The Parents We Should Have Been Pt.1
Tony wasn’t used to this feeling. This urge to be protective over one person. Sure, he was an Avenger and felt his duty to protect those who couldn’t defend themselves. However, as he watched Harry leave with Shacklebolt for his trial, the protective urge was far stronger than he thought possible. He wanted nothing more than to hold Harry back and go fight this battle for him, and all other battles at that.
“Huh, so that’s how that feels. FRIDAY, can you set me up with parental guides,”
Silence met his question.
“FRI, you there,” He asked again, feeling slightly panicky without the ever-present response of his AI
“Excuse me, are you alright Mr. Stark,” questioned Madame Bones as she eyed him suspiciously
He turned to find that Loki was also giving him a look, though one that seemed to spell out how dumb he was being, those green eyes of the god shining mirthfully as Tony remembered that he left most of his tech back at the compound.
“Oh nothing, just used to hearing voices in my head when I ask for things. I still don’t get this whole lack of technology thing. I mean, quills are very cool and all but have you never heard of a ball-point pen,”
As if to prove a point, which he totally was, Tony pulled one of his custom pens from his jacket pocket. Much like his tech, the writing implement was sleek and perfectly designed. It was a bright hot rod red with golden accents, machined to fit precisely in a hand without feeling uncomfortable or causing undo strain. Even the ink was specially made for quick drying upon contact with the air, but could easily be erased by the special metal the bottom of the pen was made of. In short, Stark had overdesigned something as simple as a pen and was giving it to a Witch to use.
The world was funny like that.
Tony watched as Madame Bones held the pen, clearly wanting to brandish it like a wand. Adjusting her grip, the witch summoned a bit of parchment and started to write her name. A rush of shock crossed her face, one that was replaced with a slim smile as she began to glide her hand across the parchment with ease.
“It even has a gyroscope built into it, all mechanical, to help keep your writing smooth and balanced. Much better than a quill, wouldn’t you say,”
“Merlin, this is amazing. I’ve been writing with quills and ink my entire life Mr. Stark and never have I been able to produce lines as fluid and smooth as I can with this. Tell me, is this how far Muggles have come in recent years,”
Tony couldn’t keep the amused look off his face,
“That, my dear Madame Bones, doesn’t even touch the surface of what we’ve done. I give these to people who come visit Stark Tower. How much do you actually know about the Muggle world,” Tony was genuinely curious. While the lack of technology did make him itch, an allergic reaction he swore up and down to Loki, he was truly intrigued by how Wixen had managed to get around their daily lives. Sure, magic was the easy answer, but it didn’t cover all the bases of everyday living, surely.
“Well, before I took over as head of the DMLE, I used to be friends with a wizard who swore up and down that you all had invented devices that allowed you to communicate across the world in seconds. I thought him a fool, but if this featherless quill is of any proof, I should not have doubted his words,”
“Cellphones are a dime a dozen these days. Now you can even call face to face with someone around the world. Just a bit faster than owls I’d say,” Tony responded with a smirk
“Are you done having your fun Anthony,” Loki chimed in, leveling the man with yet another one of his looks, "I know you’re teasing, and while it’s cute we have other things to do today,"
“Right, getting ready to face down a bunch of people who think they know what’s best for our kid. How could I possibly forget about that? So, when do I get to go be on my episode of Magical Maury,”
“Mr. Stark,” Madame Bones, reluctantly, placed the pen down before addressing Tony, “While I have no idea who this Magical Maury of yours may be, I do not suggest trying to bring him in for this trial. Both of you have to convince a collection of Wixen that are set in their ways that the savior of our world should be in your care. You are going to be facing an uphill battle as it is,”
“I assure you Madame Bones,” Loki spoke in that affluent accent Tony could not get enough of, “We will be taking this trial seriously. Both Tony and myself are fully prepared to prove that we are fit to raise our son,”
“That and if they say otherwise, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind if we just took him with us anyways,” Tony had to chime in at the end
“Gentlemen,” Madame Bones made a point to not even acknowledge Tony, which worked for him as he was not bluffing, “I am on your side with this. The two parties that are vying for control of Harry, and that is what they want, hold a lot of sway. You have the Minister himself, though that depends on how Harry’s current trial goes. The biggest opposition you are going to have will be Albus Dumbledore. The man is very much a figurehead in our world and many ears are going to bend to his words,”
“Even though he left my son on the doorstep of a family that abused him, this man has a better chance at getting custody of my son than we do? How is that even remotely fair,”
“Tony, the Wixen would doesn’t always work on fairness. At least here in Britain, the Wizengamot tends to have the last say. Considering that Harry is not only considered their hero, but with him being last in the Potter line, they all think they know what’s best for him,” Madame Bones grimaced as she spoke
That made Tony bristle. It reminded him too much of the suits that tried to run Stark Industries before he fully took over. A bunch of old men in suits thinking they understood what was best for the entire world. Granted, he thought he knew best at the start as well. That the world needed more weapons and more destruction. However, he grew out of that mindset. Those men never did, which was part of the reason his board of directors now consisted of younger minds with fresher ideas on how to make his company not only prosper but also be more of a force for good in the world. He had Pepper to thank for it, but he could take a slice of the credit, as a treat.
