Chapter Text
After May had gotten into a terrible accident while the two of them were away in Germany, Tony immediately did what he could to get custody of the kid. Even after a couple of days Peter started to grow on Tony. Since Peter moved into the compound with them he started to get more comfortable.
It did not take too long for Peter to start seeing Pepper and Tony as his parents. Even though he had not worked up the courage to call them 'Mom' or 'Dad' yet, that was how he viewed them. The couple could tell, but they were not rushing him. May's death was still rather fresh. Sometimes FRIDAY would alert Tony that Peter's mood had dropped. Usually it was about May, occasionally it was about his Uncle Ben that died before Tony met Peter.
Tony helped Peter out with 'super hero duties.' They worked on upgrades to his suit and discussed what Peter was allowed and not allowed to do. When Peter occasionally broke the rules Tony had placed he would get grounded from being spiderman.
The sudden ringing of a phone caused Tony to stir in bed. While dreary, he pushed himself up to grab the phone by his bed. He looked over to see a call from Happy. Tony sighed, pushing himself to sit up. He looked at the time: 7:22 AM. He got a total of three hours of sleep that night. He answered the call: "Hello? Is this the head of the wake up alarm association?"
"Huh, did not know you could sleep," Happy grumbled from the other side, "Anyways, I've got the gang in the car. We are about to pull up. Just giving you a heads up." He warned.
Tony sighed again, rubbing his temple, "Thanks Happy." He hung up. He then swung his legs out from under the covers, standing up. He looked over to see Pepper still peacefully sleeping. Making sure not to wake her up, he quietly walked over to the closet to quickly change. Once he looked presentable, he made his way to the lobby where the team would be arriving.
When the doors opened to reveal Happy and a bunch of superheroes, Tony could not help the slight grin that grew on his face when he saw how miserable Happy seemed. "Don't you look like a ray of sunshine." He teased.
"Oh shut it. The bird guy and the metal arm dude would not stop arguing the whole time over here." Happy huffed, walking past Tony, "I am going to go take a nap." He announced, walking off.
Tony looked from him to the six people in front of him. He raised his eyebrows, "Welcome to mi casa. You are welcome to stay here until the government cuts off your ankle monitors," He then gestured with his hand for the group to follow, "This way."
He led them to the elevator where the seven of them stood, cramped. Bucky's shoulder grazed Sam's which caused Sam to give him a glare, "Scootch over, will ya?"
"If I were to move any further over I would be smushed against the wall." Bucky responded, gritting through his teeth.
Tony took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. He was not exactly thrilled all of them were here. He was still rather salty towards Bucky, but he decided to be the bigger person and offered the group a place to stay until things calmed down.
The group piled out of the elevator into the common area of the floor. "Okay. Your rooms are down the hall, Wanda I actually did not mess with your room so everything is just as you left it," He then eyed the rest of them, "I can't say the same for all of you."
"Thank you." Wanda hummed, a little shocked.
Sam crossed his arms, "How come she gets her belongings and we don't?" He asked.
"I like her more than you. When you stabbed me in my already destroyed chest I cleared out everything you owned." Tony automatically answered, "also she is just a kid. The rest of you are grown adults. You can find your stuff in the storage room I just can’t promise that it is as nice as you left it."
"Since when do you have a soft spot for kids?" Steve questioned, his eyebrow raising.
Tony shrugged, "Life changing events occurred. Anyways, back on topic," He cleared his throat, "Feel free to the kitchen and any food we have, besides the Oreo's. Those are spoken for. Feel free to explore any room on this floor. There is a movie room, a pool.." He thought, "And other things. It’s almost exactly how you left it. Also, new rule, we have a strict no peppermint policy. If you bring it in my building I will personally come after you." he threatened.
"Peppermint?" Natasha asked, but got no response.
"Would you guys like any coffee?" Tony asked instead, walking over to the kitchen where the coffee maker was. He pulled out a mug, placing it under the machine. "Pep gets this really nice brand. Not sure where it's from but it's really good." he claimed.
