Chapter 20
"You can get one toy, okay? Do you understand, sweetie?”
"Uh-huh, uh-huh, Papa," Peter nodded, shuffling excitedly on his little feet. "Jus’ one."
"Okay, honey, go crazy," Steve smiled, letting go of his hand so the little boy could go toddling off into the toy store. Though he would never say so, he loved taking Peter out to look at all the neat toys. The way his son’s face lit up with excitement never failed to lift his spirits, and it taught him a valuable lesson about moderation.
"You’re such a goof," Tony grinned as he took Steve’s hand and pulled him after Peter.
"So I like spoiling my son a little," Steve huffed to hide his grin. "There are worse things in the world."
Tony let out a melodramatic gasp. “Steve Rogers, Captain Inflation, likes throwing money away on cheap crap?”
"Cheap crap that Peter loves," Steve amended. "And yes."
"Papa, Papa!" Peter squealed, skidding around a corner with a plushie Hulk bigger than him trailing along behind him. "Dis one!"
"That’s the one you want?" Steve asked, purposefully not thinking about the many hundreds of plushies they already had at home. "Okay, baby. Let’s go pay."
The worst part of these trips was always, by far, paying for them. Money wasn’t the issue, of course, but rather the little box of extra crappy, reduced price stuff that the staff kept by the cash registers to entice the kids into wanting more. Peteradored that box, and went straight for it as soon as they got within range.
"One thing, remember, baby," Steve reminded him as he handed the huge plushie over to the teenage boy manning the cash register.
"Dada, will y’marry me?" Peter asked sweetly, turning his big, brown eyes on Tony as he held up a small, shitty, plastic ring.
Tony immediately turned to Steve, panicked confliction etched across his face. “Steve, it’s like fifty cents -“
"One thing, boys -"
"But Steve.”
Peter’s bottom lip was beginning to wobble, the one thing Steve knew Tony couldn’t stand above all else. Sighing deeply, he nodded his head, and Tony grinned, reaching his hand out for Peter to put the ring on.
"Of course I’ll marry you, honey," Tony agreed, and Peter grinned triumphantly.
"He has you wrapped around his little finger," Steve hummed as he took the ring from Tony for the cashier to ring up.
"Ring finger, actually."