Tell All Tales (Avengers)Moon/Lady

FoxWriter

FoxWriter

Cluster
Joined
Jan 20, 2011
Location
in the realm of lust and seduction
Steve scowled a little as he stared up at Stark Tower, which still had only the giant A hanging on it. The Tower had been fixed up very nicely, but Tony had never put his name back on the building. Steve wasn't sure why but he suspected it was because Tony wanted it as a reminder. Of what, Steve wasn't sure, but everything about Tony had become... troubling. After the events of Killian Tony had been... off. Oh no one else seamed to have noticed that Tony had reverted to the self centered bastard he had been before Iron Man. Granted Tony wasn't building weapons again, thank god, but he was acting as if he didn't care about his life anymore. He was doing the most dangerous shit, taking on hoards of Doom-bots without backup or rushing into fist fights in bars. Even Clint and Natasha had noticed that there was something very wrong, which was probably why they had all agreed to move in with Tony when he offered. Not that Tony had ever really given an honest reason as to why he was inviting them in. still, there he was, watching all the people go in and out of the building. The first sixty floors nothing but R&D that Bruce had been invited to long before anyone else had been. Not that Bruce had accepted at the time. He went to some foreign country with a funny name to help with some epidemic Steve had never heard of. Bruce would be joining them that evening though, so that was something at least. Steve liked Bruce.

“Steve.” Clint greeted the Super soldier, his hand tucked into Natasha's. “you going to just stand there all day?” “i might.” Steve admitted as he stared at the Tower. “i'm not sure this is a good idea. Something is up. Something's wrong with Tony.” “you noticed too huh? I think it's best if we do go in.” Clint admitted. “we can figure out what's wrong. Help him you know? He's a damn good guy. He's just... lost, I think.” “lost?” Steve asked, startled before thinking it over. Yes, lost. Pepper had left and Tony was lost on how to act, behave or live without her when she'd been a part of the man's life for so long. Steve felt simmering anger in his gut. Pepper was such a selfish bitch, abandoning Tony when he needed her the most just because her crush from High-school kidnapped her. Tony had done his best for her, risked his life for her, removed the Arc reactor for her and she wouldn't even help with the Anxiety attacks that Steve knew Tony suffered from. Well, Tony would have all the help he wanted now, whether he actually wanted it or not.

“Let's go.” Steve decided as he crossed the street and headed into the Tower, moving over to the front desk. The secretary there flushed and flirted and finally sent them the the elevator directly behind her, which only led to the private floors. The top twenty floors where all Tony's private areas where he worked on whatever he wanted. Steve knew that there where three private labs just for Tony, and he had built two labs just for Bruce. There where bedrooms for each Avenger as well, and guest rooms. Steve was sure Tony had gone all out on them too because the man couldn't help himself. He stepped into the Elevator and sighed, wondering how terrible this was going to be. Hopefully it wouldn't be too bad. Hopefully. Oh who was he kidding this was going to be a disaster.
 
Natasha smiled a little as she squeezed Clint’s hand, staring up at the building looking amused. “It isn’t a good idea, but its a better idea then letting him play mad scientist without supervision.”She pointed out sighing quietly. She just knew this was going to be horrible, even if tony wouldn’t give them a straight answer on why he’d chosen now to invite them in. Knowing there was more then one reason he’d done it, and worried about what it was. Pausing when they got to the penthouse she stopped, staring at the scene in front of her. It was....utterly baffling.

Sitting on the floor of his million dollar penthouse, was Tony Stark in jeans and a t-shirt, looking more relaxed then she’d ever seen him, even before he’d become iron man. For once in his life, he looked to be a glowing picture of health, usually slightly pale skin tanned, toned from hours in the gym, brown hair slightly longer then normal, showing that he needed a haircut, but not to long. But she’d known that part, ever since extremis, tony had been the center of people’s list of sexiest men alive, even before he’d gotten it, he’d been listed. But ever since extremis had boosted his systems, allowing him to both get away with more lab time without looking like a zombie, and him eating more, he looked healthy. But that wasn’t the truly baffling. The baffling sight was what he was doing.

Playing with a robot, which considering it was tony, wasn’t that odd, but it was the fact that he was playing with a robot car and a toddler, a small girl-child that looked around 2 and a half, was extremely odd and off setting. “Tony?”

