"And remember class, this coming Friday is grandparent's day!" Ms Norris exclaimed, early Monday morning in homeroom. "It will be between break and lunch, so please do invite your grandparents, as it would be lovely to have a big group of them here! Tea, coffee and cakes will be provided, and we would love if your grandparents had any stories to share from their youth! Get on board with this, guys! I know other classes are very excited about it too!"

Ned shot a worried glance at his best friend. Aunt May sometimes came to parent's day, which he knew Peter got embarrassed about, especially when Flash and his friends bullied him. A couple of times, like last year, Aunt May hadn't been able to show up, and everyone has been horrible to Peter. Ned wasn't concerned about Peter's welfare regarding this year's parent's day, which was the following week, because Peter had already told him that he had a plan – whatever that meant Ned wasn't totally sure, but he trusted that Peter would be okay.

Grandparents day, however? Grandparents day was always horrible for Peter, and Ned suspected this year would be too. Peter never had anyone, and everyone teased him for it. Ned knew how tough days like this were for Peter.

"Ask Aunt May for the day off. She won't mind you skipping because of this," Ned whispered.

Peter pursed his lips for a moment as a devious thought crossed his mind. He thought of how funny Mr Stark would find it, and he knew he had to do it – even if he was a little nervous about it. And it would be hilarious...

Peter grinned. "I've got a plan…"

"Hey, uh, Mr Rogers, sir?" Peter asked timidly, suddenly regretting everything.

Eloquent as ever, Steve turned around to look at the kid, a fond smile brightening his already flawless face.

"Peter! How can I help you, son?" Steve asked, clapping the young man on the shoulder.

Peter blushed. Was he being horrible by doing this? He was. It was just one stupid day; like Ned said, he could just take the day off and it would be fine…

But it would be so goddamn funny.

He swallowed, trying to remain calm. "Uh, well, you see…" Peter took a deep breath. "Well we'rehavinggrandparentsdayatschoolandIwaswonderingifyoucouldcome," he rushed.

Steve looked momentarily confused. "Could you repeat that a little slower?" he asked, bewildered, though with a fond smirk. The kid was always like this, excited and timid at the same time. It reminded Steve a bit of himself as kid.

"Uh, family day!" Peter cried, suddenly terrified. "I said family day! At school, I mean, we're having one, a family day."

Steve nodded in approval. "That's good of the school. It creates a good community, having days like that."

"Uh, well, Mr Rogers, I don't wanna be a bother but, um, could you come?"

Steve's eyebrows raised slightly, and his chest puffed. He hadn't felt pride like this in a long time. The kid wanted him to come? He couldn't help but grin.

"Peter, I'm honoured to hear that you think of me as a family! It will be my pleasure to be there for you on family day. Do you want me to ask the rest of the team if they can come?"

"No!" Peter cried quickly. "No, uh…" He faltered, not sure what to say. "I guess I, uh, I don't want them there?" he squeaked.

Steve nodded. "I understand. They're a lot to take in. Tony would make it his goal to embarrass you anyway. I promise I won't do that to you."

Peter smiled sheepishly, feeling guilty again. Steve was being so kind, and he was just trying to be a shit-stirrer. God, what had Tony done to him.

"Thank you, Mr Rogers."

"Pete, son, come on, you know I'm just Steve."

"Yeah. Steve. Sorry— thank you! It's this Friday, is that too soon?"

"Of course not. I'll be there," Steve promised.

Steve scanned the cafeteria.

There was a lot of grey hair.

A lot.

He considered that everyone's parents worked, and only grandparents could come, but he had his doubts.

He was the only non-grandparent there.

Peter's friend was looking at him, wide-eyed. Most of the others were too, but Ned was wheezing on top of that, which really caught Steve's attention. He began to show concern, but Peter told him not to worry. Peter's other friend, MJ, was cackling madly, looking more amused than anyone had ever seen her.

Finally, Steve cracked.

"Peter, exactly what kind of family day is this?" he growled.

"Uh…" Peter swallowed. He had to fess up. He was so dead. "Well maybe, it might, uh, you see Mr Rogers, sir, it's uh… It's grandparent's day!" he confessed.

