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The elevator pilings and finally comes to a stop. The doors open slowly, and Peter bounces his leg impatiently, pushing through the narrow opening before they open fully. His backpack almost snagged in the process.
“I came as quickly I could,” He pants stepping into the penthouse, “Where’s the fire?”
It had been nearly twenty minutes since Tony called him, asking him to hurry to the tower. Peter’s mind was racing with things that could have gone wrong, ranging from a full-on Alien invasion to a minor incident with Hydra. The latter is more likely on this partial afternoon.
Tony emerges from around the corner, a smirk playing on his lips, as Morgan runs past him and right up to Peter. Her small arms hugged Peter’s legs.
“Petey!” She giggles excitedly looking up at him with big curious eyes.
Peter chuckles and kneels before the young girl, pulling her into his arms. “Hey Mo,” He greeted kindly before looking up at Tony. “What’s the issue? You said to hurry.”
As he sits on the floor, his heart slows a little and he manages to catch his breath. Tony doesn’t look panicked. There’s no Iron Man suit in sight, and no team ready on the helipad outside the window: just a happy five-year-old girl, and her dad.
“Uh…” Tony waves awkwardly at his left arm when it suddenly clicks for Peter that Tony’s hurt. The left arm is held in a sling, securely resting against the engineer’s chest. Under the sling the white cast peaks out, encapsulating Tony’s wrist and lower arm. It had already been decorated in colorful drawings, which was likely Morgan’s work. “I broke my Ulna playing with Morgan.”
Peter snorts softly and gets to his feet, pulling Morgan to his chest, and arm under her knees and the other supporting her back. Morgan’s small arms hugged around his neck. “I can see that,” Peter says drily a smile creeping onto his lips.
It wasn’t by any means the first time Tony had gotten injured. The first time Peter had worked with him, years ago now, Tony had it in a sling too after it getting crushed under a car by the Scarlet Witch.
Berlin had been exciting for a young hero like Peter. The same hadn’t been true for the rest of them.
“So, why am I here?” Peter asks again, a frown on his face.
Tony hadn’t called him in the middle of a college lecture, just to tell him about his broken arm. Had he? Peter was close with the Stark family for sure, but Tony knew how important ESU was to Peter. Supported him every step of the way to getting a proper degree.
Morgan beams at Peter excitedly, her whole body wiggling in his arms, “Skating!”
“Skating?” Peter raises an eyebrow looking between Morgan and Tony. “Mo, it’s snowing outside, and there’s ice on the ground. We can’t go to the skate park.”
Peter had taught Morgan a bit of skateboarding back during summer break. The young girl had seen some teens ride up and down the path in the local park, and Peter had decided to dig out his board so that Morgan could learn. She’d loved it, and Tony and Pepper had appreciated the break. Trusting Morgan in Peter’s care.
Now, Morgan pouts at Peter’s response and rolls her eyes. “On the ice,” She corrects as if Peter’s stupid for not understanding. He doesn’t mind. “Skating on ice.”
“You mean ice skating,” Peter suddenly realizes and chuckles.
He could already picture what had gotten the young girl interested this time. Maybe some competition on TV, or one of those figure skating TV shows.
“Morgan’s been begging to go since they set up the rink, and lights in Central Park.” Tony snorts and moves to ruffle through Morgan’s hair. “I’m benched, for obvious reasons. So, I thought I’d invite you for hot cocoa and ice skating.”
Peter blinks at Tony before his smile softens and the last adrenalin settles. It wasn’t a mission. Just Tony needs Morgan’s spiritual big brother. “Only if you tag along to watch our bags.” Peter agrees easily.
Suddenly ESU doesn’t feel so important anymore. It had just been the last class before Christmas break anyway, the last chance to ask questions for the winter exams in January. But Peter had his professor’s email address, so he wasn’t missing out.
He’d much rather spend time with Morgan and Tony anyway. Honestly, he needed this, too.
A break.
