Chapter 20

After sitting a few moments in silence after JARVIS's revelations, suddenly Tony sprung out of his seat, only to be tackled by Bruce.

"Bruce let me go!" Tony yelped, struggling under the weight of the bigger man. It was no use. In the end, he ended up on his back with Bruce straddling him holding down his arms.

"Listen to me," Bruce hissed. "I get it – it's taking all I can to keep him at bay: I am so furious that anyone would touch our boy! But us running in there with rage will only set him off. We need to calm down. Harry's comfort matters more than our need for vengeance. Breathe with me."

Tony closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. The ice-cold wrath that flowed through his veins began to lessen, though his anger that someone hurt his son, had carved into his baby was still present. He opened his eyes to see Bruce staring back at him, and his heart skipped a beat.

Bruce was so goddamn beautiful in that moment, with his jaw clenched and his eyes full of fury. And, God, what had the other man said –

"You said our boy," Tony breathed.

Bruce looked stricken for a moment and let go of Tony's arms as he sat back on his haunches.

"I – I know I don't have the right, but Harry – he's such a good kid," Bruce stammered, and Tony sat up with one arm as he reached out with his other to make sure that Bruce didn't move.

"No – no – I'm not upset," Tony assured the other man, gripping his elbow tight. "I – I am so happy – you've been so great with Harry and with me during this – and God, I know how easy it is to love that kid, I shouldn't be surprised – and this is how it should be – I'm split between being so angry that he was treated like shit when he deserves the world and so, unbelievably happy that you see what I see. And, look at us now – I would have driven him away within a week if it wasn't for you helping – and – and it never hit me before, how much you've done for us – and God you look –"

"How do I look?" Bruce prompted when the other man cut himself off, looking beseechingly into Tony's eyes.

"Beautiful," Tony answered before he could stop himself. He groaned and let go of Bruce and flopped back down on his back, burying his face in his hands. "This is so fucked up – my abused son just ran out the room – you had to keep me from confronting him about his scars – and I'm thinking about you how much I want – God, what kind of father am I?"

Stronger hands than his pulled his away from his face, and Tony turned away from what was sure to be disappointment in the other man's eyes.

"Tony look at me. Please?" Bruce ordered gently, and Tony met the other's eyes, unable to read the soft look there. "Tony, you're a good dad – what's happening right now has nothing to do with that. We're human, and feelings, whatever they may be can't be helped, only our actions. But you need to tell me, what do you want? Please be honest with me. How much you want what?"

"You," Tony replied, squeezing the other's man's hands. "I want you, any way you'll have me. I want you in my life, in Harry's life. I want you to continue to care about him. I want you in my bed. But I don't just want a fuck! I want you by my side – through everything, doing anything and nothing. In the lab, in the field, in the kitchen – everywhere. I didn't realize how much I – how much I care about you, about how much I – it just struck me how beautiful you are, how passionate you are about protecting Harry. And my heart is just so full right now, and – and please don't leave! If you don't feel the same, I get it, but please, please stay – I can control myself, but I don't know what Harry and I would do without you here too, and –"

Tony was silenced when Bruce's lips met his.

As far as first kisses go, it was quite chaste to Tony's experience, but it just felt right.

When it ended, Tony's eyes fluttered open – he hadn't even realized he'd closed them – and saw Bruce looking tenderly down at him.

"I care for you too," Bruce said, and Tony's heart fluttered again. "And I want all those things too, but we'll have to talk about this more – about what works for both of us and for Harry too, because the last thing I want is rush in and fail then lose you two forever. And it's not been too long since Pepper, and I don't want this to be a rebound for you. Wait, let me finish," Bruce insisted as Tony was about to interject. "I know you may not think it is, but that's why we have to talk more, OK? But first thing's first, we need to talk to Harry, calmly –"

Suddenly the lights went out, the only thing lighting the room being Bruce's wristwatch and the lights of the city from outside.

