live laugh love tony stark tbh
howard stark can kiss my ass tho
non-compliant to any of the marvel movies; tony stark as a child
tw: child abuse, eating issues
~NO POV~
Tony Stark was struggling. Literally. He was on the verge of death, since he decided to drink till he couldn't function normally. At the age of fifteen, he was losing his will to live (or had he already lost it?), was going through all kinds of mental and physical pain and had no support system.
Well, there was Rhodey, but he'd graduated already and was off at military training. He said he'd study at MIT once Tony was there, so that they'd be able to be in the same year, so he wouldn't have to leave Tony all alone again. But Tony knew that Rhodey was probably going to be deployed and sent to fight, because Rhodey was going to be a good soldier.
And there was Pepper, but she was his father's very young interning assistant, who was also Rhodey's age, three years older than Tony, and in her first year at college. She wouldn't be able to do much for Tony, despite constantly being near the Stark Mansion.
He had no friends at school, because he put up a front that made people shy away from him. He sometimes chose to hang out with Tiberius Stone and Sunset Bain, but they didn't really like Tony, and he knew that. The 'Avengers' didn't like him either, and they liked everyone, which was how Tony knew he was a bad person.
Okay, not everyone, but Steve Rogers liked everyone but the bullies, Clint Barton was an extrovert who talked to anyone if he liked them, Natasha Romanoff was terrifying, Thor Odinson was the friendliest almost-giant in the school and, like Rogers, liked everyone but bullies. James Barnes was quiet and almost as terrifying as Romanoff, and then there was Bruce.
Bruce Banner was Tony's partner in science, and they got along well. Bruce didn't talk much, often choosing to stay quiet and do work, but he listened to Tony's rambling almost always, and engaged in conversation when he was given the chance. But he didn't really like Tony, he just liked Tony's knowledge. So he was more of a mutual. Not a friend. Not a support system.
There was Jarvis, though. Jarvis, despite Tony never confiding in him, was always there for the youngest Stark. Whenever Howard got mad at Tony, Jarvis was always there to pick up the pieces, and was more of a father to Tony than Howard ever was.
And Ana, who played more of a motherly role than Maria Stark. She tried for a bit, but eventually her cold marriage wore her down and she turned to intoxicants for comfort, rather than her son, who was more than willing to be there for her.
So now here Tony was, at fifteen, wasting away because no one was helping him to be better. No friends to physically be there for him, no teachers that actually liked him except one (because everyone at Shield High thought he was an arrogant, spoiled jackass), and several unhealthy coping mechanisms.
Tony was smart. People knew he was smart, but no one knew how smart. He went to MIT for a week before returning to high school, being told he needed to improve his social skills with people his age. But sophomore year was too easy, so he stayed a sophomore but attended senior classes, AP if they were available.
Dr Yinsen liked Tony because not only was he smart, but under the facade, he was a sweet, kind student. Tony often hung out with Dr Yinsen (which yes, might be a bit embarrassing, but he did it regardless) when he didn't want to be with Ty and Sunset.
Dr Yinsen was the only teacher that paid enough attention to Tony without assuming he was doing something wrong. He was the only one who recognised the pure genius in Tony and appreciated him for it. Instead of giving him tasks he was clearly able to do, the man assigned college level work for Tony.
And when Tony spent his lunch with Yinsen, the scientist supplied him with tools and devices that would allow him to work on whatever he wanted to. It was in Yinsen's class that Dum-E was birthed, and developed over time. His first creation was made in Yinsen's class, and the man was so proud of him that Tony almost cried over it.
Daddy issues, am I right?
"Oi, Stark."
Tony groaned. He was on his way to Yinsen's classroom to eat lunch in there and work on Dum-E. "What do you want, Hammer?"
"You got my maths homework?"
Tony was smart, but he didn't like doing other people's homework. Ty and Sunset made him do their homework. Hammer forced him to as well. Tony was still scrawny and short in high school, and Hammer was tall and slightly bulky, but not Steve Rogers and Thor Odinson bulky, so Tony was physically intimidated by the junior.
He had denied at first, but then Hammer strangled him and threatened to smash his face in and Tony had given in. He was stronger than that, his father trained him to be, but his school was supposed to be a safe haven from the abuse at home, so he tried to avoid being hurt at school. Which meant he did Hammer's homework.
"It's in my bag somewhere." Tony said quietly, digging through his bag to find the sheets and get away from this annoying boy. A spare part for Dum-E fell out and Hammer picked it up.
