Lucky Thirteen

"Bruce. Seriously, babe, I'm fine," Tony said with a chuckle as Bruce insisted he lean on him as they walked into the house.

Pepper laughed softly as she and Happy trailed behind the kids. Bruce continued to fret and tell him he was still under orders to take it easy. And he practically forced him into the large armchair that sat in the front lounge, taking a perch along the arm of it.

"Have a seat," Bruce said, motioning to all of the kids.

They all immediately headed for the assembly couch, though some sat on the floor so to allow Pepper and Happy to sit on one end.

"Alright, so things obviously can't stay the same around here," Tony began ominously.

Pepper tilted her head in the men's direction, admittedly unsettled by the uncertainty that implication held. She looked at the kids to see them looking at each other in what could only be described as panic.

"You can't break up!" Jane was the first to cry.

"This is on all of us," Thor said more calmly. "We should have been more helpful."

"We should have paid closer attention," Wanda said with a shake of her head.

"You still care about each other right?" Skye asked.

"Do we have to move?" Peter asked next.

Other protests and questions were fired at them not unlike the day Tony had returned home and announced he'd met someone. Pepper couldn't help but be slightly amused and she looked back at the two men. One glance at them told her they were surprised by the response. It also told her that they clearly hadn't been planning on breaking up.

Bruce held up a calm hand and his own kids went quiet first and then Tony's followed suit. Pepper was mildly impressed and if she'd had any lingering doubts that Bruce was the right person for both Tony and his family, they were put to rest with that one subtle display of how much they'd come to respect him.

"As Tony said, things obviously can't stay the same around here," Bruce started. "For one thing, I have to draw a line between work and home. I can't let myself get so caught up in a project that I lose sight of what I have around here. You are all more important to me than my job. But sometimes work does get a little crazy. I can't promise that a crazy workload or time crunch won't ever be a thing or that I won't need a friendly shove to remind me not to let it take over," he said and gave a small smile in Wanda's direction. "But I can promise to take those friendly shoves to heart from now on."

"Another thing that needs to change is one-on-one time," Tony stated next. "We're still transitioning into this super family and there are way more of you than there are of us. First of all, we're going to need you to help us out on this one. We can't always tell when you need us. You older ones should know this by now, but if you need one-on-one time with either of us or time with both of us without the others, let us know."

"Just because there's a baker's dozen here and an awesome kid to spare," Bruce added, looking at Sam with a nod, "doesn't make you a package deal. You're all individuals and if things start to get a little crowded and you need space and attention, we understand. Your dad and I were only children so it's something we took for granted. You'll need to work with us a little."

Tony nodded. "Additionally, from now on we're going to try harder to make sure we make time for you ourselves, that is, before you have to come to us. Just letting you know now so there's no jealousy thing. If one or both of us take just one or two of you out to dinner with us, then the others will get a chance too. We'll try to do things that you like to do and you get to call the shots for that day."

"So like dad dates?" Clint asked dubiously.

"Uh, yeah," Tony answered. "But without the creepy connotation. We just want to spend time with each of you and get to know you because you're our kids. That's going to take a little more effort now that there are more of you to get to know. But it's worth it." Tony looked down for a moment. "I never want you to think we don't care. Ever."

There was silence for a moment and Pepper felt herself beginning to get slightly emotional.

"Another thing, we need you to come to us when there's a problem or just something you want to point out to us. Like I told Jemma, it doesn't matter if it's small or silly. We're your dads. That's what we're here for." Bruce paused and looked around at the kids. "For example, Jemma has been upset about not being able to share a room like she used to. That was too big of a transition for her. She wasn't ready. Your dad and I messed up not seeing that sooner and she made the mistake of not coming to us. We don't want repeats of that sort of thing."

"Or like when I didn't tell dad about the bullying?" Harley ventured.

Bruce smiled, clearly pleased. "Yes, exactly like that."

There was silence again and Pepper looked around at the group of kids. She looked down at Jemma who sat beside her and squeezed one of the little girl's hands.

"Jemma can share my room until she's ready for her own," Wanda spoke up. "I really don't mind if she doesn't mind."

