What lies behind a smile

14

Tony
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"Mr.Stark Ms.Potts is back and requested to speak to to you." Fri's voice interrupts my music. I sigh, now she wants to talk. She doesn't answer my calls or text for the past 5 days, she didn't even ask if Peter was okay if I was okay. She just left and ignored me.

Wiping off the oil from my hands I walk to the sink and wash the rest of the oil I can get off my hands.
"Fri tells her I'll be up in a moment."
I say walking to the elevator.

The doors open revealing Pepper who's sitting at the counter. "Oh look who finally decided to come back,"

I say and begin to make more coffee I don't know when the last time I slept was but I'm almost done with Peters's new suit. The nanotech is being a little bit more tricky than usual likely because of the spider-arms I'm adding, Peter, can tend to bite more than he can chew adding the arms are gonna help him fight more.

"Hello to you too Tony."I keep my back to her.

"How was your little vacation?"I ask staring at the coffee machine.

"It was nice...how are you? Is Peter better? Where is he?"

"I sent Peter to a Mental Hospital so I'm sure you'll be happy that he's not under our roof at the moment."She sighs. "Oh, and I'm great! Um, I'm dealing with a suicidal teenager who I've grown attached to trying to kill himself, and my wife isn't being any help!"I say turning to her she stares at me with guilty eyes.

"I understand why you frustrated with me b-but there's a reason why I'm being like this. And you didn't even bother to communicate with me, now you're having to take care of a teenager who is mentally ill."

"I don't have to do anything Pep I'm choosing to because I care about him. He literally has nowhere else to go what am I supposed to do, let him go into a group home? He my responsibility now Pepper. He suffers from severe depression, not schizophrenia ."Her hand runs through her hair and she stares at me with a straight face.

"So are you gonna adopt him now? He can't stay with you forever eventually he will have to go into the system or someone else will foster him. And Peter is a very sweet boy but he's 15 and has a lot of issues I don't think he'll get adopted no one wants an older kid."

I think about what she said and try not to get mad. I know what she meant but it's the way she worded it. But I don't even question me adopting Peter if that's what I have to do I will, I don't want him going through anything else. May wouldn't want him to suffer anymore and I promised her I wouldn't let anything happen to him when she found out he was spider-man.

"Yes well then it looks like he's gonna stay with me till he's 18, I don't have a problem adopting him Pepper. He has his issues, yes but he's very much worth it." She looks at me shocked. "I care about that kid. He's a good kid and if you got to know him you would understand, he's smart and kind. Right now he's not the happiest camper but when he's genuinely happy it's like he's this little light."I say she grins at me but her smile fades.

"What?" Her green eyes look at me I can see she's nervous.

"I'm pregnant." I then understand why she was so worried about Peter being here. But this is amazing news, we're having a baby. The thought makes my stomach twist.

"aww, you're pregnant! That's great I'm happy for you two!" Thor's voice interrupts. I feel my smile fall looking at him.

"hey, Point-break! this is a private moment ."His eyes widen. "Right right your right I'm so sorry to continue I'm gonna go do..um something. In a different room wanna know what just forget I even walked in."

"Okay just go, "I said waving him off. Pepper stars her eyebrow up an annoyed expression on her face.

"Sorry."He says walking out. I turn my attention back to pepper who has an unamused grin on her face.

"Where were oh that's right I was about to say that's amazing."I say walking up to her my hand's cupping her face "The nicknames I'm gonna give this thing."

"Can you not call our child a thing."I laugh at that and lean in connecting our lips. I can feel the smiles on both of our faces.

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"So when does Peter get out of the hospital?".

"He's scheduled for December 4th it can get pushed back if anything happens." She looks at me confused.

"It's just a precaution, I guess he's doing alright he made a friend so I'm feeling a little better." She nods putting her head on my chest.

"Why don't we get him a dog or something? Bruce said something about how dogs help with mental illnesses, especially if he's living with us he can have the dog might give him a distraction."

"I mean we can look into it... what about the baby?"I ask.

"Our kid will also have a dog they can share."She says "It'll all balance out hopefully Peter feels better by then."

"Hopefully, "I say. I'm excited for this new baby I am, but what if Peter thinks I don't care anymore. That I'm gonna leave him when it's born, I know he's not my kid but I do love that boy. The last thing I want is to hurt him. He's lost so much I don't want him to think he's losing me, he's just gaining more.

I can't wait to tell him we're adopting him.
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Word count -990
Date- 2-28-22