Chapter summary:
"I know you don't want to be there, but you don't have much choice. The plane will be ready in two hours," Pepper said.
"Nah, it's okay. Today's not Peter's day anyway, the Hong Kong meeting can't be postponed, you're right."
Or, Tony will fly to China for a meeting on the day Peter is due to be in the Tower for his lab day.
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"Thank you, Friday," Peter said as he stepped out of the elevator into the penthouse. He couldn't wait to see what they would do with Mr. Stark today. Besides, May had a night shift and tomorrow was Saturday, so he didn't have to rush back home.
"Tony, I swear to God, if you didn't take the plane-" said a woman's voice, and then Pepper freaking Potts stood right in front of him. "Oh, you're not Tony."
"Well, you're definitely not Tony Stark," Peter said, trying to keep calm. He just talked to Pepper freaking Potts!
"I believe I am not. And you must be Peter, am I right?" she asked with a small smile, and Peter could die right now. Pepper Potts knew who he was.
"That wou-ld be m-e. Nice to meet y-ou, Miss Pot-ts," he said shakily, holding out his hand.
"It's nice to meet you. Didn't you think it was about time?" she said with a smile and shook his hand. "Oh, and please call me Pepper."
"Oh, as you wish, Mis- I mean, Pepper." Holy crap, he was on the first-name basis with Pepper Potts, the CEO of Stark Industries.
"So, what are you doing here?" she asked slightly confused, and Peter remembered that she had said something about the plane.
"Well, I should have had a lab day with Mr. Stark, but I guess he's not here today," he explained, and Pepper frowned slightly.
"He had to go to China, but he said you shouldn't have come today. Are you sure your lab day is today?"
"One hundred percent. You see, I wasn't here last Friday, so it's definitely my lab day today," he said, and Pepper remembered that she and Tony had gone to Malibu last Friday, so Peter couldn't be here.
"I'm so sorry, Peter, but Tony won't be back until tomorrow night. He wouldn't leave if he wasn't sure you weren't coming tonight."
"Nah, that's all right. I know he's in charge of the more important things. I'll just come back in two weeks. However, I'm glad to meet you. You're amazing, you know that?" he said, and in the last sentence his face flushed. He certainly did not want to say it out loud.
"It's said about me," she laughed. "You know, I'm not Tony, but while you're here, you could stay. My dear fiancé never introduced us and keeps you all to himself. I just have to listen to him forever talking about you, so how about we spend some time together?" she suggested. Peter opened his mouth but immediately closed it again. Did she really suggest that he will stay with her here? And does Mr. Stark really talk about him with his fiancee?
"I don't want to bother you, Miss Potts," he murmured, correcting himself as she gave him one of her sterns looks. "I mean, Pepper."
"No problem. Could you keep me company while I'm here alone? Maybe we could make a sleepover, what do you think? I think Tony would fly out of his skin," she smirked, and Peter laughed. He always admired Pepper for what she did, but she always looked pretty serious. He didn't know she was the same as Tony.
"I'd have to call May, but since she's having a night shift, I don't think that's going to be a problem," he replied.
"Wonderful, why don't you call her and I'll prepare a guest room in the meantime?" she asked, but she was gone before he could answer. Peter pulled the phone out of his pocket and checked the time. By this time May was on her way to the hospital, so he wrote her a quick text explaining the current situation. She will read it when she arrives at work.
"The boss lady is in the kitchen now. You can join her," Friday announced.
"Oh, thanks," he said, walking toward the kitchen. The kitchen and the lab were the only rooms he always visited when he was in the penthouse, so he knew the way.
"So, I know it's early for dinner, but I remember Tony saying something about you having a quick metabolism, so I thought we could cook something. Can you cook? Because believe me when I say Tony can't," she said with a laugh, and Peter smiled too. It might have occurred to him that Pepper would know about his spider self.
"Surprisingly, I can while my aunt doesn't. She has a special gift to burn everything, so the kitchen is my territory."
"Perfect, cooking can be our thing. So if you want, I understand that the boys at your age probably don't take much cooking. Well, boys at any age," she said, and Peter would almost say she was a little nervous, but it just had to seem to him. How could Pepper Potts get nervous about an ordinary boy like him?
"I'd love to. Cooking is like chemistry!" he said, and Pepper laughed at his comparison. She could see why Tony liked this 15-year-old boy so much. It was almost as if he had some magic around him. It seemed to her that she had known him all her life and not that they had only met a few minutes ago.
"Any special wishes?"
"Probably not, I eat almost everything," he murmured.
"Well, what do you say about salmon with baked potatoes and some salad? Tony hates fish, so whenever he's not at home I use it," she explained. Peter couldn't remember when he last had salmon, it sounded very tempting.
"Then use it," he said with a smile.
"Incoming call from the boss," Friday said.
"Accept it," Pepper sneered as she began preparing the necessary ingredients on the table.
"It's terrible here without you, Pepper."
"Is it now? I'm fine. Actually more than fine," she teased.
"Auch, you're hurting my feelings."
"Can you open it for me, honey?" she asked, handing him a glass of mayonnaise. Peter saw a grin on her face as he took the glass from her and then heard a gasp from the other side of the call.
"What was that?" Tony asked sharply.
"Oh, that? I was just asking my guest if he could open the mayonnaise cloak," Pepper explained innocently.
"Excuse me?! Who is this? Do I need to go home right now? Don't play with me, Miss Potts!"
"Don't be jealous. Only Peter is here."
"Peter?"
"You turned out to be wrong. Today is Peter's lab day. But don't worry, we'll cook the salmon and then we'll have a sleepover."
"Peter, are you there?"
"Yeah, hi, Mr. Stark."
"Are you trying to steal my kid, Miss Potts?!"
"Of course not. Just show him what it's like to spend time in a quality company."
"He already knows that!"
"In your dreams."
"Give up, everyone knows I'm a boy's favorite."
"Are you?"
"Yes."
"Well, I don't think so."
"I don't want to be rude, but Pepper and I should get back to cooking. You know, fast metabolism," Peter interrupted their bickering.
"Wait a minute. Pepper and you?! Are you on the first-name basis with my fiancée after you've spent five minutes with her?!"
"She is Pepper Potts," he explained.
"That's it. I'm going home."
"Don't you dare. Deal with it, I am a boy's favorite now. I'll see you tomorrow night, I love you," she said, instructing Friday to end the call.
"I have to ask. Was he serious?"
"About returning home? No. About you? Yes."
"Wow, he really cares, doesn't he?" he asked, and Pepper's expression softened. Ah, these guys.
"Pete, listen to me well. I know it's not easy with Tony most of the time, and he's not showing much of his emotions, but trust me, he cares. And especially about you."
"Who would have said?"
"Probably nobody. Why don't we start cooking and you won't tell me more about yourself?"
"That sounds great."