Steve scowled. "Did Tony put you up to this?"

Peter swallowed.

With another loud laugh, MJ got out her sketchbook. She'd never seen someone in crisis as deeply as Peter was right now. It was the perfect image; it deserved to be recorded.

"Well, Mr Rogers, you see— should I be running right about now?" he asked instead.

Steve raised an eyebrow. "I'd like to see you try, kid."

Peter swallowed again. "Wow. Okay. I'm dead. Uh… Well it's just I never had grandparents, and you're older than most of these guys, and kind of like a grandpa to me, and uh, oh no, I'm making it worse, aren't I?"

Steve's gaze took in the room again, while Peter accepted his own doom. It was a funny idea, he just wished he hadn't followed through with it.

Steve sighed. He finally noticed the tacky "Grandparents Day!" sign tacked to the wall outside the door. If only he'd been more observant. He was older than most of these grandparents. Most of them were born during the war, or just after. He doubted many had seen it – not like he had, anyway. And really, Peter was the kid of the team. He was a son and a brother to all of them.

Steve looked down at the kid from Queens, and saw himself. Steve knew what it was like to be the only one without a parent, or grandparent, there. They didn't do days like this when he was in school, but recitals, plays, graduation… He knew how Peter must have felt time and time again.

He put his hand on the kid's shoulder and gave an encouraging squeeze.

"Well, son, you'd better introduce me."

Peter looked shocked. "Really?" he asked hopefully.

Steve smiled. "You all call me the grandpa anyway. May as well be called it for a worthy reason. Now who's your teacher? This is your homeroom class? Ms Norris is the teacher, right?"

Peter was grinning from ear to ear. He bounded over to Ms Norris to introduce his "Grandpa Steve". Steve laughed and played along.

Steve Rogers had imagined having kids one day. Then he got injected with a super-soldier serum and his life was thrown upside down. Captain America could never have kids — it was too dangerous. None of the Avengers could safely have kids. Danger was everywhere; any kid of theirs would be at risk all the time.

In this moment, more than ever, Steve understood why they'd let the kid in so young. It wasn't just because he had powers. He was the kid they'd all always wanted.

"Captain America! Wow! Hi!" Ms Norris squeaked.

Steve grinned. "Please, call me Steve. I'm Peter's grandfather."

She looked stunned. "Wow. Okay. Wow," she whispered. She was too shocked to even comprehend his comment.

"Do you wanna meet my friend's grandparents?" Peter asked Steve, now feeling awkward again.

"Of course!" Steve replied brightly. "We'll talk later, Ms Norris."

Ms Norris just squeaked.

Peter dragged Steve over to where MJ and Ned and their grandparents were sitting and definitely not staring at the national hero.

"Hey guys! This is Steve!" Peter introduced.

"Oh my!" Mrs Leeds, Ned's dad's mom, gasped.

"Ha! Well I'll be! Captain America!" Mr Dawes, MJ's mom's dad, cried.

Mrs Dawes smiled at Peter warmly. "Hello there, Peter. How are you, dear?"

"I'm good, thank you, Mrs Dawes! How are you? MJ told me you had knee surgery."

"All recovered now, thank you Peter," she replied fondly. Peter was the favourite of all the parents and grandparents.

"I'm Steve, a pleasure to meet you all. Peter's told me all about you," Steve said, shaking everyone's hand.

"Peter, how did you meet Captain America!" Mr Dawes asked Peter excitedly.

Peter grinned. "He's my grandpa!"

Mrs Dawes chuckled. "Oh, Peter."

"Really?" Mr Dawes asked, wide-eyed. He supposed, the man did have a life before going down under the ice… It wasn't so impossible to believe he could be the boy's grandfather. Or great-grandfather.

"It's the Stark internship!" Ned cried. "Mr Stark introduced them! How cool is my best friend!"

"Very!" Mr Leeds chuckled. "Blimey, it's not every day you meet a national hero!"

Steve chuckled. "I'm not really a hero, sir, just doing my job."

"Oh, but you're such a lovely young man too, saving the day and still coming to be here for Peter. It's so lovely," Mrs Leeds said fondly.

