penistower | And you could have it all

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And you could have it all - My empire of dirt.

Rhodey is distracting the government types long enough for Tony to hack into the airspace and make sure none of this is being recorded. He loops the moments before the Milano pierces the atmosphere and plays them back, knowing by the time he's out of the system and they figure it out they won't be able to prove it was anything but a technical malfunction. He does all of this from his phone as he stands near the landing pad with Steve flanking his side. He's trying to do things right this time -- no more lone gunslinger act, as Pepper had phrased it.

He looks over his sunglasses at the spaceship as it decompresses, wondering who he's just invited over for dinner. Hopefully they're friendly... When the platform descends it really is just like Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He can't help but geek out a little. He'd technically met space aliens before, and Asgardians, etc. but somehow this is way cooler. "Welcome to Earth and please watch your step, we don't have liability insurance yet."

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Peter runs into Steve in the kitchen, going for a Coke since Tony told them to help themselves to... whatever. Still super strange for a kid who's had to scrap for everything he's ever had, but hey. It's better than the alternative. "I haven't had one of these in twenty years," he points out unnecessarily, taking a swig and going a little light-headed from the bubbles.

Steve smiles in response, going to grab his own. He knows the experience Peter's having all too well. "Hope they didn't tweak it too much since then." He goes to take a seat with his, popping it open, and taking a drink.

"You've got a pretty colorful group. Not that I can talk, but." He lets out a soft laugh. Just an observation.

"Do you mean literally, or..." He still hasn't gotten past the carbonation to figure out the first thing, but he'll get there. With Drax and other aliens he's met (Tazerface springs to mind) he never really could tell if people were capable of nuance anymore. "Because, yeah. Either way." He shrugs a shoulder. They certainly are... a group.

"It was a figure of speech." Steve confirms. It still messes with him that there's another person like him around. Bucky is too withdrawn to express much shock over anything. Peter is a normal guy thrust back into a new world like he was.

"Is it too early to ask how a guy from Earth ended up with this crew? I'm not sure if that's sore spot or not."

Even a few weeks ago, it would've been a sore spot. Peter has grieved for Yondu and himself, he's been through puberty with a tree child. He's had a rough year. But he'd been anticipating the question, looking forward to it even if he's honest with himself.

"It's a long story, but... I left Earth when I was nine. My mom died and so my dad came to get me." His real dad. He bites into his lip, setting the can down and curling his hands around the cool surface. "He was a Ravager, they stole to get ahead. He taught me how to live that life." Peter tugs on his jacket with one hand, directing Steve's eye to the colors he still wears for the man he lost. "I didn't meet everyone else until much later. Dad and me weren't gettin' along so I was making my own way. I went after an infinity stone just to sell it for the cash -- I didn't know what it really was."

Peter takes a little breath. "Gamora did, though, and she was looking for it too. We started working together, and picked up a few more on the way." His lip twitches up before he takes a more generous sip from his drink. "...And maybe it's just 'cause I was a kid, but I remember these being better." Is he crazy?

He listens, nodding when appropriate. It is strange to think of some man coming to Earth to hook up with a human woman, but who knows? Maybe they were actual star-crossed lovers. He can't exactly judge as someone who was separated from the woman he loved by time and still goes back there like a lost puppy.

This story certainly sheds some light on Gamora. No offense, he doesn't get initially why a woman so serious would be attracted to a guy like Peter off the bat. If they met during such a crucial moment and were stuck together it makes a lot more sense.

He laughs at the soda thing. He had a feeling it'd go down like this. "They probably were. Coca-Cola has messed with that formula left and right over the years. Sorry to be the one to break it to you."

It doesn't take Steve long to circle back. He doesn't want to make it seem like he wasn't paying full attention to what Peter was saying. That's some deeply personal stuff. "I guess I don't blame you for not being in a rush to come back. I mean if it weren't for my friend, I'd have run after I lost my mom too. Not an easy loss to bear."

"Some things should be sacred, man." Like sugary drinks in America, come on! But the rest is important so he's going quiet to hear the other man out. The sad thing is even if Steve had skipped over Peter's story altogether, he wouldn't have taken it personally. Most people didn't listen to him on a good day as it was, so he's used to it. It's a pleasant change-up that Steve not only listens but provides thoughtful responses.

