Bonus
Roughly four hours after the disastrous events of the morning found Steve Rogers in the kitchen, stress baking.
...Again.
He really should consider therapy or something. Maybe Sam had councilor friends he could visit.
Just as he was pulling the third tray of triple chip chocolate cookies out of the oven, the elevator dinged and Peter waltzed in.
“Hey Cap! Oh man, what’d you make this time? I could smell chocolate all the way from the 54th floor on the way up.”
Steve set down the tray and pulled off his oven mitts with a warm smile. “Those triple chocolate ones Clint has been pestering me about. There’s a cooled batch on the counter if you want one.”
Peter dropped his bag on the floor and practically sprinted to the kitchen. Upon arrival the kid shoved one cookie in his mouth whole, then piled at least four more into one hand before sliding up onto a vacant spot on the countertop. Steve couldn’t get over how good it was to see the kid alive and safe. When they had seen the news announcement this morning, well… he wasn’t sure what would have happened to the team if Tony hadn’t run breathless from the lab to tell them Peter was alright.
“Hey Peter, about this morning. Do you have any idea what happened with that news report? Hear anything during your patrols lately about someone who’s looking to hurt you?”
Peter swallowed his cookie, waving a hand in dismissal. “Don’t worry about it. It was just an, uh- misunderstanding.” He looked a little bit exasperated while saying this, frowning at the cookie stack in his palm, as if his apparent death was just a regular and annoying occurrence.
Before Steve could inquire as to what a “misunderstanding” was, the elevator doors slid open again and Tony breezed in. “Fri told me Pete was here.”
The boy in question shoved another cookie in his mouth, giving a garbled “Hey Mr. Stark” through the mouthful.
Stark marched into the kitchen and pulled the kid off the counter, wrapping him in a tight hug. “Don’t ever do that again, okay?”
The kid nodded, before squirming out of the hug to prevent the destruction of his cookies. “First of all, I didn’t actually do anything Mr. Stark, ‘cause it really wasn’t my fault. And I was just telling Steve that the whole thing is taken care of, so you don’t even need to worry.”
Tony looked a little alarmed. “What do you mean ‘taken care of’ Underoos?”
Steve wanted to know as well. Peter’s cryptic response earlier really hadn’t been all that enlightening.
The kid just huffed, face scrunching in consideration. “It was just one of my friends being stupid, is all. He’s a dumbass, but it’s ok because he promised not to do it again.”
“Language,” Steve said on reflex. And then paused. “Wait. Again? Wasn’t the copycat found dead?"
“Oh,” Peter said, taking a bite of his third cookie. “Wade’s just like that.”
Steve and Tony stared.
Peter took a second bite, offering no further explanation.
“And just who is Wade?” Tony asked, voice taking on a dangerous undertone.
Peter froze, apparently he realizing that he had messed up. “Um…No one! Yep, he’s no one. Just a friend. It’s fine. Really no need to worry, Mr. Stark.”
Steve thought about it. Why was Peter being so shifty? What was so bad about this “friend” that he was lying to Tony? A friend named Wade who “was just like that” when he got killed and somehow lived again...
Wait a minute-
“Wade? As in Wade Wilson?” Steve looked at Peter, who started guiltily and now looked to be two seconds away from bolting. Tony had a dawning look of comprehension on his face, one that Peter seemed to not like the look of.
“Yeah, so I have a lot homework and everything...” With a thumb pointed over his shoulder, Peter started to slowly back out of the kitchen. “So I’m going to go now-”
And with that the kid turned and sprinted, Tony following a second behind, yelling “Why the hell do you know Deadpool, kid? You’re friends with Deadpool? Peter! Peter, come back here right now or so help me God-”
Steve listened to the fading shouts, deciding that Tony had it covered. He would check in later to make sure Peter was still alive after Tony caught him.
He turned back to his cookie dough and began to fill another tray.