Chapter 2 – Let's Get a Tree

Peter sighed, he'd just finished finals, and they suckeddd. He had to go into Midtown just to take them, but he had to wear a mask the whole time. Tony had even made him where an Ironman one, that was really embarrassing – okay, okay, it was really really cool and people thought so too – and he had to be 6 feet apart. It was stressful too, especially since he may or may not have been slightly cheating with a really smart thing called google. In his defense the teachers had never said no googling stuff.

"Hey Spiderbaby" Tony called, coming up the stairs. Peter smiled, just yesterday they'd established their roles in each others lives and may or may not have said the L word.

"I'm not a baby" Peter muttered blushing furiously.

"Sure…" Tony replied wrapping an arm around Peter shoulders who leaned into the touch. "So how was your first final"

Peter thought for a moment. He'd gotten distracted pretty easily but finished within the time frame, even earlier, and got to hang out for a while drawing some cartoons in his seat. The mask got a bit uncomfortable sure, but it wasn't that bad. Not as bad at Flash was. Peter cringed at the memory.

"We have rights!" Eugene had whined waving his mask all around making the principal come into the classroom to take Flash out. He came back about 30 minutes later, late to the test, with a tomato red face and a mask.

"It was good" Peter responded choosing to leave out some of the less, happy details. "at least I think I did good"

"Then I'm sure you did" Tony said cheerfully leading Peter down the stairs and into his lab. Peter had been told all about the renovations that had been heavily discouraged by one strong-willed CEO. He had also been told about Tony's Never ending determination to make sure Peter can still tinker. He'd laughed at that.

"Is mom coming" Peter asked just as Pepper walked in. She was wearing a long sleeve white sweater with a red and green scarf, and a pair of tight blue jeans. She stopped in her tracks at the time before beaming brightly.

"Yes!" Pepper said happily. Peter did, however, catch the wink that Tony threw to her and rolled his eyes.

"Me too" Happy chimed in with his usual grumpy face, but Peter could see the smallest hint of a smile lingering on his lips.

The 3 of them plus Happy loaded into their SUV and started the Blue Ridge Mountains. Peter watched the surroundings pass him as the car drove itself. Perks of having a self driving car he guessed. There wasn't much traffic given that there was no one of the road. Covid kept most of the people inside, but they needed to get tree so they would. Besides how hard would it be to social distance with a mask at the farm.

Very hard. When they got there it was jam packed with adults, elderly, and even a few younger kids. Peter groaned half heartedly, he'd been hoping for a quiet relaxing getaway. They'd even decided to use Tony's mountain house he'd gotten during the snap.

"Maybe it won't be so bad" Pepper said optimistically an unsure expression wavering. Tony quirked one eye brow up and Pepper smacked him playfully.

"Ow" Tony whined.

"You're Ironman and he just slapped you?" Happy said slamming the drivers door. Tony rolled his eyes.

"Shush, Hap" Tony commanded bring a finger up to happy's lips who wacked it away with a glare. Tony just shrugged, and Peter barely stiffed a laugh who got a glare form happy in return.

"You're becoming too much like him" Happy waved a thump in Tony's direction. Pepper got out of the car then and looked around.

"They know" She quipped grabbing onto Tony's hand. Peter held his hand out for Happy who glanced at it in disgust.

"I don't know where that thing was" He insisted following the couple as they went to find a tree. Peter glanced at his hand and wiped it on his jeans. Rude much? He thought.

"I'll have one 5 foot tree" Tony said readying his wallet. The cash register worker rolled his eyes and pointed to 2 stacks of saws next to him. One was labeled clean, and the other was labeled Quarantine. Peter smirked at it even though no one would see it through his spiderman mask.

"got it," Tony said slightly annoyed but grabbed a saw from the clean pile none the less. "C'mon group, time to find a free"

Tony was without a doubt the pickiest tree picker there ever was. If there was ever such a thing. He kept insisting that it needed to be "the one."

"Just pick one" Happy said every time Tony brought the saw to the tree and then had second thoughts and went to find a new one.

"This one," Tony stated standing next to a huge full green tree. None of them gave it a second though as he brought it to the trunk of the tree. "Are you guys ok?"

Peter snickered as Pepper gave him the 'are you serious look.'

"Are you actually going to pick this one" She asked eye brows raised playfully.

"Yes, you guys have no hope in me" Tony said as he began to cut. It wasn't going very fast and 2 minutes later when Tony was barely into the middle Peter took the saw from him. In 30 seconds flat Tony was yelling "TIMBERRR" At the top of his lungs.

"Shhh, people are staring at us" Happy said glancing around nervously and waving to the ones who were just watching. They glanced away when Happy glared at them for gawking for too long though.

Tony shrugged. "Its all in good fun"

"Yeah" happy said giving a disgruntled sigh. Tony ties the tree on the car with the help of his super powered son. Within minutes they're on the road after a good 2 hours of looking around the huge Christmas tree farm.

When they get there, the cabin is nice and cozy, and ready for the night before he has a midterm over zoom and then they're heading home. All in all it was a wonderful day of tree farming, and Peter is convinced that they found the best tree there.

A/N: The ending is a bit rushed, and I'm feeling okay about it. I hope you guys enjoy please review!