He had several suits in his basement that could put holes in buildings miles away, and he travelled the world, kicking the asses of bad guys and bombs. And he did it without flinching (mostly) and without fear (more often than not).

What did scare him though was the breast pump sitting in it's box, on his coffee table.

It was terrifying.

Pepper had moved in over a year ago, and he had adjusted to all of her things, all of the female things, that had sprung up in his mansion. Their mansion. It had been a bit of struggle, and an education, but he'd gotten through it with most of his dignity in tact.

And the vibrators had been fun.

Since Pepper become pregnant, the baby things had been slowly building up in the mansion too. They'd turned a room into a nursery, but the things weren't confined to it. Tony was designing a baby proofed area for his workshop, but Pepper wasn't keen on the idea. Not that he was listening to her. It had always been hard for him to pay attention to her words and not her body; to keep eye to eye contact, instead of eye to breast contact. It was even harder as her body changed with pregnancy, her breasts swelling, her belly growing, she was gorgeous; and mostly able to look as glamorous as ever.

No one looked glamorous throwing up, and the morning sickness had lasted a while.

He liked the toys though, and the tiny clothes. The socks were especially cute, he thought, and had decided to keep that to himself. Cuddly bears, mobiles, cots, prams, pushchairs, bedding, nappies, pacifiers. It was an endless list of things they needed, that included a breast pump.

"Tony, you're obsessing again," Pepper said, coming to sit down next to him, hesitating before she dropped down onto the sofa. She had to make sure it was worth it, before she committed herself. She was never comfortable, and couldn't always get up. This made Tony smile, which he hid behind his terror and disgust at the breast pump.

"It's just not right," he said.

They'd had this conversation already, a few weeks ago, when it was first delivered to the mansion. He was pretty sure she was keeping it in the main living room to torture him. A little bit of payback for insisting on having children and the eight and a half months of hell she'd been through.

"It will just make things a little easier," she told him, leaning over with a groan, to move it away from him.

"It's just wrong."

"You said that already."

He remembered his argument being a little better, a little more reasonable a few weeks ago. Maybe not logical though, he was effectively jealous of a milking machine, but he wasn't ready to admit it. He liked Pepper's breasts, a lot, and was about to say that when she groaned again, louder this time, and clutching her stomach.

"Braxton-Hicks?" he asked, reaching out to take her hand. She'd been suffering from the false labour on and off for a couple of weeks now, the panic Tony had felt about the contractions had long gone. Mostly.

"No-o," she said. "I don't think so."

"You sure?"

"My waters just broke."

She spoke calmly, but Tony jumped to his feet, running across the room.

"I'll get the bag," he started to say, running off his list of things to do, "Jarvis get Happy at the front door now, Pepper do you- Pepper?"

He stopped when he realised she wasn't behind him, and turned to see her still on the sofa, smiling at him.

"I need a hand up off the sofa first."

z

His son was the cutest thing ever created, and the best thing he had ever created. Hands down, no contest, even more amazing than the Iron Man suit and the Arc reactor that was keeping him alive.

Nineteen hours of labour pretty much guaranteed he probably wouldn't get to create another one.

Pepper had managed to get a little sleep, and didn't look as exhausted as before. She was watching him cradle the baby, smiling and he couldn't stop smiling.

"He's so cute," he said. "Seriously cute. I knew he would be, because, look at me, and you, us, but seriously, he's so cute."

"So are you," Pepper said. with a laugh.

"I've told you before, Iron Man is not cute."

"New father Tony Stark is though," she said.

The baby started to grumble a little and Tony handed him back to Pepper, ruffling the tuft of black hair on his head when he was settled in Pepper's arms. So far he couldn't figure out who he looked like, just that he was cute, and he stood over the two of them, watching as Pepper exposed a breast for his son to suckle on.

"See, that's normal!" he said. "And beautiful."

"Tony," she muttered.

In the few hours his son had been alive, they'd had this discussion too.

"Every time you breast feed I want to be there," he said. "They're my breasts as much as his."

"Two things Tony," Pepper said, in her best office voice, wincing a little as 'Baby Boy Stark' fed. "One, they're my breasts, and two, you're cracked."

"I agree with the second point."

She laughed, trying not to jostle her son too much.

"So, what shall we call him?" Pepper said, deciding not to argue over the ownership of her breasts with him.

"I still like Eric," he told her and she smiled.

"He might be too cute for an Eric."

"He's too cute for anything," Tony said. "Eric Howard Stark. Unless you want Potts-Stark."

"No," she said, shaking her head. "When we get married, I'll take your name, I already told you that."

"I know, I'm just checking."

"Kiss me," she said, and he did as she demanded, leaning down to capture her lips for a long kiss. "Love you."

"Love you too Pep," he said. "and you little Eric."

The baby simply burbled in reply, letting go of Pepper, full for the moment. She shifted him to burp him with ease, which surprised her, but not Tony. Pepper was a natural, and he had known she would be.

"If I let you use the breast pump on me, would that help?" she asked, glancing away from her son for a moment.

Tony thought about it for a minute, trying to visualise himself using the pump on Pepper.

"Not sure," he decided. "Looking forward to finding out."