When Magic Meets Iron

Harry woke up with a scream in his throat not even a an hour later.

He quickly took in his surroundings and his kids before giving a sigh of relief.

Peter who came in to check on Harry was surprised that Harry is already awake.

"You were exhausted, why don't you sleep a bit more."

"No. It's fine, I won't be going back to sleep anytime soon. Where is Tony?".

"In the living room?, You have quite the place here. I mean it's amazing."

Harry chuckled."Then let's go there."

Peter looked at Harry in concern because he is not looking any better. But doesn't say anything.

After all they all collectively decided to not push him and to help him however they can.

Now that Harry is safe with them even if a bit exhausted, they can wait until Harry is ready.

(If Harry was surprised with lack of questions when they reached the living room, he didn't say anything.

In fact Harry is glad there are no questions, he's too tired.)

Harry brought his kids down after waking them up to eat something.

They had brunch together in silence with only Teddy talking and Delphi babbling with other's occasionally giving response.

There was a point where Delphi called Harry 'Dada' and Harry just smiled, cleaned her face with a napkin and kissed her forehead. Harry had his proud dad™ face at the fact that Delphine is a genius.

(Because She was able to recognise him after spending only a week with him.)

It was adorable.

Tony watched as his son took care of his grandkids and shook his head.

(Bloody Hell!! Grandkids. Not Kid. But Kids with an S.

He quickly pushed the incoming panic again.)

Tony doesn't know what to think about his son adopting two kids as his own.

(Because It's one thing for them to be his biological kids and another to adopt them when he is a kid himself.

Tony cannot imagine him doing this himself.

Harry is better than him.)

He has a million questions.

But if there is one thing he's good at —it's rolling with the punches other than science. 

So for now he accepted that he's a grandfather of two instead of one and that his kid adopted another baby because he doesn't want the baby to suffer.

(Isn't that a kicker)

They decide to go back New York.

The moment they stepped into Stark Tower, Harry's exhaustion was a weight pressing down on him.

He barely had the energy to stand, let alone deal with whatever came next.

Then he saw him.

Steve Rogers.

Before anyone could react, Harry swiftly shoved Teddy into Tony’s arms and, without hesitation, Delphine into Peter’s hold.

Then he swung.

His fist connected hard with Steve’s jaw, sending the super-soldier stumbling back in shock.

"What the hell?!" Sam shouted, stepping forward on instinct but stopping dead at the look on Harry’s face.

Steve, recovering quickly, touched his jaw in disbelief. "Kid, what the hell was that for?"

"You’re lucky I’m tired," Harry muttered darkly, shaking out his hand before glaring up at him. "Because if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have stopped at just one punch."

Steve’s expression shifted into wary confusion. "Why?"

Harry’s sharp green eyes flicked toward Tony—still holding Teddy, frozen in place—before snapping back to Steve.

"Tony."

The weight of that single name dropped over the room like a hammer.

Harry’s grip on his anger tightened as he stepped closer, his voice cold as steel. "You left him to die. You left my person to die in that damn bunker, and you think you get to stand here like nothing happened?"

Silence.

Steve looked at Tony, as if expecting him to deny it, to brush it off, to—something. But Tony…

Tony said nothing.

For the first time in a long time, Tony Stark was completely, utterly speechless.

Harry exhaled sharply, reaching out to pluck Delphine from Peter’s arms, shifting her effortlessly onto his hip while holding Teddy close with the other.

His voice, while quieter, held no less weight.

"Don’t touch him again," he warned. "You don’t want to find out what happens if you do."

Then, without waiting for a response, Harry turned on his heel and walked away, one child in each arm, his exhaustion heavier than ever.

He stood at the door just out of sight of steve and sam, clearly waiting for them to finish.

Silence stretched in the aftermath, thick and suffocating.