Gentle Peter settles Morgan back onto her feet, “And you need to go put on your jacket, and boots, if we’re going skating. And you’re gloves.” Morgan nods happily and rushes towards the primary entrance area, where her pink fluffy jacket hangs on a hook in her height, and her new winter boots stand on a wet newspaper soaking up the melted snow she’d track inside.
“You’re good with her,” Tony praises and pulls Peter to his side as they follow Morgan. More slowly. “Sorry, I’m sure you had way more interesting things planned, like drinking with that scary girlfriend of yours.”
“Not really,” Peter murmurs truthfully. He couldn’t picture a single place he’d rather be.
Morgan almost manages to get her winter clothes all on her own, but Peter ends up needing to help her tie the boot's laces and pull the gloves over her hands. Usually Tony would do it, but when Morgan looks to her dad for help, he helplessly looks down at his arm. Unable to help his little girl because of his injury.
While Peter helps Morgan, Tony struggles to get his jacket on. In the end, it hands loosely over the shoulder of his injured arm.
“I’m just gonna drop this,” Peter says holding up his backpack, and half runs to his room at the tower where he discards it, before joining the others waiting by the elevator. Morgan held her dad’s hand tightly.
As they enter the elevator, Peter jams the button a few times. It lights up, and the elevator starts moving. The number at the top of the display is going down, one at a time. When the doors open again, Peter doesn’t push himself forward, he chills as Tony and Morgan go first.
Soon enough they’re tracking through the snow-covered sidewalks through New York City. Peter adjusts his scarf, pulling it tighter around his throat, and pulls his gloves out of his pocket to put on.
“Emma from kindergarten skated last week,” Morgan announces loudly as she takes Peter’s hand too. Walking right between Tony and Peter. She talks animatedly, full of life, “She fell and got hurt. But I won’t. Cause I never get hurt.”
Peter chokes back a laugh, “Is that so?” He asks and shares a look with Tony.
Morgan got hurt all the time, had when Peter taught her skateboarding too. Her slam palms had been raw, and she got holes in all her pants when knee protectors didn’t fit quite right.
“Sure, you don’t,” Tony says unable to hold back his laugh. A bright smile on his face, and his cheeks growing red in the cold. “But you’re wearing a helmet.”
The young girl doesn’t argue for a second, just skipping along.
The tower isn’t far from Central Park, just a fresh walk. Peter finds himself getting lost in the sound of the city. The cars driving past and fellow pedestrians walking through the city that had been Peter’s only home. Manhattan was different from Queens where Peter had grown up, but it was different in a good way. It held memories the same way Queens did, but rather than memories of learning to ride a bike or baking cookies, the memories here were learning how to web swing and overcoming his fear of heights.
Walking through the city now, Peter couldn’t begin to imagine why his slightly younger self had thought about leaving for MIT rather than going to the ESU. He’d been so willing to flee from this place, but with Tony Pepper and Morgan back in the big city, he’d decided to stay.
They were his family too, like May.
“You still with us Underoos?” Tony asks, pulling Peter out of his thoughts, “I think we lost you for a second.”
Peter shakes his head trying to clear his thoughts. “I’m with you,” He assures and puts on a smile.
As the park comes into view and the street before the three of them opens into the beautiful snow-covered park, Morgan begins bouncing on her heels with excitement. She pulls at Tony and Peter’s arms trying to get them to move faster.
The winter sun stands low and blind in the sky. Peter soaks up the warmth as the sun hits his face. Letting out a deep breath, and watching it dance as a frozen cloud of white before him.
“Come on, come on, come on!” Morgan pulls her hands out of Peter’s and grasps her dad’s hurt arm instead. Pulling him forward. A sharp intake of breath echoes from Tony, the pain flashing on his face at Morgan’s rough movement.
Peter immediately steps in, grabbing Morgan’s hands so she can’t make Tony’s injury worse. “You alright?”
Tony nods shakily, rubbing his sore arm. His face is much, much paler than it had been moments earlier. “Just…” He wheezes, “Just give me a second.”
Peter doesn’t argue. He’d had enough injuries of his own over the years, that he knew how the pain worked. It could be perfectly fine, as long as they did exactly what the medical told them. Take it easy, rest it, ice it, and so on. But when it got jerked or bumped the pain could be unbearable. There wasn’t much of anything to do but wait for it to fade.
