Pete stays still when he wakes up; this isn't Dada's room.
'Jarvis?' he whispers as he peaks from under the covers.
'Hello, Peter,' Jarvis greets him and the lights turn up. 'You are in the guest room on the communal floor. Prince Thor and Agent Barton are just outside, shall I notify them?'
Jarvis talks funny.
'Where's Dada?'
'Sir is still in his meeting.'
He sits up and rubs his eyes,
'I want Dada.'
'He is not available.'
He hugs his blanket,
'You can always find Dada. Dada said so!' Pete accuses.
'I can,' Jarvis confirms, 'but I believe you like Prince Thor and Agent Barton?'
'I like Dada better,' he replies.
'Naturally.'
'Why is Dada busy?'
'He is meeting with the Board of Directors of Stark Industries.'
'That doesn't sound fun,' Pete retorts.
'Sir would undoubtedly agree with you,' Jarvis sounds amused. 'Perhaps you would like to go to the other room where you can play with the toy cars Agent Barton has brought down from the penthouse?'
That sounds fun,
'Ok,' he crawls to the edge of the bed, dragging his blanket and his sword. 'And Dada will come back later?' He pushes his sword onto the floor and slips off the bed after it.
'I am certain sir will escape from his meeting as soon as he is able,' Jarvis confirms.
'Ok,' he picks up his sword.
Thor and Clint are at the TV. Clint is shouting while Thor laughs.
'How can you be beating me at this?! Man, this just isn't right.'
'I am sorry, friend Clint, but this carting is most enjoyable!'
'I'm glad Nat isn't here to see this.'
'Why?' Pete wonders.
'Dear fuck!' Clint jolts and stares at him.
Clint is funny.
'When did you...? Hey, Pete!'
'Hi,' he climbs into the couch.
'Did you sleep well, little warrior?' Thor smiles at him.
'Totally don't use that word I just used...' Clint adds quietly.
'Yes,' he tells Thor. 'Which word?'
'Steve is going to kill me...'
Pete looks between the two of them and hugs his blanket a little tighter.
'What's up, kid?' Clint smiles.
'I want Dada,' he replies and gets tugged into a hug against Clint's side.
Dada gives better hugs.
'He shall be back later, little one,' Thor tells him.
'Yeah,' it would still be better to have Dada now...
'That is an impressive pout,' Clint ruffles his hair.
'Your miniature car collection has been brought down to this floor,' Thor tells him. 'May I request that you show it to me?'
He likes his cars.
'Ok,' Pete pulls Thor over to his box of cars and tips them out onto the floor.
'You have many,' Thor sits down.
'Yeah,' Pete agrees as he looks for the red one with gold wheels and red flames on the side. 'This one is my favourite,' he gives it to Thor, 'it's the fastest because it's on fire.'
'I see,' Thor nods.
'I bet Stark has a suit that can be on fire...' Clint makes no sense.
'I have an Iron Man car,' he shows them. 'It's my second favourite because it has a little Dada inside.'
'That's weird,' Clint flicks up the mask on the little man to see that it's Dada.
'Dada is the best,' Pete tells him firmly.
'Do you have a third favourite?' Thor asks.
'This one as a hook on the back,' he shows Thor. 'That means it can fix the other ones if they break.'
'Very cool,' Thor nods.
'Yes,' he agrees as he makes sure all the cars are up the right way.
'You know slang now too?'
'My Lady Jane has a companion, Lady Darcy, who makes much use of slang,' Thor smiles.
Thor smiles a lot.
'You'll be visiting her, I assume?' Clint plays with the purple car that shoots harpoons.
'She shall arrive in this fair city this very eve!' Thor beams. 'We are to dine together on steak.'
Clint laughs but Pete doesn't see how it's funny.
'Will she want to play cars too?' Pete asks.
'Perhaps,' Thor nods. 'Which of these may Lady Jane play with?'
'She can choose a favourite,' Pete offers generously. 'As long as it's not one of my favourites because they're all mine really.'
'Of course,' Thor agrees. 'My Lady would not wish to steal from you. She is what you call an astrophysicist, so maybe she could play with this one with the stars?'
Pete considers that; he likes the one with stars because it glows in the dark.
'Maybe she can have that one,' he agrees as he gathers his three favourites onto his lap. 'You can play with the one with the engine that sticks out.'
