Finding family

Stephen had just entered his flat after he finished the night shift in the hospital when he was attacked by his just awoken son.

"Hey there." He looked down and blinked into the bright blue eyes of his eight year old son, Merlin.

"Just woke up?" The boy nodded sleepily against him.

"Breakfast?" Merlin perked up and grabbed his hand to drag his father into the kitchen.

A smile spread on his face when he noticed the already full table.

"Where's Rhonda?" He asked as they sat down.
"Bathroom." Was all Merlin muttered before he tossed the cereal inside his bowl.

Stephen sighed contentedly and got himself a glass of orange juice. If he wanted to get some hours of sleep before the gala tonight coffee was off the table.

"You sleep at Arthur's tonight right?" Merlin had told him at least a thousand times already but he needed to check one more time.

"Yep." The boy replied with a mouthful and a bright grin.

"At least I know you'll behave." Stephen teased as he smeared buttered over his slice of bread.

"Hey!" Merlin protested. "I always behave. I've never misbehaved in my entire life."

" 'course you haven't. I would know, I changed your diapers."

"Dad! I am eating!" Stephen just grinned at his son and mockingly ate his bread with his mouth big open.

"And you say I'm misbehaving." He muttered and turned back to his bowl.

"Well, you know what they say, like father, like son." At that moment the kind older lady who was looking after Merlin entered the kitchen and sat down next to them. 

"Rhonda, tell dad, that I was perfect"

"Oh, demanding are we?" She asked with an amused laugh and turned to Stephen. "Well, if you want to know if he broke anything, he hasn't." She eyes Merlin and his bowl, dangerously close to the edge of the table. "Yet." 
Quickly Merlin pushed the bowl a bit back and crossed his arms trying to look offended.

Stephen raised an eyebrow at him and he lowered his arms again.

"I think you have to hurry up. School's starting soon." Rhonda informed them and both groaned.

"Come on, Merlin, hurry up and then get dressed. Do you have everything? Homework? Sleepover bag? Sharpened pencils?" Stephen asked but not really concerned anything would be missing.

"Yeah, yeah. Got everything." Merlin answered dismissively with a wave of his hand.

The rest of the morning passed quickly as Merlin readied himself to get to school under Stephen's watchful gaze.

"Bye dad." Merlin greeted him with a parting kiss to his cheeks.

"Bye. Have fun with Arthur. But not too much. See you tomorrow."

And with that Merlin and Rhonda left the flat. Stephen sighed deeply and leaned against the wall. He sluggishly made his way back to the bedroom and barely registered shedding his clothes before he collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep.

******

Mr stark, you have an incoming call from the new yorker hospital.

"Put them through, jarvis." He said a bit concerned about why the hospital would call him.

"Mr stark?" 

"Yeah?"

"Here is Christine." Stephen's friend.

"What happened?" 

"Stephen's been in an accident."

"What?" He asked and a hand came up over his arc reactor.

"A car accident. He's not awake but I called as soon as he got out of the operation theatre."

"What about Merlin?" 

"He's at a friend's house. He doesn't know yet." 

"I'm on the way." 

Quickly his suit built around him and in seconds he flew out of the open window in the direction of the hospital. 

After what felt like much too long he finally landed in front of the building and ran inside. After he screamed at a few nurses and found Stephen's room he stumbled inside and slumped in the chair next to the bed where Stephen lay sleeping. 

He gasped with a hand over his mouth when he had time to actually look at Stephen. The little bit of skin that wasn't under layers of bandages was bruised with an ugly shade of blue and red.

But his hands were the worst. Tony knew his best friend well and he knew his job was the second most important thing in his life. Tony knew Stephen's career would be ruined. He wanted to reach out and give Stephen all the comfort he needed but he couldn't really do that so he just sat beside him hoping he would open his eyes soon and live on, if not for him then for his son.

*****

"Tony?" Stephen groaned and blinked his not swollen eye open.

"Stephen? Oh god Stephen, finally. I've been so worried. Wait, do you need anything? Should I get Christine? I get Christine. Don't go anywhere." He rambled and stood up to get Christine. 

Stephen didn't want Tony to go but it gave him time to look at his body. Or more precisely his hands. His hands with several fixators and pins. 

The pain in his body began to dull as he looked at his hands and realised what that meant. 

Christine and Tony stormed into the room then and he angled his head to look up at them.

"What did they do?" He croaked out and watched as they got closer.

"Stephen," Christine began but he didn't want nor need any calming words.

"What did they do?" He said more forcefully.

"Eleven steel pins in the bones, multiple torn ligaments, severe nerve damage in both hands, you were on the table for eleven hours." 

Stephen breathing got heavier as Christine explained.

"Look at these fixators."

"No one could have done better." 

He turned to face her. "I could've done better."

She sighed and looked from him to Tony before she finally left the room.

"Stephen," Tony started and sat down and reached out with one hand to gently stroke Stephen's upper arm. He was grateful he didn't flinch away from his touch.

"Can you look after Merlin for a while?" Stephen asked before Tony could continue.

"Of course." He reassured the other man immediately. 
"But I think he'd like to see you." 

"I don't want him to see me like this. What have you told him?" 

"He's still with Arthur. I don't think anyone has told him yet." 

"Good. Can you pick him up? Tell him he's staying with you for a few days. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to spend time with his favourite uncle."

"Not if he thinks you're hurt." 

"It's only a few days. Until I found a solution to this." They both avoided looking at his hands.

"Only a few days."