Work Text:
“I got this, mama,” Tony said, pecking Pepper’s lips.
He spun toward the crib where he scooped up the bundle of pink, holding her to his shoulder with rocking motions.
“She can’t be hungry,” Pepper groaned. “I fed her—” she looked at the clock, “—like, thirty minutes ago. Her diaper must be wet.”
Tony laughed, the odor lingering around their daughter indicating the obvious. He strode to the changing table and laid Morgan on the foam pad, assembling the necessary equipment for her diaper change. With precision, Tony stripped the baby out of her onesie, and took a swift kick to the wrist with good humor.
“Good morning to you, too, Maguna,” he said with a chuckle. “How are you this morning? Remember me? I’m the one you peed on.” He cautiously pealed the diaper back to check if it was wet. “Right on schedule. You put UPS to shame.” Then he took it completely off, put a hand behind his back, and held it there. “Watch this, kid.”
Pepper sat up in bed and leaned against the headboard, as she watched her husband change Morgan with just one hand. She was slightly impressed with his skills considering the fuss he had made in the very beginning. And she was proud of him for adapting so fast to a thing that had freaked him out so much—fatherhood. He was doing one hell of a great job.
“You see this, pee pot? Amazing, huh?”
Pepper laughed. “Are you showing off for our baby?”
He darted her a meaningful look, his mouth turning up in a grin. “I’m just showing her that no matter how inept she is at the beginning, she can learn.“
Tony turned back and kissed Morgan’s tiny toes and her little fingers, then gave her pudgy nose a peck and nuzzled his face in her soft hair. He inhaled his daughter’s scent and was so entranced by her sweet smell—her sheer existence—that he didn’t even become aware of Pepper’s presence until she slipped her arm through his and leaned against him. He raised his head and looked at her, smiling.
“Can I get a kiss?”
“What for?”
“For being a good husband, a good father, for good luck, or just to start the day. You choose. Just give me one please.”
He protruded his lips forward, inviting Pepper to reciprocate, and was happy when she did, kissing him long and deeply. Tony sighed against her mouth, becoming lost in the arms that were holding him, lost in the feeling of her fingers playing with the hair at the base of his neck. He kissed her until the baby started gurgling in satisfaction.
“Is she smiling?” he wondered, and with that, pulled away to look at his daughter. Pepper moaned in protest. “I’m sorry, honey, but she’s six weeks old and she should’ve smiled by now. I don’t wanna miss it.”
“She’ll smile when she’s ready, Tony,” Pepper said, rubbing his back in soothing circles.
Ever since Rhodey had showed up with that book about a baby’s milestones, Tony seemed awfully worried because their little girl still hadn’t smiled at them yet. Your baby's smile, particularly the first, was one of the most rewarding moments of parenthood, and of course Tony didn’t have the patience to wait for it.
”Pep...”
“Yes, darling?”
Her eyes widened as she looked at her husband curiously, pretending not to know what he was going to say. She knew, though, because he had been telling her the same thing over and over again for the last few days.
“Our baby's first real smile says a lot about the development,” he began. “It's a sign that her vision has improved and she is able to recognize our faces.” While he talked to Pepper, he was staring at Morgan. “When she smiles at us, it means her brain and nervous system have matured enough to eliminate reflex smiles and she’s now aware that smiling is a way for her to connect with us.”
”I know. You told me that before.”
At the risk of sounding like a drama queen, he shrieked, “But our daughter has zero social skills.”
Unlike his other outbursts, Pepper thought this one was adorable. She loved seeing him freak out over the smallest things that concerned their daughter, because she knew it was because Tony loved her so much. Every little panic attack he ever had since Morgan’s birth spoke volumes about how much of a great father he was. He cared so deeply that he became completely vulnerable, and Pepper loved him even more for that.
“Honey... Baby... Relax. Breathe.” She took his hands, holding them, squeezing them. “Our daughter is fine. She’s perfectly developed and she will smile at you, I promise. Just give her some more time, okay?”
