Avengers Oneshots Series

I am Iron Man<<Child Character × Tony Stark>>!platonic

War was over. Things were going back to normal. The Avengers were back together....back to how things were. They fought together, laughed together, and won battles together. But there was something which wasn't the same anymore. It was Tony Stark aka Iron Man. He wasn't Iron Man anymore. He could not be Iron Man anymore. After the snap he did to save the world....he had intended to sacrifice his life but he was saved. He was alive....with his family....with his Avengers....with his daughter...or should he say daughters. Morgan his blood daughter....and Penny....the girl he used to mentor before the snap...the girl he got back like a second chance to show her how much he loved her, how much he admired, how much he adored her....that she was no less of a daughter to him than Morgan.

But....he felt like he was failing. After the snap he did, he didn't lose his life but he did have to sacrifice his left hand. The burns were way too serious to be treated and so his arms had to be amputated. And even though he still kept up with his sarcastic facade, there was the underlying sorrow in his heart. He couldn't go around Iron Manning anymore. He couldn't fight in battle fields like he used to. Of course that doesn't mean he wasn't a part of the Avengers. He was still a respectful member of the Avengers....but it still took a toll on him. He hardly went down to his lab anymore to work on something new. He didn't go to anymore press conferences like he used to. He didn't attend meetings anymore......and he did not even dare to look at his iron man armour. He didn't speak to everyone much. The look of sympathy and pity he got....he HATED that. The only people he spoke to were the ones staying in the tower. Avengers, Pepper, Rhodey, Happy and his daughter Morgan. But there was one person he missed speaking to the most, Penny. It's not like did not speak to her at all. But it was different. Penny came to visit him everyday since he woke up....but they barely spoke as much as they used to before everything happened. He didn't go down to his lab where Penny did her internship work. He missed their lab sessions so much...he missed spending time with her but he just could not bring himself to go down there....he thought he was being selfish cause he knew Penny too needed his support as much as he needed hers...and that made him feel even more guilty....guilty to the point he barely spoke more than two words to Penny when she came to him after the internship everyday. Penny too didn't speak much to him since the past 3 months. He could see the change. She seemed to stop herself from talking too much when he was there and she had the right to. No one wanted a mentor who can't even spare 3 hrs of his time to mentor her. He wouldn't be surprised if she resigns and doesn't come back ever again. She was there when he needed him but when she needed that same support he wasn't there. But little did Tony know that to Penny he was much more than a mentor.....just as she was like a daughter to him, he too was no less of a after to her. And that he unknowingly had helped her through all her upstairs and downs and that was why he was about to be received a surprise he didn't expect.

Penny had been working her ass off in making the thing for the past 3 months. She barely left her room at her house and the lab back in the Avengers tower. But it was worth the working hours and the sleepless nights. It was for Mr.Stark after all.... everything done for Me.Stark is worth it. Especially after he had sacrificed himself for the world without thinking twice. She could sacrifice her sleep and some food for him too. She knew how much he hated his lack of arm. She knew by the look....by the lack of interaction...by the lack of sarcastic comments....by the lack of pride when he walks in a room. And Penny was determined to bring all that back to him.

