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“Peter, wait up!” Steve yells, chasing his fifteen-year-old son across the park.
“Dad! I’m supposed to meet up with my science class! Come on, we’re gonna be late!” Peter huffs out as he runs. “Our teacher wants to meet the parents!”
Steve groans, nearly tripping over his briefcase and Peter’s backpack. “Peter, at least slow down!”
Peter shakes his head, putting on more speed. Steve shifts the backpack and the briefcase and speeds up as well. They reach the spot where the teacher is standing, talking with one student-- who is the only other student in the area. “I thought you said we were going to be late Peter?”
“Uh. Maybe I mixed up the times?” Peter smiles up at his dad, panting a little. “Hey Harley! Hi Mr. Stark!”
“Heya Petey,” Mr. Stark says, turning his head to smile at Peter.
Harley looks behind Peter and then focuses his grin on Peter. “Hi Pete. Is this your dad?”
“Yeah. Dad, this is Harley Stark and Mr. Stark.”
Steve smiles at Harley. “Hello.” He holds his hand out to shake. “Are you both waiting to meet the teacher as well?” Steve shakes Harley’s hand, glancing over at the other parent. He’s just a little in love, just based on how the man looks.
Mr. Stark chuckles. “Actually, I’m their science teacher. Tony Stark.”
Steve opens his mouth to say something but all that comes out is a little bit of a squeak. “I...” He hums and looks at Peter, raising an eyebrow.
Peter’s eyes go wide and he focuses on Harley. “So, how did try outs go? Did you make the football team?”
“I did.” Harley beams at Peter.
Tony glances at the kids, then at Steve. “So... why are you here?”
“Peter said the class and parents were coming to meet the teacher?” Steve looks over at his son, jaw clenching a little. “I take it he did not tell me the truth.”
“Well, the parents are welcome to come and see the experiments we’re doing, but it is the class’s day. They get to see if their boats actually run with water.”
“Don’t you mean on water?” Steve asks, frowning a little.
Tony grins. “Nope. We made boats that should run using water, instead of oil and gas. That way, there’s no getting stuck if you run out of gas.” Tony looks up as more kids start gathering. “All right kids. Boats are by the water, let’s go do some science!”
Steve looks around, noting that no other children have their parents with them. He puts his hand on Peter’s shoulder, looking down at his son. “Peter.”
“Hey Dad.” Peter grins up at him. “Isn’t Mr. Stark the coolest? Come on. You can watch our science project.” He wiggles out from under his dad’s grip and jogs down to the edge of the pond with the rest of his classmates.
Steve sighs and starts down the small hill, frowning when he overhears one of the kids talking about his son, calling him a loser and a suck up. He starts to open his mouth, but Tony beats him to it. “Flash!” Tony points to a table a few feet from the edge of the pond. “Have a seat and don’t even open your mouth to breathe, or else you’ll be in detention for the rest of the week. Kids, we do not bully or pick on anyone in this class. This class is about learning science, not putting each other down. I hear one more comment from any single one of you picking on anyone else, and there will be no more fun science projects. We will sit in a classroom for days on end, learning from books! No experiments, no fun! Books. Paper! Tests! Notes! Pop quizzes! Who wants that?” When none of the kids raise their hands, Tony glances around and nods. “So, will we do anything to encourage bullies in my class?”
“No!” the kids all yell in unison.
Tony turns to the boy at the picnic table. “Everyone, grab your boats and begin prep.” Steve watches Tony walk over to the picnic table and hop up next to the kid he’d called Flash. “Why?”
“I don’t know. He’s just...”
“He’s what? Peter’s a good kid and he’s always nice to you. What’s going on, kiddo?”
Flash shrugs. “Dad wouldn’t come. I asked him to, and he said he was too busy with work. But Parker’s not even a real dad shows up?”
“Not even a real dad?” Tony wrinkles his nose and Steve can’t help but smile at how cute he is. “What does that even mean?”
“That-“ Flash points at Steve and makes a face “-can not possibly be Parker’s real dad. He’s a tank and Parker is skinny and short and just no.”
Steve speaks up at that point, not even aware he’d moved closer. “Actually, I was short and skinny when I was Peter’s age as well. I’m sorry your dad didn’t come to see your science project.”
Tony smiles at Steve. “Go join the others,” Tony says, clapping Flash on the back. “And apologize to Petey.”
“Fine,” Flash says, going over to the other kids. They hear him apologize to Peter and Steve smiles back at Tony.
“You’re good with the kids.”
