Chapter Text
In one of his many searches for parenting advice, Tony happened across a blog run by Bruce Banner. At first Tony thought it was just a coincidence that the blog’s owner had the same name as the renowned scientist. But upon further investigation, he realized that they were actually the same person. Banner had always been an advocate for social justice causes and all kinds of issues, but Tony had never paid it much attention when there was science to be had. Sure, he was a philanthropist, but it had never really been personal. This was. Bruce wrote about trying to raise his children gender-neutrally, about struggles in school and with friends, about his children’s explorations of gender identity and expression.
Tony read for hours, enthralled by the honest recollections of both joy and struggle. At some point he came to the end--or rather, beginning, surprised that he had been reading for so long. He bookmarked the blog and kept up with updates.
Tony even started sending in his questions anonymously to see what Bruce had to say. And at some point they ended up exchanging emails and communicating regularly. But it was only after months of communication that Tony revealed his identity to Bruce.
***
Ever since Tony had started letting Leo express himself however he wanted (including being called Leo and using he/him pronouns), the press had been passing judgment left and right. He had been on the cover of more magazines this past week than he had since his days as a womanizing alcoholic. They were all saying that he was forcing his child to be a boy and that this was proof that children need both male and female parents. But Tony was just trying to make Leo feel like the happy, comfortable-in-his-skin child that he should be. But as much as Tony tried to ignore the press and focus on the voices of the few people congratulating him for his ungendered parenting, he found it impossible. So he emailed Bruce, tears in his eyes, after tucking Leo into bed. His son had been so happy; Tony couldn’t find it in himself to believe that anything about this situation was bad, or that Leo himself was bad somehow.
Bruce,
I don’t know what to do. The press is pasting my life all over the news because I started letting Leo be himself. And I’m worried about what effect it’s going to have on him. I don’t want him questioning himself more than he already is. I hate that everything I do is so public. And I just need someone to tell me that I’m doing the right thing, that it will be okay in the end. That Leo’s going to be okay…
The message went on for over a page before Tony deleted it. He couldn’t send that to Bruce.
“Bruce,
Have you seen the news recently?
-Tony”
was the message he eventually sent.
***
Tony had to go to California for business this week, and he couldn’t find anyone to stay with Leo. So he packed up his son’s things with his own and planned to take him to his Malibu house with him. Tony would still be gone during the day sometimes, but he could work from home as much as possible. And it would mean that he wouldn’t have to go a week without seeing his son.
Leo had never flown before, so he was amazed with everything as they climbed on board Tony’s private jet. His gasps of astonishment made Tony smile. But nothing was as great as the moment the plane took off. Tony knew that he would be watching the footage for years to come. Leo, who had been looking out the window as the plane taxied, jerked in his seat and cried out as the jet lifted off the ground, jaw dropping. As soon as the shock had passed, Leo turned again to the window and watched as the earth fell away underneath them.
“We’re flying,” he whispered, voice filled with amazement.
“Yep,” Tony said simply, in response. He loved spending time with his son, and even though the actual reason for the trip was business, he was thrilled to get to spend a week in Malibu with his son, enjoying the summer heat. Leo was the one person Tony loved more than anything in the world, the reason he had turned his life around. He had been so unsure of himself when he found himself pretty much with a child on his doorstep. (It had been more complicated than that, of course. But Tony’s playboy ways had finally caught up with him, and he found himself with an unexpected child one day.)