Fic: From Father, With Love
Dec. 17th, 2008 06:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
indiana_jTitle: From Father, With Love
Fandom: Iron Man, movieverse
Characters: Howard Stark, Tony Stark, Obadiah Stane, Pepper Potts, Sebastian Shaw
Rating: PG
Word Count: 3,077
Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Tony Stark or Iron Man, movie or comics wise.
A/N: Many, many thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
frito_kal for being my beta reader on this. It's been sitting on the hard drive for far too long.
Summary: It's Tony's birthday and the last night he'll ever see his father.
HEAD OF STARK INDUSTRIES KILLED IN CAR CRASH
by Stanley Everhart
Howard Stark, Jr, president and CEO of Stark Industries, was killed earlier this morning when his car careened off a slick road and crashed into a tree about ten minutes from his office, state police are saying. He was sixty-nine years old and lived in Malibu, Florida.
A police officer discovered the wreckage around 6 am and Stark was found dead inside the vehicle.
The crash is still under investigation but early reports are placing the accident at around 5 am and alcohol is considered to be a possible factor.
When Obadiah Stane was reached for comment, he expressed disbelief and grief from the company and family. Currently appointed as the Stark family representative, he will head the press release later this afternoon and a full spread of Stark's life and accomplishments will be published in tomorrow morning's edition.
Stark is survived by his only son, Tony Stark, age eighteen.
~~
If a man was murdered in the woods, will anyone be able to tell?
~~
The party was in full swing but Howard Stark had expected nothing less. After all, it was a Stark gala he was throwing and he had never put on anything but the very best - it was what they expected of him and what he expected of himself. He was vaguely aware that Obadiah had been displeased at the large scope and scale of the party; his old friend had wanted it to be shareholders, board members and spouses only but Stark had other ideas.
Besides, it wasn't every day his only son turned eighteen and who was he to avoid mixing pleasure with work? It was a lesson he could only hope Tony would take to heart - the boy was a damned genius when it came to machines ... and women, Stark thought wryly, as he took a drink from a near by waiter ... but he wasn't taking things seriously enough for Stark.
He stopped briefly to shake hands with a board member. The man was someone he couldn't stand; boorish, moronic, probably couldn't tie his shoes by himself if he tried. But he had more money than common sense and enjoyed a good standing within the community. That, however, was something that Stark could appreciate.
It was difficult getting through the large crowd in his house. Everyone wanted to stop him, shake his hand, grab his ear. He was an affable man but the whiskey was running thick in his veins and he was impatient to reach Tony.
Hell, it was proving troublesome even finding him.
Stark paused by the piano and watched with mild amusement as the crowd around him parted like water. He glanced up towards Obadiah as he stretched out his hand, doing his best not to wince as his hand was nearly squeezed off.
"Having fun yet, Obadiah?" he asked, clapping the larger man on the shoulder as they shifted away from the other party goers.
"At your parties, Howard?" came the response. Obadiah shook his head and spread his arms wide. "How could I not?"
"Because you're still feeling slightly rankled at the fact that there are just as many teenagers here as fifty year old stockholders that you can drink under the table?" Stark mused, crooking a finger at another passing waiter so that Obadiah could refill his drink.
His friend grinned around the lip of a tumbler. "Well, there's always you..." he offered.
Stark barked out a laugh. "The last time you tried to out drink me," he retorted, "I woke up to find you passed out on one of Tony's toy floating device in our pool. I think for the good of your pride, I will have to pass."
They spent the next few minutes in comfortable silence, as they sipped at their drinks and enjoyed watching the party swell even more. Despite the numbers, Stark still recognized a good number of them. More than a few he could have done without but despite how well Stark Industries was doing, he was pragmatic enough to realize that it would only keep going moving forward if he kept the pieces moving.
Maybe one day Tony would take over and he could retire away from the business he had built from the ground up. His business but never his inventions, he knew. He'd been tinkering since he could walk and he would keep tinkering until he couldn't walk again.
By then, he might even convince Obadiah to retire as well. After all, they'd been friends and co-conspirators since right after Stark had started his company - he had taken all that he had learned from working on the Manhattan Project and had built on that. He couldn't think of doing much of anything, personally or professionally, without Obadiah somewhere on the sidelines, giving his support.
