𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐎𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬

The return home "࿏"

As you watched as everyone disembarked from the Quinjet, your eyes widened; you knew it would be bad, but never this bad. You looked around the group, hoping to spot Tony, but your stomach dropped when you couldn't find him.

Steve came up to you with a sympathetic expression on his face. A million thoughts flooded your mind, none of which were reassuring.

"Where's Tony?" You asked, heart racing.

"Y/N," Steve breathed out.

"No. Steve, where is Tony?" Your vision was blurry as you looked up at Steve. He promised you he'd come home.

He moved aside, confusing you. Looking over at the Quinjet one more time, you finally see him. A crushing pang goes through your whole body as he makes his way over to you. He looks nothing like the Tony you last saw. He has wounds and burns all over his body, dark circles under his eyes; his eyes seem fatigued, but the most noticeable difference is in his right arm. His missing limb was replaced with a prosthetic.

You brought your trembling hand up to your mouth, silent tears fell from your eyes as Tony attempted to give you a smile.

"Hi baby." He said with a weak voice.

You grabbed his face, thumbs stroking under his eyes as he leaned into your touch. His hands wrap around your waist, leaning down to press his forehead against yours. You could see his eyes water, he didn't need to say anything, you could feel his pain.

"You're safe and home now." You whisper before pressing your lips to his forehead.

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You helped Tony shower after Steve helped you bring him inside. You tried to get Tony to eat something, but he refused, deciding to just sit on the couch instead. He placed his head on your lap once you sat next to him, it was obvious he was fighting his sleep, but as you ran your fingers through his hair, he finally gave in.

You heard soft footsteps coming up behind you and turned around to find Orion standing behind the sofa.

"I couldn't sleep, mama." He said as he made his way around to the front of the couch, stopping dead in his tracks when he sees Tony in your lap.

"Who's that?" He asks with a confused expression. You felt Tony shift when he heard his son's voice, quickly blinking away his sleep as he sat up.

"It's daddy, baby."

He turns his head to the side, clearly not convinced. Tony tries to reach out to him but scares Orion in the process. You instantly pick him up when you notice his eyes watering, holding him close as he starts to cry.

"T-that's not daddy!" He sobs, putting his face in your neck.

Tony's heart breaks as he listens to his son cry, he didn't think he'd be that unrecognizable. He watches as you rub his back, pacing back and forth as you try to calm him down, desperately wanting to hold his son.

"I know Daddy doesn't look like Daddy right now, but I promise it's him, baby." You whisper once he calms down. He pulls his face out of your neck and looks back over at Tony, almost as if he's studying him. "Do you want to sit with me on the couch to get a better look?" He gently nods his head, tightening his arms around your neck when you sit next to Tony.

You cradled his head and rocked him back and forth while he fixed his gaze on his dad. Tony could tell he wasn't fully convinced. His little eyes scanned his face, trying to figure out who the man in front of him was. It wasn't until he spotted the prosthetic that he spoke up.

"What's that?" He asked timidly.

"It's my arm." Tony responded with a whisper, trying to scare him off again. You silently watched the small interaction, feeling Orion physically relax against you.

"It looks like a toy." He replied, slightly turning his body towards Tony but keeping himself on your lap.

Tony laughs at his comment, wiggling the fingers on his prosthetic. Orion's eyes widen when he hears the laugh. You see the point when it finally clicks and he realizes that's his dad.

"Daddy?" He says as he lets go of you to fully turn his body towards Tony.

"It's me, angel."

As soon as Tony finishes his sentence, Orion is quick to jump at him. Wrapping his little arms around his neck while Tony hugs him back, holding him close. His heart feels full again.

"Daddy's home!" He says to you when he slightly pulls away from Tony.

You nod your head and laugh, happy tears slipping down your cheeks at the interaction. Orion spends the next half hour telling his dad everything he did while he was gone. Tony listened to every word his son said, reaching out for you to pull you into his side.

You two were all he thought about while he was gone. He didn't think he'd get the chance to see you again, the thought of leaving you two alone made a wave of sadness wash over him. It was almost as if you read his mind, placing a kiss on his cheek. A silent reminder that everything was going to be okay.