The Devil With The Face of an Angel | Irondad, pepperony

Chapter 38

He stood in front of the door of his mother's apartment, knocking with a pounding heart. He didn't have much hope she would open to him, but he was sad that she hadn't opened to him at least for a little gap.

"Mommy, please, open the door," he said desperately, holding the doorbell. Nothing, no response, but Peter was sure she was home. Where else would she be? Tony went to her office every day and waited for her to show up. They had to explain it and get back together. But how, when one side was silent?

"I know you can hear me, Mom," Peter tried again, leaning against the door and closing his eyes. "I have no idea what Mary told you, but it was all a lie. For some unknown reason, she wants to come back to us, but dad and I won't let her. She hurt us and definitely disappeared from our lives after she left. Mom, you are our family. You belong to us. Please, Mom, come home. I need you. I miss you. So much. And Dad too. Did I do something wrong too? Or Dad? Did Mary threaten you? You can't shut yourself off from us and just disappear, Mom, you can't. You know it can be solved. We always solved everything," Peter begged her.

Nothing.

"What are you doing here, boy?" the elderly lady interrupted, shuffling down the stairs and smiling amiably at him.

"I'm sorry, I just... Pepper Star-Potts lives here, doesn't she?" he reassured himself, twitching a little as he said his own and his father's last name instead of hers. Pepper was simply theirs. Or they were hers. It was she who took them under her protective wings years ago. She was their angel.

"I don't know, boy, she hasn't shown up here in months, maybe years," she replied, patting him on the shoulder as she walked around him. Peter looked at the door as if they could give him an answer.

"Okay, thank you... Do you need help?"

•••

Ned was sick, so Peter's day at school dragged on like a snail. He was absent-minded in class, constantly thinking about Pepper and where she was, what she was doing, how she was doing, and if she would ever think about him and Dad. He talked to him about it every night when they both locked themselves in a workshop that was a kind of therapy for them. Tony was convinced that Pepper would be back soon, and Peter didn't give up either. But day by day passed and there was no change. Pepper didn't communicate with them, but Peter still tried to maintain a relationship with her, so he wrote her every day what happened, what he did, how much he missed Pepper, and every morning or evening he wrote her something nice and imagined how she smiled while she was reading it. Did Tony do anything similar?

I'm waiting for you in front of the school, it was written in a message that Peter read at the lockers. Fortunately, the school was over. He was so exhausted that he'd rather call himself sick, but he knew it wouldn't be the best idea. He already had enough absence.

He grabbed his backpack, locked the locker, and went out with a blank expression, like most other students who couldn't wait to be out in the fresh air.

"See you tomorrow, Penis Stark!" Flash shouted at him, and the group of boys laughed. Peter didn't have the strength to respond to his wannabe funny names.  MJ snapped something at Flash and he smiled gratefully at her. She, too, started going to the robotics club a few days ago, even though it didn't suit her at all. As one of the few — perhaps even only one — girls did not go there to faint over Beck.

Peter ran down the stairs, Tony was waiting close in his car. But before he could head for him, someone grabbed his shoulder and gripped him tightly.

"Hello, honey, how was your day? Aren't we going for a walk?" Peter's blood froze. He recognized the voice, he didn't even have to turn. It was Mary, and she was trying to get back into their lives, in which she had no right to be.

"Leave me alone. I'll never go anywhere with you," Peter snapped, gritting his teeth. Mary laughed ringingly and he frowned at her.

"Come on, I'm your mom. Let me explain all this, Peter. You have no idea what I had to suffer-"

"And do you know how much Dad and I are suffering because of you now?!" he shouted at her, and he didn't care who heard him. "You don't know! You always only cared about yourself. Even when I was a baby, you gave me as little attention as possible. And suddenly you desire for it?"

"What do you want here?" Tony growled at his ex-girlfriend. He jumped out of the car immediately when he noticed that Mary had appeared. He protectively put his arm around his son's shoulders. "I told you to finally let us be. Our life together is a thing of the past and will be forever. Stop bothering Peter. He doesn't want to see you."

"I'm his mother!"

"So where were you when he needed you the most?!" Tony was furious, and lightning flashed in his eyes. "His mom is Pepper. Speaking of which, what stupid nonsense you told her, you selfish bitch?!"

Mary chuckled and her eyes flashed. "I knew she would leave you one day. Pepper wasn't the right choice, Tony, I hope you've found out that now. She doesn't want anything to do with you anymore. The real family we were, we are and will always be the three of us. Not you two and Pepper Potts. She was just playing with you."

"Stop it! Don't talk about my mom like that! And when you start bragging again about the stupid argument that you're my mom, I'll tell you something: you are not my mother and you will never be! You ruined everything and I hate you!" It was strong words, but Peter saw red. He felt no love for this woman. Mary just gave birth to him. It was Pepper who gave him maternal arms, protection, safety, support, love, and the feeling that their family was complete. No, it wasn't just a feeling. Their family was complete. But only with her.

Peter gave his biological mother one last frown, and Tony followed him to the car. On the way home, neither of them spoke. Peter tried not to cry, and Tony tried to figure out how to get Pepper back and get rid of Mary forever.