'Agreed,' Thor rolls the car towards him, 'I shall be most careful so that I am able to return it to you undamaged.'
That sounds fair.
Steve finally asks where he can find Tony only to be told he's in a Board Meeting.
He's spent enough time on his own now, though, so he makes himself get the lift to the communal floor.
He means to go straight to the kitchen to get himself a drink, and offer one to anyone else who's here, but he's barely two steps out of the lift when Pete is suddenly attached to his leg.
Why did he not think enough to realise that if Pete isn't with Tony, and not with him, then of course the other members of the team must be looking after him?
'Cap!' Pete beams up at him.
He can't help grinning back; he's missed this boy,
'Hey!' Steve scoops him into a proper hug. 'How are you?'
'We're playing cars,' Pete tells him.
'Indeed,' Thor stands up from the floor and places down a toy mustang. 'Greetings, Captain.'
'Clint used a bad word,' Pete tells him gravely.
'Did he?' Steve tries not to laugh as Clint groans and drops his face into his hands.
'He wouldn't tell me which one though,' Pete sounds disappointed.
'I'm going to make some coffee,' Steve smiles at his team mates, 'anyone else?'
'Sure,' Clint grins.
Pete pats his chest as he carries him into the kitchen,
'Jarvis had to make Dada coffee today,' he's informed, 'and Dada had to make breakfast!'
Ok, now he feels like pond life.
'Oh,' he manages to choke out.
'I had Lucky Charms,' Pete tells him.
'Were they good?' he asks as he manages to get out some mugs.
'Pancakes are better,' Pete tells him.
'I'm sorry I wasn't there.'
'Dada says you're busy lots,' Pete gazes at him trustingly.
'Yes,' Steve can hardly say anything else. 'Yes, that's right.'
He can't promise Pete he'll be around all the time when he doesn't know for sure if he'll be allowed to be.
'It's ok,' Pete tells him, 'we're Starks so we don't need anyone else.'
'Did your Dada tell you that?' Steve didn't realise it was possible to feel worse.
'Yes,' Pete confirms and beams at him.
Jesus Christ...
They play with the cars for a while; Pete makes up an elaborate scenario where Clint's car is trapped upside down under the couch and it's up to the rest of them to save him. Pete is, naturally, the only one allowed to have more than one care, but Steve is given the privilege of using his second favourite.
'Why does he get that car?' Clint fake pouts.
'Because he's Captain America and Dada is his favourite,' Pete tells them.
Clint spends a good minute remembering how to breathe as Steve avoids looking anyone in the eye.
'He is a good choice, Captain,' Thor adds quietly as Pete tells Clint off for moving his car.
Steve offers a weak smile before being instructed on what he has to do to help defeat the army of evil cars.
Just as they rescue Clint and are celebrating their victory Jarvis tells them he has a message,
'Sir will be longer than he thought,' the AI declares. 'He wanted me to check that one of you would be able to make sure Pete has dinner; he is caught in a conference call with his R&D department in Florida.'
'I am unable,' Thor looks crestfallen, 'I must soon depart to meet Jane.'
Clint looks vaguely terrified by the prospect but Steve isn't strictly sure he's got permission to be around Pete right now.
'I want to stay with Cap,' Pete declares.
'Captain Rogers it is,' Jarvis agrees.
Steve shoots a vague glare at the ceiling,
'If that's ok with Tony...'
'It's ok, right Jarvis?' Pete's pleading eyes will be their downfall.
'Sir has given no indication otherwise,' Jarvis agrees.
Pete beams.
'Favouritism,' Clint sighs, though he's clearly relieved, 'that's what this is.'
'Dada is my favourite,' Pete corrects him.
'And then Cap?'
Pete considers it,
'Yes,' he agrees eventually, 'because he gives hugs and makes breakfast, but Jarvis is my very next favourite.'
'Well, if that doesn't make you a Stark through and through I don't know what does,' Clint laughs.
'Can I help make dinner?' Pete asks
'If you'd like to,' Steve agrees with a helpless smile. 'Come on, then,' he gestures to the lift. 'Let's get dinner cooking and then we can watch some TV.'
'Ok,' Pete beams and waves to the others, 'bye!'
'Farewell!' Thor waves as Clint just grins.
Steve just hopes things go well when Tony comes looking for his son.
