Author's Note: Okay, so this chapter got away from me a little bit, oops? I had plans for Tony to actually call Pepper and write that entire scene out because it's going to be fun, but alas it was not meant to be. I might try and squeeze it into the next chapter hopefully if the timeframe works out okay. This was also sort of a hard write for me, but I got through it.
Anyway, enjoy this semi-dull ish piece. I hope to get the last 2 chapters written in a timely manner so I can share them with you all soon.
Competition/Challenge Block:
Written for/Stacked with: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Term 12); Quidditch League; Monthly Challenges for All (Year 2)
House/Team: Ravenclaw (Hogwarts); Moderator/Judge (Quidditch)
Role/Position: Prefect (Hogwarts); Moderator/Judge (Quidditch)
Other Hogwarts Challenges: IPC: [854] (Setting: Hotel); 365: [25] (Believe); Fortnightly; Funfair; Say It With Flowers; Seasonal; Writing Club; Writing Month; Dragon Breeding
Other MC4A Challenges: Spring Bingo [1A] (Eggs); Trope Bingo [4B] (Finagle's Law); Scavenger Hunt (Sandwich); Link Maker (Same Bingo Card); Chimera Creator (Protection; Ebony); IC BAON; Star; T3; SN; SF
Representation: Autistic Harry Potter; Desi Harry Potter; Desi/Black Potter Family; Autistic Tony Stark; Protective Happy Hogan
Bonus Challenges: Found Family; Nontraditional; Machismo; Chorus (Pear-Shaped)
Tertiary Bonus Challenges: SN (Rail; Ameliorate); T3 (Toad)
Word Count: 5,781 words (per Google Docs)
Warning Tag: Implied/Referenced Canon Child Abuse; Referenced Panic Attack; Referenced Canon Medical Conditions
All or Nothing
Harry sat quietly on the sleek, ebony leather sofa that adorned the large sitting room of Tony's top-floor hotel suite. His hand still tingled slightly under the wrap Happy applied after Harry refused to go to the hospital. The burn paste he slathered over it was cooling, warding off most of the burning prickle that lingered, but his hyper-sensitivity wanted to focus on that feeling right now. It was the only thing that has been relatively constant the past two hours.
He still couldn't fully wrap his mind around what entirely happened earlier that morning. He was making breakfast before heading to church. The only unusual thing was that they were going to a later service because Dudley insisted on staying over at Piers right after they returned from their family vacation and they needed to be picked up, much to Harry's distaste. Otherwise it was a typical Sunday morning routine. He was going to be dropped off at Mrs. Figgs afterward while the Dursleys went to a luncheon with their friends. Thankfully she never mentioned the nightmare that went down on Saturday, and Harry was even more surprised she was willing to take him so soon after it as well, even.
Had Harry not passed out in midst of her severe scolding—not only from fear, but also to stop the shadows from shifting in the hall behind her. Based on how threatening they were behaving, he worried for her own general safety; not sure exactly what they were capable of. It wasn't like he could ask someone about living shadows or anything, especially when he was always one mistake away from being thrown into an asylum while under the Dursleys roof.
But none of that mattered now. Harry was swept away by what he could only regard as a guardian angel, but as the whirlwind of emotions processed through him, he couldn't feel but a little bit panicked as to what was going to happen now. Based on what he was overhearing Tony say to the person on the other side of the mobile, it didn't sound like his newfound freedom would last as long as he'd hoped.
Happy entering the room pulled Harry's attention to him. He was carrying a couple of takeaway bags and seeing them had Harry's stomach betray him with a deep, gurgling hunger. He wrapped his arm around his midsection to stifle the rather loud empty sound, knowing that it was not only inappropriate, but instinctively feared a hard swat to the back of the head because the food wasn't necessarily for him despite the quantity. Despite Mrs. Figg being loads kinder than the Dursleys ever were to him, she still vaguely told them when they picked him up Saturday night he had acted up on her, resulting in no supper—he never did eat the packed lunch, either.
