Tuesday Night – Chapter Five [Kanon, superhero, Sunfire/Teen Steel, mm]

Title: Tuesday Night
Author: Harper Kingsley
Setting: Kanon-verse
Genre: superhero, mm
WARNING: Some spoilers for “Pulse of the City“

CHAPTER FIVE

Powergirl had been on the phone for most of the morning. She was ever the responsible team leader and she wasn’t going to let anything stop her from following protocol. Seth admired her tenacity as she didn’t lose her temper over the game of phone tag she was playing.

He wondered what kind of holy hell was going to end up crashing on Solar’s head.

Seth gathered up his bowl of soup and crackers and retreated to the comfort of his room. There was nothing he needed to do and he felt safer in his own room. He’d rather not be the handy target for anyone’s frustrations.

He closed the door and settled at his desk. He pushed a stack of books farther away and started eating.

The day had started off crazy and not gotten any better. Everyone was on edge because of the presence of a little baby. He felt weirded out about it too.

He sighed and leaned over to grab the TV remote. He switched on a rerun of *Centrifical*, a cheesy science fiction show that Tony loved to watch. The new season was coming up and Seth had promised to watch it with him. Which meant catching up with the storyline.

He sighed and rolled his eyes. He had it bad.

What was it about Tony that was so amazing? *Everyone* seemed to want the guy. And Seth was no exception.

The first time he met Tony, he’d known he wanted to be the guy’s friend. It had gradually become something more on his part, but with a single glimpse he’d thought: “He will be my best friend.”

And they’d been friends for years and it had never become anything else. Seth liked to pretend he was okay with it. He was a big boy. He could accept bromance without getting pathetic about wanting more.

He sipped his soup and watched the silly sci-fi show. He figured this was going to be the last time things were going to be quiet like this.

Because Solar had left them her baby. *Tony’s* alleged baby.

The idea of it blew Seth’s mind. None of them were exactly the parental type. He was a bit boggled by Solar going through the whole birth before dropping the baby off like she had.

She could have left the baby at a fire station or a hospital. Safe harbor laws would have seen the baby taken in and cared for, no questions asked. Instead she’d dumped the baby on their doorstep like some kind of dare. She had to know Tony was in no way ready for kids, yet she hadn’t given him a phone call or a letter to prepare. She’d left the baby like “Here, Tony, you figure out what to do with this tiny helpless person.”

Seth shook his head. He didn’t think Solar was ever going to make it back onto his list of favorite people. She’d burnt her bridges, then peed on the ashes to make sure.

He wondered how things were going to change for the Teen Demis. Because even if the baby was adopted out to a nice family, there was no doubt that things were going to be different for them all.

Group dynamics were shifting, and he didn’t know if it was going to be for the better.

* * *

“Results are in,” Queen Midnight announced. Tony held his breath. “Henry David is your son, results are 99.97% sure. And he does show markers for the Nor-gene mutation. I’m sorry.”

Tony looked at the baby–his *son*–and scrubbed a shaking hand over his face. “Well, so that happened.”

“Are you freaking out?” Queen Midnight asked.

“I am definitely freaking out, but also kind of not at the same time. I might be in shock, but none of this feels real to me.” He shook his head.

“Give it eighteen years,” Queen Midnight said, cleaning a tray of instruments.

Tony carefully picked up the baby, staring into his face. “Hello, Henry David. I guess I’m your daddy.”

Henry David blew a bubble and Tony gave a half-hysterical laugh. He didn’t know what was going to happen, but it looked like he had a baby to raise. He was responsible for another human life.

Part of him wanted to throw a screaming fit and hunt down Solar to have it out with her. There was a knot of fury growing in his chest. Not because she’d given birth to his baby without telling him or left said baby in the lobby like some package. But because she’d never bothered to get any testing done. She’d relegated Henry David to what very well could be an excruciating death.

The baby made a squeaking-chirp sound and Tony loosened his grip, worried that he’d hurt Henry David, but he was fine. His big brown eyes focused on Tony’s face, and when Tony smiled at him, Henry David smiled back.

