Chapter 8
It's loud as hell. Tony's asking them for an explanation. And a damn good one. Steve runs in – hair wrecked from sleep, face confused and groggy– and immediately joins Tony. Both dobermans are jumping and barking, claws drumming on the hardwood floor. Bucky leans his back against the closed door and tries to zone out. At least for a bit.
He delivered the kid safe and sound (well, mostly), he deserves a moment of peace now that the little brat is in Tony's arms. Just for a second, before his head is about to burst, okay?
But of course Peter has a different opinion on the matter.
“Daddy!” He looks up at Tony with those big innocent puppy eyes. “Daddy, we got shot at!!!”
Yup. That's how he decides to explain their surprise visit. Steve literally drops his jaw, gasping.
“What?!” Tony growls, picking the kid up without any visible effort and checking him over. “Are you okay, baby?! Are you hurt?!?”
“Nooo, I'm okay!” Peter whines, wrapping his arms and legs around Tony koala-style and looking very pleased about it. “Bucky saved me!”
Bucky rolls his eyes. Holding back a growl. Ugh. What a little shit. Tony shoots him a quick great-job-thank-you glance. Yeeaah, just wait until you know the full story.
“They got him in the shoulder!”
Steve jumps a foot in the air – and the next moment Bucky feels himself getting grabbed. Steve starts unzipping his leather jacket carefully, brows furrowed. 'Mother hen Rogers' in full force.
“Did you patch it up, Buck?! I just know you didn't, and don't you dare-”
“...in his cool arm.” Peter offers excitedly.
“Chill, punk. Gonna play doctor another time.” Bucky drawls, smirking at Steve. “As you heard, my cool arm took the bullet.”
Steve purses his lips judgingly, and would it be a wrong time to kiss him? His hands are still touching his chest, and Bucky puts his own on top of them, squeezing.
“Oh God…” Steve is visibly trying hard not to run for the first aid kit, just in case.
Bucky catches Peter still blabbering to his Daddy.
“And we drove so fast, but they were on our tail, and then I gave them a triplet, my signature…” his eyes darken for a fraction of a second and then take their usual puppy expression again. “And then Bucky took me here…”
“Made a mess on the UN headquarter's front lawn,” Bucky huffs tiredly. “Bet we gonna see it in the news.”
“Oh my God.” Steve's eloquence is clearly still asleep.
Tony cuddles Peter close, full on Papa bear mode on. One hand holding the kid up, the other caressing the back of his head, playing with messy curls. Would be endearing, if only Bucky wasn't waiting for-
“What I don't understand,” Tony's eyes are shooting daggers. “How were they able to get on to the mansion's grounds?!”
Yes. For that. The silence that falls can be cut with a knife. Bucky and Peter exchange glances. Bucky quirks his brow in a silent ‘who's gonna spill the beans?’
Tony clears his throat – sounds pretty threatening.
“Uh, yeeeah, about that…” The kid squirms in his arms, looking at Tony's bicep like it's the most important thing ever. “It sort of, kinda, maybe didn't really happen at the mansion…”
There's a confused ‘huh?’ from Steve, but silence otherwise. Bucky dares to glance up. Tony has his eyes set on the ceiling, breathing hard, like trying to keep from exploding. After a few beats of silence, the effort can be heard in his voice when he grits out-
“I. Need. Coffee.”
***
They settle around the kitchen table while Steve is making coffee. Peter squirms nervously in the silence, especially with his Daddy's heavy stare on him.
“You tell…” He waits for Tony to get distracted by Steve and leans into Bucky, whispering. Master of discretion.
“No way, kid.”
“I told the shooting part, it's your turn now!” Peter's hushed voice gets more dramatic.
“Uh-huh, smartass!” Bucky scoffs, keeping his tone down too. “I'm not a snitch, you said it yourself.”
“If I'm asking you to tell, it's not snitching!” The kid practically whisper-yells, getting everyone's attention.
“Wanna share something with the class, Peter?” Tony sits back with his coffee, free hand finding the back of Peter's neck and gripping it.
Yeah, it's not a suggestion…
“Bucky wants.” The boy bats his lashes and yawns – someone, give this brat an Oscar! “I'm still kinda shook, Daddy…”
And he actually hugs his knees, curling up on the kitchen couch.
“Poor thing.” Of fucking course, Steve buys it, getting all concerned. “I'll make you tea.”