It was his own fault, he knew, running off and breaking into a private event like he did. It was the lightest punishment he gladly took in silence in its wake, and would forever be in Mrs. Figg's debt for not entirely blowing the whistle on him. He knew that she knew what she was doing, after all, but going from three small but steady unappetizing meals for a solid week to nothing would definitely mess with him, and it was.
Happy must have heard the unpleasant noise because he promptly walked over and sat down on the couch next to Harry. He tried to make himself as small as possible, pulling his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them to further stifle the gnawing growl. He was usually better at hiding this.
"You hungry, kid?" Happy asked, placing the bag on the coffee table in front of him before proceeding to pull out a plastic container that had pancakes in it with a pack of syrup, eggs, and bacon strips inside.
Harry bit his lip slightly, honing in on the food and the aroma it emitted. Swallowing hard, he pushed his back further into the cushions to try and make himself smaller.
Happy pushed it in front of him, popping the clear lid open and placing the plastic utensils beside it. "I got this for you. You like pancakes? I got sandwiches if not."
"Y-yes," he half-whispered, releasing his legs so he could lean forward and inspect the food placed in front of him. "Pancakes a-are fine."
He wasn't sure where all his courage had gone now. Yesterday it felt like he had an unlimited supply of the stuff, but today he was far from it. Maybe it was because of the lingering fear that he wouldn't be able to stay with Tony after all, and based on the somewhat heated exchange going on in the bedroom, this seemed like it was a possibility. The hunger seemed to overwhelm these thoughts now, having food presented to him so openly made him almost nauseous, but declining it would come off as rude.
"Thank you, sir," Harry muttered, grabbing the fork and knife laid down beside it. At least if he did need to get sick later it wouldn't be on an empty stomach.
"No problem. And you can call me Happy," Happy said. He let out an audible breath before continuing, "I'm sorry about yesterday. My job—well, it was no excuse for it."
Harry didn't know what to say to that, but he gave a slight nod in acknowledgement. If the bodyguard was apologizing and offering him food, then Harry wasn't going to reject such an apology because of how he was treated yesterday by him. In truth, Happy wasn't aggressive or handled him roughly, he just drew very blunt, mostly true, conclusions.
It didn't take him long to clear the three pancakes and portion of eggs and bacon, feeling ravenous despite having a somewhat proper eating schedule from being with Mrs. Figg for the last week. Her portions were still small; being an older, single lady had her accustomed to preparing single meals, so her making extra of something meant only a half portion more was added that she usually would store for a future meal.
Harry noticed that Happy seemed to try and hide the fact he was staring at him, averting his gaze in a quick, jerking manner when he looked over at him. This made him even more self-conscious of how fast he devoured the sweet breakfast in front of him. He wasn't used to an audience, either, often left alone at the table for his meals.
"If you're still hungry, help yourself." Happy gestured to the bag where he had pulled a sandwich from and still held in hand.
"Thank you." Eating more would only make him feel sicker, and the sweetness of the syrup was already making him feel a little queasy.
He gathered the plastic tray and utensils, standing up, and moved around the table before pausing. He scanned the room for a rubbish or recycle bin. The tray's sharp edge slipped in his hold and jabbed into his injured hand, causing him to flinch slightly.
"You alright?"
"Y-yeah." Harry waved his wrapped hand in the air some, trying to ease the sting while visibly showing he was fine.
Happy got up and took the tray from him. "Take it easy. Don't worry about this."
"Okay."
Harry went back to the couch and sat back down. Not sure what else to do, he took in the room, but ultimately his eyes landed back on the photo of his parents Tony gave him in the car. He had placed it on the end table beside him, and now he couldn't help but smile at it, seeing how happy everyone was with each other and how loved they all were. It left a faint warmth in his chest.
Tony flipped his phone closed, making its snap echo in the large empty space. It pulled Harry's attention to him, a strange sense of dread settling in his gut.
"I'm not going to be able to stay, am I?" Harry blurted, unable to contain that horrible feeling of having to leave and almost regretted the straightforward question.