Tony had read somewhere that babies were hyper-aware of the moods of people around them. Henry David must have sensed his anger, and if that was the case Tony would have to try harder to control his emotions around the baby. Which meant no thinking about Solar and no getting angry at her, at least when Henry David was in his arms.

“I don’t think I can do this,” he said. “It’s way too much.”

Queen Midnight gave him an unimpressed look. “Save your freakout for later. Henry David needs to be fed and put down for a nap.”

Almost as though he’d understood what she’d said, Henry David made a discontented sound. He kicked his small, socked feet against Tony’s chest.

Tony sighed. “Do we have supplies for him? What all did Solar leave us?”

“Not a whole lot. He’s got enough formula and diapers to *maybe* last him today,” she said.

“Guess I’m calling my aunt and telling her it’s a boy.” Not something he wanted to do, but she was the only one he knew to turn to.

Tony left the lab and returned to the common area to make up a bottle. He found Powergirl having a tense phone conversation that he didn’t want to interrupt. It looked like something important and he had enough on his plate without asking for more.

He carried the baby into the kitchen and dug around until he found the canister of formula and an empty bottle on a shelf next to the refrigerator.

“We will figure this out, yes we will,” he murmured at Henry David, so trusting and small in his arms. “There’s no reason for you to worry.” He thought he should feel ridiculous talking to a baby, but Henry David made a gurgling sound and blew a spit bubble with a big smile.

“Yeah, we’ve got this handled.”

Preparing a bottle with only one free hand was harder than he’d thought it would be. He managed to spill white powder on the counter, but by the end of it all he was able to feed Henry David and he labeled it a success.

He remembered back when his niece was a baby and helping his aunt to care for her, but Alison had been older than Henry David. He’d never seen her so tiny and completely helpless.

“You are incredibly small,” he said. He smiled at the way Henry David gulped at his bottle. “You’re a little pig though, so I guess you’ll be big soon enough.”

Watching the baby feed, he wasn’t sure what to feel. Here was this small baby completely dependent on him, and what did he do? He gave Henry David cursed genes that could see him dying young.

There was a sudden impulse to hide the baby somewhere. As though he could protect Henry David from ever reaching puberty and manifesting. All he needed was three kind fairies to hide Henry David in the woods and fate could be averted.

“You’re my kid. I’ll take care of you,” he whispered, holding the small body close.

Henry David kept sucking at the bottle, blinking his eyes at Tony. He was tiny and helpless, an entire person that fit within Tony’s hands. Anything could hurt him and the only protection he had was Tony.

“I’ll protect you. I promise.”

* * *

Seth wasn’t sure how to handle the baby situation. He couldn’t help thinking that everything was going to turn into a big mess. Because when it came down to it, Solar was made of drama, and she’d dropped the biggest bomb on them she could.

He figured she would wait until everyone bonded with Henry David and he was out of diapers. Then she’d show up and take him back in the most emotionally destructive way possible. She would try to hurt as many people as she could, and she’d succeed.

He knew he was bitter about her, but she’d always struck him as hurtful. She had a history of getting what she wanted and being completely ruthless about it. So her leaving a baby on their doorstep with a note and no apologies was a guaranteed slap across the face.

“Do you want to hold the baby?” Tony asked.

Even though it felt like it could be a mistake, Seth said “Sure” and took the baby. “He’s so light. I could accidentally drop him and not even notice.”

Tony made a face. “Please don’t drop the baby.”

“I’ll try my best,” Seth said. “Hi, little guy. So your name is Henry David, huh? It’s a little pretentious to be that guy with two names, but I guess it’s all right.” He cuddled Henry David against his chest and looked at Tony over the top of his downy head. “Do you know what you’re going to do?”

“No clue. I am not ready to be a dad, yet here he is. I’m freaking out.”

“Well, it doesn’t show too badly. You’re a little white around the eyes, but that’s it.” Henry David squirmed and gave a fussing cry. Seth wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. Little hands pushed against his chest and onesie covered legs kicked fruitlessly.

