Welp

19 - Comical

Steve hadn't known Tony for long, but he knew that behind him there was an endless sea of pain. He can tell. When he lets his guard down. When he thinks no one is watching.

~

The father thing came as a shock for the Avengers. They wouldn't have been surprised if it was just an accident he paid child support for and never saw or cared about with the reputation he has in the media.

It's almost comical to se Tony Stark running after a small toddler all day, trying to keep him out of trouble.

But what surprised Steve the most, and he's ashmhamed to admit it, is that he's an amazing father. The way he acts around Peter and showers him with love without spoiling him rotten.

He becomes a totally different person. He goes from arrogant celeberty to a soft ball of mush when he sees Peter.

When Stark finally introduced Peter to them, he expected a spoiled kid who thought he was better than everyone, but Peter is an absolute angel. He's everything Steve never imagined Tony's kid to be like.

And he can tell Tony just wants to wrap him in bubblewrap and lock him in a room to protect him sometimes because despite his innocent exterior he's a Stark at heart.

The kid adores Pepper. And despite her and Tony's relationship, she's Pepper, not mom.

Peter was very shy and careful when he first met them, but he seemed to know Natasha because he practically ran into her arms. That day everyone learnt that Natasha loves kids.

Of course at first Tony and Peter lived in Malibu, occasianally visiting. They guessed Tony had to make sure he could trust them. He doesn't blame him. He can only guess what lays behind him.

Steve hadn't known Tony for long, but he knew that behind him there was an endless sea of pain and betrayal. He can tell. When he lets his guard down. When he thinks no one is watching.

When Tony's masion fell into the ocean, Steve's thoughts fell to Peter. And when the news said Tony had died, his heart ached for the child. What was Tony thinking?

"That's none of your business, Rogers," Tony spat at him, clutching his left hand to his chest (which Steve bad noticed the man did a lot when he got worked up), because of course he would.

"What if Peter had gotten hurt?"

It was always a nightmare to get some sense into the so called genius' head. He always had been difficult.

"What if Peter had gotten hurt?" Steve tried to reason. "What if Peter had died?"

Of course, Tony did prove everyone that it wasn't That easy to kill him off. As always. No matter how hard they tried.

The inventor was almost fuming with rage. He scoffed and put on his trademark coloured glasses. An act to give himself bravedo. To hide himself. Steve doesn't see the splitt second his mask falls.

"As if the world wouldn't be better off with a little less me," Tony said, but he quickly covered it up. "Peter wasn't even in the same state."

"Do you really think I would endanger my own child?" He seethes through gritted teeth.

After that they moved into the tower. Despite Steve and Tony's argument. Peter and him had their own floor, but Peter loved hanging out with them in the communal floor.