You Are Not Tony Stark

Are you positive?

Chapter summary:

Peter knew it was crap, but he couldn't think of anything better. He wore T-shirts with Iron Man, so why wouldn't Pepper and he not have the same T-shirts?

Or, Peter forgot Pepper's birthday and tries to find a suitable gift. Plus, Rhodey meets the kid.

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"May, I need your help," Peter blurted as he came from school.

"What is it? Are you hurt?" May asked in alarm and immediately began to examine him carefully. When she found no sign of injury, she calmed down almost completely.

"No, worse, I forgot Pepper's birthday! She had them almost a month ago, how could I forget?!" he cried.

"It happens, honey, no need to freak out," she tried to calm him down with a small smile on her face.

"I forgot, but then she made my cake for my birthday, and they gave me the internship. Did you know they made me my own room in the Tower?"

"Of course, I think it was a good idea, you spend half your time there anyway," she replied, and the smile did not disappear from her face. She was glad Peter had other people who loved him and looked after him.

"And I didn't even remember her birthday! May, you have to help me pick a gift," he said in a panic.

"Oh, I'd love to, Pete, but I don't know Pepper as well as you do."

"Please, I'm desperate," he groaned.

"Well, I guess the flowers will never offend," she suggested, and Peter stared at her blankly.

"Flowers? Really? That's it?"

"Honey, you know you don't have to impress anyone, do you? I think Pepper will be glad for anything that comes from you," she said honestly.

"Yeah, but she's mom, it has to be special!" he blurted, and May glanced at him in surprise. The smile on her face widened. She knew Pepper Potts had found a special place in her nephew's heart, but she had never thought of this. She liked watching them when they were together, like Tony, who always sent her photos of Pepper and Peter. She was not offended or jealous. She was his aunt, never more, and she was glad for it. She loved him, but her aunt's role suited her. So why couldn't Pepper be his mom?

"You'll figure it out," she said and tousled his hair before going to her room to get ready for work.

Peter was glad she hadn't discussed his accusations. Ever since his birthday party, where Pepper had told him that he belonged to the family, he had somehow wondered what his role was. Tony, since he was finally calling him by name, was always his mentor and male role model, but Pepper? Pepper was something like May, but she wasn't his aunt. He started toying with Mom's idea, and he liked it. He wasn't going to tell anyone, but it just slipped away. He had no choice but to hope that May would soon forget about it.

(...)

Pepper was preparing a small snack for her - not her - spider boy when there was a clink from the elevator. She wiped her hands on a cloth and quickly moved into the hallway.

"Oh, it's just you," she said, not finding Peter but Rhodey in the hallway.

"Nice to see you too, Pepper," he said sarcastically.

"Of course I like to see you, but I was expecting someone else."

"Anyone else? Should I warn Tony?" he asked, confused.

"Perhaps you're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting? We have a sleepover with Peter, why are you here?"

"Tony called that he needed to pick up something from the lab. Who the hell is Peter?!"

"I'm sure you know who Peter is. Tony talks about him all the time. And I'm pretty sure you met him. However, I need to finish the meal, so take in the lab what Tony needs and get on the road, you're already late. At least you only fly to Washington, not China."

Rhodey wanted to say something, but he went to the lab. Pepper was right, they were already late. Pepper was turning to go back to the kitchen, but another elevator's clink stopped her.

"Hi, Pep!" he greeted her with a smile.

"Hello, Pete," she said, greeting him a smile and hugging him. She missed him so much. She hadn't seen him since the party, even though he was in the Tower. It was his lab day with Tony and she was out of town for work.

"So, I'm so s-orry I forgot a yo-ur birthday!" he began when they stopped hugging.

"It's all right. I don't celebrate them anyway," she said with a small smile.

"Still, I don't understand how I could have forgotten. So I wish you all the best," he said, handing her a small gift bag.

"You didn't have to worry, really."

"It's stupid. You probably won't even use it. I mean you don't have to, just put it in the closet and forget it. I saw you wear Tony's T-shirts for sleeping, and I don't know why, but I thought I'd give you some nerdy that I'm wearing," he mumbled, while, Pepper was unpacking her present.

"Peter, I like it," she said with a smile that spread even more when she noticed that he was wearing the same shirt.

"Really? It's really cool, if not."

"Of course, honey."

"I don't know if you understand this, it's a chemistry joke. Electrons are the negatively charged subatomic particles of an atom, and when an atom loses an electron, it becomes more positive by one-"

"I know. It is possible that with the loss of an electron, the neutral atom would have a positive charge," Pepper interrupted.

"Exactly!" he said enthusiastically.

"You know what? I prepared a little snack for you, so go eat it, and I'll go and change, let's tune in," she said, and before Peter could say anything she was gone. But he got used to it. That's how it works with Pepper.

Peter went to the kitchen and found cinnamon rolls on the table. He didn't hesitate for a moment and began to eat it with pleasure.

"I think I finally found what Tony wanted, so I wanted to say bye." Colonel Rhodes entered the kitchen when he started the third roll.

"Oh, hello, Colonel Rhodes. Nice to meet you, I'm Peter," he blurted, wiping his hands from cinnamon in his pants before handing it to James Rhodes.

"I think I'm a little confused. You are Peter..." he asked, but he shook his hand.

"Well, yeah, it's me," he muttered nervously.

"Wait a minute, you're the kid!"

"Yes, I'm sure that's exactly what Tony is used to talking about him," Pepper said, joining them in the kitchen wearing a new shirt.

"I'd like to delay and learn more about you, but I have a plane ahead," Rhodey told Peter.

"Oh, you haven't forgotten? Seriously, Rhodey, it's time to leave," said Pepper, who somehow learned from these moments and always planned Tony's flights with sufficient time, because they almost never departed at the time they had.

"Next time, Colonel Rhodes," Peter called as he left the kitchen.

"So, what do you want to do before we get into movies?" Pepper asked when they were alone in the penthouse.

"Can we make more of these cinnamon rolls? Because they're absolutely delicate."

"Sure, I still have the dough left in the fridge," she said with a smile, and then both of them began to bake more cinnamon rolls.