Chapter 11
Bucky paced the room back and forth bouncing an irratable Tony in his arms, over the last 3 weeks of getting the other two to school Bucky and Steve had been improving their relationship with Tony to the point he no longer panicked at their presence. If anything the kid usually latched onto them more now then he did Clint. The problem is that now the kid wouldn't stop crying and it was because he had wanted to go back to the tower so he could get into his lab and fix everything - His words not Bucky's - And after being told no the poor boy hadn't stopped screaming his lungs out. "Tony. Come on this is ridicoulus." Bucky mutters, the boy just wouldn't calm down and Bucky was reaching his limit.
"LAB!" He all but shouts at Bucky, his tiny arms hitting his chest and making Bucky wince. The man frowned at him and set him down in the baby bouncer, the boy let out an un-godly scream as he was strapped in and Bucky winced.
"Anthony Stark!" Bucky says sternly, crouching down in front of the screaming boy. Said boy went silent at the at the tone of Buck's voice and his full name. He looked at Bucky with large tear filled eyes that Bucky immediately recognised as his 'puppy dog eyes'. Bucky keeps his gaze stern and stares right back at him. "Knock off the crocodile tears Tony. They aren't getting you what you want. We don't hit people in this family nor do we scream and shout for it when told no." He tells him sternly. The boy gives an angry little kick of his legs and Bucky frowns a bit more. "Until you learn not to misbehave you can sit in that bouncer and think about what you did." He comments, standing from his position he makes his way to the kitchen. A glance at the boy showed him the tears had dried up but the screaming was going to start again. "Scream all you want. It's not getting you out of your punishment." He states, leaving the room. Seconds later he hears the screams and sighs to him self. Sending a quick text to Clint and Steve to ignore Tony when they come back from the school drop off. That boy needed to learn his lesson.
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Tony couldn't believe Bucky had just done that. He'd just lectured Tony and put him in Time out. Tony felt his chest heave as he let out another bout of screams, trying to get out of the bouncer in vain. His mind kept bouncing back to the word Bucky had used 'Family'. He'd called them a family and Tony didn't know how to feel about it.
On one hand the idea of having a family that cared about him made his heart ache with longing. But on the other....He was an adult. Even if he acted like a baby sometimes.
He didn't know what to feel so he put his mixed bag of emotions into each shriek, sob and scream he let out until he finally stopped, exhaustion hitting him hard. He just wanted to fix this mess so everyone was happy. But he didn't know now. They where happy now, even if they were stuck as children for the time being, would it be so bad? Staying like this? He didn't know what to think any more and he felt his tears falling onto his hands. He just wanted to be held now and apologise.
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Bucky waited five minutes after the boy finished screaming before he stood to go talk to him, his heart stopped at the sight of the sobbing boy in the bouncer and he sighed a little. "Tony?" He asks gently, getting the boy to look at him as he crouched down. "Are you going to use your big boy words?" He asks, his knee's ached from the position and his heart felt heavy as the boy sniffed and he rubbed his eyes. "What do you have to say?" He coaxed a little.
"'m sorry." Tony sobs out, his little arms reaching out for a hug. Bucky immediately lifted the boy into his arms and held him close. "'M sorry. 'M sorry. Jus' wan' help buh you's right. 'm too small righ' now." Tony admits and Bucky's heart shatters as he places a kiss on Tony's head as the boy keeps talking. "Jus' wan' help 'cause I useless." Tony sniffles out and Bucky holds him closer.
"Oh god scrap. You're not useless you're anything but useless, but you're right that you're too small right now to be in a lab actively working on things." He pauses. "I'm glad you're sorry though." He says gently. "I don't like having to punish you, I hate it. But you have to understand things like hitting people and screaming isn't an ok way to communicate. Do you understand?" He asks, Tony gave a hesitant nod. A small sniffle escaping his noise once more. "Can I get a kiss on the cheek?" He asks. Watching the boy flush he amends. "It really hurt my feelings and I think a kiss from you will make me feel better." He says wryly, the boy blushed a bit more before giving a sloppy kiss and a small yawn to boot. "I see someone's sleepy. Come on, lets get you down for a nap." Bucky gave his own yawn and smiled as the boy giggled. "I'll take one with you, I'm sleepy too." He says with a chuckle, taking the boy to his room. Tony gave the cutest yawn Bucky had ever seen and rubs his eyes with his fist as the man lays on his back in the middle of the bed with Tony on his chest. The boy gave a second yawn as Bucky's flesh hand combed through Tony's hair lightly. "Night Tony." He murmurs as the boys eyes close shut. His heart stops as he hears Tony mumble lightly before passing out.
"Nigh' dada" Bucky stiffened but didn't stop petting. His heart beating a mile a minute as a giant dopey grin spread across his face, his own eyes closing and falling into a deep sleep. He was going to hold this over Steve's head.