Archive of Our Own ^beta

The sun shone high in the sky as Peter Parker stepped out of the car, his sneakers hitting the pavement with a soft thud.

Beside him, Morgan Stark wiggled excitedly in her car seat, her hands reaching for her dad, who was already rounding 
the vehicle to lift her out.

“We’re at the aquarium! We’re at the aquarium! We’re going to see some fish! We’re going to see some fish!” she chanted, bouncing as Tony swung her out of her car seat and down to the floor in a swift movement.

Peter grinned. “Excited much, Mo?”

Morgan nodded enthusiastically, her auburn curls catching the sunlight as she turned to Pepper, who was checking the bag 
one last time. “Mama, do the fishies like it when we visit?”

Pepper laughed, slinging the bag over her shoulder. “I’m sure they do, sweetheart. But remember, we have to be gentle and 
respectful, okay?”

Morgan nodded solemnly, then darted around from her parents to take Peter’s hand. “C’mon, Petey, let’s go!”
Tony slung an arm around Peter’s shoulders as they walked toward the entrance. “Hope you’re ready for a full day of fish, kid. 
Because once we’re in, there’s no turning back.”

Peter chuckled. “I think I can handle it.”



The moment they stepped inside, cool air from the AC washed over them, a welcome relief from the summer heat.

Morgan gasped as she took in the giant floor-to-ceiling tanks filled with shimmering blue water, colourful fish darting between brightly coloured coral and sea plants.

“Whoa,” she breathed, pressing her hands against the glass.

A clownfish swam past her, and she turned to Peter, eyes wide. 
“It’s Nemo!”

Peter crouched beside her. “Sure is. Think we’ll find Dory, too?”

Morgan giggled, nodding. She took Peter’s hand again and pulled him toward the next tank. Tony and Pepper followed closely, 
smiling as they watched their daughter’s excitement at showing Peter around the aquarium.

The next exhibit was a tunnel that stretched through a massive tank, sharks and rays gliding gracefully overhead and smaller creatures darting about between the plants.

Morgan’s jaw dropped as a massive stingray soared above them, casting a shadow over the tunnel.

“It’s so big!” she whispered.

Tony nudged Peter. “Bet you wouldn’t want to meet one of those in the ocean, huh?”

Peter smirked. “I think I’d take my chances with a stingray over an actual shark.”

As if on cue, a sand tiger shark swam by, its rows of sharp teeth visible even as it moved lazily through the water, flicking its tail towards them. Morgan squealed and pressed closer to Peter.

“Don’t worry, Morgs,” Peter reassured her. “They can’t get us in here.”

Tony crouched next to them, dropping his voice to a whispered tone. “And even if they could, we have Spider-Man to protect us, right?”

Morgan’s eyes lit up. “Yeah! Petey’s a superhero!”

Peter chuckled, shushing her lightly and ruffling her hair. “I don’t think my webs would work too well underwater, though.”

They continued through the exhibits, stopping at the jellyfish tank, where glowing creatures floated like tiny ghosts, and the touch pool, where Peter helped Morgan gently run her fingers over a giant starfish.

“It feels bumpy!” she giggled.

“That’s because of its tube feet,” Peter explained. “They help it move around.”

Tony raised an eyebrow. “Look at you, Spider Sprog. When did you become a marine biologist?”

Peter shrugged. “Only to make conversation… and I read a lot.”

Pepper smiled. “That’s why you’re the perfect big brother.”

Peter’s heart warmed at the words, and Morgan beamed up at him. “You are! You’re the best big brother ever!”

Peter swallowed past the lump in his throat, giving Morgan’s tiny hand a squeeze. “Thanks, Mo.”



After lunch, they visited the dolphin show, where Morgan cheered as the sleek animals leapt into the air, their trainers tossing them fish as a reward.

“I wanna swim with dolphins someday!” she declared as they left the show.

Tony grinned. “Well, if you become an even better swimmer, maybe we can make that happen.”

Morgan gasped. “Really?!”

“Really,” Pepper confirmed, smoothing back Morgan’s curls. “But you have to practice in the pool first.”

Pepper laughed as Morgan immediately started listing all the times she would practice, “You’ve got big dreams, kid.”

Morgan nodded seriously. “Yep! Just like Daddy and Petey.”

Tony wrapped an arm around both Peter and Morgan. “Well, in that case, I think we should celebrate with ice cream. Who’s in?”

Morgan cheered, and they made their way to the café, where they sat outside with cones dripping in the warm sun. Peter 
licked at his vanilla cone, smiling as Morgan’s face was soon covered in chocolate.

“Looks like someone’s enjoying theirs,” Pepper said, wiping at Morgan’s cheek.

Morgan giggled. “It’s so yummy!”

Peter reached over and dabbed a bit of ice cream on her nose. She gasped, then giggled harder. “Petey!”

Tony smirked. “Oh, it’s on now.”

Morgan reached for her cone, but Pepper stopped her with a pointed look. “No ice cream fights.”

Morgan pouted and poked her tongue out at Peter, but she obeyed, finishing the rest of her cone with a happy hum.





As the day wound down, they visited the final exhibit: the giant ocean tank. It was breathtaking, a multistory structure 
with turtles, sharks, and schools of fish swimming together in a peaceful rhythm.
Morgan leaned against the railing, staring in awe. “It’s like a whole other world.”

Peter nodded, watching as a sea turtle glided past. “Yeah. It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

Tony rested a hand on Peter’s shoulder. “Kinda reminds you that the world’s bigger than just the city, huh?”

Peter smiled. “Yeah. It does.”

Pepper hugged Morgan close. “Did you have a good day, sweetheart?”

Morgan turned, grinning. “The best day ever.”

Tony kissed the top of her head. “Good. Because I think this might be the start of a new Stark family tradition.”

Peter looked between them, warmth spreading through his chest. “I like that idea.”

As they left the aquarium, Morgan nestled sleepily in Pepper’s arms, and Peter walked beside Tony, feeling, as always, 
like he truly belonged.

And that? That was the best feeling of all.