“Oh hey guys. Come on in.”Tony grinned bounding to his feet, smiling quietly as he looked down at the girl who’d startled at their appearance, hiding behind his legs as he looked at them, for once, holding still instead of his normal nearly manic walking around and talking, absently reaching down and ruffling dark brown curls as the girl peeked around his legs at the sudden guests. “This is Aliyah.”
 
Steve nodded. "this is true." he agreed with a sigh and a shake of his head. "this is going to be bad. i hope Bruce get's here soon. he's about the only one who can handle Tony without starting massive fights." he admitted with a sigh before stopping and staring as well. he had to admit, Tony was looking very, very good. so very good. he felt shame curling in his belly as he realized he was still rather attracted to the snarky ass. then he noticed the little girl child playing with Tony and he stared. that was all he could do was stare. there was a little girl in Tony's place. a two year old, maybe a little older. two or three? it certainly wasn't Pepper's id then, people would have noticed her being pregnant. right? he stared at the child some more. kidnapped? adopted? cloning experiment? a child Tony rescued maybe? babysitting? who the hell would let Tony babysit?!

"Hello Aliyah!" Clint chirped smiling as he stepped forward and then knelt so he was more her size. "i'm Clint, Clint Barton." he smiled at her. "i'm Hawkeye the Superhero. i bet you like Superhero's right?" he asked her with a grin. "Tony's a Superhero you know?" he asked her before indicating Steve and Natasha. "that's Natasha. she's going to be my wife someday." he admitted, grinning at the little girl. "but don't tell anyone, it's a secrete." he teased, pressing a finger to his lips. all little kids liked to have secretes. "and that's Steve Rogers! do you know who Steve Rogers is? he's Captain America!" Steve made a baffled sound and looked at Natasha. who knew Clint would be so good with Kids? "Tony? can i speak with you?" Steve asked, indicating the kitchen off to the side, letting Clint keep the little girl entertained while he figured out what the hell was going on. "are you.... babysitting?" Steve finally asked. he didn't think Tony capable of kidnapping to say the least. he couldn't imagine Tony with his own child either though so latched onto the most likely story.
 
“Hopefully. At least then bruce would be able to talk science with him, instead of letting him talk to us.”She pointed out because she knew tony was perfectly capable of babbling at anyone who’d listen when he was on a science binge, even if they had no desire to listen, or knew what he was talking about.

Aliyah pressed closer to the back of tony’s legs, peeking around to look at clint, clinging to the jeans tony was wearing before nodding shyly. “ ‘Lint. Hi.”The girl said shyly, looking up at him with big blue eyes, though she was paler and lighter colored then tony’s own coloring, there was no mistaking that he’d had a hand in her creation when you studied her face, the soft features a mimicry of the genius’. Looking at the other two when clint pointed to them, she looked up at clint with wide eyes, nodding. “I wont!”She agreed looking pleased with the idea of a secret. “Cap!”Aliyah said looking pleased with the man’s presence even if she was still shyly peeking around tony’s legs. Well, at least it seemed that tony had kept some stark traditions alive, of having the children of the stark household, utterly fascinated with the super soldier. Which made natasha snicker a little. “Yea. Hold on.”Tony said resting a hand on aliyah’s head, ruffling her hair. “I’ll be right back okay?” “No!” “I need to talk to Cap, honey. I’ll just be in there.”He said, much gentler then you would think tony was capable of talking to anyone. Well, at least they knew that while he’d reverted to the utterly self centered, reckless bastard he’d been before, it seemed still had a chink in that impenetrable armor, having traded a ice cold bitch, for a happy toddler. “We’ll play with you Aliyah. Why don’t you show us your car?”Natasha said as she moved closer, crouching down next to clint, the two assassins distracting the girl as tony moved into the kitchen.

“No. She’s mine.”Tony said tilting his head a little smiling, shifting to lean against the counter, situating himself to be able to watch aliyah. It was the first time he’d ever left the room when someone else was wtih her, and despite having brought them here for that reason, he was still nervous to do it.
 
Steve chuckled a little and nodded. "it's not hard to tune Tony out you know. he doesn't care what your doing when he babbles at you." he pointed out. "just read a book or something and nod once and a while." he suggested.

