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

Chapter 76

"I'm so glad to see you again, honey," Pepper breathed as they pulled away from each other a little. She brushed back a strand of hair that fell lazily to his forehead, and Peter smiled. He felt that there would be no day when he would not smile. "You have grown so much!"

"But Mom, we haven't seen each other in a few months," Peter laughed lightly, but they both realized what he had said. Few months. The atmosphere thickened a little, but Pepper still tried to smile, even though her hands were shaking slightly. Then Peter remembered that he was holding tulips. "Um, these are for you. I know how much you love them."

"Oh, Peter, you didn't have to," Pepper whispered, taking a bouquet of tulips from him with thanks. They smelled beautiful, with the promise of a good tomorrow. As soon as they sat down at the table, a waiter appeared beside them.

"Good evening, what can I get you?" he asked kindly, and Peter exchanged a look with Pepper.

"Um, I'm sorry, we haven't had time to choose yet."

"It's okay, should I put the flowers in a vase?" he offered, and Pepper nodded with thanks. The waiter left, but in a moment he was back and set the vase on the edge of the table.

"I'm so glad you came," Pepper broke the short silence. Neither knew what to start with, and they both had a crowded mind, from whose corner a new thought jumped out at any moment. "I thought you would never want to see me again. I made a terrible mistake, but even though I realized it right after I left, I couldn't bring myself to go back. It was impossible to just show up between the doors and pretend that nothing had happened. But also - I was also afraid that there would be no place for me in your lives anymore," she admitted with a sigh and began to flip through the menu indifferently.

Peter imitated her because he didn't know what to do with his hands. And he had absolutely no idea what to say to her. He would like to hear the whole story. "Mary was to blame, wasn't she?" Pepper nodded. "I know it must have been hard for you, not just to hear all the lies she told you and which you couldn't get out of your head and you had to doubt everything, but also to live with us. It really takes courage. Dad and I are complicated and not quite... well, normal. I mean, with all our superpowers, rescue operations, and the whole process, we had to give you a lot of worries. I know you were worried about us. But Mom, how on earth did it occur to you for a moment that Mary was better than you and that we would take her back?"

Pepper smiled sadly. "I don't know, I was scared. Mary was really very convincing and I also saw you with her several times. Although you just exchanged a few sentences together, it still hurt so much. Her words began to make sense. I thought it would only be a matter of time before Tony fell for her again. You two were looking for a way to each other, plus she's your biological mother and she has a right to you, and she was Tony's first love. First loves are not forgotten. He changed because of her."

"But because of you, too," Peter reminded her, grabbing her hand, which he squeezed. Pepper looked at him with endless love in her eyes. When did he grow up so much? "You may not have been his first love, Mom, but you are the reason why all his other loves are unimportant. Dad would never take her back. And neither do I. She begged me to give her a chance, so I met her sometimes. But... it does not work. I gave her a chance and my time and I can't do more."

"I'm so sorry, Peter," Pepper whispered. "I was selfish. I just thought to protect myself from the greatest pain, I wanted to disappear before she was a mom to you before she took Tony too - I couldn't look at it, so I had to disappear. We really sometimes do such nonsense that it's not even possible... I told myself that you and Mary still had a family bond, that it would soon be all-natural between you, you just needed space and time. I didn't want to stand in your way, I would be an obstacle that would hinder your relationship because you are not really mine," she added in one last word.

"You'll always be my mom," Peter assured her firmly, and Pepper smiled lovingly at him. He missed this so much. Both of them. Neither one of them understood why they had delayed the meeting so much. It was so natural and easy! "I'm still afraid Dad and I started the avalanche of problems."

"Actually, it's your father's fault, because if he hadn't shoved you in my arms at the front desk, we probably wouldn't have found a way to each other. But of course, I'm grateful for that!" she added with a laugh when she saw Peter's gaze. "No one said life and relationships were easy. This is part of it."

"I'd say other families don't have such crazy problems," Peter grinned.

"I think some are far worse off than we are, honey. And they have my admiration when they manage to overcome it all."

"Well, I thought it started with that incident in Germany."

"It doesn't matter anymore. Do you think you could forgive me?" she asked in a pleading voice, looking at him. Peter watched her. "I don't know how to prove to you that-"

"That are you serious about us? That you love me? Mom, you've been proving this to us for at least ten years. I don't need any other proof. I was just really afraid we lost you. Are you really okay? Will everything be all right?" Pepper nodded with an exhalation. "I have nothing to forgive you for, Mom," he replied, squeezing her hand with a smile.

They both hoped that now everything would return to the old ways. That the Stark family would be happy again.