Chapter Text
Tony was working on his newest project in the lab when Jarvis alerted him to an incoming phone call. “Father. Your cousin May is on the line for you,” Jarvis said after lowering the volume. “She says it’s an emergency.”
“May? Remind me again how this person is related.”
“May is the daughter of your Uncle Edward, your mother’s younger brother. Though, I do not believe you have spoken much with them.”
“Right,” Tony nodded as he remembered. “Howard hated them because Uncle Ed would always call him out on his shit. I haven’t seen May in ages, not since her husband died anyways. Patch her through J.”
“Tony?” May’s voice came through the speakers.
“Hi May,” Tony called out while reaching for a rag. “What can I do for you?”
“I'm so sorry to be calling and asking a favour, especially since we haven't really spoken in a while.”
“It’s not a problem May. You’ve had a tough few years, I get it. I could have reached out as well. Don’t worry about it. What do you need from me?”
“Do you remember Ben’s brother Richard?”
“I think so? He and his wife passed over a decade ago, right? Didn’t you and Ben take in their kid?”
“Yes, Peter. He’s fifteen and just presented as an alpha, unfortunately, I was in a car accident a couple days ago and it’s looking like I'm going to be stuck in the hospital for a while. I’ve hurt my back and…Tony, I think I've lost the use of my legs.” Here May broke down crying and Tony was at a loss for what to do.
“May, I’ll do whatever I can to help you. Even after you get out. We’re family and family always looks after one another.”
“Don’t say you’ll do anything until I’ve actually asked for my favour,” May laughed. “I need someone to look after Peter while I’m in the hospital and even after I get out. Like I said, Peter’s freshly presented as an alpha, just a few days ago, and you know my side of the family is all betas. You are the only alpha I know and can trust. Will you look after Peter for me?”
Tony didn’t hesitate. “Yes. And when you are released from the hospital you will come and live in the tower with us. From what I remember you live in a small three-floor walk-up which will be impossible if you are paralyzed. I have an entire floor of medical suites with full-time doctors and nurses to help if you need it. I'm also not taking no for an answer. What hospital are you in?
“Queen’s Hospital Center. Peter’s coming over after lunch.”
“Okay. I’ll be there before lunch and will take him home with me. You just worry about getting better and out of that hospital, I’ll worry about the rest.”
“Thank you, Tony.”
“See you soon May.” Tony ended the call and then headed for the elevator. “J, where’s Pep?”
“Mother is in her office dealing with paperwork.”
“Send me up, please. Also, can you have the cleaning crew do a once-over on the spare room in the penthouse for me? I’ll wait to see what this Peter likes before decorating it. Can you get in touch with the docs and see what May might need when she gets out of the hospital? I don’t know if it would be better for her to have her own floor or to stay with us for the first bit.”
“I’ll get started on that right away. Do you also wish for me to let the rest of the pack know about young Peter?”
“Um, no. That’s okay J, just let them know I need to talk with all of them…say in an hour?”
“I shall let them know.”
“Thanks, J,” Tony got off the elevator and headed for Pepper’s office. “Hello beautiful,” he said sliding into the office.
Pepper smiled at the alpha. “What do you want Tony?”
“I can't come and visit my gorgeous omega without needing something?”
“No.” Pepper laughed. “You have never come to see me at work without needing something. So, what is it this time?”
Tony sighed and sank down into the comfortable chairs in front of Pepper’s desk. “Do you remember my cousin May?”
“Yes, she’s from your mother’s side of the family.”
“Well, she was in a car accident and is paralyzed from the waist down. She’s also the guardian of a fifteen-year-old who’s freshly presented as an alpha. Peter. May asked if we could look after him.”
“And you said yes.”
“I did,” Tony agreed. “I know I should have asked you first but…”
Pepper smiled as she stood and made her way over to the alpha. “But it’s family and family always comes first.” She lowered herself into Tony’s lap and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “I know that it’s one of the things I love about you. Can I also assume that May will be moving into the tower when she’s out of the hospital?”
“Yes,” Tony held onto his omega tightly thankful that she was so understanding.
“Alright. Let me know if you need anything from me. Can I suggest that you head down and let Steve and Bucky know before you tell the rest of the pack?”
“Good idea. I'm going to have to put aside my plans to find Spider-Man for now. Maybe I’ll ask agent to look into it."
