I Dreamt We Had a Kid

Chapter 21

Tony drafts a plan for the new suit. The best form of protection on animals is scaling. They create an impenetrable wall that protects the creature it is on.

That's a start.

Steve is Captain America, so Tony decides he wants to keep "the look". After a few hours of designing and waiting for the machine to sew together the vibranium thread, Tony holds up the uniform to admire his work. The suit looks like his old one did, but it feels stronger. The best part is what's on the floor next to it.

He had it shipped to Wakanda on priority one and here it was, the shining symbol of America.

Caps shield.

Tony had taken it from him, told him he didn't deserve it and stored it in a secure part of SI. It looked slightly battered, sure, but Tony felt it wouldn't be right to make a new one. It was almost a metaphor, Tony handing Steve his shield like his father once did nearly a century ago. It was the only thing he had yet to give back to Steve, and he felt this was a good a time as any.

Tony placed the shield and uniform in a box and left the lab. What he was not expecting was the common room to be empty and black as the night. Tony had neglected to check the time, and now that he did, he discovered it was 3 am. He didn't want to wait, so he sought Steve out, first check his bedroom.

Empty.

He proceeded to check the gym, hospital wing, and just about everywhere in the building. There was only one place he had not checked, and Tony knew that was where he was. Maybe he knew that the whole time.

He knocked lightly on the farm hut's door and received no answer. He pushed the door slightly open and could see the lump under blankets on the bed. Steve was sleeping. His face was in the pillow and he was clutching something Tony couldn't see.

"Steve," he said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.

His eyes barely fluttered open, "Buck?" he said confused.

Tony felt a lump in his throat, "No Steve, it's me, it's Tony," he sighed, sitting on the bed.

"What are you doing here?" Steve asked, sitting up.

"I wanted to give you something," he says, reaching for the box.

"Tony, it's 3 am," he rubs his face. Tony glances down to see what Steve is holding so close to him and Tony's heart drops because it is a shirt. It's Bucky's shirt.

Tony swallows, coughs, and sniffs, "I didn't want to wait. Open it."

Steve pulls the box toward him and opens it. He gapes at the uniform, holding it up and feeling the material.

"Tony this is amazing," he says, lifting a corner of the fabric to see the scales.

"Look inside again," Tony urges, receiving a confused look from Steve.

He stares into the box and Tony can see his eyes glistening. He picks up the shield gently, but he knows it through and through, how to hold it and how not to. He runs his hand over the star with the scratch running through it.

"Steve, I don't know if you should ever forgive me for what I did, god knows I'm worthy of no one's forgiveness," he gestures up, "But I was wrong, it wasn't Bucky that killed my parents it was the Winter Soldier. As far as I'm concerned, they are not the same person. This one, this is your Bucky." He gives Steve a weak smile. His eyes are glistening and he coughs to clear his throat.

"Thank you, Tony," He smiles.

"Let's go up to the facility, yeah? I don't fancy sleeping in a gross farmhouse."

Steve chuckles and allows Tony to pull him from the bed, tossing Bucky's shirt back on the sheets. They walk in silence to Steve's bedroom, and this time, Tony tell Steve to sleep on the bed.

"Tony, I'm fine in the chair, really," he smiles.

"Nope, in bed soldier," Tony mocks, pushing Steve toward the bed. Steve must have been exhausted because before Tony can even get comfortable in the chair, he can hear light snores from the bed. He chuckles a little and closes his eyes, allowing a memory to come back to him.

"Pepper," he says while they sit on the couch watching It's a Wonderful Life. "What should I get Peter for Christmas?" he takes a small sip of his hot chocolate.

"What would he like?" She replies, pausing the movie.

"How about one of those giant bunnies I gave you," he says, nuzzling her neck.

"Tony that won't fit in his bedroom," she chuckles.

"It could fit in a room at the compound." She looks at him in wonder.

"Tony, you're giving him a bedroom in the compound?"

"Yeah," he says because of course, Peter is getting a bedroom at the Avenger's facility.

"He's just a kid Tony," she says, swiping a stray piece of hair from his face.

"He's a pretty amazing kid," Tony says with a chuckle.

"You care a lot about him, don't you," Her voice is soft.

"What gives you that idea?" he jokes because she can see right through him.

She makes a hm sound and before pressing play on the remote again, says "get him something personal, something to remind him of both of you together."

Tony gave him, among many other things, a vibranium picture frame painted to look like a combination of Ironman and Spiderman with a picture of the two of them together.

Peter actually cried that day. He fell asleep on Tony that night.

"Sir," FRIDAY's voice came from his watch.

"What's up Fri?" He says quietly, standing to go into the hall as to not wake Steve.

"I have a call coming in from Tennessee sir," she says, sounding slightly confused for a robot.

"Who the hell got my number from Tennessee?" He scratches his head and paces down the hallway.

"Should I put him through?" FRIDAY asks him.

"Sure," he says and clears his throat.

"This is Tony Stark," he says in a calm voice.

"Tony?" says a small voice from the phone.

"Who is this?"

"Tony, it's, it's Harley."