Note: I'm so glad you guys liked the first (albeit short) meeting between our two boys! Thanks for all the reviews! Here it is, what you've all been waiting for - more than a one-word conversation between father and son. Hope it measures up to expectations.

Please enjoy.

Previously:

They stared at each other until Harry broke the silence.

"Hello?"

Tony broke from his spell and smiled to the boy who seemed so unsure, so lost.

"Hello."

Chapter 10

"So," Tony stated, not sure of what to say. He caught sight of the building plans Harry had been glancing at. "So, are you interested in the schematics of the new Tower? Balderdash said you went to an art school. Is that what you like? Architecture?"

"Um – it – it's nice and all," Harry panicked for a moment, and then remembered his cover story, "but – er – no. Architecture isn't my – what I focus on. Too much numbers, um – Maths and science aren't really my thing. I like to dance – I mean, that is my focus. Dancing."

"Oh," Tony replied, a bit shell-shocked. His son: math and science not his thing? Dancing?

"But, um, it does look nice," Harry stammered after receiving no further response. "I – I heard about the Battle of New York. So this building will replace the older one?"

"Yes," Tony answered, relieved he was back on a topic he was comfortable with. "But it will be much better – I've been adding new space for the other Avengers, so it can be our home base as well as Stark Industries HQ. You'll need to let me know what you would like for your rooms, too."

"My – rooms?" Harry said, not quite believing what he was hearing.

"Yes of course 'your rooms' – where would you sleep, in the pantry?" Tony exclaimed. He then realized he might have skipped ahead a bit and gestured for Harry to sit on the bench in front of them. They both took a seat. "Look, Harrison –"

"Harry," the teen interjected.

"Harry," Tony continued. "I knew from the moment I saw your picture you were my son – my blood, my responsibility to take care of –"

"I don't need to be anyone's responsibility – or burden!" Harry snapped. "I'll be eighteen soon enough. I just need a place to stay until then. You don't have to rearrange anything or pay any expense, especially on your bastard mistake with a married woman –"

"Whoa – whoa – whoa now!" Tony interrupted, holding his hands up. God, not even a minute in, and he screwed up. "Calm down, OK?"

Harry calmed immediately and his cheeks reddened. Why did he do that? The teenager fought with himself. The little boy within him had welcomed the acceptance his father was obviously offering him – but the jaded bit of him had latched onto that word 'responsibility' and had lashed out like a basilisk, spewing venomous vitriol at the man. Harry turned away, not able to meet Tony in the eye.

"OK, so obviously, we need to talk some things through," Tony said once it was clear that Harry was finished. The man loved to talk – talking was his strong suit, except when it came to serious things. Dealing with a teenage son who had some anger issues definitely ranked as serious. "Maybe responsibility was the wrong word – actually, maybe I just went about this the wrong way. Let me start over.

"I only knew Lily for a short amount of time," Tony started. Harry snorted in contempt, but Tony chose to ignore it. "But I want you to know that I remember her fondly. I was struck not just by her beauty but her intelligence and wit as well. And that was why I continued speaking with her after she blew off my come-ons, and why I agreed to be with her for that one night. I was entranced. I have still thought about her from time to time, wondering if I should try to find her, to see if she was single and maybe we could rekindle that spark. She left quite an impression.

"That is why I remembered instantly who 'Emerald-Eyed Lily' was when Balderdash contacted my office. She was the one who got away.

"I – I never regretted our – our tryst – even more so now. I have you.

"When I saw your picture, Harry, I knew you were mine. I honestly have never wanted – children. But seeing you –" Tony choked up with emotion that came out of nowhere, and Harry's eyes locked with his, "At that moment, I wished I had been there to see you grow up – that I had been there to father you. I missed so much – too much. We know nothing about each other, yes, but I want to get to know you. I hope that you coming today means you want to get to know me too."

"I do," Harry replied softly, looking away. "I just –" but he could not continue. It was too good to be true.

"Don't worry," Tony said, and cleared his voice and blinked away his wet eyes. "We both will have a lot to learn. I have no idea how to be a – dad. But I'm willing to try. Hey!" Harry looked back up sharply at his father's exclamation. "How about this? Give me three months to try to be a good dad, a kind of probationary thing. If at the end when you turn eighteen you think I don't measure up, well, fair enough, and you can leave, and I will never bother you again – no strings attached. Until then I will try to take care of you and rearrange things and pay expenses like any father should, and you try to give me the benefit of the doubt when I stick my foot in it. What do you say? A trial run at this father-son thing?"

"What about me?" Harry asked. "What if at the end you decide you don't want me as your son?"

"That won't happen, Harry," Tony replied easily, and waved away Harry's attempt at a further reply. "We may not get along, but there is nothing you could do that would make me deny my own blood. That is the first of many things you need to know about Tony Stark."

"How long is this list?" Harry asked, smiling for the first time since he met his father.

"Long – I'm a complicated character full of mystery and suspense," Tony joked, happy to see that smile. He knew from that moment on his life's goal would be to make that smile permanent on his son's face. "So? What do you say?"

"OK," Harry replied, feeling butterflies fluttering in his stomach. His father wanted him – but Harry could not shake the feeling that this would not last, especially with all the lies and half-truths he had fed the man. He could only hope that the his father was in earnest when he said that he would never deny blood, no matter the blood on his son's hands.

AN: There you have it! The Deal. Hope you enjoyed. Next time, Harry moves in and meets Happy, Pepper, and JARVIS.

Sorry for the long AN, but I know some of you were wondering, so FYI, this story will be the first of a trilogy (with appx. 30 chappies each): 1. the building of the Stark men's familial relationship, 2. Harry/Steve, and then a third part that would spoil the previous part. So it will take a while before Harry meets Steve and gets together with him. There may be some slashy bits before then... no promises though. Remember, reviews are encouraging ;)

Also, I created a new community called "Fanon Companion" if you lot want to see what I consider classics of HP fanon.

See you at another time in the future! Love, Insie