A lopsided grin creeps over Peter's lips at that response. Dr. Strange, aptly named if you asked Peter, certainly comes in handy, he finds himself thinking. "Cool, uh, have you been home yet, or...?" he asks, lifting his eyebrows and shifting his backpack a little on his shoulders to redistribute the weight. "Did you eat or anything? I could eat," he points out.
Peter can always eat. May sometimes says he's going to eat them out of house and home and he always comes back with "I'm a growing boy, Aunt May, I can't help it," and then they laugh and he stuffs his face and she complains that he never gains an ounce even though he eats like he's perpetually starving.
Mr. Stark draws Peter into a hug with his good arm and that still feels weird. Good weird, but weird. He's still getting used to that. "This is still nice," he points out quickly with a smirk as he hugs Mr. Stark back in earnest, with both arms since he's got 'em.
"How are you feeling?" he asks. There's concern in his face but he's at least careful to keep it out of his words. Eh, you win some, you lose some.
"No, not yet. Want to go grab something to eat? I feel like I haven't had good pizza in way too long."
Although he knows Happy might be tempted to protest about how he needs to get him home before Pepper kills him for taking such a long detour, at the same time he knows that Tony getting something to eat is good. And seeing Peter is definitely good for his spirits, so obviously this is a good kind of detour.
Besides, he has a surprise for Peter in terms of where he's staying at least for the next few weeks while he goes through therapy sessions and follow up appointments. If he needs to go home, the Starks are staying at a loft in Manhattan so the trek to get home wouldn't be as long as it would be if they had to go back to the lake house.
Peter's comment about how the hug is still nice makes him chuckle under his breath. "Yeah, it's not bad."
There's an affectionate tone in his voice that makes it clear that this is more than just not bad. It really is nice, and he's just glad that he actually gets to do this now.
"I'm good. Better, at least." He smiles, as if to assure him that it's okay. He's okay, at least he's no longer in danger of dying how he had been during those first few weeks when he couldn't even wake up.
"How about you?" There's concern in his expression, too. It may not be the same as Peter's, but he is still worried about him and the adjusting he must be going through as he tries to make up lost time. "Easing back into things okay?"
"Oh man, pizza sounds awesome," Peter realizes aloud. He hasn't had any since he got back, so it's been a little while for him, too. Not nearly as long, but all the same. In teen years, it's been a millennium since his last slice of pizza. Luckily, they live in New York City, home of the best pizza in America. He would say in the world, but he's betting Italy has them beat. He'll have to find out someday.
It's kind of a lot for Peter to wrap his head around this new Mr. Stark. He's more affectionate and open, for one thing, but Peter learned that Mr. Stark is a dad now. He'd steadfastly ignored the little pang of jealousy that had come with that news because it's not like he had any right to feel it. It's just that in the wake of Uncle Ben's death, Mr. Stark is as close as he's got and he came back and now he has to suddenly share. That sounds so childish in his head...
Peter smiles a little and nods, glad to hear that things are getting better for his mentor. "You'll be back at a hundred percent in no time, I bet," he says confidently. It's hard to imagine Mr. Stark not at one hundred percent and if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it in a million years.
He shifts his bag again and looks away for a second before looking back. That question is loaded. "At least Ned is still my age," he offers with a weak smile. Half of his class has moved on. It's weird now. He's not sure how he's ever really going to adjust to that, or even if he'll ever adjust to it before graduation. He sure hopes he doesn't feel this uncomfortable about it for that long...
"How's Ms. Potts?" he asks. "I mean, after all the..." his voice trails off and he shrugs a little. Mr. Stark probably knows what he means. Titan. Everything.
Peter Parker may not share his name, or his blood, but in Tony's eyes that doesn't matter. Not that he has explicitly said that, but if there's one thing that Thanos made him realize is that the kid means more to him than he had ever been ready to admit to himself. He knew he cared, of course, but the level at which he does isn't the same as it is with the rest of the team. That had been why, when he had seen him alive, and breathing, and rambling a thousand words a minute on the battlefield, all he could do was stare in amazement that he was back. That he was okay. That alone had made the time heist absolutely worth it and, even with everything that happened, he would do it again in a heartbeat.
