Clint watched Tony as the man shuffled into the kitchen Friday morning, heading right to the coffee pot. He took in the genius' clothes and noticed that he was at least dressed for a day at the zoo. ...A zoo date that apparently was a family outing. The archer had to smother the chuckle that wanted to slip out when Steve walked in and stopped abruptly and looked Tony up and down.

The genius was in a pair of dark fitted jeans that rode a little low on his hips and were tucked into a pair of combat boots, his shirt was a dark green and fit a little tighter than normal; but still not enough to bring notice to the reactor. Poor Steve didn't stand a chance. Cap quickly got himself under control and walked to the table and almost collapsing in the chair. This time Clint couldn't help the snicker that slipped out, and the glare Cap threw his way only made him laugh harder.

"What bug got up your ass? It's too early for your shit Clint."

Clint raised an eyebrow at Tony and just shrugged, "Nothing Stark….nothing at all."

Tony narrowed his eyes before deciding he just didn't care, why had he agreed to meet Harry so damn early? Oh right….. Magical Zoo! The moment he remembered Tony's face broke into a huge grin and he hurried off to grab his jacket; never noticing the way Clint's eyes narrowed.

Shrugging his jacket on Tony sent a cheeky wave over his shoulder and headed straight for the elevator. He really had no desire to hang about here waiting for the time to meet up, when he could just head over there and get better coffee. Not to mention the company there was a might bit better than what was here.

Clint wasted no time running to the stairwell and taking them two at a time down, he needed to beat Tony to the bottom floor. He had just stepped out the stairwell when the elevator opened letting Tony walk out. The archer frowned slightly when he noticed Stark head right out the doors and not toward the garage. Wherever he was heading was either very close or he had a car waiting for him.

Luck it seems was on his side as Tony continued on down the sidewalk, headed north. Throughout tailing Tony he had to hide in some creative places to not be seen and 3 times or so Clint almost lost sight the man. Crap, he's getting better at dodging Nat and I.

It took them 10 minutes to reach the fancy apartment high rise and Clint was honestly thankful they finally reached wherever they were headed. He let Stark go in first and then slipped in with a woman when he offered to carry her bags into the elevator for her. Clint then hid off to the side and waited for Stark to come back down and given what he heard on that phone call two days ago, he was in for at least an hour wait.


Harry looked up when Tony walked in the apartment and he smiled brightly at the man. He quickly made his way over and pulled him into a hug, moving quickly out of the way when he heard Teddy running down the hall.

"Tony!"

Tony laughed loudly and knelt down to pull Teddy into a hug and lifted the small boy into his arms, perching the toddler on his hip. He heard Harry laugh off to the side and smiled brightly at the Brit. When Harry waved him into the kitchen he followed along gladly and dropped into the chair he normally sat in. Tony made a happy noise in the back of his throat when Harry put a fresh mug of coffee in front of him. Wrapping one arm around Teddy keeping him on his lap Tony quickly snatched up the mug, sighing happily.

"You and your coffee….It's almost obscene."

Tony chuckled softly and downed the rest of the coffee before holding the mug out with a pout firmly on his face. He smiled when Harry just rolled his eyes and went to pour him another mug and placed a plate of food down in front of him. Shifting the three year old on his lap slightly Tony reached to eat his food one handed, not wanting to put Teddy down just yet. He wanted more time to snuggle with one of his favorite people.

At the stove Harry smiled softly at the picture the two made and he was grateful that Tony had dropped into that chair across from him all those months ago. Shaking his head to clear it, Harry plated up food for Teddy and put it in front of the little boy, not wanting to take him away from Tony just yet. Harry sat himself down with his own breakfast and looked over Tony, noticing that the man was more jumpy than normal.

"What's the matter Tony? You're very twitchy."

Tony sighed softly and took a sip of his coffee, "Mostly I'm excited about the zoo and spending the day with you guys, but…"

When it looked like Tony had slipped off into his own world again Harry softly prompted him, "But… Tony what is it? Are you ok?"

The genius smiled at Harry and nodded, "Yeah I'm fine. It's nothing like that. I just think I saw Barton following me and I think I gave him the slip but who knows."

Harry chuckled softly and shook his head. The Brit reached over and gently took one of Tony's hands into his, rubbing his thumb over the back of his hand. He couldn't help but smiled wider when Tony pouted, but didn't take his hand away; the other arm still firmly around Teddy.

"Tony… deny it all you want but they are your friends and they are going to be curious when you constantly sneak out to visit someone. Again…. you could just tell them."

Tony continued to pout as he nuzzled his face into Teddy's hair, "Yeah yeah… but you're my friend."

Green eyes softened and clenched the hand he was holding tighter. "Love I will always be your friend, that will never change. And Teddy will always be your friend, he loves you dearly and he asks about you almost everyday."

Tilting his head slightly to look at Harry, Tony's pout lessened. "Yeah I know. I'll tell them… just not right now."

Nodding in agreement Harry gave Tony's hand a final squeeze before standing and playfully snatching Teddy from the American's grasp. "Come now my little minion, we need to get you washed up and dressed to head out."

Teddy gave an excited gasp and wriggled to be put down. The moment tiny bare feet touched the ground the toddler darted off to his room, leaving Harry and Tony alone in the kitchen. Shaking his head fondly Harry turned back to Tony and pointed at his own sleep clothes, letting Tony know where he was going.

Less than 10 minutes later the trio were dressed and ready for a day at the zoo. Seeing no point in waiting any longer they decided to head out early, which made Teddy happy and the little boy was bouncing on his toes between the two adults.

"Come on, we need to head to the car park next door. We'll take my car."

Tony nodded reaching down to pick up Teddy and frowned slightly when he noticed that the child's hair was staying one color. "You know I never asked 'cause we hardly leave here… but how do you get his hair to stay one color?"

Giggling, Teddy held his arm up so Tony could see the bracelet clasped on his wrist. Tony reached out and touched the bracelet, feeling the magic running through it. Brown eyes looked up in question and Harry laughed.

"The bracelet has runes and charms on it to keep him locked in a color. It saved the features he was wearing the first time I put it on him. But this way he doesn't have to worry about keeping his hair black."

Tony nodded as Harry pressed the button on the elevator, "That's pretty cool, that the first one you made?"

Leaning back against the wall Harry cocked his head to the side slightly, "It's the first one for Teddy like that but it's not the first piece of jewelry I've for someone with powers they need help with."

