It's Time To Live Your Life
Disclaimer - This is a Harry Potter/Avengers Crossover Again! I love this crossover and it seems you lot do to! I own nothing apart from the plot line!
Authors Note - New Story! You guys have inspired me to write more and more... Although some of my stories haven't been updated in a while... But I just have so many idea's!
Chapter Two
There was silence between them both for minutes on end as Tony just stared into Harry's face trying to see whether he was telling the truth or not. He knew Harry wouldn't lie about something like that, even though he'd only known him for a short time.
"Cancer? What- what type of cancer, if you don't mind me asking?" Tony was a person who always had something to say no matter the situation and most of the time if this had been another complete stranger, he'd have ploughed straight ahead onto something else and not lingered on it. But there was something different about Harry. He didn't know whether it was because he was as smart if not smarter than him or worked out something that took him months to figure out but he just couldn't bring himself to dismiss what the youth just said to him and barring asking what type of cancer it was; he couldn't think of what else to say even though he had many questions but had no idea how to word them without offending or upsetting Harry.
"I don't mind you asking, sir. I have Lung Cancer, but it's in remission at the moment. It's gone into remission 3 times so far, which everyone at the hospital was surprised with." His soft spoken voice didn't change as he spoke about it, giving no outward reaction to having cancer other than peace, which surprised Tony.
"You can call me Tony kid, no more of this sir stuff. Makes me feel old." He grinned down at the teen, trying to lighten to mood somewhat after the discovery of Harry having Lung cancer. He really didn't have a clue what to say back to that.
Harry didn't reply he just smiled up at him with this radiant, full grin that made Tony realize that he'd just make Harry really happy with saying that one little comment and he wanted to see that smile more often.
"If you're in remission, what's stopping you from coming to work for me? Nothing! I mean, we'd have to talk to your parents about moving here, because from your British accent I can tell you don't live in America. But I'm sure they'd say yes if they knew what an amazing opportunity this was for and how smart you are already!" Tony was getting excited again, bouncing up and down like a little kid on a sugar high and it wasn't until he'd finished he noticed the sad frown on his companion's face.
"What? What's wrong?" the bouncing stopped and he leaned forward seriously again and notice Harry looked reluctant on telling him what it was. Slowly putting his hand forward towards Harry, it landed on the black haired youths knee and gave him an encouraging look.
Seeing this, Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "I don't have parents. They died when I was a baby. I live with my aunt and uncle, my mother sister and her husband, as well as my cousin. They... They don't like me. At all. And if they knew that what you were offering to do, which is take me off their hands, would cause me pleasure and joy, they'd say no in a heartbeat or try and somehow swindle a lot of money away from you. And I'm just not worth it. Up until today, coming to the Stark Expo has been my lifelong dream, the only thing I ever wanted but thought I'd never get but the trip came up at school and I was willing to spend every single bit of money I'd earned over the last 15 years just to come onto this trip, because there was no way my relatives would pay for it. But my teacher surprised me. She payed for it all, because she knew how much I wanted to come on this trip. And now I've been here and worked out everything in the building, I am happy beyond belief. I don't care if the cancer came back tomorrow and I died, I'd be happy because not only did come here and see the Expo, I got to meet you and I don't think you know how much that means to me to be sitting on the floor in front of your Reactor talking to you about... Anything!" Harry's voice got more powerful throughout and more emotion bled into it as he continued to speak and by the end of it he sounded so passionate and happy even though he'd just admitted he wouldn't mind dying!
Tony had a lump in his throat the size of Europe and he was getting quite choked up over what Harry had said. For him to say he would die haply now he's been here and met him, Tony Stark, meant more to him than all of the money he'd earned ever in his life. It was there and then that he decided he'd do anything and everything he could to make the last of Harry's life happier than he'd ever been and he was going to do that by convincing him to work for him and then dealing with his relatives. Harry was going to continue doing the thing he loved, for as long as he could do it and Tony was going to make sure that he had everything and anything he needed to be happy. Although, Tony realized, Harry wasn't the type of person to ask for every little thing he'd ever wanted. That was proven by his only wish was to come here.
