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"Well then," Yinsen says, and it's a bit harsh, "this is a very important week for you, isn't it?"
Their interrupted by the door clanging open and a harsh voice snapping something Tony can't understand but Yinsen goes stiff. The door barely cracks open and a small form is shoved inside, landing heavily in a heap on the floor as the door closes and the bolts snap into place again.
Yinsen waits a moment, not wanting to alert the guards but eventually he's hurrying towards the huddled mass and Tony can only watch.
"Are you alright?" The words are soft, barely loud enough to reach Tony only ten feet away but he listens because this might be important.
The answer comes through in a hoarse whisper, rasping against a throat that's too tired to really speak. Too raw, too hurt.
"yes," it's a ghosting, limping thing. The voice. Small, weak, fragile. Tony watches Yinsen carefully maneuver himself to help the huddled form up from the ground. Soft gasps and hissing alert Tony to injuries. And then he can't keep himself from staring.
It's a boy, he doesn't look older than eleven. He's tiny, huddled into himself and limping towards the extra cot Tony hadn't seen earlier. He's dirty, clothed in rags. His hair is limp but manages to go in every way at once. But it's his eyes. Those eyes that look dead in his young face. Seen too much and devoid of hope. Already resigned to his death and just waiting for the end to come.
Tony tears his eyes away because he can't make himself look anymore. What did this child do to wind up here? The question rings in his head for the seemingly endless minutes it takes Yinsen to put the boy to bed and return to him. But an answer doesn't come. Not until Yinsen begins to speak.
"His name is Harry, he's thirteen," Yinsen says, eyes flickering back to the cot where the boy, Harry, now lays. "He arrived here less than a week before you. His uncle sold him for a favor. I do not know what. He is, apparently, special in some way. They take him away before midday and bring him back more broken than before,"
Tony doesn't want to hear more. That boy, his family did this to him. Put him here for a favor of some kind. He takes a glance at Harry, the boy is sleeping. His body sagging into the cot, weary.
He has to do something. Tony thinks, he can't just sit back and watch this kid die. It wouldn't be fair. It wouldn't be right. And he can do something. He's Tony Stark. He pulls shit out of his ass all the time. He takes a deep breath and sets his mind to it. First, he needs to ensure his life, at least for a little longer.
There's movement everywhere, and Tony's trying not to think about where they took Harry earlier, focussing on what he'll need to get them all out of this hell. Yinsen's speaking over him, repeating the list of equipment and tools he'll need to make this crazy idea work. Hopefully Harry will be awake longer tonight. Yinsen says they have a pattern for dealing with Harry. Last night is his worst torture, today should be easier. Hopefully Tony can explain his idea to them.
When the movement stops and everything's much more settled Tony throws himself into his work. Asking Yinsen inane questions intermingled with things he actually wants to know so that he can keep a stream of background noise going.
Yinsen helps him remove the palladium from the other missiles. And he's finally gotten the miniature arc reactor working and in his chest. He's just pulled his shirt on when the door opens and Harry's shoved in. The boy doesn't collapse onto the ground like last night, however. His legs are shaky and he wobbles but he's still standing and he turns to pound a fist on the locking door.
"Come back and fight me you piece of -" His voice is harsh but he's snarling and it's so different from the dead in his eyes last night that Tony is momentarily grateful he's not as dead as he first thought.
"Harry," Yinsen calls and Harry's shoulders droop before he turns and wobbles towards them. Yinsen's guiding him to a chair and hands him a bowl of something, dinner for the night. As soon as he sits Harry's shoving spoonfuls into his mouth, probably starving.
"Harry, this is Mr. Tony Stark, you probably don't remember much of him from yesterday" Yinsen introduces them and Harry looks up and nods to Tony, scraping the last of the tasteless food off the bowl and swallowing.
"I remember the blood," Harry says softly, and his eyes flutter to Tony's chest before resting back on his face, "You look better,"
Tony wants to laugh a bit but all that comes up is a snort and half a smile.
