He would never admit it; at least not out loud. If he did he might just mutter it to Banner or Rhodey; they knew enough about him to tell when he was a little on edge. Stark had gotten too intense on his patrols - he couldn't even call himself friendly on the best of days. The closer that Valette got to giving birth the more protective the male became. He took a deep breath around the thick hare he'd caught and headed back towards the family den. The evening was cool but not unbearable and with any luck he'd find @Valette out lounging - or maybe even one of the kids visiting with her. Ears thrust forward to hear any signs of if there was anyone around the male took his time. When inside Easthollow's territory he didn't feel as worked up. There'd been no signs of Birk coming back around and Stark expected that things were considered done in that regard. He wasn't so defensive there anymore. It was just.....all these new worries.

Tambourine had been tiny when he'd come into the picture - maybe only a week old. But this was different. Kavos, Eros, and Prialux had been tiny too but Amara hadn't been the best mother and he'd always suspected that Banner had done more in that regard. The children that he had a hand in raising and had been there for had never been so tiny - Silas, Larkspur, and Pippin had been older even if the things that had happened had shaped their lives for probably forever. Stark didn't want to screw up. This had to be different. He was so scared of what he might do - how easily he could screw up. "Val?" He called out gently as he set the hare down, hoping that if she was resting that he didn't wake her.