Cocking his head to the side Tony just watched as Harry leaned against the wall of the elevator before Teddy poked him in the cheek to get his attention. He quickly forgot about the slightly wistful expression on his Brit's face and got into an intense discussion on the animals at the zoo.

Soon enough they were all leaving the elevator and heading out to the street and toward the car park next to the building. Tony still didn't understand why Harry refused to park in the underground lot and he wasn't going to push Harry to tell him, he would when he wanted too.

Once Teddy was strapped into his carseat and the two adults were buckled up Harry started the car and headed out toward the zoo. The emerald eyed man couldn't help the bright smile and laughed that bust out when Tony and Teddy continued their conversation about animals, both just babbling away.


Clint jerked slightly when he heard Tony's laughter and looked to check his watch, apparently they decided to leave sooner than planned. Quietly leaving his hiding spot he followed along behind them and frowned when he saw them head toward the car park.

The archer reached up to smack himself on the head, honestly how could he have not taken into account that they might use this 'Harry's' car? Grumbling softly to himself he ran through all his options, he really need to make it there before they did or he'd lose them for sure. Biting his bottom lip he looked around the street and couldn't help but smile when he found his answer sitting across the road. Darting across the street he walked up to the teenager leaning against a tree, a bike leaning next to him.

"Hey kid, sell me your bike?"

The teen looked up and him and Clint couldn't help but smile when he saw the kid's eyes widen. At one time he would have been pissed at being recognized so easily but at the moment he was kind of grateful. His smiled widened a bit when the boy just nodded and grabbed the handle of the bike and held it out toward the archer. Clint quickly reached for his wallet and pulled out two hundred dollar bills and passed them over before hopping on the bike and shot off down the road. He really needed to reach the zoo first.

Jumping off the bike he left it where it fell and hustled toward the ticket counter to get in as soon as possible to find a good place to hide out and wait. Smiling kindly at the girl behind the counter he quickly paid and ran inside, spotting a tree that would provide good covering and let him see the entrance clearly. First though he ran into the gift shop and bought a hat, figuring it would help him blend in just a bit more. When he was back outside he made his way over to the tree he had spotted earlier and jumped up on the branches getting situated and got comfortable prepared to wait it out a bit.

Not even 10 minutes later he spotted Tony walking in with the kid perched on his shoulders and Harry walking closely to him. Surprisingly the three looked like a happy little family and it was more shocking to hear Stark laugh so freely without it being at someone else's expense.

He waited for them to pass before he dropped down and quietly began his stalking. The trio didn't seem to be stopping at any of the exhibits and headed straight toward the children's section of the zoo, which wasn't all that strange he supposed; they did have a kid with them. Clint jerked to the side to hide behind a food vender just in time for Tony to turn around, eyes narrowed as he looked around the area.

"Tony? Is something wrong?"

He saw Stark frown and turn back to Harry and leaned down to whisper something quietly. Clint cocked his head in confusion when Harry just laughed and rested a hand softly on Stark's arm. The smaller man raised himself on his toes to whisper back in Stark's ear and laughed softly when the genius barked out a laugh. Clint pouted when he couldn't hear what was being said, his new hearing aids were good...but not that good.

He kept back a bit longer once they started walking again and frowned again when he saw them walk into the building for the children's section. He'd have to be even more cautious now because of the slightly cramped space in this place, but he was awesome enough that it would work.

He followed them to the small aquatic section toward the back and frowned when he saw them walk into a room labeled for employees only and shut the door behind. Knowing that there was no other place for them to exit he moved to the side of the door where he could watch for them to come back out, but they wouldn't be able to see him.

The archer frowned when after 15 minutes they still hadn't come back out. He looked up and down the hall, making sure no one was watching him and stepped toward the door. He nibbled his lip lightly internally debating whether or not it was worth the risk to open the door. Shrugging lightly he decided to open the door figuring that he'd blackmail his way into staying with them anyways.

Slowly he pushed the open a bit and listened for anything on the other side, and narrowed his eyes at the unexpected silence. Pushing the door open all the way he stepped in and only saw the filtration systems for the tanks and nothing else. The trio was nowhere to be seen…

What the fuck...where the hell did they go?


Harry laughed quietly at Tony when the man frowned as they walked into the filtration room. He ignore the questioning glance the man sent his way and gently reached up to remove Teddy from Tony's shoulders and put him on the ground. He motioned for the two to follow him toward the back wall where the emergency exit sign was posted, and pulled his wand out.

Turning to look at Tony he sent the man a sly smile, "Teddy take Tony's hand and Tony grab mine. You need to trust me and just follow when I lead, okay?"

Tony just looked at him for a moment before nodding and taking the offered hands, watching to see what Harry was going to do. When the man just tapped his wand against the sign and started walking toward the wall Tony had a moment of panic before just following along. He clenched his eyes shut out of habit and shivered slightly when he felt the barometric pressure spike for an instant then release. He snapped his eyes open when he heard Teddy giggle while tugging on his hand and he felt his jaw drop.

In front of them was a beautiful iron archway covered in flowering vines gently swaying in the wind while the letters on the sign for the zoo were being held up by the strangest little potato like creatures. Tony blinked in shock as the little being holding the 'P' started waving at Teddy eagerly and almost toppled over before righting itself and carried on waving. He turned to look at Harry eagerly, clearly expecting an explanation.

Laughing quietly Harry tugged on Tony's hand to get him walking, smiling fondly when the American immediately picked Teddy up one handed, perching him on his hip.

"They're gnomes and can be nasty little buggers if you try to remove them from their gardens."

Tony laughed excitedly as they passed through the arch and stopped in his tracks when he heard a soft giggling that wasn't coming from Teddy. Looking at Harry in surprise he couldn't keep the shock out of his voice in his next question.

"Harry… Are those flowers… giggling?"

Laughing again Harry nodded, "Yeah...Giggling Gardenias"

Tony laughed in pure delight, his hand tightening slightly around Harry's, "Well Sweet One… Lead the way."

Harry chuckled and pulled gently on Tony's hand, leading him toward the small ticket counter ignoring the gobsmacked expression the American wore. He paid the teen and grabbed a map before pulling Tony on, intent on showing the man a good time here. Stopping off to the side he let go of the hand he was still holding to look over all the sections trying to decide where to head first.

