Bruce sat on the edge of his seat and tapped his foot nervously. "This can't possibly be safe..." He murmured as he anxiously peered down the hall. 'I hope he's right about this...' he thought.'I hope he likes me...' Tony went to the adoption agency today and Bruce was waiting for him. He soon heard the rattle of the door knob down the hall. Bruce stood up and when he saw Tony with a child holding his hand, it finally dawned on him. 'I am going to be a father.' He thought as he smiled widely to himself. Tony smiled at Bruce as he walked closer to him. The little boy that held Tony's hand was at-least 4 years old. He looked upset and teary eyed. When they got close enough, Bruce squatted down and pulled up his pants legs as he did so.
He smiled widely and held out a hand for the boy to shake. The boy took it hesitantly. "Hi, what's your name?" Bruce asked gingerly. The child looked down and muttered, "Peter..." Bruce smiled,"Oh that is a cool name." The little boy looked up at Bruce with teary eyes. Tony wiped the tear away and asked, "What's the matter?" Peter sniffed, "Am I in trouble?" Bruce and Tony laughed softly, "Of course not, Peter." Tony said. Bruce could hear the vibration of Tony's phone, Tony quickly took it out and looked at it.
"Crap!" Tony said as he stared at it. Bruce said with disapproval, "You have to leave don't you?" Tony patted Bruce's shoulder and kissed his cheek as he ran down the hall, "I am so sorry! I'll be back soon!" Tony was out of sight in sighed and looked back at Peter. He laughed as he looked at Peter, "He won't be back anytime soon." Peter asked, "Why? Where did he go?" Bruce laughed again, "I dunno, probably some superhero things." Peter's eyes seemed to light up, "He's a superhero?!" He asked with wide eyes and a smile slowly creeping on his face. Bruce smiled, "Yep, come on. I'll show you."
Peter grabbed Bruce's hand and led him down the hall. Bruce picked peter up in his arms as he pointed out the window. "See?" He pointed to the flying figure. "Woooow." Peter said with a smile. He turned to Bruce, "Are you a superhero?" Bruce thought about it for a second. He never considered or even thought that maybe he was a superhero, "Hmph,...I guess I am." He said.
Bruce set Peter down, "Are you my new Daddy?" Peter asked as he looked up hopefully at Bruce. Bruce smiled "Yes, and Tony is too. You don't have to call me daddy if you don't want to though." Peter said, "Okay." Bruce asked, "Would you like to see your new room?" Peter nodded excitedly, "Yea!"
Bruce led Peter to his room. As everything Tony decorates, it was extremely extravagant and way too flashy for a child to really appreciate. Bruce sighed, "I...This is too much." Bruce was shocked and humored when Peter responded with, "Yea..." Bruce smiled.
Peter ran up to the king sized bed and put his stuff on it. Peter tried to climb up on the bed but was not big enough to do so. He scrambled helplessly but Bruce soon helped him up onto the bed. He sat on the bed and he sunk into it and the bed practically swallowed him. Bruce held out a hand and laughed, "Come on."
Peter asked curiously, "Where are we going?" Bruce smiled, "To run a few errands."
Later that night
It was at-least twelve in the morning. Bruce could hear the shuffle of feet down the hall. He knew it was Tony just now getting in. Bruce sighed heavily. He was waiting up for Tony. He felt Tony's warm arms wrap around him. Bruce scowled in the darkness, "You're late...Extremely late."He could hear the smile on Tony's face when he spoke, "Oh don't be so mad. You know I had things to do."
Bruce sat up abruptly, "I know. But you had more important things to do here. You are a father now and you have to take on that responsibility." Bruce folded his arms in the darkness. Tony sighed, "I am sorry, Bruce." Bruce slid down and laid his head back on his pillow, "I know you are, ...but you'll do it again." Tony sighed and kissed Bruce on the cheek only to mutter "Good night." Tony could say no more in response because he knew what Bruce was saying was true.
Tony woke up the next morning to make Bruce breakfast in bed. He knew that always cheered him up after they got into arguments. He slid into his house shoes and ventured down the hall. He rubbed his face and sighed heavily with sleep in his eyes. He grumbled incoherently. He peeked into Peter's room and saw that something was off. He asked in what was almost disgust, "What the hell?" When his eyes met sight with the race car bed that he knew he didn't put in there. He grumbled something again and he let it go,...for now. He went into the kitchen and started to prepare the food.
