Ill Dry Your Tears

Mediocre

"Where is Peter Parker now?" The man asked. "First we saw him beat up three people who were trying to help him, then he beat up Ironman. And now he is going to dinner with him?"

Peter fidgeted with his thumbs. Apparently someone took a photo of him and Tony laughing during breakfast. And how nice is that photo to go up right after the security camera footage?

"Who is this mystery kid? And why-."

"Mute," Tony said as he walked into the kids room. Peter turned his head to look at him.

"I was watching that," he said. Tony came by and sat at the small couch besides Peter.

"But you shouldn't have been. It's all crap, and you know that."

"Yeah, I know. It's just... I don't want people to know that I'm Spider-Man and it feels like people are close to finding out." Peter looked back at the television, even though it was producing no sound.

"They won't, people think you have an internship here, right? So we'll just say that." Tony said, trying to comfort Peter.

"Yeah, but how long until they find out we don't- you don't have interns?" Peter looked back at Tony. He could see the sadness in the kids eyes. It seemed as if he was begging Tony, for what he didn't know.

"They won't, I'll make sure of it." Peter scoffed and looked back at the TV.

"Can I just be alone?" He asked Tony. Tony wanted to say no, he wanted to make sure he was okay.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Peter answered without hesitation.

"Okay. Tell Friday if you need me," Tony put his hands on his thighs and pushed himself up. He walked out the door, and before closing it he looked at his kid. Peter was still looking at the muted TV. Tony sighed and shut the door.

"Hey, Tony! Tell Peter to come down here we're about to watch Stranger Things!" Wanda called out as he walked out of the elevator. Tony walked over to the kitchen.

"He wants to be alone right now," Tony said and opened the cabinet. When was the last time someone went shopping?

"Oh. He is okay?" Tony sighed, and closed the cabinet.

"I- I don't know... I hope so." Wanda and Steve both stood up. Wanda looked at Steve, and he sat back down. Wanda walked towards Tony.

"Are you okay?" She asked him. Tony offered her a fake smile.

"Never better," Wanda furrowed. She could sense his sarcasm a mile away.

"Are you going to adopt him?" Tony almost choked on his own spit.

"Am I going to what?" He asked for clarification. Wanda smiled a bit.

"Adopt him."

"What? No. I haven't even thought about that. Of course not."

"Maybe you should," Wanda smiled and opened the fridge. She got out the apple juice and got two small glasses.

"No, he wouldn't like that. I'm just watching him until I can find him a good home." Wanda poured the apple juice into the glasses.

"Have you even looked into homes, yet?" She handed him a glass. Tony took it out of her hands.

"Not yet, but I will soon. I've been very busy, Wanda." Wanda screwed the cap back on and put it back into the fridge.

"I can tell. But will you ever be satisfied with a home? No one is better than us," Wanda said and took a sip from her glass.

No one is better than us? What did that mean.

"No one is better than you," she said and took the glass away from her lips. That seemed to shock Tony. Did she really think that?

"I'm about the worst option, total." Tony replied to her. Wanda still had a smile on her face, as if what he was saying was funny.

"You seem to be doing a good job so far," Tony wanted to scoff, because he could name a few times he was doing terrible. But he thought back to breakfast and how Peter's looked... happy, for the first time in a while. Tony just shook his head.

"I have to make a call."

Tony let out a breath of air once he hung up. This was really happening.

Bucky would be coming in two days. Two days.

He walked out of the kitchen and into the living room where Wanda and Steve sat on the couch. Everyone seemed to have left.  They were watching a documentary.

"Steve, can I talk to you?" Tony asked. Steve looked away from the screen and up at Tony. Steve's eyes widened and his Greta's hitched, but he nodded. Talking to Tony felt so... weird. Especially Tony asking to talk to him.

"So I called him," Tony turned around to face Steve once they got to the kitchen. For a half a second Steve was confused, called who? Then he seemed to remember because he nodded.

"And what did he say?" Steve asked Tony. Tony wanted to look away, because looking at Steve still hurt. But he didn't want it to, he wanted it to be over. He just wanted a normal life, for once. Then Tony noticed something. He's been saying Steve. The word Steve used to be a trigger word. So there was some progress.

"He's coming in two days," Steve held his breath. Two days? That wasn't a lot of time.

"Two days?" Tony nodded. "Oh, um. Woah. Woah..." Steve didn't know what to say. He wanted to say something, show Tony how thankful he was. But he was at a loss of words. Tony pursed his lips.

"Yup," what was there to say? God, they were so awkward. "Well, I better go get his room ready."

Tony walked around Steve and towards the elevator. Of course he wasn't going to get his room ready, he had people for that. He just needed a reason to get out of there.

"Tony," Tony turned around. "Thank you," Steve said. Tony just smiled and walked into the elevator.

This was a bad idea. This was a really bad idea.

The two days seemed to fly by, and in less than an hour T'challa and Shuri and Bucky will be here.

Tony paced the room. Two days ago Peter stayed in his room all day, but the next morning he came out like nothing happened. Of course he was still sad but Tony didn't know if it was the news or May.

"Mr. Stark, calm down! Everything's going to be fine," Peter assured Tony. About an hour ago Tony filled Peter in on everything that happened.

"Calm down? Calm down!? How can I be calm when he's about to be here around yo-." Tony stopped. He didn't want to yell around Peter. Ton6 took a deep breath. He's a good person, he was just under mind control. Like Clint several years ago. Doesn't make him evil.

"He's going to be here around everyone? Mr. Stark, everyone can take care of them self." But it wasn't everyone Tony was worried about.

"I know, I know." Tony stopped pacing. He sat down next to Peter and put the back of his hand to Peter's forehead. "How are you?"

Peter raised his eyebrows and Tony pulled away his hand.

"I'm not sick, if that's what you're talking about." Tony smiled at him.

"Give me an adjective?"

"Hmm. Mediocre," Peter replied.

"Well, that's better than sluggish," Peter smiled at the memory, then his smile went away when he remembered why he said he felt 'sluggish'.

He was feeling a lot better, but he wondered if that was rude. It's only been like three weeks, and he feels twice as good as he did three weeks ago.

"Boss, T'challa has arrived," Friday announced. Tony's breath hitched, but nevertheless, he stood up right before Peter did.

-

Aww poor Peter. He goes through so much. Also did anyone notice how Tony almost said "How can I be calm when he's around you?" Aww. So cute.

Whatcha think? I wanna know.

-Love You All💞