Never Forgive

Previously:

The door closed, and the room was silent, except for the low sounds of the tv as it switched through the channels. “Why do I have to talk to him?” Harley asked suddenly. 

“Because I think if you guys actually got to know each other, you could be good friends,” Tony replied. Sam sat next to the man and nodded. Harley sighed and focused his eyes back on the tv. 

A few minutes later, the elevator dinged and a teenage boy shuffled into the room hesitantly.

____________________

“H-Hi,” Peter said softly, a hand on his neck and his foot tracing the lines in the floor. 

“Come on in, kid,” Tony noticed the glare Harley leveled on him at the nickname, “Peter.”

Peter nodded and cautiously made his way over. Sam gestured to the couch across from them and Peter shyly sat down on the end. Harley glanced at him from the other end, but both boys looked away when they caught each other's eye. 

“How about we start over and re-introduce ourselves?” Sam suggested when the silence lingered on. Tony, deep in his thoughts, nodded. “So my name is Sam Wilson.”

“I’m Peter Parker,” Peter squeaked.

“I’m Tony Stark,” Tony said. 

They all stared at Harley who glared at the wall away from them. 

“Harl-” Tony started. 

“Where did you meet?”

Tony frowned, “Sorry?”

“Where. Did. You. Meet?” Harley huffed.

Tony sighed, rubbing his hands together clumsily. “I asked him to intern at Stark Industries.”

Harley jumped up. “You never asked me to intern here!”

“Well, I-”

“Because you have to be smart to intern at SI,” Peter glared. 

“I am smart,” Harley glared, clenching his fists. 

“Obviously not if Mr. Stark didn’t ask you. He asked me.”

Harley’s face grew red. “Well he built me my own lab.”

Peter’s eyes widened and he glanced at Tony, betrayed, before narrowing his eyes at Harley. “Well I don’t need my own lab because he lets me in his.”

Sam looked over at Tony who’s eyes were closed and a grimace was on his face. “Boys-”

“Well it’s obvious he likes me better because-”

“Boys-” Sam tried again. 

“No, he spends more time with-”

“I’m sorry,” Tony gasped out, causing everyone to quiet and look over. 

The genius’ eyes were narrow, looking pained. “I’m sorry,” he repeated. “I failed both of you. I said I wouldn’t be like my dad, but I am because you b-b-both think I d-don’t care.” Tony let out a small gasp and raised a shaking hand to his forehead. 

“Tony?” Sam asked concerned.

The anger left the teen boys’ faces as they looked at their mentor, worried. “Mr. Stark?”

Tony gasped for air and he swayed in his seat. He blindly reached out for Sam’s thigh. “I just needa-” He slurred. 

“Hey, Tones, take some deep breaths for me,” Sam said loudly, pulling Tonly close to him as the man tilted, unable to hold himself up. Sam fixed the oxygen cannula on the man’s face and checked his temperature and vitals. “Boys, can you move the coffee table and the couch back?”

The teens quickly moved to do as Sam asked as the man dragged a limp Tony fully onto his lap. The man’s arm trembled lightly until it was full-on twitching. 

As soon as the boys moved the couch and table, Sam lowered the genius onto the floor and placed a pillow under his head. In seconds, the man was seizing violently, causing the boys to jump back in shock. Sam switched his eyes back and forth between his friend’s shaking body and the timer on his watch. 

“Wh-what’s happening?” Peter asked worriedly.

“He’s having a seizure,” Harley said matter-of-factly, but when he saw the fear on Peter’s face, he deflated. “He’s had these before, he’s going to be fine. It just looks really scary.” 

Peter nodded at Harley’s words, but the blonde-haired boy could see his hands still shaking. Harley subtly grabbed the shaking hand and held it in his wordlessly. Peter let out a small breath and stared at the back of Harley’s head, who was purposely not looking at him. 

“It looks like it’s slowing down,” Harley pointed out. 

In a few moments, Tony’s body calmed down until it was a dull shake. Suddenly though, Tony choked on vomit. Sam quickly rushed to put him in recovery position as he heaved again. 

Harley looked to Peter who was watching the scene with wide eyes. “Let's get water and paper towels.” Peter nodded and the boys stood to make their way to the kitchen. It didn’t even dawn on him to ask Harley to release his hand. 

It only took them a few minutes to get Tony cleaned up. The genius had opened his eyes for a second before succumbing to exhaustion. Sam left to put the genius to bed for a nap, leaving Harley and Peter in the common room. 

The boys were silent for several moments. “Look I don’t have many friends- any, actually,” Harley started. “And I don’t mean to be mean, it’s just, Tony means a lot to me and I don’t have anyone else. I know it’s stupid, it’s not like he’s my dad or anything-”

“It’s not stupid. I understand, Mr. Stark is like a dad to me too- just don’t tell him that.” They both huffed out a laugh. “I care about him too.”

