Tony & Steve cont.
Today was the day. Today was the day!
Peter jumped out of bed, rushed to his clothes and was quick to put his clothes on. As soon as his shirt, the last article he has yet to put on, slipped onto his shoulders, he grabbed his socks and shoes and ran out of the room. He dropped them on the couch before turning around and going into his fathers room. He slammed open the door and was about to shout at them to wake up, but was stopped short mid- shout. He stops dead in his tracks and he stares gaping at the large, empty bed of his fathers.
Where are they? He asks himself. A smile crosses his face when he looks at the bathroom. He runs to the bathroom and opens the door. "Daddy? Papa?" He frowns when sees the inside of the bathroom. It's dark and empty. Peter huffs in frustration. "Daddy? Papa?" He calls when he walks back into the room.
He doesn't get a response, but he does get a familiar cry in return. A cry that belonged to his brother. Peter smiles, They're in James room. Probably getting him ready for his day with aunt Pepper. He reasons before sprinting out of the room and towards the nursery.
The door is already opens so Peter rushes in and finds Steve and Tony surrounding James crib. "Daddy, papa, daddy, papa!" Peter says excitedly before bouncing over to them. "Are you ready, are you ready, are you, ready?" Peter reaches the crib, grabs the edge and begins bouncing in his place.
Steve and Tony glance at each other before looking at Peter sadly. Peter doesn't notice because he begins rambling about the awesome day they're going to have the art museum. It's Tony that manages to get him to stop talking, "Pete. Pete, calm down. Your dad and I have to tell you something."
Peter continues to bounce, "What is it? You can tell me on the way to the museum!"
Peter stops bouncing and turns to run out of the room, but Steve grabs his shoulder stopping him. "Actually Peter, we have some bad news." Peter turns to look at Steve, cocking his head to the side. Steve sighs before getting down at eye level with him. "Sorry buddy, but we cant go to the museum." The after effects of Steve's words are immediate and Peter's face fells while his shoulders slump in defeat.
"W-Why?" Peter whispers sounding extremely upset.
Tony reaches out to grab Peter's shoulders, but Peter is quick to move out of his grasp. They sigh, "James is running a fever."
"But- But- But" Peter stammers, "Uncle Bruce can take care of him while we go."
"No Peter, he cant. James needs us, I'm sorry buddy. I know your upset, but-" Peter's eyes begin to fill with unshed tears and he turns and runs out of the room before Steve can finish what he was about to say. "Peter wait!"
But he doesn't. He runs and runs until he finds himself in an unfamiliar place. All he remembers was getting onto an elevator and pressing a random number. Now he's on a random floor, with no knowledge of where he is. But he doesn't care. Peter falls to his knees sobbing and brings his legs up to cradle against his chest.
He felt so betrayed and heartbroken… his parents cancelled on him… again! And it was all because of James again. It's always about James, never Peter. James wants that, or James needs that… what about Peter?
Peter just wants his family to go back to the way things were… before James was even born or conceived. He hates it now. He wants his family back…
"Peter?"
Peter gasps and looks up. He cant make out anything through his tears, his vision now blurry, but he does catch a glimpse of red hair. And there's only one person he knows that has red hair.
Natasha.
"A-Au… Aunt… 'T-Tas-… Tasha." Peter stammers, his chest heaving with harsh sobs.
Suddenly arms circle around his small body and he's lifted off the ground. He soon feels himself pressed against someone's body. Peter's arms voluntarily wrap around his aunt's neck because he'd know the familiar scent and feeling of her body anywhere. "Ssh," Natasha's soothing voice whispers softly as her hand rubs circles into Peter's back. "It's okay, your okay." She assures him.
Peter continues to sob into her shoulder and begins to mumble nonsense that Natasha cant seem to understand.
"I-I just… I just want-ted to… to… to… but t-they can-… an-and I-I-"
"Peter, Peter, Peter." Natasha interrupts before he can continue. "Baby calm down, ssh. Stop crying." Soon Peter feels himself being put on something soft. Something large. He pulls his head out of Natasha's neck and looks around. He's in Natasha's bedroom, on her king sized bed. Peter stares up at her sadly, and Natasha brushes back the hair from his face. "Wipe those tears." She commands softly, wiping his cheeks gently. Peter sniffs and rubs his fists hard into his eyes. Natasha smiles at him the minute Peter's vision clears up and he can see his aunt. He had made his way onto his aunt's floor subconsciously, the only family member that didn't shut him out for James.
With that in mind, Peter couldn't stop himself before he lunged himself at Natasha, wrapping his arms around her neck. Placing his head back in the crook of her neck, he takes a deep breath to control his sobs. Natasha hugs back immediately. After a minute, Peter sighs, "Thank you." He whispers.
"For what?" Natasha asks.
Peter's body gives an involuntary shudder as sobs racked his body, but he kept control. "For loving me." He says before letting go of Natasha and running out of the room, without letting his aunt say anything.
***** Later That Night *****
Natasha had managed to coax Peter out of his room after he had locked himself in his room for the last couple of hours. After they're conversation, Natasha had went to find Peter. She checked everywhere, his room was the first thing she checked and it was empty. She had asked Steve and Tony and they had no knowledge of their son's whereabouts, and explained that he ran off because they had to deliver bad news.
Natasha put the puzzle pieces together after that conversation, all the pieces. Why Peter was so upset around everyone, especially James. Why Peter never spoke about his baby brother or never wanted to hold him. It was because he was being ignored, by his family!
Natasha sighed and after an hour of searching, decided to ask JARVIS. And the AI wasn't help at all. His response was, "I'm sorry Agent Romanoff. Mr. Parker has requested me to not give away his whereabouts and only assure you that he is alright. He needs to be alone."
So she just sighed and went back off to her room. When Peter knew it was safe, he ran to his floor and locked himself in his room before his parents saw him. But it didn't matter, they were too busy fussing over James' fever.
And that was it, until when she went to call him for dinner. Peter had cried himself to sleep and woke up to her knocking on his door. Sleepily, he crawled out of bed and went to open the door.
It was very easy considering how exhausted he was, but the minute Peter and her stepped into the kitchen and found everyone surrounding the table, Peter suddenly went still. All eyes went to Peter and Natasha, including baby James whom sat in Clint's lap.
Peter made eye contact with James and only paused a second before glaring at everyone and sprinting out of the room. "Peter wait-!" Natasha called reaching out to grab his arm, but he ducked under her arm before she could and ran.
Steve and Tony automatically begin to stand, but Natasha sends them a look. "Don't, I'll go. You've all done enough damage." She said which made everyone confused. Before they could question her statement, she swiftly walks out of the room and after Peter.