Chapter Text
The penthouse smelled like sugar and vanilla; the kind of scent that made the whole place feel cozy and warm despite the chilly December air outside. Christmas had fully taken over the kitchen, garlands along the cabinets, twinkling lights in the corners, ribbons tied in neat little bows. Handmade decorations were taped to the fridge, mostly fingerprint-covered snowmen and uneven paper trees.
By the counter, Pepper was humming to herself as she carefully arranged sugar cookies onto a plate. There was still flour smudged on her cheek, and her sleeves were rolled up, like she’d been at this for a while.
Just below her, Morgan was sitting on a pile of blankets, happily chewing on a fabric children’s book on the floor. She wasn’t paying much attention to it, too busy watching Pepper bake with wide, interested brown eyes.
Tony leaned against the doorway for a second, just watching them. Then he moved. He reached for a cookie, fingers just grazing the plate when, smack. Pepper gently slapped his hand away without even having to turn around.
“Don’t. even. think about it.”
Tony huffed with a fake pout, shaking out his hand like she’d actually hurt him. Though, they both knew she hadn’t. “Unbelievable. I live here. I fund this operation.”
Pepper shot him a look over her shoulder, unimpressed.
“And I’m the one making sure you don’t eat half of these before the decorating party.”
“Bold of you to assume I was going for half.”
Before Pepper could respond, a tiny voice cut in.
“Dada!”
Tony turned to see Morgan looking up at him, her entire face lighting up. She kicked her legs against the blanket, raising her arms, her hands opening and closing in the universal gesture children use when asking to be picked up.
“Hey, kiddo.” Tony crouched down, scooping her up easily. She immediately latched onto his shirt with both hands, smushing her face into his shoulder like she hadn’t just seen him that morning.
Pepper turned back to her work, spooning plain white icing into a bowl and adding a few drops of green food dye. She mixed it in carefully before setting it aside with the others.
Tony, meanwhile, took advantage of her distraction to try reaching for the cookie again.
“Put that down, or Santa’s getting celery this year.” Pepper said without looking up.
Tony froze, cookie in hand, eyes flicking between her and the plate.
“You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.”
After a second, Tony put the cookie back.
Morgan, oblivious to her father’s suffering, smacked her hand against his chest, watching him expectantly.
“Oh, right. You probably want something too, huh?” He reached for a clementine from the fruit bowl, peeling it with one hand while keeping her balanced on his hip. He popped a piece into his mouth, then tore another in half for Morgan.
She grabbed it in both hands, shoving most of it in her mouth at once. Juice immediately dribbled down her chin.
Pepper glanced over just in time to see Tony wiping her face with his sleeve. She sighed. “Gross. you know, we do own napkins.”
Tony shrugged, still bouncing Morgan lightly on his hip. “Yeah, but then I’d have to put her down, and I’d rather not listen to the tragic wails of a betrayed infant.”
Pepper snorted, shaking her head as she grabbed another tray of cookies. “Rhodey’s still picking up the boys?”
“Yep. He should be here in twenty-ish minutes.”
Pepper hummed, focused on her arrangement, and Tony let his eyes wander the kitchen again.
He smirked, surveying the work his sons and wife had done to the poor living room and kitchen. “It looks like Christmas threw up in here.”
Pepper snorted. “Good.”
“I mean it, Pep. There’s a fine line between ‘festive’ and ‘Santa’s personal fever dream.’”
She gave him a look. “And yet, somehow, we survived last year.”
“Barely.”
Pepper rolled her eyes, but Tony caught the way her lips twitched, like she was holding back a laugh.
“Well,” she said, “the boys are only getting older, so you might as well get used to it. Pretty soon, you’ll have three of them making Christmas crafts.”
Tony exhaled, dramatic. “You’re really out to get me today, huh?”
Pepper patted his shoulder in mock sympathy. “You’ll live.”
Morgan, clearly not concerned about her father’s suffering, decided to use his face as a personal napkin, wiping her mouth and sticky fingers on his beard.
