WHO Pepper Stark & Peter Parker WHAT Cooking + Conversing WHEN Sometime this week (backdated) WHERE Their kitchen WARNINGS cuteness STATUS Closed | Complete doc
Pepper was really pleased at how smoothly things had gone in moving into the house. They'd gotten settled really well and honestly, it was going much more smoothly than she'd expected to have all three kids under one roof. She'd been sleeping a lot better though, now that she was sharing a bed with Tony again. She'd missed that more than she'd realized, and was in a visibly better mood as a result even though she'd never been particular unhappy visibly before this. It was one of those microshifts that ended up having ripple effects across the board.
She came home from work and set her briefcase down as she kicked off her shoes. "Hey, I'm home," she called, as was typical. It was as much a call to see who was home as to announce that she was home. Pepper headed into the kitchen to get started on dinner, just a simple steak stir fry tonight. Fate was barking happily and she knelt down to give him some love before she moved to open the back door to let him out. The fence would keep him safe, though Fate didn't really run around too far and that was okay with her. It all worked out in the end.
Footsteps drew her attention to the doorway and she smiled when she saw Peter. "Hey, want to help with dinner?" she asked. He'd been doing a good job of practicing his cooking with Klara, so she was hopeful he'd want to join her.
***
Peter wasn't quite at the point where he could make himself call Pepper and Tony Mom and Dad. To be honest, he couldn't even call them Pepper and Tony. But it still felt like a family. Morgan was, without question, his little sister, and he was fiercely protective of her. And he liked Ryder a lot and hoped they could get closer now that they were actually sharing a home.
He'd heard Pepper call out from his room and he hopped up to see her. It was honestly just kind of nice to have that sort of presence around again. He missed May. A lot.
"Hey. Yeah, that would be fun." Between actual lessons with Karen and the stuff he was learning from Klara, Peter was getting pretty good in the kitchen. And he liked it. Putting things together to create something else entirely was a bit like chemistry. It explained why he really loved making sauces.
***
As much as Pepper really, really wanted for Ryder and Peter to feel comfortable calling her and Tony both mom and dad, she understood why it would take a long while if it ever happened. She was also very aware that it was more likely to happen with Ryder first, because things were a lot different with Peter in a lot of ways. That didn't make her love him any less, though. Really, it only made her that much more protective of him.
"Excellent. You can put those knife skills to good use," she replied warmly. "Do you want the steak, peppers, onions or all the spices?" Pepper was in the process of getting all of the ingredients out of the fridge as she spoke, handing them off to him or putting them on the counter herself. "How was school today?" She was definitely trying to find the right balance between being interested in their lives and being overbearing. She definitely didn't want to be overbearing.
***
"I can do the peppers and onions if you'll do the steak and spices." He was getting pretty good with even cuts in his vegetables. "What are we making?" That would tell him whether he needed to slice, dice, or chop. And honestly, he was just proud he knew the difference.
"It was good. Kinda boring." He had expected that but this was even worse than he'd planned. "Maybe if I'm here long enough I'll start up a gifted program for kids like us." He and Gwen and some of the other kids who showed up way ahead of their classmates. He just didn't want to test out and be the weird sixteen year old college kid. "I joined the Drama Club officially now. And Spanish Club. I didn't know there was a Spanish Club."
***
"Stir fry," she answered, "although I did find a new recipe for us to try one weekend. It's a full chicken, with a couple of sides. I think we can figure it out though, don't you?" Stir fry called for sliced vegetables, something she knew he knew, so she didn't feel the need to say as much. Pepper was really proud of him for the progress he'd made in his cooking.
"You know you're more than welcome to do some side projects with Tony, Jane and Bruce," she suggested. "Well, maybe more Tony and Bruce since Jane's still adjusting to being a new mom." Pepper was definitely impressed with how well it seemed to be going so far. She'd fully expected Jane to go right back into the lab, but she was happy to see that wasn't the case at all. "Doctor Strange might be inclined to give you an extra credit project, too." While she wasn't a huge fan of Stephen, she certainly had less issues with him now, surprisingly.
"Drama club and Spanish club sound like a great start, though. It's good that you're getting involved in extracurriculars, even though school itself isn't super challenging. Getting involved in your school community is great." It was an opportunity he didn't really have back home, given his superhero extracurricular. Pepper wanted him to have as many normal experiences as possible.
***
"Oh, whole chickens are easy! You can just roast them. Miss Karen taught me that one." If he'd known everyone might like it, he'd have done it before. But it might be more fun with Pepper, anyway.
He grinned brightly and nodded as he started slicing onions. "Oh, I know. Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner have both been really great offering up projects and things." And Jane was busy with baby Lizzie but that meant Peter got to go visit them both and that was fine, too. Besides, she had given him lab space and that was awesome. "I don't need extra credit though."