“Well, hero or not, the man is not fit to shine Harry’s shoes as far as I’m concerned. We got enough evidence that should show to that,”
“Hopefully it sways the Wizengamot. While I will be in attendance for this trial, I will not have any say in its outcome. Now, if you two do not mind, I have other matters I need to attend to. I’ve been getting owls and messages about some magical flare-ups in a Muggle section of London. I’d like to sort that out before I get drawn into anything else. You have at least a few hours before your trial, try not to be late,”
Madame Bones looked over at both men before glancing back down at the pen still on her desk. Though it was slight, Tony noticed the almost covetous look on the witch’s face as she looked at the pen longingly before reaching it out to hand it back to Tony.
“Keep it, like I said, I give those away for free,” Tony replied easily
“You are aware that I cannot accept bribes, Mr. Stark,” Madame Bones said with a smirk
“Then consider it a thank-you gift for all your hard work. Now, if you excuse me, I have a God to ask a million questions about magic,” Tony gave his self-named magazine cover smile as he made for the exit alongside Loki
“Norns help me,” said God muttered before closing the door behind them both.
Tony felt his arms itch as he watched a fleet of paper airplanes go flying by his head, like a flock of well-coordinator birds. Part of him wondered if he could make an equivalent with his tech. The look on Pepper’s face as memos that could have been emails flying around would be worth the time it would take to put into the project
“FRIDAY can you-ah. That’s right. Guess I’ll join you Wixen and go old school,” he fished around his jacket pocket, pulling out a small notebook that had seen better days. The faded green cover was hanging on by layers of tape, while the pages looked frayed and aged. As he flipped it open, doodles and words cluttered the pages in a way that almost made them look like another language. As far as Tony was concerned, it was. After all, no one could wrap their way around how his mind thought. He could barely do it himself.
His brain was constantly in motion, never sitting still. Pepper once said that he had ADHD, to which he childishly responded with ‘nu uh’ and then proceeded to spend two days researching everything he could about the condition. He had sent Pepper a ‘You Told Me So’ basket after even JARVIS confirmed he displayed the signs. He could have and probably should have, sought out some sort of medication to balance out his brain, but he never saw a reason to do so. Sure, it made him a nightmare at times when it came to focusing on other things, but he preferred it that way. He felt like a constantly running engine and his ideas were just his exhaust.
The notebook in his hands was filled with his mad scribbles and ideas. Even though the ink had faded in some parts, he still had a good handle on what some of these were for. Things like his bio-fuel Stark engine were projects that had been surpassed when he made the Arc Reactor. Though perhaps he could still look into making his own car. One that didn’t need to be charged every day at that. Doted among the margins were the occasional drawings of his ideas. However, ever so often, he would come across a crudely drawn image of Loki. A blush came to his face, if only just for a moment before he buried it again.
“Is that the same book you’d use to doodle in when you got bored of hearing Remus talking late into the night,” Loki asked as the pair walked in tandem, no destination in mind.
“Uh huh, the very same. Never go to press junkets or the like without it. Gives me something to do when they start going on and on for ages. Still a bit too low tech for my taste, but when I’m in a pinch it gets the job done,”
“Can’t even stand still for a minute, can you lov-I mean Anthony,” Loki sheepishly ran a hand through his hair, “Sorry, just a force of habit,” he amended quickly
“Force of habit or are you just pining for the past again,” Tony hadn’t meant to sound bitter, but part of him couldn’t help it. He loved Loki, in the past tense.
Now though, well he cared for the God, but it was still hard to shake the pain of finding out the truth of why he left. Hell, there was even some love deep down there as well. However, Tony wasn’t going to let Loki get off that easily. Not without a bit more of the fifth degree. Sure, it was petty, but Tony had always been that way. Hopefully, Loki would recall as much.
