Chapter Text
“Hello?” Tony answered, softly climbing out of bed so as not to wake Pepper.
“Mr. Stark? This is Gregory Shaw.” The man on the other line explained.
“Oh. How did you get this number?” Tony asked. He didn’t remember anyone by that name.
“You and your wife went through the training and process to be foster parents. I’m a social worker, and I was calling because I have a child who needs a place to stay.”
“We did that before we knew Pepper was pregnant. I thought she called to update you. We’re not really in a place to take on more kids.” Tony ran a hand down his tired face, glancing down the hall to Morgan’s nursery. He didn’t want this call to wake her. She was in what Pepper called a sleep regression.
“She did. I am running out of people to call, and I was just hoping you’d give it a shot. No one else will even hear me out. I get it. It’s late. No one wants to take in a teenager, but he’s still a child, and he still deserves a home.” Gregory Shaw cleared his throat, “Sorry. It’s not your problem.”
“Wait.” Tony didn’t know why he paused, “Tell me more.”
“He’s fourteen. He goes to that STEM school in Queens. Crazy smart.” The social worker cleared his throat, “And traumatized. He’s been in four other homes, and none of them stick. They always say it’s the kid, but I’m telling you I don’t see it. He’s such a good kid when I talk to him. I just want someone to give him the family he deserves, even if it’s temporary, while I find something more permanent.”
“Traumatized how?” Tony wanted all the info.
“Parents died at four. Uncle and aunt took him in. Uncle was killed in front of him when he was 12. Aunt died of a car accident a year ago. This won’t be an easy case. If you’re not sure you can take this on, I want you to say no. I want to try to find the right fit for Peter this time. He’s had enough upheaval.”
Peter. Tony tucked that name away. “When do you drop him off?”
“Wait. You’re serious?” Gregory was sure his mouth was hanging open.
“I don’t know why, but yes. Maybe this is just the right place for him.” Tony was sure Pepper was going to murder him, but something in his gut told him this was how he could start atoning for all of his mistakes.
“Could I drop him now? I know that’s a lot to ask, but I have him sleeping on the couch in my office. I wasn’t prepared for an emergency removal from his previous home.”
“I’ll leave the porch light on.”
~
Tony opened the door a little after 4 a.m. to a man with graying hair and a bit of a belly but a kind smile and a boy who looked much younger than the fourteen-year-old Tony had been told on the phone. The child looked practically emaciated. “Come in.”
Both individuals stepped inside. The older man held out a hand, “Greg. We spoke on the phone.”
Tony shook his hand, “And this is Peter?”
Peter glanced up at the use of his name. It was then that he noticed who was staring at him, “You’re Iron Man.”
Tony laughed softly, “I just go by Tony here, and I’m retired.”
Greg passed over a duffel bag, “This is Peter’s stuff.”
“Do I need to pick up the rest of it somewhere else?” Tony took the bag.
“This is all he has.” Greg glanced at Peter with a soft expression, “Maybe you can get him settled, and I can call tomorrow and answer any questions that come up.”
“Of course.” Tony easily agreed and soon was alone with a teenager, “So I wasn’t fully prepared for this—“
“—I can sleep on the couch or the floor.” Peter offered.
“What?” Tony frowned, “No. You will have a room with a bed. It’s off the kitchen. It’s normally a guest room. There is a room upstairs we can redo as yours, but it’s storage right now, so nothing is set up.”
“Anything is fine.” Peter rubbed his arms. It was cold for April. He never felt warm, though. He was worried he’d never feel warm again.
“Thanks for understanding.” Tony led the way and opened the door to the room. Pepper had decorated with family in mind. There were pictures of the Avengers lining the wall all in black and white. A board on the wall for people to leave a message when they stay. A basket with little things like toothpaste, floss, and toothbrushes.
Peter ran a hand down the white comforter. It was softer than anything he had ever felt. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
“I should let you get some rest.” Tony started to head out of the room, but heard Peter’s stomach rumble. The teen’s cheeks went red.
“You’re hungry. Sorry. I should have asked.” Tony knew Pepper would have been on top of that, “Cereal?”
Peter wasn’t picky, “You don’t have to. I’ll be fine until morning.”
“It is morning.” Tony reminded him, “And I’m hungry, so let’s eat.”
~
Pepper woke up to Morgan crying a little after five. She reached over to Tony’s side of the bed, “You’re turn. I got her yesterday.”
She realized he wasn’t in bed, though, when her hand hit the air. She sat up frowning. He hadn’t been the type to stay awake all hours since Morgan was born. He wanted to show up for her. She got out of bed, wrapping herself in her robe. She slid her feet into her slippers and went to get Morgan.
She picked up the six-month-old cooing at her, “Good morning. Should we go find daddy?”
Morgan dribbled in response.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Pepper wiped the baby’s mouth with her sleeve.
Pepper went downstairs and found Tony sleeping on the couch. She went and ran a hand through his hair, “Hey, babe. Wake up. Your back will hate this.”
Tony groaned, “Already does.”
“What are you doing downstairs?” Pepper came and sat down next to him.
