Chapter Text
The water streaking down the glass of their bay window was soothing to watch - almost as soothing as the sound of the rain as it fell. Steve had always enjoyed stormy weather, ever since he was a kid. He'd been using them as an excuse to pull on comfy clothes, make a huge mug of hot cocoa and cocoon himself in blankets for years. Sam shared his feelings, which had been great during college. They would take turns making up batches of the sugary drink and have a nice, quiet day in. Bucky thought they were both idiots, because for him rain had always meant being cooped up inside with his younger sisters, no escape in sight. Most of Steve's previous partners had fallen more on Bucky's end of the spectrum.
Not Tony though, which was just another little piece of proof that they were meant to be together.
Even though his husband-to-be (in two weeks, God it couldn't get there fast enough) preferred coffee to hot cocoa during the day, they made it work. Hot milk could be used by both of them, and Tony would make his coffee a mocha while Steve would add just a hint of coffee to his drink - it was a nice, tasty compromise that meant they could steal sips from each other's mugs without being horribly disappointed. That was what Steve was doing just then, having finished his own drink and not ready to get up to make more yet. Tony had whined in protest but relinquished the mug, half dozing as he stared out the window.
On the coffee table in front of them was a pile of RSVPs, three different attempts at a seating chart, a few different kennels to visit before deciding where to send Chewbarka during their honeymoon and a whole bunch of wedding magazines that Tony had picked up to make fun of.
The seating chart was pretty much the only thing they were allowed to be in charge of; Pepper and Sam had joined forces and taken over everything else while Bucky and Rhodey made 'helpful' suggestions from a safe distance. Some of their other friends (Darcy and Clint mostly, Bruce very tentatively) had suggested they wrestle back the reins, but Steve wasn't really interested. He'd made sure Sam and Pepper knew the few things he felt strongly about, Tony'd done the same and they were both of the opinion that at long as they were married at the end of it they were happy.
Maria had been less than thrilled at being relegated to a supporting role, but that was where she'd been casting Tony for years. Steve was less than sympathetic to her ‘plight’ and mostly just glad Howard was staying the fuck out of it all.
They'd been able to focus on wedding things for about half an hour before they'd succumbed to the drowsy, comfortable vibe of the day. That had been when they swapped out their two smaller blankets for the huge one Steve had bought on a whim. It was big enough to wrap around the both of them comfortably several times, even with Chewbarka curled up on one end of the couch on top of a pretty good sized section of it. They were both laying on the couch with Tony sitting between his legs and leaning back against him - Steve still couldn't get over how his fiance was the perfect size to tuck his head under Steve's chin like it belonged there. Every once in awhile Tony would run a lazy hand up Steve's arm and he would answer by gently running his nails over Tony's stomach, enjoying the way his guy pretty much purred in response.
His fiance was pretty much a cat, they'd all decided while out drinking one night. Maybe that was why he and Sinnabun had such a love-hate relationship; they were too much alike. Their friend group had then announced that Steve was a golden retriever ‘stuck in a people body'. It shouldn't work between the two of them, a very drunk Clint and Bucky had insisted. It shouldn't, because Steve was a dog and Tony was a cat, but Steve and Tony did work and they demanded that the two of them share their secret with the world to bring about a new era of peace.
Steve didn't really know about all that. He just knew that he liked the happy noises Tony made when he got his 'skritchies'.
He drained the last of the mocha coffee and set the mug aside before nosing Tony's temple with a happy sigh. "Love you."
"Love you too," Tony mumbled as he half-turned, pressing his face against the curve of Steve's neck. "Not gettin' up. 'S your turn."
Steve chuckled but didn't bother arguing his motivation - wasn't worth it. Bickering (even fondly) would ruin the mood of the day, and he'd do just about anything to keep the little bubble they were living in just then from popping. "My turn," he agreed instead, rolling both of them over with ease. Tony was like a rag doll when they were cuddling like this, happy to let Steve manipulate his limbs as long as they stayed tangled up together. They ended up with Steve's back against the back of the couch, arms locked around Tony to keep him from sliding off onto the floor.
Moving had disturbed the dog, who began to huff in agitation - he had to stand up, paw at the blanket, turn in a few circles... it was a production, one that Chewbarka grumbled about during the duration. Their growing dog ended up draped over their legs this time, head shoving its way under one of Steve's arms. Sinnabun was, in turn, disturbed from her nap along the back of the couch by the way everyone had shifted. One paw made its way onto Steve’s shoulder and flexed in warning, claws digging lightly into his skin. There it stayed even when the cat had settled again, purring softly.
Her purrs mingled with the rain, Chewbarka's snoring and the occasional sleepy mutter from Tony. He was fighting the urge to fall asleep himself, knowing that it wouldn't end well if he did. Either his hold would go slack and he'd dump his fiance onto the floor or they'd all end up so tangled with each other and the blanket that getting free would be a fight. Once one of their rainy day cuddle sessions had been interrupted by the doorbell ringing and it had not been pretty. Tony had ended up shouting 'come in, please!' and their poor mailman had been commandeered to assist them in their bid for freedom.
