Bruce really did feel a moment of panic.
"Bruce, I'm serious."
Tony continued speaking through the little robot. "I don't know why, but ever since Miaomiao came over, looking at her makes me feel like I'll have an adorable little daughter like her someday. The thought of some little bastard sweet-talking her away one day makes me want to blast him into the sky with the Mark Armor. As a fellow father, I'm sure you understand how I feel."
"...Tony, Miaomiao is my daughter. You're still an unmarried bachelor," Bruce retorted bluntly. "Has Miss Pepper accepted your proposal? No, what I should ask is, have you even proposed to Miss Pepper?"
Bruce's words left Tony momentarily speechless. Of course he had...
Not.
Tony Stark had always prided himself on being a happy, carefree playboy, throwing money around and surrounding himself with a never-ending parade of women of every kind. He had never imagined getting married one day, let alone having children. Even after he and Pepper got together, he had never proposed to her.
It wasn't that he was irresponsible. He had simply never considered it during the first thirty-odd years of his life. And when he truly wanted to take that step, fear began to creep in.
He was afraid of being rejected, afraid his feelings weren't reciprocated, and even more afraid...
That after Pepper said yes, everything he faced as Iron Man might one day take him away from her.
The ones left behind suffered the most.
He had learned that lesson when his parents died.
But giving up his identity as Iron Man and watching those things happen, standing idly by when he had the power to stop them, was even harder to live with.
He had once stood above it all, ignoring the suffering of ordinary