Work Text:
A child really is the last thing anyone expects to find in the Avengers Tower. And yet Steve is currently chasing a 5-year-old boy through the floor, thinking that it shouldn’t be possible for a kid to outrun him – but somehow Peter manages it.
Peter rounds a corner, laughing loudly. The sound comes to an abrupt stop though, climaxes in a squeak and Steve feels his own smile grow wider.
Sure enough, when he comes into the spacious living room Peter ran into, he finds the boy struggling to escape Tony’s arms.
“Playing hide and seek with Cap, huh?”, the brunet asks and ruffles Peter’s hair. The boy laughs and stops his attempts on escape, instead starts clinging to Tony and nodding enthusiastically.
“He’s faster than he looks”, Steve says with a smile. He steals a quick kiss from Tony and then rubs over Peter’s back. “You’re gonna grow up into a real ninja one day, Peter”, he adds, blue eyes crinkling. The boy grins.
“Will I be as cool as Auntie Tash?”, he asks; because Natasha has become his favourite, despite the short amount of time he’s been here. “I wanna be as cool as her! She said she’ll show me a lot of spy things.”
Steve is only a little bit worried over this plan. He glances over to Tony – and notices the soft frown wrinkling his lover’s forehead. Normally, that could simply mean that Tony’s thinking about some project he has going on; but he is also chewing on his bottom lip, which means there is a problem.
“Why don’t you go and find Auntie Tash?”, Steve suggests and takes Peter from Tony. “I’m sure she’ll want to spend some time showing you spy tricks, alright?”
Of course that has Peter’s eyes go wide in excitement and he runs out of the door as soon as Steve sets him down. He quickly asks JARVIS to inform Natasha, before he focuses his attention on Tony.
His lover has both arms crossed over his chest and he looks tense. Worried. Yet when Steve steps closer to pull him into a hug, there’s no resistance at all. Tony leans against Steve’s chest with a sigh and wraps his arms around the blond in return.
“Something wrong, Tony?”, Steve asks quietly.
Tony’s chest expands with the deep breath he takes and his voice is barely above a whisper when he answers: “I-… I found Peter’s guardians.”
Steve’s eyebrows climb up; this is actually good news, so why does Tony look so worried?
They’d found Peter a week ago in a collapsed building. It had gotten destroyed while the Avengers had been fighting the villain of the week and Steve still felt his blood run cold in horror at the thought of what could have happened to Peter had they not found him under the rubble. It had been a fight with too many victims already.
He tightens his hold on Tony, gently running one hand over his lover’s back. “But isn’t it good news that you found them? We were looking for them since we took him here.”
Tony tenses in his arms, pressing closer.
“Benjamin and May Parker”, the genius mutters into Steve’s neck, voice tight and strained. “They’re- they’re both dead, Steve. I had JARVIS look through the list of casualties. They were listed there.”
He doesn’t say what they are probably both thinking. That last battle has cost too many civilian lives – and now they have the confirmation it also cost the lives of Peter’s family members. The knowledge sits heavily in Steve’s stomach and he hugs Tony even tighter, hoping he can soothe his trembling.
.
With Peter’s guardians dead, there is no reason anymore for him to stay at the tower. Steve knows they can’t actually keep him here; they are always a target and it’d put Peter in danger, but God, he wishes he could-
Steve’s actually a bit surprised that he really wishes he could be Peter’s family. He doesn’t want the boy to leave and he knows Tony got attached to Peter as well, spoiling him rotten.
Tony is always worried when he’s around kids, thinking he won’t be a good influence on them ( and not for the first time Steve wishes he could punch Howard for being the reason for this) but he is great with Peter. It’s obvious how much he loves the boy – and how much Peter adores him in return.
Steve might have allowed himself to dream about having this. About having a family with Tony.
Except it can’t be.
Peter can’t stay with them for much longer, he’ll be moving into foster care soon. Pepper is already taking care of the paperwork.
It’s upsetting Steve more than he lets on, but he spends every free minute he has with Peter. When he can get his hands on Tony, the three of them will all be together playing. Peter looks so happy, it makes Steve’s chest feel tight.
.
While they are all aware of the fact that they’ll likely have to say goodbye to Peter, Steve and Tony have agreed that they won’t send the boy away before his birthday. It just so happens that it’s another week after Tony found out about the fate of Peter’s family.
The whole team prepares the party. It is supposed to be one happy memory before Peter will be handed over to the orphanage or a foster home.
Steve resolutely does not think of the upcoming goodbye. Two and a half weeks have been more than enough for him to get attached to Peter, enough to make him want the boy permanently in his life.
Peter is aware of all of all of this too and just like Tony, he gets quieter. More subdued.
And the night before his birthday, he hugs Steve and Tony a little longer, refusing to let go. Steve holds both of them tightly in return.
.
The morning of Peter’s birthday starts out with loads of blueberry-and-chocolate pancakes, with eggs and bacon and a cake. The kitchen is decorated lovingly (Natasha’s work) and there are Nerf-guns at the ready for an epic fight later(Clint). Peter is up and gone long before Steve can wake him, running excitedly into the kitchen where the whole team sings Happy Birthday for him.
It’s perfect.
Steve watches the scene with a soft smile, but there is a twinge of bitterness to it. He doesn’t want to lose this, even though it’s only been like this for barely three weeks.
A pair of arms wraps around his waist and then Tony mushes his face into Steve’s shoulder with a yawn. “Mornin’ sweetheart”, he whispers in a sleep-rough voice that makes the blond melt a little.
“Morning, Tony”, Steve mumbles back and rests his hands over Tony’s. They stand like this for a moment, before Tony moves and leans over Steve’s shoulder, lips brushing his ear.
”I got a surprise for you”, he says and now Steve turns around to look at him, confusion written all over his face. Tony grins. “A surprise for you and Pete, actually, And for myself because I’m greedy like that. Go sit, I’ll be right back.”
Steve does as he’s told, sliding into the chair by Peter’s side.
Only moments later, Tony walks back into the kitchen – and he’s holding a paper in his hands.
“Happy birthday, Pete”, Tony says with the biggest grin ever and puts the paper down in front of the boy and Steve.
“Certificate of Adoption. For Peter Parker” it reads and Steve’s mouth goes dry when his eyes slide down further. His own name as well as Tony’s are listed as Peter’s new guardians.
Peter, of course, can’t read what the paper says and his eyes are very big and very brown when he turns to look at Steve. “Steve, what’s that mean?”
Steve wraps him up in a bear-hug, pressing a kiss into Peter’s messy, hazel-brown hair. “That means you can stay with Tony and me if you want, partner.”
Peter’s loud yell of happiness and excitement is the best answer and Steve drags Tony down to join their cuddle pile, whispering a quiet “Thank you” into the dark locks of his lover.