It wasn't going to work, Steve knew that much. As soon as he felt Tony go completely slack and heard the way his fiance's breath had gone deep and even, he knew that the fight was over. It was only a matter of time before he nodded off too, and he'd deal with the consequences when they came. They'd be worth it for these quiet moments where all that was important was the sound of the rain and the comfort of feeling his family surrounding him.
~.~.~
Tony never cried at weddings.
Mostly because in his - admittedly limited - experience, they just didn't mean all that much. Sure his parents were still married after way too many years together, but they were also miserable. Over half of his business associates had been married at least three times, changing partners with the seasons. His friends who were married seemed pretty happy, but those relationships were also still pretty young. Give it a decade or two and he was sure at least one divorce would rock their group.
Selfishly, he hoped it was Sam and Wanda - Wanda was terrible and Sam was great, so Tony would love to keep him and send her packing. However he looked at it though, the only couple he knew that were still happily married and in love after any meaningful length of time was Jarvis and his Anna.
So yeah, while other people cried and said how beautiful everything was, Tony was usually rolling his eyes behind a pair of sunglasses. They'd never really hit him all that hard - he'd gotten the closest when Rhodey had tied the knot though, and if Pep ever got married he might shed a tear or two, but that was it. He'd been of the opinion that they were kind of a dumb and unnecessary expense.
Then he caught sight of Steve across the room during their own ceremony and Tony suddenly got it.
Not the expense or a lot of the sillier parts of it, but the crying thing. That whole 'most important day of my life' bit made sense. The idea of two people coming together and promising forever didn't feel doomed to fail; it felt momentous. It felt real.
Tony felt tears spring to his eyes as it hit him, really hit him, that he and Steve were getting married. That was his almost-husband waiting for him at the end of the aisle, looking suspiciously bright eyed himself. In just a few minutes they'd be saying 'I do' in front of their friends and family, they'd exchange vows and rings and be together forever. His steps faltered a little, not because he was hesitant but because he was feeling so damn much. Steve saw and, because he knew Tony inside out, shot a blinding grin his way. On his left, Rhodey gave his arm a squeeze; Pepper, who was on his right, pressed a tissue into his hand.
And really, having both of them there to support him in his walk down the aisle and give him away was just another reason to love Steve. His almost-husband had, at first, been keen on them doing something like walking down the aisle together. But when Tony expressed that he really, really wanted to get under Howard's skin by 'playing the role of the woman', whatever the hell that was supposed to mean, Steve had been just fine waiting at the altar and letting Tony have his special moment. It had been Steve who suggested not letting Howard be the one to give him away, and when Tony had waffled over choosing one of his two best friends to do it instead (after Jarvis had said a firm, fond 'no'), Steve had shrugged and said 'both of 'em'.
Steve was amazing and so understanding, and he was going to be Tony's husband.
Conscious as ever of his audience, Tony made a show of dabbing his eyes - it was enough to make a lot of their guests start to laugh. Sure it was a wet one, but it was a touching moment and this was forever, so tears were definitely okay. Hell, if any of them weren't crying he was disowning their asses. About halfway down the aisle, his gaze locked on Steve's eyes and held there for the rest of the way, an intensity building between them that Tony felt in every part of his body.
He was supposed to wait, he knew that, but Tony couldn't help himself. As soon as he and his escorts were close enough, he slipped out of their hold and jumped at Steve... who was ready and waiting to catch him. Another laugh echoed in the room as Tony wrapped his legs around Steve's waist while Steve's arms held him securely. Tony then used his hands to draw Steve into a long, sweet kiss, the rest of the room falling away. Dimly, he thought he heard Rhodey making a joke, and that was probably Pepper pulling on his tux sleeve, but none of it mattered. All that mattered was Steve, and the way Steve was holding him, and Steve's lips under his.
When they finally pulled apart, Tony knew he was probably smiling too big and too bright, but Steve was right there with him. "Hey," he whispered, putting their foreheads together.
"Hey doll," Steve answered, speaking just as quietly, as privately as Tony had. "Pep and Sam are gonna murder you for this."
"Couldn't help it. Guess what?"
"What?"
"We're getting married."
"Yeah," Steve said, smile getting impossibly bigger. "We are. How 'bout that."
"Love you."
"Love you too."
They shared another quick kiss before Steve set him down, seeming just as reluctant to do it as Tony was to step away. "Sorry!" Tony called to the room, knowing he didn't sound like it and not caring even a little. "Got excited. On with the wedding so I can take this wonderful man on our honeymoon!" More laughter and tears - even Maria was dabbing at her eyes, and Howard was purple-faced with outrage.
It was a perfect day.
Where Rhodey was laughing along with everyone else, Pepper was giving him just a bit of a stink eye... but there were also some tears threatening, and she willingly accepted a kiss to the cheek before taking his arm again, so Tony was pretty sure she'd already forgiven him. Rhodey took his other arm, Steve stepped back, and they proceeded as originally planned.
His two besties relinquished him to Steve with kisses to the cheek and admonishments to 'behave', which was probably the only thing that kept him from jumping on his almost-husband again when they passed him over. Things sort of blurred after that, because he was lost in Steve's blue, blue eyes. He was pretty sure he was still kind of crying, and he watched a few tears streak down Steve's cheeks as well, because this was so real, and it was happening and it was forever.
