Work Text:
Natasha slipped soundlessly down the stairs. She had learned what parts creaked and what areas groaned long ago, knowing how to avoid them perfectly.
All in all, she knew Tony would have this, but the engineer tended to freak out sometimes when he convinced himself he was incapable of performing actions that involved feelings. He could do scare himself so much that he would freeze so Natasha thought she would just check up on him to see if that was the case this time.
Miserable cries drew her feet to the kitchen. Out of ingrained habit, she leaned into the shadows of the lounge room and peered around the open doorway into the dining room, just off the open kitchen, always doing recon before she entered anywhere.
The sight that greeted her didn’t surprise her as much as it would have several days ago. Also, she knew Tony better than he liked to admit. The guy was probably a bigger softie than Steve. The engineer also proved over and over again he was a sucker for Bruce. He had the world’s biggest soft spot of the gentle physicist, regular aged or de-aged. Particularly when he was in distress.
Like now.
Tony was doing that thing where he half-sang words that were more a monologue of his thoughts rather than addressing anybody as he paced up and down the lengthways of the huge dining room, just next to the long table. ‘Please stop crying, please stop crying.’ He gently bounced and rocked the little figure he had pressed against his shoulder, hands looking so large on the small body, his palm cradling the crown of curls. ‘Please stop crying, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, no more tears, no more tears.’
Though Natasha winced at the sound of Bruce’s distress and wanted to swoop in to give him a hug, she didn’t want to undermine Tony the way he had always been with people in need of help, emotional or simply being a bit ill. She forced herself to be patient and watch the scene until if and when she knew she was needed.
The cries became pitiful sobs as the toddler squirmed.
‘Oh, Brucie,’ Tony murmured, voice losing the sing-song quality as he pressed a soft kiss to the little boy’s temple, causing Natasha’s lips to twitch upwards with the natural ease he performed the action. ‘I know, I know, your stomach hurts. Don’t worry, big man, we’ll hurt Steve and Thor for that one tomorrow, okay? But in their slight defence, bud, you usually love curry!’
Using the hand that wasn’t cradling Bruce’s head, he gently patted the small back that was heaving with sobs. Finally, the little body shuddered as a burp made itself heard.
Natasha breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Bruce would start to feel better now. Still though, she stayed, enjoying seeing Tony at ease and not on show. It was something special, particularly when Bruce and Tony interacted. Being around those two was some of the happiest memories she had.
Tony continued to murmur platitudes until the sobbing eased to sniffles. Leftover tiny cries would now and then sound, but the toddler had settled.
‘There we go, bud,’ Tony soothed, easing the boy back from his shoulder so he could look into the tiny subject’s face. The engineer kept his hand cradling the child’s head while using his forearm to hold the upper part of Bruce’s body, using his other hand to gently pat the boy’s lower back, still keeping Bruce half-cradled against his chest.
Bruce stared up at Tony through tear-clumped eyelashes, huge honeyed eyes still shining with more unshed tears, nose running pitifully. His dark brown, almost black curls were messy and ruffled, some sweaty strands sticking to his forehead. His little fists balled up as he waved them about aimlessly, whole body squirming and his face screwed up as he gave a few more whining cries, obviously not sure if he liked this new position or not.
Seeing the movement cemented what Natasha had observed very early on. All though Bruce was extremely advanced for a nearly three-year-old, speech fairly well articulated and able to grasp vague concepts as well as being extremely sharp and observant for a child that age, he was still just a baby. A slightly adorable one. But only slightly.
‘Hey, hey,’ Tony bounced him gently to get his attention and lifted him a little higher so Tony had to look up at him.
Bruce blinked, realising the change, and stared down at Tony, pausing in his cries.
Tony grinned, chestnut eyes bright and helplessly fond, unlike how Natasha had ever really seen him. ‘Feeling a little better, Bubba?’ he cooed softly.
