Drabble 10-Dear Dad
Danny had always known Tony had daddy issues. He never talked about him, and when he did his voice was tinged with bitter and hatred. Regret. Something else that Danny could never place.
But a few months ago he had met a ghost. Not as old as Clockwork, but not as young as Ember. He had green skin and short, white hair with a white goatee and blazing red eyes. Hot rod red. Danny immediately saw the resemblance, but he knew when to be quiet.
He, being the king and what not, was the second to greet him. The first had been Clockwork, because he was, well, Clockwork. Danny had quickly gotten to know the ghost, and right off he knew what this spirit's obsession was with the way he pulled little pieces out of thin air and put them together without really thinking. He was a tinkerer, a builder. A creator. When they had found his layer it was a giant gear instead of a door. It spun around, but inside was perfectly still, and the way in was the space in the very center.
He spent the next few months befriending this certain spirit. Learning about how he knew Captain America and Bucky Barnes, the infamous Peggy Carter and had met the love of his life, and had a beautiful son, Anthony. Tony for short.
Howard Stark spoke only kind words and regret when it came to his son. He talked about he would always push Tony away, even when he was a child, because his work was too distracting. Danny noted how he said that instead of too important. But Howard never loved Tony less.
In Tony's teen years they had never been farther apart. Tony should show off his own creations, and Howard would be too distracted to actually properly judge his son's masterpiece. The one thing he regreted, he told Danny once, was that he was never closer to his son. He regretted it most with the big fight they had before he left for the airport…Before he died.
Danny say and listened, never saying much as Howard quickly filled his layer with wild experiments and blueprints, his face often getting burnt aside from the area around his eyes from his goggles.
After almost six months, Danny took Howard away from his work and led him to the human realm, watching as Howard's eyes nearly popped out of his skill from how…Advanced everything had become since he had died. 30 years had been both brutal and kind to the present.
"Where are we going?" Howard asked, his voice echoing slightly. Danny shrugged.
"You'll see."
They flew around New York for a while until they finally spotted him above the Daily Bugle.
"Hey, Iron Man," Danny said.
"Hey kid," Iron Man greeted, his back turned to him. "What's up?" "Found a new friend." "What?" Tony whirled around and froze. His helmet slowly, robotically receded to his neck, exposing his whole face which was full of shock, and in his eyes Danny could see the hurt. But also relief and disbelief. Howard's face was equally as shocked. All he could seem to do was stare at his son, taking all of him in. He didn't care about the shiny red suit he was in or the glowing circle in his chest. Only his son. He didn't realize he had moved until he had wrapped his arms around the cold armor his child was wearing. Tears streamed down his face as Howard's silk vest got covered in smudges from the recent grease and scorch marks on Tony's suit. "…Dad?" He looked to Danny. "Did you do this?" Danny shook his head. "No, I-Clockwork greeted him and then I became his friend and, well, here we are. I figured it was time." "How long?" Tony asked. "Six months ish in normal time," he shrugged. "That's why I haven't really been around lately." "Son, I'm so sorry…Im sorry I never gave you the acceptance and attention you needed when you were growing up. And I'm sorry about-" "-Dad, it's fine. I missed you too, believe it or not." Danny almost didn't. Not with how he spoke about his father only caring about himself and the such. But he smiled anyway as he saw Tony almost tearing up. Almost. Which a startling laugh, Tony clapped a large, metal hand on Howard's shoulder and squeezed it. "Just wait till you see who else is still around, Pop."