Tony shook his head, leaning down to kiss the top of her hair. “At least someone in this house still likes me.”
Pepper smiled, reaching out to smooth a hand over Morgan’s thick, dark hair. “For now.”
Tony huffed, shifting the tiny girl so he could grab another clementine. He peeled it, popping another slice into his mouth before handing one off to Morgan, who took it with an eager little squeak.
The kitchen was warm, filled with soft background music and the quiet clatter of baking trays and loudly closed cabinets.
He set his daughter down, sitting right next to her. She crawled over to her nest to get all of her toys, bringing them back to share with him.
-
The penthouse was filled with the hum of conversation between the adults, and the occasional excited squeal from Morgan. The warm smells of home drifted through the air, mingling with sugary and buttery scents wafting around the room.
Tony barely had time to brace himself before the peace was disrupted.
“Daaadd!!”
Two identical voices rang out in unison, and then a blur of movement. Noah was the first to reach him, launching his tiny self forward without hesitation. Tony caught him easily, arms wrapping around his son as he staggered back a step from the force, though he was being dramatic.
Right behind him, Harley slammed into them both, turning the hug into a full body tackle.
Tony let out a dramatic grunt, feigning struggle. “Oh no, I’m under attack!”
Noah giggled against his shoulder, squeezing his arms around Tony’s neck. “It’s us!” he announced, as if Tony didn’t already know.
“Yeah, I kinda noticed, buddy.”
Harley, still clinging to Tony’s side, grinned up at him. “We had the best day ever!”
Tony raised an eyebrow, shifting Noah so he could hold Harley’s hand too. “Best day ever? Don’t you say that like- every day?”
“Well, yeah,” Noah said matter of factly. “Because every day is the best day.” He hesitated for a beat, glancing down before looking back up at Tony with a suddenly serious expression. “Well, only if you and Mama, and Harley, and Morgan, and Uncle Happy, and Uncle Rhodey are all okay.” He said all in one breath.
“Yeah?” he asked with a smile, voice softer.
Noah beamed, nodding, his curls bounced as he moved his head. “Yep!” he said, popping the ‘p’.
Tony squeezed his hand. “Love the optimism, buddy.”
Before Tony could say anything else, the twins got distracted, as six year olds often do. Their tiny backpacks bounced against their backs as they ran toward the kitchen, full of enough energy that you could power an entire city.
Pepper barely had time to turn before they crashed into her legs, wrapping her in the same bone-crushing hug they’d just given Tony.
“Mama!” Harley grinned up at her. “Guess what?”
Pepper, already lowering herself to sit crisscross on the floor, smiled. “What?”
Harley settled comfortably in her lap, much calmer than Noah but still just as excited to tell her everything. “We made spaghetti out of playdough!”
Noah, who had never been known for patience, practically bounced next to them. “And- and our friends Evelyn and Cody were our customers!” He looked over at Harley expectantly. “Tell her about the blocks!”
Harley blinked, then shook his head. “No, no! I wasn’t done yet!” He tugged gently at his mom’s hand, making sure she was still listening. “After that, we had story time, and Miss Emily read The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” He paused, thoughtful. “Noah said it was boring, but I liked it because the caterpillar ate so much food.”
Noah scrunched up his nose. “Because nothing happened. He just ate stuff.”
Pepper laughed, smoothing a hand over Harley’s hair. “Well, I think that sounds like a very fun day.”
Harley nodded seriously. “It was.”
Noah bounced on his heels, suddenly remembering something else. “Oh! And we built the biggest castle ever! It had, like, a bazillion rooms, and then Harley accidentally knocked it over, but it was okay because we built a spaceship instead!”
Harley nudged him lightly. “It wasn’t an accident,” he said matter of factly. “It was an architectural adjustment.”
Tony, watching the whole situation from the doorway, huffed out a laugh.
Pepper pulled both boys closer, pressing a kiss to each of their heads. “You two are brilliant, you know that?”
