Tony had gone up to see Stephan again. He always loved to hang out with him, whether he was tidying or pressed beside him. Steve and Bucky enjoyed to see Tony happy in this current situation, but there was always the underlining fear that something could affect the teenager. Even when Tony assured them that he was well, and felt lively enough to visit Stephan it was always one more risk.
"Stephan, what are you looking at?" Tony asked, glancing at the boy who was perched in front of a laptop. Over the last 5 days Stephan had been absorbed in looking at expensive surgeries around the world, arguing with doctors when they say it was a much higher risk chance than recovery.
"There has to be further surgery to improve my hands." Stephan mumbled, barely loud enough to hear.
"Steph, you have to consider that maybe you shouldn't dive further into this than you already have." Tony responded, glancing up to make eye contact with him though Stephan just closed the laptop without looking up.
"No, this is the time not to stop, Tony." He slowly rose from his chair, moving towards the back wall. "I'm not getting any better!" Stephan suddenly raised his voice while Tony had to suppress a small flinch.
"This, this isn't going to make you better. These are experiments at most." Tony hesitated. "Some things aren't supposed to be fixed."
"Life, without my plans, my future." Stephan growled.
"Is still a life, you'll still continue to live, to walk, to breathe. You're not stupid, there will be other opportunities. Your young, transfer to another course. Something with just as much meaning." Tony protested, slowly moving closer to Stephan.
"What?" Stephan spat. "Playing happy fucking families and friends?" Tony didn't respond, he starred at the rage in Stephans eyes, feeling as if they would burn holes into his head. "Dance around as if there isn't a single shitting problem in the world!"
"Your not the only person in this world going through shit." Tony argued, feeling understandably angry at Stephans poor choice of words.
"This is the part where you leave." Stephan stated.
"Fine, theres no point watching you rot into a pity hole." Tony grunted, grabbing his phone before heading to the door trying to resist the sluggish feeling in his legs.
"What? Is this too difficult for you? Me?" Stephan asked, Tony didn't know if he should continue to argue or just storm off. "Do i really make you miserable?"
"This isn't just affecting you. You're shit Stephan, look at yourself." It hurt Tony to say those words, making his chest ache every word. He didn't want to make Stephan hate him. But he wasn't going to be spoken to in such a manner.
"Are you pitying me?" The taller scoffed.
"I wouldn't dare."
"Then why are you here? Why do you come here, every, single, day?! Bringing me food as if we're some married couple? We were barely friends, i can't see if we ever crossed the lovers mark. But don't you just love the attention? Is that what i am, an attention feeder? Or was it like that before you came to Bucky and Steve? Now you're coming to my front door all weak and wanting help? Poor. you."
"Stephan." Tony's breath hitched, different memories and emotional running through his head.
"You care so much, don't you?!" Stephan yelled, Tony couldn't respond. He stood there, his knees feeling weak and his eyes about to overflow.
"Alright then. See you." Tony walked out, making sure to slam the door with all his strength. He practically ran to the elevator, not wanting to be seen by Pepper who should be there any minute. The doors opened and he was lucky enough to have an elevator to himself. It only took a minute until he was back into his room, Bucky and Steve had probably gone for lunch. It was okay though, he couldn't stand the idea of them seeing him like this.
No matter what it seemed to be impossible to calm down, Stephan who had assured him that he would always be there, a phone call away had just called him needy, almost incompetent. No matter how many times Tony checked his phone Stephans name never came up, all he wanted was the floor to eat him whole.
"Tones? What are you doing back so early?" Bucky asked, walking in with food tucked under his arm. "Tony?" All Tony could do was sniffle, he didn't want a sob story about an argument. Everyone argues, his father used to remind him that Stark men were made of iron and should never cry, when Tony was younger he could of sliced his hand open and wouldn't cry. Now he was just hopeless. "Tony?" Bucky called again, now with his knee on the bed leaning over to the boy. "What happened?"
"Nothin' Buck." Tony huffed, pushing Bucky off him.
"It's not nothing, what happened?" Something about Bucky's voice soothed him, the way he knew Bucky couldn't leave him.
"We had a small argument, nothing much." Tony answered, wiping his tear stained cheeks.
"Did he say something? Anything that he knew he shouldn't?" Bucky asked, gently massaging Tony's shoulder.
"Maybe, i don't know." Tony sighed. "I pissed him off, he wants to do something that's.. it's guaranteed to damage him."
"I'm sorry bear." Bucky hummed. "You're trying to protect him?"
"I guess. I just.. i don't feel very we'll right now. And i guess that on top of it was a bit degrading." Tony admitted, rolling onto his back.
"I don't think you should be up and about anymore, okay?" Bucky sighed, glancing down at his son.
"I want to go home." Tony whispered, digging his head into the pillow. "The air feels different here, the smells are too chemically, the noise is unbearable, the dizzy spells are even worse, i don't like the water, or the shower set up."
"I know, kid. I know." Bucky sighed, giving Tony a sympathetic look. "You want me to talk to Stephen? I'll get an apology out of him." Bucky didn't understand the situation, Tony sort of preferred that.
"I'll be okay, thanks for the offer." Tony tried to laugh, though it was obviously too dry to have any genuine emotion to it. "Oh, and don't tell Steve." Bucky nodded, scuffing up Tony's hair before grabbing a sandwich.
YOU ARE READING
Adopted. (child tony, stucky)
FanfictionTony is 12 and has been placed in a home, his parents passed away in a car accident when he was 8 and ever since he's been in and out of foster families and homes. One day after moving out of a particularly toxic foster home he's placed with Steve a...
