Starks die before their time. That's what his grandfather had once said. And it was true. His father, his grandfather, his great-grandfather. Hell, in a way he had died too. But instead of getting buried, he'd come out a new person. No longer the kind of Stark who would drink himself into a stupor and fuck everyone accessible.
Alright, he still drank. But the sleeping around had stopped. The party crashing, the shocking of the press, the general Stark lifestyle. He changed. He wanted the Starks to be more than that, he wanted himself to be more than that. And it happened, with Iron Man, with Pepper. He didn't think he could ever, ever love someone more than he loved Pepper, but it happened. They were the next Starks. And he would make damn sure that they did not become one of those Starks. They were half Pepper, anyway.
They loved causing trouble, but that didn't bother him. They didn't hurt anyone, only themselves occasionally, but that was childhood. That carefree, reckless time. They would befriend the president's children and pull a prank on him on national tv, and everyone loved it. The Stark twins were loved. Not just admired by the media, but loved. By him, by Pepper. By Rhodey, by their friends. By the Avengers. And that would make the difference.
Because he didn't give a shit if they would be the next Stark Industries CEO, doctors, painters or janitors. He just wanted them to grow up right, to grow up happy, to not be like the previous Starks. And when he couldn't sleep at night, when he'd stay up all night tinkering on one thing or another, Pepper would come down and silently take his hand, and together they'd watch them sleep, and at those moments he felt truly at ease.
Because these people, these three people, they were the ones he lived for. And he was not going to die before his time. Not even a little, Stark or no Stark. Because that was one family tradition that needed to be broken.
Another short one. More stories about the Stark kids you can find on my profile, check them out if you want!
Review please :))
