Chapter Text
In the month since a new kid had arrived in their lives, Tony found himself being bothered more by the boy than he ever intended. The kid was always underfoot and he had a mouth on him. More often than not he wanted to smack the kid. Thankfully though, once the boy got on his nerves he’d send him back down the elevator via Steve, Rhodes, or Happy. If it was up to him, he’d have the guys drop the boy off at an orphanage or something, but he couldn’t do that now. Once Peter had been introduced to his new friend he had been completely enamored.
Completely.
From the time Peter opened his eyes until he passed out he had questions about his new friend. When he could play with his new friend? What was his new friend eating for breakfast? Did his new friend have a night light like he did? Could his new friend spend the night? Tony found the whole ordeal to be exhausting yet rewarding.
That was why he wasn’t surprised at all when he saw his son piling toys into a small bag. Standing there he watched the boy pick out several toys then examine them before either tossing it back in his toy chest or into the bag. Tony figured he knew what was happening, and he shook his head before sighing.
His kid was too pure.
“Hey Prince, what you got there?”
The boy turned around surprised a bit and fumbled with the toy in his hands. “Oh nudding.”
Tony smiled before frowning at his son. “Wanna try again while you’re holding onto the contraband.”
Peter dropped his head. “Just a um doy.”
With a smirk, Tony made his way into his son’s room. “A toy, huh? For who?” Without even needing to ask, Tony knew who it was for, but he wanted to hear it from his son.
“Goldie,” the boy replied quietly as he brushed his long curls out of his face.
“Prince. We’ve talked about this,” Tony started his often repeated conversation. If it were up to Peter he would have given the boy everything he owned from the first day they met. Several times he’d caught him trying to send Goldie back downstairs with some token of their time together. Try as he could, he along with his team were often outsmarted by Peter who despite their best efforts still somehow managed to sneak Goldie items from his room. His kid had a bleeding heart and there wasn’t anything he could do to stop it.
Oh, his sweet, sweet Prince.
His son stood up in a huff and blew the long curls out of his face. “But it’s not fair! Goldie don’t got no toys and I got all of dese,” he said, flailing his arms in the direction of his massive toy collection. “He needs to have someding to play wiff!” There were so many issues with that sentence, but Tony was too tired to worry about it.
“Buddy. Goldie is different from you.”
Again Peter shook his head defiantly. “So was Steve and you said Granpa treated him like a son!”
Tony rolled his eyes. Of course the kid would remember that one statement that one time he said it.
“You said he got better toys ‘an you! So Goldie can too!”
“Prince.” Tony used his firm tone to try to bring the conversation to an end. Instead though, his son one upped him and changed his tactics. He put his little hands on Tony’s forearms and leaned forward on his toes.
“Please?” The boy let his big brown eyes seep into Tony’s heart.
Still trying to remain firm, Tony shook his head. “Prince.”
“But he comes up to play and he don’t know how! If he got some of his own den he could! Please Daddy? Pleeeeeease?”
Tony wanted to be annoyed. He really did, but how could he say no when his son was so good and kind? Those were traits that didn’t pay in the life they lead, but maybe he could mold into something more.
Something better.
He opened his mouth, but Peter’s big eyes wouldn’t let him rest. Tony stood up and looked around the room. It wouldn’t hurt to share some of his toys. “Fine.”
Peter squealed before jumping up and down.
“But only a few of them and only ones I say you can but no more. Hey, listen to me, you can only do it this one time, deal?” He could tell the boy didn’t like that, but nodded anyway.
After a few more moments of excited jumps, Peter flopped on the floor and started to pack more toys. “Thank you Daddy! Dis will be so much fun!”
“Deal?”
Peter looked up and nodded. He stuck out his little hand and reached for his dad’s. Tony raised his eyebrow. Silently Peter stood and looked up at Tony before again sticking his hand out. This time Tony shook it.
“Remember, you always stand up when you shake someone’s hand and you always,” Tony started and waited for his son to finish.
“Look dem in da eye,” Peter finished.
