A/N: I honestly debated whether or not I should suffer and finish this chapter. But as fate would have it, my inspiration came right when I had to study for midterms. So my thoughts "OH MY FUCKING GOD! WHY COULDN'T I GET INSPIRED WHNE I WAS LOCKED AWAY IN A CABIN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SNOWY MOUNTAINS?!"
Ok, I'm done. Nothing really happens in this chapter. Think of it as a filler. It has occurred to me as I wrote this that my fic is completely uneventful and domestic. I made myself gag writing that. Normally I would go for something more kick ass, but you can't do much when you got a kid to take care of. So I came up with a solution, and you will either hate me or love me. More at the end of the chapter.
2 Years Later, May, 11:36 am
Shortly after the events of last chapter, there was yet another large scale attack on New York City. Doctor Doom built an army of Doom Bots and held the whole of Wall Street captive. Soon he started capturing more, and more of New York. It took S.H.I.E.L.D, the Avenger, and the Fantastic Four to sop the attack. There had been a mass evacuation of New York in hopes of stopping another Loki incident. Managing to not kill each other, Reed Richards and Tony Stark managed to pinpoint where Doctor Doom was stowed away. But evasive as always, Doctor Doom was ready and had already made his escape when the team was sent.
While escaping, Doctor Doom passed by Avengers' Tower. He sent several of the still remaining Doom Bots inside the tower, and had them detonate once inside. Luckily Pepper had decided to take Peter to the Malibu house when S.H.I. had first caught wind of the plot. The residential area of the tower was completely decimated; only a fraction of the foundation had survived. Every floor had been hard hit, even the lab. The lab now had a gaping hole in its ceiling. The living room was nonexistent, and the first 4 floors were charred entirely; just like the research lab in New Jersey all over again. Even though Peter's nursery was built to withstand damage from the Hulk, it suffered the same fate as the rest of the tower. The wall closest to the living room was completely caved in; all that was left was ash and debris.
Exhausted, frustrated, and defeated the Avengers returned to the now decimated tower, and finally saw the damage. It hadn't been a total defeat; they destroyed most of the Doom Bots, but Doom himself escaped. Realizing that living in a tower in the middle of New York wasn't exactly safest place for a baby, Tony and Steve decided to move to the Malibu house. While the tower was under construction the Avengers were based at the Malibu house, but mainly the Helicarrier.
Peter loved the house, especially now that he was finally walking. A wide, flat area with minimal staircase usage was perfect for Peter to not fall over any steps; besides everything could be moved so there would be a wide, empty space. Still, Steve would trail behind Peter (like Holly from Life as we know it), and Tony would record everything, laughing hysterically every time Steve lost sight of Peter. Even though Steve did miss New York, he was just as happy in Malibu as Peter and Tony.
xxOOxx
"JARVIS run the simulation again, this time with… carry the 6 and move the decimal…" Tony started as he closed his eyes and moved his finger in the air, "run it with 38% concentration." Tony swiveled his chairs away from his tools, and to a monitor with an Iron Man armor outline and several colorful status bars, that kept fluctuating. The monitor turned a red tint, and a warning started flashing.
"Fucking shit!" tony shouted in frustration, pushing away form the counter, the chair swiveled again, and Tony pressed his hands to his face, rubbing the tiredness out of his eyes. "JARVIS keep running it. IF it doesn't work keep adding… 3.2%. Once one gets close enough start adjusting in intervals of 0.38%." Tony was massaging his right temple with his thumb as he said this.
"Sir Peter is at the door. He wishes to enter." JARVIS broke in after letting Tony sulk for a few moments.
"Oh… um… lock down all the armors, power down the tools. You know what, just lock away anything dangerous." Tony practically jumped out of his chair and ran to the door. After turning a corner, Tony slowed to a walk, looking for anything that needed to be put away.
Standing behind the glass door, Peter was holding CLARC's paw. The glass door slid open and Peter rant o Tony, CLARC waddling behind. Tony stooped down and lifted Peter as he ran into his arms. Peter wrapped his arms around Tony's neck, and buried his face in it.
"Hi Petey. Glad you missed me so much." Tony spoke into Peter's hair, as he ran his hand through it.
"Hi mama." Peter did his goofy smile at Tony, same one from when he was a baby, only more teeth this time.
"So what can I do for ya?" Tony's tone was light, cheery, and playful. "Or wait, where's your pops?"
"Kit-ten." Peter answered imitating Tony's tone.
"So he doesn't know you're here?" this time Tony was slightly accusing, but still playful.
Peter buried his face into Tony's t-shirt, grabbing fistfuls of fabric.
"Peter…" it was a warning.
Still with his face in Tony's shirt, he shook his head.
"Oh, I get it." Tony responded, trying to sound philosophical. "You were watching tv, and Steve was making you a snack. And now you're here because you want to spend time with me."
Petter nodded.
"Okay then, I see." Still sounding philosophical.
Tony set Peter down, lowered himself to his height.
"How does this sound Petey," Tony started, looking at Peter in the eye." How about I finish up here, and go upstairs and watch a movie or two with you?"
Peter's face lit up with hope and enthusiasm that only children can have.
"Really mama?"
"Of course. I'm tired of being down here anyway." Tony stood up and pick up Peter. He walked back over to the monitor he had been looking at before. A red warning was flashing on the screen.
"JARVIS, give me a head up if anything happens. If they all fail just leave it, and shut everything down." Tony typed in a few things as he said his.
"Yes sir." JARVIS responded tersely.
