Chapter Fifty-Two

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A/N: Okay so today I realized how greedy people are. Well, technically, yesterday.

Sony and Disney: money >>>>>>>>

*insert huge eye roll* If they quit Tom Holland, istg they got another thing coming. They better figure their issues out before I knock on their door. They have no idea how much I love that man and his character. Seriously. Can't be just me...

ANYway Tadelaide (that sounds funny lmao) moments to make you cry because they're both just so damn cute and I love writing them. And I know this chapter is short, but like sUsPenSe so ya know,.

Fun fact. I rewrote this first scene three times. Fun for you, not so much for me.

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"Yes. I order you to forgive me."

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They were sitting across from each other at the island, in the kitchen, unmoving. It was silent as if someone had pressed the pause button in their movie.

Adelaide was too afraid to look the billionaire in the eye.

"Adie," he said, softly breaking the silence and she was suddenly reminded of the first time he had coined the nickname. Had it only been a year? She swore it felt much longer.

What's your name again, kid?

Adelaide. 

Uh, yeah, no. Too long. Can I call you Adie? I'm gonna call you Adie.

"Tell me."

She could see the exhaustion around his eyes. It was taking a toll on both of them. The feeling overwhelmed her and she felt her face heating up with an unwanted emotion. She couldn't do this right now. It was all too much. She felt like her brain was melting.

"I can't," she finally said and she heard him sigh.

"I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong," he said, rubbing his face, "You've been miserable for a month now. You gotta let it out."

"I'm fine," she mumbled, sliding off the stool, "I'm going to bed." She needed to be alone right now to process whatever it was that had happened back at Peter's apartment. All those hours on the streets hadn't been enough. The shock was still running through her system. She wasn't sure if she felt like crying or screaming or both. But she was out of tears and energy and she couldn't do either.

She didn't know how much longer she could do this. Every time things felt like they were going right, they messed up. Again and again and again. Why didn't the universe want her to be happy?

How much more suffering did she owe this world?

Because of you, he might have killed other innocent people!

Damn it, you just – argh! I can't even look at you!

"Adie," he called out after her and she stopped without turning around. For a moment, Tony said nothing and silence filled the penthouse again.

"Please don't push me away," he finally said, "I'm here."

She glanced at him over her shoulder, looking into his eyes. The dark rings around them. The fading smile wrinkles. A couple of gray hairs. He looked so broken and Adelaide wished that she could fix him.

Worst of all, he looked lonely. So so lonely.

Adelaide suddenly wanted to take all of his problems away. Even if she couldn't be happy, he deserved to. If anyone did, it was him. She couldn't take his burdens away, but she could make carrying them a little easier.

She found her feet moving towards the billionaire.

She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face into his shirt and holding him as if he was the only thing holding her down in this chaotic world. And maybe he was. With everything falling apart, he had always been there – the only constant in her life. He let out a content sigh, feeling some life returning to him and embraced her back, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"I know," she said softly, nuzzling into his shirt and he hugged her closer, "And I'm here for you too."

He kissed the top of her head briefly before resting his chin there again.

"I know," he said quietly, swallowing, "I know."

Adelaide didn't know what she would do without Tony Stark but she was glad that she didn't have to wonder.

-----

Peter was Spider-Man.

Peter Parker was the Spider-Man.

It had been two days and Adelaide still couldn't believe it. The one on Youtube and the one who was famous for all the crime he had stopped in Queens. The one who had helped her with her math homework. The one who had tried to make her happy when she was sad. The one who was obsessed with Tony. The one who had lost his Uncle. The one who thought she was dating Ned. The one who....who had kissed her. The one who swung all the way to Manhattan every night just to talk to her. Her best friend.

She couldn't believe it. She thought she had finally lost her mind and gone crazy. It was so...unexpected. How could the same Peter Parker that she knew be Spider-Man?

It had come crashing down on her only a few hours ago this morning as her mind finally caught up with the recent events. After the initial shock had subsided, the realization had hit her like a train.

