An-Bucky and Steve always thought when they adopted they'd have that magical connection everyone always talks about. But Peter doesn't really want a connection, until he does

TW-Mentions/Descriptions of violence

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"Yes come with me some of the boys are just outside," Linda said, she was walking so slow that Bucky was sending pleading looks Steve's way who just grinned and shushed him.

"How many others are there?" Steve asked. Bucky refrained from groaning when she only slowed down.

"Oh there's Peter he's fourteen, James who's sixteen and Freddy who's sixteen as well," Linda said, slowly reaching out for the door handle and pulling the door open and gesturing for them to walk out the door. They both froze when they saw all three boys in front of them.

"Give it back Freddy! I need to do my Algebra homework!" One boy shouted. He was a lot shorter than the other two, thinner and smaller, dark curly wild hair, brown eyes, pinched nose and wire glasses. He was in the middle of the other two who were throwing the book back and forth.

"What're you gonna do Parker? Throw a Tantrum?" The other boy teased. They could see the tears welled up in the boy's eyes.

"Just give it back! Please!" He pleaded. Linda sighed deeply and walked out of the house.

"Boys what have we said about this? How many times have do I had to tell you that Peter's no different from both of you." Linda scolded. The two older boys grinned sheepishly, the one in the left hiding the book behind his back.

"But that's just a slap on the wrist! They're just gonna do it again like they always do!" The younger one exclaimed. Linda sighed and turned to the older two.

"It won't happen again will it boys?" She asked. The two older boys grinned.

"No ma'am." They said together.

"Now Peter what did you do to provoke them?" Kinda asked. Bucky was fuming from the sidelines, Peter was crying by now and his hands were balled into fists at his sides.

"I didn't do anything! I was just doing my Algebra homework I swear!" He cried. Linda narrowed her eyes and sighed.

"Give Peter the book back boys we talked about trying to upset him. It goes against all of his coping strategies and coping skills." Kinda said tiredly. The left boy scoffed and shoved the book into Peter's chest.

"You're never gonna get adopted." He spat, Steve had to stop Bucky from lunging at him but it seemed Peter was already dealing with it. The book fell to the floor and before anyone could stop him he was driving his knees between the boy's legs. Linda frantically pulled Peter away.

"Go to your room! Unacceptable behaviour!" Linda said. Peter snatched his book off the floor.

"I was going there anyway! It's not like he's wrong either!" Peter shouted, not even glancing in Steve and Bucky's direction as he stomped into the house.

"You still holding Pete's file?" Bucky asked, ignoring Linda who was frantically trying to convince them about the other two boys. Steve nodded and flipped through the file.

"Yep. Peter Parker, fourteen. Notes says he likes Star Wars, LEGO and going to school. His bio says he has Anger Management issues but is seeing a phycologist weekly." Steve summarised. Bucky nodded curtly, locking eyes with Steve for a moment before turning to Linda.

"We'd like to start the fostering process please."

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"Oh I made you lunch," Steve said with a lopsided smile. Peter glanced at him and then side stepped him, opening the fridge and pulling out the lunch he'd made last night.

"No thanks." He said, dumping his backpack on one of the free seats and flipping through his books a few times to check they were all there, then his laptop then his pencil cases and placing in his lunch. Steve sighed and put the container back in the fridge with a small shrug, Bucky sighed and looked at Peter in a sort of lost way. He was going to say something but Tony beat him to it.

"Why are you such an asshole?" He blurted. Peter shrugged, placing two pieces of bread in the toaster.

"I'm a fourteen-year-old with anger management issues." He reasoned. Bucky was opening and closing his mouth and looking to Steve frantically who shrugged.

"No I mean why won't you let anyone show you kindness or affection? Why won't you accept help?" Tony said slowly. Peter narrowed his eyes at the splash back, Bucky could see the tears gathering in his eyes.

"Why get attached when everyone always leaves?" He said quietly. Everyone was so shocked by what he said that they didn't say anything as he snatched his toast out of the toaster, zipping up his backpack and throwing it over his shoulder.

"Peter wait we have to talk about this." Bucky said softly. Peter just tightened his backpack straps.

"Decathlon goes until five o'clock. I'll be back here by six." He said shortly.

"I could drive you to school." Steve offered frantically, trying his hardest to get Peter to stay.