"Feel a lot better," Tony nods, "You didn't look so hot yesterday,"
"Tch," Harry snorts and drops his head into one hand, "Like anyone would feel good after that," it's muttered and half obscured but Tony catches it anyway.
"What happened?" And he feels a bit rude asking when Harry knows nothing about him.
Harry doesn't answer, just turns his head away and sets his bowl on the only table that hasn't been made into a work station.
Yinsen shakes his head and takes the bowl away.
"Mr. Stark has an idea," Yinsen says, his voice is low and not loud enough to reach the camera, hopefully. Harry turns to look at Tony and raises an eyebrow.
"I've been thinking about how to get out," Tony explains and maybe it's just wistful thinking but Harry's ears perk up and he looks a little more interested then before.
Tony waves the kid over and Harry moves towards him, a little hesitant, but his eyes are hopeful.
He flattens out the design and watches Harry's face for any reaction. First it's shock, then a mix of hope and fear, but finally it settles on determined anticipation and Tony knows he's doing something right when Harry turns and gives him a wan smile. It's small, bit it's still there, and it's better than nothing.
Yinsen sets up a game of backgammon with the excess nuts and washers. Harry settles down to watch as they play, just enjoying the small amount of quiet time they get before it's back to work, and Harry has to ready himself for being dragged off again.
"Still haven't told me where your from," Tony says, interrupting the purely game focussed chat.
"I'm from a small town, called Gulmira. It's actually a nice place,"
"Got a family?"
"Yes. And I will see them, when I leave here,"
Harry looks up at this, casting Yinsen a shrewd glance but staying quiet.
"And you, Stark?"
"No," And it comes out forced, because it's difficult to realize that absolutely no one would miss him if he died here, not in that way.
"So you're a man who has everything, but nothing," And Tony can't say anything to that, because it's true.
"What about you, squirt?" Tony asks instead, glancing sideways at Harry as the game continues.
"Surrey, England. But I don't miss it. It wasn't much better," Harry sighs under his breath and stares at the game pieces. "Though I went to boarding school in Scotland, I miss that," And then Harry goes quiet and the game falls back in to silence for awhile.
The door opens and Harry looks up with a bit of shock because it's too early for them to pick him up yet. Not if they're staying on schedule like normal. But the guards don't care if he's too shocked to see them. The one just grabs him by his hair and pulls him to the door. Harry shouts, because even if they always grab him somewhere they've never yanked him out by his hair. He catches Yinsen's worried gaze before he can't see the man anymore and its all he can do not to cry at the worry etched into the man's face.
Tony watches it all with a calm face, but deep inside he's burning. Hating it when Harry's bullied like this everyday. It's all he can do not to run after the kid and beat the shit out of the guards. But he can't, not when he's supposed to be cooperating.
They've gotten a lot done but they still aren't nearly finished. Tony's working as fast and hard as possible but he's not sure how much time he's got and if it'll be enough. No, it has to be enough, He thinks and presses on. He can't fail here. Not in this place. He won't get a second chance and Harry is counting on him now. He knows that their captors will catch on sooner or later, someone's got to notice the lack of long missile casing sometime or another. But, if he can get just another hour, another day. He knows he can make it work. Eventually, with time.
It happens sooner then he'd like.
The grate slides open and something unintelligible is shouted at them. Harry looks up from where he's playing a mind game with extra pieces on his cot. Tony looks to Yinsen and stops his work. Harry hurries over. He doesn't like these visits and he huddles next to Tony who's closest. Their hands go up as the guards enter and Harry's stiffening, his breath going shallow. Tony eyes him warily, hoping the kid won't pass out on him, but he knows Harry hates these people. He doesn't know why, but he knows he does. It's more guards than usual too. And suddenly its all clear. Their guarding their leader. And Tony wants to hate the man as soon as he sees him.
"Relax." It's not a pleasant offer, it's a command.
