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“Pete…..Pete wake up.” An 11 year old Harley Stark whispers to his little brother as he lies in bed.
“Nooooo is’ bed time.” The 4 year old responds drowsily with a whine as he shifts in his bed.
Harley rolls his eyes, “I know but we gotta hurry before dad wakes up.”
“Mmmgh.”
“Peeeeete come on” Harley nearly begs.
Suddenly a light bulb flickers in Harley’s head, “The quicker we finish the quicker we can get some ice cream.” He says with a grin.
With the word ice cream newly in the mix Peter pops up, sleepy eyed, drool on his face, and brown curls wild.
Harley can’t help the slight tug that pulls on the corner of his lips at the sight of his younger brother.
“Ice cweam?” Peter says with the widest and happiest smile on his chubby cheeks.
And Harley can’t help but smile to himself, “Yeah, ice cream.”
“Now come on, we gotta go make some breakfast for dad.” Harley states as he helps his little brother out of his Star Wars themed bed.
“Ohhhhh wight, is dada’s birfday today!” Pete says with an excited smile on his face.
Harley looks over at the space themed alarm clock on his brother’s nightstand and sees the time of 4:53 flash in bright green lights.
Harley starts walking to the bedroom door but suddenly stops and turns around when he hears the lack of little feet padding behind him.
“What are you doing?” Harley asks in confusion when he sees his little brother looking for something under his bed with his little feet wiggling in the air.
Peter slowly shuffles out with a lego robot in his chubby hands.
“I almost forgo’ dada’s gift!” Peter says with an exasperated smile on his face.
Sticking out a hand for Pete to latch on to, Harley replies with a grin, “Alright, alright, come on.”
_____
“But I wanna help!” Peter shouts with an angry pout.
Harley can’t help but let out an annoyed sigh, “Pete we’ve already been over this, you’re gonna help poor the juice when dad wakes up.”
Harley knew that pouring juice wasn’t gonna satisfy the grumpy 4 year old, but finishing breakfast quickly and efficiently was the only thing on the 11 year old’s mind.
“But dada only dwinks coffee.”
Harley wants to scream, but sticks with rolling his eyes as to not upset the irritable toddler any further.
While putting some pillsbury croissants in the oven without thinking Harley whispers under his breath, “Then make yourself useful and go make some.”
In response Peter crosses his arms and gives a grouchy “hmph” as he stomps off.
Thinking he’s finally got some peace and quiet, Harley spends the next 10 minutes getting breakfast ready wondering why he even asked Peter to ‘help’ in the first place.
_____
And then he hears a scream.
Harley doesn’t think he’s ever ran so fast in his life, dropping his tray and leaving warm croissants discarded all across the floor.
“Jarvis, where's Peter?” Harley asks in a distressed tone.
“Master Peter is currently sitting in the lab with multiple 2nd degree burns littering his abdomen and arms.”
“I have alerted Mr. Stark and he is on his way.”
Harley only runs faster.
When he finally gets there he sees his father consoling a sobbing Peter in his arms.
But what really gets him is the broken pot on the floor next to a steaming puddle of coffee.
Harley realizes what’s happened.
“Shhh, Shhh it’s okay bubba I’m right here.” Tony whispers to Peter as he lightly bounces him on his knee.
Hearing footsteps approaching Tony looks up to see his other son approaching with watery eyes.
Giving a sad smile to his other son Tony asks, “Hey Jarvis how far out is that ambulance?”
“About 6 minutes sir.”
“Anything we can do in the meantime?”
“Online medical experts state putting second degree burns under cool water for about 5 minutes is immensely beneficial.”
Tony picks up a now whimpering Peter and takes him over to the sink in the corner.
Harley slowly follows in suit.
Putting the water on the coldest setting Tony takes off Peter’s outer space themed pajama top and holds Peter under the faucet in a position that allows the water access to all his burns.
Turning around towards Harley, careful not to jostle Peter’s wounds, Tony asks with a sigh “What happened Harls?”