"What nerdy shit is this?" He asked. "Seems breakable to me."
"Don't, Hammer, I need that."
"I need my homework, and you're taking your sweet fucking time." Hammer stepped forward, to which Tony stepped back. Hammer smirked at that.
Tony noticed people staring, the Avengers included, and rushed to get the homework out. He hated crowds, despite being trained at a young age to please them and look good for them. When he finally found the sheet, he handed it over quickly and tried to run.
"Stark couldn't get any lower. Doing homework for other people just because he thinks he's so smart and special." Barton muttered.
Tony felt like shit. He wanted to run away, but Hammer still had him cornered, his back was practically pressed against the locker. "Can I go?"
"You've got this shit to do as well. I want it by the end of lunch." Hammer snarled, shoving a stack of paper into Tony's chest.
"Okay." He said quietly, running off with the paper in his hand, knowing the Avengers were watching and talking about him. He hated that so much.
Tony was a coffee drinker from a young age. He thrived on coffee, and if he wasn't drinking alcohol, he was drinking coffee. His father had no issue with him being out of the house as long as he'd be back before ten, so he usually went to the coffee shop by Shield High and did his homework (and Hammer's) there.
He was sitting, minding his own business, hidden in a far booth behind a laptop and a stack of books, he noticed a group of teenagers his age sitting nearby. When he looked up from behind his laptop, he realised it was the Avengers and turned his music up. He wanted to look as unapproachable as possible.
But then he heard his name, and put his music off completely, keeping his headphones in.
It's not eavesdropping if it concerns you, right?
"Stark is such a prick, I swear. I can't stand him. Always running around like he owns the place, doing other people's homework just because he's smarter than everyone. It's like he doesn't want people to have the chance to learn and develop alone."
That had to be Rogers. His condescending voice could be recognised from a mile away.
"He's not that bad, Steve." Bruce said quietly, and Tony smiled.
"What do you mean by that? Stark is as rich, annoying, arrogant and spoiled as you can get. His face alone makes me want to sock his jaw." Barton spat out.
"He's only like that because he doesn't want to let people in. He pretends to be a prick, but he's actually really nice. He always talks to me in science excitedly, because I get him. He doesn't force me to talk, he talks for both of us. And somehow, he'll notice if I'm off. Tony's not that bad. He just pretends to be."
Tony felt his eyes water. He'd never heard someone speak of him in such a positive way. All people ever say about Tony Stark is that he's Howard's son, a genius playboy who's also a fucking jerk. But he isn't. Not really. No one recognises that, though- except Bruce.
He knew Bruce didn't really like physical touch, but he wanted nothing more than to run up to the boy and give him the biggest hug. Of course, Tony would never, because touching Tony means he wants to get you in bed, because he's a massive slut.
"I think something's up with him. He's an enigma, and I'm determined to figure him out." Romanoff decided, and that freaked Tony out.
Romanoff could damn well be some fucking superspy, and having her try to figure out Tony would be the death of him. She'd figure him out immediately, and that would be hell. The last thing he needs is the Avengers exposing all his secrets.
"What's the point? All you'll find out is his bank number and how much is in his account."
"That's good, actually. You reckon he'll mind if we nick a bit from his millions?" Barton joked.
"Quiet, Clint. I don't like being unable to read people. I will figure him out even if it means having to befriend him."
Ah. She would only be friends with him to find out his secrets. Tony knew to stay away from her even if she offered to free him from his abusive father. Because all she'd do after is tell everyone about Howard and probably send Tony right back to him.
"That's mean, Natasha. Befriending him so you can find out all the shit he hides? Wouldn't it suck if someone did that to you?" Bruce asked.
"No one finds out my secrets."
"Not the point."
She sighed. "I guess it would be annoying. Fine. I'll just watch from afar and figure out what the pretty rich boy hides."
She called me pretty.
"If he tries anything with you-"
"Relax, Clint. You know I can take care of myself."
But she still thinks I'm a slut. They all do.
Tony was at the coffee shop for longer than usual that day, because the Avengers didn't want to leave. He couldn't get up and leave, because they'd realise he heard everything, so he hid behind his laptop for hours, music in, doing homework.
Eventually they left, and he waited a few minutes before leaving too. He didn't want to go home, or go to school, or go anywhere. There wasn't a single place in the world he could feel safe in anymore, not even in his favourite coffee shop.