Tony lets his hands fall, sparing only a second to glance at Harry who's stiff as a boards and staring at the man like he's going to die. The man stalks towards them, cold eyes sizing him up before glancing down to Harry as well, and Tony can just feel Harry stiffen up more when the man's eyes settle on him for even a nano second. The amused smirk he sends Harry does nothing, but fuel Tony's hatred for this man.
But then he's eyeing Tony again, eyes trailing down to the arc reactor in his chest. Tony stills as the man invades his personal space to inspect the battery keeping Tony alive with curious fingers.
"The bow and arrow, once was the pinnacle of weapon's technology," His fingers finally leave Tony's chest and he's moving away. Tony lets one hand move to Harry's shoulder, trying to give the boy some support. "That allowed the Great Genghis Khan to rule from the pacific to the Ukraine. An Empire twice the size of Alexander the Great, and four times the size of the Roman Empire," He circled the room, inspecting Tony's progress, "But today, whoever holds the latest Stark weapons rules these lands," Yinsen signals to stay calm, to keep his head cool even though they all know their plan could come apart at the seams right now. The man continues his speech, turning to Tony with ice in his eyes, "And soon, it'll be my turn."
Tony stares back, a bit defiant, but he needs to hold his ground.
"Why have you failed me?" The man speaks at Tony, but the words are not directed to him. It's all gibberish to Tony, so that would be ridiculous especially since he'd spoken such good English for his speech.
"We're working," Yinsen replies, and Tony can only hope that his words will keep them from being slaughtered or discovered. "Diligently,"
"I let you live." The man turns and stalks towards Yinsen, and all Tony can do is keep quiet and watch. It doesn't sound good, even if he doesn't know what's being said. "This is how you repay me?"
"It's very complex," Yinsen replies, and it's hard to hear the man so unsure about his own words. "He's trying very hard."
"On his knees," The command is short, simple, chilled. And Tony can only bite his lip and try not to shout. "You think I'm a fool? I'll get the truth."
"We're both working." And Tony knows Harry's trying not to stare, thinking this is the last time he'll be able to look at Yinsen alive. His voice is so shaky compared to normal, and they all know this could be the end.
"Open your mouth,"
And Tony can't stay quiet any longer. The man is holding hot coals in his tongs and reaching for Yinsen.
"What does he want?" Tony asks, he needs to know. If it's just to work faster, he can do that. They have less than thirty percent left to go on the suit. If he can just figure out whats going on.
"You think I'm a fool? What's going on?" And Tony knows one of those sentences has already been said, it's not a good thing. "Tell me the truth."
"He's building your Jericho."
"Tell me the truth."
"He's building your Jericho."
"Tell me the truth!"
"He's building your Jericho."
"What do you want? A delivery date, I can-" Tony starts to move forward but it halted by guns and shouting. He raises his hands to show innocence and stops. He needs to keep Yinsen alive, he's got to try something. Anything. Everyone's staring at him and he looks at Yinsen.
"I need him." Tony says into the quiet, and Yinsen is struggling to say something, but his neck is in an awkward position and he can't say it. "Good assistant," Tony finishes. Being perfectly honest.
The man drops the smoldering coal in front of Yinsen's face and Tony nearly breathes a sigh of relief.
"You have 'til tomorrow, to assemble my missile," He tosses the tongs near Harry, who flinches and winds up in the mans hands. Tony nearly shouts but Harry's deathly still and waiting. The man's hand caresses Harry's cheek, and the boy is biting his lip to keep silent, staring at a wall and just as rigid.
"If they touch you, they will die," Tony can't hear what's said, the man's whispering right into Harry's ear, but Harry pales further and his jaw clenches.
And then the man is gone, leaving them in their little prison. The door bolts shut and Harry is walking stiffly towards his cot.
"Harry?" Yinsen is standing up, and even though he was just threatened and about to swallow hot coals, he's more concerned about the boy. Tony can't blame him, Harry looks like death warmed over and he's moving with a stiff quality that isn't usually there around them.