Steve grew amused. "Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm young…"

"He's older than I am, dear," Mr Leeds chuckled.

"Oh, but he's much more handsome!" Mrs Leeds teased. "You must have some good genes, son."

"Or a good doctor," Steve suggested lightly.

"Does it not concern anyone else that we're idolising someone who basically took hardcore steroids so he could go to war?" MJ asked.

Steve smiled kindly. "MJ. A pleasure as always."

"Keeping you on your toes again, old man," she teased. "Read any of my book suggestions yet?"

"I just finished Orwell's 1984."

"Did it mess you up?" she asked, grinning excitedly.

Steve looked contemplative. "I found it to be very intriguing…"

Steve went to say more, but Pete scoffed.

"I'm sorry, you read 1984 but didn't watch Star Wars!" he cried.

Steve frowned. "You said there are six of those films. One book is much easier. I'll get to Star Trek eventually."

"Wars! Star Wars! Stark Trek is different! Oh my god you're such a grandpa!"

"Oh no honey, even we've seen Star Wars," Mrs Dawes teased.

"It's just the iceblock that hasn't," MJ agreed.

"Michelle! My goodness, girl! The cheek!" Mrs Dawes scolded.

"She's fine, keeps me young," Steve teased.

Mrs Dawes chuckled. "If that was the case I'd still be a newborn."

Ms Norris came creeping over, looking a little afraid. No one spoke, waiting for her to finally work up the courage to intervene. Peter pursed his lips. It was weird seeing a teacher acting like a teenager.

"Oh, hi guys, hi Captain America, hi, we have tea and coffee if you'd like?" Ms Norris shrilled.

"Wonderful! We'll come on over!" Mr Dawes said.

Ms Norris smiled kindly before looking at Steve. She then looked panicked and hurried away.

Steve gave Peter a pointed look. "Regretting this yet?"

Peter scowled. "Kind of," he admitted.

Steve laughed and pulled Pete into a playful headlock.

"Mess with the Avengers and you'll lose, son."

"Hey! Aren't I an Avenger?" Peter cried.

"Junior Avenger. You've got a way to go yet."

Peter sighed sadly. "I know."

"Hey Steve!" Mr Dawes called. "How do you like your coffee?"

Steve let go of Peter and strolled over as he spoke. "Black, thank you, sir."

"No sugar? Milk? Nothing?" Mr Dawes asked, looking somewhat horrified.

Steve chuckled shyly. "I grew up in the depression and spent my adulthood at war. Black coffee was all we had."

Mr Dawes chuckled. "Looking at all us oldies, you'd think we were all the ones old enough to see World War Two! Oh, that's funny!" he laughed. He loved a good irony.

Steve pursed his lips. He felt so old. How the hell were these old people not old enough to remember the war?

"Wow! Mr Thompson, law school in the sixties sounds incredible! Everyone, a round of applause for Flash's grandfather! That was gripping, wasn't it!" Ms Norris cried, trying to get some class-involvement.

The class clapped, but were all waiting for something else. Captain America's presence had certainly not been forgotten.

"Now, Peter, is your… person, willing to speak?" Ms Norris asked. She wasn't entirely sure what to call Captain America, but she was fairly sure he wasn't Peter's grandfather… Great-grandfather, maybe, but she thought it was highly unlikely. Surely Captain America wouldn't have a child out of wedlock? It just wasn't the righteous American way!

Peter looked to Steve. He nodded and stood.

"Wonderful!" Ms Norris cried.

Steve went to the front of the class. Everyone was gripping to his every word before he even spoke.

"Hello everyone, I'm Steve, and I'm Peter's grandpa! Not biologically, of course, but Peter is very much family. I guess I'll follow suit and tell everyone a bit about myself. My name is Steve Rogers, I was born on the 4th of July, 1918, over in Brooklyn. I was an art student when the war broke out — I worked as an artist too, to pay for it all... But I know that isn't what you guys want to hear about."

Realising that they were finally about to hear about the war and the beginning of Captain America, the class all grew interested.

