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Peter slumped against the elevator as he finally made into Stark Tower. He had a plan for the rest of the day, sleep, sleep, eat, sleep again. Finals had drained him completely with the several all-nighters he had done in preparation for the tests.
He felt his eyes start to drop as the elevator reached the penthouse.
1 Hour Earlier
The Rogue Avengers were standing in Tony's living room as they waited for him to get there. FRIDAY had let them up and they had already put there stuff in their rooms which were in the exact same spot as before their fight. They couldn't feel more relieved and scared that they were back. On one hand Tony had worked very hard to let them become legal heroes again but on another they knew that they had deeply broken Tony;s trust and it would be hard to earn it back.
Steve and Bucky especially broke his trust, more Steve. Bucky and Tony hadn't met each other so there was no previous trust there, which could be better or worse. Steve on the other hand had shattered their relationship most likely beyond repair, driving a shield through his chest was probably enough on its own without all the lying and betrayal.
Tony had come out the elevator with a big, fake, smile. It pained the Avengers that the billionaire couldn't give them a real smile but they knew they deserved it.
"Welcome to my humble abode."He greeted, sunglasses hiding his eyes from where they perched on his nose. "Tony" Steve greeted in a soft voice. "Cap" Tony greeted considerably colder, making Steve wince. "Well as your already know your rooms are in the same place they were, that hasn't changed. I have a board meeting soon so touch don't anything, no using weapons, and don't disturb anything or anyone in the Tower." And with that he walked back into the elevator.
"Damn we really messed up, didn't we?"Clint asked. The rest nodded. Steve let out a sigh,"yeah we did."
After that exchange the Rogues spread out on the couch and began to watch old cartoons that they had missed while being on the run. They had been relaxing and trying not to think about Tony or the Civil War (as the media so nicely put it). Then the elevator dinged, indicating that someone had arrived. They looked at each other with confusion in their eyes because board meetings never happen that quickly and no one else should have been able to get here.
When the doors opened the Avengers tensed, ready for an attack. Instead, a teenage boy shuffled out, eyes closed, looking dead on his feet. He carelessly threw his bag on the floor and, still with his eyes closed, put his shoes on a shoe mat that the Avenger never noticed before. He mumbled something that sounded like, "Mr.Stark I'm home." before he shuffled over in his socks to the couch and fell on top of Bucky. He shuffled a bit before his head popped back up and he squinted at Bucky. He continued squinting for a second.
"Your not Mr.Stark" he said before lazily looking around. "Fri, am I in danger?" He mumbled, eyes dropping close again. Natasha's hand was still on her hip, where a knife was stashed. "If they wish not to be shot at by Boss or put back into the Raft, I believe you are fine Mini Boss." FRIDAY's gentle voice came through the ceiling. All the Rogues were looking at each, asking silent questions.
The boy shrugged at FRIDAY's response and flopped back on top of Bucky. In less than than 5 seconds soft snoring could be heard in the otherwise silent room.
Bucky was staring wide eyed at the boy that he apparently chosen him as a pillow, him, the deadly assassin. He looked up to the rest who were half throwing each other confused looks and half looking at the boy in wonder. "What do I do?" He asked in a hushed boy, not wanting to wake him because the AI mentioned being shot at.
"Wake him Up? I mean we don't know who he is." Steve said. Natasha and Sam both opened their mouths to answer but FRIDAY beat them both too it. "I would not recommend waking Mini Boss, he has not slept in 58 hours due to studying." Her voice cut and clear, do not wake the kid. "Mini Boss?" Sam asked. Steve shrugged his shoulders, Natasha was still looking at the boy with increasing interest.
"FRIDAY, could you notify Tony that there is a guest in the penthouse?" Natasha asked. "Of course, notifying Boss."
The Rogues sat in silence as they waited for Tony's response to their message, it wasn't long but in that moment the mystery kid snuggled further into Bucky and had decided that the metal arm was so comfy he cuddled it close to his chest, pressing the cool metal along his cheek. Bucky was still amazed at the fact that this child had decided the an assassin and a weaponized arm was the comfiest thing in the room.
Tony's response came in quickly, though it felt like a while. "Boss say "Don't touch him, if there is a scratch on him your all going back to the Raft"."
All the Rogues eyes were wide as the thought over the implications of the boy and the protectiveness.
