Little Flame

Darkness

There's crashing and an alarm going off. Crying can be heard too

Red light shows Tony his floor in the tower. 

Panic makes his chest ache. He try's to scream for Steve, Peter and August. 

 No sound comes out. 

He can't even move.

Tony feels like all of his limbs are made of concrete.

He plainly hears Peter begging for help from him. "Tony! Please!"

Augusts sobs could be heard.

"Please wake up Steve!" Peter shouted in clear pain.

————

 Tony shoots awake, sitting up in bed and gasping for air. He looks over to Steve's still sleeping form at his side as he holds his chest. He can clearly see Steve's even breathing. A noise From the bassinet makes Tony snap his attention to its direction. Quietly exiting his bed, Tony practically tip toes to the bassinet. He looks over the blond boy whose eyes are wide, staring up at the small mobile just above his head. He'd been cooing and suckling on his fingers. He finally noticed Tony, his daddy, and smiled up at him with a happy noise. 

 Tony gave a tired smile as he reached down and rubbed August's tummy. "Hey champ." He whispers, picking the boy up. "How long have you been up?"  August babbled a bit maybe a little loud, causing Tony to bounce and hush him a little. "Let's not wake papa yet, yeah?" He suggests as he leaves the bedroom closing the door behind him.

 August squirmed in Tony's grasp giving a small grunt. With that, Tony pulled the boys pants down slightly and moved his onesie out of the way to check his diaper. 

Wet. Just as he suspected. He readjusted August's clothes with a small pat on his butt when he was done. "Let's get you cleaned up, hm?" He asked not expecting a response. August laid his head on Tony's bare chest, enjoying the skin on skin contact with a coo. He huffed when he was laid down on his changing table, outraged at the sudden loss of contact. He had the cutest pout on his face and Tony couldn't help but 'aw'. "What's with the face, buddy?" He asked in a chuckle. Auggy whined and made grabby hands for his daddy, while Tony slipped his pants off. Tony got to work taking off all of August's clothes, and then changing his diaper with minimal annoyed whines and wiggles from his baby. He had decided to leave Auggy in just a diaper and just grab a blanket for the both of them out of the crib, seeing as Tony was still in just his boxers. 

 Once August was in his daddy's arms again, he immediately lost his little attitude. He calmed down with his face against Tony's chest, being carried into the living room. Tony sat with Auggy in his lap with both of the smaller boys legs on either side of himself, and his head over his right shoulder. August had his arms wrapped around Tony as well. He sucked his thumb as Tony covered them both with a big red blanket.

It was still dark out.

"Hey Friday, what time is it?" Tony asked in a soft tone. 

"3:48, sir." The AI responded

Tony huffed and directed his eyes to August. 

"If papa asks, you got me up." 

August squirmed and fussed a little. 

"Ok ok. We won't lie." Tony chuckled out before he started to hush his fussy little one. August fussed more, being more squirmy. "C'mon work with me here." Tony tried. "You hungry?"

 A whine was the only response he got. 

 Tony heaved a sigh as he hoisted the two of them off the couch. He carried the still fussy August to the kitchen and proceed to make a bottle one handed while making hushing sounds. Once the bottle was warmed up, and Tony tested it to make sure it wasn't too hot, he easily slipped it into Auggy's awaiting lips. Happy noises and the sound of swallowing was all that was heard through the kitchen. Tony swayed as he fed his now quiet little boy.

 Footsteps caught Tony's attention. He looked up from Auggy to see Peter, who was yawning and rubbing at his eyes. Tony smiled. He'd always seen Peter as his son. He looked just like a little boy shuffling into the kitchen. 

 Once Peter removed his hands from his face his eyes went wide when he saw Tony. Peter had gotten up to have some warm milk since he couldn't sleep. Maybe or maybe not in a sippy cup.

 "Hey kiddo." Tony said in a low voice. "Did the fussing wake you?" Peter responded with shaking his head. "N-no sir." He answered timidly. He was nervous. To be honest he woke up because of a nightmare, and when he has nightmares, well he doesn't normally wake up dry. Thanks to him wising up, and getting tired hiding his wet sheets, he started wearing adult pull-ups to bed. Surprisingly, neither Steve or Tony knew. It started happening a few months back and they found August last month so they've been distracted lately. 

 So long story short, Peter is currently stood in the kitchen with a rather soggy pull-up on under his sweatpants and t-shirt from earlier

 Tony's parental instincts heightened at Peters tone of voice. 

 "What's the matter, Pete?" He asked in concern. "Was it another bad dream?" 

Peter suddenly found great interest in his bare feet. 

