Chapter Summary:

After the events of the previous day, Rhodey has an unconventional breakfast with Tony and his guests. Rhodey keeps getting confused.

Author's Note: I am curious, who did the math? How much time would Rhodey have actually slept?Additionally, if anyone is interested in making a cover or being a beta-reader, I am open for anyone.The Wattpad version of this book has pictures, I would add them on and AO3, but I dont know how.

Chapter 2: The Family Feast - A curious Breakfast Assembly

James Rhodes woke up early the next morning, still feeling puzzled about the events he had witnessed last night. He couldn't help but feel restless, and his mind was still trying to piece together the puzzle of Tony and the teenage boy. It took him a minute to find out what had woken him up. After the night Rhodey had, waking up to loud clatter and clinging around five in the morning was not what he would have hoped for. Adrenalin cursed through his body, sending him out of the bed in a frenzy, trying to understand what was going on. As an Avenger and a military man Rhodey was used to early mornings and running out of bed for emergencies, ready to jump in fast and with a perfect plan and act fast enough that it might look from the outside as if no thought occurred. He never enjoyed it much, though. It was tiring and took away from a restful sleep or clear daily structure that Rhodey preferred in life.

But Rhodey knew it was worth it to save all those people that would be harmed otherwise. He knew how it does not have to be death that could ruin a life, his own parents were always struggling financially and taking care of three children cannot have been easy, especially considering two of them graduated from esteemed universities when Rhodey's younger brother died: The death of Samuel had been hard enough, but Rebecca and he had to struggle through finding jobs to even pay for Sammy's funeral. Rhodey could only thank Tony, his help and job offer at SI having saved Beck from having to drop out of her master. Rhodey knew he would not have taken Tonys help yet had it not been for his sister, he had been to proud to accept help from his younger friend. A big fault of his, Rhodey knew. And he had worked on it. Nowadays, he would not say no to help. Not if he offers his own in return. That was what made a friendship worth having: being there for each other, giving as good as one gets, love and care. Not expecting or taking, not letting someone take. But giving and receiving without expecting anything in return.

Rhodeys mind was racing with possibilities. What could possibly be going on that would explain this noise so early in the morning? As far as Rhodey knew, Tony did not need to go anywhere, so he should not be up before eight at the earliest. He usually slept until eight thirty or nine before going to work on SI. Rhodey quickly got himself battle ready, able to put his suit on momentarily, hidden weapon in his pyjamas, quick to attack, ten battle plans at the ready depending on the situation, and the fastest route to a car in case of flight or another emergency. Phone ready to call into the Med-Bay if someone gets hurt, ignoring the notification of Pepper sending Rhodey a smiley as answer to yesterdays photo. Rhodey would not allow himself to let any harm done to Tony or his son…

Tonys son! He should still be at Avengers Compound, probably asleep… Would he be in danger? Rhodey already felt an unbelievable protectiveness towards the boy that made Tony smile like that, to make Tony look so peaceful.

"FRIDAY, where are Tony and his guest? Are they safe?", Rhodey whisper-yelled, urgency in his voice he hoped FRIDAY would spot. What had happened?

"Yes, Colonel. Tony and Peter are currently in the kitchen preparing food. Today is a school day and Peters school is in Queens.", FRIDAY answered calmly, setting Rhodeys blood pressure to a sudden crash. No danger. Just cooking. Of course. It is Wednesday, the child would have to go to school. "Tonys other guest is still asleep."

"Peter…", Rhodey wondered aloud, ignoring the information about the other guest for now. "That is the boy from yesterday? Tonys kid?"

"I am under strict orders not to confirm or deny any identity of Tonys guests. It is one of the main security protocols.". FRIDAY stated simply.

Rhodey frowned. "Then why did you not tell me the boys name yesterday but said it today?"

"You have already seen Peter and belong to security profile code red-ten. Under these circumstances, you are allowed to know the name of the guests after meeting them. You are additionally allowed to know about their existence before meeting them in case it is relevant for the situation. I made an analysis yesterday and deemed it necessary for you to know about the existence of both guests inside the Avengers Compound."

