Steve watched through bleary eyes as Helen Cho carefully placed her stethoscope underneath the front of Peter's hospital gown, her brow furrowing as she listened to his lungs. His fingers instinctively tightened around his son's hand as she moved the stethoscope all around his chest, his heart lurching in relief when she finally withdrew it, smiling softly.
"His lungs are almost completely clear now, Captain, just as I hoped they would be," she said. "We just needed to give his body a bit of time to heal itself."
Steve gave a tired nod. "Thank you," he forced past his scratchy throat. "And how long until his ribs heal?"
"Based on how quickly his broken bones have healed in the past, I'd say about two to three days at the most," answered Dr Cho. "I'm not detecting any further signs of atelectasis either, so I'm going to assume that the puncture in his right lung has already sealed itself off." She paused, her eyes sweeping across Steve. "Or, if you like, I can order another chest x-ray, just to be certain, but—"
"No, no, I don't think that's necessary," said Steve. The less radiation that Peter was exposed to, the better. "I trust your judgment, Dr Cho. If you say he's healing like he should be, then that's good enough for me."
Dr Cho nodded as she draped her stethoscope around her neck. "As long as there are no further signs of collapse, I'll be able to take out the chest tube later today," she said. "And then once that's out—"
"We just have to wait until he wakes up," finished Steve. Again.
"Yes," said Dr Cho. She stepped over to Steve, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "This is how Peter heals himself, Captain. And unfortunately, none of us have any control over it. We just have to give him the time that he needs."
Steve's eyes burned with the tears he'd been desperately trying to contain as he looked down at his sweet boy, all pale and bruised and so, so small in the huge, stark-white hospital bed.
He would never get used to seeing Peter like this. Absolutely never.
And why did hospitals always have to have so much white everywhere anyway? As an artist, Steve had always found the lack of colour disturbing, and not at all conducive to a person's recovery.
He'd have to speak to Tony about that, sometime when the time was right.
"I know he needs time," Steve whispered. "I'm just… it's just so hard to see him like this. I thought this would stop once we removed the Winter Soldier programming from his mind."
"I don't think this is as connected to that programming as we originally thought, Captain, since both of the other times Peter went comatose he had sustained physical injuries as well," said Dr Cho. "But now, since we no longer have to worry about him having to fight against his own subconscious while he's healing, I'm hoping that means this episode will be shorter than the others."
"You do?" Steve asked eagerly. "How long are you thinking?"
"I said, I'm hoping that it will, Captain," clarified Dr Cho. "But Peter did sustain a pretty notable concussion, so… it's probably best to plan on a few days, maybe even a week. That way if he wakes up sooner, it'll be a pleasant surprise."
Steve gave a somber nod. Even a week would be better than the ordeal he and Tony had endured after the battle down in Miami, where Obadiah Stane and Aldrich Killian had tried their hardest to convert Peter into another Winter Soldier. Peter had been comatose for months following the battle against Killian's Aminacin-enhanced army, necessitating everything from a feeding tube to daily physical therapy to keep his muscles from completely wasting away.
And with Tony fighting for his own life during a good part of that awful time, sedated and paralysed with his chest gaping open while Bruce and Dr Cho worked around the clock to create an antidote to the poison Killian had given him, Steve still wasn't quite sure how he'd managed to survive through all of it, much less remain somewhat sane.
"All right, Doctor," he said softly. "Thank you."
"Of course, Captain," said Dr Cho. "I'll be back in a couple of hours to take out the chest tube, but I'll be in my office if you need me in the meantime."
As soon as the door to Peter's room clicked shut, the composure Steve had been fighting to maintain melted away, and he dropped his head, bringing Peter's limp hand to his lips.
"I'm so sorry, little guy," he sobbed, his tears dripping down to wet Peter's blankets. "I am so sorry that we weren't here with you."
And, right on the heels of that sentiment, Why does this have to keep happening to us?
Pressing his lips to the back of Peter's hand, Steve sucked in a shaky breath, swiping the tears from his cheeks as he glanced up at the wall clock. It was already 0730, which meant that Tony would likely be waking up soon. Dr Cho had given him something to help him sleep around three in the morning, after she had assured him that Peter was stabilised, but Steve highly doubted that Tony would be able to last the entire eight hours the sleep aid was supposed to give him. He had first tried to refuse it, only relenting after Steve literally begged him to take it, promising he would wake him if anything else happened. The last thing that Steve needed at the moment was more of Tony's second-guessing and self-hatred, neither of which helped with anything besides making Steve even more anxious and upset.
Steve needed to think, and to plan. He needed to figure out a way to keep attacks like this from ever happening again, and he couldn't do that if his focus was even more splintered than it already was.
"It's gonna be okay, little guy. I've got you," Steve whispered as he pressed another kiss to Peter's hand, cradling it against his cheek for a moment before carefully replacing it under his blankets. Then he leaned back in his chair, raising his arms up over his head to try and alleviate some of the ever-present tightness in his neck and shoulders. Dr Cho had offered him a sleep aid as well, but he had refused, thinking it probably wouldn't work on him anyway. And while he was tired—more like exhausted, actually—he also knew there'd be no way he would be able to sleep.
Not until he was absolutely certain that Peter would be okay.
Tipping his head back against the chair, Steve closed his eyes, trying like hell to make some sense of what had happened. He and Tony had returned to the penthouse only moments before, and were still undressing each other when JARVIS announced that the Compound was under attack. Steve's head still ached from the mental whiplash of going from such all-encompassing desire to such immediate terror and panic in less than a split-second's time, an experience he had no desire to ever, ever repeat. At first, Tony had tried to insist that he fly them up to the Compound on his suit, but while Steve could tolerate being carried by Tony for short distances, he'd never learned to enjoy it for longer than a couple of minutes and quickly vetoed that idea. After a quick conference with Clint and Natasha, who assured Steve and Tony multiple times that the attack had ceased following the two initial impacts and that both Peter and Gwen had been found alive, they decided to collect George Stacy from his home and fly up in the Quinjet, arriving at their upstate facility in record time.
In fact, they ended up getting there so fast that the SHIELD medics hadn't even finished resetting Gwen's separated shoulder by the time they arrived at the infirmary. Gwen had burst into tears as soon as she saw them, insisting over and over that Peter had risked his own life to protect her and that she probably would've been killed from her fall off the building if he hadn't managed to catch her with his web, one that he had launched at her right before he lost consciousness. Sam had found her dangling by one arm off the side of the building less than a minute after the second impact, quickly whisking her away to the infirmary while Bucky shimmied up onto the roof to look for Peter.
