Tony cradled Peter after yet another bedtime spanking. These happened two or three times a week, and more frequently than Tony would have liked. But Peter did have a knack of getting into trouble and he hadn't had a full spanking for almost a month. These spankings were barely warm-ups and the boy was fully healed by the time Tony tucked him in. Peter yawned with his head on Tony's shoulder, and Tony smiled. "Time to get into bed, Tarantula." He was about to lower Peter to the bed when he heard a knock on the door.
"Tony, Peter?" Steve called. "May I come in?" Tony was surprised, but he looked at Peter, who nodded.
"Yeah!" Tony called out and Peter raised a drowsy head. Steve stepped into the room, saying "Tony, Pepper is here, in the penthouse, and she wants to talk to you right away!"
"Why did you come up? Oh, right!" Tony said. Jarvis had been blocked from the room the moment Tony came in.
"Hey, Cap!" Peter slurred. Steve looked at the boy in surprise. Drowsy and limp in Tony's arms, Peter looked around ten years old, maybe even younger. Steve went over to the bed and held out his arms, and chuckled as Peter scrambled up his arms like a monkey, draped his arms around his neck and snuggled in. "Cap, Mr. Stark spanked me!" he pouted, and Tony laughed.
"Yes, I spanked my little genius. And he was so cooperative and so brave." Peter turned and pouted at Tony, then buried his face in the crook of Steve's neck. The boy wasn't ten right now, Steve thought, more like two or three.
"Seriously, Tony! What did you do to the kid?" Steve asked as he sat down on the bed.
"He spaaaanked me!" Peter complained again, and Steve gave his bottom a rub.
"He spanked you, did he? Say goodbye to Tony, pet. You don't want him around now, do you?" Steve stroked Peter's hair.
"I do want him here." Peter pouted again. Tony chuckled.
"All right, let's ask Pepper to come in here." Tony said.
"No!" Peter said, punching Steve's chest for emphasis. "She can't see me now."
"Ouch!" Steve was shocked at the force behind the punch. So that was Peter's strength when he wasn't holding back? "Easy there, little spider. Why shouldn't Pepper come in?"
"She can't see me now." Peter leaned back on Steve's shoulder. The two men exchanged glances. So the kid was aware that he was behaving like a toddler?
"Who's allowed then, pet?" Steve asked.
"Jus' you and ." Peter answered, pointing a finger at each of them in turn. The two superheroes looked at each other again, grinning. Steve wrapped both arms around Peter, and Tony bent down to lightly kiss his head.
"Get into bed now. Enough pouting." Steve lowered Peter to the bed.
"I can't go to sleep because Mr. Stark spanked me and it hurts." Peter said.
Tony sat down on the other side of the bed. "How come you're lying on your back then, Tarantula?"
Peter seemed to get angry with himself, and huffed. He rolled over onto his stomach.
Steve rubbed his back while Tony watched. "Earth's mightiest heroes." Steve mouthed to Tony, who chuckled. Peter was keeping them from a business meeting and an intense training session. He stayed in the room till Steve tucked Peter in, then walked out with a "Good Night, Spider." He knew he was in the middle of some crisis, but that didn't matter.
Steve stroked Peter's hair and the teenager went to sleep almost immediately. Steve kissed his hair and got up. He wondered if bedtime spankings would work for Pietro as well. He needed to talk to Clint.
"How much did the new arrow shafts cost?" Steve asked Tony from behind his desk. Some news network had come up with a story on the Avengers not paying any taxes, which is why Pepper had come up to the penthouse the previous night. Stark Industries had paid the taxes required, but separating the Avengers R&D work from total expenses was a headache.
"Jarvis?" Tony called out, also from the desk. He was sitting on it, drumming his heels on a chair with his back to Steve.
"$50,000, Captain."
"Tony, I want answers from you. Not from Jarvis. So, you spent $50000, and then didn't even think of re-purposing them when Clint didn't like them?" Steve toyed with a paper knife. It was blunt. Just one hit, right on that hard head.
"You know what? Ask Pepper out. You're both so-"
They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Tony jumped off the desk, and Steve gave a wry smile.