"I don't mind!" Jemma said cheerfully and Pepper saw the grateful look Tony and Bruce gave Wanda.

"Thank you, Wanda," Bruce said.

"That reminds me," Pepper heard Tony mumble to Bruce and Bruce nodded. "Now that we've told you a few of the changes you can expect around here," Tony started and then gave them all a sharp glance, "there's a very big change coming to JARVIS. And, yes, you are all very much still in trouble excepting Jemma."

When Pepper had asked how Jemma had managed to escape without JARVIS notifying them, Bruce had informed her. So she knew exactly what Tony was referring to and didn't blame them for punishing the kids. She understood rebellion, but she also understood that the world was a dangerous place and Tony had seen it firsthand. She understood why he would want to do anything to keep that sort of thing from happening again to the best of his ability.

"Look, I'm not trying to be unreasonable here," Tony continued. "But as much as I want to be your friend, I'm your father first. And I want you to be safe. This isn't a prison, but I do want it to be a secure home. Am I still a little paranoid? Yes. If you think I'm being unfair about something, come to me. We can maybe work out a compromise as long as you're still safe. But knowingly keeping something of that nature from me for the purpose of being able to exploit it crosses a line regardless of paranoia. How can you expect me to trust you and give you a little more freedom if you do things like this? Is that understood?"

Pepper raised her own brow as she looked at the kids to see their guilty nods. She had to admit she was a little disappointed in them.

"Good," Bruce piggybacked on that. "We will be working out your punishments as soon as we fix JARVIS' problem. And don't think we can't go into that specific camera's archived footage and put together circumstantial evidence of anyone who might have exploited it already besides Jemma," he warned and Pepper pursed her lips quickly at the threat. Already a few of the kids looked around at each other in obvious panic. "We'll leave the topic to further discussion at a later time, but an admission of guilt will be more favorable for those who might have done so."

"So, I think that covers most of the basics. There's maybe a few more things, but for now do you have any questions? Concerns?" Tony opened the floor.

"You called us your kids," Harley said.

Pepper blinked and looked at the two men, who looked at each other in confusion. "He has a point, Tony. You did refer to them collectively as yours and Dr. Banner's kids." She knew they could have easily meant it as 'we're both fathers to some of you' but she had to smile at how it sounded.

The two men's confusion changed to a soft smile shared between them.

"That's because there's another change that's going to happen around here and we should probably get it out of the way now," Tony said vaguely. He then looked at Bruce lovingly. "Bruce and I have decided that even if we're still only in the dating stage, we're both interested in this being a long term relationship." He then looked at the kids again. "So the blended family, co-parent thing… You all can expect that a lot more than before." He paused as the kids looked around at one another.

Then he continued. "Steve, Thor, Loki, Natasha, Jane, Peter, Jemma… You are all wonderful children. I'm already deeply in love with your father and I'm pretty over the moon for you too. My fear for Jemma extends to every one of you. My concern about making sure this house is safe is just as much because you live here as it is that my own kids do."

"Clint, Skye, Pietro, Wanda, Darcy, Harley…" Bruce said next. "The same goes for me. I love your father and I've come to love you all as my own. Had my position been switched with your father's and one of you had run away, I still would have panicked. I don't want to see anything happen to you, not now that I'm starting to get to know you and have the privilege of being part of your lives."

"We sincerely hope that you're okay with this," Tony added, looking at them tentatively.

"We realize that a lot has happened in a short amount of time and our saying this may be weird. We're not trying to make it weird or… or even insist that you feel the same way. It's just," Bruce squeezed Tony's hand and looked at it, "we both realized that our hearts are big enough for all of you."

"Maybe that's why you found each other," Skye said. Pepper looked at Skye to see her glancing at her brothers and sisters before back at Bruce. "Maybe we needed you just as much as our dad did."

Pepper could clearly see that Skye's sentiment overwhelmed him with emotion. The physicist looked at Tony in surprise.

"And we needed Tony," Natasha added and that caused Tony surprise.

There was a long pause before Jane looked around at the other kids and said, "Ohana means family."

"And family means nobody gets left behind," Darcy continued.

There was another pause.

"Or forgotten," Jemma finished.

The other kids agreed as Bruce and Tony looked at each other, clearly both emotional now.