Ever since the change, Tony had slipped into calling Bruce that nickname several times, but only when he thought no one was listening. Steve had heard it once, but when he tried to tease Tony on it, the engineer simply said the soldier’s hearing was going with old age.
Bruce sniffled in reply, hiccupping softly, causing Natasha to give a silent ‘Aw’, before the little guy attempted to clumsily wipe at his face with his fists.
‘Whoa, easy there, bud!’ Tony shifted Bruce slightly so he was holding the toddler with one arm, using his free hand to gently tug the little guy’s fists away from his face. ‘I know you may believe women think scars are sexy, but take it from an expert, they don’t.’
Tony gently began to swipe away the leftover tears and wiped Bruce’s little nose. This was the same man who had complained for hours when Lila accidentally spilled her chocolate milk on him, complaining it was, in his words, ‘disgusting’. The same man who was clearing Bruce’s runny nose without a thought.
Natasha had to grin as well at how easily Tony was holding Bruce. He was quite pro, easily shifting and manoeuvring the little boy when needed. It just showed that when Tony wasn’t freaking out over his personal demons and just did things, he was a natural. It wasn’t really a surprise. Since a very young age, Tony’s nimble fingers had been manipulating extremely precious elements without breaking them so with Bruce, it was really second nature when he allowed himself to just relax into the role.
Bruce quietened as Tony cleaned him up.
‘Good boy, Brucie,’ Tony praised him with a grin, shifting him again so the engineer was back to holding him with both hands, gently patting his back now and then.
The toddler blinked at Tony before his pudgy lips parted, giving a croaky, ‘Ma.’
Natasha’s breath hitched. Whenever Bruce had been upset since being de-aged, he fell into a bit of baby mumbles, like how most babies would simply cry certain sentences over again. Lila used to cry, ‘Bub, bub, bub’ over and over again. Despite Bruce never directly questioning about his parents since being regressed, when he was upset, it always sounded like he was going to cry out for Mama. The whole team feared he was going to start concentrating on Rebecca Banner so would try to distract him quickly, which Tony went about doing now.
‘Yeah, Bubba, I know,’ he soothed, bouncing Bruce gently. His chestnut eyes lit up as he was hit with an idea, the way they always went. ‘Hey, Brucie, can you say isotope?’
Natasha rolled her eyes while her lips couldn’t help be pulled into a smirk. Of course.
Bruce’s lips stopped wobbling so much as his pretty eyes, still glittering with some tears, concentrated on Tony.
‘Is-o-tope?’ He asked softly.
‘Good boy, Brucie!’ Tony grinned in excitement, bouncing the boy again, which got him a tiny, shy smile in return.
Bruce had proven to be a little playback recorder when it came to Tony, saying whatever the engineer directed him to without question. It excited Tony to no end, especially when the toddler wouldn’t do it for anybody else. He had Bruce practically singing his praises. The man had no shame while Bruce was thrilled with the reactions he got when he said what Tony wanted.
‘Can you say engineering?’
‘Engine-ring?’
Natasha bit her bottom lip, smiling fondly in the shadows, where nobody could see her. The kid was too adorable.
‘Clever boy!’ Tony did a slight twirl.
Bruce giggled immediately, squirming shyly at the praise and direct attention he was getting from Tony.
Tony grinned fondly down at the boy, head cocked to the side as he studied the child he was holding. It was evident pretty immediately that Bruce was enamoured with Tony and the engineer tried to hide it around the team, but the feeling was obviously returned. The whole team loved little Bruce, but Tony was connected to him, very much like how it was when Bruce was his regular age. Who couldn’t love the adoring, little bundle, so sweet and gentle at such a young age?
‘Clever boy,’ Tony repeated softly.
Bruce’s squirming increased and he brought his hands up to his face to hide behind, peeking up with his huge honeyed eyes.
Tony’s grin softened more. ‘Hey, Brucie? Wanna play word association?’
The little boy blinked, chewing absently on a set of fingers, which is what he often did when in thought. His adult counterpart usually chewed on the right arm of his glasses.