"Aaw, aren't you the cutest little Duck?" he asked, beaming at Aliyah, realizing that whoever this little one was, she was Tony's. "hello." Cap said softly, smiling at her. "it's okay Aliyah! they're going to talk about boring adult stuff." he admitted, wrinkling his nose. "Captain is probably going to try and insist on paying Rent and helping with bills." he admitted with a smile. he knew she probably didn't know what those where, but they where big adult words that she would immediately rationalize as very boring. "it is a pretty Car." Clint admitted, smiling at her. "being that this is Tony's house, does it do anything interesting?" he asked, studying the car from a safe distance.

"....yours?" Steve asked, rather weakly really. "Tony... the child is... she's got to be at least Two and i KNOW you didn't have her during the invasion! so... so..." he looked so baffled. "so was.. did ... oh hell how do i ask this without you being pissed at me?" he wondered before taking a deep breath. "did you know about her? why wasn't she with you? she's adorable really but... how?"
 
Aliyah giggled at the nickname.”I’m not a duck!”She giggled before looking up at him with wide eyes, looking momentarily lost, and utterly uninterested in what they were. Shy, quiet, and tony’s child through and through, Aliyah was intelligent, almost scarily so for a 2 and a half year old, but she still was a child. Adult things didn’t interest her. “Yes!It flies. And shoots darts!”Aliyah said scampering over to the remote and picking it up, before shoving it into clint’s hands. “’lint, fly it.”She said showing him how to do it. “You did say you can shoot anything. Toy cars should be right up your alley.”Natasha teased as she sat on the floor next to them, looking amused and utterly bemused at the idea of tony having a child.

“Yea, mine.”Tony said biting his lip, trying, really, really trying not to laugh in steve’s face, but he looked so utterly baffled tony couldn’t help it. He might have issues with his attraction to the captain, and the man’s presence in his tower, but he did remember why he liked him most of the time. Because the man out of time’s presence provided him with a much needed stress relief hilarity. “No, I didn’t have her then. Well, I did, but I didn’t know about her. Her mother recently got in contact with me when she became sick, and while she hadn’t wanted to tell me about her, afraid of how I’d be with a child, she was also sick and needed care. Maria died a few weeks ago, and left me custody of Aliyah.”he shrugged, rubbing a hand over his face. "I've managed to keep it out of the papers for now, simply because I haven't had to go out into public for anything, but having a child here is disrupting my life enough that I need help."Tony said cringing at the admittance, hating to admit he needed help.
 
he grinned at her. "you are a Duck!" he teased as he tweaked her nose. "or perhaps i should call you a little mouse for as quiet as you are?" he asked, grinning as he accepted the remote and examined it for a moment before starting it up and flying it around the room, checking to see what kind of darts it shot by aiming at a couch cushion before shooting Natasha dead center in the forehead, snickering. "bulls eye! gimme five!" he ordered Aliyah with an impish grin. "should i shoot Cap, or your daddy?" he asked, winking at the little girl.

Steve had to take a couple of bracing breaths before feeling his blood chill. Tony hadn't known and now the girls mother was dead... oh lord. "oh Tony i'm so sorry." he muttered, staring at the other before moving forward, setting his hands on Tony's shoulders. "it's going to be okay. of course we'll help. we're a team Tony." he promised. "we're a family and we will always help each other." he knew Tony would never 'get rid of' the poor little waif. so he didn't even bother suggesting it. it impressed him that Tony had even admitted to needing help. "come on. let's go back in before Clint corrupts your kid." he stepped out and blinked as both he and Tony where shot in the heads with sticky darts. "...Clint..."
 
“No!I don’t quack!”Aliyah giggled making a face at getting her nose tweak, looking adorably like tony. Like a tony that hadn’t had the emotional scars that the elder one had to deal with. Despite her mother’s death, it seemed Aliyah had adjusted well to having tony stark all to herself. And was utterly enjoying it. Giggling as clint flew the car around, she clapped her hands happily as clint shot Natasha. “Kay!”Aliyah smiled as she smacked a tiny hand against clint’s. “You two are adorable. At least she has someone to talk to at her own emotional level.”Natasha teased her boyfriend, kissing his cheek before studying the two men in the kitchen. “Both!”Aliyah demanded settling in to watch.