"But we're not Hawaiian," Peter pointed out.

"That's true." Wanda nodded.

"We should call ourselves something else!" Darcy suggested excitedly. "Something that's special to all of us."

"Our dads are special to us," Jemma offered with a small shrug beside Pepper and she smiled at her cute statement.

"Well, dad called us a super family. That's kind of cool," Pietro said.

"But they're not superheroes," Loki pointed out. "They're scientists."

"Scientists are like superheroes," Jane said defensively.

"Stark Industries' scientists are anyhow," Pepper said to that with a laugh that Tony and Bruce shared.

"Science…" Skye started. "Hey, we should call ourselves the science family."

"That's way cooler!" Harley cheered.

"I think it makes sense," Clint commented. "Science and family brought them together. Why not?"

There was a chorus of agreement.

"It's incredibly saccharine," Loki protested, but Pepper looked in his direction and thought she saw a gleam in his eyes. "Ridiculously sentimental." They all looked at him. "And yet somehow fitting," he finished with a smile.

Steve stood to his feet then and looked around at the other kids. "Science family, assemble," there was a pregnant pause, "for a group hug."

All of the kids complied and practically assaulted Tony and Bruce, when they stood for the hug, pulling them into the middle of a very, very large huddle of bodies of various sizes and heights fitting together like an intricate patchwork quilt or puzzle box waiting to be solved.

Pepper brushed a few tears from her eyes and then intertwined her hand with Happy's, smiling at him as she did. She could tell that he was just as touched by the moving display. She gave him a knowing look and he very obviously understood it. One day, hopefully in the not too distant future, they would be able to have their own family. Until then, Pepper was glad that she got to be an extended member of this new science family.

Tony stared at Bruce across the table in the restaurant they'd had their first official date in. Tony had known then that he had been right about Bruce when they'd met in Germany. He had known then that Bruce was special and one date wouldn't be enough. He couldn't, of course, have known just how fast it would continue to spiral, but could he go back to that first date and tell himself about the six months that would follow he wouldn't. He wouldn't ruin that surprise for anything.

Since the last time they'd dined there they had fallen headfirst into something Tony hoped would last the rest of their lives. They were still learning and adapting and figuring out the mechanisms of their 'science family' but it only made Tony hope for it to last all the more. He looked at the future and couldn't see it without Bruce and his seven amazing children. He hoped the faraway look in Bruce's eyes and the small smile on his face meant that he was on the same page.

"Penny for your thoughts?" He finally asked.

Bruce came back to him slowly, still smiling though his lips quirked a little higher in that way that suggested he was about to banter with him. "Sorry, my thoughts aren't for sell."

"I respect that," Tony said with a nod before smiling. "How about barter?"

"Depends. What do you have to offer in trade?" Tony leaned across the table and kissed him. Bruce's eyes were still closed when Tony pulled away and his face set in bliss that Tony would never get tired of seeing on the other man. "I was thinking how glad I am that you chased me down in that airport. I was thinking about how glad I am that I said yes to our first date. Not even my wildest 'what ifs' could have come up with what we've ended up having so far," Bruce said. "I'm glad I didn't miss this chance."

"Me too," Tony said contentedly. "I guess thirteen was our lucky number after all."

Bruce chuckled softly. "Guess so. That seems like a perfect segue way as any to give you your gift," he then said.

Tony raised a curious brow as Bruce pulled his gift bag from beside him and set it on the table, sliding it over to him. Tony handed Bruce the gift he'd gotten him in exchange. They had debated long and hard whether or not six months warranted gifts like a one year anniversary, but given how star crossed their relationship could have easily become what with Tony's celebrity status, their two different worlds, their blended family and other unknowns that they'd faced it seemed like a milestone just as worth celebrating more sentimentally – especially since they'd decided mutually that this was just the beginning.

"Um, you first," Bruce said nervously. "I, uh… It's kind of… It's ridiculously sentimental. Maybe too sentimental. Sorry. I'm not a good gift giver."

Tony shook his head once at him in admonishment. "Apparently being sentimental is our thing, Bruce. Let's run with it." He opened the bag and carefully pulled out a glass ornament filled with dried rose petals. "Is this…?" He blinked a few times before looking at Bruce with a surprised smile. "Are these from the roses I sent you six months ago?"