"Sorry, about your mom, too... You were lucky to have a friend, though." Peter didn't have any, friends are a new phenomenon altogether in his life actually. "She had brain cancer." It was an awful way to go, and it stirs up fresh anger in his chest to know who put it there, but Ego isn't a name he finds worthy to speak about in such company.

"She always told me... my father was from the stars. People thought it was her tumor talking." But Peter always knew the truth.

Steve snorts in response. He doesn't hesitate to fill Peter in on why. "I know I was. I was a total pain in the ass growing up. I wouldn't have given me the time of day." He winces at the rest. It's hard enough to watch Peggy some days even if he knows it'll be old age that finishes her off. His mother wasn't an easy one either, but at least she had her mind until the bitter end. He can't imagine the pain Peter must have endured.

"That's a tough way to go. Anything involving the brain is just awful to watch." He shakes his head mournfully and tries to come up with a bright spot in all this. "But, at least you believed her, right? I think some days the only thing that helped my mom was knowing I never doubted her. I'm sure it was the same for her."

Peter laughs at that. He was (and is) a total pain in the ass. For his mom, his grandfather, Yondu... and now his team. He commiserates with all of it on a deep level. And Steve seems to really get it, which isn't something he's used to either. He doesn't hesitate to nod.

"Of course I did." He was her only child and his mother was his whole world. He would believe the sky was falling if she told him so even if he could see for himself that it wasn't. Suddenly, he feels compelled to speak out about something, catching Steve's eyes meaningfully. "My dad was a good guy too, once you got to know him. He'd been through a lot, but he wanted people to know he was tough. He used to scare the crap out of me, tell me the crew was going to eat me if I didn't behave." Mirth twinkles in his eye, it's a good memory. It didn't used to be when he thought Yondu was serious. But now everything -- even failed attempts to kill each other -- were seen an entirely new way.

Steve smiles at the story. He can't even remotely relate, but it still makes him happy to hear. He's glad Peter got that experience. "I don't know anything about dads, but he sounds like a good guy; funny." His smile widens at the joke. "That's one way to get a kid to listen."

As early as six months ago, Peter probably would have said the same thing. He went from having no dad and no hope to having two dads and the best crew anyone could ask for. Life is funny that way. "When I was a kid, I got made fun of for not having a dad. I would tell all my classmates he was David Hasselhoff." Finally, someone around who can get his Earth references!! Maybe.

It takes Steve a minute to put it together. Once he does, he grins outright. That's both kind of sweet and sad at the same time. Steve decides to focus on the sweet part though.

"There is a bit of a resemblance." Steve teases before sobering up. "Sorry they messed with you over that. They used to try to say things about my mom since you couldn't get away with disrespecting a veteran back then; especially a dead one. I got beat up by so many kids defending her honor. Worth every black eye." He smirks like it was fun.

He smiles and rolls his eyes. "I wish I were that handsome." Not that this guy would understand that plight, gosh. Peter goes back into active listening mode, grinning at that remark. He had gotten into his share of fights when he was young. Some things never change. "Why can't I picture you losing a fight?" It's hard to believe to look at him now.

Steve laughs. This part never stops being funny. It's so odd that so many people can't imagine what he originally looked like these days. "I didn't always look like this. I used to be a runt. People were predicting I'd die since the day I was born. It wasn't until I enlisted that I ended up becoming this."

He cants his head to the side. "I might have let the United States experiment on me a little. Made sense, you know? I wanted to serve my country and make a difference. Couldn't do it with the body I had." It's more complicated than that, but they are having fun. He doesn't want to bum Peter out with the facts.

That explains the enhancements he'd seen on that readout. At least it's less barbaric (probably) than what happened to Gamora and Nebula. And if he was dying anyway, it's a good thing, right? "I had no idea they could do something like that back then." Not that it's all that shocking, the government hiding secrets from the people. Just that it goes this deep... it's another thing entirely to see for yourself. Peter quick-changes subjects out of the blue. "Hey, man, what kind of music do you like?" Again, Steve's been around a long time, so he should know better than anyone what the best stuff is. He wants to get caught up on all his faves asap, and get to know the new musical geniuses of Earth of course. He'll basically lose his shit when he finds out Stevie Nicks is still touring. Out of habit, he pulls his Zune out of his pocket, wishing it were his tape player. He wonders if they still even make those.