"Yeah. Just need some more time, but I'll get there."
At Peter's response, he nods slightly, sympathetically. It was probably selfish, to ask for the last five years to remain as thy were because otherwise it would have meant that his daughter wouldn't have been born, but he couldn't help it. He feels awful for Peter, and how he must feel with those years lost, but at the same time he couldn't just erase Morgan, either.
He wraps an arm around his shoulders to guide him to the car as he speaks. "She's good. I think she's just glad all this mess is over. She and Morgan are settling in at our new place, actually." He opens the door for Peter with a smile as he explains. "We're moving back to the city for a while. I've got some follow up stuff to do with all this," he motions to his arm, "so...you'll be seeing us around a lot more, I think."
It's at least comforting to know that Mr. Stark also has confidence in the fact that he'll be better soon. It's weird to think about anything other than Mr. Stark getting better and continuing on with his life as normal. ...it's weird to think about the fact that what's normal for Mr. Stark is very much the opposite, now, for Peter. He'll adjust and that will change, but for now, it's a lot.
Peter lets himself be guided into the car and he ignores that pang of jealousy again when he hears Morgan's name, because it's still mostly foreign and he needs to get over that. He really needs to get over that. "Good, I'm glad," he replies. He likes Ms. Potts a lot, actually. He wonders if she'd get along with Aunt May if they'd met under different circumstances; if they'd be friends. Maybe they do get along and maybe they are friends and that's just more to add to the list of things he's missed in the time he was gone.
But when Mr. Stark goes on to say that they're moving back to the city for a while, Peter's face lights up. "Really?" he asks before he can stop himself. It sounds overzealous and, honestly, very Peter Parker of him. It's exciting to think that he'll get to see them more often. It's hard to miss the people around you when you don't actually exist, but when he looks around and sees the signs of the missing years, even if he doesn't remember them passing him by, he still feels like he misses the way things were and the people he loves being the way they used to be before everything went crazy and so many people got hurt.
Forcing composure on himself, Peter grins a little too widely and squirms a little in his seat with excitement as the car starts moving. "For how long, do you think?" And, before he can stop himself, partially because he wants a reason to spend more time with Mr. Stark and partially because he knows he really should and he's always wanted siblings, even if she wouldn't technically be his sister, he tacks on, "I gotta know how much time I have to show Morgan all kinds of cool stuff. Top Secret cool stuff, obviously."
Once in the car, Tony asks Happy to drive them to his usual pizza place, and after Happy greets the kid they’re on their way.
Peter’s reaction to the news that they’re going to be in the city again makes him chuckle, one more thing he’s glad to see again, and he nods.
“Yeah, really. Commuting is a pain, and it would have been hard for you to swing by when the other house is now so far out into the country, so...”
He says it casually, but he specifically mentions the part about Peter being able to now swing by the loft easier, because he hopes he knows that’s something he hopes he’ll do. Just because five years passed, it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t count Peter as part of his life anymore. Being an Avenger for Tony is now something he can’t do - something he’ll have to break the news to Peter soon - but Peter will always have a spot in his life.
When he mentions he has to teach Morgan ‘top secret cool stuff,’ Tony’s smile grows. He can’t help it.
“As of right now, indefinitely. So you should be good on time. She’s never lived in the city, so you’ll definitely need to show her what she’s missed.” He pauses but it’s brief. “She’s really excited to meet you, you know. She’s...heard a lot about you already.”
And not even just recently. He says it now so that Morgan won’t take him by surprise when she starts rambling to him and asking him to show her how he can swing around, because knowing his daughter, that’s exactly what she’ll do.
The hint in that statement is sort of lost to Peter, mostly because he's more focused on the fact that they'll be in the city and not out in the country where he'll be out of sight and out of mind. A logical part of his brain tells Peter that there's no out of sight, out of mind, not with Mr. Stark, otherwise they wouldn't be having this conversation right now. Peter was out of sight for five years. But the normal, teenage, emotional part of his brain just wants to focus on the part where maybe if Mr. Stark is in the city, then he won't forget that Peter's around, now.
