Tony lounged off to the side of what they were dubbing the "play room," watching the other Avengers play and romp around.
He watched Clint, a fairly large raccoon at the moment, chasing Natasha around a raised platform and jungle-gym like structure. Natasha was currently swinging around in what Tony assumed her her favourite form, a monkey, taunting Clint with screeches and chirping noises.
Bruce, currently a giant bear prowled around, testing that objects in the room could hold his immense weight.
Cap and James were wrestling, Steve's large golden haired form shaking his butt in the air, taunting the jowly, white, three legged, scarred form that was James standing seriously in front of him.
Sam landed a few feet away from Tony, changing back from his falcon form to a man, flopping down beside Tony unashamed of his nudity.
"How come you aren't out there having fun with us?" Sam asked.
Tony shrugged.
"This isn't my kind of 'fun.'"
Sam scoffed. "Come on man, everyone like to stretch out their muscles, feel free in their skin."
Tony shrugged again, crossing his arms. "I'm good, thanks though birdbrain."
Natasha must have noticed the conversation because her and Clint had wandered closer. When she noticed Tony's tense posture she chirped at him and swung up onto his shoulder where the began combing her fingers through his hair, her tail hanging across the centre of his chest.
"Okay, what am I missing?" Sam asked. Tony reached up and gently stroked Natasha's tail. He didn't answer right away.
"If you don't want to tell me, I'm not going to force you, but I don't want you to feel left out Tony," Sam said. "If you don't want to shift, then come hang out and play if anything," Sam started.
"I can't," Tony interrupted.
Sam looked at Tony concerned.
"I can't shift. I haven't since Afghanistan, since the reactor."
Sam's eyes widened in understanding.
"The reactor shouldn't affect the shifting as far as I can tell, but I haven't shifted since then, and I don't know why. It never felt right to lie about why I was having fun as a human when everyone else is furry."
"Have you talked to a professional about this?" Sam asked.
"They'd all sell the story of the broken billionaire to the press. The man who put the reactor in my chest was a Doctor, and he couldn't figure out why I couldn't shift either."
"I'm sorry man."
"Cap asked me once what I was without the suit," Tony started.
Steve heard is name and looked up from wrestling with James.
"I spouted off some bullshit about being a billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist or something. The truth is, I'm just broken. My body is broken, so what good is the rest when I haven't shifted in years, even in my sleep. I'm just a man in a metal suit. I'm nothing special, nothing important."
"That's bullshit,"James rasped from where he sat on the floor having just shifted back. Steve sat hunched sadly beside him, ears flat, head lowered in guilt.
"You're not nothing Stark. Where would we all be without you letting us stay here?"
"You'd have all managed," Tony shrugged.
"Not after the fall of SHIELD," James disagreed.
"And I wouldn't be here without your help. I'd still be a mindless Hydra goon," James easily replied.
Steve whinged beside his childhood friend sadly.
Bruce off to the side groaned sadly in agreement.
Tony huffed in disbelief, sniffing.
"Its true Stark, now, stop being jealous of us in all our gorgeousness, and stop oggling our nakedness and come play," James said roughly.
"You wish you were that pretty Barnes," Tony responded wetly.
"I am fucking hot stuff," James said. "Now, get your ass over here so I can beat you up."
"You wish," Tony resonded as James changed back into a giant white dog.
James woofed at him, and Tony responded by standing, careful to not dislodge Natasha from his shoulder.
"Fine, you're on slobber face," Tony said lunging towards James, Natasha releasing a shriek of delight. At the last moment, Tony changed his attack towards Steve, catching him off guard and knocking him over. Tony lept up and away, Natasha clinging to his head grinning.
Steve gathered his barings, then lept after Tony, bumping onto James as he skidded around. Tony took off with a cackle, Natasha leaping off his shoulder to grab onto the bars above them and swing over to Bruce.
Clint climbed onto Sam's human shoulder and then they too joined the foray.
Later, when they'd all tired themselves out and were all relaxing together, Natasha sat beside Tony as a human, a blanket over her lap while the others lounged, spread out around them.
