Chapter Two

"Tony? Tony?" The genius jerked awake at the feeling of fingers combing through his hair, blinking rapidly and reaching out for the babe lying on the bed before he registered that it was Pepper standing there.

"Pep?" He muttered looking across the bed to see Bucky awake and watching them, his body language tense as he shifted forward towards Eddy.

"Hey, I'm sorry to wake you up, but I need you guys to sign this paperwork for me," Pepper held up a sheaf of paperwork, a mountain of it.

"For Eddy?" Tony asked.

"For Eddy. God Tony, he's gorgeous," Pepper smiled down at the little boy on the bed.

"Aunty Pepper, meet Edwin James Stark-Barnes," Tony wasn't sure when he would ever stop getting a buzz from saying that, his heart skipping a beat.

"Edwin for…."

"Edwin for Jarvis and for Edith, Bucky's mum," Tony smiled at the supersoldier who smiled softly back.

"Congratulations guys, he's lovely," She reached out and carefully brushed her fingers over his tiny feet. "Anything at all that you need from me, I am here, for all three of you," She said pointedly to Bucky.

"These papers, are they solid? No loopholes?" Tony asked reached for the papers.

"Do you even need to ask? My nephew is going nowhere. And anyone who tries will have the entire force of SI being thrown at them harder than Hulk can throw a tank at someone," Pepper growled.

"FRIDAY?" Tony called.

"Yes, Boss?"

"Please send Pepper a whole basket of very expensive, very designer shoes," Tony instructed.

"Right away,"

"You know the way into a girl's heart," Pepper laughed. "Now, I am going to leave these with you, both sign them, and while you are doing that I am going to go upstairs and start setting up a room for this little one, just the basics, the three of you should do the big stuff together. I am going to set up a room for the three of you, a bed for each of you and the essentials in there, Bruce filled me in on some of what this little one has been through, this is going to be a massive change for him, and it will help him to have you close, and help your relationship. Also, Winter Clause is in there,"

"You're amazing, thank you," Tony sighed.

"I will be back down when we're done, I will bring him some clothes," Pepper touched his shoulder gently before leaving them to it.

"She is quite the force to be reckoned with," Bucky blinked after her.

"I would like to see someone try and take her on," Tony snorted.

"How come you two...I mean you both care about each other still, that is obvious but…" Bucky asked awkwardly.

"We love each other, we always will. But being together was ruining the amazing friendship that we had. She couldn't cope with me putting my life in danger, having to run out and go fight baddies, and aliens, having nightmares bad enough that I couldn't sleep in the same room as her because I was scared that I would hurt her, and I hated that I couldn't make it better because the only thing that would, was for me to stop being Iron Man," Tony sighed.

"I'm sorry," Bucky said softly.

"It's ok, it was weird at first, but we have managed to get back to a good relationship," Tony smiled.

"So, what is the Winter Clause?" Bucky raised his eyebrow at Tony when he turned sheepish.

"It is something that I had Peper write up a little while ago, I was waiting for a chance to put it to you. You have been pardoned for what happened but this paperwork that gets you recognised as a prisoner of war and a veteran. All this happened to you while you were part of the army, you should be recognised for your service," Tony took the pile of paperwork and placed it in front of Bucky by Eddy's leg.

"I don't deserve…." Tony reached out and covered Bucky's hand gently stopping him.

"Bucky, you deserve recognition for everything that you have been through. You were a prisoner of war, what you went through, you deserve recognition for what happened to you," Tony said softly. "Just think about it, and not just for yourself but for this little guy as well. Pardoned Bucky Barnes won't be able to wield as much power against people as War veteran and hero Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes,"

"You fight dirty," Bucky huffed.

"You will think about it?"

"Yes, I will think about it," Bucky placed the papers carefully to the side. "Now, let's get these papers signed,"

The two of them poured over the many many papers that something like this required, signing away and passing the papers back and forth until they were all signed up. Tony gathered them all together and then went through to make sure that they had signed everything that they needed to.

"That's it. He's officially ours," Tony nodded setting the papers to the side and turning to look at where Eddy was still sleeping.

"Are you guys all signed up?" Pepper asked walking in.

"Yup, could you double triple check for me though please?" Tony held out the paperwork.

"Of course. I brought you down some clothes for Eddy, some nightclothes and some clothes for when he wakes up. I will go over these and get them filed yesterday," Pepper leant down and pressed a kiss to Tony's forehead.

