𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕊𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕𝕟'𝕥 𝔹𝕖 ℍ𝕖𝕣𝕖 🂡

Peter woke with a start.

His nightmares had been getting better. Really, they had. He couldn't lie about it anyways, Friday always told Tony if Peter had one.

But the one he just woke from had shaken him, making it feel like he hadn't even had a break from them.

He sighed, rubbing his face hard and staring at his bedroom door for a few seconds before deciding he wasn't going back to sleep after that.

He resigned to go out to the kitchen for a glass of water.

He stepped into the living room, only to see a black shadow standing near the elevator.

Scratch that. Two shadows.

The hairs on Peter's back stook at attention, and Peter cursed himself for not having his webshooters.

Then again, he was in the most secure building on the planet in the middle of the night getting water. Why would he have felt the need?

One of the figures took a step forward.

And

No way.

No fucking way.

In the dim light of the overhead sink light, Peter made out the face of Captain fucking America.

"Friday, lights. Now."

The lights immediately switched on, flooding the penthouse in light. It burned Peter's sensitive retinas, but he didn't dare close his eyes.

"Who are you?" Steve asked, obviously confused as to why a kid was in Tony's penthouse.

Peter asked his own question in favor of answering.

"Why are you here?"

Steve lifted a brow, and if Peter was paying any attention he'd see Natasha behind Steve, face morphing into regret.

"Steve, I think we should come back another time," She says, stepping forward and placing a hand on his shoulder, "We don't have to talk tonight-"

"It's best if we do." Steve cuts her off.

"It's best if you leave." Peter retorts.

"Son, I don't know-"

Peter takes a step forward, and somehow was across the room in that step. He places a finger on the captain's chest.

"Do not call me 'son'," he all but growls.

"Steve," Natasha tries again, "Let's go,"

"I'm not leaving because of some kid who shouldn't even be up here-"

"You're treading in some dangerous territory here, captain," Peter spits the last word with as much venom as he can muster, "You're the one who shouldn't be here."

Steve's face falls for a split second, then immediately turns into his Captain America face. No nonsense.

"Where is Tony?" He asks, fingers twitching for the shield he no longer carries.

"That's none of your business anymore."

Natasha sees where this is headed, and she really doesn't want to be a part of it.

She tugs on Steve's shoulder once more.

"Okay kid, we're leaving. Come on Steve-" She tries again, but Steve, foolishly, stands his ground.

"What did you do with Tony?" The man grounds out.

And that's it. That's what breaks the little resolve Peter has.

It all happens so quickly that Natasha finds herself dizzy from the whole exchange.

Peter punches Steve, hard, because he knows Steve can take it.

Steve is so off kilter from the fact that a literal child was able to punch him so hard that he doesn't see Peter's next move, which was grabbing his shirt and tossing him to the ground.

Suddenly, a window is smashed open and Tony lands in the middle of the living room, armor slinking back into the housing unit on his chest. He sees the scene in front of him, Peter standing above Steve, Steve on the ground holding his jaw, Natasha in front of the elevator with her hands covering her mouth.

"What the hell!"

Peter registers Tony's presence, but ignores it.

"What did I do with him? Me? You have the audacity to come in here, uninvited, in the middle of the night, in our home after you nearly killed my father and you're asking me what I did to him?"

Peter is seething. He only sees red. He wants to go for another hit when a hand wraps around his wrist.

"Pete, come on, bud. It's not worth it."

After one more scathing look at the man he threw to the ground, the fight immediately drains from the boy's veins, leaving him dizzy from the sudden loss of adrenaline.

"Good boy," Tony gently tugs his son into a hug, then scurries him over to a couch and sets him down to cool off.

He stands again, looking over to his ex best friend who is now standing but is still cradling his jaw. His eyes wide in shame.

"Father?" Is all he can get out.

Tony takes a few steadying breaths before answering.

"Yeah."

"Since when?"

Blowing out a breath, Tony answers, "Um, 16 years now."

"But how-"

"Not now, Steve. Let's go." Natasha says, finally getting him to move towards the elevator.

"Stop by the medbay before you leave. Have them fix Steve up. And maybe call me next time before you want to talk."

Natasha nods and the doors slide shut.

It's quiet for a few minutes, Peter sitting on the couch with his face in his hands. Tony sits next to him, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"So, you landed quite the punch on old man Rogers, I see."

Peter makes a noise akin to a dying elephant.

Tony chuckles, "I leave you for one night and I miss you knocking out Captain America. I can't believe it. I'll have to ask FRIDAY for the footage."

Peter still doesn't answer, but leans into his dad. He tries to hide the sniffle, but Tony's had almost two decades of experience with the boy. It was impossible for him not to notice.

"Bud? Come on, what's wrong?"

Peter sniffs again, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve covered hands.

"I just- That felt really good."

Tony barks out in laughter, pulling his kid in for a hug.

"I bet it did, kid."

"You're gonna have to replace that window, again."

Tony looks at the destroyed glass, shards all over the ground, and feels the breeze from outside.

"Tis but a scratch, dear boy."

Peter giggles, and Tony thinks he's done his job for the night.