Pepper stood and gave Tony a tug to get him upright as well. “Don’t worry about Spider-Man just yet. Get Peter settled into the tower first then you can make plans for finding Spider-Man.” Reaching out, Pepper kissed her alpha then spun him around, giving him a push towards the door. “Go and tell our son about your cousin. I’ll have Jarvis order something for dinner tonight.”
“You’re the best Pep.” Tony blew her a kiss as he left the office and headed for the elevator Jarvis had waiting for him.
“Steve and Bucky are waiting for you on their floor. Bruce and Thor have Ștefana.”
“Perfect.” Tony exited the elevator and headed over to where Steve and Bucky were sitting on the couch. “Sorry to barge in on your quiet time. I’ll be quick and you don’t have to come to the pack meeting later.”
“It’s alright Tony,” Bucky quickly reassured the other alpha. “What’s up?”
“I got a phone call from my cousin May this morning. You haven't met her, but her dad is my mom’s younger brother. I haven't seen her since her husband died a few years ago. May was in a car accident and is in the hospital, she needs someone to look after her teenage nephew, Peter. He’s a newly presented alpha and needs guidance. My uncle’s family are all betas.”
Steve smiled at his dad, “when is Peter coming?”
“What?” Tony asked confused.
“Well, you obviously told your cousin that you would look after Peter. So. When is he coming?”
“I’m heading over to the hospital before lunch and should be bringing him back for dinner tonight.”
“Okay,” Steve shrugged. It didn’t matter to him that this boy was coming to live in the tower. Bucky, however, was a little reluctant. He wasn’t sure what bringing another alpha into the tower would do to the pack dynamics. Things were volatile enough some days without a newly presented alpha thrown into the mix. But no matter his misgivings, he trusted Tony to do what was best for the pack. Catching Tony’s eye Bucky nodded.
Tony watched the emotions cross Bucky’s face. It was clear to him that the other alpha was thinking things over far more than Steve was. He knew it was a risk bringing a new (in more ways than one) alpha into the tower. Add onto that Bucky’s recovery, it was going to be a tough situation, but Tony was sure they would make it work. When Bucky nodded, Tony felt a bit of the tension in his shoulders relax. He had never said anything, and Tony wouldn’t until Bucky was farther along in his recovery, but Tony had begun to think of Bucky as his second in command of the pack.
“Okay,” Tony nodded. “Thanks. I'm going to head down and tell the rest of the pack about Peter, then I’m heading to the hospital.”
“Let us know if you need anything,” Bucky said standing with Tony. “We’ll stay away for the first little bit, let Peter get used to the new territory. Don’t push us on him if he’s not ready.”
Nodding, Tony headed for the elevator and headed down to the common where the pack was waiting for him. “Thanks for coming. I’ll make this short. There will be a teenager living with me and Pep as of tonight. My cousin was recently paralyzed and needs someone to watch over her nephew Peter while she’s in the hospital. Once she’s out, May will also be living here.”
“How old is Peter?” Bruce asked. He had come to the meeting, leaving Thor with Ștefana on their floor.
“Peter’s fifteen and has just presented as an alpha. May and the rest of her family are all betas.”
“Do you really think that’s wise,” Natasha scoffed. “Bringing another alpha into the pack?”
“I never said anything about bringing him into the pack,” Tony told her. He wasn’t surprised to find Natasha had an issue with another alpha. There were already four alphas in their pack of ten. Usually, a pack only had two alphas, the leader and the second. Rarely could multiple alphas work together without killing one another.
“We know you, Tony,” Phil said with a smile. “The probability is very high that you’ll end up accepting them both into the pack. I’m sure that when the time comes, we’ll make Peter feel welcome,” Phil shot Natasha a small glare. “After all, he’s still just a pup.”
“Right,” Tony checked his phone for the time. “I have to head to Queens. Should be back with Peter in time for dinner. I’ll keep you all posted on how he’s settling in.” Waving them off, Tony headed for the elevator. Jarvis had one of his non-descript cars waiting for him, the last thing Tony wanted was to alert the press to Peter moving in with him.
Arriving at the hospital Tony headed up to May’s room, glad that she had told him what room she was in. Knocking on the open door, Tony smiled at his cousin. “Hey there good looking.”
“Tony!” May held out her hand for her cousin. “I can’t tell you how thankful I am.”
