Chapter Text
Tony walked into the penthouse and clapped his hands, looking around. “Well, this is it. Mi casa es su casa, buddy.”
Bruce looked at him uncertainly, pushing his glasses up his nose. “It’s so…fancy.”
Pepper crouched next to him, rearranging a misbehaving dark curl. “That’s just Tony. He likes everything to be new. If it makes you uncomfortable we can redecorate your room however you like, sweetie.”
“No, it’s nice.” The boy said quickly.
Tony cleared his throat, twitching his hands. He found himself as anxious to impress Bruce as he had been when they’d first met, which was stupid. Not only did the adult Bruce Banner not care about wealth or gadgets, but from what he’d heard children were far easier to impress.
“Do you wanna play somethin’?” he asked, “I’ve got every gaming console known to man.”
“Maybe Bruce wants to put his things away first?” Pepper asked, “Take a tour, get himself settled in?”
“Right!” Tony bounced on his heels, “Tour. Let’s do that. This is the lounge, obviously, and the dining table. Kitchen’s through there. My workshop’s downstairs, and the lab’s under that. We might have to discuss a couple of safety rules, like no messin’ around in there without me supervising.”
“I won’t touch your things, Mr Stark.” The boy said quickly.
“No, you’re allowed to touch, you just need to do it when there’s a grown-up nearby in case of an accident. Dum-E’s not that reliable with the fire extinguisher.”
Bruce didn’t look any more relaxed, and Tony threw Pepper a helpless look. She smiled.
“I’ll show you the spare bedrooms and you can decide which one you want, okay?”
She offered her hand and the boy looked at it warily for a second before taking it, the pair heading for the stairs. Tony rubbed a knuckle against his forehead. He needed a drink.
Except that was bad, wasn’t it? You weren’t supposed to drink in front of kids, at least not as often as Tony did. It set a bad example, or affected their social development or something. Tony wasn’t sure – he hadn’t done the appropriate research. Pepper would know, he’d check with her. He remembered his own dad always seemed to have a scotch in his hand when he was at home, which was rarely. Tony might not know what good parenting entailed, but he was pretty confident the first rule should be to do the opposite of what Howard had done.
“Goddamn wizards with their goddamn spells, making everything so goddamn complicated.” He sighed, eyeing his bar longingly as he followed the others.
He found Pepper and Bruce in the room at the end of the floor with the best view of Central Park. It was two doors down from the main bedroom and had its own ensuite, a small built-in robe and a comfortable reading area with an armchair and a bookshelf. Bruce was standing by the window looking down at the other towers while Pepper unpacked his suitcase.
“Good choice, buddy. Is there anything you wanna change? I can have painters here tomorrow, or we can get some new furniture or linens or art or-”
Pepper cut him off with a meaningful quirk of her brow, and Tony slammed his lips together, hands twitching behind him. He had to remember not to overwhelm Bruce with his babbling.
“No thank you, Mr Stark. I like it the way it is. You don’t need to go to any trouble.” Bruce said quietly.
“It’s not trouble, Bruce. You’re part of the family now. Whatever you want, just ask.”
He looked like he wasn’t sure how to process that. Pepper put the last of his shirts in the drawer and slid an arm around Tony’s waist.
“Are you hungry? It’s almost dinner time. You could help me order something.”
“I don’t mind – whatever you want is fine.”
“Well I’m not sure, so you can help me pick. Let’s go look at the menus.”
She offered a hand that Bruce took reluctantly, the two of them heading out. Tony trailed along feeling like an idiot. He should be helping, but he didn’t know how. Bruce had always been his friend, but he couldn’t talk to him like he had before, and he had no idea what to say to children. The inventor sat forlornly at the kitchen island while Pepper pulled out the binder of local delivery places and went through it with Bruce.
“What’s your favourite food?” she asked, flicking through the pages.
“I don’t know. My mum makes – made - a really nice casserole.”
“Hmm, we might be able to work with that. Tony, why don’t you and Bruce make something to drink while Jarvis phones it in?”
