Tony P.O.V

I feel like absolute shit. I'm just like my dad, no I'm worse than my dad. Worse because I can't control my kid, worse because I've probably traumatized her all over again, worse because I've just emotionally butchered the boy in the backseat who seems to view me like a father. Steve is still crying and we've almost made it to the local Walmart which is nearly 20 minutes from Clint's, at least Callie is sleeping now.

Thor pulls into the Walmart parking lot and turns off the car, turning to me with raised eyebrows. "Help him." He mouths and I nod with a sigh.

"Take Callie with the stroller? We'll meet you in there in a minute. I was thinking Lego and she needs new pajamas and a few t-shirts and pants, smaller ones. Like we have all 4 and 5Ts we need 2 and 3s."He nods and does as I say, Steve stays put in his seat, hanging his head low, sniffling morosely.

I get out of the passenger side and slide into the backseat beside him, "hey, Stevie, look at me." I say, feeling myself beginning to get emotional. He shakes his head, pressing his fist to his eyes, I sigh in frustration, I'm not good at this shit, why does he like me so much?

"Steve?" I whisper, choking over his name, I push my fingertips into the back of his neck, gently massaging. He starts to cry hard again, "shit," I mutter, now thoroughly confused, he liked this before.

"I'm sorry I punched you," he says between sobs.

"Hey, hey no, look at me." I grab his face and he looks up at me through his dark, teary lashes, "I deserved it. And it doesn't matter, I shouldn't have said what I said, you're a good boy, you're my good boy. I, I love you buddy, I want you at home."

"You're crying," he says, wiping my cheek.

"Like you should talk," I roll my eyes and then kiss him on the forehead.

"I'm sorry I keep calling you Dad, I know it's weird..."

"It's... different? I don't mind that we, uh, have this sort of friendship, but we need to stop these random angsty outbursts," I chuckle. "Let's go meet Thor?"

He nods, "yeah I'm feeling a bit better." We get out of the car and walk into the store, "sorry I don't know why I've been so, so angry and emotional lately."

"It's okay pal, you're young, newish body right? Things are weird for you. Plus, you just unfroze like a year ago, I'm sure it's hard." He just nods and gets really quiet, shoving his hands deep in his pockets.

We soon find Thor pushing the still sleeping Callie in the toy section, holding two boxes of Lego, he looks up smiling, "oh there you guys are! You feeling better bud?" He asks Steve, giving him an awkward side hug.

"Mhmm," Cap nods and squats down in front of the stroller, "can I carry her?"

His blue eyes look hopefully up at me so I shrug, "sure, we can put the stuff in the stroller."

He smiles then and takes her out, wrapped in her blanket and rests her head on his shoulder, smelling her hair with his eyes closed, finally looking happy. Callie sighs in sleep, and he grins at me, "she's so cute isn't she?"

"Yeah, she is." I sigh, "I feel like shit for spanking her." Cap darkens slightly and kisses her walking down the isle.

"She'll be okay," Thor sighs, throwing a few Avengers Lego sets in the stroller. "And he'll be okay too."

"I'm not so sure." I grab an Ironman figurine, "this one's cool, does she have this one?"

"Not that specific one, but if you get that then I get to get this one." He laughs, holding up a newer doll design of himself.

Suddenly Steve comes striding back down the hall, a few items in his own hand, "can we get these?" He holds up several masks, impersonating the Avengers. "Can't you see her ripping around being a little Ironman?" He grins at me.

"That's awesome, yes throw it in." He tosses them in.

"We'll have to find a little hammer and shield then," Thor laughs.

"I found them on the other isle!" Steve points excitedly over his shoulder and walks hastily in that direction.

"Alright, I think if we get this assorted box of legos here that will be enough for now. Did you get some
clothes?" I ask Thor.

"Yeah, you might want to look though," he holds up a few T-shirts all Avengers merchandise, "the girls section didn't really have any avengers stuff, which is just stupid, anyway, the boys section the 3T seemed too big. These are 2T, do they look okay?" He holds up a t-shirt.

"Maybe a little wide, she's so skinny, but the length should be okay." I shrug, "these are cute. Are we sure though she won't want to wear like... tutus ever or something?"

"Nah, if she does she'll tell us. Hard to crawl around on the ceiling with a tutu." Thor shrugs, holding up a bright green shirt with the Hulks face on the front grinning. "Banner will like this."

