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Stepping into the penthouse apartment in Kensington, Tony knew he was running on fumes, but he still had to take care of the child held against his chest. The healer had wiped Harry down when she had treated him, but he needed to be bathed and put into something clean. Rockjaw had had the prudence to send out for supplies Tony would need that night. Laying Harry down on his bed, Tony went through to the bathroom and ran warm water halfway up the bathtub.
Harry had succeeded in waking himself up and wiggled across the bed to the edge in the few minutes Tony had been gone, almost giving Tony a heart attack. He knew he was in over his head as confused, scared green eyes stared up at him. He blew out breath and knelt down. iRemember: genius, inventor, engineer, innovator – you can do this/I
"Hi sweetie, how are you feeling?" Tony spoke softly.
Harry shrugged as he watched Tony.
"How about we get you cleaned up and then we can get something to eat?"
Squinting at him, Harry reached slowly out towards Tony. "Pa'to?"
Tony felt hot prickles at the back of his eyes. "Yes, baby! You can call me Papa Tony or just Papa, or Daddy – whatever you want!"
Lunging toward him, Tony caught the child and held him tightly as he stood up. "You'll never go back there, baby, I promise!"
Tiny arms circled his neck and Tony could feel Harry cry silently. At a loss, Tony swept Harry off the bed and carried him into the bathroom. Standing Harry on the counter, Tony carefully unwrapped the small blanket, allowing Harry to grip his shoulders.
"Boss?" Happy's voice sounded loud in the small space and Harry jumped.
Tony steadied his son and responded in a normal tone. "We're here, Happy."
"I found some soup and burgers. I'll put them on the table."
"Thanks!" Tony turned back to Harry. "Let's get this done, kiddo, and then we can eat."
Harry stood docile as Tony peeled off the examination gown the healers had put on him. "All right, Harry, let's get this done."
Lifting him into the water, Tony set him down on his feet, before kneeling beside the tub. He watched as Harry's eyes widened and he looked at Tony.
"It's warm!"
Anger surged inside him and a breeze swirled around them for a moment before Tony was able to control it.
"You make wind, too! Are you a freak too?" Harry asked excitedly.
Taking a deep breath, Tony helped Harry sit down. "Bath water is supposed to be warm, kiddo, and yes, sometimes when I get upset, my magic reacts. For us, it's normal and neither one of us is a freak." Tony reached for a washcloth and the soap. "We have no bubbles in here! Or bath toys for you!" He exclaimed, diverting Harry attention away from memories of his relatives. "We'll have to change that, kiddo!"
It took shampooing Harry's hair twice before it was clean and his son was sleepy by the time Tony lifted him out, drying him with a fluffy towel. Carrying him through to the bedroom, Tony found Happy had brought in underwear and pajamas for Harry, as well as clothes for the morning. Still prattling on about things they needed to buy for him, Tony dressed him once he figured out how to maneuver arms and legs into the right holes.
"Do you want to walk, kiddo, or be carried?"
Harry held up his arms and Tony smiled as he lifted him, carrying him through to a small table set up in the kitchen. The whole back wall of the penthouse was floor to ceiling windows and Tony could hear Harry's intake of breath at the lights of Kensington Palace across the street. He pressed a kiss to the damp curls as he sat down and turned Harry around on his lap. Happy slid a small bowl of what looked like chicken soup toward them.
"Okay, kiddo, the healer told me you had sore fingers – do you want to feed yourself or me feed you?"
Harry turned his head to look at him over his shoulder at Tony. "I can do it, please. 'm not a baby!"
Tony smothered a gin at the indignant tone and just pulled the bowl closer to Harry, making sure he had a good grip on the spoon. Harry made short work of the soup as Tony polished off the barely warm cheeseburger Happy had gotten for him.
Best tasting burger ever.
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