:D
Thank you all so much for all your wonderful reviews and all the love you are giving this series! I'm still making my way through the prompts so thank you for all your patience.
This prompt is from Radiance3Sun on Ao3- Tony and Peter are each going on dates, and forget to tell each other where. What if they end up at the same restaurant?
I hope you enjoy and my apologies for any mistakes.
Date Night
It was a rare night that Tony got to take Pepper out on a date. Tony really should be thanking the kid because Peter was the one who had given him the idea.
Peter had come into the lab on his usual Wednesday afternoon session for his internship, looking adorably flustered and had asked Tony if he knew anywhere nice to go out for dinner.
"Nothing too expensive," Peter was quick to go on as Tony opened his mouth. "I've been saving up for this but I don't have, like, a lot. But I want to go somewhere nice."
"I know of a quiet place," Tony hummed thoughtfully, stroking his chin. "Not too expensive either. A little hole in the wall Italian place I like to go sometimes when I don't want to deal with the paparazzi."
"That would be perfect," Peter breathed, eyes sparkling with relief.
Tony had smirked and given him the address, Peter jotting it down carefully. Tony wanted to tease the kid but he looked so flustered and nervous as it was, Tony decided to wait until after the kid's date to bring it up. Except, Tony had never found out when the date was because Peter had officially changed the subject and distracted Tony long enough that by the time he did remember, Peter was already gone for the day.
The idea of the hole in the wall restaurant had sparked the idea of treating Pepper to a normal date and so leaving the lab for the night, he hunted down Pepper and asked her out. Surprisingly, Friday night had been open and so the two had quickly blocked out times in the calendars.
Friday had come around quickly and Tony had driven himself and Pepper to the restaurant, parking in a nearby structure. Tony had been there often enough that the owners knew him and knew not to make a fuss. They seated them at a table, lit a candle and brought over their menus. It wasn't until their drinks had been ordered did Peter Parker walked in and Tony remember he had forgotten to cancel the Friday lab session.
"Awe crap," Tony muttered, making Pepper frown at him across the table.
"What?" She looked over her shoulder, spotting Peter immediately.
"I forgot to cancel our lab session," Tony muttered. He offered a wave when Peter spotted them, the kids jaw dropping open.
Peter weaved through the table, coming to jerky halt at their table.
"What are you doing here?" Peter half hissed, half whined.
"What does it look like?" Tony snorted, feeling baffled by the kids horrified expression.
"Did you track me here?" Peter asked. "Is this because I forgot to tell you I couldn't come tonight? I'm sorry okay. But I'm fine and I'm not patrolling so you can go now. Okay."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Tony interrupted. "I forgot to cancel with you. I'm on a date kid."
Peter looked as if he had only just realised Pepper was there. He turned to look at her with his mouth dropped open.
"Hi Peter," Pepper smiled warmly, eyes sparking with amusement.
"Hi Miss Potts," Peter greeted somewhat weakly. He turned back to Tony. "You didn't track me here?"
"No kid," Tony shook his head. "I do have a life outside of the lab you know." He grinned as the kids' cheeks flushed bright pink.
"I – I know you do," Peter stuttered out quickly. "I just thought – I didn't think you would be here."
"Well, to be fair, you did give me the idea," Tony shrugged. He allowed a smirk to pull at his lips. "Don't worry, I won't embarrass you or your date."
If anything, Peter's cheeks turned redder and he shuffled his feet. "It's not –"
"Peter?"
Peter, Tony and Pepper all looked up at the new voice and to Tony's surprise, May Parker came into the restaurant. She was still dressed in scrubs, a coat thrown over the top and a scarf draped around her neck. She was looking tired but had a smile on her face, her mood obviously good.
"Hey Aunt May," Peter grinned, shuffling shyly.
"I got your message," May said when she reached them. She blinked at Tony and Pepper, looking surprised. "Oh! Tony, Pepper. Hi. How are you?"
"Hello Mrs. Parker," Tony greeted smoothly, a little thrown at her presence but acting as if he wasn't. "Nice to see you again."
"You too," May said. She looked at them hesitantly, confusion twisting her brows as she struggled to connect the dots. "I thought tonight was lab night. Is everything okay?"
"Everything's fine," Pepper interrupted smoothly. "It appears we have a happy coincidence on our hands."
"It's date night," Peter clarified when May looked to him. "We, um, we chose the same restaurant."
"Oh," May blinked. "Date night?"
"Yeah," Peter shuffled, pointedly ignoring Tony who was watching the scene with fascination. "I thought, we could do date night again. I know, um, Uncle Ben took you and I thought, you hadn't been out like that in a while and we don't have to! We can go home and get Thai, but I just thought, you deserve something. You've been working hard."
