Let the canon-smashing continue! I never realized I'd make it far enough in this universe to bring everyone back together, but the heart wants what it wants. One of my favorite parts of the Marvel universe is the camaraderie and teamwork and domesticity we see of the original Avengers at the beginning of Age of Ultron, and I always wanted so much more of it! They've got some history and hurt to deal with now, but I'm excited to see how they re-build relationships and adjust to some of their newer teammates and allies. (Also, Chapter 2 should be up in just a couple days! I'm spreading myself a tiny bit thin right now writing a bigger story like this at the same time as Let Us Handle Them Carefully, because I'm a great planner like that.)
Post "Strands in the Rope" series. Not necessary to read those to read this series, but you'll enjoy it a whole lot more if you do. This Tony and Peter have a lot of history!
Summary: With the discovery of an entire sub-section of extraterrestrials who may not have peaceful intentions, and who will mostly likely want some things they have, the U.N. is worried about Earth's protection. They move quickly to pardon the rogue Avengers, as well as re-work the Accords to be less restrictive, with the condition that the team get back together (and do their best to build a good working relationship quickly). Of course it falls to Tony to house lead the reunification efforts, but Peter's not about to let him go down and welcome his former teammates by himself, and neither is Pepper.
Chapter 1
"I'm not sure if I'm ready for this, Pep," Tony said softly, staring at himself in the mirror as he finished tying his tie. He didn't have any SI business to attend to today, but if he couldn't (politely) wear his Iron Man suit on a day like this, a 3-piece Tom Ford in navy blue tweed could give illusionary armor at least.
He watched Pepper walk up behind him, and she wrapped her arms gently around him, leaning her head sideways against his.
"You're sure you don't want me to come? Or just send Happy?"
"You're definitely needed at that meeting, and I wouldn't do that to Hap. I've already talked to them all a couple times—"
"With an audience," she amended.
"—And Bruce'll be there with me. And he's talked to them, too. They're not going to be difficult."
"Why don't you take Peter with you?"
"What?" Tony met her eyes in the mirror, her raised eyebrow forestalling his automatic rejection.
"You haven't told him it's today, have you?"
"Well, no, but I didn't really want—"
"Do you think any of them would be a danger to him?"
"No, but—"
"Then I don't see why not. What's he going to do around here all day, and what are you going to tell him when he realizes you're gone?"
"I don't…"
"Hasn't Bruce been asking you guys to come down to the Compound to do all that testing you guys wanted to do?"
"Yeah, but this probably isn't the best time. I'm sure he's busy, anyway."
"Doing what? He's on summer break, and living here. What exactly do you think is going to happen if he finds out you're down there, dealing with them all by yourself? You think he won't figure out a way to join you anyway?"
"What? How would he even get down there?" Tony asked, confused.
Pepper met his eyes in the mirror and raised an incredulous eyebrow. "After spending much of the last two years with you, you really think he's not capable of that?"
Tony huffed out a laugh and turned, taking her fully in his arms and kissing her lightly. "You have a point. J, will you ask Peter if he's available for the next couple days?"
"The young sir is waiting for you in the living room, and he's already packed," JARVIS replied, possibly sounding smug. Tony smiled slightly. It was going to be a long time before he took that particular voice for granted in his life.
Tony turned accusing eyes on Pepper. "What was that whole charade, then, if you already told him he could go?"
"You're less grumpy when you feel like you agree with our ideas," Pepper said airily, kissing the tip of his nose before pulling away with a satisfied smile.
Tony just sighed in resignation and picked up his own bag. What had he expected, really? He surrounded himself with people who were even smarter than him on purpose, right? He would have preferred to keep Peter away from the others as long as possible, keep him safe, keep him to himself. But that was hardly possible. Especially since the kid seemed to have a weird protective streak concerning Tony which kicked in whenever he was going to be around the now-former Rogues.
