Magic is Real?
1985
“You did so well, Tony,” Howard placed a hand on his son’s shoulder. “They will praise your intelligence, my boy.”
They were in Howard’s workshop at the mansion, where the reporter and his crews, whom wanted to interview the Starks, prepared their equipment. The star of today was Tony, their son. Howard was very proud of the young boy’s achievement.
At the tender age of 6, his boy has managed to build his own engine without any help from himself or Harry, his other parent. Tony truly was a marvelous young genius. He believed their boy would do great things in the future.
Magic or no magic.
As a man of science, the inventor always relied on hard facts, theories and tangible things. In his opinion, things like unidentified beings (ghost, alien’s and demons, etc) or magic was not logical. He could not comprehend such a thing.
Therefore, imagined his surprise to see Harry did magic for the first time right in front of his eyes (he knew the young brit was a wizard, but magic seemed to become an unimportant info about Harry at the time) when Tony turned 2. It was an accident, not on Harry’s part, when he did the hocus pocus.
4 years ago
Anthony, that sneaky boy was sneaking into the garage, where he was teaching Harry how to build an engine. They were wearing goggles and as many protections as they could to protect themselves from getting mild burns. Sparks of flames were flying around them and the noise was quite loud; furthermore, they were so focused on their tinkering that they didn’t notice the toddler tiptoeing from the garage entrance from inside the house.
Before either of them could do anything, the young kid surprised them from behind with a shout. Harry who was welding the torch, accidentally dropped the welding torch.
For an excruciating second, Howard was scared for Tony’s well-being. The image of Tony’s face in tears, red cheeks while holding his sensitive burnt skin was invading his mind. It was a horrible picture.
The father was standing on the other side of the engine when it happened, so all that he could do was... cried out his son’s name,” Tony!”
He wasn’t shouting in anger or surprised. His tone was filled with fear for his little boy. Howard wasn’t afraid to admit that he was holding his breath and prayed to God for nothing bad to happen to Anthony, even though he’s an atheist.
However, there was no sound of screaming or painful wailing followed the accidental dropping. There was not even a clinking sound of the tool hitting the floor.
Suddenly the quiet moment was broken by the sound of merry clapping and giggles from the boy. That prompted Howard to notice the welding torch floating in the air next to Harry’s right side. There was a shimmering gold light containing the torch.
It was suspended in the air, right above their boy, whom was currently bouncing around in excitement. “Dada, magic! Do it again, do it again!”
Reklieved, both fathers were choking on their breath in unison. The young man immediately took the torch and put it back in its place before turning back around to look at his boy.
Calmly, he kneeled in front of Tony, encircling his arms around their boy tightly.
Tony held his hands to his daddy’s back, accepting the hug. “Dada, magic wow. Do it again.”
When Harry didn’t reply back, that’s when Tony’s exhilaration slowly diminished and started to sound frantic. “Dada? Awe (are) you angry? Dada?”
Nervously, Tony fidgeted inside his dad’s embrace and looked towards Howard in panic. Howard could see Harry’s body shaking. As if he was scared that he had hurt his boy, somehow.
The inventor knew how the wizard felt since he himself could still feel his fingers trembling. He clenched his fingers into a fist and calmed his own heartbeats. He needed to step up. His boys needed him right now.
He felt his feet moving on their own and before he knew it, he was standing in front of his son and his co-parents. The old man crouched, then decided to cross-legged near them since he was too old for the first position. Gently, he placed his hand on top of Tony’s head.
“Tony, you scared us just now.” He reprimanded the boy gently, without a hint of anger.
“I’m bowed (bored). Want to suwpwise.” The child mumbled with pouted lips.
“I know, dearest.” Howard smiled a little. “But, you shouldn’t do that. Your dad and I were doing dangerous things in here. You could have gotten hurt, you know.”
“Bu… But magic… Dad’s magic good,” his voice started to get shaky and his mouth was trembling slightly.
“I know. We know.” He explained in a firm tone yet soft voice. “But, we’re worried. Worried means sad and scared if something bad happens to our favorite son. Your dad is sad that you almost get boo-boo.”
“Dad is sad?” Howard didn’t even know that the boy’s eyes could get that huge. Those pair of brown eyes looked so big and guilty as he realized that what he’d done just made the people that he loved anxious and scared.
Big droplets of tear started coming out of his eyes as the Stark heir began to sob. “ ’M sowwy. Don’t wanna… Make da.. Dad… Fa… Father sad. So… Sowwy. ‘M sowwy…”
“Don't cry, Tony. It’s okay, we’re not angry. Just promise not to do it again, okay? And don’t run from your mama or Anna and Jarvis, okay?”
His only reply was a serious expression and a quick nod of the little head. “Pwo… Pwomise, father.”
