Archive of Our Own

The worst part of war wasn’t the fighting, in Steve’s opinion. To him, the violent chaos was nothing compared to the deafening silence that followed. 

During a battle, it was easy to ignore the damage around him because there was a mission to focus on. The fighting was usually so tumultuous that he couldn’t focus on his fellow soldiers dying, or the lives he was taking. It was God’s mercy. 

The peace that followed wasn’t a mercy, though. It was a punishment. When it was silent and the dust settled, Steve could take a look around and all of the damage around him suffocated him. It was the same promise of torment that came with every battle Steve had ever fought in. 

He never thought he’d know the feeling outside of World War II, but here he was, almost seventy years later, and it felt like the world hadn’t aged a day. 

Steve and the team had defeated Loki and his army of aliens, but even though they won, it wasn’t over. Loki might have been captured and taken back to Asgard with Thor, but he didn’t take the rest of the destruction with him. 

Looking around the dusty New York streets, Steve was reminded about the real anguish of a war. People were running through the streets with dust covered faces, only their tear tracks cleaning trails on their cheeks. There were sirens wailing as ambulances struggled to get through the debris covered streets. Steve could hear people crying down every block over a loved one or even a stranger that became another casualty of a war they weren’t involved in. 

Steve wished he could protect every person, but he knew it just wasn’t possible. There was always going to be at least a few that wouldn’t make it. If he focused too much on the ones he lost, he’d lose himself too. So, he focused on the ones he could save. 

After Thor took Loki to Asgard, with a promise of returning later for a proper celebration, the team split up to do their own things. Doctor Banner de-Hulked and needed a few hours to calm his nerves down and settle; Clint and Natasha went back to SHIELD headquarters to go over the mission report with Fury; and Tony started to put together a team to clean up the mess, leaving Steve alone to find something to do himself. 

Of course, he could always go back to Fury at SHIELD because he had nowhere else to go to. He had woken up in a SHIELD base, and then just barely two weeks later, he was thrown into this fight. 

Tony offered a floor for everyone in the tower, but Steve wasn't sure about taking him up on that. No one else seemed to be going to the tower, and Steve didn't want to be the only one. 

He would just head back to the same SHIELD apartment he'd been living in since he was defrosted. The place wasn't anything fancy, but it was all he had. 

Well, Steve Rogers would never find his place, but Captain America always had a place. It was his place to help people, and that was what he busied himself with doing to distract himself from both the heartbreaks of war that surrounded him and his own heartbreak inside of him. 

So, he went right back to the streets and started to help clean up the city. Tony was trying to help financially, but until then, Steve didn’t mind helping the NYPD, FDNY, and other volunteers. 

New York was full of strangers of all different walks of life, but when they were in trouble, they came together as one. 

He had learned that almost immediately when he joined a group of people that were searching through piles of rubble for any trapped survivors. It was a group of five people: an off-duty police officer, a veteran soldier, a doctor, and two professors from a nearby college. 

“It’s almost like 9-11 all over again,” the officer had muttered after he lifted a metal beam off of a pair of legs they had seen. 

Steve had learned about 9-11 during one of SHIELD’s Adjustment to the 21st Century courses. He didn’t have any connection to the terrorist attack like these men and women around him, but he couldn’t imagine having to live through something like this twice. Even though he had lived through the Great Depression, World War II, and now this, he didn’t think anyone else should have to suffer like that. Steve was just born with the tragedy in his veins. There was no escaping it. 

“Let’s look here,” the veteran said as she gestured to a crumpled building with a lopsided sign on the front. Thankfully, it wasn’t as demolished as some of the other buildings, but Steve knew there was enough damage done. 

“I can’t go in there,” one of the professors said as her face turned white as a sheet. “I’ve got kids.” 

Steve walked over to her and smiled, hoping to calm her down. He was dressed in a plain black SHIELD uniform, so to her, he was just another person, not Captain America. Hopefully, that would be more calming. He didn’t want to attract any unnecessary attention as Captain America when he was just trying to help clean up. “You don’t have to.” 

“I want to help,” she insisted, still looking only moments from passing out. 

“You’ve helped plenty,” Steve reassured her, rubbing her arm. “We’ve got this one handled.” 

“Come on,” the doctor said, giving her a smile too. “Let’s head over here.” 

The two professors followed the doctor, leaving Steve, the officer, and the veteran to go through the destroyed orphanage. It looked like only a few top floors were severely damaged, so Steve hoped that most of the children, if not all, had been evacuated before it got too dangerous. 

“If anyone needs help, just call,” the officer said before he shoved his weight into the front door to open it up. Steve followed the veteran inside and then went a seperate way from each of them. He knew he wouldn't need help lifting anything in here, but if he heard one of them calling, he would go running. So far, neither of those two had trouble with the physical labor. 

Steve walked up the stairs carefully so he didn’t fall through the floorboards, keeping his eyes up. He saw too many signs of children around the place to feel comfortable. There were broken toys and burned stuffed animals all over the floor. 

He made it up a few flights without finding a single soul, but of course, then he had to pull himself up through a hole in the ceiling. It was effortless to lift himself up even though it would have had any other human grunting and straining. 

He pushed himself up to his feet and looked around this floor that was obviously much more damaged. There were holes in the walls, letting light shine in on the destroyed inside. He moved some large pieces of alien tech from the floor and winced when he saw a lifeless alien laying on the ground. 

It had only been a little over an hour since the aliens had all dropped, and they hadn’t all been picked up yet. Steve was about to turn around to find another section to search in when he heard a very faint sniffling noise. He wouldn't wouldn't have heard it at all if he didn’t have his super hearing. 

Freezing, he tried to slow his breathing so he could pinpoint where the crying was coming from. He lowered himself to his knees and dragged his eyes over the rubble slowly. "Hey, kid...you don't need to be scared. The bad guys are gone." 

The sniffling continued but there was no other reply. Steve couldn't decipher their age or gender. 

"Kid, you've got to let me know where you are," Steve said, trying to keep his voice from sounding frightening. "Just let me know." 

There was another little whimper, and thankfully, it was enough to help him find where the child was. 

Steve stood to his feet and stepped over a pile of rubble. He kneeled down and peered into a small hole in the wall. He could just barely see the form of a young boy curled up as far back as he could hide. 

Putting a smile on his face, Steve reached a hand towards the hole. "Hey, buddy, I can't reach you all the way in there. Can you crawl out?" 

The boy shook his head once, not moving an inch from his spot. 

Steve glanced around and wished he wasn't so big for once. He could have crawled through the rubble and into the hole easily with the body he had before the serum was injected into his blood. 

“I know it’s scary out here, but I promise you all of the bad guys are gone,” Steve said, anxious to get the child out of here. He could hear the walls of the building creaking above them. Steve was sure he’d survive, because of course, he always had to survive tragedy, but he wasn’t sure that the same thing could be said of this little boy. 

The boy let out another whimper, but scooted forward a little bit. 

“Perfect,” Steve encouraged. “Just come a little closer.” 

The boy crawled forward until he was just out of reach. Now, Steve could see him much clearer. He was very young, though Steve couldn’t pinpoint his exact age. The last little kid he knew was Bucky’s sister and she hadn’t been this size in years...decades now. The little boy was covered in dust and dirt; even the side of his face was covered in dried blood. The dirt on his face was smudged, probably from rubbing the tears off his face as they trailed down his cheeks. His curly brown hair was wild in some spots and matted to his scalp in other parts. 

“I’ll get you somewhere safe,” Steve promised. “We’ll get you cleaned up and checked out. I can get you food too. I’m not sure how long you’ve been in here...” The battle had been over hours ago, and even the fighting had been long in and of itself. 

The boy crawled a little bit further and Steve nodded his head, stretching his arms for him to come to. 

“Nice and easy, little guy.” 

The boy continued to crawl forward, and once he was close enough, Steve held him under his arms and pulled him against his chest. The little boy curled into his arms and latched onto him tightly. 

Steve wasn’t sure he could drop the boy even if he wanted to. He seemed to attach himself securely like a leech. “We’re going to make our way down safely and carefully.” 

The boy just held on tighter, letting out a little squeak of horror when Steve stepped over the dead alien. Steve immediately put his hand on the back of his head and pushed his face against his shoulder. 

“It’s okay,” Steve whispered to him. “He’s not going to hurt you. I promise. He’s gone.” 

The little boy was shaking in his arms, no matter how much Steve tried to soothe him. The floor creaked under his feet some more as he stepped over rubble. 

“Were there any other kids in here with you, bud?” Steve asked him, hoping he could give him an answer. He might not have known the boy’s exact age, but he knew he was old enough to speak. 

He didn’t answer, and Steve tried again. 

“Kiddo, you’ve got to answer me,” Steve said, not trying to frighten the boy. “I don’t want to leave any other kids behind.” 

“Just me,” the boy whispered. “I made sure the others all ran out.” 

“You stayed behind?” Steve asked. 

The boy nodded his head. 

“You’re very brave,” Steve told him, rubbing his back. “I’m Steve by the way.” 

“I’m Peter,” the boy whispered. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Peter. You don’t have to worry anymore, okay? We’re gonna get out of this building, and we’re—.” God wasn’t done with making Steve’s life hell because at that moment, his foot fell through a board in the floor, and he fell through the ground. He let go of Peter, tossing him to safety beside the hole in the floor as Steve fell through it, which would have led to at least a three floor drop. 

He was getting ready to brace himself for the fall, but his descent was stopped when a tiny hand grabbed his hand. Steve snapped his eyes open and looked up to see Peter leaning over the edge, holding Steve up with one hand. Peter was bracing all 250lbs of Steve, and he didn’t even look like he was straining.

Peter pulled Steve up without any help, and when Steve was able to finish pulling himself up, he couldn’t help but stare at Peter with wide eyes. “Peter, how did you…?” 

“I have powers,” Peter whispered, looking afraid. “Don’t tell anyone. They’re supposta be a secret.” 

Steve knew the importance of keeping a secret like that, and he wondered who was trying to keep it hidden. Who knew that a little boy in a New York orphanage could lift hundreds of pounds effortlessly? “I’ll keep your secret, little guy. Don’t worry.” 

His shoulders slumped. “Thank you.” 

“Of course,” Steve said, trying to control his mind as his thoughts raced a million miles a second. Peter didn’t have anyone looking out for him if he had been in this orphanage for hours, and no one was searching. Who knew about his powers, and who told him to keep it a secret? Steve had no idea, but it didn’t give him a good feeling about any of this. 