“Right!” he barrelled off the stool, “What’ll it be, kid? We can do milkshakes or ice cream floats or hot cocoa or juice or tea, if you’re into that – are kids into that? What about smoothies? That’s more of a breakfast thing though.”
Bruce looked completely baffled, blinking up at Tony. “Um, I don’t mind, Mr Stark.”
“Let’s do juice,” Tony opened the fridge, grabbing the ingredients, “Juice goes with everything.”
Like the contents of his bar, but they were off-limits until after Bruce’s bedtime.
The two of them got to work, Tony handling the slicing while Bruce fed everything into the machine, and it was sort of fun, like collaborating in his workshop. He decided he should say that.
“This is just like the old days,” Tony smiled, “You and me, working as a team, solving problems, getting shi-tuff done.”
The boy frowned, hesitating as he grabbed an empty glass. “I’m sorry I don’t remember that.”
“Hey, no big deal. We’ve got years and years to hang out and brainstorm. I’m gonna teach you all about Jarvis and the suits and the robots. It’ll be great.”
“I…I’d like that,” Bruce turned the glass in his grip, “I liked watching you with the doctors at the manor.”
“Yeah? Biology’s not really my area, and magic’s way over my head. Wait til you see what I’m actually good at.”
They finished the juice and Tony carried the jug while Bruce followed with three glasses clumsily balanced in his hands. He managed to slide two onto the table without incident, but the third wobbled precariously.
“Here, let me help.” Tony reached out, not quick enough to stop it smashing on the floor.
Bruce froze, glass shards littering the wood in a circle around his feet. Tony cursed mildly.
“Did it cut you?”
Bruce shook his head, not meeting Tony’s eye.
“Don’t move, okay? I’ll clean up.”
He leaned closer to pick up one particularly big piece and Bruce flinched away, turning his body as he raised a shoulder. The inventor stopped.
“You sure you’re okay, buddy?”
“I-I-I didn’t mean to break it,” he stammered, “I’m sorry, Mr Stark. I wasn’t careful enough. I can clean it up, you just have to tell me where the broom is-”
He grabbed the boy by the shoulders, gut twisting as Bruce trembled against the contact, and quickly let him go again. “Look, Bruce, it was an accident. It’s fine. I’m glad you weren’t hurt, and I’m gonna fix it. You’re not in trouble.”
“It won’t happen again, sir.”
Tony was completely out of his depth, staring as Bruce gnawed at his bottom lip, trying to make himself as small as possible. The genius felt sad, and furious at whoever taught his friend to feel like this, and lost.
“Pep?”
The redhead came out of the kitchen and gasped. “You guys alright?”
“We’re fine, just a little mishap. You wanna keep Bruce company while I get the vacuum?”
“Of course.”
Tony didn’t hang around; he bolted down the hall, where no one would see if he stopped to punch his pillow for a minute. By the time he returned, calmer and wielding a Dustbuster, Pepper had lifted Bruce clear of the danger and the pair were sitting on the couch watching old Bugs Bunny cartoons. Tony cleaned up and got a new glass, pouring juice for all three of them. He took a big sip, smacking his lips.
“Mmm, great juice, buddy!”
Bruce ducked his head, hands fidgeting in his lap, and the genius frowned. Pepper gave him a sympathetic look.
“Dinner should be here in a minute; I’ll set the table. Tony can keep my seat warm.”
He swapped with her, shifting his weight uncomfortably as he glanced at Bruce, but the boy wouldn’t return the gaze.
“How’s the show?”
“Good.”
“Who’s winning, Elmer or the rabbit?”
“Bugs Bunny always wins.” He said, expression slightly more animated.
“That can’t be true – I’m sure Daffy beats him at least once.”
Bruce’s smile faded. “My mistake, sir.”
Tony wished he could shake Bruce out of it, but that was exactly what the boy expected and feared. He couldn’t stand to see him be so submissive and self-effacing, but how was he supposed to change that attitude? He didn’t even know where to start, and he was worried telling Bruce his behaviour was wrong was the opposite of helpful. He was ramping up to attempt a poorly-worded response when the elevator opened and Happy walked in holding their dinner.
