Chapter Text
“So, tell me Tones, how many of the rogue’s are going to live at the compounded, now that the shield has chosen to dump them on us?” he’d wanted to ask Tony for weeks, ever since hearing that they would come, and finally sitting in the lab waiting for Tony to fix up those leg braces he’d gotten the chance.
Tony looked up for a short moment but then returned his focus on the braces and the screwdriver, securely placed in a tight grip in his hands. “I’m not sure actually. Wanda for sure, her and Vision had something good going for them. Clint and Scott have both been allowed to return home, something about wife and kids or something. Natacha is living at Shield” Tony stated “Uh… and Barns, Cap and probably Falcon will live here… At least till they find a stable job and a place of their own” Tony said a bit slower, in a bit deeper, voice. It was clear he didn’t like the idea of letting Barns into the house, and maybe he didn’t want Cap there either.
It was also extremely clear in Tony’s way of saying it, that he didn’t want to talk about it. It was something he’d learned to read over the years. And pushing Tony to talk about it, likely wouldn’t help.
“So the place is going to be completely full?” I looked at Tony with a curious look “I mean, You and Pepper live here, Vision, Bruce and sometimes Thor and me? And now we can add 4 more to the list?”.
Tony laughed “5 more actually” he said it with happiness in his voice, and his eyes lit up at the though. He rarely saw Tony existed and Happy like that. Five? Wait, was… no way.
“Wait… are you and Pepper expecting?” Tony’s eyes snapped up and his face turned into a weird grin.
“What?... No. No, no, no. Oh God no! Not like that…” Tony said, laughing at my probably shocked face. “Rhodes, do you remember Spider-man?” I nodded. “Spider-man is getting a room here, at the compound. He started staying he occasionally, so I thought it was about time making it official” Tony’s eyes where so happy and excited.
“Boss, Happy would like to inform you that Peter just got in the car. ETA is 25 minutes” Friday said.
“Thanks Fri” Tony said, looking halfway up to the celling smiling even more now than he did just a second ago. “Mind getting Happy to warn my kid that we have a visitor in the lab?”.
“Right away boss”.
“Peter? Tones promise me you didn’t just get happy to abduct a child”.
“I would never, Rhodes. Who do you think I am?” Tony stated with a serious voice, but then got soft “I just though it was about time you meet my personal intern”.
“Personally Intern? Since when dose Tony Stark has an intern?” it wasn’t like Tony to ever have an interne. Tony worked alone in the lab, only me, Pepper and Tony could enter. Everyone else needed permission from Tony himself. And no one could keep up with Tony anyways, other than maybe Bruce but he had his own lab at the compound. And didn’t Tony call him “my kid” just a few minutes ago?
“Since, uh… right around the time with everything in Germany” Tony said as he stood from his work “Now let’s get up and heat some Pizza. I promised the kid’s aunt to feed him, cause his stomach is a bottomless hole. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he could eat as much as Cap”.
***
And sure enough 20 minutes later Tony pulled out the previously frozen Pizza from the oven, just in time for the sound and sneakers echoing though the halls nearing the kitchen entrance. And around the corner came a fifteen, maybe sixteen-year-old kid with brown curls and doe eyes. Wearing an old red MIT hoodie (wait, that’s Tony’s?) a set of jeans, black converse and over his shoulder hang a spider-man backpack. God, he looked like Tony in his young days.
“Hey Mr. Stark” the kid, Peter, greeted cheerfully before his eyes switched and landed on me. The backpack started sliding down his shoulder, and his eyes widened staring at me with star struck eyes and mouth slightly open, gapping.
“OH. MY. GOD. Your War Machine” the kid let his backpack hit the floor, moving closer and handing his hands towards me “I… I’m Peter. Parker” he stuttered. I shacked his hand (God, this kid must be lifting weight. What a powerful grip).
“Nice to meet you Peter, I’m Rhodey” I greeted.
At the Tony came over and laid his arm over the kid’s shoulder, letting the kid lean into his touch. “I though it would be a good idea if you got to meet Rhodey before the rogues moves in next week. With whole your identity thing, it might be good to have more than one person at the compound who knows about your special after school activities” Tony said half with a laugh and half serious. The kid flinched away, with a shocked expression.
“You told him?” he asked with a serious and fearful voice while staring right at Tony.
“Told me what, Tones?” I eye them both at Peter stood as frozen in shock.
“No. I haven’t. Who do you think I am?” Tony said smiling at the boy “Though you are going to tell him, today. Or else you won’t be allowed at the compound anymore. I need to know someone can keep an eye out for you when the rogues are here” he laughed.
Peter turned around, meet my eyes, and looked suddenly so shy and scared. Shifting on his feet, locking his eyes to the floor, while mumbling something incoherent.
“Kid you have speak a little louder, we can’t all have super hearing like you” Tony said while placing pizza and 3 different plates and pulling out a few soda can’s from the fridge. Super hearing, wait a second..-
“I’m Spider-man” the kid said, this time with confidence in his voice and looking his eyes to mine. This kid, Tony’s kid, intern, whatever, what Spider-man?
“Tones, please tell me the kid is lying. You didn’t bring a teen to Germany? Dose his parents know or are you keeping this behind their bags?”.
“One, his not lying. He was swing around Queens long before I found him, I just updated his gear so there is less of a chance of him dying” Tony looked serious “I did bring him to Germany. I told you, his on the young side” Tony placed his arms over the kids shoulder again “and the kid’s aunt, who is his guardian knows. She’s scary btw. Pray to God you never meet her”.
And with that half an hour later we sat in compounds living area, eating Pizza and watching Star Wars. Peter’s choice, and Tony didn’t even question it. When we all where done eating Tony shifted on the couch allowing the kid to place his heads in Tony’s lap while facing the TV. And Tony, Tones, started playing with the kids hair. This, brown haired kid, was making Tony soft? That couldn’t be right. But the kid just relaxed under Tony’s touch, and Tony seemed to relax as well.
Well, until a vibration sound filled the room. Like a purr. It was only there for a moment, the kid’s eyes shot open and suddenly he was sitting in the couch with red cheeks. Tony looked at him with questioning eyes.
“What the hell kid” Tony asked, placing a hand on his shoulder, grounding him. The kid looking embarrassed, or… did he look scared? Tony placed his second hand on the kids chest, feeling for something.
“Kid, can you please tell me what just happened, or do I need to call Dr. Cho?” Tony asked with seriousness and fear in his voice. He cared for the kid, and the sound that just came out of him, scared him.
“I… uhm.. I…” Peter eyes darted around the room “Did you know, that male wolf spider’s can purr? Uh… I might have picked that up. I can mostly control it, but sometimes it just slips”.
Tony stared at the kid for a moment, “Huh? Alright then. Get back into my lap, sleep, purr, relax or whatever. And then we can go to the lab when the movie is done. If you want we can even ask aunt hottie if you can stay here for the night, Happy can drive you to school in the morning”. The kid visibly relax, returned his head to Tony’s lap and feel asleep purring, soon followed by Tony.
Tony had a (freaking) purring teenage superhero, in his lap? Such a dad.
“Friday, snap a picture”.
“Already done”.