"Cap? Mr. Stark?" Peter opened the door of his office and peeked inside.
"Peter! Come inside." Steve said. Any break from dealing with Tony was welcome.
"Can I ask you something?" Peter asked, standing in front of the desk.
"You just did, pet." Steve smiled at him.
"Something else?" Peter asked, his hands behind his back, fidgeting.
"Again, you just did!" Tony slapped his back and pushed him into a chair.
Steve chuckled, "What is it, child?"
"I'm not a child!" Peter huffed. Tony laughed, but Steve gave him a look and he stopped.
"You think we're treating you like a child, Peter? That's bothering you?" Steve leaned forward.
Peter nodded.
"You are young," Tony said in a gentle voice. "We're taking care of you, that's all."
"The last time we fought you took point, Peter. Is that childish treatment?" Steve matched Tony's gentle voice.
"You also have clearance to all the labs in the building." Tony added. "Not to mention, almost all that you're studying is at undergraduate level or above."
Peter looked down. "But when I make a mistake..."
"You're disciplined. And that will continue Spiderling, no matter how much of a genius you are, or how powerful you are." There was a steely tone in Steve's voice, although tempered by the endearment.
"No, Cap." Peter turned to Tony. "When you -uh- discipline me before bed, like yesterday, it's sort of weird."
"What is bothering you about it, young man?" Steve knew what, but it had to come from Peter. "You have not been harshly disciplined or had privileges taken away for more than a month. I should think the bedtime spankings are working very well."
Peter blushed at the 's' word. "I start acting like a kid!" he blurted out. He propped his elbows on the desk and rested his head on his hands, looking down. Steve got up and walked around to Peter, and Tony ruffled his hair.
"Peter, that's OK." Tony said as Peter flinched away from the hair ruffle.
"Pet, you think of what you do everyday, compared to any other 15 year old." Steve said, leaning on the desk next to Peter. "You risk your life in the field. And we let you patrol with just a comm in your ear as backup, and you round up criminals. Then you have your training sessions, you get hit or fall hard at least a couple of times, you deal with classes beyond your age level and photography class, and you spend time with Bruce in his lab working out things other people can't even pronounce," he gave Tony a look, "And on top of all that, you help a mad scientist with whatever abomination he's creating."
"Yeah, and you have to cope with the World Frisbee Champion breathing down your neck all the time." Tony said.
"World Frisbee Champion?" Steve crossed his arms.
"Mad Scientist?" Tony mimicked his tone.
"Abomination?" The last one was from Jarvis.
Peter raised his head, propping his chin on his hands instead of his forehead. "Howard Stark made that shield. And right now we're improving your motorcycle engine, Cap."
"Point taken, Spiderling. And my point is, you behave well beyond your age most of the time, and we treat you that way. If you act younger than you are some of the time, we'll treat you that way, too!" Steve laid a hand on Peter's shoulder. Peter jerked his shoulder away.
"And the rest of the time, you're treated like a kid your age." Tony added. "Like right now."
"You're petting me."
"Ruffling your hair and touching your shoulder? That's not petting. See?" Steve dragged his fingers very roughly through Tony's hair, messing it up completely. Peter stared, then started laughing.
"You just mauled me, Rip Van Winkle! What's with you?" Tony asked.
"Not one straight answer for two hours, Tony. That's what." Steve was hiding a grin very badly as he walked back to his chair. Peter's shoulders shook. "I'll treat you like an adult right now, Peter. Come over here and help me get these details from Jarvis."
Peter went over to Steve, and Tony practically skipped out of the room. "It's perfectly OK to act younger than you are around people you trust, Peter." Steve nodded towards Tony. "Look at the way he's behaving now? But tomorrow, there's a press conference, and he'll probably come up with all the required information on time." Steve put an arm around Peter. "And then he'll stand up in a suit and be the billionaire superhero." Peter nodded thoughtfully.
"And I don't go around "mauling" people's hair. Though I might do it to Clint now. Felt good!" Steve laughed, and Peter chuckled, but he was still wary. Were Cap and right, or was he going crazy?
