"... Tony Stark and former captain in the Air Force, Chris Sumners, have sent out a statement verifying their relationship. We have to wonder, who is this Chris Sumners? Where did he come from? And how much money has he already taken from Tony Stark?" Chris turned the TV off, glaring at it.

"You can't let it get to you," Tony said quietly.

"According to them, I'm just a gold digger. And I thought reporters were supposed to check sources but they don't have my name or even my rank right, and-"

"Mr. Stark is right, dear," Deborah said while she braided Annie's hair. "If they see that they're getting to you, they will wear you down." She patted Annie's back and Annie jumped up.

"Daddy, will you go swimmin' with me?"

"I'll be there in a minute, baby. Let Grandma put some sunscreen on you first, though, ok?" Deborah took Annie by the hand and walked her out of the villa Tony was renting for the next month to one of the two pools on the property.

"How are you going to protect my son, Stark?" Phil asked, leaning against the breakfast bar. "With that general still out there, and now this… It all comes back to you."

"Dad!"

"He's right," Tony said. "If Ross hadn't gotten the Hulk buster prototype, Katherine would still be alive. May would still be alive. And because of my ex, you've been thrust into your… probably fifteen years of fame just from me admitting to more than a one night stand." Tony turned to Phil. "I'm doing what I can. They're living in one of the most state of the art buildings with the best security available, and that's before my AI gets involved. And the hangar he works from has that same security and AI to protect him and his employees."

"And the kids?"

"Annie, Gabe, and Alex are being enrolled in one of the top private schools available- it's the same school ambassadors send their children to. It's protected by armed guards because of the threat of kidnappings. And Scott will be attending the same school as Peter. My former bodyguard and head of security will take them to school and pick them up. Scott also has his own AI embedded into his sunglasses that monitors him and keeps Chris updated as needed, or when asked."

"And that's the best you can do?"

"No," Tony said, taking Chris' hand and looking at him instead of Phil. "I might have bullied SHIELD into sending someone undercover to keep an eye on the boys. They haven't yet decided if it'll be as a student, teacher, or administration." Chris squeezed Tony's hand.

"Thank you."

"I suppose that'll do for now," Phil said gruffly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some boys to trounce in water basketball." He left Chris and Tony and went out to the pool where the three older boys were splashing around with Rhodey.

"Don't let him fool you," Chris said. "He's impressed and grateful."

"I can't… Chris, I'm so sorry Pepper did this-"

"So you've said at least fifty times this last hour," Chris said, rolling his eyes. "I don't blame you. If anything, it's my fault for staking my claim right in front of her. That only added fuel to the fire."

"Still. I never would have thought… She was my assistant for so long. She knew more about me than anyone, but this was what she went to the news about?"

"Are we even sure it was her?"

"Who else could it be?"

"Peter's friends-"

"No," Tony said. "They wouldn't do that to him." Chris sighed and stood.

"Will it bother you if I swim for a bit?"

"No, just don't pressure me to join you."

"I won't. Will you at least come out there with us?"

"I have some calls to make and then I was hoping to steal you away for a bit after dinner."

"Oh?" Chris asked, trying to fight the grin.

"Mmhm. There's a place to go whale watching. Scott made a quip about me not seeing humpbacks in the wild, and I thought I'd have someone who could point them out to me."

"It's a date," Chris winked. He left Tony in the living room and walked to the pool.

"Daddy!" Chris walked down the steps into the shallow end and picked Gabe up from the water.

"Having fun?"

"Yes!"

"Maybe soon, we'll take you kids to the beach."

"Have you been to a beach before, Daddy?"

"I haven't been to a beach this warm in a long time. Mommy and I went when we first got married."

"Was it fun?" Chris closed his eyes as the memories of his honeymoon were brought to the forefront of his mind.

"It was. Mommy had never been out of Alaska before that trip, and to see how happy she was made me happy."

"Where'd you go?" Scott asked. Chris looked at him and saw he and Alex had left the deep end and were in the shallow water with the younger children.

"Santa Monica in California. She'd always wanted to go there."

"What did you and Mommy do?" Annie asked. Scott snorted.

"Yeah, Dad, what did you and Mom do?"

"We just enjoyed being together," Chris told his innocent child before shooting a glare at Scott.

"Daddy?"

"Yes Gabe?"

"Would Mommy be ok if we…"

"If you what, son?"

"If we loved Mr. Tony?" Scott pulled himself onto the side of the pool and took Annie from Deborah.

"I think Mommy would be very happy to know we weren't hurting so bad with missing her, and that we found someone who made all of us happy," Chris said. "I'd give…" Chris took a breath. "I'd give anything to have Mommy back, Gabe. I miss her every day. But I've really enjoyed being with Tony, and he helps my heart not hurt so much."

"Does Mr. Tony love us?" Annie asked, resting her head on Scott's shoulder.

"I think he does."

"Why doesn't he tell us?" she asked. "You say it all the time, and Mommy said it all the time."

