In Orion's room, watching him play with his toys, Tony felt a strange peace within himself. Just a few days ago, his life had consisted of work, technology, and the occasional party. But now... now he was the father of a little boy.
And the strange thing was - the thought no longer scared him.
At first, the concept of "raising a child" had been as foreign to Tony as solving a technical problem. But now, as he watched Orion grow, he no longer saw it as something to be solved with formulas and calculations.
It was a process driven purely by instinct.
Now it was clear what he had to do: make Orion truly understand the concept of Father. And the best way to do that was through father-son activities.
Tony leaned back in his chair and winked at Orion. "All right, little fireball. Today is a special training day. I'm going to teach you something."
Orion looked up curiously, his eyes wide. "Learn?"
Tony grinned. "That's right. But this lesson won't be boring. It's going to be fun!"
Orion clapped his hands excitedly. "E-fun!"
Tony was amazed at how quickly Orion was learning. But now he had to teach him the basic things a child should learn.
"Okay, come on. First we'll have a father-son breakfast."
Orion tilted his head to the side. "Father-son breakfast?"
"Exactly. It's a very special ritual we do together every morning. And today I will teach you one of the most important skills in the world: How to make pancakes!"
Orion didn't understand the word, but seeing Tony's excitement, he was excited too.
Tony took him into the kitchen and put a small stool on the counter. When Orion got on the stool and stood next to Tony, he felt like he was in charge of the kitchen.
"Okay, listen, little man. The kitchen is a magical place. You can do anything here. But most importantly... you can make breakfast."
Orion marveled at Tony's words. "Create?"
"Exactly. Now look at me closely." Tony picked up an egg, held it up and spoke. "This is an egg. Now I'm going to crack it in the bowl..."
Crack!
Tony cracked the egg and the yolk fell into the bowl.
Orion's eyes widened. "Wow!"
Tony laughed. "See? It's like science, but tastier."
Orion nodded and held out his hand. "Ben! Ben!"
"Okay, okay. Come on, crack one."
Tony handed him an egg. Orion held it in his palm and tapped excitedly on the bowl.
Crack!
But the result was not what he wanted. He squeezed the egg a little too hard and the shells flew everywhere.
Orion looked at Tony with wide eyes. "Sorry..."
Tony laughed. "Don't be sad about it! We suffered losses in the first pancake battle, but the important thing is not to give up!"
Orion joined in Tony's laughter and picked up another egg. This time he was more careful.
In a few minutes they had the batter ready. With Tony's help, Orion used a small ladle to pour the pancake batter into the frying pan. A few minutes later, the smell of pancakes filled the kitchen.
Tony rubbed some flour lightly on Orion's nose. "That's it! You've become a real cook!"
Orion laughed and tried to rub flour on Tony's cheek with his little finger.
Father-son breakfasts would become a tradition in the Stark home.
After breakfast, Tony decided to take Orion outside. The boy had been shuttling back and forth between the lab and home, and Tony wanted him to explore the real world.
He dressed Orion tightly and took him to the nearest park. To hide Orion's abnormal looking golden eyes and red hair, he used a homemade lens and a purchased hat.
At the park, the first thing that caught Orion's attention was... the swing.
Orion watched in fascination as the other children climbed on and off the swing. Then he turned his wide eyes to Tony. "Ben? Ben?"
Tony grinned. "Of course. Come on, sit down here."
Orion sat down on the swing with Tony's help. Tony pushed him gently.
Orion's eyes widened at first. But then... he started to laugh.
"Higher! Higher!"
Tony laughed. "Come on, the rocket's getting ready to take off!"
He accelerated a little more, but was still careful. Orion's laughter warmed Tony's heart.
Then Orion headed for the sandbox. Tony crouched down and showed him how to make a sandcastle.
"Look, if we put more sand here, it will be stronger."
Orion immediately imitated him and began to pile up the sand with great care.
"Dad! Strong!"
Tony winked slightly, "Exactly. We Starks make strong things."
When evening came, he put Orion to bed and sat by his side. The little boy was still energetic, but Tony told him it was time for bed.
"So, do you know what we do before we go to sleep?"
Orion blinked his eyes. "What?"
"Story time!"
Orion sat up excitedly. "Story time!"
Tony picked up a book and opened it, then stopped. The story in the book didn't interest him.
Then he smiled. "I'm going to tell you a story, but with a real hero."
Orion stirred excitedly in the bed. "Who? Who?"
Tony lightly ruffled Orion's hair. "You."
Orion's face lit up.
"A long time ago there was a mighty hero named Orion. He was no ordinary man. He was special. He was small, but the light within him was so great. And one day he would learn to use that light. But most of all, he would always know that someone was there for him. Someone who loved him, who taught him... and who would never leave him".
Orion lifted his head and looked at Tony with great curiosity. "Who?"
Tony smiled slightly. "His father."
A smile appeared on Orion's face.
"Dad... here?"
Tony took Orion's small hand. "Always, little fireball. Always."
Orion closed his eyes happily and Tony felt warm inside as he listened to his steady breathing.
Being a father... he really understood that now.
It wasn't just about raising a child.
It was about giving him trust. It was about preparing him for life. And most of all... making him feel that he was never alone.
Tony smiled.
Orion Stark was growing up. And for the first time in his life, Tony Stark felt like a part of something.
Today's experiences had also opened a wound in Tony's heart. He wondered why his father didn't do activities like this with him. Howard had never given a day of his life to his son.
Tony promised himself that he wouldn't be like Howard Stark. He wouldn't make the same mistakes.
If you want to support me patreon com Talamo