"Harry. I don't care if you know your family would say no, do you want to work for me in the research department? You could research anything at all you wanted or you could help me and the Avengers when a problem arises. If you want to work for me, what do you want to research? I don't care what it is, it could be anything and as long as your happy doing it, I don't care." he made sure to get Harry's full attention before speaking and the little spark in Harry's eye's grew and by the end it made his bright green eye's shine more than before. Tony realized with some surprise, that it was hope growing in his eyes.
"Yes." he whispered in awe. "Yes, I do want to work for you and I want to research a cure for cancer, so that people don't have to put up with all the pain and stress that I have had." He continued to whisper it, eyes glassing over slightly with unshed tears and it pulled on Tony's heart strings. The only thing that the amazing young man wanted to do with the remainder of his life was research a cure for cancer, not for himself but for other so they don't have to go through what he's gone through.
He couldn't help it, he reached over and pulled a very surprised and unresisting Harry into his arms, head settling onto of the messy black mop that Harry called hair and he clenched his arms around the painfully thin form there. "You can do that. You can do all of that and more if you wanted. I'll make sure of it, okay? We'll talk to your relatives, and you'll come live with me and together we can find a cure so that you can live to save the lives of other people." Tony sounded near to tears himself and it make Harry curl into the warm body holding him up, a small smile on his face as got his first proper hug from since he could remember, and he could remember as far back as being 1 so he remembers his parents.
"Thank you Tony, thank you so much!" Harry chocked into his chest and Tony just held him tighter, rubbing his back and shushing him as he started to quietly cry.
On the side lines, they were getting watched by several people. One person being Pepper. She was stood staring at the pair of them in shock, never knowing Tony to get emotional or personal enough with anyone to hug them and comfort them. The closest he got to that was when he took someone to his bed or went to theirs. Her shocked stare turned into a glare at the kid in his arms, jealous of the fact that he was hugging a boy he hardly knew and comforting him when she'd been trying for years to get him to notice her more than the fact she had the right parts therefore he can flirt with her but he never let it go any further. And she hated the kid because he was getting something in less than an hour which she still hasn't gotten in years.
The other person watching them was Harry's teacher. She was watching with a smile on her face as Harry got the attention he deserved from his idol and probably the best person to take care of him. Rolling her eyes as she gazed back at the class who were now listening to Tony Starks bodyguard Happy talk about some of the things he's done and seen with Mr Stark as his employer and they were all wide eyed as they took in all of the information. Her phone ringing bought her out of her thoughts and she pulled it out to see the Dursleys name pop up on the screen. Grimacing before sighing and plastering a fake smile on her face as she answered it.
"Hello, this is Miss Cresskill, how may I help you?" even though she knew who it was, she didn't want to give them the satisfaction of answering with their name, making them think their even more important than they actually are.
"Hello, this is Petunia Dursley. I've been trying to get a hold of my son to talk to him and he's not answering and neither is my good for nothing nephew. May I ask what they are doing that is so important that they cannot answer the phone? We wanted to tell Dudley, since he loves it so much in New York, we are going to extend his visit by coming to New York as well. That way he gets a good fun holiday after having to listen and do school work." Her voice was shrill down the phone and she made simple words sound horrible. She also made everything she said sound as though she thought she was superior to everyone she talked to, and who know, she probably thought she was superior.
"Hello Mrs Dursley. They are not answering their phone because they are in the Stark Expo and they aren't allowed their phones to be on loud or vibrate so I'm guessing they put them on silent and haven't checked them since. Would you like me to tell both of them that their trip in New York is going to be extended? Because, when you say Dudley loves New York so much and your gong to extend his stay here, you mean both of them?" She knew Petunia and knew that, that wasn't what she meant at all. She really meant for Dudley to stay and for Harry to go home with the school and have to wait for them to come home to probably even get in the house. That's why she said it, because now the Dursleys would have no choice in including Harry in their plans otherwise it would cast suspicion over the family, even though Miss Cresskill was already mostly aware of what was going on.
She could almost hear the grinding of teeth on the other end of the phone.