“Don’t even start,” Tony sat down beside May’s bed. “You are family and family looks out for each other.” Reaching out Tony gently took hold of May’s hand. “Now, how are you doing? Honestly?”
Groaning, May, leaned back into her pillows. “I hurt all over and they even have me on the good drugs. I still haven't gotten my head around the fact that I’ll probably never walk again.” At that, she broke down crying.
“Oh, Carissima,” (Dearest.) Tony got up and reached out pulling May into a hug. “I won't say that everything will be alright, ‘cause it may not be. But I will say that I’ll be there for you every step of the way and support you however you need it. Jarvis is talking with our doctors about what you will need when you get out. And don’t you dare say I’m doing too much. I'm doing no more than you would if our roles were reversed.”
May laughed as she leaned into her cousin. “Peter will be here soon.”
“Alright,” Tony gave her one more squeeze before pulling away gently. “I'm going in search of coffee and a snack. Let you talk with Peter and let him know what’s going on without me imposing.”
“Oh, Tony. You always seem to know what’s best.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Tony smirked and ducked out of the room. Not a moment too soon as a minute later Peter walked into his aunt’s room.
“Hey, Aunt May.” Peter headed over and sat on the edge of the bed taking May’s hand. “How are you doing today?”
“I'm doing alright,” May smiled at her nephew. “I called my cousin. Tony’s agreed to look after you while I'm in here and he’s making room for me for when I get out.”
“May,” Peter whined a little. “I can look after myself.”
“Peter,” she scolded. “You are fifteen. I would feel better if you stayed with Tony while I'm in the hospital. Once I get out...Peter if I can’t walk anymore, I won't be able to go home. Tony has offered us a place to stay and will help with my recovery. He’s also an alpha and can help you in ways I can’t.”
“May!”
“We talked about this Peter,” May smirked at him. “You agreed to stay with Tony and let him help you adjust; you’re just going a little earlier than we had hoped.”
A knock on the door stopped Peter from objecting. “Everything okay in here May?”
Peter turned around and could only gape at the man standing in the doorway. What is Tony Stark doing here? Is that really Tony Stark? Oh my god! That’s Tony Stark!
“Everything is fine Tony,” May was trying hard not to laugh. “I think Peter’s just having a hard time having his hero in the same room as him.”
“Hero?” Tony looked at the young man feeling confused. No one had ever considered Tony Stark a hero. Iron Man, maybe, on occasion but never Tony Stark.
“Oh yes,” May reached out to rub Peter’s arm. “Peter, this is my cousin Tony. His mother and my father were siblings. He’s going to look after you while I'm in here.”
Peter looked between his aunt and Tony freakin Stark unable to believe what he was hearing. “What!”
May pulled Peter close. “I know it’s all a bit much but Peter, Tony is family, and the Carbonells always look out for one another.” Patting Peter’s cheek, she held Peter’s hand out to Tony. “Go with Tony and let him look after you. I need you to go with Tony and be okay.” Peter let Tony take his hand while reaching for his aunt with the other.
“I’ll come visit,” Peter said shakily.
“Of course,” Tony agreed. “You can come whenever you want and when May is discharged, she’ll come and live with us.”
“I larb you Peter. Go with Tony. You can come back and visit me tomorrow, tell me all about Tony’s crazy tower.”
Letting go of Tony’s hand Peter leaned down and kissed May on the cheek. “I larb you too Aunt May. See you tomorrow.”
“We’ll see you tomorrow May,” Tony wrapped an arm around Peter’s shoulders and guided the young alpha towards the door. “Let me know if you need anything and I’ll bring it over or have it sent by for you.”
“Tony, just don’t blow up Peter, okay?”
“Bye May!” Laughing Tony waved and pushed Peter through the door.
“Tony!” May yelled from her bed. “Damn it!”
Laughing, Tony led Peter down the hall. The pair walked in silence out of the hospital and into Tony’s car. “Climb in kiddo,” Tony gently pushed Peter towards the passenger door. “We’re going to head to your place so we can pack up what you need along with a few things for May.”
“Thank you, Mr. Stark,” Peter smiled at the older alpha as the man drove away from the hospital.
“We’re family kiddo,” Tony shrugged. “May would have done the same if our roles were reversed.”