Bruce looked sheepish as he nodded. "Yeah. I had them freeze dried and preserved anyway since, well, I never got a lot of flowers in my day so it was a nice thing to just keep around as a souvenir." Tony still thought it was criminal that Bruce hadn't had tons of admirers sending him flowers throughout his life. And he still knew he was lucky no one had gotten to him first.

"Yet you're giving me the souvenir back?" Tony asked curiously before raising his brow in sudden realization. "It's a gesture isn't it?"

Bruce hitched a shoulder before nodding. "There were thirteen roses for our kids, right? That’s something we should both share."

"I love that, thank you. Ok, you're turn… Ah, but…" Tony hesitated. "It's a little more, uh, maybe grandiose, maybe not appropriate for just six months, but… Hopefully the thought's still there? I… I don't want you to think I don't love this," he gestured to the ornament, "just because it's sentimental and homemade. It's one of those things I love about you. It's what makes this special."

"I get it, Tony," Bruce said with a reassuring smile.

Tony watched Bruce open his present, pulling away the wrapping paper to reveal a leather-bound folder. Bruce glanced up at him curiously before opening the front to study the contents. Tony bit the corner of his bottom lip as he watched Bruce speed read through the content on the first page. He could clearly see the moment comprehension dawned in his eyes and Bruce moved his head upward quickly to look at him.

"What is this?" Bruce asked in spite of Tony knowing he knew. He just wanted confirmation that he wasn't crazy, no doubt.

"That's the, uh, well a copy of the official legal documents to set up the Rebecca Banner Foundation. It… It actually probably won't be finished for at least another six months so maybe it kind of counts as a two for one anniversary present," Tony tried to joke, but Bruce was still staring at him in disbelief.

"The Rebecca Banner Foundation? I… Tony…" Bruce looked back down at the documents at a loss for words, quickly turning the page. "What's the purpose?" He asked even as he continued to read.

"Combating domestic violence," Tony answered gently. He heard Bruce's breath hitch in the back of his throat. The page dropped from Bruce's hand and he looked up again. "It will be dedicated to helping as many mothers, fathers, and children as possible who have nowhere else to turn. That includes creating co-ops with other likeminded foundations and streaming funding into those programs that are out there working to make a difference."

"Tony… This is…" Bruce was clearly choking on his emotions and his eyes glistened with tears. "I don't know what to say. You better not have gotten anything for my birthday because this… This is like my birthday and Christmas in one. This is wonderful."

"I might have already gotten you a watch," Tony said with a slow wince. "Sorry."

Bruce smiled broadly at him and it was on the list of most mesmerizing things he had ever seen.

"Well, I could use a new watch," he said, still smiling before leaning across the table and rejoining their lips for a quick kiss.

"'He was so exact that he was never in a hurry, was always ready and was economical alike of his steps and his motions,'" Tony read aloud in an expressive tone. He and Bruce sat in their bed with Jemma between them.

"So what kind of man do you think Phileas is by that description?" Bruce asked. He often made sure to help Jemma create clear images of the stories and characters in order for her to do more than just read the words, even if she did comprehend quite a few of them.

"If he was never in a hurry," Jemma started with a considering look, "that means he moved slowly?"

"That's a way of looking at it," Bruce confirmed. "And then there's other information that goes along with it. He says he was always ready."

"Like you," Jemma said with a smile, neck craning up to look at him. "You always want us to follow a schedule so we aren't late for things."

"Have I mentioned you’ve been a life saver in that area?" Tony looked at him fondly. "But yes, you're right, Jem." He looked down at Jemma then. "The way your dad doesn't want everyone hurrying about and creates a schedule to prevent it, well, that's what it's saying about Fogg. He liked to have all of his ducks in a row," he accentuated his point by tickling her gently and she giggled.

"So I can imagine Fogg like him," she said matter-of-factly after she regained her composure.

"If it helps," Bruce replied gently.

"I can be your trusted manservant," Tony said teasingly, with just enough of a leer that Bruce got the point.