"Yes, That's obviously what I meant. We have just arrived at the airport and are on our way to the same hotel as you are staying in and Dudley... Both of them can choose between staying in our suit or staying in the rooms assigned them by you. Dud... Both of them will still be going to everywhere you had planned out but at the end of it, he... They will both be coming with us, to where we want to go. If you could pass this on to both of them and tell Dudley to call us when he gets the chance, we'll probably meet you back at the hotel." Miss Cresskill could tell how hard it was for her to include Harry in any of those plans at all and she couldn't help but grin at the thought of them being in New York. If she had deduced what was going on between Mr Stark and Harry correctly, then he would want to talk to the Dursleys about Harry and what happens next and them being in America will only help that.
"Of course, Mrs Dursley. I'll tell both of them and get your son to ring you when he has a free moment. I hope you had a good flight and have a good day. Unless you need anything else, I need to be going as were about to move onto the next part of our tour." she wanted the conversation over as soon as possible as she saw Mr Stark walking her way with purpose.
"No, that's everything. Goodbye." Rudely cutting off the call before she got a chance to say goodbye, she couldn't bring herself to care as Tony stopped in front of her with a trademark grin on his face that were betrayed by the sadness and determination in his eyes.
"Hello, Miss Cresskill? Your Harry teacher right? I'm pretty sure you've seen us talking and other stuff and I would like to ask if it would be possible if Harry could stay with me longer? We've formed a... Connection of sorts and we have so many things in common and he is very smart and I've offered him a chance to work for me as part of my research team. Obviously, because he is underage in both America and the UK, I'll need to talk to his guardians but since there not here, you fall into that category of protection. So therefore, I'm asking if I can keep Harry until later tonight and then drop him back off at your hotel?" Tony was anything if not confident and he knew how to get his way but he was going to do this the right way because there was a teenager's happiness on the line and he can still see the look in his eyes when he told him he would do anything to help him get his wish granted.
"Normally, Mr Stark, that would be right. But I just got off the phone with Harry's Aunt, Petunia Dursley, and she has informed me due to her son liking New York so much, they have flown over here and after the duration of the school trip is over, they are going to be staying longer. From the way she worded it, it was only meant to be for Dudley but I had to correct her by reminding her Harry was here too. This is good for you it seems, as you don't have to fly to Britain or use the phone to contact them, you can arrange a meeting within the next few days to speak with them on the matter." she paused and looked around before straightening up with determination.
"That boy is special Mr Stark, and I hope you do everything within your power to not only make him happy but get him away from those people. They are the worst people to look after children. Their own son is the most spoilt, pig headed bully I've ever met. I for one am glad Harry never turned out that way. But the way they did treat him... It's not worth mentioning but he hasn't had the best of lives, which I'm sure your aware of."
She looked him square in the eye's when saying all of this and both could see that the other understood what they were saying and that the unspoken message had got through clearly.
"Understood. You have my word that as soon as he's in my custody and away from those people he calls family, that he will have the best life he could ever want doing whatever it is he chooses to do. And he'll have the best protection and medicine money can buy, you can count on that." Nodding at him, she was glad that someone to her than herself cared for the small bedraggled boy with the messy black hair.
"Is it possible to get the Dursleys number so I can arrange a meeting with them?" he had a wicked grin on his face as he thought of all the things he could do or say to them and Miss Cresskill has a similar one on her face as she pulled out her phone and recited the numbers she had for both of the Dursleys.
"Thank you Miss Cresskill, I'll do everything I can to make sure Harry is as happy as possible. And I know for a fact that he thanks you for everything you've done for him and he will miss you but I'm pretty sure he'll tell you that himself later on." The Tony smile was back only this time it seems a little less fake and a little more genuine.
"No Mr Stark, thank you." Nodding to each other before Tony turned on the spot and headed back over to where Harry was sat, going through all of his paper work, putting it all in the right order.
'Them being in New York helps so much. Maybe I'll be able to get this done faster than I originally thought. It's going to be a lot of hard work...' he thought this as he looked on at Harry. 'But It's going to be worth every single second.'
Authors Note - What Do You think!? Tell me please! I hope you all like this chapter as much as you did the first one and I hope no one was too OOC and that it all makes sense... Are they rushing into it a little too much? Tell me please!