Noah beamed. Harley shrugged, but he was smiling too.
From the living room, Rhodey and Tony exchanged glances, both men amused by the nonstop chatter.
They all looked up as the elevator dinged and Happy stepped in, looking a bit frazzled. “Sorry I’m late, the lady at the front desk-”
He didn’t get a chance to finish.
“Uncle Happy!”
The twins ran to him, colliding with full force into the poor man’s stomach, and Happy staggered back dramatically before throwing himself onto the floor with an exaggerated groan. “Ahh! I’ve been defeated!”
Noah and Harley squealed with laughter as Happy pulled them into a tight hug, only to immediately turn on them with relentless tickles.
From the doorway, Tony smirked. “They’re six, Hap. How’re you gonna let them take you down?”
“I’m humoring them.” Happy grumbled between laughs, dodging an excited knee to the ribs.
Morgan, still perched on Tony’s hip, watched the chaos with wide eyes and an adorable smile. Then, delighted by the chaos, she let out a loud squeal of her own, little legs kicking against Tony’s side.
“Yeah, yeah,” Tony murmured, adjusting his grip on her. “I know, it’s crazy in here.”
Morgan gurgled in agreement.
-
Somewhere in the mess of sugar and sprinkles, the twins had abandoned their little dinosaur themed backpacks and climbed up onto the stools at the kitchen island, eyes locked onto the cookie decorating setup like it was the most exciting thing they’d ever seen.
Tony, still standing in the doorway with Morgan balanced on his hip, watched as Noah grabbed a kid-friendly butter knife, slathered it with blue icing, licked it clean, and then, without a second thought, stuck it right back in the bowl.
Tony grimaced. “Oh my god.”
Morgan, watching her brothers, pointed at Noah, and squawked.
“Yeah, kid, I know.” Tony muttered. “They’re animals.”
Pepper, still helping Harley with his cookies, glanced up just in time to see Noah do it again. She sighed, already reaching for the contaminated bowl.
Tony smirked. “Good luck with that one.”
She shot him an annoyed glare, promptly making him shut his mouth.
The twins, oblivious to the looks being shot over their heads, were already deep in discussion about whether or not their snowman cookies needed more sprinkles. (Noah said yes. Harley said moderation was key.)
Morgan let out another happy squeak, watching them with attention.
Tony shifted her higher on his hip, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
For all the noise, for all the chaos, for all the flour that was definitely going to need to be cleaned later, this was home.
And Tony wouldn’t trade it for the world.
-
Noah carefully piped the last icing details on his cookie, tilting his head as he considered his messy masterpiece. A perfect snowman. Well, as perfect as a six-year-old with a lack of attention span could make. Satisfied, he licked a stray bit of icing off his thumb (earning a look from Pepper, who had long since given up on trying to enforce proper kitchen etiquette) and pushed his stool back.
Hopping down, he wiped his hands on his jeans (again, earning another look) and made his way toward the sink. But just as he reached for the faucet, something else caught his eye.
Happy was leaning against the counter, phone in one hand, the other resting casually in his pocket. His face was set in his usual, no-nonsense expression, but Noah knew better. Happy wasn’t actually grumpy or mean, well, sometimes he was, but mostly he was just Happy in a grumpy way.
And right now, he was distracted.
A slow, mischievous grin spread across the young boy’s face.
He walked up to Happy, tapping his elbow to get his attention.
Happy looked down, pocketing his phone as soon as he saw the kid standing there with a suspiciously innocent expression. “Yeah, kid?”
Noah didn’t answer, just grinned. And not his normal, happy kind of grin. No, this was an evil grin.
Immediately, Happy’s eyes narrowed. Suspicious.
“Noah…” he warned, shifting slightly, as if preparing for whatever this clearly was.
But before he could react, a tiny hand shot forward, and suddenly, his nose was covered in blue icing.
Happy blinked, and Noah giggled, clapping both hands over his mouth, eyes wide with delight at his own boldness.
