super assassin parents
It was movie night at the Avengers tower, and Peter was sandwiched on the couch between Natasha and Bucky. Tony had picked an action comedy and laughter filled the room.
Peter smiled as he glanced between Natasha and Bucky. Over the last few months of working with the Avengers, he had grown surprisingly close with the two former assassins. Despite their troubled pasts, they had both taken Peter under their wing, becoming mentors and almost parental figures to him.
Maybe it was because of their similar abilities and skills, but he felt an odd kinship with them that he couldn't quite explain. Like they just understood him in a way the other Avengers didn't.
Peter had jokingly taken to calling Natasha "Mom Widow" and Bucky "Dad Soldier" given how protective they were of him. He expected them to scoff at the nicknames, but oddly they never did. If anything, they seemed almost wistful when he used them.
A loud explosion on screen made Peter jump. Natasha instinctively put a comforting hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. On his other side, Bucky leaned over and ruffled Peter's hair affectionately.
Peter grinned up at them. "Thanks...Mom and Dad," he said playfully.
He noticed Bucky and Natasha exchange a fleeting, melancholy look over his head. Before he could ask what was wrong, Tony spoke up.
"Alright team, fun's over. Time for the kid to head home."
Peter sighed but didn't argue. He gave Natasha and Bucky each a quick hug before following Tony from the room.
"Good night, little spider," Natasha said softly.
"Sleep tight, kid," Bucky added, his voice heavy with some suppressed emotion Peter couldn't place.
He turned and waved at them. "Night Mom, night Dad!"
Their eyes followed him until he disappeared down the hall. As soon as Peter was out of earshot, Natasha let out a shaky breath. Beside her, Bucky dropped his head into his hands.
"I can't keep doing this," he muttered. "He deserves to know the truth."
Natasha swallowed hard, blinking back sudden tears. "I know. But we made a promise to keep him safe, even from the truth."
Bucky lifted his head, his eyes haunted. "He's our son, Nat. Our little Pyotr. Doesn't he deserve to know who his real parents are?"
A single tear slipped down Natasha's cheek. "Of course he does." She took a shuddering breath. "Maybe it's time we told him."
***************
The next day when Peter arrived at the tower after school, he found Natasha and Bucky waiting for him with uncharacteristically solemn expressions.
"Is everything okay?" Peter asked uncertainly.
"There's something important we need to discuss with you," Natasha said gently. "Let's sit down."
She led Peter over to the couch, sitting on one side of him while Bucky took the other. They both seemed uncharacteristically nervous, which only amplified Peter's own anxiety.
"What's going on?" he asked. "You're kinda freaking me out here."
Natasha took his hand, holding it tightly in her own. "Peter...there's something about your past that you don't know. Something we've kept from you in order to keep you safe."
Peter's brow furrowed anxiously. "What are you talking about?"
Bucky placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Just listen, son. This isn't going to be easy to hear."
Peter's head was spinning, but he nodded for them to continue. Natasha took a deep breath.
"Peter...Mary and Richard Parker...they weren't your biological parents. They adopted you when you were a baby."
Peter froze, feeling like the wind had been knocked out of him. For a moment he just stared, unable to form words.
"W-what?" he finally sputtered out. "That can't be true. They never said anything about..."
"They kept it secret to protect you," Bucky explained gently. "But it's time you knew."
Peter's chest felt tight, his mind reeling. He turned to Natasha with desperation. "If they adopted me, then who are my real parents? Please, I need to know."
Natasha's eyes shimmered with tears. She cupped Peter's face tenderly in her hands. "Oh, little spider. Your real parents are sitting right here next to you."
Peter's mouth fell open in shock. He jerked his head back and forth between them. "You...and Bucky...you're my..."
Natasha nodded, tears falling down her cheeks now. "Yes, Pyotr. We're your parents."
And suddenly, it was like a lock had clicked open in Peter's mind. Flashes of memory long forgotten flooded back.
He saw himself as a toddler, giggling as a young redheaded woman swung him around and kissed his cheeks. He felt strong, gentle arms embracing him and a deep voice singing him to sleep.
The memories were hazy but undeniably real. Peter looked at Natasha and Bucky with new eyes, finally seeing the profound love and sadness they had carried for so long.
"Mama?" he whispered, his voice small.
Natasha let out a sob, pulling him into her arms. "Yes, my baby. My little Pyotr."
Peter clung to her, overcome with emotion. After a long moment, he pulled back and turned to Bucky, who had silent tears running down his stubbled cheeks. Peter immediately wrapped his arms around him too.