Not wanting to cry but not being able to hold back his emotions Harley lets out a small whimper.
Not wanting to make eye contact with his dad Harley looks at the floor and asks, “Is he gonna be okay”
“Of course he’s gonna be okay.” Tony responds carefully, setting down a sleepy Peter into the sink and pulling Harley into a hug.
Harley almost immediately hugs his dad back.
“Harley, please tell me what happened.” Tony practically begs.
Harley lifts his head off of his dad’s chest.
“I don’t know…we were…well I was making breakfast and Pete kep’ wanting to help but, but he couldn’t cuz he’s so small an-and I was frustrated and he kep’ on asking questions, and when he said he didn't wanna pour the juice cuz, cuz you only drink coffee, I got really mad and accidentally maybe told him that he maybe he should be useful and go make the coffee himself, and now he’s hurt real bad and it’s all my fault and he gonna hate me forever and never wanna talk to me aga-”
“Harley you gotta calm down. Pete’s not gonna hate you.” Tony says looking back at a passed out Peter in the sink.
Sullenly looking up at his father and then back down to the floor Harley whispers “I would hate me.”
Pulling Harley closer “Baby I promise when Peter wakes up the only person he’s gonna wanna see is you.”
Harley doesn’t look too convinced.
“I know that this was an honest mistake but Harley you have to remember Peter’s younger than you-”
Harley looks down in shame.
“You didn’t let me finish.” Tony says with a soft smile. “And he looks up to you.”
“Anytime he sees you doing something he’s going to automatically want to do it too.”
“I mean hell I would too, you're so lit and swaggy anything you do impresses me.” Tony says with a playful smirk.
Harley looks up realizing what his dad is trying to do but still not able to prevent the small smile that creeps onto his face.
“Daaaad no one says that stuff anymore.” Harley responds with a huff and a lighthearted eye roll.
“Oh I’m sorry Sir Emperor of coolness, I’ll make sure to try and keep up with all the hip new lingo.” Tony states while giving a small bow with a smirk on his face.
Suddenly remembering what he’s ruined Harley says in a quiet voice, “Sorry I ruined your birthday.”
“Don’t apologize Harls, you didn’t ruin anything.” Tony replies sincerely.
“Making sure my boys are okay, has already made this birthday extra special.”
Before Harley has a chance to respond both boys abruptly turn around at the sound of Jarvis’ voice.
“Sir the ambulance has arrived and the paramedics are on their way up the elevator as we speak.”
“Thanks Jarvis.” Tony states as picks up a sleeping Peter, who has a frown of discomfort etched on his face, out of the sink.
Looking back over at his oldest son Tony asks, “Harley can you pack a bag with a couple of Peter’s toy’s? I have a feeling we’re gonna be at the hospital for a couple of hours.”
“Yeah of course” Harley states as he quickly makes his way out of the lab and towards his brother’s room. Still feeling incredibly guilty.
Harley grabs Peter’s favorite penguin plushie Jasper, A kids book about the solar system, and a small lego kit.
While on his way to the elevators Harley makes a quick pit stop to his room to grab his own birthday present for his father and to the kitchen to grab Peter’s.
When his eyes land on Harley Tony asks with a small smirk, “You ready for your first ride in an ambulance?”
_____
When Peter wakes up he feels very fuzzy and kind of yucky.
“.....ter,....pet…pete..Peter can you hear me?”
“Dada?” Peter says in a groggy voice.
“Yeah it’s me bud.” Tony says reassuringly.
“My head feelzzz….bubbwy.”
Tony can’t help but give out a light chuckle.
“Yeah bubba, that would be all the medicine running through you”.
Peter looks around the animal themed hospital room and realizes something’s missing.
Tony knows what’s gonna come out of his youngest son’s mouth before he can even say the first syllable.
“Where’s Hawley?” Peter asks with the saddest frown imaginable.
“Is he still ma’ at me” Peter says looking around while on the verge of tears.
Tony delicately grabs his son’s hand, “Of course not bubba. He just went to the cafeteria to get you some ice cream.”