“Right. Once again, Anthony, I’m truly sorry for what I did. I didn’t have a choice,”
“It isn’t that you didn’t have a choice, it’s that you didn’t think to tell me,” Tony fixed Loki with a glare, “I thought you were dead, Loki. I spent so much time searching for you, turning over every stone I could in London to find you. I spent months trying to find out where you went off to and when I couldn’t find anything I mourned you, for months. Me, with a bottle, sitting in the dark thinking you had died in some alleyway and I couldn’t save you,”
Tony didn’t know what was making him feel so emotional, perhaps it was just his own thoughts about his son and wanting to protect him. The same way he longed to protect Loki.
“Tony,” Loki paused on the name, and Tony couldn’t help but look into those deep pools of green that Loki called eyes, “I’m sorry. I know I cannot go back in time and undo what I’ve done, but I’m sorry for everything that happened because of it,”
“Would you,” Tony asked plainly
“Would I what,”
“If you could go back in time, would you do it differently? Would you run away or would you let me keep us safe? Keep our family safe,”
Loki’s face was unreadable as Tony waited for an answer. There were small ticks and twitches that he could see, but nothing told Tony exactly what Loki was thinking at that moment.
“If I knew everything that I know now…I would stop myself from leaving,”
There was a lifting of a weight that Tony hadn’t been aware of until he heard those words. Like a tightness in his chest that was starting to unfurl slowly.
“In that case, I will permit you to call me one pet name a week,”
“Pardon you, only once a week,” Loki sounded incredulous as he placed a hand on his hip, “I believe that is far too low,”
“Sorry, Iron Man does not negotiate with terrorists. If you keep this good behavior up though, I could see letting you do it twice a week,”
Loki came to a stop, fixing Tony with a look that sent a thrill down his spine. Those devious eyes looked at Tony almost hungrily.
“Good behavior you say. And what does the illustrious Man of Iron believe counts as good behavior,”
God Tony knew that tone. That sound of mischievous promises. The unfairly seductive tone somehow managed to break down his carefully crafted playboy persona.
“Oh, ya know. Just being honest. Not taking over New York-,” the words were stuck in his throat as Loki itched closer and Tony became keenly aware he was pushed up against a wall.
Up against a wall in a corridor that looked as if it had never seen foot traffic before.
“Hmm, is that all it takes for me to be able to call you what I wish? Perhaps I should do more,”
A warm hand slipped into Tony’s. An anchor in the storm that was currently brewing. He felt Loki’s fingers curl into his, the seemingly innocent act feeling anything but as Loki towered over him. Had he always been taller? At what point had he stopped noticing just how tall Loki was?
“I think you’ve done enough,” Tony’s voice was softer than he would have liked as those green eyes stared into his own.
Unblinking in the attention they were giving him.
“Believe me, Anthony, I can do so much more,” Loki leaned in, pressing Tony closer to the wall, his lips close to his ears, “And I have every intention of making up for the time I missed being away from you,”
The way the warm breath of Loki filled Tony’s ear as he spoke had the man shaking. His fingers linked tighter with Loki’s, basking in the closeness of it all. It had been so long since he had felt anyone close like this. Not in terms of intimacy, because it was there, but emotionally as well. He had flings before. Chased his fair share of folks across the gender spectrum. Yet, no one could ever compare to the feelings he had for Loki.
“Now, enough of that,” the god suddenly pulled away, Tony snapping out of his stupor in the process, “I think we should do a bit of exploring. I never got a chance to check out the Ministry of Magic during my time hiding among its people. Perhaps it’s time I changed that,”
“Are you really exploring, or do you want to find a way to possibly destroy this place from the inside out if they send our little bundle of joy away,” Tony couldn’t help but jest
“That too Anthony. Or at the very least make working here impossible for them. A few pranks and curses thrown about to annoy them without causing any lasting damage. Well, maybe a little damage,”
Tony didn’t miss how Loki hadn’t let go of his hand as he started walking. A part of him wanted to pull away, used to not being seen as affectionate in public. However, he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Loki, in that moment, felt right to Tony. He knew that, once they got finished up here, he was going to have to do a lot of explaining. Far more than he ever wanted to. He was already scheming on ways to introduce Loki to the public as less of the madman that tried to invade, and more as the Loki Tony saw. The man who was trying to fix the mistakes of his past.
Yeah, that was going to take some time, but if it meant being able to feel like this in public, Tony was going throw everything he had at that battle.