Hell. He'd even introduced him to Maria all those years ago.
"Have you seen Tony?" Stark suddenly asked, shaking himself out of his reverie. His old age was starting to show.
"The birthday boy?" Obadiah smirked and nodded towards the balcony. "I was going to give him his gift but he disappeared with a young lady a while ago."
Stark rolled his eyes at that. "I swear to god, if he catches something, I'll hose him down myself," he muttered, blindly reaching out with his tumbler. He didn't even have to glance over to his left to make certain a waiter deftly caught the now empty glass as he walked off in search of his son.
Howard Stark was never uncertain of anything anymore.
Little Boy had done many things. It had burned Hiroshima almost to the point of oblivion and it had cost over 200,000 men, women and children their lives It helped to end the War that was supposed to end all wars (again) and it had ushered in the era of the nuclear arms race.
Howard Stark had faced himself in the mirror that day and he'd asked himself if it had all been worth it.
By the time Fat Man had been released in the atmosphere above Nagasaki, he'd already known the answer.
Yes.
Finally breaking free of the crowd, Stark headed for the balcony when another man separated himself from the crowd and stepped in front of him. He paused in surprise at the sudden interruption and then sighed, not bothering to hide the noise or the flash of irritation that crossed his face.
The other man just smiled slightly and held out his hand for Stark to shake. He did so reluctantly.
"Mr. Stark. I hope you're having a pleasant evening?"
"Yes, Mr. Shaw, though it would be a poor party if the host was not enjoying himself." His jaw clenched slightly before he relaxed, clasping his arms behind back and relaxing his shoulders. "I hope you are having just as good a time?"
"Of course, of course." The head of Shaw Industries mimicked his pose and gave him a sly smile. "Not quite up to Hellfire Club standards, as you saw last week, of course."
"It would be difficult to reproduce something as debased and outlandish, Mr. Shaw," Start replied quietly, "so I would hope not."
The Black King froze and Start allowed himself to smirk openly.
"I am not saying that I am complaining, Mr. Shaw, only that it does not bear repeating in my house. Which is why I will always enjoy your hospitality and your invitations but if you expect that enjoyment to translate into something more lucrative for you and yours, in terms of either my membership or monetary gain, you will be sadly mistaken."
Start started to step around him and paused when they were shoulder to shoulder. When he spoke next, the gentle humor had been dropped from his voice and all that was left was the steel that had gotten his company off the ground from almost nothing. "And Shaw, if you so much as look sideways at my son again, I swear on my wife's grave that I will completely destroy you. Shaw Industries would make a good addition to the acquisitions that Stark Industries has, don't you think?"
Ignoring his now fuming guest, Stark eased through the open french doors that led out to one of the balconies and quickly scanned the area. It was growing rather late and he knew well enough that Tony enjoyed using some of the darker areas for his conquests.
He shook his head, amused and irritated all at once. It was something he could understand on an academic level but never to the extent that Tony took it. There had been some girls before Maria but after? Never after. It had nearly destroyed his boy and himself when they'd lost her to cancer several years ago.
But he had kept moving, if not necessarily moving on, just like she would have wanted. Just as he demanded of himself.
After a few minutes of searching, he finally found his only child and paused to watch a most interesting sight.
It was not uncommon to find Tony wooing some young love struck girl - on occasion, not so young, and Stark made a mental note to try and give that boy some taste - but this was different.
He watched in some confusion for a moment before he broke out into a grin. Of all the things he thought he would be interrupting, watching Tony being dressed down by a good looking young woman was not one of them.
She was lovely in a young way that no longer interested Stark with shocking red hair and a modest dress that did nothing to take away from her beauty. Tony was rubbing the side of his face and staring at her like she had just sprouted two heads - she'd obviously taken his advances rather unkindly and was promptly dressing him down.
Stark shook his head as he watched her turn on her heel and stomp back towards the party; she almost didn't see him until it was too late and then drew up sharply, more red flushing her face and neck in sudden embarrassment.
