[Third Person Pov]

"Uncle Ben, don’t I have a surprise for you," Peter said as he stepped through the front door, nudging it shut behind him. Over his shoulder, Aria sat casually, holding onto his forehead without really saying much, just simply resting her cheek on the top of his head.

"A surprise for me?" Uncle Ben replied as he came out from the kitchen carrying two bowls, having just finished putting together a light snack for himself and Aunt May, who sat on the couch knitting quietly.

"What is it?" he asked, walking over and handing one of the bowls to Aunt May.

"Why only Ben, don’t I get a present as well?" Aunt May said, her tone clearly teasing as she looked between them.

"Sorry, there wasn’t much of a chance, this is mostly situational," Peter said, reaching into his pocket before pulling out a photo. He held it out toward Ben without much ceremony.

"What’s this—?" Ben began, but his words cut off as soon as he actually looked at it. He froze mid-motion, eyes locked onto the image of Spider-Man leaning casually against none other than Steve Rogers. "No... way..."

Aunt May leaned over from her seat, curiosity getting the better of her, and her expression shifted as soon as she saw it too. "Is that... Captain America?"

"The one and only," Peter said, nodding with a quiet sense of pride. "Flip it."

Uncle Ben turned the photo over carefully, like he was half-expecting it to disappear if he moved too fast. His eyes scanned the writing on the back. "...To your Uncle, thank you for serving your country in more ways than one... Captain America."

Aunt May watched her husband’s stunned expression for a moment before letting out a laugh. "Well, someone is clearly star struck."

"You got me a signed autograph of THE Captain... I have to frame this," Ben said, his tone shifting completely as he held the photo with exaggerated care, like it had suddenly become the most valuable thing in the house, despite being right next to pregnant wife.

He set his bowl down on the table without even looking at it and stood up, already reaching for his keys and wallet as he moved toward the door with purpose.

Peter and Aunt May both stared at the front door as it shut behind him, sharing the same look of disbelief. A second later, the door opened again and Ben leaned his head back inside.

"Thank you, Peter," he said sincerely, before pulling back and closing the door just as quickly.

Not even a full minute passed before the sound of his car engine started outside, followed immediately by the loud clatter of a trashcan getting knocked over and then the fading sound of him driving off.

Peter and Aunt May looked at each other for a beat, then both broke into laughter at the same time.

...

George Stacy sat in his office, working his way through a stack of paperwork that seemed to barely shrink no matter how much he got done. He leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling slowly as he tried to reset his focus.

A knock came at the door before it opened slightly, and Yuri Watanabe leaned in. "Sir, your daughter is here to see you."

"What?" George asked, caught off guard. "My daughter? As in Gwen?"

"Do you have another daughter I’m unaware of?" Gwen’s voice came in right after, followed by her stepping into the room with a small smirk. She gave Yuri a quick thanks, and Yuri nodded before walking off, leaving the two of them alone.

George straightened up in his chair, his surprise quickly turning into concern. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be?" Gwen replied, scoffing lightly, clearly amused by the reaction.

"You know exactly why. Since when have you ever visited me at work? Last time you did, you were barely tall enough to reach my waist," George said, narrowing his eyes slightly as he studied her.

Gwen rolled her eyes at that. "I just wanted to give you something, and I couldn’t wait until you got home, so I figured I’d come by and give it to you now."

"It’s not a positive pregnancy test, is it?" George asked, his expression immediately tightening as his mind jumped straight to the worst possible conclusion.

"What? Of course not! What is wrong with you!?" Gwen shot back, staring at him like he had completely lost it for even suggesting something like that.

"I’m sorry, but can you blame me? You suddenly show up at my job out of nowhere with no warning, saying you have something to give me," George said, raising his hands defensively. "Forgive me for thinking the worst."

"Ugh, you’re seriously something else," Gwen groaned, rolling her eyes again. She reached into her back pocket, pulled out a picture, and slid it across the desk toward him.

For a brief second, George braced himself, when he saw it was a picture he immediately thought it was an ultrasound, but he kept that thought to himself. Instead, he looked down at the photo, and then he froze. It was an image of Steve Rogers standing beside Gwen in her Ghost-Spider suit, her hands planted confidently on her hips.

"Is that...?" he started, not quite finishing the sentence.

Gwen’s lips curled into a grin as she nodded. "He woke up for the first time today. We actually managed to get him to agree to take pictures with us and sign them."

"Sign it? This is signed?!" George said, his entire demeanor shifting as he quickly flipped the photo over, his eyes scanning the message written on the back.

He let out a slow breath and closed his eyes for a moment, clearly savoring it. "This is probably the best present you have ever given me."

"I know. You’re welcome," Gwen replied with a proud smile, clearly satisfied with his reaction.

"I need to frame this," he said almost immediately, his tone turning serious again as he looked back down at the autograph like it was something fragile.

"Gwen, honey, I need you to do me a favor," George continued, already pulling out his wallet and handing her some cash. "Find me a picture frame so that when I get home, I can put this up right away."

"Yeah, yeah," Gwen said, breaking into amused giggles as she took the money without hesitation.

...

While Peter and Gwen were busy giving their uncle and father their presents, things were already shifting elsewhere. The same day Captain America was awakened also marked the beginning of something new.

Tony Stark sat back on his sofa wearing a simple tank top. One of his arms was encased in a red gauntlet, and in his other hand, he held a screwdriver, slowly turning it with absent focus.

In front of him, the news played, showing coverage of the Ten Rings and their recent activities, the same organization responsible for his capture. The footage cycled through reports and grainy images, but Tony didn’t visibly react. He just kept turning the screwdriver, over and over, his eyes fixed on the screen without saying a word.

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