Chapter 15

                                    

                                          
"My fault?" The man stated, continuing on with the argument. Setting a hand over his heart. Apparently hurt by his fiancé's words. "How is this my fault? He should have known his way back, it couldn't be that hard for him. He's my intern, he's a smart lad." Tony shrugged smugly. 
                          
Pepper rolled her eyes, huffing exasperatedly. "No, Tony. This is your fault. You can't leave a little on their own." The woman stated, making Peter gasp.
                          
His secret is out, and not just to anyone. But to his mentor. The one person he didn't want knowing. And in such an offhand way.
                          
"A little? Peter isn't a little, Pepper." Tony scoffed, taking his glasses off and revealing his brown eyes. "I would know if he was, and Peter simply isn't one. He's just, shy and socially awkward." The man stated, not believing his intern is a little.
                          
"See," Pepper chuckled. Possibly sounding a little psychotic and desperate. "You're too up your own arse, your attention taken by the world of science. That you haven't even- you know what I'll just show you." Pepper was breathing heavy. 
                          
Though she wasn't angry towards Tony, nor necessarily Peter. She was just frustrated with this whole situation, as she had uncovered a secret, that the little boy she had put to bed. Has been hiding from them. 
                          
And she wasn't pleased. Nor would Tony be delighted either.
                          
"He's been taking illegal supplements, Tony. I found them in the back of his trouser pocket when putting him to bed. He's," Pepper took a breath and looked at her fiancé in the eye. "He's been taking them behind our backs, and I have no idea why." The woman bit her lip, letting Tony take the packet from her hand.
                          
Peter's breath got caught in his throat, as he watched the strawberry blonde haired woman present the bag of white tablets. Instinctively he patted the back of his pocket, feeling it to be bare.
                          
Tony is going to be furious with him. But not just his mentor, this is sure to get back to May and more importantly back to Mason. When this get's back to Aunt May, he's not going to be able to sit for a week. Maybe a month. And who knows what punishment he'll receive for upsetting her.
                          
Breath quickening, he remained in his hiding spot to watch the man's reaction. 
                          
"I'm not saying this to make you think you're off the hook." Pepper spoke matter of factly. "Peter getting lost and everything else in between, is on you. I just needed to show you this, and I guess now I can kind of see why you wouldn't get the impression Peter is a little, but I did tell you to confirm his classification. He's been hiding it from us this whole time. So I will forgive you, though only this one time. Got it?" Pepper raised an eyebrow, arms folded over her chest.
                          
"Fuck sake," The man breathed out, getting angry with himself. "I am to blame, you're right. I should have been more observant. God what have I done. These can be dangerous, Pepper! What's he even doing with them?" Tony looked up from looking at the bag, about to say something but shook his head. 
                          
Next thing Peter knew, a door was slammed. Opening his eyes from them being shut due to the loud slam of a door, the boy gathered it was his mentor who had stormed off to the master bedroom, as the living room area only had Pepper standing there. Looking towards him with an emotion he wasn't sure how to describe. 
                          
"How much did you hear?" Pepper asked, walking up to Peter. Voice stern, but still gentle.
                          
For the sake of not wanting to be in deeper trouble, Peter told the truth. "All of it." The boy mumbled playing with his hands. "Am I in trouble? I don't want Aunt May to know! S-she doesn't know a-about the supplements." The boy rushed out, panic tightening in chest.
                          
"I think you have some explaining to do, Peter. But, before you do I want to let you know that you're not in trouble, okay? We're worried about you, is all. No little like you should be taking such drugs, they are extremely dangerous. And when we find out who gave you them, they're going to be in very deep trouble. Understand."
                          
Peter nodded, but it didn't do anything for his worries.
                          
"I-I didn't mean to - I - T-Tony's a-angry wiff me." The boy whimpered his eyes starting to water, his head still disorientated and a little foggy. This caused a few of his words to lisp, though he was too panicky to realise what he was saying, or rather how he was saying it.
                          
Today really isn't his day at all. This get away from home, is turning out to be everything but a good idea. He knew he didn't want to go since it was brought up as a suggestion, and yet he got talked into it by Aunt May and the fact he couldn't say no to his mentor. It would have been completely wrong of him as an intern to decline. Although right now, it felt like it would have saved him a lot of hassle.
                          
"He's more angry at himself, than with you." The lovely woman reassured. Exchanging a soft smile. "I have to sort a few things out. Why don't you go check on Tony? Make sure he doesn't get into anything he isn't supposed to." Ms Potts winks, Peter letting out a tiny giggle before watching the strawberry blonde leave. Himself heading to the direction of the bedrooms, finding himself standing outside the master bedroom.
                          
The one his mentor is probably behind, and maybe thinking up a suitable punishment for the child. 
                          
He knocked quietly, however the man inside must have heard it. As Peter hears a calm voice from inside call 'come in'.
                          
With jittery hands, and a mouth so dry even the Sahara Desert would be more moist. Peter opened the bedroom door, and stepped inside. Head hung low as he shut the door behind him, flinching when he heard a heavy sigh from across the room.
                          
He's really done it this time.
                          
"I-I'm sorry s-sir. I d-didn't mean t-to." The boy instantly went to defend himself. "I-I w-wanted to - I - I -" Peter's chest started to feel tight. His breathing became irregular, and his cheeks became damp with salty tears.
                          
He was hyperventilating again, and this time he couldn't bring himself out of it. How could he, when there is so much to worry about. Aunty May is going to be so disappointed in him, Mason is going to beat the shit out of him for this. And, Tony won't want him to be his intern anymore. He'll be once again the lonely outcast, not even wanted at his own home.
                          
Black spots started to appear in his vision, the strong urge to throw up was burning his throat. 
                          
But the sickly feeling quickly dispersed when strong arms wrapped around his middle, and sweet nothings whispered into his ear.
                          
"Breathe, Peter. In and out, shh." Tony picked the boy up and put him on the master bed, which is located in the middle of the room. Setting the brown haired boy on his lap, Tony rocked back and forth. The bag of illegal pills sat next to him. "You're fine. I've got you. I'm not mad." he continued to reassure the child until he's fully calm and leaning heavily on his chest.
                          
"Not mad?" Peter asked once he's able to.
                          
"No, but I do want to know why you felt the need to hide this from me. I'm not that bad am I?" Tony joked as he poked Peter's side to get the Little to giggle.
                          
"No," Peter squealed before becoming more serious. "Just can't be little. I have ta be big," his lisp comes out again.
                          
"Being Little doesn't mean you can't be my intern. Plenty of Littles work for SI."
                          
"But-"
                          
"No buts. This doesn't change anything about our relationship. Of course Pepper is now going to make sure we both eat and get enough sleep," the billionaire interrupted the boy but his over dramatic sigh at the end gets another laugh out of him. "Now let's order some food and we can continue this conversation." 
                          
Tony stands with Peter still in his arms before ordering room service and heading back to the living area. He seemed almost reluctant when he placed Peter down on the couch and Peter found himself missing the closeness of being in someone's arms. He couldn't help but remember nights where Aunt May would rock him to sleep when he was younger and how they barely had any alone time with Mason around.
                          
Once the food had come and they were sitting in comfortable silence Tony finally spook again. 
                          
"Where did you get the pills?"