Former. Tony sighed again as he walked down the hallway, just really not ready for this next step. As of today, they were all officially pardoned, which would be publicly announced within the next few weeks. But as part of their pardon, they were supposed to start training together again, and other than Barton and Lang, who had families, they were expected to move into the Compound and be officially on-call. The new amendments to the freshly signed Accords gave them a lot more freedom to respond to all extraterrestrial threats and a large sub-section of disasters (dependent on which countries had decided to allow it, which was most of them) according to their own judgment, but they would submit reports to a sub-committee (chaired by Rhodey, thank heavens, who didn't usually respond to any lower threat-levels). Tony had also had to personally back the Avengers Fund, which would help pay for damage incurred when they responded. All of the countries who had opted in had also agreed to help pay into that as well, on a sliding scale, sort of as "disaster insurance" to help share the costs of clean-up. Part of their training was going to have to include how to minimize property damage and civilian casualties though. There was going to be a little pushback on that, (not the civilian part) but they didn't really have another choice. And honestly, Tony was all for it, since he was going to be stuck paying for a lot of the clean-up, as usual.
But he didn't expect the transition to be smooth, and he was wondering if he'd packed enough antacids as he walked into the living room. Peter was sprawled out on the couch like he owned the place, (ironic, that) watching a weird cartoon featuring a kid with a triangle for a head. Tony wished he didn't know that the character's name was Phineas, but Peter had been around long enough that he couldn't deny knowledge, and actually, it was a pretty funny show. He'd been known to accidentally leave it on after Peter left the room quite a few times.
"Hey Mr. Stark!" Peter said, tipping his head back so he was looking at Tony almost upside down. He knew Spider-man was an effective, and even somewhat-experienced superhero, but Tony still struggled to remember that when faced with the kid's teenage goofiness.
"Don't 'hey' me. You and Pepper have been conspiring behind my back," Tony grumped at him.
Peter turned upright in a flash, his speed giving away the not-completely-human parts of him. His eyes were apologetic, but also stubborn.
"Did you really think we were just going to let you go down there by yourself, with no back-up?"
"Bruce is back-up. And Thunderpants, if he's there," Tony argued. He jerked his head towards the door. "You need a snack or a bathroom or anything?"
"Nope, I'm good," Peter said quickly, jumping up and grabbing his bag. "Hey, can we listen to our 'Greatest Road Trip ever' playlist on the way?"
"Going to the Compound is not a 'road trip,' Parker," Tony growled, still mildly annoyed at being handled. "And why do you have that playlist, anyway?"
"In case we need it for a road trip, of course," Peter said, as if that should have been obvious to the genius. "Please, Tony?" Seriously? No teenager had any right to look so much like a sad puppy.
"Yeah, whatever. I get song-skipping rights, though."
"Okay," Peter said brightly, grabbing Tony's bag from him as well in an unguarded moment. Tony rolled his eyes, but smiled at the over-eager teenager. It had been kind of heavy, and his shoulder was still feeling a little creaky from an injury a few months before. Ugh, what was he, 70?
"Lead the way, the Real Don Steele," Tony said, smirking.
"Aw, c'mon, you know I don't get your old-person pop-culture references," Peter complained as they got in the elevator.
"Garage, please, FRI," Tony said, making the mental switch about which AI he was talking to. "And just because you're practically a baby doesn't mean I shouldn't try to educate you."
Now it was Peter's turn to sigh in annoyance and the elevator started its descent. "Okay, who in the world is John Steele?"
" Don Steele. Only one of the most popular DJ's ever, my young padawan."
Steve Rogers tried not to fidget as they waited for their host. The new Avengers Compound was definitely impressive. He'd only been there a handful of times before… everything went down, and only stayed there briefly once it was complete. He'd technically had a room there, but hadn't really even had a chance to move most of his stuff in before everything blew up a few years prior. Tony had remodeled it further since then, and they still hadn't seen much of it, since they'd been escorted to the common room and left there by an unimpressed staff member. No hero worship here, got it.
