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It’s a beautiful day today. And a special one at that.
Not that anyone remembers that.
Tony waits outside, carrying his loyal bag (that secretly hides the book he took from the library and hasn’t returned since). He rocks himself back and forth, still in uniform. His shoes are kind of uncomfortable. They feel like Dad’s shoes…
He wonders if he’ll show up this time.
Well, that’s what he asks every single weekend.
There’s not really a place to sit out here and he doesn’t want to get dirt on his uniform. At least it doesn’t take long for Tony to see the car.
He gulps and adjusts his tie. Even though he’s going home.
As the car approaches…
There’s no one in the back seat.
Once the vehicle stops, only one man appears. He’s well dressed but he’s not his father.
“Master Tony.”
Jarvis is smiling at him.
Tony still expects someone else to miraculously come out of the car.
…
“Let me take your bag, sir.”
Tony cringes at the “sir”, as he always does, but he doesn’t mention it. The bag is not even that heavy, but Jarvis takes it either way to put in the trunk. Tony opens the door himself, having all that space for himself. Jarvis doesn’t question it and they take off, leaving the fields to return to the Stark mansion.
Tony has questions. But he probably knows the answers.
“Jarvis?”
“Yes, Master Tony?”
“Where…” the boy hesitates. “Where’s Mom?”
At some point, Mom would fill Howard’s absence with her warm hugs and sweet kisses. But nowadays, it kind of feels like she gave up on him now that he’s in boarding school.
“I’m afraid she’s with your father, arranging your birthday party.”
“Oh.”
He knew that.
Then, why is he… disappointed? He doesn’t even like going home.
But today is different, isn’t it? They should be here. Yet they’re more worried about the party than him.
Tony doesn’t cry, though. Crying is for sissies, like his father says.
So, he distracts himself with the landscape – the big wide blue sky, the birds flying away, the open green fields… Tony sees the birds flying, free.
(What he could give to fly away with them…)
Gradually, the freedom is being filled by the city concrete, the many houses and cars and buildings. Tony sighs, head glued to the window. He feels nothing inside him. This is just another day. The party doesn’t even matter. He’s just going to have to be stiff and greet his parents’ business partners and he’s going to fail at befriending their kids who don’t even like him.
They have so many of these parties, that it’s really no different when it’s Tony’s birthday.
He wishes he could’ve stayed in school.
…
Wait.
They’re not going home.
He knows that way.
But… why?
“Jarvis, where are we going?” Tony asks either way.
“Oh, I just thought we might take a little detour before heading home.”
They soon stop at Jarvis’ destination, apparently.
Tony hasn’t been here in forever. The last time he was here was when Mom was still picking him up from school.
“Do you want to get some ice cream?” Jarvis wonders.
“Well, yeah… but…”
The butler just waits. He’s very much ready to leave. He values Tony’s decision.
The young boy looks at the empty space next to him. As much as he’s grown used to it, he just wants one different day. One different birthday.
Tony sighs and… smiles.
“Nevermind. Let’s go.”
This is the one Häagen-Dazs in their neighborhood that his mother has always loved. It’s very weird being here without her. She always ordered vanilla ice cream while he got chocolate, then they would try each other’s flavors.
Things just aren’t the same anymore.
“You can order anything you want, sir,” Jarvis tells him.
Tony’s eyes widen. “Hey, Jarvis, I have money with me.”
“Nonsense, today is a special day. You deserve all the ice cream you want.”
The young Stark would’ve declined, but Jarvis sounds so truthful that Tony can’t really contest it. With this, Tony gets an ice cream cone with chocolate and, this time, coffee. He’s eating it quietly while Jarvis briefly leaves, coming back with a handful of napkins.
“We don’t want Master Tony getting ice cream on his school uniform, do we?” Jarvis points out.
Oh, right. Tony forgot he’s still in uniform.
The butler usually stands on his feet with a blank face, ready for any demand. But now that it’s just Tony, Jarvis is… sitting with him? They’re facing one another? Jarvis is always so serious and formal. Well, he still calls the boy “sir” or “Master Tony”, but right now he’s the most casual Tony has seen him.