"I'm fine," It' quieter than usual, filled with a certain timid pain and cutting. Tony can't help but try to comfort him the only way he knows how, he places a hand on the boys shoulder. And like it's diseased and catching Harry flinches away and huddles into himself.
"Please, don't touch me," And Tony just knows this is going to bite him in the ass down the line but he backs off as Harry asks and starts working again, pausing only long enough to eat whatever Yinsen's made for dinner again. They don't have any more time he has to work harder. The man didn't say when the missile was due tomorrow, but he doesn't have a missile, just the suit and it's nearly done. He can't afford to have their plan go off after Harry's pulled away, so it has to be done quickly. They get everything set up, and Yinsen starts helping Tony put on the suit. Harry's sitting on his cot listlessly, watching and waiting, like always. He looks conflicted but Tony can't think about that right now. He's got to be prepared, because he's going to clear the path out of this personal hell.
Yinsen takes a minute to check Harry and make sure the harness they've fashioned him is snug, and won't go anywhere incase Tony's got to fly them out. It's a shoddy addition, a few carabiners and some leather, but it's all they've got incase a hand comes loose mid flight.
Yinsen's double checking Tony's mobility and beginning the last preparations when yelling comes from the door.
"Say something," Tony's anxious, they need a bit more time and this isn't helping.
"He's speaking Hungarian, I don't-"
"Speak Hungarian," Tony's voice is tight and it comes of brisk and demanding, but Yinsen can see the beginnings of fear in his eyes and knows he's got to do something.
"Okay," and he tries to think.
"What do you know,"
Yinsen yells something and the guards reply, still shouting something none of them understand. A moment passes and the door begins to open. And then the blast goes off, and Harry's running towards them, frightened. Tony's a little shocked, praying it worked, but now they know something's up and they need to move faster.
"How'd that work?"
"Oh my goodness, it worked alright," Yinsen shakes his head and continues working on the suit's last minute details. "Let me finish this,"
"That'll do, finish the last of the power sequence,"
Tony watches Harry inch closer to them, eyes moving over the suit warily, but with a bit of hope and a lot of longing. It's a long shot but Tony knows that Harry wants his freedom still. They all want it.
"Make sure the check points are clear before you follow me out, okay?" Tony's saying, but Yinsen's shaking his head.
"We need more time," Yinsen's voice barely reaches him, "Hey, I'm going to go buy you some time,"
"Stick to the plan!" Tony shouts, he wants to move, but knows he can't, not yet. And Yinsen's already gone.
Tony hears gun shots and he prays that Yinsen will be fine, deep down he knows it probably won't help. All he can do is watch the bar fill up and keep an eye on Harry.
"Don't you dare follow him out there," Tony hisses, he's terrified of Harry getting himself killed and it shows.
Harry just shakes his head and huddles closer to him, tucking himself into the space between Tony's side and the large device he's hooked up to for now. The sequence is finished and the lights go out, and Tony moves. He knows he doesn't have time to make sure Harry's totally covered but he can shelter him. He keeps Harry behind him, hearing rushing feet, and somewhere inside Tony knows something's happened to Yinsen. Something that wasn't part of the plan.
They come in slow, searching and quiet. After the initial scare Tony rushes to meet them, making sure Harry knows to follow at a distance so he doesn't get hurt.
Raza's dead, Tony thinks, hurrying to Yinsen as Harry hurries towards them, seeing no one else. Yinsen's hurt, badly. He's bleeding, and Harry's staring at the blood.
"Stark," Yinsen's a bit winded, speaking on borrowed time.
"We gotta go. Come on, move with me. We got a plan, and we're going to stick to it." Tony doesn't want to admit that he knows it won't happen. They're so close, freedom's right out there. He can see it.
"This was always the plan, Stark…" And Tony can't breathe, can't believe it.
"Come on, you're going to go see your family. Get up."
"My family is dead, Stark... and I'm going to see them now. It's okay, I want this... I want this."