"Mr. Stark! Oh ... I ... oh shoot."
He chuckled and held out a hand in a soothing gesture. "Miss, there is no reason to apologize to me. I firmly believe that my son needs to be taken in hand on occasion and the fact that it came from someone just as lovely just makes all that more enjoyable."
She blushed even more and he paused in consideration. "What's your name, young lady?"
"Virginia Potts, Mr. Stark. I came with a friend who had known Tony through MIT."
"You'll be starting college soon, am I right?"
Miss Potts blinked and then nodded, obviously unsure of where the line of questioning was going. Smoothly, Stark pulled out a business card and handed it over. "Sir?"
"Miss Potts, I have no idea who you are. I don't know your qualifications or what you'll be studying once you get to school. But I do know that you're the only person I've seen outside of myself and Mr. Stane to ignore Tony's admittedly advanced charm. I consider myself a rather good judge of character so please keep this in mind while you tackle the next level of your education. If you come out of college and find yourself at a loose end, call either myself or Mr. Stane. I have a feeling someone like you could prove very valuable to my company."
She stared as he gently shook her hand and directed her back inside, leaving her with the warning words to avoid a certain Sebastian Shaw, and then went to find his son.
"Happy birthday, son," Stark said, patting Tony on the back. He couldn't help asking after Miss Potts. Tony's only response to that was a slightly sullen look. "Don't look so put out, Tony, you'll find someone else to put on your arm."
"Well, it is my birthday, not many could turn me down for that," his son agreed, grinning as he nudged an empty tumbler further away from Stark's view. The elder saw but didn't comment, content with the fact that Tony was at least drinking in a safe area. Better here than at some club with a fake ID.
He reached inside and brought out a flat envelope that he handed over. Tony was instantly opening it and in that moment, Stark could clearly see his beloved Maria in his sons excitement and glee.
It dimmed slightly when he read the contents, his head snapping up in shock. "Dad..."
Stark held up a hand. "No, Tony, don't argue. I'm not retiring any time soon but I wanted you to know that the company will be turned over to when I do. Or if anything were to hap-"
He came to a stop when the letter and envelope crumbled slightly in Tony's hand and wisely skipped that line of thought. "You already received the big, flashy gift this morning but I thought this was the more important one. You're young but talented, son, even if you do need a little more direction."
"Well, yeah ... thanks?" He shook his head and smoothed everything out before gently putting it in his pocket. "No, really, dad, thanks. That does mean a lot to me, though it's kind of useless since you're pretty much glued to the labs and office to the point that I have to get Obadiah to fetch you."
"You can..."
Tony held up his hands in defeat. "I know dad, I know. You can never be too prepared and the thing about the steel and yadda yadda yadda."
Stark laughed. "Fine, it's your birthday. I can lay off the lectures and quotes tonight, I promise." He grimaced. "Besides, speaking of the office..."
Instantly, Tony's face hardened and he looked away. "Yeah, I'm surprised you're even still here."
"Tony." Stark sighed and impulsively reached over to briefly hug his son. Ever since Maria had died, there hadn't been much cause for hugging but he realized he probably should have made the effort more. "We'll talk in the morning, all right? Besides, I know for a fact you'll have no use for your old man in a few hours."
"...hours, dad?"
"Minutes. Feel better?"
Tony smirked. "Just a bit."
~~
"Master Stark?"
Tony groaned and buried his head under a pillow. There was a warm body curled up behind his, the sun was still shining and for the love of god, why couldn't the world stop moving for just one moment? He was vaguely aware of the fact that it was highly unusual for any of the servants to bother him while he was in his room.
In fact, the last time they had, he hadn't even been a teenager yet and it hadn't been his father's butler or even Obadiah but his father himself. Face pinched and pale, eyes gleaming with tears that had never fallen, as he knelt by his bed with the news about his mom.
Despite the sudden urge to hurl, Tony shot up from bed and the girl next to her (her hair a runny red color) murmured but didn't wake.
"Master Stark..." The butler paused, face pinched and pale, eyes gleaming with tears that Tony knew would never be allowed to fall in public, and the young Stark stopped breathing as the man who had helped raise him fought for composure.