Tony was sitting in his lounge. It was 5 in the evening...time for Penny's internship to start. She would visit at 8 after the internship was over. And even though they had worked past the internship and knew they were practically now a family.....Tony thought his lack of interaction might have reset all their work back to how it was when Penny first started her job at the SI. He wasn't expecting anyone as the Avengers were busy at the SHIELD headquarters and Pepper had taken Morgan for shopping. Rhodey too was outside town for work. So it surprised him when he heard F.R.I.D.A.Y suddenly speak through the room. "Penny is on her way to the lounge." And swear to go had he panicked. Why was she here before the internship??....was she finally done with him and decided to leave for a better place ?
"Good Evening Mr.Stark", came a voice from behind him. He turned around looking at her. Penny was surprised to see how..... desperate his eyes were....they were guilty and had a sign of pleading. But Tony still managed to give out a fake smile. "Hey Penny...w-what happened", he asked but mentally cursed himself when his voice came out all shaky and cracked. "Mr.Stark are you alright ?", Penny asked. "Yeah....yeah I'm alright", said Tony. "I-I have something to say  Mr.Stark....something to show to be exact.",  said Penny. "I-I...I'm sorry Penny.....I should have known. I am being such a bad mentor.....I should have been for you and all I did was ignore you. I don't blame you if you want to leave the internship..... I'm so sorry", he rambled out...his voice came out soft and in whimpers. "Wha-....wait no Mr.Stark!!...I am not here to resign wtf ??....why would I. Mr.Stark.....you have been for me EVERY SINGLE TIME I needed you to be. Never once have you let me down. Why would you even think I would leave you and Morgan and Mrs.Potts. I'm not that easy to get rid off", Penny said ending with a funny remark but with her words all sincere and true. Letting out a breath of relief he didn't know he was holding Tony said, "I'm sorry I thou-..I shouldn't have. It's just....you were distant for over three months and I thought y-" but before he could complete he was interrupted. "Wrong......you were thinking wrong Mr. Stark....and the three months you are talking about ...I umm..I was working on....this", saying that Penny presented a box in front of Tony. It was a long box but light. He slowly opened the box and the sight he was met with had brought tears to his face. He was in shock....he couldn't move ..he couldn't remove his eyes from the miracle .....he couldn't speak....the only way it was possible to know that he was alive was with the tears streaming down his face. Inside the box layed a prosthetic arm.....but it wasn't just any prosthetic....it was a fully functional arm just made of an aluminium and gold alloy...in red and gold colour... exactly like his Iron Man armour. The hand was similar to Bucky's....but somehow even more better. And it suddenly clicked him exactly how intelligent Penny was...behind that extremely kind and polite child who won't call people by their first names.....who fed stray dogs everyday like it was her duty......who somehow was able to crawl her way into Tony's heart...was a girl as intelligent as him if not more.

"Penny.....", said Tony...he could not find words to say...and even now he felt so stupid for not being able to tell her how much he appreciated her work. "This is what I was spending the three months on Mr.Stark....I umm....I wanted to surprise you. I hope you like it.....do you like it ??", asked Penny hopefully looking up at Tony with big bambi eyes. He couldn't help but let more tears drop down his eyes. "Like......Penny I-I love it.....you- how did you even manage to make this so fast...I can't even say exactly how thankfully I am I-", not being able to say anything more Tony did the only logical thing he knew. He pulled Penny into a bone crushing hug. Bringing her close as if letting her go will kill him. Cradling her head against his chest he wished he could have been better with emotions so that he can tell her how much this meant to him...but he knew Penny would understand...she always understood. He felt tiny arms wrap around his waist pressing him just a little more tightly. "I'm glad you like it Mr.Stark.....I don't like seeing your confidence down.....I want you to be yourself again...now you can go to press conferences and enter the hall like you own it..just like how you used to", said Penny. They both entered a fit of chuckles but the tears never stopped. Neither from Tony's eyes...nor Penny's. Leaving each other's embrace Penny helped Tony put on his prosthetic. It got perfectly blending into his skin. No additional wait...no blood...nothing.Just comfort and a sudden boost in Tony's confidence. Flexing the new arms he still could not help but be shocked at how amazingly it was made...no one would have guessed it was made by a 15 year old. Looking back at Penny and back to his arm..and back at Penny he pulled her back into a hug....this time with BOTH his hands. "I should have said this earlier....but....I love you Penny.....I love you so much Kiddo." "I love you too Mr.Stark"

The very next day when Penny came back to the tower she was met with another bone crushing hug ...this time by Pepper. "Thank you so much Penny", she said . Confused Penny asked,"For what Ms.Potts ?". Chuckling at her humbleness Pepper brought her in front of the huge Telivision. And there she saw Tony entering a hall full of reporters and interviewers and his fans....wearing a t-shirt and jeans with the glimmering red and gold Prosthetic arm she had made for him....entering the room just like he used to ..just like THE Tony Stark....full of pride and confidence. Putting the prosthetic arm up he waved at the cameras saying, "Yes guys it is me....I am back....I am Tony Stark...I am Iron Man", followed by a wink at the camera...and even though everyone else thought it was just him being how he is....Penny knew exactly who it was meant for. With a huge grin on her face she saw the return of Iron Man...and it felt good knowing she was the reason he was back.