"Thank you, Miss Potts," Bucky nodded.

"Thank you Pep," Tony squeezed her hand.

"Hey, guys? Bad time?" Bruce asked walking into the room.

"I'm just leaving Bruce, I will see you all when Eddy is awake," Pepper gathered the paperwork together before leaving them to it.

"Eddy?" Bruce asked as he walked into the room and checked over Eddy's paperwork.

"Edwin James Stark-Barnes," Bucky said quietly, the happiness clear in his voice.

"Very nice, very suitable," Bruce smiled. "I have some news about him,"

"That was quick," Bucky frowned.

"Wanda and Vision are still pouring through the main bulk of the information but we have basic information, things we need to know now," Bruce explained.

"Ok," Tony reached for Eddy's hand again, and noticed Bucky was already rubbing his thumb over Eddy's small knuckles.

"Go on," Bucky nodded.

"Ok. Edwin is 3 years old, he has the exact joint DNA of the two of you as if he were a biological child, they have managed to replicate natural creation perfectly, the traces of DNA of the Hydra agent who donated the egg needed to create the baby has been completely erased. He was completely grown in a test tube, outside of a womb, he wasn't traditionally born. He has shown evidence of super strength, hearing, better eyesight than the normal human being, the he has clearly shown that he had Super Soldier DNA in his body, it is completely under control and steady, he is in no danger from it, and there seem to be differences with him having been born with it rather than it being added to his body at a later time. He is also showing strong evidence of high intelligence that, no offence James, but would also appear to come from his Stark DNA," Bruce smiled as Bucky actually smiled a little.

"He's clever?" Tony brightened.

"Very. He's displaying advanced IQ and a speech and understanding skill set beyond his age. He has an interest in languages and they were giving him puzzles which he was flying through," Bruce smiled.

"What…what was done to him?" Bucky asked, his head dropped down and tenseness visible in his shoulders.

"Right," Bruce sighed and placed the paperwork down. He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes tiredly before looking up at them. "He has had extensive tests performed on him to test the limits of the Super Soldier serum. They...they broke bones, wounded him, they tested him in extreme weather conditions, they starved him of water and food for extended periods of time. He was forced to lift heavy objects till he passed out from exhaustion and then was made to carry on. His intelligence was also tested and encouraged it, teaching him things and expanding his understanding in a way that would not threaten them, they were very interested in having a highly intelligent super-soldier. He...he was looked after to a point, to make sure that he was kept alive. Some of the scientists seem to have been kinder. But...psychologically...you...I...we have no way to predict what mental state he is going to be in," Bruce sighed.

Tony and Bucky just nodded, both of them unable to find the words to speak as they looked down at the small boy on the bed. So small and young, and had already been through so much. And was now their responsibility.

They shared a look over the bed and both of them wore a set look of determination. No matter what, you both agreed that they would do everything that they could not to fail Edwin.

"This says here about the best types of food for him to be eating at his age, but I should probably run it by Bruce to make sure that it is ok with everything that has happened to him," Tony hummed as he flicked through the book on his Starkpad.

"We need to figure out if he has a super-soldier appetite as well," Bucky mused also flicking through a parenting book himself, though he did pause to lean over and scribble the question down onto the Starkpad resting on the table that they were using to jot down thoughts, questions and queries that they needed to know.

"Oh right!" Tony nodded. "I wonder, there should be something in his notes about that right?" He frowned and shot a quick email off to Bruce to check for that. Bucky and Steve could demolish up to three times what a normal person their height and size could eat on a good day.

"We need to…" Bucky's words were cut off as Eddy moved on the bed between them. Both of them froze before shooting each other a panicked look. They moved a little closer to the bed but did not remove their holds on his hands. They had agreed that the best way to do this would be to stay sitting down, they didn't want to loom over him.

It took about 5 minutes for him to open his eyes, he moved around on the bed more and more before he sat up with a gasp and looked around with wide chocolate brown eyes that were achingly familiar to Tony. They were his eyes.

His eyes flashed around the room taking everything in before flicking between Tony and Bucky and their hands holding his.

"Hey there, you're safe, you're safe. We rescued you from the Hydra base, you're safe here. This is our home, you're in the medical area, but once you're feeling better we're going to get out of here and we have your very own room here that we want to show you, and then the rest of the tower," Tony said gently.