"Alright, let's go Peter. Feel like watching Toys Story?" Tony asked, walking to the door, CLARC trailing behind.
"If I may suggest something." CLARC interjected, coming up to Tony's left side," how about Monster's Inc.? Peter hasn't seen it yet."
"Oh right, I've been meaning to show you that one." Tony was now heading up the steps.
"Monter enk, I want to see." Peter was bouncing in Tony's arms, excited.
"Alright then, it's decided."
xxOOxx
Several Minutes Earlier
Peter was sitting on the sofa with CLARC watching some documentary on spiders. Steve was with him, wondering why the three-year-old wants to watch a documentary.
"Do you want a snack Peter?" Peter had woken up early that day, so he had breakfast about four hours ago.
Peter was staring at the tv screen with wide eyes as a spider wrapped its prey into a cocoon. Steve's question just flew over his head.
"Peter."
As if woken from a trance, Peter's head snapped to Steve and he blinked a few times, trying to focus his eyes.
"Peter do you want a snack?" his eyes showed concern as Steve asked the question for a second time. In Steve's opinion, Peter was spacing out way too often from his age.
"Yes!" Peter exclaimed smiling wide.
Ruffling Peter's hair Steve stood "Alright, I'll be back with some juice and a sandwich." He walked towards the kitchen, leaving Peter and CLARC to watch tv.
Using this moment away form his pops, Peter got up and ran to the stairs and down to Tony's lab with CLARC trailing behind him.
Steve returned after a few minutes holding a sippy cup and a plate with a sandwich on it.
"Peter?" Steve called out as he set the snack on the sofa.
Moving about the living room, looking for the toddler Steve called out again, "Peter where are you?" There was no response, and no sign of Peter.
"JARVIS, where's Peter?" Steve asked the AI, glad that there were surveillance cameras all over he house.
No response.
"JARVIS, where is Peter?" sounding more assertive, Steve asked his question again.
"Sir, Peter does not wish for you to know his current location." JARVIS answered after a delay, almost sounding reluctant.
"Is he somewhere he's not supposed to be?" he sighed out in frustration. Peter was always disappearing and Steve would always go crazy looking for him.
"He's with Mr. Stark at the moment." JARVIS finally confessed, after what felt like and eternity to Steve.
"Oh Peter…" Steve pinched the bridges of his nose. Exhaling heavily, he turned to start for Tony's lab, but when he was halfway there, Tony was coming up. Peter was in his arms, and CLARC was at his side. When Peter saw Steve, he hid his face in Tony's chest, the way only children know how too.
"Sorry about that Tony, I know you're busy." Steve apologized, slightly embarrassed.
"Yeah, still am busy, but I'm not getting anywhere anytime soon." Tony said as he walked to Steve and kissed him chastely on the lips. "Besides, I feel like spending time with Peter."
Steve sighed, "Tony, you have deadlines to meet. You can't take time off for too long."
"Yes mom I know." Tony teased. "But there's nothing I can do without positive test results. JARVIS is running the simulations,. All I can really do is wait." Tony practically sighed out the last part.
"I guess you have a point." Steve admitted in defeat.
At this, Peter's head bobbed up from Tony's chest, goofy smile plastered on his face. He squirmed in Tony's arms, wanting to be let down. When Tony did set him down, Peter lunged onto Steve's legs, grabbing them in a bear hug.
"Tank you papa." Peter said, face pressed into Steve's jeans, voiced muffled.
Chuckling Steve asked Peter, "Do you know what you want to do?"
"Mama want to show Monter enc." Peter answered.
"Monsters Inc., hasn't he already seen that?" Steve's question was directed at Tony.
"That's the weird thin, I haven't shown it to him yet. I probably haven't shown it to you either." Tony answered, minuet traces of guilt in his tone.
"Now that you mention it, I've heard of it in passing." Steve said pensively, eyebrows knitting together.
Shaking his head, with his hand covering his eyes, "Wow, I can't believe I missed a new classic. Everyone has been excited for the 2nd movie for a year or so now. JARVIS put Monsters Inc. on the tv."
"Yes sir."
Tony walked to the kitchen and came back a few moments later with two bags of chips and two sodas. He plopped down on the sofa next to Steve and Peter. There was the sound of a crinkling plastic, and then the chip bag was open. Offering the bag to Steve, Tony said, "JARVIS, play the movie."
The movie started playing without a reply from JARVIS. Peter sat in between his dads, drinking apple juice from his sippy cup. Stealing a quick glance to his left, Steve saw something that made him smile. Leaning back against the sofa Tony was relaxed; he wasn't worried about some upcoming deadline, and he looked ten years younger. Steve also saw that Tony was playing with the tussled brown mop that was Peter's hair. He could tell that Peter was enjoying Tony's attention.
Tony had been working all week, the only time Steve saw him was when he made Tony eat. It was times like these that Steve was happy about the move. They could enjoy a quiet afternoon together watching a movie; the way families should, instead of worrying about foreign investors, or imminent attacks on New York. In fact, it seemed that the super villains had all agreed to take a break; three months ago, that's when the last attack had been. Clint and Natasha had worked with S.H.I.E.L.D to stop and information leak, they had called in the rest of the Avengers when a base needed breaking into. Everything was calm and quiet, Peter was smiling, Tony was relaxed, and Steve had never been this happy. All was well.
A/N: So fluff filled right? Anyway, next chapter Peter starts school YAY!
Now that I have an idea of what I want to do, there's going to be one or two more domestic chapters, and then we get to the good stuff. I am sorry if I had bored you guys with all this everyday drawl.
