You’re there with open arms
Peter ran down the hallway with a cape tied around his neck, yelling something about SuperMan flying around the city.
Tony smiled as he watched Morgan chase after him, feeling incredibly lucky to have such a loud house. He grew up in a quiet house and so did Morgan for the most part… then Peter arrived and there was no such thing as a quiet house anymore.
Tony loved that.
Although Peter ran past the wall and was an inch away from smacking his face so he had to move this game to outside so there weren’t any trips being made to the hospital.
“Alright my superheroes, let’s go play this game outside so there’s more space to run around and less things to smack our faces against.”
Peter giggled and followed Morgan outside. The first thing he did when he got out was trip over his clumsy feet and fall face first into the ground. Tony watched him, already making his way over to give Peter some much needed comfort but then Peter was lifting his head up and immediately getting back on his feet, running after Morgan.
Tony froze.
He wasn’t expecting that at all. Peter always fell and started crying, needing Tony to make it all better for him. His kid was growing up way too quickly and Tony wasn’t ready for it one bit. He needed Peter to stay five years old forever so he could hold him safely in his arms.
Either way, Tony was happy. He had his son back and that was the only thing that mattered.
He took a seat on the tree swing and watched his kids run around. It was something that he found himself doing for hours.
Even if they were just building blocks in the playroom, he always loved watching them. Always.
Peter picked up a stick and swung it around like it was a sword. “Look! I’m a king, bow down to me!”
Morgan laughed as she bowed down for her brother. “All hail the king! All hail the king!”
The five year old threw himself to the ground in a fit of giggles, before getting on his hands and knees and crawling across the grass, laughing about something.
Tony couldn’t help but start laughing along with his kids, even if he wasn’t even a part of the fun.
He stood up to see what exactly they were doing since it looked like they were playing a game called who could get the most dirt on their clothes.
“Hey guys, what’re you up to?”
Peter sat on his knees and looked up at Tony. “I-I playing the lion and Morgan is a zebra. Then you have to catch us and eat us.”
“I have to?” Tony asked. He didn’t even know he was a part of the game. Peter nodded excitedly. “What am I then? Who eats a lion and a zebra?”
Peter thought about it. “Um… um mommy lion. To feed baby lion.”
“Makes sense.” Tony laughed. He didn’t know what kind of lions were feeding the daddy lions to the babies but it was Peter’s world and they were just living in it.
He began chasing his kids around, hearing their giggles and feeling his heart explode with so much love.
Later that day, Tony was cooking lunch in the kitchen while Pepper read a book on the couch. He knew Peter and Morgan were playing in the playroom but he didn’t really know what they were doing exactly.
Morgan tried to help Peter put a princess dress on but Peter kicked his legs out at her. “No! I wanna wear the lion outfit ‘cause that’s cooler.”
“Well… I’m older than you so you have to listen to me. I want you to be Cinderella.” The ten year old picked her little brother up and tried to sit him on the mini couch in their playroom but Peter wiggled out of it, pulling his pants back up. “Fine.”
Morgan thought of something funny to do. She kneeled next to Peter to get his attention. “Petey, I dare you to go up to dad and say shit.”
Peter gasped. “That’s a no no word.” He crossed his arms, refusing to say that because he didn’t want to get in trouble.
“I dare you to. It’s a dare, so you have no.” She stood up, pulling Peter to his feet along with her. “Just say it. It’ll be so funny.”
Peter didn’t want to but if Morgan said he had to, then he had to so he walked into the kitchen with Morgan following behind him, snickering. “Daddy?”
“Yeah, baby?” Tony put the pot on the stove and turned to look at Peter. “What’s up?”
Peter giggled. “Shit.”
Tony’s jaw dropped. He turned to face Morgan who was giggling as if it was the most funniest thing in the world. He knew she was the culprit behind this.
“Peter,” Tony kneeled down and grabbed Peter’s hands in his. “that’s not a nice word. It’s a bad word and you aren’t ever allowed to say it.”
“What’s going on?” Pepper walked into the kitchen, taking in the scene in front of her. “What did I just hear Peter say?”
Peter stuck out his bottom lip. He was in trouble and he hated being in trouble. He pointed at Morgan. “Morgan dared me to.”
Tony knew it. He snapped his head up to look at her as she slowly inched away. “Morgan, why would you teach your brother that word?”
Tony knew Peter never swore as a teenager. He had never heard Peter swear in front of him, not even once. Whether he did it in front of his friends and was just good at not saying it in the presence of an adult, Tony didn’t know but he wasn’t going to allow swearing in his household.
“I didn’t.” Morgan lied.
Tony stood up, pointing upstairs. “I know you did. Don’t you lie to me, Peter wouldn’t have learned it from anyone else so go to your room. I’ll come talk to you in ten minutes.”
