Cold heart of monster

Chapter 6

Peter woke up the next day in bed on his stomach, with one hand tied to the frame. This had been normaly lately, as he had been doing things that Tony didn't like. But he did things Peter didn't like, so the man deserved it. Especially when he held him without his will.

This time, to the boy's surprise, Tony didn't wake him up. Instead, he was greeted by silence and light seeping in through gaps in the curtains. Peter didn't know what to do, so he tried to untie the cord around his hand. As usual, it was to no avail. Finally, he asked aloud:

"Hello?"

Silence. This time he tried louder. Again, nothing. He decided that he would try to fall asleep again. Already on the verge of sleep, a lady's voice with a clear British accent rang out from the ceiling.

"Sir is already on his way to you."

Nothing more. Was that Tony's AI? Peter opened his eyes and whimpered involuntarily. His wrist hurt, as did his buttocks, which he didn't think would heal quickly. A knock on the door sounded, and then Tony's smiling face emerged from the crack.

"Did you sleep well, sweet boy?"

Peter didn't answer. How was he supposed to sleep well when he was sore all over! In addition, Tony's tone was annoying and seemed spiteful.

"Aw, and what's that grimace on his face? Today is a new day, and I have already forgiven you for your antics, so today I will reward you for a change," Tony cooed.

Peter still didn't answer or even look at the man. Tony was slowly losing patience, but he was still in a good mood.

"Fri, how did Peter sleep?"

Peter sent him a murderous look. What did the man even care? He could have guessed the answer. How could he sleep well sore and tied to the bed?

"The young sir slept for a total of six hours today, with a break between 2:43 and 3:15 a.m. The quiet noise and peace seemed to have an auspicious effect on the boy."

"Hm, that's not very much for a 9-year-old. You should sleep about 9-10 hours. If you're tired, I'll let you sleep in the afternoon, okay?"

Peter crossed his arms in a gesture of disapproval. Tony sighed and set about untying the cord. When he was done he picked it up and started helping Peter get dressed. The boy just sank inertly in his arms, surrendering to his fate.

"Do you know where we are going today, boy?" asked in a singing voice Tony. Without waiting for an answer he said: "I'm taking you to the swimming pool we have in the tower."

Peter widened his eyes in surprise and finally became interested in his surroundings. He even began to put up a slight resistance, if only for the sake of principle, but deep down he was glad to do something different from the usual.

"Which swimwear do you want? The ones with blue stripes, with ducks or with palm trees?... Don't annoy me, because I'm about to choose one myself!" growled Tony after Peter wriggled in his grasp.

"These," shouted Peter, no longer trying to hide his excitement. He jumped in place, at which Tony laughed, and all his anger evaporated. He dressed the boy in orange swim trunks in palm trees, although his favorite were in ducklings, because the boy would look adorable in them.