[Third Person Pov]
Tony, Melissa, and Momo came down the next morning wearing a new set of uniforms. They were made from his unstable molecule fabric, the suits fit better, moved more naturally with their bodies, and were far more durable than the standard uniforms the school had issued. On top of that, they were simply more comfortable.
As they entered the dining area, they immediately noticed the looks they were getting. Howard and Maria were already seated at the table, waiting for them, but instead of their usual expressions, both of them were staring. Not openly judgmental, not exactly amused either, just… aware.
Tony raised a brow as the three of them took their seats. "What?" he asked, glancing between them as if daring them to say something.
Momo reached for the glass of juice in front of her, trying to act normal as she took a small sip.
Howard let out a quiet sigh, rubbing his temple. "Nothing… just nothing," he said, clearly deciding it wasn't worth the effort to get into it.
Maria, however, wasn't as willing to let it slide. She looked at the three of them, her expression a mix of mild concern and knowing patience. "What he's trying to say," she began, "is that some of us tried to sleep last night and found that rather difficult."
Momo immediately choked.
"Oh—!" she sputtered, coughing harshly as juice went down the wrong pipe. "Cough! Cough!" Her voice came out strained as she covered her mouth, trying to regain control of her breathing.
Tony snorted, barely holding back a laugh as he reached over and patted her on the back. "Oh… yeah, I think for Momo's sake—and her continued ability to breathe—we should probably move on from this topic at breakfast."
"Please," Momo rasped hoarsely, grabbing a napkin and pressing it to her mouth as she tried to recover.
Tony waved a hand dismissively. "Let's just say the house is haunted and blame it on the pipes," he added, already turning his attention back to his food as if that settled everything.
Howard gave a small shrug. "I'm fine with that. I'm not exactly all too keen on discussing your private affairs anyway. Just… be mindful of where you decide to have your fun."
Maria crossed her arms slightly, her tone sharpening just a bit. "And make sure no one gets pregnant. You're all still young."
Melissa, who had been eating quietly up until that point, suddenly placed a hand over her stomach. "Too late… I believe this is the perfect moment to say I have something to announce."
This time it was Howard who choked, coughing into his hand as Maria and Tony both snapped their heads toward Melissa at the exact same time, eyes wide with alarm.
"What?" they said in perfect unison.
Melissa held the moment for a second longer before breaking into a grin. "Nah, I'm just joking. I just thought it would be funny if I said I was."
She went right back to eating like nothing had happened.
"That's not funny," Maria and Tony said together, their synchronized response just as immediate as before, both of them visibly deflating with relief.
Melissa smirked, holding her fingers a small distance apart. "It's a little funny."
Breakfast continued without any further incidents, though the atmosphere remained just awkward enough to be noticeable. Eventually, they finished and began getting ready to leave.
"Baymax!" Maria called out.
A moment later, Baymax waddled into the room, dressed in a maid outfit and carrying three separate bags, each one clearly meant for them.
As the trio passed by, they each grabbed their belongings. Tony slung his over one shoulder without much thought, Melissa adjusted hers so it rested across her torso like a purse, and Momo simply held hers neatly in her hand.
"Wait, come here," Maria said as they reached the door, her voice softer now.
Tony exhaled lightly through his nose but stepped over anyway. Maria reached up, gently cupping his face before pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Good luck on your first day at your new school."
"Yes, Mother…" Tony replied, his tone flat, though there was no real resistance behind it. He still didn't quite understand why she looked like she was on the verge of tears. 'Pregnant women are more confusing than normal women,' he thought to himself.
He turned and headed toward the car waiting outside, leaving Maria to repeat the same affectionate send-off with Momo and Melissa. The two of them accepted it with quiet laughter, clearly more used to it, before hurrying after Tony to catch up with him.
Maria stood beside Howard, quietly wiping at her eyes while he rubbed her back in a steady, reassuring motion. "I always wanted to do that…" she said softly, her voice thick with emotion. "Saying goodbye to them at the door while they leave for school… it finally happened."
Howard glanced down at her, a small, understanding smile forming as he continued to comfort her, letting her have the moment without interrupting.
Meanwhile, Tony, Melissa, and Momo were already seated in the back of the car as their chauffeur pulled away from the house. The ride was smooth and quiet, the low hum of the engine filling the space as the city slowly came to life around them.
Tony sat comfortably with one leg resting over the other, posture relaxed as he casually pulled out his phone and began scrolling through his messages. After a moment, he spoke without looking up. "You know, I haven't exactly heard a report back from you."
Momo turned her head toward him, blinking in mild confusion. "A report? About what?"
Tony spared her a brief glance before returning his attention to his phone. "The symbiote suit I made for you last week."
"Oh, right." Momo straightened slightly as she remembered. "Honestly, if I'm not reminded of it, I wouldn't even notice I have it on. It's… weird."
She lifted her arm slightly, focusing for a moment. A ripple of red, accented with streaks of white symbiote biomass, moved smoothly along her skin before slipping back beneath her sleeve as if it had never been there.
"Honestly, it feels like this thing was made for me," she added.
Tony gave a small, almost amused huff. "That's because it was, Momo. Honey," he said, his tone carrying that familiar, slightly patronizing reassurance.
Momo immediately pouted, clearly not appreciating it. "I know, Tony. That's not what I meant," she replied, crossing her arms lightly. "I'm talking about the concept of the suit itself."
She glanced down at her hand, flexing her fingers as if testing the feeling again. "With this, I don't need to rely on my own body fat anymore. Which, despite how it might seem, was a major limitation. I always had to manage it carefully."
Her expression shifted into something more excited as she continued. "But now I can just use the symbiote's biomass freely, without worrying about preservation or running out mid-fight."
Tony listened quietly, still scrolling, though the faint smirk on his face showed he was paying attention.
"And if I had to pick my favorite feature," Momo went on, her tone brightening further, "it would be the pocket space. I love that I can store the things I create and use them later instead of reabsorbing them and only getting back half of what I used."
She looked at him with a wide, genuinely happy smile. "This might actually be the best thing you've ever given me."
Tony slowly lowered his phone, placing a hand over his chest as if struck. "So my love and affection mean nothing to you?"
"I meant material-wise," Momo replied immediately, rolling her eyes without missing a beat, already used to his dramatics.
"Wow, Momo," Tony said, shaking his head with exaggerated disappointment. "I didn't take you for a materialistic person. How shallow. I thought you were better than that."
Momo pursed her lips, turning slightly away from him. "I'm going to start ignoring you."
Tony chuckled under his breath, clearly pleased. "I'm glad you like it," he said more genuinely this time. "And hopefully, with that, you'll be better protected."
The rest of the ride passed quickly, and before long, the car pulled up in front of their school.
Given the quality of the vehicle, it didn't take long for attention to shift toward them. Students who were making their way inside—many of them dragging their feet after the end of summer break—began to slow down, glancing over, then stopping entirely. Whispers started to spread as more eyes turned toward the car.
The door opened, and Tony stepped out first, his movements casual and unbothered, as if the attention was the most normal thing in the world. He adjusted his posture slightly before turning and extending both hands back toward the car.
Melissa and Momo accepted without hesitation, stepping out with his help. Between the three of them, their natural presence alone was enough to draw attention, their confidence and appearance setting them apart without needing any effort.
They moved toward the front gate together, stopping just short of entering. For a brief moment, none of them spoke.
There was a faint hesitation in the air.
After all, as much as they tried to ignore it, they were already starting to miss being back at U.A.
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