“You little-”
Noah let out a delighted shriek and bolted, feet pounding loudly against the floor as he ran.
Happy was after him in seconds. “Oh, you messed up now, little Stark!”
Noah squealed, weaving between furniture like a kid who definitely did this kind of thing often. He darted around the kitchen island, then made a break for the couch, hoping to launch himself over the armrest.
He didn’t make it.
Happy caught him mid-dive, scooping him up effortlessly and spinning him around before dropping him onto the couch.
Noah barely had time to take a breath before a tickle attack.
“No- no! Happy!” Noah shrieked, between giggles, kicking his legs and squirming wildly.
“What’s that?” Happy smirked, fingers dancing against his ribs. “Can’t hear you over all this revenge.”
Noah’s giggles turned into full-blown laughter, breathless and uncontrollable. “Noooo! No more! I’m sorry!”
“Oh, now you’re sorry?” Happy teased, but he slowed down, finally letting the kid catch his breath.
Noah gasped dramatically, sprawling across the couch like he’d just barely survived. “That was so mean.”
“You started it.” Happy pointed out. Noah grinned up at him, still giggling. “It was worth it.”
Happy rolled his eyes but ruffled the kid’s curls, smudging a bit of leftover icing into his hair just for good measure. Noah yelped. “Hey!!”
Happy smirked. “Payback.” Noah pouted for all of two seconds before perking back up. “I’m gonna get you back.” Happy huffed out a laugh. “You wish, kid.”
Across the room, Tony, who had been watching the entire thing unfold from the kitchen, shook his head. “You both are menaces.”
Happy shrugged. “Yeah, well. He started it.”
Tony smirked. “And yet you’re the one with icing on your face.”
Happy scowled. Noah cackled evilly.
-
Harley took his time washing the sticky icing off his hands, scrubbing between his fingers just like Pepper always reminded him. Once satisfied, he dried them on the towel, then made his way to his and Noah’s shared bedroom.
He wasn’t as much of a running, jumping, crashing into things kind of kid as Noah was. Not that he never got loud or excited, he was six, after all, but he liked things a little quieter. A little slower.
He pulled open his dresser and swapped his icing speckled shirt for a clean one, then pattered over to his bookshelf. He scanned the spines, before carefully picking out three books. One was his current favorite, story about a fox who got lost in a snowstorm but found his way home. Another was a picture book about space that his dad had given him. And the last one… well, he wasn’t sure which one he wanted yet, so he grabbed an extra just in case.
Tucking them under his arm, he made his way back into the living room.
The room was warm and cozy, the glow of Christmas lights casting soft colors across the furniture. The smell of cookies still lingered in the air, mixing with the faint scent of Pepper’s cinnamon candle.
Everyone was sprawled across the couch, clearly trying to calm down from the chaos of the past couple hours. The Grinch was playing on the TV, but it seemed like only half the people in the room were actually awake.
Noah was curled up in a blanket at one end, his eyes drooping as he half-watched the screen. Morgan was fast asleep on Pepper’s lap, her tiny fist gripping the fabric of her mom’s sweater. Pepper was absentmindedly running her fingers through the baby’s soft, short hair, her own eyelids heavy. Even Happy, sitting in the armchair, looked like he was debating whether or not to doze off.
Harley stood in the doorway, trying to decide where to sit, when his dad looked up at him.
Tony lifted his left arm, wordlessly inviting him over. Harley didn’t hesitate after that.
He pattered across the room and curled up against Tony’s side, fitting perfectly in the space like it was made just for him. His dad’s arm settled comfortably around him, warm and strong.
For a few minutes, Harley just sat there, breathing in the quiet, the whole movie night atmosphere even making him sleepy.
Then Tony glanced down, noticing the books in his lap. “Whatcha got there, bud?”
Harley shifted slightly, holding up the book about the fox. “This one’s my favorite.”
Tony hummed, reaching over to flip the cover open with his free hand. “Yeah? What’s it about?”
