Peter & Bucky Are Pals

Chapter 27

The next morning when Peter went up for breakfast, he found Rhodey and Tony at the table deep in conversation, matching mugs of coffee in front of them. Rhodey looked up and smiled at Peter.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning,” Peter replied, stifling a yawn. Rhodey looked sympathetic.

“There’s more coffee on the counter if you want some.”

Peter looked to Tony. “Can I?”

“Sure? Why are you asking me? Should I say no? JARVIS, can teenagers have coffee?”

“There is no harm in Mr. Parker indulging in a cup every now and then,” JARVIS replied.

“Thanks, J. There’s your answer, Petey-Pie. Go for it.”

Peter nodded and headed into the kitchen, pouring himself a bowl of cereal and a mug of coffee. He made his way to the table, sliding into the seat across from Rhodey.

“That’s some funny-looking milk,” Rhodey observed, studying Peter’s bowl of cereal.

Peter looked down; the milk in his cereal was brown. It looked suspiciously like… coffee. He groaned. Tony covered a little snicker. Rhodey peered into the mug, which, sure enough, was full of milk.

“It happens,” Rhodey said consolingly. “You can make yourself another bowl.”

“I don’t want to waste food,” said Peter, frowning at his coffee-bathed cheerios.

“Cereal with coffee isn’t that bad. I used to eat it in college sometimes,” Tony offered. Rhodey shook his head.

“Yeah, when you were such a zombie that you didn’t care what was going in your body as long as something was coming out.”

“That’s fair,” Tony said. “Hey, I’ll eat it if you don’t want it.”

Peter took a spoonful of coffee-cereal and chewed in consideration. He wrinkled his nose, but took another bite.

“Milk will help,” Rhodey told him, picking up the mug of milk and pouring some into the cereal. Peter tried some more, nodding this time.

“It’s not really that bad.”

“It’s like coffee ice cream, but cereal,” said Tony. “Wait, that’s actually a good idea. JARVIS, does anyone already have a patent on coffee cereal?”

“I’m afraid so, sir,” said JARVIS. “Patent US20070098874A1. Coffee-flavored cereal; inventor, David Schlosser; priority date, November 2, 2005.”

“Goddammit,” Tony sighed. “I was on to something there.”

----

At lunchtime, Peter took his seat beside Ned and MJ and frowned down at his sandwich, letting the chatter around him fill his ears. He hoped Bucky was alright. He’d still been asleep when Peter had crept down before breakfast; Peter had noticed a half-done lumpy scarf on the bedside table, which he thought might a good sign. Hopefully Rhodey was helping. Peter wanted to wring his hands; he sat on them instead, still gazing at his sandwich.