Jarvis gives Tony a written notification when Steve returns to the tower. He glances to his son, who's now playing a picture matching game on his tablet, and doesn't mention it.
He doesn't need to get Pete's hopes up when he knows Steve won't be visiting for a while.
'Sir, Ms Potts is requesting your presence in her meeting.'
'With Japan?'
'With your Board of Directors, sir.'
'Is it important?'
'She is trying to prove that the existence of your son is not affecting your working capability.'
Tony groans,
'Really? A half-assed attempted coup?'
'What shall I relay as your response?'
He bites his lip as he glances at Pete.
'Who's in?'
'SGR is on his floor,' Jarvis tells him carefully, 'Agent Romanov is out driving your Ferrari, Colonel Rhodes has not yet returned to the tower, Doctor Banner is working in his laboratory and Agent Barton is with Prince Thor on the communal floor.'
Well, decision time...
'Alright,' he sighs, 'tell her I'll be a few minutes.
'Pete,' he smiles at his son beside him, 'get your sword, ok? You're going to play with Thor and Clint while I go to work with Auntie Pepper.'
'I can learn swords?' Pete leaps from the sofa and grabs his sword.
'Maybe,' he smiles, 'if Thor's up for it.'
He ushers him onto the lift after grabbing his blanket and then leads the way into the communal lounge.
'Greetings!' Thor beams at them.
'Hi Thor,' Pete smiles shyly from where he is clinging to his pant leg, 'hi Clint.'
'Hey, kiddo,' Clint grins. 'What brings you rich types down to our level?'
'I have a Board Meeting,' Tony pet his son's hair absently, 'can you two look after him for a few hours?'
Clint looks suddenly panicked and shoots a look at Thor, but the demi god is already nodding,
'Of course, friend Tony, it would be our honour.'
'Great,' Tony grins. 'Remember to feed him lunch and then put him down for a nap. I'll be back in a few hours but you can always get Jarvis to interrupt me, ok?'
Thor nods solemnly and Clint shrugs,
'Sure, as long as Thor knows what he's doing.'
Very reassuring.
He kneels down to face his son,
'Ok, I have to go to work now, baby. You stay here, with Thor and Clint, and I'm sure you'll have lots of fun. You be good, ok?'
Pete looks less convinced now Tony's departure is imminent.
'You've got your sword and your blanky,' Tony adds, 'and you know Jarvis can always find me, ok?'
'Ok,' Pete nods, still looking nervous.
'Good boy,' he kisses his forehead and stands to face his fellow Avengers, 'he had better be in one piece when I get back,' he waits for their nods. 'Alright, I love you, Pete, I'll see you later.'
'Bye bye, Dada,' Pete gazes after him even as Thor lifts him onto his hip.
Tony smiles until the lift door closes between them. He leans against the wall and sighs,
'If he needs anything at all,' he tells Jarvis, 'tell me, ok?'
'Of course, sir.'
Fingers crossed.
Pete decides pretty quickly that Thor and Clint are brilliant.
Not as brilliant as Dada, of course, or even as brilliant as Cap, but very very very great.
When Dada first left he nearly asked Jarvis to make him come back, but then Clint had mentioned throwing knives and he asked about them instead,
'Ah,' Clint had looked strange, 'I didn't mean we should actually... oh, god, please don't cry! I have them right here!'
And then they found a dart board and Clint showed him how to throw knives at it, which was brilliant even though he wasn't allowed a turn.
After that Clint had told Thor that Pete needed a turn at something. He had been convinced they would both be repulsored where the sun didn't shine if Pete got upset.
Pete wasn't sure what that meant except that Thor then drew a sword and told Pete he'd show him sword stuff.
Playing swords is even more brilliant than Pete had hoped, even though it makes his arm hurt.
'My arm hurts,' he tells Clint proudly.
'We are so dead,' Clint moans dramatically. 'If Tony doesn't kill us then you can bet that Steve will.'
'All is well,' Thor just laughs, 'that is merely your arm becoming used to such activity and becoming stronger!'
'Ok,' he agrees with Thor because Clint is silly.
'Come, little warrior,' Thor beckons, 'we must find sustenance after such exertion.'
'He means let's eat,' Clint is the best for translations.
'Ok,' he holds up his arms and Clint pauses for a second before picking him up.
Now he can see what Thor is doing.
'Bacon and eggs?' Clint asks as he walks them closer.
'Indeed,' Thor nods. 'Such food is important for growing infants.'
'I'll get the ketchup,' Clint carries him to the fridge. 'What do you drink, kiddo? Juice?'
'Milk,' Pete tells him. 'Jarvis says it's good for my teeth and bones.'
'Right,' Clint puts the milk out beside the ketchup, 'always best to listen to your Dada's omniscient butler.'
'I like milk,' Pete tells him. 'Dada likes coffee.'
'Yeah, he does,' Clint laughs.
'Is coffee good for teeth and bones?' he wonders.
'Coffee is important for brain function in grown ups,' Clint tells him. 'Especially in the mornings.'
'Oh,' that makes sense. 'So Dada is a genius because of coffee?'
'That's quite the theory, little man,' Clint grins at him.
'You should drink more coffee,' Pete tells him, 'then you'd be smart.'
Thor laughs loudly,
'The little one is clever!'
'Thanks a lot,' Clint pulls a face and then pokes him in the stomach. He giggles so Clint does it again, 'oh my god, you're ticklish. Is your dad ticklish? How quickly will Jarvis kill me if I try to find out?'
He giggles some more and squirms in Clint's arms until he finally stops,
'Stop it,' he sighs and rests his head on Clint's shoulder.
'Here,' Thor has put their food on the table, 'bacon and eggs within bread.'
'Thanks Thor, come on kid, eat this before you sleep?'
He nods his head and sits up at the table. The sandwich is two rectangles, not two triangles like Dada does it, but it tastes good. Clint and Thor are talking but he doesn't listen to them because he has to concentrate on his food. He licks his fingers clean of egg before drinking his milk.
Thor appears in front of him and wipes his face and hands.
'Where's Dada?'
'Your father is meeting with those important to your Industries,' Thor tells him.
He considers that,
'I want Dada.'
'You shall sleep first, little warrior, ' Thor smiles.
But what if Dada doesn't come back?
'Dada?' he tries to go and find Dada but Thor is holding him.
'Hush, all is well,' Thor runs a hand across his head. Thor has a nice voice.
It's not as nice as Dada's.
'Dada will come back?' his head is too heavy so he rests it on Thor.
'Your father is a good and honourable man,' Thor tells him, 'he would never willingly leave you.'
'Ok...' he closes his eyes.