“Aren’t you scared that something is wrong?”
“I always worry about her. Every single day.”
“You do?”
The sound of his voice indicated his surprise. Pepper always seemed so unfazed by all the storms of parenthood they had to weather, he hadn’t expected to hear that from her.
“Of course I do, silly,” she replied, smiling. “But look at her, Tony!” They both gazed at their child. “Does she look like there is anything wrong with her?”
“She looks perfect,” he mumbled.
“She does.”
“But I tried everything, and she still hasn’t smiled. That’s just so... weird.”
“It’s not—“ Pepper saw the way Tony was looking at her and immediately halted. “Fine... What have you tried to do to make her smile? Maybe we can figure this out together.”
“I made funny faces and noises. You know, like that...” He gave her a quick performance of his skills. ”And I blew raspberries on her belly and played a game of peek-a-boo to push her smiley button on. I even imitated animal sounds and behaviors, but she won’t smile at me. I’m cursed. Or our baby’s cursed. We are cursed!”
“Well, have you tried this?”
”Ow! What the—“ Tony grimaced. “Did you just hit me over the head with a diaper?” He rubbed his hands through his hair, massaging his scalp in an attempt to relieve the ache.
She smirked. “It worked, though.”
“You can’t just assault me in front of our daughter. I mean what’s she gonna think, Pep? We don’t tolerate domestic violence, remember?”
Tony glared at her, wholly unamused, and gave a disgruntled sniff. It made her giggle. Her giggle was met by another sniff accompanied by a raised eyebrow, which only made it harder for Pepper not to laugh at him.
“Did you not hear what I said?”
Now he looked lost, confused.
“Eyes on the baby,” she told him. “And now, watch this.”
She lifted her hand, hitting her husband with the diaper, and Morgan rewarded her with a huge smile, a gummy grin that was so adorable Pepper couldn’t contain her laughter. Then the newborn smiled again, without that impulse she’d been given before—she smiled on purpose—and Tony squealed with delight. Their little cutie was flashing them her first real smile!
“Do it again,” he said, a silly grin plastered on his face as he beamed back at Morgan. “Do it, Pep!”
“You want me to hit you again?”
“Yes, just do it.”
Pepper hit him over the head with the thick and heavy cotton diaper, and Tony groaned with pain but immediately began to smile as he saw the happy look on their daughter’s face.
“Oh my God, she really likes that.”
“So does her mama,” Pepper said with a chuckle and hit him again. “I could do this all day.”
“Ow,” he said, laughing now, and Morgan gurgled happily in response.
The little lines around the outside of Tony’s eyes wrinkled up like crow’s feet, his smile a true sign of happiness. He sniffed back a tear and threw his arms around his wife and squeezed her in joy, making her laugh. He nuzzled his face against her hair, murmuring ‘I love you’ over and over again. He could never put into words how grateful he was for the family she had blessed him with.
Pepper’s tears cascaded down her cheeks, but she felt no shame, just an overwhelming sense of awe that was joyful, eternal and all embracing. Getting to be a mom was a gift, Morgan’s smile her baby’s way of returning the love, finally. If she had been having any second thoughts about her ability to be this little girl’s mother, they vanished the second she saw her precious smile. But all of it meant nothing if she couldn’t share it with Tony.
“I love you,” she whispered, when he pulled back and took her chin in his hands, looking at her with teary eyes. “I love you so much.”
He smiled, his thumb grazing her lips and then wiping away her tears.
“Thank you for coming back to me...” She swallowed. “And giving me my baby girl.”
Tony’s smile grew until it reached his ears. “I’ll always come back to you, Pepper Potts,” he whispered against her lips as he kissed her, his hands holding her face in a tight grip.
Then he let go and picked up their daughter from the changing table. He kissed her soft cheek, cradling the tiny human in his arms. Pepper huddled herself tightly against him, and for a moment she and Tony, their baby between them, clung to each other. Their eyes were closed, their foreheads touched, and their hearts beat as one. Tony’s fingers were curled around Morgan’s foot while Pepper’s hand supported her small head, stroking it gently. Their daughter was making all kinds of delightful noises that brought a radiant smile to their lips.