His mother was leaving the house as he got home. It was six in the evening, and her eyes were already red-rimmed, stumbling with the family driver beside her as she led him to a random car. Tony knew she wasn't coming home for a few days, and said goodbye to her.
She didn't even listen.
He walked into his house with a heavy heart. There were days where all he wished for was a loving family, even if it meant throwing away his intelligence, money and slight freedom. He'd give up everything for a loving hug instead of words of hatred and punches to back them up.
His father was in the kitchen when Tony went in to make another cup of coffee. It was too late to turn around and go back to his room, because Howard had seen him. Reluctantly, he went in and made his coffee, trying to ignore the cold eyes staring at his back.
"Where are my blueprints?"
"What blueprints?"
Howard grabbed Tony's shoulder and turned him around. "You look at me when I'm talking to you."
"Sorry, sir."
He wasn't allowed to call his own father by anything but sir. It was like being in a harsh workplace, not home. He didn't like that.
"Where are my blueprints?"
"I don't have your blueprints. Maybe one of the cleaners misplaced it?"
Howard slapped the boy in the face. "Don't blame the cleaners for your thievery. Where did you put them?"
"I don't have them." Tony grit his teeth and tried to ignore the cuts on his face from Howard's rings. "I swear. I can help you find them if you want."
"So you can just steal more shit from my office?" Howard spat in the boy's face. "You make me sick. Go to your room. And give me your phone."
"I didn't do anything." Tony pleaded. He didn't like not having his phone, because it meant he had nothing to distract him from nightmares, if he had them. And he felt like he'd have one tonight.
"Give me the damn phone." Howard tried to yank the phone out of Tony's pocket, but he turned away and accidentally elbowed the man.
Fuck.
Howard was enraged immediately, and the smell of alcohol in his breath was suddenly prominent as he reached down to pick Tony up by his neck.
Of course he's fucking drunk.
Tony held onto his father's arm, trying to desperately pull himself free. His airways were uncomfortably tight, his eyes widened from the pressure. Howard only tightened his grip and slapped Tony in the face again. The rings tore the skin by his eyebrow, and he felt lucky that that cut would be easy to hide.
Eventually, Howard threw his son to the floor, not caring that the boy had hit his head on the counter. He kicked his son's stomach three times before leaving, muttering about how much Tony was a disgrace, and how he wished he had anyone else as a son.
Tony started hyperventilating on the floor, still unable to regain his breath despite being free. He needed Jarvis. Jarvis could help him, but he had no idea where the man was and no way to call for him, because if he couldn't breathe, how could he speak?
"Are you crying?" Howard turned around at the doorway. He stalked forward and picked Tony up by the neck again. "Stark men are made of iron. It doesn't bend or break. You don't fucking cry because of discipline. You suck it up and do better. Stark men are made of iron. Say it."
Tony could not fucking talk. There was a hand around his neck and he was having a panic attack. How the fuck was he supposed to say anything in such a state?
"Say it."
"Stark men are made of iron." Tony choked out.
"You're pathetic." Howard snarled before dropping the boy back to the floor. He left after grabbing another bottle of Jack Daniels.
Tony held his breath in an attempt not to start crying. But once the footsteps had quieted, he found himself crying, hiding his head in his hands. He hated himself. He hated himself more than he hated his father.
If the smell of alcohol wasn't so strong, the fact that Howard hadn't tried to hit Tony in unnoticeable places would've been a dead giveaway that he was drunk. He was careful when he was sober.
Tony dragged himself back to his room to check his face in the mirror, crying harder when he saw his cheek red, swollen and cut, as well as his eyebrow. He didn't know how he was supposed to hide that, considering all of his makeup had run out from the last time Howard wasn't careful.
Whatever. No one pays attention to me anyway.
He seemed to have forgotten about the coffee shop.
Tony walked to school uncomfortably. The bruises on his stomach had gotten more painful overnight, especially as he walked. And he had hunger pains, because he hadn't eaten in a while.
Howard said he wanted Tony to walk to school to lose weight at least two months ago, and ever since, Tony'd been cutting down on his meals. His father body-shaming him seemed to hurt more than the punches.
He thought if he was skinnier, then maybe his father would love him. Maybe his father wouldn't hit him so much if he was skinnier. If he looked better, maybe Howard would stop grimacing every time he had to look at his son.
The hunger pains were making the bruises feel a thousand times worse, and every time he moved his brows, they pulled on the cut and it hurt. But he walked to school regardless, ignoring the pain.
