Deject My Plague

Gwen and I just broke up... Gwen just broke up with me. This is some way to start off my new life as a college student, Spiderman thought, crawling out of the master bedroom. ...this hallway looks different from up here… He tried distracting himself from his previous thoughts and by changing to more entertaining ones. He crawled past his own bedroom, not even stopping to take a glance inside knowing there’s going to be a picture of her. How did I let myself fuck up like this? Spiderman continued on the ceiling, climbing above the stairs.

Spiderman attached a web and began comfortably dangling upside-down from the ceiling, thinking about the plans he and Gwen had made for over the summer. They clearly weren't going to be happening now that...

Spiderman’s attention was directed to the bumping of the front door’s knob, followed by it opening. Almost nothing could’ve prepared him for what he was about to see: Tony Stark and Steve Rodgers in heated physical contact, Tony’s arms wrapped around Steve’s waist down to the back of his well-filled blue jeans. Both men’s lips were locked, Steve was walking backwards with one hand entangled into Tony’s shaggy black hair and the other still searching behind him for the door.

“Ahh!” Spiderman let out a slight yelp as he accidentally flicked his wrist, cutting the web and fell to the stairs below.

The couple’s attention was broken from one another, Steve turning around with one of Tony’s arms still around his waist.

“Spiderman?” Steve asked in disbelief.

“What are you doing in our house?” Tony asked with his usual all-knowing smug tone.

“Uhh…umm...” Was all Peter could muster.

“Are you here because you’re interested in trying to join the Avengers?” Steve asked, curious about New York’s famous hero’s intentions. The Master of Machines put a hand up to his forehead.

“Wuh?” He reached up for the railing but found nothing but air.

“That’s not an invitation,” Tony clarified. “Why are you here?”

“I -- uh,” Peter tried replying. He gave up on the effort of trying to get up and ripped off his mask. “It’s me!”

“What? Peter?” Steve asked, partly in disbelief and part in shock. He took a step away from Tony, his face turning multiple shades of red.

“Weren’t you supposed to be out to dinner with Gwen’s family?” Tony didn’t appear fazed one bit by Spiderman exposing himself.

“It got canceled,” he replied harshly. Peter didn’t want to relive the moment again like he had just a few hours ago. The difficulty he had been experiencing with getting up vanished as he flashed onto his feet and bolted up to his room.

***

“Okay, Peter. Sorry to hear that.” Tony called after the graduate. Tony knew Peter didn't want to talk about what really had happened right now, but he would talk when he's ready. He took a step closer to the stairs to glance after him.

“Did you know about this?” Steve asked, his eyebrows furrowing, his face still a light pink. He arms were crossed across his abdomen.

“I assumed due to the facts like how he sometimes comes home smelling like you do after training in your get-up, how he sleeps past noon whenever possible, and has stopped wearing his glasses; all starting around the same time Spiderman gained publicity. Who would've thought. " Tony stated, stepping closer to his husband and wrapping his arms around him.

Steve did not warm up to the embrace, his arms still were crossed across his chest.

“He’s an adult now, calm down.” Tony sighed softly kissing his cheek.

“Stop, Anthony... Go talk to him!” He broke his crossed arms and placed his hands onto Tony’s chest, shoving him away, towards the stairs.

“Fine.” The raven haired man huffed while stumbling up the stairs, understanding the blond’s discomfort with what their son had saw. He reached the top of the walnut staircase and turned left towards Peter’s door. He tapped his knuckles on the door. “Peter.”

“Go away! I’m fine,” He shouted, aggravated at Tony’s presence.

“Can I come in?” Tony asked with care.

“No.” The teen huffed.

“I’m coming in.” He grasped for the door knob and twisted only to find that it wouldn't budge. “Unlock the door, Peter,” he was exhausted enough as it was and wasn’t in the mood for childish behavior.

”Dad, just go away,” the sadness and frustration in his words was evident in his tone.

“Peter, I’m not asking you. I’m telling you; unlock this door now,” he commanded with frustration.

Peter didn’t reply verbally rather with a click as the door was unlocked and a whiney creek came from the hinge as the door sweeped open into the young man’s room. “What is it.” Peter looked at Tony with tear stained cheeks and watery eyes. He had changed out of his Spiderman suit and into gray sweatpants and a white t-shirt.

“Can we talk?” He replied with a much kinder voice than he had previously used. his eyes searched around Peter’s decently-sized yet plain bedroom. The only decoration on the wall was a large cork board filled with pictures and a flat screen dangling above the foot of the boy's bed. The bed laid alongside the wall across from the door against a large window that looked out over the city. A burgundy blanket laid across the boy's bed and a desk with a computer sat between the door and the closet. A high-end black Canon camera sat in a large case with various lenses on the nightstand; next to the case was a smartphone and a now-empty picture frame, the picture torn apart with the pieces scattered across the carpeted floor.

Peter scoffed, turning himself back into his room and plopping down onto his bed with a red and black cloth in his hand -- his mask, probably -- signaling his annoyance but allowing his father figure to come inside.

Tony followed behind, closing the door silently and sat next to Peter. “So what happened?”

Peter just stared as though he were going to slap Tony for asking a question he already knew the answer to. It was a common thing for Tony to do, simply because he liked to figure out if Peter were telling to truth or not. And if Steve were telling the truth or not, sometimes.