"Papa," he murmured into Bucky's shoulder.
"My son," Bucky choked out, holding him tightly. "I've missed you so much."
They stayed locked in their emotional embrace until Peter finally leaned back. He looked between his newly discovered parents, his mind spinning.
"But what happened? Why did you have to give me up?"
Natasha took his hand again, grounding him as she began to explain.
"When I was younger, I was...forcibly involved with a program called the Red Room. There I was trained to be an assassin and agent. Bucky was there too as the Winter Soldier. They wanted to...experiment with creating super soldiers, using us."
She paused, pained by the memories. Bucky rubbed her back comfortingly.
"So we were forced to...conceive a child together," Natasha continued. "You, Pyotr. Our little boy."
Peter listened with growing horror, but urged her to keep going.
"After you were born, we only got to be with you for the first few months before they took you away for training and experiments," Bucky explained, his voice tight. "It broke our hearts. We fought to try to get you back, but then SHIELD found out about you and stepped in."
"SHIELD agents posed as your adoptive parents to keep you hidden from the Red Room," Natasha said. "We had to let them take you, for your own safety. But we never stopped thinking about our baby."
She cupped Peter's face, looking into his eyes that perfectly mirrored her own. "Leaving you was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. But we loved you too much to let them turn you into a weapon like us."
Peter sat in stunned silence, trying to process it all. His head was spinning with this revelation that changed everything he thought he knew about himself and his family.
Bucky clutched his biological son's shoulder, his heart aching for the pain he knew Peter must be feeling. "I'm so sorry, son. I can't imagine how difficult this is for you to hear."
Peter slowly lifted his head, tears glistening in his eyes. "I just...I wish I could have known all along. Maybe—maybe things could have been different."
Natasha made a wounded noise, pulling Peter close again. "I know, little spider, I know. Not a day has gone by that I didn't wish I could have raised you and kept you safe from all the pain you've endured."
Peter clung to her, feeling like a lost child again. "I missed you both so much without even realizing it," he whispered.
Bucky wrapped his arms around them both. "We're together now," he murmured. "That's all that matters."
Peter closed his eyes, letting himself be comforted by the embrace of his parents. The family he had been missing his whole life without knowing.
There was still so much processing and healing to be done. But for now, he let himself just feel the unconditional love of Natasha and Bucky.
However broken and imperfect their pasts were, they were still his family.
In the weeks following the life-altering revelation that Natasha and Bucky were his biological parents, Peter found himself spending more and more time at the Avengers tower with his newly discovered family.
Natasha and Bucky seemed to be going out of their way to be around Peter as much as possible, almost as if they were trying to make up for lost time. They were constantly inviting him over after school to hang out, train together, or just talk. And Peter had to admit, he loved getting to really know his actual mom and dad.
Bucky was always tinkering on his metal arm or some other tech, but he would drop everything the minute Peter walked in to give him a hug.
"How's my boy doing today?" he'd ask cheerfully, ruffling Peter's hair.
And Natasha was even more openly affectionate than Peter had realized was possible for the formerly reserved assassin. She was always fussing over him, bringing him snacks, asking about his day at school, and of course, plenty of hugs and cuddles.
Peter flourished under the constant warmth and attention from his biological parents. He felt their unconditional love helping to heal the broken, lonely parts of himself he had carried his whole life from losing his adoptive parents so young. For the first time, he truly felt like he had a family.
The rest of the Avengers definitely noticed the change in dynamic between the three. Peter caught their curious glances and raised eyebrows every time Natasha referred to him as "little spider" or Bucky pulled him in for a proud half-hug after he nailed a big web shot in training.
One movie night, Peter plopped himself down in between Natasha and Bucky as usual. He leaned his head contentedly on Natasha's shoulder, while Bucky casually draped his arm behind them on the couch.
Tony paused the movie, staring at them incredulously. "Okay seriously, what is going on here? When did you three get so...cuddly all of a sudden?"
"Yeah, I gotta say, it's kind of weirding me out," Sam added. "No offense, but Black Widow and White Wolf don't seem like the touchy-feely type."
"Did we miss something?" Steve asked, clearly confused.
Natasha, Bucky, and Peter all exchanged a look. They had discussed revealing the truth to the team eventually. It seemed that time had come.
Natasha gave Peter's hand an encouraging squeeze. "I think it's time we told them, little spider."
Peter nodded, feeling both nervous and excited to finally acknowledge Natasha and Bucky as his parents to the group.