The pair sat in comfortable silence for the drive to May and Peter’s apartment. Peter fished his keys out of his pocket trying to push down the excited fan girl in his head. I'm leading Tony Stark into my apartment! Oh my god! I'm going to be staying with Tony Stark! Wait until Ned hears about this, he’s going to be so jealous. I wonder why May never mentioned that her cousin was Tony Stark!
Tony watched the pup with a fond smile. He could tell that the boy was excited to be around him (Tony). “Why don’t you pack up everything you think you’ll need for the next few days? We’ll come back later and pack everything up properly for the moving van. While you’re packing, I’ll grab a few things for May.”
Peter ducked into his room with an “okay Mr. Stark,” over his shoulder. It didn’t take Peter long to grab what he wanted. His old laptop that he threw together with spare parts, was the first into his backpack followed by a few changes of clothes, and his newest Star Wars Lego set. Glancing around his room to make sure he had everything; Peter then headed for the bathroom to gather his toiletries. He was ready to go in less than fifteen minutes.
Standing in the living room, Peter noticed that Tony was still in May’s room. This gave him the opportunity to take a minute to himself and look around the apartment. He hadn’t lived here long, only a couple of years. After Ben had died May couldn’t afford the house, so they moved here. It had been nice, perfect for just the two of them. He was going to miss it. But Peter knew that his time in the apartment had been close to an end anyways.
The moment he had presented as an alpha, May had begun talking to him about her cousin, Tony, who also was an alpha. Even if May hadn't been in a car crash, Peter was still going to be leaving. He needed another alpha to help guide him through the first few years after presenting. Usually, it was a parent who helped the newly fledged alpha or omega learn about their place in the world. Unfortunately for Peter, May was a beta and couldn’t help him. They had talked it over after his birthday and they had decided to speak with Tony this coming weekend. For Peter, this move was happening only a few days earlier than planned.
“Do you have everything?” Tony asked when he left May’s room. He was a little concerned that Peter only had a single backpack.
“Yeah,” Peter nodded. “I don’t need much, and this bag is bigger than it looks.”
“Alright, if you’re sure you’ve got everything you want let’s head out. Though I want you to know that if you’ve forgotten anything or realize you need something else, it’s not a problem, just let me know and we’ll get it for you.”
“Thank you, Mr. Stark,” Peter followed Tony out of the apartment, locking the door behind him. Together they made their way back to the car.
Tony drove for a while thinking things over. “Okay,” Tony looked over at Peter. “There are a few things that you need to know since you’re going to be living in the tower. Things that are highly classified, not even SHIELD knows.”
“I won't tell anyone, Mr. Stark, promise.”
“I know. I trust you, Peter. Okay big secret number one, Captain America, Steve, is only five and a half years older than you.”
“What? Captain America is twenty?”
“Yep. He’ll be twenty-one in November. Secret number two. Pepper and I legally adopted him in twenty-twelve. Okay? You still good?” Tony waited for Peter to nod before continuing. “We’ve recently discovered that HYDRA captured one of our soldiers back in World War Two and after injecting them with super-soldier-serum HYDRA brainwashed him doing horrible things to him that I will not be telling you about. Over the last seventy years, that soldier has been made to assassinate people. He was placed in cryogenic freezing when they weren’t using him. We rescued him back in May and he’s living with us now, getting treatment for what he was put through.”
“Man, that’s crazy.”
“It gets even crazier. That soldier is Bucky Barnes.”
“Captain America’s best friend!”
“Steve’s alpha,” Tony corrected.
“Alpha? But I thought Captain America was an alpha?”
“Okay, first. Stop with the Captain America thing. Just call him Steve, he’s not that much older than you and he’s still just a normal person when he’s outside the suit. That’s the other major secret that no one knows. Steve is an omega he lied on his forms. He and Bucky had plans to mate but never got around to it. They are waiting for Bucky’s name to be cleared before mating and Steve won't come out as an omega until he is safely mated.”
“Oh,” Peter sat in shocked silence. It was a lot to take in.
“One other thing that you need to know,” Tony continued. “HYDRA was experimenting with DNA and cloning. They got their hands on Steve’s blood and used it with Bucky’s DNA to create a child. Her name is Ștefana, and she’s five.”
“Is she okay?”
“More or less. Pretty much everyone in the tower is seeing a therapist, including Ștefana, so be aware if someone tells you not to do something it’s because it’s a trigger. Ștefana also suffers from asthma along with a host of heart troubles.”
“How did she get all those if her parents are super-soldiers?”