Peter crawled back over to him, and pushed himself back into Steve’s lap. Steve wrapped his arms around him protectively. He had literally only met this child moments ago, but he knew he found him in this rubble for a reason. 

Steve just wasn’t quite sure what it was yet. 

Steve held Peter close as he walked through the streets, telling him to keep his eyes closed so he didn’t have to see the destruction around them. He said goodbye to the group he had been working with after he let them know he found a child he wanted to drop off to the police. 

But instead of heading to the nearest police station, Steve started walking back to his tiny SHIELD issued apartment. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do about the situation he’d found himself in, but he knew that he needed to think it over first. 

He knew that he should have brought Peter to someone who could let the orphanage know that he wasn’t killed in the battle, but there was something weird about this entire mess. Peter obviously was enhanced, but Steve didn’t know how or why. And why was he supposed to keep it a secret? Were enhanced humans more common now than they were in the ‘40s? He doubted that, but he wanted to make sure that Peter was safe. 

“Where are we?” Peter asked once Steve shut the door of his apartment and set him down on his feet. 

Steve realized that some people might consider this kidnapping. 

“Uh, this is my apartment,” Steve said, shrugging his shoulders, looking around. “I promised you somewhere to get cleaned up and fed, right? The public places set up by the Red Cross are already overcrowded. Steve wasn’t sure how much the government would care about a random displaced child, probably one of many. 

“Oh, thank you, Mr. Steve,” Peter said with a small smile. His little white teeth were a stark contrast to his dirty face. 

“You’re welcome, little guy. But just call me Steve." 

"Okay…" 

"I’ll show you where the bathroom is,” Steve offered and started walking through the living room. Peter reached up for his hand when he passed, and Steve leaned to take it. 

But once they reached the bathroom, Peter just stood at his side. Steve waited for him to do something, but when he looked down at Peter, the boy was just staring up at him. 

“The shower doesn’t run very hot, so you don’t have to worry about burning yourself. I have the soap and shampoo on the side of the tub. I can grab you a towel.” 

Peter tilted his head and continued to stare at him.

“You can take as long as you need,” Steve reassured him. “I’ll get some food ready.”

But before Steve could step out of the bathroom, Peter said, “I don’t know how to turn it on.” 

Steve faltered when he realized he had a big problem here. “Oh. Have you ever showered yourself before?” 

Peter shook his head. “All the doctors used to.” 

Steve furrowed his brow. All the doctors. Just another clue to add to unraveling Peter’s strange story. “I guess I can help with that…Undress and I’ll start the shower.” 

“Okay!” Peter replied, peeling off his filthy clothes and throwing them to the floor. There were marks on his skin where the dirt and ash stopped, almost like a farmer’s tan. 

Steve turned on the shower and made sure it was a good temperature for a child before he let Peter get in. When he did, he let out a little sigh of relief as the water began to wash his hair and body. 

He was able to wash himself after Steve put the soap in the palm of his hand. He did the same for the shampoo and conditioner. Steve was just there to make sure he didn’t slip, fall, or somehow drown. 

Once he was finished, he stepped out of the tub, and Steve wrapped a towel around him. He realized then that Peter had no clean clothes, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to put him back in his dirty clothes. He’d figure something out. 

“Wow, I almost didn’t recognize you without all that dirt,” Steve said, staring at the little boy. His hair was matted to his head because it was soaked, but he knew that when it was dry, those curls were going to be wild. 

“Pete, I’m gonna give you a pair of clean boxer shorts and a t-shirt. I’ll have to tie the shorts with a rubber band, and the shirt will fit you like a dress, but it’s something while I wash these clothes.” 

Peter nodded his head and followed Steve to the bedroom. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for Steve. Steve took the boxer shorts and shirt from his top drawer, handing them to Peter. He turned around, giving Peter the privacy to get changed and didn’t look again until Peter gave him the all clear.

Steve grabbed a rubber band from his dresser and kneeled down, balling up the side of the boxers loosely before wrapping the band around it a few times to keep them from falling down. When Peter dropped his shirt down, it pooled by his ankles, and Steve couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. 

Peter smiled up at him with a laugh too. “I look silly.” 

“You sure do, little guy.” 

Then, Peter’s stomach rumbled loudly. 

“Sounds like you could use some food.” Steve nodded his head towards the doorway. “Why don’t you get yourself seated on the couch, and I’ll get us some food. The remote is on the table, so you can watch whatever you want to watch on TV.”

“Okay!” Peter ran off with a smile, and it was hard for Steve to believe this was that same little boy he had found sobbing in the rubble of that orphanage. It was strange at how much his mood had uplifted just from a few hugs and a shower. 

While Peter turned on the television, Steve pulled out two frozen dinners from the freezer. He stuck them in the microwave and stared as they spun inside. 

He didn't know what the hell he was going to do with Peter, but he needed to figure something out. 

Returning him to the orphanage was out of the question because there wasn't an orphanage anymore. Handing him over to the police would have him put in social services, and some nice family would adopt him without realizing he could lift hundreds of pounds. Steve didn't have to use too much of an imagination to figure out what would happen next. They'd have him experimented on and turned into a lab rat. SHIELD would do the same thing with an enhanced child. They'd raise him into some kind of supersoldier for their next combat team.

Steve didn't know Peter very well, but he knew that he didn't want to see him turned into any of that. He deserved to be a kid. 

He wasn't sure how he was going to ensure that, but he knew that he had to look into some options. It could be his next mission. People were right when they said Captain America couldn't live without a war. 

Clint and Natasha seemed like really good people, and they were familiar with SHIELD. Maybe they could tell Steve if they were really trustworthy enough. Steve wasn't about to leave Peter with someone that wouldn't take care of him like a child. 

“Hey, Pete,” Steve called as he pulled out their dinners and placed them on the table. “Dinner’s ready.” 

Peter came running immediately and took a seat, having no trouble pulling himself up on the chair. Steve wondered how much he could actually lift. “Smells yummy!”

“It’s mashed potatoes and meatloaf...I think.” Steve really wasn’t sure what the hell he ate. 

Peter looked down at the tray, his eyes widening. “That’s all mine?”

“Yeah,” Steve said, concerned why a small portion of food looked like so much for him. How much was he fed in that orphanage? Definitely not enough. Maybe because of his enhancements he needed more, like Steve. 

He began to dig in, shoveling forkful after forkful into his mouth. Steve smiled and sat down next to him to start eating his own food. He was halfway through his dinner when the phone attached to his wall went off. The only person that called that was Fury, causing Steve to sigh. He really didn’t want to deal with him right now, but he knew he couldn’t ignore him. He was the reason that Steve had a place to sleep in the first place. 

He stood up and warned Peter, “Stay quiet, kid.”

Peter pushed his finger against his lips. “Shush!” 

Steve nodded his head encouragingly before answering the telephone. “Captain Rogers.” 

The voice on the other side wasn’t who he expected. “Well, hello, Captain Rogers,” Tony said in a mocking deep voice of what Steve assumed was supposed to be his voice. 

“Stark?” Steve frowned. “What’s wrong? I thought we were done? Was our mission report not sufficient enough?”

“Woah, pull out the panties and relax, Rogers,” Tony said. “I’m calling Steve not Captain America.” 

Steve’s frown deepened. Why would he want to call Steve? No one wanted to talk to Steve. Especially not Tony. They had spent all of their time together at each other's throats. “Steve?” 

“Yup. Was kinda wondering why you aren't in the tower yet. I called the clean up crews, and no one’s seen you for a few hours—.” 

Shit. Of course. He had left before he had told anyone. He should still be out there helping. “I can go back out. I just needed a break—.” 

“Did you pull out those panties yet? I said: relax.” Tony’s voice wasn’t mean. He sounded like he cared, and it made a wave of warmth spread through Steve's body. Tony cared about him even after their mission was over. That made him feel something... something good. The feeling only grew when Tony continued, "You don’t have to go back out. You deserve a break after fighting and then helping for as long as you did.” 

“It’s alright. The serum makes it easier for me to work longer. I don’t need a long break.” Despite the comfort he got from Tony's interest in Steve, he couldn't cater to it. Why should he sit around when people were still working? He could help. 

“You’re allowed to rest. In fact, I command it. You’re not to go back out and help until you have a full night of rest.” 

“Alright…” Steve trailed off. Was Tony really calling just to check in and make sure he was taking care of himself? It sounded too good to be true. “So, uh, what can I do for you?” 

Steve's doubts returned in full force when he thought maybe this wasn't an innocent call. During their meal, Steve remembered the way they locked eyes in the middle of it. It had been a quiet somber meal...more of a recharge than a celebration. How could they really celebrate when there were people outside cleaning up pieces of their home and searching for loved ones? 

The six of them sat around the table, silently eating. The radio behind the counter was playing the only non-depressing station. The radio host was leading a prayer, thanking any and all gods for letting them win. She talked about the things they should be thankful for instead of focusing on the bad, and in that moment, Steve and Tony looked up at each other and for a moment, they held each other's gazes and shared the smallest of smiles. 

The moment lasted only a handful of seconds and no matter how much weight their smiles held, it didn’t mean all of their past bickering was gone. 

They weren't friends. Steve didn't have friends. Not anymore. 

So what was the real motive? 

Did he know about Peter? Did the orphanage somehow realize a child was missing and connect him to Steve? 

“The tower. I invited you to come stay.” 

Steve remembered the invitation extended to all of them after their lunch, but he hadn’t really thought about it again. “I don’t want to intrude.” 

“Intrude? The tower is 93 floors tall. It’s kinda empty, really. Well, until the team showed up.” 

Steve blinked. “The team?”

“Yeah...Clint, Nat, Bruce, Thor...we’re all here, bud." Bud. There were those butterflies despite the fact that the nickname had been friendly. "We’re only missing you. Didn’t want to start the celebration until you were here.” 

“You’re...serious?” They were waiting for him? They cared that he wasn't there? Tony cared that he wasn't there?

“Of course.” 

Don't let it fool you. Friends don't last. Families don't last. No matter how much you want them too. 

“It’s getting late...I shouldn’t. I’d have to head back home not long after—.” 

“Home? We’re all home now. Waiting.” 