Tony is silent for a moment, caught in a place he really doesn't want to be. He wants to just haul the man up, to tell him that Harry needs him. But he can see it in Yinsen's eyes. He has nothing to live for, not now. He did what he planned to. He gave Tony back how life and got Harry out, he can die peacefully and fulfilled. Tony just has to accept that it's okay. And it is, even if he wishes that it could end better.
"Thank you for saving me."
"Don't waste it... don't waste your life, Stark." Yinsen's fading faster but he turns to Harry, and the boy takes his hand.
"Thank you," Harry whispers, and he's crying, just a little.
"Stay brave little deer," And it's so faint, Tony can barely hear it. But Harry's nodding and then he's gone. Harry takes a deep breath and places Yinsen's hand across his chest and then huddles against Tony's side. Tony spares a moment to place a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder, glad that the boy doesn't flinch but, worried that the boy's eyes flicker to the pile of rubble where the Ten Rings leader lays buried.
Guns fire as soon as he walks out the entrance and Harry's a good ways away until Tony lights the flame throwers he's installed. The boy has to stick close because the fire is everywhere now. When the second round of gunfire starts Tony's only got seconds to cover the boy and keep him safe. It takes a little for Tony to feel fast enough readying the jets on his feet and he only has moments to get Harry locked into place. The boy's strapped to his side, under one arm, and holding on to a joint in the armor with a thicker rim so his hands won't get sliced up if things go wrong.
Preparing to take off is quick, but not quick enough, Harry hisses in pain just as Tony's starting to get into the air and he knows that Harry's been shot somewhere.
God, please don't let it be fatal, is all Tony can think while they shoot into the air. He's just about to celebrate a successful escape when the jets cut off and their plummeting to the ground.
"Harry!" Tony doesn't have time to think before he acts, wrapping around the boy, praying the landing doesn't kill them both.
The suits in pieces when Tony finally has enough consciousness to wake up, but Harry's still there, breathing, even if they're both a little bloody and tired as hell. Harry's worse off, but Tony at least knows he can tie off the kid's leg so he doesn't bleed out from the wound in his calf.
Tony's hot and tired, but he presses on, hearing Harry panting beside him as they hobble across the desert, praying for someone to find them. They've been in captivity for weeks, months, something like that, and they need to be rescued before they get chased down by the remnants of the Ten Rings. They've walked for hours before the helicopter flies over. Tony shouts enthusiastically, drawing their attention, and praying he's right as he collapses onto the sand. Harry's legs give out beside him and Tony has to catch him before the kid face plants into the ground. But it's going to be okay, because Tony would recognize that man running towards him any day of the year and he can't be happier.
"We're gonna be alright Harry, we're going to be just fine," Tony's clutching the boy to his chest, and flicking hair out of the boy's face. But, Harry doesn't answer, he's exhausted and injured. Slipping into unconsciousness because he knows Tony will look after him. They're going to be alright.
"How was the fun vee?" Rhodey asks, and Tony can hear the relief and the anger but he's too glad that Rhodey's here to care. And he feels a bit like crying in relief. He's free, Harry's free, and Rhodey is here. They didn't give up on him. "Next time you ride with me, okay?" And Rhodey's pulling him in to a half hug even though Tony's holding on to Harry.
The other men carefully pick up Harry and begin taking him to the helicopter while Tony explains what has happened to Rhodey. It's a long talk that lasts the helicopter ride, the stop at a base to patch them both up, and the expedited flight back to America. Harry's awake for their landing, and he won't let Tony out of his sight, not with all these people around, even if they're in uniform. He doesn't seem to mind Rhodey's presence too much but, Rhodey's never had problems with kids before either. Tony's able to walk but, Rhodey insists on guiding him down the ramp anyway. Tony doesn't mind too much, he's actually kind of glad that Rhodey's a bit clingy. But, Harry has to stay in a wheelchair, at least for another week. His leg was in the beginning stages of infection and they want him to be checked out again before they authorize crutches. So Harry's wheeled down next to them.