Bucky cleared his throat. "So you've all noticed that Red, the kid, and I have gotten pretty close lately."
"That's an understatement," Clint muttered.
"There's a reason for that." Bucky glanced at Natasha, as if asking permission to continue. She nodded.
"The truth is...Peter is our son."
A stunned silence descended on the room. All the Avengers turned gaping looks between Bucky, Natasha, and Peter.
Finally, Bruce broke the silence. "I'm sorry, did you say Peter is your son? As in, biologically?"
Natasha gave a small smile. "Yes. It's a long story, but Pyotr here is our child." She ran a loving hand through Peter's hair.
"Pyotr was the name we gave him when he was born," Bucky explained. "Before SHIELD stepped in and placed him with an adoptive family."
"Holy shit," Sam breathed out. "You two have a kid together that none of us knew about?"
"Language, Wilson," Steve corrected automatically. He shook his head in disbelief. "But seriously, how is this possible?"
Natasha launched into the painful story, recounting her and Bucky's experiences in the Red Room and the experiments done to create Peter. Bucky occasionally added details, keeping a supportive hand on Peter's shoulder.
The Avengers listened with growing dismay and sympathy. When Natasha described having baby Peter ripped away from her, Wanda made a soft, distressed sound.
"I can't imagine," she said quietly. "How heartbreaking that must have been."
Natasha quickly brushed a tear from her eye. "The worst pain I've ever felt," she confirmed. "But it meant keeping our son safe."
Bucky gave Peter's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "We've missed out on so much of your life, son. But we're here for you now."
Peter gave him a grateful smile. He looked around at the stunned Avengers. "So...surprise? I have two super assassin parents."
"Wow, kid. This is...a lot to take in," Tony said, shaking his head.
"I think it's wonderful!" Thor boomed. "Congratulations, friends. Young Peter is fortunate to have such fierce warriors as parents."
"Thanks, point break," Bucky said with a small chuckle.
One by one, the rest of the team came over to offer their own congratulations and support. It warmed Peter's heart to see how quickly they accepted this new family dynamic.
Once the initial shock wore off, the mood in the room lifted considerably. There was a lightness between Natasha, Bucky, and Peter now that the truth was out. Natasha kept a proud arm wrapped around Peter's shoulders, while Bucky's smiles came easier as he looked at his son.
"Man, the kid's got good genes," Sam commented. "Two super soldiers for parents? He hit the jackpot."
"He gets it all from his mother," Bucky said, kissing Natasha's temple. She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her pleased little smile.
The team settled back in to finally start the movie. As Peter curled up happily between his parents, he felt like his heart might burst.
He was really, truly home.
Over the next several weeks, Natasha and Bucky continued to fawn over and dote on Peter at every opportunity. The team jokingly referred to them as "mama spider" and "papa wolf" with how protective and affectionate they were.
Peter didn't mind the teasing. It filled him with warmth to hear his teammates refer to Natasha and Bucky as his parents.
One afternoon, Peter was hanging out in the kitchen with Natasha after school. She was baking cookies, one of the many new "mom" activities she had taken up.
"Here, little spider, try the batter," she said, holding out a spoonful of cookie dough.
Peter eagerly tasted it. "Mmm, so good! You're the best baker, Mom."
Natasha's eyes shone at the title. "Anything for my boy." She leaned down to kiss the top of his head.
Bucky walked in at that moment on his way to grab a snack. "Don't eat too much cookie dough, son. You'll spoil your appetite for dinner."
Peter rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Okay, Dad."
Bucky ruffled his hair affectionately in passing before heading to the fridge. Peter grinned, his heart full. He really was lucky to have these two as his parents.
Later at dinner with the whole team, Peter found himself seated between Natasha and Bucky as usual. He was telling them an animated story about his chemistry class that day.
"And then Ned accidentally knocked over the beaker, and there was foam everywhere! The teacher was so mad," Peter said through laughter.
Natasha and Bucky both chuckled, their eyes crinkling fondly at Peter's enthusiasm.
"Sounds like quite the adventure, little spider," Natasha said. "I'm glad you're enjoying your classes."
"Just be careful with those science experiments, son," Bucky added. "Don't need my boy getting hurt."
Peter smiled up at them. "I'll be careful, promise." He leaned over to give Natasha a quick hug, feeling her hum contentedly as she embraced him in return.