His eyebrows lift a little with surprise at the comment that Morgan has heard a lot about him. "Really?" he asks. Peter is genuinely surprised about that even though if he thought about it for a moment, he wouldn't be. For all intents and purposes, Peter had been dead to them. People always tell their children about those they've lost and they always paint a rosy glow.
But then he's thinking about all the things he could show Mr. Stark's kid because it sounds like Mr. Stark is giving his blessing and he's wondering how much trouble he would be in with Ms. Potts if he scooped their kid up and swung around Queens to show her all the cool places she won't get to see when she's in Manhattan. Or if he'll be allowed to take her to a bodega or on the ferry or half a million other things that a kid who grew up in the country wouldn't have ever experienced.
Maybe if Morgan is a part of Peter's life, too, and he hers, then the sharing won't feel so bad.
"Does she know about Iron Man and Spider-Man and the Avengers and everything or is she too little...?" he finds himself asking.
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Peter can always eat. May sometimes says he's going to eat them out of house and home and he always comes back with "I'm a growing boy, Aunt May, I can't help it," and then they laugh and he stuffs his face and she complains that he never gains an ounce even though he eats like he's perpetually starving.
Mr. Stark draws Peter into a hug with his good arm and that still feels weird. Good weird, but weird. He's still getting used to that. "This is still nice," he points out quickly with a smirk as he hugs Mr. Stark back in earnest, with both arms since he's got 'em.
"How are you feeling?" he asks. There's concern in his face but he's at least careful to keep it out of his words. Eh, you win some, you lose some.
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Although he knows Happy might be tempted to protest about how he needs to get him home before Pepper kills him for taking such a long detour, at the same time he knows that Tony getting something to eat is good. And seeing Peter is definitely good for his spirits, so obviously this is a good kind of detour.
Besides, he has a surprise for Peter in terms of where he's staying at least for the next few weeks while he goes through therapy sessions and follow up appointments. If he needs to go home, the Starks are staying at a loft in Manhattan so the trek to get home wouldn't be as long as it would be if they had to go back to the lake house.
Peter's comment about how the hug is still nice makes him chuckle under his breath. "Yeah, it's not bad."
There's an affectionate tone in his voice that makes it clear that this is more than just not bad. It really is nice, and he's just glad that he actually gets to do this now.
"I'm good. Better, at least." He smiles, as if to assure him that it's okay. He's okay, at least he's no longer in danger of dying how he had been during those first few weeks when he couldn't even wake up.
"How about you?" There's concern in his expression, too. It may not be the same as Peter's, but he is still worried about him and the adjusting he must be going through as he tries to make up lost time. "Easing back into things okay?"
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It's kind of a lot for Peter to wrap his head around this new Mr. Stark. He's more affectionate and open, for one thing, but Peter learned that Mr. Stark is a dad now. He'd steadfastly ignored the little pang of jealousy that had come with that news because it's not like he had any right to feel it. It's just that in the wake of Uncle Ben's death, Mr. Stark is as close as he's got and he came back and now he has to suddenly share. That sounds so childish in his head...
Peter smiles a little and nods, glad to hear that things are getting better for his mentor. "You'll be back at a hundred percent in no time, I bet," he says confidently. It's hard to imagine Mr. Stark not at one hundred percent and if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it in a million years.
He shifts his bag again and looks away for a second before looking back. That question is loaded. "At least Ned is still my age," he offers with a weak smile. Half of his class has moved on. It's weird now. He's not sure how he's ever really going to adjust to that, or even if he'll ever adjust to it before graduation. He sure hopes he doesn't feel this uncomfortable about it for that long...
"How's Ms. Potts?" he asks. "I mean, after all the..." his voice trails off and he shrugs a little. Mr. Stark probably knows what he means. Titan. Everything.
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Peter Parker may not share his name, or his blood, but in Tony's eyes that doesn't matter. Not that he has explicitly said that, but if there's one thing that Thanos made him realize is that the kid means more to him than he had ever been ready to admit to himself. He knew he cared, of course, but the level at which he does isn't the same as it is with the rest of the team. That had been why, when he had seen him alive, and breathing, and rambling a thousand words a minute on the battlefield, all he could do was stare in amazement that he was back. That he was okay. That alone had made the time heist absolutely worth it and, even with everything that happened, he would do it again in a heartbeat.
