Chapter Text
"You know, if you took your earbuds out for a moment, we could talk and have some good old fashioned father-daughter bonding time" Tony says, sounding only the tiniest bit gruff.
You sigh good naturedly and roll your eyes, pulling out the earbuds. "Fine. What do you want to bond about?"
It's a warm summer afternoon in early June. The sky is perfectly clear, and you can already smell people barbecuing when you get out past the city. A suitcase full of clothes and other necessities is balanced in the backseat, and you're sitting shotgun, watching the fields go by.
Tony shrugs. "I don't know. Good movies you've seen, or any guys you've talked to" he suggests.
"Oh, planning on adding to your hit list?" you tease, feeling fairly certain your father winks at you. It's hard to tell when he's almost always wearing sunglasses.
Biting your lip, you lean back in your seat. "How's mom?" you ask. "I haven't talked to her since Christmas"
Tony sighs, and you can hear the bitterness in his voice. "She's on a business trip. Again" he explains, not bothering to go into any more detail.
It's easy to tell when your parents have had a fight.
Realizing that's all you'll be hearing about regarding your mom, you stop talking, turning your gaze back towards the window. You absently drum your nails on your thigh, yawning. Your parents are never an easy topic, especially when they're on bad terms. You look too much like both of them, and you suspect they have trouble talking to you when all they can see is each other.
That's probably going to be an issue this summer.
"She said to tell you she said hello" Tony says abruptly, turning a sharp corner onto a gravel road. The crunch drowns out the rest of his sentence, but you don't think it worth asking him to repeat it.
"Oh. Okay" is all you can think to say.
The next few minutes pass in silence, and you get the feeling you're both deep in thought.
It isn't that you don't want to spend the summer with the Avengers. You know most of them pretty well, after all. But for you, summer was a time to get away and forget for just a few short months that you were a Stark.
You glance out the window to distract yourself. There's no fields out the window now, only shrubbery and telephone poles. Eventually, you notice the haphazard greenery fading to smooth lawn. A few moments later, you're pulling up to the huge grey building that is the Avengers headquarters.
"We're here, kiddo!" Tony says, suddenly in a much better mood. He ruffles your hair before getting out to grab your suitcase. In spite of everything, you giggle, climbing out after him.
There's a familiar face waiting for you outside the base.
"Steve!" you call excitedly, hurrying forward to give the former soldier a big hug. He grins, lifting you into the air as easily as if you weighed nothing at all, just as he had done when you were much smaller.
"Hey, y/n!" he says, setting you back down. "How was school?"
"Don't remind me" you groan, and the two of you laugh. You've known Steve for a several years now, although you've just started to get used to calling him Steve, as he insisted, instead of Captain Rogers.
"Afternoon, Rogers" your dad says crisply, offering his hand in greeting. Steve accepts, still beaming.
"Good to see you, Tony" he replies. "Can I take the bags?"
You've learned from experience that a good natured offer from Steve almost always turns into a friendly but embarrassing quarrel between himself and Tony. Not wanting to get caught up in such an event, you step in quickly.
"It's alright, I can get it" you insist, quickly grabbing the handle before anyone else can take it. "Where's my room?"
"Up on the third floor. Tony had it organized just for you" Steve says with a wink. You feel a rush of warmth for your dad. When he tries to be a father, he's not so bad at it.
The base is even more impressive once you step through the huge glass doors. Every surface is polished clean enough that you can see your reflection blinking back at you. You know for a fact that everything from the training equipment to the kitchens is the latest and greatest in technology. It isn't an unpleasant place, but the cool air coupled with an uneasy silence makes you shiver.
"Dad - " you start, trying to compliment him on his design. Before you can get another word out, you're interrupted by another eager voice.
"Mr. Stark!"
You don't have time to duck before a red something, roughly your size, comes flying down from one of the upper levels. The thing crashes into you with a yelp, sending you both sprawling to the floor. As your head spins, you hear Steve stifling a laugh.
The thing struggles to its feet, and you can now see it's a human in a familiar suit. The eyes of his mask widen, and he bend slightly, offering a gloved hand.
"Sorry! So, so sorry, I totally didn't see you!" the mask says.
You accept the hand, smiling. "It's alright. I've got bruises everywhere anyway. What's a few more?" you joke. "Nice to meet you, - ?"
The figures pulls off his mask, flashing a bright smile. "Peter. You?"
You answer, and there's an awkward silence. You both can't help but giggle.
Tony clears his throat, interrupting both of you. "Was there something you wanted to tell me, Parker?"
Peter coughs sheepishly, his gaze falling to the impeccably scrubbed floor tiles. "No. Just wanted to say hi" he mutters.
Tony sighs, rubbing his temples. "Try not to knock my daughter out next time" he says wearily.
"Of course not, sir! I'll make it up to both of you" Peter says quickly, grabbing your toppled suitcase and offering you his arm. "Shall I show you to your room, m'lady?" he asks you with a playful wink.
"But of course, my good man" you tease back, looping your arm through his and following him towards the elevators.
Tony and Steve watch you go with a mixture of amusement and confusion.
"So how do you know where my room is?" you ask Peter, as the two of you stroll down the hall. As you walk, you can see into some of the training rooms and the lab. You catch a glimpse of Nat and Wanda sparring, and Bruce tinkering about with something. Despite your apprehension to spend the summer training at your dad's high tech base, you can't help but smile when you realize you'll get to see your old friends.
"I had to help move some furniture" Peter explains, waving to Scott as you pass by another training room.
"Ah. Figures dad made you do all the dirty work" you say, only half joking. Peter's laugh in response is a little bitter.
"Yeah. I don't think he likes me very much" he says softly, as if he's worried Tony will hear.
You shrug. "Some days, I don't think he likes anybody" you whisper back, nudging your companions arm playfully. He laughs out loud this time, and you can't help but smile at the sound. It's endearingly genuine and sweet.
The rest of the walk passes in comfortable silence, the two of you just making your way through the base. When you finally reach your room, you almost don't want to head in.
"Here we are! A pleasure to escort you" Peter says, with a mock bow.
You curtsy. "The pleasure is mine, good sir" you say, and you both laugh again. He starts to go, and you realize you definitely don't want him to.
"Can you give me a tour later?" you ask abruptly. "I don't really know my way around"
Peter flashes you another grin. "Sure thing. I'll be back in and hour" he says, waving farewell.
You wave back before turning and entering your room.
For some reason, you can't get that grin out of your mind.