Well, that checked out. Of course, Tony would protect his son and what he could only assume was the boys mother or sibling to the highest of Tonys capacities. Rhodey could not deny Tonys protective streak when it came to people he cared about. With only Rhodey and Happy being security profile code red-ten and only Pepper and Tony themselves above, with a code gold, there would probably not be a lot of people knowing of Tonys child. Pepper apparently one of them.

Rhodey took a deep breath, and after several failed attempts to go back to sleep, made himself ready for the day, his curiosity spiking. Rhodey decided to take a shower, hoping that the water might help him clear his head a bit. As he turned on the water in the shower, he felt the hot water cascading down his body, the steam from the shower filling up the entire bathroom. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief, feeling the tension slowly dissipating from his body. As he opened his eyes again, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, and he paused, staring at himself critically. He couldn't help but think about how much he had changed since the accident. He looked older, tired, and worn down, and he wondered if he would ever be able to regain the level of fitness he had before. He thought about how much he used to love jogging around the Compound as a way to clear his head, how much he used to enjoy working out with Tony, and he felt a deep sense of loss. He was determined to get back into shape, though, to prove that the accident had not beaten him. But first, he needed to figure out what was going on with Tony.

As Rhodey made his way to the kitchen, he could hear Tony and the teenage boy talking softly. He felt a wave of relief wash over him as he heard laughter and the sounds of plates and silverware echoing throughout the compound. It was good to see Tony being so relaxed and happy, especially after everything he had been through. Not to forget the slight amount of angst Rhodey still had about the two being in danger… When he walked in, he found Tony and the young boy he recognized from the day before in the kitchen, the boy stuffing his face with food. Tony's robots, Butterfingers and U, were helping Tony pack a backpack. He found Tony and the teenage boy eating breakfast together, Tony standing with his plate at the stove, looking at the teenager with a fond expression, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he laughed at something the boy had said.

Rhodey paused at the doorway, watching them interact for a moment before clearing his throat to announce his presence. "Hey, guys," he said, his voice tentative as he made his way towards them. "Good morning."

The boy nodded with his mouth full, clearly an awed smile on his face, eyes wide, and waving at Rhodey. Tony only laughed at what Rhodey assumed was Peter freaking out at the sight of his Avenger-Uncle. He nodded to Rhodey, chuckling, and turned back to the stove.

Rhodey couldn't help but stare in awe and confusion as Tony cooked up a storm in the kitchen. The aromas of fresh berries and pancakes, savoury eggs and whole grain toast, and a variety of healthy foods filled the air. He had never seen Tony so focused on cooking before, and he couldn't help but wonder what had gotten into him. And the food… had FRIDAY not said they were only four in the building? This looked like enough food to fill his entire division… And everything looked balanced, full of fibre, vitamins and minerals, packed with any nutrient known to man, filling and carefully chosen…

Tony was not exactly someone to skimp on health food, particularly after Afghanistan, yet Rhodey has never seen him like this. He was more somebody to indulge regularly and keep an equal amount of healthy items at hand. He would drink his daily green smoothies but eat a cheeseburger with it. Hed it a proper breakfast but has his muesli sprinkled with chocolate. This… this was extensive. Every last morsel looked like the strictest nutritionist approved of it. Yet it all smelled like heaven… Well, that wasnt new. Tony always could cook. But this was different. This was amazing!

Despite the impressive spread, Rhodey couldn't help but be struck by the sight of Peter. The teenager was seated at the table, devouring the food with gusto, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

Rhodey still couldn't believe his eyes. Tony was acting like a father, something Rhodey had never seen or even dared to imagine. Something he was amazed and grateful to see. He had always known Tony had a soft spot, a caring, open heart if one manages to crack the outer shell of fear and self-preservation Tony developed, but he never thought he would see his friend as a responsible and loving father figure. Maybe it was this strong outer shell that made this thought seem impossible when it clearly wasn't…

As Rhodey sat down at the table, he noticed that Tony had packed Peter's lunch for the day. It was no less impressive than the breakfast table the boy seemed to inhale. The assortment of clear containers was filled with a colourful array of fruits, vegetables, salads, and even a giant vegan vegetable Bolognese… Rhodey wondered whether Tony was giving out food for the entire class. There even was a tasty looking fruit salad packed in two containers, enough to fill the boy up well. Maybe it was a special day, and the school asked the kids to bring in extra? Rhodey could imagine Tony giving out extra food for interesting causes at the school.

