I See Them

Family Ties

Song for this chapter is Bad Liar by Imagine Dragons

******************

"Floor eighty-six please, FRIDAY," Natasha called to the AI once she and Peter entered the private Avengers elevator.

"Of course, Miss Romanov," the AI replied in her light Irish lilt, allowing the elevator to ascend. "The rest of the team is in the lounge waiting for you."

Peter shuffled from foot to foot uncomfortably, not ready to confront his teammates. If there was one thing he hated most, it was being at the center of attention; whether he was Peter Parker or Spider-Man, it didn't matter. Feeling people's eyes on him was unnerving, his past experiences of being in the limelight unsavory. Typically, people only gave him attention if he did something wrong or if they were angry with him.

He also felt like such a burden to the Avengers and was dreading the day they became tired of dealing with him and told him to stay away.

"Don't worry, маленький паук." (Baby spider.) Natasha cooed, her arm still firmly locked around the teen's thin waist. She tried to ignore how easy it was to feel each individual rib through his thick Midtown tech hoodie and how cold his skin felt.

The teen was naturally skinny and would always remain that way. But he was beginning to look more and more like a skeleton these past couple of weeks. It was so blatantly apparent that it hurt. Peter's inherently fair skin was growing paler and paler each week, and he always felt so cold, like he had just come inside from playing in the snow. His spider genes prohibited him from being able to thermoregulate, leaving him freezing at the slightest drop in temperature.

It hurt to see such a sweet, innocent kid whither away under all of the weight he felt he needed to carry alone. But the teen's selflessness just pushed the Avenger to support him further.

Each hero adored Peter and had their own personal way of showing it. Clint and Scott, both being fathers, couldn't help but "mother" the young teen, using their paternal instincts as an excuse to tell dad jokes. Bucky became extremely protective of him almost instantly, due to Peter's strong resemblance and personality akin to Steve post-serum. Even the iron walls Tony had so expertly built around himself were no match for Peter's big heart, crumbling as if they were composed of nothing but sand.

Peter didn't know this, but Tony was building a case against May and planned on taking her to court to fight for custody. Pepper had already sent him adoption registration forms, which were on their way to be verified, and the Avengers were putting their various skills to use in obtaining records, documents, and evidence proving that May was unfit to care for a minor. They weren't ready yet, but they would be soon.

The elevator opened with a quiet ding, and Natasha led Peter into the large, open-concept kitchen on the first communal floor. She guided him towards the granite island and sat him down on one of the tall bar stools, subtly making eye contact with Steve, who was standing in the archway between the lounge area and the kitchen talking to Tony.

"Let's get you something to eat." She mumbled absentmindedly as she dug through the two-door refrigerator. "There's plenty of food here. What would you like, sweetheart?"

"Whatever's easiest." Came Peter's usual reply, not one to be picky or demanding.

Natasha kissed Peter's forehead and smiled. "Oladushki, it is then."

Oladushki, otherwise known as Russian pancakes, was one of Peter's favorite foods, so Natasha tried to make them for him whenever he visited. Seeing Peter eat and his beautiful smile was well worth the effort.

"Hey, kiddo." Steve greeted the teen with a fond smile and a quick side hug. Gently though, so as not to hurt the seemingly fragile child. He couldn't help but smile when Peter leaned into the hug, his entire body melting against the super-soldier's side. "Is Nat making her famous Oladushki?" He asked after seeing Natasha standing by the stove, mixing some type of batter.