He watched as Tony moved around the coffee table and sat down next to him in the space Happy vacated. Harry focused on his hairline as a sign of respect, unable to muster up the courage to completely meet Tony's eyes.
"Not if I can help it," Tony assured. He reached for the bag and pulled a sandwich from it. "Did you eat yet?"
Harry gave a nod of his head. "Pancakes, eggs, and bacon."
"Lucky. I love pancakes. Better than these things by far." Tony held up the unwrapped breakfast sandwich that looked like two small pancakes holding a slice of cheese and two strips of bacon in-between them. "I'd pass on the egg, though. Your hand doing better?"
Harry's lips twitched slightly, not sure how to process such positive attention and concern, but it made it easy to talk to Tony. Comfortable, even, and answering questions didn't feel forced or premeditated. He instinctively slid his fingers across his still-tender cheek where Petunia slapped him before raising his bandaged hand up. "It isn't tingling anymore."
"I'm glad."
Tony eyed him for a long moment, having Harry fidget with the hem of the overstretched, too-large, once colored ebony t-shirt (now an ashy grey) he hadn't had the chance to change out of that morning. It was strangely one of his favorites; the material was softer than the rest and made it easy to sleep in. The oversized matching pajama bottoms were made of the same material but hung almost humorously off his small frame. Despite both their sizes, Harry liked the extra room because it was like a second blanket he could tuck himself into on the colder nights when the corridor got drafty.
"I know we just got here, but I was wondering if you're up to go out for a few things?" Tony asked, seeming to try and gauge Harry's reaction. "Some new clothes, maybe find a barber that can properly tend to your hair type? Have a little you pampering?"
Harry wasn't sure how he was supposed to reply to such a request. The day had barely started and he was already exhausted. He still hadn't fully processed what Tony told him in the car, unable to believe that he was to be his real legal guardian. Harry really hoped it was true because Tony and Happy had been so kind to him. Even the shakey shadows weren't stirring like they always seemed to do before. Though he hardly knew the man, he already felt like he could undoubtedly trust him because of these things alone. Tony had known his parents for three entire years and spoke nothing but amazing things about them the entire hour drive. Because of this, Harry didn't want to disappoint him and say no, but he didn't know anything about clothes shopping or hair care at all to prepare for or what to expect out of it.
"I-I can manage I think," Harry said, nodding to reinforce his answer even though Tony looked as tired as he felt.
He just hoped his nervousness and uncertainty about it didn't show.
.oOo.
Happy drove them to a very sophisticated looking storefront that donned children and baby mannequins in their bay windows. Harry had seen the store several times before, even remembering that he had to sit on the bench just inside to wait while Dudley was being tailored for a suit for some special occasion Harry wasn't allowed to attend.
Tony got out before Harry could fully close his mouth, unsure of what to make of the rather high-end store. He had never gone clothes shopping for himself before, so having such a fancy place be their first choice was jarring.
The door opened and he slowly climbed out of the Audi, pushing his damaged glasses up his nose.
"Happy picked it, seems like a reasonable place, yeah?" Tony said, glancing across the pavement at the storefront.
"Okay." That wasn't the right answer.
Harry followed Tony in and was immediately overwhelmed by how nice everything looked and that he wasn't there for Dudley. He was there for himself and he was wearing oversized thread-bare pyjamas and old slip on shoes. Luckily Tony picked up on his mental shutdown, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder and giving it a light squeeze while getting the attention of one of the floor staff to assist them. Harry watched over the rims of his glasses as the young lady moved across the room toward them. It was easier for him to watch the fuzzied outlines of people, it helped him avoid noticing too many things about them and helped mask their faces so he couldn't process facial features and their reactions.
"We need to order a suit, specially tailored, medium grey with light blue pinstripes. A few sets of everyday casual wear, and a few sets of pyjamas, please." Tony spoke so confidently. Harry hoped he could do that someday.
"Of course. We have everything you need available for the child." The woman paused for a moment, looking at Harry, but he was too busy staring at the bench he felt he should be sitting on to pay attention to her. "If you'd like to follow me, I can have my colleague assist you while I take him to the back for measuring."