Suddenly he felt someone flick his ear, and he flinched back to glare at Pepper who did not look at all amused. She nodded toward the pastor, who Tony realized had been trying to get his attention. "Oh. Oops? Vow-time?" The man nodded, lips twitching as he tried not to smile. "Right! Vows. The ones I wrote, which are probably terrible and inappropriate . Okay." Tony took a deep breath, then turned back to Steve. "Okay. So before I met you I'd never really had a boyfriend. I mean, I'd had a lot of sex with men and women, but there hadn't been a lot of, you know, feelings involved. Before you there weren't many feelings at all. I mean, I had Rhodey and Pep, Jarvis and Anna, my, uh, parents, but that was sort of it. Everyone else was just a distraction, and an irritating one at that. Because people kind of suck - like, a lot, and most of them not even the fun kind. I've seen a lot of terrible people, and been kind of an awful one myself, but you're just... you're like, amazing. You're Steve. In what universe does someone like you end up marrying an asshole like me? I mean, this one obviously, but that's not--"
God, he was fucking this up and Steve was going to realize that he didn't want to marry Tony after all. This was a nightmare, a disaster - he should never have asked Steve to marry him, because he was fucking this up. Before he could let himself fall too far down that rabbit hole, Steve leaned forward and gave him another quick kiss that had people 'awww'ing like crazy.
Sure, when Steve did it, it was cute.
"Okay. Sorry. Um. Look, the point is that people are jerks but you aren't. You're... you're Steve, which means... it kind of means everything. And me, you and our fur-babies would have lived a long and happy life together even without this, but I promise that I'll make being married to me worth it. The tax break and life insurance incentives alone are unreal, you know? So I'll be faithful, because honestly nobody in their right mind would look elsewhere for sex - you are so good at the sex, babe, I can't even tell you, and we are fucking magic together, like, to the point where we could totally make a sex tape and it would be awesome, but let's not because I don't want other people seeing you like that. Where was I? Oh! Okay. So yeah. I'm already going to love you forever, but now I'll do it with a ring on my finger which makes me the happiest man ever. Steve, babe, stinky pits, he of the deadly ninja farts, honey-crunch, love of my life - I promise to come home to you, fight with you, make love to you, have babies with you - adopt them with you, whatever - and do all those stupid, cutesy, fantastic couple things with you until I die. After too if I can manage it. Kay?"
"Kay," Steve answered, a wobbly smile on his lips and tears standing bright in his brilliant eyes. "Sounds perfect."
"So... can we be declared married and get to the kissing now?"
"If you don't wanna hear the vows I wrote, then sure, we ca--"
"No! Lay 'em on me, stinky pits. I wanna cry too," he murmured, reaching up to wipe away a tear as it started to fall down Steve's cheek. Steve laughed and bent down to steal yet another kiss, and Tony was pretty sure they were doing this wedding thing all wrong.
"You are the most beautiful, fiery, infuriating man I've ever met," Steve started, searching his eyes. "I will never forget how proud you were that you had no idea how to shop for groceries, and I'll never stop being amazed that I got to be your first real boyfriend." Tony's cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling, his heart was a fluttery mess, and he was half-sure this was just an amazing dream. "I want to make up for all those years where it was only about sex or what people could take from you; I want to give you all the love that you never had in your life."
Tony felt the weight of those words settle over him like a warm, fluffy blanket as hot tears pricked his eyes. "I'd get an iguana for you, if I thought you really wanted one," he added, making Tony give a rather unattractive combination of a laugh, snort and sob. "I want kids with you, I want to fight with you over how goddamned cold you keep the house for the rest of our lives, and I want to bring you donuts and coffee when you've been having a shit day at work. I want to wake up beside you every morning and go to bed with you every night," and yeah, Tony was totally a goner, crying like a baby because God, Steve loved him so much and Tony loved him back and they were almost married. "Gonna love you forever, doll, and being married to you is going to be the best part of my life."
"Fuck you for writing better vows than me," Tony said even as he surged forward to wrap his arms around Steve in a tight hug.
"They weren't better, you idiot," Steve whispered in his ear, hugging him back just as hard.
"Were. You owe me a blowjob for that."
"Whatever you want, Tony."
"Are we married yet? Because I'd like to get to the kissing, then skip the party and get right to the honeymoon where you will owe me a blowjob at a place and time of my choosing. How do you feel about semi-public sex?"
"Oh my God."
Tony had kind of half-forgotten that there were other people in the room; he didn't fully remember until the pastor cleared his throat. He was being a teensy bit inappropriate in front of company, he realized. The lady recording the ceremony had probably caught all of it, so at least it would be immortalized on film - bright side to everything. When they were finally, finally declared husband and husband, Tony let out a whoop of joy, ready to get to the (fully sanctioned) kissing bits. But it was Steve who pulled him back in for a hard, passionate kiss that had catcalls and wolf-whistles joining in with the applause.