Across the table, Steve watched the little family interaction, a bittersweet pang in his heart. In all his years of knowing Natasha Romanoff, he had never seen her look so openly happy and at peace. And Bucky was more lighthearted than Steve could remember since before the war.
Peter had brought out a beautiful softness and warmth in the two former assassins. Their devotion to their son was plain to see. The kid had really gotten lucky ending up with such loving parents, given the tragic start to his life.
Although...Steve also couldn't help but notice Peter seemed to cling to Natasha just a little more than Bucky. Whenever they were all together, he always snuggled up to Natasha first and saved most of his bright smiles for her.
Bucky didn't appear bothered by the mild favoritism though. If anything, Steve thought he looked happy to see Peter bonding so closely with Natasha.
As dinner wound down and everyone began trickling out of the room, Peter gave Natasha an extra long hug. "Love you, Mom," he said softly.
"I love you too, little spider. So much," she murmured into his hair.
Peter pulled back and turned to Bucky, giving him a quick hug as well. "Night, Dad."
"Goodnight, son." Bucky ruffled his hair affectionately. "Sleep well."
After Peter had disappeared down the hall to his room, Steve approached his two old friends. "You've got a great kid there," he said sincerely. "I don't think I've ever seen two people love their child more."
Natasha smiled, her green eyes warm. "He's the best thing that ever happened to us."
Bucky nodded his agreement. "I'd do anything for that boy. He's everything to me, just like his mother."
He slipped an arm around Natasha's waist and she leaned into him contentedly. The two assassins had found their humanity again through their beloved son. And Steve knew without a doubt that Peter would be safe and cared for, surrounded by the unconditional love of his little family.
One Month Later
It was supposed to be a simple bank robbery. The kind of mundane mission the Avengers could handle in their sleep.
When the call came in, Steve started directing the team as usual. "Alright, looks like a group of armed gunmen at First National downtown. I'll take Tony and Thor to provide aerial backup. Nat, you want to take Peter and Bucky and handle ground control?"
Natasha nodded, already heading for the quintet with Peter and Bucky on her heels. As they rode to the site, she glanced over at Peter swinging his legs excitedly. He always got an adrenaline rush before missions, even small ones like this.
"Remember, web them up first, ask questions later," she instructed.
"I know, I know," Peter said, though he was bouncing with anticipation.
Bucky ruffled his hair affectionately. "Just be careful in there, son. Keep your head on a swivel."
"I'll be fine, Dad," Peter assured him, though he smiled at Bucky's protectiveness.
They arrived downtown minutes later, the bank surrounded by police cars with lights flashing. Natasha did a quick sweep and spotted at least six men inside armed with automatic rifles. Piece of cake.
"Alright boys, let's make this quick and easy," she said, cocking her own pistol. "Peter, you take the side entrance. Buck, front entrance. I'll go through the roof and drop in from above."
"You got it, Mom," Peter said, already hurrying off.
"See you inside, darling," Bucky added with a wink, before disappearing around the corner.
Natasha swiftly grappled up the side of the adjacent building. Once on the roof, she spotted an AC duct to slip through and drop into the bank's main lobby.
Inside, she immediately spotted two men shoving cash into large duffel bags. She dropped down behind them silently, sweeping their feet out from under them. They crashed to the floor and she swiftly knocked them unconscious with blows to the head.
"Too easy," she murmured. Through her comm piece, she heard sounds of fighting as Peter and Bucky engaged the other robbers.
"All good on my end, Mom," Peter reported. She heard the zapping thwip of his webs capturing someone.
"Just wrapping up over here," Bucky added. More sounds of a scuffle, then "Make that the last one down."
Natasha allowed herself a small smile. Just another day at the office for her little spider family. She headed toward the back offices, dispatching two more would-be thieves along the way with ease.
"Bank lobby secure," she reported into the comms. "How's it looking boys?"
"All clear!" Peter responded cheerfully.
Natasha was about to call it a job well done when Bucky suddenly shouted "Son, look out!"
She heard the unmistakable crack of a gunshot, followed by Peter crying out in pain.
Natasha's blood turned to ice. She sprinted toward the sound as Bucky yelled "Peter's hit! We need backup!"
Natasha skidded into the vault room to see Peter on the floor, blood already pooling under him. Bucky was frantically applying pressure to his chest.
Peter groaned, his face scrunched in agony. "Dad...Mom..." he choked out.
Natasha was at his side in an instant, panic gripping her heart. "I'm here baby, I'm right here," she soothed, though her voice shook. She scanned his wound with terrified eyes. The bullet had penetrated his chest, dangerously close to a lung.