When he walked in with a bruised and cut-up face, no one batted an eye. If anyone noticed, they didn't care. They simply moved on with life, even if it was a rare sighting to see Tony Stark injured.
Tony dumped Hammer's homework into his hands and walked away, not in the mood to take anyone's bullshit. It was only then that he'd noticed someone was staring, and weren't planning to stop.
His heart dropped to his stomach when he realised it was Natasha Romanoff, the girl who said she'd be watching Tony to try and figure him out. She would connect the dots immediately, wouldn't she? And then everyone would know how pathetic Tony Stark was, because he couldn't even please his own father.
He ran to his science class and sat down, not caring that he was ten minutes early and not even the teacher had shown up yet. He sat with his head down on the desk, liking the way the cool metal soothed his aching face. Eventually the bell rung and there was some movement next to him.
He did enough work in science. If he stayed hidden the whole lesson, then the teacher would just have to accept it. He knew everything they were learning anyway. He could genuinely teach this lesson in his sleep.
"Tony?"
Ignore him.
"Are you alright?" Bruce tapped his shoulder lightly. "I can tell you're not sleeping. You're far too fidgety to be asleep."
Tony cursed his body for giving him away. "What?"
"Are you okay?"
"Peachy."
Bruce sighed quietly. "Do you want me to do your work for you this lesson? If Miss Smith comes over, I'll tell her you feel sick or something."
"It's okay Brucie." Tony said quietly and reluctantly sat up. If Bruce did his work for him, he'd feel way too guilty. "I'm just a bit tired."
Bruce couldn't help but stare at the bruises on Tony's face. It reminded the boy of his own not-so-pleasant childhood, and he didn't want the same for Tony. He tried to convince himself that not everyone was abused at home, that maybe the boy next to him got into a fight.
He couldn't help but ask what happened.
"What happened to what?"
"Your face."
"Straight to the point, Brucie. I'm proud." Tony joked, trying to avoid answering.
"What happened? Did you get into a fight?"
"Yeah." Tony replied unconvincingly. "Hammer."
"When?"
"Lunch."
Bruce had seen Tony after lunch, and there wasn't anything on his face then. Besides, if they fought, there'd be at least a few people talking about it. But no one had mentioned anything, and Tony had only gotten these bruises recently.
"If you say so, Tony."
Tony had gotten uncomfortable immediately. Bruce didn't believe him. And he was probably going to tell the Avengers, and they'd tell everyone, and Hammer would say he didn't do shit, and everyone would figure out Tony was too weak to defend himself against his own father.
He was unnaturally quiet the whole lesson, making Bruce all the more suspicious. Tony was always rambling about something, whether it was his bots or a new TV show he was watching. But he wasn't rambling now. He was quiet. Something was definitely wrong.
"You should've seen him. His face was all messed up and he barely spoke to me today."
"Did you ask what happened?"
As Tony suspected, they were talking about him. In his favourite coffee shop. Again. And he wanted to run out, but again, it was too late. Maybe he'd have to move to the less-cosy coffee shop a few blocks away. He could make it his new safe space.
"He said Hammer and him fought yesterday after lunch. But I saw him after lunch and his face was perfectly fine."
"I saw him too." Romanoff said. "I saw him after lunch, and I saw him this morning. He looked at me and ran."
"Stark ran away from you?" Barton laughed. "Thought he would've offered to take you home or something."
"He's not a slut, Clint."
Tony smiled. Brucie didn't believe the rumours.
"Whatever. Who do you think hit him? I'd like to thank them and ask if I could have a turn." Barton grinned. "What? His face is so very punchable. I've been holding myself back. Clearly someone else couldn't."
"Maybe that's a bit far, Clint." Rogers piped in. "I mean, we're supposed to look out for the little guy. What if we're being the bullies right now?"
"We're not bullies. Sure, we say a few things about him here and there, but so does everyone else. And we didn't fuck his face up."
"I think something's up at home." Bruce suggested quietly, and everyone else went quiet too. They were all aware of Bruce's unfortunate childhood before he was adopted by a better family, so suggesting something like that was serious.
"You're not saying he has a Brian?"
"I think he has a Brian." Bruce's voice was pained. Tony wanted to hug him.
Is he like me?
"If you think that, I think so too." Romanoff agreed. "He's very skittish and small. He looks like he never eats, he's always jumpy and quiet and tries to avoid being seen. For a Stark, it's incredibly unnatural. He should be trying to flaunt his wealth and act above us all. He doesn't."
"He's still a prick."