When the woman placed a hand on his back, Harry bristled at the contact. She was applying pressure on him now, prompting him to follow her lead. There was a long plastic looking piece of ribbon wrapped around one of her hands that Harry became wary of, and she had a strange, reserved smile on her face.
He didn't want to follow this person, so he clamped his feet firmly in place, focusing on Tony. For some unknown reason Harry couldn't make himself move toward him. Quickly becoming hyper aware of his environment and all of the clean proper clothing that he was supposed to accept as his own became frightening and overwhelming. He liked the sweats-cum-pyjamas he was currently wearing. They were soft and comfortable and a shade easily overlooked and unnoticeable to most, making him virtually invisible in the dull grey-black outfit. The thought of wearing something other than worn out, overstretched, faded-colored clothes sent him into a panic and he now wished he could have had a moment to grab the bag he used as a dresser before leaving Privet Drive.
He felt his mouth open, trying to call out to Tony who was distracted by the other person, but his throat seemed to close up. Reaching for him now, he tried to get his feet to move, but when he noticed the shadows start to pull from the crevasse of the otherwise well-lit store and pool under him, he quickly found himself giving into the darkness that outlined his vision.
.oOo.
Tony screwed up already and he only had Harry for less than four hours. He cursed under his breath while quietly scolding himself. In his haste to help the kid he didn't take his feelings fully into consideration at all. He pushed Harry to quickly along in an attempt to try and make everything better for him when instead Tony was trying to correct his own guilt about the situation. His mind was running a mile a second, eager to get everything worked out and corrected as soon as physically possible, and it all backfired.
They were back at the hotel now and Harry still hadn't woken up from him passing out in the store. Tony leaned against the doorframe, peering in at the sleeping boy laying limpy on the too-large bed for his too-small frame, hoping that he would stir at any moment. Thankfully he didn't hit his head or sustain any injury at the store when he passed, though the strange pool of darkness that he swore caught him had something to do about it. Tony had seen some odd things in his life, and so far what he observed at the kids clothing store reached the top of that list. Harry having some kind of mutation was the last thing he was going to worry over right now, it wasn't going to change anything.
A cough escaped him and he turned away while attempting to suppress it. It reminded him of the sole purpose of why he ended up in London on the fly, much to Pepper's protest and confusion as to why such a small event was suddenly so important to him. The convention held yesterday was focused on medical-related sciences, something he recently directed his company to put more focus on than it already was for several reasons. SI took a hit no longer producing weapons, but it wasn't anything Tony was concerned about, not after how unstable and shady the weapons industry really was despite his company's best efforts, he did get a first-hand look at that after all. The medical field held a lot of promise regardless.
Tony pulled a small device from his pocket then, and at a glance most would assume it was a blood sugar tester. It was actually a SI prototype Tony was developing to quickly test blood toxicity levels much faster than what was already available. With some tweaking, it measured exactly what he needed it to read, and he ironically dubbed it the Heavy Metal Monitor—or HMM. The name was a work in progress.
Pressing his finger on the designated pad, the twitch of his eye was the only reaction he had when it pricked him. Watching the digital screen appear with a .8% was a slight concern, going up .3% since before he left for Little Whinging. The adrenaline induced from the cluster of emotions of the morning must've accelerated it, which meant he'd have to take extra precautions to keep his stress levels low.
He almost laughed at that thought, when wasn't he stressing about something these days? Especially since the discovery that his ARC reactor decided to really start poisoning him a few days ago. The small science convention had changed his life in a way he wasn't prepared for, but once he stifled the shock after meeting Harry, he managed to find a few small but promising leads and breakthroughs for similar things to his current predicament. Now he had an even bigger reason to find a solution to this otherwise horrible setback in the ARC design that was supposed to keep him alive. There was no way he was going to allow Harry to go back to those relatives of his.