Tony, for once, wasn’t hiding behind a quip. He looked at the door where Harry had walked out, his expression unreadable. But there was something raw in his eyes—something vulnerable

Steve rubbed his jaw again, still stunned. "Okay—who the hell was that?"

Sam, arms crossed, looked between Tony and Peter. "Seriously. That kid just threw a punch like it was personal. And from the way he talked, it was."

Peter grinned.

"Yeah, uh, that was Harry," he said proudly. "My Harry." Then, after a beat: "I mean—not like mine mine, but like ours. Mostly Tony’s—not in that way—"

Tony groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Jesus, Parker."

Peter cleared his throat. "What I meant to say is—he's Tony’s new intern!" He gestured dramatically. "Yep! Totally an intern. The best intern."

Tony blinked at him, mouth opening like he wanted to protest, then—

Honestly? He liked this intern cover story.  

It kept Harry’s past his to share (or not). It let him keep his secrets. And most importantly?  

It meant Harry stayed.  

“Well,” Tony said, clapping his hands. “You heard him, Capsicle. He’s my intern. That means he’s under me, and you don’t get to question him.” 

Steve and Sam, however, were still looking at them like they were being pranked.

"Intern?" Sam repeated skeptically.

"Yeah!" Peter nodded aggressively. 

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Kid just threatened Cap like a mob boss in a courtroom drama, and you expect me to believe he's an intern?"

"He's very passionate about his work," Peter quipped.

Tony swallowed, looking away for a beat

"It doesn’t matter what you believe, Cap." His voice was quiet but steady.

"He’s mine. That’s all you need to know."

That hit Steve in a way he wasn’t expecting.

Peter saw it too, and it pissed him off.

Because Harry wasn’t just Tony’s intern.

He was more.

He was family.

And Steve Rogers left Tony behind.

Before anyone could process it, Peter scowled.

Because hell no, Steve Rogers didn’t get to look sad about this.

Not if what Harry said is true.

Not if that is what happened in Berlin.

So Peter did what any rational teenage superhero would do, Peter balled his fist—channeling all of his frustration—he reared back and punched Steve in the face.

Again.

Steve barely had time to react before Sam yanked Peter back. " WHAT THE HELL MAN—"

"That was for Harry!" Peter declared dramatically, shaking out his hand. "And for Tony. And for justice!"

"Jesus, Parker," Tony groaned, but he wasn’t even mad. He actually looked a little proud and a bit emotional.

Steve, now thoroughly baffled and nursing his jaw, turned to Tony. "Who is this kid?"

Tony just smirked. "My intern."

Peter just shook out his hand dramatically, blowing on his knuckles.

"Huh. No wonder Harry went for the jaw. Super-soldier skulls are annoyingly solid."

Rhodey looked half-amused, half-exasperated. "Yeah, that’s usually how it works."

Steve, stunned beyond words, just stared at Peter, then at Tony, then back at the door where Harry had left.

Tony, for his part, grinned. And followed after Harry. With everyone following after him.

Tony Stark had seen a lot of things in his life. Alien invasions, killer robots.

But watching a sleep-deprived, barely sixteen-year-old kid punch Captain America in the face?

That one was going in the hall of fame.

It had happened so fast. One second, Harry had marched into the tower, dumped his kids into Tony and Peter’s arms, and the next—BAM!—America’s Golden Boy was eating his own teeth.

And then Peter, because of course Peter, had punched him again.

Tony would’ve been concerned if he wasn’t so… overwhelmed.

Because, really, what the hell was he supposed to do with the fact that a kid he’d only known for a short while—one who was already carrying way too much on his shoulders—had just straight-up decked Captain America in his honor?

And Peter— His intern-slash-little menace, who had idolized Steve Rogers since he was five?

Tony had expected questions. He had expected Peter to be conflicted.

He had not expected his dumbass intern to throw a punch and then glare at Steve like he personally invented war crimes.

Tony had never been prouder.

And yet, at the same time, his chest ached in a way he didn’t know how to process.