But all of that was just the beginning of the feast that laid before them, Tony was still cooking, the oven on to prepare something or other while Tony stood at the stove.

Tony placed two plates in front of Rhodey, piled high with buckwheat-blueberry pancakes, buckwheat-banana waffles, peanut-vanilla-protein-powder-cherry-oatmeal, and a mixture of berries, nuts, and fruit for decoration he had taken from the middle of the table. There was also toast with eggs, tomatoes, and spinach, and a broccoli-cauliflower dish that Rhodes couldn't quite identify, but that tasted incredible. There were so many options on the table, Rhodey knew he would not be able to try everything, even if he only took a bite each. Yet every dish was piled high enough to fill up half the Avengers in a single sitting. Rhodey felt overwhelmed at the sight of the food on the table. Yet he ate and tried as much as he could, while watching the child carefully.

As they ate, Tony kept up a constant stream of conversation with Peter. Tony learned more about Peter's classes, hobbies, and interests than Rhodey thought he could ever know. It was clear that Peter was comfortable around Tony, and they shared an easy rapport that would make Rhodey jealous of Peter if he wasnt Tonys son.Tony happily talked with the boy, still not verbally acknowledging Rhodey, all his focus on his child. "So, how about the Academic Decathlon? You have a meeting today, right? Any news about Mr Harrington, Peter?"

Rhodey watched the interaction with interest. He wondered how much Tony had been hiding from him. It was clear there was a lot of love, but how and how long he hid this was still a mystery. The entire existence of this child was a mystery to Rhodey.

As Rhodey dug in, Tony beamed with pride. "Can't have Peter slacking off at school," he said. "Gotta fuel him up properly for all that brain power!" That were the first words directed at Rhodey today, and seemingly the last, because Tony immediately looked back at his son, his full attention turned back to Peter, no realization or mental capacity for anyone but this boy. "Make sure you finish your breakfast, kid. I packed some more food for you in case you get hungry later."

Peter nodded, looking up at Tony with admiration. "Thanks, Mr. Stark."

Mr Stark? Well, that makes it clear that they did not know each other that long, and as selfish as that was, Rhodey felt relieved. Tony had not hid his son from Rhodey his whole life if the boy was still reluctant to call Tony "dad". Rhodey had not missed too much, and maybe Tony just did not want to bring Peter up while Rhodey was still in PT… It made sense, a lot of it. It did not entirely fit the care Tony had already developed, but Rhodey would not look a gift horse in the mouth. If Tony was so willing to be a dad, Rhodey would support it. And Rhodey would get to know his nephew, if Tony allowed it, and take care of the boy. If Tony loved him, so would Rhodey.

"Mr Harrington is back in school again. MJ said that means our meeting is back on to standard times. Too bad, really, I enjoyed Flash getting panicky thinking he might not get enough training before the next competition!", Peter explained between bites.

"Well, lets be happy about that. As much as Flash annoys me, I dont think he would survive MJ if he lost you the competition…", Tony admonished, but a disappointed look on his face, clearly hoping for a different outcome. Rhodey wondered who Flash is for Tony to want this MJs wrath on him…

"Still, would have been fun to see. But I dont think I would love to step in between MJ and Flash." Both shuddered at the thought.

The conversation flowed easily as they ate, with Tony asking Peter about his classes, his friends, and his upcoming tests. Rhodey was amazed at how much Tony seemed to know about the boy's life, and how invested he was in his success. Rhodey loved every minute of it, having a mental notepad open in his brain and remembering every detail of his nephews life. He would make sure to be there for the boy, for fun and problems alike.