"I...can...I'm allowed…" Eddy hunched in on himself stopping himself from carrying on as he looked between the two of them scared.

"You're allowed anywhere at all you want to go," Bucky assured him gently.

"Do you know who we are?" Tony asked.

"The Doctors made me from you," Eddy looked at them unsurely, still a little hunched, but his brown eyes kept going back to the hands gently holding his with a small sense of wonder in them.

"Yes they did, that makes us your dads, do you know what that is?" Bucky asked.

"One of the nice doctors let me read books about it. Daddies and mummies love and look after children," Eddy answered hesitantly.

"That's right. Sweetheart, we didn't know that you existed before today, Hydra kept you completely secret, and we couldn't be there for you for your first years. But we know about you now, and we want to be your daddies, we want to love you, and care for you, and protect you, and we want to look after you," Tony smiled hesitantly.

"What do you want me to do in return?" Eddy asked with narrowed eyes looking between the two of them sharply, his brown eyes bright and intelligent. As he cautiously withdrew his hands from theirs, more to test if they would allow it, it seemed, looking between them for their reaction to his withdrawal.

"We want you to do 2 things for us," Bucky said leaning forward. He shot Tony a 'trust me' look when the genius opened his mouth to protest, Tony nodded slightly more than happy to hand this over into hands that got it.

"What?" Eddy frowned suspiciously.

"One, we want you to give us a chance to be your daddies and let us look after you. And two, whatever you want to do," Bucky smiled. The little boy looked heartbreakingly young as he looked rapidly between the two of them, especially when Tony smiled and nodded.

"Why?" He asked sounding so confused and suspicious that it broke both Tony and Bucky's hearts.

"Because you're our son," Tony said firmly.

"Because we want to love you and look after you. We only just found out you exist, but we care for you already and love you," Bucky added.

"I don't under...stand. I am an...experi...ment, I don't exist to have a life," Eddy frowned.

"You are so so so much more than an experiment Eddy!" Tony said quickly.

"Eddy?" The little boy was looking so confused and overwhelmed, and Tony looked to Bucky who out of the two of them could understand the most how the little boy was feeling right now.

"When we looked through the information we got about you, you didn't have a name sweetheart, so if you like it, we thought we could call you Edwin James Stark-Barnes. Edwin for the man who loved Tony very much and my mum's name was Edith, and James because my name is James Buchanan Barnes and Tony's best friend is called James. Eddy for short," Bucky explained softly. "You're not an experiment or a thing, you're not a weapon or a test, you're a person, you're a human being with a life,"

Tony and Bucky both flustered a little when Eddy's bottom lip trembled dangerously and tears filled his eyes, though he was clearly fighting them back.

"I can...have a name?" Eddy sniffed, his little hands clutching onto the sheets. That was it for Tony, and slowly so Eddy could see what he was doing the genius perched on the edge of the bed and wrapped his arm around Eddy's little, trembling shoulders.

"You can have whatever you want. You have a name, you have family now, you have your own clothes, and some toys being brought here for you, and when you feel up to it we will go shopping and you can pick things that you want," Tony assured him.

"I'm...I'm a freak though," Eddy sniffed looking between them like it would put them off and make them change their minds.

Bucky stood and stripped off his hoody, holding out his metal arm so Eddy could see it before he reached out for the handrail with his flesh hand and easily crushed a mangled handprint into the metal. Eddy watched with wide eyes, tears forgotten in his shock, before turning to Tony.

Tony smiled and reached down with the hand not holding Eddy to lift his shirt and show the little boy his arc reactor glowing and humming in his chest. Eddy reached out his hand as though to touch it, before suddenly snatching it back and looking at Tony fearfully.

"It's ok sweetheart, you can touch it," Tony held his hand out to Eddy and waited patiently as Eddy eyed it and him hesitantly for a couple of minutes, before to Tony and Bucky's relief he reached out and tentatively placed his hand in Tony's.

The genius swallowed the emotion that welled up at the action and instead concentrated on smiling warmly at Eddy who was looking at him with slightly narrowed eyes as though worried Tony would trick him. Instead, he gently ran his thumb over Eddy's knuckles, smiling when Eddy let out an involuntary giggle, and then slowly led his hand to his chest, placing it over the arc reactor. He pressed his own hand over the top for a moment and then dropped his, watching as their son explored the arc reactor with curious fingers.

"What is it?" Eddy asked curiously.