"Wait… Does this book have subtext?" Bruce furrowed his brow as he tried to recall the details of the story.

Tony chuckled. "Everything has subtext."

Bruce shook his head in amusement and then gestured with a nod of his head for Tony to continue reading. After a short while the antiquated language began to put Jemma to sleep until she crashed at last. Tony slowly tapered off his reading, voice growing softer. He then closed the book and carefully set it aside.

Bruce carefully moved a little so that he could find Tony's closest hand. They sat there in silence for several long minutes, the room feeling to Bruce like it was wrapped in a blanket of contentment.

"I'm glad she's letting me share this with you now," Tony admitted softly.

"I am too," Bruce agreed.

Although sometimes only he read to Jemma or there were times she, still cautiously, asked if it was okay if only Tony read to her Bruce had decided he liked it best when it was both of them. It was a change in routine perhaps, but it was a good change. It was nice and he was glad that he had met Tony while Jemma was still young enough for them to share this experience.

"It makes me feel like she finally trusts me," Tony said, breaking through his thoughts. "Like she wants me around, you know?"

Bruce turned his gaze to look into Tony's eyes. He could see the worry there. He understood it. They still both thought too much about the day Jemma had run away and the reasons behind her actions.

"You don't have anything to worry about there," Bruce reassured him just the same. "She wants you around, Tony. They all do."

Tony nodded minutely and they leaned in above Jemma and shared a gentle kiss.

"We should probably get her to bed," Tony said after another moment.

Bruce hummed in agreement. "Think you can handle it?" He asked as Tony carefully picked the sleeping girl up into his arms.

"Yeah," Tony answered with a smile. "Go ahead and check on your project."

Bruce followed Tony out of the room and into the hall. He lingered at the door to the room Jemma shared with Wanda because the moment was more important than hurrying to the lab. He reminded himself that the project would keep. He only moved on again when Tony sat on the edge of Wanda's bed to make time for her before lights out. Bruce smiled and wished Wanda a goodnight before leaving Tony to have a few moments with his daughter.

He made his way to the lab and began work on checking the model for the latest project his team was working on. Once he was done with that, he pulled up a project idea he was going to pitch as his contribution for the next science conference. Tony's words still echoed in his mind and he wanted nothing more than to contribute a philanthropic project under the Stark Industries banner. Of course he wanted to work on it with Tony exclusively, but he wasn't quite sure how appropriate that was now that he was dating the boss. They collaborated, sure, as Tony stepped in on all projects as overseer and to offer suggestions. But he hadn't yet worked on anything exclusively with Tony nor was he sure he ever should now no matter how much he wanted that.

Bruce didn't look up when he heard Tony striding into the lab. Tony was rustling some sort of package, alerting Bruce to the other man's presence. He only glanced over when said package was extended into his line of vision, proffered to him without words. Bruce smiled thinly and reached into the package, discovering it was blueberries when he did.

"Oh, yeah," Tony said at length. "We could definitely get that up and running by May. I have a few engineering tweaks to suggest." Bruce turned his head curiously to look at him. "What?"

"I… You think it's a good idea?"

"I think all of your ideas are good," Tony replied. "Even the bad ones," he added with a small smirk. "But, yeah, this is great. Just the thing to introduce our collaboration to the community," he said breezily before lifting the package of blueberries to his mouth and letting a few slide in.

Bruce blinked. "Our collaboration?" He raised an eyebrow. He wanted to be sure he understood Tony.

Tony on the other hand gave him a strange look, clearly confused by Bruce's hesitation. "What do you think I meant when I mentioned unveiling a project with you at the conference? I meant you and me exclusively, Bruce. We'd make a hell of a team." He smiled. "We've already proven that."

"But that was before we were dating," Bruce pointed out against his own wishes.

"True, but dating only makes me want to collaborate with you more." Tony tossed aside the package of blueberries and grabbed Bruce by the tops of his arms. "Look, yes, you work for me. But I also want you to work with me. I've wanted that since the moment I heard your first lecture. You and I as partners in everything, that's what I want." Tony gave him a warm smile and Bruce felt his heart warm along with it. "So you can stop staring at me like I have three heads."