"That could be the facade Bruce was talking about. Maybe he tries to push everyone away so no one gets close enough to him to figure out what's really up with him."
"He was wearing a turtleneck." Bruce mentioned. "When he was resting his head on the desk, I saw red marks around his neck."
They all stared at Bruce with worry. Bruce was very observant when it came to signs of abuse, because he knew of it all too well. So this was just adding to the pile of worries. None of them could believe they were feeling bad for Tony Stark, but they were.
"Do you think- I mean, if he's- if he's got a Brian.." The boy couldn't finish his sentence. "I'm worried about him. He has no one. I don't want him to struggle alone. I wouldn't have gotten away from my dad without you guys."
He's like me.
"We'll help him." Rogers decided. "I know we're not too fond of him, but we help people. And if Stark needs our help, we'll do exactly that."
"How?"
"First off, we'll get him to eat something. He's never in the canteen, and if he is, he doesn't eat. There's no way he's eating healthily with how skinny and pale he is." He stated. "God, how did we never notice before?"
"Hatred is blinding." Barton said quietly. It was hard to remember how shit his childhood was before Coulson adopted him, but the hearing aid reminded him constantly. Only now did he realise how much of a prick he was to Stark, and if Stark's childhood was similar to his, then he'd spend forever trying to do better.
Because he had his brother, but Stark had no one. And having people berate him and think he's a terrible person must've made his home life only feel worse.
When they left, Tony wiped tears from his face and tried to figure out ways to avoid them, to avoid even going into school. Maybe he could provoke Howard into hurting him badly enough to keep him off school for a bit.
"Stark men are made of iron. If you have to wear makeup or hurt someone to prove nothing is going on at home, then you will. We show no faults. We don't skip school because you're scared someone's going to find out how much of a pathetic freak you are. Stark men are made of iron. Say it."
"Stark men are made of iron."
Tony managed to find some makeup in his mother's room that matched his skin tone and covered the bruises up. The cuts were harder to hide, so he left them alone. His attempt to skip school was proven futile. All he got was more bruises to hide.
He made sure not to let his turtleneck fall down.
Bruce looked at him funny in science. It was weird for the bruises to magically disappear, but he didn't care. He didn't really care as long as they left him alone. If they realised he was useless and not worth time time, then he'd be back to normal. No one watching him and trying to help.
"You alright, Tony?"
"Fine, Banner."
Tony winced at the look of hurt on Bruce's face when he said that, but if he stayed friends with Bruce, then the boy would worry. And so would the Avengers. If he cut ties with Bruce, all his other issues would be solved.
Stark men are made of iron.
He could deal with losing his only friend at Shield High.
Tony was sitting in Yinsen's class at lunch, avoiding food and the Avengers, ignoring the way his stomach was cramping due to his lack of eating, messing around with Dum-E. He was tired and wanted to sleep, and maybe even eat, but he didn't.
Sleep was overrated. All he got from them was nightmares and panic attacks. Eating wasn't that important either. He'd gone a few days without food, and for the past month he'd been eating scarcely. And he was still alive, so he didn't need to eat.
The classroom was dark and quiet, and no one was around, but then a series of footsteps startled him and ruined the peaceful silence. He immediately hid Dum-E and hid under a table. No one needed to find him here.
"You really think he's here?"
"He's always here if not in the canteen."
Bruce? Tony had been a dick to him, so why did he still care? Didn't they understand that he didn't need help? Didn't need anyone to worry? If he acted like a prick, shouldn't it have been obvious that he didn't want them to keep trying?
"It's dark and the door's closed. I doubt he's here."
"He likes working in the dark."
Tony wanted to scream. Bruce listened to all his rambling and still cared, and that hurt more than he thought it would've. He thought he'd be fine losing his only friend. He didn't even think Bruce considered him as a friend.
Maybe he was wrong.
The door opened and light went on, and Tony felt like an idiot for hiding under a table. He got his phone out and pretended to be on it when footsteps neared and he saw six pairs of shoes right by him.
"Tony's not here?"
"I hear someone breathing."
Tony held his breath, and his heart almost burst out of his chest when Natasha Romanoff dropped down in front of him. She could tell it scared him and stood up.
"He's here. Stark, you can come out."
"I'm gay?"
"That's not what- just get out from under the table, Stark."
Tony, reluctantly, climbed out and sat on the table, dangling his legs as if nothing had happened. He'd never even spoken to them as a group. The thought of doing so when they had basically figured out his biggest secret made his anxiety spike.
