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Bruce rocked the sleeping baby in his arms, humming softly. Being a Little meant he wasn't particularly strong so his arms strained under the weight, but he didn't want to put Tony down. Bruce had always had a soft spot for Tony, and to see him so helpless and trusting, made his heart melt, especially since Tony tended to be so guarded, giving away so little and hiding behind sarcasm in an attempt to keep others at arm's length. They'd decided to stay on Tony's floor tonight, since Pepper had set up a nursery up here.
Natasha peeked in the room, sending an amused smirk Bruce's way. She leaned against the door post, watching as Bruce ran his hand through Tony's curls. Bruce and Tony had always been close when they were Big. They were "science bros", as Clint called them. Natasha found it endearing to see Bruce being so sweet with Tony. He'd been nothing but loving all evening and the sight warmed Natasha's heart.
"I think he's asleep." Natasha said teasingly.
"I know."
Bruce smiled affectionately, squeezing the baby. He sighed, giving Natasha a resigned look. He laid Tony down in his crib, like he was made of glass. Bruce stared at him, he looked so peaceful. Tony was breathing softly, his forehead was smooth, free of the worry lines that seemed to be ever present on his face. He looked so calm, so relaxed. Bruce wished Tony could feel this way all the time. He clearly needed it.
"Sleep tight, Tony. You're the cutest baby ever." He whispered to the sleeping baby.
Natasha snorted softly, heading towards one of Tony's guest rooms. Bruce joined her in bed half an hour later.
"What took you so long?"
"I was just watching Tony. He's so peaceful, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside."
Natasha rolled her eyes at her mushy partner.
"You know it's creepy to watch someone sleep, right?"
"I wasn't being creepy. I was just making sure he was safe, that's all." Bruce defended.
"We have JARVIS, the ultimate baby monitor, to watch over Tony. I think he'll be perfectly safe in his crib, львёночек."
"I'm sorry, but if it were up to you we'd be singing him creepy lullabies and putting a knife under his pillow for protection." Bruce countered.
"Never hurts to be too prepared, and my lullabies are beautiful."
"It does hurt if you roll over in the night and stab yourself in the face and I've read translations of those lullabies and I'm sorry, but scaring children into sleeping is not okay. There's nothing comforting about being told someone's coming for you if you don't fall asleep."
"Oh please. I wouldn't sing that one to him, but the one about the wolf is very practical, especially for a baby." Natasha said matter-of-factly.
Bruce gave her an incredulous look.
"No, it's not. It's horrifying." Bruce disagreed.
"Whatever. We can agree to disagree, even though I'm obviously right."
"If you say so." Bruce said with a yawn.
Natasha sent him a knowing look, before shutting off the lamp on the nightstand. The room was cast into darkness and Bruce rolled onto his side with a sigh, Natasha scooting up behind him, and wrapping her arms around his larger body.
"What if Tony needs something? Maybe I should just go check really quick." Bruce fretted.
"No."
"But-"
"Oh my god, JARVIS! If Tony wakes up-" Natasha started to tell the A.I. only to be cut off.
"Or has a nightmare."
"Or has a nightmare-"
"Or he needs to be changed." Bruce added.
Natasha glared at him.
"Shut up, Bruce. If Tony needs anything at all, wake us up."
"Of course. If young sir requires assistance, I will alert you." JARVIS confirmed.
"Happy now?" Natasha asked annoyed.
Bruce hummed and Natasha huffed, but smiled slightly at her anxious partner, pressing a kiss to his head.
"Tony will be fine. If anyone ever tries to hurt him, I'll render them defenseless with a lethal blow to their moronic brain."
"Moronic?" Bruce said, amused.
"Only an idiot would try to hurt Tony Stark. His security is air tight, and he has enough money to make anyone who crosses him disappear."
"Tony would never do something like that." Bruce mumbled, his eyes shut.
"No, he wouldn't. He'll never need to either, because we all have his back."
Bruce laughed at Tony's antics. The baby was sitting inside of a large cardboard box, that Natasha had cut holes out of to make a house and kept poking his head through the entrance, meeting Bruce's eyes, and popping back inside in a fit of giggles.
"Oh no! Where'd Tony go?" Bruce indulged.
Tony appeared in the cut out door again, his curls bouncing from the movement.
"Oh there he is!"
Natasha smirked, from the couch where she was flipping through a magazine. She knew that, if she was Little, she would enjoy playing in the cardboard box too. Though she would most likely turn it into a fort and use it to discreetly spy on things from the cut out windows. If Clint and Bucky were here, they'd put on black sunglasses and play spies. Lurking down the halls and eaves dropping on conversations, before dashing back to the safety of their fort.
When Tony tired of the game, Natasha laid down newspaper and helped him paint the box, until it was smattered and smeared with a plethora of colors across the brown surface. Tony was delighted to squish his fingers in the liquid, and press his hand on the walls of the box, though he'd been a bit hesitant at first.
Natasha laughed along with him, as he discovered the joy of paint. Natasha even abandoned her brush, dipping her fingers in and writing Tony in big block letters above the entrance.
Tony was thrilled.
They only stopped when he shoved one of his paint covered fists in his mouth. He was not pleased when Natasha swirled a washcloth around his mouth in an attempt to rid it of paint. At least the paint was non-toxic.
Tony started to get fussy. Bruce changed him, and fed him, but what the baby really needed was a nap. Natasha knew that Bruce wanted to make lasagna for later that night, so she relieved him of baby duty, offering to put Tony down for his nap. Bruce was slightly wary, but Natasha assured him it would be fine, and that she wouldn't place any weapons in the crib with him, before she carried the pouty baby into his nursery.
Natasha may have been a Little, but she was a federal spy and spent a lot of her time Big working out and sparring. She excelled in hand-to-hand combat, and despite her small frame, she was very strong and more than capable of lifting the baby into her arms and rocking him back and forth. She rubbed circles on his back singing him a Russian lullaby that she felt Bruce would approve of, until he fluttered his eyes.
Unlike Bruce, she had no problem laying the baby in his crib. She ran her hand through his curls, smiling at the way he leaned into her touch. His thumb pressed past his lips and his other hand went up to curl in his hair. Her hand grazed his as she pulled her hand away. He really was the cutest baby ever.
"Спокойной ночи, зайчик." Natasha murmured softly to the small boy.
She didn't put a knife in his bed, but she did leave one within his reach on the dresser, before slipping out. When Bruce came into check on Tony, after popping his lasagna in the oven, he removed it.