Chapter 24

                                    

                                          
"Ready, steady, go!" 
                          
Laughter filled the air, as a race between two grown adults and a little boy began. The aim is who could build the tallest tower using all their blocks. However, what started as just a game to entertain Peter. Became a competition between Pepper and Tony. Leaving poor Peter sitting there sucking his thumb as he watched Mummy and Daddy build towers. 
                          
They were his blocks, the toys were for him. And though his little self didn't mind, he was kind of getting bored and fidgety. And therefore he had no other option but to turn onto his hands and knees, and go exploring. 
                          
He would have gotten his Daddy's attention, but he seemed pretty into the tower game with his Mummy. 
                          
Pausing his crawling, the boy sat back on his knees and looked around the room where bright colours grabbed his attention and toys started at him, begging to be played with. 
                          
There was so much he could do, and so he didn't know which one he wanted to do first. This ball game looked fun. It had these different coloured balls that you put down this hole at the top, then they would slide down this slide that went side to side until it popped out at the bottom. 
                          
This other toy he had his eyes on, was a brightly coloured ark. It had every single animal Peter could think of. Which wasn't many, but enough to count as loads. 
                          
The animals were chunky baby plastic, kinda toys. So there was no sharp tusk of an elephant or anything of the sort, that could hurt Peter in any way. 
                          
When Tony says he babyproofed everything, he wasn't kidding. He had gone through every toy and checked for anything harmful that could hurt Peter. If he did come across something he sees as potential harm to his kid, he would give it to another child or little free of charge. 
                          
There's many out there that are less fortunate than Peter, who can't afford toys. Giving away the odd toy here or there isn't going to put him into any debt. 
                          
He must have been deep in thought, because when he was suddenly picked up from around the waist. Not only did he let out a screech of surprise, but he jumped so hard his body shook along with him biting his thumb. Which was lodged into his mouth.
                          
"Oh, kid. I'm sorry." Tony was quick to apologize, putting a hand on the back of Peter's head and guiding the boy to his shoulder as he rocked side to side. 
                          
"Tony, be careful. He's only tiny, aren't you baby boy?" Pepper gave Tony a little tap on his upper arm, having seen how much of fright the man unintentional scare had been for the boy. 
                          
Peter peeked up from where he was sniffling into his Daddy's neck, hazel brown eyes looking up through wet eyelashes. Thumb leaving his mouth with a pop, as he held the digit out to his Mummy. It hurt, but words seem too hard to form right now. 
                          
"What is it, sweetie? Does your thumb hurt?" Pepper asked. Blowing on the boys now wrinkled up thumb, then rubbing it better. "How about a paci, hmm? It's much better than a yucky thumb." Pepper kissed the boys forehead before retreating over to a draw and pulling out a single pacifier, that was in a plastic casing. 
                          
Peter watched the gentle woman from over his Daddy's shoulder, going back to sucking his thumb now it felt better from his scare. 
                          
"Here we go, Petey-Pie. It's got your name on, look." The red-haired pointed out, chuckling as the boy didn't seem interested in the fact and instead hung his mouth agape for the plastic comforter. "Cheeky boy." She booped him on the nose, receiving suckling sounds in return.
                          
"So, my little explorer. Where were you going, hmm? You're too little to go wandering on your own, Mr." Tony tutted, taking note that he would need to be more upon his feet. Seems he has a wondering little boy on his hands. 
                          
He could only see the boy getting into things he shouldn't. Littles tend to be curious and about a building this big with soo many floors. He'd rather not think of where the boy could end up. 
                          
Peter pointed towards the Noah's Ark he had decided to go investigate but was stopped in his tracks before he could get to the toy. 
                          
"You want the animals?" Tony asked, carrying the boy over with him is as he bent down to pick the toy up. Bringing it over to the playmat the blocks were on, as Pepper had been packed them up from them playing not long before.
                          
At the boy's nod, Tony knelt on the floor and set the boy on his lap. Pepper coming over and sitting herself down on the playmat too. "Oh, animals. Let's see which ones you know, hmm?" Pepper helped Tony take the roof off the ark and empty all the animals onto the mat. 
                          
Peter watched the chunky animals fall out in front of him, leaning over he picked up the first one he liked the look of. 
                          
"That's a kangaroo, sweetie. And baby kangaroos are called Joey's."
                          
"Joey?" Peter asked, jabbing himself in the chest.
                          
This caused both adults to chuckle. "Your not a baby kangaroo, Pete. You're an underoo." Tony poked the boy's belly, causing the said boy to let out a little shriek.
                          
"An uner'roo?" 
                          
Tony nodded. "Yup, you're a special kind of kangaroo. You're Daddy's little underoo." Tony booped the boy's nose, who squeal and squirmed to the point his pacifier fell out of his mouth along with a string of saliva.
                          
"What about this animal? Do you know which one this is?" Pepper asks, picking up a beige and brown coloured animal. 
                          
"Li'an, woor!" Peter made claw-like hands, which might have been a little hard to do considering he still had a hold of the kangaroo. 
                          
Looks like someone might have a favourite animal.
                          
And it only came to be more rightly assumed, as time passed by. They had gone through all the animals and made and the right sounds to the correct animal, all with Peter keeping the kangaroo in tow. Even more so, when it was time to pack the toys away, due to the boy starting to get fussy.
                          
"Peter. It's time to put Mr roo back in the ark, buddy." Peter shook his head and flopped backwards onto the floor. Flailing his legs every which way, and shaking his head. 
                          
"I'll go get his bottle ready, seems like someone needs an n.a.p." Pepper winks, standing up off of the mat and ruffling Tony's hair as she walks by. Peter too into his little hissy fit to notice his Mummy leaving.
                          
Tony waited it out, having seen some caregivers go through this in parks and gatherings he's been a part of. It might have lasted another eight minutes, but Peter seemed to have tired himself out and therefore was willing this time to give his new friend to his Daddy, to put back into the ark with the other animals. Stating in his slurred words, that he didn't want the kangaroo to be away from his friends.
                          
It was cute for the boy to think like that, but Tony wished his kid thought of that before all the fuss. It would have saved an unnecessary tantrum. Though, it wasn't a tantrum. It was more of a disagreement caused by tiredness, and therefore Tony didn't mind sitting on the mat and waiting for his kid to be cooperative. And he'll never think it a burden in the near and far future.
                          
Littles are prone to act out, it's in their nature. And with being a caregiver, it's only right to sit it through with them, be gentle and be there when they want cuddles.
                          
Tony, before he met Peter, didn't see himself becoming a Dad biologically or in the way he is now with Peter. But now, as he rocks Peter side to side feeding the boy a warm bottle of milk. He can see what he would have been missing.
                          
It wasn't only Peter who needed this. It was Tony too. 
                          
To of being someone who had cooped themselves up in the lab all day, forgetting to eat and stay up till the silly hours of the morning. To now being the adoptee of his intern, a classified little. He had changed a lot.
                          
And it was decided, as he set Peter down into the cot. That he wanted to have, and be a part of this forever.