Our Dad's an Ir⎊n Dad || Marvel

[four]

[tw: peter has a panic attack]

When Pepper walks in, she doesn't look any different. Peter, however, can hear double heartbeats whenever she's nearby and he wonders if she feels any different.

Peter thinks that maybe she hasn't quite plucked up the courage to tell Tony she's pregnant. He knows it's not because she thinks Tony will be upset about it, but she probably isn't ready to be done with work, and they all know Tony will want to be able to watch over her from home. It'd kill him to have to watch out for her over the phone or through FRIDAY while she's at some business meeting in Hong Kong.

"Uh, Pepper..." Peter says approaching her while Harley is still in the kitchen with Tony.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Before we eat— I just...well, can I ask you something?"

She narrows her eyes at him before nodding. "Within reason."

He doesn't answer right away. He isn't sure what he can say without freaking her out or prying into her personal business. She smiles lovingly at him before reaching a hand out, massaging a thumb across his forehead where his eyebrows have started to furrow in concentration. 

"You and Tony have the same thinking face," she teases softly, as her thumb still rubs at his forehead, forcing him to relax. "What's wrong?"

"There've been...I mean—" He shakes his head and clears his throat, hoping to not catch his dad's attention. "You're er...pregnant. Aren't you?" His voice is a whisper and for a second he doesn't think she's heard him, because she doesn't freeze long enough for him to notice.

"How did you know?"

"You uh— you have 2 heartbeats."

She smiles at him then leans in close to kiss his forehead. When she pulls away she's looking him in his eyes again.

"I haven't told Tony yet, so let's try to keep this between us. Okay, sweetheart?"

"Yeah, okay," Peter agrees then breaks out into a grin pulling her into the kitchen with as much of his old excitement as he can muster. It's been harder since he's been back, but he's trying. "Dad ordered Chinese. He got like everything on the menu."

"Because little spider-babies with enhanced metabolisms need to eat more," Tony says jokingly as he and Harley set the table before he comes closer to kiss Pepper on the cheek. "Hey, Pep. How was work?"

"You'd know if you would have come to the meeting this morning." She's only teasing and they all know it, but Tony spits out an excuse anyway.

"I was babysitting the little ones, Pep. You know they can't be left alone. DUM-E was in charge but they bribed him with oiled coffee."

Pepper laughs, but her smile is much fonder than usual and Peter didn't even think that was possible. He sits next to her to avoid staring which means he directly across from Harley who has taken up residence next to Tony only so he can pluck the onions out of his fried rice and into their dad's plate.

It's all peaceful and domestic, but the moment is lost on Peter almost as soon as he saw the look on Pepper's face.

He's been one accident away from being a complete orphan almost as long as he can remember. Of course he had Ben and May, but they weren't his parents. They'd taken care of him, but they'd always been his uncle and his aunt. He remembers Tony mentioning adoption and stops eating to stare at his plate.

If Pepper is pregnant, then where do he and Harley fit? He tries to pick up his fork again and takes a bite of food to clear his head, but it doesn't work. There is no if. Pepper is pregnant.