Tony heart clenched and he felt his expression soften at Peter's words. It wasn't the traditional date he had thought Peer was going on. Peter didn't talk about his Uncle much, but Tony had a good sense of what the man must have been like if Peter was anything to go by. There was something so inherently good about Peter that it made Tony wonder what the kid saw in him. Why would he want to spend time with Tony?
"Oh," May's smile sweetened as she looked at her nephew fondly. "That sounds wonderful Peter. Thank you."
Peter shoulder's relaxed and a happy smile spreading across his lips. "Awesome."
"Should we get a table?" May prompted, looking amused at Peter continued to stand there.
"Oh! Yeah, right! Enjoy your dinner Miss Potts! Mr. Stark," Peter offered them a quick smile.
"You too, Underoos," Tony chuckled, nodding at May at she directed her Nephew towards a table.
The restaurant wasn't that big so the Parker's ended up a table close by but far enough that Peter was able to relax and seemingly forget that Tony and Pepper were there.
Tony focused on Pepper, the two of them falling into their natural flirting banter, Pepper entwinning their legs together under the table. They ate a nice meal and as the waiter took their plates away, Tony let his eyes flicker over to the Parkers.
They were still eating, Peter telling a story that had wild hand gestures and May was grinning at her nephew, her own hand flying around as she spoke. Tony smiled softly at the scene, his heart twinging with old scars.
"This is a good look on you," Pepper said, making Tony turn.
"What?" Tony glanced down at his shirt. It wasn't new as far as he was aware.
"You, mentoring Peter," Pepper smiled fondly, making Tony look back at her. "It's made you softer."
"I am not soft," Tony said, voice flat.
"Yes, you are," Pepper hummed. She reached across the table and laced her fingers with Tony. "You always have been but Peter brings it out in you."
Tony sniffed but squeezed Pepper's hand. "Yeah, well, the kid makes it easy."
"You're a good dad to him," Pepper said.
Both looked up at the harsh spluttering and coughing coming from the Parker table. Peter had spewed his drink from his lip and was now coughing roughly. May was dapping the table with a napkin with one hand, laughing and leaning over to clap him on the back with her other. The kids' ears were red and he hunched over, trying to make himself look as small as possible.
"Pep," Tony said, looking back to his fiancé. "The kid has super hearing."
"Oh," Pepper hand came up to cover her mouth. She giggled, shaking her head and squeezing Tony's hand. "Sorry Peter."
Peter waved a hand in their direction and excused himself to May, disappearing towards the back where the bathrooms were.
Tony sighed, sliding out of his chair. "I'll be back."
"Sorry," Pepper said, not looking sorry in the slightest.
Tony made his way to the bathroom. There was only one and Tony knocked lightly on the locked door. "It's me."
The door opened and Tony pushed his way into the small space, shutting the door behind him and locking it.
"You okay?" Tony asked, watching as Peter dabbed at his wet shirt with a paper towel.
"Fine," Peter rasped out, his voice a higher pitch than usual. His cheeks were spotted red and he was avoiding Tony's eyes.
That wouldn't do. Tony reached out to the dispenser and pulled out a couple more sheets of paper towel and took over dabbing at Peter's shirt. The kids' arms fell by his side, chin nearly falling to his chest. "I don't mind you making me soft."
Peter looked up at his words.
Tony smiled at him fondly. "I like spending time with you kid. Working in the lab, movie nights, the lot. I enjoy all of it."
"Me too," Peter said, giving Tony a small smile.
"I won't replace your Uncle," Tony said as he scrunched up the now wet paper towel and tossed it in the bin. "I don't want to. He did an amazing job raising you, Peter. May too. Nothing I do can ever change that."
Peter hesitated, lips parting as he searched for word. "I still need guidance."
"Yeah?" Tony quirked a brow. "I thought all teenagers could take care of themselves?"
Peter rolled his eyes in a typical teenage fashion and Tony grinned.
"I don't mind you being, ummm, you know, like, a dad-like person," Peter said. He managed to keep eye contact, ear turning red again and hands twisting the hem of his shirt.
"Good thing I don't mind being a dad-like person either," Tony smiled fondly.
Peter grinned, arms wrapping Tony's waist, hugging him tightly.
Tony hugged Peter back, dropping a kiss to his head. He pulled away, grinning down at him. "You good to go back?"
Peter nodded and they left the bathroom –
Only to return to see May had joined Pepper at their table, more chairs added around the edge of the small table.
"Looks like it's now a double date kid," Tony chuckled.
"Cool," Peter said and grinned cheekily at Tony. "Does this mean you'll pick up the bill?"
Tony barked out a laughter and pushed Peter towards the girls.
Happy reading :)