“She inherited them all from Steve. Before getting the serum, Steve was chronically ill.”
“I guess they kind of gloss over that in the history books.”
Tony groaned as they pulled into the tower’s parking garage. “I know this is new and exciting for you but try to lay off the history book stuff when you’re around Steve and Bucky, it makes them uncomfortable.”
Peter blushed a little. “Right. I’ll keep that in mind.”
Tony reached out and gripped Peter’s shoulder, “it’s okay if you forget, no one will get mad at you. Grab your stuff and I’ll show you your room.” Getting out of the car, Tony grabbed the bag of things for May, then led the way to the elevator. “First thing you need to know about the tower is Jarvis, my AI. Say hi to Peter, Jarvis.”
“Welcome young sir.”
“Hi! Holy cow that is awesome.”
“Jarvis basically runs the tower, so if you need something just ask Jarvis and he’ll help you out. Welcome to the penthouse,” Tony stepped out of the elevator followed by a cautious Peter. “This is mine and Pepper’s floor. Steve still has his room here though he basically lives on his and Bucky’s floor now. Your room is down here,” leading the way Tony paused outside the guest bedroom. “It’s a little basic right now, but we will change it to suit you better. I’ll leave you to get yourself situated when you’re ready I’ll be in the living room.” Giving Peter’s shoulder one last squeeze, Tony left the teen in his new room.
Peter looked around the room in shock. This bedroom was the same size as the living room and kitchen in his apartment! Feeling numb, Peter allowed his bag to slip from his shoulder as he sank onto the bed. What the hell am I doing here? “I've got to be dreaming. That’s it! I'm dreaming. I'm at home in bed taking a nap before heading to meet May and her cousin who is perfectly normal and not Tony Stark.”
“Sorry kid, no such luck.”
Sitting bolt-upright Peter stared at the newcomer in shock. Captain America was standing in his doorway. Blinking Peter had to look the other man over, not sure he was seeing things correctly. He was surprised to find Captain America bear foot wearing cut-off jean shorts and a Buffy the Vampire Slayer t-shirt. “Hi?”
Steve laughed and took a step into the room holding out his hand. “Hi, I'm Steve Rogers. Welcome to the tower.”
Getting off the bed, Peter accepted the handshake. “Peter Parker. Thanks, I still can't believe I'm here.” Letting go, Peter shoved his hands into his pockets.
I bet dad hasn’t realized this is the Peter we’ve been looking for. “I know what you mean. There are days I still don’t believe it. I didn’t mean to interrupt or bother you, I just needed something from my room here and heard you.”
“No! that’s okay I don’t mind.”
“Great! I don’t mean to rush out, but I gotta grab the hair dye and get it into Clint’s shampoo before he gets back.”
“You’re putting hair dye into Hawkeye’s shampoo?”
“Yep!”
“Do you need help?” Peter didn’t know why he was offering to help, but it felt right.
“I won't say no, come on.” Steve was nearly bouncing in his excitement. He had been wanting to do something to cheer Clint up since the other omega had started seeing a therapist. Just like Bucky, Clint often came home feeling tense and angry. Normally his alpha would be there to help calm him, but Phil was still keeping his distance, staying on a different floor while they both saw their therapists.
It had been shocking to everyone when Clint had admitted to seeing a therapist and asked Phil about couples counselling. Phil had agreed and with Jarvis’ help, they had found a beta who helped couples with similar problems. Once a month the pair met with all three therapists in a group session to talk about what they wanted, how to get there, and what progress they had been making. Steve had been proud of Clint and tried to hang out with the other omega more often.
This had led to Steve seeing what Clint was like when he came home from his sessions. Steve understood how difficult therapy was, but whenever Steve had a difficult day, he always had someone to turn to, Clint currently didn’t have anyone. They had talked about their childhoods and Clint had told Steve about his brother and the pranks they would play on each other. So, Steve was hoping this little harmless prank would help Clint feel a bit better.
“Come on then,” Steve led the way to his room where he had stored the dye. It was specially made to hide in the shampoo and become activated with water. Grabbing the bottle Steve raced towards the elevator. “Hurry up Peter,” he called laughing. “Jarvis! Clint’s floor please.”
“Hold your horses,” Peter called back as he skitted into the elevator. “You really are a kid huh?”