He slid the onions to the side and started on the peppers. "It's still weird not having to leave class to save the world, you know?" He knew it was something the other Supers struggled with. They'd mostly gotten over it, so could he.
***
"They are, hopefully. This one you have to brine the night before, and there's quite a lot of salt involved, but it looked absolutely divine in the pictures. Other people who had tried it said that even though it was a bit complicated, it turned out delicious. We should have some sort of nice meal before Thanksgiving comes around, too." Pepper wasn't sure who'd be hosting it this year, knew there was no way they'd get Christmas because Bucky'd long since staked his claim on it. She didn't mind too much, since it was much less stress to only have to show up with a bottle of wine or a side as opposed to organizing the whole party.
She did smile when he said he didn't need extra credit. "Oh, I know you don't need it, but you should be rewarded for doing extra work, even if it's more for you." Pepper was a firm believer in that, though she was also willing to let Peter do what he wanted to fill his time. She wouldn't meddle too much beyond giving some suggestions.
With the steak now sliced and seasoned, she moved to get the skillet going on the stove. While she didn't know exactly what he was feeling, having never been a superhero - and still didn't consider herself one, no matter the fact that she'd donned the suit - but she absolutely could understand and relate to missing the way life was in their world. "You're not the only one who feels that way," Pepper promised him as she put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Being here is a big adjustment, and getting used to it will happen at your own pace. That's okay." It didn't matter how long it took other people to adjust, to come to terms with it. What mattered to her was how Peter felt and validating those feelings, because the last thing she wanted was for him to internalize it and feel worse for it.
***
Peter was having trouble picturing Thanksgiving with so many people around. At home it was almost always just him and May and sometimes a neighbor or friends. Here there were just so many people who were friends with Tony and Pepper. But it might be fun. "I guess everyone gets together for Thanksgiving here?" If nothing else, maybe he'd learn to make some new foods.
It was stupid and he knew it, but he kind of longed for a hug instead of just that slight touch. But honestly, that was something. It was more than he'd had since he'd gotten here. Other than big giant sticky hugs from Morgan, but those were different. Those weren't like having a mom again.
"I know. Gwen hates it, too. Probably a lot of the others. Even the grownups." Because being a superhero out of place didn't change when you turned eighteen. "I just kind of want to be a normal school kid but...I also really don't." That was something he had struggled with long before Madison Valley. That had been hard at home, balancing the Avenger life with the homework due by 1pm life.
***
"We try to, yea. Wanda and John host it sometimes, or Steve and Bucky do, though to be honest, I think Bucky'd rather take Christmas. I don't mind, but it'd be nice to have everyone over for the holiday." Maybe that was just her, and it would be too much for the others, but she hoped if Peter wasn't comfortable with it, he'd speak up. Morgan wouldn't be used to so many people either, and it would be the first holiday they'd spend together after everything that happened at home, so it was possible that Tony wouldn't be up for it either. They'd have to see how the chips fell.
She did smile, a little sadly though, when he said he did but he didn't want to be a normal kid. It would have been nice if he could be happy just going to school and hanging out with his friends, but then she supposed that wouldn't be what made him amazing. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you'll never be a normal kid, Peter. You're exceptional, and you have such a big heart. Even without your powers, you'd find a way to save the world." Pepper truly, honest to God, believed that to be true, and she wanted to make sure he knew it.
"You'll figure it out. I know you will, with Gwen and with your other friends. Maybe just talking about it will help spur some ideas." She'd quietly make some inquiries as well, so she could make suggestions to him. That was what parents did, regardless of whether or not they were flesh and blood parents.
***
"That kind of sounds fun. Busy, though." And crowded. But they had the space for it. And if it got too overwhelming, he could go to his room or hide outside for a little while. Honestly, he thought it would be kind of cool to have one of those huge traditional family Christmases. "Do we get the parade on TV here?"
That...was unexpected. He got that warm feeling he always did when someone complimented him. But even more so because this wasn't a school accomplishment or something Spider-Man had done. Pepper was commenting on him and who he was. And that meant the world to him. "You think so? I hadn't really decided what I wanted to do. You know, after school and all. I hadn't even picked a college."
Those options were also really limited here. It was bad enough the high school kind of sucked, but there weren't a lot of university classes to pick from. "Hey, how long do you think planning big parties and stuff takes?" It wasn't completely out of the blue. He had told Klara that he would ask Pepper and they'd been talking about things he wanted to do to keep himself busy and out of trouble.
***
"Very busy," she agreed, but her smile said it was all worth it. "We do, yes. That part is nice at least, even if the commentators and the balloons aren't the same." Pepper was grateful for the semblance of normalcy that it provided, though. She was sure Morgan would love it, and no doubt she'd be eager for Christmas to come shortly thereafter.