It had looked pretty impressive from the air, though, with some new out-buildings that Steve couldn't even guess at the function of. Fury had given them the full VIP helicopter-delivery treatment. Though, really, he guessed the man was probably sighing in relief at having passed them off to Tony. Who was nowhere to be found. Apparently he felt no need to roll out the red carpet, not that Steve was surprised.
Tony. Just thinking his name led to an uncomfortable set of emotions. The few times Steve had seen him at the recent Accord meetings, Tony had kept any conversation very surface-level and light, and had insulated himself with Rhodes, Pepper, and Vision. Steve still wasn't very happy with the outcome of the final summit, but the terms were something he could live with at least, and they had all signed.
He looked up from his thoughts to see pensive looks on Nat's, Bucky's, and Sam's faces as well, and poorly concealed anxiety on Wanda's. She'd spent more time with Vision than she had with them, but it had been good to get to know her better over the last couple years, and he felt like she had made a lot of progress dealing with her grief.
Steve quietly sucked in a deep breath.
"How ya doin' there?" Bucky asked, his forced conditioning keeping any emotion off his face.
"Okay, I guess. It's just weird being… here. Thinking about getting the team back together. Thinking about you being on the team." That last part was said with a small grin, though Steve could feel his eyes were still tense with concern.
He had no idea how that was going to go. Would Tony be able to work with him and Bucky? All of the healing and de-programming Bucky had done in Wakanda had absolutely given his friend his life back. But could others see past the things he'd been made to do as the Winter Soldier? Could Tony ? He'd only been in the same room with Bucky once since Siberia, and Tony had carefully ignored the super-soldier after a cordial nod. Actually, even that had surprised Steve, and had given him a sliver of hope.
"Yeah. You still sure about that? Me bein' here still doesn't seem like the world's best idea," Bucky said.
"One hundred percent. We need you, Buck. And I don't wanna be here without you."
"Same," Sam said quietly from the other couch. "We're a package deal, Buckaroo, like it or not."
Bucky rolled his eyes at Sam. The two sniped at each other a lot, but Steve knew they'd built their own version of a strong friendship over the last nearly-2-years on the run.
"We're going to work it out, guys. We kinda have to," Natasha said, alluding to all the reasons the earth needed her defenders reunited. It was a strong enough need that they finally had the sweeping pardons and the U.N. support they needed to make it a reality.
Steve wished he knew where his former-teammate and former-friend's head was in all of this. Was he still angry and resentful? Hopefully not vengeful; he could make their lives extremely unpleasant. Steve couldn't blame him if he was, though. So many relationships Steve had assumed were permanent had been damaged and maybe destroyed in Germany and Siberia.
Where was Tony? They'd been here for nearly fifteen minutes without sign of anyone else.
"Excuse me, FRIDAY?" he finally asked. He felt a twinge of sadness thinking of JARVIS, who had been pretty helpful to him as he adjusted to his new life in the future. He barely knew his replacement, but reaching out to her was almost instinctual, being back in this environment.
"Yes, Captain Rogers?"
"We're expected, aren't we?"
"You are," the AI said, her voice void of the warmth Steve knew could be there. "Mr. Stark and his company are finishing up some time-sensitive experiments in Dr. Banner's lab, and will be with you shortly. If you require food or drink, the kitchen behind you is stocked."
"Oh, uh, okay," Steve said awkwardly. His company? Who was with Tony, other than Bruce or maybe Thor? Thor didn't usually spend time in the labs. Was Rhodes here? Pepper? Steve knew neither of them would be putting out a welcome mat either.
"Anybody hungry?" Steve asked the rest of the group unnecessarily. Bucky looked at him like he was crazy, even though Steve knew the other super-soldier was nearly always hungry, and Sam and Wanda just shook their heads tightly. Nat looked over at the fridge, interest on her face, but ultimately decided to stay where she was.
A few minutes later, Steve and Bucky both looked up at the same moment, as their somewhat-enhanced hearing picked up footsteps and voices. Over the next 30 seconds, Steve identified one voice and gait as Tony, and one as Bruce, when he finally spoke. But the third, a younger voice, which was doing most of the talking, was unknown to him. Steve realized he had tensed up when he heard Tony laugh before they entered the room, in response to something the younger voice had said. It was a real laugh, and Steve relaxed a little, more curious than stressed now. It took him a moment to realize he was standing, the rest of his group moving into a loose semi-circle behind him.