“Yea me to....I didn’t know Marie well, or at all really, but I wont let Ali be shuffled into foster care. I might not be the best parent, but I can do this....even if it means asking you guys for help. I mean, you’re like the world’s best babysitter, blondie.”Tony said teasing a little, smiling wanely, the last few weeks stress showing. Because while he’d accepted Aliyah’s presence in his life, his own emotional trauma of having a stark for a father, was keeping him utterly at a loss on what to do. Not trusting his own instincts in to what to do for his daughter, so he’d trust steve’s. Startling a little as steve touched him, he slumped a little, relaxing before nodding. “Might be to...late...”he said as the dart hit him, laughing softly, “Can we put him in time out, or is he to old for that?”Tony snickered.
 
he grinned at her. "oh but you might! maybe you quack in your sleep?" he asked her with a grin. "or moo! maybe you moo?" he mused. "no, i don't think you moo." he decided. "you probably quack." he teased with a chuckle before beaming at her as he got a high five before sulking at Natasha. "your not supposed to pick on the babysitter." he protested before grinning as she demanded he shoot both.

he nodded. "still, it had to hurt." he admitted. "your a good guy Tony, you could never abandon a child when they need you." he assured the other with a smile. "your going to have to start taking care of yourself better though." he gently chastised. "and stop doing dangerous stunts like you did last week." he ordered as he rolled his eyes. "i don't know anything about kids Tony. not a damn clue, Clint seams to know what he's doing though." he admitted. "...definitely too late. and definitely not too old for a time out." he growled, scowling at Clint who squeaked and scrambled to hide behind Natasha. "stop being a bad influence." he ordered Clint who just grinned impishly.
 
“No!I don’t!Papa might.”She said with a child’s seriousness, trying to decide what to think about her papa still. The two starks still finding their way to be together. “I am, when the babysitter is you.”Natasha teased.

“...It hurt that it was to late to do anything but hold her hand when she died.”Tony muttered, looking away. There was definitely something missing out of this story, some key moment that would change everything, but the story of what happened was changed and settled into place just enough that it wasn’t obvious what was missing. Even if he knew eventually having them here would come back and bite him in the ass, tony was also aware that he was incapable of doing this on his own. Not only because he was still CEO of SI, he was also iron man. It made being a father hard. “Well, if you would stop needing rescued, I wouldn’t have to do dangerous stunts.”Tony grumbled before making a face. “Hm, but you’re like a teddy bear, perfectly lovable. Kids like you.”he pointed out before grinning, “I think I should put him in time out.” “papa!Can I show them my room?”Aliyah asked. “If they want to see, go ahead.”Tony said smirkign at his daughter’s easy acceptance of his team. “’Lint!cap!Come.”The little girl demanded as she grabbed their hands, tugging them towards the hall, well. It was obvious that she’d already chosen her favorites.
 
he grinned. "your papa's a pretty nice dude." he admitted. "but i don't think he quacks. we should test!" he decided. "i've heard that tickling can make Duck's quack!" he admitted with an impish grin as he reached out to tickle her ribs.

Steve nodded and gently rubbed Tony's shoulders, trying to be as comforting as possible before he shook his head. "Tony. you flew into a war zone, by yourself." he chastised. "you can't do things like that." he grumbled before rolling his eyes. "i am not. Clint's a Teddy Bear." he grumbled even if he did smile. "i think we should make him have a Time out too." he agreed before blinking as he found he was being dragged by a two year old. "bossy little tich isn't she?" Steve asked, looking a little amused as he let her take them. she really was adorable. "so how old are you Aliyah?" Steve asked with a smile as he let her take him to her room, looking rather impressed at the little girls room. more than he wanted to admit anyway.
 
“Nooo!No tickles!”Aliyah giggled as she tried to squirm away.

“...Well, you guys were busy taking care of doombots.”Tony huffed making a face, before smirking. “Oh no, you’re the teddy bear of the group.”Tony snickered before nodding. “We will then.”he smirked as the two were dragged towards the bedroom. “I’m not bossy!” “Yes she is. But you get used to it.”Tony smiled as he followed after, fidgeting a little nervous, trying not to be as nervous about showing off the room he’d pulled together in less then a few days. This was a new experience to him, wanting them to be comfortable enough to not want to leave. Looking around the room, he smiled pleased at the princess room. “I’m 3.”Aliyah said proudly looking up at the captain with wide blue eyes, a beautiful crystal blue that was even more devastatingly beautiful with the fact that they were set into a miniature tony’s face.
 