Tony and Loki spent a while just roaming the halls of the Ministry. For both of them, it was a rather interesting experience. For Loki, he got to see how magic users on Earth governed and it was safe to say that he was very much not impressed.
“I swear, this place has so many oversights for their departments. How do you have a department for Magical Sports that can’t actually do anything unless it has approval from the department for Magical Games and Recreations? They’re the same damn thing,”
Tony, on the other hand, was starting to find the entire thing to just be overly complex and far too stuck in the past.
“Just give me a month and I can have this place running so much smoother. I mean seriously, everyone here is just fine being stuck in the 18th Century while the world around them moves into the future. Not a single person here recognized me,”
“Maybe you just aren’t as famous as you thought Tony,” Loki chided as they headed for the lifts that would take them to the courtrooms
“Oh no, I know just how famous I am. The problem is that they don’t know about anything that happened. Not just your little diva tantrum in New York,” Loki flicked Tony between the eyes at his comment, “Okay, fine, not a tantrum. Still between that and the whole Ultron fiasco, you’d think someone here would be more aware of how crazy it is out there. It’s kind of scary,”
Loki looked ready to respond when Tony saw him stiffen. The action was quick enough to push Tony into fight mode himself, scanning for any possible danger. That was when his eyes landed on the sight that had drawn Loki’s attention.
The Dursleys were entering the area.
Tony didn’t hate, which considering his job cleaning up the world from the worst people who wanted to cause the most harm, was saying something. He didn’t hate Ultron, that was merely a mistake of his own making, not that he would ever admit it out loud. Obi, while a painful memory to think about, Tony didn’t hate the man by the end. Just another guy corrupted by greed and power. Not even Ivan Vanko or Justin Hammer had earned Tony’s wrath. Yet, as the Dursleys sauntered in, Tony felt anger. True and wrathful anger. He was on them in just a few strides.
“Well, if it isn’t the little family that could torture my son,” Tony rounded on Vernon, the fat man barely having a moment to comprehend what was taking place before he was slammed into a wall, “Tell me, what would you do if you had your hand on someone who tormented your child for more than half their life? Because me, well I’d start by making sure they couldn’t have any more children themselves, roasting away the useless sack between their legs,”
To prove his point, Tony struck Vernon right between the legs as hard as he could with his knee. Hearing the pain gasp and watching the man sag downward felt right. It felt good. It wasn’t going to make up for the years Harry spent suffering at that man’s hands, but it was a start.
“Anthony, stop,” came the cry of Loki, followed up by what felt like a barrier pushing him away from Vernon. As he stumbled back, his eyes landed on a man he had seen walking with the Dursleys but didn’t acknowledge.
“Are you with them? Are you yet another one of these Wixen that failed my son,” Tony ground out, trying to fight his way past Loki who was doing an easy job of holding him back
“Actually," the man pocketed his wand in one smooth motion, “I’m on your side. I’m Arthur Weasley, the father of Harry’s friend Ron. I was just placed in charge of escorting the Dursleys to their hearing. I don’t believe we have met before,” the man extended his hand
Tony looked at the outstretched hand on offer after Loki had figured he had calmed down enough. He hadn’t but he would keep it at a simmer for now.
“Can’t say we have. Tony Stark, father to the kid these monsters failed to take care of,”
There was a look that crossed the man’s face, one of slight confusion,
“That…you must be mistaken. The only child that would fit that description was born to-,”
“Lily and James Potter,” Loki was the one who jumped in, “There is a long story involving a surrogacy spell and a blood adoption spell, but what Anthony says is the truth. Both he and I are the true parents of Harry Potter. It is nice to meet you, Arthur. James spoke highly of you when he was alive,”
Hearing that from Loki felt oddly gratifying for Tony. He was a father. A father to an actual, flesh and blood child and not another AI. The feeling of gratification was swiftly followed by a chill. He was a father and was about to throw that all away in a bout of anger. No. He wasn’t going to do that. He wasn’t going to become like Howard and toss away his greatest treasure to the side for his vanity.
“I hope you don’t mind me finding that to be just a touch unbelievable. Several people would say such things if it meant getting their hands on Harry Potter. How do I know you aren’t just a Muggle whose been manipulated into doing this,” the man was steadfast in his defense and denial.