His questioning if she really thought so had her set her things down so she could give him a tight hug. "Of course I do," Pepper replied with a tight squeeze. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't believe it, and you don't have to decide now. You should do something, of course you should, but do something that you really want to do. That may take some time for you to figure out what that is, but Tony and I are here to support you every step of the way." That much, she knew for certain. She and Tony had taken to parenting together, not making promises without talking to the other, but this was something they'd both agreed on. They would always support their children.
Pepper let go after another squeeze and moved back to the stove so she could start cooking the steak. "It depends on how involved the party is, but no less than a week, really. Longer if you want to be sure everyone's free ahead of time, but teenagers are generally very flexible. Why? Are you thinking of having some friends over?" She'd encourage it, of course, but now he'd piqued her curiosity.
***
That hug was probably the most welcomed thing he'd received in a while. Maybe it was ridiculous, but maternal hugs just felt right. And Pepper wasn't his mom but she also sort of was the closest thing he was going to get around here. Except maybe Jane, and Peter found he kind of loved her, too.
"I know," he replied once she pulled away. "I do. There's a lot of choices. I like my job but I also don't want to sell dog treats for the rest of my life." Even though getting to meet and pet all the city dogs was really cool. Maybe he'd be an engineer like Mr. Stark. But inventing was definitely more a Ryder thing. Peter preferred chemistry and biology to tech.
He pushed all the vegetables in her direction then turned to wash the cutting boards and knives. "Well, no. The crowd I hang around isn't much on parties." Well, Gwen probably would be. She was cooler than he was. How the Peter from her world had become friends with her, he'd never know. "I was talking about small town life when the fair was here and I was thinking some sort of fall festival would be fun but I don't know if they have one here. And if they don't, well...they should."
***
"I don't know that we'd let it go that long," Pepper admitted, "so it's good to know you're thinking about more long term things." It wasn't something that happened right away. The good thing about being in Madison was that they got to have the time they needed to figure out what was right because it wouldn't ever really be wasted time. There was a lot of freedom to living in a pocket dimension.
She smiled as he automatically moved to wash the cutting boards and knives. It was a good habit to be in, cleaning up after himself, and it was also one of the reasons Tony wasn't allowed in the kitchen. He liked to work in some messy environments and Pepper had higher standards for her kitchen. Peter was such a good kid and she hoped he'd find what he was looking for with them.
"Well, there's not usually a fall festival, I don't think. Kate Danvers and some of her friends do an Arts & Music Festival in the spring. The Fair always happens around Labor Day, and then it's sort of a rolling ball with the Halloween parties, then Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year's. Usually by then, people need a couple of months to decompress, although the candy grams tend to get a little crazy. Then a couple of months later, there's a festival. I don't see why there couldn't be a fall one, though. Or maybe, more of a wintery one? I bet we could figure out horse drawn sleighs and hot chocolate and some ice skating?" A festival definitely required more planning and it was already October. If they hustled, they could have something together by November or early December.
***
"You never know!" His voice was bright and chipper, though. "I could end up the new owner. My boss says I have an eye for things that work." Which did explain how quickly and easily he'd gotten the idea to help Mr. Wick with the Halloween project.
Of course Peter was going to clean up after himself. First of all, he still kind of held out hope that May might show up one day. If she did and found out that he wasn't cleaning his messes, she'd make her disappointed face and he hated the disappointed face. But also he had learned a good deal of his cooking with Klara, and she absolutely tended to be neat and tidy in the kitchen. And most places. He had a feeling it had to do with how she grew up and it made him sad.
His entire face lit up, though, as Pepper described what he had wanted in a fall festival but for winter. Aka better! "I was thinking hay rides, but sleigh rides would be even better! And cocoa is always a good thing, we could even do adult ones and ones with flavors if people wanted to mix it up. If we did it in December, we could even do caroling! Or have people from other religions teach us their songs, too." Because Peter was nothing if not a considerate kid who had grown up in a very multicultural neighborhood. "Do you think we could do it?"
***
"You definitely could," she agreed, glad at least that he was thinking about something with more ownership to it. Peter would be wasted in an hourly job in most places, but there weren't many options in Madison Valley. She'd do her best to help guide him and encourage him. She and Tony both.
Perhaps he'd even have a future in event planning given how excited he was at her suggestions for a winterized version of his festival idea. Pepper grinned as he added in some more suggestions for what they could do at the festival. "Oh and you know what else we could do? We could get Main Street to decorate, I bet, like they do in Dyker Heights." That was a sight to see and as a New Yorker, she knew Peter would have been at least once. "If we target after Thanksgiving, I bet we can work some charm on the businesses to come on board, especially the other refugee owned ones." It sounded an awful lot like a plan was coming together, which she very much loved.
***
He had told Klara Pepper was the one to go to about these things and now he was certain of it. His not-mom was the perfect planner and he was super happy to be taking after her in this moment.