"It is an Arc Reactor, it keeps metal from going into my heart," Tony explained.

"Arc Reactor?" big brown eyes looked at him with all the curiosity that Tony recognised in his eyes.

"It is an energy source…" Tony rambled out the explanation as to the Arc Reactor, and what could be done with it, delighted as he could see that Eddy was eagerly listening.

"Here we go," Bucky had snuck to the door to retrieve the tray Bruce snuck to them while Tony distracted Eddy, placing it down on the table and pulled it closer to the three of them.

"What's that?" Eddy frowned at the cup.

"That is your Uncle Bruce's idea of a joke," Tony snorted picking up the Iron Man children's cup that was clearly meant for Eddy.

"Uncle...Bruce, Bruce Banner?" Eddy asked with a tiny frown on his delicate little face.

"That's him," Bucky nodded.

"Uncle?"

"Bruce is family, we're you're daddies and he is your uncle, he is working really really hard right now to help us know how best to look after you and make sure that you're ok," Bucky explained.

"Do you know all about the Avengers?" Tony asked as he pulled the tray forward and rolled his eyes at the Hulk bowl and plate.

"They told me...they told me who you all were," Eddy nodded, his eyes though were locked on the food with clear hunger.

"This is yours to eat Sweetheart," Tony explained.

"Mine?" Eddy looked between them, suspicion clear on his face again.

"Yes all yours, though eat it slowly, otherwise you will make yourself ill," Bucky lowered the table so that it was resting above Eddy's knees.

"What are they?" Eddy pointed to the two bowls either side of his, also Avengers themed.

"They are ours, we're a little hungry,"

"Why?" Eddy asked Tony, though his fingers were twitching to reach for the food.

"I will tell you…after you have two spoons of soup," Tony gently tapped his little nose twice, chuckling delightedly when he went cross-eyed to look.

"You...want me to eat?" Eddy frowned.

"Yup, otherwise you won't grow up to be big and strong," Bucky flexed his muscles making Eddy giggle. The surprise on his face at his laugh was heartbreaking, but Tony reached out and pressed the spoon into his hand, nodding encouragingly when he got a wide-eyed look.

After four spoonfuls Eddy looked up at him remembering his question.

"We are a little hungry because we have been in here with you, trying to learn how to best look after you and make sure you are looked after properly, we're not really sure how to look after children, so you're going to need you to help us out and tell us what you need," Tony explained.

"Tell...what I need...I…" Eddy started shaking his head, looking overwhelmed, at least until Tony carefully wrapped his arm around him, and Bucky rested his hand on his leg.

"Hey, hey it's ok, it's ok Eddy, remember you're allowed to be a person," Bucky assured him. "It will take time to get used to, but you're allowed to be a person and have wants and needs, you just need to tell us,"

"Will you try that for us please?"

"You...you...you want me to want things?" Eddy sounded so confused.

"Yes we do," Both men nodded.

"I do...don't understand why," Eddy's bottom lip wobbled again.

"It's ok not to understand why Sweetheart, we just want you to try," Tony assured him.

"And we're going to try very hard as well to be parents for you," Bucky smiled at their son, and Tony couldn't help but stare. "We're all going to make mistakes with that, but that is ok as well, that is being human,"

"Making mistakes...is human?" Eddy frowned.

"Yup, like when I was fixing your Pop's arm and accidentally hit the wrong wire and his arm was stuck up in the air for 4 hours till I could fix it," Tony grinned.

"You weren't angry?" Eddy looked at Bucky.

"No, it was pretty funny," Bucky smiled a little. "Your daddy had to stand on the table to be able to reach the part he needed to fix it because he is smaller than me,"

"At one point I had to sit on your Pop's shoulders to get the right angle,"

Eddy blinked before he let out a little giggle.

"So mistakes are fine, they happen, it is ok," Tony assured him. "Now, let's all finish our meal, yes?"

"I'm hungry!" Bucky nodded and picked up the massive bowl of soup to start eating.

"Now, how about we go to our room?" Bucky asked once they were all finished and Eddy was blinking sleepily.

"Our room?" Eddy blinked.

"Yup our room. We are going to be making some changes because we get to have you in our lives. Until we are all settled though we are going to share a room if that is ok with you?" Bucky explained.

"Can….can I ask why?" Eddy tilted his chin back as he looked at them, and it struck Bucky that it was such a Tony thing to do. When he was shoving at a boundary he thought he wasn't allowed to push at, but only when it was something personal and he was expecting to be slapped in the face for it.