“Yep,” Steve popped the P. “Joined up when I was sixteen and crashed at eighteen. Tony and Pepper adopted me on my nineteenth birthday.”
“That’s really nice.”
“You’ve been living with your aunt? Sorry, Tony was a little fuzzy on all the details.”
“Yeah,” Peter nodded his head. “My parents died when I was six and after I went to live with May and Ben, he was my dad’s brother. Uncle Ben passed a couple years ago.”
“I don’t mean to pry, and you can tell me to go fuck myself,” Steve bit his lip not quite sure how to ask without sounding like too much of an asshole. “I just find it slightly odd that you still call them aunt and uncle, even after living with them for almost ten years. I only ask cause I was calling Tony dad within months of waking up and moving here.”
Peter sighed and nodded. He understood where Steve was coming from, he wasn’t the only one to wonder. “Nah, I get it. I think I called Ben dad once when I was seven or eight. He froze and insisted that he wasn’t my dad. I don’t know why, maybe he felt guilty about it, but I never did it again. Tough, I do wish I could have called them my parents, I’ve really missed having that connection.”
Steve smiled and nodded; he knew exactly what Peter was talking about. “We’re here. Do you want to do the honours or shall I?”
“It’s probably best if you do it,” Peter admitted. “I wouldn’t know which bottle to put it in.”
“Okay, wait here. Jarvis will warn us if Clint arrives home early.”
“Indeed, I will Steve.”
“Thanks, J,” waving at Peter, Steve took off into Clint’s apartment. Thankfully, it only took him a few seconds to pour the dye into Clint’s specialized shampoo. Steve had chosen this prank specifically because Clint only used one type of shampoo, not even Phil used it so there was no chance of getting Phil by accident. “Alright! Let’s go!” the two boys raced back into the elevator and returned to Tony’s floor laughing.
“Oh god,’ Tony groaned when they arrived. “What have you been up to?” after a second Tony held up his hand. “You know what, never mind. I don’t want to know.”
“Probably best dad, plausibility deniability and all that,” Steve agreed.
“Yeah,” Peter laughed. “Probably best if you don’t know.”
Tony looked over at Peter and shook his head. “You know I wasn’t expecting you to be pulling pranks on the other avengers your first day.”
Peter blushed and rubbed the back of his head, “I don’t know what came over me.”
Shaking his head, Tony glared at his son, “I do. It’s entirely Steve’s fault. He’s a bad influence.”
“I am not!” Steve protested.
“No, you defentally are,” Bucky laughed as he put Ștefana down. “Sorry for interrupting but I came to get my punk back.”
“Peter, meet James Barnes. Bucky, this is Peter.”
“Nice to meet you, Peter,” Bucky nodded at the younger alpha. “Don’t mean to just show up and then just leave, but I know you wanted a quiet night with Peter.”
“That’s okay,” Peter surprised himself by speaking up. “I don’t mind if they stay.”
“If you’re sure,” Tony nodded. “How bout I give you two options? We can have dinner with the entire pack tonight or it can be just us.”
“Pack?”
“Yeah,” Steve bumped into Peter’s shoulder. “There’s too many alphas living in the tower for there not to have been an alpha fight. Dad won.”
“I guess that makes sense. Might as well get it done and over with…right?”
“If that is what you want, Peter,” Tony was quick to reassure the young alpha. “No one is going to force you into meeting everyone before you’re ready. We know it’s a lot to take in.”
“I think I would rather get it done right away, so there’s no surprises.”
Tony nodded, “it that’s what you want. Jarvis let the pack know we’ll have dinner on the common and that Peter will be joining us. What would you like to have for dinner Peter?”
“Um,” Peter bit his lip and looked at Tony, feeling calm around the man. “Would it be okay if we have Tai?”
“Tai it is. Jarvis?”
“I shall let them know and place the order for Tai food.”
“Thanks, Jarvis.” Tony turned back to the three boys and was promptly tacked by a tiny body. “Cosa posso fare per te mio piccolo microbo?” (What can I do for you my little microbe?)
“Su per favore Nonno.” (Up please Grandpa.) Groaning, Tony bent down and picked the little girl up. “Possiamo andare a trovare gli zii?” (Can we go see the Uncles?)
“Se va bene con tua madre e tuo padre.” (If it’s okay with your mom and dad.) Tony and Ștefana both looked expectantly at Steve and Bucky.
