Grandpa Tony
The soft glow of the evening lights filled the small apartment as Harry crouched down in front of Teddy, fixing the collar of his little button-up shirt.
Teddy, ever curious, squirmed slightly under his father’s attention, his wide eyes watching Harry carefully.
“Alright, Teddy,” Harry said, smoothing down the fabric.
“We’re going to have dinner with someone important today.”
He took a deep breath before saying, “We’re going to meet your grandfather.”
Teddy’s face scrunched up in confusion. “I have a grandpa other than grandpa Art?”
Harry’s heart clenched. He should’ve told Teddy about Tony sooner, but it had never felt like the right time.
And a part of him—the wary, battle-hardened part—had never fully believed this meeting would happen.
“You do,” he said softly. “His name is Tony Stark.”
Teddy’s little mouth formed an ‘O.’ “Like on TV?”
Harry chuckled. “Yeah, like on TV.”
Teddy’s eyes sparkled. “Does that mean I get to see the Iron Man suit?”
“We’ll see,” Harry said, ruffling Teddy’s soft curls. “But remember, we’re not there for the suit. We’re there to meet him. To see if he’s… someone we can trust.”
Teddy nodded seriously, though his excitement was still evident. “Okay, Daddy.” Then he beamed. “I get a grandpa!”
Harry’s heart twisted again—half warmth, half ache. “Yeah, kiddo. You do.”
Tony Stark was not nervous. He didn’t do nervous.
…But as he stood in the dining area, waiting for the elevator doors to open, he was feeling something suspiciously close to it.
And then, with a soft ding, they arrived.
Harry stepped out first, moving with his usual refined grace, his sharp green eyes sweeping the room like he was assessing for threats.
(Tony was already there, standing near the table, watching them with something caught between excitement and restraint—just waiting.
That was… unexpected. And appreciated.)
And beside him, clutching his father’s shoulders, was a little boy with black hair and wide, curious green eyes.
Tony felt his heart stop for a second.
Teddy was tiny, dressed in an outfit that clearly had been picked with care.
God. This was Harry’s son. His grandson.
Tony swallowed hard and forced himself to move forward, putting on his best easy-going smile. “Well, well. You must be Teddy.”
Teddy spotted him immediately.
Then—
He gasped. Loudly.
Tony blinked. “Uh—”
Teddy wriggled in Harry’s arms.
“DOWN, DADDY! DOWN!”
Harry sighed. “Teddy, calm down—”
But it was too late.
As soon as Harry set him down, Teddy sprinted toward Tony.
Teddy grinned and stepped forward, staring up at Tony with wide, fascinated eyes. “Are you really Iron Man?”
Tony crouched slightly to meet him at eye level. “The one and only.”
He tapped his chest where the arc reactor glowed faintly under his shirt.
Tiny arms latched onto his leg.
Tony froze.
Teddy beamed up at him.
“YOU’RE SHINY.”
Harry pinched the bridge of his nose.
Tony snorted. “Shiny, huh?”
Teddy nodded furiously.
“Very shiny.”
Then, more seriously—
“Are you a wizard too?”
Harry sighed. “Teddy, we talked about this.”
Teddy blinked.
“Oh! Right!”
He turned back to Tony, grinning.
Then-
Teddy hesitated only for a moment before looking up at Tony with wide eyes. “Hi, Grandpa.”
Tony visibly faltered. Just for a second. Then his face broke into a grin.
“Well, I gotta say, kid, I think I can get used to it.”
Teddy giggled. “Daddy said you’re Tony Stark. That means you build really cool things.”
Tony grinned.“Guilty as charged.”
Then, lowering his voice playfully, he added, “Do you like gadgets?.”
Teddy gasped, eyes lighting up. “I love gadgets! Daddy lets me play with some, but only the safe ones.”
Harry rolled his eyes but didn’t argue.
Tony chuckled, ruffling Teddy’s dark hair. “Well, kid, I think you and I are gonna get along just fine.”
Teddy beamed. And Harry—who had been watching quietly—felt something in his chest loosen.
This was good.
Dinner was surprisingly smooth.
Tony, to his credit, kept the conversation light—talking about silly inventions, stories from work, and the occasional sarcastic remark that made Teddy giggle and Harry smirk.
Teddy, for his part, was completely at ease now, happily chatting away and answering Tony’s questions with the kind of unfiltered honesty only a child could manage.
Teddy, happily ate his food, then turned to Tony with bright eyes. “Grandpa, do you build robots?”
Tony grinned. “Do I build robots? Kid, you have no idea.”
For the next several minutes, Tony told a heavily sanitized version of some of his projects, much to Teddy’s delight.
“Well, if you like tech, maybe we can build something cool together sometime.”
Teddy gasped dramatically, turning to Harry. “Did you hear that, Daddy? Grandpa said we can build stuff together!”
Harry chuckled, a soft, indulgent smile on his face. “I heard, Teddy.”
(It was strange. And unfamiliar.
But not bad.
Not bad at all.)
Tony’s heart both melted and shattered at the same time.
He hadn’t even done anything yet, but this little kid was already excited to have a grandpa from the moment he met him.
Tony forced himself to push that thought aside, instead reaching out to ruffle Teddy’s hair.
“Well, kid,” Tony said, “if you think that’s cool, wait till you see what I’ve got for dessert.”
Teddy’s face lit up. “Chocolate?”
“The best,” Tony promised.
As Teddy cheered, bouncing in place, Tony glanced at Harry.
The young man was watching them, his expression softer than usual, something warm in his eyes.
And for the first time, Tony felt like maybe, just maybe, this could be the start of something real.