“Let me rephrase that; why did you and Gwen break up? I thought things were going pretty well between you two?” Tony said not trying to sound like a wiseass nor wanting to hurt his adopted son anymore than Peter already was.

“I just couldn’t do it anymore… Y’know? Be Spiderman… I promised her father…” He said softly as his fingers traced the designs on the mask to his Spidersuit. “How do you and Steve do it?” Peter asked, looking into Tony’s brown eyes.

Stark blinked in bewilderment. “Uh… Well, I guess it’s because we’re both heros . We are used to having to risk our lives and often we go on missions alongside each other. Our relationship began and developed in that setting. We make it work and enjoy our time together, not knowing when it will end, but we appreciate what time we do have.” Tony realized what a dark route his explanation took. “Besides, when you’re not around, Steve can’t keep his hands off me.” Tony smirked.

“I didn’t need to know that!” Peter laughed, mildly disturbed.

“Peter, high school love doesn’t last forever; you’ll find some one else. No offense to Gwen -- she can be kind of a drama queen.” Tony laughed, encouraging the younger man to as well

“Yeah,” he half-smiled and half-sighed.

“You’ll find someone better than her. You’re like me -- a handsome, highly intelligent young man; and you're a badass super hero.”

“Yeah, except you’re not a young man,” Peter replied with a big grin on his face.

“Oh, you little smartass.” Tony playfully pulled Peter into a headlock and gave him a noogie.

Peter and Tony laughed in unison while Peter tried to escape the headlock by pushing his adoptive father away. Tony gradually loosened his hold on the boy and let him get his own space back.

“Now that you seem to be feeling a little better, I’m going to go deal with an embarrassed husband,” Tony rose to his feet and began walking to the door. He grabbed onto the handle and turned to Peter and mocked him, “Wash your damn suit; that thing reeks! I shouldn’t have been able to notice that you’re Spiderman because you smell like Captain America!” Tony opened and slipped out the door before Peter had time to respond.

Tony strolled down the hall towards the massive master bedroom. The man grabbed for the handle and cracked open the door. The Stark reactor that lied underneath his black t-shirt let off a soft glow into a room. He spotted a lump in the king-sized mahogany bed wrapped under the navy blankets and a head resting on a slightly damp pillow covered in a silver case. “Honey.” Tony whispered, softly kicking off his black shoes, tugging off his jeans, and crawling into bed next to Steve. “He isn’t thinking too much about it. He’s more upset about Gwen at the moment.” He pulled his love into his arms and rubbed the tears from his cheeks.

“That doesn’t change that he saw you with your hands on me…” The World War II survivor whispered to his husband as he rolled over towards the nightstand, seeing the clock read 12:07 in electric blue numbers.

“What’s the difference. We saw him make out with Gwen on stage at graduation and that was in public. He was bound to see something some time.” Tony said softly rubbing Steve’s muscular bicep.

Steve rolled back to Tony, rolling onto his chest, laying his head on his husband's chest. “It’s just… I don’t want him to lose respect for me…” Steve trailed off, another tear escaping his eye. “I don’t want him to think…”

“Think what? That you’re weak because you’re the submissive one?” Tony felt blond eyelashes flutter against his chest. He gently tilted the other male’s face up the reactor illuminating some of Steve's facial features; Tony softly pressed his lips on Steve’s in a brief, almost somber kiss.

Steve didn’t tense up or try to push away. “But what if he doesn’t see me as a fatherly figure anymore because of it; what if he thinks I’m more of your piece of meat…?" Tony could barely see his eyebrows move together. "I never got to have kids in my own time and Peter’s the closest thing to a son I probably will ever have, and he probably only views me as his step-dad.” Steve almost sounded ashamed of the title.

“I don’t know, Steve. You’re the most nurturing father Peter could ask for.You are too kind, caring, and timeless to be just a piece of meat, so I don't know what you're worried about. You are my husband and I love you for your personality; your looks are just a bonus” Tony gently stroked Steve’s cheek, brushing away tears again with his thumb.

“Stop flattering me,” Steve chuckled lightly.

“ You care for him in a way that I could never think of. I would have let him sit alone in his room for a few hours; you made me go help him feel better.To be honest, I think you should’ve gone to talk to him instead,” Tony smiled, feeling his gotee scratch against Steve’s forehead.

“That’s itchy... Sometimes you're lucky I don’t make you shave it... but it does make you more dashing.”

“That’s not what you’d be saying if I was working my magic down low,” he smirked.

Steve buried his once-again-red face into Tony's collarbone and was muffled as he said “Shut up...”

“I love you,” Tony whispered, kissing Steve’s temple in a way that he knew made his super soldier feel secure.

“I love you, too,” Steve whispered bliss.

Tony chuckled, “So, what. Just because Peter got to see a sneak-peak means we aren’t going to get to the climax?”

Steve rolled out of Tony’s grasp to his own side of the bed, “You’re disgusting sometimes, you know that?”

“Well, yeah.” Tony answered as he rolled onto his side, wrapping his arms around Steve again. “But it was a joke. Kind of.” Tony felt his man’s head shake lightly before he let out a big sigh that drained most of his remaining energy, satisfied that the most important people in his life were ending their days a bit happier thanks to him.
o.o.o