he is a father
London 2000
Tony Stark was avoiding his responsibilities, as usual.
Don’t get him wrong, he loved parties—just not work-related ones. He hated work events with their condescending people, boring political discussions, and pervasive hypocrisy. Normally, he was adept at putting on a smile, charming everyone, and becoming the center of attention. But today, he simply wasn't in the mood to play the businessman, not even with his best friend Rhodey there to make these events bearable. Today, he just wasn’t feeling it.
That's how he found himself in a little sketchy pub. Despite its unassuming exterior, the inside was warm and filled with people enjoying themselves. Tony liked the vibe from the moment he stepped in, plus the bonus was that no one seemed to recognize him. He settled into a corner table and started drinking away his stress. He was in the middle of a big business contract to develop new weapons, and Obadiah was breathing down his neck. He hadn’t had any fun in weeks, so what if his way of dealing with stress and fatigue (or life, really) was by drinking himself to oblivion? He didn’t think much when he was drunk, and that was a relief.
Tony was tipsy by the time a couple entered the pub and immediately caught his eye. They looked young and attractive. The man was tall, with hazel eyes behind round glasses and untidy black hair. The woman was gorgeous, with stunning green eyes and dark red hair that fell to her shoulders. Tony found himself drawn to them. He kept sneaking glances their way, and at some point, the woman caught his eye and smiled, causing him to feel something in his stomach (maybe it was the alcohol—he certainly didn’t believe in butterflies). Feeling confident, Tony stood up and approached their table.
They turned out to be good company. The man, James, was very funny, and the woman, Lily, was witty. Tony doesn’t remember how—he was really drunk by then—but somehow, they ended up in a hotel room and had a wild night. It's a shame he could only remember some fuzzy details.
By morning, Tony woke up alone in the hotel room, naked and with a horrible headache. When he checked his phone on the bedside table, he saw a note left for him.
“In dark times like this, you brought a little fun into our lives. Thank you for this. —L+J”
It felt odd to be left a thank-you note like that, but he let it pass and grabbed his cellphone, already grimacing at the number of missed calls from both Rhodey and Obi. By the time he left the room, the note was all but forgotten.
New York, 2015
Ever since Happy became head of security for Tony Stark, he had witnessed some truly bizarre things—and that was before Tony became Iron Man. By now, he liked to think he was used to weird occurrences. A guy with some type of whip cutting a car in two? Sure. Aliens attacking Earth? Why not. A group of people expelling heat from their bodies and blowing him up? Yeah, whatever.
But today tested his belief that nothing could surprise him anymore. An owl—an actual owl—had flown in through a window at Stark Tower and landed on his desk with a letter in its beak. When he tried to take it, the owl wouldn’t let him. On the front of the envelope, "Tony Stark" was written in big letters. Happy just sighed—another day in his line of work, he supposed. He took out his Stark phone and dialed Tony's name.
"Is this the forehead of security calling?" Tony's amused voice responded from the other side.
"Aren’t you supposed to be in a meeting with Pepper right now? Why do you sound so cheerful?" Happy grunted.
"Well, yes, I am. But you knew that, so if you’re calling, it must be something important. And that also means I get to distract myself a little from this boring meeting." The last part was said in a whisper—Tony was afraid of Pepper’s wrath, after all.
"I wouldn’t say it’s important, really, but it’s definitely weird and maybe urgent because I cannot get this bird out of my office."
"Did you say bird?" Tony’s voice sounded interested.
"Well, an owl, really, with a letter addressed to you apparently." Happy heard nothing but silence for a few seconds and then, "I’m on my way, I am In the elevator now." The call ended abruptly.
Happy tried to take the letter one more time from the owl before Tony arrived.
"Okay, wow, it really is an owl," Tony said with some surprise in his voice.
"Told ya. I tried to take the letter, but it wouldn’t let me. I tried to make the bird go away, but nothing worked. I have no idea how an owl would know who Tony Stark is, or where to find you, or how to deliver a letter, but with your life as it is, I figured that whatever this is, it would only let you approach it. Seems this is something for you." Tony hummed as he listened and approached the owl slowly.