"No thank you. I'll ride my bike like I always do." Peter said, gesturing to his helmet and walking swiftly out of the room. The kitchen was left deathly silent as they processed what he said.

"Gonna take more than a few weeks for him to warm up boys." Natasha said quietly. Bucky and Steve glanced at each other before nodding to each other.

"Yeah. It is."

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"Peter get back here we have to talk about this! You cannot just punch whoever you want!" Bucky shouted. Peter threw his backpack at the floor and stomped up to Bucky, pointing at his face.

"Are you even gonna ask my side of the story?! No! Because no one ever does! All they see is a kid who's fucked in the head!" Peter shouted back. Before Bucky could sputter out a reply Peter was already stomping off and slamming his bedroom door shut. Bucky didn't even have to ask for his phone and computer because he'd left them in his backpack. He didn't even stop Tony who was fishing through Peter's back for his phone.

"Buck, you tried. That's what matters." Steve said softly, leading Bucky to the couch who sighed.

"Not hard enough though. He's right. We never asked why. We just trusted that he was in the wrong and that he started it." He said in frustration. Steve nodded and let Bucky cuddle up to his side, glancing at Tony who's eyes widened.

"Um, guys? I found something on his Instagram feed you might want to see." He said softly. Bucky glanced up from Steve's arm.

"What is it?" He asked worriedly. Tony shook his head slowly.

"You have to see for yourself. FRI? Set up a holoscreen connected to the kid's phone." He said, placing the phone down just as a holo screen burst out of it. They were met with a video with slightly out of focus footage but they could hear the audio well enough that they knew it was Peter unlocking his bike from a bike rack while another boy walked up to him.

"Heard you got foster parents now Parker." The boy sneered. The camera suddenly came into focus and Steve and Bucky could recognise the familiar pattern of Peter's clenching and unclenching fists, this must be the Flash kid his phycologist talked about all the time.

"Yep," Peter said shortly, strapping his backpack to the back of his bike and bending over to retie his shoelaces.

"What're they like?" The boy asked. Peter seemed to freeze for a moment in surprise before straightening his back and smiling brightly.

"They're really great! It's been a few months and they haven't given up on me like everyone else and they don't care about my anger issues." Peter rambled excitedly. Bucky and Steve smiled softly at that. It seemed Peter wasn't letting himself get attached but it felt nice to know he appreciated them.

"What're their names?" The boy continued. Peter paused for a moment and picked up his helmet.

"James and Steve. But they want me to call them dad and pa but I'm too nervous to cause I don't want to like make them feel weird or grossed out or anything." Peter rambled, a wide smile still on his face as he pulled his hair out of his face. His smile faltered when the boy threw him a disgusted look.

"You're parents are faggots?" He sneered. Peter dropped his helmet with a thump to the floor.

"Don't call them that. And don't say that word." He said firmly through gritted teeth. The boy threw his head back and laughed.

"What are you a faggot too Parker? Didn't know you fancied boys. You a cocksucker too?" The boy sneered, poking Peter's chest and nudging him back slightly.

"I said. Don't. Call. Them. That." He spat. The boy threw his head back and laughed again for several moments.

"You're not shit Parker, just a coward like your faggot parents." He teased. Bucky and Steve winced when they saw Peter lunge at the boy, landing on top of him and punching him hard across the face several times until the boy managed to flip them which brought Peter to the floor. The video suddenly cut off and closed.

"He. He stood up for us?" Bucky asked quietly.

"And he wants to call us dad and pa," Steve added. Bucky suddenly jumped up from the couch, yanking Steve up behind him by the hand and dragging him off to Peter's room. When they opened the door they were surprised to find it empty, both of them straining to hear for Peter. Bucky sighed softly and opened the walk-in wardrobe, wincing at the sight of Peter curled up on his side. He was trying to muffle his crying and sobbing with his sleeve shoved into his mouth, eyes squeezed closed.

"Peter," Steve said softly. Peter suddenly shot up from the floor and scrambled away. He wiped his face hurriedly.