Tony reached down and brushed the curls out of Peter’s face. “Perfect, Princey.” He turned and looked around the room. It was clear that even in a few weeks that the golden haired kid had arrived, Peter had been different. His speech wasn’t getting any better, not yet anyway, but he could see changes elsewhere. Peter smiled more and he wasn’t as clingy. The biggest thing though was that he didn’t have any more outbursts.
Leaning back on the chair next to Peter’s play area, Tony smiled as his son regaled him with stories from his classes with his tutor and how hard Peter laughed when Happy burned his grilled cheese for lunch. Of course, the conversation eventually shifted to Peter’s new friend and Tony let himself enjoy his time with his son regardless of the topic. With the FBI breathing down his neck more each day, he relished the quiet moments like these.
“Daddy?”
“Yeah?”
“Can Goldie train with me?”
Tony looked down at his boy. He was working hard to keep the kid around on an as needed basis. It was nice to have a friend, but Goldie, while he showed promise, hadn't displayed any signs of being loyal.
Not yet.
“Why do you want to do that?”
The little boy looked up at him with a ‘duh’ face. “We would have fun!”
Tony raised his eyebrow at the little boy. “Is training fun?”
Peter frowned and shook his head. “No. It’s serious, ‘cause it’s life.”
“Right.” Tony smirked at his boy. Even at six he was becoming such a little boss and Tony absolutely loved it. “Tell me why training is life.”
Peter squared his shoulders and offered Tony his most serious face. “Cause um if anyding happen to me I need to be ready. So I gotta focus.”
If Tony wasn’t a mob boss he would give his son a wide grin, in this moment though he wanted his son to understand the seriousness of the situation.
Even at six, Peter had to be prepared for the life he was going to live.
He was Prince Carbonell Stark.
Heir to the Stark throne.
”So no, he can’t come to training with you. When you’re training you need to be focused and prepared.”
Peter came and pulled himself onto Tony’s lap at the pronouncement. “Dats no fair,” he pouted.
“Daddy’s not doing it to be mean. I want you to be safe.” Peter looked up at him and Tony couldn’t stop his smile as the little brown eyes staring up at him were May’s. “You’re the most important thing to me in the whole world. You know that?”
“And if anyding happen’ to me you be upset.”
Tony nodded. “I would be absolutely devastated. So that’s why I want you to be safe at training. You don’t need to be playing. You need to be focused.”
Peter curled his little legs up and leaned into Tony’s chest.
“I know it sucks right now, but you’ll get bigger and stronger soon then maybe you can train with Goldie.”
“But, I can get better now.”
“How?”
“It’s hard to fight dummies all da time.”
Tony looked at his boy. That was a good point, but it could make Peter vulnerable if the new kid learned Peter’s tells from their youth.
“And Ms. Dasha say I need someone my size ‘cause it would be easier to learn.”
He took in his son and noticed the savvy of his negotiating skills.
He did make some good points.
Tony again wanted to say no, so badly, but he couldn’t. He had to give Peter something, otherwise he would give up. Tony knew how it felt to be constantly shot down and berated. “Once a week only,” he said, staring at Peter’s now bright and smiling face. “But, if Ms. Tasha says you’re goofing off then that’s it, got it?”
“Yes.” Peter leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Tony’s neck. “Dank you Daddy!”
~/~
Ever since Peter had told him that Goldie didn’t have any toys to play with, he was having a hard time not wondering about the little blonde boy.
For the last week or so he’d been secretly watching the boy via the security cameras he had in his office. He chewed on his lip as he watched Steve once again send the boy around the track. At this point the kid was sweating and clearly out of breath. Tony wasn’t sure what the problem was exactly, but for some reason this was bothering him.
A lot.
So far he hadn’t yet seen the kid go to school, even though he’d advised it. He also hadn’t seen him receive any supervision aside from the drills that Steve had him run.
He had given Steve very specific instructions about how he wanted Goldie to be trained, but once again it seemed like Rogers was doing his own thing.
Surprise, surprise.
