I Dreamt We Had a Kid

Chapter 22

"Harley?" Tony says, half relieved half panicked. "What's wrong, kiddo?"

"My Mom's been gone for a long time- I didn't want to call you because I didn't want you to worry or anything but the newspaper says people disappeared and I don't know what to do." He sounds frightened.

God, how far off the grid did this kid live?

"Kid are you home?" he says, automatically pushing the nanotech on his suit.

"Yeah, I'm in the shop."

"See you kid," he says, hanging up the phone before he can respond.

"FRIDAY, you know where to take me," he says to his AI.

"Yes, sir."

Tony allows soundproof barrier and comfortable padding to ease him into a gentle sleep for his long journey to Tennessee.

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He wakes from his dreamless sleep in front of Harley's garage.

"How long was that?" He asks FRIDAY, deactivating his suit.

"5 hours, sir."

"Just tell Steve and the others I had some things to do." He says, opening up the door.

"Tony?" Harley says, looking up from something on the work table.

"Hey, kid," he walks closer to Harley.

"You didn't have to come I was fine on my own."

"Oh yeah, when's the last time you paid the bill?"

"Well-"

"Or bought food from the grocery store,"

"Actually I-"

"Or did the laundry." Tony looks him in the eye. "Harley, something bad has happened and your other is not going to come back for a while."

"What happened?"

So Tony tells him everything.

"You got stabbed by a purple grape?" is the first thing Harley says, trying to withhold a laugh.

"That was a very serious and upsetting story and you make a joke?" Tony says, reassessing his decision to come here.

"You don't have to be such a pussy about it," Harley mocks, his mouth breaking into a massive grin.

"I shouldn't have come here in the first place," Tony says, starting to walk to the door.

"Wait, Tony, I didn't mean it," Harley says, grabbing his arm. Tony would never actually be able to leave him here alone without anything.

"I know," he says getting on one knee and grabbing Harley's shoulder. "We are going to get them back. We are working very hard on a plan," which he had no leads on. "Let's stock you up on food and supplies and make sure the bills are paid so you don't run out of power huh?"

So he and Harley spend a good portion of the day shopping, paying bills, and eventually tinkering in Harley's shop until the sun sets.

"I got to go, kiddo," Tony says, ruffling Harley's hair and it almost scares him because that's what he did with Peter. "Don't do anything stupid!" He says, walking into the backyard and taking off once more.