Bucky sighs, not even commenting on it. He looks at Tony. Surely, Stark isn't that gullible. He's met with an expectant stare, a threatening raised manicured brow. Yeah. This isn't Peter. This is Stark. You don't say no to Tony Stark.
“Ugh, okay.” Bucky takes a sip of his coffee, fighting the urge to pour it on the little shit's head. “Okay.”
He starts with Peter's break-in to Tony's office and the timeout. Trying to plainly state the facts without too many details. The sort of debriefing he's been trained to do. If Bucky understands anything about Stark, he knows the kid is in enough trouble as it is. He doesn't want to needlessly add to the fire.
Tony's hand tightens its grip on the back of Peter's neck anyways.
“I hope you thanked Bucky for going easy on you, baby. You know you wouldn't have gotten away with just a timeout if I was there.”
“If you were there, I wouldn't be doing that…” Peter mumbles begrudgingly, earning himself a sharp hair tug from Tony.
He hisses, and Stark nods at Bucky to continue.
Shit. Now he wishes he had gone into more details because then he wouldn't have had to tell the hardest part just yet. Prolonged it a bit more. He's not even sure why it matters though, he and the kid deserve whatever is coming to them. And he, himself, he ain't no coward. So he straightens his back and sets his jaw, making himself look Tony in the eyes as he starts retelling that conversation .
Retelling what an asshole he's been to the kid. In the corner of his eye, Bucky sees Steve – a mix of sad and upset. Exactly like he imagined. Peter keeps looking down throughout the whole story. Tony, on the other hand… Tony's stare is a full-on category five hurricane, and that storm is about to fall right on Bucky's head.
Rightfully so.
“I'll take the consequences you see fit for my behavior… I fucked up. Majorly. You have every right to kick me out, and-”
“What?!” Peter jumps up, nearly headbutting Tony. “But you just said you want to be my family, what the fuck?!”
If looks could burn, Bucky would be a pile of ashes right now. Steve opens his mouth, clearly to reprimand the kid about his language, and closes it. Tony just keeps observing.
“I did.” Bucky squeezes out.
“Was it a lie then?!”
“What? Of course not-”
Peter cuts him off:
“And now you want to abandon us all?!”
“No! Shit!” Now it's Bucky's turn to jump, because this little shit punches him in the shoulder – non-metal one, thank you very much! “Hey!” he grits off. The kid can pack a punch, who knew?
Tony does nothing to stop his wild child. In fact, his mouth fights a little smile. Bastard.
“Kid! Kid! I’d never abandon any of you. But I made a big mistake with you, and-”
“Family doesn't get kicked out.” Peter bites out, eyes squeezed. “Daddy always says it, family is when nobody gets left out or forgotten. Daddy! Tell him!”
Tony chuckles.
“I sure as hell didn't use that Disney reference, but Peter is right. Nobody gets kicked out from our family.”
Tony's eyes scan Bucky up and down, as if seeing through him, through all his walls and bullshit.
“I know how loyal you are to me. To Steve. And seems like now to Peter no less.”
Bucky gives him a firm nod.
“Yes, boss.”
“Good. You'll get some extra chores that will help you remember to think before saying something to my boy.” Tony smirks, and Bucky groans internally. Those are gonna be some chores, he can imagine.
Peter lets out a giggle, which fades away pretty quickly as Tony continues.
“Still kinda don't get why you decided to bring him here. I mean, I get that the kid demanded, but you know better.”
“Demanded?! He ran away the moment I closed my eyes!” Bucky blurts out before thinking better of it. There's silence, and then-
“What?!?” It's Steve, loud and shocked.
“What?” It's Tony. Quiet. Dangerous. Sending shivers to your spine. “Keep going, Bucky.”
So Bucky keeps going. On and on, about a teddy bear in Peter's bed, about the secret passage – Tony's brows shoot up to his hairline – about him catching the kid and then getting attacked. When he finishes, Peter tries to slide off the seat and hide under the table, but Tony catches him by the ear, growling.
“Oww, Daddy!” Peter pathetically whines.
Stark's other hand goes to his waistband – looking for his belt apparently, and forgetting he’s wearing pj bottoms. Peter notices it too.
“Daddy, nooo!”
“Tony, please!” Steve pleads. “You're too angry right now. It's the middle of the night, no one is thinking straight.”
Bucky really wants to add how no one in this room ever thinks straight , but it might not be the best moment for it.