After all of them got whatever beverage of their choosing, the group sat down at the bar. Tony was still going over the rules.Then out of the blue a teenage boy in hello kitty pajama pants and a ' I survived my trip to NYC' T-shirt walked into the kitchen. The boy looked rather tired, rubbing his eyes. He had not yet noticed the group of people in the kitchen, but they sure noticed him.
The teen finally looked up to see the Avengers. He slowly blinked, then walked over to the coffee machine. Tony noticed the kid's actions and shook his head, "Nope. No coffee for you."
The teen turned to face Tony, "Seriously?" He asked, "Why not?"
"Because kids don't need coffee. It stunts growth and messes with your heart." Tony explained, crossing his arms.
"Come on! I'm fifteen, I'm not a kid!" The teen whined, "Just one cup?" he begged, grabbing a mug from the cabinet.
Tony raised his eyebrows, "We have been over this. You can either have a hot chocolate or some tea. No coffee." He instructed.
The kid sighed, "Fine.." He put the mug up, heading over to the fridge to grab the jug of tea from the fridge.
"Get a cup. Do not drink from the jug, we have guests now." Tony said. The kid opened another cabinet for a cup and poured himself a glass of tea. He then started to head to the same hallway he had come from, disappearing.
During the short interaction between the two, the others had exchanged glances, confused. They had no idea who this kid was or where he came from. Tony had never mentioned a kid before. Once the teen was out of sight, the group's gaze went right back to Tony.
Tony took a sip of his coffee before saying: "That is Peter. He will also be living here." He said.
Clint furrowed his eyebrows, "You have a kid?" He asked.
Tony nodded his head, "Yup, and you got three, right?" he tilted his head, "I talked with your wife by the way. The government will allow you to go visit them once a week as long as you are being monitored."
Clint's eyes widened, "Oh.. uh.. thanks."
"No problem." Tony cleared his throat again, "Peter is the reason we can't have peppermint. He is like deathly allergic. Seriously, if any of you manage to get any in this building we will have major problems." he warned again.
"Okay, no peppermint. Noted." Steve said for the whole team.
Tony stood up, stretching his arms, "Okay. Since Happy is busy I will be taking the kid to school today. Feel free to explore, sleep, watch TV, I don't care. Just don't make a mess."
~
It had been about a week since the rouge avengers had moved into the tower. They saw Peter occasionally but he was often at school, in his room, or with Tony in his lab. None of them really got a good chance to talk with him besides Wanda. Turns out Tony had Wanda's room right next to Peter's. He claimed he did that so the two of them could be friends due to them being the youngest two in the tower.
One day, Peter came home from school not looking too pleased. Steve and Natasha were in the kitchen having a snack when the elevator opened to reveal Peter. The two could tell that something was bothering the teen. "You alright?" Steve asked.
Peter did not answer, he just walked past them, down the hallway and into his room. The door slammed shut behind him. Not even a ten seconds later, Tony walked into the kitchen, "Okay, who is slamming my doors? Have I not been nice enough to let you live with me, why be aggressive with my things?" His arms folded across his chest.
"Wasn't us," Natasha answered, "It was your kid."
Tony cocked an eyebrow, "Peter?" he questioned. The two of them nodded their heads. Tony turned on the ball of his heel and went down the hallway. Natasha and Steve did not see what was going on, but they sure did hear it. "Pete. Open up." He asked, rapping his knuckles on the door.
They heard the doors open, but not Peter saying anything. "What are you doing slamming my doors?" Tony asked, his voice a little softer than before. Peter mumbled something. Neither Steve or Nat could make out what he had said, but Tony had responded with a sigh, "Sorry kid. Want to go work on the suit? Will that cheer you up?" He asked.
Not too long after, the two came back. They walked through the kitchen to make their way to Tony's lab. They did not say anything to the others, just walked right on by.
~
"What are you doing here?" Tony asked, his arms across his chest. He was standing in front of Sam and Bucky who were sitting on the couch in the movie room, watching TV.
"Trying to watch the news," Sam said as if it were obvious, "Can we help you?" He asked.
