He runs for hours.

He finally makes his way back up the drive in the dark. There are a few rooms lit up downstairs but the rest of the house is dark. Lights turn on on the steps up to the front door as he approaches and he can hear Tony's music from somewhere deeper into the Mansion.

'Welcome back, Captain,' Jarvis greets him as he steps inside.

'Hey Jarvis,' he smiles, 'Tony's been working hard then?'

'Yes, Captain,' Jarvis confirms. 'My presence now stretches across much of this floor.'

'That's good,' he rolls his shoulders as he makes his way into the building towards the kitchen. 'Where's Tony?'

'Sir is working,' Jarvis replies simply. 'Do you wish for me to interrupt him?'

'Oh, no,' he declines as he enters the kitchen. He opens the refrigerator and finds a plate of food with his name on, 'has Pepper spoken to Tony?'

'No, Captain.'

Well, that's something.

'Maybe I should ask her not to,' he ponders as he eats his dinner.

'You might ask her, Captain,' Jarvis agrees, 'but it would not change her mind.'

'It won't change anything,' he adds quietly after he's finished eating.

Jarvis doesn't reply.


He's dancing to his music as he works when he's alerted to Steve's return by a drop in the volume.

'Don't turn down my music,' he complains.

'Hey, Tony,' Steve smiles up at him.

'Cap,' he greets. 'You enjoy the change of scenery?'

'Sure,' Steve agrees. 'Where's Pete?'

'In bed,' he looks back to his work. 'It's really quite late.'

'I was going to turn in,' Steve tells him. 'What about you?'

'Is that an invitation?' he smirks in response.

Steve shoots him one of those looks he hasn't been able to decipher,

'You really think you'd be able to cope slumming it in my room? Pete reliably informs me that yours is much bigger.'

'You want to discuss whose is bigger?' he grins and watches Steve blush.

'Goodnight, Tony,' Steve rolls his eyes.

'Night,' he turns back to his drilling.

Jarvis turns the volume back up as Steve leaves.

'Get me more coffee, Jay,' he rubs his eyes.

'Certainly, sir.'


He wakes with a jolt and looks around wildly.

Right; he's in the Mansion. What woke him?

'Hi Cap,' he jolts again as Pete crawls up from the end of the bed in his Iron Man onesie dragging his blankie.

'Pete?' he rubs his eyes. 'Jarvis, what time is it?'

'Jarvis isn't here,' Pete climbs under the covers next to him. 'Dada isn't here either.'

He watches as the little boy curls up beside him before suddenly looking up at him with Tony's eyes,

'I can sleep with you?'

'Yeah,' he agrees helplessly, 'of course you can.'

'K,' Pete closes his eyes and falls asleep pressing his blankie to his face.

He sits there for another moment before reaching for the earpiece Tony gave him before,

'Jarvis?'

'Captain,' Jarvis responds promptly, 'you are up late. What can I do for you?'

'I... Pete's here. Is Tony still working?'

'Indeed, Captain. I shall let sir know Peter's location.'

'Great, thanks Jarvis. Goodnight,' he lies back down and takes out the earpiece.

He settles down on his back and gazes at Tony's son beside him,

'Goodnight, Pete,' he tells him quietly.

If he stays awake to watch the boy sleep for a while then it's not like anyone around here can take the high ground when it comes respecting privacy.


When he wakes again he finds Pete still sleeping beside him. He smiles and closes his eyes.

He can skip his run today.


'Cap,' a small hand pats his face.

'Hey, Pete,' he opens his eyes and smiles.

'Hey Cap,' Pete beams at him before climbing onto his chest. Steve huffs a breath as two smalls knees dig into his gut. 'Do you need coffee to help your brain?'

'Coffee does sound good,' he agrees. 'What would you like?'

'Coffee tastes funny,' Pete tells him.

'I think you'll like it when you're older,' he grins and sits up to topple Pete to his side.

Pete grabs his blanket and holds up his arms to be picked up. Steve obliges him and has stepped out of his suite before he remembers he isn't wearing a shirt.

'Good morning, Captain,' Jarvis greets him as soon as he's in the hall. 'Hello Pete.'

Well, he can't turn back now.

'Where's Dada?' Pete looks across to where the door to Tony's suite is standing open.

'Sir is upstairs in the east library,' Jarvis reports. 'Would you like directions?'

Up a staircase he's never seen before and along a hallway he can hear music ahead.

'Dada!' Pete squirms as soon as Tony comes into view and runs to his father's side.

Tony's wearing his normal work clothes with the Iron Man boots. He's standing with a box of what Steve assumes must be the grain-of-rice sized sensors for Jarvis in one hand and the drill he had been using hanging from a wrist strap.

'Hey,' Tony puts the sensors down and scoops up his son, 'it's my two favourite men.'

'Hey,' now he's not holding Pete he's much more aware that he's half naked.

'Cap needs coffee for his brain, Dada,' Pete pats Tony's arc reactor.

'Help yourself,' Tony turns to gesture to a half full jug of coffee on a chair across the room.

'This is cold, Tony.'

'More for me then,' Tony beckons for the jug.

'Would you like anything else for breakfast?' he hands over the coffee reluctantly.

'What's on offer?' Tony gulps the last of the coffee straight from the jug.

How does he find this man attractive?

'Eggs,' Pete tells them. 'Thor says eggs will make me grow.'

'Good luck with that,' Tony puts the jug down.

He laughs,

'It might be worth a try. How do you like your eggs?'

'Dunno,' Pete's playing with the light from Tony's chest with his fingers.

'Scrambled,' Tony replies as he abandons his drill beside the box of sensors. The Iron Man boots drop off as Tony walks over to him. 'I like the new look, Cap; half naked with bed head is a look you really pull off well.'

He blushes as one hand flies to his hair,

'Pete didn't seem keen on waiting before coming to find you.'

'I'm so proud,' Tony pats his abs as he walks past.

He can only imagine how outnumbered by Starks he'll feel once Jim is born.