By the middle of August, Peter feels like he's living the same day over and over.
Sleep in until 11. Pick up Morgan from her half-day camp at noon. Make lunch. Watch cartoons, Disney movies, and play board games to keep her occupied until Pepper gets home from work. Forget that school starts in two weeks.
They're sitting on the carpet in the living room with the Pretty Pretty Princess board between them, plastic jewelry strewn about, the spinner in Peter's hand. It's not exactly where he wishes he were, but time with Morgan is better than sitting in his room alone.
Currently, he's wearing a bright blue necklace and bracelet, as well as the black ring on his right pinkie finger.
He spins the dial and it lands on an earring space. He grabs one blue earring and places it down in front of him.
"Petey, you have to put the earring on if you wanna be the princess!"
Peter does not, in fact, want to be the princess, but he musters up a fake smile for Morgan, one he hopes she's too focused to see through.
"I have the black ring, Mo," he says with a laugh, lifting his hand. "I'm going to lose anyway."
"You're not gonna win if you act like that," Morgan explains, taking the spinner from Peter. She's a bracelet away from winning the crown.
It's at the exact moment that the spinner lands on the same number of spaces that transfer the black ring from Peter to Morgan that Pepper walks through the door. Morgan is suddenly distracted, drops the spinner before she can see the outcome and throws herself at Pepper in the doorway.
Peter takes the opportunity to fix the spinner to the spaces Morgan needs to win.
"Don't I look pretty, Mommy?" Morgan asks as Pepper picks her up and gives her a kiss on her head.
"You and Peter both look exquisite," she exclaims, playing along.
"Looks like someone won a bracelet," Peter says, picking up the pink piece of jewelry from the pile. "And a crown!"
"Yes!" Morgan cheers, scurrying out of Pepper's arms and toward the game.
"You're relieved of your duties, Peter," Pepper jokes, and he gladly removes his jewelry and cleans the game up.
Morgan pouts "But we didn't get to play Hungry Hungry Hippos yet!"
Peter cringes inwardly; Morgan is vicious at Hungry Hungry Hippos. She's tiny, but it's like she uses every ounce of strength in her little body to slam down on the lever, throwing the plastic marbles everywhere. The sound alone gives Peter a splitting headache.
Tony walks in, a suit jacket hung over his good arm. "How about we give Peter a break and you and I can play Hungry Hungry Hippos this weekend?"
"Daddy!" Morgan lights up and runs over to hug his leg.
Peter assumes he's had a meeting, maybe a NASA one without him.
Things have been okay between them since the...fight? Is that what it was? And the talking after.
Peter isn't sure what to call it all.
But things haven't been normal, and it makes him feel like Tony is keeping secrets from him.
Like he's leaving him behind. On projects, Avengers stuff.
They haven't had a day in the lab together, nor a mission.
They sit in silence when it's just them in the kitchen grabbing a snack.
It feels like rejection even though they've talked everything through.
YOU ARE READING
Outnumbered
Fanfic**Crossposted on AO3** "Kid," Tony whispers from his place in the line of groomsmen, kicking his heel softly. "You okay?" "Y-yeah," he whispers, not wanting to take the attention on the altar away from May. May's always made everything about Peter...