(A Family)
Dinner had settled into an easy rhythm, the kind Tony hadn’t expected but welcomed.
Tony found himself fascinated by the dynamic between Harry and Teddy.
Harry was effortlessly in tune with his son, from cutting his food without prompting to nudging his cup closer when he got too caught up in conversation.
It was so natural that it made Tony’s heart ache—because it was obvious Harry had been doing this alone.
For someone who had practically no online footprint and was a walking enigma, Harry was surprisingly… normal.
Scratch that. Grounded.
Harry had an air of refined ease, even in casual conversation, as if he was used to navigating interactions with careful precision.
There was a sharpness in his gaze, a weight to his words, and yet—it wasn’t arrogance. Just controlled.
Tony recognized it for what it was: wariness.
But even with that, Harry wasn’t shutting him out. He wasn’t bolting.
That had to count for something.
So, he didn’t push. He wanted Harry to be comfortable. So he kept things light.
“So, kid—” Tony gestured with his fork, “—what do you like?”
Harry raised an eyebrow. “That’s a broad question.”
“Alright, I’ll narrow it down. Movies?”
Harry hummed. “I don’t watch much television, but I have a soft spot for classics.”
“Please don’t say Casablanca.”
Harry smirked. “It’s a good film.”
Tony groaned dramatically. “You do have old man taste.”
“Daddy likes old stuff,” Teddy chimed in, kicking his legs under the table. “He listens to music from forever ago.”
Tony perked up. “Oh? What’s your dad’s guilty pleasure music?”
Teddy giggled. “He sings in the kitchen when he thinks I’m asleep. Sometimes old songs. Sometimes lullabies.”
Harry shot his son a flat look.
Tony, meanwhile, was grinning like Christmas came early.
“So,” he said, leaning forward with interest. “Are we talking ‘embarrassing boy band’ levels of guilty pleasure, or are we in full ‘80s rock ballad’ territory?”
Harry took a slow sip of water. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Yes,” Tony deadpanned. “I would.”
Harry just smirked and said nothing.
Tony groaned, but his eyes were bright with amusement. “Fine, be mysterious.” He pointed his fork at him. “But one day, I will catch you singing, and I will record it.”
Teddy gasped. “Me too!”
Harry sighed dramatically. “I’m surrounded by traitors.”
Teddy giggled and reached for more bread, humming happily.
Tony smiled, but after a beat, his voice softened. “What else?”
Harry blinked. “What else?”
Tony shrugged. “What else do you like? Hobbies? Stuff that’s not work?”
"People watching".
(It saved his life more than he can count.
Though it's related to work too-sometimes.
He can't say quidditch or that he likes flying)
" Now I'm getting spy feelings from you again ".
Harry chuckled."I'm really not a spy".
"What about you?, what are your hobbies, other than inventing."
"I like flying "
(Isn't that familiar)
Harry’s gaze met his, and for the first time, there was something open there.
(Maybe… maybe this wasn’t impossible).
Teddy, bounced in his seat. “Can we fly together someday, Grandpa?”
Tony grinned. “You bet, kid.”
Teddy beamed, and Harry—watching the exchange—let himself relax just a little more.
Little steps.
“So, kid—” Tony took another bite of his food, then waved his fork vaguely. “What were your favorite subjects in school?”
Harry considered that for a moment. “Defense. Physics. Chemistry. Biology.Math and coding”
“Alright,” Tony mused. “Defense—makes sense, given your line of work.”
Harry inclined his head in agreement.
"Yes, it's indeed helpful, lifesaver even"
(Understatement)
Still, he couldn’t help teasing a little. “Let me guess, you were the kid who sat in the back of the class, looking bored but acing every test?”
Harry smirked. “Something like that.”
Teddy perked up. “Daddy’s really smart. He finished school super early!”
Tony’s gaze flickered to Harry. “Yeah, I heard. Fifteen, huh?”
"yes, I finished early because I had to raise teddy."
Tony wanted to say something but didn't know what.
His chest ached again.
So. didn't comment on it.
Instead, he leaned toward Teddy. “Alright, kid, important question—does your dad have any embarrassing stories from school?”
Teddy’s eyes widened, he turned to Tony, grinning. “He does! Dad once smuggled a dra-endangered reptile out of his school to safety at night and got detention for sneaking because he was clumsy after handing the reptile to a reptile care giver, none of the teachers knew why he actually snuck out.”
( An endangered reptile??!!!
What the hell?!
He expected parties or girlfriends or friends teasing or getting drunk and embarrassing himself.
Not this!
Smuggling??
In the middle of the night?
Teachers only caught after?!
Again. What the hell.!?!
Tony really wants to ask what is a reptile doing in a school because unless it's a lizard kind of reptile any other reptiles are dangerous, poisonous or not.
And where teachers are so irresponsible)
Harry sighed. “You two are a dangerous combination.”
Teddy giggled.
Tony smirked. “I like this kid.”
Harry rolled his eyes but didn’t argue.
Then casually-"But a reptile?"
Harry hummed."It was a Lizard".
Tony let out a breath of relief.
(Only if Tony knew that it was a dragon kind of lizard )
As dinner went on, Tony found himself watching Harry more.
There were moments—small, fleeting cracks in the carefully controlled exterior.
The way his posture subtly eased when Teddy laughed.
The way he was listening—not just being polite, but actually listening to Tony’s Stories.
It was hopeful.
And that was enough for now.
As they finished eating, Tony leaned back, watching Harry thoughtfully. “This was nice. We should do it again.”
Harry with a small smile, said, “Yeah. We should.”
Tony grinned.
(And just like that, the door wasn’t just open—it was staying open. If Tony has anything to say about it.)
The dinner was a success.