“He ruddy is that brat’s father. And I’m going to sue him for physical assault after this. I’m going to take every penny from you Stark, including for raising that bastard of a chi-,”
“Enough, Vernon,” came the voice of Petunia, shocking even Loki who looked ready to round on Vernon himself, “We are here to make sure the boy doesn’t have to live with us. He deserves- I mean we deserve to not deal with him. Now, come sit down and let them talk this out,”
Tony couldn’t help but smirk with glee as the walrus of a man wadded after his wife, every step no doubt filled with agonizing pain. It was a small victory he was going to take. Arthur looked to be hiding a small smile himself at the man’s pain, Tony catching the small quirk on his lips. That small motion had landed the man on Tony’s Christmas list. At least the perspective list. Time will tell if he ended up on the actual list.
“While I do not condone such barbaric violence, I will say that was rather satisfying to watch. Judging by the other Muggle's anger, not that he hasn’t been irate and unpleasant every moment I’ve been near him, there must be some truth to your words,”
“If you would like, I can provide more than enough evidence. However I do feel that the fact that we are here for a custody trial for Harry should add credence to our words,” Loki, as smoothly as ever, produced a scroll from a puff of green flame. While he had no idea just what it was, it seemed to serve as enough proof for Arthur.
“Goblin magic is always the final decider in bloodline-related questions. Well, after this nonsense is taken care of I am sure my family would love to have you over. I’m more than certain that Harry’s trial will go smoothly and my wife is making a feast of sorts to celebrate,”
“Just like that? All it takes is a bit of paper and you are willing to welcome us into your home,” Tony asked with slight skepticism.
“I’ve seen where Harry lived. When someone of magical blood is truly hurting, it leaves a mark in the air. One that people can feel and sense. I felt it there. I felt Harry’s sorrow. When he came to us back in his second year, my boys told me how his windows were covered in bars. How he hadn’t been fed in weeks. I thought they were exaggerating, even when I saw with my own eyes just how skinny Harry was. Then there was the time I went to pick him up last summer, there was something in the air of that house that left me uncomfortable.
“Those Muggles,” Arthur leveled his finger directly at Vernon and Petunia, “They hurt a boy I saw as one of my own. I can feel the anger and hate and disgust coming from them. I should have done something when I had the chance. Yet, from you two, all I can feel is the urge to protect and defend Harry. So yes, I am more than willing to let you both into my home after seeing nothing more than a Bloodline test.”
Tony was pretty sure the only other person he heard make such an impassioned speech wore the Stars and Stripes to fight crime. Arthur Weasley had outdone him by a country mile as far as Tony was concerned.
“Now, if you excuse me, it looks like the trial is being let out. I’ll see if I can find Harry,”
Tony watched as the man bound away towards a slowly growing crowd of people.
“That may be my new favorite person. I may have to knock Pepper down off the top spot of my Christmas list,” Tony joked before he was punched in the arm by Loki
“Anthony Edward Stark,” the God looked cross, Tony trying his best not to find the sight of the God glaring down at him appealing, “Have you absolutely lost the plot,”
“Lost the plot? Is that a turn of phrase on Asgard or did you just pick that up while slumming it down here on Earth with the Brits,”
“Tony, we are trying to make sure that our son gets to have a life with us. We can’t risk that by getting into fights in the seat of WIxen power. It’s foolish and that wouldn’t do anyone any good. Especially Harry,”
“I wasn’t going to hurt them, just scare them a little,” Tony lied to the God of lies
“You threatened to vaporize the man’s reproductive organs,” Loki plainly responded, earning a chuckle from Tony
“Like you don’t have a laundry list of ways you want to make those monsters suffer for what they did to our kid,”
Tony felt his attention drift away, more than likely that damn ADHD that he refused to admit he had out loud, as Loki said something involving a Surtur. Tony had no idea what a Surtur was, but images of fire sprung into his brain as the name sounded so much closer to sulfur, which had him thinking of hell and demons.
He was about to ask Loki if hell was a thing when he spotted his son looking at them. His eyes were wavering slightly and it was a look that Tony could feel, if not outright recognize. The look of a child walking in on a conversation about them and it sounds like an argument. However, when Tony would stumble across his Mother and Howard discussing him, it always felt like an argument.
“Sorry sweetie,” he could hear his Mother in his mind, those kind eyes as she spoke, “Mommy and Daddy were just having a discussion,”
If Tony ever needed more proof that Harry was his, not that he did after having FRIDAY double-check the blood test, the look on the boy’s face would be it. The way in twisted not just in anger, but in slight fear felt like it was copied from his childhood.
“Yeah, pretty sure half of the Ministry can hear your discussion. Can you two not argue over getting revenge on the Dursleys for me? For one, Dudley is right here and those are still his parents,” Harry hissed at Tony and Loki.
