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Tony sat in his office pouring over the paperwork that Fury had sent over with Coulson and Pepper when he heard it.
The distinct cry of his 5 year old adopted son, Peter.
All three adults grimaced as the cry got gradually louder before there was a frantic knock at the door.
Pepper frowned worriedly at him before moving to open it.
In the doorway stood a frantic looking Happy with a screaming Peter clutched to his chest. He looked to Tony. “Boss, I’m sorry but he just won’t stop. He fell asleep watching tv and had an accident, and I think he’s got a fever, a-and I got to get him changed but then he spewed all over your bedroom floor and I-I just-” Happy adjusted his grip on the sobbing child. “He only wants you.”
Tony gave Happy a sympathetic smile before standing up and crossing the room. Tony had been expecting something was up, Peter hadn’t slept well last night and wouldn’t eat anything at breakfast. “I wouldn’t take it personally, Hap, the kid is always clingy when he’s sick.”
Tony placed a hand on the kid’s arm, but Peter just screamed harder into Happy’s shoulder.
“Hey, hey, bubba, it’s me, it’s Nony,” he hummed, rubbing the kid’s back. Peter lifted his head enough to see that it was in fact Tony speaking and after a spark of recognition he launched himself into Tony’s arms with a screaming sob.
“That’s it, buddy, you’re alright,” he hummed, clutching the boy tight to his chest, rocking back and forth slightly as he howled. He brought a hand up to the back of the child’s neck and tutted sympathetically at the child’s fever.
“My best boy,” Tony murmured in the screaming child’s hair, before giving Pepper a discrete nod.
With that, Pepper tidied the paperwork into a neat pile, “I think that means it’s time for a break. Coffee, Phil?”
Phil smiled at Tony shushing the sobbing child. “Sounds good.”
“Tony?” Pepper asked.
“I’m good,” he said, voice hushed. “Maybe some juice for the kiddo?”
Pepper nodded and led Phil from the room, Happy following with an apologetic look.
And with that his focus was solely on his kid, who was currently sobbing uncontrollably into his neck.
“Hey, buddy, relax, it’s alright, I’ve got you,” he hummed, “it’s just you and me.”
Peter’s sobs halted as his breath hitched, causing him to cough harshly, making Tony wince as he whined and the sobs started again albeit, quieter this time.
“Shhh, Petey, relax, you’re gonna make yourself sick again,” Tony frowned, “how about we go sit down, huh?”
Peter didn’t acknowledge Tony’s words other than a hand curling tight into his shirt collar.
Tony made his way back to his office chair, sitting down and maneuvering the child to straddle his lap, Peter curling into his chest, his entire body hitching with overwhelmed sobs.
Tony rubbed the child’s back soothingly, humming Peter’s lullaby as his sobs downgraded to shuddering breaths and pained whimpers.
Tony pressed his lips to his son’s hair. “Happy said you weren’t feeling good, buddy. Does your tummy hurt?”
Peter just nodded into his father’s chest.
“Real bad?” Tony hummed sympathetically.
Peter let out a wobbly “Y-Yeah.”.
Tony pushed the chair back and rolled it over to his trashcan, pulling it closer to the pair.
“You’ll let me know if you feel sick, huh bubba?”
Peter just let out a whine, rubbing his cheek against his father’s shirt.
Tony rubbed the child’s back as he hummed into his hair. Peter taking the time to calm down enough to make sense of what was going on.
“N-Nony, I h-had a’ accident,” the child whimpered. Tony could feel his lip wobbling against his chest.
“That’s okay, buddy, accidents happen, everything can be cleaned,” Tony brushed off. “Happy said you fell asleep, huh, did you have a dream?” Tony said, despite already knowing the answer.
“M-M-Monster,” Peter said, voice trembling.
“Oof, the monster dream?” Tony sympathized. “Good thing Happy was there to squash them, yeah?”
Peter just took another shuddery breath, “Y-Yeah.”
Tony rubbed his hand across the kid’s back. “But you didn’t want to stay upstairs with him?”
Peter’s shoulders hitched. “I-I w-wanted Nony!” he cried, fresh tears falling from his screwed shut eyes.
Tony wrapped his arms around the trembling boy, burying his face in his curls. “I know, bubba, it’s okay. Nony’s here.”
Tony rocked the young boy back and forth, humming under his breath until the kid’s shuddering breaths evened out and his grip on Tony’s sides loosened.
When Tony was sure that he was asleep, he told Friday to let Pepper know it was alright to come back in. Pepper opened the door, armed with a juice box and a cup of coffee, to see Tony gently laying a sleeping Peter on the couch at the side of the room. He draped the throw blanket over the child’s sleeping form, freezing when the kid’s eyes fluttered but letting out a breath when he settled once more.
Pepper moved towards them, carding her fingers through the kid’s hair, pursing her lips at the fever underneath.
“I’ll take him upstairs in a little bit,” he said quietly, “we’re nearly done here.”
“What was that meltdown about?” Pepper asked. “That’s not like him.”
“Just got a bit overwhelmed, he had his first accident in a while and he’s not feeling good. And he had a nightmare. I’m usually there when he has a nightmare, but I wasn’t today,” Tony sighed.
“Don’t beat yourself up about it Tony, that’s not your fault,” she reassured him.
“I know, I just-”
Their conversation was cut short by a tap at the door.
“That’ll be Coulson. Let’s get finished up here so you can get Peter back to bed,” she hummed.
Tony dragged his eyes away from the sleeping child as the man entered the room once more.
“Let’s get this wrapped up.”
Thirty minutes of mindless paperwork later, Tony was just about to put his signature on the last contract when Peter awoke with a hiccup, which quickly evolved into fresh sobs. Pepper quickly crossed the room to the boy and held out her arms, to which Peter would normally let himself be picked up by the woman, but this time he pushed her away, reaching for Tony still sat at the desk.
“D-Daddy,” he whimpered.
Pepper and Tony both froze.
It took the kid to whine and call “Daddy,” again more desperately for Tony to shake himself out of his stupor and stand up.
“Uh, yeah. Yeah, bubba, I’m- uh, Daddy’s here,” he stumbled. He picked the child up and held him close as he stuck his thumb in his mouth tiredly.
Pepper signed the contracts herself and placed them back into their folder, handing them to Coulson. “I think that’s enough for today, don’t you think?”
Coulson had enough sense to see that clearly there was something more going on, nodding and making a quick exit.
When Pepper turned around, Tony was rocking back and forth with Peter settled into his shoulder, a stunned look on his face.
“Pep, that’s the-”
“I know, Tony,” she cut him off.
“It’s the first time he’s called me-”
“I know, Tony,” she cut him off again with a smile. “Just enjoy it. Get your kid to bed.”
“Get my kid to bed,” he repeated dumbly.
“Take the rest of the day off, go lay down with him, make sure he’s okay,” she insisted, cupping her hand on the boy’s forehead, still not happy with the kid’s fever.
“Get my kid to bed,” Tony said once more, before kissing his son’s hair. “Let’s go to bed, bubba.”