Bruce shook his head. "It's not that. It's…" He looked down for a moment and then back to meet Tony's eyes. "The entire time I was giving that lecture all I could really think about was how I had likely made a bad impression on you when I ran into you. And all I could think was, 'wow, there goes my chance to work with Tony Stark.' I wanted to work with you so badly." He paused and then confessed, "I turned around."

Tony blinked once. "What?"

"When you made the comment about collaborating even after I pushed you away… I turned around. I was going to say yes," Bruce explained. "But you were already gone."

Tony seemed a little surprised. "Because I suggested we work on a project together?"

Bruce gave a thin smile. "Yes. That's when I knew that I wanted to be with you even if it was a bad idea. You didn't seduce me with science when you showed me the labs," Bruce said, shaking his head. "It was when you offered me the promise of working with you. I didn't get it then, but I get it now. It was never about you being a genius or even that we spoke the same language. I wanted to work with you because it was you and working with you meant being a part of something with you and—"

Tony swallowed his attempt to explain and Bruce found he didn't care. Clearly Tony understood.

"You were wrong," Tony husked as he moved his lips along Bruce's jaw.

"About what?" Bruce wasn't sure it mattered at the moment, but he indulged him.

"You thought you'd made a bad impression," Tony answered, "and you were wrong. That was the moment I knew I might have a serious problem if you weren't into men."

"Seriously?" Bruce asked in disbelief, moving his head back to look at Tony.

"Seriously," he said with a smile, longing in his eyes. "You probably could have gone up there and recited one of Richards' old, boring lectures and it still wouldn't have made any difference. It was about you."

Their lips met again in a slow confirmation of what they now understood. As Bruce parted his lips slightly in invitation for something deeper and headier, his thoughts were consumed by the promise of being partners with Tony in everything.

Sam shook his head at Tony's cheesy joke and even from where he sat in the front row of the audience he could tell Bruce had cringed beside him, fondly of course. The two men were doing some pre-holiday tapings for various talk shows in order to do good press in lieu of the heightened focus on the situation with General Ross and Tony's health scare. Bruce had agreed though not without his fair share of disdain for the idea.

"Galas are one thing," he had sighed at dinner the night before, "but you may regret bringing me into the press."

"So you two have had a rough few months," the host said.

"We have," Tony replied.

"There were a lot of rumors swirling around about your stint in the hospital. Anything you would like to share about that?"

"Well, I'd like to say that any of the rumors equating it to our relationship are ludicrous."

"I can tell you seem very comfortable with one another."

"We are," Tony answered and Bruce smiled at him, nodding a little. Tony took a deep breath and Sam knew he was finally going to breach the topic of his PTSD. He had decided it was a good time to discuss it openly as in the past he had kept that part of him under wraps, even if it was common knowledge. "As most people know I was diagnosed with PTSD following the loss of my wife and the attempt on my own life."

"I'm certain many people would be," the host said, nodding gravely.

"A lot of that paranoia was on behalf of my kids as you can imagine. While I'm happy and certainly healthy most days," Tony hedged and Bruce squeezed his hand, "that sort of thing just doesn't go away. Things can still trigger that anxiety without any warning. While I won't say it was the only thing, our situation with General Ross has been a trying ordeal. Nobody likes having their family threatened."

"Not at all. Now reports are that General Ross has been threatening Dr. Banner and his children for years."

"He has," Bruce said with a nod. "He's tried several times to have my children removed from my care. I… I only regret that Tony and his children were dragged into that threat by their associating with me. Tony is a wonderful father and I wouldn't want him to lose his children any more than I would want to lose my own."

"Would you end the relationship if there was no other way?"

There was a pregnant pause as Bruce looked at Tony. Sam saw the slight flinch Tony gave and Bruce's face grew apologetic.

"Yes," Bruce said, eyes not wavering from Tony's for a moment. "If there was no other way," he said looking back at the host, "because I love Tony and his children and would never forgive myself if it came to that but I was too selfish to do anything to protect them."

"Thankfully," Tony inserted quickly, "it will never come to that." Tony looked at Bruce. "Because he's not the only one here willing to protect our family. That's why I intend to never let bullies like General Ross win. Our family is a little unconventional, but there's still love and we care about our kids. I'm confident that we'll be okay when all is said and done."