.
.
.
.
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Chapter 2
The door opened, and Tony walked in, in all his genius-billionaire-(no longer)playboy-philanthropist glory, Bruce shuffling casually at his side, and a… teenager? Steve cocked his head to the side in confusion.
"Tony?" Steve tried not to, but his eyes were trained on the serious-looking boy flanking his former friend. His jeans and faded t-shirt looked like they could have been farmed from Tony's own closet, his hair was dark and just long enough to curl a little, his eyes were disapproving, and the light smatter of freckles on his face told more his probable age than the guarded look on his face did. Did Tony have a… relative?
The boy held himself in the same manner as the older man, and was standing firmly in Tony's personal space, even closer than Bruce was. Steve knew Tony was very tactile, but a combination of familiarity, trust, and circumstance had always been required first. At least that was the case when Steve had been around. It had been over six months before Tony had relaxed enough to snuggle up with some of the Avengers during their movie nights. Who was this kid, and what was he to Tony Stark?
"Ah, yes," Tony said dryly, following Steve's gaze to the teenager next to him. "This is Peter, my intern. Pete, Mr. Rogers. And his Neighborhood. I'm pretty sure you know their names."
The intern(?) rolled his eyes slightly, but nodded cordially to their team.
"Nice to meet you, Peter," Steve said, even more nonplussed. Since when did Tony work with others, especially with children? And why did Bruce have that funny smile on his face? He seemed fine with the virtual child in their midst.
Steve got his second big surprise when Natasha stepped forward next to him and spoke. "Nice to see you again, Peter. You've grown, I think." What? When had they met? Why hadn't she mentioned him? He turned incredulous eyes to Nat, but she ignored him.
"Ms. Romanoff," Peter said politely. His smile didn't quite meet his eyes.
"Yes, great. Well, now that introductions are over," Tony interrupted, clapping his hands together in false excitement. "Shall we go over the rules and show you to your rooms?"
"We all got a copy of the rules, Tony," Steve said with a slight sigh. This was how it was gonna go, huh? "I know you didn't have to do this, but we appreciate it."
"I kinda did, Spangles," Tony said, not sounding too upset about it. "We have a more concrete idea of exactly what's out there now, and what it might be after. Even my legendary self-centeredness won't let me stand in the way of getting the team back together for Earth's protection," he said lightly. Steve noticed Bruce and Peter both narrowed their eyes at Tony, but they didn't say anything.
"Apparently you all have a copy of the house rules, which includes running your own laundry on whatever kind of schedule you work out amongst yourselves, cleaning up after yourselves, because I refuse to repeat the ant invasion of 2016, and absolutely no coffee grounds in the garbage disposal." Tony was playing the knowledgeable tour guide role right now, and drawing on easy jokes, which meant his public mask was firmly in place, as if he didn't know Steve and Nat, and even Sam and Wanda to a lesser extent. Maybe he didn't want to know Bucky, but this façade was starting to grate on Steve's nerves. How could they be a team again if he wouldn't even really talk to them? It had been years since Siberia, and Steve had tried to apologize several times. It was time to mend fences.
"As well as Fury's rules, which are a little more strict for some than for others," Tony continued as they walked towards the residential area, "Red #2 and Barnes, of course, are confined to the grounds for now, which are thankfully quite extensive. It's your own choice, of course if you want to follow his rules, but I hear restrictions will be lifted sooner, rather than later, for good behavior." Tony's voice was bland, almost bored, and Steve hadn't even heard him waver when referred to Bucky.
"Let FRIDAY know what groceries you need. The cook staff is here Tuesdays and Fridays, and if you have requests for them, you can make those through FRIDAY as well, and they'll do what they can to prepare some pre-made meals to your specifications. Any allergies?" he asked, finally stopping and looking at the band of tag-alongs. They'd all lived with him before; he knew they didn't—oh, Tony was looking right at Bucky.