“Alright!” Tony clapped loudly, “Who’s hungry?”
They ate in mostly silence. Pepper tried to keep the conversation going, but between Bruce’s polite succinct replies and Tony’s aimless blathering, it was a wasted effort. The boy ate everything on his plate though, which was reassuring, and when they’d finished he volunteered to tidy up.
“It’s okay, I’ll take care of it,” Tony stood, “It’s your first night. You should relax or explore or something.”
“How about a board game?” Pepper asked.
Bruce looked between them, confused. “Mama usually puts me to bed after dinner so I don’t disturb Dad.”
“Well you’re not disturbing us. If you don’t feel like a game, we could put a movie on, or more cartoons? Is there anything you’d like to do?”
“I...I’m tired.”
Pepper smiled warmly. “Okay, honey. Let’s get you cleaned up and into bed then. Would you rather I help you with the shower, or Tony?”
The inventor tried to copy her smile as Bruce glanced between them.
“You, if that’s okay?” he said, barely above a whisper.
“That’s fine. Tony can come tuck you in later.” She stood, offering him her hand.
“See you in a bit, bud!” he added brightly, stacking the plates to carry them into the kitchen.
The pair disappeared upstairs, and Tony finished clearing away the mess. He looked at his bar with a grimace, and decided he’d put up with enough for one night. He angrily lined up a bunch of bottles on the benchtop, sloshing around the ice and the bar equipment as he threw together a martini and tossed the whole thing back in one go. He poured a second for himself and one for Pepper, loading hers up with olives.
The redhead knocked on the wall at the top of the stairs. “We’re ready for you.”
Tony set his glass down and hurried after her. Bruce was already in bed in his purple pyjamas, hair damp against the pillow. Tony stood next to him awkwardly, smile tight.
“Good night then, buddy. See you in the morning.”
“Sweet dreams, honey.” Pepper leaned down to kiss his head.
Tony thought maybe he was supposed to do that too, but it felt strange and wrong and too intrusive, so he patted Bruce’s shoulder instead and fussed with the blankets a bit before heading for the door. Pepper went to switch the light off and Tony frowned.
“Wait.”
He walked across the room to the dresser, where a plain lamp sat next to a small mirror. Tony turned it on and nodded.
“Better. Sleep well, Bruce.”
The inventor hurtled back down the stairs, grabbing his cocktail like a drowning man clutching at a lifeboat. Pepper wasn’t far behind, and he offered her the other glass without comment. She drained it, reaching for the shaker.
“If that kid’s father wasn’t already dead, I’d nuke him into non-existence.” Tony ground out, surprising himself with how badly his hands shook.
“God, I feel so sorry for him.” She closed her eyes with a sigh.
“I have no idea what to do,” the engineer turned to her, “How do we help him? How do we undo that?”
“By being supportive, Tony. By showing him we’d never, ever mistreat him, until he believes it. By surrounding him with good people who he can learn to trust, like Steve and Clint.”
“Should we be doing more?” he scratched his jaw, “I can get the best child psychs in the country. Maybe they’d be able to help.”
Pepper swallowed, tilting her head. “Maybe. But I think we should wait until he’s more comfortable being here and being around us before we start implying he’s broken in some way.”
“Yeah,” Tony sighed, ‘Yeah, I thought that earlier. God Pep, I feel like I’m failing at this and it’s only the first day.”
“I think every parent feels like that.”
“How is it I can break down any appliance you like and put it back together better, but one small kid has me drawin’ a blank?”
“Kids are more complicated than robots or toasters, Tony. And you didn’t exactly have a great parenting role model to show you how it’s done.”
“I’ve got you though. How did I ever survive before you came to work for me?”
She smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder. “Luck.”
“Must have been.”
“We can do this, Tony. Bruce deserves it.”
He kissed her head. “Then we’ll figure it out.”
*****
He decided the only way to tackle this was to treat it like any other subject he needed to master fast. Tony bought every acclaimed parenting manual he could find and shut himself in his workshop, running through the text between generously-sized espressos.