Harry turned to look at the two next to him and just decided ask their opinion on the matter, "So where would you like to head to first?"

The american leaned over to peek at the map, adjusting Teddy so he could see it as well, and looked at all the areas listed. There was a description off to the side of the different areas of the zoo, and he raised an eyebrow at the description of all the sections.

AQUAS -Amazingly Quirky Underwater Animal Swamp

TERRA - Terrifically Entertaining Roving Range Area

OTHER - Obscure Things Hardly Ever Recorded

MUERTAS - Many Uncomfortable Entities Remaining Terrible And Scary

PAZ - Particularly Amicable Zoobeasts

"Wizards love their acronyms don't they?"

Harry laughed quietly and nodded, "Yes… they do. Why don't we head to the Aquas section since it's the closest?"

Getting a nod from both of them Harry reached out to snag Tony's hand again, dragging him toward the water exhibits. He smiled when Tony squeezed his hand tightly and started babbling at Teddy who was just as excited. It was nice to see the Tony smile to easily considering the man's job and the stress he was normally under.

The trio made their way toward the water beasts chattering the entire time. By the time they reached the enclosure hosting the grindylows, Teddy wiggled to be put down but kept his hand firmly in Tony's. The genius was amazed at the sight of the tiny little creatures with bone like fingers and Harry was happy to tell the man all that he knew about them.

This trend continued all through the Aquas animals, the kappa and hippocamp only able to keep his attention for so long. Soon they were heading to the Terra section and Tony was bouncing on the balls of his feet, eager to see what else was here.

Walking up the first enclosure Tony stopped dead in his tracks, staring straight ahead at the small herd of Pegasus walking around. He took a small step forward and laughed delightedly. He couldn't help but run a critical eye over the beasts, wondering slightly how they were able to fly when their wingspan was far too small for how large the body was. He smiled brightly when the answer came to him almost immediately… It's magic.

They continued on and Tony was completely enraptured by Harry's voice as the Brit kept up a running commentary on everything they passed. Explaining all about the kitsunes, jackalopes, pixies, and hippogriffs. His favorites by far in this section were the pack of seven or so griffins that were flying around playing with each other like an actual lion pack would, and the single cerberus the zoo had. Tony was slightly gobsmacked at the sight and his laugher was bordering on hysterical. He just turned to look at Harry who had Teddy perched on his hip, letting the little boy rest for a bit.

Seeing the look Harry just laughed quietly, "Yes Tony… even they are real. I met another one when I was eleven at my school. His name was Fluffy."

Tony had just shaken his head and motioned for Harry to lead on, who did with a chuckle and led them onto the Other area. This was another area Tony was excited about. He always did like rare and unique things, maybe that would explain his sudden interest in all things Steve Rogers… Captain America is indeed one of a kind. Tony blinked at the odd direction his thoughts went and shook his head out slightly.

"Tony? Are you ok? Do you want to take a break?"

Turning to look at the man who was rapidly becoming his best friend (Sorry Rhodey) and smiled, "Yeah Pixie, I'm alright. My brain just took a scary turn."

Laughing softly Harry nodded but Tony recognized the look in those emerald eyes, Harry would bring it up again and would be expecting a honest answer. Giving a sharp nod he silently let Harry know he understood and they would talk about it later.

Giving the man's arm a comforting squeeze Harry continued leading them on and stopped in front of a large area with a small smile. Coming to stand next to Harry and peer inside Tony gave a happy laugh and looked at the smaller male next to him in question.

"These are the fire lizards I told you about."

The three meandered away shortly and they came to stop in front of large area covered in trees. He looked around trying to spot anything before snapping his head toward Harry when the man and Teddy both gasped. Following Harry's line of sight Tony quickly saw what had them in shock.

There perched on one of the branches a little bit farther back was a pair of phoenix's, softly preening each other. He turned to look at Harry for information because all the lore about the fiery birds stated that they couldn't be caged or kept against their will.

Quietly Harry spoke as if he was trying not to disturb the beautiful birds, "The plaque there says that these two came here of their own free will. While the zoo was building this section they came back one morning and saw them resting on one of the branches. They had no desire to disturb them so construction was halted until these two decide to move move on."

Tony blinked and turned back to the birds still preening and smiled softly. They truly were breathtaking. He noticed even little Teddy looking on in awe as a tiny hand reached out toward the birds.

After they each had their fill of watching the two they returned on their trip and slowly made their way toward the Muertas. Walking in the area set Tony a bit on edge, as if the air was charged darker. He subtly shifted closer to Harry, not being able to help that instinctive reaction. He noticed that even Teddy had shifted closer to his father, reaching a small hand up to grasp Harry's shirt.

Without batting an eye Harry tightened his grip on the small boy in his arms and reached out to snag Tony, easily linking their arms together. Tony just snorted slightly and followed along to wherever Harry was dragging him. The quickly passed through the areas holding the acromantula and chimera, not wanting to stand around those too long.

However right before leaving the area they stopped at enclosure that was housing a herd of the creepiest looking horses Tony had ever seen. They were thin almost skeletal in appearance, and had large leathery bat like wings folded along their backs.

"What are they?"

Harry looked at Tony sadly realizing that the man could see the thestrals, though he really shouldn't be surprised considering what the man did for a living.

"Thestrals… they can only be seen by people who have seen death. It's why Teddy's not paying attention anymore. He can't see them."

Tony frowned and looked down at Teddy, the little boy was resting his head on his dad's shoulder while gently playing with the collar of Harry's shirt. Brown eyes softened and Tony gently ran his hands through Teddy's hair, chuckling quietly at the sleepy smile it produced. Looking back at the skeletal horses he stared at them until he felt a tiny hand reach out to take his. Turning he smiled brightly at the sleepy smile still directed at him and slid his arms around Teddy hoisting him out of Harry's arms and into his own.

Harry rolled his eyes and looked back in the paddock and smiled sadly, those poor animals catching a bad rep just because you needed a certain qualification to see them. In many ways they were beautiful creatures and he's both saddened and overjoyed that more people couldn't see them.

Sighing again Harry turned and snagged Tony's arm leading him out of the area… he needed to get out of this area.

The trio made their way out toward the final area, the Paz area. As they got closer to the area Tony had to keep a tighter grip on the tiny body in his arms as Teddy wiggled excitedly in his arms. Soon enough Teddy was on the ground between the two, each of his hands holding tightly onto Harry's and Tony's hands. The moment they crossed into the kid friendly area Teddy dropped their hands and started bouncing around excitedly, trying to decide where to head to first.

