It had been a few days since Peter had gained his new...companion. Peter hadn't gotten used to him in the slightest.
"What do you want for dinner?" Tony asked him.
"Chocolate." Venom stated in the back of his mind. "And potatoes."
"Chocolate and potatoes." Peter told his father. "Please."
Steve looked up from his newspaper, raising a brow at Pete. Tony also rose a brow, exchanging a look with his husband.
"I can make a plate of potato wedges?" Tony offered. "Maybe bake some brownies for later?"
"YES!" Venom screamed, startling Peter. Steve and Tony sighed, now understanding Peter's strange request.
"Wait I just realized," Steve set down his newspaper. "who let Tony cook?"
"I've been taking lessons, thank you." Tony scoffed.
"Why cooking?" Steve asked.
"Bucky can cook." Tony mumbled quietly, forgetting the other two people in the room had super hearing. Steve's eyes softened. "And anyways, Clint said this would enhance my house wife abilities."
"If you burn down the kitchen...well I'm not saving you." Steve shrugged.
"Damn. That's tough."
Peter snorted quietly. "So when am I going to be allowed to patrol again?" He asked his dads. "I've been away long enough."
"I think New York has been relatively safe in the span of three days." Tony snorted. "Vulture isn't coming back anytime soon."
"But what about the robbers? Kidnappers?" Peter asked.
"Jesus, that's your job too?" Tony asked. "Did the police forget how to do their job or something?"
"Tony!" Steve shot him a look.
"What?" Tony huffed.
"They don't get it." Venom grumbled. Peter sighed in silent agreement.
"I think it's fine if you leave it to the police for a little bit." Steve smiled at Peter.
Peter scowled in return, suprising his parents. "I'm not leaving it to the fucking police."
"Langua--"
"Can it." Peter spat. He crossed his arms and looked away. His eyes widened slightly. "What just happened?" He thought to himself.
"I made you a bit more upset over this." Venom responded. "It'll hopefully get your point across."
Peter glanced at his parents.
They were both staring at him in mild shock. "Did Bruce say that mood swings were a side effect?" Steve asked Tony, who shrugged.
"If he did I didn't hear it." Tony mumbled. "Are you feeling alright?" He asked Peter, reaching a hand to touch his shoulder.
Peter slapped away the hand. "I'm not hungry anymore."
"Yes you are."
"Actually I am, but I'm not eating with you." Peter huffed. He walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bar of chocolate and some leftover hashbrowns from breakfast.
He turned up his nose and marched back to his room.
Steve and Tony sat in tense silence. "...should we just let him patrol again?" Tony asked Steve.
"No, Tones. We have to wait until Venom is officially gone." Steve sighed.
"But Steve! You saw how angry Underoos was!" Tony exclaimed, stepping foward. "I hate to see him like that."
"I do too, but it isn't safe." Steve shook his head.
"But we don't know that!" Tony yelled. "We haven't even let him touch his suit ever since he was attacked by that girl!"
"I don't want to risk it, Anthony!" Steve snapped. Tony winced at his tone.
"Why not? We're Avengers! Taking risks is practically our job!" Tony shot back.
"That's not what I want in my family life! I don't want that for Peter!"
"Peter needs to be free! Not trapped in this tower!" Tony stomped on the ground.
"He's not old enough yet!"
"What do you know? He's not even your kid." Tony spat. He regretted the words the second they came out of his mouth.
Steve was staring at him with a strange look in his eyes. "Wow." He scoffed, turning away.
"No--Shit--I didn't mean that--" Tony stammered.
"Then why did you say it?" Steve hissed, throwing his newspaper on the table and standing up. "I thought you were better, but I guess you'll always be a stuck up, philanthropic, playboy." Steve snarled. Tony physically flinched at his words, like they hurt.
"Steve--" Tony choked out. Steve stormed out of the kitchen, making a beeline for the elevator. "Wait!" Tony chases after him.
"I need to cool down." Steve grimaced as the elevator doors closed.
Tony stared at the elevator doors. "Sir?" Friday asked after a long moment.
Tony fell to his knees and did something he hadn't done in awhile.
Tony Stark cried.
---
Peter noticed how Steve wasn't home in the morning. He also noticed how shaky Tony's hands were as he made breakfast. "Hey Dad? Where's Pops?"
Tony didn't answer, just put his breakfast on the table. "Eat up! I packed some extra snacks in your lunch!" Tony gave him a weak smile.
Tony looked tired, like he hadn't slept all night.
"Trouble in paradise?" Venom asked. Peter shrugged, watching Tony closely. "Wonder why." Venom mumbled cockily, like he was aware what the problem was.
After Peter, he bid his dad farewell and departed from the house. "I wonder where Pops went." He pulled out his phone and held it to his ear, so people wouldn't think he was crazy.
"Let's focus on something more important." Venom told Peter. "Like how we're going to stop the bad guys."
"I think I have it under control." Peter scoffed. "But thanks anyways."
"What? Oh, you're talking about how you pathetically arrest petty thieves and murderers." Venom hummed.
"It's not pathetic." Peter retorted.
"It is. There'll always be crime. No feeble spider can stop it. All your efforts are doing such a small thing, it's laughable." Venom laughed to prove his point. Peter had no response. "But anyways, I'm talking about MY bad guys."
"Your bad guys?"
"Fellow symbiotes."
A/N:
I kinda like this one. Why are all my chapters published at midnight wtf.
*
Darius: *mopping up some spilt coffee*
Susie: *smiles while watching*
Darius: *looks at her* What?
Susie: Nothing, you're just cute.
Darius: *turns bright red*