“You can’t do that Morgan,” Peter gently tells the girl who looks frightened up at her dad.
A few breaths later, Tony regains the color on his face and offers Morgan his good hand back. Morgan takes it without a word, no longer bouncing around. But Peter has a feeling she’ll be back to herself before they reach the rink.
They cross the road and enter the massive park. The ground is covered in a thick layer of snow, but on the main paths that people use the snow has been stumped down. The lake is beginning to freeze over too, ice covering the edge, and signs warning people not to walk on the ice have been set up.
A couple of young teens are pulling brightly colored plastic sleds behind them, while a few adults are carrying skis and snowboards.
Peter kneels for a moment to grab a handful of snow, pressing it together into a ball. He hands it to Morgan with a smile, and Morgan’s face brightens, grinning. “Can I throw it at you?” She asks holding the ball of snow. Peter just nods and moves a little away, spreading his arms out to give Morgan the biggest target he can. The snowball hit his shoulder. “Did you see? Did you see?” Morgan cheers to her dad.
“I did, sweetheart,” Tony assures. “Good shot. Did Clint teach you?”
Morgan folds her arms and shakes her head, clearly copying something she’d seen people do around the tower. Peter probably did it too without realizing it.
After another few snowballs flying through the air, the group keeps walking. Past Central Park Zoo where they’d seen sea lions last summer during Morgan’s birthday celebration.
They finally reach the large open space that had been transformed into the yearly ice rink. People in colorful winter clothes were already filling the ice.
Morgan stars in Wonder as a young adult who does a toe loop jump. “Waow…”
Tony nudges Peter as Morgan leans against the barrier around the rink, “You’re being outshined,” He jokes.
Peter rolls his eyes, “Guess I’ll just have to pull out my axle then.” He says seriously. He’d gone skating with Ben all the time as a kid like they were doing with Morgan now. One year, Peter had begged for proper lessons, but Ben and May had both agreed it was too expensive. You can imagine Peter’s childish shock when he found brand-new skates under the Christmas tree.
“You’re what?” Tony asks, eyes widening comically, but Peter doesn’t answer. Instead heading towards the skate rental.
He can almost see Tony’s face behind him, his mouth hanging agape. “Kid, hey, you can’t just drop a bomb like that! Come back.”
Peter never competed in figure skating; he wasn’t that good. But he could land a single axel a toe loop, and a flip. If he trained, he’d have a lutz too.
Reaching the rental and ticket area, Peter is greeted by a worker. “Welcome to the Wollman rink,” The worker smiles brightly at him, “How can I help you today?”
“Two adults, one kid.” Peter smiles in return and suddenly feels the excitement bubbling in himself too. The same way it did in Morgan. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken a chance to skate. “Rental skates for two,” Peter lists the sizes, “And a skate aid.” Adding the last thing for Morgan.
The worker nods, typing into the cash register before handing Peter the tickets and heading back to grab the skates. “You can grab the skate-aid over there,” She waves, “Have a good day.”
Returning to the others, Tony has managed to get Morgan’s attention back. Soon they’re moving into the area, finding a bench where Tony plops down.
Peter helps Morgan remove her boots and secures the skates onto her feet and the helmet on her head. Tony takes the boots, placing them against himself, and watching with a warm, peaceful look in his eyes as Peter puts on skates too. And he and Morgan finally head to the rink itself. Morgan practically clings to the aid so she doesn’t fall. Peter skates beside her as they do rounds along the edge of the rink.
It doesn’t take long for Peter to be right back in his natural element, easily doing crossovers. Morgan looks at him surprised and attempts to copy him, but struggles. “It’s good, just keep practicing.”
The sound of blades digging through the ice is like music to Peter’s ears.
“Did I hurt Daddy?” Morgan suddenly asks, looking down at her toes. Her voice is small and hesitant as she asks.
Peter glances over the barrier to where Tony’s sitting. Now that Morgan isn’t looking, Tony’s nursing his injured wrist and causing him more pain than he’s letting on. It hadn’t been helped by Morgan’s rough play.