When the kiss ended, Tony was married. He was married to Steve, who he loved and who loved him. He was Tony Stark-Rogers, or maybe it was Rogers-Stark - they still hadn't really come to a complete agreement on which one they were going to use. There was a heavy gold ring on his left ring finger and a matching one on Steve's; engraved on the insides (in binary code, because Steve encouraged his geekiness like any good husband should) was 'Pinky Promise'.
'It all started with that,' Tony had told Steve while they were designing them; it was only the truth. If it hadn't been for that first pinky promise and the phone call that prompted it, Tony didn't think their relationship would have lasted more than a date or two. After Steve's calm, sweet response to his freak-out, Tony had been smitten. It had set the tone for everything that followed; without their pinky promise, they might not have made it to marriage.
Pinky promises were fucking magical, in his opinion. Since their first one had carried their relationship through three and a half years, Tony hadn't been able to think of anything better to mark the start of their married life.
They were married.
Tony was sure he'd cry at every wedding he went to for the rest of his life.
~.~.~
There was no reason to be nervous, Steve told himself as he yanked off his t-shirt and pulled on a button-up instead. Yeah it was an important day - a crazy-important day, as Tony had said before kissing him goodbye that morning - but it was going to be fine. He was good with kids and so was Tony, and this meeting wasn't about being perfectly put together; it was about seeing if they clicked with the teen their worker thought would be a good match. If they weren't, it would be fine, he assured himself, changing into a pair of jeans because his slacks looked too formal with the button-up. This was only the first time they were actually meeting a kid that might become theirs, and Kelly had told them that sometimes it took four or five before a good match could be found.
God, he didn't think he could survive more than one meeting where he fell in love with a kid and didn't end up getting any further in the process than that.
Socks and shoes were easy enough to pick out, but he changed his shirt twice more before settling on a soft grey-blue henley. Tony was going to be showing up in a suit, since he would be coming straight from work to the group home. He figured at least one of them should look like a more regular, average-Joe so they didn't scare the kid. Not wanting to change anymore - this wasn't about looking perfect - he shut the bedroom door and headed for the kitchen.
He was ready early, too early, but then he always was. Steve wandered the house for a while, giving a bit of attention to Chewbarka and a few passing strokes to Sinnabun's fur. Finally he settled in the kitchen and forced himself to eat a snack; as he did, he went over the information provided by the agency. Peter Parker wasn't exactly what he and Tony had been looking for - he was a lot older, for one thing, being closer to fifteen than five. His parents had died in an accident almost a year ago and he still hadn't been able to find a long-term placement that worked for him. Peter was smart - smart enough to have landed a significant scholarship to a pretty pricey private school, which seemed to have caused some of his previous families to balk.
It looked like a lot of his interests would line right up with Tony's, and Steve was sure he could find a way to bond with the kid too. And maybe he'd sort of been looking forward to a younger kid... but they could do that later. Darcy had offered several times to be a surrogate, so maybe when it came to adoption it was better to go with a kid that they could help. If Peter liked them, they could give the kid a good home, all the support he could need, and open doors that no one else could open for him. They could make sure Peter didn't get stuck in the system until he aged out of it, and Tony would be thrilled to have another science buff in the family.
Steve left earlier than he needed to and ended up waiting in the car for almost twenty minutes, getting more and more tightly wound as every second ticked by. He could be about to meet his son, and he didn't know how the hell he was supposed to stay calm or remember to breathe or anything like that. Honestly he was just hoping he could hang onto his name and Peter's long enough not to embarrass himself in front of the kid and Kelly.
Lost in a sea of 'what if's and nerves, Steve jumped when he heard a knock on the car window right next to his ear. It was Tony, of course, looking at him with a pair of sunglasses sliding down his nose and one of his brows arched in a question. "I'm fine," he said as he got out of the car, pretty sure his cheeks were pink. "Waiting for you--"
"And freaking out. Don't freak out, okay?" When the car door was shut, Steve stepped into his husband's space and hugged him, pressing his lips to Tony's temple. Tony immediately wrapped his arms around Steve's waist in return, which helped him let go of some of the tension that had been tightly coiling inside of him. "It's gonna be fine, no matter what happens. If we don't mesh with Peter, we'll wait for another meeting, or we can see if Darcy's still interested in carrying our spawn. I want this to work as much as you do, but if it doesn't, it isn't the end of the world."
"... yeah," he said against Tony's skin, willing himself to believe the words. "It'll be fine. Even if this doesn't work out today, we have tomorrow."
"And a shit-ton of days after that. Like, sooooo many days stinky pits. Until we die, which is going to be years and years and years from now. And you gotta figure that a year is three hundred and sixty five days, so if we get ten more years that's over three thousand days." Steve smiled and let his husband talk out his nerves as they headed inside, hand in hand. "And at that point I'll hardly be forty, even if you'll be starting to edge into silver fox territory. You're gonna be so sexy when you get old, babe - I kinda can't wait, you know?"
Tony stopped talking about how sexy Steve was after ringing the doorbell, thank God. Instead he babbled about how lovely Kelly looked that day and what a quaint home it was, and where should he donate money to help kids in the same situation as Peter, and so much more that it was a wonder he crammed it all into the short walk to the small room where they'd be meeting the kid who might end up becoming their son.
