He probably wouldn't have had to wait - not until Morgan was grown. Steve, even now, didn't really get Tony's relationship with Pepper. He'd never asked and Tony just -- couldn't find a way to volunteer something like that, particularly when it didn't matter in the now.
But it might. It might matter soon. Because time was something they both felt like there wasn't enough now, and Tony -- Tony was a math guy. He'd always been. If he could add more numbers to the equation than he was going to damn well try and do it.
He laughed a little when Steve told him about Happy -- taking care of Morgan and Pepper when he wasn't there to do it and god, it wasn't a good laugh at all. He shifted, pressing his face into Steve's shoulder. "I know," he said, muffled. Because of course he did. Happy was loyal, an amazing friend. And he was to Morgan what Jarvis had been to him, no doubt. "I never wanted to be an absent father," was all he could think to say because god, it felt so unfair that he'd somehow still end up being his own dad even though he'd tried so fucking hard to be the complete opposite.