The despondent tone worried Tony. The way Harry said those words that should have been charged with this righteous fury of a teenager just rang hollow. They felt empty. Listless.
“And second, just don’t. They aren’t worth it,” Harry’s voice echoed dully in Tony’s ears.
“Harry, those creatures kept you in a closet for most of your life, They abuse-,” Loki started and Tony knew right away that was beyond the wrong approach.
Tony didn’t hear everything Harry said, but he felt the emotions behind those words and he watched tears spill down his sons face. Tears that the boy looked to be holding back. At some point, Tony tried to say something only to be cut off. Cut off with words that seemed to dig right into his soul
“-I don’t need more people trying to protect or defend me. It never ends well. I needed you two-,”
Even though Harry stopped short, Tony knew what he would say. Could read it clear as day on that face. Tony didn’t even get up to stop Harry as he ran down the hallway.
“Harry, wait,” Loki cried out, taking a single step before Tony took hold of his hand to stop him
“Loki, don’t. I don’t know how you were as a kid, but if Harry has even a tiny bit of Stark in him, us chasing him isn’t going to make anything better,”
“How do you know that? If he is anything like me, our son is either going to set fire to everything in his path or run away to the ends of the Earth,” Loki paced up and down with worry
“That’s not like Harry,” the soft voice of the Dudley cut in, drawing Tony’s attention, not fully seeing that the boy was there until this very moment, “He likes to retreat sometimes. Someplace quiet. Usually, he goes to his lab or even in his closet,”
Heartbreak echoed in Tony’s heart.
“I’ll go after him,” Arthur Weasley had returned, “I’ll talk to him, see if I can help calm him down,”
Tony didn’t say anything, watching as the man who wasn’t even blood-related to his son sprinted down the hall to go find him.
“That’s what I want to be,” Tony muttered under his breath, drawing the attention of Loki
“What do you mean Tony,” Loki asked
“That. I want to be just like Arthur. Harry’s not even his kid and he was willing to step in to protect him. Going out of his way to just talk to him. I…I’m nothing like that. Hell, my dad was never like that,”
“Likewise. Odin had a more emotionally detached form of child-rearing. Far more concerned with molding me in his own image,” Loki bitterly spoke
“That’s what we are. The damaged sons of utter bastards. We have to be better than them. We can’t just keep passing on the same mistakes,”
“You say that like it is so easy. What if we screw up or make something worse,” Loki started to pace, “You saw how he looked at us just then. What if we say something else, something worse that pushes him further away from us,”
“Then we try our best not to be our parents,” Tony answered, “The parents they should have been are the parents we should be. No matter how tough it gets,”
“No matter how tough it gets,” Loki repeated fondly, “I must say, your eagerness to be a good parent is quite the look for you,”
“Are you trying to say my looks weren’t good before,” Tony couldn't help but smirk with a raised eyebrow
“Mind out the gutter Stark. I simply mean that you being the loving parent is such different from how you present yourself to the public. Before I showed up here I spent some time looking over recordings of you in public, to see if the man I loved was still there,”
“And was he,” Tony asked
“Bits and pieces were there, to be sure. A bit rougher around the edges and a lot more selfless than before, even if not by much,” Tony snorted at that before Loki continued, “Yet what I see from you when Harry is involved is so much…more,”
The words tumbled around Tony’s head as he looked up at the ceiling. Was he changing? Had he changed? Sure, the whole origin story involving the cave and a box of scraps had no doubt put his life in a different direction. Not to mention saving the world on several occasions. All that was bound to change a man but Tony had never felt any different. His priorities had just shifted. And now, after finding out he had a son, they had shifted once more. Yet, this felt different than before. As if instead of just his priorities changing, his entire world had shifted on its axis.
Tony risked a glance down the hall where Harry had run and saw his kid talking to Arthur. His kid. Standing there in clothing that didn’t fit, something he was going to remedy the moment they touched down back in New York. His hair a mess and his smile bright. That was his kid. His entire world.
Yeah, Tony would change everything about himself if it meant keeping his world safe.
Tony found his thoughts being broken up by the appearance of a folded paper airplane nudging into his face. Muttering about the ease of emails, the man unfolded the note and quickly read it
“Whelp, looks like it’s time to face the music. They want us to head to courtroom ten. You ready to get this done, go back home and be the most unorthodox family possible,”
“If by unorthodox you mean the best family possible, then yes. I am more than ready to bring our child home,”
“Alright Lokes, let’s get it done,”