Superfamily One Shots

MoF Day 12: Mother's Day

**A little shorter than the others, but I hope I make up for it tomorrow when I post the super long chapter I have planned. Enjoy!**

Peter browsed the shelves, looking for something perfect. There were the usual gifts, mugs and candy and flowers, and even some jewelry, but nothing made Peter think of her. He wanted something good, something that would make her know just how important she was to the teen.

See, Mother's Day was a weird one. For years, Peter and May had an agreement. She wasn't Mary, and she never wanted Peter to feel like she was a replacement, so they never did Mother's Day gifts. Not ever. But this year was different. It wasn't May Peter was shopping for now, it was Pepper.

Pepper. Who was always there to give Peter a bandaid and kiss his head.

Who made the teen nap and eat lunch after hours in the workshop.

Who genuinely cared for Peter and signed his permission slips when Tony wasn't around.

Who one time called him 'sweet heart' and who never stopped because it made Peter blush and smile and giggle.

Who was sweet and kind and exactly what Peter imagined a mother should be like.

Peter glanced down at some jewelry that had the word mom etched into it. It was no good. Peter never called Pepper 'mom', even if he did see her as a mother figure. The teen put his head in his hands, pulling at his curls slightly. "Ugh!"

Giving up on the Mother's Day display, Peter wandered over to the books on the other side of the aisle. Pepper loved reading, but hardly ever got the time anymore now that she was a CEO and all that. The teen looked around a little, picking up a couple books on business and travel, but nothing sparked. Nothing fit.

Peter pursed his lips, looking around the store and trying to find an idea. Any idea. Just as he was about to give up, something tugged in the back of Peter's mind and he thought for a moment. Pulling out his phone, he called Natasha.

"Can you come pick me up? I need your help."

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Pepper had a little smile on her face as she watched Peter rush around the kitchen. "Do you need help? I could-"

"No!" Peter insisted, pulling a pot off the stove while balancing a plate in his other hand. "I can do it myself!"

Sure, it sounded childish, but Peter was just trying to give Pepper a nice meal without her getting up and working on it.

"Relax!" Peter said loudly as he banged spoons and pans and plates around. He tried to do a fancy splatter of sauce like he'd seen on a cooking video one time, but he just ended up with a messy looking puddle of watery sauce over a plate of spaghetti. He carried it over to Pepper carefully, making sure not to spill it, and set it down.

"Ta-da!" he said, pride written all over his face.

Pepper couldn't help her giggle. "It looks incredible, sweet heart! Thank you for making dinner."

"It's not just a regular dinner," Peter started. "It's a Mother's Day dinner."

Pepper, who had just taken a bite of pasta, chewed slowly, her face unreadable. Peter wasn't sure if she was suddenly mad, or if it was just... He kept going.

"I... I wanted to do something special. And I went looking, but nothing was good. There wasn't jewelry or books or anything that said 'I love you, Pepper Potts, because I never had a mom before, and you're exactly how I imagine a mom should be', so I was stuck. And I wanted to do something because I think of you as my mom."

Pepper had tears in her eyes, which fell into her already watery sauce, but it was okay because it needed just a pinch of salt anyways.

"So I decided I would do dinner, and tell you all of this, and then I made you something."

Peter pulled out a little box wrapped in wrinkled and uneven paper. The teen slid it across the table, where Pepper picked it up with slightly shaking hands, and opened it. Inside, was a little thumb drive attached to a keychain. The front was etched with the image of Peter sleeping on Pepper's legs from a plane trip they took together a few months ago. Pepper remembered that day so clearly, how Peter had yawned and fallen into her lap and how cute he looked while sleeping.

"There's only one thing on there, so you still have space to use it for work, but I wanted you to have it." Pepper was out of her chair in a second, wrapping Peter in a loving hug as she sniffled.

"I love it," she whispered. "Do you want to show me what's on it?"

Peter took the thumb drive and went to Pepper's laptop, which was in the living room. He plugged it in and a little window popped up. There was a single file named "Memories" on it. Peter double clicked it, and a slideshow popped up.

Pictures. Hundreds of pictures, of Peter as a baby, of Pepper in college, of Tony and her dancing at social events years before they got together. Peter laughing with Tony, both of their faces smudged with oil, and pictures of Pepper and Peter together. Them in bath robes having a spa day, or laughing, or one where they were singing together in the kitchen. Pillow fights with Natasha, teaching Wanda to drive. They just kept coming and coming.

Pepper leaned into Peter's shoulder, giving him another hug and pressing a kiss to the teen's hair. "I love you, Peter. This was the best Mother's Day I could ask for."

And Peter finally knew that he had found the perfect gift for his mom.