"Jarvis?" he asked, climbing out of bed to face the old man - old enough to retire but it was loyalty to the Stark family that had kept him where he was.
"Tony." Eighteen years. In all of eighteen years it had either been Master Tony or Master Stark when something was wrong. Never had it just been Tony. "Mr. Stane has just called. They found your father's car earlier this morning. There's been a terrible accident..."
He sank heavily back onto his bed, head in his hands as he stared blindly at the floor. He didn't hear Jarvis usher out the woman, he didn't feel the gentle press to the top of his head as the butler passed by once more and he didn't notice the balled up letter that detailed what would happen if Howard Stark, Jr. either retired or passed away.
His father hadn't been able to openly cry for his mother and Jarvis hadn't been able to openly cry for the man that he had served under for well over twenty years but once Tony was well and truly alone, he indulged in what neither of the others had been able to.
He wept.
~~
Epilogue
The lab was closed down, the papers signed and most of the whiskey was out of his system by the time that Howard Stark made his way back to his car to go home. The sun was just starting to rise, casting a light pink glow over everything but he was too tired to really enjoy it.
Perhaps he was overdoing it on the overtime but he enjoyed working when the building was mostly empty. He could invent and think better when he was alone and he would have time to later explain the how's and why's to the scientists in his company on his own terms when it worked.
But that was for later. Now he needed to get home before Jarvis sent out the police, finish off his drink and then sleep for a few hours before starting the cycle all over again.
Ten minutes in, he noticed the car was driving oddly; he decided to let Tony play with it. With some limitations, of course.
Twelve minutes and he was frowning, hands tightening on the wheel as he wondered if he should pull over.
Twelve minutes, twenty seconds, the car was smashing through the guard rail, the screech of metal on metal so far removed from his thinking that it didn't even really register. The woods that used to relax him on his drive home loom suddenly in front of him in a terrifying rush as he frantically slammed on the brakes.
His second to last thought was of his wife and son and his hope that they had both known during their lives that he had loved them very much.
His last thought?
Some bastard had messed with the car; dear God, please don't let them go after To
Fandom: Iron Man, movieverse
Characters: Howard Stark, Tony Stark, Obadiah Stane, Pepper Potts, Sebastian Shaw
Rating: PG
Word Count: 3,077
Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Tony Stark or Iron Man, movie or comics wise.
A/N: Many, many thanks to
frito_kal for being my beta reader on this. It's been sitting on the hard drive for far too long.Summary: It's Tony's birthday and the last night he'll ever see his father.
HEAD OF STARK INDUSTRIES KILLED IN CAR CRASH
by Stanley Everhart
Howard Stark, Jr, president and CEO of Stark Industries, was killed earlier this morning when his car careened off a slick road and crashed into a tree about ten minutes from his office, state police are saying. He was sixty-nine years old and lived in Malibu, Florida.
A police officer discovered the wreckage around 6 am and Stark was found dead inside the vehicle.
The crash is still under investigation but early reports are placing the accident at around 5 am and alcohol is considered to be a possible factor.
When Obadiah Stane was reached for comment, he expressed disbelief and grief from the company and family. Currently appointed as the Stark family representative, he will head the press release later this afternoon and a full spread of Stark's life and accomplishments will be published in tomorrow morning's edition.
Stark is survived by his only son, Tony Stark, age eighteen.
~~
If a man was murdered in the woods, will anyone be able to tell?
~~
The party was in full swing but Howard Stark had expected nothing less. After all, it was a Stark gala he was throwing and he had never put on anything but the very best - it was what they expected of him and what he expected of himself. He was vaguely aware that Obadiah had been displeased at the large scope and scale of the party; his old friend had wanted it to be shareholders, board members and spouses only but Stark had other ideas.
Besides, it wasn't every day his only son turned eighteen and who was he to avoid mixing pleasure with work? It was a lesson he could only hope Tony would take to heart - the boy was a damned genius when it came to machines ... and women, Stark thought wryly, as he took a drink from a near by waiter ... but he wasn't taking things seriously enough for Stark.