"That was the point." Steve informs him. He knows it's messed up how the government keeps all these secrets both in the United States and abroad. It's why he doesn't feel particularly guilty for how little he trusts them when it counts.

He's so glad Peter changed the subject so he doesn't have to be that guy ranting about the government. It's like he doesn't love his country still despite all its flaws. He grins broadly, moving to take out his phone to similarly show off. "I'm still catching up, but thanks to a couple of my friends I've really gotten into music from the 70s and 80s. I guess rock, soul, and jazz are my thing lately." He scrolls through his collection of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and basically every artist Tony has ever blasted at him.

"But, if you're looking for something modern? Go with Adele. She's fantastic. And Rihanna. She basically made a masterpiece yearly since 2005 with only two exceptions." He scrolls down to show him those albums. Yes, he's that guy who downloads it all to his phone. That's the beauty of having a phone Tony makes. He can download all the things.

Peter leans closer to watch him scroll. That's much fancier than what he's got. He's starting to think Kraglin didn't know what he was talking about when he said this was the latest Earth tech. Though these guys also seem ahead of the curve in that department so it's hard to say. "Okay, I'll have to check them out. The only thing I had when I went to space were two mix tapes my mom made me." He returns the favor of scrolling through so Steve can look over his early gen rock jams. "Yours is a lot fancier." He wants a Stark phone okay. Hook him up.

He smiles fondly at Peter. He's pretty interested to see what Peter is listening to. Steve makes a mental note to download all his choices later before nodding. "You only have to ask. Tony is extremely generous if you haven't gotten the hint already." He chuckles a little. It is one of his more charming qualities even when it makes Steve uncomfortable.

"I'd say I'm surprised the player and tapes lasted so long, but they keep making them for a reason. What did your mom put on for you? I'll add it to my collection."

"Really?" There's actual childlike wonder in his voice. He would love nothing more than to take as much music as he can with him back to space.

"I took them with me everywhere. Until a jerk broke them or they'd still be around." But he's relieved to hear they still make them. Like, a sad amount. "Kraglin said this was the latest tech, he got it at a pawn shop. It's not too frequent you see stuff from Earth around out there."

Steve nods eagerly. Who wouldn't be endeared by that tone? "Really. He'll be really excited to have his tech journey with you to some distant planet." He quickly looks disappointed to hear a gift from his mother was destroyed. He shakes his head in response to the rest of it.

"I'm not an expert, but I can tell you that's really outdated. Pretty sure it's at least a decade old. I've never even seen someone else with it before."

"He seems like a super awesome guy. I can see why he's your best friend." He's kind of jealous!!!

Peter chuckles and shakes his head. "I thought so. I was just happy he backed up the songs."

Steve nods a little shyly. Things hadn't always been perfect between them, but now that they're good? Yeah he's pretty happy to call the guy his best friend. "He's got a lot of love in his heart. I've always liked people like that." It's just a shame it took him so long to see it. He spares Peter their drama and misunderstandings.

"It's still a nice player too. It just happens that things move so fast on Earth now. They're always pushing technology ahead as fast as they can. I'm just glad they still value some of the classics."

He thinks of Yondu again then and swallows, nodding minutely. Tony does seem much that way, like he'd take the world under his wing if he could. It's admirable, even if Peter thinks it could easily go the same way it did for his dad. He snaps back into their conversation about music and tech since that's much less heavy and easier to follow besides. It isn't like he really knows any of these guys yet, though he realizes then he's never talked to another Earthling as an adult. It feels good to be with his people... especially surrounded by his real family.

"Yeah... I kinda noticed that moving fast thing. There are a lot of planets out there, like, way less advanced than what you guys've got going on here." He motions vaguely and makes a face.

He shakes his head fondly. That's somewhat comforting to hear. Thor did have a habit of acting like all this was beneath him even at his best. It's good to get another perspective on where they're at as a planet.

"This is all Tony and his dad before him. Two generations of geniuses can get a lot done. Who knew?" He shrugs playfully.

"Not me," he admits candidly, shaking his head. "They don't have much in the way of geniuses out there either. Unless they're super creepy gold pod people -- don't ask. Or this one guy who collects weird creatures from all over the universe." Peter shrugs. He could keep going, but the Avengers had way more seriously smart people on their side than he thinks he's met his whole life.

And you could have it all - My empire of dirt.

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