Adopted By a Billionaire

Chapter 23

Percy was nervous. He held onto his father's hand tightly as his teacher spoke to him. He didn't like her, she looked funny. She kept talking to him like he wasn't smart, but he was. His daddy said so. Ms. Lamber didn't know what she was talking about. He already knew his ABCs and he could even count to ten. He didn't want to be in this baby class.

"Cheer up, kiddo," Tony knelt in front of the pouting child. "I know you don't like this but you have to go to school. You want to be like me, right? Like Iron Man?"

"Yeah..." Percy looked down, kicking his feet against the ground softly. "But I know how to count. I know what a penguin is and- and I can say my ABCs. A, b, c, d, e-"

Tony laughed and ruffled the kid's hair, "I know you can, Percy. You can't stay home though. You can impress the others with how much you know. Wouldn't that be cool?"

The six year-old still didn't look happy but he nodded, "Okay." He hugged the man tightly, his tiny fists curling in the engineer's shirt for a moment before he let go. He looked around before pointing at the blonde girl he saw earlier, "I will be her friend." He nodded once. "And I will tell you all about it."

"Good," Tony ruffled the kid's hair before pressing a kiss to his forehead. "I'll see you in a few hours, okay?" He allowed one more hug before he got up, thanking Ms. Lamber quietly, and left.

Percy sighed and clutched the straps of his backpack tightly, looking down at his shoes. He didn't like being left alone but he knew he had to go to school. He hoped this one was different than his other one. Bullies were mean.

"Are you okay?"

He turned around and he nodded, his eyes slightly wide, "Yep! I'm Percy!"

The child that addressed him looked to be about seven, with wild curly brown hair and eyes that reminded Percy of nature. He wore a soft-looking sweater that seemed a size too big and baggy pants. He held a pair of forearm crutches tightly as he scuffed his worn sneakers on the floor. "I'm Grover. Was that Tony Stark?"

"Uh..." Percy looked back at the door his dad left out of before turning back to Grover. "No."

Grover grinned widely and said in a hushed whisper, "So it was. Don't worry, I won't say anything. I'm good at keeping secrets."

Percy snorted, "You talk funny."

"Funny how?"

"Old. You talk old."

The brown-haired kid laughed and nodded, "So do you."

Percy tilted his head and stared at him for a long moment, long enough to make the other shift nervously. Finally, he smiled widely, "Let's be best friends."

"I think we already are," Grover said, his expression mirroring the other's.

"Great!"

The two went to put their backpacks inside their designated cubby holes, Percy placing Grover's bag with his. His face lit up when he realized his new best friend's bag had Iron Man on it like his. "Iron Man is the best."

"He is," Grover nodded solemnly. "I like Black Widow, too."

Percy gave a small smile, grabbing his coloring book, "She's nice. Wanna color with me? This is my book of colors. It's special." He looked at Grover, tilting his head, "But you're special too. I will share."

"Cool!" Grover grabbed a large box of crayons, a Crayola 64 pack, and showed it to him, "Look how much crayons I got!"

"Woah," Percy stared at them in awe, carefully putting his Crayola 12 pack back in his bag before the other could see. "Okay, let's use those."

--

"Hey," James looked up from where he was playing with Dum-E and U on the floor in the lab. "How'd Percy take it?"

Tony sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "He recited his ABCs as a way to convince him that he didn't need to be there."

The soldier grinned and nodded, "Pander to a genius with intelligence. Kid knows what he's doin'."

"Yeah, well, it didn't work," Tony huffed, his lips twitching up in amusement. "But it almost did. I don't like keeping him there. I mean, I know he needs education and all but I don't like the idea of him being so far away."

Before James could say anything, he was interrupted by two people barreling into the lab, one through the vents and the other through the door. Clint, in all his excitement, practically face-planted the floor, while Rhodey, whom no one knew was even at the tower, nearly stumbled over his steps and fell.

"You don't have to worry about that!" Clint grinned, getting up like nothing happened. "Rhodes and I," He gestured at the soldier near him with his thumb. "Have made a system to protect Mini Stark."

"You... Have?" tony blinked, wondering when Rhodey arrived, why JARVIS didn't notify him, and how Rhodey and Clint apparently knew each other. "Alright, let me hear it."

Rhodey started first. "Well, Pepper told me a week ago that you have a kid," He raised an eyebrow at his best friend. "Thanks for not telling me that, by the way. I couldn't come by and see him but I figured I could meet him today. Anyways, Clint and I decided that some Avengers could be around the general vicinity of the school and be near if anything happens to Percy."

"Sounds great," James drawled, sarcasm shining through as he patted Dum-E on the head. "But isn't that stalkin'? I mean, it'll be kinda suspicious if some adults are watching a school."

"We thought of that," Clint declared. He glanced at Rhodey and amended his statement, "Rhodes thought of that. Anyone on shift can go shopping or go out to eat or whatever. They just can't be a part of any fights that can be handled without them. Their number one priority is Percy."

James nodded slowly, "Seems a bit much but I get it." He stood up and made his way over to Tony, "What do you think, Doll?"

Tony tilted his head at the endearment, his eyes flickering to the soldier and softening a fraction, "I like it. It does seem a bit much but it can be temporary. JARVIS and I'll come up with something to watch over Percy when he's at school."

"Great!" Clint clapped his hands once, positively lighting up with glee. "Nat and Bruce already started."

James and Tony both looked at the archer with matching expressions of sheer resignation. "Of course you went with the plan already," The soldier groaned. "Y'all are insane." He looked at Tony again, "Wanna get a bite to eat?"

"Sure," Tony shrugged. "Rhodey-" Clint and Rhodey were gone like they were never there, the only sounds signaling at least one of their departure was cackling from the vents. He blinked, before smiling tiredly at the blue-eyed man next to him, "Coffee?"

James gave the Stark a breathtaking grin, "Coffee."

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Words: 1,145

Song: Believe - The Score