It was all way too eerily familiar, and the fact that Steve had nearly had to deck Bucky to get him to calm down a bit wasn't lost on him either. Bucky had been doing remarkably well ever since they'd managed to remove his Winter Soldier programming, and his relationship with Sam was even stronger evidence of his recovery. But Steve knew that just like him and Tony, Bucky still had his limits. And anytime some enemy of the Avengers decided to skip over all of them and go after Peter, that was when all of Bucky's repressed anger and resentment tended to come out.
Just like Steve and Tony, Bucky tended to blame himself, even when there was absolutely no reason to do so.
Peeling his eyes open again, Steve leaned forward to brush the messy curls from Peter's forehead, careful to avoid disturbing the white gauze bandage wrapped around his head. In addition to the concussion, broken ribs, and collapsed lung he had suffered, Peter had also cut open the back of his head when he slammed it against the roof, right above where he had suffered a similar injury during the Afghanistan bombing. Dr Cho had informed Steve that the cut wasn't that deep and would likely heal within hours, but given the severity of Peter's concussion she had stitched it up anyway, trying to limit how much she'd have to mess around with his head while he was trying to heal.
It'd been that cut, and the blood pouring from it that had been so hard for Bucky to process once he found Peter, as it had reminded him far too much of the people he'd been forced to assassinate over the years as HYDRA's secret weapon. Bucky had told Steve that he had almost lost it at the sight of all that blood, and that if it hadn't been for Sam successfully talking him down once he'd rescued Gwen, Bucky wasn't sure what he would have done.
"I'm so sorry, little guy," Steve murmured as he trailed his fingertips down Peter's round cheek. "I wish I could make all of this go away."
Why can't I make this all go away?
He was Captain America, for goodness sake, but even aside from that, fathers were supposed to be able to protect their families. It just wasn't fair that Steve's immense love for his husband and son still wasn't enough to keep their demons at bay.
He had just grabbed his book from Peter's bedside table when there came a soft knock on the door.
"Come in?" Steve said, not too surprised when Natasha poked her head inside. It never ceased to amaze Steve how even-keeled Natasha could be while everything else seemed to be on a straight line to hell.
"Hey, Steve," she said, patting him on the shoulder. She jerked her head towards Peter, her brow furrowing into a frown as she took him in. "How's my милая ошибка doing?"
"Oh, you know," Steve said as he reached for Peter's hand. "He's so strong, Nat. So much stronger than he should have to be. And this—"
"Wasn't your fault, Steve," Natasha said firmly. "And it wasn't Tony's either, in case he's asked."
Steve dropped his chin to his chest. "Oh, you know Tony. He just automatically assumes that everything's his fault until proven otherwise. Which is usually impossible."
"Well, we all have our quirks, as you know," Natasha said with a smirk. "Even you."
"Yeah, I guess," Steve said quickly. "How're the twins doing?"
Natasha gave him a shrug. "They're a bit shaken up, but they've lived through a lot worse, so I'm sure they'll be okay. Clint's keeping watch over them in the living room at the moment though, so if you're planning on heading in there anytime soon—"
"I won't be," Steve cut in. "Not till—" He broke off, cradling Peter's hand between his own. "I can't—I can't leave him, Nat. Not while… he's like this. I just—I need to be here when he wakes up."
"All right," Natasha said frankly. "And when that's supposed to be?"
"Dr Cho doesn't know for sure," Steve answered, grateful when his voice didn't wobble. "She said it wouldn't be as long as his first one, but… he's pretty banged up, Nat, so—"
"And again, Steve, this is not your fault," Natasha said. "From everything I've heard, our boy was a hero while all of this was going down."
"Oh, I know that," Steve said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "And I wouldn't expect anything less from him. I just—Nat, he shouldn't have to be! This was supposed to be a fun weekend for him, getting to spend some time with his lady friend, and now—"
Now we'll be waiting for God knows how long for him to wake up.
"Anyway, have you heard from Fury at all?" Steve asked. "Has he been able to get a handle on the damage?"
Natasha pursed her lips, glancing down at Peter. "Yes, he has. Are you sure you're feeling up to discussing it?"
"Yes, I am," Steve said in his Captain's voice. "If you've got information, then I'll take it."
"All right," Natasha said with a sigh. "From what we've been able to ascertain, most of the damage was limited to the main SHIELD building. The residence was only minimally damaged, just a few broken windows, really, and our training dome wasn't damaged at all."
"Well, that's one good thing," said Steve. "Was anyone killed inside the SHIELD building?"
"Three security guards sustained some minor injuries and a couple of scientists who were working late got pretty freaked out, but no," said Natasha. "No fatalities."
Steve shook his head, his eyebrows knitting together into a frown. "Well, that's a relief. But it also doesn't make much sense. Does it?"
"Well, it depends on what whoever was behind this was trying to accomplish," said Natasha.
"It was the Chitauri," said Steve. "I mean, unless we know of another space-faring race who's trying to come after Earth, then it's gotta be them. Right?"
"Yes, all signs are pointing in that direction," Natasha said. "But if the Chitauri were trying to launch an invasion of Earth from this point, why only stop at two attacks? And why attack what amounts to an office building during the night, when there were basically no people inside it?"
Steve huffed, wracking his exhausted mind for possible reasons why the Chitauri would suddenly cease their offensive. Any decent attacking army would first conduct reconnaissance, and therefore would know that the main SHIELD building would be mostly vacant after business hours. The only people who would still be in the building would be the overnight security people, who were responsible for guarding—
"Oh God," Steve gasped as his belly gave a violent swoop. "Nat, did Fury send anyone down to search the vault yet?"
"Yes," Natasha said with a somber nod. "That was actually the first thing he did once we confirmed that no one was missing."
Steve's heart started to thud. Why the hell hadn't it occurred to him before now?
"And?" he asked, bracing himself for the answer that he suspected he already knew.
"It's gone, Steve," Natasha said flatly. "The sceptre's gone."
"Oh no," Steve choked out as he slumped back into his chair. "So it seems that Thor was right then? About the sceptre being one of those… infinity gems?"
"Well, that's actually what I came in here to tell you," said Natasha. "Thor got here about a half hour ago, and he's waiting to talk to us whenever you can break away for a few minutes."
"Okay, but we should wait until Tony wakes up," Steve said quickly. "I don't want him to miss anything."
"And normally that would be fine," Natasha said. "But Thor seems pretty worried about this, so I'm wondering if you don't want to try and wake Tony up yourself so we can get going. Clint said he can join us whenever you're ready."