“Thank you... for making me a daddy.” Tony’s voice was only a whisper, cracking under the weight of his emotions.
For him, time was measured in before and after: Before and after becoming romantically involved with Pepper Potts.
Before Pepper, time was cold and dark. He lived in a world without color, a world dull, monotonous and depressing. It was a time of pretending to be someone he wasn’t, of playing an act for the sake of getting attention, and being loved by people he didn’t even like. A time of changing sorrow into joy—not real joy; he didn’t even know the true meaning of it until she taught him what love really was—and fake values, as the things that mattered to him were nothing but vanity and dust.
And everything after the beginning of his and Pepper’s relationship was warm and bright, like the sun. She brought color into his bleak world, giving life a whole new meaning. Now, life was a time of happiness—happiness Tony didn’t even know existed until she showed him. A time of pure joy—real joy, the one that made his heart beat faster and set his soul on fire—and a time of love. The things he valued the most now weren’t things anymore, it were the people that mattered, above all his wife and daughter.
“It’s my greatest joy,” he added, sighing deeply. That and being her husband. Fatherhood, marriage—Tony didn’t know a greater love.
Pepper smiled and opened her eyes. He was looking back at her, his gaze holding all the love Tony had for her. She could feel his warm breath on her skin. It tickled, made her smile even more. Intimate moments like these were always going to make her feel like a lovesick fool. Tilting her head, Pepper glanced at their daughter, her smile cut deep into her cheeks, eyes glassy with tears.
“She’s got your smile, Daddy.”
A soft giggle came from him. “I’m just glad she’s smiling now without you having to abuse me first.”
Pepper laughed softly and pulled away, staring into his eyes. She ruffled his hair and chuckled.
“I’m sorry, baby.”
“You’re not,” he said, grinning.
“I am... a little.”
She grinned back, as she traced her fingers over the soft planes of his face and along Tony’s jaw line. She brushed her fingertips over his soft mouth, and his lips caught her index finger in a gentle kiss. She smiled. She couldn’t stop smiling. Her daughter gurgled happily, and Pepper kissed Morgan’s head, nuzzling her hair with her nose and inhaling her scent. Every day, she saw more and more of Tony in her. It was such a beautiful thing. She felt Tony’s lips touch her hair, his hand coming around her back, and heard a small sigh.
Then he said, “You can hit me over the head with a diaper whenever you want.”
Erupting into fits of girlish giggles, Pepper raised her head to look at him.
“As the mother of my child, I grant you that privilege.”
He smirked at her, his fingers tangling in her hair for a moment before he lightly thumped his fist against her cheek.
“Okay,” she answered with a grin.
Next thing he knew, his head was hit again. He grunted.
“Dammit, Pepper! I didn’t mean right now!”
It was playful protest, yet still a protest—she did it again.
“That’s another one for using a curse word in the presence of our daughter.” She laughed.
“Will you please stop?”
He wanted to keep a straight face, tried to glare at her like the first time, but all he could do was laugh.
“Look at her. She loves it,” Pepper said, noticing how Morgan’s face instantly lit up with that adorable toothless grin. “You like it when Mommy hits Daddy, hey?” She grinned. “Should I go again?”
“No, you should not.” Tony emphasized each word separately.
He tried to stop her wrist midair, but since he was holding the baby, he had limited movement. His attempt was weak, and so Pepper could easily hit him over the head yet again. She knew it didn’t hurt as much as he pretended it did. She wouldn’t do it, if it did. It was fun. Playful banter. And no matter how much he complained, Tony enjoyed it as much as she did, as much as Morgan did.
“I told you, I could do this all day.” She hit him. “And our baby’s sweet smile is all the more reason for me to keep going,” she quipped.
“One... Two,” Tony started counting slowly. “Three.”