“Still spying?” Glancing up at Rhodes, Tony didn’t respond. “You know you can change this whole situation.”
“How? Shooting Rogers? Cause I’m considering it.”
“No, you take the kid.”
“Take him? Seriously? I don’t know that kid from Adam.”
“Then why are you watching those monitors the same way you do when Peter is asleep up here and you’re in the bunker?” Without responding, Tony hated how Rhodes always knew what he was thinking even when he didn’t want them to. “Come on. You know you want to.”
“It’s not done.”
Rhodes snorted, before walking toward Tony. “Like you’ve ever lived by the rules. Remember when I was sixteen and you were fourteen and we went out on dates with those Osborn girls?” Tony did in fact. What a wild night that was. “Howard was pissed, old man Osborn almost had a coronary and yet you cackled at the absurdity of it all. What was it you said? Who cares where they come from? They’re hot? It’s the same thing, man. Who cares where this kid comes from? I mean it didn’t matter with Peter.”
“It mattered.”
“Yeah, his brown eyes and beautiful mother mattered. You and I both know you hated the rest of her family. So what does that say?”
“Don’t you have men to lead?” Rhodes smirked.
“Whatever you say man. Just think about this, you want that kid to be Peter’s right hand, right?” Tony raised his eyebrow. “Who became your right hand? The kid raised by Howard or the one you grew up with?”
As Tony watched Rhodes leave, he leaned back in his chair. Growing up he’d hated Steve Rogers and everything about him. He was the one who got to ride with Howard when he went to scout the streets. He was the one who got to be with Howard when he did his paperwork. He was the one who got to scour maps and old history books.
But it was Tony who was the ire of his father’s wrath. Nothing he did was good enough, while everything Steve did was perfect and forgivable.
When Tony had broken his wrist when he fell out of a tree he had to endure scorn from his father. When Steve had broken his arm during a training session he was given open praise from Howard himself. Even with clear signs that Rogers had been crying. He was still praised.
His whole life, Steve was never brutally ridiculed for weakness or mistakes, but Tony was. Rogers got the best parts of Tony’s father and yet Tony was the one when the time came who got the empire.
This was definitely something to think about.
~/~
Goldie moved around the room hoping to find something that he could use to get himself out of here. He wasn’t sure exactly how long he’d been in the bunker, but he knew it was a long time.
Everything about it wasn’t awful.They fed him good, gave him new clothes, and he finally had a bed. His favorite part was that he got to take a bath everyday and he hadn’t been able to do that ever. So all in all, this place wasn’t awful, but he wasn’t cut out for his strict life.
From the time he opened his eyes until when he fell asleep he had to be somewhere and do something. Drills, PT, school, swimming and a million other things that he felt like made his head swim. After looking around and finding nothing he decided to give up. Flopping backward he grabbed one of the books he’d swiped from the library about prison escapes.
He made himself as comfortable as he could in this underground hellhole.
He wasn’t sure how much later it was that he heard the door to his room burst open. “Get your feet off my bed.” Goldie would have fallen on his face if he hadn’t braced himself for the impact. Turning his head he glared up at the teen who he shared a room with. “What? I told you not to touch my stuff.”
“Your bed’s stupid anyway.”
“At least I have one.” Goldie rolled his eyes. Shows what that kid knows. A cot was better than a pile of boxes on the floor anyday. He blew his breath before rolling his eyes.
“I don’t care. I don’t want your bed anyway.”
“Coulda fooled me. You’re always in it.”
“I thought it was mine,” Goldie said.
“Yea, sure whatever.” Bucky pulled out the controller to his game and turned on his tv. Goldie watched the cool images appear on the screen. He wanted to play, but he knew asking or even hoping wasn’t worth it.
Besides, he wouldn’t be there much longer anyway. As soon as he figured out how to escape he was going to.
He hated wearing the stupd uniform that made him look like a Boy Scout and the dumb haircut they gave him. The food wasn’t terrible, but he was going crazy with all the exercising and drills he had to do.
It was like bootcamp, but he wasn’t in the Army.