His music stopped abruptly. “Sir, you have an incoming call from Director Fury.”
“I’m busy.”
The director’s voice cut in gruffly. “Stark, we need to talk.”
Tony sighed as loudly as possible. “Does it have to be right now, Nicky? I’m a little busy.”
“It’s about Banner.”
The inventor pursed his lips. “Fine. When?”
“I’ll be at the Tower in two minutes.”
He hung up, Tony tossing aside a book with a disgusted expression. “Thanks for the warning.”
He left the workshop, heading up to the lounge, and paused in front of his bar. Fuck it, Bruce wasn’t around, and he wouldn’t make it through a conversation with Fury without a drink. He was pouring himself a scotch when the elevator opened and the director stepped out, flanked by Hill.
“Nicholas! Always a pleasure.”
“Stark. Isn’t it a little early, even for you?” he arched a brow.
Tony flashed him a brilliant smile. “What can I say? You bring out the best in me.”
Without waiting to be asked, Fury took a seat on the couch. Tony growled under his breath and waltzed over, plopping himself in an armchair with an exaggerated casual air.
“What can I do for you, Nick?”
“First off, we’re got the paperwork you need to push through your adoption of Bruce under the name Robert Stark.” The director offered him an envelope that Tony pointedly ignored.
“Cool, Pep will be thrilled. She loves official things.”
“Second, the tests all confirm Bruce’s body has returned to its five-year-old state, with no trace of the Hulk present in his blood or DNA, and no gamma radiation.”
“Great. Or not great, for you. How are you gonna replace your heaviest hitter?”
“Captain Rogers and I are discussing candidates. Right now I’m more concerned with the potential impact of the Hulk on Banner’s frame of mind.”
“What do you mean? You just said he was gone.”
Hill pursed her lips. “But not forgotten, unfortunately. After New York Hulk is one of the most well-known Avengers. There’s footage of him everywhere, causing various levels of destruction. We’re concerned that when Bruce finds out who he used to be, he’ll experience the feelings of guilt and self-loathing that were present in his adult self.”
Tony frowned. He hadn’t really thought about that, since he’d never endorsed Bruce’s pity parties in the past. “We can’t hide it from him. He knows he used to be an Avenger, and he’ll be curious.”
“That’s why we need to frame it in a way he can understand and cope with. We’ve consulted several child psychiatrists and put together a plan.” Hill said.
Tony snapped. “How about telling him the truth, instead of trying to sidestep it while he feels vulnerable and alone?”
Fury made a sour face, leaning forward on his knees. “Bruce’s emotions may no longer be dangerous to the general public, but they can still cause a lot of damage. We need to handle this situation delicately.”
“Then I’ll handle it.”
“Stark-”
“He doesn’t know you, Nick, and he certainly doesn’t have any reason to trust you. If he’s staying with me you’re gonna have to deal with the fact that I get to make the decisions.”
“Will you at least take a look at the suggestions?” Hill held out a manila folder.
Tony didn’t take it, but he folded his arms with a scowl. “I’ll read them, and I’ll consult Pepper, and we’ll figure out how we wanna do it. And we’ll do it fast.”
Fury gave a satisfied nod. “Good. Let us know if you need a referral to a child psych.”
Tony smiled tightly. “Actually Nick, I won’t be calling you for anything. Bruce isn’t an Avenger anymore, so you’ve got no reason to be messin’ around in his life. Or Natasha’s, while we’re at it.”
“There is an ongoing security risk associated with both Bruce and Natasha. As their former commander it would be irresponsible of me not to take an interest.”
The billionaire shrugged. “Stark Tower has some of the best security in the world, plus whatever surveillance you’ve got for me and Stevie, since we’re still on the team. Natasha’s living with an ex-HYDRA hitman and could probably kill a full-grown man without even trying. I think we’ll be okay.”
“And what are you gonna do if someone like Ross figures out who your new son is, and decides to check for themselves if the Hulk is out of play?”