Tony makes sure he keeps level with Harry so Harry doesn't freak out again like when he woke up with doctors hovering over him. It wasn't pretty by the sound of it, and he wouldn't calm down until Tony came in and explained what happened.
Pepper's waiting for him on the tarmac, hair pinned up neatly and looking like business as usual, but her eyes are red and puffy and she's standing just a little too straight to look normal. It's comforting to know that Pepper actually missed him. He didn't think she would.
"Hm, your eyes are red. Few tears for your long lost boss?" Tony knows humor's what he needs right now to get back into normality, not that it will help much. He's a little messed up in his head, but he needs to know he can be normal anyway. So he tries.
"Tears of joy," And it seams Pepper needs this false normalcy too, because she's playing along and smiling, "I hate job hunting." And Tony can't help but raise a skeptical eyebrow.
"Yeah, vacations over," Tony snarks and heads to the car. Harry wheeled behind him.
She's obviously surprised when Tony asks Rhodey to help Harry into the car, it'll fit them all but she probably wasn't expecting him to come with them.
"Where to, Sir?" Happy asks once their all settled and Harry's leaning into Tony's 'good' arm, snuggled between him and Pepper.
"Take us to the hospital, please-" Pepper begins, but Tony inter ups with a quick "No."
"No? Tony, you have to-"
"I don't have to do anything, I've been in captivity for three months." and boy wasn't that a horrific shock to them both, "There are two things I want to do," Tony's a bit too stern, but he hates hospitals, and he's already been seen to by military doctors anyway. "I want an American cheese burger, and the other -"
"That is enough of that," And Tony knows exactly what she thinks he's going to say. And though usually he'd agree with her, he's not this time. "It's not what you think, I want you to call for a press conference, now."
"Call for a press conference?" She starts to say more but, Tony talks over her.
"Hogan, drive. Cheeseburger first," And that's the end of that. Until Tony remembers what else he needs Pepper to do.
"Oh, and I need to contact Child Services for an adoption," Harry's hands tighten on Tony's bicep and he can feel Harry tense at the words.
"Adoption?"
"Yes, I'm adopting Harry, here," He motions to Harry with the arm he's got in a sling and Harry's relaxing back into his side, face nuzzling into his shoulder.
When they arrive at his press conference he asks Harry to wait in the car, not wanting to let the media terrify him or badger the boy about their recent horrors. The boy glances worriedly at Happy but Tony's there to reassure him.
"No, it's okay. Hogan's going to stay right in the driver's seat. And he works for me, he won't hurt you Harry, he's here to protect you."
Harry eyes Happy warily still but, nods in agreement and hugs Tony's arm again before letting him go.
Tony knows he never wants to give Harry up.
It takes a couple of days but Child Services responds a lot quicker than they would if he'd been anyone but Tony Stark. And they are not happy about what Tony presents to them. Not at all. Linda Rider is their agent, and the first time she hears about how Harry wound up in captivity with Tony, she looks like she's going to start breathing fire. There's a side conversation that Tony doesn't understand, something about a protection law and a Secrecy Act, but then she's jumping into their case, and rushing them through the legal system and everything's tied up and settled before the month is out. Harry's Tony's legal son and nobody can say otherwise. He's even changed his name, sick of the memories attached to the old one. So, Howard James Stark, taking Tony's father's name, becomes a permanent fixture in Tony's house. Tony's got a new chest piece by then, and Harry's starting to read Tony's old school books. It helps that they've got Jarvis to keep them out of trouble and busy.
Pepper's a bit wary of Harry being underfoot around Tony, and even more worried about Tony's influence on the kid. But, they're good for each other in a way she hadn't expected. Tony's a bit more responsible now. He goes to bed earlier than he used to, especially now that Harry has nightmares.
She's only seen it a few times, bringing them breakfast, but Harry curls into Tony's chest and sleeps a lot more peacefully. Tony probably doesn't even realize the tender smile he's wearing when he comforts the boy.