Harry grinned widely when Teddy ran back up to them, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Daddy, can we go see the Unicorns first?"

Laughing slightly at Tony bouncing along with Teddy, Harry nodded at them. "Yeah go ahead."

Tony followed eagerly and stopped dead in his tracks when the area around him flashed red. He turned to look at Harry who just shrugged and looked at the Zoo worker walking up to them with a sheepish expression.

"I'm really sorry Sir, but I can't let you in there with the unicorns."

Tony just raised an eyebrow and glanced back at Harry with a question clear in his eyes.

Smiling Harry stepped closer and spoke lowly to Tony, "Unicorns are attracted pure beings Tony, they won't come near someone as learned as you are. In fact you might actually scare them."

Tony pouted but stepped back to lean against the wall across from the unicorns, arms crossed over his chest, watching Teddy walk up to a foal. He absent mindedly heard the worker speak to Harry and started paying attention.

"Sir are you sure you don't even want to try to get through?"

Harry just laughed and waved them on, "There'd be no point in me trying, I'll just wait over here by Tony. Thank you though."

The American draped an arm over Harry's shoulders, tugging the Brit closer to him. "Why don't you want to try?"

"Because Tony I know the ward would flare red if I tried to walk through it. So we'll stand here while we watch as Teddy gets to pet the unicorns."

Pouting again Tony watched as Teddy ran a soft hand through a pure gold mane, while he tried to ignore Harry's chuckles from beside him. It wasn't long before Teddy got bored and ran back over, raising his arms above his head silently asking to be picked up. They let Teddy pick where he wanted to head each time and soon Tony had lost his pout, back to smiling brightly.

A childlike smiled stayed firm on Tony's face as he stayed with Teddy and got to pet the other friendly animals in the area. Though he complained that kneazles just looked like normal cats he still didn't turn down the chance to pet the animals. Harry couldn't help but smile at the joy he could see from both of his boys, and came to stand by them acting as tour guide and telling them all the information he had on the animal.

Teddy soon got bored and grabbed Tony's hand again dragging him off to see the crups and surprisingly the man loved the little excitable puppies. Harry again spoke quietly behind, telling both about the lore around the crups and he dutifully ignored the pout both were wearing silently asking for one as a pet. Instead of answering the older Brit just walked off and headed toward a large water tank off to the side of the area.

Tony and Teddy followed along behind them pouting slightly but both quickly perked up when they saw the animal in the tank. Tony's jaw dropped at the sight of the small creature. It was roughly the size of a small child and had the front half of a goat, while the back was the tail of a fish. Tony absently felt Harry come stand directly next to him and gently place a hand on his arm. Looking at Harry he just laughed, would this place never cease to amaze him?

"It's a Capricorn goat, or a Sea Goat depending on who you ask. There are a couple legends about where they came from. Would you like to hear them?"

Tony nodded eagerly and turned back to the dozing creature in the tank, when he felt Teddy tug on his arm he bent to pick the child up so he could hear the story while looking as well.

"Well...The sea goat is often referred to as the 'Capricorn goat' because of its association with the Capricorn zodiac sign. Some believe the image of the sea goat comes from the story of Typhon, the king of monsters. They attribute the image to the god Pan, a satyr, who jumped into the river to flee Typhon's assault on the gods.
Others say that there was a separate figure named Aegipan, who was the sea goat of the Capricorn legend. There are no real conclusive clues as to where this mysterious god came from or where else he is referenced.
Another is that the sea goats came from the first sea goat, Pricus, who was created by the god Chronos. The legend goes that eventually all the sea goats made their way inevitably to land where they became the four-legged goats that we know today, leaving Pricus as the sole sea goat and the figure in Capricorn mythology."{1}

By the time Harry was finished speaking there was a small crowd around him, listening to every word spoken. The British man blushed deeply and turned to hide his face in Teddy's hair, swatting Tony when the man just laughed. Seeing the actual embarrassed look on Harry's face, Tony wrapped an arm around his shoulder and started ushering them out of the area.

Harry eagerly allowed Tony to lead him out and away from the crowd, face flamed. He followed Tony as they walked to the gift shop and Harry smiled brightly, putting the whole incident behind him. Tony smiled when he saw the Bit smile and internally patted himself on the back for getting Harry over his embarrassment; at least for the moment. That last thing he wanted was for Harry to have any doubts or regrets about this trip… and that included being embarrassed over having people listen intently as he spoke.

The trip to the gift shop was only mildly chaotic but Harry still breathed a sigh of relief as they were leaving. Both Teddy and Tony had wanted everything they could get their hands on and Harry had to put his foot down numerous times. With Teddy it was easy, the three year old was surprisingly agreeing when he was told no; it was Tony that was the real problem. Harry had to repeatedly remind him that he lived in a large tower where everyone was always in everyone's business. Tony had still wanted a waist high stuffed moving griffin and it wasn't until Harry reminded him that he could get the Brit into serious trouble if anyone managed to see it. Tony was quick to agree after that. However Harry did buy him a palm sized moving phoenix, griffin and cerberus, that quickly shut the man up.

Purchases made the trio headed back out through the iron arch and made their way back into the Central Park Zoo. Tony cracked the door that lead out to the main zoo and motioned Harry and Teddy through the door when he noticed the coast was clear.

The three walked casually walked the way to the exit of the zoo and made their way back to Harry's car. Once they were all situated in the car Harry started it up and headed back out onto the road.

"So am I taking taking you back to the tower or did you want to come back to mine?"

Tony snorted and leaned back, turning his head to look at Harry, "Yeah...what do you think?"

Laughing quietly Harry shook head and took the exit that would head toward his place. The ride was filled with quiet conversation, all of their moods relaxed and pleasant. Reaching Harry's apartment they all filed out after parking and headed straight up to the penthouse, Teddy snuggled deeply into Tony's arms. The remainder of the evening was spent just spending time together and Tony asking whatever questions he could think of.


After dinner Tony left to head back to the tower intending on working on a few projects he had in the lab. He had just locked the doors behind him when he heard the vent open and the sound of boots hit the ground. Tony grabbed the soldering gun clearing intending to wait for Clint to start the conversation.

"So when are you going to tell Steve you're dating a man with a kid."

