering teenager. “I think she’s pretty. Mom, she’s pretty, right?”
Ah, Peter wasn’t going to walk away from this one. “Yes, she is. Don’t you think Peter?” she teased.
“Uh… yes? Yes she is.”
“Do you like her?” Morgan asked again. “Does she like you? You’re nice. She should like you.”
Peter was looking more flustered by the minute, his blush darkening with each question Morgan asked. Yes, he liked her, Pepper -and Tony, and Bruce, Steve, Bucky, Sam… whoever spent time with the boy, really - could have told her so. The little girl didn’t seem to find his lack of answer strange, so she went on and on until her father laughed and put a hand on his shoulder.
“Alright Morgan, I think you’ve made your point.” He ruffled her hair. “Stop annoying your brother and go join mom at the table.”
At that, the two males in the room froze. Look, a Christmas miracle! It seemed like this was finally going to be addressed - and some money will soon exchange hands.
This time, Morgan had picked on the mood change. “What’s going on, mommy?” she asked softly.
“Nothing bad sweety, don’t worry. They’re just realizing something important a bit late.”
“That Peter is my brother without really being my brother?”
Sharp as her parents, Pepper thought as she laid a kiss on the crown of her daughter’s head. “Yes, that’s just it. Come on, let’s start to prepare our ingredients.”