Because He Loves Me

Chapter 13: Welcome Back and Goodbyes

Peter was late to school the next day, regardless of the early bedtime he had received. He missed breakfast but still missed homeroom and was half an hour late to his first class. The first class teacher was a mean one, so Peter left the school and went to get breakfast a few blocks away, ate it in peace and then went back to the building for second class. Peter couldn't care less if he was marked absent for the day, he would be called out soon. Second class started at 9:05, but Peter was waiting outside at 8:58. Lauren, a girl from Peter's homeroom and first class walked up to him. 

"Didn't see you in homeroom. Or social studies." Lauren said. Peter looked up from the floor. 

"Oh, hey Lauren. Uh, I was there. You just didn't see me." Peter knew he would never get away with such a stupid lie. 

"Peter, where were you, I needed your notes!" Ned said, walking up to Lauren and Peter. Lauren raised an eyebrow at Peter in disbelief. 

"I can't believe you." she scoffed and turned to walk away. 

"Wait, Lauren!" Peter ran in front of her. 

"Peter, I'm Kassidy's best friend. I know what's going on." Lauren snapped. 

"Oh. Wait, she told you?" Peter asked. Lauren nodded. 

"Of course. Kassidy doesn't keep secrets from me. And she doesn't lie. Unlike her brother." Lauren pushed past Peter, and he had to sprint a short distance again to stop her. 

"Lauren, what did Kassidy tell you?" Peter asked, out of breath. 

"She had to exchange to another school in Europe. She told me everything." Lauren said. 

"Yeah right she doesn't lie." Peter muttered. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Lauren. 

"Uh, nothing." Peter said worriedly. 

"You're a liar. And you're really bad at it." Lauren said. Then her eyes flickered around his face then she raised an eyebrow again. "Kassidy didn't go to Europe, did she?" 

"No, no she did." Peter said. 

"Mmhm. But it wasn't for a different school was it?" Lauren asked. Peter sighed. He would never be able to get a lie past her. 

"Lauren, I-.......Kassidy had to go to Europe for training in a new subject. I'm not really in on all the details, and I'm not supposed to tell anyone." Peter said. "I know you like gossiping, but if you're really friends with Kassidy, you'll keep the secret." Lauren stared at him for a second, then shrugged and walked away. 

"Peter, come on!" Ned called, the door was opening and Peter couldn't be late... again. 

Three hours later

Pepper had been hugging onto Kassidy for the past few minutes, and it had become awkward a while ago. Pepper didn't seem to sense that, or didn't care, because she kept holding on. Finally, Tony broke them apart to tell Pepper he was going to get Peter. He was going to get his son earlier than expected because they needed a talk beforehand. 

"Peter Parker Stark, please." Tony said in the office of the school. "I'm taking him out early today." A few minutes later Peter came to a skidding halt outside the office, out of breath. Once they were in the car, Peter started hopping against his seat belt.

"Since when is my car seat hopping?" asked  Tony. 

"Since you took me out just after lunch started, I must be in trouble." Peter said, still nervously hopping. 

"Okay, okay kid calm down." Tony said, putting his hand on Peter's leg to make him stop hopping. "You aren't in trouble, we just need to have a talk first."  Peter looked at Tony, then paled. 

"Oh um.....okay then." Peter said. 

"I got a very interesting email from the school this morning." Tony said, raising an eyebrow.. Peter didn't give him a second to continue. 

"Well basically I missed breakfast but I was still late cause I set the alarm I really did but it I forgot to plug it in and then I was already late for first class but it was like almost over so I went into town and bought breakfast and went back for second class and I was really good for the rest of the day." Peter said in one breath. 

"Mmhm." Tony said. "Peter are you shaking?" 

"It's cold." Peter replied. 

"Well then," Tony said. "I think you need your bottom warmed." Peter groaned. 

There was a silence in the car for the entire way home, then Peter hopped out with surprising speed and sprinted to the elevator inside. He was already at the sixth floor when Tony got into the building, and Peter rode the elevator all the way up to the top floor where the jet was. By the time Tony arrived Peter and Kassidy were hugging and Peter seemed to be whispering something to her. She whispered back something that looked like "I know" but Tony didn't know for sure. 

When Kassidy and Natasha climbed on board the jet, everyone seemed to be getting in their last words and hugs before they could leave. Finally, Natasha announced that they were supposed to leave five minutes ago, and most of the people backed of. Peter and Tony didn't. Pepper was standing on the platform, trying to get Peter to come back. Kassidy told them both she was fine, and before either could reply Pepper dragged them both back down to the roof. The door to the jet closed and Kassidy looked out the window, waving. The Avengers all looked at they usually did, still waving. Peter and Pepper were crying. Tony was standing right behind his son, who was crying into him, desperately begging for something Tony kept shaking his head at. Pepper was trying to calm Peter by hugging him with one arm and running the other through his hair. While Peter could never imagine doing some of the most responsible things Kassidy did, Kassidy could never imagine doing what Peter did terribly often; cry in front of anyone. The Avengers, her parents, her brother. That would be absolutely mortifying to a girl who had spent her entire life trying to hide any petty emotion. 

Meanwhile

Since the plane takeoff, Peter had been begging Tony to let him go to Russia with Kassidy. Kassidy and Natasha had flown off several hours ago and if Tony hadn't been tired with Peters begging twenty minutes after it started, he finally was now. 

"Peter, I know you want to be with your sister, but you can't go and you know it." Tony said. Most times after Peter asked the repeating question, Tony just shook his head. But each time Tony gave a verbal response, Peter felt like crying. And that made Tony feel awful, too. Tony pulled his son into another hug, where Peter finally caught a breath and calmed down. Most times when Peter was upset, the only thing he needed was a hug to remind him that he was loved.