“Let him fucking try. I’ll blast that asshole to kingdom come before I let him get anywhere near Bruce, and I’ll destroy his career while I’m at it. See that’s the difference between you and me, Nicky. If someone like Ross tries anything, you’ll politely convince him to stop with a lot of politics and intimidation. I’ll just blow him up.”
“There’s a reason we can’t murder leaders of the armed forces willy-nilly, Stark. It’s complicated.”
“It’s not, really. Bruce is a Stark now, under my considerable protection. As far as you’re concerned, that’s the end of your involvement with him,” Tony stood, “So good seeing you.”
Fury tried to stare him down but Tony just glowered right back, until finally the director stood and stalked towards the elevator.
Maria gave a tight smile. “We’ll keep you informed if we hear anything.”
“I appreciate it, Commander.”
He watched them until the doors closed behind them, then picked up the folders and retreated to his workshop.
“Bruce?”
The boy was sitting on the couch with a crossword book, and he flinched at the sound of Tony’s voice, burying it under a cushion. Tony felt something hot and bitter swell in his throat, but he forced it back until he could manage a smile.
“Mind if I talk to you, buddy?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You don’t have to call me sir, kiddo. Tony’s fine. Can I sit?”
Bruce nodded, blinking owlishly. “Um, what do you wanna talk about?”
“I need to explain some stuff to you about who you were before, and it’s not all fun. Just hear me out, okay? And ask questions, if you have them.”
Tony took a breath. He really wished he wasn’t sober.
“You know that grown-up you was a member of the Avengers?”
Bruce nodded.
“Well the reason you were super enough to make the team was because when you were in college, you tried to replicate the serum that made Steve into a super soldier.”
“Captain Rogers?” the boy frowned.
“Yeah. He was still frozen so you didn’t have all the information you needed, and something went wrong. The experiment changed your insides so that every time you lost control of your emotions, you turned into this huge strong person called the Hulk.”
“The Hulk?” he screwed up his nose.
“Yeah, not the best name ever. Because the Hulk always came out when you were stressed or in danger, it usually meant a lot of stuff got smashed up. Hulk was a great member of the team but he tended to leave a lot of ruined buildings behind.”
“Oh,” Bruce said quietly, “I’m sorry.”
Tony held up a hand. “Hey, so not your fault. Hulk’s gone, and you never have to worry about him again. I’m only telling you because there is a lot of stuff online about him, and not all of it’s nice. But you should know he wasn’t a bad guy. No matter what people say, Hulk was always on our side. He just didn’t have great self-control.”
Bruce looked concerned and Tony sighed.
“I’m not doing this right. What I want – what I’m tryin’ to do – is for you to understand that you aren’t Hulk anymore, and anything he did, anyone he hurt, has nothing to do with you. I don’t want you to feel responsible for his mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes, right?” he tried a smile, “I’ve made heaps of mistakes that hurt people.”
“Like what?” Bruce asked.
“Well I wasn’t always a superhero. Before I built the Iron Man suit I made weapons for the army. Lots of people died because of those weapons, and at the time I didn’t think too hard about it. When I realised my inventions weren’t being used the way I thought they should be, I shut down that part of the business and shifted our focus to helping people.”
The boy looked thoughtful, tracing a circle on the knee of his jeans. “So you became an Avenger because you felt bad?”
“Yeah. I think you joined up for the same reason. Maybe that’s why we were friends; we both wanted to make a difference, instead of being the monsters other people thought we were.”
“I was a monster?” Bruce whispered.
“You didn’t wanna be,” Tony said, “But you couldn’t always stop yourself.”
“Like my dad.”
That was way out of Tony’s league, but he couldn’t let it hang there either. He clenched his teeth.
“No, not like your dad. Your dad hurt you and your mum because he was a bad person. Most of the people who got hurt by Hulk were trying to attack him or people he cared about, and the others were accidents. You, Bruce, never wanted to hurt anyone. Your dad did. You’re nothing like him.”
He looked a bit happier, which Tony took as a win. He leaned back on the couch.
“Jarv, pull up some clips of Hulk kickin’ ass with the rest of the team?”