The elevator dinged again, and the Rogues shifted to face it. Out came a frazzled looking Tony who softened the second his eyes laid on the sleeping boy, still curled in Bucky's lap like a cat and softly snoring. Tony quickly and quietly walked over to Bucky and the boy. He bent down so that he was at the boy's head and brushed a hand through his curls.
"Hey buddy" he said in a soft voice, the softest voice the rogues have ever heard from the man. The boy stirred slightly but not enough to have been awake. "Peter, kiddo. I need you to wake up for me." Tony gently said, hand still running through the boy's hair. The boy mumbled something that no one could really understand. Tony sighed. "Come on Pete, your rooms right down the hall. As soon as you get there you can sleep till dinner, okay?"
The boy, Peter, shifted again, rolling to face Tony while still on Bucky. "S'eep ti'l to'orw" he said and Tony sighed again. "you gotta eat Bud." Tony in the same soft tone. "T'red" the boy once again mumbled. "Fine" Tony gave in but the boy was already asleep once again. Tony sighed.
The genius stood up, the cracking of his knees loud in the quiet room. He looked back to the others in the room who had varying stages of shock written on their faces, before looking back to Bucky (glaring is a better word) and smiling at the boy. He bent down enough to pick up the boy and picked him up. The rest knew that Tony was strong but the boy was complete dead weight and a teenager, he had to be heavy but Tony didn't stumbled as he walked down the hall to a door directly next to his and Pepper's room.
Bucky looked down, albeit sadly, at his lap. He kind of missed having the warm boy on him, treating him like a comfy pillow rather than a death machine.
"We all agree that's his son right?" Clint asked from where he sat. "Absolutely, I have never heard that man talk to anyone that isn't Pepper like that." Sam agreed. "Plus the room he put him in, that he said is his, is directly beside his and Pepper's room." Steve pointed out. Natasha shook her head. "I went undercover for Stark, I would know if he had a son." She stated. "Unless he didn't know." Clint said. Natasha glanced at him.
Not long after he left Tony reemerged from the room, this time without the boy. He walked swiftly to the common and into the adjoining kitchen where he started to fix coffee. Steve cleared his throat, which made Tony turn around from where he stood so that he could face them. Steve and the others raised eyebrows in question.
"What?" Tony said defensively. "Are you going to explain what happened or our we just going to pretend that didn't happen?" Clint asked. Tony sighed, "nothing happened, my intern had finals, came fell asleep, I have a meeting, same as always." He said with a wave of his hand, trying to be nonchalant.
"Intern?" Sam asked questioningly. Tony nodded sharply, "yes intern, that was Peter. He's my personal intern." Of course, no believed this, not even Tony. "Right, your intern that has his own room in your penthouse, knew where things were with his eyes closed, who fell asleep on the couch and has his sleeping hours monitored by FRIDAY." Natasha deadpanned.
Tony sighed and put down his newly made coffee. "Yes, he's my intern. He sleeps over sometimes, you know how us geniuses can forgot that time is a concept that we have to abide by."
"Bullshit, your dad!" Clint shouted. Tony's eyes went wide and flickered towards the hallway with the bedrooms. "Shh keep your voice down." He aggressively quiet. "And i'm not his dad." Tony said, kind of as an afterthought. "Tony why didn't you tell us you had a son?" Steve asked. "First off, you of all people cannot make a comment about lying and keeping secret." He said harshly. "Second, I didn't tell you because he's not my son, he's my intern."
"When did you get an intern, and why that young, you've never liked kids?" Natasha asked. "He's a genius, I like geniuses, plain as that." Natasha hummed, disbelievingly.
"Come on, you think we aren't going to think that kid anything but your son, do you man?" Sam asked. Tony sighed again. "For the last time he is my intern" he exclaimed, voice still a bit hushed.
"Then where are his parents? Why he he call this home?" Steve asked. Tony fixed him with a glare. "His parents are dead, he lives with is aunt in Queens after his Uncle took a bullet for him last year. Sometimes it's easier for him to stay here than have Happy drive him all the way to Queens."
"You never answered my question, when did you hire an intern?" "A little before the whole Civil War thing." And that made Steve feel punched, he left Tony beaten and on the edge of life, all while he had a newly found son to connect to.
"Enough, I have to get back to my meeting. Don't touch my intern and don't wake him up. By the time I get back you all better be out of my penthouse." And with that Tony turned around and headed towards the elevator. Which opened up, but it wasn't empty. Inside was Rhodey who smiled at Tony in gleefully said,
"Where's my favorite Nephew?"
Tony sighed, the Rogues grinned.