Steve couldn’t believe Tony was really being serious about living in the tower. He looked around his tiny apartment with its broken heat and its empty fridge. He thought about the tower and doubted he’d ever go hungry there. He thought about the people in it...the team was there, but for how long? 

Was the little time with them worth the heartbreak that surely came when the bonds from their shared battle slowly untethered? 

Glancing over at the table, he saw Peter. He saw a little boy who was probably malnourished without even a second outfit to his name. As much as Steve wanted to stay in his apartment and hide, he knew that he would only be hurting Peter. 

So he bit the bullet and swallowed his pride. Whatever pain that came would be worth it as long as Peter was taken care of. “Do you have a room for me?” 

“A room?” Tony laughed. “Cap, I’ve got a whole floor for you.” 

A whole floor...he could easily hide Peter there until he was ready to introduce him to the team. “I can come over...don’t wait up for me, though. I have to make a stop before heading over.” 

“No rush!” Tony said, sounding surprised as if he didn’t expect Steve to give in so easily. There was something else to his voice too. Maybe excitement. “Honestly, it’s too early to start drinking anyway. We’re making dinner if you’re hungry?”

Steve chewed his bottom lip as his stomach ached at the thought of food. Steve could ignore it though. He was used to not eating enough. As much as he wanted to indulge once he was in the tower, he didn't want to overstay his welcome before he even got there. He couldn't lose this for Peter. “I just ate, thank you.” 

“Alright. That’s fine. I’ll see you soon?” He asked hesitantly, maybe afraid that Steve’s response would change. 

“Yeah. Okay.” 

“Awesome. See you soon, Spangles.” 

Tony hung up, leaving Steve to pray that he made the right choice for not himself but for Peter. The kid needed someone to look out for him, and Steve had put himself into that role. Even if the thought of losing another person he was supposed to protect terrified him. 

Before heading to the tower on East 45th street, Steve made a few stops. First, he stopped at a thrift store for some real clothes for Peter. He didn’t have a lot of cash on him, and he didn’t want SHIELD checking his purchases on his credit card. He would need more supplies for Peter, but for now, another set of clothes and a pair of pajamas was all he needed. Thankfully, when Steve asked him if he’d needed diapers, Peter looked offended and said he was potty trained for a while now. Steve apologized profusely for asking.

After Peter was dressed in his new outfit which was just a pair of jeans, t-shirt, and flip flops, he packed the clothes he was wearing into the backpack along with the footie pajamas he bought. 

Once Peter was dressed, they stopped at a food cart on the side of the road and bought four hot dogs and two pretzels. Peter’s belly had rumbled too much during their shopping for him to ignore. He figured he could sneak some food from the tower to Peter, but he wasn’t sure when he would be able to do that. 

By the time that they were done eating and ready to head to the tower, Peter’s eyes were drooping. Steve lifted him into his arms and cradled him against his chest before covering him with a jacket. At least, he could hide him when he walked into the tower. He didn’t need people asking questions. 

He made it into the lobby without anyone stopping him. He swiped his SHIELD ID through the elevator, giving him access to the private floors. He stepped inside and heard Tony’s computer friend, JARVIS, “Good evening, Captain. Should I take you to the team?”

“Uh, can I stop at my floor first please? I want to settle some of my things.” Steve kept his hand over Peter’s head to keep him from lifting his head in the elevator. Steve told him not to move until they were safe, and thankfully, he was doing a great job at listening. 

“Of course, Captain.”

“Thank you, Mr. JARVIS.” Steve went silent, and the elevator only took a few seconds before it was opening. “Wow, that's fast…” 

“Sir strives for efficiency.” 

“Uh, Mr. JARVIS...do you have cameras on my floor?”

“I can see everywhere except for the bathrooms and bedrooms, Captain.”

“Can you turn your cameras off on my floor please?” He asked, wanting to let Peter roam without worrying about a ceiling computer ratting him out. 

“Of course, Captain. You can still reach me if necessary, but all cameras will be turned off until you request otherwise.” 

Steve breathed a sigh of relief and stepped onto his floor, taking the jacket off of Peter finally. “You’re alright, little guy.” Peter didn’t move. “Peter?” 

A moment later, he let out a soft snore, and Steve smiled. He carried him through the living area and then the hallway until he found the large bedroom. The place was empty except for the basic furniture and some general decorations, but it still felt less empty than his SHIELD apartment. 

He laid him down on the large bed, and Peter stirred. He blinked his eyes open and let out a little whine, reaching up for him. Steve rubbed his belly gently. “Shh, little guy. It’s bedtime.” 

He let out a low whine. “No go.” 

“I’ve got to go, buddy. But I’ll be back.” He put his backpack on the bed, and pulled out his pajamas. “I know we just put these on, but it’s time to get changed.” 

Peter’s eyes were still closed, and he shook his head with a little grunt. 

“Yeah, you can stay sleeping,” Steve said with a fond smile as he began to undress Peter. He lifted him carefully as he did so, and Peter stayed limp in his arms, smiling occasionally. Once he started to put him in his footie pajamas, he helped just enough to get it done. 

“You okay, little guy? Do you have any bedtime routines?” Steve asked as he laid him in the middle of the bed, and tucked him in. He was afraid of him rolling over and falling off of the bed, even though he knew that Peter was more than old enough to sleep in a bed properly. He just looked so tiny that everything scared Steve. 

“Bedtime routine?” He parroted, obviously not understanding the question. 

“That means you have a pattern of things you do in the same order every night,” he explained after a moment of struggling to think of something that a child could understand. 

“I just go to bed and sleep,” he said. “Can we make a ro..routine?” 

“We can...how about you sleep tonight, and tomorrow we’ll think of one?” Steve suggested because he wasn’t ready to start making a routine with Peter. He couldn't get attached to a child like this. He was probably only latching on to the child because he was adorable and because he had no one else. Peter deserved better than Steve, who couldn’t even take care of himself. 

“Okay!” Peter agreed with a smile before closing his eyes to fall back asleep. “Nighty night, Steve! Miss you ‘til the morning!” 

Steve couldn’t help but give him a small smile. “I’ll miss you until tomorrow too, little guy.” 

For a few more minutes, Steve sat on the bed, watching Peter until he fell asleep. Then, he took a deep breath and headed back towards the elevator. He stepped inside and said, “Mr. JARVIS, please take me to the team.” 

“Right away, Captain.” 

Before Steve could even gather any of his thoughts, the elevator doors were opening up, and he heard a harmony of voices and laughter. For the second time in the last half hour, a smile found its way to his face without even trying. 

When he stepped out of the elevator, everyone turned from the couches they were sitting on to stare over at him. Thor was the first one on his feet. “Captain! We worried you wouldn’t be joining!” 

“Sorry I’m late. I was trying to pack a bag and decide what to bring,” he fibbed. “I’ll have to go back out tomorrow to get the rest.” That would give him an excuse to get some actual cash and buy more things for Peter. Or, find him a place to stay… 

“Don’t worry about that,” Tony said, waving his hand. “I have guys that will move your stuff to your room. Everyone’s gotta pick out paint and such to decorate their floors. I figured I’d leave that all up to you.” 

Steve looked around at them all, sitting around a few open bottles of alcohol. “Are you all staying?” 

Natasha shrugged her shoulders with a small smirk on her face. “Figured we might as well. I ain’t in a rush to live with SHIELD agents again. Stark’s footing the bill, so might as well take advantage of this place.” 

Steve put his hands on his belt as he looked around. This floor was even bigger than his, and he guessed it was the common floor. There was a kitchen and living room with an open floor plan as well as a large set of doors leading outside to a balcony. 

“I take your silence as approval despite it being a big ugly building?” Tony asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. 

Steve blushed at his teasing. He hadn’t meant anything by the comment. He just thought it had been so ugly because it was ruining his sketch of the NYC city skyline. It was nothing like he remembered before the ice, and it was just a harsh reminder that Steve was stuck somewhere he didn’t belong. 

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, knowing that Tony wouldn’t understand even if he tried to explain. 

“It’s alright. It was kinda in the middle of a dick measuring contest, so I don’t take it to heart.” Tony paused, tilting his head. “And you know what? I don’t think I want to get into one of those with you again, considering that serum of yours enhanced everything...I might lose that. Just maybe.” 

Steve’s face went even redder when he realized what Tony was implying. Clint cackled, throwing his head backwards against the couch. 

“But, you know what? The Hulk’s got both of us beat, so—.” 

“I am too sober to hear this conversation,” Natasha said, taking a swig of her beer. 

“I can drink to that,” Clint announced, raising his bottle. 

“You can drink to anything,” Natasha argued, rolling her eyes. 

“Come sit, Cap,” Tony said, gesturing him over. “Thor brought back mead, and I think that can get you drunk if we try hard enough.” 

Steve did step forward, but he wasn’t planning on drinking. Though, he’d definitely file that information away for later. “Actually, Tony, there was something I wanted to talk to the team about.” 

“Careful there, Stevie,” Tony grinned. “You sound serious."

"I feel like I'm about to be broken up with," Clint said, kicking his feet up on the table, only to have them swatted away by Tony.

“I am.” Steve was struggling to figure out the hell he was supposed to tell the team he sorta kidnapped a child from the rubble today. They were all having such a good time. This would surely ruin the mood. “I need help, and I’m not sure where else to go because I don’t know a lot of people in this time...but I trust you five.” 

“Of course, you can trust us,” Natasha said, sounding like she was taking this more seriously than Tony. Or maybe it was just Tony’s personality to brush it all off with jokes. 

“Are we about to swap secrets? Because you gotta give me time to think of some juicy ones.” Tony rubbed his hands together. 

Steve ignored his joking. “Today when I was helping with search and rescue, I found something strange.” 

“All of the Chitauri tech is going to the team I put together,” Tony said. “They’re gonna handle all of that stuff soon. Don’t worry about it, Cap.” 

“No. Not that.” 

“What is it, Captain? You look quite perturbed.” Thor frowned, studying Steve. 

Steve opened his mouth, unsure of what he was going to say before he was saved by the elevator doors opened with a ding, and a pair of little feet went running across the floor. Steve turned around and saw Peter running over to him faster than any child should be able to run. When he collided into Steve’s legs, he fell to the ground. 

The team was up on their feet within a moment, ready for a fight. Even though the suspect was a literal toddler. 

