A/N: HI

i know i said i wouldn't have a chapter ready for this wednesday but i couldn't help myself! this story is my escape.

buttt, due to lack of time, this chapter is suuuper short and literally nothing happens, but i just wanted to give y'all something rather than nothing so enjoy! :)

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"Get me one blonde with sand

and half a dozen blowout patches."
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When Adelaide woke up, Tony was still sound asleep beside her, snoring lightly.

She smiled at his sleeping face, wondering when the last time was that he had slept so peacefully. There weren't wrinkles or worry lines that she was so used to seeing. He looked much younger. Perhaps more closer to his mental age.

Slowly, as to not disturb him, she slid her feet off the side of the bed and headed towards the bathroom to brush her teeth. She was eager to take a shower to get the hospital off of her, but the rumble in her stomach told her it would have to wait. She was starved for a real, home-cooked meal that wasn't from the vending machine down the hall of her apartment or leftovers from Delmar's.

So when she opened her bedroom door a few minutes later and the smell of blueberry pancakes wafted down the hallway, Adelaide could just barely stop herself from running towards the kitchen as fast as she could.

Pepper and Happy were in the kitchen, making pancakes together. Well, Happy was making pancakes, Pepper was off to the side, making coffee. And there was a third individual who was standing in the kitchen as well with his back turned to her. But Adelaide instantly recognized him.

"Rhodey?" she said and all three adults turned around. Rhodey broke into the biggest smile and dropped everything to come to her.

"There she is!" he said before crushing her into a giant hug. Adelaide laughed, hugging him back. It had been so long since she'd last seen him, nearly six months.

"I called Tony and the idiot told me that you had been hospitalized after you were discharged," Rhodey said, pulling away, "I drove down here as soon as I heard."

"Never rely on him to tell you news on time," Adelaide laughed. Rhodey smiled, taking her in.

"So how are you?" he asked, referring not only to her hospitalization, but the past few months since...since Siberia. Adelaide smiled.

"Better," she said, "Much better."

Rhodey smiled, nodding. Suddenly, Adelaide remembered that the last time she had seen him, he had crashed onto the ground.

"But how are you?" she asked, suddenly worried, "You crashed." She pulled away, scanning him for injuries as if they would still be visible to her months later.

Rhodey laughed, shaking his head, "That was months ago. I'm okay now."

She gave him a look.

"Alright, I shattered my spine," he said. Adelaide smacked his arm.

"You call that fine!"

"Um...sorry?" he chuckled.

"How bad is it?" she asked after a second, wincing. The man shrugged, putting his arm around her and leading her toward the kitchen where the smell of her first morning home was coming from.

"Well, for starters, you didn't even know I had leg braces until I told you," he said.

"Touché," Adelaide mumbled, "Rhodey...I'm really sorry. It was all kind of my fault, too. If I hadn't..." She cast her eyes to the floor, letting her guilty silence finish the sentence. Rhodey smiled kindly and ruffled her hair.

"It's in the past, Adelaide," he said, "The only thing you can do now is forget what happened and let yourself move on."

She looked up at him and he nodded, giving her an encouraging smile. She turned a tight-lipped smile.

"I smell pancakes," Tony announced, appearing in the room.

He looked amusing with his bed head matted to his forehead in some places and sticking up in others. Not the mention the dress shirt he was wearing was wrinkled beyond repair. "I want half a dozen. Blueberry. Extra syrup. Extra butter. Extra everything."

"This isn't a diner," Pepper said, rolling her eyes.

"Sure it is. Watch this," Tony said, taking a seat at the island behind where Happy was busy flipping pancakes with his back to the rest of them, "Hey Happy, get me one blonde with sand and half a dozen blowout patches."

Happy wordlessly turned around and handed him a plate of exactly six hot blueberry pancakes and a cup of coffee from Pepper's coffee pot. Tony grinned.

"Used to work at a diner," Happy explained as he flipped a pancake.

"And you?" Adelaide asked, sliding into the seat beside the billionaire, "Don't tell me you worked at a diner too."

"No, I didn't," he said, stuffing food in his mouth. He pointed at the teenager with his fork, "But I did date a diner girl once for a couple weeks."

"Couple weeks?" Pepper laughed.

Adelaide looked between them, confused, "What?"

"A couple weeks is the longest relationship he's ever been in," Rhodey laughed, taking a seat beside his best friend. Tony grinned at Pepper. There was blueberry stain on his lip.

"But, of course, you hold first place for the longest time a woman has tolerated me," Tony said and Pepper smiled.

"Unfortunately," she said, making the billionaire roll his eyes.

"You should be honored, honey," he said as he stuffed his face with more food. A little bit of the syrup dribbled down his chin and Pepper gave him a look. The billionaire tried to smile with his mouth full. "I can see this isn't helping my case."

"You should know, you hold first place for the only man I've dated who's a child," Pepper grinned.

Tony nodded, swallowing, "That's fair."

Adelaide smiled, looking at the bunch.

The teenager knew Rhodey was right: she needed to move on. Yet, moving on was easier said than done. Her heart couldn't understand what her brain already did. And she knew it was going to be a long time before things could go back to normal, if it ever was.

But, she supposed sitting down together for breakfast with her family on a Saturday morning was a good place to start.

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A/N: ahh, that's the sound of restarting

life update: school is still hell, the fly from the debate is a hero, i can't stop thinking about the new pictures of tom in barcelona, and most men are trash

oh! and all three spidermen might be in the third spiderman movie?? like holy shit its the only thing getting me through 2020 at this point

question: funniest thing that's ever happened to you?