"Pete...hand me that wrench would you?" Tony holds his hand out while he pokes at some build-up with a flathead screwdriver, but when the familiar weight of metal isn't placed in his hand right away, he looks up. "Peter?"
Said teen gasps loudly as he snaps his head upright from his unexpected nap, and he hurriedly gathers his papers and notebooks together. "Sorry Dad! Just meant to rest my eyes for a second!" Before Tony can say anything, Peter looks at his watch. "Look at the time! It's super late! Going to bed! Night!"
The boy nearly flies out of the lab and past a now entering Stephen with a quick 'Night Mom!', and leaves both parents looking baffled. The sorcerer recovers first and enters the room, leaving the door to slide shut behind him, and he takes Peter's previously occupied spot. Tony took a little while longer to recover. Peter had been acting weird and it was always like pulling teeth when it came to getting the boy out of the lab for the night. He went willingly this time though. As if he was hiding something. Tony knew those papers weren't homework, but it was likely just new upgrade ideas for their suits or even new web formulas.
Of course, Peter tended to leave those ideas in the lab.
"That wasn't some really convincing copy of our son was it?" Tony finally asks.
Stephen furrows his brows. "No. He has been acting strange though. I walked into his room earlier this afternoon to ask him what he wanted for lunch and he slammed his laptop closed. You know what he said?"
Tony shrugs, grabs the wanted wrench off the worktable, and returns to his project. "Chicken salad?"
"Porn."
"Huh. That's not what he usually wan-wait. What?!" Tony looks over at his husband with bewilderment.
"I think he thought I asked what he was doing."
"If that isn't a huge red flag telling us he's doing something he's not supposed to, I don't know what is."
It only got weirder.
Peter moved on from suspicious activities to constantly hounding them about something or another. Like favorite foods or favorite music. Stephen eventually came to the assumption that the teen had to do an essay of some sort about his parents but was too embarrassed to say anything, but Tony nixed that. The genius said Peter would have fun with an essay like that, but any problems about it would be at school with students who still didn't quite believe he was actually adopted by two Avengers.
Nevermind that there was a whole news story about it that ran for two months. It only ran so long because everyone had to put in their two cents about Tony's ability to parent properly and keep Peter safe. Yes, it was hard sometimes, mostly because the safe part was hard when Peter put himself in danger every night because he was Spiderman, but Tony made him a suit. Actual parenting? At least if Peter drove him up the wall, he could pawn him off on Stephen. He could switch to Mama Bear so fast and the teen had a love/hate relationship with the sorcerer's 'maternal' side.
He loved when it wasn't directed at him.
He hated it when it was.
Unless of course snuggling was involved, then one would need to get a crowbar to separate the two.
"What are you two doing tonight?" Peter asks a couple of days later.
Tony and Stephen look up at him from their respective beverages across the island counter before the mechanic shrugs.
"Probably just going to order take-out and watch a movie."
"Oh! Well in that case-"
"Boss." Friday interrupts. "There are a group of people running around the city with alien tech. I've detected that they've planted a few power cores already as well."
Tony groans. "Hold that thought Peter."
Of course, they never got back to the conversation. By the time they took care of the 'crazy people with alien guns' (Scott's words), it was late and they were all too tired to do anything but what Tony originally planned. They ordered take-out, watched a movie while they ate, and then retired for bed.
Peter tried again the next morning but Stephen shook his head. "I have to check on the Sanctums and go to Kamar-Taj for a couple of days. Maybe more if the other masters have something for me to deal with."
And that was that. Stephen left through a portal and was gone for a week. He came back exhausted and injured, so Peter left him alone until he had healed and rested. That took another week.
The third time Peter was going to ask about their plans, he couldn't even open his mouth before Tony's phone was ringing. Stephen did seem to notice the teen's exasperation though.
"Another meeting? What's it about this time? A schedule to cough? Pep-"
Peter snatches his father's phone from him and holds it up to his ear. "He's busy! Things are already planned!" Both parents stare incredulously at their son while he talks to Pepper. "Yes. No...I told you...okay. Thanks Aunt Pepper." Peter hangs up and drops the phone in Tony's lap as he turns toward Stephen. "No sorcerer duties today for you either. I already talked to Wong and he'll take care of things for the rest of the night."
Stephen cocks his head. "When did you talk to Wong?"
"Uh...the more important question would be what the fuck?" Tony says.
Peter only smiles at them. "Go get dressed. Something not too fancy but not too casual either."
Both men stand and the teen pushes them toward their bedroom, and then to the elevator once they come out dressed accordingly. They both chose dress shirts (Tony wore a dark red, and Stephen a dark blue) and black slacks, and to Peter's satisfaction, left the ties behind.
Now they were just trying to figure out what was going on.
"Peter, if you wanted to go do something you just needed to ask." Tony says.
"Oh. It's not for me. It's for you two." He shoves them into the elevator and grins. "Have fun on your date! To the garage Friday!"
Tony and Stephen stare at the doors of the elevator when they close and then look at each other. Their kid planned a date night for them? They stand in stunned silence as the elevator descends to the garage floor, and when the elevator doors open, they find Happy standing against one of Tony's cars.
Tony points at him. "You're in on it too?!"
"So is Pepper. She made reservations for dinner. You've got a good kid."
"She called me about a meeting!"
"Yeah, that was planned. She knew you would complain and that was Peter's signal to take the phone and make sure everything was ready." Happy opens the back door and Tony slides in while Stephen hesitates. "Peter asked me to drive extra careful for you."
Stephen smiles softly. The teen even thought of the sorcerer's unease with driving. "Of course he did."
He climbs in next to Tony and the driver closes the door before getting into the front seat. "I'll put up the divider so you don't scar me for life."
Tony grins. "You know what that means Stephanie?"
Stephen smirks. "We have to be extra loud."
Happy rolls his eyes and the last thing they hear before the divider closes is a mumbled, "I hate you guys."