"Of course you can," Tony nodded and took the little boy's hand. "It is because we need to make sure that you are safe, because we love you, and we want you close to us. We also want to be there in case you need us while you are getting used to all these big changes, and we need you to be there for us while we are getting used to all these big changes,"

"Ok," Eddy nodded, looking more like he was agreeing because of how tired he was. If the large, cute, jaw cracking yawn that he let out was anything to go by.

"Can I carry you, Eddy? You have been through a lot today," Bucky asked softly.

Eddy narrowed his eyes at Bucky but nodded, and the expression on his face it was clear that this was some sort of test, though with a quick glance at each other it was clear neither could work out what that test was.

Bucky reached out and carefully wrapped the blanket around Eddy before scooping him up, oh so carefully holding Eddy against his chest. And then looked at Tony panicked when Eddy burst into tears.

"Are you sore Eddy? Is somewhere hurt?" Tony hurried around the bed and hovered his hand near Eddy while Bucky held himself stock still clearly trying not to hurt the little boy further.

"No...no...I haven't...it doesn't hurt when you pick me up, and you don't grab me. You were gentle," Eddy sniffed.

"Oh sweetheart," Tony rested his hand on Eddy's small back as Bucky held him closer to his chest.

"We will prove to you that we are never going to hurt you," Bucky said firmly.

"I'm really tired," Eddy sniffed.

"Ok duckling, come on," Tony stepped forward and led the way out the room, quickly leading Bucky to the elevator and then they were on their way to Tony's floor. FRIDAY making sure that the lift took them straight there with no stops.

The lift opened directly into Tony's bedroom, which in the time they had been downstairs, had been transformed. There were two comfy double beds, with a comfy child-sized bed between them, the bed looking secure and comfy, and with simple blue sheets and a duvet with clouds on it that matched the bed linen on the adult beds. There were several new pieces of furniture, wardrobes and chest of draws that they had no doubt was full of their clothes and Eddy's.

A bookshelf already had a collection of kids books on them, there was a small collection of toys in the corner. Two nightlights had been set up and were already going, and the bathroom light was on with the door cracked open. It looked comfortable and safe.

"How about we pick a teddy while your Pops puts his pyjamas on?" Tony suggested. "Would that be ok?"

"A teddy?" Eddy asked confused.

"Here," Tony held his arms out and Bucky carefully transferred their most precious load into them, quickly rifling through different draws until he found a chest of draws that held his clothes, and found his pyjamas.

"These are teddys?" Eddy asked as Tony sat in front of the toys, perching Eddy in his lap and pulled forward a handful of teddys.

"Yes they are," Tony nodded, grinned when Bucky stumbled out the bathroom, still yanking his shirt down. He was clearly feeling exactly the same as Tony in that he did not want Eddy out his sight.

"They're so soft," Eddy breathed, running his little fingers over them.

"I really like soft things," Bucky said, sitting down next to them. "I was with them as well, for a long time. I didn't have nice things. When I came here, your daddy realised that I liked soft things, and he got me lots of super-soft clothes and blankets. I really like feeling them against my skin,"

Tony flushed darkly, he hadn't realised that Bucky had been aware that he had clicked onto Bucky's liking of soft things, or clicked onto the fact that it was Tony that had provided the clothes and blankets for him. He reckoned Bucky would think it would be Steve.

"What do I do with it?" Eddy frowned, his brown eyes looking at them confused.

"You cuddle it, like this," Bucky picked up one of them and wrapped his arms around it.

"Why?" Eddy tilted his head, clearly watching carefully and cataloguing what Bucky was doing.

"It gives you comfort, if you are feeling scared, or sad, or just feel like you want something to cuddle if you don't want to cuddle me or pops or any of your aunties and uncles, you can hug this. And it would be yours," Tony explained.

"Mine?" Eddy blinked between them.

"Yup, all of them are yours, though I think Pops might like that one," Tony teased.

"I…" Eddy blinked rapidly, tears forming as he clearly got overwhelmed.

"How about, for tonight I pick one for you to cuddle?" Tony offered gently.

"Ok," Eddy said quietly, pressing back into Tony's chest, rubbing tiredly at his eyes in a way that made the two of them just want to hug him again.