The sound of the soldering gun echoed loudly in the lab as Tony stiffened. He clenched his hands tightly and took a deep breath to calm his heart and not snap at the archer. When he felt himself calm a little bit he turned to look Clint in the eyes, leaning back against the table nearest him.

"Jarvis, activate Operation: Net the Bird."

Clint frowned at the voiced command and jumped slightly when the sound of metal slamming down rang throughout the room.

"What the hell was that Stark?"

Smirking slightly Tony crossed his arms over his chest, "That, Legolas, was the sound of every vent closing off and the lab door locking down… leaving you trapped."

Narrowing his eyes Clint took a few steps forward coming to stand in front of Stark, his jaw clenched tight. "Any why…. pray tell, do you feel the need to lock me down?"

Tony narrowed his own eyes and glared at Barton, "Because you little shit! I knew someone was following us and I figured something like this would happen. So you and I are going to talk and I'm not letting you out until I'm satisfied."

Clint just sighed and hopped up on the table looking Stark over, "Fine I'll just get my questions out there shall I?"

Tony just waved a hand indicating Clint to continue.

"So when did you meet?"

"Unofficially the day those aliens attacked the zoo. Officially a week after that. I cornered him in a cafe and we talked, that's where I've been going every time you all ask."

Clint frowned and looked thoughtful, "When did y'all start dating?"

The archer was startled slightly when Tony started laughing and shook his head.

"We're not Barton. Harry and I are just friends."

Grumbling slightly under his breath Clint watched Tony closely looking for any deceit, and when he found none he let out a soft huh.

"Why haven't we met him yet?"

Clint was surprised when Stark sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, "Because Barton I didn't want you all to meet him yet. Well, that and there was something we had to work out first."

Raising an eyebrow Clint waited to see if Tony would elaborate and pouted when nothing came, figuring he was already pushing the man's patience he backed off. Nibbling on his lip he tried to figure out how to bring up the next part, finally just deciding to go for broke and blurt it out.

"Well that's not gonna work for me Stark. How about this… I'll keep it quiet if you let me meet him. Or I can tell Tasha."

Brown eyes widened and Tony picked up the closest thing to him, which happened to be a small mallet, and threw it at the smugly grinning archer. "You little shit. You're really gonna blackmail the your landlord?!"

When Clint just nodded Tony flipped him off and called for Jarvis to call Harry. "You keep quiet Birdbrain."

Nodding Clint smiled and waited calmly for Harry to answer the phone.

"Hello Love, did you really miss me that much?"

Even as annoyed as he was a Barton, Tony couldn't help but smile brightly, "You know me honeybun, I just had to hear your voice again."

A soft laugh filled the lab and even Clint couldn't help but smile, "You flatter you. What did you need, my sweet?"

Tony sighed softly, "Well I'm being blackmailed to have you meet someone."

"Blackmail… well that's a bit rude. Who is it Tony?"

"Barton, the archer I told you about. He wants to meet you and Teddy."

A quiet hmm was heard before Harry went silent for a moment, "Well, Teddy's birthday is in a few days and I know you promised to come see him the day before, bring him then."

Clint blinked and sent a cautious look toward Tony who was smirking.

"Oh my lovely Pixie, that is a wonderful idea! I'll make sure he brings a gift as well."

More laughter was heard and Clint pouted softly, "Fantastic. I'll let Teddy know he'll have another guest at his small party before the big one at the manor."

Tony laughed again quickly saying 'bye' before Barton could say anything and smirked at the man again after Harry had hung up. Clint just sighed and looked at Tony expectedly, waiting for him to explain.

"He'll be turning four so make sure you get something a kid would like. Make it something fun and Teddy will adore you."

Clint nodded, already thinking on the different things he could get for a toddler; this may be harder than he thought. Hopping off the table he strode toward the door and looked over he shoulder silently asking for Stark to open the doors. When the quiet order was given he slipped out of the lab and went straight to his room, plopping on his bed. Grabbing his laptop he started searching different things to get little boys.

After about an hour of searching he decided to just head out to the closest toy store to see what he could find. Wandering up and down the aisles he finally found something to get the kid, and smiled. This could work… I just hope he likes it.


Three days later Clint was following Tony back to Harry's to finally meet the man and his kid. He was a bit nervous to be completely honest. He didn't normally interact with children and he didn't want to piss off anyone, at least not yet. He stepped behind Tony in the elevator and raised an eyebrow when Stark hit the button for the penthouse.

Stepping out of the elevator the two walked to the door and Tony just pulled out a key and walked in yelling out a 'Hello'. Clint followed at a slightly slower pace, closing the door behind him and looking around at all he could see. The whole place was clean and minimal in decoration, just photos scattered about and what appeared to be a bird perch in the corner.

"Hello Love, how are you?"

Clint startled at the soothing British voice and his eyes widened when Harry stepped up to Tony to pull the man into a hug. He had seen the man before but he never got this close to see him straight on, and he couldn't help notice how adorable the Brit was. He wasn't a typical beauty by any means but he was still stunning in his own way, and he had the most amazing green eyes. The archer was so lost in thought that he startled slightly when a pleasant voice spoke right in front of him.

"Hello, you must be Mr. Barton. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Clint nodded absently and shook the offered hand with a small smile, "Thanks for letting me tag along, and please...just Clint."

Harry smiled back at him and nodded, "Please come in. Teddy is just washing up for dinner."

The archer blinked in surprise when Tony started bouncing on the balls of his feet with a huge smile. The man just walked past Harry and headed right to the kitchen and let out a happy shout at the food placed on the table. Following Harry into the room, Clint took a deep breath and his stomach took that moment to growl loudly causing a small flush to cross his face.

Tony turned and smirked at Barton, "Hungry?"

Narrowing his eyes slightly he just glared at Stark, fully prepared to snark back at the man but his chance was taken away when he heard the sound of small feet running down the hall. Clint felt his jaw drop slightly when the little boy ran straight for Tony and leapt into the man's open arms, hugging him tightly. The archer turned to Harry when he heard the man laugh quietly and raised his eyebrow.

"Teddy has that effect on a lot of people, he's a happy child and it's infectious." Clint just smiled slightly as Harry turned to the two still snuggling slightly and called for Teddy to come closer.

"Teddy, this is Clint Barton. He's a friend of Tony's and wanted to come meet us and say Happy Birthday."

