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Tony sat in his last meeting of the day, tapping his fingers against his thigh. It was supposed to have ended already. Yet, there he was still sitting there listening to Dave- Derrick? He glanced at his itinerary. Daniel. He was still listening to Daniel Prattle about marketing measures and focus groups. He gathered a deep breath and held it in his lungs. As he released it, he swiveled his chain towards Pepper, tapped his watch, and raised his eyebrows. ‘I have plans’ he silently mouthed, to which Pepper rolled her eyes. “The kid is waiting for me.”
Exasperated, Pepper sighed “Fine,” she whispered. “I suppose I can finish this without you. But I expect you to actually check your email tomorrow.”
Tony was up and out of his leather rolling seat before he could even think about announcing his departure. He got all the way to the heavy wooden door before looking over his shoulder. “Sorry, Devin. As riveting as this all is, I have an appointment to get to. Don't worry, I’ll skim the notes.” He shifted his attention to Pepper, winked and held up double finger guns. “Thanks, Pep. I’ll see you tonight.”
Giddily, Tony rushed to the private elevator that would take him up to his lab, where Peter was waiting for him. Hopefully, with the Double Espresso Shaken Vanilla Oat Milk Iced Coffee with Dairy-Free Cold Foam, he’d requested. He hummed along to the tune in his head as he watched the numbers rise. Vaguely he wondered when working with the kid had become the highlight of his Friday nights.
The lab door slid open and Tony stepped inside. The lights were on, the machines were humming and holograms were coating the room in a soft blue glow. His eyes scanned the sprawling space in search of Peter. He looked in all the usual spaces before checking the restroom, as well. Still, there was no kid. He stood there dumbfounded for several seconds before noticing the television in the corner of the designated break area was aglow with cartoons. That made sense. He huffed a small laugh as he crossed the distance to the partially enclosed alcove. He approached the back of the couch and rested a hand atop the cushions. “Hey, Kid. What are you-” He looked down to find the seating unoccupied. “Strange.” He turned a full three-hundred and sixty degrees. “FRIDAY? I thought you said-”
Before he could complete his inquiry, the image on the screen paused. He whipped around to double-check the couch. It was still empty. He blinked three times. “Pete?”
“Hey, Mr. Stark!”
Tony looked around again, feeling more confused than ever. “I can hear you but I can’t see you. Should I be concerned? What exactly did you get into on the way here? Did you suddenly manifest invisibility powers?” A beat passed; just enough time for a more sinister idea to develop in his head. “Or- oh God. Was it magic? Please tell me it wasn’t magic. I loath magic.”
“There’s no magic,” Peter laughed. “And I’m not invisible. I’m up here.”
Slowly, Tony looked up. Despite the warning he was surprised to find Peter, in jeans and a t-shirt, sitting criss-cross applesauce above his head. “Geez!” Seeing the kid clinging to walls in the Spider-Suit was one thing. Seeing him planted on the ceiling in his regular, everyday, nerdy clothes was another. “What are you- Is that really necessary?”
Peter shrugged, lifted the remote, and unpaused the show. A high-pitched and, frankly, annoying laugh filtered through the speakers. Tony had to resist the urge to unplug the whole setup.
“Why are you sitting on my ceiling watching cartoons?” He gestured at the television. A character was sitting in a booth with a steaming mug, which led to his next thought. “More importantly, where’s my Double Espresso Shaken Vanilla Oat Milk Iced Coffee with Dairy-Free Cold Foam? I distinctly remember asking you to bring me a Double Espresso Shaken Vanilla Oat Milk Iced Coffee with Dairy-Free Cold Foam.” He looked from the counter to the table and back again. Nothing. He narrowed his eyes in the kid’s direction. “If you didn’t get it, I want my money back.”
A wide grin spread across Peter’s face. “FRIDAY said you might be there for a while.” He righted himself, by dangling from the ceiling with one hand. With the other, he pointed across the room. “It’s in the fridge.”
“Perfecto.” He turned on his heels and grabbed his cold drink. The straw was balanced on the top of a clear plastic cup. He popped it through the hole in the lid, and took a long sip. It was everything he hoped it would be. He sighed contentedly and returned to the couch, taking a seat directly beside Peter. “So. What are we watching?”
“Spongebob Squarepants.”
Tony nodded his head. “Right. Of course. I mean, obviously, it’s Spongebob Squarepants. What was I thinking?”
A minute or so later, the credits began to roll across the screen. Peter tucked his legs up onto the couch and leaned heavily into Tony’s side. “Want to watch one more before we get to work?”
Tony quirked a brow. “Depends. Are you capable of watching it from here? Or will you scurry back up to the ceiling like a gremlin?”
“More like a spider.” Peter laughed and scooted down further on the couch, his head falling just below Tony’s collarbone. “But, for now, I think I’d rather stay down here.”
“Good man.” Tony chuckled and ruffled the kid’s hair. Meanwhile, the next episode began to play. He gave it a look and mildly swayed his head. “Now, explain to me what I’m watching. How are they cooking under water and what’s with the depressed squid? Is it his nose? I would be depressed too if my nose looked like that.”
And just like that, Peter began to excitedly ramble. Everything about the cartoon was stupid. But the smile on the kid’s face made it one hundred percent worth it. Especially if it kept his feet on the floor.