(That's only the most depressing picture ever but it's in honor of the person who requested this > I'll do a shoutout or whatever when I'm finished. But let me just say, you have a depressing profile pic my dude. Beautiful art, but still.)

Peter twirled his fork around his Ramen noodles while tapping his pencil on the paper. He had been stuck on this one math problem for nearly five minutes now. He was supposed to be a child prodigy! Yet he couldn't answer a simple complicated question.

Thankfully he had a genius to help him.

"Hey, Mr. Stark?" he grabbed Tony's attention say from messing with his face plate modifications on the couch. "Could you help me with this? I can't figure out what I got wrong."

"Sure kiddo," the billionaire practically beamed at Peter asking for his help. The billionaire was soon getting comfortable on a the bar stool next to his. "Which one?"

Peter stabbed his eraser at it in annoyance. "The last one. It just really wants to ruin my life."

"Getting a ninety nine percent is not ruining your life, Pete," he chuckled. "But okay, let me see..."

He stared at it for a few seconds, calculating in his head. Peter waited patiently. With some extra patience when they were still sitting in silence a few minutes later.

Tony groaned in frustration and picked up the paper to bring it closer to his face as if it would help him solve it. Then he slammed it back on the table and massaged his temples.

"Ugh, I hate tenth grade math!"

"Uh, Mr. Stark," Peter chuckled. "This is senior AP. That's the highest my school goes in math or I would be higher."

"Ugh I hate high school math," Tony corrected dramatically.

"That's okay," the teen bit the eraser of his pencil as he studied the problem in a new light. He muttered something under his breath before doing a few small calculations. "I think I..." he scribbled something out and circled an answer. "I think I got it."

Tony squinted at the number. "I knew that. I was just trying to see if you could figure it out."

"Yeah, right, Mr. Stark," Peter grinned teasingly at him. Tony rolled his eyes good naturally with a smile and turned his holoscreen back on continued adjusting his helmet.

"You," Tony glared with a poorly hidden smirk. "Shush."

They worked in silence, sharing the bowl of noodles between them. It was strangely quiet with the team at the compound. Except for Rhodey, of course, but seeing as Thor had chugged away all the milk they had, he had gone to get some more. The team were scheduled to come back the next day, though.

But it was even more quiet then when they were normally gone.

"Where's Mrs. Potts?"

Tony froze as if he had caught him doing something against the rules at school. "Oh–uh–well she's still on her work trip. And has been. For a while."

"It's been like four months since I last saw her," Peter realized worriedly. "Is she okay?"

Tony smiled at him goofily. "Of course she is. I talk to her every day. Well she's been grumpy a lot recently and sometimes demanding and is very moody all the time, but other then that..."

That's his definition of okay? "What happened?"

"Nothing." Tony stiffened again.

Peter frowned. "I won't tell anyone–"

The billionaire gasped and looked at his bare wrist. "Oh my god look at the time you should be getting home or better yet," –Tony knew he couldn't say no to this– "Patrol. New York can't survive without you Pete, you better go beat up some muggers."

He nearly shoved the arachnid out of the stool and threw him his backpack, which Peter caught easily with one hand without flinching. What the heck? Mr. Stark never tells me to go out on patrol. He usually discourages it!

"If something's wrong with Mrs. Potts–or–or your relationship–" Peter started hesitantly.

"No! No, god, no, we're fine. She's fine. I promise now shoo! Go protect the city, Spider-Man, it's late."

"Okay, Mr. Stark, okay, I'm going," Peter told him, a little hurt he was kicking him out at five o'clock.

Peter paused by the elevator and looked back uncertainly. "I'm, uh, still allowed to come over tomorrow for the weekend, right?"

Tony gave him a confused look in return. "Of course, kid. Pepper'll be back by then too."

"She will?" Peter brightened. Tony nodded slowly, as if not believing what came out of his own mouth. "Sweet, see you then!"

"Alright, kiddo," Tony waved as Peter stepped into the box. "Bye."

"Byie," Peter beamed back as the doors shut tight and he began his decent to the ground floor.

That was weird. I hope Pepper is actually okay.

Peter sighed in disappointment.

I can't believe he didn't trust me enough to tell me. What did I do wrong? Shoot did they break up? But they're getting married next year!

Which was...also my fault. For not accepting the Avengers invitation. Peter groaned in frustration and decided to just stop thinking about it.

Guess I'll figure it out this weekend...

—————————

Okay short intro part, the next one will be hella longer and filled with EmOtIoN.

...

One of my friends just told me I'm definitely high so you can blame that. (I'm not tho I swear.)

- Wanda