"I joined the United States Army in 1942 and was signed up for Project: Rebirth. I was injected with a super soldier serum that made me what I am today. I think it goes without saying, that you should not try to create your own serum at home, nor should you be injecting yourselves with experimental drugs," he chuckled. "I fought in the US Army, Captain of the Howling Commandos, until 1944, when I flew my plane into the ocean to prevent bombs being flown into New York. I was pronounced dead. Little did we know, ice and super soldier serum has some funny effects together."

He didn't mention the truth of it all. How he now naturally ages slower than others. How he can withstand high levels of radiation. How he can be frozen in time, if the temperature reached low enough, but can't freeze to death. None of that mattered. The fantasy story was the best one to sell.

"…I woke up in 2011 and became a SHIELD Agent, and am now an Avenger, which I know is what you all really want to know about. Any questions?"

Hands shot up.

"We'll take a few," Ms Norris said. "Ethan?"

"Can you beat Hulk?"

Steve chuckled. "Uh… Yes. Yes I can." He wasn't sure if that was true, but these kids wouldn't know that. Peter gave him a questioning glance, clearly thinking the same thing, but didn't verbalise it. Steve gave him a smug look before turning back to face the class.

"Casey?" Ms Norris asked.

"Is it true you and Iron Man are fighting?"

Steve frowned, looking a little hurt. "No, a disagreement of ours got blown out of proportion by the media. We're still very much friends, and very much a team," he promised.

The media had blown up one of their training exercises to look like a battle, and a PR nightmare had ensued. "Civil War", it was dubbed. It didn't help that Steve and Tony had had an open verbal disagreement before that, over the Sokovia Accords. They'd worked it out, calmly, behind closed doors, but the media were still vultures. They had since made a conscious effort to keep any disagreements or questionable banter behind closed doors, and show only a united front to the world. Being human and openly having fun or having disagreements wasn't an option in their positions.

"Kira, your question?" Ms Norris asked quickly, sensing tension in the room.

"Are you and War Machine friends? He always seems really snooty."

Steve chuckled and nodded. "Rhodey and I are very good friends — military men stick together. His, uh, snootiness, as you put it, is completely a misconception. Everyone thinks he's harsh and antisocial, but that's just years of military training. I know it looks odd from the outside sometimes."

Peter rolled his eyes. The group — Steve, Rhodey, Sam, and Bucky rounding it out — called themselves the Army Brats, and had dozens of inside jokes and codes that they kept from the rest of the team (except for Nat, of course), which annoyed the hell out of Peter. Even when he threatened them with running off and joining the army when he turned eighteen (an empty threat, really, given he was joining the Avengers when he was eighteen anyway), they still wouldn't clue him in on the jokes! Bucky and Sam found it especially amusing. Peter was almost certain that the two of them were convincing the others to play along.

"Deanna?" Ms Norris called upon next.

"Is the Winter Soldier evil?"

Steve grew tense, as he always did when Bucky's captivity and time brainwashed was brought up. His jaw set firm, and he gave the standardized media response. Anything more was a security risk. Moreover, any more detail and Steve was likely to begin screaming at a teenage girl that Bucky was tortured, brainwashed, and not at all evil. The media would have a field day if that happened. Best to stick to the standard response.

"The Winter Soldier was brainwashed by HYDRA, but that's been reversed now. He is very much an Avenger," he said curtly.

He looked to Ms Norris, prompting her to quickly choose another student to ask a question. As kind as he was, he was Captain America, and she knew he was someone to be wary of. They'd all seen the frontline footage at some point.

"Ollie?" she asked.

"Do you have the shield with you?" he asked hopefully.

Steve chuckled. "Sadly no, that's back home at the Tower. There's a dispute over who owns it, so I've been trying to only take it when I need to."

"But it's your shield!" Britta cried.

"I believe that too, but certain government agencies believe it's theirs," he said hesitantly. "…And of course, Iron Idiot thinks it's Stark property."

Peter snickered, recalling a few heated arguments involving Tony wanting to replicate the metal for the team's suits, which would have involved chipping off some of the shield. This was before T'Challa joined them as the Black Panther and shared some of Wakanda's vibranium with them. Steve had never looked so horrified. Or so mad.