He timidly nodded his head.

Tony frowned. "Oh kid. I'm sorry." 

There was still distance between them. August was still contently suckling on his bottle, having half of it gone already. 

"Wanna talk about it?" Tony tried.

Peter got a look of fear on his face before quickly shaking his head. Tony thought for a moment. 

"I know what'll help." Tony said with a smile. 

Peters eyes met his father figure's again. "If you could hold Auggy for me, I could make you some warm milk too." Tony offers. Peter smiles a little before he nods his head. "That sounds nice. Just let me sit down so I can hold him easier." 

Tony leads Peter into the living room, where Peter gets himself situated on the couch, before Tony gently sets August in Peters arms and passing him the bottle. August whines at the movement but quickly settles into Peters arms. Tony smiles at them before heading back to the kitchen to make Peter some warm milk. However, he decided to have it in a sippy cup for the obviously sleepy young adult. 

 You see, Tony has had this feeling Peter might be a little, but the night when he was going to discuss this with his young apprentice, Peter had come home that night after a run in with a certain pyro. 

 Well, you know the rest.

Once the sippy cup of milk had warmed up, Tony walked back to the living room. Peter was holding August close, his bottle now empty and on a side table. They both looked so sleepy, it made Tony smile at just how adorable the scene was. 

 Tony sits to Peters left, putting himself on the center cushion on the couch. That made Peter snap up and look at Tony. Tony shushed lightly as he pulled Peter and August close. Peter was leaned on Tony's right shoulder while Tony moved August to his left shoulder.  

 Peter felt a fog in his head. A fuzzy feeling. Like the one he gets just before he falls asleep some nights. Those were the nights his nightmares were really scary, and he woke up wet. He unconsciously whimpered feeling Tony shift again. That caught the caregiver off guard. "Did he just whine?" Tony thought looking down at Peters soft brown curls. The boy's eyes were closed with his nose slightly scrunched up. He looked down right adorable. August shifts with a snuffling noise, snuggling into Tony's neck, calming himself with the skin-on-skin contact. Tony looks over to his baby, and moves the blanket to cover all three of them, before finally getting the sippy cup of milk. He offers it to Peter's lips, and that made Peter turn away with another whine. Tony hushes him telling him it's ok and it's just his milk. Peters big brown eyes crack open to look at the cup, then up at Tony's similar eyes. The older offers a smile to reassure Peter. 

 Peter opens his mouth and accepts the red sippy cup. It takes him a moment, but he got into a rhythm for nursing the milk. He hums and closes his eyes in bliss. August is soon heard steadily breathing, obviously asleep. Tony smiles at his boys. 

"Maybe Peter's a little too. I think Steve and I could handle two littles. Course we'd need to move the rooms around..." Tony's thoughts spiraled into room decorating and how Pete and Auggy would be amazing brothers, and soon Peter spat out his now empty sippy cup with a content sigh. 

Tony places the cup on the coffee table with slight movement but neither of the boys seemed to mind. Making sure the two were situated comfortably, Tony leaned back shutting his eyes. He loved this. It was all he'd ever wanted. His handsome husband peacefully asleep in their shared bed, a little boy sleeping in his arms, and Peter happy with them. He was happy. 

However, being with his husband in bed all together would make this better. So with that genius idea, Tony oh so gently shifted Peter onto the couch to lay down and easily carried Auggy with his blanket to his bedroom. He gently shook Steve, making the tall blond turn over with a sleepy smile.

 "Hey." He said in a very groggy voice. Tony situated Auggy next to his sleepy husband, who smiled at the small boy.  "Hey Auggy." Steve sleepily cooed kissing his baby's forehead. August nuzzled deep into Steve's side with a big yawn.  

 "I'm gonna get Peter real quick and we'll join you two in bed." Tony announces his plan to Steve in a hushed tone. Steve looks at his husband with a confused smile as Tony walks out the bedroom door.

Meanwhile Peter had this amazing fuzzy feeling. He felt so calm, all of his senses had calmed down and he hadn't even notice Tony come back into the room till he was standing over him. Peter's eyes were half lidded as he gave a sleepy smile to Tony. Tony loved how cozy his prodigy looked. He loves the boy like a son, and knowing the kid feels safe enough around him still warms his heart after all these years.

"Ok kid. I think we'd better join Steve in bed. We haven't spent a morning snuggled up as a family in a long time." Tony mostly says to himself as he hoists Peter onto his hip.

And that's when Tony realized something.

Peter felt padded.

Not only padded.

Wet

Definitely wet. 

 Tony froze.