Chapter Text
(Four months after that)
“It’s your lucky day, Matt!” Tony burst off the elevator and into the apartment where Pete, Matt, and Wade were sitting at the kitchen counter drinking their coffee. Well, Matt and Pete were sitting at the counter. Wade was sitting on the counter. All three were in various stages of undress: Pete was in his Hello Kitty pajama pants and a white tank, Wade was wearing a pair of tighty-whities and a hoodie, and Matt was only wearing a pair of black boxer briefs.
Tony blinked at them. “What the hell? What’s with all the nudity?”
“I mean… it is our apartment, Tony.” Pete took a sip of his coffee. “And it’s very early in the morning. You’re lucky we’re not still in bed.”
“Is it? I hadn’t noticed. And we’ll get to the apartment part in a bit. First off, the good news!” He dropped a holo-projector onto the table in front of Matt and flipped it on.
“You know he can’t see that, right?” Wade questioned from behind his mug.
“Oh. Right. Anyway…” Tony turned off the projector. “Rulings came in for Matsumoto and Fisk. It’s not being reported on the news yet - I suppose they expect a surge of crime from people looking to fill the vacuum - but I have an inside source. Both received multiple life sentences on the raft. You’re a free man.”
Matt smiled up at him. “Thank you.”
“Cap signed off on it and everything. You’re free to go.” Tony looked around, as if waiting for someone else to be as excited as he was. “And that’s not all you’ve won!”
“Oh?” Matt asked softly.
“That’s right! You’re also being evicted!!”
Pete did a spit-take. “We’re what?”
“Oh yeah.” Tony turned towards him. “It’s about time, too. I figured out what the trampoline is for, Pete. You guys are nasty. Weird, and nasty, and I want you out of my house.”
“You’re just jealous because your superpowers don’t lead to super-fucking,” Wade muttered.
“I am a billionaire, and that superpower has lead to a lot of super-fucking. Also, please never say
fucking
in front of me ever again. But it’s not all bad! I have a parting gift for you.” Tony pulled an envelope out of his pocket and set it down in front of Matt, who opened it, removed the thick paper inside, and ran his fingers over the raised dots.
“This is… a deed?” he asked, fingers still moving. “This is the deed to my apartment building?”
“It is,” Tony confirmed. “It’s yours now.”
“My apartment?”
“The whole building. Paid in full. Plus an extra mil to help cover renovation costs.” Tony grinned at the wide-eyed stares he was receiving from Pete and Wade. “You can do whatever you want. The place has high enough ceilings; you can gut it and turn it into a mansion with three trampoline rooms for all I care. Or, you can let your poor neighbors live there for free, bleeding heart that you are. Do whatever you want. Just do it elsewhere.”
“Tony…” Matt stood, holding the deed tightly in his hands. “This is too much. I can’t…”
“Yes you can. You’ve done a lot, Matt. We can all see the hard work you’re putting in. Just take it. I know you’re not going to evict anyone, but as they move out… make the place yours. Build a nice room for your law library. Put in a gym for training. Maybe some sort of fancy sculpture room that you can feel up on. That sort of thing. Think of it as a pre-emptive bribe. I’m sure someday soon you’ll be district attorney, or mayor, or some shit like that, and then it will be good to have you in my corner.”
“Tony?” Pete’s voice was small… questioning.
“Ah, don’t worry, kid. We’ll set you up with a smaller space here, too. Something reasonable with one bedroom that the three of you can use if you need to crash. But you don’t need all this. Go.” he shooed them with his hands. “Be free. But like… after you put on some clothes. Bunch of heathens…”
Matt drew his hands over the paper again. “Thank you, Tony. Really. I’m not sure how to…”
“Just take care of him, ok?” Tony said quietly. “He deserves to be happy. And keep the other one out of trouble.”
Matt nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
“See that you do.” Tony raised his voice to a regular speaking volume. “And on that note, I’m off because apparently it is ‘very early in the morning’ and not ‘the middle of last night’ as I had previously assumed.” He stepped onto the elevator, only to catch the door with his foot as it began to close. “Oh yeah. You have until the end of the week to get your trampoline out of my tower before I tell your Aunt May the level of debauchery you’ve been subjecting my property to.”
Pete gasped. “You wouldn’t!”
“Don’t test me, kid.”