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If someone told Tony Stark that he had unresolved father issues, he’d probably respond, “Yeah? Who doesn’t?”
And Tony would be genuinely curious with that question, because as far as he knows, no one has a perfect father. All fathers are awful; that’s why mothers provide the most nurture and support. Fathers only exist to discipline and berate, to ridicule and undermine every single thing you do.
You’d be hard-pressed to get Tony Stark to admit he wishes Howard had been more of a father.
Still, it’s apparent in the way Tony looked up to Obadiah, and how wrecked he was emotionally after his death.
It’s apparent in the way Tony grows attached to Rhodey, searching desperately for that best friend a boy is supposed to have in his father.
It’s apparent in the way Tony reacts childishly to Fury when told what to do or how to behave, rebelling against the one person showing him any form of discipline.
Tony won’t admit it to himself or anyone else, but he needs someone to tell him what to do. He needs someone who will show him how to do things and praise him for a good performance. As much as he hates authority, Tony loves the men who appear in such fashions.
Tony also loves Bruce.
He loves how Bruce is calm and patient, taking his time to show Tony how to properly bandage his hand after a lab accident.
“You need to be more careful, Tony,” Bruce scolds, brow furrowed. “What if I weren’t here? You’d have a nasty chemical burn on your hands. You should know better than to work with corrosive chemicals without proper protection.”
“Yeah, I know,” Tony says quietly, fighting the smile he’s trying to hide. It excites him that Bruce cares so much, cares enough to be upset.
“No, Tony, I don’t think you do. You went to MIT and yet you’re handling hydrochloric acid with your bare hands, not even tongs.”
“Look, I’m sorry, okay?” Tony snaps.
“Don’t apologize to me. I’m not the one with burns on my hands.” Bruce exhales through his nose and folds his glasses up. “Just be more mindful in the future.”
“Thanks for the tip, Carol.”
“Carol?”
“The woman who didn’t wear her safety goggles and now she doesn’t need them?”
Bruce bursts out in laughter, and Tony grins proudly. It feels good to hear Bruce laugh at one of his jokes.
“Let’s just hope you don’t end up like her,” Bruce squeezes Tony’s arm gently and begins putting away the first aid kit. Tony watches with admiration and affection; Bruce is everything he could ask for. Bruce is kind, yet stern; serious, but not without a good sense of humor. He’s always teaching Tony something new, and not just in the areas of science, but in life. Bruce imparts the knowledge and wisdom Tony wishes someone had given him as a teenager. Maybe then he wouldn’t have made as many mistakes as he has in his life.
And Bruce doesn’t judge him. Bruce listens when Tony goes on verbal tirades, pacing around the room vehemently spewing his thoughts and feeling out into the open. When Tony tires himself out, Bruce holds him until he calms down and his breathing returns to normal.
“You’re not a bad person, Tony. You’re a good person who has made a lot of bad decisions,” Bruce says one night, and to Tony’s embarrassment, he cries.
He’s held in his guilt for so long that it feels good to almost be absolved of his sins.
When he and Bruce decide to have sex one night, Tony makes a bold request.
“I want to call you ‘daddy,’” Tony purrs into Bruce’s ear as they take off their clothes.
Bruce almost growls and grabs Tony by the hips to pull him flush against his body. “Do it, then.”
Tony shivers as Bruce’s hands cup the flesh of his ass and whispers into Bruce’s mouth, “Daddy.”
Bruce pulls away and bends Tony over the bed, yanking his pants off roughly. Tony smiles into the comforter at the forcefulness of Bruce’s actions. This is exactly what he wanted, exactly how he had planned.
“You should know better than to talk back to adults, Tony,” Bruce orders, smacking Tony’s ass, hard. Tony jumps and cries out, digging his nails into the comforter to brace himself.
“And this is for disregarding Director Fury’s orders last week.” Another hard slap.
“This is for ignoring Rhodey’s calls and making me have to take them, then track you down and respond!” Bruce shouts, and lands three sharp hits against Tony’s reddening bottom.
Tony bites into his lip in pain and arousal, arching back for more contact. He wants to be punished; he deserves it.
Bruce rubs a gentle hand over the tender cheeks, and presses a kiss to Tony’s lower back. “You’ve been misbehaving a lot, Tony, but I think the issue is that no one’s really showed you any attention.” Bruce’s fingers slide between Tony’s legs to wrap around his cock and jerk slowly. Tony gasps and bucks forward in anticipation. Bruce holds him still, then flips him over on his back.
“You need to learn patience,” Bruce murmurs. “You’re far too eager, like the spoilt child you are.” He pulls Tony into a sitting position and lets a finger trace across the bottom of Tony’s lip. Tony sticks out his tongue to taste Bruce’s thumb, but Bruce pops him on the cheek.
“What did I just say about being eager?” Bruce scolds, and it fills Tony with a deep warmth.
He looks down and apologizes quietly. “Sorry, daddy.”
Bruce’s gaze softens as he smiles, and he guides his cock to Tony’s slightly parted lips. Slowly, Tony licks at the tip before taking the head into his mouth and sucking lightly. Taking Bruce’s breathy moans as encouragement, Tony moves his head lower, taking in more of Bruce’s cock. He lets his tongue drag up the bottom of the shaft as he sucks, nearly gagging from the action. Bruce’s hand cups the base of his head firmly, guiding Tony’s actions along.
“Good boy, you’re doing such a great job,” Bruce whispers, eyes closed and head tilted back.
Tony squeezes his eyes shut and focuses on his actions. He wants to hear those words of praise return, so he wraps a hand around the base and bobs his head quickly, sucking and slurping at a faster pace. Bruce’s legs give a slight shiver, and his fingers grip Tony’s neck tightly.
“Yes, that’s it. You’re so good at this, Tony. You’ve got a great mouth. You make daddy so proud…” Bruce trails off as he holds Tony down on his cock and comes silently, body jerking slightly at each pulse of semen.
Tony struggles to breathe, swallowing and making hiccupping noises around Bruce’s dick before he’s allowed to pull away. Eyes still closed, Tony doesn’t register the feel of Bruce’s hands wiping the tears streaming down his face.
“Oh Tony,” Bruce says quietly, and he sits on the bed next to him wrapping him in a tight embrace as Tony cries. “It’s okay, Tony, you’re not broken. Nothing is wrong,” Bruce consoles, rubbing the back of Tony’s shoulders.
Tony succumbs to the soothing sensations and his crying lessens in intensity. Bruce is everything he wants and needs, everything perfect and wonderful.
Bruce is more than he could ever ask for in a father.