This is being cross-posted from Ao3. It was originally posted on 12 February 2021.

Mystery Toast
Rated: Teen & Up
Pairing: Tony Stark/Pepper Potts
Summary: Nervous about the upcoming birth of his daughter, Tony finds himself a bit frantic...
Prompt: #31DaysOfShipping21 Practice Prompt 2/28- A Ship That Makes You Cry
Incorrect Quotes: Tony: "I turned out perfectly fine!" Pepper: "Tony, this morning you thought a ghost made your toast." Tony: "I didn't put the bread in the toaster! You didn't put the bread in!"

The closer Pepper's due date drew, the more frantic Tony seemed to grow. He knew there was nothing to worry about, but he couldn't help but get a bit nervous all the same. In essence, he was more worried about being a father than the actual birth itself. If Pepper could be calm and collected about the birthing process, then he could be too.

What Tony worried about the most was being a good father. Even though he'd laid the plans for Stark Industries and made sure that Tony would be set for life, Howard Stark was never the best when it came to being a fatherly figure. Tony wanted to be better than his father had been for him, which wasn't going to be difficult. Still, Tony fretted over being the type of person his daughter could be proud of.

Growing up as the Stark heir had always been a burden. At least that was how it always felt to Tony. There were many aspects from his childhood he would change, and then there were parts he couldn't wait to share with his daughter. She would grow up without having to worry about the future, like he had, but Tony hoped she could at least experience life in a way that would be more natural than his had been.

One thing he thought that his daughter would enjoy and appreciate that he experienced was time spent at boarding school. Tony met a lot of really great people and made connections that allowed him to move up in both the business and social societies. Knowing that his partying also stemmed from this experience, Tony knew it might be a hot topic with his wife. He carefully broached the topic with Pepper one afternoon.

"When I went away for school, I was able to grow as a person," Tony explained, pacing in front of the windows. "I went to the best schools and was able to graduate early and attend MIT. I want that for our daughter. She's going to be brilliant with both of our genes. What do you think?"

"Tony," Pepper said calmly, easing out a breath. "We are not sending our child away for boarding school half the year. If anything, I want to hire a private tutor to come out here to the house. As much as I know you learned from your school, we don't need our daughter turning into a party girl." She smirked, hoping Tony realized she was playing around with him.

"I may have partied hard most of my young adult years…" He paused when Pepper opened her mouth to interject, but quickly carried on to keep her from saying anything, "AND adult years too, but I turned out perfectly fine!" Tony's eyes were wild, and he was blatantly aware of the fact that he did, in fact, look anything but fine.

"Tony, this morning you thought a ghost made your toast," Pepper replied calmly, smoothing a hand over her swollen belly. She remained sitting on the sofa as Tony frantically tried to convince her that their unborn child needed to be educated outside of their home.

"I didn't put the bread in the toaster! You didn't put the bread in either!" Tony all but shouted, throwing his hands into the air and giving Pepper a wild look. "If neither of us made the toast, then who did?"

"I made the toast," a familiar voice said from the doorway.

Tony frowned and looked toward the doorway. Natasha stood leaning against the frame, a piece of half eaten toast in one hand. "How long have you been here?"

"Since this morning obviously," Nat said easily, oming inside to sit down next to Pepper. "You lovely, and ever so patient wife thought you could use a break. Come with me to meet up with Rogers and Wilson. We're going to head toward the city and see if we can't hunt down Strange and see if we can't use his Time Stone." She took a bite of the toast and then tossed the remaining bit across the room towards the flabbergasted genius.

"You want me to go?" Tony asked Pepper, awkwardly holding onto the toast distractedly. Suddenly he sighed, pushing the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry. I'm driving you up the wall."

Pepper struggled to stand and waddled over to her husband. Kissing his cheek she took the toast from him and said, "You need a break from the house and worrying about the baby. Go and help your friends for a while. I'll be fine; I promise." She kissed him again and then playfully shoved him toward the door where Natasha was now waiting.

"Yeah, let's go before Strange figures out what we're up to," Nat said, gesturing outside where her car was waiting. "One last kiss and in the car. Got it?" She smirked at Tony, and winked at Pepper.

"Be right there…" Tony said slowly as Natasha disappeared out the door and left him alone with his wife. "Are you sure about this?" he asked, lifting a single eyebrow.

"Absolutely," Pepper replied with a smile. "I'll be fine, and if I need you, Friday can easily get a hold of you."

Nodding, Tony kissed Pepper and then said, "Okay, but the first sign of any contractions or other issues, you call me."

"I promise," Pepper said, now practically shoving him toward the door. "Now go, and just remember, we're not sending our daughter away for school."

"You're the boss," Tony muttered, saluting his wife. As he climbed into the car with Nat, he said, "Okay, Toast Ghost, let's get out of here so I can get back before the baby is born."

Natasha just laughed as she backed out of the Stark's driveway and drove them toward the city. She knew that Pepper needed a break from Tony, and he, in turn, needed a break from his worry to make the birth of their daughter feel less stressful. If it meant a fake mission in the city, then so be it. She would make sure that Tony had something to occupy his busy mind while Pepper finished the nursery.