He kept right on talking when Kelly left them to go get Peter, and Steve had never been more thankful for the way his husband could hold a conversation all by himself. He could listen and let the words wash over him, let the rise and fall of Tony's talking ease his nerves. Tony seemed to appreciate the way Steve was playing with the fingers of his left hand the same way; it was nice to know that they could still ground each other even after eight years together.
"Tony, Steve?" Steve was sure they both looked up at the same time, and he was so happy to be doing this that he didn't even have to force a warm smile to his face. "I'd like you to meet Peter Parker. Peter, this is Tony and Steve Stark-Rogers." The teen was standing partly behind their worker, shoulders hunched and a defensive scowl on his face.
He needed to eat more, Steve decided as Kelly patiently ushered Peter further into the room, already itching to sit him down and feed him something healthy and filling. At least he seemed to be more interested in hygiene than some other fifteen year old boys he'd met, and his clothes were old and worn but obviously well cared for. In one hand he was clutching a science textbook, which ran the risk of getting Tony started on the deplorable state of science education in their country.
"Hey," Peter said, obviously wary. He lifted his head to take in the both of them, eyes lingering a little longer on Tony before he set his jaw and dropped his eyes back to the table.
"Hey," Steve and Tony echoed in a ragged chorus. After an awkward moment he stepped forward enough that he could offer Peter his hand and another smile. "I'm sure you figured it out, but I'm Steve. That one's so eager to get his face plastered in every tabloid in existence that just about everyone knows his face."
Tony's next 'hey' sounded a little offended, but Steve was pretty sure there was a hint of a smile on Peter's lips as he accepted Steve's hand to shake. "Recognized both of you, actually," he said in a voice that squeaked a little, like it was constantly threatening to break - Steve felt for him. "You usually go with him when he presents awards'n stuff. My teachers are always showin' stuff like that to try and get us to participate in that kinda stuff."
"Well if you come home with us, you'll have a pretty solid in with the people who organize that sort of thing," Tony said with a grin; Steve forced himself not to groan, especially when he saw Peter's threatening smile get a little bigger. "Nepotism for the win!" Instead of a handshake, Tony held out one fist for Peter to bump. The teen looked torn between laughing and groaning himself but he still obligingly participated in the fist bump before heading to a chair and plopping down.
Ignoring Kelly - she wasn't going to be leaving, but she wouldn't intervene unless needed - Steve sat opposite of Peter, giving him another smile. "He doesn't really mean that - Tony doesn't give out science or math prizes unless people earn them. You'd probably have to work even harder to impress him."
Peter shrugged and looked down at his hands before peeking up from under his bangs, watching Tony come to sit next to Steve. "I mostly don't like to compete for stuff," he said with another shrug. "Except I'm on the decathlon team at school. Academic, not, like, the sports one," he hurried to clarify, voice breaking once before settling into its usual squeaky tones. "I don't really... sport well. I mean, I don't do sports. Not often, because with the sweating and the running and stuff I just don't think they're that fun. I like baseball?"
"Yeah?" Steve was smiling at all the babble, and he could feel Tony practically vibrating beside him in excitement - he loved a good rambling partner. Tony was of the opinion that if you had two people babbling in a conversation, it would go to new and exciting places that normal people could never reach. "You like the Mets or the Yankees better?"
"The Mets," Peter said, an unsaid 'duh' behind the words.
"Why's that?"
"Because they're not the Yankees?"
"Good answer," Steve praised with a wide smile.
"I like the Yankees."
"Tony, no."
"No, really! They do the baseball thing so well, you know?" Steve could feel his expression changing to one of disbelief, scorn and irritation. That was what Tony wanted, so he did his best to keep himself from reacting, but it was so, so hard. "I even have some jerseys and a hat," he added gleefully to Peter, who looked horrified. "When we go to games where they play the Mets, I sit on Steve's side so he can weep into my shoulder when his team loses, but I still wear all my Yankees stuff. Sometimes I even paint my face!" Steve was pretty sure his expression matched Peter's perfectly, and Tony began to cackle. "Oh my God. Two of you! I can get you both at the same time!"
Steve shared a commiserating look with Peter, then wrapped one arm around Tony in a friendly, gentle version of a headlock. "Yeah, yeah. Yuck it up. You don't even like baseball, ya mook. Least it's actually a sport, not like the crap you like. What's so great about car races? 'S just a bunch of guys who keep turning left." Tony squawked indignantly while Peter gaped; Steve shot him a wink that made him smile as Tony struggled free.
"You listen here, Steven. There is more to races than left turns! You are such a plebeian - no! You dream one day of being a pleb. You're a... what’s the word? Luddite maybe? Yeah, Luddite. You're one of those, with no appreciation for the skill and art that is street racing. Do you have any idea what it takes to win those races? Do you?"
By the time Tony's rant wound down, the ice was broken. Conversation flowed easily and naturally, and Steve was impressed by what he saw. Peter was an intelligent, caring young man who had a sense of humor that matched Tony's wonderfully. Any time the conversation touched down anywhere near the subject of his parents or his previous placements, the teen turned sad and a little defensive - Steve did his best to steer them away from those pitfalls, wanting to keep things light and fun. It felt like hardly any time had passed at all before Kelly gently told them it was time to wrap things up and say goodbye.
