^New room setup^
I stood in my new room, just finishing up unpacking the last box. Finally, a room that looks like an actual teenager lives in it.
I was practically jumping out of my skin, excited to finally see Peter again for the first time since that night. I looked at the clock and scurried out of my room, knowing he would be here any moment.
I ran out of the doors to the balcony and leaned over the railing, smirking as I spotted the familiar sleek, black car. I ran inside the building and hopped down the steps of the long, elegant staircase. I slowed down as I got to the last steps, smoothing down my white button-up shirt and brushing away a couple of blue strands of hair from my face self consciously.
"You don't see that every day," Happy said to Peter who watched a Quinjet fly off with a grin plastered on his face.
"Yeah, you never really get used to it," I chuckled behind them making Peter whip his head towards me. "Hey, loser."
"H-hey," he greeted awkwardly as he crossed his arms and leaned back slightly, trying to look cool. I snorted under my breath at his dorkiness.
"Good to have you back," I greeted, wrapping my arms around his neck in a hug.
"Glad to be back," he said quietly, hugging me back as he held my waist.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Arm's length you two!" We turned our heads in unison to see my father walking towards us. Peter immediately dropped his arms as I rolled my eyes at both of them. "I'm just kidding," he smiled causing Peter to sigh in relief, slightly relaxing. "Not really, though. Arm's length." Peter took one solid big step away from me, sweating, as I threw my hands up in the air in annoyance.
"How was the ride up?" Father asked Peter but before he could Happy answered for him instead.
"Good."
"Give me a minute with the kid," Father said looking at Happy. Even though it was not specifically directed at me I knew he meant I leave too.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah, seriously?" I asked father, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.
"Yeah, I gotta talk to the kid."
"I'll be close behind."
"How about a loose follow? All right? Boundaries are good," father said before turning to me with a quirked eyebrow. His usual way of silently asking if I was going to listen to him this time.
"You really think me trailing behind will limit my annoying comments or hearing?" I asked, crossing my arms next to Peter. Father opened his mouth to respond but closed it silently, putting an arm around Peter to lead him to the conference room. I followed next to Peter but not before turning to Happy.
"Do not worry Happy. We are not going to get you fired for the fourth time," I half-joked.
"Forth time?" Peter whispered towards me, leaning down as he looked at me confused.
"Father has a lot of temper tantrums," I whispered back, chucklingly quietly.
"Sorry I took your suit. I mean, you had it coming. It turns out it was the perfect sort of tough-love moment that you needed, right? To urge you on, right? Wouldn't you think? Don't you think?" I blinked at him.
"Yeah, yeah, I guess," Peter answered awkwardly making me glare at father.
"You are just saying this because you so desperately want to be right in every situation. I mean seriously, is it that hard to admit that you were wrong and I was right, like always?"
"No you weren't, I was. Anyways," he shot back like a child, continuing to lead Peter towards the door and ignore me.
"You screwed the pooch hard. Big time. But then you did the right thing. Took the dog to the free clinic, you raised the hybrid puppies... All right, not my best analogy. I was wrong about you. I think, with a little more mentoring, you could be a real asset to the team." Please say no, please say no, please say no.
"To the... To the team?" Peter stammered astounded, looking at father and back at me. I nodded encouragingly, knowing it was his choice to make whether I liked it or not. It was bad enough I got sucked into the group, I really did not want him to have the same shitty fate.
"Yeah. Anyway..." he trailed off, pointing to the conference hall door. "There's about fifty reporters behind that door. Real ones, not bloggers."
"What do you have against bloggers?" He promptly ignored me, pressing some buttons on his watch making a secret compartment in the wall open up, revealing the Iron Spider amour.
"When you're ready... Why don't you try that on? And I'll introduce the world to the newest official member of the Avengers: Spider-Man." Father said dramatically, waving his hands in the sky as Peter slowly walked towards the suit, amazed.
"I..." He trailed off, chuckling in amazement.
"Yeah. Give that a look," father said as Peter continued to stare at the suit. I put a hand on his shoulder making sure he did not faint with shock or something.
"So, after the press conference, Happy will show you to your room, your new quarters," father explained before turning to Happy. "Where's he between? He's next to Vision?"
"I am next to Vision," I clarified smirking at my father. "Peters would be next to my room, actually," I gloated subtly causing father to turn to Happy. I glanced at Peter who was beet red but still did not take his eyes away from his suit.
"Make a note to change his room immediately," he whispered to Happy as he glared at me. Peter turned to my father hesitantly.
"Thank you, Mr. Stark. But I'm good." I quietly sighed in relief as father turned to him confused.
"You're good? Good? How are you good?"
"Well, I mean, I'm... I'd rather just stay on the ground for a little while. Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Somebody's got to look out for the little guy, right?" I suppressed a proud smile, pursing my lips as father took off his glasses and stared at him.
