AN~ Second chapter of the night :-)


Later, after they've eaten, Tony returns to his workshop with Rhodey and his son. He puts Pete down to nap and walks back over to where his friend is waiting.

'You need to tell him,' Rhodey jumps straight back in. 'That man adores you, Tony; you're going to break him if you don't tell him soon.'

'Break him?' Tony scowls. 'No. He'll just... He'll be angry.'

'Tony, I know you have the emotional maturity of a golf ball but you've got to realise how this will hurt him.'

Tony hesitates,

'I just want him to love Pete too.'

'You want him to love you,' Rhodey snaps quietly. 'Tony, the boy is a clone but he isn't you. You don't need to repair his childhood anymore than you already are. Pete loves you; you're his Dada. He doesn't need to have another parent to be happy.'

'No, this has nothing to do with me!' Tony argues. 'This is about me doing everything I can for my sons. If Steve ends up hating me that's fine, just as long as...'

'He already loves Pete!' Rhodey interrupts. 'The only one the room today keeping a closer eye on that child was Jarvis!'

'It's an adjustment though,' Tony can feel his arguments slipping away from him. 'He can bond with Pete first and then with Jim...'

'You're being ridiculous!'

'I just thought he'd cope better if he wasn't overwhelmed with all this so early,' Tony replies quietly.

'You think Steve can cope with loosing another friend?' Rhodey asks. 'Because that's what'll happen here, Tony. How will he be able to trust you after this?'

'He's Steve,' Tony blinks, 'everyone loves him. He doesn't need me.'

Rhodey looks constipated.

'He really will be fine, Rhodey,' he reassures. 'He deserves better than me too.'

'A golf ball, Tony,' Rhodey groans. 'I'm not kidding.'

Tony stares at him.

'Tony,' Rhodey's speaking gently now, 'he likes you.'

'I know that,' Tony rolls his eyes.

'And how many friends did you say he has?'

Tony suppresses his flinch.

'Please tell him?'

Tony rakes a hand through his hair and glances to the incubator in the corner.

He nods.

'You'll tell him?' Rhodey presses.

'Yeah,' Tony agrees. 'Yes, alright, I'll tell him.'

'Thank you,' Rhodey clasps his shoulder and gives him a small shake.

Tony laughs and steps forwards to let his head rest against Rhodey's shoulder,

'I never meant for him to be hurt.'

Rhodey just hugs him.


They spend the rest of the afternoon messing around in the workshop with Pete and the bots. For dinner the return to the penthouse to join Pepper. Rhodey cooks steak while Tony manages a salad to go with it as Pete and Pepper curl up on the sofa and read a story off of Pete's StarkTab.

Pete's room is finished now, but when Pete's eyes start to droop, while they're watching Cars, Tony still takes him back to the Master suite.

Rhodey and Pepper leave, for their floor and suite respectively, and Tony's left alone to finish his scotch.

And to think.

'Muffins,' Tony decides.

'Now, sir?' Jarvis queries.

'No, when I tell Steve.'

'Ah, yes,' his AI replies, 'nothing says I'm sorry I didn't tell you you're about to become a father like baked goods.'

'There's got to be rules about not hitting someone who's just fed you, right?'

'I do not believe Captain Rogers will hit you, sir.'

'As an icebreaker then,' Tony waves a hand. 'Hey, good morning Cap, there's something I need to tell you. Please eat a muffin.'

Short silences from his AI either mean he's checking a fact somewhere across the world or he's laughing.

Tony suspects laughter.

'Not my best work,' he admits. 'Not sure there's a suave way to do this one, Jay.'

'I suspect not, sir,' he agrees.

'I'm not kidding on the muffins though. Get me muffins. Like a giant basket of muffins. With a bow.'

'Do you have a preference regarding flavours?'

'Amaze me,' Tony dismisses. 'Whatever you think Cap will like.'

'Would you like the muffins before or after breakfast?'

'After,' he decides. 'I'm not doing this in front of Pete; get them delivered in time for when Pete has his nap.'

'A hundred muffins are on order, sir.'

Jarvis is such an enabler.

'Thanks, Jay. Should I wear a suit?'

'All day, sir? Or do you plan to dismiss Captain Rogers after breakfast so you might prepare to see him at lunch?'

'No suit,' Tony swallows back his drink and pours another. 'Would flowers be inappropriate?'

'I suspect Captain Rogers would believe you were asking him out if you gave him flowers.'

'No flowers, got it,' Tony nods.

'Unless you would like to ask out Captain Rogers...' he can hear Jarvis' amusement.

'One thing at a time,' Tony scoffs.

'He is very fond of you, sir,' his AI is serious again now. 'And of Peter.'

'You think this is the right time to tell him, Jay?'

'I do not know, sir. Captain Rogers wants a family and he is attracted to you. You have a son together. It is not difficult to see how this might end perfectly.'

'Or blow up spectacularly,' Tony toasts the air and finishes his drink again.

'You have not known each other long enough for me to extrapolate outcomes,' Jarvis informs him regretfully.

'Alright,' Tony nods, 'but you personally; do you think it's right to tell Steve now?'

'You are my first priority, sir,' Jarvis hedges.

'You do!' Tony puts down his empty glass and leans forwards to put his face in his hands. 'You thought I should tell Steve all along but didn't say so? Why?'

'Because Captain Rogers' emotional wellbeing is not my concern,' Jarvis retorts. 'You were not ready to tell him so it was not the correct time to tell him.'

'Jarvis...'

'You have had a large adjustment to make in these last four days,' Jarvis continues. 'Knowing you will be bound to the Captain through a child for the rest of your lives is not something easy to accept. I was confident, however, that you would always have chosen to tell him well before your deadline.'

'Was that factoring in Pepper and Rhodey?'

'Their involvement was always likely, sir.'

'True.'

'Without them I predict you would have told Captain Rogers as Jim was being born.'

'Because I can't announce something without drama?'

'It is something of your modus operandi at this point, sir.'

'What was the percentage chance of me telling Steve via a press conference?'

'On purpose, less than half a percent, by accident, seven percent.'

'That's really high,' Tony can't help but laugh. 'God, Jay, I'm a terrible person.'

'You are my favourite person,' Jarvis retorts.

'Yeah, well, you're biased; I'm one of the few people who knows about you,' Tony stands up and heads to his room.

There's a small pause,

'I think you are the only one that loves me.'

Tony's hand snaps out the grasp at the wall,

'Please tell me that I have told you that?'

'Sir?' Jarvis sounds alarmed.

'That I love you!' Tony blurts. 'You're my best friend and my kid and my conscience... Please tell me we haven't been together that long and I haven't...'

'You have,' Jarvis interrupts. 'Sir, that was my point.'

'The others like you,' Tony stays paused in the corridor.

'Indeed,' Jarvis agrees. 'But I am not one of the first people they would think to call if they had been injured.'

'I always call you,' Tony finally walks into his room.

'Yes, sir,' he can hear Jarvis' smile.

'Remember that time I went to Portland?' Tony grins as he strips off his clothes.

'I was no wired into your house there so you dialled your Malibu property to speak to me.'

'Ran up an enormous phone bill because I left the line open all week,' Tony climbs into bed beside his son. 'Don't think that I don't know that you're distracting me.'

'I merely hoped to give you a nice memory to dwell on before you go to sleep,' Jarvis replies.

'Sure,' Tony settles down, 'thanks Jay.'

'Good night, sir.'

'Good night, bud.'