While the car glided through the streets of Toronto, the sound of the twins' animated laughter in the backseat filled the atmosphere. In the front, however, the mood was different. Pepper and Tony remained in a comfortable silence, but their minds were full of thoughts. Iron Man's alter ego, keeping his eyes on the road, couldn't help but smile as he heard his daughters' happy voices. He felt grateful for the opportunity to spend the day with them and even more so to have his ex-girlfriend by his side. Despite the uncertainties and the fear of making mistakes, he was determined to make things work. The elder Potts, on the other hand, was watching the scenery pass by through the window. She was charmed by how quickly the dark-haired man was integrating into the family dynamic. Seeing the little ones' joy as they interacted with him, even without knowing his true identity, was warming her heart in a way she hadn't expected.
The journey didn't take much longer. As Pepper had mentioned, there really was a parking lot nearby, and from the number of cars, it was clear the event was crowded. Tony, in particular, had never been a fan of such activities, let alone being in places with so many people, but at that moment, it didn't matter much. Icefest, a classic winter event, was held annually. It usually took place in the city center, where ice sculptures were displayed. Many artists created their works during the festival, so in the morning, people could see the creation process and come back later to appreciate the final results. However, this didn't mean there were few sculptures at that time; on the contrary, there were works of various styles, shapes, and sizes.
Everyone was enchanted by the atmosphere and the pieces. The redhead particularly liked an Eiffel Tower since, before working for her ex-boyfriend, she had lived in France for a few years and developed a great love for the place. Stark, on the other hand, was fascinated by a sculpture that was still being crafted but was clearly of Iron Man. Of course, the woman laughed, knowing that it fed his ego, but she also couldn't deny that she was happy with the moment. Even with the hero's recognition in the country, they were strolling through the festival without Tony being recognized, and she enjoyed this anonymity, something they didn't have much of when they were in the United States. Erin and Iris, despite their young age, also looked at everything attentively, and their expressions indicated they were truly appreciating the sculptures. They were enchanted by almost all the works, but what really made their eyes light up was one of Moana.
At first, the dark-haired man didn't understand his daughters' excitement. To him, it was just another of the hundreds of creations there, which ended up irritating the twins and making Pepper laugh. Seeing the confusion on his face, she quickly explained that Moana was the girls' favorite princess, and until then, they hadn't met anyone who didn't know who she was. Then, Erin and Iris started telling him everything they knew about Moana, even singing "How Far I'll Go," making him realize he would need to catch up on Disney princesses as soon as possible. After some more time at the festival, the four of them decided to move on with the day's schedule, choosing a cozy restaurant near the event, which was one of the Potts' favorites. The place wasn't crowded, so they were served quickly. Each made their order, and while they waited, the redhead couldn't help but notice, once again, how the girls were captivated by "mom's new friend." They didn't stop talking to Tony, telling him absolutely everything about themselves. They talked about school, their friends, what they liked to watch, their favorite toys, what they enjoyed doing, among other things. The twins were so fascinated by having his attention that they didn't even complain when it was time to eat, something for which Pepper was immensely grateful. But the girls were getting along so well with uncle Tony that she began to fear that, when they told them the truth, they wouldn't react well.
"Everything okay?" Stark asked when he noticed she seemed a bit distant.
"Yeah." The woman gave a weak smile and started talking to the girls to avoid further questions because she knew she hadn't been convincing. Luckily, the tactic worked perfectly.
After lunch, the four of them went to the aquarium, where they spent several fun hours. Then they went to a park that had a small completely frozen lake. Surprisingly, the place wasn't crowded, giving them plenty of space to enjoy. Tony rented skates for himself and Pepper and insisted on buying the twins' first pairs. He wanted to buy two for each - one for the moment and another in a larger size, as he had read about how quickly children's feet grow. The redhead, however, said it wasn't necessary. If allowed, she knew he would buy the world for them. Literally. And as someone who hated having his desires thwarted, the dark-haired man sighed in defeat but focused on fulfilling his promise to teach the girls to skate. They took a few falls at first, which worried the older Potts, but seeing that the children didn't mind, she eventually relaxed.
After enjoying the new experience, they played a bit in the snow. When the afternoon started to darken, they decided to shelter from the cold in the Path, Canada's first underground city. As they walked through the area and visited some shops, Erin and Iris, who were holding Pepper's hands, ended up holding Tony's hand too. None of them minded, and the four walked hand in hand like a perfect little family. When evening came, they decided to have dinner at a nearby pizzeria, and before calling it a day, they stopped at a playground at the kids' request so they could play a bit more. As a result, the twins fell asleep in the car due to exhaustion.
When they arrived at the Potts' house, the clock read a little past 9 PM. Neither of them wanted to wake the girls to get them inside, so he was responsible for carrying both while she carried the bags with some of the things bought during the outing. Together, they changed the girls' clothes, tucked them in, and gave them goodnight kisses before leaving the room.
"They really got tired," Tony commented as they walked down the stairs.
"Very much. They didn't even ask for the bedtime story to be repeated three times."
"Three times?" he asked, shocked.
"Or more. I guarantee that within a week of putting the two to bed, you'll discover Disney stories you didn't even know existed. In two weeks, you'll have them all memorized," the woman laughed.
"Maybe I should read my quantum physics books. I'm sure they'd fall asleep right away."
"No, they'd definitely ask you countless questions and you'd end up teaching them everything you know in one night. God, I love these girls, but I've never seen so much energy and curiosity in such small bodies."