Tony reached out and carefully plucked a little dog cuddly toy from the small pile, you couldn't go wrong with dogs right, and pressed it into Eddy's little arms.

Eddy looked so lost and confused but he hugged the toy to his body, pressing his face into the soft fluff of the toy.

"Come on, bed I think," Bucky said softly reaching out.

"I will go and put my pyjamas on and I will be right back ok?" Tony said. When Eddy nodded as he was carefully lifted into Bucky's arms, Tony hurried himself to grab his pyjamas and to the bathroom.

His head was spinning and it felt as though his heart was thundering in his chest, everything was going so quickly now that Eddy was awake. But it wasn't as bad as Tony had feared, Eddy had fight in him, and though he was overwhelmed, he was interacting and responding to them, he clearly felt at least slightly safe with them.

He made sure to leave the door cracked open and the light on when he stepped out the bathroom, and he walked over in time to see Bucky lifting the covers around Eddy and carefully tucking him in.

Eddy looked awed at the bed, and was stroking his hand over the covers, his other hand was holding so tightly onto the dog cuddly toy his little knuckles were white. Bucky had clearly told him that this bed was his.

"There we are," Tony smiled bending and slowly, carefully kissing Eddy's forehead. "Would you like a story?"

"Really?" Eddy was blinking so slowly Tony didn't doubt that he would be asleep soon anyway.

"Of course. Before we start though if you wake in the night and need anything in the night, anything at all, even if you're scared, you wake me or your pops up, or both of us, ok?" Tony said with as much firmness as he dared.

"But...I need to not be a bother," Eddy shrank back into his pillows.

"Not in this house and not ever ever again. Me and your daddy, we will be really upset if you don't tell us if you need anything," Bucky said.

"And what happens if you're upset?" Eddy narrowed his eyes.

"Your daddy makes really sad faces, and it makes you feel really really bad," Bucky said promptly. Taking his cue Tony pulled the most ridiculous pouty/sad face that he could and Bucky pointed at him.

Eddy giggled for a second looking between them to see if they were serious.

"Anything at all," Bucky said leaning forward to kiss Eddy's forehead as well.

"Now, there was once a very happy robot…" Tony started the story.

He and Bucky sighed as Eddy fell into a deep sleep, Bucky leaning forward to gently and carefully make sure he was tucked in before they looked at each other.

"He's so perfect," Tony sighed.

"Perfect," Bucky managed a shaky smile. "He is so clever,"

"And sweet," Tony nodded.

"We had better get some sleep ourselves, I think we are going to need it," Bucky yawned a little.

"Right you are pops," Tony grinned.

"Goodnight dad!" Bucky chuckled.

"Da'...pop…" The sofa cry had them both sitting up straight away, the lights already raised enough that they could see Eddy trying to push himself into the bed, tears covering what they could see of his face, his teddy pressed into most of it.

"Hey kiddo, what happened?" Tony yawned climbing out of bed on one side as Bucky did the same on the other.

"Bad dreams?" Bucky asked when Eddy didn't say anything.

The little boy nodded shakily before he started sobbing even more. Tony and Bucky gave each other a torn look.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Eddy sobbed even louder when Tony rested his hand on his bed and made a startled noise when he touched damp sheets.

"Oh sweetheart, are you upset because you had an accident? No, it's ok," Tony assured him quickly.

"I made a mess," Eddy sobbed.

"You did, and that is fine," Bucky shook his head. "It is an accident that is all," He gently pulled back the covers and picked Eddy up against him, hugging him.

"No, no, no I made a mess, I'm wet," Eddy cried pressing his hand against Bucky's chest.

"You're sad and upset, I don't care, I just want you to feel better, and hugs make things better," Bucky assured him, hugging him close.

"You're really not mad," Eddy sniffed, still trembling and sobbing.

"Never, never for an accident like this! You never, ever need to worry about that," Tony promised.

"Why don't we go and get freshened up, and daddy will strip your bed?" Bucky suggested.

"Do I sleep on the floor now?" Eddy sniffed.

"No!" Tony and Bucky said loudly together. "No, baby, you will sleep with one of us, or how about we all share?" Tony looked to Bucky who nodded quickly.

"I can…" Eddy looked between them.

"Of course, now, shoo both of you," Tony said playfully.

Bucky carefully carried Eddy into the bathroom and stripped him out his wet pyjamas, he carefully chucked Eddy under the chin and smiled when startled brown eyes looked at him before kissing his forehead, managing to chase away some of the fear. He made sure the cloth he used was warm before quickly and efficiently cleaning Eddy up, intersecting it with gentle touches and kisses to the forehead.

