𝗕𝟮 | There are only bad decisions beyond us. With the vulture gone, it was time to work on bonding. However, a threat out of their hands attacks once again, causing their actions to have until the last consequence of their will.
(𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻�...
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That night, Nikolas drifted off on the couch, one arm hanging off the edge, a towel draped over his shoulders. He woke in the early light, eyes blinking away the haze of sleep, and saw the cracked remains of his phone still lying on the floor. The shame of last night's outburst settled over him, and he moved quietly, picking up the pieces, heading to the kitchen to toss them in a bag. But when he turned back, he startled, grabbing the edge of the sink to stabilize himself.
"Your birthday! It's your birthday!"
"Morgan," He breathed. "You can't just sneak up on people like that." A flicker of a smile played on his lips as he saw the cupcake she held out.
"Mom said she'd make a special breakfast, and Dad has a surprise!" she beamed.
Nikolas took the cupcake, laughing softly, and nearly devoured it in one bite. But just then, he heard footsteps, Tony and Pepper came into the room, carrying a box with a bow. He froze, unsure how to react or what expression to wear. Birthdays hadn't been a constant for him, and it was only thanks to the Stark family that he'd even started celebrating them. A knot of gratitude and embarrassment twisted in his stomach, lingering from last night's conflict, his gaze shifting to Tony.
Despite the smiles and the thoughtful gifts, the weight of last night's conversation hovered unspoken between them. They'd agreed to put it aside, at least for the day, to celebrate. But in every glance, every awkward pause, they both knew that beneath the joy of the day, lay the future of the fallen.
"Twenty-two sounds kind of big," Tony said with a smirk. "I remember my own 22—a lot of parties, maybe too many. Dominated by an absent father, and yeah, a slightly crazy youth we don't need to dive into." He took a step closer, holding out the box to Nikolas with a softened expression. "I'd been working on something. Happy birthday, kid."
He didn't say anything about still being called kid.
Nikolas took the box with a smile, chuckling as Tony wrinkled his nose. "And take a shower. You smell like you've been camping in a forest."
As Nikolas filled the tub, he looked in the mirror, then at the box Tony had given him. His fingers hovered over it, but something in him held back, so he placed it gently aside and sank into the water, letting the heat burn his skin.
Once dressed in clothes that clung a little tighter than he remembered, he padded barefoot down the hall, drawn by the hum of voices. He paused when he reached the living room and saw balloons and party hats scattered around. Pepper, with Morgan clinging to her leg, was carefully hanging a banner that read, Happy Birthday! in bright letters.
For a moment, he let himself get lost in it as he listened to Morgan's excited chatter—the laughter, the warmth. It was the closest thing he'd had to a real happy birthday in years.
