Something Stupid

Dads But Not Dads

"What?" Stephen asked, smiling. "What, hm?"

Peter only made gurgling noises.

"Oh, I don't under stand." Stephen said. "Can you say Peter? Huh? Peter?" He said.

Peter only looked at him.

"Pee-tur." Stephen said.

Peter only gurgled, smiling a few times, showing off his growing front teeth.

"Okay, well...can you say Stephen?" Stephen asked. "Stephen."

Peter was quiet.

"Stee-phen." Stephen said slowly. "Stephen."

Peter made a noise.

"You're just a happy baby, are you? Hm? Are you happy?"

"Ah..." Peter said.

"...ppy..." Stephen encouraged him.

"...eee..." Peter followed.

"...ppy." Stephen finished. "Ha-ppy. Happy."

"...ee." Peter said. He was trying very hard, very hard. "Ah..." Peter mumbled out.

"Yes. That's it. Come on." Stephen said. "Happy."

"Hah...ah...ee...ppy." Peter said.

///0///0

"Okay. I just gotta put this in carefully..." Tony said, using a magnifying glass, trying to attach a very small wire to switch. "Jarvis."

Yes sir?

"Mute the clock. The ticking is throwing me off." Tony said.

Of course sir

The room was totally silent.

Jarvis made the shop completely.

Tony was very concentrated, slowly drawing the wire closer.

"OH MY GOODNESS!"

"Ngh!" Tony's hand slipped.

///0///0

"Stephen. Stephen are you okay?" Tony said, coming up from the shop to the living area covered in black.

His hair was a mess.

"Peter said his first word." Stephen said, holding Peter.

"What? No way. Let's me see." Tony said.

"Look. Say it again, Peter." Stephen said. "Again."

Peter looked up at him, then at Tony, and smiled, moving his legs and arms happily. "Ahhvee...ahh..."

Tony smiled at him.

"Come on, you can do it." Stephen said. "Come on."

"You got it bud." Tony said.

"Hah...ah-" Peter sucked in a breath. "Hah...ha. Hap. Happy. Happy!"

"Oh my gosh." Tony said. "He said happy."

"I know!" Stephen's eyes twinkled.

Peter smiled, giggling and happily kicking his feet.

"Are you happy, bud?" Tony asked. "Hm? Are you happy?"

"Happy! Hah-" Peter hiccuped. "-ahppy."

"Oh." Stephen looked down at Peter who was looking up at him in confusion. Stephen chuckled. "Did you hiccup? Oh, you hiccuped." Stephen brought Peter close to him and kissed his little chubby cheeks. "My sweet baby boy." He smiled.

Peter giggled.

Tony smiled at them.

Gosh, Stephen looked so happy. He was happy, content in his heart.

"I'm so proud of you." Stephen said. "Oh!" He looked at Tony. "You won't believe what the cloak made for him."

"What?" Tony asked.

Stephen turned around and got something from the couch. "The cloak knitted a little cap for him." Stephen said, showing Tony a little knitted cap.

"What? No way." Tony said. "Levi, that's really nice."

Levi came up to Peter and tapped his little cheeks with the edges.

"He loves him." Stephen said. "I love him." He smiled at Peter. "And I love you." Stephen said, looking at Tony.

"Oh, stop. You're making me feel all gooey inside." Tony said.

Stephen chuckled and leaned forward with Peter in his arms and shared a kiss with Tony.

Peter made cooing noises.

Stephen and Tony pulled away.

"Don't worry. There's lovin' for you too." Stephen said, kissing Peter's forehead.

Tony smiled at them, watching Stephen rock Peter and make humming sounds to rock Peter to sleep.

A big goofy smile fell upon Tony's lips, his eyelids falling halfway down his eyeballs and his heart pounding hard.

Stephen saw him. "What?" He asked, rocking a now sleeping Peter in his arms.

"Hm?" Tony snapped out of it, blushing. "What? Nothing." He said, looking away.

"Okay." Stephen said, going back rocking Peter, hiding a small smile.