‘Umm,’ he hummed. ‘Word ‘sociation?’
Natasha leaned against the doorway, unable to keep the softest smile off her face. Little Bruce’s voice kept adult Bruce’s huskiness, which was just too adorable when coming from an almost three-year-old’s high-pitched tone.
‘Yep.’ Tony nodded. Unlike with most people, where he would impatiently explain what he meant, he stayed quiet, letting Bruce think it through for himself.
‘Like … say words that I think after you say words?’
As Tony had proclaimed the first day Bruce had changed, the little boy was a genius. Even sleepy and still sore, the kid was unreal.
Tony practically glowed with pride.
‘That’s right, Brucie,’ he said. ‘Now, what word comes to mind when I say clever?’
Bruce threw his hands out to the sides, smile huge as he proclaimed, ‘Tony!’
Natasha nearly choked trying to hold back her laughter.
Tony didn’t. He laughed instantly, delighted and light, very different again from the sarcastic chuckles he usually gave. It was beautiful to listen to.
‘Handsome?’ He asked with amused raised eyebrows.
Bruce grinned adorably up at him, smile a little gummy. ‘Tony,’ he said with a laugh like the answer was obvious.
Tony laughed again. ‘Wonderful?’
‘Tony.’
‘Best person in the world?’
‘Tony.’
‘Best superhero there will ever be?’
‘Tony.’
The engineer leaned forward and blew air on Bruce’s neck, causing the toddler to squeal, bringing his chin low to try to protect the area under attack.
‘Most funnest, cleverest, amazingest person ever?’ He asked, grinning hard.
‘Tony!’ Bruce laughed, clapping his little hands.
‘Brucie,’ Tony raised the toddler higher again so he looked up at the little boy and addressed him seriously. ‘I’m detecting a pattern here and I gotta say … I like it.’
Bruce giggled again. Suddenly, he reached forward to gently grasp the man on either side of his face with his tiny hands.
‘Tony,’ Bruce repeated lovingly, adoringly.
The skin around Tony’s eyes crinkled as he gave a soft sideways grin. ‘Yeah, bud. Tony,’ he murmured, chestnut eyes a little amazed at the small being who was currently in his arms.
Bruce smiled back at him, comfortably leaning back in his hands, as the toddler lovingly ran his hands along Tony’s cheeks, giggling whenever his tiny fingers came in contact with the man’s goatee. It was as though he was cementing Tony’s features in his mind and discovering him.
It was something that Natasha had realised about Bruce a long time ago. He was a tactile learner and person. She would see how any piece of equipment he would run his soft, agile fingers over it, even doing the same thing with papers he was reading over. However, it made Natasha sick to the stomach to realise it had been beaten into the man that his touch was as unwelcome as an intruder in a home. So, he had forced himself not to do it with sentient beings, instead, showing his affection from a distance, like he had when he had handed her that bottle of iced tea about two years ago. He was always waiting to be pushed away, but would never allow it to physically happen again.
She knew Tony was the same type of tactile person. He loved touch, craved it even. It was often why his hands had to forever be on the move because it was just how he communicated. He had brought some of Bruce’s natural ways back, showing that, at least with the engineer, Bruce didn’t have to be worried about his touch being unwelcome. A fact Natasha would always be grateful to Tony for.
Little Bruce was too small though, too caught up in his little ways to remember those ways being beaten out of him. He was a lot more in the moment than his adult counterpart, only concentrating on that he knew the people around him now weren’t going to push him away.
Natasha was forever grateful at that as well she watched Bruce curiously run his little hands over the hair over Tony’s upper lip.
The engineer chuckled and turned, giving a kiss to the little hands.
Bruce squealed, bringing his hands back to his chest, little legs giving a kick, causing Tony to tilt his head fondly, content grin on his face. He brought Bruce down lower so he was a bit more cradled against the engineer’s chest though he still leaned the toddler back so he could look into the angelic face.