Peter’s face instantly brightens, “Ice cweam?”
“Yep bubby Ice cream.” Tony says with a smile.
“Chocwate?”
“Mhm chocwate.”
A few moments later Harley walks in with a small cup of chocolate ice cream with rainbow sprinkles.
Grateful for Harley’s return, Tony turns to Peter with a smile, “See I told you Pete”.
With a dopey smile Peter looks over at his older brother, “Hawley!”
With a small tint of blush on his cheeks, Harley bashfully replies, “Hey Pete.”
“I got you some ice cream.”
Walking over to Peter but not saying a word Harley slowly sets the ice cream into Peter’s awaiting hand.
Getting out of his chair, Tony quickly pulls his phone to his ear, whispering to his boys “I’m gonna call Pepper real quick out in the hall to fill her in.”
With a nod of his head in response, Harley walks over to sit on the second chair near the bed as his father walks out of the room.
Expecting to see Peter chowing down on his ice cream, Harley looks up, surprised to see Peter staring directly at him with watery eyes and a wobbly chin.
“I’m Sowwy Harley.” Peter says as he slowly starts to let the tears fall.
Looking concerned Harley quickly pops up and walks over to his brother.
“Don’t apologize Pete, this was all my fault, you didn’t do anything at all.”
“Bu-But I wuined dada’s birfday.” Peter says with a sniffle.
“No you didn’t. I promise you that Dad doesn’t think you ruined his birthday”, Harley says with an earnest expression on his face.
Pulling his good arm up, Peter pulls out his pinky finger, “Pinky pwomise?”
Interlocking pinkies with his younger brother, Harley responds with a soft smile, “Yeah Pete, I pinky promise.”
After pulling his hand back Harley notices that Peter still hasn’t touched his ice cream.
Feeling stupid for not realizing sooner Harley asks, “Pete do you need some help with your ice cream”.
Peter gives a shy nod.
Harley scoots over into the seat his father was just in and begins to help feed Peter his ice cream.
When Tony walks back in he can’t help but smile at the sight of his two boys together.
Walking over to sit in the chair next to Harley, Tony tells his boys, “The nurse says that we are free to leave whenever we want. So Aunty Pepper is on her way to take us home.”
“Wait!” Peter nearly screeches.
“I never gave you my gif’ dada!”
With a genuine smile Tony responds, “It’s okay bud you can always give it to me later.”
Remembering that he had placed the gifts in Peter’s bags of toys, Harley speaks up.
“Actually I..uh.. I packed them cuz I didn't know how long we were gonna be here.” Harley says sporting his second blush of the day.
“Well that’s perfect then. Right bubba?”
“Mhm!” Pete replies, turning to his father.
“Turn around dad, no peeking.” Harley playfully tells his father as he pulls both presents out of the bag, carefully setting Peter’s in his lap.
“Turn ‘round dada!” Peter says excitedly.
Tony slowly turns around to see both boys smiling gleefully with presents in their hands.
Tony goes in for a bear hug, careful of both boys’ gifts and Peter’s bandages.
“Well, aren't my boys mini geniuses.” Tony says fondly eyeing Peter’s lego robot and Harley’s real one.
“We made fwiends for Dum-E!” Peter says with a bashful grin.
“These are just about the best looking robots I’ve ever seen!” Tony says with an earnest smile.
“Weally?!?” Peter says in ah.
“Yep I’m gonna have to start asking for you guys’ help in the lab.”
Speaking up, Harley nervously asks “Do you really like them?”
“Of course I do Harley” Tony responds, squeezing his eldest son tighter in a hug.
“Now how about we go home and get some real ice cream and not this hospital crap” Tony says as releases the hug and goes to get the small wheelchair in the corner for Peter.
“Yeah, Ice cweam! Ice cweam! Ice cweam! Ice cweam!” Peter chants as Harley joins in.
Tony playfully rolls his eyes wondering what he ever did to deserve such amazing boys.