Harry is Six
CHAPTER 13: HARRY IS SIX
July 31st came on a Wednesday. The sky was clear and the Midtown streets were bustling. Private cars and yellow cabs were honking nonstop, and people were sprint-walking everywhere, phones clutched to their ears.
In the middle of Midtown Manhattan, just a couple blocks away from New York’s Public Library, stood a tall, imposing building with a huge letter A hanging on its façade. Masses of men and women in suits and skirts walked in and out of the building, carrying coffee cups and briefcases. At the penthouse of that 93-floor tower, inside the second biggest bedroom, slept a curly-haired little boy, surrounded by his stuffed animal friends, and dreaming about flying motorcycles and castles by a lake.
In the kitchen, the little boy’s father was already on his second cup of coffee, reading the instructions on the back of the pancake mix package. The man never made pancakes before in his life. He wants to make one now.
“Should I add the eggs before or after I put in milk?” Tony asked his A.I.
“According to some suggestions on the internet, for light, fluffy pancakes, add the milk first to make the batter, beat the eggs separately, and then add them to the mix,” responded JARVIS.
“Huh,” muttered Tony. “Easy enough.”
Two failed batters later and a burned batch of breakfast, Tony finally placed six perfectly round and fluffy pancakes in a bright red plastic plate. He grabbed the whipped cream from the fridge and sprayed it to a swirl on top of the pile before topping it with colorful sprinkles.
His son is six. It’s not every day that his son is turning six. Tony had spent the past two weeks planning for Harry’s birthday— and birthday pancakes are on the top of that list.
With a big proud smile and a bounce on each step, Tony made his way towards Harry’s bedroom. It’s already half past 8, and while Harry’s usually up before then (because he’s abnormally a morning person), it seems like even fate decided to let the boy rest some more.
Tony placed the plate on his son’s desk and sat at the edge of the bed, reaching over to brush the curls that covered most of his forehead. “Hey, kiddo. Guess whose birthday is today,”
Harry shifted and snuggled against Tony’s hand. Bleary eyes then opened a fraction and a fist came to rub them. Mindlessly, Tony grabbed the boy’s red and black round glasses from the desk and handed it to his son. “Daddy?”
“Nope. Wrong guess. It starts with an H.”
His son stared at him in confusion before it finally sunk into him what day it was. “Me! It’s my birthday!”
Tony smiled. “That still doesn’t start with an H but it’ll do.”
Harry giggled and kneeled on the bed to hug his dad. “It’s my birthday, daddy! I’m six!”
“You don’t have to remind me, kiddo. It makes me feel so old,” said Tony. “But not so old for birthday pancakes!”
Tony twisted his aged body to grab the plate behind him and presented it happily to Harry. Harry’s face turned wonderstruck at the sight of the rainbow-sprinkled-whipped-creamed tower of pancakes. “Wow,” the little boy whispered.
“Made it just for you, bud— ask JARVIS— whipped cream and all,” stated Tony proudly. With one hand, he grabbed the tray he prepared— thank you, JARVIS for reminding him last night— and set it on the bed. Carefully, he placed the birthday pancakes on the tray and fished the fork from his back pocket. “Happy birthday, baby.” He kissed him on the forehead.
“Thank you, daddy. This is the best birthday ever!”
“I aim to please,” responded Tony with a grin. “But we’ll still be reviewing your letters later, bud. Don’t think I forgot.”
**
Truthfully, Tony initially planned to rent out the planetarium over at the Museum of Natural History for Harry's grand 6th birthday party; however, some charity organization already booked it ahead. He could easily out-pay them and have their schedules moved earlier or later but he did not want to cause any trouble, especially when he found out the organization is doing it for orphans and foster kids in New York.
It was fortunate, come to think of it, because when he casually asked Harry's therapist after one session where and how she spent her daughter's birthdays, Dr. Granger suggested he celebrate it at home where Harry's most comfortable in. Big and extravagant parties would only make Harry anxious given his reaction to the playroom and the gifts he receives from his many aunts and uncles.
So, Tony did just that. He thought about hiring a planner or someone who actually knows a thing or two about children's parties that didn't involve string quartets and Hors d'oeuvres like the ones in his own parties as a child. But ultimately, he decided to organize it himself. For two weeks, Tony made a list of activities and surprises for his son. He got on the internet and browsed every blog and site he could find looking for the best decor theme for 6-year-old boys. Amazingly, a lot of them were Avengers-themed.