Leaning against the counter, Peter beamed, his brain going a thousand miles a minute. "We can see if they want to participate, too. Ask all the local businesses, if they want to get involved somehow." Scrunching his face thoughtfully, he considered. "Is there a local charity we could support? Maybe set up a raffle with those businesses to make them more likely to participate?"
Something he'd learned early on was that every company loved getting their name out. Good publicity and all.
"It isn't New York, but it'll still be really cool if we can make this work."
***
Pepper was beyond proud of him to suggest linking it to a charity. That no doubt showed with how she positively beamed at him. "I think that's a great idea. We could look to raise money for the Madison Valley Boys Club, I bet, or even the Public Library." Both of which were terribly underfunded if she was being honest. There were probably more than a few other charities as well, but those were the most obvious ones off the top of her head. "Or we could always set up our own charity, if you wanted." Pepper wasn't about to limit him just because of the amount of work involved.
She turned the stove off once everything had finished cooking and covered the pan to help it keep the heat. It wouldn't be long at all before the others were ready for dinner, which meant this conversation would possibly overflow to dinner if that was what Peter wanted.
"Why don't you put together some ideas and I'll look into the various charities we could support and we'll walk through it all over the weekend?" Pepper suggested.
***
Peter grinned happily. How could he not? Not only had he come up with what was apparently a good idea, but it sounded like it might actually come together and work. And Pepper thought it was a good idea, too, and admittedly, Peter thrived on praise. It was just kind of who he was. Maybe it was dumb, being almost seventeen and still wanting people to like him the way he did. Obviously he didn’t need the approval of others. But man, sometimes it really helped.
“Really? Our own charity?” Wow. What even would he make it for? There were a lot of worthy causes around town. “Maybe something that benefits the refugees in some way? I know showing up here is really scary, but the welcoming committee already does a pretty good job of it.” He shrugged, pulling out the plates and silverware to set the table. They had a little while to think things through before they really needed to start getting other people on board.
“Do you think Mr. Stark would want to come?”
Because of course. Of everyone in that town, the one person he still desperately wanted to impress was Tony Stark.
***
"Some people have it harder than others, so maybe there's something there, perhaps in conjunction with the legal clinic? Translating skills into jobs here isn't easy, nor is trying to navigate all the necessary paperwork to translate the appropriate education experience, too." There might be something there, if Peter did want to go the route of starting their own charity. Pepper was already cataloguing the connections she had to leverage for the festival already, but it would be nice to get even more involvement from the community.
What did surprise her was how he asked if Tony would want to come. She was going to have to remind her husband to do his best to be more involved in Peter's life and to be supportive. Pepper knew Tony did both, but she also knew he doubted his own parenting skills when the past five years with Morgan had certainly proved that he knew what he was doing.
"Of course. He and I, and Morgan and Ryder, will be front row, promise." Pepper made sure to look at him in the eyes as she promised him that, and then she leaned in to press a kiss against his forehead. "We're always going to be your number one supporters, Peter. We're family." Maybe not conventionally, but they were family and she wasn't going to let him think otherwise.
***
She had the best ideas. Now he was thinking like crazy. His brain was in overdrive and for once it wasn't with Episode IX theories or chemical equations. There were so many people that could use help. Pepper had just dropped an entirely new idea in his lap. He would have been perfectly happy raising money for the library or for the organization that helped the old people or something like that. But something of their own? Something new?
"Well. I mean, it isn't anything cool like he does. I'm not building a robot horse to pull a sleigh or anything." Still, he flushed pleasantly at the tender kiss from her. It was a very May-like gesture, and it was something he sorely needed.
"I know, Miss Pepper. And I love you guys for it." And he did. That wasn't some blanket statement. He really did love his little weird family. That was just the sort of kid Peter was. He had a huge heart and wasn't afraid of giving it out. "We should talk someone into dressing as Santa. I know he's technically Christian but we can make him secular enough to give presents to anyone." Okay, slight subject change, but that was just too much serious for one afternoon. His eyes sparkled with a mischievous look. "You should talk Klara's dad into doing it."
***
"Helping people is what Tony really loves to do, you know," she reminded him gently. Pepper knew this wouldn't be the last time she'd have to reassure Peter that he was loved or to reassure Tony that he knew what he was doing when it came to being a father. It was more than worth doing though because she loved both of them beyond all possible reason.
She did, however, laugh at the idea of Phil being Santa. "Oh no. You get that responsibility all on your own. If you don't want to ask Bucky, I'll soothe those ruffled feathers, but this is your festival, kiddo. You get to ask who you want to play Santa, I'm just going to help you organize it all and make it the best that it can be." Pepper grinned though, since she'd never really deny him if he really wanted it.
"Go on and get everyone for dinner. We can talk more about it this weekend."