"No foods," his friend said quietly. Tony waited. "Cats."
"Okay then. That fits right in with our 'no pets' rule, I guess." Tony tipped his head curiously. "How did that work out with your Wakandan host, I wonder," he mused, almost to himself.
"Mr. Stark, you said—" his intern started to protest. Tony silenced him with a quirked eyebrow.
"This isn't the Tower, Pete. Different rules," he said kindly.
"Oh, right." Peter morphed quickly back to the silent presence at Tony's side, but the glimpse Steve had seen of Tony interacting sincerely with a real-life kid was intriguing.
"Whole upper floor is residential. Your rooms are all the same, if you remember. Barnes, you're next to Wilson right now, but if any of you want to trade around, be my guest. If you need some furniture or different linens or whatnot, ask FRIDAY. Lang and Barton have rooms in the other wing, and there are four extra guest rooms over there, as well, in case their families come, or we have other visitors."
Wanda had disappeared quietly into her room with a quiet "thank you," and Steve looked further down the hall. He knew Vision's room was next to Wanda's, but there was another at the end. He could see a nameplate next to it, but couldn't read it from here.
"Whose is that, next to Vision?"
Tony looked almost startled at the question. "Uh, Spider-man's. Remember him? Young, swingy, talked too much, wiped the floor with Wilson and Barnes?" Tony asked with a smirk.
Peter, Bruce, and Nat all seemed to get a joke that was going over Steve's head. He narrowed his eyes. He'd kept an eye on the overpowered young superhero through articles here and there, but hadn't ever found anything worrisome about him. But he also hadn't realized he still had such a connection to Tony, and even had a room here.
"Does he stay here often?" he fished.
"Often enough," Tony said cryptically, turning back down the hall. Steve and Nat followed, along with Bruce, who had been characteristically quiet, and Tony's intern.
"The smaller gym's open 24 hours," Tour Guide Tony resumed, "but FRIDAY won't let anyone in who's not cleared. Not that I expect you'll be bringing friends around anytime soon. Those have to be cleared through Fury, or myself, of course. The Hangar has your workout gear, Cap, and you should be able to access it at any time as well. The pool's closed from ten to midnight for cleaning. Of course all the outdoor stuff's available whenever." He turned, hands clasped together. "Did I miss anything? Anyone need anything?"
"Tony?" Nat said. "Clint had a few questions. Do you have a moment now?"
They moved a few feet away together while Nat started asking him about some equipment that needed to be repaired and upgraded.
Steve tilted his head and considered the puzzle who was Stark's "intern." The boy was still watching him, though he was trying not to be obvious about it.
"So, Peter, do you spend a lot of time working with Tony?"
"You could say that."
"Do you often spend the weekend down here?"
"Not often. Sometimes." Peter was not looking any less guarded. Usually Steve could put people at ease fairly quickly, but his smiles were hitting a brick wall.
"Oh yeah? Are you over in the guest rooms, then?"
"You want to know where I'm sleeping?" Peter asked, eyebrows pulling together. Well, Steve guessed that seemed a little weird. He wasn't used to talking to kids Peter's age.
"Uh, sorry. Just making conversation," Steve backpedaled.
"Great job, there," Peter scoffed. "But no, I stay in Mr. Stark's suite," he said, turning and walking towards Tony since the inventor was beckoning to him.
Steve felt a little off balance at their interaction, and followed, tuning into the conversation Nat and Tony were having.
"So Peter's your point guy on all of Hawkeye's equipment. Yours and Wilson's as well. He can handle any repairs and probably any improvements on those without much input from me," Tony said, something like pride in his voice as he reached over and squeezed the boy's shoulder. Peter ducked his head, but he was grinning at the vote of confidence. Natasha's eyes showed her surprise, but only for a split second.
"Well, that's good to hear," she said to Peter. "Maybe when Clint comes he'll bring a kid or two. I think his oldest two are almost your age."