“I have to tell you something.” Tony knew it was time to face the music. He started to explain the call he had gotten and how he had tried to say they had decided not to foster, but then just knew he needed to say yes.
“He’s fourteen?” Pepper rocked Morgan; she was starting to get fussy. “And he’s already here?”
“I should have asked, but Pep, I just felt like it was the right thing.”
“It’s not the worst decision you’ve ever made. I do wish we could have made it together but we’ll figure it out.” Pepper passed Morgan over, “I need to go get her a bottle.”
~
Peter wandered out after staring at the ceiling for hours. It was crazy how many ceilings he had slept under at this point in his life. He cautiously opened the door to the room he was staying in. He saw the kitchen was clear, so he stepped out into the kitchen. He could hear noises from the backyard. People laughing and talking.
He glanced out the window. The Avengers. They were here. Of course, they were here. This was Iron Man’s house. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do. They hadn’t talked about anything, and it was a weekend. He should have asked. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I’m going to get kicked out in record time. No one wants this. No, no one wants me.
The door off the kitchen leading to the backyard opened, and the War Machine walked in.
Peter stepped back.
“Oh. Hey. You must be Peter!” Rhodey smiled at the teenager who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but here in the Starks’ kitchen, “We’re enjoying the slightly decent weather if you want to join us. It’s the team’s first time meeting Morgan. That’s Tony and Pepper’s daughter.”
Peter shook his head.
“You don’t want to join us? Cool. No worries. You can make yourself at home though. Watch TV. Steal the good snacks.
Peter just looked at the man.
“You don’t know where the good snacks are!” Rhodey snapped his fingers, “I can fix that.”
Peter followed him into a walk-in pantry where Rhodey started pulling out snack options.
“You like any of these?” Rhodey asked.
Peter shrugged. He was lucky to get meals, let alone snacks.
“Well, I’m going for favorite uncle, so if you want, we can sneak away to McDonald’s?” Rhodey raised an eyebrow.
Peter couldn’t help the smile from spreading on his face.
“You like McDonald’s!” Rhodey pumped a fist in the air, “Let me find my keys, and we can go.”
~
“You don’t talk a lot, do you?” Rhodey passed a bag of food over to the kid, “That’s okay. Tony talks enough for both of you.”
Peter took the drink offered.
“Well, eat. Don’t worry. I’m not weird about food in the car.” The car’s screen lit up with a call from Tony.
“Where is the kid?” Tony’s voice was hard, “I asked Friday and she said you took him somewhere.”
“Calm down. We went to McDonald’s.” Rhodey gave Peter a look that he hoped said best friend’s, right?
“I’m legally responsible for him. Please talk to me before driving into town. His social worker is going to call sometime soon, and what if he wants to talk to him?”
“Well, Peter doesn’t even like talking, so I suggest you try to avoid that.” Rhodey glanced at Peter, who just kept eating.
“He talks.” Tony insisted.
“Sure. But he hasn’t spoken to me, and we’ve been hanging out for a while now. But it’s fine because I’m learning to read his facial expressions. Right now, I think he’s trying to say War Machine is better than Iron Man.” Rhodey teased.
“He isn’t saying that.” Tony practically hissed.
Peter did the motion for Spider-Man’s webs with his hands.
“Oh. Spider-Man! He says he likes Spider-Man!” Rhodey grinned.
“As long as Iron Man is number one.” Tony heard a beep alerting him to another call, “Get home. This is his social worker on the other line.”
~
Peter followed Rhodey back into the house after they got back. He really liked Rhodey. He kept up conversations and never cared if Peter actually answered. It made him feel safe to just stay inside his own head if he wanted to.
“You’re back.” Tony walked over, “Peter, your social worker wanted to check in, but I explained the situation, and he said he can call tomorrow. I told him I would handle the school and update them that you’re staying with us.”
Peter nodded.
Tony frowned. The kid talked the day before. Maybe it was the Avengers. They were a loud group, “Guys, start packing up. Morgan’s never going to sleep with all the stimulation.”
Once everyone had left, Peter started to pick things up with Tony.
“You don’t have to clean up.” Tony threw some paper plates in a garbage bag. “I can handle it.”
Pepper came back into the living room after laying Morgan down, “Hi, Peter. I’m Pepper. It’s nice to officially meet you.”
“You too,” Peter answered softly.
“So it was the Avengers!” Tony lit up, “They can be a lot for anyone to take in.”
“What was?” Peter asked, throwing another plastic cup in the bag Tony held.
“The reason you were being quiet.”
Peter cleaned up for a bit quietly before answering, “No. Sometimes I just have a lot in my head, and it’s easier to keep it there.”
“Easier for who?” Pepper asked, “We want to hear your thoughts, sweetie. If you want to share them, that is.”
Peter paused for a second before continuing to help clean in silence.
~
“Peter, sweetie. I hate to do this. Would you do me a huge favor and keep an eye on Morgan? I need to log on to a Zoom call, and Tony’s running behind because of traffic.” Pepper felt terrible asking even, “You know what? I can cancel.”
“I can do it.” Peter held out his arms for the baby.