Steve raised his hands to tell them to stand down while he turned his attention to the sobbing child that was attached to his legs. He was crying so hard that he had trouble breathing. Steve was getting worried he was going to choke on tears and attempted breaths. 

“Hey, little guy. You’re alright. I’m right here.” Steve sat up and tried to pull Peter up into his arms, but he refused to let go of Steve’s legs. He didn’t even budge when Steve started to use some of his super soldier strength. 

“S-Steve!” Peter continued to cry, hiding his face in his legs. 

“You’re okay. You’re safe.” Steve continued to soothe him, trying to pull him into his arms. 

“Dude, what the hell?” Clint muttered from somewhere behind them. 

Steve tried to ignore them and focus on calming Peter down first. He didn’t know him for very long, and he had no idea how to calm him down. The only experience he had with little kids was Bucky’s sisters years and years ago. 

“Petey, can you let go of my legs so I can hold you?” 

“Steve!” He cried again, digging his little finger deeper into his legs. 

“I am right here. I promise. Can you let me hold you so you can see?” Steve didn’t try to pull him again until Peter let out a few more sobs, and his muscles relaxed ever so slightly. Then he carefully pulled, and finally, Peter let go of his legs. Steve brought him close to his chest and cradled him in his arms. 

Peter pressed his ear against his chest and sniffled through another few sobs. He quieted down after a few moments when he realized it was easier to hear Steve’s heartbeat if he wasn’t screaming. Steve only knew he was listening to his heart because he was tapping along to the beat on his chest with one little hand while the other was in his mouth as he sucked on his thumb. 

“See? I’m okay, and so are you.” Steve’s voice was gentle as he rocked Peter until his sobs died out into occasional sniffles. His eyes were closed, but Steve knew he wasn’t asleep yet. 

“I haven’t had that much to drink yet, right?” Clint asked. “Am I hallucinating or does Cap have a kid?” 

“No...I’m seeing it too,” Bruce said. “Steve, want to explain?” He didn’t sound rude, just concerned and confused. 

Steve looked up at them, though his eyes landed on Tony and didn’t leave. “I found him today while I was looking for survivors.” 

“You can’t just take a kid home because they’re cute,” Natasha said, standing up. “His parents are probably looking for him!” 

Steve might have been seventy years out of time, but even back then, kidnapping was bad. Steve knew that. “He doesn’t have any. I found him in the rubble of an orphanage.” 

Tony was staring down at Peter and still hadn’t said a word. 

“I was going to bring him to a Red Cross tent or a police squad, but he’s not normal...he’s strong.” Steve started to absentmindedly run his hand through Peter’s sweaty curls with one hand. 

“If he was able to knock you over, then I think he is quite the warrior!” Thor bellowed, and his voice made Peter squirm. 

“Please...keep your voices down,” Steve practically begged. “I think he had a nightmare.” 

“Am I the only one that still doesn’t know why Cap has a kid?” 

Steve tried not to lose his patience with Clint. “He’s strong... almost as strong as me.” 

“What?” Natasha breathed, getting very interested. Steve found himself praying that he didn’t make the wrong choice trusting these five. 

“I fell through the floor when trying to get him out of the building. Peter caught me with one hand and lifted me back up. He didn’t even groan. It looked...effortless for him.” Steve’s eyes trailed down to Peter as he spoke, unable to believe this tiny little guy was capable of being that strong even when he was the one that witnessed and experienced his strength first hand. 

“No way…” 

“Yeah. And I think he eats more than normal because he scarfed down whatever I gave him, and his stomach was still hungry. Or he’s just malnourished and not used to food. I wasn’t sure which was the answer.” Steve waited for someone to speak, mainly Tony, but he was still just staring. 

“So why is he here?” Clint asked. “He should be with SHIELD.”

“No,” Steve snapped, though not harshly, just desperately. “He can’t. I don’t...I don’t trust them with Peter. He’s just a kid...I don’t want him raised to be a soldier. And he can’t be adopted by some normal couple that has no idea what to do when he starts breaking through things. He needs to be with the right people, and I don’t think he was with them before.” 

“And do you think you’re the right person to deal with this?” Bruce asked, not unkindly. He was just a scientist looking for answers. 

“I don’t know,” Steve answered. “I just know that he talked about doctors giving him showers, and I don’t want to think the worst, but part of me is afraid that these powers were not an accident, and whoever gave them to him will come looking for him again.” 

“Have you figured out if the doctors are good or bad yet?” Natasha asked. 

“Anyone that experiments on a child is bad,” Steve replied. He hoped that he was expecting the worst, and no one had really hurt the kid. 

“Steve, as much as I agree...I don’t think this is our kind of work,” Bruce said with uncertainty. 

Steve bristled, narrowing his eyes at them all. “What do you mean? He’s a child, and he needs help. I know we haven’t been together for long, but I thought we were all on the same page. If we see someone that needs help, and we can help them, then we should.” 

“This isn’t so black and white, Steve,” Bruce argued. “This is a child. Who knows if people are looking for him. We can’t just keep him and expect to raise him.” 

“He needs to be protected by someone that knows what it's like.” Steve pulled Peter in closer. “I thought you guys would understand.” 

“I know—.” 

“We’re going to help,” Tony finally spoke, interrupting Bruce. 

“What?” Steve’s eyes widened. He had taken Tony's silence in the situation as something bad. 

“We are?” Clint asked incredulously. 

“Yes,” Tony insisted, nodding his head. “The kid needs help, and Cap thinks it’s something we should do. I trust him and his judgment.” 

“Thank you,” Steve almost whispered. God, he was so lucky to have Tony. They all were. 

Tony nodded his head. “We’ll look into him, and then we’ll decide where to go from there. Does that sound good?”

There was a chorus of uncertain agreement. 

Tony smiled and clapped his hands together. “Good. Then let’s get this started. J, you mind scanning the kiddo and find out any information you can find?”

“Scanning now, sir.” 

Thor came over and lifted Steve up to his feet without a problem. "He is a strong little one!" 

Steve chuckled. "Yeah. I don't think he meant to knock me down...he's just not used to controlling his own strength." 

Peter lifted his head from Steve's shoulder to peek over at Thor. He let out a small gasp before he started to smack Steve's cheek to get his attention. 

Steve winced, using one hand to stop the tiny hand from hitting him. "What's up, little guy?" 

"That's Thor!" He said in a loud whisper. 

"Yeah, buddy. That's Thor."

"I see him on the TV during the fight. With the other Avengers," Peter said as he continued to stare openly at Thor. 

Steve wondered for a moment. "Pete… you know you're with all of the Avengers, right?"

He looked back at Steve. "What?!"

"I'm Captain America."

Peter's eyes widened some more. "How? You don't look like him! Where's your flag stuff?!"

"That's my uniform, little guy. When I'm not on a mission, I'm just Steve." 

Peter looked over to the others. "Which ones are you?" 

Natasha smiled softly at him as she began to introduce the team, gesturing to them respectively. "That's Hawkeye, but his name is Clint. That's the Hulk, but he's Bruce right now. That's Iron Man, and his name is Tony. I'm Black Widow, but my name is Natasha. What's your name?" 

"I'm Peter!" 

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Peter," Natasha said with a warm smile that Steve had never seen on her face before.

"Do you guys live together like a family?" Peter asked, cocking his head to the side. 

Family. Steve's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't afford to lose another family. 

Steve's inner turmoil didn't matter as long as Peter stayed distracted from his nightmare, so he didn't try to stop the conversation. 

That would be selfish. Steve could deal with his own living nightmare, as long as Peter forgot his. 

Steve wondered what it even was...he guessed it might have been the fact that he was trapped in that building while the fight was going on, and not being found for another few hours. 

"We do," Natasha answered, despite the fact that they weren't a family. Besides for lunch, this was the first time they were all just hanging out. "Do you have a family, Peter?" 

Peter deflated in Steve's arms. "I don't think so…I used to live with doctors." 

Steve held him a little tighter. 

"Were your parents doctors? My family was in the circus, so I used to live with clowns," Clint told him. Steve hadn't known that. 

"I never had any parents," he replied. "Just people in white coats. All doctors." 

The boy's story just continued to get more and more mysterious. They all exchanged concerned glances, unsure of what the hell they were going to do. 

“What did these doctors do?” Bruce asked, taking a few steps closer.

Peter hid his face in Steve’s neck with a squeak, and that seemed to be the answer that no one wanted. 

Steve rubbed his back. “It’s alright, Pete. What if we just ask questions and you say yes or no? Would that be easier?” 

Peter shrugged his shoulders. 

Steve figured it was worth a shot. “Did you like these doctors?” 

Peter hesitated before he shook his head. 

“Were they mean?” 

A nod. 

“Did they hurt you?” 

Another nod. 

Steve wrapped an arm around Peter even though he wasn’t in danger here. He felt such a strong need to protect. “Did they know about your powers?” 

Yet again, a nod. 

“Did they give you the powers?” 

He shrugged his shoulders. 

“Do you remember ever not having these powers?” 

He shook his head. 

“He could have been born with them,” Clint said. “Maybe he was a baby, and his parents got scared so they took him to doctors.”
“And did they just give him up?” Natasha asked him, though she looked to be trying to figure it out herself too. 

“Maybe they weren’t given a choice. Think of organizations that would do anything for another super soldier.” At least Clint understood Steve’s fear. 

“I don’t want that happening to him again,” he said. “We have to protect him.” 

“Safe,” Peter said, nuzzling his head against Steve’s shoulder. 

Steve smiled and moved his hand to rub Peter’s back gently. “You are safe,” he whispered. “I promise, little guy.” 

“We’re all going to keep him safe,” Tony announced. “Everyone has access to the results of JARVIS’ research. Mr. and Mrs. Smith, I want you to look into the orphanage he was in. Find out how long he’s been there, and what that situation looks like. Brucie, you think you could give the kid a once over and maybe figure out what powers he’s got? Steve and Thor will be the number one protectors in case someone notices a certain kiddo is missing from the orphanage. I’ll look through the reports JARVIS finds, and figure out what our next step is.” 

“I’m not a pediatrician, Tony,” Bruce reminded him. “And I don’t think the kid would like it if I started to check him out. He doesn’t like doctors, remember?” 

“No doctors,” Peter said, digging his little nails into Steve. 

“No doctors,” Steve agreed. “But can you help us? We just want to understand what powers you have…” 

Peter blinked his eyes a few times. “I’m strong and fast. I stick too.” 

