The Iron Savior...Senior (based on comic storylines)

Because winter is cold

December 14th, 2000

"Daddy?"

Tony looked over the edge of his desk, his four year old looking at him under her bangs."Yeah?"

She shuffled, feet curling on the ground. Glitter swayed at her knees. "Can we go outside?"

Tony looked outside, snow covering the ground of the New York streets. The plows have been over the road a few times, but no car has passed by since last night.

"Sure." He answered. "Why not?"

'Why not' was answered.

Mason hated her snow gear. She hated the coats and she hated the knee high boots. Tony learned the hard way that, along with being shorter then normal, she was a stubborn little shit.

"Come on squirt, you know you need to wear these."

She shook her head. "Nuh uh, I won't die of cold. I'm going to be a pola' bear when I'mma grow up."

Tony resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He's gotten better at understanding children and he's actually amused by their antics. Mason was a entertaining little thing, always so set on her mind that she is right and the rest of the world is wrong.

Except for Tony. He's noticed how she follows him everywhere, noticed how whenever he gets up he can hear the soft sound of her feet waddling after his. He draws the line at the bathroom tho, thankfully only having to tell her once that bathrooms are ment for one person unless you need help at bathtime.

That's one thing Tony was right about kids:Their messy.

Let a kid draw, they get marker all over themself. Let a kid eat, they get food all over themself. Hell, child standing still will somehow attract every dirty thing within a 5 mile radius.

"But your not a polar bear yet, are you?"

She looked at him, a defiant pout on her face. She relectantly set out her feet, letting him put socks and and snow pants over her jeans. She streched out her arms, allowing him to slip on her dark coat that she picked out.

Cause it looks cool. She said.

Because it matches yours. Pepper said to Tony after Mason went to bed.

He pulled her hair back into a pony tail with a elastic he had around his wrist (a fashion sense he would tell everyone) and stuffed it into her hat and flipped up her hood.

She grabbed her own gloves, paw prints on the palm. He smirked at her but didn't comment.

Mason waited as Tony shuffled into his own coat, tapping her foot as he stuffed his socken feet into shoes and huffed loudly when he put on some gloves.

"Inpatient are we?" Tony asked.

She nodded her head, hood falling.

When they got to the door and opened it, Mason ran past Tony to jump into the snow. He heard her squeal as snow got to her face.

"And this is why you keep your hood up." He pointed out while closing the door. 

Mason popped up from the pile, nose red and eyes big. She grinned. "But its not as..pro...produc...poroductive!"

He smiled. " Productive, and why do you need to be productive anyways?"

She stood on her knees, snow threatening to tear her down again. "Polar bear!"

Her paws went out, growling.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Yes yes. Your scary." He walked over and picked her up, missing her feet. "But your cute."

She pouted. "I'm not cute. I'm scary."

They played outside for another 25 minutes, and in that 25 mintues Mason managed to some how un-zip her coat and let snow into every part of her.

But, bless the child, she still didn't want to go outside, teeth chattering loudly as she told Tony to stay outside.

But Tony, being the responsible parent and what not, just picked her up and walked over to their home's door.

As they did Tony was awed of how tiny this person was. He's relized it before, picking her up for her to get a book or because her feet got tired while walking on the streets or he just didn't trust the people around them.

Mason sneezed.

Tony shut the door after them, sealing out the the cold. "Told you you weren't ready to be a polar bear." he towed off his boots.

She didn't puffed.

Tony knelt down, tugging off her coat. "Why did you un-zip this?"

He pushed her boots and snow pants off, pulling her cap from her head. When all snow gear was on the ground he stood up and started to walk towards her room.

"Elmo or cookie monster?"

"Captain Ame'ica." She mumbled.

Tony looked back and saw his girl shuffling after him, arms around herself.

He scooped her up, flinching at tuw touch of her cold fingers around his neck.

Polar bear my ass.

When they got to her room he set her on the floor and went to her drawer to pull out some Captain America pajamas.

Tony didn't know where this obsession came from. One day they were watching "Hey Arnold" and the next Steve Rogers was on the screen encouraging to by bail bonds.

But he got them out, custom order seeing how no one sold them (Its not like he's coming back or anything!) and put them on the bed.

"Need help or can you do this by your self?"

Mason looked at him then lifted her arms.

Help it is.

After the pajamas were on she wouldn't let go of his neck.

"Tired honey?"

She shook her head, yawning. "No."

"Wanna watch full house?" He already started to walk toward the living room

"In your room?"

So he turned and went to his room.

He kept the door open like usual and sat her down on the bed. She covered her eyes and turned towards the wall as he got changed into some sweat pants.

He sat down on one side while grabbing the remote and Mason ducked under the covers to curl next to him.

Tony kissed her hair and wrapped a arm around her. She put her bare feet to his belly where shirt rolled up. He jumped.

"Jeez sweetie. Your freezing."

she just nodded and sighed when the familiar theme song come on.

Tony shifted down to get more comfortable but mason remained the same.

"Love you Daddy."

"Love you more Mason. Night."

She poked him. "I'm not tired."

"Course your not."

She feel asleep within 15 minutes.