“I have to be. It’s one of the rules of being a teacher.” Tony smiles. “You were good with him too. By the way, I didn’t get your name and I don’t think I should just call you Petey’s dad.”
“Steve. Steve Rogers.” Steve sticks his hand out, cheeks pinking up.
“Why different last names?” Tony shakes his hand.
“Flash wasn’t completely wrong. I’m not Pete’s biological dad. I adopted him when he was a baby.” Steve shrugs. “I knew his parents and I figured I’d let him grow up with that piece of them, since he didn’t have them.”
“That’s... That’s amazing, actually. I adopted Harley and his sister when she was two years old.” Tony smiles. “They were in a bad situation, and I could make it better.” He gestures to the kids who are whooping and laughing as most of their boats start gliding across the pond. Peter consoles Flash when his sinks a few feet into the pond. “He’s a really good kid. Even when people bully him, he just bucks up and goes out of his way to be nice to them.”
“He... did not learn that from me. My reaction to bullies when I was his age was to punch first, get my ass handed to me, and have my adopted brother save my ass.” Steve chuckles a little.
“Mine was to run and hide. Didn’t help that I was twelve when I graduated high school.” Tony shrugs.
“Twelve... what?”
“Yeah.” Tony narrows his eyes, then laughs a little. “You really don’t know who I am, do you?”
“Sorry? I know you’re my son’s science teacher and he loves to talk about science?”
Tony chuckles. “Let’s try the introduction thing again.” He holds his hand out. “I’m Tony Stark, of Stark Industries. I leave the company in my very capable CEO, Pepper Potts, hands while I teach high schoolers science. And on the side, I do some research and development for SI.”
“Oh.” Steve takes his hand. “Steve Rogers. Former Captain of the US Army, until me and my brother got blown up by an IED. I took some shrapnel; he lost an arm. And his current arm is actually from Stark Industries. So, thank you.”
Tony smiles. “It’s all good. Look.” Tony points at the kids and Steve turns, watching as Peter helps Flash fix his boat. The two boys high five when the boat takes off across the water. “Maybe Petey’s got the better idea for dealing with bullies.”
“Seems to work out better than mine.”
“Or mine.” Tony grins at Steve and Steve has to take a deep breath. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” Steve barely gets the word out. He licks his lips and looks over at the kids again, noting Peter and Harley watching, but when they notice him looking their way, they look away quickly. “I... I think we’re being set up.”
“I think you’re probably right. Petey’s always talking about his amazing Dad. He likes to brag about how good his dad is at just about everything.” Tony chuckles. “And Harley has been hinting that I need to start dating because he’s almost going away to college and he doesn’t want me to be alone and lonely.”
“Pete’s been saying the same things. How he’s all I have and that’s just not right. That I need someone to come home to, besides him.” Steve chuckles and looks down. He feels his cheeks heating up. “Uhm. I have to go in a few minutes; work, ya know? But... could we meet up for coffee or dinner some time?”
“I’d like that a lot. I want to get to know this incredible dad of Petey’s.” Tony smiles when Steve lifts his head. “I’m free tonight?”
“I am too. Coffee or dinner?”
“Dinner. I know a nice little Italian place by the school, if that’s to your liking?”
“I’d love that.” Steve smiles back at Tony. “Is six too late?”
“That would be perfect. I’ll see you at six, Steve.”
“See you at six,” Steve says back. He turns, going to Peter’s side. “Pretty neat boat, Pete. But I have to go.”
“What’d you think of Mr. Stark? He’s pretty cool, right?”
“Eh. He’s okay.” Steve shrugs, fighting back a smile. “I’ll see you at home. I’m gonna be late tonight, so, make sure you do your homework before video games and pizza.” He presses some money into Peter’s hand. “And try not to invite too many people over, okay?”
“Of course not. I’ve got like three friends, Dad.” Peter rolls his eyes, sighing as his dad walks away, unaware that his dad is lying to him. He looks at Harley. “I don’t think it worked. I was sure that if we played cupid, they’d get together. I know they’d be perfect for each other.”
Harley frowns at his dad, upset that their perfect plan hadn’t been so perfect after all. “Yeah, they really would, but we’ll keep finding ways to get them together. Oh, sleepover!! Can I come crash at yours, then I’ll make my dad come pick me up and they’ll have to talk to each other, ‘cause I won’t be ready!”
Peter nods, grinning at Harley. He holds his hand up for a high five. “Project Cupid’s Arrow is go!” they whisper to each other before they go back to playing with their boats.