"You turned me down? You better think about this. Look at that. Look at me. Last chance, yes or no?"
"No." Now at that point, I was already grinning with pride.
"Okay. It's kind of a Springsteen-y, working-class hero vibe that I dig. Uh, Happy will take you home. Yeah?" Father said, turning to Happy as he tried to keep his cool.
"Yeah. Mind waiting in the car? I need a minute," Happy said nonchalantly. Both adults were trying to keep calm as I tried not to burst out laughing at their misery.
"Thank you, Mr. Stark."
"Yes, Mr. Parker. Very well," father said formally as they shook hands. Oh, I am thoroughly enjoying this.
"See you around."
"Okay."
They farewelled awkwardly, as I watched Peter walk away with a spring in his step. He comes to a slow halt and turns back as father hid away the suit in the wall.
"That was a test, right? There's, uh, nobody back there?"
"Uhm, yeah obviously. Good job, Webs! You passed with flying colors!" I lied cheerfully, smirking at my father in victory.
"Yes, you passed. All right, skedaddle there, young buck," father said waving his hand in the air for him to leave.
"Young buck?" I mouthed silently, turning towards him with a raised eyebrow.
"Thank you, Mr. Stark. Thank you," Peter thanked gratefully.
"Yeah, thank you," father replied, lying terribly.
"See you at school!" I exclaimed, waving causing him to look back at me with the cutest, dorkiest smile I have ever seen. He walked backward as he waved back at me.
"See you at school, Hails!" As I watched him go, I saw in my peripheral vision father reach into his pocket and hand me a twenty-dollar bill begrudgingly. I smirked and took it rather smugly.
"I forbid you from dating him."
"Too late for that," I laughed causing both of them to look at me with disbelief.
"Told you he's a good kid."
"Yeah well, I told both of you that months ago. But no, you never listen," I chastised smugly as I put the money in my pocket. "So...where is my promotion?"
"Why would you get a promotion?"
"I helped Parker beat the guy Happy was supposed to take care of. So I deserve a promotion too," I reasoned, throwing Happy under the bus causing him to give me a pointed look. Father sighed the typical stereotypical father sigh that he always seemed to do dramatically.
"Alright, kid. What do you want?"
"Head of the finance department?" I asked eagerly, without skipping a beat. What? I like budgets, okay?
"Aren't you already head of the finance department?"
"No, James Borden runs it. And he does an atrocious job at it, by the way." I informed honestly, shuddering as I remembered the time he lost five million dollars to a project budget. We never did figure out what happened to it. But we all agreed it was most likely due to embezzlement since, you know, capitalistic corruption.
I still have no idea how he still has his job.
"Fine, but you're firing him."
"Deal. And I want my curfew pushed back to midnight," I demanded, crossing my arms making father sputter.
"Hold on-"
"12:30."
"You can't ju-"
"1 AM."
"I've created a monster," he said defeated, throwing his hands making me grin.
"It was your excellent parenting skills," I said, putting a hand on where my heart would be.
Just then, the hall door opens, revealing Pepper and a room full of reporters. She looks around and becomes quickly annoyed when she does not see Peter.
"Where's the kid?" She demanded, looking confused.
"He left," Happy answered simply making her look even more done with today.
"Everybody's waiting."
"You know what? He actually made a really mature choice. It just surprised the heck out of us," father said pointing to him and Happy. Pepper looked at me for an explanation.
"It really did not surprise me. I tried to tell them he was not going to go for it but they just did not listen," I defended myself, putting my hands in the air in defeat. Father and Happy looked at me annoyed as Pepper looked at them completely irritated.
"Did you guys screw this up?"
"He told the kid to go wait in the car," father said, pointing at Happy like a five-year-old child.
"Are you kidding me? I have a room full of people in there waiting for some big announcement. What am I gonna tell them?" Pepper asked defeated as I tried to think of something.
"Think of something. How about, um... Hap, you still got that ring?" Father asked, turning to him causing Happy to pat his pockets, surprised.
"Do I... I, uh..." he stammered as he searched his pockets.
"The engagement ring?"
"Are you kidding? I've been carrying this since 2008," Happy said, as he held up a large diamond ring. Pepper and I stared at them before I locked eyes with Pep.
"Last chance to make a run for it, I can distract them while you sprint to the nearest exit," I offered supportively as father gave me a look. "What?"
"I think I can think of something better than that."
"Well, it would buy us a little time," father reasoned before Pepper kissed him with a smile. "Like we need time." Pepper heads to the door but before shaking her head at Happy.
"I can't believe you have that thing in your pocket."
"Yeah you take your job way too seriously man," I comment as Pepper started to open the door. I step slightly farther away from the door just in case anyone spots me.
"Want me to get the door for you, hon?"
"I got it." Pepper heads through the door as father quickly followed her but before catching the ring Happy threw at him. I grinned as Happy and I shared a look.
"Cool. I have a step-mom now."