Soon after he started cooking the pancakes Peter was walking into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes. Tony smiled, "Hey sport! Did you sleep well?" Peter nodded sleepily. He climbed up on the chair and sat at the counter. Tony asked "So what did you do with,...Daddy yesterday." Tony felt awkward saying that to Peter but it had already slipped from his lips. "We went to the-" He yawned between the sentence. "Zoo and we bought a cool race car bed for my room." Tony asked astonished, "You guys went to the zoo?" Peter nodded.
"Oh." Tony said. Peter asked, "Are you married? Do you have a wife?" Peter didn't seem to understand his parental situation. Tony smiled, "No, I have a husband." Peter asked with a confused face, "So I have two daddy's? Tony laughed a little, "Yes." Peter said, "Oh."
Tony finished Bruce's breakfast and Tony let Peter pour the orange juice. Tony gave him the glass to carry and he held the tray full of food. It was a meal fit for two. Tony and Peter tip-toed into the bedroom and Tony set the try on the bed side table and gently kissed Bruce's forehead causing Bruce's eyes to flutter. Bruce yawned heavily and looked over at the tray of food. He smiled skeptically at Tony, "I know what you are doing." Tony shrugged pretending to be oblivious to what Bruce was talking about, "I have no idea what you are referring to. Pete and I just made you some breakfast." Tony had already come up with a nickname for Peter. He was slightly embarrassed but tried to hide it.
Bruce smiled and said, "Well Thank you." Tony set the tray in Bruce's lap and Peter gave him the glass. When Peter was out of sight Tony asked, "You took him to the zoo?! And you bought him a race car bed?!" Bruce laughed, "Uh,...yea." Tony said, "Well I am onto you Banner. I will not allow you to be a better father than me." Tony jokingly squinted his eyes. Bruce simply rolled his eyes at him and laughed.
It was Peter's first day of school. "I don't want to go Daddy! Please don't make me!" He pleaded with tears in his eyes as he sat in the back seat of the car. Bruce said with thoughtful eyes to Tony, "Maybe we could wait a day or two." Tony smiled with a laugh, "We already waited two weeks!" Bruce looked down, "Yea...Maybe you are right." Bruce got out of the car. They had been sitting on the side of the street for an hour now. Peter looked at Bruce with pleading eyes, "Please don't make me go Daddy!" Bruce said with sad eyes, "Oh why are you so afraid?" Peter looked down with sad eyes, "Back at the place for children without mommy's and daddy's the kids there were mean to me." He looked up at Bruce with teary eyes, "What if the kids here are just as mean?"
Bruce sighed and said, "I won't let anyone be mean to you. If there is ever anyone who bullies you, I need you to tell me okay Peter?" Peter nodded. Bruce smiled, "Alright, I will walk you in okay?" Peter nodded and took Bruce's hand. Bruce walked him slowly up to the building. He led him over to his classroom. Bruce opened the door. The teacher looked over at Bruce and her eyes widened as she recognized him instantly. "Y-You!" She stuttered. Bruce made a face telling her to be quiet. She pursed her lips but her eyes remained wide. Bruce squatted down, "Peter, I need you to be strong okay? For me?" Bruce asked with a smile. Peter nodded with a smile as he wiped away some tears. "Alright, Daddy." Bruce smiled, "Your father and I will be back later to pick you up okay?" Peter nodded again. Bruce stood up and was about to walk out but her turned and called, "Peter?" Peter turned to face Bruce. "I love you." Bruce said. Peter ran to him and hugged him tightly.
Bruce walked back out to the car. He plopped down on the seat and stared out of the windshield. Tony looked him, "Are you okay?" Bruce nodded as he came back to life, "Yea, yea." He looked down at his shoes. Tony placed his hand on Bruce's "I know you better than I know myself, Bruce. What's the matter?" Bruce smiled and looked at Tony, "I -...I am just so happy. You gave me something I could have never dreamed of having...a family." He looked at Tony as happy tears streamed down his face.
