Apartment Above Stark Industries, Saturday morning [Oh God, so early]

[heroic_jawline]

The sun was barely peaking up over the horizon when Steve popped up out of bed. "Tony," he said, shaking him awake. "Tony, Tony, Tooooony."

Steve was even more of a morning person when he was nine! Good luck with that, Tony.

Comments

[imafuturist]

"It's too early," Tony whined, trying to bury his head under a pillow. Hopefully he could be forgiven for not realizing right away that things were off.

[heroic_jawline]

"It's almost six!" Steve wheedled. "Get up, get up, sleepyhead!"

[imafuturist]

Tony whined as that voice filtered through his brain. Then shot up to find where it was coming from. "What."

[heroic_jawline]

"Hi!" said the scrawny nine year old bouncing next to him. "This is a real swell bed."

[imafuturist]

"Hi," Tony started warily, glancing around the room in case Steve was hiding from a child he could be inflicting basejumping on. "Steve?" he guessed when that came up with nothing.

[heroic_jawline]

"'Course I'm Steve," Steve said, swiping his bangs out of his eyes.

[imafuturist]

"Of course you are," Tony agreed helplessly. "How silly of me."

[heroic_jawline]

"Breakfast time!" Steve chirped. "The most important meal of the day. We've got oatmeal, right?"

[imafuturist]

"I think? Probably." They did, but it was next to the protein powder and god help anyone who got them confused. "Yes. Do you want me to make you some?"

[heroic_jawline]

"Yes!" Steve shouted. "Please," he added more quietly.

[imafuturist]

"Okay, okay. Just... let me get dressed." Because oh god, he hadn't been expecting this. "JARVIS, can you--"

"Babysit, sir?"

[heroic_jawline]

Steve glared at the ceiling. "Don't need a babysitter," he said sulkily. "I have a job."

The 1920s were fun.

[imafuturist]

"Well then, maybe you can keep an eye on JARVIS for me?" Tony suggested. Because the 1920s were awful, Steve.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve glanced around the room suspiciously. "Is he hidin'?"

[imafuturist]

"He's sort of a... ghost. But a friendly one," Tony added quickly.

[heroic_jawline]

"Bucky says there's no such thing as ghosts," Steve replied.

[imafuturist]

"And most of the time he would be right." Until you met Thor or Strange or Mephisto or something.

[heroic_jawline]

"But you have a ghost," Steve said dubiously.

[imafuturist]

"Named JARVIS," he added. "He doesn't have a body, so you might need to help him get bowls and spoons out for the oatmeal."

[heroic_jawline]

"Ooooh," Steve said, suitably impressed. "Does he eat oatmeal too?"

[imafuturist]

"He doesn't, but he likes to make sure us living people don't forget to eat," Tony replied. "Right, J?"

"Of course, sir. It would be a great strain were you to die from malnutrition having only consumed coffee."

...he regretted giving JARVIS sarcasm sometimes.

[heroic_jawline]

"Can I have coffee too?" Steve asked.

[imafuturist]

"You can have milk. Coffee will stunt your growth." BECAUSE THAT MATTERED WITH A SUPER SOLDIER.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve made a face. "I'm getting taller!"

This was...not at all true. Steve was nine but looked seven.

[imafuturist]

"One day you'll be taller than me, I promise," Tony replied, pointing a finger at him. "But coffee won't let that happen. Capiche?"