Steve let out a frustrated noise as he glanced over at Peter. He knew that Dr Cho had warned him it could be days before Peter woke up, but the thought of leaving him made Steve's heart feel as heavy as a lead balloon. The chance—albeit small—that Peter would wake up and find himself alone was almost too much for Steve to bear at the moment.
"I don't—Nat, I can't—I can't leave him alone," Steve said softly. "I can't—"
"I know you can't," Natasha said gently. "Which is why George Stacy has offered to come in here and sit with him while we debrief. He and Gwen both." Her lips curled into a soft smile. "Gwen's been asking every few seconds when she can see Peter anyway. I think she's pretty worried about him."
"He's gonna be fine," Steve said, more for himself than anyone else. "Once he wakes up, he'll be right back to his old self."
"Of course he will be. But first we need to let him heal." Natasha gave Steve's shoulder a gentle shake. "C'mon, Steve. This'll only take a few minutes."
"All right," Steve said after a short pause. "Go ahead and tell them they can come in."
"Copy that," Natasha said as she headed for the door. A moment or so later Gwen Stacy appeared, rumpled and dishevelled with her face lined in tear tracks and her left arm wrapped up in a padded sling. Steve stood to his feet as she stepped inside, followed by her father, his hand resting protectively on her uninjured shoulder.
"Oh, Captain Rogers!" Gwen cried as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. "I'm—I'm so sorry! Peter—I never meant to—"
"None of this is your fault, Gwen," Steve said in his Captain's voice. "There's nothing you need to be sorry for."
Gwen nodded, scrubbing at her eyes as she moved closer to Peter's bed, her lower lip shaking as she took him in.
"Oh," she said on a gasp, her hand reaching for him before abruptly pulling back. "Is—is it okay if I hold his hand, Captain? I promise I'll be careful, I just—"
"That's fine," Steve said, stuffing his own hands into his pockets. "As long as you're careful not to pull on any of his tubes, okay?"
"I'll make sure that she's careful, Captain," Stacy said as Gwen carefully took Peter's hand. "She just wanted to check on him for a bit."
Steve nodded. He had never seen any indication that Gwen didn't absolutely adore Peter, and he knew Peter adored her just as much. "If you need anything, or need to get a hold of me, just ask JARVIS, all right?"
"Oh, that's no problem, Captain," said Gwen. "I've spoken with JARVIS before."
"Indeed she has, Captain," JARVIS said. "I will also of course inform you if there are any changes in Master Peter's condition."
"Thank you," Steve said as he leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to Peter's forehead. "I'll just be gone for a bit, okay, little guy? I promise it won't be too long."
There was no response, and the intellectual part of him hadn't been expecting one. But Steve still felt a sharp stab of pain when he pulled back and saw Peter just lying there, completely unresponsive. It was almost as if he were—
Nope, he thought firmly. I can't go there. Peter's heart was still beating, as evidenced by the steady beep beep beep of his heart monitor, and his skin, while cool, wasn't any colder than it normally was. So there was no reason at all for Steve to believe that he wouldn't pull out of this. Again.
It was just the "again" part of that thought that was so painful.
Exiting Peter's room, Steve headed two doors down to where he had tucked Tony in, finding him in the same position he'd left him. Carefully, he crawled onto the bed, sliding his arms around Tony as he pressed gentle kisses along his temple and cheek.
"I'm so sorry to have to wake you, sweetheart," he whispered in Tony's ear as Tony let out an annoyed moan, his brow furrowing into a frown that looked so much like one of Peter's that on any other day it would've made Steve laugh. As much as he often had to fight to get Tony to sleep, once he was asleep he was just about as difficult to wake up as Peter, and that was saying something.
"What the hell?" Tony mumbled as Steve gathered him close, pressing his ear over his heart. A few heartbeats later Tony's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing as they focused in on Steve.
"Steve? What's going on? Is Pete okay?"
"Peter's fine, sweetheart," Steve assured him. "He's just… sleeping, like he was when we got here. Dr Cho checked him out a few minutes ago, and she said his lungs are clear and his ribs are healing just like she expected them to."
"Mmm," Tony groaned as tears welled in his exhausted brown eyes. "But he's still out?"
"Yes," whispered Steve. "Dr Cho said that because of his concussion, it'll probably be at least a few days before he wakes up."
"Oh God," Tony rasped as he slumped against Steve, his hands fisting into Steve's shirt. "Honey, what—what're we doing? We gotta—we've gotta—"
"What we've got to do right now is go and talk to Thor, Tony," Steve said. "Natasha said it's urgent."
"More urgent than our boy?" yelped Tony, nearly smacking Steve on the chin with his head as he straightened. "What could possibly be more important—?"
"They got Loki's sceptre, Tony," Steve said firmly. He grabbed onto Tony's elbows, preventing him from escaping off the bed. "Whoever this was, if it was the Chitauri or someone else, they knew exactly where it was being held. Clint and Natasha said that the attack stopped after the two blasts, so the enemy knew exactly where to hit us. And then, probably while everyone else was busy scrambling around, they came down and took it."
"Yeah, 'cause we got caught with our goddamn pants down! Again!" Tony snapped. He bit down on his bottom lip, hard enough to make Steve wince. "Jesus, Steve, how could I have let this hap—"
"No!" Steve cried, so loud that he even startled himself. He sucked in a shaky breath, pressing his forehead against Tony's. "Now you listen to me very carefully. This was not your fault, do you understand me? There is no way we could've known this was going to happen, and no way that we could've prevented it."
The look that Tony shot him, so full of anguish and self-loathing, was almost enough to cause Steve's heart to shatter right there in his chest, like a piece of porcelain dropped onto a concrete floor. He audibly gulped, his back as straight as an iron rod as he forced his swirling emotions back down into the pit of his belly, where they could continue their festering.
"Please, sweetheart," he said, his voice trembling. "Please, don't do that. Not now, not while—" He broke off, cupping Tony's cheeks in his hands. "It won't help anything, and right now we need to focus, okay? We need to focus on what we can do to keep this from happening again. On what we can do, Tony. Us, as a team. Not just you. All right?"
"But… Steve," Tony whimpered. "How many times does my boy have to get hurt before I figure this out?"
"Before we figure this out, Tony," Steve said. "You're not alone, remember? I'm right here. We're both in this together, whatever it takes."