"Yeah. Just need some more time, but I'll get there."
At Peter's response, he nods slightly, sympathetically. It was probably selfish, to ask for the last five years to remain as thy were because otherwise it would have meant that his daughter wouldn't have been born, but he couldn't help it. He feels awful for Peter, and how he must feel with those years lost, but at the same time he couldn't just erase Morgan, either.
He wraps an arm around his shoulders to guide him to the car as he speaks. "She's good. I think she's just glad all this mess is over. She and Morgan are settling in at our new place, actually." He opens the door for Peter with a smile as he explains. "We're moving back to the city for a while. I've got some follow up stuff to do with all this," he motions to his arm, "so...you'll be seeing us around a lot more, I think."
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Peter lets himself be guided into the car and he ignores that pang of jealousy again when he hears Morgan's name, because it's still mostly foreign and he needs to get over that. He really needs to get over that. "Good, I'm glad," he replies. He likes Ms. Potts a lot, actually. He wonders if she'd get along with Aunt May if they'd met under different circumstances; if they'd be friends. Maybe they do get along and maybe they are friends and that's just more to add to the list of things he's missed in the time he was gone.
But when Mr. Stark goes on to say that they're moving back to the city for a while, Peter's face lights up. "Really?" he asks before he can stop himself. It sounds overzealous and, honestly, very Peter Parker of him. It's exciting to think that he'll get to see them more often. It's hard to miss the people around you when you don't actually exist, but when he looks around and sees the signs of the missing years, even if he doesn't remember them passing him by, he still feels like he misses the way things were and the people he loves being the way they used to be before everything went crazy and so many people got hurt.
Forcing composure on himself, Peter grins a little too widely and squirms a little in his seat with excitement as the car starts moving. "For how long, do you think?" And, before he can stop himself, partially because he wants a reason to spend more time with Mr. Stark and partially because he knows he really should and he's always wanted siblings, even if she wouldn't technically be his sister, he tacks on, "I gotta know how much time I have to show Morgan all kinds of cool stuff. Top Secret cool stuff, obviously."
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Peter’s reaction to the news that they’re going to be in the city again makes him chuckle, one more thing he’s glad to see again, and he nods.
“Yeah, really. Commuting is a pain, and it would have been hard for you to swing by when the other house is now so far out into the country, so...”
He says it casually, but he specifically mentions the part about Peter being able to now swing by the loft easier, because he hopes he knows that’s something he hopes he’ll do. Just because five years passed, it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t count Peter as part of his life anymore. Being an Avenger for Tony is now something he can’t do - something he’ll have to break the news to Peter soon - but Peter will always have a spot in his life.
When he mentions he has to teach Morgan ‘top secret cool stuff,’ Tony’s smile grows. He can’t help it.
“As of right now, indefinitely. So you should be good on time. She’s never lived in the city, so you’ll definitely need to show her what she’s missed.” He pauses but it’s brief. “She’s really excited to meet you, you know. She’s...heard a lot about you already.”
And not even just recently. He says it now so that Morgan won’t take him by surprise when she starts rambling to him and asking him to show her how he can swing around, because knowing his daughter, that’s exactly what she’ll do.
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His eyebrows lift a little with surprise at the comment that Morgan has heard a lot about him. "Really?" he asks. Peter is genuinely surprised about that even though if he thought about it for a moment, he wouldn't be. For all intents and purposes, Peter had been dead to them. People always tell their children about those they've lost and they always paint a rosy glow.
But then he's thinking about all the things he could show Mr. Stark's kid because it sounds like Mr. Stark is giving his blessing and he's wondering how much trouble he would be in with Ms. Potts if he scooped their kid up and swung around Queens to show her all the cool places she won't get to see when she's in Manhattan. Or if he'll be allowed to take her to a bodega or on the ferry or half a million other things that a kid who grew up in the country wouldn't have ever experienced.
Maybe if Morgan is a part of Peter's life, too, and he hers, then the sharing won't feel so bad.
"Does she know about Iron Man and Spider-Man and the Avengers and everything or is she too little...?" he finds himself asking.