“Let’s all get some rest. The punishment can wait for tomorrow…” Steve finishes.
Tony slowly breathes in and out, clearly working hard to calm himself down. Then he nods.
“Fine. You're probably right. The anticipation will do him some good.” He lets go of the kid's ear and pins him with a stern look instead. “Just you wait until I deal with you tomorrow, Peter.”
“You know, Daddy, I'm feeling so unappreciated right now!” Of course, Peter's reply is nothing but pure sass and pouting. “I might think you're not happy to see me.”
“Your ass is gonna feel pretty appreciated tomorrow after the royal thrashing it's about to get.” Tony promises darkly. “Like I said, just you wait.”
***
Morning comes way too fast for Bucky. It starts ugly, too – with Dum-E and Mark drumming their claws on the floor and barking like crazy.
“What the-” Bucky spends roughly two seconds trying to understand what the dobermans are doing in the room he now shares with Steve.
He gets his reply from Tony, who's leaning in the doorway. How did he get enough sleep in such a short time? Or did he not sleep at all? And the most important question, how does he look so fresh?! Bucky's pretty sure that he himself looks like an old, tired, thoroughly chewed by a dog, shoe.
“Rise and shine.” Stark gives him a wolfish grin. “Your chores are waiting. Walk these two menaces. Then I need you to do some research.”
“I can do the research, Tones?” Steve mumbles next to Bucky, cracking one eye open. He knows Bucky hates sitting down at the computer.
“Oh no, you get your beauty sleep, Stevie.” Oh yeah. Tony knows how Bucky hates it too. “It's Buck's job today.”
While Bucky's stumbling out the corridor, trying not to get tangled in the leashes, Peter peeks out of his and Tony's bedroom. Wearing nothing but boxer briefs.
“Don't let them off the leash!” He croaks out, scratching his tummy right above the Calvin Klein logo waistband. “Mark loves carrying sticks, but Dum-E eats them, so-”
“Excuse me?” Tony quirks his brow. “You're up, baby boy? Ready for your punishment?”
Peter's eyes grow comically wide. He steps back and slams the door. “I'm sleeping!!!” comes his yell from behind it, and then a sound of someone jumping into the bed.
***
Apparently the kid really does go back to sleep, because the next time he reappears is only for breakfast. At that point Bucky's been tugged through the whole neighborhood by the dobermans. Finished that excruciating research, got a brief overview of the current situation with Toomes and has been discussing the nearest plans with Tony and Steve.
“We shouldn't be staying here.” Tony rubs his forehead. “Too risky to-”
That's exactly when Peter stumbles into the kitchen, still looking sleepy and kinda grouchy.
“I'm tired and want pancakes.” He says instead of good morning.
Tony just shakes his head.
“No one has time to make pancakes today, kiddo. Cereal it is.”
Peter looks at the box on the table. Plain design and a picture of a smiling family in white t-shirts on it. Bucky's sure Steve bought it.
“But it's a boring kind, it's not even sweet!”
Yup. Definitely Steve. Tony raises his brow, looking at the kid.
“You clearly forgot you’re in the world of trouble as it is, Peter.”
The boy looks down, cheeks flushing dark pink.
“It has fruit in it, which makes it sweet and healthy.” Steve Mother Hen Rogers ruffles Peter's hair. “Just try it.”
Bucky watches Peter fix himself a bowl of boring cereal and munch on it reluctantly.
“We can't go home.” Tony continues, taking a sip of his coffee and making a face that says ‘it's too hot and too bitter, but it's exactly what I need’ . “Not yet.”
“But you said we can't stay here either?” Steve furrows his brows. His hair is wet, and he's wearing this white vest, and his biceps- Bucky is distracted.
“I did.” Tony simply nods, like it explains everything. After a pause that fits more to Shakespeare's play than to a breakfast conversation, he deadpans. “We'll discuss our destination later. After we address another, way more urgent issue.”
Everyone, like on a command, looks at Peter.
Peter turns around – as if their stares are pointed at someone behind him – and is met by a wall. Slowly, he turns back and points at himself, in a ‘Who? Me?’ fashion. The little shit even has the audacity to blink all innocently.
“Eat well, baby.” Tony's lips curl up in a predator grin that promises nothing good. “You'll need all your energy to take the spanking that's coming your way after breakfast. Two spankings , to be precise.”
“T-two??..”
Tony's smirk grows as he nods.
“From me… and from Bucky.”