It's About Time

Ch. 1

"Dad, please!" Peter begged, sagging down so his chin rested on the counter in the kitchen. Tony had tried ignoring Peter for the past hour, but it had only given Peter the time he needed to explain his reasoning and try to convince Tony it was best. Unfortunately for Tony, Peter had good points and he was now having a hard time keeping to his original 'no'.

"Peter, we'll see," Tony sighed. Peter's face lit up and he stood up straight.

"Really? Like, you'll actually think about it?" Peter asked. This was the closest he'd gotten to a 'yes' ever.

"I'll actually think about it," Tony promised. Peter pumped his first and cheered before running down the hall to his room. He had finally managed to get his dad to at least think about sending him to a public high school. If he was considering it and Peter could get Pepper to talk to him, Peter would actually get his wish. Pepper was already on his side and now Tony was really, truly going to think about it. As soon as Peter got into his room, he grabbed his phone and texted Ned, one of the only two people his age that he knew.

Peter
Dad's gonna think about it!!!

Peter laid on his bed and grinned up at the ceiling, day dreaming about what it would be like to go to a real school. There would be more kids his age and Peter could make more friends. Ned and Michelle were great, but it was hard to relate to them and their school adventures when Peter was stuck home schooling. Peter had only met Ned because he was Pepper's nephew and she had introduced them at a young age. Of course, being the only kid Peter knew, the two became good friends. In fifth grade, Ned introduced him to Michelle and they had gotten along as well. Peter loved homeschooling, but he would much rather go to a school with other kids.

He thought about how he could join all the clubs and be apart of a band. It was going to be so great. He would have at least two dozen friends, they could all hang out after school, and he would have teachers other than the ones online or his dad. It would be awesome. Nothing could kill his happiness as he laid on his bed and imagined what a real high school would be like. Ned and Michelle had told him public school wasn't all that great, but they didn't know what it was like to homeschool, so Peter dismissed their opinions. All he saw was himself walking down a long hallway with his friends, talking about their upcoming soccer game or band performance.

* * *

That night at dinner, Peter couldn't stop bouncing. He kept looking at Pepper then Tony, Pepper than Tony. Finally, Pepper sighed and looked at Tony. Tony didn't seem to realise he was about to be harassed by his wife and son. He continued to eat his baked potato as usual and only looked up when he realised no one else was eating. As soon as he looked up, Pepper started.

"Tony, you really should let Peter attend a local high school," she said. Tony groaned and was about to cover his ears, but Pepper gave him a stern look. "How is he expected to do well in college if he's never been with kids like himself before then?"

"He has Ned and Michelle," Tony pointed out. Pepper rolled her eyes. Peter looked back and forth between them, slowly eating his food. He didn't care if they acted like he wasn't there so long as the conversation ended successfully.

"You know what I mean," she said. Tony did and they both knew it. "Peter's a good kid. He would do well."

"But the press," Tony objected. "Once Peter is registered, someone will see the name Stark and he'll be all over the news." Pepper pursed her lips. That was the only problem neither of them had a solution to. Tony would let Peter go if he was sure no one would harass him for being a Stark, but they had yet to find a solution. At least, Pepper and Tony hadn't figured one out yet.

"What if I'm registered under a different name?" Peter suggested. Tony and Pepper both looked at Peter as if just remembering he was there. He gave them an awkward smile and continued. "Like, Uncle Steve could sign as my legal guardian or something so my legal name could be Peter Rogers. It's a common enough name they wouldn't tie me back to Uncle Steve."

"That could work," Tony said slowly. He thought about it harder. They would have to figure out some way to legally change Peter's name so it wouldn't appear anywhere as Stark.

"I can talk to the lawyers about it," Pepper said. She brightened at the thought of Peter finally getting what he wanted. "I'm sure there's a way you can change your name without having to change families completely." Peter nodded enthusiastically.

"If it works out, Dad, can I go?" Peter asked. Tony still seemed hesitant. Peter and Pepper were both watching him eagerly, so he sighed.

"Yeah," he said. "As long as it's a fool proof plan and there's no risk of things getting to the press. I don't want them ruining your life." Peter cheered and jumped up from his seat. His legs hit the table and almost knocked it over, but he didn't care. Pepper smiled as Peter ran laps around the living room, yelling excitedly about going to a regular school.

"Thank you, Tony," Pepper said. Tony tore his eyes away from Peter and frowned, confused as to why she was thanking him. "Look how excited he is. I think you made the right choice."

"I hope so," Tony said. He knew Peter was excited, but he was still worried about how wrong things could go. He had only ever gone to private schools so he had no idea what public school would be like. Pepper had assured him Ned and Michelle would help him out which had reassured Tony a bit. Nothing made him entirely relaxed, but he figured that was normal.