Kyra and Tony spent the day feeding Ironman and discussing the school course for Kyra. After they had flown around the city, they settled at Harlem River Park, away from the crowds. Kyra gave him no chance to talk anything Ironman, busying him with literally any other topic of conversation. At the end of the evening, the two took a taxi all the way back to the tower, where Steve was waiting for them.

Tony and Kyra shared the plans with Steve over dinner. Steve didn't have a problem with Kyra moving out. He especially liked the idea of his loved ones taking care of each other. Kyra went home with Steve, but not before having Tony promise to speak with the Columbia university president the next day.

James was having bath time when Steve and Kyra came home. As the boy showed off his favorite toys to his aunt, Kyra animated them so they could play with him. She enjoyed the excitement on her nephew's face as his toys began swimming around and spitting water at him.

Thanks to her, it took James longer than usual to get out of the bath. In repayment for the trouble, Kyra offered to do James' night time routine with him. She put on his pajamas and read him a story, complete with animation.

When James was sound asleep, Kyra put him in his crib and went upstairs to join his parents in the living room.

"Thought he took you down with!" Sharon joked as Kyra sat next to her.

"Almost," she grabbed a piece of chex mix from from Sharon's bowl, "but I got a little left in me."

"So... Steve tells me you're moving out?"

"Mhmm! I've got a dorm on campus!" Kyra winked at Steve as he came from the kitchen with three drinks.

"Columbia University." Steve said as he sat on the other couch.

"Wow! That's serious medical school!"

"Yeah, I got connections."

"I can see that!"

"Hm. Tony's gonna talk to Bollinger tomorrow. Then he's gonna adapt the courses to keep up with me!"

"That's nice of him."

"Being busy about me keeps him distracted from worrying about him. Hey, have you guys noticed something up with Tony?"

Sharon and Steve looked at each other.

"I think the superhero gig's getting to him," Sharon, the SHIELD profiler, said. "Not to mention, his psychological profile wasn't necessarily clean before."

"Yeah, but if anyone's got a plan to save the earth," Steve began as he reached for some chex, "it's Tony Stark. What can't the man do?"

Sharon and Kyra shared a look before they burst out laughing.

"I think you chose the wrong mate, mate!" Steve's girlfriend teased him.

"Hey! I'd go gay for Tony Stark if I were you." His sister saved him.

"Buut... he's taken." Sharon reminded the Starkheads.

Kyra sighed. "Ah... Pepper Potts. Luckiest woman in the world!"

"So, Tony's unavailable. Got a plan b in mind?"

"Uhh... I wish. Can't get nobody to date me on Asgard. What with me being pRiNcEsS or whatever. And down here... not many fish in the sea."

Steve laughed at her reference.

"Oh? What about your friend's brother?"

"Who? Lindsay? Nah. Pacey kissed me once. Didn't like it. Had a crush on Joey... he had a crush on Steve."

Sharon looked to her boyfriend as she realized what Kyra meant.

"Oh."

"Yeah. Oh."

"Soo... T.V?" Steve asked, with the remote already in his hand.

"Ooh! Love is blind?!"

"Tiger king!"

"Ooh! Tiger king."

———

While the Rogers sang praises of their favorite man, across the bridge In Manhattan, Tony Stark was having a rather unpleasant night. Having had a long, productive day out with Kyra, and working on some suits, Tony was tired. Taking a page out of the ''How to Human" handbook, he decided to try out the phenomena known as sleeping.

He shut down production, brushed his teeth, changed into pajamas, and got into bed. He laid awake on his pillow, fingers tapping as he wanted for the Sandman to visit. Sleep came, and he closed his eyes. But that was when the movie began.

Avengers: 2012. Loki. The sky opened. The aliens came. The missile. Pepper.

Pepper!

Tony instantly sat up with that thought, chest heaving, body covered in sweat. The world didn't matter to him as much as Pepper did. Pepper was his world. He couldn't let anything happen to her. He padded down to the lab, deciding there was at least something he could perfect. Something that could protect Pepper better than he could. He entered the lab and clapped his hands on his way to the control center.

"Wakey, wakey. Nap time's over." Tony began as he pulled up his holo schematics. "Let's get back on task."

Tony Stark spent the whole night working late.