Because for all his bravado, for all his carefully crafted masks—his arrogance, his wit, his charm—there had always been this quiet, lonely part of him that just wanted someone to choose him.

And Harry had.

Peter had.

No hesitation, no second thoughts. Just—my person is in trouble, time to throw hands.

Tony swallowed hard, forcing himself to smirk, to act like this wasn’t completely undoing him. “Well, that’s one way to make an entrance, kid. You plan on hitting anyone else today, or are we good?”

Harry, just gave him a tired look. “That depends. Anyone else planning to betray you and leave you for dead?”

Steve flinched.

Tony’s smirk widened, but inside? Inside, something cracked.

Because damn.

This kid—this too-young, too-exhausted, too-big-hearted kid—had just laid everything out for him, crystal clear.

Tony mattered.

He mattered enough for Harry to throw a punch.

He mattered enough for Peter to follow suit.

And for the first time in a long time, Tony Stark didn’t feel so alone.

“What the hell, man?” Sam finally burst out, breaking the stunned silence after following them into a hallway. “You can’t just walk in here and deck Captain America!”

Peter scoffed. “I did.”

Tony snorted. His kid—well, one of them—was getting real bold lately.

He kinda loved it.

Meanwhile, Steve—who was still rubbing his jaw—finally found his voice. “Who the hell are you?”

Harry, who was now gently adjusting Delphine in his arms while keeping Teddy close, looked unimpressed. “Someone who gives a damn about Tony Stark.”

Another blow.

Tony felt like he was being punched again, only this time it was hitting somewhere deeper. Somewhere he didn’t let people reach.

Steve’s eyes narrowed. “That’s not an answer.”

Harry tilted his head, studying him. “No, I suppose it isn’t.”

God, the kid had an attitude. Tony should probably be concerned about how fond that made him.

Sam stepped forward, still looking way too confused. “You—” He pointed at Harry. “—randomly walk in here, punch Steve in the face, and drop some cryptic ‘do-not-touch-him’ threat, and we’re all just supposed to accept that?”

“Yes,” Peter and Harry said at the same time.

Tony swore he could feel Steve’s blood pressure spike.

Steve scowled, but before he could protest, Peter took one last look at his not-so-former hero, wound back his fist, and—

Punched him again.

Tony cackled.

Sam sighed. “Oh, come on.”

“Consider that one from me,” Peter quipped, shaking out his hand.

And with that, Tony turned on his heel, slinging an arm around Peter’s shoulders. “Alright, minions, let’s go home.”

Harry, now balancing two toddlers, followed without a word.

And Steve Rogers?

For the first time in a long time, he realized Tony Stark wasn’t as alone as he thought.

Just as Tony finished speaking, a small, high-pitched voice cut through the tense silence.

“Daddy down! Daddy down!”

Tony barely had time to react before Harry sighed and crouched, letting Teddy wiggle free from his grasp.

The moment his feet hit the ground, The toddler wasted zero time before marching— not unlike a missile- across the room, his tiny hands balled into fists, his little face twisted in righteous fury. Determination written all over his tiny face.

Pepper, who had just stepped into the hallway, raised an eyebrow.

Whack.

With all the fury of an outraged three-year-old, Teddy kicked Steve in the shin.

Teddy scowled up at him, an expression so eerily similar to Harry’s .

Tony gasped. Pepper’s eyes widened. Rhodey made a choking noise. Peter stared in  awe as he saw history in making.

“That’s for hurting Grandpa!” Teddy declared before pushing Steve’s leg for good measure and then sprinting back to hide behind his father’s coat and peeking out like he expected retribution.  

Tony was—he was experiencing something.He staggered back, clutching his chest like he’d been mortally wounded by adorable justice.

Pepper blinked.  

Tony, overwhelmed, could only place a hand over his heart like he’d just been knighted.

And then—

Thump.

A rattle hit Steve right on the forehead.

