Chapter Text
Margaret Sarah Maria Stark-Rogers had her entire family wrapped around her little finger within a week. It wasn’t surprising, considering how adorable she was. That factor was only multiplied when she and Peter did anything together. It made everyone in the room want to coo and squeal, they were that cute.
That being said, she also had her fair share of problems. Clearly, being left on the steps of the firehouse hadn’t been the start of her problems. It was clear that she had had prior traumatic experiences. Peter had come from a troubled home, Steve and Tony knew that off the bat. But Peter had only been six months when OCS was called. Peggy had been at least three years when she was left at the firestation.
She called Tony and Steve “daddy” and “papa,” learning the names from Peter within the first few days. Other than daddy, papa, and Peter, Peggy didn’t talk. At all. At first, Tony and Steve thought she was just shy and adjusting to her new surroundings. But when a month had passed without her talking at all? It was crystal clear that there underlying issues at play.
And then the nightmares started.
It wasn’t unusual for people in the tower to have nightmares, they all had turbulent pasts. But being woken up to your daughter’s screams on a nightly basis? There was only so much the parents could dismiss as usual.
.
Steve jolted awake. He turned over and saw Peggy standing next to the bed. Her beautiful little emerald eyes were positively full of tears and she was holding onto a pink, fuzzy blanket. (It was gift from Tasha.) Peggy wasn’t making any noise, she was just standing next to the bed, crying in silence, waiting for one or both of her parents to wake up. Steve quickly scooped her up into a cuddle.
“What’s the matter, sweetheart? Can you talk to Papa?” Steve rubbed her back as he got up, thinking maybe if walked it would help to soothe the crying toddler.
Tony rolled over, saw Peggy in Steve’s arms, and was immediately awake.
“What happened?”
Steve was making shushing noises, “I’m not sure. I woke up and she was standing next to the bed, sobbing. I think she’s calming down.”
Tony padded over to rub Peggy’s back, “Hey, baby, Daddy’s here. Can you tell us what’s wrong babygirl? Please?”
Both Tony and Steve sat down on the bed once Peggy had stopped crying, trying to get their little girl back to sleep. They had almost succeeded, her eyelids were fluttering when Peter walked in, yawning and rubbing his eyes, “Whas goin on?”
All of the walls in the tower were soundproof, so technically speaking, Peter shouldn’t have been able to hear anything from his room down the hall. The running theory was that with his spider powers, came enhanced senses, similar to Steve’s.
Tony stood up to pick their son up, “Peggy had a nightmare, baby. Why are you up?”
Peter yawned again, “Had a funny dream Daddy. And then I woke up and heard you and papa in here”
Tony brought Peter over to the bed, where Steve was still trying to get Peggy to sleep, “Was it a good dream, munchkin?”
Another yawn and Peter snuggled closer to Tony, “Don’t ‘member, Papa. Just funny. I think Uncle Clint was in it.”
Tony grinned, “Well then it was probably weird, and more than likely a good dream, huh, bud?”
“Mhm, Daddy.” Tony tucked the blanket tighter around Peter, “You’re really warm, daddy.”
With Peter practically asleep in Tony’s arms, and Peggy clearly not going anywhere, Steve suggested that they just let the kids sleep with them tonight.
Tony yawned while nodding, “Sounds like a plan.”
And that’s how they ended up in a family sandwich, Steve and Tony curled around Peggy and Peter, hoping against hope that the nightmares would stay away.