"Sometimes guys have a hard time telling people how they feel," Chris tried to explain. "And I don't know if Tony thinks you want to hear him tell you he loves you."

"Ooooh," Annie said. "Scotty, swim with me!"

"I will in a bit, Annie," Scott promised. "Rhodey needed to go inside for a minute, but he's back now and I'm supposed to be helping him keep the ball from Grandpa and Peter." Chris held his arm out and Scott passed her to him, making sure he was able to hold both young children.

"Go on, son." Scott nodded and went back to the deep end and jumped in, Alex not far behind.

"How are they handling the news?" Deborah asked, taking Gabe to put him on a float.

"Scott's struggling with what they're saying about me," Chris told her. "Alex is concerned, and these two don't really understand."

"And how is Peter taking it?" Chris looked at the boy playing alongside Phil.

"Ma, I'm worried about him. His aunt died and he… He broke down when we told him, but it seems like he's refusing to accept it and is just treating this like an extended vacation with Tony. And I don't exactly know where the line is since Tony is also trying to figure that out, but it isn't healthy. He needs someone to talk to."

"And he won't talk to you?" Chris shook his head.

"I've offered. I've tried helping him with his homework and asking about his aunt and he just shuts me down. But if I don't talk about her, he's pleasant and like he was at the Compound." Deborah looked at Peter.

"I'll talk to your father and see if he'll talk to him."

"Mom-"

"He lost his parents when he was Alex's age and was raised by Grandpa Daniel. He might understand what Peter's going through better than you do." Chris nodded.

Scott adjusted his sunglasses and rubbed his forehead. He was at the table outside, waiting for their personal chef to finish making dinner. He rubbed his temples and a whimper escaped, drawing Chris and Tony's attention to him.

"Scott? What's wrong?"

"Too much sun," Scott said.

"What do we need to do?"

"Let it out, Scott," Tony said. "Your glasses will absorb it. That's why you're wearing them."

"But-"

"They can take it." Chris put a hand on the back of Scott's head and rubbed small circles with his thumb as Scott cradled his head in his hands. After a few minutes, Chris felt Scott relax.

"Better?" he asked quietly.

"Yes sir." Scott looked up to Tony. "I'm sorry. It's still sometimes hard to believe that it can stop something that has destroyed a forest."

"But you see now that it will?"

"Yes sir. I'll try to not let it get this bad again." Chris gently kissed Scott's head before thanking the chef as he started putting dinner on the table.

"Don't eat too much," Tony said low enough for only Chris to hear. "We have a bit of a walk." Chris nodded to acknowledge Tony as he laughed at something Rhodey said. They were finished eating before Chris realized it and he and Tony stood up.

"You're still ok getting the kids to bed, Mom?"

"We'll be fine," Deborah said. "I have several months to make up for. You two go on and stay out as late as you want."

"Dad'll be back by nine," Scott told Peter. "He's too old to be out later." Chris flicked the back of Scott's head and Scott laughed while rubbing the smarting spot.

"Don't stay up too late playing video games," he told Scott, Peter, and Alex. "Listen to Grandma and Grandpa, and if Rhodey or Dr. Banner tell you to do something or to not do something, you will obey. Got it boys?"

"Yes sir," Scott and Alex said simultaneously. Chris looked expectantly at Peter.

"Uh- oh. Yes sir."

"Have fun," Tony said, rolling his eyes at Chris' commands. "We'll be back in a few hours." He gently tugged on Chris' hand and the two left the villa.

"I think I saw a telescope on the back deck," Bruce said. "Would any of you like to look at some constellations?" Scott shrugged.

"Sure."

"Can I look, Dr. Brucey?" Gabe asked.

"Of course. But I have to admit, the best person to tell you about the stars is Thor." He took Gabe's hand and led him and Scott past the pools and to a deck overlooking the Caribbean Sea.

"Would it be ok if I took my glasses off, Dr. Banner?" Scott asked. Bruce looked thoughtful for a moment.

"If your eyes start burning, they go back on immediately."

"Yes sir." Scott took his glasses off and stared out at the horizon. "Whoa," he said, seeing the turquoise water.

"It's certainly beautiful."

"Are we allowed to tell anyone where we are?" he asked.

"Cap and Nat know where we are for safety reasons, but I don't think it would be a good idea to tell anyone else while we're here. After, most certainly."

"Yes sir. That's what I figured, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask."

"You ready to see some stars and planets, Gabe?"

"Yes!" Bruce chuckled at Gabe's enthusiasm and looked through the telescope.

"There's Venus," he said. He held the telescope still and Scott helped Gabe look through the lenses.

"How'd you know?"

"Because Venus and Mars are some of the closest planets to Earth. Venus is extremely bright, and Mars has a red tint to it."

"Like Scotty?" Scott shook his head and looked through the lens to see the planet.

"Sort of," Bruce said, smiling at the boy's innocence. He looked up in the sky and sighed. "It's still a bit too bright to see most stars."

"I see a star!"