A single tear snaked its way down Tony's cheek, cross-crossed with pillow creases. "Whatever it takes," he said as he covered Steve's hand with his own. "Just… please, don't leave me. Steve, I can't—I don't know what I'd do if—"
"That's never gonna happen, mo grá, I promise you," stated Steve. "Without you and Peter… I don't think I'd be able to survive, so…" He pressed a firm kiss to Tony's lips, brushing the tear away with his thumb. "Now, let's go see what Thor has to say, all right? The more intel we can get on these infinity gems, the better we'll be able to figure out a way to stop them."
"If that's even possible," Tony said, followed by such a powerful full-body shudder that it shook the entire bed. "Steve, I saw these guys, out there in space when I flew that missile out of New York. I saw how big their ship was before it blew up, and—and if that was only one part of their invading force, then… I don't know how us learning more about a handful of rocks is gonna help anything."
"Well, why don't we talk more about this after Thor tells us what he knows about these rocks, hmm?" Steve said. He did not like to be reminded of how he'd been forced to watch Tony's self-sacrificing flight through Loki's portal during the Battle of New York, all while shamelessly begging him not to leave him.
And then, if that hadn't been enough, having to watch Tony fall from the sky right afterwards. Being chased back through the closing portal by the rapidly expanding fireball, his limp body twisting and turning in the air as he fell, all while Steve watched helplessly from the ground below.
If Hulk hadn't caught Tony when he did, then…
No! I can't think like that!
"C'mon, sweetheart," he said as he stood up from the bed. "The team's all waiting for us."
Hand-in-hand, Steve and Tony headed down the hallway to a conference room, one that had been freshly cleaned from the looks and smell of it. The infirmary floor at the Compound, while as well-stocked as any major hospital and even sporting its own operating room, didn't really get all that much use. In fact, Steve was fairly certain that aside from some minor laboratory mishaps and the occasional illness, Dr Cho and the other medical doctor who rotated through the infirmary didn't see all that many patients, leaving them plenty of time to pursue whatever research projects they were currently involved in.
"Ah, Captain, Stark," Thor said as soon as they walked into the room. "Please accept my most sincere condolences on Young Starkson's injuries. I trust, though, that he will make a full recovery?"
"Yes, he will," Steve said, giving Tony's hand a squeeze. "Dr Cho told us there's no reason for him not to."
"Well, that is indeed good news," said Thor. He retook his seat at the head of the long conference table, around which already sat the rest of their team. Including James, who had apparently just flown in from D.C.
"So," Steve said once he and Tony had taken their seats. "Natasha tells me that you've got some more information on these infinity gems?"
Thor gave a nod. "Yes, that is true. Your encounter here has only solidified my theory that the gem inside Loki's sceptre is in fact one of the six infinity stones. More specifically, the Mind Stone." He paused, tapping his palm on the table. "It is also my belief that it was this stone that was driving Loki's madness when he attacked this planet. I know that Loki has caused all of us great pain, but I also know that he was not himself during that time, and I believe this is why."
"So you're saying those Chitauri bastards were using this Mind Stone to control him?" asked Clint. Clint's jaw was tight and his fists clenched, no doubt remembering the horror he went through while under Loki's influence.
"Yes, that is exactly what I am saying," said Thor. "Agent Barton, I believe you experienced some of these effects as well?"
"We all did," Natasha said quickly, giving Clint's wrist a squeeze. "But none of us as much as Clint and Dr Selvig. Their effects were… more direct."
"Yeah, like a straight shot to the heart," muttered Clint. "Dude pointed the thing at my chest and it was like I'd suddenly forgotten who I was and who I was working for."
"He pointed it at your chest?" Tony asked, pointing to where his arc reactor used to be. "Like, right here?"
"Ah, yep," said Clint. "Got me and another agent in about ten seconds flat, then got Selvig before we split."
"Hmm…" Tony murmured as he leaned back in his chair, his expression morphing into his I'm thinking face.
"Tony?" Steve asked. "What're you thinking?"
Tony started, like he had forgotten Steve was there. "Um… well, I'm thinking that somehow my arc reactor was able to ward off the more direct effects of this Mind Stone," he said. "'Cause Loki tried the same thing with me when we got to the Tower after the portal opened up, only it didn't work."
"He did, what?" Steve exclaimed, gaping at his husband. Tony had never mentioned anything about this to Steve before. "You never—wait, Loki did what to you?"
"Well, from the sounds of it, he tried to do the same thing he did to Barton here," said Tony, way too nonchalantly for Steve's taste. "Only it didn't work, so then he got all pissed off and threw me out the window."
"Yeah, okay, but we don't need to talk about that right now either," Steve said. He drew in a deep breath, trying to maintain some semblance of composure. He, Natasha, and Clint had arrived at the Tower in the Quinjet just in time to witness Tony being tossed out of the penthouse window, and Steve had nearly had a heart attack at the sight.
And that had been before his flight through the portal.
"Steve, we were all affected by that sceptre," Bruce piped up from his chair next to James. "So even though Loki didn't use it on all of us directly, we were all still vulnerable to its effects."
"Yeah, and given that all you super-types were just as affected as the rest of them, I'd say that means this thing must be pretty powerful," said Sam.
"It is indeed, Son of Wil," said Thor. "And now that it is back in the hands of the Chitauri, it is my thought that we must take measures to remove the other Earth-bound gems from this planet. It is not safe to have this many of these stones in such close proximity."
"Okay, just… can you remind me exactly what these gems are again?" asked James. "Not all of us were as involved in the incident in New York as others."
"Oh, of course, Colonel," said Thor, clearing his throat. "Mind you, I will be relaying the story as it was told to me hundreds of years ago. By my mother."
"Now wait just a minute," said Clint. "So you're telling me this is just another one of your Asgardian bedtime stories?"
"Well, yes," Thor answered. "I believe you Midgardians also share bedtime stories with your offspring, do you not?"
"Well, yeah, we do," said Clint. "But… Jesus. I'd hate to see what you guys think is really scary."
Thor narrowed his eyes. "Yes, Agent Barton," he said grimly. "You most likely would."
"Please, Thor, continue," said Steve, barely clinging to his patience. "We're kind of on the clock here."
"Yes, yes, Captain. I do apologise," said Thor. "Now then. Prior to the creation of this universe, there existed six singularities. After the universe exploded into existence, the remnants of these six systems were forged into concentrated ingots—er, gems, as you would call them. The six infinity stones. Now, these stones are powerful, as you can imagine, and therefore can only be manipulated by beings of extraordinary strength. You may recall that I personally played witness to the immense power of one of these stones when the Dark Elves attempted to use the convergence of the nine realms to unleash the Aether, otherwise known as the Reality Stone. This Aether was not only used to lay waste to the area of your planet that you call Greenwich, but it also caused my… companion at the time, Jane, to fall seriously ill."