Harley settled in a little more, already prepared to tell him everything. “It's about a little fox, and he lives in the forest, but one day there’s this huge snowstorm, and he can’t find his way home…”
Tony listened, nodding along, offering the occasional ‘Mhm’ and ‘No way’ at all the right pauses. Harley didn’t even need him to say much, just knowing his dad was listening, made him feel content and loved.
By the time he got to the part where the fox finally made it home, Harley’s voice had gotten softer, sleepier.
Tony nudged him lightly. “You tired, bud?”
Harley blinked up at him. “No..” He yawned.
Tony smirked, pulling the blanket over him a little more. “Mhm.”
Harley felt his dad’s fingers run through his hair, and suddenly, his eyelids felt a whole lot heavier.
The Grinch’s voice droned softly from the TV. The Christmas lights twinkled in the corners of his vision, the heavy weight of his dad’s warm arm over him.
-
Harley blinked sleepily at the screen, but something felt off. It took him a second to realize what it was, and when he did, he realized that his uncle Rhodey wasn’t there.
He frowned slightly, shifting against his dad’s side. Maybe Rhodey was just in the kitchen grabbing a snack. Or in the bathroom.
But still. It didn’t feel right for the whole family to be curled up watching a movie while Uncle Rhodey was somewhere else, all alone.
Determined, Harley quietly slipped off the couch, careful not to wake Morgan, who was still dozing on Pepper’s lap. He hugged his books to his chest as he padded toward the hallway, glancing over his shoulder to make sure nobody tried to stop him.
Not that they would. He wasn’t doing anything bad. He was just… checking. He peeked into the kitchen first. Empty. Then he tiptoed to his and Noah’s bedroom, pushing the door open just enough to see inside. No Rhodey. Maybe he was in Mom and Dad’s room?
He was just about to go check when he heard the quiet click of a door opening.
He turned to see Rhodey stepping out of Tony’s office, looking slightly surprised to find his pajama clad nephew standing in the hallway like he was on a mission.
Rhodes’ gaze flicked down to the three books of differing sizes and colors clutched tightly in Harley’s little arms. He smiled.
“What are you doin’ out here, bud?” He asked, crouching down to be at the boy’s level. “Why aren’t you watching the movie with everyone else?”
Harley walked straight up to him and, without hesitation, took Rhodey’s much bigger hand in his own.
“I didn’t want you to be alone.” Harley said simply. Adorably.
Rhodey blinked, warmth exploding in his heart at the sweetness and innocence from the kid. He didn’t even seem to realize how adorable that was. Rhodes allowed a smile to spread across his face.
Harley tugged at his hand. “Come sit with me?”
Rhodey let himself be pulled toward the office couch, his heart already melting. “Alright, alright, I’m comin’.”
Harley’s eyes lit up, and he quickly climbed onto the couch, making himself comfortable as Rhodey sat beside him. The kid was small enough that he easily curled up against his side, just like he’d been doing with his dad just a few minutes ago.
Harley shifted, then held up one of his books, grinning. “Will you read with me?”
And, really, how was Rhodey supposed to say no to that face?
He huffed a little laugh, shaking his head fondly. “Yeah, kid. I’ll read with you.”
Harley beamed and eagerly handed him the first book, the one about the fox.
“This one’s my favorite.” Harley whispered with a smile, like it was a special secret.
Rhodey smiled, flipping open to the first page. “Good choice.”
And so, for the next half hour, they sat together on the little leather couch in Tony’s office, reading one book after another. Harley listening intently, snuggled close as Rhodey read aloud, his voice calm and the rumble of it, his ear on the man’s chest made him sleepy.
By the time they reached the final page of the last book, Harley’s blinks were getting slower, his grip on the edges of the worn pages loosening.
Rhodey glanced down to find the kid barely keeping his eyes open, his head resting against Rhodes’ arm.
“Hey,” Rhodey murmured, nudging him lightly. “You still with me, little man?”
Harley hummed sleepily, “Mhm, thanks for reading with me.”
