Chapter Text
Peter was in a rush that morning. He shovelled his breakfast – made by Steve – down in less than five minutes. After that he made a run for Tony’s lab where he left his essay for history class the last evening. He stuffed his homework in his backpack and left the tower.
Peter was barely in time for the first lesson and was in a rush for his English class as well because Flash deemed it necessary to trip him in the hallway so he let his books fall.
By the time their history class came around, Peter was in a slightly better mood. He was talking to Ned while the teacher went around collecting their essays and did not really pay attention when he gave it to her.
Once done, the teacher gave them an assignment they could work on during the lesson while she started reading through the essays.
“Mr Parker!”, she called after several minutes and Peter lifted his head from his already finished exercise. “Can you explain to me why you gave me several pages of notes about a “Stark Watch with included nanotech” instead of your essay?”
Peter went beet red. “I’m so sorry, Miss Reynolds. I did the homework at my workplace yesterday and probably took the wrong papers with me.”
“And where do you work if I may ask?”
“I’m an intern at Stark Industries”, Peter mumbled, knowing that nobody except Ned and MJ really believed him.
“Hmm”, made Miss Reynolds and went back to reading.
After the lesson, Peter stayed back and told his friends he would meet them in the cafeteria. He waited until he was alone with the teacher before he walked up to her.
“Yes, Mr Parker?”, she asked.
“Uhm, could I have back my notes? I kinda need them for the internship today.”
She gave him a glance before she looked at the screen of her tablet again. “You can have them back when you bring me your essay.”
“But Miss Reynolds!”, Peter protested. “I need them.”
“Then I suggest you bring it before school lets out today.”
With that, she stood up and ushered Peter out of the room, before she made her way to the teachers’ lounge. Peter sighed and walked to the cafeteria. Ned and MJ already had his lunch ready, what made him smile.
“So what are these notes you gave Miss Reynolds about?”, MJ wanted to know the minute Peter sat down.
“They are for suits. Mine and Tony’s as well as everyone else’s.”
“But I thought you already have nanotech suits?”, Ned asked confused.
“Yeah”, Peter said while taking a bite of the pizza they had that day. “But they’re part of bracelets and I want to make them part of the Stark Watch so not everyone has to wear the bracelets as well as the watch. Most of the Avengers already wear a Stark Watch so it lines up nicely. The problem -”, he took another bite “- is that with all the technology already included in these watches, it’s kinda hard to include nanotech as well. I’m trying to do it as a surprise for Tony.”
“Did Miss Reynolds give you your notes back?”, MJ interrupted Peter’s rambling.
He shook his head and explained her reasoning. Once he finished eating he took out his phone and called Tony.
“Hey, Pete!”, he greeted. “Shouldn’t you be in school?”
“I am”, Peter assured his mentor and father figure. “We have lunch break right now.”
“Oh, okay. Was there a specific reason you called me?”
“Yeah, actually… So… remember that history essay I worked on yesterday? I left it in the lab last evening and packed the wrong papers today. Could you get them to me somehow so I can get my notes back before I come home?”
“Only you, kid”, Tony chuckled. “I can bring them.”
“Oh, well… could you give them to someone whose face is less well known?”, Peter asked.
“Sure, kiddo. What about Bruce?”
“No!”, Peter almost screamed. “Tony we’re a school full of nerds! Everyone here knows Bruce.”
“Oh, yeah, sorry. Well I’ll send someone who can drive so they can pick you up as well”, Tony said while the bell rang. Peter stood up and packed his stuff together.
“Ok, thanks, Dad. Need to go, see you later.”
Peter ended the call and stashed his phone in his pocket before he noticed what he just said and froze on the spot.
“Did you just call Tony Stark Dad?”, Ned voiced his thoughts.
“We all saw that coming, losers”, MJ intervened, before the boys could start rambling about how cool or how disastrous that whole thing was. “Now come on, we don’t want to be late.”
Bucky texted Peter nearing the end of the last period to tell him he was there. Peter explained where his history room was and told him to wait in front of it as not many people would be there and Bucky didn’t like a lot of people around.
When the bell rang, he said goodbye to his friends before he raced to the history classroom. Bucky was standing near the door, long sleeved hoodie on – probably one of Steve’s – that covered his metal arm and hand. In his other hand he had Peter’s essay.
“Thanks, Buck”, Peter told him as he let himself get pulled into a hug by Bucky. Peter and Bucky had started to talk more over the last few weeks, after everyone moved to the tower again. Tony still didn’t like Bucky and ignored him most of the time. He probably wouldn’t have been happy if he knew how much time the two spent together as he tried to keep Peter away from the super soldier. Regardless the two managed to form a really deep connection that quickly turned to the amazing friendship they had now.
“How did you manage to get Tony to let you go?”, Peter asked once Bucky let go of him.
“I didn’t have to do anything. I was the only one available who fit your criteria.”
Peter laughed and took his essay from Bucky before he knocked and entered the history classroom, Bucky following close behind.
Miss Reynolds was still at her desk, writing something or mark some stuff.
“Ah, Mr Parker”, she started before she hesitated and eyed Bucky for a moment. “Do you have your essay?”, she finally asked.
Peter handed it over and she looked at it. He’d had Steve’s – and Bucky’s – help writing it so he wasn’t too surprised by her approving nod. His teacher gave him back his notes and Peter and Bucky finally left the school.
“So what’s so special about these notes, that you really needed them back?”, Bucky asked once they were in his thank God not flashy white car.
“It’s for a Stark Watch with nanotechnology included. It’s supposed to be a surprise for Dad.”
“Dad?”
Peter groaned and put his face in his hands. “That’s the second time I called him that today. And he actually heard me the first time. I’m so dead. I’ll just go to bed at the tower and pretend I’m tired. Or sick. Or both.”
Bucky let out a quiet laugh. “Stop panicking, Pete. Just go to the lab like every other day. If you feel like talking about it, talk about it. Maybe he feels like talking and will start. Maybe no one does and you won’t talk about it today.”
Peter lifted his head slowly. “Thanks, Bucky”, he said with a smile and received a smile in return.
Peter and Tony both ended up don’t bringing the topic up. Tony still treated him the same so Peter thought that Tony probably hadn’t even heard it.