“No,” Peter lies and shakes his head, “Like, back when I broke my ankle last year.”
It takes a long moment before Morgan seems to accept Peter’s answer. Resuming her forward motion the best she can.
“Will you hold my hand?” Morgan suddenly asks, her little hand reaching for Peter’s as they let go of the skate-aid. Peter doesn’t hesitate to take them, and steady Morgan. Helping her glide across the ice in smooth motions.
Once Morgan seems confident, Peter speeds up, pulling Morgan along. The girl giggles and laughs loud and bright. Calling for her dad when they make it past the barrier where he’s sitting.
Tony shakes his head in fondness, holding his phone up to record.
“I’ll show you something,” Peter decides as he helps Morgan over the barrier. He doesn’t let go of her, till Morgan has one hand on the railing and Tony’s stepped over to watch her properly. “You need to stay here and keep your eyes on me.” He instructs, before sliding away from them.
Peter gives himself a second to take a deep breath before he picks up speed. He digs the toe picks into the ice – the dull blades of rental skates making him struggle – and launches himself into the air. He tucks his arms close to his chest and spins midair. One and a half rotations, before landing back down on one blade. Stretching one leg backward, and arms out.
He hopes it looks elegant, but he can feel the lack of practice and the blades holding him back.
Coming to a stop, be looks back to Morgan who’s clapping her gloved hands excitedly. Spinning on her blades, so her hair stands out in every direction. “That’s my big brother!” She cheers.
When Peter was a kid, he’d always wanted a big sibling. Someone older, and smarter than him he could look up to. The way Ben and Richard did.
Morgan was an only child too, biologically, but Peter could feel his cheeks warm up knowing that he’s done something right for her.
They spend another hour on the ice, where Morgan leans to skate without holding Peter’s hand. Her little body moved clumsily, and falling on her butt many, many times. She’ll have bruises, Peter thinks to himself as he helps her up.
It’s only when Peter sees Morgan’s eyes dropping that he decides to call it quits.
Morgan’s practically asleep against Peter’s shoulder, sitting on a bench outside the rink, while they wait for Tony to return with cups of steaming hot chocolate.
“Did you have fun?” Tony asks coming up behind Peter, swinging a leg over the bench to sit down.
“Yeah.” Peter nods. He’s seen the way Morgan’s eyes lit up with Christmas lights on the ice. He wonders if Tony sees the same in him.
They sip cocoa for a while watching the other skates. The warm cup fills Peter’s palms with comfort, the sugary treat tasting good after playing in the snow with his little sister.
Peter studies Tony closely for a while as they sit there. How Tony barely moves the arm, at all. Not even his shoulder. “What happened to your arm?” Peter catches himself asking, setting his empty cup down beside him.
Tony glances at Morgan as if checking if she’s asleep. Sighs, “Long story short, Morgan’s not allowed toys with wheels anymore.” Tony says. Peter doesn’t need to know anything else. Morgan loved toy cars and other rolling objects, mostly because she could pick them apart and reassemble them. Just like Peter did when he was young, and like Tony had to if stories were to be trusted.
The drawback was that Morgan would leave her toys all over the penthouse.
There wasn’t one Avenger who hadn’t fallen over one of those rolling threats at least once. Peter too. He’d stepped on a Lego card that had snapped under his weight, but not before sending him tumbling face-first onto the couch. His nose had been bruised for weeks.
Tony’s arms were already both weak from years of injuries and stress placed on them. It wasn’t that surprising that he’d break something falling like that.
“You don’t need surgery, right?” Peter asks softly. Broken bones sometimes needed more than a cast.
His mentor shrugs softly, “We’ll see. Cho thinks I’ll be fine without it.”
Morgan stirs softly beside Peter, her brown eyes peeling open. Staring up at them blurrily. Peter pulls her into his arms without hesitation, ready to carry her back to the tower. “Ready to go?”
Tony takes the last long sip of his cocoa, throwing their cups in the trash. “Let’s go.”