Safe & sound

18

"I don't have any with me, sorry."

Peter refused to believe it. "Yes you doooooo. I want canddyyyyyyyyy"

Tony sighed. He knew where this was going. "I don't have any candy, but we can get some from the shop over there, how does that sound?"

Peter let out a loud sigh, dragging it on. "Fine" The thing was, he didn't want that candy. He wanted the candy that his father was supposed to have with him. Why didn't he have candy.

Harley is looking at the passing cars and people, clearly not paying attention, when Tony asks, "Harley? You've been uncharacteristically non-hyberverbal."

Harley's attention snaps to them. He frowns. "What?"

"Do you want candy?"

Harley seems to actually consider it for a second. "Uh, sure." He says, his voice not the usual sarcastic tone.

Tony's brown eyes locked with Harley's green ones. "Harls, if you don't want to, we can keep going instead of stopping at that place."

Harley bit his lip and glanced at Peter to see what his reaction was. Peter was also looking worridly at him, then noticed Harleys eyes and offered a small smile, saying it was okay. Harley rubbed his eyes. "Um, I don't know. Can we keep going?"

Tony nodded and put a hand around his shoulders. "Of course Harls. Next stop is home. You can sleep in the car or whatever."

Harley, sensing an opportunity, drapes himself across Tony's shoulders, putting his full weight (and trying to add more) on Tony's body. Tony grunts and tries to adjust to Harley, who is purposely walking weirdly.

"Hold me, I am unable to strut in my princess tower, I feel myself becoming drowsy and in need for a mint chocolate chip ice cream."

Peter cheered. Tony smiled. "But it's winter. Don't you want something warm, like hot chocolate?"

Peter shook his head. "Nope."

Harley rolled his eyes. "No one drinks hot chocolate anymore, dad. It's like, so last season. Plus, I'm a big boy, I can have coffee."

"Hey! I drink hot chocolate!"

"Shut up midget."

"I thought you wanted to go home," Tony inputs, looking to his side to get a better view of Harley, who left his shoulder when Tony didn't complain or get a reaction.

"Yes I do, but stopping by a yummy in my tummy ice cream place- I wouldn't mind."

"But you have to save room for dinner. And cake!"

He had them convinced.

It was quiet for a few moments, until Peter mumbled, "I'm gonna eat all the yummy cake, none've you are gonna get any because its my birfday and I make the rules take that hahaha."

"I still want cake," Tony replies without being asked. Peter looks at him, not very surprised he heard what he said.

"Well you don't get any."

"Yeah, it's only me 'n Peter's. Isn't that right little bro?"

Peter chuckles dryly. "You wish."

"Well then I'll help you hide it all from dad."

Tony scoffs. Peter gives him a fistbump. "Ooh yeah you tell him big bro. We are dominating you dad!"

Tonys wrinkles his nose. "Dominating?"

"YOU HEARD ME!" And then Peter jumps onto Tony's back to prove a point. Tony, who had his hands in his pockets to keep them warm, took them out and now had them around Peters's legs to keep him upright. Peter didn't slide off and stayed there, something that started out as an assertive action now just something Peter enjoys, unlike Harley, who only did it to irritate.

They kept walking like that, Harley beside Tony, who had Peter on his back, who had his hands on Tony's head and was trying to steer him by turning it to the sides, and into a cafe down the street.

"Come on, please? Hot chocolate and marshmallows at Milo & Eddies? They have great drinks." Peter says and leans forewards so his cheek is against the top of Tony's head.

Tony sighed. "Peter, you know we have food at the tower, right?"

And yes, of course, Peter knew this, and yes, Peter wanted the hot chocolate from the cafe... But that isn't what he really wanted. He was running low on sugar packets and those plastic sticks, and he needed them. Why, he wasn't sure. He just needed to collect more sugar packets. To him, if there was a zombie apocalypse, that would be his food supply. Not crackers, not Jerkey, but sugar packets and plastic spoons. Maybe he'd throw in a Jos Louis too, those are to die for.

So Peter looked to Harley pleadingly, asking him with his eyes (and slight mouthing) to help him convince their dad to bring them to the cafe. But they must have been silent too long and did not hide their silent conversation as well as they thought, and Tony looked sideways at Harley.

"What are you two talking about? Don't leave me in the mud." Is what he said.

"What about the snow?" Harley retorted with a goofy grin that made his face look even more like a child's'.

"Uh, no thanks."

Peter was one and a half years younger than Harley and was always the more physical and affectionate type. Like right now, he was getting carried on Tony's back and leaning into him like a child, while Harley strode beside them, a small smile on his face and his hands in his pockets. It was one of the reasons the three's relationship worked so well, Peter was always a very touchy person, while Harley wasn't, and Tony was neutral about it.

Like right now, Harley was sure if Peter wasn't resting on Tony's back or had an arm around Harley's shoulders he would be running ahead, throwing snowballs at them or skipping to the end of the street so he'd have enough time to make a small snowman.

It was one of the things Peter did without realizing that Tony and Harley adored about him, and never wanted to change.

They had walked past the café by now, and Peter felt suddenly tired and sleepy, so he wasn't going to try and convince Tony to bring them in. Tony could feel the sudden weight change of Peter, how he held onto him loosely, and how he was leaning into Tony, his cheek against the older man's head.

So as Peter fell asleep on Tony's back, Tony and Harley engage in a conversation between themselves about the other Avengers. (They would never admit it, but the duo finds amusement in gossip).

They were so caught up in speaking that neither of them noticed the people who had started to recognize them, and were now taking pictures and videos across the street. Then the paparazzi made an appearance.

They approached in small groups at first, giggly and breathless people asking to take a photo with them, then gradually the commotion drew attention to everyone, and the next thing Tony and Harley knew, they were trying to fight their way through a sea of people in coats with their phones out.

What finally did it for Tony and Harley, what snapped their anger on, was when Peter woke up suddenly and was so overwhelmed he began shaking and whimpered in Tony's ear, "dad I'm scared."

Harley knew because of his enhanced senses the roar of the crowd must be so painful in his sensitive ears. So he took off his own earmuffs and put them over Peters's hat, then pulled down the front of it so it covered his eyes, which would not only help block everything out but also keep his identity as Tony's son secret. Or so they thought. He kept his hands over Peters's ears protectively to help muffle the sound.

Tony kept a firmer grip on him and Harley has a hand on his back, both of them trying to get their way through and to the car that was parked just down the street.

None of them answered any of the questions, ignoring everyone. And even though some of the questions made the two want to scream at the person to what they meant and how the fuck do they know about Peter, they stopped themselves and saved it for when they were away from the cameras eye.

Once they got to their car, which wouldn't have been mistaken since it was a very expensive one, Tony handed Harley Peter, who switched with ease and cling to his brother instead, then they opened the doors and got in. Once Harley said he was good, Tony hit the gas pedal, and they sped off.

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