Hush Little Baby (Discontinued)

Ch. 7

The park was empty, surprisingly.

Peter bounced around like an overexcited puppy, staring at everything with wide eyes. "Dad! Dad! Can you play with me?"

Tony hesitated, hating the flash of uncertainty on his son's face. Howard certainly never played with him. That was what made him walk toward Peter. He would be a better father for Peter than Howard was to him. "What do you want to do first?"

"I wanna slide. I'm a big boy, so I don't need you to catch me," he informed his dad solemnly. "I don't fall."

Tony stifled a smile, nodding in agreement. "Okay then, big boy. Show me what you've got."

The seven year old scrambled up the stairs, plopping himself down on the metal, and sending himself shooting down the tube.

Tony stepped away with a smile, watching Peter push himself to his feet and give his dad a huge grin. "See? I'm a big boy!"

The corner of his mouth quirked up. "Yeah, Pete. I see that."

----------------

That was the last excursion for the two of them.

Tony holed himself in the lab for hours on end, leaving Peter to wander around the penthouse by himself.

Pepper kept an eye on him through Jarvis, and occasionally Uncle Rhodey was there.

But Peter missed his dad.

He was just starting to warm up to the boy, and then he stopped.

Stopped playing, stopped talking, and stopped even being around the boy.

Peter heard Pepper whispering to Uncle Rhodey behind closed doors, about being worried that something was wrong with his dad.

Then one night, Peter woke up to a strange voice in the living room.

He had gone to bed early, after eating supper, and had only slept for about an hour before he was awake, listening to someone talking about a 'golden egg'.

He crept silently down the hallway, peeking around the corner, and immediately stopping.

Something was wrong.

Something was so wrong.

Obadiah was there, and he was holding Peter's dad's nightlight, the one that kept him alive.

His dad wasn't even stopping the man.

Then Peter looked at his dad face, seeing the white skin, and red eyes.

He looks sick. Maybe that's why he isn't stopping Obie.

Peter moved towards the older man, footsteps silent.

Tony caught the movement, and his eyes locked on his son.

The horror in his face caught Obadiah's attention, and he leaned forward, caressing Tony's chin with his finger. "Don't worry. It won't hurt."

Just then the sharp corner of a heavy book hit the man in the head.

That very much did hurt.

He bellowed in pain, spinning around to glare at the seven year old.

"Leave my dad alone!" Peter yelled. "You're a meanie!"

Then he spun in his heel and darted out, prompting Obadiah to chase after him.

The thudding footsteps faded, and slowly, slowly, Tony made his way down to the lab.

Every agonizing second made his breathing harder, his movements weaker.

But there, on the table, was his saving grace.

Proof that Tony Stark has a heart.

But he couldn't reach it.