Avengers Stories //Oneshots//

Grocery Shopping (Dad Tony)

"Avengers, we are out of poptarts!" Thor bellows loudly, startling Tony from where he had been scrolling through his phone.

Clint does a flip over the couch. "No need to fear! We'll go shopping! Your stomach will no longer be grumbling." He hoists a light saber into the air. Tony almost laughs, but he's too confused to.

"Uhm, guys you know I could just-"

"Great idea Clint!" Steve says. "It would be good for us to all get out." Bruce and Natasha nod along with him.

"I could just order the stuff ya know?" Tony speaks up, trying to hide the nervousness he feels as he fiddles with his device, not looking up.

"What's the fun in that?" Natasha asks. Bruce pulls on his jacket and throws Tony's at him.

"You need a little more sun. You've been in the lab for almost three days straight, Tony."

Tony rolls his eyes. He wants to protest, but he knows he won't win. So he just sighs and pulls on his jacket, standing with the others. "If we're going, then I call being the driver." He gets some incredulous looks from the team, who have undoubtably heard of his insanely fast driving. He rolls his eyes. "Relax. I only go that fast when I'm with Happy and/or Rhodey, or just me."

Bruce and Steve look wary while Clint and Natasha regard him with suspicious looks. Thor is already in the elevator, impanitantly tapping his foot on the ground so hard that Tony knew the building would shake if it wasn't so reinforced.

They climbed into Tony's RV. It was the only way they could all fit and have their own space. He drove, occasionally looking at the mirror to make sure everyone was still okay. Everyone but Bruce is playing Uno at the table, the scientist making sure no one is cheating.

He pulls into the store in a large spot. Tony wrings his hands as they walk toward the sliding double doors. He's never been in a grocery store before, but why should he be nervous? It's just a store.

As he drives toward an open parking spot, he thinks. None of the others have any stuff, having just moved into the tower. They didn't have many personal belongings. Maybe this trip would serve as a way to get them stuff to fill their rooms? He could do that.

Tony got past his nervousness, but only because his team turned into figuarative five year olds as soon as they past the doors, grabbing carts and running off. It's really early in the morning, Tony realizes, about 4 am. Why exactly had they been gathered in the livingroom again?

There is a good thing about the time. No one besides a few workers and insanely early risers are in the store, most mind their own buisness but Tony is happy to sign a few autographs and take pictures.

He wanders around, trying to keep an eye on his team but it's impossible. The engineer speed walks, listening for familiar voices in the quiet store.

"Ha! You will never beat me, Nat!"

"You think that!"

Legs breaking into a sprint as he hears the Super Spy Twins, Tony finds himself in the toy aisle, dread building inside at the sight before him.

Natasha and Clint have Star Wars light sabers and are battling each other. Clint is using one hand, the other covered by a Hulk hand. He has an eyepatch over his head and a wig of orange hair. Natasha is wearing a purple cape, a pirate hat on her head.

"Natasha Alianovna Romanoff! Clinton Francis Barton! Stop that right now or I will not buy either of you a thing."

They are quick to stop, putting the toys in their rightful places. Tony grabs an abandoned cart. "Two toys each." He says, giving them both a stern look. Natasha puts a package set of cape, crown, and sword, along with a book. Clint throws in a pillow with some cartoon character and a talking parrot.

"Keep one hand on the buggy. Let's go find everyone else." Clint groans but both comply. "Keep an eye out for them."

They find Cap next, browsing the paint supplies with wide eyes. Tony gets his attention and says to put some in his cart, he'll buy it. Steve tries to protest but Tony insists. The blonde puts some paints, brushes, and two canvases.

Steve politely asks to push the cart and Tony lets him. Clint starts to let go of the buggy put Tony crosses his arms with a raised eyebrow, daring him. Clint doesnt let go.

"Tony," Natasha says. She's looking at something, Tony follows her gaze to the aisle full of books. "Two more." He tells her. "Clint, you can get two stuffed animals as long as it'a under 20 dollars." The sandy blonde whips and races off, Tony calling after them, "don't get into any trouble! Meet us at the cash register! Keep your phones on!"

Hs turns to Steve. "Let's go find Thor and Bruce."

They find them close together. Bruce is looking at some teas with some books in his hands, along with a box. Tony can't tell what's in it. Thor has filled his cart to the brim with poptarts and shirts, filling Bruce's along with it.

"Tony! I have found the poptarts!" Thor exclaims.

"You sure did, big guy." He smiles, then looks at Bruce. "Whatchya go there, greenie?"

"Oh-um." The nerdy doctor fumbles for words before giving up and showing Tony the box. It's a Lego set. An Avenger one."

"Nice." Tony says, giving Bruce a thumbs up. "Put it in the cart, along with your books and whatever teas you want."

Bruce sputters. "Tony, you don't have to-"

"Buy stuff for my friends? Oh Brucie, I will always try to make you guys happy."

"You make us happy with just your presence, my friend!" Thor says. Tony smiles a little.

"Okay. Let's not get sappy. Natasha and Clint are probably waiting for us and I don't want an impatient Clint Barton. Come on."

They walk to the cashier where the Super Spy Twins are indeed waiting. Steve and Thor insist on unloading the items as Clint, Natasha, and Bruce form a bucket line to get the items back to the carts after being paid for. The total rings up and Tony pays before they have a chance to see it.

They form another bucket line to get the stuff onto the camper, and then another when they get back to the tower.

Tony realizes the time and has to excuse himself for a board meeting. When he gets back two hours later, he collapses onto the couch, the sleepless night and run around the grocery store topped with annoying board members taking its toll on him. He's asleep before he knows it.

An unknown amount of time later, he wakes up to Natasha gently shaking him. There's a blanket over him and the smell of delicious food hits his nostrils. They sit and eat together, laughing as everyone tries to wring food into Clint's mouth.

At the end of the day, when they are all settled down to watch a movie, popcorn being passed around and hogged (Clint), they turn to Tony.

"Thank you, Tony." They say in unison.

"What for?" He asks, eyebrows furrowing.

"For buying us all that stuff today." Clint says.

"For putting a roof over our heads." Natasha says.

"For putting food on our table." Steve says.

"For caring." Bruce says.

"For everything!" Thor says.

Tony feels the tears beginning to sting his eyes. "You're welcome."

They smile and the movie starts, all of them piled on the couch. Everyone else falls asleep and Tony pulls blankets over them before returning to his spot and sinking into the cushions, listening to the snores and shifts of his family.

The thought throws him off guard.

But it feels right at the same time.

Family.