Steve huffed. "i'm not a teddy bear!" he grumbled before letting the little girl drag him about. "all little girls are bossy." Clint stated simply. "and then they grow up to be bossy women. just like Natasha." Clint stated with a nod. "Bossy women rule the world you know. just look at Natasha, Maria Hill, Agent Thirteen, Melinda May and even Jane!" he snorted. "we're just lucky that the women haven't banded together and accomplished world domination." he scoffed with a grin and Steve chuckled and nodded. "wow." Steve gaped at the room, amazed. "Tony this is amazing!" he admitted as he looked around. "i didn't know people made rooms like this." Steve admitted, Clint nodding as they poked around, amazed at the little girls amazing room. "three! well aren't you old!" Steve teased her with a grin, feeling his heart clench at the sight of those beautiful blues.
 
“If you keep it up, I’m going to be very bossy to you soon.”Natasha said smirking a little at her boyfriend, snickering. “How do you know we haven’t?We’ve just let the men think they rule things.”Natasha sai dsmiling slightly. Tony flushed, looking around the room, smiling slightly. “Neither did I. Apparently asking pepper what little girls would like as bedrooms, is not appropriate and results in a interior designer coming to fix things for me.”Tony said snickering a little, because him and pepper had a complicated, interesting relationship-friendship thing now that they weren’t dating. “While the designer was here, I gave her notes and stuff for your guys rooms, so if anything’s missing, or I didn’t think of it, let me know.”Tony said smiling. “I am!Papa said I’m growing up to fast, but I don’t think I am.”Aliyah said smiling a little before returning to showing off the princess room. “Ali, its time for a nap, sweetheart.”Tony said. “No!I dont wanna. New friends are here.” “They’re moving in, they’ll be here when you get up.”Tony promised picking her up, settling her on his hip, giving her a smacking kiss on the forehead. “Rest.”He said before settling her into the carriage bed.
 
Clint smirked. "i love it when she's bossy, but don't tell her i said so." he ordered with a chuckle as he shook his head. "oh please. as if the world would as as fuc....fudged up as it is if the Women where really in charge." he scoffed. "only a man would go across the world to fight about oil." he scoffed with a shake of his head. "an interior deco... what?" Steve asked, looking baffled. "it's a person who comes in and makes your house look nice for you." Clint explained. "uh... our Rooms? as in... plural?" Steve wasn't sure how to handle that really. "well. i know a way to tell!" Clint admitted with a grin. "Me Madre used to do this for me." he admitted with a grin as he made her stand against the wall and gently held her hand over her head, letting her see. "see? this is how tall you are!" he explained with a grin. "and a year ago, you where only this tall!" he held his other hand lower, even if he didn't know her exact size he could guess. "so you have been growing." "oh, i don't know, i think i need a nap too." Steve admitted with an exaggerated yawn, hoping to cut off any temper tantrums. "i could go for one too, it was a long flight in." Clint admitted with a nod. "we'll play again after nap okay?" Clint promised her with a beaming smile before the three left so Tony could tuck her in without a ruckess. "so. the child is Tony's?" Clint asked softly once they where out of earshot. "yes. Tony didn't know she existed until her mother got sick. poor girl, her mother's dead. died in the hospital i guess." Steve admitted with a sigh and a shake of his head. "Tony asked us here because he doesn't know how to take care of her and be a genius scientist and the head of SI and a consultant at the same time. he needs help." "bet it was pretty hard for him to admit that." Clint admitted with a grimace. "still. says a lot about his character that he didn't just... you know. dump her at an orphanage or something. he really cares about the little tyke."
 
Natasha smirked a little as she listened to clint talk, amused because they ewre going to be watchign their language. This was amusing actually. “True, only a man would.”She agreed. “And puts everything together so it matches the rest of the place. If it’d just been me choosing stuff, you’d gotten stuff that just dind’t match anything.”Tony said snickered a little before nodding.”Yea. You guys each have a suite apartment, well, except for the lovebirds, they have a whole floor to themselves.”Tony said grinning a little smiling as clint helped aliyah figure out how tall she was. “....Fine. A nap is okay.”Aliyah frowned still sulking but not protesting going to bed.