Bucky just shrugged leaving it up to Steve. “Sta bene con me,” Steve sighed. (It’s fine with me.) “Assicurati solo che nessuno usi l'estintore.” (Just make sure that no one uses the fire extinguisher.)
Glaring at Steve, Tony turned on his heel and stormed off towards his lab leaving two laughing super-soldiers and a very confused teen. “Okay,” Peter looked between the two men. “What just happened?”
“Sorry,” Steve chucked. “We tend to not speak English much around here. Ștefana wanted to spend time with the bots down in the lab. I just told dad not to let anyone play with a fire extinguisher. The last time they were down there Dum-E got a hold of another fire extinguisher and covered them all in foam. There’s pictures.”
“Stevie,” Bucky scolded lightly. “You promised not to show those.”
“Meh.”
“I am not helping when your dad finds out,” Bucky shook his head. Steve just stuck his tongue out at his alpha.
“Steven!” Pepper scolded. “Please try to act your age. Hello, Bucky, how are you feeling today?” ignoring her pouting son, Pepper pulled her son-in-law into a hug.
“I'm alright,” Bucky gratefully accepted the hug. “Came looking for Stevie cause Tătic (dad Romanian) and Isä (dad Finnish) wanted to take me shopping. I was going to leave Ștefana with Steve, but she made Tony take her down to the lab.”
“Well, I'm glad those two are having fun. Remind Bruce that he promised everyone to make East Indian for dinner tomorrow night and that he was going to record a video while cooking.”
“Tătic knows, he said something about needing some specialty cooking pots. I'm sure he’s just making Isä and me come along just to carry his things.”
“It’s concerning if Bruce needs both you and Thor to carry his things,” Pepper cringed and laughed at the thought. “Either way, I hope you all enjoy your time out, you all need some more family time. Just try to make sure you’re all home for dinner.”
“Wouldn’t dream of being late,” leaning down, Bucky kissed Pepper on the cheek, then he pulled Steve close. “I’ll see you at dinner Dragostea mea,” Bucky kissed his omega deeply. “Isä and Tătic said they would see if Ștefana wants to stay with them tonight,” he whispered in Steve’s ear.
Kissing Bucky quickly, Steve pushed his alpha away with a smirk. “Get going then. I’ll hang out with Mom and Peter till dinner. Mo ghrá thú.” (Love you.) Allowing Steve to push him away, Bucky waved as he left the penthouse going in search of his adopted dads.
Peter watched the interactions in confusion. “I have so many questions,” he groaned.
Pepper laughed and wrapped an arm around the young alpha and guided him towards the couch. Settling them down she turned to look at her son. “Steve, why don’t you put the kettle on for us?” she waited for Steve to head into the kitchen before turning her attention back to Peter. “Hello Peter, I'm sorry we weren’t introduced properly. I'm Pepper Stark or Potts as most people continue to call me. I insist that you call me Pepper and let me know if there is anything that you need.”
It was odd for Peter, sitting next to the older omega he felt calm and relaxed as if he could finally breathe. “Thank you,” he said quietly.
Seeing how Peter was reacting to her presence Pepper felt herself melt. It was nice to feel wanted like this. With Steve, Tony was the one he went to when he needed comfort. Sure, Pepper was there on a daily basis and could step in when Tony wasn’t home, but it wasn’t the same, not for her. Slowly, she reached out to lay her arm across the teen’s shoulders. “Awe, sweetie is this the first time you’ve been around an omega?” Peter glanced towards the kitchen making Pepper laugh. “No, Steve doesn’t count.”
“Then yes,” Peter leaned into Pepper’s side. “Even at school, there aren’t many omegas. Most people I know are betas or alphas.”
“Well, what a lot of people don’t know is that when a pup is feeling uncomfortable, nervous, or scared, they are comforted by the parent or adult of the opposite gender.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“It’s okay honey. It can be difficult for pups who grow up in a family of betas and suddenly they come into an inheritance. Thankfully, you have us to lean on.”
Peter didn’t know why what Pepper said hit him so hard, but it did. Peter found himself crying. A moment later and two arms were wrapping around him and pulling him close. Then he was surrounded by a warm comforting scent of parental omega.
Steve watched his mom and Peter from the kitchen with a smile. He had a feeling that he might be getting another brother sooner rather than later. Prepping the tea and a hot chocolate, Steve grabbed some cookies and set it all on the tray before bringing it into the kitchen. “I’ve brought cookies and hot chocolate for you, Peter. Mom always says chocolate helps all.”