Tony nodded his head, "Yup. It's movie night. You two need to go." he ordered, "Up. Go." He pointed his finger to the door.
Bucky tilted his head upwards, "Movie night?"
"Yeah. Peter and I watch movies the first Friday night of every month. That happens to be tonight. So go." Tony explained, "Please don't make me ask again. You have TVs in your own rooms." He reminded.
Bucky and Sam exchanged glances before groaning as they got up. Did they really have to leave? On their way out they say Peter with about three blankets in his arms. He was wearing the exact same outfit from when they first saw him. He passed by them, "Excuse me!" He said as he darted into the movie room. Peter dropped the pile of blankets on the couch, seeing Tony grab the remote, "Hey Mr. Stark! Aren't you going to put on pajamas?" He asked.
Tony was wearing an AC/DC T-shirt that he has most likely had longer than Peter has been alive. He was also wearing a pair of worn out jeans, which could not be too comfortable, at least in Peter's opinion. Tony shrugged, "I can, but not everyone has Pjs with hello kitty's face on them." He joked.
"Well that sucks for you. These are so comfy!" Peter claimed, plopping down on the couch, "I'll look for a movie!"
Tony tossed the remote at the teen, "Alright. I'll be right back." he announced, leaving the room.
Peter laid out the blankets on the couch, plopping down on a cushion. Out of nowhere, Peter could sense as someone walked into the room. “That was quick-” He paused mid sentence when he looked over his shoulder to see Captain America instead of Tony. “Oh. Sorry I thought you were Tony.” He apologized.
“You’re good. I was just looking for Sam, have you seen him?” Steve asked, standing in the doorway.
Peter nodded his head, “Yeah! Mr. Stark kicked him and the winter soldier out of the room a couple of minutes ago. I think they went to the living room to continue watching whatever they had on.” He answered.
Steve nodded his head, “Thank kid.” He paused, observing Peter’s face. “Hey.. how come you call your dad by his name?” He questioned.
Peter’s eyebrows raised and his cheeks flushed a slight pink, “Dad? Oh.. uh.. Mr. Stark isn’t my dad. I uh.. I intern for him.” he clarified.
“What?” Steve’s eyebrows knit together, “Tony has his intern living with him?” He mumbled to himself, then looking over to Peter again, “Look kid, Tony is not the best guy to have for a mentor. He only cares for himself and it has gotten him into trouble plenty of times in the past.” He stated.
Peter’s once smile dropped, “Mr. Stark does care for me,” He mumbled, “You guys can’t have peppermint in here because I’m allergic. He made that rule.” He tried to defend himself.
“Maybe it’s because he does not want to be responsible for the death of a minor,” Steve said, “If I were you I would go home okay? I don’t understand why your parents agreed to let you stay here.”
Peter started to blink rapidly. He got to his feet, walking past Steve and down the hallway to his room. Steve heard the slam of the door loud and clear. Only a couple seconds later did Tony appear in an old MIT hoodie and black sweatpants. He peered into the movie room to see that Peter was gone. “Where is the kid?” He asked.
“He went to his room.” Steve answered.
Tony narrowed his eyes at the blonde, “What the hell did you say to my kid Rogers?” His voice was low.
Steve crossed his arms, “I just found out he isn’t your kid. He is your intern. I warned him that you are a mess and said he needs to be home with his parents instead of a self centered billionaire.”
Tony’s gaze was filled with rage, “Damnit.” He hissed, “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Steve was taken aback, “What is wrong with me? You are the one having some minor in your house away from his parents!” His voice raised.
Suddenly Pepper and Natasha had entered the area. They had been having a snack when they overheard the loudness of Steve and Tony’s voices. “What is going on?” The red head asked.
Steve turned his gaze to Pepper, “You allowed this lunatic to have an intern who is a minor live here?” He asked, “I thought you were better than that.”
Pepper looked appalled, looking over to her fiance, “Tony what is he talking about?”