The little boy really embodied his look as well. He was sweet, patient and anyone could tell, loving if he was just allowed to be. Natasha’s chest hurt at thinking someone could not want the little sweetheart’s love. Those people needed to be hurt badly and she would someday figure out a way to do that.
‘You’ve perfected the cute look so no one can get angry at you for getting them up in the middle of the night, haven’t you?’ Tony grinned down at the large eyes cheekily peering up at him, little mouth open in a large, adoring smile.
Bruce giggled and reached out his hands again to rest on Tony’s cheeks. ‘Silly Tony,’ he sang.
Tony couldn’t not laugh, though it was a lot softer, as he shook his head in amusement, making sure not to dislodge Bruce’s touch. Natasha thought he was a little bit wonderful for that. ‘I think tired Tony is more accurate at the moment, Bubba.’
Bruce cocked his head to the side. ‘Tired?’
‘Yes, tired, you cheeky parrot,’ Tony chuckled, eyes crinkling.
Bruce seemed to consider this for a moment. His little smile became sympathetic and he gently stroked his right hand along Tony’s cheek.
‘Poor Tony,’ he said softly, honeyed eyes concerned.
Tony’s body slumped, absolutely defeated by this little guy in his arms, as he gave a fond sigh. ‘Aw, Bubba, I’m okay. Only tired. Not hurt,’ he shook his head firmly to emphasise his point, not quite managing to hold back his smile and chuckle as Bruce seriously copied the movement, ‘just tired.’
Bruce didn’t look convinced and his eyebrows furrowed as he studied Tony’s face, looking a lot like his adult counterpart when he was trying to deduce if Tony was lying about an injury or not. However, when Tony playfully blew his curls back from his face, the serious expression fled from his face to be replaced with a delighted grin.
Before Natasha realised what he was doing, the toddler leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Tony’s lips, pulling back with a ‘M’wah!’, exactly like how someone had obviously taught him to. Most likely his beloved mother, Rebecca Banner, when she would have smothered her little boy with hugs and kisses to try to make up for everything that continually went wrong in the little darling’s life.
If Natasha wasn’t a spy, she would have given herself away with her laughter at the priceless expression on Tony’s face, but she managed to make it silent, though it hurt her stomach.
Tony’s eyes were so wide they appared like a Disney character while he looked like someone just told him the most unbelievable fact in the world, like Loki was actually out giving lollipops and daisies to all the children of the world. The engineer was absolutely frozen, lips a little pouted, the way they had automatically gone in the kiss and he looked like he had stopped breathing for a moment.
Bruce didn’t appear to notice though as he leaned back in Tony’s embrace, hands still holding on to either side of the engineer’s face.
‘I ‘ove you, Tony,’ he said easily, comfortable in the truth of the statement, while the way he pronounced ‘You’ sounded more like ‘oo’.
It was the words that brought Tony out of his shock. Everything about him melted and Natasha had never, ever seen the engineer look so completely soft. His eyes crinkled kindly, and for a second, Natasha saw what Bruce saw at that moment: an incredibly wonderful man that had just made his little world all better and perfect again.
The corners of his mouth pulled back into a soft, loving smile while his chestnut brown eyes glittered with emotion. The man gasped softly, obviously completely overwhelmed by what had just been given to him.
He pulled the little boy to him, cuddling the child to his shoulder, large hand cradling the crown of curls while he appeared to wrap his whole body around Bruce, protective and loving.
Bruce immediately complied, wrapping his little arms as far and tightly around Tony’s neck as possible. He happily snuggled into the embrace, oblivious to the amazing gift he had just given to his hero.
Tony breathed out shakily before pressing a kiss to Bruce’s temple then burying his nose in the curls, squeezing his eyes so tightly shut that it caused his forehead to crinkle.
‘Love you too, Bruce,’ he whispered to his adopted little brother, voice tight. ‘Love you too.’
Swallowing the emotional lump in her throat, Natasha slipped back to the stairs then, though the smile on her face never left all the way back to the bedroom.
Tony had this. He always did, but he just never knew it like she had.