Clint smiled as the little boy turned to him with a bright smile and came to stand in front of him, holding a tiny hand out. Kneeling down Clint reached out and shook the small hand, "Hello Teddy, Happy Birthday and you can just call me Clint."

Giggling happily Teddy nodded and held his arms out, silently asking to be picked up. Looking quickly to Harry to see if it was ok, he smiled when the Brit nodded. Setting the gift on the floor, Clint reached out and picked the toddler up and stood, holding him close to his chest. He couldn't help the fond smile that stretched across his face as Teddy gently clenched a small hand in his shirt.

"Soon Barton he's gonna have you wrapped around his tiny little finger."

Clint snorted softly but didn't disagree with Tony's statement. He carried the child over to the table and sat down, keeping Teddy in his lap watching as he played with a small bracelet on his wrist. Clint noticed that it only had a thin etched on it, wondering slightly what the symbol meant.

Harry started fixing a plate for everyone while Clint kept Teddy occupied and cast a quick look at Tony. He noticed that Tony was watching him as well and he subtly motioned for the man to come closer. When the genius was closer he turned to quietly whisper to him.

"Does he know anything about magic?"

Tony shook his head no, "Na, I didn't tell him anything and I don't think he saw anything the other day."

Harry nodded gratefully, he was fine with Tony knowing but he wanted to wait on anyone else finding out. That was mostly due to the urge to protect Teddy more than anything.

Once dinner was served Clint gently put Teddy in the chair Harry indicated too. The meal passed easily, and conversation flowed fluently with no problems. Clint seemed to fit right in with his snarky sense of humor and Teddy adored the stories the man told. Harry enjoyed the added company, not that he didn't enjoy his time with Tony, but sometimes it was good to add another person into the small circle of friends. And he was hoping that Clint would become a friend soon enough.

As soon as dinner was finished they all moved to the living room so Teddy could open the presents the two brought with them. Tony moved to grab the large box he brought with him and placed it in front of Teddy with a huge grin.

"Here open mine first kiddo."

Teddy gasped happily and pounced on the offered gift and ripped the paper off, tearing the box open. A loud excited yelp slipped out of the three year old as he pulled out a scooter and set it on the ground. He looked to Tony wanting an explanation on what exactly it was.

Seeing the look Tony kneeled next to Teddy and placed a hand on the handles. "This is an amazing scooter I built for my favorite four year old. It's self balancing so you don't have to worry about it falling over on you. There are small mp3 and speakers on it so you can add music to it while you ride around."

Turning to Harry he spoke quietly while Teddy excitedly looked over his present. "I made it as safe as I could and there is a helmet and pads in the box as well."

Smiling gratefully at Tony, Harry then turned to Teddy. "What do we say now?"

Beaming Teddy pounced on Tony, hugging him tightly, "Thank you Tony! I love it!"

Grinning he hugged the small body to his chest, "You're welcome Teddy. I'm glad you like it."

Nodding eagerly he tightened small arms around Tony's neck, mumbling thank you over and over again.

Rolling his eyes Harry reached and placed the scooter back in the box to put in Teddy's room later and ran long fingers through the boy's black hair.

"You still have another gift Teddy, or are you happy with just what Tony gave you?"

Teddy gasped and crawled slowly toward Harry, reaching out to grab his dad's hands, "No! I want the other one too!" Letting go of Harry, Teddy rounded on Clint with a small pout on his face. "Mr. Clint can I please have my present?"

Clint chuckled and reached to grab the box and slid it over to Teddy before turning to look at Harry, "I hope he likes it, I wasn't too sure what to get and Stark wasn't any kind of help."

Chuckling Harry waved him off, "I'm sure whatever it is he'll like. He's actually pretty easy to shop for, so there shouldn't be a problem."

Giving a sheepish smile Clint turned to focus on Teddy when he heard the soft gasp the little boy let out. He waited to see how the four year old reacted, silently hoping that Harry was right about Teddy like it. When he noticed the bright smile on the small face Clint let out a relieved breath, thankful it went ok.

"Well Teddy what did he get you and what do you say?"

Teddy beamed at his dad and held up the box showing Harry that Clint had gotten him a small training bow, complete with 4 arrows, a quiver and a target. Harry raised an eyebrow at the archer but never lost his smile, so Clint figured he was safe.

The archer was surprised when he felt a small body crawl into his lap and hug him tightly, "Thanks Mr. Clint! I really like it!"

Smiling fondly Clint returned the hug and ruffled Teddy's hair, "No problem kiddo, I'm glad you like it."

Setting Teddy back on his feet when the little boy wiggled to be let down, Clint watched amused as the four year old picked up the box and rushed over to Harry.

"Please Daddy! Can I look at it?"

Harry smiled and nodded reaching out for the box, opening it and pulling everything out. He helped Teddy set the quiver up and he grinned when Teddy immediately slipped it on, grabbed the bow and ran to Tony to show him.

"Thank you. He really likes it. Also I don't think he would mind if you showed up to help teach him how to actually use it."

Clint blinked in shock and looked at Harry, "You wouldn't mind?"

The Brit just laughed and waved him off, "Not at all Clint, stop by when you want. And as for teaching Teddy, Tony said you are a master marksmen correct?" At Clint's nod Harry just smiled and continued on in a confident voice, "Then who better to teach him?"

Clint laughed and smiled back at Harry, "Deal."

Time after that passed quickly with lots of laughter and Clint felt at ease in a way he hadn't felt in quite awhile. When it came time to leave Teddy made sure to hug both men and tell them thank you again for his gifts. Both Harry and Clint had to laugh when they exchanged numbers and saw Tony pouting playfully, whining about having to share Harry now. Giving out final hugs the two Avengers headed back out toward the tower.

"Well Barton… what cha think?"

Clint rolled his and snorted slightly, "Yeah I get it Tony, it's really easy to understand why you wanted to keep them hidden. I won't tell anyone."

Sighing thankfully Tony clapped Clint on the shoulder once and picked up his pace, stepping in front of the archer; never noticing the smirk stretched across the man's face.

Clint just shoved his hands in his pocket and smirked at Stark's back. Well I said I wouldn't tell the rest of the team… but that's not all I can do.

If Tony had looked back at that moment he might have been a little worried about what Clint was planning.


Clint smiled to himself as he pulled out his phone and dialed Harry's number. He sat back waiting for the Brit to answer, thinking how he was gonna get his plan to work. He jumped slightly at the exasperated voice that came over the phone.