“Stars and stripes here assumed that Peter was my biological son and told him to go home to his parents.” Tony hissed through his teeth. “Now I gotta go fix your mess, Rogers.” He pushed past him, going down the hallway to Peter’s room.
Steve looked over to Pepper who had her hand to her mouth. She took a deep breath, “Peter..Peter’s parents died when he was little..” He said, “His aunt had been taking care of him his whole life until recently when she died in a car accident. Tony is now his legal guardian since he and Peter had gotten close during Peter’s internship.” She explained.
“Steve,” Natasha spoke up, “You have to apologize to that kid.”
Steve could feel the regret hitting him. He had no idea that Peter’s family was dead. He let out a sigh, “What have I done..” He mumbled to himself.
The captain turned to walk down the hallway, stopping in front of Peter’s door. He was about to knock on it but froze when he heard the conversation from the other side.
“I’m sorry he said that to you bambino. You know I do care about you.” Tony had said in a calming voice.
Between sniffs, Peter managed: “He said the only reason you don’t allow peppermint in the compound is because you don’t want to be held accountable for my death.”
There was a pause of silence. The only noise was some sniffing coming from Peter. Steve had correctly assumed that the teen had been crying, and it was his fault. Tony sighed, “Quel figlio di a…” He murmured, “Bambino, I promise you that you are the most important thing in my life. I set the no peppermint rule in place because I could never live with myself knowing anything bad happened to you.”
“Are you sure?” Peter asked.
“Very sure. How about we do movie night here?” Tony offered, “I’ll go get some snacks and you pick the movie?”
“Okay,” Peter’s voice sounded a little more cheerful, “Thank you Mr. Stark.”
Steve stepped back as the door opened, revealing Tony. Steve got a glimpse of Peter curled up in a bed. He had noticed the posters on the walls and the legos laying around. Tony shut the door behind him, looking Steve dead in the eye. “Do you need something?”
“Pepper told me about Peter’s parents and aunt,” He said, “I had no idea Tony, I’m so sorry.”
“Sorry isn’t going to cut it, Rogers,” He claimed, “You will apologize to Peter tomorrow and after that I don’t want you near my kid again unless it is an emergency. Got it? You are lucky I am still letting you stay here and not handing you back over to the government to deal with.”
Steve nodded his head, “I understand.”
~
The next month was not as rough. Now that the rogue avengers knew about Peter’s family situation they did not bother to pry anymore or question how close Peter and Tony were. What they did question was the one night Peter had come home with a gash on his cheek and another on his side.
“Dude! What happened to you?” Sam asked, concerned for the teen.
Peter was trying to hide his side with his jacket but the blood was bleeding through his shirt. “I uh..”
“Peter Benjamin Parker Stark.” Tony’s voice boomed as he walked into the common area, arms crossed over his chest, “Want to tell me why you did not call me but I had to hear from Karen that you were hurt?” He asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Steve, Sam, and Nat had been chilling in the area when Peter had come home bleeding. So, the three of them watched as the father and son talked.
Peter gulped, “I uh.. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. You know.. Since I heal fast and all.” He answered.
“Not a big deal.” Tony repeated, shaking his head. “Kid you are bleeding like crazy! I don’t care how fast you heal, if you are hurt you are supposed to call me.”
“I know Mr. Stark I’m sorry! Please don’t be mad.” Peter said, holding onto his side.
Tony sighed, “I’m not mad, more worried. But, there will still be discipline. No suit for a week.” He decided on the spot.
Peter’s eyes went wide, “But dad!” He whined.
Tony paused. Peter had not registered what he had said, so Tony continued on, “Yup. Thats that. Go wait in the medbay, I will be right there.” he ordered. Peter sighed, walking in the direction of the medbay.
“No suit?” Natasha asked, “What does that mean?”
Tony had ignored her, “Am I crazy or did he call me dad?” He asked, wanting to clarify.
Sam nodded his head, “That is what I heard.”
A small smile formed on the man’s face, “Huh..” He then started to trail behind the teen to the medbay.
Natasha furrowed her eyebrows, looking to the others, “Did he not hear me?”