He was also very very careful not to get the cuddly dog wet where Eddy was still clutching it tightly in his hand.

"Here we go boys," Tony ducked his head in and placed fresh pyjamas on the counter for them.

"Thank you," Bucky nodded, taking the Iron Man pyjamas and helping Eddy into them.

"Daddy?" Eddy frowned touching the Iron Man on his pyjamas.

"Yes, that's your daddy," Bucky nodded, his heart thumping at the expression on Tony's face.

"I'm sorry," Eddy frowned at the damp pyjamas Bucky had thrown into the clothes hamper.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. Do you want to tell me what your bad dream was?" Bucky asked brushing Eddy's hair from his eyes.

"I…"

"I dream that I am back, with the bad man, and that they hurt me. I feel very very scared when I wake up," Bucky offered as Tony carefully picked Eddy up. He started changing his own damp pyjamas quickly, modesty had been something that he had lost back when he had joined the war, never mind 70 years being soon as below human.

"I dream I am back with the man that hurt me too, I get scared that I didn't ever leave," Tony added, his voice a little shaky as Bucky looked at him with wide-eyed. Tony was such a big character, he forgot he was human sometimes, or that things could touch him considering the genius built a persona around himself that screamed untouchable.

More pieces of Tony Stark slotted into lace in Bucky's head as he realised that it was a protection for the other man.

"I dreamted that this was a lie, and I was still there...I got scared and sad...I don't want to go back," Eddy's bottom lip wobbled. Bucky rested his hand on that tiny back as Tony hugged him close.

"Never again baby, never again," Tony promised, and the look he and Bucky exchanged said everything. They would let Eddy go back to that only over their dead bodies.

"I'm not a baby," Eddy frowned.

"Sorry?" Tony blinked.

"You called me a baby but I am not a baby," Eddy said confused.

"No you're not, but calling your son a baby doesn't mean that you think that they are physically a baby, it means that you see them as your baby, your child. When you are forty years old, and even if you have children of your own, I will still see you as my baby and call you that," Tony said as he led the way back into the bedroom and to his bed, Bucky close behind.

"An..ed...inment?" Eddy asked.

"Endearment, yes Sweetling," Tony grinned, gently pressing his nose to Eddy's cheek.

"Your Daddy likes endearments, he calls your uncle James Honey Bear, Platypus, and when he is being all grumpy Sour Patch because he knows it always makes him smile,"

"What does daddy call you?" Eddy asked curiously, pressing his face into his dog's fluff tiredly.

"I….he calls me Snow Flake," Bucky blinked, he hadn't even realised that he had a pet name from Tony till now.

"Do you want to lie down now?" Tony asked Eddy gently.

"Can...can I lie in the middle?" Eddy asked and then scrunched himself in, scared for asking.

"I think we would both prefer that, that way we both get to cuddle you," Tony smiled, kissing his forehead in reward.

"Can I sleep nearest the edge?" Bucky asked Tony, it had been where Tony had been sleeping but, "I can better protect you both there,"

"Of course," Tony blinked but didn't say anything more. He crawled onto the bed, Eddy held carefully in his arms, moving to the centre of the bed and placed Eddy down tenderly, before lying next to him. He gave him his own space, but rested his hand over Eddy's chest.

Bucky slid in on his other side, carefully pulling the covers over the top of all three of them, reaching out to rest his own arm over Eddy.

"Is this ok sweetling?" Tony asked.

"Yes, I like this," Eddy snuggled deeper into the comfort of the bed, his dog held tightly to his chest.

"Me too," Tony smiled, his eyes adoringly on the little boy whose eyes were starting to get heavy.

"Me too," Bucky agreed, breathing in the scent of his little boy, feeling his breathing evening out under their hands.

Tony moved his hand slightly, just enough to link their little fingers together on top of Eddy. Meeting those brown eyes that Eddy had inherited almost identically, Bucky felt a sense of calm, and a sense of purpose for the first time since he had heard the name Bucky in 70 years and his world had spun on its axis.

Right here he was needed, right here he had not one but two people that needed him. He and Tony needed each other in this, in making sure that Eddy was safe and loved, making sure that he recovered from what he had suffered at the hands of Hydra, and bringing the little boy up.