Steve thought maybe that was why he was so hard to get off of his legs. “Is that why you were stuck to my legs before? Because you can stick?” 

Peter nodded his head and said, “You can let go and I stay here.” 

Steve hesitated but let go of Peter. He had his hands flat against Steve’s chest, and his toes were pressing against his abdomen. He didn’t budge. Steve shook himself gently, and still, Peter didn’t budge. 

“Well, it’s not a recreation of the super soldier serum,” Steve said, holding Peter again just for his own comfort. “I can’t stick like that.” 

“Do you have any other powers, Peter?” Bruce asked. 

“I don’t know...doctors did lots of tests.” Peter wrapped his legs as far around Steve’s chest as he could. 

“It’s alright...I think the best thing for him right now is some sleep,” Bruce told Steve. “It was a long and stressful day for all of us as adults; I can’t imagine what it’s like for a child his age.”  

“I can get him to sleep. He fell asleep when I was walking around.” 

“Good. Try that again,” Bruce said, nodding his head. “The movement was probably soothing to him.” 

“So we’ve all got our plans,” Tony said. “Before we break the huddle, I want to make sure we’re all on the same page...not a word to Fury and his band of clowns.” 

To Steve’s relief, everyone nodded their heads. 

“Thank you,” Steve said, letting his shoulders relax. “It means a lot.” 

“We’re a team,” Clint said, shrugging his shoulders. “We stick together.” 

“No,” Thor said, wrapping an arm around Clint’s shoulders to pull him close to his side. “Our lady of spiders was correct. We’re a family.” 

After almost twenty minutes of walking around the tower, Peter finally fell asleep. Steve had his super soldier strength, but even holding Peter for as long as he had been was starting to tire his arms out. 

He couldn’t even lay him down or switch him to Thor’s arms because the kid had gone and stuck himself to Steve so he couldn’t move. It would be sweet if Steve wasn’t exhausted himself. He was too afraid to lay down and roll over on the kid in his sleep. 

By now, Bruce, Clint, and Natasha were asleep. Thor was standing guard on the roof even though Steve doubted he really needed to, but he was taking his role of protector very seriously. Tony was still working on the reports JARVIS was finding, so Steve decided he could go check on how he was doing. He needed someone to keep him awake, and he wanted Tony to be the one to keep him company. Maybe because he hadn't seen him all day. 

JARVIS took him to Tony’s penthouse, and he stepped into the living room where he saw Tony sitting at the couch, swiping through holograms. He walked over, bouncing Peter gently as he did. “Hey,” he whispered. “How’s it going?” 

Tony turned around to look at Steve. His hair wasn't brushed and he had a pair of glasses on as he read. It was a nice sight. “Oh, hey. Didn’t think you were still up. Still got the kid?” 

“He’s asleep and stuck himself to me,” Steve explained, letting go of Peter and showing Tony how he was still stuck.

Tony chuckled quietly. “That’s pretty neat. And also weird.” 

Steve took a seat next to Tony, and hoped that Peter wouldn’t wake. He paused for a moment, ensuring he would keep sleeping soundly before he spoke again, “Did you find anything out?” 

“Oh, boy did I ever.” Tony shook his head. “Where do I even start?” 

Steve stayed quiet, letting him decide as he rubbed Peter’s back. 

“He was dropped off at the orphanage only a few months ago,” he started. “He was in an airplane accident.” 

Steve’s eyes widened. “An airplane accident?” He looked down at Peter but didn’t see any signs of an accident, especially from a plane. 

“Yup. He was in the plane with almost a dozen scientists.” Tony’s face looked a little pale, and Steve wondered if it was because of the information he discovered or if he was just as exhausted as Steve was. “These scientists included biologists, geneticists, and entomologists.” 

Steve frowned. “Entomologists?” 

“They study insects,” Tony explained, although that didn’t make Steve any less confused. 

“Insects?” 

“Yup.” Tony pulled up a new hologram with a picture of a man and a woman. The man was listed as Richard Parker, and the woman was listed as Mary Parker.

“Are they his parents?” Steve asked softer, holding Peter closer. 

“Sure are. And I knew them back in college. They were brilliant. I knew she was pregnant a few years later, but I never thought…" He trailed off, shaking his head. "I knew she was serious in her work, and there were rumors about her and her team using humans for their experiments, but I never thought she’d use her own child.”

“She experimented on Peter? How do you know?” 

“She was a geneticist,” he said. “Her husband was a biologist. They created a team of the smartest scientists like them with the entomologists as well. JARVIS was able to get some of their files, though he hasn’t finished encrypting all of them yet. It’ll be a few hours. But from what I can tell, they started experimenting on him when he was still in the womb. They were trying to alter his DNA to be more spider-like.” 

“More...spider-like?” 

“Sounds crazy. I know. But she was a little crazy.” Tony shrugged his shoulders. “It explains his powers. I’m sure he’s got plenty more we don’t know about yet. Those files are some of the most encrypted on the Parkers’ database, so that will probably be tomorrow when we can read them.” 

“So, you’re saying, he probably spent his entire life as a lab rat before the plane crashed and he was put into an orphanage?”

Tony sighed, leaning back. “Yeah...that’s what it seems like.” 

Steve pulled him in closer and lowered his voice, even though it was only the two of them in the room. “Tony, we can’t let SHIELD know. Not yet. I don’t trust them to not take advantage of this.” 

“I agree 100%, Cap.” 

“Do you think Natasha or Clint will tell Fury?” 

“I’ve known Natasha for a few years now, and I know her enough to know that she’s sneaky and conniving, but she is incredibly loyal. If she promised to keep this a secret, I believe her.” 

“I just want to keep him from people that will send him back to a life of tests and experiments. I want him to be a kid.” Steve rested his chin on Peter’s head. 

“I was looking into possibilities,” Tony said. “There’s a school upstate in Salem Center.” He pulled up another hologram screen and showed a website. “Dr. Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.” 

“Is it for kids like Peter?”

Tony nodded his head. “They focus on teaching mutants how to control their powers, and strengthen human and mutant relationships. If we send him anywhere, I think this is the best place.” 

Steve knew that would be for the best if this place was trained to handle Peter specifically, but it didn’t mean that he was excited to let Peter go. He had only known the boy for a few hours, but he was already attached. Peter was too. Literally. 

“You’re not as happy as I thought you’d be,” Tony said honestly. 

“I am grateful you looked into this for me,” he replied. “And I know it’s the best option, but the idea of sending him off somewhere I can’t protect him doesn’t feel right.”

Tony furrowed his brow. “You don’t even know the kid.” 

“Maybe not really, but...we’ve been together for the last few hours, and taking care of him just feels right. Leaving his protection to someone else just...I don’t want to give him up.” Steve wanted to keep him in his arms forever, and he had only known him for the day. 

“Cap...I know he’s cute and all, but he’s a kid. He...he needs attention and care. You’re still adjusting to this time yourself. Do you think you should really be taking care of a kid?” Tony looked hesitant as if he was afraid of the reaction he was going to get from Steve. 

Rationally, Steve knew that Tony was right. He was struggling to adjust to this world, and taking on the responsibility of a child wasn’t fair to himself or the child. But there was another part of him that wondered if taking care of Peter was the distraction he needed from his world crumbling all around him. 

That part was drowned out by Steve knowing that if he got attached to Peter and started to get over his trauma, only to then lose him...he wouldn't be strong enough to recover. 

“Steve?” Tony prompted. 

“You’re right,” Steve said hurriedly. “I can't...He belongs at that school.” 

The team was horrified the next morning when they heard about what Peter’s life had consisted of so far. It was funny how they all had the same urge to protect him as Steve had when they barely knew him. 

Peter loved all of the attention, and he loved the endless amounts of food that was provided. Tony had JARVIS order tons of clothes for Peter so he wouldn’t have to live in the two outfits he had. Surprisingly, he let go of Steve when he woke up and didn’t stick himself to Steve again. 

After breakfast, the team stayed together in the living room to hang out with Peter. They were amused as they watched him climb up and down Thor, sticking to him just as he had with Steve. Steve sat on the couch, watching them all and smiled whenever Peter turned his head to glance at him during his playtime. 

“Little dude, you are pretty cool,” Clint said, ruffling his hair after he pulled Peter off of the wall he was climbing up. Peter giggled as he was pulled away. 

It was nice to see him so happy despite the nightmare he had the previous night. He was too young to be traumatized the way that he probably was. 

“He’s a little spider,” Natasha said, coming to take him in her arms. “Of course, he’s cool.” 

Peter giggled and nestled his head on her chest. 

“What else can he do?” Clint asked, poking him in the back. 

“Haven’t learned that much yet,” Steve answered, eyeing Peter carefully. “Bruce wants to run some T-E-S-T-S.” 

“Bold of you to assume Barton knows how to spell,” Natasha quipped, pressing her lips to the top of Peter’s head. Peter had really pulled out the maternal side in Natasha the last few hours. 

“I don’t want to upset him,” Bruce said. “He’s terrified of the idea of doctors.” 

Peter tensed in Natasha’s arms and let out a low whine. Natasha rocked him gently, hushing him quietly. Bruce winced as Steve glared at him. “Sorry.” 

“Tony is calling a school now that is trained for situations like this,” Steve explained. “We hope they might be able to help us figure out what his powers are and how to control them. JARVIS is working on decorating the last of his files too.” 

“Perhaps he can fly!” Thor announced, walking over to Natasha with his arms outstretched. 

“Oh, no,” Natasha said, turning away from him. “I don’t think spiders can fly.” 

“On Asgard they can!” 

“Well, this ain’t Asgard, buddy,” Clint said, patting his shoulder. 

“We will not be seeing if Peter can fly,” Steve said, resisting the urge to take him from Natasha’s arms. He was having trouble sharing him when all he wanted to do was bundle him in blankets and protect him from the world. 

“Can I fly with Iron Man?” Peter asked, twisting in Natasha’s arms to get permission from Steve. 

Steve shook his head firmly. “Absolutely not.” Peter pouted and turned his big brown eyes to him. Steve looked away from him before he gave in to his silent begging. 

“Speak of the devil,” Clint said after the elevator doors opened, and Tony walked out. 

Steve wanted to hear news about JARVIS’ findings, not Tony’s phone call, but he didn’t think he was going to be that lucky. “What’d you find out?” 

