AN: Written for IronStrange Week back in May. Currently moving over all ao3 fanfics to this account (which I totally forgot I had lmao). Currently uploading to FFNET at 3am. So, 1) sorry about no emphasis with italics and such and 2) sorry for any grammar mistakes.

Additional Notes: Peter is Tony's biological son in this and I fancasted Bex Taylor-Klaus for Alex.

Dressed in a suit with roses in his hand, Stephen felt more ready then he ever felt in the operating room. For one thing, there's no way he'll mess this up so bad that Tony would die so Stephen was confident. This was their first real date, so far the first few were just coffee dates.

The red stone walkway to the front door had short lights on each side. There were two bikes by the front door. Stephen smiled at that, remembering the way Tony talked happily about his children. He hoped he'd make a good impression on the two. He didn't want to break up a happy family, no matter how much he loved Tony, he wouldn't do that to his kids if they didn't like him.

He looked at his watch, almost seven p.m. An hour earlier than their designated time. He got the text a few hours ago about the time change. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.

The door swung open to a teenage girl, short black hair, striking blue eyes, and a punk rock goth look that set Stephen on edge. He remembered Tony had a son and a daughter, Peter, who was 15 and Alex, who was 18. This must be Alex.

She sneered at him before turning back into the house, "Yo Pete, the fucker's here!"

Stephen was taken back and didn't quite know how to respond as Alex opened the door.

"Well you comin' in or not? I don't want to get a wasp or mosquito to get in because you won't move your ass," she said, her sneer never leaving her face as she watched him walk into the house. The house opened with a wide living room, to the left were stairs, and to the right a wide hallway.

"You got roses, good. Dad loves roses," said a voice to Stephen's left. A boy with dark brown hair and eyes came down the steps, carrying a metal chair. He walked up to Stephen, setting the chair down in front of him. Peter , Stephen guessed.

"Sit," Peter said, pointed to the chair.

"Excuse me?"

"He said sit," Alex said, grasping the roses from Stephen when he turned to look at her as she spoke. He was pulled back and pushed down into the chair by Peter. His hands not leaving Stephen's shoulders, keeping him in the chair.

"But-" Stephen tried to explain that he was supposed to go on a date with their father.

"You don't need to worry about your date. Our father still thinks you're not supposed to pick him up until eight o'clock," she explained, examining the roses.

"See," Peter said, his voice low and creepy in Stephen's ear, "We used our dad's phone to get you here early so we can set some ground rules."

Tony mentioned his children were protective of him once, on their second coffee date. Stephen was briefly reminded on the shovel talk he got from James Rhodes the night before the first coffee date. Rhodes had called him at midnight after getting the number from Tony to threaten that if he hurts Tony, Rhodes would hurt him. Stephen figured this was one such shovel talks from Tony's children, so he decided to play along.

"Ground rules?"

"Yup," Alex said, the 'p' popping, as she took out a switchblade, whipping it open and slicing the rose stems at an angle and pocketing the knife in one go.

"Ground rule number uno," Peter said, coming around Stephen, stepping over a roomba that was sweeping up the stems on the floor, "No talking condescendingly to our father making him feel insecure about his life choices."

Stephen nodded at that.

"Ground rule number dos," Alex said, passing the roses to Peter, who disappeared down the hall. She walked up close to Stephen, slapping her hands on the chair's arms, making him flinch, "No, and I repeat, no, forcing our dad to do something he is obviously uncomfortable with."

"Of course," he said, dejected at the fact that anyone would think he would do something like that. Her eyebrow lifted at that, from surprise or dubiosity, he didn't know. She removed herself from the arms of the chair as she stepped back. Stephen could see Peter was back, the roses in a vase and sitting on the side table next to the long white couch.

Alex walked to the roses, opening a drawer in the side table as Peter stood in front of him with his arms crossed.

"Ground rule number tres, if you have a problem with us ," he said, flicking his finger between him and Alex, "you bring it up with us . Not with our dad, us. Your problems with us is a you and us problem, not a fucking you and Tony problem. Got it?"

Stephen nodded again, "Yes, yes got it. If I got a problem with you, I talk with you. Sounds perfectly reasonable." Peter looked impressed at that.

"Last, but not least ," Alex said, walking back over with a pen and a little card in her hand, "You will not, under any circumstances , use our father, Anthony Edward Stark, for fame or fortune, you will not steal any Stark Industries information and sell it or give it away, and you must ask Jarvis,then Rhodey, then us for the honor and blessing to marry Tony, in that order and only that order , if you so choose to do so."

Stephen's eyes widened, he wasn't really thinking about marriage when he was planning on dating Tony, but looking at their faces, he could tell they were serious.

"I accept these terms," he said, straightening his back and speaking with as much diction as he was able to. Alex and Peter gave a look before Alex handed Stephen the card and pen.

"Write a cute little love note to our dad and I'll put it with the roses and we'll tell him it was dropped of earlier as a gift. Then you will show up at eight o'clock sharp, take him to dinner, have a wonderful night, return him before eleven, and treat him like a treasure the whole time."

Stephen agreed once again to their terms and took the card, writing a cute note and handed it back. Alex returned to the roses as Peter lead him out.

Stephen was halfway through the walkway when Peter called for him. Upon turning, Peter said, "Break any of these terms, we break you! " And he closed the door.

Later Alex and Peter were on the couch watching cartoons when their father walked down the steps.

"Has Stephen arrived yet?" He asked, adjusting his cufflinks.

"Not yet," Peter said, "but roses were dropped off for you."

They watched out of the corner of their eyes as their father picked up the card from the vase of roses, reading with a smile that got wider and wider. He put the card down and picked up roses, sniffing them. When he put them down, a knock was heard from the front door.

"He's here!" Their father said, happiness practically flowing from his mouth like a rainbow. They heard Stephen and their father talking without really hearing the words until the door shut.

"So," Peter started.

"Passed the test unlike the last person," Alex finished with an impressed nod.