The incident at the store prompted Tony to have Happy fetch Harry's meager belongings even though he ordered several outfits, sleepwear, and even a semi-formal shirt and slacks to replace the suit he intended to get. He could only hope that they were the right size, since at first glance Harry looked like a five or six year old. He pondered pushing back the court date he pushed for to better prepare Harry for such a feat, arguing with his lawyer to get it set for Wednesday—three days away. Though at the same time the thought of just getting it done like ripping off a bandaid would be the best course of action in the long run. Tony already had to prepare for Pepper roasting him for everything going on, a phone call he has been meaning to make and knew it would be better if he called her first. If everything panned out well, getting his extremely competent lawyer to work with not one, but two of Britons own extremely competent lawyers that specializes in these cases to escalate his would most likely end having more people upset with him if he canceled now.
Best if he could avoid that at all possible.
This left the only option to try and prep Harry for the whirlwind about to take place. Tony needed to get back to California for so many reasons, but the one that found itself to the top of the list was to get Harry secured in a proper home environment as soon as possible, and of course the next step was to figure out a way to stop dying. That one was a bigger, more complicated issue to handle so he was glad it dropped a peg for now.
Happy returned and Harry still was out, but Tony decided to step away for just a moment to speak with him.
"That's it?"
He scanned the worn-out duffle bag in Happy's hand before shifting his gaze over to a fancy paper bag in his other.
"According to them, yes," Happy said, setting the bag down near the room Harry was in. "I took the liberty in getting what was in there washed. I picked up his own bedding, though. The blanket was a literal rag and he didn't seem to have a pillow so… There's a throw blanket and travel pillow in here for him. Kids like yellow, right?" he lifted the bag up as he spoke.
"You're guess is as good as mine." Tony took the bag from him and peeked in, seeing a soft, bright lemon yellow blanket looking back. "You're a gem, Happy. Thanks."
Happy gave a silent nod of acceptance. "Anything else I can do for you, Boss?"
"Not at the moment. Thanks again."
Tony turned back to the bedroom as Happy excused himself, grabbing the duffel bag before entering. He hoped Harry would wake up soon and started running worse-case scenarios through his head on if or when he should call the paramedics. Grabbing another medical prototype from his pocket, he powered it on, punched in a couple digits on the touchpad, then held it over Harry's still form for a few seconds, watching the blue hue blanket over him before it vanished. A quiet chime was made in the other room, indicating an email was sent with the results. With a sigh, Tony pulled the knit blanket Happy got Harry out of the bag and unfolded it, taking a moment to take in it's ridiculously soft texture and vibrant lemon yellow color even in the dim room. He checked the tag to see it was made of merino sheep wool, finding its quality almost startling.
Carefully, Tony partially draped the blanket over Harry's waist before brushing a light hand over the mess of hair before stepping back. Harry had shifted some, causing Tony to catch his breath as he watched for a sign of him waking. Once he settled, Tony released his held breath and grabbed the matching pillow from the bag and placed it on top of the white pillow just above Harry's head. He checked his watch, seeing it was about eleven, meaning it was only three in Malibu, so he had some time before he absolutely had to call Pepper and fill her in on the change of plans.
Deciding that hovering over the kid would not only be weird, it would be counter-productive. Though he didn't want Harry to panic waking up alone in the room, Tony quickly left to grab his laptop and move one of the dining table chairs to the hall. Pressing his feet against the wall opposite him, he carefully leaned back to tip the chair back enough to rest the back against the wall on two legs. Satisfied with the balance, Tony placed the laptop on his lap and checked the email that contained Harry's vitals. Everything seemed okay considering, but knowing how the courts worked, and anticipating the one he was about to face, having some sort of medical records will be useful. He compared it to the one he took of Harry shortly after they got in the car, as well as photos of his injuries before patching him up, and saw a lot of improvement, but still slightly concerning. Having every scrap of evidence he could come up with to help his case was vital, so Tony would need to take regular scans of Harry for comparison and try to scrape together any other old medical records to show the differences between them.
An hour flashed by and his phone rang, snapping Tony out of his research hole to check to see who it was. It was Jason Hale, his most favourite person at the moment below Harry. Moving away from the bedroom door—Harry still hadn't woken up yet—he answered it promptly
"Lay it on me, Night Owl."