It was as if the owl knew who he was because the moment Tony tried to take the letter, the bird immediately let him. With a nod of its head, as if to acknowledge him, the owl flew away through the office window.
"You were right, definitely weird," Tony said, checking his name on the envelope. After a few moments of Tony just staring at the letter, Happy grew anxious.
"Aren’t you going to open it?" As if coming out of a trance, Tony looked at Happy and smiled.
"Wouldn’t you like to know what’s inside, huh?" Tony said with a cheeky smile, leaving the office and Happy grumbling.
Tony couldn't shake the sense of foreboding that washed over him the moment he grabbed the letter. He couldn't explain it, but it felt as if the contents were important, something only he should see first. Without thinking, he found himself in his lab in record time. He opened the envelope and read the letter:
"Mister Tony Stark,
I hope this letter finds you in good health, or whatever common people say at the start of their letters. I’ll get straight to the point: fourteen years ago, you met a couple in London, James and Lily Potter. That night, you and Lily conceived a child. His name is Harry. Congratulations, by the way, it’s a boy.
For some reason, James and Lily didn’t tell anyone about this. I’m currently the only person who knows, and now you do too. I don’t know why they didn’t want to tell you, Harry’s biological father, about him, but I have my suspicions. If I’m correct, you have to believe they were right for not telling you.
I know for someone like you a simple letter isn’t proof enough, so I had a friend find a way to prove it. In the envelope is a small vial with drops of Harry’s blood. I did ask him for it, but the kid doesn’t know the reason why.
I’m not telling you this with the intention of making you take responsibility or anything. Harry doesn’t know about you; he thinks James is his biological father. Truthfully, I have no expectations of you. I’m simply telling you this because it didn’t feel right keeping this truth any longer. I spent years in a place where my choices were taken away from me, so it didn’t feel right keeping this information from you and denying you the right to make your own choices.
Cheers, mate.
Mr. Black"
"Boss, your heart rate is elevated; I recommend deep breaths, or I will contact someone in the tower to assist you," FRIDAY’s voice brought Tony back to the present.
With shaking hands, he took the envelope and, surprised he hadn’t noticed it before, grabbed the vial of blood. His son’s blood. No, he didn’t know yet. With hurried steps, he approached the screen in his lab.
"FRIDAY, dear, can you please check this blood with mine and see if there’s any relation?" Tony was used to women claiming he had gotten them pregnant. He was really wild before all the Iron Man stuff, and while he always used protection, he could have slipped up that night in London 14 years ago. The thought of being a father had always terrified him; he couldn’t imagine himself as a parent. He could barely keep himself alive as it was.
So why did he feel this way now, like it wouldn’t be something terrible? While reading the letter, the first thing he felt was fear because he could indeed remember that night in London. He remembered being so drunk that he might have forgotten protection. But after the fear came a warm feeling. Suddenly, the thought of being a father didn’t feel as horrifying as it used to. It was a mixture and a battle of fear and excitement. So much had changed in recent years. He became Iron Man, met and saved the world alongside a group of people who had now become a sort of family to him (not that he would say that aloud or to their faces). They all lived at the compound just outside the city, everyone with their rooms, and a few additions like Wanda and Vision joining the team.
He had been learning to let people in. It was still a struggle, but he had made progress. The most surprising thing to him was his relationship with Steve. After disliking each other and then tolerating each other, something had shifted about a year ago. Now they were together, moving slowly and tentatively but sure of what they wanted.
“Boss, the analysis is finished. The results indicate a 99% match between the samples. According to this, you are a father. Congratulations,” FRIDAY’s voice delivered the news like a punch to his gut.
Holy shit.
He had a kid. He had a son.
