“Happy birthday Tony!” Read the paper Dum-E handed to Tony, beeping anxiously, as if afraid that Tony wouldn't like his gift.
Tony got silent, which is very rare for him, looking incredulously to the drawing and back to his bot, his eyes getting more teary as they got wider, his chest constricted painfully.
“I-I-I… Thank you so much Dum-E, this is the greatest gift so-someone has ever given me.” Not only one of the only gifts he has ever gotten, but he didn't mention that. “This is incredible. Thank you.”
It wasn't much, but to Tony it was everything.
It was a small drawing of what was supposed to be him and Dum-E, and a birthday cake next to them. It was messy and the art wasn't that good but Tony couldn't care less about it. This was better than what he had hoped for.
Today, Tony is fifteen. Today was his birthday but no one had took the bother to wish him a happy birthday. But in the meantime, he hadn't gotten a hello from his father for months (if not years) so it shouldn't surprise him a lot. It didn't surprise him but it didn't mean it didn't hurt any less.
Tony didn't even want the gifts, not even the cake or the party. All he wanted was a friend, or at least someone wishing him a happy birthday.
But it was almost nine o'clock, and he had gotten to his workshop, alone and defeated even if he told himself not to feel like that. He told himself not to cry because Stark men were made of iron. Stark men didn't cry.
But it wasn't very easy not to when a bot had more feelings than a human. It was hard not to when Dum-E handed him the paper and beeped at him, what he supposed to be cheerful. And it was hard not to when he saw a small cake, halfway falling, with too much cream and from the look of it too much sugar.
Tony chuckled, with his cheeks wet and red and his eyes closed and a smile big on his face, his heart too full of love for the one he created.
“Is it for me, Dum-E?”
The bot beeped happily next to him and Tony petted him.
“It looks very good,” he told him. “Do you want to cut it? Or should I? Who helped you get the ingredients?”
Dum-E moved excitedly around him.
“Me? Okay alright. There is nothing to cut it with- how about I eat it with my hand? Imagine father's reaction if he saw me.” Tony chuckled as Dum-E nodded.
“How was your day Dum-E?” Asked Tony, mouth full of icing. “This is delicious by the way.”
The bot beeped at the praise, visibly happy that it made his Tony happy. He didn't answer his question though as he pointed at him instead.
“How was my day you say?”
Dum-E nodded.
Tony shrugged. “It was… alright. No one noticed me so I guess it was a good day. But no one acknowledged my birthday though… except for you Dum-E, thank you again. I love your gift. I'm gonna frame your drawing. And if I could, I would frame your cake too but it would go to waste. It's too delicious for that.”
Tony kept on eating silently, content with the peacefulness surrounding them as he ate his cake, until he got too full.
“Ugh,” groaned Tony. “I think I ate too much sugar. If I die, tell them it was your fault, Dum-E…” Tony exclaimed dramatically, his head lolling to the side, as if sick. “Dum-E… there's nothing left, it's gonna be okay…”
Dum-E beeped furiously as if saying “you're not gonna die, stop that!” and hit Tony's chest (lightly).
Tony chuckled.
“You're no fun, Dum-E,” pouted Tony as he crossed his arms, chin high and pout on display.
“Okay okay,” added Tony. “I will stop joking about dying blah blah blah, happy mom?”
He rolled his eyes for good measure but his chest was warming at the idea of someone caring for him.
“Hey Dum-E? Do you wanna play?” he asked after a moment because he still wasn't very tired. Besides, he knew his bot loved to play.
That's how they spent the following hour playing, tossing balls at each other until Tony collapsed, wheezing and chuckling as he gasped for breath.
“I really should begin exercising more… I mean I say more as if I already exercised, which is not true. I'm very lazy, aren't I Dum-E?”
To which Dum-E nodded, beeping positively and Tony chuckled once again.
“How dare you say that about your dad Dum-E?! I am very disappointed in you.”
He added after a second.
“Just kidding. You will never be able to disappoint me, Dum-E. Is it weird if I tell you I love you? Because I do but you're a bot, I don't know if you can reciprocate feelings. But if you really could have feelings, would you love me too? What am I saying? Of course you can, I made you and I am a genius.”
“Hey did you hear about what happened yest..? Oh silly me of course you didn't. But let me tell you-”
If Dum-E could chuckle, he would as Tony fell right asleep, before he could even finish his sentence.
Dum-E took a blanket that was carelessly thrown on the ground and covered Tony with it with the most affection a bot could manage, petting his head lightly and beeped, as if telling good night.
This night, Tony went to sleep with his heart light and his mind filled with, for once, happy memories.