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It was another one of their evenings they would spend together in the lab. Another one of those were they ended up watching a movie in the common floor, eating ice cream and pizza on the couch. Tony didn't mind, he really didn't. How could he ? Disregarding from the daily heart attacks the teenager next to him gave him, his presence was ... relaxing, it was soothing. Knowing that he was right beside him made him calmer than he had been in the last couple of years. Even as the boy was talking nonstop through the movie and pointed something out about the special effects.
And it was another one of those evenings were the younger one would fall asleep on him. Curled up against the elders warm body. The talking would stop and the silence from the empty hallways would rush into the room with an immense coolness and harshness, that Tony always tried to escape from. And Tony would always be greatful, that he had a little ball of joy and energy lying on his couch.
There had been a time were the hallways had been loud. To his own suprise, Tony had enjoyed it. He had made it his job to keep them all together.
Until it happend.
Because everytime he tried to hold something tight in his arms, it always broke into sharp, pointed pieces of glass, which found a way right into his heart.
It hurt. Every single breath cut a new wound into his bleeding soul, because it had to. Because he could't just stop fixing his mistakes (And he did a lot of them). Couldn't run away again and fail wile doing it. Couldn't fail to protect something he was about to destroy. Couldn't trust his mind again, because he had done that way too often, in his blindness, not seeing the damage it caused.
So here he was, holding something in his arms, that was not meant to be broken. Pressing something so beautiful, so harmless and so pure against his chest that, he couldn't resist it, so he let it fill his heart with warmth and care. It was his little gift that life had given him. This kid who Tony wanted to give everything life did not gave to him. And this kid, his amazing, smart kid let Tony take care of him, let him tell him promises, trusted him to let him sleep in peace.
But Tony was scared. He was so, god damned scared, to lose him, break him like the others.
" We are Starks. We don't have weak spots. They can be used against us, they make us weak.
We are made of iron, Anthony, we don't cry. "
So here he lay. On the couch. Closing his eyelids, letting his tired eyes let go from their tears, which than ran down his cheeks. Letting the warmth grow in him, letting his hands grive through those soft brown curls, hug Peter tight and smile wile doing it.
He didn't knew what to do...
So he did that what he always did.
He protected something he was about to destroy. He trusted his mind that, it wouldn't end up like last time. And kissed his boys forehead, who was curled up against his body. He named the warmth love and felt all of it, for the biggest gift life would ever give him. He let the beautiful, beautiful boy light up his world whith his presence. And he would kiss his talented, loving bambino as often as Peter needed him to, to make him understand that he was loved by him. Because, Tony was holding him, right in that moment, feeling it grow.
I am so sorry that you're my weak spot.