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Tony’s knees bounce like he’s chipping at the ground, slamming his heel into the ground like it’s John Henry’s hammer. His breath is catching in his chest, sending pain straight to his sternum a phantom memory of the Arc Reactor. The lack of weight on his chest sends his mind spiraling for answers, each one less logical than the last. He’s on the ground, Steve’s on his waist. He can’t feel his legs. Rhodey’s just a streak in the sky, blood running down his nose. A hole in the ground. Pepper’s reaching out-
“Dad.” The pain in his chest becomes sharp but the hand on his knee is heavy, grounding. His own hands are trembling, he can feel the twinge in his biceps because of the movement. The hand on his knee is large, not a boy’s but a man’s and the time passes right before his eyes. Pepper’s not falling, Rhodey survived, and he and Steve have made up. No one’s hurt. They’re retired.
“Breath,” the hand squeezes and his brain clears just enough for him to center on who this voice belongs to. “We’re connected.” “So you're just gonna leave me here? Like my dad?” “Well.. you’re the mechanic right?” There’s a distinct rumble in the way the Harley talks, different from himself and Peter. It’s southern and thick and Harley uses it to his advantage. Hoping that others think little of him so that he can dazzle him. He’s always been so much like Tony it’s creepy.
He manages to look up and see Harley. His once long hair is cut short. As a seventeen-year-old Harley kept it so that it came down to his chin, often almost to his shoulders before he would cut it. In college he let it get long before buzzing it off again, he kept this uneven schedule on for all of the first four years he spent in undergraduate. Now he’s a grown person. He’s got a full face of scruff, his once baby blonde hair is brown but his eyes are still full of child-like youth.
“You with me old man?” Harley smiles and it fully occurs to Tony that Harley shouldn’t be here. He’s got a grad school paper to be writing. A girlfriend even. A pretty young lady, named Sarah or Cameron or- “Hey, baby? Sam? Get him a glass of water?”
Samantha. That’s right, he knew that. He’s been so spacey lately, the attacks are getting worse, but the kids are stopping by more and more. That makes everything else worth it. There’s still a part of him that fears scaring his kids and he steadies himself and smiles at Harley. “What are you doing down here?”
Harley frowns because the truth is complex. He wants to tell Tony he plans on marrying Samantha. Pepper called two days ago, though, sobbing because Tony isn’t acting like himself. His health hasn’t been the best since the snap, since his snap, and in the past, his behavior has often reflected that something is physically wrong. Harley’s looking Tony dead in the eyes now, facing that problem, and he’s wondering if this hospital stay is going to be Tony’s last.
He smiles anyways, blushing when Samantha hands him the glass of water and he presses it into Tony’s hand. She rolls her eyes and heads back to the kitchen, Harley is sure Pepper’s in there. “We’ve got a lot to talk about.”
Samantha’s pregnant.
“Have you talked to Peter? He’s at MIT.”
Harley smiles, it’s a sad smile. Peter has been going to MIT for three years now but Tony’s spacey thoughts could easily be blamed on the panic attack threatening to take him over earlier. Harley doesn’t say anything about it,” yeah. I talked to Pete, he’s doing well. He said he’s coming home this weekend.”
It could be worse. Tony’s stuck in the past but it’s not bad. He’s remembering Morgan as a baby, fresh-faced Peter terrified for his first year, and a greasy-haired Harley exhausted and not ready for another year at college. He can remember being a good dad and his mind doesn’t bother to taint these memories, Harley thinks there may be a merciful God after-all.
“I’ve got some stuff to tell everyone. You’re gonna be so…” there are tears in Harley’s eyes, and he bites them down. “You’re gonna be proud, dad.”
Pepper’s intuition is right. It always is. That night after dinner Tony gets so confused he shouts at Pepper, trembling and terrified. Harley talks him down but just barely. The ride to the hospital is thick with emotion. It’s misplaced, cold, and confused but each member has thoughts so drastically different from the other. Harley cries in the waiting room bathroom, he might never get to tell Tony that he’s going to be a grandfather.
Pepper thinks should have done something sooner. She should have called the doctors, gotten someone to double Tony’s doses or get him something new. She knows this man better than anyone else, she sleeps with him. She knows the nightmares were changing, he was dreaming about Siberia again. It’s her fault.
Harley wonders why he waited so long. They’ve known for three weeks now about the growing life in Samantha’s womb. He could have come two weeks ago when Morgan and Peter were in town. He’s so childish because he knows he waited to make it all about him. About them.
“Hey, dad.” The night is long, he hopes Tony will joke that this little health stunt is just practice for all of the all-nighters he’s about to pull with a screaming child for the next few years. “I’ve got some news for you but you have to promise not to tell Peter or Morgan.”
It was a tiny little brain clot. They didn’t even have to shave his hair to get it. The painkillers and medicine still throw him for a loop. Still, as long as he keeps smiling and joking they know it’s all good. He’s sluggish, frowns but he squeezes Harley’s hand when he slips it inside Tony’s.
“What do you mean news?” Pepper’s voice is thick from tears, her eyes red. She sits beside Samantha, looking at the younger woman when Harley doesn’t explain exactly what he meant immediately. Samantha only manages a smile. Her parents died when she was ten and for the past five years, Tony and Pepper have been like parents to her too.
Harley looks at Samantha, hot tears falling from his eyes. “Well, dad, mom, Sam… I-I… She’s pregnant. You’re gonna be grandparents.” Harley smiles as Pepper throws her arms around Samantha, one of her hands pulling back and pointing at Samantha’s stomach. She nods and Pepper hugs her again, tighter.
“Dad?” Harley looks down and Tony’s wiping tears away. “You okay?”
Tony laughs, honest to God just pure joy. He wipes his tears,” I’m so proud of you, you know? I thought… I thought I messed everything up for so long. Now I’m going to be a grandpa. God…” Tony looks up at the ceiling and blows out a breath. “Have you thought about names? Anthony-”
“Absolutely not,” Harley says, a smile of his own on his lips. “Anthony Keener? God, he’d get beat up the first day of class. He’d sound like a little snobby dick.” Harley glances at Samantha,” but, Anthony would make a good middle name. How many kids get to be related to Iron Man or named after the Tony Stark?”
Samantha manages a chuckle through her happy tears.
“You’re gonna make a great dad.” Tony sounds so serious when he says it, it catches Harley by surprise. “I’m so proud of you.”
Harley blushes but manages,” well, I learned from the best.” He bumps his hand against Tony’s winking at the older man. “This kid, they’re gonna love you too, you know? You were a great dad, you’ll spoil this kid rotten.”
Tony smiles at that,” uh, after the hell you and Peter put me through with Morgan? Be prepared. I’m gonna pump this kid full of chocolate, cake, and video games. Then send it right back to you.” Tony’s already planning out boat trips, baby clothes, and a new room in the cabin. Actually, two new rooms. He might as well start planning for more kids. He smiles at the thought of the cabin just filled to the brim with kids. His grandkids.