“I would like to try being friends,” Harley said. 

Peter slowly smiled. “Me too. Although, I will have to introduce you to my best friend, Ned. He’s really cool, you’ll like him. I was just at his house building a lego death star actually.” Peter rubbed his neck, embarrassed. 

“What’s a death star?” Harley frowned, tilting his head. 

“Ya know, like from Star Wars.” Peter’s face paled at Harley’s blank look. “You’ve never seen Star Wars?!” He choked out. 

Harley shook his head and Peter jumped up, pulling the boy to the couch. “I have to rectify this. You cannot live another minute not knowing the magic that is Star Wars.” Harley laughed at Peter’s seriousness and settled into the couch and the brunette put on the movie. 

____________________

Bucky felt an itch on the back of his neck for several miles, but every time he looked around, there was nothing there. Scott hadn’t noticed anything weird, but Bucky could not escape from the thought that someone was following them. 

It was right before they decided to quit walking for the day and settle down that something suddenly appeared from thin air, landing in front of them. 

“May I ask where you two are headed?” Vision asked politely. 

Scott jumped in shock at the appearance while Bucky’s eyes narrowed. “What’s it to you?” Bucky growled. 

Vision’s head simply tilted. “The question was not meant to cause you anger, Mr. Barnes, and I am not here to cause any harm. I am merely curious.”

“About what?” Scott asked loudly. 

“Many things, Mr. Lang. My most pressing question is why you have separated from the Rogues and how does it affect those I care about?” Vision asked, hovering slightly. 

Bucky huffed, walking past the android. “We aren’t on our way to hurt your people, that’s closer to what we are walking away from.”

“Yes, my second question. Where exactly are you coming from?” Vision’s head tilted not unlike a dog. 

“Snitches get stitches!” Scott supplied. Bucky rolled his eyes. 

“Hmmm, how unfortunate,” Viz said truthfully. “However, I do believe your answer may help us both.”

_________________________

“Sam?” They heard a voice call weakly. “Sam?”

The boys paused their movie and gave each other a look before standing. Sam had stepped out to call Rhodey. Quickly, the boys made their way to the bedroom. 

The door was opened when they walked in and they found Tony breathing heavily against the pillows. When Harley noticed how sweaty the sickly man was, he quickly pulled back the warm cover. The billionaire’s eyes peeled open and he looked at the pair through squinted eyes. “You're not Sam,” he slurred, slow and raspy. 

“No, he’ll be back soon, but we can help you Mr. Stark,” Peter said, stepping next to Harley. 

Tony blinked slowly before his eyes dragged closed. They thought he had gone back to sleep before he smacked his lips and uttered “I jus’ need some water.”

The boys nodded and quickly got to work. Peter helped Tony sit up in bed by pulling the man up by his armpits and packing the pillows behind him. Harley, thankfully distracted from Peter’s superstrength by the task of pouring water, walked over once Tony was situated and helped him sip from the cup. 

When Tony finished, he patted the spots on the bed next to him and gestured to the boys. Each nodded and sat on the bed on either side of Tony. The genius pulled both boys close and nestled his face into their soft hair. 

“I love you both, very much,” he said softly. 

Harley and Peter glanced at each other from Tony’s chest. “We love you too, Mechanic,” Harley said. 

“I’m so...grateful you both chose me to be in your life,” he started, pausing for breath, “but I'm scared that I can't be what you need.” Tony’s voice broke and both boys swallowed sadly. “I know I can’t be the father figure you both need, heck, I can barely wipe my own ass on some days.”

“Well luckily we’re old enough to wipe our own asses, and yours if needed,” Harley smirked.

“Respectfully, Mr. Stark, if you don’t think you’re enough, then you don’t know what we need,” Peter said firmly. 

“He’s right, Mechanic. I had a dad, and he was shitty. I’m not looking for a replacement, I’m just looking for you. The guy who saves me from whatever mess I get myself into.”

“The guy who allows me into his lab just to spend time with me,” Peter added. 

“The guy who listens to me whenever I need to get something off my chest.”

“The guy who helps me with my homework when Aunt May can’t.”

“The guy who sits up with me and my sister when we have nightmares.”

“The guy who comforts me after school when the bullies get to be too much.”

Tony stops them by hugging them tighter and wiping away the tears that pour from his eyes. “I love you both so so much.”

Harley and Peter’s eyes meet and a silent truce is shared before they wrap their arms around each other, closing the group hug. 

The moment is ruined by Sam busting into the room. “Rhodey’s back,” he announces with wide eyes. “And so is Vision.”