Thor had joined them when he returned the the tower, and was sitting in an Asgardian loincloth, making him and Tony the only ones in some form of clothing.
"Tony," Natasha started.
"Yes?"
"I want to try something, if you're okay with it."
"Okay," Tiny said skeptically. "What did you have in mind?"
"First, I need to you take your clothes off."
"Natasha, I know I'm irresistable, but public sex?" Tony said grinning.
Natasha rolled her eyes. "Take off you clothes and lay down comfortably. I want to try a relaxation excersise."
"Nat-"
"Nope, you're going to just do this without a fuss. Get naked, lay down, and shut up."
"I always did like a woman in power," Tony grinned as he stripped.
"Later, if you're good," Natasha said, her face serious.
Tony laid on the pillows, head against Bruce's furry side, feet burried underneath James' warm, large, scarred body. "Okay, I'm laying down."
"Good, now shut up and listen," Natasha said. "I want you to close your eyes. Think back to before Afganistan."
"Nat," Clint warned.
Natasha waved him off. "Tony, I want you to remember your shape. Do you remember?"
Tony nodded. "Yes," he said, voice rough.
"Tell me what it felt like, what you look like."
"I was free," Tony started, voice breaking. "I was long, tall, and quick. I was black. My feet were large, but quiet. I could sneak up on anyone. I used to drive Jarvis and Aunt Peggy crazy," he said with a sad laugh. "I had a beautiful tail. I could balance on anything with it, and I think I miss it the most out of everything."
"I want you to imagine right now, that form. Imagine that you have sharp teeth, keen ears, sharp eyes. Your paws are large and strong. Your body long, your fur beautiful sleek and black. You are strong, and ready for running and jumping. Your tail is long, and sleek and beautiful. Feel it, become him again. He's always there, even when you can't be him."
The others watched Tony carefully. His hands flexed like a cat's, and a sound almost like purring could be heard.
Then, like a wind blowing across his body, a change started slowly. His hair ruffled, and it grew shorter, ears moving to the top of his head, and becoming triangular. Hair spread down his throat and across his face, his teeth growing pointed, invisible through Tony's grimancing expression. As the fur spread, his bones shifted, shrinking, rounding out. His fingers shrunk, nails growing, and palms expanding. The same happened with his feet; his legs shrinking, and long tail appeared, whipping in the air.
"Tony!" Steve exclaimed.
"Holy shit," Clint agreed. Tony opened his eyes, panting.
Natasha ginned at Tony widely. "Doesn't it feel good to imagine yourself in that form?"
Tony responded, but it came out a growl.
"I don't understand you right now Tony," Natasha grinned.
Tony cocked his head, then realized what he'd done, and lept to his feet, starting at his paws, whipping around and looking at his tail. He let out a sound that sounded like a happy noise, and lept in front of Natasha happily.
He pinned her to the ground licking her face, then jumped away, tripping over James, tumbling across the floor before leaping up and running around the room happily and silently.
Natasha laughed, throwing her head back.
Thor grinned widely. "What a majestic beast you are Anthony!" He exclaimed.
"Tony," Steve said standing. "You always said you didn't need a pack, but well, we've always needed you."
Tony came up to him causiously.
"Yeah, so now that you can't use the excuse that you're broken, what do you say Stark?" James added.
Tony growled at James.
James laughed. "Awe, I love you too asshole."
"I think that was a 'fuck you' actually," Clint said.
"No one asked you," James said flippantly.
"Tony," Steve interrupted. "What do you say?"
'I lied.'
The others all looked at Tony, incredulous.
'I've been hearing you all for months. I pretended not to; I pretended to not be able to respond, because I was afraid. You're my team. You're what I wish my family growing up had been like. I let you live in my house. I trust you with my life. Of course you're pack."
Clint cheered, the in the next second, he was a ball of fur pouncing on Tony.
Soon, everyone was rolling around, pouncing on each other, wrestling once again, Thor the only one not as an animal, but just as involved as he let Natasha, Clint and Sam clinging to him, and Bruce, James, Steve and Tony working in tandem to knock him over.
For the first time since Afghanistan, Tony felt happy, like nothing could touch him. He was surrounded by his friends, his chosen family, his pack.