“I called Professor X over at the school,” he said, walking over to the group. “He has an opening for Peter, and said that they have professionals there that can not only help Peter discover his powers but also learn how to control them.” 

Steve tried smiling because that was a good thing, but it didn’t feel like a good thing to lose him. “That’s good…” 

“Sure is. We can take him up there tomorrow. I’ll have JARVIS handle his situation with the orphanage. We can report Peter Parker as—,” his eyes flickered over to Peter, “—morto.” 

“You really think someone would come looking for him?” Clint asked. 

Tony nodded his head. “He is the successful multimillion dollar project of a group of very influential scientists. There has to be others from the project still alive that are looking for him.” 

Steve bit his lip as he looked over at Peter, who was too distracted with Natasha to follow the conversation. “Are we sure it’s safe? Can’t we keep him for a few more weeks at least to wait it out?”

“He’ll be safe. I promise,” Tony said. “Their mansion is built for this. They have guards and mutants protecting them. He’ll be okay.” Tony probably sensed Steve’s hesitation and said, “It’ll be good for him to be surrounded by people like him.” 

But he's surrounded by people like him here. 

“I know. I just want to make sure he’s safe is all.” 

“He will be. Don’t worry.” Tony smiled, not looking at Peter. “I’m gonna head back to the lab to see if JARVIS found anything else on him.” 

“Don’t you want a turn with the kid? He’s super cute,” Clint said as he made a few funny faces at Peter, causing him to burst out into a fit of giggles. 

Tony shook his head. “I want to get most of this done before we send him off tomorrow.” 

Steve watched him go, wondering why Tony was working so hard to try and get rid of Peter. Yes, they were all superheroes, but they could still take care of a kid. They could raise him somewhere he would be loved and accepted and protected. Not that the mutant school wouldn’t provide that, but he doubted that anyone there could protect Peter like he could. 

“Steve!” Peter’s little voice broke him from his trance. “Steve!” 

Steve turned around and smiled when he saw Peter reaching out to him from Natasha’s arms. He smiled softly and took him, cradling him against his chest. “What’s up, little guy?”

“Nothing,” he replied, resting his head down. “I just wanted you to hold me.” 

Steve felt his heart melt as he held Peter tighter and placed a kiss to his curls just as he had seen Natasha do. “I can definitely do that, kiddo.” 

Later that night, Peter didn’t want to sleep. Again. 

Steve wondered what memories haunted him the most, causing him to want to avoid sleep like the plague. 

When it was time for him to actually go to bed for him to lay down, he could never fall asleep. But if he was resting against Steve’s chest, he could fall asleep easily. Steve hoped that would be the case tonight as they sat on the couch together at twenty past one in the morning. 

Steve hadn’t slept since the day before the battle, and even though the serum could keep him up longer than the average human, it didn’t mean that he enjoyed it. He wasn’t at his best when he didn’t get sleep, and he felt like he needed to be at his best. Who knew when another alien race could try to invade Earth?

But, there was no way he was going to sleep when Peter was unable to fall into any sleep other than one full of night terrors. Peter came first, even when it hurt Steve. Peter would always come first, even though Steve had just met him. 

“Hey, Steve,” Peter mumbled, exhaustion lacing his words. He had been nodding off for the last half hour, but he hadn’t given in to sleep yet. 

“Yeah, little guy?” Steve replied quietly, rubbing Peter’s back softly. 

“Is the people living in here a family?” 

Steve froze. He had only known the team for a few days, but it almost seemed like they were starting to be a family. Steve hadn’t had another family member in his life since he lost Bucky, but he remembered what the feeling of family felt like, and this was definitely it. 

“Yeah...I think so.” 

“Am I in the family too?” He asked, looking up at Steve with his big brown eyes. They looked absolutely huge in the cutest way on his chubby face. He was the definition of adorable. Steve never wanted to say no to those eyes, especially in this situation. But he couldn’t make a promise only to break it the next day. 

“I think Tony found another family for you, bud,” he said, hating the way his eyes immediately turned sad. “A family full of kids with special powers just like you.” 

“But...I want to be in this family,” Peter whispered, his eyes growing wet. “I’m just like you!” 

Steve held Peter closer as the little boy pouted up at him, and he wished he could tell Tony to screw his plan and hide him in this tower forever, but he knew that wouldn’t be fair to Peter. He needed an environment that could really help him grow with his powers. Steve couldn’t offer that. 

“I know, little guy, but I think this will be good for you. We can still see each other. I’ll visit all the time, but you deserve someone who can help you learn how to use these powers and control them.” 

Petre shook his head furiously as his tears began to fall. “No! I want to stay here with you!” 

“Shhh,” Steve hushed him gently. They were still on the common floor, and even though everyone was on their own floors, he didn’t want to risk waking them up. “Don’t cry, Pete.” 

“I want to be in your family! I love this family!” Peter continued to wail. “I want you to be my Papa!” 

Steve pulled Peter against his chest, pressing his face to his shoulder so he couldn’t see the pain in Steve’s eyes. “Oh, Pete…” 

“Keep me please! I’ll be the goodest boy ever! Please!” Peter’s tears and snot began to dampen Steve’s t-shirt, but he didn’t care. He only cared about soothing Peter and easing the pain. They hadn’t known each other for long, so he wasn’t sure why Peter was already so attached. Then again, Steve wasn’t sure why he was so attached to Peter either. But he doubted that Peter would even remember him and this pain after settling into the school for a few months. 

“Oh, sweetheart,” Steve said, the name falling off of his tongue easily. “I know you’re a good boy, and I would be so lucky to keep you, but it’s not that easy…” 

“Why not?” Peter cried.
“Because it wouldn’t be fair to you. I’m Captain America. We’re all Avengers. You need a stable home and family.” Steve started to brush the back of his head, smoothing down his curls. 

“I need you!” 

Steve chuckled sadly, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “No, you don’t.” 

Peter gave up trying to argue with Steve and focused all of his efforts on crying. Steve tried to hush him to go back to his sleepy state, but he wasn’t letting himself be calmed down. The more Steve tried, the harder he sobbed. 

Steve felt close to crying himself when an angel walked out of the elevator doors. “What’s going on in here? Did the Jonas Brothers finally break up?”

Turning around, Steve saw Tony strolling over to them, dressed in a pair of sweats and a tank top. Unlike his thicker shirts he usually wore, it was easy to see the glowing blue ring in his chest. Steve couldn’t help but stare, wondering how beautiful it looked in person. 

Steve also couldn't help but stare at Tony’s arms and the muscles he'd never noticed before. He tried not to stare openly at them too much. That was rude.

“For a tiny munchkin, you sure do have a set of lungs on you, kiddo,” Tony said once he was in front of the couch. Steve looked up at him desperately, knowing he probably looked like a mess in his clothes from yesterday and a screaming toddler in his arms. He hoped Tony didn't mind the sight of him. 

“He doesn’t want to sleep,” Steve told him with a frown when Peter let out a particularly loud screech now that there was someone else to get attention from. “I’ve tried everything. TV, warm milk, music, bedtime stories...I don’t know what the secret is.” 

Seve didn’t expect Tony to have an answer or even want to help because of how he’d been avoiding Peter since he came into the tower. So when he sat down and held out his arms, Steve was shocked— too shocked to even move. 

Tony looked at him expectantly, wiggling his fingers. “This offer isn’t going to last long, so I’d act quickly.” 

Steve nodded and moved Peter to Tony’s arms; he only struggled a bit. At least, he didn’t try sticking to him again. He watched as Peter squirmed in Tony’s arms, crying some more. 

Tony bounced him and spoke to him as if he was talking to another adult and not a toddler. It seemed so natural. Steve couldn't help but stare in awe when Tony started to calm Peter down. “Kid, I don’t know what you’re complaining about. The world is your oyster still. No bills, no crazy exes, no job...I mean, you truly are living the life.” 

Peter cried out, “No!” 

“Oh, no? Well, I suppose you do have your own problems...everyone does. Is that what’s bothering you?” 

Peter stared up at Tony as he cried a little softer. He seemed confused, like this was the first time someone was speaking to him like a person and not just some kid or an experiment. 

“I can’t understand sobbing, and to be honest, I don’t want to be covered in boogers and tears. Maybe we can cut back on that? You talk to me like an adult, just as I’m speaking to you?” He suggested, rubbing Peter's back soothingly. 

Peter took a few moments to calm himself down enough to stop sobbing. He sniffled loudly, wiping his nose with the sleeve to his footie pajamas and said, “I’m sad.” 

“Now we’re getting somewhere!” Tony cheered. “Why are you sad? Does Cap tell bad bedtime stories?” 

“I want a family,” he said instead, catching both of them by surprise. Steve knew that was what had originally set him off, but hearing him say it so sadly was heartbreaking. He spoke again, this time with more confidence in his voice. “I want this family! Not some dumb school!” 

“Ah,” Tony said. “I see…” 

“I want to stay!” 

“How do you know the school is dumb?” Tony asked, tilting his head and then Peter copied his stance. 

“Huh?” 

“You said it was dumb. How do you know it’s dumb if you’ve never been there?” 

Peter chewed on his lip before replying, “‘Cus it’s not here. I wanna stay here!” 

“Can’t you try to go to school and see how you like it first? If it’s truly too horrible, we’ll figure something else out, but I think you should try it out. Who knows...maybe you’ll like it.” Tony winked down at Peter, and Steve expected him to start crying again. 

But he didn’t. He sniffled again and said, “Why can’t I be with you?” 

“We’re not a very good home for kids,” Tony replied. “I forget to take care of myself.” 

“I know how to take care of me,” Peter insisted. “You don’t need to.” 

Steve knew he was saying that because of the life he’s been accustomed to. He’d never had a set of guardians that took care of him and loved him just because he was their baby. He deserved to feel that way. Steve could make sure he knew he was loved every single day, but Tony was right. This was no place to raise a child. Not when Steve could be called off on a long mission and any time, and every single mission had a possibility of him not returning. 

“Kiddo, you need someone that knows more about super spider powers than any of us do. You could be dangerous to yourself and others if you don’t learn to control it.” 

Peter’s eyes widened. “Dang’a’us?” 

“Yup. You don’t wanna hurt anyone, do you?” 

Peter shook his head wildly, his brown curls bouncing. 

“Good...then you’ll go to the school?” Tony asked, even though by the look in his eyes, Steve guessed he knew the answer. "Because they'll help you with all of that."