“Right away, sir.”
Steve found them there, Bruce giggling as Thor smashed a Doombot through a parked car, Tony tossing popcorn in the air and catching it in his mouth. The captain raised a brow as the Tony on screen flew past, repulsors knocking the heads off droids with a whoosh.
“Hey guys. Havin’ fun?”
“We’re having a ball, right bud?” Tony smiled.
Bruce’s legs kicked against the couch excitedly. He pointed at the TV. “Look, that’s me!”
Hulk roared and ripped a lamp post out of the sidewalk, swatting at Doombots and smashing more than a few building facades in the process.
“Yeah, you did a great job,” Steve nodded, “Mind if I borrow Tony for a second?”
“I’ll be right back, pal,” the inventor jumped up, following Steve to the kitchen, “What’s up?”
“Hill told me about the conversation you had with Fury. I just wanted to see how you were doin’.”
“Great!”
“Yeah, I noticed. Is he, uh, is he okay with the Hulk clips?”
“Jarvis is keeping a tight filter on which videos get played. I figured the uglier ones can wait until Bruce is older. But I think it’s helping him understand what role he played in the team, cos he doesn’t think much of himself in general right now.”
Steve’s hand audibly creaked as he clenched it into a fist and Tony snorted.
“Right there with ya, Rogers.”
“If there’s anything I can do-”
“I’ll let you know – really. I’ll probably take you up on that a lot. But this is the first time I feel like I’ve done something right.” Tony beamed proudly.
There was a loud crash in the other room and Bruce laughed. Steve slung an arm around Tony’s shoulders with a smile.
“Sounds like you’re already a pro.”
“I’m a genius, you know.”
“So you keep tellin’ me.”
*****
Tony had managed to not only make sandwiches that didn’t taste terrible, but make them at a lunch-appropriate time. He sat at the table with Bruce watching the boy eat and feeling ridiculously pleased with himself, plotting out the rest of their afternoon. The elevator opened and Pepper stepped out.
“Pep! Want some lunch?”
“I already ate, but thank you, Tony. I have some news.”
Bruce frowned as she produced a piece of paper, showing it to the billionaire. Tony took it, mindful of his messy fingers, and laughed.
“Well, you’re officially a Stark, kiddo. Hope that’s okay.”
He slid the adoption certificate across so Bruce could see. The boy screwed up his nose.
“Robert? Nobody calls me that.”
“I know, but we’re trying to be sneaky about your real identity so no bad guys figure out who you are. We’ll still call you Bruce if that’s what you prefer.” Tony said.
“We need to make a statement.” Pepper looked at him pointedly.
“Why? The less media attention, the better.”
“Because it’s you, Tony. You never shy away from media attention. You have to act normal or people will have even more questions than you’re already gonna get about why the genius Tony Stark would suddenly adopt. Plus, the more information we provide, the more we control the angle of the story and the less digging they’re gonna do.”
“Fine, fine. You want me to make a speech? It might be better if I do it alone, just to keep Pepper-my-CEO and Pepper-my-girlfriend separate.”
“No, I think a united front’s better. We’re going to be a family, so we should present it as a joint decision.”
“Thank God,” he huffed, “I need you to handle the uncomfortable questions.”
“We’re booked to appear on Barbara Walters tonight.”
“Isn’t she retired?”
Pepper shrugged. “This story is a goldmine and her reps know it. She’s got good credibility – adds to the mature, parental image.”
Tony made a face. “Alright. Bruce, we’ll ask Steve to stay with you while we’re out. You guys can have cake for dinner.”
“They absolutely cannot,” Pepper rolled her eyes, “We need to be at the studio by five, so make sure you’re ready to leave.”
She headed back to the elevator and Tony winked at Bruce.
“Celebratory adoption cake. It’s happenin’.”
Tony tapped his foot as a wardrobe assistant tried to adjust his lapel.
“Does she have to?” he glanced at Pepper.
“Yes. Stop squirming.”
“One minute to air, Ms Walters.” The producer leaned in.
Barbara nodded. “We’re ready.”