Tony eventually realizes something.
“You’re not going to get anything?”
Jarvis looks at him in confusion. “Pardon?”
“You don’t want any ice cream?”
“Oh, I’m fine.”
“No, come on. Try mine.”
“Really?” Jarvis smirks.
“Yeah, really. Well, I dunno if you like chocolate or coffee, but you gotta try it.”
“Why, thank you.”
Jarvis takes a very small bite with the paddle. He hums and seems content.
“You have great taste, Master Tony,” he compliments.
“You barely tasted anything!”
Jarvis’ grin is contagious, so much that Tony is laughing.
“Alright, alright.” He takes a slightly bigger piece. He hums again, pleased. “Like I said, you have great taste.”
“Told you,” Tony smiles.
They are quiet again.
Tony kind of misses the vanilla.
He could order it later, if he wants.
But is it going to be the same thing?
“How has school been, sir?” Jarvis asks, maybe noticing his smile falling.
“It’s fine.”
“Have you built anything?”
“Nothing interesting.”
“I’m sure everything you build is interesting.”
“Tell that to Dad.”
Tony feels terrible sounding so rude. But everything in his head decides to crash down and he’s not even able to apologize to his butler.
“... why?”
“Why what?” Jarvis raises an eyebrow.
“Why did you bring me here?” Tony doesn’t raise his voice, but he certainly still sounds bitter. “Did Mom and Dad ask you to? Or did you just feel sorry for me?”
Jarvis doesn’t react the same way. He’s completely calm. Tony doesn’t understand.
“It’s your birthday today, isn’t it?” The man says genuinely. Like there are no other intentions behind it. He really just wanted to be here with Tony. After all, he could just do his job and pretend the boy doesn’t exist.
But he’s being the most considerate out of the adults in his life.
Why?
“... you didn’t have to do this,” he says instead.
He definitely sounds ungrateful, but he feels so guilty.
Jarvis comes a little closer to say something only Tony should hear.
“Well, it’s your special day. You don’t need to be Tony Stark right now. You can be just Tony, a boy who likes ice cream.”
And that’s how Jarvis sees him. A boy named Tony. Just a boy.
That shuts him up for good.
There are so many feelings inside him…
But they’re not all that bad.
The party goes on like his parents intended. Tony is stuck with a lot of people that couldn’t care less, as usual.
But now… now Tony knows that at least one person in this world is rooting for him, in the back. Jarvis, of course, is working tonight. Still, every time he sees Tony, he gives him an encouraging smile that no one else notices.
Throughout the party, the boy finally realizes what he must do. The real words he wants to say.
It’s already over, only the staff and his parents are around to put everything away. Tony flees when nobody's looking, hiding something precious in his hands. Luckily, he finds Jarvis in the kitchen and he’s by himself.
“Pssst,” Tony tries to catch his attention, which works.
“Ah, hello, Master Tony. Do you need anything?”
“Actually…” Tony looks behind him. “I wanted to give you something.”
“I thought it was your birthday?” Jarvis jokes.
“Yeah, and I want you to have some cake.”
Even though it’s not really a present, Jarvis still looks surprised. He holds the cake like it’s a precious invention. Even though Tony didn’t really make it.
“Well, it’s fine if you don’t like it,” Tony rubs his own arm shyly. “I just wanted to say…”
He looks in so many directions, wanting to do one particular thing, but not sure if it’ll be unwelcome. And Jarvis is just there, looking at Tony like he’s a boy made of gold and not iron.
Finally, Tony looks behind them, checking if anyone is around.
Either way, he’ll be quick.
So… he does it.
“... thank you, Jarvis.”
Tony hugs Jarvis by his waist. For a brief moment, his mind tells him it’s going to go wrong. But before he can let go and pretend it never happened… Jarvis wraps an arm around him, patting his back. The other hand is probably still holding the cake. Even then, it’s so warm and welcoming that Tony could stay here forever.
“Always for you, sir.” He can tell Jarvis is smiling.
As much as home sucks… now Tony has a reason to come home.