Tony and Pepper had found out they were expecting, and it was bittersweet. Of course, before the snap, before the world lost over half of it’s population, the couple were talking about the possibility of a child. And then Thanos happened, and Peter died in Tony’s arms. Tony’s world came to a stop at Peter’s death and he was just starting to move on with Pepper when Harley showed up at their door, without a mom or sister, as they’d gone with the snap.
Harley’s arrival helped Tony deal with the grief of losing Peter, but still left a gaping hole in his heart. Tony was just happy to know Harley hadn’t also died when the snap happened. Tony was sure he wouldn’t have been able to handle the loss of both his pseudo-sons.
Tony and Pepper moved forward with their wedding, keeping it small and only with those closest to them, and Tony kept a picture of Peter in his jacket pocket, just over his heart.
Then Pepper told him she was pregnant, and that was the hardest thing yet. They were going to be bringing life into this world, this empty world where so many people died and were still struggling.
They found out they were going to have a little girl and Tony cried from relief. He wasn’t sure that he could raise a son and not compare them to Peter.
They started talking about names and for the first name they chose to stick with Tony’s initial suggestion that came from a dream before either of them knew that Thanos existed. Morgan, after Pepper’s eccentric uncle, Pepper’s favourite uncle, who died before the snap.
“Maybe we could give Morgan the middle name Petra or something along those lines, to honour Peter?” Pepper had suggested.
Tony felt his whole chest seize up, lungs burning. He couldn’t breathe, tears springing to his eyes as his world spun having heard Peter’s name for the first time in way too long. Pepper rushed to Tony’s side helping the man sit down through the sudden panic attack. Tony could hear Peter’s last words, could feel Peter’s body disintegrating in his hands.
He couldn’t do it, he couldn’t name his daughter after the son he failed. It felt disrespectful. It felt like throwing a bandaid on a wound that was too big and too deep. Tony failed Peter and it would be selfish to pretend otherwise.
While in Tony’s head it seemed wrong to name Morgan after Peter, Tony still wanted to pay tribute to Peter somehow with his daughter. Wanted Peter to live on somehow, because Tony was the only one left alive who knew Peter Parker and loved Peter Parker.
“I don’t know how I can give Morgan a middle name that pays homage to Peter, without actually giving her a middle name that comes from Peter’s name.” Tony told Harley one day, as the two of them were working on building a house on a lake.
“You used to be scared to help Peter and get close to him, right?” Harley asked after a moments hesitation.
“Of course, with you everything was online and phone calls and visits but with him it was all in person. It felt like a lot more room for error.”
“Something must have convinced you that you wouldn’t ruin Peter, so why not name Morgan after that instead, as a reminder that you can be a good Dad.”
That made things click for Tony, and the perfect middle name for Morgan came to fruition. Tony just needed to talk to Pepper first.
“Harley, you are a genius, and I don’t say that lightly, I knew there was a reason I kept you around all these years!”
Tony pulled Harley into a hug, happy with his decision.
“Here, I thought you kept me around for my southern charm.”
Once the two were back home -and Tony was in bed with Pepper, the lights dimmed and holding each other as some old movie was playing on the TV- did Tony tell Pepper his idea for a middle name.
“Harley and I talked today. On how we can give Morgan a name that pays homage to Peter. He suggested naming her after whatever convinced me that I could help Peter and have a relationship with him.”
Pepper hummed as she nodded, giving her husband a kiss on the cheek, encouraging to continue on.
“I wouldn’t have been able to have a relationship with Peter if it wasn’t for Harley. When I was still struggling with helping Peter Harley had said, ‘You probably won’t be able to hurt Peter more than he already has been.’ So, I think Morgan’s middle name should be Harley, that way both of them can be honoured.”
“Morgan Harley Stark.” Pepper whispered their daughter’s name. “I like that a lot. I think Harley will too.”
The day Morgan was born was a hard one. She was born August 10th, the same birthday as Peter, a full week after she was supposed to be due. It was like the universe wanted to remind Tony that Morgan was his last chance to do things right. It was a hard day, but such a happy day too.
Pepper was holding their daughter when she told Tony to get Harley out of the waiting room and let him meet the newest member to their family. When the two boys re-entered the room, Pepper gave Morgan to Tony, encouraging Harley to come closer to her.
“Do you want to hold her?” Pepper asked.
“What type of brother would I be if I didn’t want to hold her?” Harley laughed before backtracking. “I can be her brother right? That’s no a problem?”
“You can have whatever relationship you want to have with her Harls.” Pepper laughed, having the boy sit down.
“Alright Harley, meet your little sister Morgan Harley Stark.” Tony smiled, handing Morgan off to Harley.
“You named her after me?” Harley’s voice cracked as he looked down to his little sister, thinking about the one he lost and how he’ll treat this one right.
“Harley, if it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t have had the confidence to have a relationship with Peter or to be a Dad now. You wormed you’re way into my heart and forced me to change for the better. So as long as you’re okay with sharing your name with Morgan, we’d really like to keep her middle name as Harley.”
“Yeah, yeah, I can share my name with her. I’m gonna teach her exactly how to live up to her middle name too. She’s a little mini-me now. Can’t take it back.” Harley laughed, wiping away the tears from his eyes. “Morgan Harley Stark.” Harley whispered quietly.