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“I’m not going.” Peter mumbled stretching in his bed.
Pepper leaned in the doorway, “We’re all going.”
“I’m sick.” Peter pulled the blanket over his face.
Pepper walked to sit on the edge of the bed, “You’re going to need to come up with a better story than that. Don’t even think about saying you have a cold. May is a nurse and she will know right away you’re lying. If you’re going to fake being sick then going with tummy issues, okay?”
Peter moved the blanket from his face, “Why are you helping me?”
“I don’t want to go either.” Pepper admitted, “But I’m an adult. Adults have to do the tough scary things.”
Peter squeezed her hand, “I’m so sorry.”
Pepper wiped at the tears on her cheek, “I’m going to tell May you aren’t well. Remember what I said.”
~
“Peter, you’re going to regret this if you don’t come.” May brushed the curls out of his face, “Do you think you can push through?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Petey? You’re not coming?” Morgan came into his room.
“No. My tummy hurts.” Peter told her.
“We’ll just go without him.” May told Morgan, “Go get your shoes and jacket on.”
~
“Where’s Peter?” Rhodey asked Pepper when they walked into the tower where the team was gathering.
“Sick.”
Rhodey frowned, “Sick?”
“That’s what he said.”
“Bullshit.” Rhodey rolled his eyes, “He just doesn’t want to be here. We decided that we were all coming together for this. A year from when it happened. He would want us to support each other.”
“Stop.“ Pepper blinked rapidly, “He’s a child. He gets to say this is too much.”
“But he didn’t. He just lied and pretended to be sick.”
Rhodey turned around pressing the button for the elevator.
“Where are you going?”
“To get my best friend’s kid.” Rhodey stepped into the elevator.
~
“Peter!” Rhodey went up the stairs of the lake house, “You can’t skip out on this.”
No response.
Rhodey pushed open the door to Peter’s room and found him sitting on the bed crying. He went and sat down next to him and wrapped him in a hug, “Oh kid.”
“I should have gone.” Peter cried on his uncle, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Rhodey ran soothing circles on his nephew’s back, “It’s okay. I knew you’d change your mind. It’s why I’m here.”
“But it hurts so bad. I don’t want to.” Peter admitted.
“Yeah. It’s going to hurt.” Rhodey empathized. He didn’t want to go share memories about his best friend. He didn’t want to do that because it would just be one more reminder than there were no more memories to make.
“I just miss him so much.”
“Me too.” Rhodey wiped at some tears that found their way to his cheeks, “How about we start just you and I?”
“Okay.” Peter thought back, “I think I’ve got a good one.”
~
“Hey kiddo. You were supposed to meet me in the lab.” Tony woke Peter up gently who had fallen asleep on the couch, “You okay?”
Peter blinked open his eyes and found his mentor looking at him with concern, “Oh. I’m so sorry, Mr. Stark!”
“Hang on there. No apologizing. People get tired.” Tony sat on the couch next to the kid.
“I am tired but—“ Peter looked down and stopped himself from admitting what he was about to say. This was not his father. It was his mentor and he’d be better off if he could remember that.
“But.” Tony raised an eyebrow.
“Never mind. I’m just going to go home.” Peter tossed the blanket to the side.
“Peter?” Tony stood up, “You can talk to me. I care about you.”
Peter paused not turning around, “I think I’m a little depressed.”
Tony walked over by his mentee, “Okay. How can I help?”
Peter hadn’t turned to face his mentor again, “Um. I don’t know. I haven’t fully figured out what I need.”
“Want to know what helps me?”
“Okay.” Peter finally turned around to look at his mentor.
“A really good hug.” Tony opened his arms.
“You don’t have to.” Peter took a step back.
“If you don’t want a hug from me I understand but maybe ask May for one.” Tony tried not to let on how hurt he felt that the kid had rejected him.
“It’s not that I don’t want a hug from you.”
“You don’t have to spare my feelings.” Tony shrugged pretending he was fine again.
“No. I just don’t know why you care. I’m just some kid.”
“Some kid?” Tony tilted his head while looking at Peter, “No. You’re my kid but not some kid—Never some kid.”
“Oh.” Peter gave a soft smile, “Then I think I’ll take that hug.”
Tony wrapped the kid in a hug until he felt Peter melt against him, “I’ve got you.”
“Don’t let go yet.” Peter’s voice cracked.
“I’ve got all the time in the world for you.”
“I love you.” Peter told his mentor.
“Love you too, Roo.”
~
Rhodey was openly crying now, “Shit, kid. It hurts.”
Peter was crying too, “Yeah. He loved me.”
“He really did. Don’t you ever doubt that.” Rhodey squeezed Peter’s hand.
“Your turn.”
“I’ve got one.” Rhodey was transported back to his college days.
~
“You really shouldn’t have come.” Tony told his best friend as they walked up to his childhood home, “My parents are not warm like yours. This is not going to be an enjoyable weekend.”
“You had to come home because your father summoned you. I could see how badly it was stressing you out. I couldn’t let you face this alone.”
Tony grinned at his friend, “Love you, Man.”
“Yeah. Well.” Rhodey gestured at the door, “Should we knock or just go in?”
“I’m not ready.” Tony admitted, “He’s going to pick and pick at me.”
“You’re not alone anymore.” Rhodey reminded him.
Tony hoped this friendship lasted forever. He was so grateful for the day he walked into his dorm and met James Rhodes. It had changed his life. “You’re right.”
~
“Did his dad pick at him?” Peter asked his uncle.
“He did until I finally snapped back and told him Tony and I were leaving.”
“Where did you guys go?”
“We went to my Mom’s. She welcome Tony with open arms. She wanted him to experience a safe home for maybe the first time in his life. He was so happy that weekend.” Rhodey’s eyes were still misty.
“Uncle Rhodey? He was happy while I was gone, right?” Peter braved the question he was terrified to ask.
Rhodey sighed, “I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. He was lost without you for a long time but then Morgan came and he had to force himself to live again for her sake. He found happiness again but he never stopped thinking about you. It’s why he went along with the crazy plan of bringing you all back. He was willing to risk everything for you, Kid. He loved you that much.”
“I wanted more time.” Peter’s voice cracked.
“He did too.”
~
Peter and Rhodey walked into the penthouse a couple hours later and were immediately hugged by their family—Tony’s family.