You Are Not Tony Stark

Excuse Me? Building?

Chapter summary:

             

"The night shifts are better paid, and we need the  money. I don't know why you're doing such a big thing about it. You like  spending time with Tony,  and especially with Pepper."

"Yeah, but I feel like I'm just bothering them, May."

"That's just your feeling."

Or, it is common that Peter spends his time in the Tower whenever May  is at work, but it's the first time his nightmares catch him there.

           

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Pepper woke up in bed alone and sighed. This  custom of Tony's insomnia was known to her, especially in the Mandarin  period, but since Peter joined their lives, this bad habit has slowly  disappeared. At least she thought so, not always they went to bed  together, but for that, whenever she woke up, Tony peacefully slept  beside her.

Not today.

She flipped the cardigan over herself and walked slowly into the  kitchen, planning to enjoy a large cup of good coffee. But there was a  surprise in the living room along the way. She found Tony and Peter  curled up on the couch. And she was really shocked. It took Tony a lot  of time to hug her and feel comfortable about it. Sometimes they had a  'fraternal' hug with Rhodey, but that's it. And now she finds him  getting a cuddle with their boy. Well, not theirs. Peter was May's kid,  she really should stop thinking about him like hers.

"I hope you took a lot of pictures, Friday," she whispered while enjoying the view.

"Of course, boss lady. I also created a new album called Family."

Pepper's smile widened even more than she quietly walked to the couch, giving both boys a kiss on the forehead.

"If you want to laugh, please keep it for later. We had a pretty busy  night," Tony murmured, suddenly awake. He probably didn't sleep too  hard.

"Not at all, I just made sure Friday took a lot of pictures. What  does it matter?" she asked worried, noticing how tired her fiancé  looked.

"Peter had a nightmare. A terrible one," he replied, checking to see  if the boy was asleep. He managed to fall asleep early in the morning.

"About what?"

"Remember the moving fiasco a few months ago?"

"Yeah, you can't forget that," she snorted.

"I didn't tell you because you had enough of your worries and you  didn't know Peter personally at that time. And when you two became so  close, I didn't want to tell you because I know it would hurt you," Tony  muttered.

"You scare me a little, Tony. What's going on?"

"At that time I wasn't so close to Peter,  but I still wanted the best for him. But he decided not to listen to me  in anything I told him. Once I got mad and took him the suit I gave him  after Germany. Then it became that fiasco with moving  during which the Vulture guy threw the whole building on him. He  thought he'd die, Pepper, and he was all alone. It seems to be chasing  him in dreams," he explained at last, and Pepper could not speak for a  moment.   

"Excuse me? Building?"   

"I know," he sighed.   

"You know what? Why don't you go to bed and I'll take care of him," she suggested.   

"Are you sure?"

"Yes,  now get out," she ordered, and he rose. Pepper immediately took his  place and Peter snuggled up to her as he had been to Tony before.

"Nah, now I see it. You just wanted my place."

"I'm not denying it. Now go get a few hours of sleep."

"Goodnight then," he said, kissing her cheek before going to the bedroom.   

Pepper gave a loving look to her boy in her  arms. She couldn't believe it! Building! What kind of person do that to a  child?! The guy's lucky he's in jail because if Pepper had to deal with  him, the guy would have been begging her to send him to jail.

"Mr. Stark?" snatched her from thinking about the cruelty she would do to the villain, a thin voice.   

"It's Pepper," she said quietly, her hand running through his hair.   

"Oh," was all he said and snuggled even more to her. She knew he was already awake, even though his eyes were still closed.   

"Tony told me what happened. I'm so sorry, honey, I had no idea."   

"It's all right. Sometimes I have nightmares  about it, but otherwise, I'm fine. The incident was very unpleasant and  I don't want to repeat it, but it taught me a lot," he murmured.   

"You're the bravest man I know, you know that?"   

"Ah, I wouldn't say that."   

"Well, but I do, and what I say in this family it is true,"  she said with a smile, and Peter finally opened his eyes to her  statement. She probably just slipped it out or didn't mean it like him,  but it still warmed his heart.

"I'd bet. After all, you're Pepper Potts,"  he laughed, and Pepper liked to hear his laugh after she'd learned of  the horrible things just a moment ago.   

"That's right. And as Pepper Potts, I think  it's time for a hot chocolate, what do you think?" she asked, and Peter  immediately changed his position from lying to sitting.   

"You have hot chocolate?!"   

"Of course, who do you have me for? A fork? It's my favorite drink."   

"You're just kidding, right?"   

"I never joke about these things," she explained and got up from the couch to reach the kitchen as her very original plan was.   

"With marshmallow?" he asked hopefully, following her into the kitchen.   

"Only with marshmallow," she said, taking a bag of candy on the table.   

"Pepper?"   

"Yes?"   

"You're the best," he said with a smile that she returned.   

"And you haven't heard about breakfast yet. What would you say about pancakes with chocolate chips?"   

"Can you do them for me?" he asked with sparks in his eyes and a huge smile on his face.   

"Anything for you, Pete," she replied  honestly, and before she reached the top shelf for chocolate, two hands  wrapped around her and she was trapped in a hug.   

"Have I heard anything about chocolate pancakes?" the third voice interrupted.   

"Yeah, but I thought you were supposed to sleep?" Pepper replied without interrupting her hug with Peter.   

"I just wanted to check on you."   

"Well, we're fine. And you won't get the pancakes until you have at least two hours of good sleep," she said.   

"That's cruel, Pepper," he murmured, but he smiled. There was nothing else to do but smile at the sight of the two.   

"Goodnight, Mr. Stark," Peter smirked, and Tony laughed.   

"Goodnight, kid. Leave me some pancakes, okay?"   

"I'll see what can be done."