[Third Person Pov]
"But I thought you said the mansion was attacked. Everyone looks perfectly normal to me," Tony said, turning slowly as his sharp eyes scanned the immaculate room around him. The walls were pristine, the floors polished, not a single crack or scorch mark in sight.
"It was attacked," Maria replied calmly as she lifted her empty plate and knife, setting them aside with measured precision. "But thanks to Howard, David, and Melissa, everything was restored to its original condition within minutes."
Tony let out a huff, running a hand through his hair. "Okay, fine, I suppose that's fair," he admitted reluctantly. "But that still isn't the point. You can't just decide to yank me out of school and then drop an ultimatum on me like that." He threw his arms outward in frustration, then let them fall again, clearly unsure what to do with them. "That's not how this works."
"Can't I?" Maria asked, raising a perfectly shaped brow and fixing him with a challenging gaze.
"No. You can't," Tony shot back without hesitation, meeting her stare head-on. "I have important business there, need I remind you? I'm the CEO of the largest Stark branch in the entire world."
"Ha!" Maria barked out a sharp laugh, followed by an undignified snort that caught Tony off guard. "Tony, tell me honestly—when was the last time you actually attended a board meeting? Or personally handled a business matter face-to-face instead of delegating it or automating it?"
Tony's mouth opened, then closed. He pursed his lips, his eyes narrowing before he slowly looked away. After a moment, he muttered, almost sulkily, "That's none of your business…"
"Hm," Maria hummed, clearly unimpressed. "You're smart enough to run an empire from a distance. I have no doubt that even if you were on the opposite side of the planet, you'd still find a way to create a business that makes you hundreds of millions—without ever stepping out of your room."
Tony rubbed the back of his head, his posture softening. "You honestly think that highly of me?" he asked, a sheepish, almost embarrassed grin tugging at his lips.
Maria sighed, and her stern expression melted into something far warmer, far more vulnerable. "Tony… I think the world of you," she said softly. The sincerity in her voice was enough to make Tony's ears burn. "And that's exactly why I'm acting this way. I almost lost you—"
"No, you didn't," Tony interrupted quickly. "I wasn't in any real danger. I had everything under control, I already had—"
"Tony."
The single word stopped him cold. The pain in her voice—mirrored in her eyes—made his chest tighten. Maria reached across and cupped his face, her touch tender, almost reverent, as though she were holding something fragile. Something precious that could slip away from her far too easily.
Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears as her voice cracked. "I almost lost you…"
Her lips trembled before she forced the words out. "I'm sorry, alright? I know you might not like this. I know you might even hate me for it. But before you're a student, before you're a hero, you're my son." She swallowed hard. "And as your mother, I can't—in good conscience—send you back to Japan. I just can't. I lost count of how many incidents you were dragged into while you were there."
Her thumb brushed gently along his cheekbone as she bit down on her lip, steadying herself. "So hate me if you need to. Think I'm the worst mother alive for taking this away from you. I can live with that." Her voice dropped to a near whisper. "Because I would rather have you alive and angry with me… than dead in my arms."
Tony pushed down the frustration bubbling violently in his chest. Every instinct screamed at him to argue, to correct her, to list a dozen perfectly logical reasons why she was wrong—but he didn't. Instead, he clenched his jaw, closed his eyes, and forced himself to breathe. A long, controlled exhale left him before he finally spoke, his voice quiet, steady, and painfully sincere.
"I could never hate you," he said softly. "And I would never think you're a terrible mother. Not even for a second."
"Thank you," Maria whispered. She reached up, gently guiding his head down, and pressed a tender kiss to his forehead. The corners of her eyes shimmered as fresh tears gathered, threatening to spill over. She lingered there for a moment longer than necessary, as if grounding herself in the simple fact that he was still here. Still breathing. Still hers.
Tony hesitated, then sighed. He really had tried to leave it at that. Truly. But the words clawed their way out anyway.
"However… don't you think it's kinda unfair?" he added carefully. "Banning me from an entire country? Telling me to practically start over like none of that time mattered?"
Maria pulled back and let out a frustrated sigh—not directed at Tony, but at herself. Her gaze lingered on his face, taking in the hurt there, the confusion, the way he was trying so hard to be understanding even when it clearly cost him. Her maternal instincts flared sharply, painfully. For a split second, she was this close to taking everything back. To relenting. To telling him to forget it all and go back if that was what he wanted.
Swallowing hard, Maria pushed that instinct down, even as it fought her every step of the way. Still, she couldn't bring herself to be completely unyielding.
"Okay," she said at last, rubbing a hand over her face. "You might be right. The wound is still fresh, and I might be acting… a little overprotective." She let out a weak, humorless huff. "And I might be taking it a bit too far—never mind my hormones."
She drew in a deep breath, centering herself as best she could, though as a pregnant woman her emotions were anything but cooperative.
"We'll come to a compromise."
Her posture straightened, her tone shifting into something more controlled—more businesslike.
"I'm not cruel enough to completely ban you from Japan," she continued firmly. "Or from visiting. I know you have friends there, people you care about, and I won't take that away from you." She paused, then added, decisively, "But I am putting my foot down on you staying at that school. That part is final."
Tony's face twisted into a dissatisfied grimace. "I'm not gonna lie—I still don't like it," he admitted. "What about Melissa? What does she have to say about all this?"
Maria's lips curved into a strained, almost guilty smile. "We… haven't exactly told her yet."
"Of course," Tony muttered, rolling his eyes. "And Dad? Where is he, anyway?"
Maria sighed again, lifting a hand to massage her temple. "He's dealing with the aftermath."
"The aftermath?" Tony echoed, curiosity overriding his annoyance.
"Yes," Maria replied, her voice heavy with exhaustion. "The world is in an uproar. Everyone wants interviews, statements, photos. They want to reward you with medals, titles—some countries are even trying to give you official hero licenses and offer you agencies of your own."
She shook her head incredulously. "They're willing to ignore the fact that you haven't even graduated yet."
"Eh?" Tony made a confused noise, blinking blankly like his brain had momentarily short-circuited.
Maria stared at him, incredulous. "Tony, the entire world is in an uproar! The sun freaking exploded—and you went and made a new one. A new one! Of course people are panicking!"
She threw her hands up, a headache blooming behind her eyes. "They even started calling you 'The Celestial Architect.'"
Tony stared at her in stunned silence for a second longer before blurting out, voice sharp with disbelief: "Who the fuck is coming up with these stupid-ass names?!"
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