He stopped briefly to shake hands with a board member. The man was someone he couldn't stand; boorish, moronic, probably couldn't tie his shoes by himself if he tried. But he had more money than common sense and enjoyed a good standing within the community. That, however, was something that Stark could appreciate.
It was difficult getting through the large crowd in his house. Everyone wanted to stop him, shake his hand, grab his ear. He was an affable man but the whiskey was running thick in his veins and he was impatient to reach Tony.
Hell, it was proving troublesome even finding him.
Stark paused by the piano and watched with mild amusement as the crowd around him parted like water. He glanced up towards Obadiah as he stretched out his hand, doing his best not to wince as his hand was nearly squeezed off.
"Having fun yet, Obadiah?" he asked, clapping the larger man on the shoulder as they shifted away from the other party goers.
"At your parties, Howard?" came the response. Obadiah shook his head and spread his arms wide. "How could I not?"
"Because you're still feeling slightly rankled at the fact that there are just as many teenagers here as fifty year old stockholders that you can drink under the table?" Stark mused, crooking a finger at another passing waiter so that Obadiah could refill his drink.
His friend grinned around the lip of a tumbler. "Well, there's always you..." he offered.
Stark barked out a laugh. "The last time you tried to out drink me," he retorted, "I woke up to find you passed out on one of Tony's toy floating device in our pool. I think for the good of your pride, I will have to pass."
They spent the next few minutes in comfortable silence, as they sipped at their drinks and enjoyed watching the party swell even more. Despite the numbers, Stark still recognized a good number of them. More than a few he could have done without but despite how well Stark Industries was doing, he was pragmatic enough to realize that it would only keep going moving forward if he kept the pieces moving.
Maybe one day Tony would take over and he could retire away from the business he had built from the ground up. His business but never his inventions, he knew. He'd been tinkering since he could walk and he would keep tinkering until he couldn't walk again.
By then, he might even convince Obadiah to retire as well. After all, they'd been friends and co-conspirators since right after Stark had started his company - he had taken all that he had learned from working on the Manhattan Project and had built on that. He couldn't think of doing much of anything, personally or professionally, without Obadiah somewhere on the sidelines, giving his support.
Hell. He'd even introduced him to Maria all those years ago.
"Have you seen Tony?" Stark suddenly asked, shaking himself out of his reverie. His old age was starting to show.
"The birthday boy?" Obadiah smirked and nodded towards the balcony. "I was going to give him his gift but he disappeared with a young lady a while ago."
Stark rolled his eyes at that. "I swear to god, if he catches something, I'll hose him down myself," he muttered, blindly reaching out with his tumbler. He didn't even have to glance over to his left to make certain a waiter deftly caught the now empty glass as he walked off in search of his son.
Howard Stark was never uncertain of anything anymore.
Little Boy had done many things. It had burned Hiroshima almost to the point of oblivion and it had cost over 200,000 men, women and children their lives It helped to end the War that was supposed to end all wars (again) and it had ushered in the era of the nuclear arms race.
Howard Stark had faced himself in the mirror that day and he'd asked himself if it had all been worth it.
By the time Fat Man had been released in the atmosphere above Nagasaki, he'd already known the answer.
Yes.
Finally breaking free of the crowd, Stark headed for the balcony when another man separated himself from the crowd and stepped in front of him. He paused in surprise at the sudden interruption and then sighed, not bothering to hide the noise or the flash of irritation that crossed his face.
The other man just smiled slightly and held out his hand for Stark to shake. He did so reluctantly.
"Mr. Stark. I hope you're having a pleasant evening?"
"Yes, Mr. Shaw, though it would be a poor party if the host was not enjoying himself." His jaw clenched slightly before he relaxed, clasping his arms behind back and relaxing his shoulders. "I hope you are having just as good a time?"
"Of course, of course." The head of Shaw Industries mimicked his pose and gave him a sly smile. "Not quite up to Hellfire Club standards, as you saw last week, of course."
"It would be difficult to reproduce something as debased and outlandish, Mr. Shaw," Start replied quietly, "so I would hope not."
The Black King froze and Start allowed himself to smirk openly.