It wasn't until after Rhodey was finished with breakfast, when Tony pulled out a tray of breakfast brownies out of the oven, that Rhodey began to suspect that something more was going on. Tony had always claimed to hate brownies, but these were clearly homemade and smelled divine. And as Peter dove into them with gusto, grinning broadly at Tony, Rhodey couldn't help but feel a little envious of their easy connection, envious to never have known his nephew before, to be with someone Rhodey cared so much about…

But the boy was still eating! Rhodey had struggled to eat the two plates Tony has filled up, but the child was eating what must have been ten times as much as Rhodey ate just while Rhodey was here. And how much has he been eating before he arrived? How could anyone eat so much? It looked huge and tasty, heavenly at the start. After eating so much and see the boy consume so much more, Rhodey felt nauseous. Yet it did not stop. Peter kept eating until the food was all gone, then stood up quickly.

"Its already five thirty, kiddo! Happy will be waiting!", Tony said in the softest strict tone Rhodey ever heard anyone use, including his own mom. Then, Tony pushed a bunch of money into the boys hand. Rhodey could not see everything, yet it looked like at least 30$. What would the child need that money for? "Here, lunch money!"

Well. That answered that question but opened a new one. Who needs that much lunch money? Especially considering what Tony packed the boy? Rhodey could only guess that Tonys son was abusing the ready flow of money from Tony to be able to buy himself anything. Not that Rhodey blamed the child, he was a teenager once, too. He new how much people would look at monetary things and gadgets for approval. But Rhodey would have to speak with Tony and Peter about this… He will not let his nephew be a spoiled, snot-nosed, materialistic idiot! The boy would have to learn some responsibility and the reality of life. Not even being Tony's son could keep that from touching the boy eventually. Might as well teach him how to handle these situations.

Tony hugged the boy, kissed Peter's forehead goodbye before his bodyguard, Happy, drove him to school, Tony murmuring "I'll see you this weekend, kiddo. Have a good day at school! Ill miss you so much! Two entire days without you, kid, that is forever!"

Rhodey still couldn't believe what he was witnessing. Tony was behaving like a doting father, and it was almost too much for him to take in. But Rhodey could not help the smile from spreading. This was amazing! The love and peacefulness in Tony! Tony should have known the boy from birth, it was lovely and would have been so good for Rhodeys best friend! Rhodey slowly felt his jealousy dissipate, instead he felt eager and happy. Sure, Rhodey still didn't know what was going on, he couldn't believe that Tony had been keeping a kid hidden from him for so long, it must have been months. He wondered if there were any other secrets that Tony was hiding. It was going to be a long day… But there was calmness inside Rhodey. He had less to worry about his friend. The incident in Siberia did not break him. He was happy. And Rhodey wanted it to stay that way.

Before Rhodey could say anything, a young woman came out of Tony's private floor, shocking Rhodey anew. Was Tony together with her? Did she come from the guestrooms or from Tonys own room? Where Peters parents trying it again with each other? Maybe Tony did know Peter longer, but the boy did not feel safe to call Tony "dad" because there had been a different, not biological dad in the picture...

"Morning, May. What do you want for breakfast?", Tony greeted cheerfully, kissing the woman's cheek. Oh God!, Rhodey thought, Tony hid a girlfriend, too!

"Good morning. Anything is fine.", she answered, before sitting down. "Is Peter already gone?"

"Yes, don't worry. He had breakfast, I packed him lunch, checked that homework and books were in, the usual.", Tony explained like checking of a list. Well, Tony got some experience there, it seems. He apparently knew how to take care of the child and make sure he is ok.

"Thank you, honey!", May said softly, smiling. Was she Tony's ex? Or maybe a current girlfriend? Most likely both, considering the behaviour between Tony and both the boy and the woman.

That was when she finally noticed him, still sitting at the table quietly, observing.

"Oh, you must be Colonel Rhodes! Tony and Pepper told me so much about you!", she almost yelled, jumping up to shake his hand. "I'm May Parker."

He had a feeling this trip to the Compound was going to be more interesting than he had originally thought.

Author's Note

I'm curious: How do you think this will continue? What do you think is going on at the Compound? Both your general guesses and ideas you would like me to add are appreciated! I have a rough outline, but I can't wait for your ideas!