"Okay, that all sucks and all," said James. "But from how you're telling this story, you were still able to beat it."
"Then I am afraid that I have misled you, which is not at all my intended purpose," Thor replied. "Along with the assistance of Dr Selvig and Jane Foster, I was able to defeat the Dark Elves, yes. But, as much as I tried, I could not destroy the Aether. Not with all of my power channeled through my hammer was I able to destroy it. And now, without my hammer… I fear that it would be truly impossible."
"Okay, so maybe destruction's not the direction we try and take," said Bruce. "Like Tony implied with his testimonial about the arc reactor, maybe the way to go is to try and somehow repel the effects of the stones."
"Yes, that's definitely something we should start looking into," said Steve. "But first we need to find out where the other stones are."
"And we need to disperse them, Captain, as much as possible," said Thor. "The Chitauri are powerful and their reach is vast, so we must make it as difficult as we possibly can for them to obtain them all. This will also ensure us more time to study various methods of defence against them."
"Okay, so where are they now?" asked Clint. "Besides the one that they took from us?"
"This is my current understanding of the gems' whereabouts," Thor said. "Captain, I believe that you have determined that my theory regarding the Soul Stone is correct, is it not?"
"Yes," answered Steve. Thanks to their new diplomatic alliance, he and Tony had been discussing with King T'Challa the possibility of the three of them visiting Wakanda over Peter's upcoming spring break. "King T'Challa informed us just a few days ago that he was able to commune with his ancestors and confirm this theory. The Soul Stone's current location is in Wakanda."
"Well, then that explains the original space phenomenon that we saw in October," said Bruce. "The Chitauri must've been trying to attack them just like they attacked here."
"But then they obviously didn't get it, right?" asked Clint.
"Nope," said Tony. "They didn't."
"Wakanda is a very technologically advanced country," Steve added. "Which means that they have means of defending themselves that we currently don't."
"Not for long," he heard Tony mutter under his breath.
"Okay, so, should we maybe just move the rest of the stones there?" asked James. "How many are here again?"
"At least two more," said Thor. "The Space Stone or tesseract, which is currently well-hidden within New Asgard, and the Soul Stone, located in Wakanda."
"Okay, and those combined with the Mind Stone make three," said James. "So where are the rest?"
"Following the battle with the Dark Elves, I entrusted my Warriors Three with finding a hiding place for the Aether," said Thor. "They then left it under the guardianship of a being known as the Collector."
"Oh. 'Cause that doesn't sound ominous or anything," James muttered. "Maybe you ought to add that part to your bedtime story, hmm?"
"All right, all right," Steve said as he checked the clock again. He had already been away from Peter longer than he felt comfortable with, and he could tell by Tony's non-stop fidgeting that he was antsy to return as well. "So that accounts for the Reality Stone, the Space Stone, and the Soul Stone. Thor, what about the rest?"
"Unfortunately, Captain, I am unaware of the location of the other two stones," Thor said sadly. "Or rather, three, now that the Mind Stone has been taken. Both the Power Stone and the Time Stone remain hidden even to me. But I must reaffirm my desire to remove the tesseract from this place as soon as it is feasible. Having two stones in one place is far too dangerous, especially with the risk it presents to your people."
"All right," Steve said grimly. He found himself wishing yet again that Howard Stark had just left the damn thing down in the ocean, where it had fallen from the Valkyrie. Then SHIELD would've never gotten their hands on it, and tried to mess with it, which is what drew the Chitauri to Earth in the first place, and—
It does us no good to dwell on the things that we can't change, Steve's mind reminded him, causing him to scowl. It was something that he frequently said to both Peter and Tony, whenever the situation granted it. But he often had difficulty believing it himself.
"And how do you plan to remove the tesseract from Earth?" he asked.
"Well, unfortunately, that does present a bit of a problem," said Thor. "Seeing as how the Earth possesses little in the way of interstellar travel—"
"You mean, like absolutely nothing in the way of, right?" Tony cut in. "Like, we literally cannot do it. Our best space shuttles can only go to the moon and back, and even then, all the goddamn red tape we'd have to wade through first would make it impossible to get anything done in a reasonable amount of time, so—"
"But I thought you guys already had a ship?" Sam asked. "Isn't that how you got here in the first place?"
Thor shifted in his chair, an embarrassed look on his face. "Yes, well… I'm afraid that the ship is not currently space-worthy."
"And why not?" asked James.
"Because in all of my time as a youth engrossed in my studies on Asgard, I never elected to learn how to fly such a vessel," Thor said, rather petulantly. "And therefore I did not learn how to land such a vessel either."
"So… what, it's broken?" Bruce asked. "You broke the ship?"
"You broke the bloody ship?" added Clint, for some reason in a very strange English accent. A stunned silence fell across the table as every head slowly turned to look at him. "Oh, come on, haven't any of you ever seen Galaxy Quest? It's a classic!"
"I have!" Bucky said, speaking up for the first time since they all sat down. He smiled in Sam's direction, obviously very proud of himself. "I understood that reference."
"Yeah, okay, but that still doesn't solve our problem here," said James. "How's Thor supposed to get the tesseract off of Earth without a flyable ship?"
"Well, I suppose I could give it a look-see," Tony said. "I'm sure Bruce and I could figure out some way to jury-rig it into flying again. But there's no way I'm leaving here until we know that Pete's gonna be okay, and since we don't know how long that's gonna be—"
"It's all right, Tony," said Bruce. "I can head over to New Asgard with Thor and take a look at things first, and then you can just come over when you're ready. No one expects you to be away from your son while he's recovering."
"Thank you, Bruce. Tony and I both appreciate it very much," Steve said. Not that he figured anyone would insist on Tony leaving Peter while he was unconscious, but it was still nice to hear.
"Yeah. Thanks, big guy," added Tony.
"Yeah, sure," said Bruce. "But none of my PhDs are in repairing or flying an alien ship, so don't be too surprised when you get there and things are worse than they were."
"I highly doubt that," said Steve. "All right. While Bruce is heading back to New Asgard with Thor, I think the rest of us should concentrate on researching methods to repel the effects of these stones, and that we should get started as soon as possible. Dismissed."
A chorus of murmured assent erupted from the team members, followed by the loud scraping of chairs against the polished linoleum floor. Steve and Tony hung back until everyone else had exited the room, with Steve turning to Tony as soon as they were alone.
"Is there a reason why you never told me that Loki tried to use the Mind Stone on you?" he asked.
"Uh, maybe because you were already freaked out enough after that whole thing?" Tony said with a frown. "And it didn't work anyway, so what's the big deal?"
