"We're running behind."

Tony frowned, looking at Coulson's image in the display. The SHIELD agent didn't look too worried, so it wasn't something serious, but with SHIELD's meticulous planning, any kind of delay was something to wonder about, at least.

"Why?"

"Peter has to stay a few minutes after class. To talk to his teacher," the agent added, before Tony could ask.

"Everything alright?"

"I'll let him tell you."

"I'll be in Pepper's office."

"We'll be there in about thirty minutes."

Stark got to his feet, glancing out the window of his own office as he did. There were dark clouds on the horizon, easily seen from his amazing vantage. Another snowstorm was expected, but he knew that winter was almost over, so he didn't care. He was looking forward to it being warm, again, and the days getting longer.

There'd be more daylight and more chances for him and Peter to do things outside without freezing fingers, toes, and noses.

He walked down the hallway and peeked his head into Pepper's office, making sure he wasn't interrupting a meeting before he knocked on the door and let himself in.

"How's it going?"

She shrugged.

"I'm glad it's Friday."

Tony was, too. They had two days to themselves. Him and Peter and Pepper. No meetings. Natasha had called to let him know that the Avengers were heading down the east coast to run some training drills. They didn't need him, she assured Stark, but she was going to claim Peter the weekend after this one, so they could spend some time with him.

Which meant that he had the boy to himself, this weekend.

He and Pepper had been debating what they might want to do. Everything from a flight to Europe to spend the weekend at any number of places that Peter would almost certainly find interesting, to another trip to Batman Land, to simply staying at home and relaxing in front of the fire and playing Legos with Peter.

Some of it would depend on the weather, of course. And on what Peter wanted to do.

"Anything that you absolutely have to do?" he asked, solicitously, as he seated himself across from her. "Or anything that you want to do?"

Pepper shook her head.

"I can't go near my place, so that limits the things that I have to do – and frees me up to do many things that I'd like to do, instead."

She was the one that had suggested the trip to Batman Land, knowing that Peter was upset that morning and wanting a way to make him smile. The place had been a success, the last time, and she had to admit that she liked the idea of watching Tony being forced to contain his expressions while watching Peter run through the place, enjoying himself.

Stark had vetoed the idea, immediately, saying that he already had one too many Batman t-shirts, and he didn't want another one.

They sat at her desk, simply enjoying the other's company and tossing out ideas for activities. Most were ideas that they'd already discussed, so the conversation didn't really net them any actual results, but the company was good, so it wasn't a complete waste of time. Forty minutes later, JARVIS alerted Tony through his communications watch that Peter and Coulson were on their way up.

Pepper opened her desk drawer, pulling out a package of cookies and a paper plate to arrange a few cookies on for the boy, and Tony got up long enough to grab a carton of chocolate milk from the small fridge by her coffee pot.

He was settling himself back into the chair when the knock on the door heralded the arrival of Coulson and his boy. Peter dropped his backpack on the floor by the door and walked over, giving the SHIELD agent a cursory wave. Coulson smiled, nodded to Stark and Pepper and left, closing the door behind him.

"Hey, buddy," Tony said, reaching for him and pulling him into a hug. Peter looked a little subdued, and the boy hugged him, hard, back. "How was school?"

"I had to stay late."

"That's what Phil said," Tony replied, leaning back so he could look at him. "How come?"

"I got in trouble…"

Peter moved from Tony over to Pepper, seeking a hug from her, as well – which she was all too willing to give him.

"What kind of trouble?" Tony asked, watching as the little boy climbed into Pepper's lap without so much as a by your leave, and put his arms around her.

He could hear the sigh, of contentment or of happiness, Tony didn't know. His tone wasn't happy, though, even with his face pressed against Pepper's blouse.

"I said a bad word."

"You did?"

"Yes."

"What word?" Pepper asked, curiously, brushing her hand against the back of his head, and running her fingers through his curls.

"The F word."

"You said the F word?" Tony asked.

Peter nodded, but still didn't look at either of them.

"I hear the other kids say it all the time. None of them get in trouble."

"They're a bit older than you are, buddy," Tony reminded him.

"I'm smarter than all of them."

He sounded upset. Upset enough that Stark had a feeling there was more going on than just a word spoken out of the blue. He got up and reached for his son, plucking him from Pepper's lap and turning him so he could see his face. Sure enough, Peter looked upset, too.

"What happened?" Tony asked, gently.

"Our teacher asked what we would buy if we had a million dollars and one of the kids said if you had a million dollars you could buy anything you want and would always be happy. I told him that it didn't work like that, and he called me a liar and I told him to fuck off – and got in trouble."

"Why would you say something like that?" Tony asked, shocked. "You know better than that."

Like Peter said; he was smarter than any of the other kids in his class.

"It just slipped out."

"Did you apologize?"

"No. I shouldn't have to. I'm right. That was the other reason I got in trouble."

"Peter…"

"I am," the little boy insisted. "He called me a liar, but I know. We have a lot of money, right?"

Tony couldn't deny that.

"Yes."

"Does money make you happy?"

"You make me happy," Tony told him. "More than any money ever could."

"So I'm right."

Tony forced himself not to roll his eyes, because he had a feeling that this was exactly how he sounded, sometimes, when he absolutely knew he was in the right – and he was in the right.

"Yeah. You're right. But you can't be rude about it. You've been right a lot of times. Why is this one the one that made you swear?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"It just did."

Tony sighed. Obviously it wasn't something Peter wanted to talk about, just then. And he wasn't going to press. That was the whole point of having a psychologist, after all.

"Fine. What did the teacher say?"

"He said I have to write an essay and prove myself right – and said not to swear in class anymore."

"He's right about not swearing. I don't want to hear that it happened, again. Understand?"

Peter nodded.

"Yes."

"You can work on the essay instead of going to daycare."

The boy frowned.

"How come?"

"Because the essay is a punishment, right?"

"Yes."

"Then doing it instead of playing with your friends in daycare will be my way of punishing you, too."

"Why do you have to punish me, too?"

Tony ignored Pepper's soft snort of amusement that she just couldn't hide.

"Because that's what dads do, Peter. You tell a classmate to fuck off, and I have to punish you, right?"

He didn't look convinced.

"I guess."

"Good. Take your stuff to my office, okay? And get started. I'll meet you there."

"I don't get cookies, first?" the boy asked, glancing at the plate of treats that Pepper had put out.

Stark wasn't a monster – and it was only one F-word, after all.

"Yeah, buddy. You can have your cookies, first. And you can tell us how the rest of your day went."