"Teddy put that down, it's not a toy." The archer smiled at the heavy sigh before Harry finally greeted him brightly. "Hello Clint."

"Hey Harry, I just wanted to see if you were busy today?"

Harry hummed in thought for a moment before telling Clint no.

"Well Tony wanted me to ask if you wanted to come over for lunch? He's in a meeting or he would have called himself."

"Oh… Um yeah… that sounds lovely. I'll get Teddy cleaned up and then we'll head over, he's been begging to see you again so he could practice with you."

Clint winced slightly at lying to Harry but he knew this would be the only way for them all to meet. If Tony had the choice Harry would have never met any of them. So plastering on a bright smile and making sure his voice was light he laughed.

"That's no big deal Harry, he's been picking up on it really quickly. So I'll see you in a few minutes, yeah?"

After getting an affirmative they hung up and Clint dropped his smile, hoping that this wouldn't end too badly. Sorry Harry.


Harry parked at the tower and came around to help Teddy out of the car, grabbing his quiver and bow. He took the small hand in his own and the two walked in heading straight for the elevator. He let Teddy hit the button for the floor Clint told them to head to and leaned back against the wall. He couldn't help but feel a bit nervous to finally meeting everyone else. Tony had told him stories about them all and he hoped they all at least got along with Teddy.

Finally reaching the floor Harry grabbed Teddy's hand again and led him out to where he could hear Clint's voice, frowning slightly at the raised voices he could hear.


Clint sighed as sat at the table trying to figure out a way to get the rest of the team up quickly to meet Harry. He bit his lip as an idea popped into his head, trying to decide if it would work. Deciding to go with it he stood and called out for Jarvis.

"Hey Jarvis can you call a 'Code 42' and tell everyone to meet up here?"

"Of course , what shall I tell them it pertains too?"

"Don't tell them anything. Just let them know to come as soon as they can. I know Tony's in a meeting and Bruce is working on something."

"Right away Sir."

Groaning softly he stood to pace a bit, even if he was quite proud of himself for thinking of the 'Code 42'. It was a call for a briefing and normally sent everyone to one of the conference so they could discuss the newest threat or whatever. He looked up when Natasha was the first one to come in and he sent a cheeky wave at her as she sat at the table. He grinned brightly when she just rolled her eyes at him.

Next to enter was Thor, the large man yelled out a greeting and dropped heavily into the seat next to Natasha. She just rolled her eyes again when Thor started talking about the random things he found on the 'all knowing Google machine'.

Steve trailed in next with a serious look on his face and took the chair at the head of the table before turning to look at them.

"Bruce said he's about halfway through with what he's doing, maybe 5 to 10 minutes."

Clint nodded and sat back down so he could face everyone. This could go one of two ways... and he was really hoping it would go in the good way.

"So I called everyone so we could discuss something before they get here."

Seeing their confused looks he continued on and smiled when no one interrupted him, "So as we all know Tony has been disappearing randomly and no matter how stealthy Nat or I are we always lose him. Not this last time though… I know where he's been going."

Steve groaned slightly and dropped his head into his hands, trying to decide how annoyed at Clint he should be for calling them like this. He dutifully ignored Thor's interested hum and how Natasha leaned forward.

"He's been leaving to meet up with someone."

Natasha made a victorious noise in the back of her throat and smirked smugly. The Thunder God just continued to stare at Clint when the man smiled.

"Barton… enough."

Clint frowned at Steve, trying not to pout, "But Steve! He's been hiding them from us… he even managed to lose Nat when she followed him. Aren't you the least bit curious as to who he's been sneaking off to see?"

"No."

Clint finally gave into the urge to pout and threw his hands into the air, "Come on Cap, it's been MONTHS and…"

Steve stood abruptly and narrowed his eyes down at Clint, "Enough, Barton! What Stark does in his own time is of no concern to us."

Natasha and Thor leaned back in their chair interested to see how this was going to work out. It was rare that Cap got this angry at Clint, the two normally got along rather well.

"Steve… really? You didn't think it was at all strange that he was twitchy and staying out all day during a Sci Fi marathon… coming home with muffins…. FRESH muffins!?"

"Seriously, Barton!"

Clint jerked back slightly at the yell, Cap hardly ever actually yelled. He was just about to try and backtrack when a happy shriek was heard down the hall; and a small ball of energy darted straight at the archer.

He kneeled just in time to catch the little four year old that leapt at him with an excited yell of 'Clint'. He smiled brightly and held Teddy closer, looking the way the little boy had run from. Spotting Harry he waved the man inside with a small sheepish smile when he noticed that the Brit looked a bit wary.

Walking into the room he came to stand next to Clint and gave the man a small hug, shaking his head slightly at Teddy. The four year old was snuggling deeply into Clint's chest and didn't look to be moving at all. Emerald eyes then glanced at the other people in the room and sent a shy smile toward them.

"Hello, I'm Harry."

Natasha was the first to recover and gave the stranger a tiny smile, bowing her head in greeting. "Natasha Romanova"

Thor spoke next in his booming voice, "Greetings friend of Hawkeye, I am Thor."

Harry's eyes widened and he glanced at Clint silently asking if the man was serious, seeing the man nod Harry bowed slightly at the waist, "It is an honor to meet you, Son of Odin."

The Asgardian sent Harry a pleased look and bowed in return, "The honor is mine."

Harry turned his attention to the final man and bit his lip slightly, knowing that this was the man who was yelling at Clint.

Seeing the wary look in those emerald eyes Steve smiled in reassurance before holding his hand out, "Steve Rogers."

The Brit shook the offered hand quickly and smiled lightly before turning to run a hand through Teddy's hair.

"This is my son, Teddy."

When he heard his name Teddy smiled brightly and waved at everyone. He then turned to focus on Clint once more, "Clint, can we practice now?"

Laughing the archer ruffled the little boy's black hair, "In a bit we can kiddo, I promise."

Pouting slightly Teddy nodded wiggling slightly to be put down. When his feet touched the ground he wandered over to Thor and tugged lightly on the highest place he could reach, which happened to be the man's pants. When the giant man looked down at him with a small smile, Teddy held his arms out to be picked up.

Thor glanced at Harry making sure it was okay and lifted the small body into his arms when Harry nodded. He blinked slightly when he felt a small pulse of strange energy from the kid and glanced at Harry out of the corner of his eye. Silently thinking it strange he was pulled from his thoughts when a quiet voice spoke up.