"What's the big deal?" Steve exclaimed. "Tony, in case you haven't noticed, you're a pretty big deal to me! And you know I don't like it when you keep secrets from me!"
"I wasn't keeping secrets!" Tony said, dangerously close to shouting. "I was just—" He drew back, shaking his head. "Look. You were already so upset about the fact that I flew that missile through the portal—"
"And when you got thrown out of the penthouse window," Steve added.
"Well, yeah, that too," said Tony. "I guess I didn't think that in the grand scheme of things it was all that important."
Steve stared at him for three more heartbeats before his shoulders dropped and he stepped back, raking his hands through his hair. How Tony could still believe that surviving yet another potentially traumatic event wasn't important was beyond him. Steve's memories of that entire time were awful, and not only because of Tony's flight through the portal or because he was tossed out the window. Natasha had been right during the briefing, the Mind Stone had been playing tricks on the entire team without them knowing, causing Steve and Tony to have some of the most brutal arguments that they'd ever had as a couple.
And with their relationship as new as it had been back then, Steve knew that Tony was still haunted by those arguments. He would never admit such fears to Steve's face, but Tony's nightmares never lied, and were often far more telling than he was while awake.
"Sweetheart," he said as he curled his arms around Tony's waist. "I don't know how else to say this, so I'm just gonna say it. I need you to tell me what's going on with you, and that means everything, okay? Even the stuff that you don't like talking about."
"Steve," Tony started, but Steve pressed his fingertips to his lips, cutting him off.
"No, Tony, right now I just need you to listen to me," he said. "I hope by now you've realised that nothing you say to me could possibly change how much I love you, or how much I love Peter, so please, please don't try and keep secrets from me. I can't—I just can't handle it."
It seemed like an entire year passed as Tony stared up at Steve, his lower lip shaking. "Okay, honey," he finally whispered. "I won't."
"Thank you," Steve said, nearly slumping in relief. He pressed a kiss to Tony's forehead, taking his hand. "Let's go see our boy now, hmm?"
They found George and Gwen Stacy in Peter's room, just where Steve had left them. As soon as they stepped inside, George Stacy shot to his feet, explaining that Peter's vital signs hadn't wavered in the slightest while they were gone.
"I hope it's okay that I told her she could get some rest," he said as he gestured towards Gwen, who was curled up on Steve's chair, sound asleep with her hand still clutching Peter's. "She's pretty wiped out from everything."
"Of course it was," Steve said as he shook Stacy's hand. "Tony and I have arranged a car to take you and Gwen back to the city whenever you're ready."
"Thank you," said Stacy. He gathered up his hat and coat, glancing back at his sleeping daughter. "You know, Captain, Mr Stark, if I were a normal father, this is where I would tell you to tell your boy to stay the hell away from my daughter, since she can't seem to escape the weird and dangerous incidents that follow your family around like a lost puppy. And I'm not ashamed to tell you both that that very thought has crossed my mind more than once. But since I'm apparently not a normal father, as Gwen has seen the need to remind me on multiple occasions over the years, that means I've come to the conclusion that even if I were to demand such a thing, nothing would change." Stacy paused, sucking in a deep breath as he looked down at Peter, following the line of his arm to where his fingers were locked with Gwen's. "Gwen is one of the most stubborn young women that I've ever seen, second only to her intellect, which means if I were to tell her that she needed to stay away from your son, there's no way she would listen to me. As much as I hate to admit it, she believes that she loves him, and… well… who am I to deny my only daughter something—or someone—she loves?"
A knot rose in Steve's throat, one that he hastily attempted to swallow down. He understood completely where Stacy was coming from. It was a father's job to protect his children from harm, to keep them as safe as possible. And as a police officer, Steve suspected that it had to be especially difficult for Stacy to not be able to protect his daughter from the Avenger-level events that tended to occur far more frequently than Steve wished.
But on the other hand, just like Stacy had said about Gwen, Steve knew how much Peter adored Gwen, and how devastated he would be if they were forced to end their relationship against their will. Gwen complimented Peter in ways that reminded Steve of his and Tony's relationship, and to lose her would not only break Peter's heart, but Steve and Tony's as well.
"That's very noble of you, Chief Stacy," Steve said quietly. "And I know Peter appreciates your… understanding. None of these events have been his fault, and in fact—"
"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Captain," interrupted Stacy. "While I'm not a superhero, I do at least understand the pressures that come with having a dangerous occupation. I just felt that you both would appreciate some candour in this matter."
"Candour is always good," said Tony. "No sense in beating around the bush."
"Exactly," Stacy said as he offered Tony his hand, nodding as he shook it. "Why waste the words when you don't have to, hmm?"
"I've never been a fan of wasting words," Tony said as Stacy moved over to Gwen, gently shaking her good shoulder. She woke with a start, her face screwing into a look of despair as she noticed Peter still lying in bed, as still as could be.
"Oh," she said, rubbing her eyes. "I was—I was kinda hoping he'd—that he'd wake up while I was sleeping."
"It's probably going to be a few days, Gwen," Steve said gently. "But we'll let you and your father know as soon as he does wake up, all right?"
"Thank you," she said as she stifled a yawn. "Can you also please tell him that I—well, you know what, nevermind. I—I'll tell him when I talk to him."
"C'mon, sweetie, let's get you home, hmm?" Stacy said as he helped Gwen into her coat. "Your mother's pretty worried."
"The car's right outside the entrance to this building," Steve said as they headed for the door.
"Thank you, Captain," said Stacy. "Mr Stark, please let us know if there's anything else we can do for you."
"Thanks," Tony murmured. As soon as the door clicked shut, Tony made a beeline for the abandoned chair, lifting Peter's hand to his lips as tears spilled down his cheeks.
"Oh my sweet boy," he whispered as he pressed kisses all along Peter's hand and wrist. He let out a sort of morbid chuckle as Steve settled into the second chair. "You'd think that I'd be used to seeing him like this with how sick was all the time, but—"
"I can't imagine ever getting used to seeing your child like this, sweetheart," Steve said, draping his arm across Tony's shoulders. "I know I'm sure not."
Tony nodded, sniffing as he turned his head into Steve's chest. "Tell me again, honey, please? 'Cause I'm just—I think—I just really need to hear it, and—"
"This wasn't your fault, Tony," Steve said in his Captain's voice. "Absolutely not at all."
Two more tears tracked down Tony's cheeks as he nodded. "And—and the other thing?"
"I love you," Steve said, without missing a beat. "I love you, and I love Peter, and I'm never going to leave you. Not ever."