An explosion of emotions hit him suddenly. Fear of being a father washed over him. He had Howard as a father, and clearly, he did not have the best example of how to be one. He didn’t know how to take care of someone, but at the same time, Howard served as an example of how not to be a father. For a moment, the fear of telling Steve came to mind, but it was quickly erased. He knew Steve loved kids and was the most understanding and kind person he had ever met. Steve would understand.
He also felt that warm feeling again. Holy shit, he had a son. He had someone out there who was part of him, someone he already felt he loved. Wasn’t that crazy? How was it possible to already feel so strongly for someone he didn’t know existed a few minutes ago and hadn’t even met yet?
Tony looked again at the letter. The person who wrote it clearly did not expect Tony to want to meet or have anything to do with his son, as it didn’t contain any information about where Harry lived or what he looked like. But it was obvious to Tony that he wanted to meet him. He wanted to be part of his life, and if that meant having to confront Lily and James Potter, he would do it. “I do not know why they didn’t want to tell you, the biological father of Harry, about him, but I have my suspicions, and if I am correct, you have to believe they were right for not telling you.”
Reading that part again made Tony’s blood boil. Now he felt angry. How dare they keep this from him? Sure, maybe the Tony Stark of those years wouldn’t have wanted to be a father, but that was his choice to make. What if he had met the little guy back then, fallen in love with him, and changed his mind? It was his choice to make, dammit. He had a right to know. The realization of having already lost 14 years of his son’s life took his breath away.
“Boss, you are currently experiencing a panic attack. I am contacting Mister Rogers, as he is closest to your location,” FRIDAY informed him.
Tony slid to the floor, trying unsuccessfully to breathe.
“Tony! What happened?” Steve entered the lab, sprinting to his side in a second and placing a hand on his chest.
“Feel my heartbeat, Tony. Try to match my breathing. You can do it, see?” Tony looked into Steve’s eyes and slowly but surely got his breathing under control.
“Are you alright?” Steve asked, his voice full of concern. Tony nodded and closed his eyes, trying to steady himself.
“Tony, what happened? What triggered this?” Steve's worried tone made Tony open his eyes again. He stood up slowly, grabbed the letter, and handed it to Steve.
With a raised eyebrow, Steve took the letter and started reading. Tony waited with bated breath, watching Steve’s expression change from worry to surprise. When Steve finished, he looked Tony in the eye.
“Is this true?” There was no judgment in Steve’s voice, only sympathy, and Tony felt a lump in his throat.
“I have a son, Steve. I’m a father,” Tony said, his voice trembling. “I’m a father, and I’m already screwing it up. I’ve already lost 14 years of his life. My kid doesn’t even know I exist.” Tony started to get worked up again, and Steve approached him, taking both his hands and looking him in the eye.
“Tony, you didn’t know about this. There was nothing you could do,” Steve said, his tone full of understanding.
“I need to meet him, Steve. I need to see him.”
“Okay, what are we going to do, Tony? How do we locate him?” Tony raised an eyebrow, and for the first time since reading the letter, he smiled.
“We?” Steve blushed at the question.
“I mean, if you want me to. I want to be with you on this. I’m here for you, Tony, whatever you need.”
“You’re too good for me, Cap.” Tony gave him a peck and started to walk to the screen in the lab. “FRIDAY, girl, can you please look up anything you can find on James and Lily Potter? And on Harry Potter?” Harry, his son.
“According to information in the news, James and Lily Potter died in an accident 13 years ago. Harry was the only survivor and was taken to live with his aunt and uncle.”
Tony felt like cold water had been thrown on him, like he had been slapped in the face. His son had been in an accident, lost his parents, and had been living with relatives instead of him because they didn’t know about him. Sadness for his son engulfed him; Harry had already known loss at such a young age and ended up living with his aunt and uncle because he thought they were all he had. A wave of anger crashed over Tony. If only he had known about Harry, he could have taken him in—so many lost years. The unfairness of it all.
Tony felt resolute about one thing: he was going to meet and get his son, whatever it took.
At the same time, on the Number 4 of Privet Drive a 14-year-old boy named Harry woke up from a nightmare.