As soon as that happened, Peter's expression turned mulish again, like he was expecting just a goodbye, nothing more. "Peter?" Steve started, already missing the teen's smile. Tony's hand found his and squeezed; when Steve glanced his way, his husband was watching the teen with a yearning expression and he knew they were on the same page. "We'd really like it if we could move forward in this process with you. Do you think that'd be alright? If not, that's fine too," he added quickly, not wanting to pressure the poor kid. "You can take some time to think about it and let Kelly know if--"
"No! I mean yes. I mean," Peter looked flustered and pleased, blushing faintly as his eyes darted between Steve and Tony. "That'd be... it'd be great. Um. If you think you really want to. I know there are lots of kids who'd be smarter and--"
"Don't be dumb," Tony interrupted, and this time Steve couldn't help but groan. Then his husband got out of his chair and went to kneel in front of Peter; Steve wished he could see Tony's face. "You're a great kid, Peter Parker. I think you'd be a good fit with us, and Steve likes you too. So we're sure, we want you, and I think we can make this work. So are you in, kiddo?"
"... yeah." Peter said eventually, sounding shy and a little bit awed. Steve understood completely - Tony could have that effect on people. "I'm in."
Steve knew there was a lot more to it. There was a whole process, lots of paperwork, home visits and meetings with Peter in their future. Nothing was set in stone yet, and they might not end up making Peter a member of their family. But when he hugged the teen goodbye and watched his husband do the same, it felt like Peter was already theirs.
It felt like they were one step closer to building the future, the family that they'd dreamed of.
~.~.~
Peter was a good kid - his kid, his son, and Tony loved him more than he would have thought possible just a few years ago. He hadn't wanted marriage or kids or anything like that until after meeting Steve, and even when he started wanting those things he couldn't have predicted how getting them would make him feel.
There were rough patches, sure, but for the most part things had been great. Amazing even. The addition of baby Sarah Marie to their little family had made things perfect, in his opinion. Peter seemed to love his baby sister, and they'd worked hard to try and make sure that their firstborn understood that they didn't love him any less. Tony had been sure that they'd done a good job at that, that Peter didn't feel like the baby was somehow more theirs or more important just because Steve had provided half of her DNA code.
Apparently they'd failed, and Tony didn't know how.
The teenager sitting in front of him, glaring with the force of a thousand suns with his arms crossed over his chest bore hardly any resemblance to the Peter he knew. There was so much anger in his eyes, hostility radiating from him, and Tony was kind of at a loss. Part of him wished Steve was there to deal with it - Steve was so much better at emotions - but his husband was out with Sarah and Peter was Tony's son too. He could handle this.
"Okay," he tried again, forcing himself to stay calm. "So you admit to skipping every day that your school told me about."
"Yeah."
"And you've been cutting classes pretty regularly even on days when you do show up."
"So? I know the material."
"That's not really the point, kiddo."
"I'm not a kid!"
"Okay, okay, not a kid," Tony agreed hastily, taken aback by the way Peter had shouted. "But not quite an adult either, which is why I really need you to tell me where you've been going when you're not in class."
"None of your business."
"Wrong. It is my business, and--"
"No it's not! It isn't your business, Tony," Peter said, brandishing the name like a weapon. It worked too - he was so used to being called 'dad' that he actually staggered back a step when Peter used 'Tony' instead. "And it isn't any of Steve's either! I've been skipping out for months and you never noticed." There was an unspoken 'you were too busy with the baby' hanging in the air between them, and Tony didn't know how he could make this better. "So why the fuck do you care now?"
"Watch your words, young man." Tony answered, brain working a mile a minute. He ignored Peter's sneer at the reprimand, busy trying to decide how to fix this and coming up with nothing. "Peter," he started as he knelt in front of his son, looking up and searching the teen's expression for any sign of the Peter that he knew. "I'm sorry. I didn't see that you were struggling or that you felt... I don't know, replaced or neglected or... I don't know. What I do know is that I didn't do my job as your dad. I'm sorry for that kid - Peter. I'm sorry and I'm going to do better from now on, okay?"
"Why bother?" Peter demanded, voice aggressive and expression not softening even a little. "You have Sarah now. What do you need me for?" He wavered a little then, looking vulnerable and sad, and in that moment Tony hated himself a tiny bit. Peter shouldn't feel that way - he and Steve had clearly failed their son.
"Hey." Tony tried to catch his kid's eye, but it didn't work. Peter was looking everywhere but at him now, looking sad and hurt more than angry. "That's not how family works. Not in real families anyway. You are such a great kid, Peter. Don't make that noise, it's true. You're amazing, and your pops and I are so thankful that we get to have you in our lives. We didn't have Sarah to replace you or because we didn't love you or because you were lacking in any way. We got so lucky with you, Peter Parker, and we wanted to share that with another kid."
