Superfamily One Shots

In My Defense Pt. 2

**Continuation from my last chapter, this one is a little more about the Avengers and aftermath and also... Peter is a little baby. That is all. Enjoy!**

Getting used to the Tower - FRIDAY, ever watching, the bustling employees downstairs, the way Tony was always just around the corner - was difficult for the rogues. They didn't want it to be awkward. They didn't want anything, really, they just wanted to go back to the way things were before. The way that they were used to back before the war between their own teammates.

The biggest adjustment, however, was Tony and Bucky's new friendship. Oh, and Tony's newest teammate, the teenager who followed behind the man like a shadow.

"Has anyone else noticed the kid?" Clint said one day, looking at the others around the living room.

Steve looked up from his paper. "What kid?"

"The kid following Tony around." Sam was sitting on the couch, his feet kicked up on the coffee table. He didn't really care as much as the others seemed to - he was much more of the 'live and let live' kind of guy - but the others were gossips and upon occasion, he chimed in.

"I think it's one of Tony's personal interns," Natasha said. "He doesn't usually take them on that young, but it's not unheard of. Reminds me of the Spider-kid who showed up at the airport in Germany."

Steve smiled to himself a little. "Now that's a strong kid. If he wasn't so blindly devoted to Tony, I would have tried to get him on the team."

"We don't have a team," Clint grunted. "We were just a bunch of selfish babies about the whole thing and this is what we get."

"I don't thin-" Steve went to continue the conversation, but there was an alarm and Bucky was tearing out of his room down the hall.

"Bucky! What's going on?"

James didn't respond to Steve, he just kept running to the elevator. He punched the buttons by the wall hard, nearly breaking the faceplate. Not a minute later, the doors slid open and Tony was stumbling out, Peter passed out in his arms.

"Tony! What happened?" Bucky pulled Peter from Tony's arms and immediately sank to the floor, cradling Peter in his arms.

Tony was running a hand through his hair and pacing, looking like a parent whose kid was out passed curfew. "He was out on patrol and I got an alert from Karen that his blood pressure dropped and he fell from a web and I barely got there in time and I-"

James put a hand on Tony's shoulder, effectively cutting him off. "He's strong, Tones, he'll be okay."

Peter groaned from under both men and they were immediately focused on him and only him. "Peter!"

Tony tilted Peter's chin up and forced him to look up. Tony's face was hard and serious as he stared down at Peter. "You have no idea how much trouble you are in, young man. You're grounded for the rest of the week! You hear me? The week. You can go to school, and you can tinker in the lab with me, but no patrols and no Legos with Ned this Friday."

"Mr. Stark," Peter whinned softly.

"No buts. I don't want to hear it!" Tony had crossed his arms at some point during the lecture, and as he opened his mouth to keep at it, James cleared his throat softly from the side. The soldier's arms were still wrapped around Peter protectively, but he had loosened his grip a little.

"I think what Tony means to say," James started, "is that you scared him, and you scared me. We care about you, Pete, you have to take care of yourself. If you don't take care of yourself, Tony doesn't take care of himself and then we're all screwed."

Peter nodded sheepishly. "I didn't mean to let things get out of hand, I swear. I've been busy this week and I just... I didn't know that dehydration can make you faint."

James scrunched up his face. "You're dehydrated?"

Peter nodded a little. "That's what Karen said."

"Tony, go get Peter a glass of water." Tony looked like he might argue, but one glare from James shut him up. The billionaire made for the kitchen, leaving James to gentle shift Peter and move him to the couch. The rogues had scattered out of the way, equal parts intrigued and shocked by the way James was caring for the boy. Peter sat perched on the couch right where James had put him and waited, like he knew the drill by heart now. James grabbed some blankets off the back of the couch and threw them over the teen's shoulders.

"Tony is bringing you some water, okay, bud? Is there anything I can do for you now?"

Peter shook his head and leaned into James's side. James pulled the teen in and let him cuddle against his body. "I got you."

Tony came back with water and Peter happily drank it. When it was all gone, Tony refilled it and Peter drank it again at James's insistence. Once he was through a second cup of water, Tony and James made eye contact over Peter's curls. They seemed to be having a whole conversation through just eyebrow-raises and blinks.

"Are you up for a movie, Bambi?" Tony asked, smirking a little at James, who looked downright disappointed.

"We agreed last time that he'd go to the med bay next time he came back from patrol at... at anything less than ideal."

Tony shot James a goofy smile but didn't retract his offer for movies. Peter did his best innocent smile for James, who quickly caved and gave a heavy sigh. "Fine. Fine. Let's just go cuddle in Tony's ridiculously oversized bed and watch movies instead of getting Peter an x-ray because he fell out of his web and onto the hard, unforgiving sidewalk of New York City."

"Okay!" Peter chirped.

"Sounds good!" Tony said with a smile.

James rolled his eyes, but didn't protest. Instead he just put his hands on Peter's shoulders and set him up on his feet, scooped Tony over his shoulder, and then pulled Peter up onto his other shoulder. It wasn't hard for him to carry both, even with Tony pounding his back and shouting for him to be put down and Peter squirming with giggled.

The team watched as the three men headed down to the end of the hall where Tony's room was. They were all shocked to see the familiarity up close. It was almost like Tony and James were co-parenting the teen.

"See, this is exactly what I'm talking about!" Clint said, flinging a hand out in the direction the three had just disappeared in. Natasha jerked an elbow into his side, then pointed over at Steve subtly.

Steve was just staring, his eyes sad and empty. "Well. I guess... I guess Bucky has a new best friend. A family."

"I think it's James now," Sam joked, coaxing a smile from Steve. "It's fine man."

Steve wasn't sure it was 'fine', but it was new, and maybe he could learn to deal with it.