“Damn. Well. It was bound to happen, considering just how....”Natasha paused looking for the word. “he is.”She said before tilting her head, shaking her head. “He wouldn’t do that. Even if he was sure she’d be better without him, he’s proud enough, and stubborn enough to keep her around simply to prove everyone else wrong that said he couldn’t do it.”she said glancing back into the bedroom, smirking a little at the sight of tony reading a picture book.
 
Steve chuckled as Clint altered his vocabulary. being that he was Steve, he didn't curse all that much at all anyway. "...okay so... it's just a person who makes your house pretty?" "yup. and they have to go to collage and everything for it, so they get paid a ton of money for it too. the woman who made this room probably got about twenty thousand dollars just for this room." Clint admitted, making Steve gape. back in his day, twenty thousand dollars was like watching Bill Gates walk down the street. back then eggs cost a couple of cents and milk was a nickle. he'd never had more than two hundred dollars, ever. "a suite?" Clint asked, looking delighted before getting even more excited at the knowledge that he had a whole floor just for him and Natasha.

"That's the problem though. Aliyah is three right? so she had to be born, after Tony became Iron Man. i don't think the woman was just a fling." Steve admitted, his voice soft. "something isn't adding up, but i'm not sure i want to risk actually digging into it." he admitted before smiling a little. "nah. i think he just doesn't want to let her down. he's really pretty good with her." he admitted. "they haven't been together long though." Clint muttered. "i was here just a few weeks ago to deliver some Shield stuff for Tony." he admitted. "she wasn't here then. i don't think."
 
“Yep. Definitely better then I was going to do it. I was going to put everyhing I would want in a room, instead of what I kid would want. Definitely a good thing I called Pep.”Tony shrugged smirking a little at steve’s gaping face. “Yea. And they’re all about like this, built around the people who are going to live in them.I’ll show you as soon as she’s down.”

“...Yea. About.”Natasha said frowning thinking that over before paling slightly. “If she’s after he became iron man, it would brobably be right after or during when he was dying...”Natasha muttered knowing the others were aware of the period when the arc reactor was killing him. “If he wants us to know, he’ll tell us.”natasha said at the idea of steve digging into things, but having every intention of doing it on her own. “He is fairly good with her.”she said looking surprised at the idea before frowning.”No, I’m sure she wasn’t here.”She said having come with clint to simply check on teh billionaire, so aliyah’s presence and the circumstances that brought her here, was very,very new. “Hey. Come on you three, lets go see your rooms.”Tony said softly as he walked out, shutting the door behind him, knowing jarvis would let him know if aliyah needed him as he led them towards their rooms.
 
Steve chuckled a little. "so she would have had tech stuff and Captain America toys huh?" he asked, looking highly amused before he hesitated. "er... built around US, or built around what the woman who fixed them up thought we'd like?" he trusted Tony, to an extent, to know what they would and wouldn't like. "thanks Tony." Steve chirped with a smile.

"...fuck. your right." he muttered softly. "so in other words, the woman might not have been a fling at all." he muttered. "Pepper wasn't exactly talking to him during that time so..." he shook his head as Clint shook his head. "there's no point in worrying about it now. we have a kid to help Tony take care of." he pointed out. "we shouldn't dig. it's not polite." Steve agreed. not that he planned on listening to his own advice. "thanks again Tony." Steve stated as he followed the other. "Bruce is right above the labs right?" he asked curiously. "when is he supposed to arrive?" he asked, his head tilted as he followed Tony to his room, his eyes widening as he looked around. the Room was perfect. minimal clutter, a full kitchen, there was a drawing easel and pads set up close tot he window where he preferred to draw and most importantly. "how did you know?" he asked, stroking the massive Grant Piano that he knew, and loved to play. not that he got a chance to anymore. there was even an old fashioned record player with all of his favorites already stocked. "Tony i's perfect." Steve admitted, stroking the long flat black top of the piano. a very rare 1911 black satin Steinway. clearly Steve didn't realize that they sold close to 20K$ these days.
 
“....well, I was saving the Cap stuff for when she was older. I didn’t get anything till I was at least ten. She has to wait.”Tony said sulking, mostly because he wasn’t about to share his collection with anyone, even his daughter. “I gave her very specific instructions on what to chose, and approved of everything before the rooms were finished. Don’t look so worried.”Tony snickered a little.