“Hey.”
“What?”
“Cap’ll be in here in a minute to take you upstairs. Grab a remote and I’ll teach you how to play.”
“I know how to play,” he said hotly.
“Sure you do.”
“I do!” He grabbed the remote. “I just gotta remember is all,” he said, biting his lip.
He did know how to play.
~/~
Goldie stood next to Steve as they rode up the elevator toward the big house. He didn’t hate the big house. In fact he really liked most of it. The food was better, Prince had loads of toys, and Goldie could see the sun!
His stupid haircut and stupider outfit were worth it if he got to see the sun.
The bunker was huge and it seemed like Goldie couldn’t ever see the end.
“What’s your mission?” Goldie rolled his eyes at the stupid question. Everytime he was around the Prince he got asked the same question and his mission was always the same.
To learn and observe.
He recited the response and made a quick move to run toward the Prince’s room as soon as the doors opened, but he was snatched back harshly.
Whirling around he wrenched his arm out of Steve’s grasp. He winced from the pain, but tried to hide it. “You never run into a situation without checking the surroundings first.” Goldie gave the man a hard look and kept his eyes fixed on Steve’s. “Five pushups.”
Wrenching his arm out of Steve’s he huffed, “Sure your highness.”
“Ten pushups,” Steve said in an even tone. It was clear to anyone that he was daring the boy to object.
Goldie was smarter than that though. He had already learned to not push Steve when he was glaring like that. With a scowl on his face he knelt down he started to do the pushups like he was told to. He hated pushups. They made his arms feel like noodles and he couldn’t do very many at all. Unlike Bucky, it seemed like no matter how many pushups Steve made Bucky do, the teen never got tired.
He wished he was like that.
By the time he was on the seventh one his arms were shaking again. He wasn’t gonna cry though.
“Daddy, where’s Goldie?”
Goldie managed to make it up to finally get to eight but he didn’t know how he’d be able to make it to ten. He squeezed his eyes shut and went down again only to hear Steve remind him that wasn’t a full push up. In spite of himself, he let out a whine and tried it again.
“Oh come on, Rogers, really?” From far away he heard the Boss loud and clear. “What’s the kid done at eight in the morning?”
Goldie couldn’t hear what Steve said, but he did feel himself pulled up to his feet somewhat harshly to his feet. “Prince, you and Goldie here go play,” the Boss growled out.
Before he could register what was happening, Goldie was being dragged across the large living room down the hall and into Prince’s bedroom by his new friend.
Goldie’s arms were still wiggly when he saw the Prince dump a whole bin of Lego’s onto the floor.
“Wanna play?” He did, but his brain was still a little foggy from the hard work. So he shook his head. Instead he leaned toward the still opened door to listen in. Maybe they’d let him leave soon.
“He’s a soldier, Tony,” Steve practically yelled out.
“Yeah right, he’s Rogers. He’s six!”
“He’s seven and what’s it to you? You wanted a soldier and I’m making you one.”
The Boss scoffed, “Like you were?”
“What’s that mean?”
“I don’t want another Steve Rogers for my kid. Got it? That world you were groomed for doesn’t exist in case you haven't noticed.” He could hear Steve start to say something, but Boss cut him off. “Do PT, make the kid strong, but don’t break this kid, Rogers. If you do, I’ll kill you.”
“You had the chance with the kid in case you didn’t remember? So let me do my job and in ten years time I’ll deliver you a well rounded soldier ready to stand as the perfect number two to your special little snowflake of a son.”
He didn’t have to open the door to know that someone had gotten punched. A smirk found its way onto Goldie’s face. Steve deserved to get punched.
“You keep my son’s name out of your mouth, you hear me? I am in charge. This is my outfit. You don’t have to like me but you will respect me. Do you understand?” They were so close their noses were almost touching.
“Yes,” Steve spat out.
“Goldie, Prince get out here.” Goldie glanced at Prince who was standing next to him before they quietly made their way back toward the living room.
By the time they made it back to the living room Steve was no longer there.
