Harry James Stark

Chapter 11: Hermione

"Sure,"

"...sure? All you have to say is sure?"

"What do you want me to say, Stark? I'm ecstatic over this kid I've never met? Do you want me to tell you to kick this kid on the streets? Or that I hate this kid I've never met?" Harry blurted.

"Well no, but I wanted something other than sure!" Tony exclaimed. "I just- I need to know you're really okay with this. I mean, you haven't been getting a lot of choices lately, being here and all, but you do have this choice. Harley wanted me to make sure you were good with this, and so do I. Are you?"

"I-" Harry looked genuinely confused. "I'm fine with it, honest."

"Okay. Okay! Harley's arriving tomorrow. He's an absolute genius with mechanics, the kid got into midtown tech, which is a great school!" Tony continued, unable to help himself - talking about Harley and Peter always sparked feelings of pride. He supposed he would soon add Harry to the mix, too.

"Are you continuing with your school next fall or would you like to go to a school closer by? I know for a fact you're smart enough to get into midtown tech if you wanted to!"

"Really?!" Harry started, his eyes gleaming with excitement before dimming again, "Actually, I don't really know about that. I'd have to contact my professors, and it's a pretty long process, especially if they don't wish for me to leave. British schooling is pretty different than American schools too, I doubt I could keep up anyway,"

"If you want to go, I'll arrange everything, but I won't stop you if you really want to return to your boarding school. Think about it, okay?" Tony said. Harry's surprise seemed to grow as Tony talked, but Tony chose not to mention it for now.

"Yeah, I'll do that," Harry replied softly. A moment of silence passed before Harry spoke again.

"I..er, never mind," He spoke hesitantly.

"What are you thinking, Harry?" Tony questioned.

"I just..." Harry sighed and had a more determined look on his face, "I was wondering if I could use your phone,"

"Sure, what for?" Tony agreed, making sure he kept a smile on his face. Why the hell would his son not have a phone? He needed to get Harry a phone. And maybe some tracking software...just in case.

"I wanted to call a friend back in England. Usually we send letters over the summer, but.." Harry trailed off. Tony cringed at the reminder that he had uprooted his son and moved him to an entirely different country. Granted, he hadn't been the one to technically move him, but he was the reason for it.

"Yeah, I think getting you a phone of your own would be a good idea anyway, so you can call me or Pepper if you ever need us," Tony said, nodding in agreement with himself as he tried to remember if he kept any unused Stark phones in the building.

"Oh. You dont- er, Stark-" Harry tried to stumble his way through a response, obviously flustered. "Stark, I don't need a phone, nor do I want a new one. I don't have any money to pay you back with, and I can't accept a phone from you-"

"Woah, calm down there kiddo. It's my job to get you things, you won't ever have to pay me back. And, kid, you don't have to have a phone, but I'd feel a lot more comfortable if I knew you had a way to contact me if you ever needed to," Tony said, feeling a stab of pain when Harry had referenced him with such venom.

"I just- can I make my call first?" Harry blurted, looking frustrated.

"Yeah, sure kid," Tony said, eyes softening at Harry's obvious distress, "Use mine for now, and we'll get you one of your own afterwards,"

Harry tentatively accepted the phone in Tony's outstretched hand and nodded in thanks. Tony took that as his cue to leave, figuring Harry would want to talk in private. As he closed the door, he couldn't help but overhear Harry's end of the conversation.

"Hey,"

"Yeah, I'm okay, I'm not in Surrey,"

"It's a really long story, I swear I'll call you again sometime soon for a better explanation, I just really needed to hear a familiar voice," Harry said, sounding distressed. Tony's heart went out to his son. A new home, a new country, surrounded by new people. An ocean separating him and his friends. A father trying desperately to be a part of his life when he's likely never had a single parental figure. God, no wonder his son is so fucking overwhelmed. Tony took a shaky breath in and tore himself away from the door, knowing that he needed to respect his son's privacy. He stalked toward the kitchen with his thoughts in a blur. Did his son really hate him? The way Harry had refused his offer with such contempt didn't really inspire confidence. He had a long way to go before Harry started thinking of him as a father, but god knows he already thought of Harry as a son.