"I am not saying that I am complaining, Mr. Shaw, only that it does not bear repeating in my house. Which is why I will always enjoy your hospitality and your invitations but if you expect that enjoyment to translate into something more lucrative for you and yours, in terms of either my membership or monetary gain, you will be sadly mistaken."
Start started to step around him and paused when they were shoulder to shoulder. When he spoke next, the gentle humor had been dropped from his voice and all that was left was the steel that had gotten his company off the ground from almost nothing. "And Shaw, if you so much as look sideways at my son again, I swear on my wife's grave that I will completely destroy you. Shaw Industries would make a good addition to the acquisitions that Stark Industries has, don't you think?"
Ignoring his now fuming guest, Stark eased through the open french doors that led out to one of the balconies and quickly scanned the area. It was growing rather late and he knew well enough that Tony enjoyed using some of the darker areas for his conquests.
He shook his head, amused and irritated all at once. It was something he could understand on an academic level but never to the extent that Tony took it. There had been some girls before Maria but after? Never after. It had nearly destroyed his boy and himself when they'd lost her to cancer several years ago.
But he had kept moving, if not necessarily moving on, just like she would have wanted. Just as he demanded of himself.
After a few minutes of searching, he finally found his only child and paused to watch a most interesting sight.
It was not uncommon to find Tony wooing some young love struck girl - on occasion, not so young, and Stark made a mental note to try and give that boy some taste - but this was different.
He watched in some confusion for a moment before he broke out into a grin. Of all the things he thought he would be interrupting, watching Tony being dressed down by a good looking young woman was not one of them.
She was lovely in a young way that no longer interested Stark with shocking red hair and a modest dress that did nothing to take away from her beauty. Tony was rubbing the side of his face and staring at her like she had just sprouted two heads - she'd obviously taken his advances rather unkindly and was promptly dressing him down.
Stark shook his head as he watched her turn on her heel and stomp back towards the party; she almost didn't see him until it was too late and then drew up sharply, more red flushing her face and neck in sudden embarrassment.
"Mr. Stark! Oh ... I ... oh shoot."
He chuckled and held out a hand in a soothing gesture. "Miss, there is no reason to apologize to me. I firmly believe that my son needs to be taken in hand on occasion and the fact that it came from someone just as lovely just makes all that more enjoyable."
She blushed even more and he paused in consideration. "What's your name, young lady?"
"Virginia Potts, Mr. Stark. I came with a friend who had known Tony through MIT."
"You'll be starting college soon, am I right?"
Miss Potts blinked and then nodded, obviously unsure of where the line of questioning was going. Smoothly, Stark pulled out a business card and handed it over. "Sir?"
"Miss Potts, I have no idea who you are. I don't know your qualifications or what you'll be studying once you get to school. But I do know that you're the only person I've seen outside of myself and Mr. Stane to ignore Tony's admittedly advanced charm. I consider myself a rather good judge of character so please keep this in mind while you tackle the next level of your education. If you come out of college and find yourself at a loose end, call either myself or Mr. Stane. I have a feeling someone like you could prove very valuable to my company."
She stared as he gently shook her hand and directed her back inside, leaving her with the warning words to avoid a certain Sebastian Shaw, and then went to find his son.
"Happy birthday, son," Stark said, patting Tony on the back. He couldn't help asking after Miss Potts. Tony's only response to that was a slightly sullen look. "Don't look so put out, Tony, you'll find someone else to put on your arm."
"Well, it is my birthday, not many could turn me down for that," his son agreed, grinning as he nudged an empty tumbler further away from Stark's view. The elder saw but didn't comment, content with the fact that Tony was at least drinking in a safe area. Better here than at some club with a fake ID.
He reached inside and brought out a flat envelope that he handed over. Tony was instantly opening it and in that moment, Stark could clearly see his beloved Maria in his sons excitement and glee.
It dimmed slightly when he read the contents, his head snapping up in shock. "Dad..."
Stark held up a hand. "No, Tony, don't argue. I'm not retiring any time soon but I wanted you to know that the company will be turned over to when I do. Or if anything were to hap-"
He came to a stop when the letter and envelope crumbled slightly in Tony's hand and wisely skipped that line of thought. "You already received the big, flashy gift this morning but I thought this was the more important one. You're young but talented, son, even if you do need a little more direction."