“You know how to hold her?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m good with babies.” Peter nodded.
“It’s Pepper, and you’re a lifesaver.” Pepper smiled at the two kids in front of her, “But if you get overwhelmed or don’t want to do it anymore, you can interrupt me. I won’t be mad. Tony should be home in like five or ten minutes.”
Soon, Peter was left with a baby. He turned on the TV and cuddled Morgan close, “Want to watch Star Wars? It’s the best movies ever.”
~
Tony went inside the house and found Peter explaining the Star Wars movie in detail to his baby. He just stood back and watched for a bit. “You want me to take over, kid?”
Peter jumped a bit, scaring Morgan. He started to soothe her right away.
“Sorry, Peter. I should have made more noise.” Tony walked over, “I just don’t want you to feel like you’re a built-in babysitter.”
“I like Morgan.” Peter smiled at the baby, “And she likes me, I think.”
“I know she does.” Tony sat in the living room chair since the kid was spread out on the couch. “So you like these movies?”
Peter nodded.
“What do you want for lunch? I can heat up Morgan a bottle and make you something.”
“Lunch?” Peter tilted his head at the man.
“Yeah, the midday meal.” Tony teased.
“Oh.” Peter nodded, “Right. Duh.”
“You don’t normally eat lunch.” Tony tried. Maybe the kid wasn’t hungry.
“Well, you have to earn meals,” Peter told the older man, “I didn’t do anything to earn it.”
Tony did not like where this was going. He was starting to understand why the kid was skin and bones, “So we don’t earn food. It’s just something you get. If you’re hungry. You eat. We will never be upset about that. If you need something and we don’t have it, you put it on the list or ask Friday.”
Peter thought about it for a bit, “Any food? Any time?”
“Yep.” Tony grinned, “Simple. Also, your social worker called while I was out, but I told him you could call him back. Do you want to do that now?”
“Um. No.” Peter shook his head, “I really don’t.”
Tony laughed, “Fair. I like to put things off, too. Lunch first.”
~
“Dude!” Ned whispered when he walked in, “You’re almost late! And you didn’t text me back.”
“Yeah. My phone broke.”
“Oh.” Ned’s face fell. It was their main communication line. “We’ll figure out a way to get you another one.”
Peter nodded and gave his attention to the teacher.
~
It was lunch time before he knew it, and Peter realized he had no option for lunch. His last foster home hadn’t given a damn if he had food. It wasn’t like this was new. Peter sat down and put his head on the table.
Ned opened his lunch and started passing him half of everything. This was their routine. Ned would never eat in front of Peter, even though Peter protested often enough.
“Thanks.” Peter started eating the taco in his hand. He was starving. He knew Tony said he didn’t have to do anything to get food, but he and Pepper were busy this morning, and he hadn’t wanted to just take something. He had just skipped breakfast.
“Anytime, man. Tell me what happened on Friday. How did you break your phone?”
Peter felt his breathing speed up.
~
Peter walked into his foster home after school. He kicked off his shoes by the door and went upstairs to put his backpack in his room. If you could call it that. It was a twin bed squeezed into the laundry room. This was an upgrade from the couch he had at his foster home before this.
“Peter! You didn’t do your chores this morning!” Mrs. Lee yelled after him, “You know what this means.”
He did. No dinner. It didn’t matter that he had done his chores. If he argued, it would only get worse.
“Come downstairs and clean now! I want this place spotless.”
Peter went to do as he was told. He started on the dishes. He then wiped down counters and the table, swept the floor, and took out the trash. He came inside and washed his hands, ready to go upstairs and do his homework. He found Mr. Lee waiting for him, though with his belt, “I didn’t do anything.”
“Just take your punishment without whining. You’re too old for that.” Mr. Lee walked toward him.
Peter pulled out his phone. He wasn’t taking this beating. He dialed his social worker’s number and heard him answer right before Mr. Lee took the phone, throwing it against the wall. Peter tried to make himself small. He wished he could just disappear, and then this wouldn’t be real. He wouldn’t be real.
~
“Peter!” Ned said louder this time, “Are you okay?”
Peter shook himself out of it, “Sorry. Yeah. Fine.”
“So what happened to your phone?”
“Mr. Lee broke it, but Mr. Shaw got there before he broke me.”
Ned’s face softened, “Want to go egg his house tonight?”
“I don’t think my new fosters would like that.”
“Are they nice?” Ned asked.
“I think they are.”
“Otherwise, we can hide you in my room.”
“Always good to keep your options open.” Peter took a spoonful of Ned’s rice.
~
Peter walked into the Starks’ home after their friend Happy had dropped him off. He liked Happy. The man stayed quiet the whole drive. He was able to just let his thoughts race. He found Tony sitting in the dining room with his social worker.
“You forgot to call him back, Peter.” Tony motioned him into the dining room.
Peter started to hyperventilate. He’s going to take off his belt and beat me.
“Whoa.” Tony held his hands up in surrender, “No one’s mad. He just wants to see how you’re settling in.”
Of course, he won’t beat me while my social worker is here. That would be stupid. He’ll wait until he leaves. Peter realized with dread.