“Okay, Mr. Iron Man…” Peter said sadly, slumping in his hold. 

Tony laughed at the name but didn’t bother correcting him. “Good boy. Now that we have that fixed...what do you say we get some shut eye? I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve been going on seventy-three hours, and it’s not looking pretty. I think I see four of you both right now.” 

“I don’t wanna sleep!” Peter yelled, looking over at Steve for some help to stop Tony if he tried forcing Peter to go to sleep. “Scary!” 

“You don’t have to be scared. Iron Man and Captain America are protecting you. We won’t let anything happen to you.” 

Peter shook his head, the frown constant on his little face. “You can’t protect me in my dreams.” 

Steve put a hand on Peter’s tiny hand, engulfing it completely. “We will be right here when you wake up,” he promised. “You don’t have to be sorry.” 

“But—” 

“You know what I think would help?” Tony said, pushing Peter away from his chest for a moment. He pulled up his tank top before casting an anxious look over at Steve. This was something vulnerable and he had done it in front of Steve...did he really trust him that much?

The arc reactor was exposed on his chest, lighting up some of the area around it in a pale blue. Peter’s eyes stared at him with wide eyes just like Steve was staring. “What is that?”

“It’s my nightlight,” he replied. “Sometimes I have trouble sleeping too, but this nightlight makes me feel safe. Hey, JARVIS, can you lower the lights please?” 

“No!” Peter shouted, sitting up in Tony’s arms. Steve tensed, watching as Peter’s panicked eyes turned towards him just before the lights dimmed. The blue light illuminated his face softly. 

“It’s alright,” Tony whispered. “See?” 

Peter adjusted to the new light and took a few seconds to calm his breathing. His wide eyes stared at the reactor, and Steve wished he knew what he was thinking about. Steve held his breath until he lowered his head and laid it on Tony’s chest, only an inch from the reactor. 

“You like it?” Tony asked him quietly. “I used to hate it, but I’ve gotten used to it. After being Iron Man, I hated the dark. Reminded me of things.” 

“The dark is scary,” Peter whispered, still staring at his reactor. “The doctors left me in the dark all night. And when my building crashed I was stuck in the dark for so long.” 

Steve was amazed that Tony was able to get Peter to talk. This was the most he had opened up since Steve found him. Making Peter feel safe enough to open up seemed to come naturally to Tony.

“Good thing Cap saved you then, huh?” Tony hummed, rubbing Peter’s back softly. 

“Uh huh,” Peter sniffled, wiping his nose on his hand. At least he didn’t wipe it on Tony’s chest. “I like Captain America.” 

Tony’s eyes found their way to Steve’s and he smiled softly. “Yeah, squirt, so do I.” 

Steve felt his cheeks blush when Tony said that. They had hated each other for 90% of their relationship. They clashed at first, but now, their differences complemented themselves. They had more in common than they thought, anyway. Steve hadn’t thought anything was going to happen out of them past their missions, but now, after he had provided Steve a floor to live in the tower, Steve wanted there to be more. He wanted this to last with not only Tony or Peter but the rest of the team too. 

He wanted a family again. 

He wanted more nights of sitting on the couch with Tony, flush against each other's sides, with Peter on one of their laps.

“I want him to be my dad,” Peter told Tony. “I don’t have one.” 

Steve froze, watching Tony’s reaction. He didn’t seem weirded out by the statement, though he seemed a little shocked. “A dad, huh?” 

Peter nodded his head. “I never had one. He would be a good Papa.” 

Tony didn’t reply, and Steve wondered if he agreed with Peter or not. Steve had always wanted to raise a family of his own, and Peter seemed like he was a gift from God for that chance. But he knew it was just a dream he’d never get the chance to live. 

Peter needed and deserved a guardian that could dedicate their entire life to taking care of him. He was not only a toddler filled with more trauma than most adults, but he was an enhanced toddler. He didn’t know what his powers consisted of, and he didn’t know how to use them. Professor Xaiver could help with that more than Steve could.
He’d miss Peter, and he’d probably always think about what it would have been like to raise the kid as his own, but he knew it just wasn’t possible. It would never work. 

Steve sighed, leaning back against the couch.

“You okay there, Cap?” 

Steve glanced over to Tony and noticed Peter was already sleeping soundly against his chest. The little guy had been exhausted from not sleeping through the night and having no naps. “M’fine.” 

Rolling his eyes, Tony said, “I’m not an idiot.” 

“I know it’s the best thing to give him to that school for other enhanced children, but I guess I’m still upset I have to lose him.” Steve stared at the way Peter’s chubby face was covered with the soft blue glow. He looked so peaceful, despite all of the horrors that haunted him at night. Steve hoped that they stayed away for tonight at least. He hoped that the school would be prepared for his nightmares. 

“You’re pretty attached, huh?” Tony noted after a moment of hesitation. 

“There’s something about him...I felt so alone before I found him, and when I did, it felt...it felt right. You ever just...meet someone and know that you two are meant to stay in each other’s lives?” Steve turned on the couch so he was curled up, facing Tony. 

“Yeah. I have," Tony replied without a beat of hesitation. 

“I feel like I was meant to find him in that orphanage. I’m supposed to help him.” Steve knew he probably sounded crazy. 

“You did, Steve. You are helping him by finding him Professor Xavier’s school.” Tony gave him a smile, but it seemed sad and pitiful. 

He had a point. It made sense. But Steve didn’t want that to be the only reason he was in Peter’s life. He wanted to be needed for something more than just fighting a war. Taking care of someone that needed him after he was the one always being taken care of his entire life seemed like the best thing. 

“Having a kid is a huge thing,” he continued. “They’re so impressionable. One moment with them and you could change their entire outlook on life and destroy their chances of having a good future.” 

Tony seemed like he was exaggerating, but Steve didn’t want to call him out on it because something about it seemed so personal. Maybe it was more dramatic than necessary, but it was meaningful to him for some reason. Steve wasn’t about to invalidate his feelings. 

Steve wondered if this was why Tony had been so hesitant to be around Peter. 

“They also remember the good things,” Steve said softly with a smile. “I think he will remember this for a long time to come.” 

Tony rubbed Peter’s back softly as he hummed in thought. “I hope so. Kid’s living through hell. He’s gonna have it rough his whole life. Can already tell.” 

Steve bit his lip, fighting back the urge to say: If we keep him, we can make sure he doesn’t have it rough. Instead, he said, “Do you really think sending him to Professor Xavier is the best thing for him?”

Tony hesitated for only a moment before replying, “I do.” 

Steve nodded his head, knowing that Tony was probably right. Steve was new to this time and was still struggling to take care of himself. He couldn’t take on the responsibility of a child. 

“Why don’t you get some rest? I don’t think you’ve gotten much of it in the past few days,” Tony whispered. 

“I don’t need to,” he said. “I can stay up with you in case he wakes up.” 

“You can trust me,” Tony said. “I can take care of him for a few hours while he sleeps.” 

Steve did trust Tony with Pter, but he didn’t trust himself, not when he was asleep. He was terrified of finding a nightmare of his own and waking up with a shout, scaring Peter. “I’ll just sit with you.” 

“Alright,” Tony said, sounding like he didn’t believe Steve. 

His disbelief was proven right when after only a few moments of sitting in a comfortable silence next to Peter and Tony, Steve fell asleep. 

He didn’t have one nightmare the entire night and woke up the next morning after a full night of rest next to Tony and Peter, who were both still sleeping soundly. Tony’s head was resting on his shoulder as he snored gently. Steve made sure the two of them both looked comfortable and sound asleep still before he let himself fall back to sleep. 

Unfortunately, his smile didn’t last long. 

After he woke up for the second time, he couldn’t let himself fall back into a dreamland where Peter was his forever and Tony was by his side raising him 

Steve had to pack up all of the things they had accumulated for Peter in the last few days while the boy pouted on the floor, watching him. Steve had to avoid looking at him because he knew if he looked at those big brown eyes, then there was no way he would be able to let Peter go. 

Peter stopped begging to let him stay after his little talk with Tony last night. That made it easier to do this, but part of Steve wanted him to keep arguing so that Steve could break and give in. 

After packing his suitcase, Steve lifted Peter in his arms and pulled the suitcase behind him. He walked them into the common room, where the rest of the team was waiting to say goodbye. Though they had only known Peter for a little over a day, they were just as reluctant to say goodbye. 

Natasha came over first, taking Peter in his arms. “Oh, Малыш, I’m going to miss you.” 

Peter wrapped his little arms around her neck. “Imma miss you too, Miss Nat!” 

“You be a good boy, okay? I’ll come visit every week to see you.” 

Peter nodded his head, doing a good job at keeping his tears from falling. 

Clint walked over to them and ruffled his hair. “I’ll go with her, lil dude. Maybe when you’re older, I’ll teach you archery.” 

Peter gave him a small smile, liking the idea of that. 

Thor was next and pulled Peter right from Natasha’s hands, throwing him in the air before catching him. Peter giggled as he soared in the air briefly, while Steve had to stop his heart from jumping out of his chest. “I will miss you greatly, Little Thunder! Know that whenever you see a lightning storm, it is me saying hi!” 

“Okay!” Peter said, a smile on his face now despite his wet cheeks. 

“I’ll see you as well, Peter,” Bruce said, standing next to Thor. “Tony made sure that I would be involved on your team of doctors at the school. I’ll make sure you only ever have good doctors looking out for you.” 

Peter winced only slightly when Bruce said the word doctors. “Thank you, Doctor Bruce.” 

Bruce offered him a warm smile.

“No goodbyes from us because we’re driving down with you, kiddo,” Tony said, putting his hands in his pockets.

Steve took Peter from Thor’s arms and held him close. Peter cuddled against his chest, and Steve knew he was sticking himself to him. He was afraid to say anything and risk his voice breaking. 

“We better get going if we want to get there before traffic,” Tony continued, jerking his head towards the elevator. “Happy will get cranky if we make him wait.” 

Steve nodded his head and took the suitcase in his hand to pull behind him as he followed Tony as he began to walk. 

Peter poked his head over his shoulder and waved goodbye to the team one last time. The tears he managed to hold back were falling down his cheeks as the elevator doors shut in front of them. Steve held him closer, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. 

“You’ll see them again, squirt,” Tony said. “This isn’t goodbye forever.” 

Steve wondered why it felt like that then. 

