'We can seriously take this?' Clint takes another slow lap of the Audi as Steve straps Pete in.
He had come downstairs to find Tony working hard and Jarvis reading Pete a story. It had taken more courage than it should have to call up to Tony and suggest Pete might like to leave the Mansion for a while.
'We're taking Pete out and this car has the safety seat thing,' he fiddles with the straps.
'Right,' Clint agrees as his hand hovers an inch from the bodywork. 'So, you're telling me that Stark is trusting us with two things he loves at once and that doesn't seem strange to you?'
Tony had looked incredibly unconvinced.
'He's trusting me with Pete,' he grins, 'you're just here to drive the car.'
Clint is here because Tony would never have let Pete out without a second Avenger to watch him.
'He's not lent me a car before,' Clint gets behind the wheel.
'Sir does not view his possessions as things to be kept to himself,' Jarvis replies from the dash. 'You could have borrowed one before now if you wished.'
'Hello Jarvis!' Pete fidgets in his seat as Steve tries to tighten the straps.
'Hello, Peter.'
'Ah, Jarvis,' Clint seems to be caressing the steering wheel, 'first Skynet, now KITT?'
'Jarvis, add KITT to my list,' he closes the back door and gets into the front.
Using Jarvis to keep track of his ever increasing list was such a good idea.
Clint just laughs and revs the engine as they pull off down the drive.
'Where are we going?' Pete gazes out the window.
'Columbus Circle, right?' Clint glances over. 'I don't think any of Stark's cars have ever been to a mall before.'
'Your Dada gave you some spending money, right Pete?' he checks.
'Uh huh,' Pete confirms as he squirms to look back at the Mansion.
'Then we'll see if there's anything you want and get a coffee and a muffin. Or maybe not a muffin. I'm a little sick of muffins.'
'Ice cream is what we need,' Clint informs them.
'In November?'
'It's never too cold for ice cream.'
'I like ice cream,' Pete adds.
'Ice cream then,' he agrees.
'Can I have sprinkles?' Clint asks.
He gives his team mate a look and Clint grins back shamelessly,
'Please Mom?'
'I'm not your mother,' he groans.
'Stark is Dad,' Clint is loving this, 'that makes you Mom.'
'Why did I bring you?'
'Time to get the charging net into place,' Tony presses the final sensor for the ballroom into position.
'It will be good to see you again, sir.'
'I'll get some of the floor up and deploy it.'
'Assuming it unfurls as you have designed,' Jarvis displays an upsetting lack of faith, 'a square foot should be more than adequate.'
'Pepper will be delighted,' he treks up the stairs.
'The north east corner of this room will be the correct location for deployment,' Jarvis adds images to his display.
'One floorboard,' he grabs the crowbar up from the floor and spins it in his hand.
'Yes sir,' Jarvis confirms even as he jams the crowbar into the floor.
The charging net deploys beautifully, just as he designed it, and glows a soft white colour when it starts to transmit power to the sensors below.
'How's that, Jay?'
'If you would be so kind as to return to the ballroom so that I might calibrate the sensors,' Jarvis requests.
'You want to calibrate the room using me?' he puts the floorboard back and goes back the way he came.
'You would seem to be the obvious choice.'
'You're such a daddy's boy,' he walks to the middle of the ballroom and turns in a slow circle.
'Calibration complete,' Jarvis speaks from the room rather than his earbud.
He grins,
'Hey, buddy.'
'So you want the Iron Man plushie?' he can't help the amusement he feels watching Tony's boy choosing between the range of Avengers plushies.
'Maybe all of them?' Pete gazes up at him.
'I don't know. How much money did your Dada give you?'
Pete blinks at him and carefully places an Ironman toy on the floor before pulling a black card from his pocket.
Clint starts laughing.
'A credit card?' he sighs and rubs his eyes.
'That's just what I'd expect from Stark,' Clint grins. 'Come on, kiddo, let's get them all.'
Pete beams.
He can't help his grin as he follows them.
'I want my ice cream now,' Clint tells him after Pete has paid.
Pete tries to insist on carrying the bag himself but, as it's larger than he is, Steve manages to convince him to hand it over.
'You're supposed to be being a second adult here,' he looks around as they step out of the shop.
'I'm more like the occasionally helpful teenager,' Clint gestures to the left and leads the way.
'Next time I say you can come I'm making sure Natasha can come too,' he threatens good naturedly.
'Mean.'
'It's ok,' he smiles, 'you can have sprinkles.'
'Best Mom ever,' Clint claps him on the arm.
They get ice creams and walk along window shopping. Clint and Pete seem equally attracted to shiny things.
'It's an incredible watch,' Clint gestures through the glass. 'I borrow that card from Pete and Stark will never even know...'
'If you want the watch just tell Tony you want it for Christmas,' he suggests.
Also the watch is enormous and flashy and horrendously expensive.
'Ah, Steve?'
'I said no,' he rolls his eyes.
'Steve, where's Pete?'
'He's just...' he's not there.
Oh, God, he's not there.
