" Charlene" she smiled, " My name is Charlene Ansel Adler. I am 16."

" Oh that's nice. I-"

Another buzz from his phone interrupted him. It was a long string of voicemails thankfully and no call although he knew he had to be quick lest he risk Iron Man flying to him.

" I don't know which school I will go to yet" her voice trailer off as her gaze focused ahead of him over his shoulder, " Peter... I think someone is coming looking for you."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What happened Underoos? You know had you come any later I would have got a earful from Aunt Hottie."

Peter gave his mentor a mellow smile, walking up to him in quick strides while the latter pocketed his phone, extending an arm towards him.

"I was talking to a girl" he answered, biting his tongue almost immediately, quickly adding, "Her younger sister was crying and I offered to help."

"Oh and how did that turn out?" Tony questioned curiously, "She bought you a churro like the old lady whose cat your rescued?"

"What Mr Stark! Noo!!" he exclaimed, flustered and indignant simultaneously, "She is a teenager like me, not an old lady."

The words only worked to make Tony's smirk widen.

"No wonder you took so long eh buddy?"

"Mr Stark! No! What are you even talking of ??!!"

While the young web slinger's face reddened as a beetroot with his mentor's poorly suppressed laughs acting as a noisy background to his feeble protests, a well known cough laced with indubitable exasperation sounded from the driver's seat succeeded by a sharp click of the dividing screen meeting the roof of the car.

"Look what you did Mr Stark" Peter groaned slumping back against his seat.

"That is not an uncommon occurrence with Happy, kiddo" Tony replied, his eyebrows now furrowing subtly in concern at the adolescent's disconcertment, "What makes you so pouty, huh?"

"Happy pulled up the privacy screen" he answered and upon with affronted with Tony's half amused and half worried gaze he added, "I wanted to charge my phone's battery but now I can't!"

Tony Stark despite being a certified and world renowned genius, had on countless occasions been called 'stupid'. He would not say that those instances were not warranted or well deserved but those rarely held anything close to the unadulterated innocence that the boy exuded now.  He instinctively reached out to brush a hand through the kid's hair. Peter was innocent but not sheltered, he was pure but not ignorant, and there was not a thing he would not give to keep him safe and happy the way he was.

"Oh Petey! You forget whose car you are travelling in" Tony  chuckled "You think there is only one charging port in here. Guess what you are in luck cause that is not true."

"Well...I might have..." Peter huffed, crossing his arms across his chest as intimidatingly as he could, the good natured snorts  coming from his mentor doing nothing to help him in this regard.

"Looks like we have to plan a mechanic's day huh, Parker? Open up the car and improve your practical knowledge?"

"Haww. Happy would not like to hear that. He loves driving this car."

"Pity he can't hear all this. His fault not ours"

 A bout of delightful laughter drowned the car as the older of the duo plugged the younger one's phone to charge, frowning at the 'blasphemously blended' bright colours on the lock screen that lit up momentarily. Tony loved to see Peter happy and laughing and also loved to tease the kid. A devilish smirk tugged at his lips.

"So, Peter" he began conspicuously clearing his throat, "About this girl you met, is she..."

Peter groaned.