The Revenge of Devil | Irondad, pepperony

Chapter 5

Natasha changed the position several times, then sighed in frustration. She glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table, and her frustration deepened when she found it was only seven o'clock in the morning. No wonder Bruce breathed peacefully beside her. She didn't want to move away from him, but she didn't want to wake him either. He deserved to sleep and needed to regain his strength. Therefore, she quietly crept out of bed and then out of the room. It was clear to her that Tony would be awake a long time already if he went to bed at all. Maybe it was an opportunity for them to talk, but he'd probably be with Peter, and she certainly didn't want to distract him.

"Oh, you're here," she said in surprise as she entered the kitchen and found Tony sitting at a table, not missing a cup of black coffee, of course.

"And where should I be?" he asked, a little amused, to ease the situation. Everyone was still too tense and he didn't like it.

"I thought you'd be with Peter," she said as she headed for the coffee machine. "But I wanted to talk to you anyway, so—"

Tony measured her questioningly. He was so glad that everyone was home again and fine that he forgot for a moment about the incident. And maybe it should be that way. Maybe they should just throw it behind their heads and focus on the more important things. "Listen, I'm not excited about it and I'd like it if it does not happen again, but in a way I understand you. You were right, I should have called Steve... I should have called him when they kidnapped Peter, but I should have definitely called him when they got hold of Bruce. If it was Pepper, I don't know where I'd be willing to go, so I'm able to forget about it. I'll just hope you knew it was harmless," he sighed, giving her a small smile. Natasha was too important for him to argue with her. He did not want to maintain tension and mistrust between them. They were both stubborn mules, that was nothing new. They seldom agreed on anything, but they always found the golden mean.

After his words, a giant stone fell from Natasha's heart. She was afraid he would be upset. That he wouldn't want to talk to her. That their relationship would fall apart just like his relationship with Steve. "I am glad to hear that. I'm really sorry, and you know very well that I don't say that very often, so it must mean something. And to calm you down, I knew it was just a sedative. Actually, I did you a favor. When was the last time you slept so well?" she asked with a smirk.

"I don't think it's long enough for us to joke about it," he muttered, sipping his coffee, while Natasha's grin disappeared from her face.

She took a mug of freshly brewed coffee and sat down at the table, across from Tony's, so they could see each other well. "Did you sleep at all today?"

"A few hours," he replied uncertainly.

"A few hours, you say? You know you have to sleep, don't look at me like that! If I don't tell you, it'll be someone else, you can count on it. I'm sure that will be the first thing Pepper will tell you today," she scolded him. This was an endless topic, and although at times Tony seemed to have improved in his sleep pattern, sometimes came a time when he was unable to sleep for a few nights. Then everyone had to remind him of that, at best, drag him straight into the bed.

"I've got the supplies of sleep because of you and the sedative," he grinned for a change, and she gave him a shocked look.

"I thought it was too early for us to joke about it," she reminded him.

Tony just shrugged. "How are you and Bruce?" he asked, partly to change the subject and partly because he was really interested.

"It's a good try, but I think that's enough for today. We're not the type of friends to confide in," she snorted, but when she noticed Tony's gaze, she hit her head on the table. Of course, they weren't such friends, but the truth was, they were kind of like that. When the worst came to the worst, they were there for themselves, and when needed, they found solace in the other. "It's on the right track. Are you happy now?"

But before Tony could answer, another person entered the kitchen. "My two best friends! It's nice to see you in a situation that doesn't threaten anyone," Rhodey joked.

"You are here soon, you couldn't sleep either?" Nat asked with a small smile, standing up to give Rhodey a welcome hug. Hugging wasn't exactly her style, but with Rhodey she couldn't help. She hadn't spoken to him in a long time, not counting the days before they had rescued Peter. He was right, it was nice to see him in a situation where no one was in danger.

•••

Michelle read one of her favorite books and ate an apple. The truth was, she wasn't hungry at all, but she remembered Pepper, and as if she didn't agree not to have breakfast, she decided, at least for an apple. She didn't have time for anything bigger.

"I see that someone is reluctant to come home," her father said teasingly in his voice as he entered the kitchen and found her sitting at a table.

"That's rich coming from you," she snorted, then closed the book. She still couldn't understand that his mother had taken him back. After all that years when only God knew where he was, one day he appeared on the doorstep of their apartment and her mother almost cried with happiness. But she probably shouldn't have been surprised, her parents fit in perfectly.

"I have to go to school," she told him, picked up the book she tossed in her backpack and left. On the way to school, she wondered if she should write Pepper or not. Because that was her life now. She had a phone number for Pepper Potts and Tony Stark. But just because she had their numbers didn't mean she could abuse it. They were probably glad she was finally gone. She shouldn't bother them.

She stopped in front of the block of flats where Ned lived and sent him a short message. She let him know yesterday that Peter was back home and would tell him more tomorrow on the way to school. She was too tired for long conversations yesterday, but she had to tell him that their friend was alive and at home.

"Michelle! I was never so happy to see you!" Ned exclaimed excitedly as he walked out the door, and before she could greet him at all, she was already hugged by him.

MJ patted him awkwardly on the back, then broke free of his grip. "Did you miss me so much?" she grinned.

Ned nodded with a smile and together they walked towards the school. "How's Peter?"

"It's not the best, but it's definitely not the worst. He just needs to replenish nutrients and get a good rest. He should be back to school soon."

"Are you going to see him today?"

"Probably not. I have to finish my homework," she replied, speeding up a little. Of course, she had a lot of tasks to do, but she could do them at the Starks. It was a poor excuse but she didn't get any better at the moment.