It takes more than that month to get Harry to talk to him, even though Tony went through the same hell he did. Only he didn't. Not exactly. Tony knows somethings wrong, he's known since the second day he'd known the boy. But, Harry doesn't talk about it. Even when he begins to relive the worst parts in his nightmares. It's a good thing Tony's just started to cary the boy into his room and cuddle him there. He had never thought he'd be fatherly material, but, he cares about Harry in a ways that only two injured, broken people can. One night Harry decides he's ready to talk.
"Alright," Tony sits up and shakes himself awake a bit more, pulling Harry into a hug so the boy doesn't have to tell it from too far away.
"I wasn't there for long before I was dragged into Raza's chambers," And Harry's voice is low, shaking with raw pain and fear. But, Tony's a solid comfort, warm and there in a way that makes Harry understand that Tony's not going anywhere. He doesn't have to listen to the painful details to know what happened. Because the doctors were angry enough to confront him about it when Harry went to his check up a week after they got back to America. Harry was raped. Repeatedly. Those days where he came back worse than ever, those were the days that anyone who wanted to use Harry could, sometimes they'd experiment with other things too. It wasn't pretty. Tony'd been sick when they'd told him. But apparently it was normally just Raza. The man was a sick, twisted fuck. And if Tony ever saw the bastard again he'd make sure the man wished he'd died in that cave.
It takes a few weeks after that for Harry to really start healing, and it helps that he can just trot after Tony and sit silently in the background while Tony works on the suit.
Harry turns out to be rather smart, not a genius like Tony, but definitely above average in intelligence. He's working through Tony's senior high school texts, asking questions if he doesn't know something. Tony's a bit proud of him, even if Harry's not his biological child, he's still Tony's kid and he couldn't ask for a better one. It makes him a little curious and pissed with his own father, wondering if Howard Stark had ever actually felt proud of him. But that was the past, and Harry's here now.
Harry watches from the side lines as Tony runs his tests and modifies the suit, laughing when Tony's robots decide to ignore his orders, but usually just observing the technical aspects of how things work and beginning to play around with the scrap box Tony's shoved into the corner.
Things go really good for their budding family unit until the benefit dinner. Tony's bored. He's been cooped up in this house for too long. He knows he could take Harry to a movie, or the pier. But he wants to have a bit of adult fun. Maybe he'll see about taking Harry to the pier this weekend. But, everything goes up in flames when Christine Everhart, from Vanity Fair, tracks him down and demands answers for the appearance of Stark weaponry in the middle east. Tony's too angry to answer for a few minutes, staring at the pictures of his missiles in the desert.
It gets worse before he leaves, as Obadiah admits to locking him out of his own company. With a smile on his face. Tony wants to smash something. Preferably Obi's head into his car. But then he gets a better idea.
Harry's rushing down the stairs in a panic when he hears glass shatter and Tony has to pause in his plans to calm him down because the thirteen year old is still having problems remembering that their safe now. It doesn't take long for Harry to realize that Tony's alright and he's heading back up stairs, lower lip between his teeth and glancing over his shoulder until he's out of sight again.
It's a few days after the incident in Gulmira is dealt with when things really go to hell. Harry's on the stairs when he feels something wrong and he slows down, watching from behind the curtain of water as Obadiah steals the one thing keeping Tony alive. Harry's heart shudders to a stop. If Tony dies they'll send him back to the Dursley's he knows it. He can't go back there, the Ten Rings will be looking there for him, he's sure. That, or Uncle will hand him over again. He has to hide and wait but eventually he hears the man leave, and then he's bolting down the stairs. Harry skids into the couch, looking at Tony's chalky face, and he's trying to ask something.
"What do I do, what do I do?" Harry's starting to hyperventilate because he can't lose Tony. No one else accepts him like Tony, not now. He used to have Hermione and Ron, but he's different now and they haven't even tried to look for him. "Come on Tony, tell me what you need." And Harry can feel his magic itching under his skin, he hasn't used it since he got out of school last June. Too afraid of the Ten Rings and then too afraid of rejection. But he needs something. And Tony's trying to say something.
