A/N: I've never written Iron Man fics before and didn't really plan on doing so until I saw a post on tumblr that totally inspired this fic. I couldn't help myself and I figured, "Eh, why not?" Because it'd be short and I haven't done a lot of writing recently. So yeah. Blame tumblr.
Hope you enjoy! And I hope it's not too terrible.
Also, sorry for the lame title. I'm terrible with titles.
Disclaimer: Needless to say, none of the characters are mine.
Remarkably enough, this has got to be one of the most boring science conventions that Tony Stark has ever been to. And he's been to so many that even Pepper has lost count.
He almost didn't come today. He wouldn't have shown up at all if Pepper hadn't lied and said she'd meet him there when in actuality she was on some apparently more important business involving whatever this week's project was. The woman liked to keep herself busy with new projects to fund or start up as much as Tony enjoyed tinkering with anything he could get his hands on.
The man made a mental note to show her the full extent of his displeasure later, seeing as she was ignoring the texts and voice messages he had left on her phone and every other little electronic gadget she carried around with all her important documents and calendars filled with appointments.
None of the projects shown here were anything very interesting or advanced. Not to Tony, anyway. For a second, he even imagined that Hammer Industries could've made something better—and then he nearly snorted with laughter at how absurd that thought was.
Tony was about to give up on the displays entirely and perhaps head out to get a drink when he came upon what had to be the most impressive display there (aside from the one he had put together, of course).
Tony couldn't help but go a little wide-eyed at it before pointing at it and, as if he actually had an audience listening to him, remarked, "Well, that is just—"
"Awesome, right?" a voice interjects from behind, and Tony whips around to face the speaker.
It's some young kid in his twenties with sandy blonde hair, wide brown eyes, and a pompous little smirk on his face. The kid looks vaguely familiar, but Tony can't quite place where he knows him from. Perhaps he'd been too drunk when they met to remember his name.
Unable to help himself, if only to see how the boy responds, Tony shrugs and plays off his reaction. "Actually, I was gonna say it was really lame. I mean, come on. I bet it breaks the moment you try to turn the thing on," he begins before going off into a detailed explanation.
The young engineer who Tony can only assume is the creator of the display frowns and interrupts him before he can finish. Hmmm. It seemed his parents clearly hadn't taught him manners. "You don't remember me, do you? I'm Harley Keener. Ten years ago in Tennessee we shared an adventure and you changed my life. Not to sound creepy or anything, but ever since then I've always thought of you as the closest thing I had to a father."
As soon as he says his name, Tony makes the connection. So this was the bratty, clever kid that he had met all those years ago. Back when there was still shrapnel in his chest and he was madly tinkering away with new Iron Man suit designs to deal with his post-Avengers anxiety issue.
The grin that spreads across Tony's face is automatic. "You're trying to guilt trip me."
Harley smiles and gives a little shrug. "It was worth a try."
And then they both let out a laugh before Tony puts a hand on the young engineer's shoulder and says, "Come on. I've had enough of this shitty convention. How about a beer? On me."
Harley seems a little surprised, but masks his reaction rather well before he nods. "Well I definitely can't pass that up. I was about to do that, anyway," he says, and Tony senses that the kid was just as bored here as he had been.
They end up going to a bar right around the corner and one beer turns into a couple as the two of them sit by the window on the far left and easily slip into an animated discussion about the ten years that have passed, about their shared interest in mechanics and love for tinkering with things, and about Harley's work.
The kid is brilliant and he's got big plans, that much is clear. But Tony's also able to tell quite clearly that there's one thing stopping Harley that tends to stop so many great inventors from achieving their goals, and that's money.
Although Harley doesn't outright tell him that he hasn't been able to move forth with this big project of his that he shows Tony the blueprints for, Tony's no idiot. And after they part ways at the end of the day, he quietly makes sure that the kid gets all the funding he needs.
Harley's no idiot, either, and despite Tony's discretion, he knows who's to thank for helping make those blueprints come to life.
Most people would show up on the man's door, showering him with their gratitude and sending baskets or whatever, but Harley doesn't do anything of the sort. Instead, he simply keeps putting forth new ideas and inventions, working towards becoming the next big name in technology after 'Stark'. Because he knows of no better way to thank Tony Stark for all he's given him except to show him what he's doing with it.
And Tony's content to watch from the sidelines as Harley Keener makes a name for himself but unable to stop himself from thinking back to that night ten years ago. That night when some shaggy-haired little boy had saved him and had shown him, if only for a night, what it was like to have a son.