The audience applauded as it was appropriate to do so at that time and Sam smiled. Tony and Bruce smiled back at the audience and then shared a smile at each other, along with a loving gaze.

"I can't help but point out," the host said once the applause had died down, "that you've been referring to your living situation as a family. Do you feel that's what it has become? You've been together for less than a year, after all."

"When it's right it's right," Tony replied. "And this is right for us."

"There doesn't seem to be a set timeline for how these things work," Bruce added. "The most important thing for us through all of this has been making sure our kids are okay with it all. Not to say there haven't been any learning curves or won't be more in the future, but yeah it's already come to feel like a family."

"Our kids agree," Tony said. "They'll probably be embarrassed by this but they've even taken to referring to our blended family as the 'science family.'"

Sam winced. He could just see the looks of horror on the others' faces.

"That's maybe one of the cutest things I've ever heard," the host said plainly. "Now, the kids are all backstage. We know Tony is not big on the media appearances and I certainly can't blame him for that, but Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner have agreed to let us check in real quick with the kids."

"Well, with their agreement of course," Bruce threw in.

A large monitor behind them came on with all thirteen of them sitting in a room backstage. Sam smiled as Steve made eye contact with him.

"Wow!" The host said in exaggeration. "That's a lot of kids."

"Yeah, we're pretty outnumbered," Tony replied with a laugh.

"Well, we always kind of were," Bruce pointed out with a small laugh of his own. "At least now there are two of us."

"Okay so who's the oldest here?" The host asked, looking at the monitor.

"That would be me," Steve answered to the point. Sam could tell he was a little camera shy at the first.

"All of your kids are unfairly attractive," the host said to Bruce and Tony with a laugh. "I'll bet you all have to beat the boys and girls away with sticks."

"Steve and Jakob do," Clint said in response to that, shaking his head as if in shame. "I don't stand a chance until they graduate."

"Untrue as one is taken," Loki pointed out and Steve met Sam's eyes again.

"Which means it's just you that's unappealing," Natasha quipped.

"Okay, okay, enough of that," Bruce admonished, laughing nervously.

"Table talk must be fun," the host mused. "And dating. I'm sure dating must be a bit of a learning curve with so many kids venturing out at once."

"Trust me," Bruce said. "That has definitely been one of my biggest learning curves."

"But it's been okay for the most part," Tony countered.

"You know I'm curious which of your heartbreakers are off the market. I'm certain there are a lot of distraught teenagers everywhere at the prospect," the host said with curious smile. "You're practically celebrity royalty."

"Which is why we keep media appearances to a minimum," Tony explained, clearly deflecting the original delving into personal affairs. "I was thrust into the spotlight by my parents much of my young life and it made it difficult for me to adjust. I took advantage of it, nothing was private, and I never knew who my real friends were… Not ideal. That's why when I became a changed man one of the things I knew I would never do is let that happen to my own kids."

The host nodded. "It's clear any person would have to be ignorant to think you're an unfit parent."

"Our dads are the best dads," Jane said cheerfully. "They do everything they can to keep us safe and happy."

"They might be a little bit spoiled actually," Tony teased and Bruce nodded.

"Oh, we are," Skye confirmed.

"Well, I'm sure I speak for everyone in the audience here and at home when I say I hope that things work out with your situation." The host glanced at the monitor and then gave an impish look toward Bruce and Tony. "And I have to ask. I'm sure there are enough fans out there who might wonder if the two of you would consider adding to your large family now that you're together and clearly have enough love to go around."

Sam snickered at the deer in headlights look Steve and the others gave as well as the look that passed between the two men.

"Um…" Bruce started. "I… Honestly, that topic has never come up. Blending a family of 13 excluding ourselves is a challenge enough. And it's our first priority before we could ever consider that possibility. But," he looked at Tony tentatively, "I guess if there's one thing I've learned in my life and especially over the last several months, it's never say never. That's one of those things that would have to feel right, but who knows."

"I think that's a pretty good answer," Tony said, nodding. He smiled at Bruce and looked down at their hands before looking back at the monitor. "Then again thirteen seems to be our lucky number."