" , are you really Thor?"

Chuckling softly Thor nodded, "Yes little one, I am indeed Thor."

"Wow… um… if it's not too much trouble can I see Mjölnir?"

"Indeed you may young one!" Thor held his arm out to the side, silently calling the hammer to him and beamed brightly at the surprised gasp when Mjölnir flew into his waiting palm.

Teddy's jaw dropped as he reached a shaking hand out run a gentle finger over the side of the hammer and giggled in excitement. He couldn't believe it… he was actually getting to touch Mjölnir in real life. This may be the best thing ever he thought wildly.

Harry was in mild shock himself, he'd read stories about the mythic hammer but he never thought he's see the actual thing in real life. It was mildly humbling. Seeing that Teddy was occupied he turned back to Clint and raised an eyebrow.

"When will Tony be here and what did you have in mind for lunch?"

Clint glanced at the clock, checking the time, then turned back to Harry with a shrug, "Any minute now. And fajitas...Tony said you make amazing fajitas."

Smirking at Clint, Harry wandered over to the fridge to make sure they had everything before pulling things out. He went about opening cabinets trying to see where everything was before he started cooking. He laughed brightly when he heard Teddy's shout of excitement; he really did love his Dad's fajitas!

Tony chose that minute to shuffle into the kitchen, ignoring the rest of the Avengers, mumbling about boring meetings and idiots. He wouldn't even bother going to those damn meeting if Pepper hadn't threatened to castrate him. He had agreed rather quickly after that, he needed those parts of himself, thank you very much.

Still pouting he finally turned to the team and grunted in greeting, "Where's Banner?"

Steve smiled fondly at Tony, he really was too cute when he was annoyed. "He's in the lab, said he'd be up soon."

Nodding Tony headed right toward the coffee pot, not noticing Harry's amused look as he strode right for the machine.

Inhaling deeply Tony took a large drink, uncaring of the scalding temperature. He turned to lean against the counter when he finally noticed Harry.

"The fuck are you doing here?"

Harry reared back as if slapped, his jaw working to say something but nothing came out. He lowered his eyes, staring at the floor and spoke in a soft voice.

"I'm sorry, Clint called. If you don't want us here we can leave."

Tony's jaw dropped at the insecure voice and ignored the the harsh glare Barton sent his way. Setting the cup on the counter he reached out to touch Harry and almost whined in distress when Harry flinched slightly. Ignoring it Tony grabbed Harry in a tight hug.

"No Pixie, don't flinch from me. And that's not what I meant, you know that. It's just I didn't want you to meet them yet."

Harry kept his eyes firmly on the floor and whispered so softly that his words almost went unheard.

"Are you ashamed of Teddy and I? Did you not want to be seen around me?"

Giving into the urge to whine, Tony tightened his arms around Harry and shook his head harshly. He was just about to deny what Harry said when a quiet voice, filled with tears spoke up next.

"Do you not like us anymore? I promise to be good."

The genius snapped his head toward Teddy still in Thor's arms and all but shouted no. He absently noticed Natasha glaring at him harshly, silently demanding that he fix this. Hugging Harry tightly once more Tony rushed to Teddy and snatched him from Thor.

"Oh no Teddy. You know I adore you both. I'm sorry, I was just surprised."

Harry looked up finally and bit his bottom lip. Tony was still hugging Teddy tightly to his chest but his eyes were focused on Harry. A relieved sigh slipped past Harry's lips and he smiled gently at Tony.

Seeing that Harry was calming down Tony slumped in relief. He was honestly surprised at his own reaction to the situation, but he couldn't honestly care. He had felt this deep need to wipe the devastation on both their faces as quickly as possible. Walking over to Harry he tossed an arms over the small shoulders and pulled him closer. He was still ignoring the shock on the others faces.

The other Avengers watched the three in varying degrees of shock. Clint was surprised at how open Tony was being with them in the room, but not at Tony's reaction. Natasha just raised an eyebrow at the scene, silently wondering if the two really were dating. Thor was watching Harry closely with a cautious eye. He had felt a small surge of power when the green eyed adult thought Tony was ashamed of them, it felt similar to a power he had felt before. Steve didn't quite know what to feel at the moment. He was surprised slightly when he felt a pang of jealousy when Tony pulled Harry into an embrace, holding the man tightly. He was also shocked at Tony's reaction to Teddy, it was odd to see the genius so open.

Harry smiled slightly up at Tony and gently removed himself from the embrace to start working on lunch. He figured Tony would need time to cuddle Teddy to reassure him that everything was ok, so he left them too it.

He was just about to put the meat on the heat when another man entered the kitchen. He stopped dead when he felt the raw power coming from the stranger. It reminded him slightly of Remus and he couldn't stop the pang in his heart at the thought. Collecting himself, he smiled at the new comer and walked over to shake his hand when he looked at him curiously.

"Harry Smith."


Bruce stretched his back out, releasing a groan at the soft pop. He strode toward the elevator and headed straight for the kitchen, where he knew the others were.

When he reached the room he paused at the odd sight that met him. Tony was seated at the table, a small boy resting in his lap clutching tightly at the man's shirt. Stark was smiling fondly down at the toddler, who was babbling and gesturing wildly. He heard Thor's name more than once, obviously the kid was excited about meeting the Thunder God.

The remainder of the Avengers were seated around the table smiling at the pair, or jumping in the conversation with amusement. Clint seemed to know the kid well and was babbling right along with him, reminding him every once in awhile about needing to practice.

It was the last person in the room that caught his eye, he was a little on the short side with longish black hair. When the stranger turned around Bruce blinked in surprise at the bright emerald eyes that met his. The man was definitely attractive, there was no doubt about it.

He smiled automatically when the stranger held a hand out and a soft British voice passed through those lips.

"Harry Smith."

"Bruce Banner."

Bruce reached a hand out and grasped the offered hand. The moment he felt Harry's hand touched his he stiffened minutely as The Other Guy shifted in the back of his mind. He didn't seem scared or angry...just intrigued. Releasing the smaller hand he unconsciously took a step forward, trying to figure out what it is that had the other one on alert and he spoke without thinking.

"What are you?"

{1}The information for the Sea Goats was taken directly from this website: Those were not my words they were just the best I could find to describe the animal.