Is Love Enough?

Chapter 4

Peter was looking up to the sky, pointing out all the constellations to Tony, even if he already knew all of them and more. Tony just laid with Peter, rolling over onto his side, and was watching Peter as he went on about the stars. He watched with amusement at how Peter's eyes twinkled just as much as the stars he was ranting about. Peter had lowered his arm and turned his head to look at Tony, his face scrunching up.

"What are you looking at? The stars are up there silly," Peter chuckled looking back to the sky.

Tony reached over and tried to put his hand on Peter's cheek when Peter suddenly sat upright and started scrambling to get his shoes on. Tony slowly sat up, propping himself on his elbow, his eyebrows drawn together in concern.

"What's wrong, Bambi?" Tony asked, making Peter slow down and look at him.

"I um, just checked my phone and I, my aunt, wanted me home an hour ago. I gotta get back before she gets too, um worried." Peter said trying to keep his voice steady. His eyes pleading with Tony to see that something is wrong, his mind screaming for Tony to get him out of that house, his heart beating like it will never beat again.

Tony looked over Peter, he dismissed all of the red flags, 'Helicopter parents. The pressure they put their kids under.' Tony thought.

Oh, if Aunt May was just a simple helicopter parent.  

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While Tony was driving down the road, he would glance over to Peter every now and then. The boy was fidgeting terribly, his legs jumping up and down, his arms crossed over his chest with one hand rubbing the nape of his neck while the other hand was being chewed on. Tony didn't know if this was the normal reaction to making your parent upset. Sure Peter might get grounded for being out past curfew but Tony doesn't think that he should be getting all worked up over it. Tony didn't exactly have the perfect model of what a parent-child relationship should look or work like, so he brushed it off as something normal. There was something deep in his gut telling him to turn the car around and head straight for the tower, but not having any real proof of anything bad, Tony kept driving.

Tony pulled up to the apartment complex and looked over to Peter, the boy unmoving from his spot, "You gonna get out? I'm sure you don't want your aunt even more worried than she is."

Peter looked over to Tony and gave him a sad smile, one that said he might not ever see Tony again, but Tony was sure it was just his imagination, "Yeah, sorry. I'm a little scatter brained right now. We are going on a spur of the moment vacation, so I'm just, thinking about it."

Tony gave Peter a reassuring smile, "Well, have fun on your trip. Make sure to call me when you get back!"

Peter nodded his head and got out of the car, waving to Tony before walking up to the building and closing the door.

Tony started his drive back to the tower, thinking about Peter and their date tonight. He also thought about how him and Steve are gonna have a talk about how to share Peter. Tony pulled up to the tower and parked in the underground garage. He got out of the car and headed towards the elevator, "FRI, where is the Captain right now?"

"He is currently in the living room, watching a movie with everyone else, Boss" the A.I replied.

"Thanks FRI, take me up there."

Tony stepped into the elevator and as soon as the door closed the elevator went shooting upwards. The elevator opened up with a ding and Tony walked into the living room, the movie being paused the second he walked in and the lights turning up a little bit.