thirty-one.
The news about the move was delivered to Peter almost two weeks after Tony and Steve talked in the gym. It took nearly that long for Steve to talk to Bucky and Nat about it, after all. Well, talking to them was easy, but waiting for them to decide if it was something they even wanted to do was something else entirely.
Bucky was all for going back to the old fire-trap, as he called it, but Nat worried what it might mean for Peter to be moved yet again. They spent days deliberating about this move and the effects that it could have on Peter and his well being. They agreed that he'd be much closer to everything he loved, and Queens was barely a half an hour away. They just wanted him to have the chance to be a regular teenager again.
They wanted him to go to parties and sandwich shops and to spend weekends with his friends. They wanted him to have the freedom that he didn't have here. They wanted him to have chores and an allowence and maybe even a pet if he wanted. But they didn't want to keep him fron Tony. Even if they weren't all getting along at present, Tony was still part of Peter's family, and they wouldn't be the people to keep them apart.
They spent some time talking with Tony about it, wondering if they could figure something out about it. They wanted to know everything they needed to know before they brought it up to Peter at all. Bucky was quiet about it a lot, he'd been in a slightly bad place lately, but he was putting everyone else first to take care of them. He'd worry about himself second.
He did spend a lot of time listening though. He listened to Steve and Nat, and he'd listened to them both talk to Tony, but he never made any input. Sure he thought some things, but nowadays Bucky was a man of few words. Even fewer than before... Everything.
Nobody seemed to mind that he didn't talk much, because some days nobody else said a whole lot either. As of right now, he was sat on a small swivelling stool in Tony's lab, having his arm worked on while Steve and Nat watched on, discussing more plans and ideas about the move. He'd been kinda zoned out, but when he finally focused he heard Nat say, "It's gonna be our first Christmas with Peter. We should at least be able to do it somewhere he's comfortable, and that place isn't here."
Steve nodded in silent agreement, and Bucky just blinked. He can barely remember the last Christmas he had with Steve. He knows that he spent all that he had to get the little punk some good pencils. He was bummed that he couldn't get him a new book too, but he promised that he'd get him one for his birthday. Steve told him not to worry about it, that he didn't want him to waste his money.
Nowadays they didn't have that problem. Money was a lot different now. A dollar then was almost 20 dollars now. 50 dollars was now worth 900 dollars. Bucky's still amazed at this new world.
He flinches when Tony's tools send a sting up his arm and Tony quickly apologizes. Vision floats down through the ceiling, and nobody even blinks at his intrusion.
"Buddy, we talked about this, didn't we?" Tony says without looking.
Vision agrees, "Yes, but I thought this to be the quickest way to tell you that Mr. Parker is on his way down."
Everyone perks up a little at Peter's name and somehow it's silently settled that now would be the perfect time to tell him about the apartment. Peter bounds down the stairs and Nat gets up to open the door, even though she's sure that he knows the code. He's carrying his bag in front of him and his smile is wide. He starts talking at 100 miles a minute talking about how he had a history project, and that he could technically do it on Steve because he's a historical figure.
Steve smiled widely at the idea and once Peter finally calmed down and sat on the floor by Bucky's feet, Nat started talking to him, using a gentle and caring tone.
She started with explaining how she Bucky and Steve have been looking for a place to live off base because thet honestly can't stand the seclusion either. She told him that they knew he didn't want to live on base anymore either. Then she saw his eyes light up as she told him they'd found a place, and they'd love for him to live with them. He got so excited before stopping and asking about Tony.
Tony tried to insist that he'd be fine, and that he wanted this for Peter too, but everyone could hear how it hurt him, even if he wouldn't admit. Petr turned to Tony and told him that he'd come on weekends if he wasn't busy. Everyone knew that Peter would make time to be with Tony.
It warmed their hearts to know that he held Tony so highly. They all knew that his little boy in front of them had the largest heart, and it had room for everybody.
Peter's phone buzzed in his pocket, but he knew not to look at it here. Nobody needed to know that Peter had that kind of love coming. Not now. He knew it was a text from Wade, probably a picture, like the text before. Peter never really sent pictures, but for Wade he'd make an exception.
But for now, Wade could wait. They'd be together again soon.