Confronting Reality
“Yes?” Tony repeated with a smile. “That's…really awesome,”
“Okay, I-I'll show you to your room,” Tony said, unable to keep the grin off of his face. They stepped into the elevator, and Tony felt his mouth start to run.
“So, not too many people live in the tower. In the penthouse, it's just Pepper and I, and you now, of course. The other Avengers have their own floors, and there’s a communal floor for all of us. They’re not around too often, but we usually have dinner together. Um, there’s a few lab floors for personal use, a pool, gym, etc. Feel free to use whatever you want, you do have access to everything, though I have to be present if you want to fiddle in the lab or something. Peter, my intern, accidentally caused a small explosion a few months ago, so Pepper told me to implement that rule. Rhodey drops by a lot too, he’s here right now. Your room is currently empty, I wasn’t sure what kinds of things you like, but I’m sure Pepper will be happy to take you on a shopping spree sometime soon. I-”
The elevator doors dinged, interrupting Tony. He glanced over at Harry, seeing how overwhelmed he looked. Shit.
“Um, sorry. Your room is over here. I’ll let you get settled in, and I’ll have FRIDAY alert you for dinner,” Tony said, hesitating as he left his son to explore the room.
Making a split second decision, Tony whirled around, facing Harry again.
“I, uh. I’m glad you’re here,” Tony said, looking his son in the eye. Harry looked away, and Tony took that as his cue to leave. He went toward the kitchen, and started distractedly wondering what the hell he was supposed to do now.
“Friday? What time is it?”
“It is currently 4:45pm. You have around two hours until the average supper time in Britain. Dr. Cho recommends soup, as Mr. Potter has a rather severe case of malnutrition, and is unlikely to be able to keep any protein or too much starch down. Fruits and vegetables are advised. Shall I place an order at a recommended restaurant, or would you like groceries delivered?”
“Uh,” Tony said, stumbling over his words as he tried to think about what would be best for Harry.
“Both,” Said Pepper. Tony whirled around, and his face crumpled with relief when he heard her.
“We’ll eat from the restaurant tonight, but we should have a full fridge and pantry for any snacks or future meals. Friday, let the team know Tony and I will be eating in the penthouse tonight, and we’re not going to be at movie night tonight. Also, find a qualified and trusted nutritionist that can make a meal plan for Harry,” She continued.
“Yes, right, that sounds good,” Tony said, taking a seat at the table and laid his head on the table with a defeated sigh.
“Harry will be alright, he’s here with you,” She said, reading his mind.
“Lies,” Tony mumbled. Pepper rolled her eyes and took a seat next to him. “I’ve watched you take people in for years. It’s one of the reasons I fell in love with you - your unrelenting persistence to help,”
“That, and our shared trauma,” Pepper added, sending a wink at her fiancé.
Tony slowly turned his head to look at her, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.
“I don’t have an unrelenting persistence to help people,” Tony murmured, pulling the most obnoxious ‘I’m offended, you’re wrong and I’m right’ face that Pepper had ever seen. She scoffed.
“Tony, you’re housing the man who killed your parents five floors below you.” Pepper deadpanned.
“He was brainwashed, Pep. Nothing he could have done to stop it, and it wasn’t even his fault. Besides, he has no where else to go,”
“You made a discreet way for Clint to be with his family and immediately buried any information on them after the whole Shield debacle,”
“Well to be fair, they did house us for a few days. We owed it to them,”
“You started talking with Harley regularly, and he’s been staying here during the summers after you found out he didn’t get on with his mom,” Pepper continued.
“He didn’t want to leave Tennessee, I had to improvise,”
“You took Peter on as an actual intern after the Vulture incident, and I know for a fact he’s like a son to you,” Pepper stated. “And Harley is well on his way down that path,”
“I don’t see your point here,”
“You’re panicking because you don’t know how to be a father, and you’re scared of being responsible for Harry. And you’ve started to spiral, doubting your self worth and every decision you’ve ever made,” She started. Tony glared at her, not even bothering to make any corrections. She knew him too well.
“Tony, you’ve risen above and beyond before to help strangers. You’ve surpassed every expectation, every limit, and pushed past anything that stood in your way. You’re a good person. Beyond that, you’re a good dad. You’re already responsible for so many people and you’ve always risen up to it. Yes, this may be a little bit different, but it isn’t as different as you think. You can do this,” Pepper stated, her confidence and pride shining through her words.
“Pep,” Tony said, his eyes wavering between her and the door. “He’s different. You know it,”
“Perhaps. But that doesn't mean you don't know what to do,”
Tony glanced toward Harry’s closed door, and for the first time since discovering Harry existed, felt hopeful.