"Yeah, that's it," Tony rushed out. He scrubbed his palm down his face and sat back up, turning back to face Peter. "You hear that, Pete? Papa's never gonna leave us, so we're gonna be just fine."
"Dad's right, little guy," Steve said as he placed his hand on Peter's leg. "I'm here to stay."
Till death do us part.
"No, no, no, that's still not the right part, big guy," Tony said, trying hard to hold onto his frustration. He had always despised video conferences, and especially ones that involved trying to coach Bruce into repairing an alien spacecraft. But it was either that or fly out to New Asgard himself, and with Peter now on day five of his coma and showing no signs that he was ready to wake up, unfortunately the video conference was all Tony could offer.
"You do remember that none of my PhDs are in repairing spacecraft, right?" Bruce said, obviously just as frustrated as Tony.
"Yeah, you might've mentioned that a time or three," Tony said, rolling his eyes. "In the last sixty seconds or so. There! It's right there, right by your hand!"
Bruce let out an excited grunt as he finally located the part Tony had been coaching him to find for the last ten minutes. "Is this it?"
"Yep, hence why I said, 'right by your hand'," Tony said. "Now, point your phone at it so JARVIS can send me a hologram."
About three seconds later a bluish holographic model of something that resembled a catalytic converter appeared in the open space next to Peter's bed. Tony's eyebrows knitted together as he walked slowly around it, running his fingers along his unkempt goatee as he tried to figure out how the thing was supposed to look.
"Okay, so, if I'm reading this right, which isn't a promise, by the way, it looks to me like part of this thing is charred," Tony said. "Do you know if Thor has any spares of these parts?"
"Ah, I highly doubt it, Tony," Bruce said. "Thor barely knew where the ON button was, so—"
"Yeah, yeah, that's what I figured," muttered Tony. "JARVIS?"
"At your service, sir," answered JARVIS.
"Give me your best guess as to how this thing's supposed to look and overlay in red, yeah?"
The hologram flickered as it became overlaid with a similar schematic in red, displaying what appeared to be a fully-functional component.
"This is my best attempt, sir," said JARVIS. "However, without any reference to go by, I cannot promise that—"
"I'm pretty sure your guesses are worth a lot more than most people's certainty, J," Tony cut in. "Go ahead and render a new part that matches these specs, yeah? Use the same gold/ titanium alloy composition that I use for my suits."
"You mean, that you used to use for your suits, do you not, sir?" JARVIS asked.
"Yeah, yeah, you know what I mean," grumbled Tony. "How soon can you get it out there to Bruce?"
"Assuming no issues with the render and construction, I'm estimating that it can be delivered to Dr Banner in approximately ten hours."
Tony groaned. Fixing the dumb ship had already taken a lot longer than he'd thought it would, and the thought of waiting yet another ten hours only to find out that there was still more to fix disturbed him in ways he had no desire to admit. But if getting the tesseract off of Earth was as important as Thor said it was, then he really had no other choice in the matter.
"As soon as you can, J," he said. "Did ya hear that, big guy?"
"Loud and clear, Tony," answered Bruce. "And, thanks. Now I can maybe go take a nap before the little old lady who runs one of the pubs here tries to get me to eat more of her lutefisk. Yeesh. I'm sorry, but that stuff is nasty!"
"Yeah, I'm sure it is," said Tony. "Let me know when the part gets there and I'll walk you through installing it, yeah?"
"You got it. Talk to you then."
Setting down his StarkPad, Tony rubbed at his temples, trying to stave off the headache that persisted in taunting him. Steve had gone over to the residence about twenty minutes ago to make them some food, and while Tony wasn't hungry in the slightest, he knew that if he didn't eat, Steve would try and cut off his coffee intake, and that was simply unacceptable.
The thought of sleeping, or even trying to sleep, or even thinking of trying to sleep while Peter was sick… well… it was ridiculous, is what it was.
Still, Tony would pretend to try, if for nothing else than to help ease some of Steve's mother hen-ing a bit. Tony's capacity to say no to his husband's pleading blue eyes was already past the point of supersaturation, especially when that damn worry wrinkle came into play.
Hence the need for coffee.
A few minutes later Steve returned, bearing an entire tray of sandwiches, fruit, and chips, along with a large Thermos full of Tony's favourite coffee blend. While they ate, Steve brought Tony up to speed on the repair estimates for the damaged SHIELD building, adding that Nick Fury had already managed to move his people into the temporary office trailers that Tony had brought out from storage.
"Fury doesn't miss a beat, does he?" Tony said as Steve polished off his third sandwich. "I swear that man could go to his own ma's funeral in the morning, and then be back at work in the afternoon."
"Well, some people tend to show their grief a bit differently than others, mo grá," Steve said. "I saw some of that during the war. Guys would be talking to their buddy standing right next to 'em one second, and the next he'd be flat on the ground, shot right through the head or the chest." He let out a sigh, one so heavy that Tony reached for his hand. "And during a battle, you can't stop, or you might get shot too. You just have to keep going, and that makes it even harder."
"I'm sorry, honey," Tony whispered, kicking himself for bringing one of Steve's long-buried demons back up to the surface. "I didn't mean to—"
"No, I know you didn't," Steve said, attempting a smile. "And I didn't mean to imply that. I'm just… I just feel like I'm being pulled in all these different directions, when all I really want to do is curl up in bed with you and Peter and just sleep for the next week or so."
"Okay, now you're starting to worry me," Tony said. He brushed his thumb across Steve's knuckles, something that Steve always found soothing. "Did someone say something to you while you were in the kitchen? 'Cause if they did, then—"
"No, Tony, it's nothing specific," answered Steve. "I mean, Nat and Wanda were in there while I was in there, and they were asking about Peter, and about how Bruce was doing, and wondering if they should go ahead and order Pietro some more shoes, 'cause he's already worn through the entire supply that we got for him when they first arrived. It was nothing out of the ordinary, but the whole time I just kept thinking about how I just wanted to get back to my son." He brought Tony's hand to his lips, kissing the back of it. "I'm just tired. And I don't think it's the kind of tired that sleep can fix."
Tony's throat tightened at how utterly defeated Steve sounded, and how helpless he felt to offer any sort of comfort to him. The kind of bone-deep mental fatigue was all-too-familiar to Tony, and not something he would wish on anyone.
And even less on the man that he loved.
"Well, honey, I know you just said that you don't think this is the kind of tired that sleep can fix, but maybe you should try and catch a few winks, yeah?" Tony suggested. "It's been awhile since you've gotten any sleep that was more than a ten minute catnap."
