The unwanted Daughter [reader x Peter Parker]

Chapter 4 - New home

By the time that you go back inside you're completely wet since you didn't bother to use the umbrella. Your clothes drip on the tiles and leave a wet trail behind you, and your shoes squeak with every step.

Before someone sees you, you decide to dry yourself by increasing your body temperature. Steam surrounds you while your body and clothes dry, and a few seconds later it looks like you were never wet to begin with.

It seems like you had good timing since in the next moment, Pepper is coming up to you again with Barnes trailing behind her. You have to school your face to a neutral expression, and not let your amusement show at how pissed Barnes looks.

They tell you to follow them, and before you know it, you're back in the room that's made out of glass. Your father sits in one of the black leathered chairs, looking quite pissed as well.

"I'll allow you to stay here," he begins, looking at you with emotionless eyes, "under certain conditions."

You just stare blankly at him. It doesn't really matter to you if he lets you stay, if you're honest. You'd prefer sleeping on the streets than staying here any time.

"It doesn't matter what this file says," he continues, "I'm not your father and I'll never be. I am Mr. Stark to you and no one else."

You nod, showing him that you understand, and cross your arms in front of your chest. You just want this to be over.

"You won't disturb me; not during meetings, not if you see me talking to anyone, not even if you see me reading, or just walking around. If you need anything, Pepper - who's Ms. Potts to you - will be your contact person."

You fight the urge to roll your eyes. This is all so fucking unnecessary, but it's not like you have another option.

"And I'll let you be signed up for school. It prevents me from seeing you and you from making any mistakes, or breaking anything. Got it?"

You don't speak - he doesn't deserve to be spoken to in your opinion - but it's not like he cares, because after he finished with his 'speech' he leaves the room once more.

Barnes sighs with relief. "Now that that's done, I'll be on my way."

Then it's just you and Pepper - Ms. Potts - in the room.

You feel that she doesn't know what to do, that she's extremely uncomfortable with this whole situation - or maybe she's just uncomfortable in your presence. You think that it's funny.

"C'mon, I'll show you your room." She speaks up after a while.

Ms. Potts leads you through the building - which will be your new home, you guess - and both of you enter an elevator. The ride isn't long since it's just one level up.

She leads you through a kitchen, shows you the communal living room, and when you finally get to the end of a hallway, she opens the door.

"I hope you like it." Ms. Potts says after you entered the room.

It's bigger than your old room, and it has something that doesn't make it feel like a cell. You like that it doesn't have any colours, the only thing that bothers you are the small windows - you would've loved a big window that stretches over the whole wall, but it's not like you're in a place to argue about that. Ms. Potts informs you that it has an adjacent bathroom.

"It's nice." You give as an answer, walking further into your new room.

Ms. Potts clears her throat - it's obvious that she's still uncomfortable in your presence. "Tony isn't usually like this, it's just that your mother-"

"I don't care," you silence her by lifting a hand, "and I don't want to hear it."

She nods stiffly before she clears her throat once more. "Where is your luggage?"

After what feels like hours, you turn around to look at her with furrowed eyebrows. "I don't have luggage."

You actually have no idea what the word 'luggage' means, but it's not like she has to know.

"Well then, where are your clothes?" She laughs nervously, clearly on edge.

You look down at yourself, gesturing at the clothes that you're wearing. "Here."

It's her time to furrow her brows. "You don't have any other clothes?"

You take a few seconds to think. In your home they always gave you new clothes, but they were always the same colour, with the same pattern, and the same model. Slowly you shake your head, not sure if the answer could get you in trouble.

Ms. Potts nods again, some emotion that you can't place crosses her face. "I'll get you some clothes, and some utensils for school."

You nod, feeling kind of uncomfortable yourself now. She looks at you for another few seconds before she leaves your new room.

After going around and exploring the room, you lay on the bed, and stare at the ceiling. There's nothing in particular going through your head, it's not like it had been different at your old home - most of your time has been spent looking at the ceiling and spacing out.

You have no idea how much time has passed when you hear someone knocking on your door.

"Dinner is ready." Ms. Potts sticks her head through the door.

You silently get up and follow her to the communal kitchen - with an adjacent dining room, of course. On the table is a plate with food, and you notice that it's the only one on the table.

"Enjoy your meal." Ms. Potts says, before walking away, and leaving you alone.

A sigh leaves your mouth. You didn't want to admit it at first, but there had been a little bit of hope that your life will change now, that your father doesn't turn out to be like he did. It doesn't matter, you decide and eat your food in silence.

When you're done, you decide to explore the floor a little bit, and you end up in a gym. It had been a routine in your life - to go training when you were done with eating. It feels like your body lead you there by itself, knowing exactly where the gym is.

Without thinking much about it you start to run on the treadmill until your lungs start to burn, but you keep pushing it. You feel free, for a short amount of time, and you can let all the pent up frustration out.

Even though you're drowned in your own sweat you feel satisfied, and enter your bathroom after finding your way back to your room.

You feel lost for a second, not knowing what to do. There's a tub, and some see-through box on the other edge. You recognise the shower-head, and decide that you go into, what you assume is the shower.

It takes a while to figure out why nothing is happening, and it takes even longer to figure out how all those buttons and levers work, but eventually it does.

You step out of the bathroom naked since this was how you always did it. Warmth spreads through your body when you see clothes laid out on your bed, with utensils for school.

It overwhelms you a bit, the huge amount of clothes, and you don't know what to dress yourself in. In the end, you decide for something, what you deem is comfy, and head to bed.