"Yeah, but... she's really Steve's. Not like me. I'm not..." Tony watched a tear roll down Peter's cheek and felt like the worst dad ever. It made him want to break something - he would move mountains to make Peter happy, and he'd failed. "I'm not really--"
"You listen here, Peter. Sarah is Steve's, yes, but she's also mine. She's also yours - she's your baby sister the same way that you're Steve's son. The same way that you're mine. Blood doesn't mean anything, Peter, not really. How often do you see grandma and your grandfather, huh? They're my 'real' parents, whatever that means, but that didn't make us family. They were never my mom and dad, not really. Besides me and your pops, who comes to all your science fairs, huh? Who goes to watch you compete in the decathlons and comes to every event that you have?"
"Nonna and nonno," Peter answered, a second tear following the first. “I know nonno used to be grandfather’s butler, but he still… And uncle Bucky and aunt Pep. Uncle Rhodey if he's in the country. Sometimes... sometimes some of my other aunts and uncles."
"Guess how many of them are related to me or your pops by blood?"
"None."
"Exactly. Maybe sharing DNA means something to some people, but for me and Steve... look. We've always found family in other ways. We chose our family, Peter. We chose you. You are our son, and nothing can change that. Not ever."
Peter searched his eyes and Tony let him, doing his best to be open and honest so Peter could see just what he meant. The kid was his son in every way that really mattered, and he hated himself for making Peter question that. He'd never wanted Peter to feel like he had growing up, always wondering if he was good enough to be loved. Tony thought he'd been doing better than Howard had; apparently he needed to work harder.
After a long, silent minute, Peter wiped the back of his right hand over his face, scrubbing away the evidence of his tears. Once that was done, he held that pinky out to Tony, looking scared and hopeful at the same time. Without missing a beat, Tony hooked his own pinky around it, keeping his gaze locked with Peter's as he spoke. "You are my son, and I love you. There is no replacing you or getting rid of you because some new, shiny kid came along. You've got me and your pops for forever. I promise, Peter - you're our kid and nothing will ever change that."
Peter was maybe crying again when he launched himself at Tony; Tony was maybe crying a little too as he hugged his son tight. There was still a lot that they needed to talk about - where Peter was going when he wasn't at school was the least of it. Once Steve got home, Tony would take Sarah for a bit so Steve could have some one-on-one time with Peter; later, after dinner, they could have a family discussion.
They'd figure out how to do better by Peter, where their son was spending his time and how to help him deal with the anger that he carried that Tony hadn't noticed before. Maybe Pepper and Bucky could take Sarah for a day so he and Steve could hang with just Peter, the way it had been before a newborn had demanded such a big chunk of everyone's attention. They'd talk, they'd figure out what was going on with their son, and they'd fix it.
But for that moment, none of that really mattered. What was important was hugging Peter back just as tightly as his son was hugging him. What mattered was letting Peter cry it out while whispering how much he was wanted, how much he was loved. All that Tony cared about just then was showing Peter how important he was. Everything else could wait.
~.~.~
It was fucking freezing, and his husband was an idiot.
Steve glared at the thermostat that was only set at sixty-eight for a full twenty seconds or so until he started to shiver again. Pulling his blanket tighter around his shoulders, he cranked it up to seventy-five, which was goddamned comfortable and Tony could go suck an egg if he didn't think so.
Grumbling to himself, he ambled back to the living room, only slightly mollified by the way the heater had audibly kicked on. Tony knew how cold he got, and the ass also knew that they were out of hot cocoa mix - Sarah was supposed to bring some later when she stopped in for dinner with her boyfriend. Harley seemed like a pretty nice young man, even if no one would ever really be good enough for his baby girl. At least he wasn't anything like Wade Wilson, who'd been on-again, off-again with Peter since his son was seventeen.
But he'd been thinking about hot chocolate, not the state of his grown childrens’ love lives. Shaking his head at his own foolishness, Steve settled into Tony's armchair. It had fluffier cushions and always felt warmer than Steve's chair once he'd settled - his own chair was better in every other way, of course. He only stole Tony's when his jerk of a husband put the thermostat so low that the air in the house turned frigid.
He'd only been sitting for a little while, debating on whether he wanted to watch TV or read, when Crepes Meow (usually called Crepes or 'pancake kitty') hopped up into his lap. A little friendlier than Sinnabun had been - God, he still missed her so much some days - he purred loudly as he kneaded Steve's thigh. It was hard not to smile at the adorable little thing, and Steve let his thoughts drift as he lavished attention on his cat.
Thinking about Sinnabun, gone almost five years, made him think about Chewbarka. The loyal dog had passed on to greener pastures just a year ago, and Tony wasn't anywhere close to being ready to think about getting another. Since they weren't exactly spring chickens themselves, Steve thought that even if they did decide to adopt a new canine child they should pick one a little longer in the tooth. He sure as hell didn't have the energy to handle a puppy anymore, not full time anyway. And maybe he wasn't old - 'if you're old, Steven, then I'm getting close and just no' - but he was starting to feel his age.
His hair was more white than blond, which upset Tony... mostly because his own salt and pepper hair was far more noticeably graying. There was an ache in his lower back and his knees that was a frequent visitor, and sometimes getting up was more trouble than it was worth. Sure once he got going he felt as fit and healthy as ever, but that 'getting going' part was a lot harder than it used to be. Tony teased him about it, and Steve graciously didn't point out his husband's carpal tunnel braces or his (pretty damned sexy) glasses. Both of them were starting to show a few signs of wear and tear, and Steve loved it.