Steve started internally. Natasha was telling Tony's pet intern about Clint's family? She was just as protective of their existence as Clint was. His gaze sharpened. What did she know about the boy that he was missing? They were definitely going to have a conversation later.
Peter seemed excited though. "Yeah! I met Coop and Lila, and we still talk pretty often. They're great."
"Oh, that's right. I completely forgot you'd actually been out there! How are the geese, by the way? I haven't been to visit in a few months."
Steve's head was spinning. It's like there was an inside track he'd missed the exit for, and now he was stuck in the wrong lane.
"Oh, they told you about those?" Peter ducked his head, seeming a little embarrassed. "They're good. Totally normal-sized, but still obnoxious. It's not their fault though. They're geese. Like, what choice do they have?"
They laughed together, and Tony rolled his eyes good-naturedly.
"Okay, that's enough. I don't know if you noticed, kid, but we lost Bruce. He must have slipped down to the lab, and the traitor is sneaking peeks at the results we're all waiting for."
Peter's head swiveled, looking for the quiet scientist. "Oh! No fair! Can we go?"
"Yeah, of course. We're out," Tony said, putting a proprietary hand on Peter's neck and steering him towards the door. "We'll see you all at dinner. Six sharp."
As he turned to go, Steve stepped forward quickly and grabbed at Tony's arm. "Tony, if I could just have a few minutes sometime today to talk to—"
Suddenly, Steve found his hand removed from Tony and he'd just run into what felt like a wall. The lithe teenager was between them, and he held Steve's wrist at an awkward angle that was reminiscent of some of Natasha's tactics. Steve tried to tug away and found he couldn't.
There was a flash of anger in Peter's eyes, but he spoke softly, almost whispering. "Don't touch him."
"Peter," Tony scolded, trying to pull the kid back towards himself. Peter didn't move an inch. Again, Steve tried to pull away with a little more force. No luck.
"You're… enhanced?" he said, his brain sluggishly processing that as well as the fact that the kid had come between him and Tony instantly, protectively, almost at the same time that Steve had reached out for him.
Peter's eyes narrowed further, and he released Steve's hand, pushing it against his chest just a little bit. Steve felt the restrained force rock him back on his heels slightly.
"That's enough," Tony said firmly, tugging at Peter. The boy's eyes flashed with stubbornness that matched Tony's perfectly, but he backed up so he was almost even with his mentor again. Steve automatically clocked the shoulder Peter still kept between the two of them.
He was equal parts annoyed at the implication that he might hurt Tony, impressed at the kid's protective instinct, and thrown at what Tony was doing with an enhanced teenaged "intern." One who was obviously ready to make it his problem if Steve looked at the older man sideways. Did he know about Siberia? He had to. Steve's eyes cut to Bucky, who seemed impassive, but his chin was tipped just a little bit. He was curious, too.
"Tony?" Steve asked, his confusion audible.
Tony was quiet for a moment as Steve waited for an explanation. Peter looked over at him, and Tony shrugged. He looked pensive.
"We've met before, Captain Rogers," Peter said, then turned to look at him. "I'm Spider-man."
Steve took another step back, and everything finally made a little more sense. But one thing did not.
"But you're… how old are you? You can't be more than—"
"Seventeen."
Tony made a slight scoffing noise, and Peter looked over in annoyance.
"I'll be 17 in a few weeks," he amended, his confident stance not slipping.
"So you were what, 14 in Germany?" Steve clipped, turning his head to glare at Tony. He felt Bucky move slightly behind him, but Natasha stepped up next to him instead. Tony and Peter were both staring back at him mulishly, with twin looks of challenge. But Tony was crossing his arms defensively, a touch of guilt visible in his eyes, while Peter stepped forward slightly, obviously prepped for confrontation.
"Don't throw down over things you don't understand, Steve," Natasha said firmly from his side, her fingers touching the back of his hand urgently.