"Well, yeah ... thanks?" He shook his head and smoothed everything out before gently putting it in his pocket. "No, really, dad, thanks. That does mean a lot to me, though it's kind of useless since you're pretty much glued to the labs and office to the point that I have to get Obadiah to fetch you."
"You can..."
Tony held up his hands in defeat. "I know dad, I know. You can never be too prepared and the thing about the steel and yadda yadda yadda."
Stark laughed. "Fine, it's your birthday. I can lay off the lectures and quotes tonight, I promise." He grimaced. "Besides, speaking of the office..."
Instantly, Tony's face hardened and he looked away. "Yeah, I'm surprised you're even still here."
"Tony." Stark sighed and impulsively reached over to briefly hug his son. Ever since Maria had died, there hadn't been much cause for hugging but he realized he probably should have made the effort more. "We'll talk in the morning, all right? Besides, I know for a fact you'll have no use for your old man in a few hours."
"...hours, dad?"
"Minutes. Feel better?"
Tony smirked. "Just a bit."
~~
"Master Stark?"
Tony groaned and buried his head under a pillow. There was a warm body curled up behind his, the sun was still shining and for the love of god, why couldn't the world stop moving for just one moment? He was vaguely aware of the fact that it was highly unusual for any of the servants to bother him while he was in his room.
In fact, the last time they had, he hadn't even been a teenager yet and it hadn't been his father's butler or even Obadiah but his father himself. Face pinched and pale, eyes gleaming with tears that had never fallen, as he knelt by his bed with the news about his mom.
Despite the sudden urge to hurl, Tony shot up from bed and the girl next to her (her hair a runny red color) murmured but didn't wake.
"Master Stark..." The butler paused, face pinched and pale, eyes gleaming with tears that Tony knew would never be allowed to fall in public, and the young Stark stopped breathing as the man who had helped raise him fought for composure.
"Jarvis?" he asked, climbing out of bed to face the old man - old enough to retire but it was loyalty to the Stark family that had kept him where he was.
"Tony." Eighteen years. In all of eighteen years it had either been Master Tony or Master Stark when something was wrong. Never had it just been Tony. "Mr. Stane has just called. They found your father's car earlier this morning. There's been a terrible accident..."
He sank heavily back onto his bed, head in his hands as he stared blindly at the floor. He didn't hear Jarvis usher out the woman, he didn't feel the gentle press to the top of his head as the butler passed by once more and he didn't notice the balled up letter that detailed what would happen if Howard Stark, Jr. either retired or passed away.
His father hadn't been able to openly cry for his mother and Jarvis hadn't been able to openly cry for the man that he had served under for well over twenty years but once Tony was well and truly alone, he indulged in what neither of the others had been able to.
He wept.
~~
Epilogue
The lab was closed down, the papers signed and most of the whiskey was out of his system by the time that Howard Stark made his way back to his car to go home. The sun was just starting to rise, casting a light pink glow over everything but he was too tired to really enjoy it.
Perhaps he was overdoing it on the overtime but he enjoyed working when the building was mostly empty. He could invent and think better when he was alone and he would have time to later explain the how's and why's to the scientists in his company on his own terms when it worked.
But that was for later. Now he needed to get home before Jarvis sent out the police, finish off his drink and then sleep for a few hours before starting the cycle all over again.
Ten minutes in, he noticed the car was driving oddly; he decided to let Tony play with it. With some limitations, of course.
Twelve minutes and he was frowning, hands tightening on the wheel as he wondered if he should pull over.
Twelve minutes, twenty seconds, the car was smashing through the guard rail, the screech of metal on metal so far removed from his thinking that it didn't even really register. The woods that used to relax him on his drive home loom suddenly in front of him in a terrifying rush as he frantically slammed on the brakes.
His second to last thought was of his wife and son and his hope that they had both known during their lives that he had loved them very much.
His last thought?
Some bastard had messed with the car; dear God, please don't let them go after To