“Thank you for apologizing, Tony.” He said in an attempt to soothe the boy. “I bet your dad will also forgive you.”
The moment he said that, Harry slowly pulled his head from Tony’s tiny shoulder, where he had plastered his face this whole time. He looked into Tony’s face and started peppering the little boy with tiny kisses. “I forgive you, pumpkin. Just never do that again, okay. I don’t want to accidentally hurt you again.”
“ ‘m sowwy, dad.” The kid pouted his lips, trying to stop his tears. “Pwomise, no suw… suwpwise.”
“It’s alright. You’re alright.” Stroking his son’s hair, as he put a last kiss on Tony’s temple.
The Wizard’s eyes met Howard’s for a moment. He smiled reassuringly when the young man mouthed a thank you at him. It’s okay. Everything’s fine. Tony would be careful in the future.
Howard was relieved at that time, so he wasn’t really thinking about the Magic until he did hours after Jarvis took Harry upstairs, where he was safe. When he told Harry that, The wizard just smiled with a look on his face that said ‘really? You thought I was a fake? You already knew about me being a wizard two years ago.’
He admitted that the fact that Harry was a life breathing person who wielded magic, never really crossed his mind as an ‘actual thing’. There were more pressing issues to think of like his wife, new son (more like grandson?), Harry (much older son?), the company and SHIELD. The expedition to find Steve was no longer his primary objective in life. It was no doubt still an ongoing journey, but Howard had stopped going on it himself when Tony came into his life.
Back to the magic thing…
The moment the realization hit him that he had a true wizard in his home, Howard started firing questions after questions about magic. Harry in turn, tried to answer as best as he could, amusement clear on his face. And he even promised that he would bring Howard to the American magic hidden town if Tony manifested a talent in it. Howard was ashamed to say that he could still squeal at the age of 68.
Strong lungs and great vocal cords, conveyed his inner voice which sounded so much like Maria’s voice.
Anyway, at least his boy would grow up to have an engineering degree on his belt, with or without magic.
“Are you sure, father?” Tony fidgeted nervously as he looked up at Howard with his big brown puppy eyes. “I… I mean you teach me how to build it. You are a great teacher, but… But are you sure I don’t need to add something? I don’t think it’s as good as yours, father.”
Howard smiled at his son’s ramblings. None of the mansion’s occupants had a habit to ramble, and yet their son was a rambler. Maybe it was just his nature, because it definitely didn’t come from their nurture.
He was such a cute rambler, too.
“You’re going to be marvelous at it, young master,” Harry said. Howard couldn’t help noticing Tony flinched at the way his dad was addressing him.
The Brit showed up from behind the reporter’s crews, smiling apologetically at his son. He was in his former under-butler suit and worn his hair up neatly. The wizard kneeled in front of their son and began to fix the boy’s clothes, while whispering encouraging speeches.
“I believe you will be great at public-speaking like your father, pumpkin.” He whispered and smiled fondly at the little boy. “Just trust yourself.”
Shyly, their son gave a little nod.
As the crew finished their preparation, the reporter began his questions. Time flew and slowly, Tony became more confident in answering the questions fired at him. The self-consciousness was gone as the boy got more comfortable and excited with more elaborate questions from the man.
Then the time came for them to take pictures of both father and son.
Tony looked hesitant as the reporter ushered them to stand beside the engine. He seemed reluctant and distant until Howard looked at the direction of the boy’s gaze.
Tony was looking at Harry, whom was standing by in the corner where he could watch them, without disturbing the crews.
The millionaire immediately understood his son’s predicament. “Uhm, before we start… Harry?”
The young man took a step forward when his name was called. “Yes, sir?”
He gestured his hand in the universal hand of ‘come here’. When the wizard was standing closer to them, Howard urged him to stand next to Tony so that the boy was standing between both of his parents. A bright smile lighted up Tony’s face.
“Uhm, mister Stark…”
Before the reporter could protest, Howard held his finger up and expressed himself firmly. “Please take the photos.”
He just used his ‘no argument’ voice along with the sharp indisputable stare. If it worked in board meeting and SHIELD, it would work with one reporter. Not a second later, the man coughed nervously and pictures were taken.
…
A week later, the front cover of the TIME Magazine was of Tony’s engineering achievement. The photo itself was of Howard Stark smiling with a hand on his son’s shoulder, while the Stark’s heir was grinning happily at the camera and surprisingly there was an unidentified impeccably dressed man whose face was forgettable next to the boy, smiling a gentlemanly smile.
There was no doubt in everybody’s mind that the boy was happy of his achievement and being in the cover of a prestigious magazine at such a young age. Nobody knew that the boy’s joy came from having both of his fathers in a photo that would be seen by the whole world.
***