"You do?" Bruce said, eyes raised. "Where?" Gabe pointed to the sinking sun.

"My daddy says the sun is a star."

"Your dad is a pretty smart man. You're a lot like him."

"Really? But I don't know a lot of things like Daddy or Scott or Mr. Tony or Peter or Alex-"

"Good," Bruce said. "Your dad's job is to teach you things as you grow older, just like he did with Scott and Alex. The fact that he's teaching you some things and not others is helping you learn how to understand and process what you've learned." Gabe stared at him blankly.

"He means your brain is small right now and can only hold so much, and as you get bigger, your brain will get bigger, too, and then you'll know things just like Dad."

"Oh. Why didn't you just say that, Dr. Brucey?"

"I guess I'm just not as smart as your brother."

"But Mr. Tony says you're the smartest man he knows."

"Well… I know a lot about certain things, but not a lot about other things. And that's ok. When you find something you love, you're allowed to spend time learning all about it."

"Is that why Daddy likes to hear Mr. Tony talk?"

"I… Look at that up there. Gabe, did you see that?" Gabe looked up at the sky, no longer thinking about Chris and Tony. Scott grinned at Bruce before pointing up in the sky at things for his brother to see.

"It's beautiful out here," Chris said as he and Tony walked side by side down the beach as the sun started to set.

"It is," Tony agreed. Chris looked at the water after hearing a splash and he stopped. "Bear?"

"Look out there," Chris said. Tony turned and watched. "Dolphins."

"Hm. I've seen a dolphin or two while living in California."

"But have you ever seen them in waters this blue?"

"No," Tony admitted. The two watched the pod of dolphins swim by for a moment before continuing their walk to the end of the island to watch for whales. There was a small pier and Tony led Chris to the end. Tony leaned against the wooden rail and started scanning the water.

"Is there something you needed to talk about?" Chris asked, leaning against a different rail to look at Tony.

"Hm?"

"This is the first minute we've had alone since getting here yesterday. Is it too stressful? I know Annie slipping into the bed last night wasn't-"

"Annie was scared," Tony frowned. "I'm glad she felt comfortable enough to seek both of us out."

"Then why drag me all the way over here when the villa came with a private beach?"

"I told you. Whales."

"Ok," Chris said, shifting to stand next to Tony and gaze out with him.

"Are you happy?" Tony asked.

"In general, or is there something specific you're asking, T?"

"With me. Are you happy with me?"

"I'm in your bed, aren't I?"

"Chris-" Tony shook his head. "I need to hear it. Either way, I just… I need to hear it from your mouth if you're happy or not."

"I'm happy. I didn't think… After Katherine, I didn't think I'd get a chance at this kind of happiness again. I won't say I'm not shocked that it was with you, but it was, and I am." Tony nodded. "Are you happy? I come with a lot of baggage- and kids."

"More than happy."

"Alright. We're happy. Is that all, or-?"

"I love you." Chris looked at Tony and then back to the water.

"Good. I feel the same about you. And so do my kids. They're actually wondering why you haven't said it to them."

"Chris-"

"You haven't said my name this much in a long time," Chris noted. Tony smiled sadly.

"Are you sure you can handle my life as Iron Man?"

"You were Iron Man when I met you, right?"

"Yes?"

"And when you told me your intentions?"

"Yes-"

"So why would I have a problem with it? It's part of who you are, Tin Man. And honestly… It's the press I have the most issues with, not you being an Avenger. But we're handling it."

"Could you be happier?"

"I don't know," Chris admitted. "A part of me died with Kat, Tony. I've been up front with you about that."

"But could I make you happier?"

"I'm happy with how things are-"

"Then why don't you want to talk about a future with me?" Chris blinked.

"Is that what this is about?" Tony nodded once. "T… We've been dating since October. It's only December. I just buried my wife this past April. I am not ready to settle down like that again. Not yet. Does it mean I'll never want it? I can't answer that right now, but… With you, it doesn't…"

"It doesn't what?"

"A life with you doesn't sound so bad." Tony's shoulders relaxed.

"So it really doesn't have anything to do with me," he said.

"Nothing to do with you," Chris confirmed. "I told you. Baggage."

"Alright. I'll drop the topic until you're ready to discuss it."

"Ask me how I'm feeling in May," Chris suggested. "Definitely not April. And not August, because that was when Kat and I got married."

"I'll set a reminder." Tony reached over and took Chris' hand and turned to face him. "I do love you, Bear. I'm sorry I haven't said it-"

"Oh, because sunset overlooking the Caribbean Sea was a horrible place to tell me how you felt?"

"I suppose not," Tony smirked.

"At least I'll always remember it," Chris said, smiling at him. He bent down and touched his lips to Tony's. They pulled apart and Tony cleared his throat.

"Feel like sneaking back into our room?" Chris laughed.

"Those kids have a dad radar. They'll know as soon as we step foot on the property."

"Then let's find one of those cliffs and hide under it for some pri-"

"Jude?"