Chapter Text
The Avengers were a tight-knit group, caring and loving, yet very problematic in their own way. They had many issues in their family, many arguments and struggles between each other, but one had been troubling the group a long time. And as much as they all cared for each other, this big issue hasn’t been resolved in years. It often causes fights in the group, and hard feelings, and stress, and the group to not talk with each other for days.
Really, the groups were just two groups fighting it out constantly. The two fractions were strong in their arguments, citing scientific articles, psychological issues, even using family members to try and get the other side to budge. The sides were clear: on the one hand was Tony, clearly and openly opposed, with Pepper and Rhodey usually on his side just to support him in his attempts to stem the idea. Rhodey and Pepper did not quite understand his firm opposition, but they agreed that it was his decision and that Tony should have the last word.
The other side were all the other Avengers and their family, without exception. Over the years, many Avengers have joined their ranks from the first fight against the Chitauri, over Sam and Bucky at the fall of SHIELD, over Wanda, Vision and Pietro (and Rhodey) during the ULTRON debacle, over Loki and Valkyrie after Ragnarök, over Scott shortly after, over Peter and Stephen and Wong during the public relation debacle that nearly could have ended with a human rights ignoring international law and the Avengers splitting (thank God Stephen and Peter were able to calm everyone down and they apprehended the villain), over the fight against Thanos and the biggest growth of the Avengers ranks ever, over Clint finding his protégée, to Monica gaining superpowers. In all that time, all had the same belief that it was a must, something they needed without a doubt, and any new member was quickly persuaded to join their forces. But Tony held strong through it all. And the group kept arguing, some having given up, others strongly fighting the cause through it all, unrelenting.
Clint was the biggest fighter for the cause. He had brought his children and wife regularly to help with the argument, and they were just as unrelenting. It was a surprise to anyone how strongly Tony stood by his point through everything, including Natasha fiercely joining the fight every time Nate, Laura, Lila or Cooper fought for the cause. Clint was desperate for it to finally be won, and Natasha agreed that she, her sister and her nephews and niece would greatly benefit from it.
Tony was just as fierce to disagree. And him disagreeing was enough to put the nail in the coffin.
You see, the Avengers had been trying for years and years and years to convince Tony to allow pets in the Tower, and later the Compound. They all loved the idea, especially Clint whenever he brought his kids over to visit. But Tony always shot down the idea, citing messiness, responsibilities they could not hold up in their situation of global (and now universal) heroes rarely staying in one place in the world, the added cost he would have to bear, the neediness of pets, and the general inconvenience of having animals running around. He was fierce in his point of letting his buildings stay pet free! He did not care how much the group fought. At the end, it were his buildings he generously allowed them all to stay in. He struggled enough with the upkeep and organization of such a giant and ever growing group of heroes.
But everybody wants pets and they come with millions of different arguments over the years. It was a discussion that came up every few months, with everyone having their own arguments in favour of pets. Clint, in particular, was the biggest advocate for getting a furry friend. He would often bring his kids to visit the tower and they would always ask why they couldn’t have a pet at the Avengers Headquarters. Everyone was adamant. And they were not ready to stop this, no matter how petty the argument went at times.
Even when Thor brought pets from Asgard with his ship, after Ragnarök, Tony said no. Even when Clint went to a pet groomers and used FRIDAY’s aid to layer Tony’s entire penthouse at the Tower with pet fur, starting a huge argument and them not speaking for almost a week after, Tony did not relent. Even when the huge eyes of Nate, Cassie, Lila and Cooper together stared pleadingly up at Tony, breaking the heart of all the Avengers, Tony did not change his mind. Nothing worked, ever. He was like stone, unrelenting and hard and cool, unwilling to change his mind. It was like a fight against the wall.
Thor argued that animals could be excellent companions, while Steve reminded them of how much joy a pet could bring to one’s life. Natasha argued that a pet would be great for emotional support, especially during tough missions. Bruce said they could help with stress relief and relaxation, and even Thor chimed in, saying pets had been revered in Asgard for centuries. Even Wanda, who was usually quiet during these discussions, admitted that she missed having a cat around.
When all their loved ones were gone for five years, all that were left argued that that was a good way to move forward, to keep who was lost in remembrance, keep their memories alive, and have some four-legged antidepressants walking around in their lives. Though never before had the argument been so weak and half-heartened than in that time. The only time during those five years when the argument flared up was when it was about getting a pet named after each one they lost...
Tony, however, was strongly against the idea. He argued that pets were unpredictable and messy, not to mention how much they cost. He argued that May and Wanda and Stephen and Peter could not be exchanged for a cat. Pepper, who somewhat shared Tony’s concerns, was not budging either. And Rhodey quickly jumped in whenever the argument went out of head (say: the Avengers were just about to do something drastic or were about to adopt a pet through it all without permission), calming everybody and reminding them that Tony had the major right to say no in his buildings. And Tony was against pets.
“Come on man, a pet would be great!”, Clint once again pleaded with Tony, holding baby Nate in his arms. “It would teach the kids responsibility and would be a great source of comfort for everyone.”