All this time, Peter, the dorky, victim of Flash's bullying had been goddamn Spider-Man. And she didn't even know it.

Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit.

He really was Spider-Man.

All the signs had been there from the beginning, she just hadn't seen them.

Can you tell me where you live, at least?

Queens.

And the night of the science fair. She had seen Spider-Man on the news, saving a bank from being robbed and saving the lives of two people that night. He hadn't just stood them up, he was Spider-Man.

It wasn't Spider-Man who had saved her life that night either, it was Peter. Her Peter Parker.

Come on. I won't drop you. Closer.

An image of him reaching out to grab a hold of her flashed in her mind. She remembered it with painstaking accuracy.

And the night that he had told her to forgive Peter. It should make her angry that he cheated and tricked her into forgiving him, but she wasn't angry. Far from it.

I think you should forgive him...I mean he probably misses you too.

Adelaide felt ashamed for getting so angry with him. And, most of all, she felt stupid. So, so stupid.

Just get out – get out of my life! I don't ever want to see you again!

Adelaide bit her lip. It was too late for regrets now. He hated her for what she had done and he probably would never want to talk to her again. This was Uncle Ben they were talking about! He loved Uncle Ben and maybe she had been wrong to have stepped in that night and make his decision for him. She had really, really messed up this time.

And, of course, as she was sitting there in the library (they had finished construction), Monday after school, waiting for her math tutor, it was Peter who walked through the door. He hadn't seen her yet so she contemplated leaving before he did, but she found that she was frozen in her seat, watching him as if this would be the last time she would get to see him.

Well, since you two are so close, I just thought that maybe you were together.

He was slipping away from her by the minute, she could feel it. His hair with the little curl that always fell into his eyes. His eyes. The shade of the most honest brown that she had ever seen. The little wrinkle by the corner of his lips when he was thinking hard. He was getting further and further away.

And then she saw the redness in his eyes, his nose which was slightly red, the heartbreak on his face. She had broken his trust and trust was one of the most delicate things in the world. Would she ever get it back?

When he saw her sitting there, he stopped walking, his lips parting. For a heartbeat, Peter forgot that he was mad at this blue-eyed girl sitting there in front of him. It had been a month since everything had messed up between them and he missed her like crazy. But what she did...He pressed his lips together in a very thin line, feeling as angry as he had two days ago at his apartment.

"I thought I told you that I didn't want to see you again," he hissed quietly and Adelaide felt like she had been slapped in the face.

"You're Spider-Man," she whispered, not realizing what she said until she heard the words herself. Saying them out loud, especially to Peter, made the statement seem much more plausible. Spider-Man was standing in front of her. She wondered who else knew. Did Ned? Or May? Had Ben? How long had he been Spider-Man? How did he go from Peter Parker to Spider-Man? She had so many questions she didn't know which to ask first.

"I didn't tell you that because I wanted to," he said, glaring at her.

Suddenly, she didn't care that Peter was Spider-Man.

He was her best friend first — had been for over a year now — and all she knew was that she missed him like hell.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, but the cold look in his brown eyes didn't soften. She hadn't expected them to. What she had done couldn't be forgiven with only a sorry. What she had done was much, much worse than all the things he had done to anger her in the past. The guilt was weighing her down, trying to take her under.

"Sorry doesn't bring my uncle his justice," he snapped and Adelaide tried to swallow the tears that were surfacing. She wanted to reach out to him, hug him, but she couldn't move. Her lower lip trembled.

"I know," she whispered, "And I feel terrible. I shouldn't have stopped you that night. Please don't do this, let me make it up to you. Please."

Her heart began hammering in her chest. She was begging him to stay, to forgive her. He was her best friend. She couldn't let him walk away. This wasn't how things were supposed to end.

Things weren't supposed to end between them.

Well, since you two are so close, I just thought that maybe you were together.

