Adopted. (child tony, stucky)

sobered talks,

Bucky refused to release Tony for a matter of time, he held him as close as he could too scared the second he let go Tony would disappear again.

"Buck.." Steve whispered softly, patting his husbands shoulder to alert him that it would make sense for him to eventually let go.

"Sorry." James croaked, hesitantly stepping away to stare at Tony. He had dark bags under his eyes, his hair in all different directions, the jacket he was wearing being far too big for him making him appear tiny, and the fact that he was trembling slightly. "Let's get inside, yeah?" Tony just nodded, following behind his parents as he debated why he even bothered to run, he loved them so much, stupid much. They saved him, so why abandon everything because of some bad habit?

"You need to sleep some more? Or are you ready to talk?" Steve asked, placing his palm on Tony's head to make sure he wasn't burning up.

"Uh.." Tony thought for a moment, he could get it out of the way or just enjoy the comfort of his home for a few more hours. "I don't know, take it slow or something?" He responded with a weak shrug.

"That works." Steve nodded, walking into the living while Bucky was collecting blankets. "Hungry?"

"No, thanks though."

"Tony, you can't full yourself with alcohol and expect your body to take it well." Steve said with a stern expression. "You're small enough."

Tony sighed, he felt sick. He didn't want to eat, drink, sleep, he just wanted to sit back and pretend none of this was discovered.  "I'll have some toast." He received a nod and just placed himself on the sofa but was quickly pulled down by Bucky so he was rested with his head in his lap. They remained like that for some time, Bucky thoughtlessly playing with Tony's curls while the boy just enjoyed the little fuss and attention where he didn't have to care about anything.

"You know we love you, right?" Bucky hummed, still not laying his eyes down on Tony.

"Course', you only say it hundreds of times a day." Tony mumbled in return.

"Then why run off?" Bucky's voice hitched, no matter what he wanted Tony to see him as an trusted adult. Someone he could always go to, someone he could tell anything to.

"I was drunk." The boy added. "I wasn't in my right mind."

"I know that, but, you've been drunk before around us. It's not too difficult to pick up the signs, bear."

"Oh." Tony responded, when it came to common sense and emotions it was Tony's strong point. "I don't know, it's the look you gave me."

"The look?" A confused tone was identified in Bucky's voice as he finally glanced down at the tired teenager.

"That look, you don't really. Well, i don't think you've ever given it to me, not that i've noticed anyway. You guys have softened me up too much, you starred at me all disappointed. It hurt i guess." Tony mumbled, sitting up as he felt it was almost difficult to breathe.

"Oh." Bucky responded, knowing that he inflicted Tony to want to disappear seemed to dig under his skin. "I didn't-"

"Toast." Steve announced, walking in with freshly buttered toast placing the plate on Tony's lap.

"Thanks." Tony gave him a nod and slowly took a bite of one of the corners. Yet he didn't want to swallow.

"We've started talking." Bucky stated, giving Steve a small glance.

"Hm." Steve paused letting Tony finish his bite. "When did you start? I mean.. get introduced." Steve questioned, glancing at the boy who placed his food down to ponder for an answer.

"I guess.. first ever time was when i left the library and some people in my tech study group invited me to get a lift home with them, i said yes and they offered some shit to me, i took it. When it became a habit.. it must of been when we were studying in general. I started buying." Tony had a full expression of guilt, looking up begging for someone to say something, for one of them to break the silence.

"Was this peer pressure?" Steve asks, squinting slightly.

"No, i took it voluntarily." The small brunet looked at his parents, seeing the colour on their faces slowly drain from his responses. "It's my fault." He admitted whole heartedly.

"And the drinking?" Bucky pipes up.

"That's been.. uh quite a while now that i think about it. Study groups again, probably. Maybe highschool." Tony shrugged, not even he had debated where this all began. Why the money in his account drained every week, why he could barely afford textbooks out of his own money. He didn't have to think about it, he was aware of the company, Stark Industries being left for him when he turns 18.

"Do you.. want help? Rehabilitation?" Bucky asks, feeling his throat go dry from the question. Tony couldn't verbally respond, he just shook his head very quickly.

"Tony you cant expect us to stand by." Steve pointed out, making eye contact with him.

"I'll stop, i'll try. Please don't send me somewhere." He begged, after 4 years of staying with them his main fear was still abandonment. "Please."

"Okay, okay." Bucky assured him, reaching over and stroking shoulder.

"Has this taken a toll on your heart?" Steve pressured more for an answer for this question, staring dead at Tony as if he physically couldn't move away.

"Not that i know of."

"Okay, right. Get some food into you." Bucky suggests, wanting to break the tension. "You can ask him some more later, alright?"

"Yeah, this needs to be continued." Steve clears his throat, glancing down at Tony before walking to his office to clear his head. Tony didn't look at Bucky, he kept eating the toast trying to wash away the sickening feeling. Though it only took a matter of half an hour for him to be hunched over a toilet throwing up the remnants of the toast, his lungs hurt as he violently coughed and Bucky bent down behind him trying to comfort him. But there was no use, faintness filled Tony's head as he could barely kneel. His head dropped onto Bucky's knee and he supported his body onto the man's leg until he was carried back to his bedroom just like a child, Steve came up to check on him but Tony was out asleep in minutes.