Bucky's face was pale. "You're gonna be just fine, son. Stay with us." But his hands were covered in Peter's blood.
Natasha's shock morphed into white-hot fury. Her head snapped up, spotting the remaining robber who had fired at her child.
With a feral scream she launched herself at him, beating him to a bloody pulp. She lost track of how many times her fist connected with his face, even after he lost consciousness.
Finally she became aware of Bucky yelling her name. She forced herself to stop, chest heaving. The man was clearly no longer a threat.
She rushed back to Peter's side. His face was growing worryingly pale and his eyes kept fluttering closed.
"Peter, baby, you need to stay awake," she pleaded, cradling his head. "Just keep your eyes on Mama."
"Hurts..." he whimpered.
Bucky kept pressure on the wound, his jaw clenched. "You're gonna be just fine, tough guy. We've got you." But his voice shook with emotion.
Natasha quickly radioed for medical evac, one hand still stroking Peter's hair in distress. "Tony, we need emergency transport to the medbay, now!"
"On our way," came Tony's terse response.
Within minutes, they heard the repulsor blast of Tony's suit as he arrived. He took one look at Peter's ashen face and pool of blood and immediately scooped him up to fly him back.
Natasha kept pace with Bucky as they sprinted after Tony. She continued calling encouragement to Peter, desperate to keep him conscious.
"You're so brave, little spider. Just hang on."
Peter struggled to keep his eyes open, his head lolling. "Mom...Dad..." he slurred weakly.
"We're right here, son," Bucky assured him, though his voice broke. "You're gonna be just fine."
They finally arrived at the tower medbay. Tony laid Peter gently on a bed just as Bruce and Steve came rushing in.
Steve's face blanched when he saw Peter's blood-soaked uniform. "Oh my god..."
"What happened?" Bruce asked urgently, already cutting away the fabric to expose the wound.
"He took a bullet in the chest during the fight," Bucky explained tersely, he and Natasha crowding close to Peter's bedside.
Natasha gripped Peter's limp hand in both of hers. "Baby, can you hear us?"
Peter's eyelids fluttered weakly. "Mom..." he rasped.
Bruce worked quickly to clean and assess the wound. "Looks like it just missed his lung, so that's good. But he's lost a lot of blood."
He began hooking Peter up to IVs while Steve prepared sutures and bandages. Natasha kept murmuring reassurance and encouragement to Peter, though her face was pale with worry.
Bucky held Peter's other hand, his jaw clenched to keep from breaking down. "You're in good hands now, son. Just rest."
They both sat vigil as Bruce and Steve treated the bullet wound, cleaning and suturing it closed. Peter had finally passed out, his face still unnervingly pale against the bedsheets.
When Bruce declared the immediate danger over, Natasha let out a long exhale and pressed her forehead to Peter's hand. Bucky's shoulders slumped in exhaustion and relief.
Just then, Clint and Wanda rushed in still in uniform. "Is he okay?" Wanda asked frantically.
Clint took one look at Peter's unconscious form and cursed. "What the hell happened out there?"
"One of the thieves got a shot off at him before I could take him down," Bucky said grimly. "Straight to the chest."
Wanda covered her mouth in dismay. Clint squeezed Bucky's shoulder. "The kid's tough. He'll pull through this."
Bruce checked Peter's vitals again. "He's stable for now, just needs rest and time to recover. You two should try to get cleaned up."
He gestured at Natasha and Bucky's uniforms still covered in Peter's blood. They both shook their heads adamantly.
"I'm not leaving him," Natasha said fiercely, the thought of letting Peter out of her sight making anxiety claw up her throat.
Bucky pulled his chair even closer to the bed, taking up vigil at Peter's side.
Clint gave them a sympathetic look. "Stay as long as you need. We'll give you some space."
He ushered the others out while Natasha and Bucky kept their silent watch over their unconscious son. Natasha tenderly smoothed back Peter's hair, taking comfort in the steady beep of the heart monitor.
After several long hours, Peter finally began to stir weakly. Natasha and Bucky both jerked alert in their chairs.
"Peter? Baby can you hear us?" Natasha asked urgently.
Peter's head turned toward her voice, his brow furrowing in confusion and pain. "Mm...Mom?" he mumbled.
"Oh thank god," she breathed out in relief. "Yes little spider, I'm right here."
Bucky clutched Peter's hand. "We've got you, son. You're safe now."
Peter blinked heavily, trying to focus on their faces. "Wha'happened?" he slurred.