"Well, you got your date for Wednesday," the lawyer on the other end said. "They seemed very interested in this case. It seems you are capable of attracting positive attention from authorities after all."
"Well, I am a joy to work with, so I'm told," Tony said. "You've definitely earned yourself a pot of coffee."
"Yeah, well I'm going to need it for tomorr—today. It's Sunday already? Gez. Anyway, I'm going to be gathering my things and flying your way at some point today to prep. I've scheduled a meeting on Monday to meet with the Brits who will be presented with your case."
Tony checked his watch. He saw that it was noon now, meaning it was about four in the morning where his night owl lawyer was back in California. He didn't earn the nickname for nothing. "Great work, as always, Night Owl. I'll leave ya to burn that double-ended candle, just make sure you wedge a nap in somewhere. I'll need you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for Wednesday."
"Will do," Jason, muttering under his breath a moment. "There is some bad news, unfortunately."
"I figured," Tony replied, creeping down the hall to peek in at Harry. "There is never good news without the bad, otherwise it is just news."
"Your case isn't going to be easy. This kid practically doesn't exist in the system, and based on what you've told and given me, there's no evidence of his parents, either. Death certificates, nothing," Jason rattled off while the sound of papers scattering around. "And this Will is going to be scrutinized for its legitimacy from their end, so to avoid the court rescheduling I'll get that sent to the right people pronto."
"Well, I didn't say this was going to be easy, either," Tony deadpanned. "It's why I hired you because you help work the miracles I need on my behalf."
"And a miracle this will need," Jason said with a chuckle. "I'll ring you when I touchdown. I expect First Class service once I'm there."
"I'll be sure the limo comes with an espresso machine. Toodles for now." Tony flipped the phone closed and glanced in at Harry again, who was starting to stir more frequently now.
He entered the room when Harry started to sit up, trying to not startle him as he did so. "Hey, kiddo."
Harry looked his way before automatically reaching for the nightstand where his battered glasses were. Tony added yet another mental note to the growing list of things he will need to get checked out once Harry was more securely his. Medical was a finicky thing like that and wasn't surprised that Harry refused to go to the hospital for his hand. He was never big on them himself.
"You alright?" Tony prompted, slowly sitting on the foot of the bed. "Feeling okay?"
"I think so…" Harry swallowed hard, looking everywhere but at Tony. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to cause a scene. I—"
"Hey, hey it's alright. Really," Tony said, instinctively reaching out to Harry and placing a hand on his shoulder. "I am the only one who should be sorry here."
The response had Harry catch his stammering with the sharp intake of his breath. His eyes widened some, and Tony focused on the tip of his nose as he continued, finding the reaction nearly heartbreaking. He needed to make sure that Harry knew it was not his fault.
"I pushed you to fast too soon, and I am sorry," Tony reaffirmed, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze to reinforce his words. "But I can assure you that it will never happen again, okay?"
A few very quiet beats went by before Harry nodded in understanding, seeming to be at a loss for words.
"Okay, good." Tony patted Harry's shoulder before letting it fall into his lap where it tapped on the end of his knee. "Let's...Let's take the rest of the day off, yeah? I want us to take our time to get better acquainted and comfortable with each other. Watch a movie, have some lunch. You can ask me all the questions I'm sure you still have racing through your head and I'll do my best to answer them. That sound alright with you?"
Harry blinked a couple of times before giving a hesitant nod. Tony didn't pressure him to give any verbal answers, they weren't required, and he didn't mind doing all of the talking right now anyway. He rubbed the back of his neck, thinking a moment.
"Happy got your things. They're in the bag and have been cleaned." Tony waved to the duffle bag before gesturing to the door across the room. "The bathroom is there if you want to use it. Take your time and all, and when you're ready, I'll be in the kitchen digging out some food."
Harry pulled his attention away from Tony to look down at the tattered bag. Tony watched as he seemed to reach for the blanket without much thought before he froze, gripping the lemon yellow blanket in his hand before releasing it as if it burned him.