I laugh and nod, Steve comes back, tossing the toys in the stroller, "that's awesome!" He points at the shirt.

"Check out these, I got matching ones." Thor grins at him and holds up two blue shirts adorned with Cap's shield, one almost 10 times larger than the other.

"Alright, let's go," I tell them, so they follow me to the checkout.
•
•
•
Steve P.O.V

We get home and Callie is still asleep, so I carry her in and to her room, laying her in the bed. I slip out silently and make my way to the lounge where Bruce and Natasha are relaxing with Thor.

"Where's Tony?" I ask, slumping down beside Thor.

"On the phone with Clint," Bruce says, looking seriously at me, "you okay? Thor said pickup didn't go very well."

"Yeah, I'm okay. I've just, uh, things have been weird for me lately," I shrug.

Thor wraps an arm around me, "today wasn't you, today was all Stark," he says darkly, squeezing my shoulder before sitting back.

"His, uh, friends left around noon, which was super awkward." Nat says, cringing. "How'd your night go?"

"It, um, it didn't." I grimace, rubbing my neck.

"Ah, sorry, that sucks. Are you going to see her again?"

"Well, she gave me her number so I was going to text her," I say, suddenly remembering, I had forgotten. I pull out my phone, "what should I say?" I ask, kicking my feet up and shoving a pillow on Thor's knees to lay down.

"Just say you'd like to see her again, ask to take her on a date."

"Uh, there's a little more that might need to be said," Thor chuckles.

"What, why? I feel like that's a pretty basic thing to say." Bruce looks at us quizzically.

"I, well, I came in my pants." I blush, turning away.

"And then ran from the room crying," Thor laughs, tousling my hair.

"Shut up, I didn't cry until I got to your room," I mumble.

Both Bruce and Nat say awe and look at me consolingly. "You just need to practice holding out," Bruce says shrugging.

"Practice?" I sit up, suddenly interested.

"Uh, you know..." Bruce pumps his hand in the air.

Nat sits up, "I'm going to leave you guys to it..." she says.

As she's leaving Tony comes in, his eyes red and puffy, "hey Steve, Clint wants to talk to you."

"Damn, okay, can you tell me after?" I point at Bruce and he nods. I jump up and grab Tony's cell phone, but before I can walk away he hugs my head and mumbles an apology. "I forgive you, I already did." I tell him and he gives me a closed lip smile in response and then retreats into his bedroom.

"Hey Clint?" I put the phone to my ear and go outside with it.

"Steve bud, we wanted to make sure you're alright." The voice in the phone says, and my chest instantly tightens.

"You did?" I choke out, feeling suddenly emotional.

"Yes sweetheart, you left really upset, we had to know that you're okay. And the baby," Laura's warm voice fills my ear.

"Um, yeah I'm okay," is all I can get out before I'm crying, for like, the 3rd time today.

"We care about you, and Tony of course, but you're going through some shit. It seems like you've sort of transferred some paternal feelings onto Stark and I'm just thinking he may not be in a good mental state to be very paternal." Clint says quietly.

"But he's Callie's dad," I reply, unsure what to make of what he's saying.

"Yes, on paper. She may call you guys 'uncle' but, she actually has, like, a bunch of dads," Clint laughs.

"And it's a good thing. Listen, you're doing an amazing job with her Steve," Laura interjects.

"Thanks."

"But we're worried about you," she replies, "if you need some support, emotionally, call us. Or text Clint."

"Thanks, I, I might do that." I feel my cheeks flush and am suddenly grateful they can't see my face.

"Yeah buddy, if you have any questions about... stuff? I'm here." Clint says and I feel a warmth in my chest.

I tell him thank you again, and then we hang up. This realization that I have a family, in Clint and Laura, Tony, Thor, in Bruce and Nat, and in Callie, it fills me with a sense of belonging, something I haven't felt in a really long time.

I sigh happily, and pull my own phone out of my pocket, starting a chat with Maria.

"Hey, I'm sorry about last night. I'm sorry I ran off, I was just super embarrassed, but I really would like to get together and maybe try again? Or just hang out, like for a movie? Maybe tomorrow?"

I hit send and put the phone back in my pocket. Okay, now I need to figure out what Bruce means by practicing.