"You were shot during the mission, remember?" Natasha explained gently. "But Bruce patched you up, and now you just need to rest."
Peter processed this slowly, glancing down to see the thick bandages swathing his chest. He winced as he became more aware of the pain.
"Try not to move too much," Bucky cautioned. "You've got some healing to do."
Peter gave a small nod, already looking exhausted from the small effort of waking up. His eyes drifted closed again.
Natasha resumed carding her fingers through his hair. "Go back to sleep, little spider. We'll be right here when you wake up again."
"We're not going anywhere, son," Bucky added softly. "You're safe with us now."
Peter mumbled something unintelligible, already slipping back into sleep, comforted by the presence of his parents at his side.
Over the next few days, Natasha and Bucky hardly left Peter's bedside as he recovered. The rest of the team took turns sitting with him as well to give Bucky and Natasha a chance to rest or clean up.
But they never stayed away for long, both feeling anxious leaving their son while he was so vulnerable. Even super soldiers needed their parents when injured.
On the third day, Peter was awake and lucid for longer stretches. Natasha helped prop him up on some pillows and spooned soup into his mouth, relief washing over her at seeing some color back in his face.
"I think I can feed myself, Mom," Peter protested weakly after she wiped a dribble of soup from his chin.
"Shhh just let me take care of you," Natasha chided, continuing to spoon feed him as he blushed.
Bucky chuckled from his seat on Peter's other side. "She just wants to baby you a bit longer. Can't blame her after the scare you gave us both."
Peter ducked his head. "Yeah, sorry about that."
Natasha cupped his cheek. "The only thing that matters is that you're safe now."
Peter gave her a tired smile and let her finish spoon feeding him without further complaint. He then dozed off again quickly, the brief activity exhausting his still recovering body.
Natasha settled back into her chair with a book, keeping one eye on his sleeping form. Bucky idly flipped through channels on the small TV in the room, also unable to tear his gaze away from his son for long.
After a while, Wanda poked her head in. "How's our patient doing today?" she asked softly.
"Sleeping again, but his color looks much better," Natasha reported.
Wanda smiled and stepped fully into the room carrying a vase of flowers. "I brought these to brighten things up in here."
She placed them on the table beside Peter's bed, brushing his hair back gently. "Poor thing. I know he'll be back to himself in no time."
"He's a tough kid," Bucky agreed. Peter stirred slightly at their voices but remained asleep.
Wanda turned sympathetic eyes on Natasha and Bucky. "And how are you two holding up?"
Natasha managed a tired smile. "We'll feel better once our little spider is awake and talking our ears off again."
Bucky nodded. "I don't think I'll sleep properly until I can take him home and see for myself that he's recovered."
Wanda patted each of their shoulders. "He's getting the best care possible here. Try not to worry too much." With an encouraging smile, she slipped back out.
Late that night when it was just the three of them again, Natasha sat carefully on the edge of Peter's bed. She brushed his hair back, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest for a moment.
"You really scared us, little spider," she murmured. "I thought my heart was going to stop when I heard that gunshot. For a minute I was back in the Red Room..." She trailed off, blinking back sudden tears.
Bucky came over and wrapped her in his arms. "I know, darling. Seeing our boy bleeding and in so much pain...it triggered the worst memories."
Natasha took a shaky breath, burrowing into his embrace. They stayed like that for several long minutes, taking comfort in each other.
Eventually Natasha pulled back, wiping her eyes. She leaned down to press a feather-light kiss to Peter's forehead.
"But our strong boy is going to be just fine," she whispered. "And we'll keep him safe."
Bucky kissed the top of her head. "No one will hurt our son again. Not on my watch."
They settled back into their bedside vigil, keeping watch over their most precious treasure as he healed. Within a few more days, Peter was sitting up on his own and antsy to get out of the medbay.
Natasha finally relented and allowed him to relocate to his bedroom, though under strict orders to rest.
Peter gladly accepted his imprisonment if it meant sleeping in his own bed. And he had to admit, it was kind of nice letting Mom and Dad dote on him, bringing all his meals to his room and helping him change his bandages.
He milked the babying for all it was worth. When Natasha came in one evening to bring him dinner, Peter gave her his best puppy dog eyes.
"Mom, can you feed me? My arms are so tired still."
Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Are they now?" But she dutifully sat next to him on the bed and spoon fed him soup and jello without complaint.
Yeah, Peter could definitely get used to this whole being fussed over by his parents thing.