It took him 3 days (mostly due to being called into meetings and taking Harry to appointments) before he finally zeroed in on an around-the-world party concept. Having decorators on call for SI's galas had its perks because Tony immediately got them to set up one of the tower's many conference halls. A day and a half later, they delivered. The smaller conference hall that used to be so bare it could have reproduced turned into a small traveler wonderland— just in time for Harry's birthday.
And Harry wasn't aware of anything. He knew he's going to have a birthday party because Tony and the rest of the Avengers kept reminding him of it. But he actually didn't know where and what it is. From a random anecdote from his son, Tony knew Harry never got to attend any of his cousins or their neighbors' parties before. He has no idea how they work, only that there's a lot of presents and leftover cake. Tony wasn't sure about the leftover cake, though. Steve's likely going to eat them all. The man's got some serious sweet tooth.
Harry’s party would not start until five, but Tony planned a full day of activities. After the birthday pancakes, his son got a full bubble bath experience. Tony purchased all sorts of bath bombs for the event— and Harry’s favorite, which he ended up using, was the one with an Avenger toy inside. He got a Hulk. Tony wasn’t even disappointed it wasn’t Iron Man.
After a quick rinse and a thorough towel rubdown, he dressed his son in faded jeans, a navy-blue shirt with the words Birthday Dude in white, and a pair of white Chucks. They’re going on a trip.
Even though Tony wasn’t able to rent out the planetarium, he still thought bringing Harry to a museum was a good idea. A tour of the American Museum of Natural History would be an awesome adventure for his son, especially since he likes those… natural things.
“Daddy! Daddy! Look at that! It’s so big!” Harry gasped loudly, pointing at the dinosaur bones in the middle of the Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda.
Tony chuckled and wrapped his lower arm around his son’s shoulder. “It is, isn’t it? Do you know what kind of dinosaur is that?”
“Uh—”
“Try reading the sign, kiddo,” suggested the father.
Harry stepped forward towards the information “Ba-ro-sa-u-rus. Barosaurus. Woah. Do they have a T-rex, daddy?”
“Let me look at the map first, buddy,” said Tony as he pulled out the folded paper from his back pocket. “It seems they do on the fourth floor. Wanna go there now or continue exploring this level? We haven’t seen the African Mammals or the Birds yet.”
“Birds! Birds! I wanna see the birds,” cheered the birthday boy, jumping in place because of the excitement. Some people were glancing at them but none really looked further than smiling at the sight of an enthusiastic child.
They did not skip one single exhibit, and Harry was just as excited seeing the collection of Asian ethnology as he was at the Dinosaur Wing. They even got to enter the planetarium because they were a little early and the kids from the foster system wouldn’t be arriving until after lunch. Tony— being unapologetic about spoiling his kid— bought Harry a toy or a cute clothing apparel at every gift shop they passed. They weren’t even his birthday presents.
For lunch, Tony took Harry to his first non-take-out New Yorker pizza at Ray’s only two blocks from the museum. There’s nothing more adorable than watching his kid sit across from him inside a tiny restaurant, with crooked glasses, and NASA cap-covered curls, try to heave his huge slice of mozzarella pizza away from his face.
And they weren’t finished. Tony bought Broadway tickets to Lion King. They were lucky enough that there’s an early show on a Wednesday since Lion King was probably the only show they could recommend for 6-year-olds that wasn’t Frozen. He wasn’t certain that Harry would like it but since he loved the Disney films they did watch, the chances were high.
Oh, and he did. Harry thought it was the best thing in the entire world. Tony would have believed it if he hadn’t said it a hundred times that day alone. But Harry loved Lion King so Tony was happy.
When Tony told his son they were finally heading back home, Harry didn’t even look disappointed his birthday adventure was over. He hugged and kissed his dad multiple times even before they reached the car, thanking him over and over again, and telling him it was the best birthday ever. Tony inwardly grinned as he imagined the look of surprise on his kid’s face when he realizes everyone he loves were waiting for him back at the tower, ready to smother him in his own hugs and kisses. And presents. Lots of them.
No more hangers and old socks for Harry ever again.
**
Harry’s smile never wavered throughout the ride. Not even on the way up to the penthouse. “Can we watch Lion King tonight, daddy?” asked the child just as they passed floor 73.
Tony looked at his son with a brow raised. “Didn’t we just watch it like… half an hour ago?”
“No, not the show. I mean the movie, daddy. You said it has a movie. Can we see?”