"Oh, like you're one to talk," Steve retorted, kissing Tony's hand again to help take the sting from his words. "How 'bout we both try. You haven't really slept since the night this all happened, and—" He broke off, glancing mournfully at their son. "And I think Peter would like it if we curled up with him for awhile."
Tony hesitated for only about three seconds before setting down his Thermos. He still didn't believe that he'd be able to actually sleep, but the thought of curling up next to his boy for a couple of hours did sound pretty nice.
If nothing else, his back could definitely use the break. Even though the chairs he and Steve had been sitting on for the past week were pretty comfortable, they still weren't a bed.
"I think that's an excellent idea, honey."
Careful to avoid jostling any of Peter's wires and tubes, Tony and Steve settled in on either side of him, both of their arms draped across his stomach. Not surprisingly, Steve was out in a matter of minutes, with his face smooshed into the pillow exactly like he slept back at home. Tony's heart ached as he smoothed Steve's hair back from his forehead, trailing his fingertips down his cheek to his strong jaw.
"Time to stand down now, soldier," Tony whispered. "The war can wait for a bit."
Settling in on his side, Tony moved his hand to cup Peter's cheek, his thumb brushing along his cheekbone as he kissed his forehead. He and Steve had washed Peter's hair earlier that day, and the smell of his shampoo had permeated into the bedding, making the entire bed smell like green apples. Closing his eyes, Tony breathed in, allowing the comforting scent to wash over him like a soft breeze.
Please, buddy, he thought. Please, come back to us soon.
It felt like only a few seconds had gone by when Tony suddenly jerked awake, certain that he'd felt Peter's elbow dig into his side. Peeling his eyes open, he was startled to find that it was already dark outside, with the stars glowing in the distance through the wide windows.
"What the—?" he muttered as he pushed himself up onto his elbow. On the opposite side of the bed Steve was still out, his strong arm sprawled across both Peter and Tony in that protective papa-bear hold that they both adored.
"Up," Tony suddenly heard from next to him, nearly sending him off the bed. Swallowing hard, Tony glanced down to find Peter staring right up at him, his huge eyes full of confusion.
"Up?" Tony said as he reached a shaking hand towards Peter's face. 'Up' was what Peter always used to say when he woke up from his naps as a toddler, and was also the very first word he spoke after he woke up down in Miami.
"Buddy? You're up?"
Slowly, Peter nodded, his disheveled curls flopping over his forehead.
"Uh huh," he said as he licked his dry lips, his brown eyes a bit less confused now. "Dad? What—what happened to me?"
"Oh God, buddy," Tony rasped as he pitched forward, burying his face in Peter's hair as he peppered him with kisses. "You've been out for awhile, but I think—I think you're gonna be okay now. Helen said we just needed to give you time, so—"
"So, I was out?" Peter asked. "Again?"
"Peter!" Steve suddenly exclaimed as he pulled Peter into a careful hug. "Oh my God, little guy, it's so good to hear your voice again!"
"Hey, Papa," Peter said as he tucked his head under Steve's chin. "How long was I out this time?"
"About a week, bud," answered Tony. "Little less."
"A week?" Peter yelped. "I was out for another week?"
"Well, at least it wasn't long enough to need another feeding tube," Tony said. "And Helen said you hit your head pretty hard, so—"
"Oh my God, Gwen!" Peter cried. "Daddy, where's—where is she? Is she—?"
"Gwen's fine, little guy. She's at home with her family," Steve said as he patted Peter's back. "She told us that you saved her."
"Oh," Peter said as he slumped back down into his pillows. He raised his left arm, scowling at the two separate intravenous lines flowing into it. "Well, at least there's that."
"Hey now. What's that supposed to mean?" asked Steve. "You were a hero that night, little guy. Dad and I couldn't be prouder of you."
"Mmm," grumbled Peter. "'Cept I'm such a big hero that I can't seem to keep myself awake whenever anything bad happens. What good is a hero who's always falling asleep on the job?"
"No, no, we're not gonna have any kind of talk like that," Tony said firmly. "And especially not now, right after we've gotten you back. It is not your fault that you hit your head during that attack, bud, and there is no one who thinks any less of you for it. You cannot control how your body chooses to heal itself."
"Mmm, if you say so." Peter bit down on his bottom lip, glancing between Tony and Steve. "But how am I ever gonna be a hero like you guys if I can't keep from getting hurt every single time?" he asked, nearly tearing Tony's heart down the middle.
"That'll just come with practise, buddy," he murmured. "You remember the first suit that I built, right? The one that you said looked like the Iron Giant?"
Peter let out a soft giggle. "Well, that's 'cause it did. But I don't think that one should count."
"Well, I was working with pretty limited resources, so you're right about that," said Tony. "But seriously, buddy, if I constantly judged myself on stuff that I did when I was sixteen, well… let's just say that you probably wouldn't be here, 'cause I wouldn't be here either."
"Yeah, but—"
"Nope," Tony stated. "You've officially used up all your buts. No more until you've been disconnected from all of this stuff and had something to eat, yeah?"
"Mmm, all right," said Peter. "I am pretty hungry."
"That's our boy," said Steve. "JARVIS?"
"I have already informed Dr Cho that Master Peter has awoken, Captain," said JARVIS. "She will be arriving momentarily."
"And I'll go and make you some food, okay, little guy?" Steve said as he sat up on the bed. "What sounds good to you?"
Peter shrugged. "Whatever you're having will be fine, Papa."
"Ahh, how 'bout we start with some soup or something like that, hmm?" said Tony. "No sense in having it all come right back up again."
"Sounds good," Steve said, ruffling Peter's hair. He ducked down as Peter dropped his head again, tilting his chin up to look at him. "Peter, you have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Absolutely nothing."
"Uh huh," said Peter. "But you're my dads. You're supposed to say stuff like that. But what if—what if I hadn't caught Gwen when she went over the edge? Then what would've happened to her?"
"But you can't think like that, little guy," Steve insisted. "Part of being a hero is that you can't be always second-guessing yourself. You just have to follow your instincts, and the best way to do that is to hone those instincts through training."
Peter stuck his bottom lip out as he nodded. "You really think so?"
"Are you kidding me?" Steve said. "Peter, when you grow up, you're gonna be the best of all of us. And that is a fact."
"It is?" Peter asked, with such a childish hope that Tony's heart fluttered. Leave it to Steve to find just the perfect words to turn Peter's mood around.
"Absolutely, bud," Tony said as he kissed Peter's head. "No question about it."
As long as you get to grow up first.