"JARVIS, what's going on?" Tony asked as he and Bruce scrambled to stand up.

Silence.

Tony held up his own watch, amazed it was dead.

"JARVIS," Tony called again, fiddling with his watch. "This doesn't make sense – even if he's shut down in the apartment because of a power outage, JARVIS should still work on my watch!"

A light appeared to their left, and Tony and Bruce turned to see Harry running toward them, lighting his way with a stick and carrying a bundle of cloth.

"Harry are you OK," Tony asked, reaching out for his son, only for the boy to pull away from him. Slightly hurt at the rebuff, Tony continued, "I don't know what's going on – JARVIS isn't even responding –"

"I lied to you," Harry interrupted, looking at the men with pained eyes. "I don't have time to explain, but you need to put this on!" He threw a vest at Tony, who, despite his confusion, caught it. "I don't know how much time we have or what's coming, but something is. Long story short, I'm not Harry Patterson but Harry Potter. My parents – my mother and James were murdered by a terrorist. He and his followers were after me for years, and I killed him last spring. The government – they accepted it was self-defense but now seem to think I want to become a terrorist myself – I don't! But now everyone in my world knows I'm here, and I don't know what's coming – it could be the government or a terrorist that was never caught, but it's not safe here now, and it's my fault! I'm so sorry –"

"Harry, you're not making any sense, son," Tony said, trying to understand what's going on.

"Please put on the waistcoat!" Harry implored, and Tony's heart ached at the pleading in his son's eyes. So, he put it on. Tony could feel it was the same material as the boy's gloves. "Before I left earlier – I was trying to tell you about – but then I got a message from my friend that everything went to shit –"

"Breathe, Harry – what was it you are trying to say?" Bruce asked.

Harry took a breath.

"Magic is real," Harry said, hugging the fabric he was holding to his chest. "My mother was a witch, and I'm a wizard. Magic interferes with non-magical technology – and – and I'm afraid it will interfere with the arc reactor and make it short-circuit – just like it causes phones, toasters, computers – that's why I've been wearing gloves –"

"That's why?" Tony exclaimed, trying to make sense of it all.

"Look, I need you both to trust me," Harry continued and tossed Bruce the fabric he was holding. "That's my invisibility cloak, and you both need to hide under it while I deal with what's coming –"

"If you think I'm going to sit back and do nothing with whatever's happening –" Tony started.

"Please, you don't understand!" Harry cried. "All it takes is one spell and you'll be dead instantly. Nothing will stop it. And Iron Man won't work around magic, and I don't know how the Hulk will be affected by it either. I've dealt with it all before – I can handle myself. Please, let me protect you. Please!"

"OK," Bruce said after a moment to the relief of Harry and the outrage of Tony.

"Bruce, how can you –" Tony exclaimed but was once again interrupted.

"Look I don't want to anymore than you do," Bruce said, looking at Tony with understanding. "But we have to trust Harry. He knows the enemy better than we do, and we'll be of no help to him if we're distracting him from the fight –"

Suddenly there was an explosion by the emergency stairway.

"Go, go!" Harry cried, turning toward the explosion to face what was coming.

Tony tried to run after him, but Bruce held him tightly, pulling him back into a corner and pulling the cloak over them.

"He's my son, I can't –" Tony cried, trying to pull away from the other man, but Bruce held firm.

"We have to trust him, Tony," Bruce said again. "We have to trust our boy."

Tony slumped at that. He knew in his head that was what they should do, but every instinct was telling him to bring Harry under the cloak with them.

From their vantage point, they could see Harry facing the smoke billowing from the entrance to the stairs his – wand?! – at the ready.

A voice shrieked from the darkness:

"ICKLE HARRIKINS! COME OUT TO PLAAAAAAYYYYY!"

AN: A lot happened in this chapter, but it's been a long time coming... Next up is the battle then the fall-out.

Hope you enjoyed!

Love, Insie