If it was any other day, Tony might have said yes instantly. But it’s Harry’s birthday, and his small party was waiting for him ten floors below. “Maybe, kiddo. We’ll see if you still want to watch it after dinner, okay?” That got an easy nod from the boy.
The moment they reached their floor, Tony quickly dumped their museum purchases on the couch and ushered his son to change his clothes while he does the same. He texted Natasha beforehand to prepare Harry’s outfit and lay it on his bed. It was a pair of khaki shorts, a white button-down shirt, and some black outdoor sandals. Harry looked adorable in it when he came out of his room just minutes after Tony.
“Where we goin’?” Harry asked, pulling the sleeves of his shirt in place.
Tony didn’t even resist. He swept Harry off the floor and into his arms before settling him on his hip. He’s getting big, Tony realized, but thankfully not big enough to stop carrying. “It’s a surprise,” said Tony giddily.
Harry tilted his head and looked at his father curiously. “Are the ‘vengers gonna be there?”
At Tony’s nod, Harry immediately insisted they bring the souvenirs they bought from their trip. He chose every gift himself. He got Phil a dinosaur 3D puzzle, a shirt with a drawing of a dinosaur in a taco and the word tacosaurus on it for Clint, a yellow Albert Einstein tie for Bruce, a cool constellation mug for Pepper, a cap with sharks on them for Rhodey, amethyst beaded bracelets for Natasha, a hoodie with a funny drawing of a dinosaur and the word hangry for Steve, and a space shuttle water bottle for Happy. Tony had to carry all of those and Harry down to the conference-slash-party room.
Clint was waiting outside the double door when they arrived. In his hands were khaki-colored cargo vests and safari hats in adult and child sizes. He was also wearing his own set over t-shirt and jeans. Tony only planned for Harry to wear the costumes. He should’ve expected his friends to go the extra mile.
Harry got even more confused when Tony made him put on the vest and hat since the father (and Clint) kept telling him it’s a secret whenever he asked.
“Alright, kiddo, you ready?” Tony asked excitedly.
“For what?” asked Harry back.
Tony didn’t answer and simply pushed the doors open revealing a fully decorated room. A huge map of the world— like the one in his playroom but in blue— was painted over a wood board and placed to rest on the wall. In front of it were tables of different heights filled with snacks, from bowl-filled Doritos to individually wrapped cake pops of airplanes and sailboats. There’s a kid-sized hot-air balloon at the end of the row filled with just about every gummy candy known to man. Tony had Harry’s cake customized to showcase the Seven Wonders of the World except for Machu Picchu— which meant he had six birthday cakes lined up on the table; one for each year in Harry’s life.
“Happy Birthday, Harry!” yelled each of Harry’s aunts and uncles uncoordinatedly. Tony even caught a glimpse of Pepper hitting Rhodey with her own safari hat when the man yelled over a mouthful of Doritos.
To say that Harry was surprised was an understatement. The little boy immediately shrieked in happiness and ran to hug everyone in the room. Tony laughed at the faces of everyone when his son started pulling out gifts from a bag and handing them one by one. It was a bit unusual to attend a kid’s birthday party where the birthday celebrant was the one to hand out gifts.
“We went unsupervised in gift shops,” shrugged Tony when they sent him raised eyebrows.
When Harry finished giving his gifts, he turned to his dad and attacked him in a bear hug. Well, as bear as a hug can be when one is less than four feet tall. “Like your party?” asked Tony with a beaming smile.
“Party?” gasped Harry, “Birthday party?” He looked around once more in wonder.
“Tell me my godson knows what a party is, Tony,” insisted Rhodey from the side.
Tony ignored him and knelt in front of his son, ruffling his hair. “Ah, kiddo, you didn’t think the adventure was your birthday party, did you?”
“Wow,” whispered the birthday boy, not bothering to respond accordingly.
After the initial surprise and confusion, the team got Harry to play Pin the Tail on the Donkey and Harry Says. Tony watched the scenes unfold from the side with a constant smile and the bouts of laughter once in a while.
By the time dinner came, everyone already found a seat on the table. Harry was at the center, sitting on his booster chair, beaming and blushing. They were having Italian from Tony’s favorite mom-and-pop restaurant which he had catered, and everyone was having fun simply talking about their days.
When all finished their meals, Tony promptly announced it was time for cake. He pulled Harry off his chair and carried him towards where the cakes were while the rest chuckled and followed behind closely. Happy quickly produced a lighter from his pocket and lit up all the 6 candles as everybody sang the happy birthday song out of tune.