"They are Starks, after all."
"I just hope they don't take after their father and want to fly around in armor. I don't know if I can handle worrying about three instead of just one," she commented casually.
"So you still worry about me?" The surprise and smile appeared on his face with the confession.
"You know I do. I don't want my daughters to have a dead father." It wasn't exactly what he expected to hear, but Tony nodded and followed Pepper to the kitchen. She took a bottle of wine from the fridge, grabbed a glass from the cupboard, and poured herself a drink. Knowing that wine wasn't his favorite, she got a glass, a bottle of whiskey from the counter, and handed it to him.
"You know me so well..." the dark-haired man said before taking a sip.
"Years together..." the woman commented, sitting across from him.
"Where 's Sasha? I thought she'd be waiting to hear about our day."
"She'll do that tomorrow. Today she's trying to give us a bit of privacy."
"Do you want to make use of her?" he asked, only realizing afterward how wrong his words might sound.
"God, you really are unbelievable. You haven't changed a bit," she rolled her eyes.
"What do you think I'm talking about? Maybe you should stop drinking," Stark joked.
"How funny. As if I don't know you," Potts retorted.
"I didn't mean it with any innuendo, but to ask if you want to take advantage of our privacy and talk about what's bothering you." Tony could have kept joking, but he knew something was wrong, and it was making him even more uneasy.
"Nothing's bothering me," Pepper shrugged.
"Years together, remember? I know when you're lying, when something's bothering you."
"Since when do you pay attention to these things?"
"You know I always pay attention when it comes to you... So, what 's wrong?"
The redhead took a deep breath, trying not to let the comment become more than it was. "I was thinking about how well you and the girls got along today, how much they liked Uncle Tony..."
"And that's a problem?" the dark-haired man asked, confused. "Pep, I've told you this before. I know it's hard for you to believe, but I have no intention of winning these girls over and then abandoning them."
"I know, and that's not the problem. You don't get it, do you?" She paused, taking a sip of wine to buy time and choose the right words. "They got along with uncle Tony. They're charmed by someone they think is mommy's friend. How will it be when we tell them the truth? Won't they already be attached to an image they've created? Are we really helping by waiting for the 'right moment'? Will they hate us?"
He saw the worry in Potts' eyes, and his heart ached for her. Stark knew she was carrying an enormous weight. "First, you need to calm down. I understand your concerns. I felt the same way when we first talked about this. I wanted them to know the truth right then, but you were right. Erin and Iris went years without me in their lives. They need to get used to having me around. We can't just drop this whole story on them all at once. I know the situation is stressful, but we're doing the right thing. Maybe one day, when they're older, they'll feel some anger about the confusion, but they could never hate you, Pep. That's humanly impossible."
"You can't know that."
"You know I can," Tony said, and they stared at each other for a few moments in silence. There were so many things they wanted to say to each other, but they simply didn't know how. The line of boundaries had never been so blurred since they reconnected.
"Mommy..." A small voice caught their attention.
"Hi, princess. What are you doing here?" Turning quickly, they saw their daughter. "Erin, you know you can't come down the stairs alone."
"I know, I'm sorry. But I couldn't sleep..." The little girl said in a tearful voice as she approached.
"What happened? Are you crying?" The redhead asked, picking the girl up and noticing her red, still-wet eyes.
"I had a nightmare... I don't want to be in the room alone," she explained.
"It's okay, my love. It was just a bad dream," the older woman said, stroking the child's face. "Besides, you're not alone; Iris is in the same room."
"But I want you in my bed," Erin said, hugging her mother around the neck and letting more tears fall.
"Hey, sweetie... How about I go upstairs with you?" Watching the scene silently, Tony made himself noticed by his daughter for the first time, catching her attention. "Mommy said you like to hear bedtime stories, and I have some really cool ones." He hoped he wasn't crossing any boundaries.
"But I don't want to sleep, Uncle Tony. The monsters will get me."
"Well, there's something you don't know about me... I'm a superhero." The dark-haired man whispered the last part as if it were a secret just between them, making the older girl smile. A lot.
"Are you a real superhero? Do you pinky swear?" Erin asked, her eyes wide and her mouth forming an 'O', completely fascinated.
"I pinky swear," Stark laughed. "So, what do you say? Want to go upstairs with a superhero?"
"Will you promise not to leave me?"
"Of course, I promise." His voice caught with emotion. And damn, that answered so much more than the simple question asked.
"But if I get scared, we're going to mommy's room, okay?" The girl clarified.
"Deal."
"Then we can go." She said, reaching out her arms for him to pick her up, forgetting she had come downstairs looking for her mother.
"So, from now on, you don't want mommy anymore?" Pepper asked, pretending to be hurt, but without any resistance.
"I still love you, mommy. You're the best mommy in the world. But Uncle Tony is a superhero!" The little one finished, making the adults laugh.
"I love you too." The redhead kissed the top of her daughter's head.
"Now let's go. We've got to turn this little girl here into a superhero who fights nightmare monsters." Tony spoke while tickling Erin's belly.
"You can't tickle, you have to give lots of kisses." The redhead heard her say and let out a squeal as the two left the kitchen, probably being attended by the father.
At first, she thought about going along, but she ended up deciding to give the pair a little privacy. She already had so many wonderful memories with the twins that it was time to let Tony start creating some of his own. And as she listened to the laughter coming from upstairs, she knew that somehow, everything would be okay.