Disclaimer: All characters belong to Marvel.

Tony tried to make himself clear to Pepper, even though he had talked three times faster than usual, even when he was explaining something that was against the seven nature laws.

"I…- I can't believe it! What exactly did Loki do to your boyfriend?!"

"He has some sort of magic powers- what do I know?! I just, I need to find him."

"Tony… I wish I could help you with this but I have the most relevant meeting of the company, so if you could just take Steve!"

Pepper put the sobbing baby in Tony's arms cautiously but swiftly, urging on her way out.

"I can't go get Loki with him!"

"Then don't! I'll be back soon, just try your best to find Loki and keep the baby alive, okay?" Pepper ran down stairs and gathered all her stuff with prodigious assistant skills.

"Please- Pep!" Tony pleaded as he followed the redhead to the main door, feeling his heart pounding violently against the arc reactor.

"I can send you some supplies, though! You'll be fine!" She pronounced those last words already inside her car.

And then she was gone; Tony was left with words in his mouth, worries in his mind and a baby Steve in his arms.

The CEO allowed himself a second to breathe in and out in an attempt of calming down. He looked down at Steve, who was whining oh-so-sweetly.

"Don't do this to me…" Tony walked back inside, holding Steve tight into his chest, bouncing him a little bit. Is this how it was done? "Okay, now you'll be good until aunty Pepper comes back, will you?"

The brunet placed his hands on Steve's chubby sides and lifted him with a bit of effort. The baby looked at Tony with huge, teary, blue eyes and Tony felt something inside his stomach tingle.

He wasn't crying anymore, and the genius was so glad that he could hear his own thoughts again.

"That's what you wanted?" Steve's reply was a soft cry. "I thought so. Now, I can wrap you in a blanket, and then you can sleep and let me solve this mess, 'kay?"

Tony went to the bedroom again, the sun was rising outside and the light sunshine came reflected inside. Sheets were tangled all around the bed and the two big, fluffy pillows Tony loved to sleep in were on the floor, pretty far away from each other; and Steve's flat and only pillow was still on his side.

The brunet placed the little being on the mattress and leaned in, his face close to the blond's. Steve smiled brightly.

"We only have sheets so that will have to be en- AAHH!" Tony groaned in pain when Steve pulled a lock of his brown hair unexpectedly, giggling harmoniously. "Stop! You're- AGH! I SWEAR!"

The billionaire grasped Steve's tiny arm and freed himself from the baby's tremendously robust grip with an abrupt movement. Then again, it was not a good idea.

"Oh please, no…" Tony muttered as he saw the exact moment when the light and brightness left Steve's eyes and he started crying noisily one more time, twirling from side to side in frustration (or pain? Maybe Tony had been too brusque with the baby).

"Fine, I'm sorry, but please don't start fussing again!" The genius' loud response made Steve feel worse, and he carried on with his disturbing cries. Steve didn't want an apology.

Tony sighed exhausted; it had only been a few minutes! He felt like crying himself. The CEO squeezed his eyes shut and tapped an index finger on his forehead.

The genius had wondered if he would be a good father before, and the answer was always a negative. He didn't know anything about comforting another human being for about 24 hours a day, every day. How could he know that? He had been raised rather terribly, the fact that he stopped crying when he felt like it when he was six because Howard had forbidden it could make anybody realize how unhealthy his childhood had been.

He stopped the motion of his body as tangled thoughts ran across his mind in the shapes of colors, smells and feelings from his infancy; the distant noise of a crying baby was also present. Breathing deeply, in and out.

"Alright, c'mere…" Tony held his fussy little love carefully in the crook of his arm, slightly inclined, steadying him with the lower part of his arm and his hand. Steve soon curled up in a comforting fetal position; the baby calmed down a bit for a brief moment and soon he continued with his desperate cries.

Tony ran out of options and suddenly, surprisingly found himself singing with a soft and soothing voice a very few knew existed.

"We sailed through endless skies. Stars shine like eyes. The black night sighs. The moon in silver trees. Falls down in tears"

It was Planet Caravan. A slow, rhythmic song by Black Sabbath, one that you can fall asleep to, dreaming of new nonviolent places.

"Light of the night. The earth, a purple blaze. Of sapphire haze in orbital ways."

It worked: Tony gladly realized when Steve's whimpers ceased completely and started to drift off to sleep. The brunet looked down at the baby and smiled to himself before ending the lulling song.

"While down below the trees. Bathed in cool breeze. Silver starlight breaks dawn from night. And so we pass on by. The crimson eye of great god Mars. As we travel the universe…"

A/N: Drink everytime the word "cry" appears in any form!

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