Harry, for all his guffaws and shrieks throughout the party, suddenly felt shy and hid his face on Tony’s neck. His ears were red all over.
“—Happy birthday to you!” they sang the last line at different tunes.
“Make a wish, baby,” whispered Tony in his son’s ear and bent forward to let Harry blow his candles.
And he did. Everyone clapped and cheered.
“Okay!” announced Tony again once the clapping and cheering stopped. “Present time!”
He placed his son in the middle of the room and began pulling out the gifts from under a covered table one at a time. It was Pepper’s idea— raised when Tony told her about how emotional Harry got over the welcome home gifts his team bought for him.
Harry cautiously opened each gift handed to him and promptly and thoroughly thanked every giver. All in all, he received three pairs of graphic shirts, one My Uncle is in the Air Force hoodie, a telescope, a mini microscope, watercolors, a Lego Architecture London set, two different board games, puzzles, a magician cape and hat, a complete set of Avengers action figures, an Iron Man Funko Pop, three stuffed animals: a whale, a turtle, and an elephant, and a picture book on constellations.
By the time Harry finished opening his presents, he was already half-asleep.
“He skipped his nap and it’s nearly bedtime anyway. I’m taking him upstairs,” Tony moved to pick up his son from the floor when Steve suddenly offered to carry him.
“You don’t have to,” said Tony.
“I know. I want to,” responded Steve.
Because he was tired himself, Tony conceded. He bid his friends and teammates goodnight and thanked them for everything they’ve done so far for Harry. Harry— already sleeping on Steve’s shoulder— got a few more forehead kisses before they were finally allowed to leave, telling Tony they’ll clean up and bring the gifts up to the penthouse later.
Steve carefully lowered the child on his bed and removed his shoes. The vest had long been abandoned during the Harry Says game. He kissed Harry’s head goodnight and moved to the side for Tony to do the same, watching the billionaire whisper words of love and adoration to the sleeping boy.
“Thanks, Steve,” said Tony when they stepped out of Harry’s room.
Steve smiled, though a tad bit sad. “It’s not a problem, Tony. I love that kid of yours. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him.”
Tony ducked his head to hide his blush. It was heartwarming to know the man he’s been crushing for a long time, adores his son as well. “Want some juice before you leave? We have all kinds of flavors. I recommend the Strawberry Lemonade, and no, not talking about weed. It’s Harry’s favorite and it tastes weirdly awesome.”
The blond Adonis chuckled beside him. “I would love to, Tony, but you’re dead on your feet. How about I take your offer and raise it to coffee tomorrow,” Steve proposed, voice wavering at the end.
“Coffee,” repeated Tony, “Uh— let me get this straight first because my mind is done for the day— are you gonna make me coffee tomorrow or was that offer supposed to be a date?” Blunt, but he’s tired so really, he can’t be blamed.
Steve blushed madly. “The second,” he replied determinedly.
“Oh,” said Tony. “Oh!”
The billionaire’s shocked but pleased expression gave Steve more confidence. “So, would you want to grab coffee with me tomorrow? I know you’re busy with Harry and SI, not to mention building and fixing our gears and all those other projects SHIELD makes you do— wow, you do a lot— so I understand if you’d rather not because that’s to—”
“Yes.”
“—tally fine and wait what?”
“I’d like to get coffee with you. Like real coffee though, not the shitty Starbucks glorified sugary drink.” Tony’s face scrunched in distaste. “—oh, and not before I find someone to babysit on such short notice.”
“Don’t worry about that. Natasha already offered,” said Steve, quickly turning red when he realized what he said. Tony’s smile widened.
“You already asked Natasha. Wow, you are way too confident for your own good, Captain,” smirked the engineer-superhero.
“No! It’s— crap— she said she’d babysit Harry if I finally get over myself and ask you. On a date, that is.”
“Adorable,” chuckled Tony. “Okay, tell Nat to be here by nine-thirty. I’ll have the kid dressed and fed by then.”
Steve nodded like a man on a plan. “Alright, Tony. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow? Uh— bye,” he said before giving him those shy sunshine smile as he walked back to the elevator. His steps had a bit of a jump on them again, reminding Tony of the time he made Steve deliver cereal to the penthouse.
Tony slumped on the wall behind him the moment the elevator door closed.
“Oh my fucking god, JARVIS, did that really happen?!”