"I, I didn't m-mean to hurt h-h-him I promise! I-I j-just wanted h-him t-to sh-shut up! 'M j-jus' s-so an-g-gry all the time a-and-" Peter was cut off by Steve dropping to his knees and pulling Peter into his chest, wrapping his arms around Peter's torso and squeezing him as tightly as he could. Peter responded by pressing himself as close as he could to Steve and clenching Steve's shirt in his hands tightly as his sons rang around the wardrobe.

"Pl-please don't l-leave me!" Peter cried. Steve looked over his shoulder at Bucky who was frozen in the doorway, tears of his own falling to the floor as he dropped to his knees and hugging Peter from behind and pressing several firm but gentle kisses into Peter's hair.

"We aren't leaving Pete. Not now not ever."

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"This sounds dumb." Peter said bluntly, watching Steve who was gently wrapping his hands and Bucky who was hooking up a punching bag for Peter to use.

"It's not. I used to do this wih Stevie after I got the Winter Soldier out of my brain." Bucky said, standing behind the punching bag and watching Steve who stood off to the side and leant against the wall. Peter was standing awkwardly as he pushed up his glasses.

"Okay, but why does the whole team need to be here?" Peter said nervously, tugging on the bottom of his shirt. Bucky shrugged.

"Think of it as family bonding." He said simply. Peter rolled his eyes and stood on the opposite side of the punching bag.

"Okay. Now, remember those drills we practised and say something out loud that makes you angry then punch." Bucky ordered, holding the punching bag firmly and peeking out at Peter who looked bored and confused.

"Um? Cleaning my room?" Peter said weakly, throwing a weak punch. Steve sighed from the sidelines.

"Something bigger. Something that makes you really angry." Steve suggested. Peter glanced at him for a moment before turning back to the punching bag.

"The stupid sheets that you always make me put on my bed but make it hard to make my bed in the morning because the corners never go on and I have to ask you for help." Peter blurted, throwing a stronger punch this time. Steve nodded his head.

"Fair enough. We'll look for some new sheets." He said. Peter smiled weakly and nodded.

"See, talking with us helps. Go again, something that makes you angry." Bucky said, Peter was silent as he thought for a few moments.

"My teachers never give me homework that's a lower level as the other kids in my class because they don't think I can do it." He said, the next punch stronger than the last. Bucky nodded his head.

"That's good, we'll talk to your teachers. Keep going." Bucky encouraged.

"My teachers always give me the modified assignments because they think I need them because I'm in ILC, even though I tell them every time that I don't need the modifications." Peter said, punching the bag again. Bucky nodded.

"Keep going." He prompted. Peter's face scrunched up.

"They always have this stupid pity look on their face and they say 'just in case' and always pat my shoulder even though they know I hate it when people touch me." Peter continued, punching the bag between his words. Bucky was about to tell him to keep going but it seemed Peter didn't need him to.

"And whenever I tell them I don't need help or that I don't need provisions on tests they ask coordinator before me like I don't know what I need." He said, he was starting to sweat now and he looked slightly red in the face. Steve lifted himself up from the wall and crept closer in case Peter accidentally hurt himself and the team were listening along now.

"And I hate that all my teachers ignore that my classmates make fun of me and call me a retard even though I'm not." Peter continued. Bucky nodded along, knowing Peter wasn't really paying attention anymore.

"And I hate that people expect me not to get good grades or graduate." He said. Bucky and Steve had to give it to him, his form was perfect and Bucky was being knocked back with the force of his hits. He was silent for a few moments as he hit the bag.

"And I hate that everyone always leaves me!" He shouted. Bucky and Steve locked eyes for a moment, waiting as Peter finished his hits and leant over with his hands braced on his knees, panting loudly. The team had stopped pretending they were listening and were staring at Peter. It was Steve who realised Peter was crying, noticing the tears pooling on the floor.

"I don't care if you're sweaty I'm hugging you." He said firmly, wrapping his arms around Peter's shoulders and squeezing him as tightly as possible. Bucky quickly unhooked the punching bag and joining the hug.

"I don't care how many times we have to tell you. But we aren't leaving." Bucky said softly. Peter pulled his head away from Steve's chest and grinned.

"You better not or I'll be talking about you with my phycologist." He teased.

"Don't you already?" Steve asked.

"Yeah but only for good things."

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I just wanted to say RIP Chadwick Boseman, a trul great actor and positive influence on his young audience and the world around him. My heart goes out to his family.