"It isn't his," Steve added firmly, as the class laughed. "Howard Stark gifted me that shield, so it's mine. They can all fight me for it!" he laughed.

"Oh goodness. Okay, how about you, Thom?" a slightly concerned Ms Norris asked, trying to move on before the class got too rowdy or a super-soldier decided to ark up.

"Okay, so is it dumb to ask how I can be an Avenger?"

Steve laughed. "Well I got in thanks to drug experimentation, so I wouldn't recommend you following my path!"

Peter snorted and had to turn away while he laughed.

Some grandparents looked amused, some horrified. Most students were in awe, barely even aware of what he was saying, purely captivated and blessed to be in his presence.

Steve continued without hesitation, listing them off on his fingers. "Tony made a supersuit after being kidnapped by terrorists, so I wouldn't recommend that either. Bucky, drug experimentation again. Hulk, radiation experimentation. Thor's a god, so that's not an option. Nat was a Russian super spy, and I doubt any of you are one of those. Pe—uh— sorry —Spiderman was a radiation accident, again, not possible to copy. Clint…" he trailed off, suddenly stunned. "I have no idea about Clint," Steve realised.

Steve turned to look at Peter. Pete shrugged helplessly.

"I know nothing about the man," Peter confessed. "The other day he told me he owned a farm. Did you know that? A farm! He's literally the biggest mystery I know."

Steve couldn't disagree. "Maybe everyone should figure out his route into the Avengers. So far it's the most feasible."

He didn't bother telling Peter that he knew Clint owned a farm. It would only upset the kid.

"Sam got recruited because you liked to make fun of him and gave him exoskeletal wings," Peter reminded him. "That's doable."

"That's true," Steve chuckled. "Well, let's just day becoming an Avenger is almost impossible, but you can work with the Initiative. It's difficult, but divisions like SHIELD, Stark Industries, the armed forces – they all have teams that work with us. If you can get placed on one of them, then you're a part of the team."

"How about we move on?" Ms Norris suggested, not sure if it was morally right to have her students aspiring to join a legion of sometimes-crazy superhumans. "Flash?"

"Yeah! How the hell do you know Parker? How much did Parker pay you to be here today?" Flash sneered.

Steve frowned, not liking this kid one bit. "I met Peter through his internship with Stark Industries," Steve replied, not totally lying. "He's Tony's protégé, so he spends a lot of time with the team. The only payment I ask for being here today, is Peter's ongoing friendship."

"Come on, be real, Cap," Flash insisted, not buying one word of it. "How much is Parker paying you?"

Steve locked his jaw and did his best to remain calm. He had to tell himself not to try and fight this kid in front of everyone – he must be the one that Peter has spoken about. Now that Steve knew what he looked like, he'd be sure to mention it to the team. He knew Nat sure as hell wanted a few words with the kid they figured was bullying Peter, and he guessed that a few of the others would like a couple of words as well.

"As I said," Steve growled, "Peter works with Tony, and we are good friends. I need no payment for being here, because Peter is a dear friend of mine."

Flash scowled. Peter stepped forward to cut in, and Steve sure as hell wasn't backing down, fully prepared for a fight with this kid.

Ms Norris cleared her throat, now even more concerned than before, that Captain America was going to launch himself over a desk and bash in one of her student's heads with his shield.

"Okay, perhaps just one last question. Ned?" Ms Norris suggested.

"Mr Rogers, what do you think of Spiderman?" Ned asked.

Peter gave his best friend an angry look. Steve's shoulders relaxed at an instant. Even thinking about the kid made him happy. He was just as gone as the rest of the team, when it came to Peter. The kid was precious to all of them.

Steve smirked. "…He's an idiot kid from Queens, but he's got heart. All the Avengers love him — and we love him even more when he isn't pulling stupid pranks on us," Steve said pointedly.

Peter gulped.

"But you like him, right?" Ned asked.

Steve's smirk grew to a soft smile. "Of course I do. He's like a son to me — well," he backtracked, "I'm a little old to be having a kid. At my age, I would have say that he's like a grandson to me."

Peter was grinning from ear to ear for weeks.