He looked over at her in surprise, and threw one more look back at Peter and Tony. Steve took a deep breath, then another, and consciously shifted his body language to something less-threatening. From what he'd seen of their interaction, the last thing the kid needed was Steve trying to protect him from Tony.
"Nat's right. I don't understand, but I don't have all the facts, and it's none of my business."
Peter looked a little surprised, but nodded in firm agreement. Tony, however, looked downright shocked. Steve tried not to feel defensive. Growth was a thing. Steve had been working hard on his black-and-white view of the world, with enthusiastic assistance from Nat, Sam, and Bucky.
Bucky, especially. He'd always been after Steve to calm down a little bit. He'd said Steve didn't have to fight all the fights, and had tried to get him to admit that his perspective wasn't the only right one. Very little had changed 70 years later, once Bucky had fully come back to himself. But now Steve was trying to change. He needed to change, if the team was going to work this time. They couldn't afford not to make this work.
"I'm not gonna say anything else. That's between you, and Peter, and his… parents?"
"His parents passed when he was young," Tony said, stepping closer to wrap an arm around the boy's shoulders. "But his aunt, though not excited about the life he's chosen, is our full partner in all of this, and trusts him with me."
"Well, I'm going to try to trust that the two of you know what you're doing then, too," Steve said humbly. Another thing he'd been working on.
"Well, good, then," Tony said, still sounding surprised. "But we have some lab work to get to, so we'll catch up with you guys later."
He turned, pulling Peter along with him. "Make yourselves at home," he tossed over his shoulder, and quickly disappeared down the hall.
"Well, that could have gone better," Steve said softly.
"It coulda gone a whole lot worse, too," Bucky remarked from behind. "So let's count our blessings. Thought ya were gonna go after Stark again for child endangerment."
Steve turned and smiled guiltily at his friend. "It was a close thing. I'm still not happy about it, but I guess I don't get a vote."
"No, you don't," Nat said firmly. "He's been with Tony pretty consistently since a few months after Germany, and I, for one, have been impressed with how he's stepped up and watched out for the kid. They're closer than you'd think."
"When did you meet him? How did you already know he was Spider-man?" Steve complained. Now he was the one feeling defensive. "After the last few years, you're keeping these kinds of secrets from me?"
"Steve," she said, chin dropping playfully, and putting a hand on his crossed forearm. "I could fill books with the things I know but can't or haven't shared with you."
Steve glared in annoyance, and she squeezed his arm gently. "Besides, it wasn't my story to tell, and it didn't have any impact on what we were working on at the time. Now, it does," she said, turning. Bucky and Sam were watching them awkwardly.
Steve sighed, turning to follow her down the hall toward the common room. It was nearly noon, and he was pretty sure they were all thinking about lunch. Wanda hadn't rejoined them yet, and Steve stepped hesitantly in the direction of her room.
"Leave her," Nat said softly, reaching back for his hand. "She'll join when she's ready. Or if not, Vision will get her to come eat when he gets back in a few hours." Wanda had told them he had gone with Thor and Loki to help with something to do with the Asgardian refugees. Steve knew their slowly-building relationship was a steadying influence for the struggling young woman, and he was grateful. Wanda needed careful handling, and still had a lot of healing to do. As powerful as she was, it was worth helping her take all the time she needed.
"I still don't know why you couldn't have at least mentioned him, so I wasn't blindsided."
Nat smiled complacently. "And miss seeing the look on your face as you tried to figure it all out? Not a chance, Cap."
Bucky laughed at the look on his face now, and clapped him on the shoulder. "C'mon, Stevie. Let's eat. We don't need you hangry on top of everything else going on today."
Steve huffed his annoyance, but followed his friends down the hall. This had to work out. He was going to make this work out, for all their sakes, and because he knew Earth needed them all united and functional. And actually, because he wanted it to. It was okay to want things, right? Over the last year he had realized what he wanted, what Steve-as-a-person wanted, was his "family" back together again, and this time he was willing to bend over backwards to make it happen. He didn't know if it was possible to regain Tony's trust, but he was going to try.