"That's yours. The blanket and that pillow. If you want them, that is," Tony rambled, not sure how Harry would handle receiving a gift. It clearly wasn't a normal thing in his old life. "Yellow is pretty neat, I think."
"I like yellow," Harry half-whispered, reaching for the blanket again to take in its softness properly. "Thank you."
Tony got up then, not wanting to further intrude. "Well, the popcorn won't pop itself. Take your time, 'kay? I'll be in the other room if you need me."
"Okay," Harry said, a ghost of a smile on his face.
Tony left the bedroom door open before moving to the kitchen with his laptop. Getting some music playing at a modest level from the laptop just in case Harry called for him, Tony proceeded to switch between handling his makeshift snack and lunch tray, to checking emails, and writing a fleeting note down here or there for new ideas. JARVIS had sent him a promising short-term remedy to help ward off the poisoning side-effects of the ARC: liquid chlorophyll. Oddly enough it wasn't one of the things he thought of first, which frightened him because it was such a straightforward solution. JARVIS was rather kind about the obvious discovery in the email, stating he had a lot of other important things on his mind to miss something like this. At this rate he will give anything a shot at least once, and if becoming part-plant is the way to do it, he'll have some explaining to do as always, but he'll be alive to tell it… at least for now.
Harry must have slipped in while his back was turned because when Tony turned back around with a finished sandwich on a plate, he nearly jumped when he saw the damp mop of jet black hair clinging to Harry's forehead. Tony promptly muted his laptop and sat the plate down in front of Harry who was busy cleaning his glasses with the hem of his oversized, washed out blue shirt.
"It's a club sandwich. Well, sort of. Haven't cut it all fancy yet, but it has ham, bacon, tomato, lettuce, mayo, and mustard. Very lightly toasted the bread to give it some crunch," Tony said, grabbing some glasses from the cupboard. "If that isn't something appeasing, just say the word, and I'll see what I can find for ya."
Tony gestured to the tray that had a large bowl of fresh popcorn next to an assortment of fruit, crackers, cheese, and sliced meats. It looked quite fancy if the colored gummy worms and bears piled into another bowl beside the popcorn wasn't there.
"I like sandwiches. Thank you."
It was obvious Harry had never been given many choices before because he quietly pulled the plate toward him without a word and took the tomato off and sat it on the plate. He looked at Tony for a moment, seeming to wait for some sort of reaction, before he picked up the rather large sandwich in his small hands. Tony felt his heart break just a bit at the sight. He grabbed a clean knife from nearby and waved his hand in front of Harry to grab his attention.
"Here, let me…"
Harry promptly dropped the sandwich and Tony cut it into the small quarter-sized pieces it was intended to be before giving it back. Harry picked up one of the pieces, visibly relaxing at the more manageable size.
After Tony watched him practically devour the sandwich, he gestured for him to move to the couch that faced a wall-mounted TV. He offered the remote to Harry, popping some popcorn into his mouth.
"All yours. Pick whatever you want." That didn't sound quite right. "PG-13—er, whatever they rate kid-friendly things. I'm down for anything fun."
Harry hesitantly took the remote and flicked the TV on. The movie the channel was already set to had the title flash by too quickly for Tony to register, but it had the word grail in it.
"Dudley—my cousin—watches this all the time," Harry said barely above a whisper. "He makes it seem so funny because I hear him laugh all the time from under…" He trailed off. "But he's quite...simple minded, so he finds a lot of stuff funny."
Arry paused again, prompting Tony to look back at him to make sure he was alright. Talking about family that was abusive was difficult, he knew that first hand, and there was always someone on his staff throwing it in his face at some point in his life.
"Is it ok to watch?"
Tony looked back as the opening credits melded into a foggy scene with the sound of a running horse. When two people came into view, he saw that one of them was clapping two halves of a coconut together to replicate the horses hooves. He chuckled slightly at this and reached for the popcorn bowl to place between them.
"I don't see why not."