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All Pepper Stark would like to do is kick off her heels, sink into the couch with a glass of wine and watch whatever Disney movie Morgan is currently obsessed with. It’s with that thought alone, of seeing her little girl, that has her marching through the quiet hallways of the tower to the elevator.
It’s a Sunday and Pepper hates that she had been called into work. A problem that couldn’t wait until Monday, the team had said. It’s not the first time she has had to work a weekend and it wouldn’t be the last, but she tried not to often. The team had been overly apologetic, guilty looks etched into their faces when she had come down from the penthouse. Pepper was nothing but professional when it came to Stark Industries and so she had plastered a smile on her face and gotten to work.
The elevator was waiting for her and she stepped inside, not letting her self fully relax until the doors had slid closed. She toes off her heels, sinking into the metal frame of the elevator walls. The cool touch seeped through her clothes and she closed her eyes, giving a little shiver.
“FRIDAY? Where is Tony?” Pepper asked quietly.
“Boss is in the living room waiting for you,” FRIDAY responded, the volume of her voice lowered, as if she knew that Pepper had a small headache pulsing at her temples. The AI probably did.
“Thank you,” Pepper sighed, a small smile falling across her lips. An afternoon with her family sounded perfect right now.
As the elevator rose, so did the guilt that had been swirling in Pepper’s belly since she had left her husband and daughter this morning. She hated that she didn’t get to spend as much time with her family as she liked. Being CEO of Stark Industries was no picnic. It was a lot of hard work and required a lot of her attention. She had worked hard to get where she was today and was damn proud of her accomplishments.
And being a mother was the greatest joy she had ever had. Some day’s though, she couldn’t help but feel that she was failing. It didn’t help that the media, the board, everyone with a keyboard and access to some sort of social media platform had the opinion that she couldn’t do both and that one day, one was going to slip. Pepper hated those days and hated that she was feeling insecure about being a mother.
Not only to Morgan, but to Peter and Nebula, and even Harley (though she rarely got see the now teenager). Did she even have the right to call herself their mother? She knew they were Tony’s children, that he loved them with his whole heart. They had brought out a side of Tony that Pepper had always known that the genius had, even though he had never shown it before. When Tony had introduced her to his children (and Pepper had hidden her smirk when he had first denied it. Ever since Thanos and losing Peter, and then getting him back, he fully embraced it) she had warmed to them straight away. They were important to Tony, so they would be important to her.
Naturally, she had fallen into a paternal role with them as she grew to love them like they were her own. But did they feel the same way? Did she have the right to be a mother towards them? Peter had once had parents and Aunt May who raised him. Would he want Pepper to fill that role? And Nebula, she was an adult, did she still need a mother?
The elevator came to a halt and Pepper bent to pick up her heels. She straightened up as the doors opened, shoes dangling from her hands and she stepped out.
“HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!”
The shoes slipped from her grasp and hit the floor with a clatter as Pepper jumped. Her heart stuttered in her chest as she saw Morgan, Peter and Nebula holding a banner between them with Happy Mother’s Day written on it and decorated with so many hand drawings it brought tears to her eyes.
“What’s this?” Pepper asked, drifting closer to her kids. Had she really forgotten that today was Mother’s Day? The guilt in her stomach rose up again, itching at her throat and tearing at her insides.
“It’s a surprise,” Morgan chirped.
“Happy Mother’s Day,” Peter grinned widely, bouncing on his toes much like Morgan was.
“We have cake,” Nebula added, a soft smile on her lips. “and gifts.”
“Come here,” Pepper said, opening her arms.
Morgan let go of the banner, dashing to Pepper in an instant. Pepper scooped her daughter up, hugging her tightly. A few seconds later and she was enveloped in a hug from Peter and Nebula on either side. The guilt eased away as she was hugged tightly, and the tightness in her chest released and she felt like she could breathe again.
“This is the best surprise,” Pepper murmured to them. She placed a kiss on Morgan’s forehead and before she could second guess herself, she gave one each to Peter and Nebula, who both looked pleased. “Thank you so much.”
“Come on mum!” Morgan wiggled in her grasp until Pepper placed her back on her feet. Morgan went racing towards the living room. “Present time!”
“Yeah mum,” Peter beamed, cheeks flushed pink. “and cake time!”
“You’re just hungry,” Nebula said, bumping shoulder’s with Peter as they started towards the living room.
“It smells so good,” Peter whined. “And super metabolism! It’s not my fault.”
Pepper heart stuttered in her chest as she watched them. She sighed, relaxing into the warmth that suddenly pressed into her side. She sunk into the kiss that was placed on her cheek and the headache that had been pulsing at her temple faded away.
“Did you put them up to this?” Pepper asked quietly.
“Nope,” Tony said. “Kid’s came up with all on their own. They’ve been planning it for weeks.”
Pepper smiled brightly, nose stinging as tears welled in her eyes.
“They love you.” Tony slipped an arm around her waist. “And they have been eagerly and not so patiently waiting for you to come home.”
Pepper chuckled softly. “Better not keep them waiting any longer then.”
“Better not. There’s a mug in there with best mother in the whole universe in there for you,” Tony said with a knowing smirk.
Pepper let him propel her forward, any doubts she had earlier completely vanished. It didn’t matter what gifts the kids had gotten her (and later she would find that Harley had even sent her a small gift) they were the greatest gift and being their mother was a privilege and one she would never forget.