“What are you doing?” she asked, confused.
“I’m counting to ten,” he said, and continued, “Four.”
“And then?”
“Five.”
“Tony!” Pepper laughed out his name, playfully smacking his shoulder. “What happens at ten?”
“You’re gonna meet destiny,” he growled, teasing her. “Six.”
“Should I run away?”
“You better.” He smirked. “Seven.”
She took a step back, eyeing him. “What you’re gonna do?”
“Eight.” He paused. “You’re running out of time, honey.”
“Just tell me, babe.”
“Okay, fine… I’m gonna put the baby down for a second, grab you, and then take you for a swim. How does that sound?”
“You’re not gonna throw me into the lake. It’s, like, ten degrees out there.”
“Nine,” he called out the next number in a loud voice, and his impish grin stretched from ear to ear.
“Tony, please don’t,” she pleaded with him, taking a few more steps back.
Pepper wished she could look angry, but she was grinning like an idiot the whole time. She watched him walk over to Morgan’s crib, putting her down, and then turn back to her.
“Nine and a half...”
The look of determination on his face was unmistakable: He meant what he said, and so Pepper shrieked and ran. She ran away from him, out the bedroom door and down the stairs.
“Ten!” he yelled, and ran after her, roaring like a lion over his prey.
Giggles erupted all around. Laughter filled their happy hearts, spilling over as Tony caught up to Pepper and quickly locked her in his embrace. She writhed to get away from him, laughing from the fingers that tickled her. He buried his face in her hair, holding her tighter the more she struggled.
“Please don’t throw me in, please don’t throw me in,” she cried out, as tears ran down her cheeks. “Please don’t...”
She gasped for air, her sides hurting from laughing too much. Tony scooped her up and over his shoulder. He’d taken ten strides before she broke through the shock and protested, slapping him on the back.
“Tony! Let me go!” Her voice cracked with laughter.
He cackled. God, she was cute. The way she was hauled over his shoulder like a sack of flour, and wriggling in his grasp while she screamed at him, as if he couldn’t hear just how much fun she was having.
“Uh-uh. You asked for it, Pep,” he said, laughing. “Now you’re getting it.”
“I hate you,” she laughed.
“I hate you, too, honey.”
Pepper had a nice, hot shower afterwards—and he joined her, making up for throwing her in the lake with just her pajamas on. Needless to say, she enjoyed every second of it. Tony was so dedicated to make her feel warm again; it was easy to forgive him. They went back to bed after they showered, snuggling up with their baby nestled between them. Pepper looked at him, and he returned the look of love with the same devotion in his eyes. It was quiet for another minute before Tony spoke.
“She may have her daddy’s smile, but she’s got her mother’s beauty.”
“And she definitely has her father’s weird sense of humor, “ Pepper added with a grin. “Because only your daughter would show her first smile while someone’s getting hurt.”
He giggled and started playing with Morgan’s little fingers, looking down.
“You think she’ll be like my mini-me?”
“Yup,” Pepper answered, smirking. “She’ll be a pain in the you-know-what and drive me the f— crazy, and you know I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Laughing, he kissed Pepper’s cheek. “She’s gonna have both of us wrapped around her finger, especially when she smiles like that.”
“That big gummy grin right there—“ Pepper touched a finger to the smile lines around her daughter’s mouth, “—is just the beginning. Once she learns how to talk—”
“We’re screwed,” Tony finished her sentence.
“Yeah...”
“But her smile is so cute, Pep,” Tony said with a deep sigh, as he kept staring at that small dimple in Morgan’s cheek, enthralled. In this moment, he would do anything for her. Anything. “God, I’m already—“
“I know,” Pepper replied, sighing, and traced a gentle finger down her baby’s face. “Me too.”
They were deeply smitten with her charms. And they knew things would never be the same again once their daughter started using the power of that smile to her advantage. She was trouble, and they were completely and utterly at her mercy. Just one smile, that was all it took to change their world forever.