Synopsis : just after his arrival at Iron Manor with the kids, Tony feels alone.
Disclaimer: you know about copyright? So do I.
How to raise a child
Sometimes, Tony Stark would wake up and hope this had been just a horrible nightmare. This had to be a nightmare. All his fellow Avengers couldn't be killed like that, after all. Then the kids would knock at his door and tell him they were hungry, and he would make breakfast for all of them, change diapers, check that they wouldn't start a food battle, wash their faces and possibly read them a story. Then they would play in their room, he would tell the a.i. to clean the kitchen, work a little on one of his projects for five minutes and then take care of the kids again. And so on. Taking care of his friends' children was as time-consuming as his former job as a super-hero, playboy, businessman and so on, and none of the kids had even developed super-powers yet!
Well, sometimes this full-time job was a bit rewarding. The kids obviously loved him, which was more heartwarming that he would have believed. Baby Henry used to fall asleep in his arms, Azari often wanted to sit on his lap and James and Torunn asked him for stories several times a day. This was very endearing but at the same time, it was a bit disturbing. They looked so much like their parents that he had called James 'Steve' several times and was considering calling little Henry by his family name. Sometimes they would ask him where their moms and dads were and he would always tell them "the story". He didn't know if this was healthy or not but this was the only thing he could think of.
One night he was awakened by a strange noise. He got up quickly, thinking one of the kids was probably awake in a wet bed. Surprisingly, the window was open and Torunn was missing. Worried, Tony ran to the window and saw that the little girl was sitting on the ground, in front of a tall man in an old-fashioned armor.
Tony's heart jumped. Thor was back after all these weeks! The former businessman closed the window, ran down the stairs and found himself a few feet away from the two Asgardians. Thor was kneeling on the ground and talking in a low voice:
"This sword shall be yours one day. It was forged by dwarven blacksmiths in Asgard. You must take care of it as it's a most powerful artefact. Only the worthy can lift it."
"To'unn sleepy!" the little girl said, rubbing her eyes.
"Aye, I know you're sleepy but listen to me. I'm the king of Asgard and I have a kingdom to rule. There are things thee need to understand."
"Daddy, hold me!"
She was stretching her arms out to him. Tony couldn't help laughing, which made Thor turn his head. He saw Tony and got up with a big smile:
"Tony Stark! My old friend!"
"Glad to see you too", Tony said while Thor was giving him a bear hug. "I was hoping you would come back soon. I have bad news. The Avengers…"
"I know", the thunder god answered. "They were all worthy warriors and they shall be remembered."
There was an awkward silence. Torunn finally broke it:
"Daddy! Hold me!"
"Adorable, aren't they?" Tony laughed while Thor was lifting his daughter from the ground. "Pity you didn't come back earlier. She kept asking when you would be back. Shhh! She's falling asleep now."
"I'm so thankful to you for taking care of her, my friend", Thor whispered, stroking the toddler's hair.
"Well, it's over now, isn't it? Just wait until the boys wake up."
The thunder god frowned.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, puzzled.
"Well, you came back for the kids, didn't you?"
"I came back for my daughter and I'm not taking her to Asgard."
It was Tony's turn to frown.
"OK… this doesn't make sense", he whispered so the child wouldn't hear. "Do you remember that we Avengers agreed to take care of all the kids if one of us was to die?"
"I do remember, my friend. I must say that your sense of duty is most honorable."
"Thank you very much but why don't you just take all the kids to Asgard? I know you're too busy to raise four kids but you must have servants who can take care of the boys, don't you?"
"What are you telling me?"
"I'm telling you that these children are my best friends' kids and I want them to grow up in a safe place. What do you want?"
Thor sighed heavily.
"My friend, I'm thinking of the throne of Asgard", he whispered. "Torunn shall be its heir one day. Many rulers have grown up selfish, careless and arrogant because they were raised that way. I was one of those spoilt children once and I don't want my daughter to know the same fate."
"What? She's two! Look at her, she's a baby!"
"No, To'unn no baby, Hen'y's a baby…" Torunn babbled.
Both men laughed nervously and then Thor whispered again:
"If I take her to Asgard, everyone will treat her like a princess and grant all her wishes. I want someone to teach her humility and you're the best person I can think of."
"Humility? Just set her a good example! Do you think you're being humble now? What kind of father are you?"
"Aye, you'd be a better example and a better father than me, my friend…"
"STOP calling me your friend!"
"Why you two gettin' angry?"
The two men realized that the little girl was looking at them with worried eyes. The former businessman glared at his 'friend', who pretended that nothing had happened.
"Torunn, dear, do you like Tony?" he asked.
"Yes!" the kid answered happily. "Me like Tony!"
"Then give him a big hug."
That's the worst kind of manipulation ever, Tony thought while the girl was stretching her arms out to him. Either I reject this baby girl and I am a jerk, or I accept this hug and he'll abandon her… Well, better accepting the hug. I don't want her to be rejected twice tonight.
"I'll take care of you", Tony said while the girl was burying her head onto his shoulder. "From now on, I am your daddy."
"Daddy Tony!" Torunn babbled. "Me sleepy."
Suddenly, the god of thunder felt hurt. His daughter looked so cute with her messy hair and her pink pajamas, and he didn't want to leave her again. And Tony looked so much older than the first time they had met. He'd be dead in a few decades, like all the other Avengers, and there was nothing he could do about it. Torunn would become attached to all her mortal friends, she would care for them, love them, and then she would outlive them all, just like he had outlived Captain America, Black Widow and most of his mortal friends. That would be terrible for her. But she had to learn that mortals, despite their fragility, were forces to be reckoned with. And if she didn't learn it the hard way, she would never understand it.
"Please, don't forget me, sweetheart", he said. "If you ever want to tell me something, just say it aloud. I'll hear."
"Sleepy."
Tony was still glaring at Thor. He hid the little girl's eyes with his hand so she wouldn't see her father running away from her. She giggled, believing it was a game. One second later, Thor was gone.
"Let's go back to bed now", Tony said. "You need to sleep."
"To'unn no sleepy!"
"Of course, but we'll go back to bed anyway, ok? All children sleep at night."
At least, Thor is right about one thing, Tony thought while walking back into the building. I have to make no difference of treatment between my children. What should I tell them about their parents? I wish Pepper was still alive: she used to understand how people's minds work much better than I'll ever be able to. What would she do? Well, she'd probably tell the truth. The boys' parents were great people who died so their kids would live and Thor… Thor was both a hero who fought Kang, Kronan and the Masters of Evil alongside us and a jerk that ran away from his own child. That's the truth.
I'd destroy that damn sword if I could! No, she'll need a weapon if Ultron ever finds us. But I need to build a memorial for my fallen friends so their children will remember them. Steve, Tasha, T'Challa, Henry, Jan, Clint… that's six graveyards. No, seven: Thor is as well as dead for me now. I hope Torunn won't ask too many questions about him. Oh, I wish I wasn't alone with the kids.
Being a father is so difficult… Tony thought while checking that all the children were asleep.
The end!