Pulling away from Pepper, just a little, Peter smiled at Steve. “Thanks.” Reaching out Peter accepted the mug from Steve and took a sip. “Wow, that’s really good.”
Smiling, Pepper accepted the cup of tea from Steve along with a cookie. The three spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying their drinks and talking about Peter’s past, his interests, and school. As Peter spoke of his schoolwork, Steve and Pepper shared a knowing look. Clearly Peter and Tony would get along quite well.
“Mother,” Jarvis said a few hours later. After listening to Peter talk, Jarvis felt comfortable with calling Pepper mother in front of the boy. “I wanted to remind you all that the food has arrived, and the rest of the pack has begun to gather.”
“Thanks, Jarvis.” Honestly, Pepper was surprised that Jarvis called her mother. The only other person Jarvis felt comfortable using her title around was Thor. “Have you let Tony know?”
“Yes, I alerted father an hour ago and reminded him about dinner a few minutes ago. He is currently packing up his tools with the papera (duck). I will also let you know that Dr. Banner, Prince Odinson and Sergeant Barnes have returned.”
Steve nearly jumped off the couch, making both Peter and Pepper laugh. “Steve, slow down and wait for us.” Standing Pepper offered Peter a hand, pulling the teen up and leading him towards the elevator. “Come on, before Steve jumps down the stairs.” Feeling nervous, Peter held onto Pepper’s hand, wanting to stick close to the omega.
When the elevator opened there was a small body running toward them. “MA!” the child slammed into Steve who picked her up.
“How was your day Mo Réalta?”
“Bhí spraoi agam! Nonno thóg mé chun a saotharlann a fheiceáil. Rinneamar... cad a tugadh air?” (I had fun! Grandpa took me to see his lab. We made a... what was it called?) Ștefana twisted in her Ma’s arms to look at her grandpa.
“Rinneamar teilgeoir réalta.” (We made a star projector.) Tony said slowly, trying to remember the correct words. It turned out that Irish was a difficult language to learn, but he was working on it.
“A teilgeoir réalta! Fuaimeann sin iontach. Ba chóir dúinn é a chur i do sheomra.” (A star projector! That sounds wonderful. We should put it in your room.) Bucky chimed in wrapping his omega and pup into a hug.
“Come on all of you,” Pepper called out. “Dinner is here. All of you around the table now please.” The pack moved quickly to obey the omega. Steve caught Peter’s eye and quickly shook his head, wanting the young alpha to keep silent about Clint’s currently lavender hair.
Sitting at the table, Bucky glanced at Clint then eyed his omega. “Este sigur să presupunem că ai făcut asta?” (Is it safe to assume you did that?)
Steve just smiled at his alpha while serving Ștefana. “Da. Ea devine mai bine. Cu cât își spală părul mai mult, cu atât se va întuneca mai mult.” (Yes. It gets better. The more he washes his hair, the darker it will get.) The pair decided to stick to Romanian, as it was the only language only, they knew.
Around the table, everyone had noticed Clint’s new hair colour and decided to keep silent as no one was sure if it was the archer’s choice or a prank. If it was a prank, then it was better to keep quiet and see how long it can go on for.
During dessert, Steve decided to stir the pot a little, sure that his dad still had no idea about Peter’s last name, or had forgotten, it was fifty-fifty really. “Dad, any luck on the Spider-Man search?”
Tony shook his head, “no not yet.”
Across the table, Natasha and Phil both looked interested. “You’re looking for Spider-Man?” Phil asked.
“Yes,” Tony admitted. “Steve brought up a good point. Spider-Man is clearly new to the hero business and needs help. Even if he never wants to join the Avengers, he needs to be trained. Have you seen the videos of his fights? He’s got potential and I want to help him out. I’ve been working on making a new suit for him.”
“That’s a good plan,” Phil nodded.
“I’ve seen videos of his fighting style,” Natasha added. “He’s alright but needs some help. I would be willing to train him, he has the potential to be great.”
“Really?” Peter covered his mouth shocked that he said anything out loud.
Steve reached out and gently gripped Peter’s arm. “Yes really. We’ll do everything we can to help you…Spider-Man.”
Tony looked at the teen, the cogs in his brain finally clicking into place. “Well shit.”