December 18th, 2012

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Following the Battle of New York, Tony Stark and his brand were becoming many things. The days of being a no-accountability war profiteer were already well behind him, but he hardly anticipated playing landlord to a ragtag team of honest-to-god superheros. In the aftermath, that was one the first things he set about doing with Pepper. With her blessing, Tony had thrown himself into it. Never one to half-ass things, he oversaw the extensive remodeling to accommodate the specific needs of each and every Avenger. Several were essentially homeless and there was no initiative for the superpowerly-abled, even in a place as progressive as New York.

Including Steve. Even if he called Stark Tower ugly and immediately found an apartment somewhere in Brooklyn. Even though Tony set aside one of the top 12 floors for him like everyone else. Fine.

Today was all about adding that personal touch. He was giving free room and board, might as well be a gracious sugar daddy about it. Besides, who wanted to thwart crime with a guy or gal whose liquor of choice you couldn't name? Just bad form.

Stopping outside the luxury suite dedicated to the arguably most unique new friendly friend, Tony bounced on his heels. He contemplated just walking in for a split second, but he liked having his cranium hammer-free. And it was still about being gracious--as much as he could be. "JARVIS? Ping Point Break for me." Tony didn't feel like knocking. This was a compromise.

"Mr. Odinson, you have a visitor." JARVIS dutifully announced from within Thor's quarters.

Comments

[st_arkintern]

Peter begins digging through the pockets of his heavy jacket, skating after Tony (and ahead of Thor, who was going considerably slower than the rest of the pack).

And when he pulls out his pockets, all he has is a phone, a fifteen dollars for hot cocoa and a snack and the fare back, and one of those one-use-only heating pads May insisted he take just in case.

"Um."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Ah." Tony looked about the passing crowds--no one was staring, thank God. He considered appealing to one of the women for their lipstick, but hell, he was Iron Man. He could do better.

"There's one in the limo. C'mon, kid, wanna race? You can say you left the God of Thunder in the dust."

[st_arkintern]

Peter skates alongside of him; he's all jitters and nerves now. He can't believe he's talking to Tony Stark. Iron Man. About...

"The limo?"

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony pushed his thick sleeve up his forearm, revealing a slick silver and black watch bearing a small screen as its face. He brought it near his lips. "JARVIS, bring Christine around. I've got an ankle-biter with me."

"Yours, Sir? I was counting the days."

"I'll take a pen and paper. Hold the sass."

[st_arkintern]

Peter tries to will himself to say something intelligible.

"Is Jarvis your butler, sir?" he asks. He's not sure who Christine is, either. A personal assistant? Mr. Stark would have to have one, right?

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"An AI I carry around in my pocket. Also, 'Mr. Stark' is fine. I've not yet been knighted." He gave a single pat to the boy's head. They emerged onto the raised concrete platform, and Tony knelt to remove his skates. "So. Uh. You go to school around here, kid?"

[st_arkintern]

An AI. A real, actual AI! Of course Mr. Stark would have an AI! Peter tries to reign in his excitement at that revelation, and attempts to steady his voice.

"Yeah, uh, in Queens."

Peter finds himself gesturing over in the direction of the borough, then suddenly feels embarrassed at having done it. Mr. Stark definitely knew where Queens was. "I'm in 5th grade this year."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Turn your homework in on time? Eat your veggies?" Tony slipped his feet into his regular shoes after getting them returned--a pair of sketchers picked up on sale at Value Village.

[st_arkintern]

Peter is still walking around on skates. The fact he's still wearing them doesn't even register in his head right now.

"Always, s-- Mr. Stark," he says. "I really want to be an inventor when I grow up. Just like -- you know, just like you."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Uh-huh. Eat your spinach and peas and get A's and B's and you can be just like Iron Man one day." Tony pushed to stand, mentally cringing at how identical he sounded to those god awful Captan America PSAs. "Wanna, uh, get your feet on there, champ?" He gestured towards the skates.

[st_arkintern]

Peter looks down at his feet, realizing for the first time that his skates are still there.

