1.

Bruce is at a coffee shop with Peter before they head back to the Tower. Peter watches as Bruce makes eye-contact with a pretty brunette woman across the way, and goads him into asking her out.

Challenge accepted.

"Order up!" Bruce waited impatiently in a comfy chair as he watched people get their drinks. Peter had gone to go grab their coffees, and Bruce just hoped that the seventeen-year-old boy hadn't notice his nervous behavior. Who was he kidding, though? The boy always knew when something was up: something about his spider-sense picking up on imminent danger, and, unfortunately for Bruce, his dad's mood.

Tomorrow was Peter's birthday and, every year, Bruce tried to do something for him. He had adopted Peter after finding him an orphan in Turkey. The boy's whole family had died before he was even 4, yet the teenager was still a bright, upstanding young man. Besides, as Peter would say, he had a new family: the Avengers.

This year was no different. This very moment at the Tower, the whole team was waiting for Peter to get back to surprise him with his surprise party. The Fantastic Four, many of their X-Men friends, and even some of Peter's classmates were joining them. Bruce smiled at the thought.

As Bruce scanned the room for what felt like the 5th time, something- or someone- caught his eye. A woman sat not that far away, alone at a small table with her glasses flashing, an old-looking book in hand, and her hot tea steaming nicely.

The woman wore a pretty, vintage summer dress with an olive and smoky blue pattern on it. It was so strange to see her sitting smartly in a vintage 50s dress, bright red lipstick, and crossed ankles when her background was grungy college kids and Wall Street yuppies with their high-tech tablets and phones.

Bruce didn't really care, though, because she was the most beautiful girl he had ever had the privilege to see. Bruce felt his Adam's Apple drop, and a cold sweat break on his brow. What the hell was wrong with him? He didn't get a chance to answer that as Peter sat down with their two coffees, looking tousled and slightly surprised. The boy's appearance cleared his father's head for the moment as he looked curiously at Peter's appearance.

"This coffee joint is crazy. I had to shove my way to the front just to get the coffees. People are crazy," Peter grimaced, grabbing a napkin, "I think I must've gotten burned. Some guy spilled his coffee all over my hand."

"Are you alright? Let me see?" Bruce immediately went into dad mode, grabbing his glasses to examine the boy's hand better.

However, Peter pulled his hand back, "Dad, it's alright. I was exaggerating," Peter gave Bruce a weird look, "Are you alright? You've been kind of... all over the place today. Is everything alright?"

Bruce looked up, blushing, "Yeah, of course. I just, uh..." Bruce's eyes trailed over to the woman once more. His thoughts were all jumbled, what with the secret of the party, and the woman...

Peter had followed his line of site to the woman, and turned back around, smiling broadly.

"What are you staring at, Dad?" Peter said playfully, smirking, "With a look like that, you better be dating her, or else you're an old, pervert."

Bruce's head flipped around, his cheeks blazing, "No, no, it's not like that-" Peter started laughing, "Peter, quiet down a bit, will you? We're in a public place."

Peter did his best to muffle his chuckles, and stared his old man down, "Sorry. I've just never seen you this taken by a woman before. Ever."

"Yes, I've never really had time for women. You were quite the handful, even from the beginning."

Peter smiled, but then frowned. Had he really been such a handful for his dad to never get a date? Was that really his fault?

Bruce read his expression, "Oh, Peter, I'm not saying that its your fault. No, I've just never had time, what with my job and you, and the fact that I'm extremely..."

Bruce searched for the word before Peter offered, "Shy?"

Frowning, Bruce replied, "I was going to say introverted."

Peter smirked, "Well, that's too bad, cause she's looking your way."

Peter snorted as Bruce turned a cherry red and ducked his head. Before either of them could say anything more, the woman gathered her things, and left quickly. Bruce frowned and sighed, "Oh well, I guess it wasn't meant to be."

One of the busboys came over to the father and son, "Excuse me, sirs? The lady that was sitting over there left a note for you," the man handed Bruce the note, who thanked the boy, and then turned back to Peter.

Peter was leaning back in his comfy chair, his arms crossed and the biggest grin on his face.

Bruce chuckled, finally giving in, "Alright, alright. Do you want me to read it out loud?"

Peter leaned forward, nodding, so very much the same little boy Bruce had been reading bedtime stories to for years.

Bruce shined his glasses with the edge of his shirt a moment before clearing his throat, "To the man in the purple dress shirt sitting by the fire,

I saw you looking at me. Careful, somebody might think you're a dirty, perverted old man or something. 847-3856 Call me," By the end of the note, Peter was holding his sides in mirth.

Bruce chuffed in appreciation. A dirty, old man, huh? Well, then.

Bruce got up, helping the limp Peter out of his chair, and trapping his boy in a headlock, "You think that's funny, huh? Well, let's see how funny it is when I tell Uncle Clint that it was you that put his favorite bow in Jell-o. What do you think of that," Bruce tickled Peter under the ribs, causing the boy to wiggle and wheeze in a fit of giggles. The other occupants of the shop were giving them looks, but Bruce didn't care. Peter was used to be teased; although he was stronger than Bruce in Bruce's not-Hulk form, when Peter was tickled, he was as limp and weak as a rubber doll. This was discovered when he was still little, and had been used against him for years.

Bruce released him when Peter breathlessly giggled out, "Uncle!" and the two gathered their things, walking out of the shop with smiles on their faces. Peter started telling Bruce about his newest personal project and Bruce smiled, thinking how lucky a father he was.

Today had been a good day, and tonight's party would be great fun, but before Bruce relinquished his boy to the Avengers for the night, he would enjoy this little moment, just talking with his teenage son.