The assistant brushed at Tony’s hair and he tapped her hand aside.
“You’re done.”
She scurried off looking terrified and Pepper gave him an admonishing look. Tony didn’t care if he was coming off abrupt – he didn’t like to be touched, damn it. He was stressed enough without adding unwanted physical contact.
“I’m so thrilled for both of you,” Barbara smiled, “Starting your family is a fantastic achievement.”
“We’re very excited.” Pepper placed her hand on Tony’s.
“Thirty seconds!”
“You read through our instructions about topics are off the table?” Tony asked.
“Don’t worry, Mr Stark. I have the utmost respect for your child’s privacy. Goodness knows he won’t have much of it.” She smiled wryly.
“And in five, four, three…”
“Good evening. I’m Barbara Walters, and tonight we have a very special interview with Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, who have some incredible news,” she leaned in, expression serious, “Pepper, would you care to tell our viewers at home?”
“I’d love to, Barbara,” she flashed a perfect grin, “Tony and I have just finalised the adoption of our son Robert.”
“Wonderful! Isn’t it just wonderful? How long has this been in the works?”
Pepper looked at Tony expectantly. The genius cleared his throat, straightening in his chair.
“We’ve been talking about it for a while – ever since we got together, really. You know, Stark Industries is a family business and I always sort of imagined handing it down to a son of my own, but between the Avengers and running the company neither of us has had the time.”
“And what’s different now?” Barbara asked with an intense frown of concentration.
Pepper entwined their fingers. “We realised that the world is too unpredictable to wait around for that perfect time. Tony’s work is very dangerous, and I’m never going to get any less busy, so we decided to just go for it.”
“And we wanted to open our home to someone who needed it,” Tony added, “Someone who’d had a rough start and deserved parents who love him and wanna give him the best.”
“Does this mean there’s a wedding in your near future?”
Pepper laughed. “Maybe. We haven’t discussed that yet. Like Tony said, we’re short on time, so it will happen when it happens.”
“So how old is Robert?”
“He’s five and a half.”
“And had you met him before the adoption?”
“We actually spent quite a lot of time getting to know him. We wanted him to be comfortable.” Pepper nodded.
“What about his real parents? Are they still around?”
“He’s an orphan,” Tony said firmly, “And that’s all I wanna say about it.”
“Is he excited to have Iron Man as his new dad?”
Tony gave a tight smile. “He doesn’t really care one way or the other, I think. And we’re very determined to keep him away from that side of things as much as possible, keep him out of the press and give him some semblance of a normal life.”
“I don’t suppose that was something you had when you were his age.”
The genius took a breath. “It wasn’t. My dad worked a lot, which didn’t leave much time for me. I was raised by our butler until I went to M.I.T, and then after my parents died I didn’t really have anyone. I want to give Robert a sense of stability I didn’t have.”
“It must have been tough.” She nodded wisely.
“I don’t think growing up rich, smart and famous is anything to whine about. I certainly had an easier time than the majority of people,” he frowned, “But there were times when it sucked, yeah. I was angry at my dad for a long, long time, thinking he didn’t care, that I wasn’t good enough. Measuring myself against an imaginary standard really, cos he wasn’t around to tell me he was proud. I guess it made me want a family I could be close to.”
Pepper looked at him in surprise, and even Barbara seemed taken aback. Tony bit his cheek, taking a sip of water. He hadn’t expected to open up so much – he barely spoke to Pep about his dad and his family hang-ups. Maybe it had just been on his mind more since they decided to adopt Bruce. Maybe he was finally okay talking about it.
He decided not to risk blabbing any more about his feelings, letting Pepper handle the questions as he smiled supportively, but he wasn’t really listening. He was too busy wondering if his dad would be proud of the man he’d become. And the hidden, vulnerable optimistic part of Tony thought maybe he would be.
“Any chance Robert might get a brother or sister at some point?” Barbara smiled.
“It’s way too early to think about.” Pepper waved a hand.
“Yeah,” Tony smirked, “Give me a chance to not completely screw this one up first.”