"Uh, yeah, yeah," he says and he sits down and begins to unlace just as Thor joins them and sits right beside him.

Thor. Sitting next to him. Unlacing his skates like a normal person.

Was this real life?

[st_ormbreaker]

"Are we leaving?" Thor asks as he begins, untying his skates. It proves an easier task than tying them up. He can barely remember Tony's explanation now, except it involved dogs and rabbits. Or was it wolves and rabbits? Thor can't remember.

"Did you give him your autograph?"

Thor sets a hand on Peter's back, and he can feel the boy tense beneath his hand, so he gives him a few more friendly pats to loosen him up a little. Far less strong than he might give them to Tony. Midgardian children were precious, but they were also very fragile.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"We can come back another day." Tony gave a few firm pats to Thor's back in turn. "Pen and paper is being delivered courtesy of Christine. C'mon, boys." Tony set off, motioning them to follow. The Bentley was no doubt waiting right past the gates.

[st_arkintern]

Peter tugs on his shoes, then watches without judgement as Thor attempts to wrestle with his shoelaces before shoving the ends into his shoe under his foot.

It's so weird how normal they are. Well, sort of. Maybe they didn't have tennis shoes in Asgard? It didn't really match the aesthetic if Thor's uniform (was it a uniform?) was typical Asgardian fashion.

"I can't go for very long," Peter says, following after Tony, Thor right behind him. "My friend's mom's watching us and if she doesn't see me after awhile, she's probably going to freak out." They were all only 10 after all.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"It'll be fine. Thor's not scary. Right, Cupcake?" Letting Peter walk ahead so as to make sure he was within sight, Tony gave Thor's arm a light punch,

[st_ormbreaker]

"If we're taking preferences into consideration, I prefer Point Break."

Peter turns around, walking backwards. "Point Break?" he asks.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"My cute nickname for him. It's the hair."

As the emerged from the skating rink entrance, Tony's Bentley sat resplendent in wait, hugging the sidewalk in the drop-off zone. As humbly as Tony and Thor were dressed, the sight of them approaching such a high-end vehicle began to attract looks and murmuring.

Tony paid it all no heed. Their attempts to go incognito were likely in vain from the beginning.

"Here, let me just--" Tony slid in.

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor waves at the murmuring humans as he climbs in after Tony. If they were already discovered, there's no reason that Earth's Mightest Heroes might be known as Earth's Unfriendliest Heroes.

Peter, on the other hand, uncertainly looks around as he stands outside the vehicle.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony poked his head out, leaning right over Thor to do it. "You coming in, kid? It's cold out."

[st_arkintern]

Peter looks behind him, hesitatingly. "We're not going to be gone long, right?"

Amy's mom was going to freak if she saw that he was missing, but... what other chance was he going to get to hang out with Thor and Tony Stark?

Without giving it another thought, Peter quickly scrambles inside and sits next to Tony.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony was handling a 4x8" notepad, doodling on it readily with the pen as he wanted for Peter to make himself comfy. There was a drawing of a child--presumably Peter--lifting Iron Man above his head as a monster drawn in the vein of Godzilla fell to the earth in defeat.

"What's your name, kid?"

[st_arkintern]

Thor watches as Tony doodles on the paper, as does Peter.

"Um, Peter," he says, cheeks growing red. The nerves he felt the first moment he saw the two of them hadn't abated.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony passed the drawing to Thor as if having the other proud warrior doodle on a notepad were the most expected thing on earth.

"Well, Mr. Peter," He reached out to ruffle the boy's hair, "You saved Iron Man from the cold, hard ice. How do you feel?"

[st_arkintern]

Thor begins to doodle a character that is clearly him. Though he's taller and broader than the Tony figure, the Thor-figure's height is eclipsed by a Mjölnir that is larger than even he is, which he holds over his head.

"I didn't really save you," Peter scrambles to say. "I didn't even help you up."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Wow. Were kids always such a tough crowd?

"No, no, it's about energy. You know. Morale." He prodded Peter resolutely in his chest. "You didn't know who we were before you helped us up, right? You did it because it was the right thing to do."