"Pepper," He barely hears the hissed words and Tony's hand goes to his chest. Harry feels so stupid, because he's seen that little box with Tony's old arc reactor a thousand times, and never would have thought of it. And then his magic is bursting, because he's too agitated and he needs to do something. And the box is there, whizzing through the air and flying into his hands. He smashes the box on the floor, careful of glass shards, and puts the little machine in Tony's hand.
And Tony's regaining color now, his breath is evening and Harry's too terrified to do anything but clutch at Tony's shirt and cry because Tony almost died and he can't ever get that close to dying ever again.
"Shh, it's okay," Tony hushes him, pulling him into a weak, but necessary hug. "I'm okay. I'm fine. I'm here." And Tony knows those are the words Harry needs to hear so he repeats them. But, Pepper's still in danger, he's got to do something. And even though Harry wants Tony to stay, he knows Pepper needs help too, because Obadiah's a bad man and Tony needs to teach him a lesson. So he steals himself, and watches Tony get ready to leave. And then Rhodey's rushing down the stairs, frantic, but he sighs in relief when he sees Tony and Harry in the workshop.
"That is the coolest thing I've ever seen," Rhodey almost whistles in appreciation.
"Not bad, huh?" Harry watches Tony prepare to leave, "Let's do it," And he's clearing his classic car from the spot he'd crash landed on only weeks before.
"You need me to do anything else?" Rhodey asks. And Tony's eyes flicker to Harry.
"Keep him safe," Tony answers, "And keep the skies clear."
"Damn," Rhodey looks on as Tony disappears from sight, turning to look at the second set of armor made in silver, "Next time, baby," And with that he's motioning for Harry to get in Tony's Audi R8. Harry takes a deep breath and gets in, Tony trusts him, so Harry's pretty sure he can too. And Rhodey's never done anything to make Harry wary before. So he's safe. For now.
When Rhodey and Harry got a call from Pepper they rushed to the hospital because Tony had done something completely stupid. Harry just held on tighter after that, following Tony like a baby duck and not letting the man out of his sight.
The night when Tony got to come home, Harry curled up in his bed and was on his way to sleep when Tony spoke up.
"Harry?"
"Yes Tony?" Harry turned over and looked up, meeting Tony's gaze.
"That night, when you got my old reactor, you never moved," Tony sounded confused even as Harry stiffened. "Hey, I'm not accusing you of anything," Tony hushed, pulling the boy into an awkward hug, knowing Harry needed the comfort, "I just want to know what happened."
"I- " Harry began, but stopped and nuzzled into Tony's stomach, wrapping his hands around Tony's waist.
"It's okay, kiddo, you're not going anywhere. I'm not going anywhere, either." Tony added.
Harry looked up and stared at him for a minute before cuddling closer and opening his mouth to speak.
"I'm a wizard," It came out smaller than he'd intended, whispered into the darkness. "I used to go to a magic school in Scotland, before Vernon sold me," His voice kept getting quieter, but Tony was patient, rubbing small circles into Harry's back as he spoke; he talked about his two years at Hogwarts, his teachers, his first friends, even the two terrifying adventures he'd been on at the school. By the end, Tony was holding on to Harry for dear life. He was never letting Harry go back there. He'd find an American school of magic, or a magic tutor. The best in the world, even! But Harry was not going back to that school. Trolls, dark lords, giant spiders and instant kill snakes. NOT. HAPPENING. EVER. PERIOD.
Harry got to wait in the wings while Tony made his statement to the press. He's really proud of Tony. And really happy that Tony lived that night. He still had nightmares about that night, but he was getting better. Agent Coulson is making sure they're protected and after Tony talks to them a bit, Coulson's assured him that they can get him a teacher for his magic and keep the British Ministry off his back now that Harry's an American citizen.
His family's a little weird, but Harry loves them just the way they are.