~/~
Tony looked down at the two boys in front of him once again knowing that he was doing the right thing. How Rogers could look at a seven year old and think ‘soldier’ was beyond him.
“Things are going to change around here starting now.”
“What kind of changes,” Goldie asked.
Tony smirked. That spunk and wit was exactly what he wanted to preserve. “Changes. From now on you’re gonna be up here with me and Prince all the time.”
Goldie looked at Prince and then at the Boss. “Why?”
“Because I’m trying to save you from being brainwashed by Steve Rogers.” Tony was beyond annoyed. Rogers couldn’t follow the simplest of instructions and then the blatant disrespect.
Oh he’d definitely have a private conversation with that one.
Very soon.
The elevator dinged, spitting out Happy.“You called Boss?”
“Yes, escort young Mr. Goldie here down to the bunker and retrieve all of his belongings. By the end of today I want the room next to Prince’s to be designated for Goldie.”
“Got it. Anything else?”
“Yeah, get Rhodes up here. I want him to design a new curriculum for Goldie.” Happy nodded and turned to leave, before Tony got a thought in his head. “We need to work on papers for Goldie here as well.”
“On it.” The gruff man turned toward the golden haired boy and gripped his arm. “Come on kid. Let’s go.”
Tony turned to leave when he saw the boy kick Happy out of the corner of his eye.
“I ain’t goin’ nowhere,” Goldie growled.
Tony sighed before glancing down at Peter then turned his attention to the little menace before him. “What are you talking about? Didn’t you hear me, kid?”
“I don’t want to live with you,” Goldie growled back.
Tony was beyond shocked. “What?”
“I like Prince and all, but down there’s where I belong.”
“Kid.”
“I’m a soldier. I don’t want whatever it is you’re trying to give me. You think I’m weak or something, but I’m not. I’m a soldier just like Steve and I’ll prove it to you.”
“You’re not a soldier kid.”
“Says who? I can be whatever I wanna be. And I’m a soldier.”
“Who told you that?”
“Steve! He said I gotta be strong and smart so I can help Prince when I’m older. I’m gonna do it too.”
“And how are you gonna do that with those noodle arms of yours?”
“I’m gonna get big and strong. You’ll see.”
“I thought you wanted to leave. Or was that some other small blonde child crawling in the vents.” Goldie glared at the boss. Tony chuckled, he could see how obvious it was that the kid wanted to go off on him. The kid was smart enough to pick his battles.
“Look, you can cut the crap, ok? You can go and hang out with Prince here like you both want. It’ll be uh loads of fun.”
The small boy shook his head defiantly. “I don’t need your pity. I’m gonna be big and strong. You’ll see.”
“Who’s to say that I let you live here long enough to get this uh big and strong.” Near his side he heard Prince gasp. He had trained him by now to school his emotions, so he knew that his son wouldn’t go any further. With this kid, though, he needed to see how he would respond.
“Huh?”
“You heard me. How do you know that I won’t send you away once I’m done with you?”
Goldie bit his lip and looked around. “You won’t hurt me.”
“Why not? What makes you so sure?”
~/~
The tension had risen as high as Goldie had ever felt. Rumlow hadn’t been this scary. He didn’t know what to say. He had bluffed and now it was being called. Looking around he felt the blood pulsing in his ears. Prince was cool, but he had problems. He was such a little baby even if he was nice. The life he’d had wasn’t like his own. He knew that he couldn’t just give that up and become a pampered little kid.
He didn’t want to be a prince.
He wanted to be a soldier.
“You need me,” Goldie said, surprising himself.
“Oh? Do tell,” the Boss said.
“Prince is a little kid. All the guys you have now are old. You need someone to help him when he’s older. That’s me. I’m an uh investment. A good business man doesn’t get rid of investments.”
“Sometimes they do. Especially when the asset becomes a liability. How do I know you’re not talking fast so you don’t become expendable?”
He glanced at Prince who spoke up asking the question he couldn’t. “What’s expendable, Daddy?”