“You’re going to make so many friends at this new school. Kids just like you. You’re going to have a great time.” Tony was trying to help Peter feel better, but it wasn’t working. The little guy just rested his head on Steve’s shoulder with a small whine. 

They took the elevator down to the garage in silence and walked towards the car waiting for them. Steve opened the backdoor and tried to put Peter in the car seat that was waiting for him, but he refused to let go. Finally, Steve spoke, “C’mon, little guy, you have to let go.” 

Peter shook his head, holding on tighter with a whimper. 

“Yes. It’s not safe for you to be out of a carseat the entire drive.” Steve tried using some more of his super strength to pull him away, but he wouldn’t budge. 

“No! I don’t wanna go!” Peter shouted through a new round of tears. 

Steve couldn’t help his own tears that started to burn his eyes. “Remember what Tony said, buddy. This isn’t forever. I’ll visit you every single day if you want. This isn’t goodbye.” 

“I want you! I want to be here with my family!” He yelled, kicking his feet when Tony tried to help pull him off of Steve. “No! Papa! No!” 

Steve’s heart broke right there. “Oh, sweetheart.” He shut his eyes, kissing the top of his head. “It’s going to be okay.” 

“No! I need to stay!” 

“He’s right,” Tony said softly, taking a step back. 

“See, little guy? Tony says it’ll be okay too.” 

“No,” Tony said. “Peter is right.” 

Steve blinked, feeling like he was going through whiplash. “What?” 

“He needs his family, Steve. He didn’t have anyone until you. For the first years of his life, he’s been nothing but a science experiment. You showed him what it was like to have a father, and those guys up there in the tower are his family. They’re our family.” 

Steve’s eyes widened as he stared at Tony. If he was dreaming, he didn’t want to wake up. 

“I know we’ve only known the kid for a day or two, but he’s imprinted on you like a baby duck. I know what he’s feeling, and asking him to leave his family...who he feels safe with...that’s not the best thing for him. That’s not looking out for him.” 

“But he needs the school, Tony,” Steve said weakly, wanting Tony to fully understand what he was saying. “We can’t help him like Professor Xavier can.” 

“We’ll still take him,” Tony said quickly, his mouth struggling to keep up with his brain. “We can take him for a week once a month. You can spend the week with him or we can drop him off. He’ll still get his education and training.” 

Steve’s heart started working as fast as Tony’s brain was. “We’re Avengers. What happens when we’re called into a mission? How can we be guardians for a child?” 

“There’s six of us,” Tony said, taking a step closer. “There will always be someone to watch him, and if the team is all busy, we have others. Rhodey, Happy...we can figure something out, Steve.” 

“He’s a toddler,” Steve said, really wanting to make sure that Tony knew what he was getting himself into. “He will cry and scream and throw tantrums. He’s a lot of work and responsibility. Having a kid around the tower will require lifestyle adjustments from all of us.” 

Tony was only a few inches away as he looked up at Steve. “The life that comes with raising Peter with you is the life I want.” 

Steve’s eyes widened. With you… Tony wanted to help raise Peter with him? Did that mean what Steve hoped it meant? “Are you sure?” 

“As sure as the tide,” Tony promised. “All he really needs is a family, and we can give him that without taking him to that school. I don’t know that I will always be the best...but I’ll try. I want to be better than my father.” 

Peter loosened his hold on Steve finally when he started to understand just what their conversation meant. “I can stay?” 

“It’s up to you, Pete,” Steve said with a growing smile. “I know you said you wanted to have a dad, but what about two?” 

Peter nodded his head, leading out a squeal. He reached out for Tony with grabby hands and Tony came closer to hug Peter as Steve pulled him in close. 

“Two dads, three uncles, and one aunt.” 

“Sounds like Full House,” Tony said, coming close to Steve’s other side. 

“It sure will be,” Steve agreed. “But full houses are better than empty ones.” 

“Hey, are we going to the school or not,” Happy asked, stepping out of the car to see what was taking so long. 

Steve looked down at the little boy curled in one arm and the man in his other. He looked back up to Happy with a smile. “No...we’re staying here. This is home.” 

“You ready for a nephew, Hap?” Tony asked, staying close to Steve’s side. 

Happy raised his eyebrows as he looked at Peter. “I can see it in his eyes already. He’s gonna be a tornado of trouble. God help me.” 

Peter giggled, kicking his feet as Steve pressed a kiss to the top of his head. His curls tickled his nose as he did, and it was one of his favorite things now. Those wild brow curls and those big brown eyes. 

Funny thing was, Tony had the same wild hair (when it wasn’t gelled down for public appearances) and brown eyes. 

Steve pressed a kiss to Tony’s temple, watching as he looked up at him with wide eyes and a blush. He hoped he didn’t cross a line even though it seemed like that had been what they were heading for. He didn’t understand modern relationships. He still barely understood relationships in the ‘40s. 

“You missed,” Tony whispered, tilting his head up and going on his tippy toes for Steve. 

Steve smiled before ducking his head down and pressing his lips to Tony’s. He heard Happy groaning in the background as Peter let out an excited giggle. Steve pulled away and saw that he was hiding his face behind his hands but peeking through his fingers. 

“We should head back up and let the family know we’re keeping the little guy,” Steve said, still staring down at Tony, unable to believe they were going to raise Peter together. 

“Maybe Auntie or an Uncle will offer to babysit while I take you out for lunch,” Tony said, slipping his hand into Steve’s. 

“What changed your mind?” Steve asked, desperate to know who or what he had to thank. 

“You did,” Tony told him as they walked back over to the elevator, hand in hand. “I realized that I was being selfish. The kid is best with us, and you’re best with the kid.” 

“And you,” Steve added. 

Tony smirked. “Well, that’s just a bonus. But I could tell you wanted to be a dad, and I know you’d be a great one, just like Peter said. You lost so much in that ice; I couldn’t take something else away.” 

“You’re going to be a good dad too,” Steve told him. 

“I hope so.” 

“I know so.” Steve kissed the top of Tony’s head. “I can’t wait to do that when you get all of this gel out of your hair.” 

“Me too, Papa!” 

“Of course, little guy,” Steve said before kissing Peter’s head again. 

“Oh, I’m going to have to fight that little duckling a lot for your attention,” Tony said with a smile. “I can already tell.” 

Peter gave him an innocent smile. 

“God help me now, “Tony said, laughing, leaning his head on Steve’s shoulder as they walked together into the elevator. 

It was definitely Tony’s turn for God to help him because he already helped Steve. He gave Steve a reason to live in this time and belong. Peter was his boy, Tony was his man, and he had a family waiting in the tower. 

Nothing could get better than this.

“Peter! Get your butt up! You’re going to be late!” Tony yelled as Steve dropped a plate of pancakes onto the table. Clint almost stabbed his hand in a rush to grab a pancake first. Steve rolled his eyes in amusement as he went to get the bacon as well. 

“Must you yell?” Bruce asked with a wince. “Just ask JARVIS to get him.” 

“He ignores JARVIS,” Tony replied. “Pete! Breakfast!” 

Peter came out a moment later, looking like he slept in his clothes and hadn’t brushed his hair in days. He stumbled to the breakfast table even though it was almost nine in the morning. “Dad, you’re so loud.” 

“I know, bambino” he said, dropping a kiss to Peter’s head before taking a seat. 

“Pops, tell Dad I need beauty sleep.” 

Steve started to fill Peter’s plate with food, even though he knew he could do it himself. Steve always liked to dote on him more than usual when he was getting ready to go away to Professor Xavier’s. Steve and Tony hadn’t stayed the week with him since he was a kid. They usually spent the week having alone time or doing a mission for SHIELD. Of course, the entire time, they spent it missing Peter; that would never change. 

“You don’t need anymore, little guy,” Steve dropped a kiss to Peter’s head before sitting on the other side of him. “You’re already so handsome.” 

Peter’s cheeks blushed red as he whined, dragging out the vowel in his name, “Pops.” 

“It’s true,” Tony added. “You’re the most handsome boy we know.” 

“I hate you guys,” Peter grumbled with no heat behind his words. 

Steve smiled, ruffling his hair. “No, you don’t.” 

“What’re you doing at school?” Bruce asked, trying to distract Peter from the humiliation. 

“I’m going against Bobby Drake in our sparring matches. He won last time, so I’ve got some pride to win back,” Peter said before stuffing his mouth with pancakes drenched in syrup. 

Steve knew of Bobby Drake. Ice was his power, and he was strong. He could still remember when Peter came home a few months ago, shivering. Bobby had bested him in their fight, trapping Peter in a block of ice. Peter was fine with it, and Professor Xavier assured him he would be fine after Steve had called up when his boy came home shivering. It took him a few days to warm up because of his body’s inability to thermoregulate, and Steve had never been so worried. 

Well, that was a lie. Steve worried about Peter a lot when he was out as Spider-Man. It just came with his role as his father. He’d been worrying about him since they found him in that rubble eleven years ago. 

“Be careful with him,” Steve warned. 

Peter usually rolled his eyes and gave Steve an attitude about his overprotectiveness, but he knew not to joke around about ice. “I will, Pops. Don’t worry. We have partners, and Jean Grey is with me. She kicks ass.” 

“So do you,” Tony said. “My little ass kicker.” 

“Tony,” Steve chastised. 

Groaning dramatically, Tony said, “Sorry. Our little ass kicker.” 

Peter giggled, something he had never grown out of. 

“No matter if you win or lose, as long as you do your best, we will be proud of you,” Steve said with a smile. 

“Thanks, Pops,” Peter said, smiling over at him. “Don’t worry. I’m gonna win. Aunt Nat and I have been working on special moves. They won’t know what hit ‘em.” 

“Natasha is a great teacher! I fear for the other children." Thor slammed his hand on the table a little too hard, sending a fork flying at Clint, who ducked down just in time. 

"I fear for us," he muttered. 

Peter looked around the table with a little frown. "I'm gonna miss you guys." 

They went through this every time Peter went to the school. He was always homesick at least the first day. 

Steve hated saying goodbye as he and Tony dropped him off, but that wasn't the worst part. It couldn't be because Steve knew it wasn't forever. Peter would be home soon. 

And besides, the week away always led to the best hug from his little guy when he drove to the school to pick him up. 

Holding him in his arms, pressing a kiss to his head was always worth the goodbye because it wasn't forever. It never would be.