Tony rolled his eyes, annoyed to go over this for the umpteenth time. “I don’t have time to look after a pet. Plus, they’re messy and smelly.”
Pietro chimed in quickly, barely having joined the group, but immediately joining the hunt for pets with the rest of them. “Well, I mean, we could all pitch in to look after the pet, Stark. It doesn’t just have to be you responsible for it.”
Tony sighed. “You guys, I’m sorry!”, he said, shaking his head. “I don’t want to be the bad guy, but we can’t handle pets right now.”
He argued that the tower was already chaotic enough, and adding animals into the mix would only make things worse. He also didn’t want the responsibility of taking care of them, or the possibility of damage to his high-tech equipment.
Despite their constant pleading, the Avengers could never convince Tony to change his mind.
Clint’s kids, Lila and Cooper, looked disappointed, and even Bucky, who claimed not to like animals, let out a sigh. Laura simply looked sad as she fed Nate.
It went on like this for years. Every time the Barton family visited the tower, the topic of pets would come up, and the Avengers would spend hours arguing about it. But nothing ever changed.
That is, until Peter came into their lives.
The young teenager, who had been recruited by Tony to be Spider-Man’s protégé, quickly grew close to the billionaire and his wife, Pepper. As they navigated the challenges of raising a superhero, they began to feel more parental towards Peter. And Peter grew to be like their son, May and Peter moving into Tony’s personal area and staying there every weekend and holidays as well as multiple times a week. Tony was Peter’s Dad and Pepper his Mom, there was no denying it. It took long enough for them to admit it, but now it was out in the open.
When Peter Parker entered Tony and Pepper’s life that they started to feel more open to the idea of taking responsibility for other beings, including pets. As they became more and more parental towards the young teenage superhero, they began to see the value in having a pet around. They wanted Peter to experience the love and companionship that only a furry friend could offer.
But still, Tony was hesitant. He didn’t want the added responsibility of pets in the tower, and he didn’t want to deal with any extra messes or chaos. There were still too many issues. The problems of pets were significant. The fact alone that they would be going on missions, sometimes with no warning, with no knowledge of how long they would stay away ...
It seemed like the Avengers would never convince him.
One day, while Peter was over at the tower, Clint brought up the pet debate once again. “Hey, Tony, we need to talk about pets.”
Tony just sighed out loud at that, disbelief covering him once again. Tony groaned: “Not this again.” How often was he having this discussion now?
“So, I was thinking… Peter’s never had a pet before. I think it would be good for him, you know? Teach him some responsibility.”
Tony rolled his eyes. He felt tired of this debate. “Clint, we’ve been over this a million times. I don’t see the point in having a pet.”
“But what about the emotional benefits? Studies show that pets can lower stress levels and improve mental health. Besides, think of all the fun we could have with a furry little friend running around the tower! Morgan would love spending her time here with a pet! And Nebula had not had much experience with earth pets, either!”
Tony was about to object once again when Clint dropped the ultimate bombshell. “Think about Peter, Tony. He’s barely had a stable family life, and what’s better for a kid than having a pet? Someone who will always be there for them, no matter what?”
“Come on, Tony!”, he pleaded. “You can’t deprive Peter of the love and companionship of a pet. He deserves that.”
They all knew this argument was unfair towards Tony and Pepper. By now, there was nothing Peter could ask for that they would say no to, even if he wanted to enslave the whole universe (thank God Peter was a little angel on his own and was unrelentingly fixated towards the good and against evil, otherwise they would be in big trouble). Asking on Peter’s behalf should have a similarly strong effect. They all held their breath, expecting Tony’s reaction. How would he see the issue now, after all of this?
Tony was taken aback by the idea. It had never occurred to him that Peter might want a pet or that he might be missing out on something so special. The thought of Peter being deprived of that love and companionship made him feel guilty. Tony looked at Peter, his breath hitching at the words. Was he cruel towards his kid for not having pets here? Was he denying Peter something? Was Peter not having all the chances and opportunities the young boy needed? The idea itself caused panic to course through his veins, looking at the boy sitting besides Cooper and Lila while holding Nate on his lab and juggling Cassie, laughing. Peter did not look like there was anything missing in his life besides the obvious lack of his parents and uncle. Was he hiding the pain? Or was he not aware that he missed out? Or was he okay without pets? Whichever way ...
All of a sudden, Tony’s resolve crumbled. He knew what it was like to grow up without that kind of love, and he didn’t want that for Peter.
“Fine”, Tony finally conceded. “But only one pet. And it’s your responsibility to take care of it.”
The rest of the team erupted in cheers and high fives. They immediately started discussing what kind of pet they should get and who would take care of it. Peter, meanwhile, had a mischievous glint in his eye as he disappeared to his room shortly after, unbeknownst to anybody.
Because, honestly, what sense was there for Tony Stark to say no to Peter? And he was sure when Morgan and Nebula arrived at the Compound next, they would be just as happy...