Bug boy || Peter Parker

Thirty Three

Tate didn't see Peter until two days after the news incident. It was a weekend after all but he still had the option of calling or texting. But he didn't. Concern that Peter might blame him for his dad taking away the suit, that something like what had happened between them last time would occur again. He didn't want to get hurt and that fear was warring with his concern and want to reach out and see if Peter was okay. The stress this caused lingered all through the weekend. Many times he would unlock his phone and stare at the text app before sighing and turning his phone off again. Tony gave him a few weird looks but obviously decided that it was above his parent concern. Pepper Thought different.

She had spent most of the last week in Japan working with the Stark company there but had gotten home Saturday morning. It was Sunday night when Tate turned on his phone only to sigh and rest his forehead on the table and start slowly thudding it on the cold marble. Pepper was cooking dinner, something she liked to do when she was home. Tony was mostly banned from the kitchen after making the third microwave explode so their housekeeper/babysitter for Tate, Claire, mostly cooked when she wasn't here. Currently Pepper was making stir fry. 

"Oi", She pointed the spatula at Tate with a sharp gaze. "Stop having a crisis and continue cutting that veg. It's not going to cut itself". Tate huffed and blew his hair out of his face before picking up the knife again and resuming slicing up the carrots. A task he was not taking much joy from. He didn't like carrots.

He got five more minutes and another sigh before Pepper stopped and turned around to face him. She crossed her arms. "Alright. What's bothering you?" 

"Nothing", Tate muttered back. "Nothing serious".

Pepper arched an eyebrow. Her ginger hair was piled up in a messy bun and she was dressed in a pair of worn sweatpants and an oversized shirt that was obviously one of Tony's. Tony himself was down in his lab, hiding from Happy who was getting more stressed about the oncoming moving of equipment to avengers tower. Moving day was due to be that Friday, the same night as the Midtown homecoming. As soon as the last of the avengers equipment was moved, the stark family would be moving to a smaller apartment nearer Tate's school. Tony and Pepper wanted to move out of the city but Tate had to finish his education first. 

"Don't give me that. You've been sighing at your phone all weekend. What is it?"

Tate stuck out his bottom lip at her. "It's not much. Just don't tell dad? It's about Peter and you know what he's like about that issue". The whole weekend Tony had been stressing about the decision to take back the suit, teetering between thinking it was a good punishment and that Peter was being too reckless, or thinking he had been too harsh. Either way, Tony was set about creating a better spidey suit and wouldn't give Peter back his old one until it was done. Tate estimated that it would be done next week as Tony was busy with other things as well. This move was stressing Happy out and Tony was occupied hiding from him. 

Pepper's eyes and posture softened. "Okay. Tony doesn't need to know. So what's all the sighing about?"

Tate turned his head down, ears pinkening as his hair flopped over his face. "Um. We had a slight falling out and now I don't know what to do. I want to see if he's okay but I don't know if he will welcome it".

Pepper was quiet for a moment as Tate continued chopping the vegetables. He finished with the carrots and moved onto the broccoli. "Do you like him?" Pepper asked gently. 

Tate's knife stopped and he felt his face flush in answer. He looked up and gave Pepper big pleading black eyes. "It's my first crush and I don't know what to do!" His voice turned into a whine. Pepper chucked and Tate whined further. "Pep! Don't laugh at me! I'm serious. I don't know what to do. I have never felt this way before!" 

She covered her mouth with her hand for a second before melting at Tate's big eyes. (that trick always worked). "Aww Tate. It's okay". She held out her arms and he stood up and shuffled over for a hug. A hand stroked his hair as he rested his chin on her shoulder. "It is okay. Peter seems like a good kid. I am sure you will work it out". Tate hummed as he let her hold comfort him. "Are you thinking of going to the homecoming dance with him?" Her question held a teasing note. 

Tate pulled away with an affronted expression. "No! He doesn't like me like that. He likes this girl called Liz. Besides, it's moving day and Happy promised me that I could fly the cargo plane". 

"Are you sure? It's your homecoming dance. What about your friends?" 

"Its just a dance. There is one every year Pep. Anyways, I don't want to be the sevenths wheel. I have watched Voltron. It doesn't look fun". 

"Ha Ha", Pepper smiled as she brushed his hair from his face and booped his nose. Tate scrunched up his face but couldn't hide his smile. She had been doing that ever since Tony had first adopted him. "Seventh wheel? So who are the rest of your little gang taking?" 

Tate moved back to his chopping board and resumed his task. "Callum and Charley finally got their shit together and are now dating. Abe has the plan to ask some girl from his art class and Jason has someone in mind but won't tell us who she is. Anyway flying a plane will be more fun than watching teens in formal wear grinding together to terrible music". 

"Are you just trying to get out of wearing formal wear?" Pepper asked with a knowing smile. Tate hated wearing anything constricting around his neck with a passion. Bow ties, ties, shirts buttoned all the way up. He really didn't like it. 

"You know me too well".

"Well you know that I am going to be in London dealing with the change of management in the branch over there and that your father will be at the avengers complex so Happy and Claire will be here if you need them. I fly out on Wednesday. Now are you done with that veg?"

unedited

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