He opened his mouth to say something, but he thought better of it. Instead, he shook his head, turned around and walked away, leaving her by herself in the library with a million unanswered questions.

And maybe she deserved it.

-----

At long last, Thursday had arrived.

Adelaide felt like literal hell. She had felt it. Peter was drifting away from her.

He wasn't just angry at her. He wanted nothing to do with her ever again. She knew that there was nothing that she could do or say to change his mind. She wanted him to yell at her, to be angry, but there was nothing. He had just...let go. All that time they had spent together, the laughter, the homework, and even the kiss...it was over. He had given up. It was too late for anything except tears.

And the thought of her life without Peter broke her heart.

Pepper had been furious that Adelaide had been wandering around the city all alone especially as it was getting dark. But before the teenager had had a chance to apologize, the woman had jumped to conclusions and ended up blaming herself for Adelaide's reckless behavior. Eventually, she had been able to convince Pepper that it was not her fault and that she had just needed some time to think. Pepper understood (after showering her with a million questions) and calmed down.

Adelaide had told her about Peter (not about his secret identity, of course) because she told Pepper all things Peter-related, but Pepper seemed to think that Peter was wrongfully mad and that she had done the right thing. Adelaide still didn't know what to think of the situation.

Regardless of who was right, Adelaide was just grateful that Pepper wasn't upset with her. She didn't think she could take the guilt of another person being angry with her.

As for Tony, she still wasn't exactly sure where he stood with her. He had been less talkative than before but he didn't seem mad. She was surprised that he hadn't pressed her about why he found her crying on the streets.

For five days, the billionaire had given her space, but sitting here, in his Maserati, on the way to the compound, there wasn't much space he could give her and Jailbreak wasn't serving as the best ice breaker.

She reached out, turning the volume down. Tony kept his eyes on the road.

"You're mad," she stated, watching his expressions.

"I'm not mad," he replied and she sighed.

"You haven't asked me about that night at all," she said, turning in her seat to face him, "You've barely talked to me. You're acting very...un-Tony."

"I..." he started and then sighed, shaking his head before trying again, "I'm not mad at you."

This wasn't the answer Adelaide had been expecting at all. "Then?"

"I should have paid more attention to you," he sighed and Adelaide rolled her eyes, falling back into her seat.

"God, you and Pepper are the same," she groaned and he looked at her with a small smile. "Quit blaming yourselves and forgive me already."

"But I'm not mad," he said, glancing at her again. She looked at him.

"You've barely talked to me for a week."

"I was giving you space. You'll talk to me when you're ready," he nodded, seemingly convincing himself. He had to be a little upset. What kind of person didn't get upset when they found their teenager crying on the streets with no explanations? He was so calm it was unsettling.

"You should be pestering me with questions. You know, like you always do."

"Oh, so you're telling me to be annoying?" he asked with a small smile.

"I'm telling you to be normal," she said, exasperated.

"Is that an order?" he asked, glancing at her with his signature playboy smile. She rolled her eyes again.

"Yes. I order you to forgive me," she said.

Tony looked ahead again. A moment later, he reached out, changing the song to one of her favorites and Adelaide grinned.

"Living easy, living free. Season ticket on a one-way ride..."

Her grin widened, feeling a weight being lifted off her shoulders. They were okay.

-----

A/N: Welp. A lot of things happened...Padie is taking a break just like Pepperony. I just realize how eerily similar their relationships are....they even take breaks at the same time lmao.

Question: What's your favorite relationship in this story?

Mine is Adie and Tony because they're so adorable together and they both deserve better and it's just so sad cause Adie doesn't realize it but she needs Tony to be her dad and Tony doesn't realize it but he needs Adie to be his daughter and it just gets sadder but I don't want to spoil the next few chapters *starts sobbing*

Side note: I just realized that 10 chapters ago, they were still making the hoverboard in Ned's garage fighting over what music to play...So much has happened...

Another side note: Please don't forget to leave a vote *insert cheeky smile*

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