He loved every wrinkle on Tony's face, every gray hair, every bit of him that was maybe sagging a little bit more than when they'd met in their twenties. Steve loved cataloging each difference, each change, with his hands and mouth when they were in bed together - their sex life was one thing that was still going strong despite their advanced years. Peter and Sarah were always mortified whenever the subject came up, which was probably why Bucky, Darcy and Clint loved to talk about it whenever they were around the kids.
Steve didn't mind - he was still very much attracted to and in love with his husband. That was nothing to be ashamed of.
Crepes gave a quiet chirrup, interrupting Steve's thoughts. Knowing exactly what the cat wanted, he gave him a few scratches under his chin. As he did, the comforting sound of warm air moving through the heating vents came to an abrupt stop. Steve couldn't help it - he growled, already starting to shiver again. There was no way the house was seventy-five degrees yet, which meant only one thing: Tony, the wonderful bastard, had meddled.
Maybe sensing his shift in mood, Crepes huffed and hopped down, tail in the air as he strutted out of the room. Probably to beg attention from Tony instead, the traitor. Grumbling again, he got out of the chair and moved to grab a second blanket off the back of the couch, setting it on Tony's chair for when he came back. Pretending not to have noticed the interference, Steve went to the kitchen and started water for tea - it wasn't hot chocolate, but it might drive the ice out from under his skin. By the time he had a tea bag steeping, he was sure Tony would be back in his workshop, tinkering.
Only then did he go back to the thermostat, cranking it up to seventy-eight this time - partly out of a need to be petty, partly because Tony had lowered it to sixty-three. Before heading back to the couch, he stopped by his studio to grab a Post It note (blue, because they were prettier than the yellow ones) and a pen. 'Do Not Touch - that means YOU Tony' he wrote on it, sticking it on top of the thermostat. He'd meant to end it there, but despite his best intentions he went to grab another (green this time) and wrote 'Your husband is fucking freezing' and situated it underneath the first.
Steve made a nest out of the blankets and sipped his steaming tea, but he was still convinced that he was turning into an icicle. Most of his attention was on the sounds around him. Sure enough, the heat kicked off too soon again, and he could hear his husband laughing too. This was a game as much as it was a fight, and Steve was briefly warmed by the thought that he'd amused Tony. That bit of heat didn't last long though, and soon enough he was headed back for the thermostat. 'Leave Me Alone Steven', Tony had written in return on one Post It, with 'Your husband is sweating like a pig' underneath.
For almost the next hour, they waged a mostly silent war over how hot to keep their house. Sometimes they left each other little notes and sometimes they didn't. Towards the end, Steve was back to the thermostat so fast that on occasion he'd catch a fleeting glimpse of Tony rounding the opposite corner. The heat was cranked to ninety on the high end and forty at the lowest; their poor house was probably having a crisis. It didn't end until Steve put the heat at seventy, writing 'If you loved me you'd come keep me warm' on a pink Post It for Tony to find.
Less than five minutes later they were on the couch together, wrapped up in one of Steve's blankets and each other. Tony was in Steve's lap, head tucked under Steve's chin as they bickered about what to watch. There was a game on that Steve kind of wanted to catch, but Tony knew his team wasn't actually playing. Tony wanted to watch a movie but didn't know which one, which Steve was pretty sure meant he forfeited the right to choose anything at all.
Eventually they settled on a documentary about whales - it was going to put both of them to sleep, but that was okay. If they were still napping when Sarah and Harley showed up, the kids would only tease them a little and then they could order out instead of Steve cooking something.
Maybe it wasn't the most exciting day he'd ever had, but Steve couldn't imagine a better way to spend the day. He and Tony were old enough that they'd earned the right to lazy days spent 'arguing' about the same things they'd been bickering over for thirty years. They'd made it so far together that they deserved the occasional nap on the couch that kept them from being productive.
They'd loved each other so long that Steve couldn't remember what his life had been like before Tony. He couldn't believe it had all started in a grocery store, or that he'd only met Tony because he'd panicked at the prospect of shopping like an adult and had gone to hide in the produce section.
"Love you," Tony murmured out of nowhere, looking up from where he'd been playing with Steve's wedding band and his fingers.
"Love you too," Steve said before pressing a kiss to Tony's hairline, which his husband refused to admit was receding just a little. "And hey - thanks for giving me the chance to show you how dating could be."
Tony shot him a dazzling smile that was no less spellbinding than the one he'd given Steve on their very first date, when he'd shown up outside Tony's door early enough to earn a second date. He'd been so eager to get to know Tony, so excited to show him all the ways that dating could be fun without sex as the be-all end-all of the evening.
And yeah, maybe he hadn't really known that Tony was going to be it for him. Maybe he hadn't known that they would fall in love and end up married with two great kids, because no one ever really knew. But there'd been something that day in the grocery store. Steve had known that meeting Tony was going to be an important part of his life, and that it would be something he never forgot. He was so, so thankful that he'd been proven right.
Before he started to doze off, he felt Tony's pinky finger wrap around his own. It was a promise and a reminder, and it made him smile as he slipped off into a sweet, peaceful sleep.