Inseparable ➳ Peter Parker

11 - Past, Present, and Future

A couple of days later, it was the weekend, and I would've been happy if it weren't for a certain situation.

I woke up earlier than I expected, around 9 in the morning. I put on some leggings and a loose blue hoodie and threw my hair up in a messy bun. I didn't hear any noise downstairs, so I wasn't sure if Mom was up yet.

I quietly went down the stairs into the kitchen and grabbed a muffin from the counter. I crossed the hall into the living room and found my mom laying on the couch flipping through an old photo album. She didn't notice me come in, and I didn't want to disturb her today. She needed time for herself.

"Hey," I said softly.

She looked up at me. I could see the tears on her cheeks but she smiled anyway. "Hi, honey."

"I think I'm gonna spend today at the compound," I told her. I knew she'd let me go because that's how I coped. I went to a place filled with people to keep my mind off of it. "I might also spend the night or something."

"That's fine." She looked back down at her photos without really dismissing me. I couldn't bear seeing my mom sad.

I slipped on my shoes, grabbed my phone, and made my way to the compound.

* * *

When I entered the building, I wandered around for a bit before really going anywhere. I went up a few floors and walked down a couple of hallways before I found Tony's workshop. His door was open and he was standing at a work table holding some sort of small metal item. He was concentrating on some wires poking out of it.

I hugged my torso and leaned on the doorframe, crossing one leg over the other.

He noticed me out of the corner of his eye, but didn't look up. "Hey there, kiddo."

"Hey."

There must've been something wrong with my voice because Tony looked up and put his workpiece down. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

He raised an eyebrow and made his way over to me. "That question was to see if you would ever lie to me, and I must say that I'm a bit disappointed to see that worked." He stopped and looked down at me. I slowly raised my eyes to meet his. "What's wrong?"

I only wanted to come here to get away, not to tell anyone why I'm here. I guess I could tell Tony. I mean, he's sort of like a father to me now, and he still doesn't know that much about me. I sighed. Why not? It couldn't hurt anyone.

I exhaled deeply. "My sister died 8 years ago today," I said bluntly. Tony's face softened slightly. "My mom's at home, so I decided to let her be. Plus, I kind of wanted to spend my day somewhere where I wouldn't be bothered too much."

"You can stay as long as you like. I could even set up a room for you."

"Thanks."

Tony smiled and patted my shoulder. He went back over to his table.

"Oh," he called out as I was about to leave. "If you want something to keep your mind off of it, most of the others will be here. They'll probably be able to keep your attention."