“Oh, hold him a minute,” Tony said. “I’ve gotta make his bottle. The dude’s a little pig.”

“So, he’s basically just like you?”

“Shut up.” Tony stood from the couch and went into the kitchen. Seth could see him setting the kettle on the stove and opening cupboards.

He stared into Henry David’s face. The baby went still for a moment, wide eyes focusing on his as though hypnotized. “You know what, you’re actually pretty cute.” Seth brushed a finger over one petal soft cheek.

Henry David fussed and kicked his feet, his fingers making little grabby motions. Seth stuck his finger against Henry David’s right palm, and the baby grabbed it as tight as he could. “You’re strong too. Just like you’re daddy.”

“Did you say something?” Tony came back in the room with a bottle in his hand and a towel over his arm.

Seth passed over the baby once Tony sat on the couch. “He’s got a good grip. He might have superstrength someday.”

Tony looked haunted for some reason. “Ah.” He stuck the nipple in Henry David’s mouth and the baby clamped on and started gulping loudly. “Geez, he’s really going to town. He might choke. Do you think I should take it away?”

“I don’t know.” Seth shrugged. “Make sure you burp him good and he’ll probably be okay.” After watching the baby drink for a moment, he leaned forward to reach the game console under the coffee table and started a video game.

Tony maneuvered Henry David into the crook of his arm and took his own controller for a half-hearted one handed game. “I don’t really know what I’m doing here.”

Seth stared forward at the screen. His guy was expertly clearing the room. “Who does? We’ll get some books and we have the Internet. Unless you’re thinking about giving him up?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Seth saw the way Tony tightened his grip on the baby, letting up when Henry David wriggled. “No. He’s family. My *son*. I wasn’t expecting it, but he’s here now. Besides, Solar said in her note that she would be coming back for him.”

Seth rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t hold out for that happening any time soon.”

“Yeah.”

“We should concentrate on what’s happening right now.”

“We?” Tony asked.

“Unless you don’t want my help?”

Tony shook his head and waved his controller. “No, no. Help away, please. You will earn my eternal gratitude.”

“Whatever. As I was saying, you’re going to need a place for him to sleep, baby food, diapers, a real baby doctor, all that stuff.”

“I have the money,” Tony said. “I don’t spend much of my pay, and food and board are covered while I’m on call.” They each had a room in the Demi Lair and the food budget was handled by Powergirl and Overwatch.

“But you can’t be on call all the time anymore,” Seth said, “not if you’ve got a kid depending on you.”

“I know. I already tried calling my aunt, but she didn’t answer. I left a message.”

“You think she’d going to want to take care of a baby?”

“She’ll grumble, but I know she’ll help me out. I’m not going to ask her to raise him or anything. She’s too old to be taking on anymore kids. I think she’s enjoying her freedom.”

“I’ll bet. So you have to find a nanny or something.”

“Yeah, though I have a little while. Powergirl talked them around and I’ve been put on parental leave. I’ve got eight weeks to get everything handled.”

Seth whistled. “Whoa, that was nice of them. What are you going to do with all your spare time?”

“Lose my mind,” Tony joked. He dropped his controller and pulled the empty bottle away from Henry David. He spread the towel over his leg and lay the baby over his arm, patting his back. “At least they’re letting me stay in the Lair. I’ll be running support.” Which meant he would be the voice on the coms. Seth tried not to imagine the intimacy of Tony’s voice speaking right in his ear.

“Well, that’s good. At least you’ll still be drawing pay,” Seth said.

“Right? I was scared they were going to boot me out with a starving baby and nowhere to go.”

“Please. If it came down to it, I’d hide you two in my room and I know the others would help. Teen Demis stick together.”

Tony nudged Seth’s knee with his socked foot. “Thanks, man. You’re my best friend.”

Seth hoped he wasn’t blushing. “Yeah, well, you know.” He was happy to hear the words and finished the level alone in a rosy silence broken briefly by the sound of Henry David burping and Tony’s responding laughter.

He kept his eyes focused on the screen, a smile wanting to take over his face. It was stupid to be so happy, but there it was.

/CHAPTER

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