𝕁𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕒 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕜 (𝕃𝕠𝕜𝕚 𝕃𝕒𝕦𝕗𝕖𝕪𝕤𝕠𝕟 𝕩 ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕣)

Chapter One: A greeting in the night

Third Person POV:

The insistent buzzing of the doorbell awoke the drunken man out of his sleep, causing him to slowly roll off the couch he had been sleeping on. The large penthouse was tastefully decorated, largely thanks to the fact he had not redecorated it since his parents hand died, with aspects that were dead give aways that a single man inhabited the space.

The buzzing rang out again, stirring the man from his drowsy state. "jesus christ I'm coming" he mumbled as he stood up. His strides were quick and somewhat slopy, likely due to the amount of alcohol he had consumed at the party he had left a few hours ago. He couldn't help but silently curse at whoever was ringing his doorbell in the middle of the night, clearly they didn't support the ideals of rest and relaxation. Or in his case, drinking and recovering.

His hand met the cold door knob with a slight shocking sensation, and the back of his mind registered that something felt slightly off. Usually if someone was at his door in the middle of the night it was random women from the parties he attended, most who followed him back to his place in proper stalker fashion looking for a fun time. But this felt much more important than those other times, feeling as if there was something behind that door that he needed to reach immediately.

The slow turn of the doorknob was met with a click as his other hand moved above it to unlock the door. His movements were slow and purposeful, and he couldn't quiet figure out why. He knew himself to be a number of things, including painfully quick and impulsive, but his actions in this moment were going against his personality.

The creaking of the door opening was a painful sound to his ears, probably a sign that a hangover was beginning to hit him. And as his eyes adjusted to the bright light in the hall way he could not help but be confused. No one was there.

But then, breaking through the all consuming silence in the hallway, a singular cry.

It took the man a moment to process where the sound was coming from, but he soon stared down at a small basket that laid on the floor. And inside of that basket, wrapped in a pink blanket, a baby gazing up at him along with an envelope with his name on it.

Instinctively his hands went to the envelope first when he bent down to get a closer look at what was sitting in front of his door. The writing on it looked rushed and panicked, and as he turned the envelope around to open it he couldn't help but think that his life was about to change.

His hands were still as he began to open it. He had seen many things in his short life that had made him panic but this was not one of them, pulling out the note inside with one swift motion.

His eyes made their way across the note inside as he unfolded it, it was messily written but still legible. And the words made his breath catch in his throat.

Dear Tony,

This is Y/N, your daughter. She was born May 29th, a few months ago from today. And she needs a home, a proper home, one better than what I can provide her. You have every right to not talk her in as your own, and I do not blame you if you don't take her. But I beg you give this child a chance at the life you have, a chance at happiness. I love her with all my heart, but I can't give her half the life you'd be able to. She is my world and nothing would make me happier than seeing her better off than I am. She is not a fussy child, and will flourish under your care. Please give her the life I can't, take care of her and protect her. Please Tony.

Goodnight, J.

The letter struck him and, for the short moment he forgot there was a living human in front of him, he believed it to be some weird joke played by one of the many supermodels he had slept with. 

But here he was, staring at a small baby girl that had been placed in front of his door, that was gazing up at him with the smile that only babies had, the kind that would make anyone's heart melt in an instant. And it wasn't like he couldn't afford a baby, he was Tony Stark CEO of one of the worlds richest corporations for christs sake. And the baby was admittedly adorable, and in need of a loving home. It would even benefit his reputation, taking in a child left on his doorstep. The press would assume she was his, he knew she was his, but nothing would be outright stated that she was. 

"I guess you're stuck with me huh?" He folded the note and placed it in his pocket as he smiled at the girl, who gave a babble in response. 

With a gentleness that he was unsure he had he reached down to pick the child up slowly, standing up and bouncing her a bit earning a giggle with more babbling. 

Something about the small baby made his soul light up, made him feel like he had a bigger purpose in this life outside of expanding his late fathers company. His eyes stayed locked on her face for a moment, examining every small detail of it. She had deep brown eyes like his own, and sprouts of (Y/H/C) that was presumably inherited from the mystery mother. 

The bundle of joy he gently cradled in his arms was, in that moment, worth more than anything in the entire world. And he couldn't help but smile down at his daughter, his family. 

"I'm going to protect you until the day I die, no one will ever hurt you as long as I'm here" the promise left his lips easily, and he knew deep down that he would never break it.