“No, I don’t think a fling at all.But I’m not sure what else it would be either.”Natasha frowned as she thought about it before nodding.”You’re right, for now, we’ll help with Ali.”Natasha said smirking a little, well aware steve wasn’t going to follow his own advice and stay out of what had happened. “Well, you three are doing me a favor, not to mention we spend more time together then apart these days, might as well give you rooms.”He shrugged, because to him, it was true. He hadn’t even ever considered not asking them to join him here eventually, aliyah’s presence had just brought it up sooner. “He is. Has his own lab, then a corner in my workshop if he wants to join me.”Tony said before tilting his head, blushing ever so slightly.”And that goes for all of you actually, I built in small niches for all of the team in the lab, if they wanted to come and talk to me or something, easier then leaving the lab...not that I’m getting much lab time these days...”he said sounding sulky for a moment because as much as he loved aliyah, she had drastically changed everything for him. “This evening, or tomorrow. He wasn’t sure.”Tony said smiling as he watched steve look around the room, smirking.”Dad told me about the time you played in notre dame during the war at christmas, for the commandos. It wasn’t a common story, not alot of people know about it, but I figured you’d enjoy having a piano again.”Tony said looking pleased that the other was enjoying it, shuddering a little as he watched steve stroke the top of the piano, trying really hard to not imagine him doing it to other things, which just made natasha smirk and nudge clint, tilting her head towards the two in amusement.
 
Steve chuckled a little and shook his head. "have i told you yet how creepy it is that you have an entire floor devoted to me?" Steve asked, looking more amused than anything else. "good. well... good." Steve muttered, that didn't make him feel much better.

"...live action Sperm Donor?" Clint suggested, yelping when Steve punched him in the shoulder. "behave." he growled at Clint who whined like a kicked puppy and hid behind Natasha even though everyone knew that Steve hadn't hit Clint hard enough for pain. "well it's nice of you all the same." Steve admitted before stopping to stare at Tony. "we're allowed in your lab?" he asked, looking astonished. "are you sure? Clint is a nuisance you know." he pointed out with a smile. "and we'll help you with Aliyah so you can get into your lab for at least a few hours each day." he promised. "or you can set up a play area for her down there, block it off so you can still see her but she can't get into anything dangerous." he suggested before nodding. "it'll be good to have Bruce here." he admitted. "i worry about him out there in those war torn countries." he admitted. "he sends me a text each night though, promising he hasn't hulked out." he did that for all the Avengers actually. "god... Notre Dam... i forgot." Steve admitted. "it was before Bucky.... fell." he admitted as he settled on the seat and ran his fingers over the keys before flexed and then relaxed and began to Play. Clint looked honestly startled, as if he had imagined Steve to play some sort of long and boring classical piece. this was actually really pretty, and kind of bittersweet.
 
”You have, and believe me, I know it is.”Tony snickered a little.

“Clint.”Natasha muttered though she was choking on her own laughter, wondering just what was going on with tony, but for the moment setting it aside. “Uh, yea. I mean, I don’t mind company, even when it was just rhodey and pepper. As long as you don’t mind getting babbled at, or ignored sometimes when I work, you can come down.”Tony shrugged before smirking. “Besides, I already rebuilt it for a play area for Ali, so adding small spaces for you all wasn’t that hard.”he shrugged, because the two floor space sharing lab was definitely big enough to hold spaces for all the avengers, and still have room to work in. “I just felt badly for going down to work for hours and just leave her playing on her own. I’d feel better if you guys took her for awhile each day just so I can work.”Tony said smiling a little, before nodding.”me to. But he’s been okay. And he sent us all texts, to make sure we knew he was okay.”Tony smiled a little before nodding. “I know. Me and dad didn’t talk alot, but hearing about you guys, was one of the few times he let me talk to him about whatever I wanted.”Tony smiled a little refusing to consider his own childhood, because with aliyah, he definitely didn’t want to screw up, and spending time in the lab with a child freaked him out. He’d definitely feel better if someone else was there if he was in the lab. Watching steve for a long moment before smiling, moving over and gently pressing the keys on a lower registered, he might not be great, but he could play, at least some, effortlessly moving with steve as the super soldier played.
 