Rhodey smiled. “Yeah, kid, anytime.”
He let the kid rest there for a bit longer, just until his breathing evened out, then carefully scooped him up.
Harley barely stirred as Rhodey carried him back to the living room, tucking him into the corner of the couch where he fit perfectly between Tony and Pepper.
Noah peeked sleepily from under his blanket, saw Harley snuggled safely between their parents, and put his head back where it was, before drifting off again.
Rhodey smiled, giving Harley’s hair a quick, gentle ruffle before settling into the armchair to watch the rest of the movie, the only one left still conscious was Tony, who gave him a knowing, teasing smirk.
Rhodes just returned it with a playful glare of his own.
-
Tony stretched his arms over his head, feeling a satisfying pop in his spine as he pushed himself up from the couch. The movie was still playing, though the only person actually paying attention to it seemed to be Pepper. She hadn’t moved from her spot, eyes fixed on the screen, very focused. She’d put Morgan in her bed a little bit ago.
Noah, on the other hand, was out.
Tony huffed a quiet laugh when he spotted his kid curled up against Happy’s side, mouth slightly open, completely dead to the world. What made it even better, was that Happy was asleep too.
His head was tilted back against the couch, arms crossed over his chest, but one of those arms was suspiciously not crossed, because Noah had somehow managed to tangle himself into Happy’s jacket, tiny fingers gripping the fabric even in his sleep.
Tony smirked as he reached for his phone and snapped a quick picture. Who knows? Could be used for blackmail later.
Happy always put on a grumpy face, acting like he just tolerated the twins’ endless energy, but everyone knew better. The man was a total softie for those two. It was adorable that the man, who looked so tough on the outside, was really just a fluffy little teddy bear to his best friend’s three kids.
Tony pocketed his phone, shaking his head fondly, and turned toward the kitchen. Hot chocolate. That was the plan.
But as he reached for the mugs, he noticed that Rhodey and Harley were missing. His brows furrowed slightly.
They had been there when the movie started, Harley curled up against his side, Rhodey sitting in the armchair. But now they were gone?
Tony poked his head into the dining room. Nothing. Then he checked the twins’ room. Empty. Morgan’s room?
He cracked the door open just enough to see her tiny form curled up under her blanket, snoozing peacefully in her crib.
So where could they be? Then he heard voices coming from his office, and Tony raised an eyebrow.
Rhodey had gone in there earlier to grab something off his desk, some papers or whatever. But that had been forever ago.
What was he still doing in there?
Curious, Tony made his way down the hall and poked his head inside and saw his best friend, Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes, decorated Air Force officer, was currently sitting on Tony’s office couch, holding a children’s book at an angle so that the tiny pajama wearing six-year-old curled up against his side could still see the pictures.
Harley was leaning against Rhodey’s arm, very focused, occasionally pointing at the illustrations or whispering something in that small, thoughtful way of his.
Rhodey, for his part, wasn’t just reading, he was doing voices. It made Tony want to burst out laughing, but he knew they’d stop reading if they knew he was there.
Tony lingered in the doorway for a few more seconds, watching as Rhodey continued reading, his voice low and steady, Harley curled up against him, perfectly content.
Yeah. They were good.
With a final glance, Tony turned and walked back to the living room, any thought of hot chocolate completely forgotten.
The TV flickered softly, casting a warm glow over the room. Happy and Noah were still asleep in their little pile, and Morgan was out cold in her crib. The whole place felt quiet, though not in an empty way, but in that cozy, peaceful way that only happened when everyone was safe and warm, home together, and happy.
He sank back down onto the couch, immediately feeling Pepper shift beside him. She barely stirred, just hummed softly and adjusted, resting her head against his shoulder like it simply belonged there.
Tony let out a long, quiet breath, letting his eyes slip shut.
The movie played on, the quiet rhythm of Pepper’s breathing mixing with the faint sounds of the TV, the warmth of her body pressed close to him. And within moments, he was asleep too.