The entire room froze.

Delphine, still nestled in Harry’s arm, was making angry baby noises, waving her tiny fists like she was leading a revolution.

Steve, dazed, turned to look at the source of his second toddler-based assault.

Delphine huffed. Scowled. And then, just to make her feelings crystal clear—she shrieked in frustration and shook her little arms again, making furious baby gestures.

But no one was focused on that for more than a second.

Because Steve stumbled slightly, his hand flying to his forehead.

When he pulled it away, there was a small drop of blood.

The room froze.

Peter’s eyes were huge.

Rhodey visibly held back a snort.

Pepper looked between them with genuine concern.

And Tony? Tony looked at the tiny, plastic rattle on the floor. Then back at Steve’s bleeding forehead.

Happy looking bewildered.“…Did Captain America just get his ass kicked by a rattle?”

Rhodey lost it. He bent over, wheezing with laughter.

Peter collapsed onto the couch, gasping for air. As he outright cackled, “Oh my God—”

Harry, completely unbothered, nodded proudly. “That’s my boy and girl.”

Tony?

Tony had officially ascended.

He ran a shaky hand over his face, trying (and failing) to keep it together. His heart was doing weird things. His brain was short-circuiting.

Pepper, standing beside him, crossed her arms and smirked. 

Tony turned to her, his expression half-dazed, half-emotional. He gestured vaguely at the children Unable to say anything.

(“Did you see that?” he whispered, voice thick with emotion. “Did you see them defend my honor?”)

Is with he seems to say.

Pepper sighed, though there was obvious fondness in her expression. “You are ridiculous.”

Pepper, amused, turned to Harry. 

Harry adjusted Delphine slightly in his arms, inspecting the rattle with an innocent expression. “Huh. That’s…sturdier than I expected.”  

No one believed his innocence even for a second.

(Harry: ouch!!)

Pepper groaned, rubbing her temples.  

Tony—physically struggling with emotion—turned to Pepper. “Pep. Did you see that? They love me.”

Steve, still standing there, slowly exhaled. Then he looked at his new mortal enemies—the toddlers. “Did I just get attacked by—babies?”

Peter, barely containing himself, added, “Dude, imagine losing a fight to a baby rattle.”  

Steve blinked. “That was a rattle?” 

Harry hummed. “Technically, yes. But, in her hands, it’s a weapon of justice.”

Rhodey clapped him on the shoulder, still chuckling. “Welcome to the new world order, Cap.”

Peter grinned. “You just got officially canceled by the under-five demographic.”

Sam turned to Harry. Raising the rattle up, clearly asking about it.

Harry, still holding Delphine while Teddy clung to his leg, smirked. “It's made of toddler proof material.” 

(Harry: well toddler proofed with magic)

"Then why did it hurt captain.?"

"Huh.guess he isn't toddler proof."

Pepper snorted before she could stop herself.

Peter howled again.

Rhodey and Happy were shaking.

FRIDAY recorded everything and labled it as the THE TIME BABY STARKS TOOK DOWN CAPTAIN AMERICA.

Tony exhaled shakily.

Because this?This madness.

This was everything.

This was family.

Delphine, entirely unbothered, let out a furious string of baby babbles, waving her tiny fists as if she were cursing Steve's existence.

Peter, still on the floor, gasped, “I love her.”

Tony, moved beyond words, reached out and pulled Delphine into his arms. “That’s it. That’s it. Grandpa loves you the most.”

Teddy, offended, gasped.

“No!” He immediately ran to Harry and climbed into his arms.

“Daddy, tell him!”

Harry, entirely composed, kissed Teddy’s curls and then Delphine’s forehead. “I love you both the same.”

Teddy looked smug. Delphine cooed.

Steve, still rubbing his bleeding forehead, groaned. “What just happened?”

Happy, standing off to the side ,said,completely deadpan, “The toddlers have officially taken over.”