“It means not important or something that can be gotten rid of,” the Boss said in the voice only reserved for Prince.
Goldie gulped before biting his lip. He could do this. “I like Prince.”
“So do a lot of people. That doesn’t mean they deserve to be around him. How are you gonna prove to me that I can trust you?”
“I dunno, but I will.”
“Two weeks kid. Prove your worth or you’re out.”
“That’s not enough time, Boss,” Happy said somewhere.
“Well, the kid insulted me. So what can I say? Two weeks, kid. Prove your worth or that’s it.“
A lump formed in Goldie’s throat while he was once again pulled out of the room by Prince.. He needed to think and formulate a plan.
Maybe Prince could help him.
~/~
A month later, Goldie found himself walking with a bit of a weight off his shoulders. He’d somehow reached the Boss’ goal and was now a full fledged member of the crew.
Well sort of.
He still got treated like some dumb little kid, but now he had his own training schedule and a set of weapons just like Bucky. It was better than the alternative he supposed.
Currently he was doing his best to avoid one of the instructors because he gave a hill of beans about tactics and strategy. That class was more boring than watching paint dry.
“Goldie, get in here,” he heard Steve bark. The boy cursed under his breath. Of course Steve would be lurking in dark offices. As he had been taught he entered the room, stood in front of Steve and stood at attention waiting for instructions. “Report.”
Goldie bit his lip. He didn’t have one.
“Report, private.”
Goldie fought to not roll his eyes. “I have no report,” he added “sir.”
He watched Steve sigh. “Where are you supposed to be and why aren’t you there?”
“I hate strategy. Coulson is so boring.”
“So you just gave up and quit?”
“I don’t get it.” Goldie dropped his head. “It don’t make sense.”
“Look, everything we’re teaching you has a purpose. You just like PT so much you don’t care about anything else.”
“That’s not true. I sparring is fun too.”
“Trust me, with how mischievous you are, you should love strategy.”
Now it was Goldie’s turn to roll his eyes.
“Come here, I’ll show you.”
Goldie took a step forward before he felt himself picked up and set on a stool. Steve pulled up a map on a large computer screen and zoomed in. “This is how I learn about our enemies.”
“By looking at streets?”
Steve chuckled and Goldie felt his ears flame. “Not exactly. You see the streets?” Goldie nodded. “We look for any areas that we can use for our advantage or one that someone can use against us.”
“Like weak spots?”
Steve smiled at him. “Yes, exactly.”
“We used those when I was with Rumlow. Well I did, he was too dumb to figure them out. He always leaf extras around so I used them to build my stuff.”
“Like that weapon you shot at me with?”
“Yep, just like that,” he said with a proud smile.
“You’re not half bad, kid. Where’d you learn this kind of stuff?”
“Around. Mom had some guys who came around from time to time who liked to steal and rob. It was easy to pick up some stuff from them. Other stuff I got from just listening.”
“We’ll you listened good.”
For the first time, Goldie realized that Steve wasn’t half as bad as he thought. He was a stickler for rules and a real stick in the mud, but he was pretty decent. “Thanks.”
“So you’re going to tell me your real name? Or do I have to keep calling you Goldie?”
Goldie rolled his eyes. He absolutely hated that name. “It’s Sal.” He sighed. “Salvatore.”
Steve whistled. “That’s a big name for a little guy.” Goldie shrugged. “We need to give you a nickname. A code name of sorts.”
“Why?
“We all have them. I’m Captain, Rhodes is Rhodey, Happy is obviously Happy, and Bucky.”
“What about King?”
Steve snorted. “You wish. How about Dash?” He shook his head. “You know what, I think I got it. You’re hell on wheels. How about Harley?” He raised his eyebrows. That didn’t sound awful.
“Harley? Like the motorcycle?”
“Exactly like that. What do you think?” He nodded again. “There it is. Welcome to the family Goldie. No, I mean, Harley.”
Harley? He looked up at Steve. The man had a proud smile on his face. It made him feel something he hadn't felt before. Maybe being Harley wouldn’t be so bad after all.