Morgan stomped off to her room, leaving Peter to watch her with wide eyes. He stuck his thumb in his mouth and grabbed onto his dad’s hands.
Tony led him over to the couch and lifted him onto it, kneeling down in front of Peter. “I don’t want you to ever say that word again. It’s a bad word. And if Morgan dares you to do something you don’t want to do, come tell mommy or I. Don’t do it.”
Peter nodded, wide eyed and thumb in his mouth, sucking on it.
He stood up, patting Peter on the thigh. “Go eat lunch with mommy, baby. I’ll be back.”
Tony didn’t know where this ridiculous behaviour came from from Morgan. It wasn’t like her to try and get Peter in trouble but he had to stop and think about it.
The paint incident the other week.
It was definitely normal sibling behaviour but they were all not quite fully used to it yet.
He opened Morgan’s door and walked in, finding her sitting on her rocking chair with her arms crossed over her chest. He sat on her bed. “It’s your responsibility to be a good role model for Peter to look up to. He’s your little brother and he wants to be like you so when you do stuff like this, you’re not setting a very good example.”
Morgan sighed. “I thought it would be funny.”
“It wasn’t. And I don’t want something like this to happen again. Do you understand me?” Tony knew it was only normal for something like this to happen again and again because they were growing and learning together.
Morgan nodded. “Fine. I’m sorry. Can I go play with Petey now?”
Tony stood up with Morgan copying him. “It’s lunch time and then Peter has to have a nap so you guys can play after he wakes up.”
“Can I help you put him down for a nap?”
“Of course. Just don’t get him too wired up.” The father pulled his oldest against his side, holding her close but then once they got down to the kitchen, she ran off to go sit next to Peter at the island.
Peter picked up his cup and took a big sip of his milk. “Look! Santa.”
“You’re not Santa. He has white old people hair.” Morgan patted Peter’s curls which had both of them laughing.
After lunch, Tony grabbed a warm wet cloth and wiped Peter’s face and hands then lifted him into his arms. “Nap time. Want your milk or no milk today?”
They were slowly trying to limit Peter’s bottles before he went to sleep since he didn’t need it but it helped comfort him and get him tired enough to sleep. Even though Tony always asked him, Peter always said yes.
“Milk please, daddy.” The five year old waited until his bottle was in his hands then he laid his head against Tony’s shoulder and yawned, sticking his thumb into his mouth.
Morgan followed them up the stairs and helped Tony shut the curtains and turn on the nightlight and sleep sound machine while Tony got him changed into a pull-up and tucked him into bed. “Sleep good, baby. Have nice dreams.”
Peter twirled his hair with the hand that wasn’t holding his bottle up to his lips. He concentrated on his dad's face, finding comfort in him.
Tony ran his fingers through Peter’s curls, smiling down at him. He could do this for years, he thought. He would never get tired of these special moments with Peter.
.
.
.
The family of four planned on getting ready for bed and then going to fall asleep under the stars in their bed swing. They’ve done it a few times before and it was Tony's favourite thing to do. Anything that involved his whole family was his favourite thing to do.
It was extremely comfortable and rarely used so they wanted to get as much use out of it before fall arrived and the nights got colder.
Pepper and Morgan set up the bed swing with piles of blankets and a ton of pillows while Tony got Peter ready for bed in extra cute and comfortable pyjamas.
Peter took his hand and ran outside, giggling at something like he always did as he ran towards his mom and sister, attempting to jump onto the swing and get comfortable in the fluffy blankets.
Tony lifted him up and got on himself, joining the rest of his complete family. He wanted to take a mental screenshot and remember this moment for the rest of his life.
He laid down, getting comfortable when Peter decided to stand up and jump on him. Tony groaned but started laughing after once the pain started to go away. “Pete, careful, buddy.”
Peter giggled. “But I like to jump on you, daddy.”
Who was Tony to say no. “Okay,” He opened his arms wide. “Give me a hug, baby.”
Peter didn’t hesitate to throw himself into his dad’s arms, cuddling up against his chest. “I love you, daddy. You’re my best friend. And-and mommy is. And Morgan too.”
Pepper reached over to tickle Peter’s exposed stomach. “I love you too, Peter.”
The five year old grinned, looking at Morgan. “Your turn.”
“I love you, Petey.” She said, patting the top of his curls like she’s done so many times before.
Tony held Peter even tighter. Peter was his best friend and was as soon as he stepped foot into Tony’s life, even if it took him a little while to figure it out. Peter was what held their family together.
He was the glue in their lives that made life worth living for.
Tony had so much love for Peter it was indescribable, all he knew was that he never wanted to go another day without Peter.
He held him tighter. “I love you so much.”