Clint just smirked as he rested his head on her shoulder and tried to look as innocent as possible. "well... i might come down once and a while." he agreed. "i'm not sure i like you working alone down there all the time." he admitted. "you might get hurt or something you know?" Steve asked with a shrug before he smiled, pleased to see that Tony had already built a playroom for Ali. "i can understand you not wanting to leave her alone. she's young enough to get into a lot of mischief." he suspected it was also because of Howard, but he knew better than to say that name in front of Tony. "i heard he's actually been doing better." Steve admitted. "granted, i'm not sure how much i trust him when he says that." he admitted with a chuckle before nodding. "Howard was..." here he hesitated and then. "he was a good soldier." he finally admitted. "and he was... a decent friend so long as you didn't have something he wanted." he admitted, wondering if Tony would understand that reference. he startled a little when he heard the additional notes and slid to the side so that Tony could sit down, smiling a little. "you know... back in the war, Bucky used to play the Violin, and Jim played the Cello. Jimmie... Falsworth, he played the Flute and the others played the guitar. we used to play every night when we could." he admitted with a smile. "Howard said we where women, learning to play music." he admitted with a snort. "but that didn't stop him from trying to play Bucky's violin one night. Buck nearly strangled him with the bow." Steve admitted with a chuckle. "i don't think he ever forgave Bucky for that." he admitted, looking amused as he called the song to a close and smiled at Tony. "thank you... it's... perfect." "is it just me... or are thy flirting?" Clint whispered so softly it was almost a whisper.
 
“Good. I don’t always want company, but it can be lonely sometimes down there working.”Tony said shrugging a little, because it had become a new addition, a recent revelation of just how lonely his life was, even with pepper in it, it had been lonely since she’d left him mostly on his own to work. So this was tony, the new fatherly tony, trying to include the people he liked into his life. “Yea, I know I was into everything at that age. Definitely not leaving her alone.”Tony snickered a little, because those early years in the lab with howard had scarred a genius who had been as brilliant and happy to be there as anyone. Seeing aliyah had ripped apart his defenses against his memories. “We’ll find out soon enough I guess.”Tony said smiling a little before frowning, staring at the wall before nodding. “....Howard Stark wouldn’t know how to be a decent human being if the concept beat him outside the head or couldn’t find it at the bottom of a bottle. Let’s just not have this conversation.”Tony said squirming a little at the mention of his father, it was definitely uncomfortable territory. “...Well. He always did have problems with me playing, but mom taught me.”he smiled softly thinking about his mother, because for a long time, she’d been the only one he had. Smirking a little. “I heard about that. He howled about Barnes’ nearly killing him all the time. Seems he took it personally.”tony snickered a little stopping playing, as he smiled a little. “You’re very welcome. I figured it was the least I could do, since you’re doing me a favor.”

“....No.definitely flirting there.”Natasha muttered looking at him, totally feeling out of depth. Because it had been a common sight over the last two years they’d been a team, to find tony and steve red faced and screaming at each other, the two butting heads nearly as much as they got along, the vague flirting that happened sometimes, having been written off as tony simply being tony. But this, this room showed alot of thought, and a knowledge of what steve liked. Well, this was going to be interesting indeed.
 
Steve nodded. "yeah. i know... it gets lonely back in DC a lot, even when there are people all around me." he admitted. "you know. i was actually bedridden more than anything at that age." Steve admitted with a chuckle. "i didn't say Howard was a good person." Steve admitted simply. "i just said he was a good Soldier and had the capability of occasionally being a good friend." he admitted. he had never really bothered to think much of Howard. not until he'd seen the records. Howard Stark had been a piss poor excuse for a man to say the least. he knew Howard had used his son as cheep labor and had been drunk nearly all the time. probably why Tony no longer had a bar int he Tower. it was the first thing he'd noticed. "you play well enough. she must have been a good teacher for you to have such skill." he admitted with a smile. "i could give you lessons if you like?" he offered. "besides, if anyone's doing any favors here it's you." he admitted with a smile. "you have no idea how close i was to calling you and asking if you would let me bunk with you for a while. the bastards in DC are assholes. if they don't want my autograph then they glare at me for being a usurper." he admitted with a huff.

"...this is weird. i was sure they hated each other." he mumbled. "i thought Steve didn't want to come here?" Steve didn't, but at the same time, he did. "i feel like we shouldn't be watching this..." he muttered watching Steve smile at Tony before sliding off the bench. "well... shall we go look at the wonder couple's rooms?" he offered. "did you just call us the wonder couple?" Clint demanded, staring at Steve who smirked. "i did. yes."
 
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