2.

"You have to be kidding me," Steve whispered harshly, trying to keep their conversation from reaching the other ears nearby.

"Oh, get off your high horse, Cap," Tony scoffed. "Which one of us was fighting him in Germany? Because I don't think it was me ."

Tony could see the fury burning in Steve's eyes. He felt a pang of satisfaction. "You didn't tell us he was a kid ."

"He's not a kid, Rogers." Tony rolled his eyes. "He's 15 years old. You haven't seen him in battle; he can hold his own."

"I don't doubt that," Steve said in a low voice. "But he should not be on the battlefield."

"Oh, that's classic coming from you." Tony pointed his finger at him. "You lied on how many applications to try and get into the army?"

Steve looked the other way, rolling his jaw. Years of listening to Howard go on and on about Captain America paid off. "It's different ."

"Oh, really?" Tony moved to get back into Steve's line of vision. "Please explain to me how it's different."

"I wasn't 14-."

" 15 . And at least he won't fall over if he sneezes " Tony snapped and he could see the flash of hurt that Steve quickly wiped off his face. Tony didn't like the feeling that left in his gut.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Steve crossed his arms over his large chest. Tony was definitely not appreciating how he made the t-shirt stretch. Nope.

"Sickly kid wants to be a hero. I know. But why is Peter any different? You both wanted to fight the bad guy and defend the innocent."

Tony wasn't prepared for Steve's answer. "Because there was nothing else for me, Tony!" Not Stark. Tony. "I was a sick kid with nothing for me. I bounced from hospital to hospital when my mom could afford it. And then she was gone and it was just Bucky and I. He signed up and I knew sooner or later he would be drafted and then I would be alone."

"I-." Tony tried to speak but Steve was not letting him interrupt.

"Tell me: do you know how it feels to watch every guy in the neighborhood ship off to fight for our country while you have stay home because your lungs didn't work or you had no immune system or your bones were too frail."

Steve took a step closer. "I was nothing and I just wanted to help became I spent my entire life being nothing."

Tiny ignored the part of him that wanted to end this argument and pull Steve in for a very manly bro hug.

"But Peter ? He has the world ahead of him. He's smart, like super Stark smart. He can do whatever he wants…"

"And he wants to be an Avenger. Like us. Is there something wrong with that?" Tony challenged.

"He's just a kid," Steve repeated. "What if he gets hurt out there or worse? Do you really want his family burying him after only 15 short years?"

Tony's mind unwillingly shot back to a few weeks back before the Avengers had become a group again and Peter had joined them upstate for weekends. When Peter was lying under Megatron's claws, only one punch away from losing his life. Tony hadn't been that terrified in a while.

" He's not going to die ." Tony refused to let him get hurt on his watch. He dragged Peter into this and he would go against the devil himself, without a suit, to keep that kid safe.

"You can't-."

"Hey, Mom, Dad, maybe next time you have an argument, you should make sure the kids can't hear," Clint said from the doorway.

Both Steve and Tony turned to look at him. Next to him, Peter stood looking close to crying. He was braced against the door and staring at the two of them with wide eyes.

"Oh shit," Tony said.

Peter took a step backwards, stumbling slightly as he mumbled broken apologies.

"Kid, wait! Tony called out as Peter made a dash down the hall. He cursed again under his breath as he followed him.

He ran into his room and Tony took a deep breath before following in behind him. Peter sat on his bed, leaning against the headboard. He had his legs pulled up against his chest and he was resting his chin on his knees. He glaring at the opposite wall with watery eyes.

"Kid, I'm sorry you heard that...we should not have been shouting-."

"I heard the whole time," Peter said.

Right, Tony thought, enhanced senses.

"I tried to ignore it but then you two starting yelling...I don't, loud noises give me headaches sometimes. It's just too much."

Tony took a seat on his bed. "I know. We should be more considerate of the noise level next time." Peter had a few painful times when there were too many bright lights and too many loud noises. Tony didn't want to be the cause of one.

"He's right," Peter whispered. "I try to act like I'm not, but I'm still just a kid. I can't even drive yet and I'm fighting things that want to kill me ."

"They will not kill you," Tony said immediately. "I will not let that happen."

Peter looked at him and smiled softly. "Thanks, Mr. Stark. But you don't get to decide that."

Their conversation went silent after that and Tony looked around the room Peter was using when he stayed here. The walls were covered in Star Wars posters and other funny science related pictures.

He looked down at Peter who was curled in on himself and he looked so small.

This wasn't an adult next to him. This was just a scared kid.

Tony hesitantly wrapped an arm around his wasn't good at comforting but this seemed right.

Peter took that as invitation to lean in close. Tony ignored the surge of comfort he got from feeling Peter pressed close and safe in his hold.

While Peter was a kid, he wasn't Tony's kid. He had no right to share this moment with him. But maybe just for now, he could pretend he did. So he pulled Peter closer.

"You know," Tony whispered. "You can back down if you want. Until you're older."

"No," Peter said immediately. "I want to help. I just don't want to die," his voice cracked. "I can't do that to Aunt May."

"I meant it when I said I wouldn't let it happen, Peter. Ever fight, every battle, I have your back. And if you start sneaking off to start your own fights, please don't deactivate anything on the suit. Let, Karen was it?, let me know when you need help. And I'll be there."

Peter nodded, chuckling softly.

"Besides for the fact that you're kinda growing on me," I can't imagine my life without you anymore. " You haven't graduated yet. And if you don't think I'm going to be there on graduation day, cheering like crazy after your valedictorian speech and showing you off to all the other parents, you're crazy."

"You mean that, Mr. Stark?" Peter asked hopefully.

Tony looked down at him and met his wide eyes that were staring up at him. "If you ever mention it to anyone else, especially Clint, I will deny it. But, yeah I mean it."

Peter quickly wrapped his arms around Tony's waist. "Thank you."

Tony moved his hand from his shoulder to his back and hugged him back. "You're welcome, kid."

Yeah, Peter was the kid that ate ice cream out of the gallon while watching every Star Wars marathon. And he was the kid that decorated his walls with posters and his shelves with Lego sets. And he was still the kid that stuttered when he was nervous. And he was the kid that had special medication to keep acne away.

But he was also the kid that put on a suit every day, ready to give up his life for the rest of the world. He was the kid fighting alongside gods and men with super strength and shields and armor and training and the ability to turn into a giant monster.

Just like the rest of them, every fight he walked into, he had no idea if he was walking out of it. But that never stopped him.

"If you don't tell anyone about the hug I gave you, maybe I'll join you on the couch the next time Star Wars is on."

Peter smiled up widely at him.