"Morning. Was having a nap under there. I don't appreciate being interrupted."
Bruce rolled his eyes. "Why are you hiding here?"
"I'm not hiding. I just told you I was having a nap."
Romanoff grabbed his arm, trying to pull him down, but Tony flinched violently, jerking his arm back. She raised a brow, and both Bruce and Barton looked at him with sympathy. Or was it pity? He couldn't tell.
"What was that, Tony?" Bruce asked quietly. "Why did you lie about getting in a fight with Hammer? Why is your face cut up and bruised, and why is your neck red?"
Tony felt sick. He felt completely, utterly sick. He wanted to disappear.
"Stark men are made of iron. I don't have to answer you."
He ran.
Avoiding the Avengers had become impossibly hard after that. They kept trying to talk to him and every time, he ran until he could find a safe place to hide, which often ended up being a janitors closet.
He got caught in one of them the other day, so he chose to hide on the roof now. The roof was surprisingly peaceful, and he dangled his legs off the edge with AC/DC playing in his headphones. He had no intention of jumping; he simply found it relaxing.
And then the Avengers found him again, and he was truly fucked. There was no way of running from them on a roof, unless he planned on jumping and breaking his entire body.
"What are you so afraid of, Tony?"
"Nothing." Tony rolled his eyes. "I just want you guys to leave me alone. You need to stop pestering me before I get a restraining order."
Bruce frowned. "Why won't you let us help you? All you've done is made it more obvious that you need help. What's so bad about accepting help from us?"
Because no one has ever tried to help me before. I don't know how to accept help. It scares me.
"I don't fucking need help, Banner."
"What happened to Brucie?"
"Brucie was a friend before Banner started talking about me and convincing your stupid group that I'm some fucked-up anorexic that gets beat at home." Tony spat out harshly. "Well guess fucking what? I'm fucking fine. There's nothing wrong with my home life and I eat perfectly well. Leave me the fuck alone."
His words were painful for all of them to hear, but he didn't care. He didn't bother running this time. Instead, he turned around and put his headphones back in, ignoring them. Ignoring the way his heart hurt when they did what he asked and left him alone.
"I do want help." Tony whispered quietly to himself. "I just don't know how to accept it."
Thor, who had said nothing to Tony the entire time, had never once participated in the discussions about Tony, and basically never spoke to him ever, had come up to him during gym.
"Son of Stark, would you allow me a conversation with you?"
"Alright Shakespeare in the park."
Tony wasn't afraid of Thor, despite his overwhelming height and muscles. Thor was adorable in every sense of the word. He followed Thor over to the bleachers, avoiding the way his stomach hurt and his feet felt heavy.
Maybe he'll eat something after school.
"Would you care to indulge in my query?"
"Sure."
"Why do you bear bruises along your skin? I have not listened to my friends, but they speak of you so often that it has come to my attention. I would like to offer my acquaintances, offer comfort and support if you accept it."
Tony was confused.
"Will you allow me to help you? Not with anything but treating whatever injuries you sustain."
"Er, no worries Point Break. I'm fine. Not a bruise on me, see?" He pointed to his makeup-covered face.
"You believe I am a fool." Thor said. "That is alright. My brother does that as well, when he does not want to share his hurt. If you would like me to back off indefinitely, I shall, but if you are like my brother, then let me help despite your hesitance."
Tony wanted help so bad. He wanted the feeling of his stomach cramping constantly to go away. He didn't want to have to hide his body because it was bruised and scarred. He didn't want to have to wear makeup to hide what shouldn't be there.
He didn't want to lose Bruce.
And he didn't mind a group of friends caring about him. He wanted a group of friends to care for him.
He wanted help.
"I don't know how."
"How what, son of Stark?"
"How to accept help." Tony admitted quietly.
"That is most alright." Thor held Tony's shoulder, frowning when the smaller boy flinched away. He held on regardless. "If you are anything like my brother, then you do not need to ask for anything. I will help you and make it so that you can, in future, accept help."
"Thanks, big guy." Tony smiled.
He was okay with accepting help from Thor. If only he hadn't passed out in his arms and given the rest of the Avengers a reason to be worried and intervene.
"Ah, Tony, you're up." Nurse Cho smiled.
"How long have I been here for?" He asked when he realised he was in the nurse's office.
"You fainted about five minutes ago. Thor brought you here, and has refused to leave your side." Cho pointed to the blond.
"Ah. Thanks Thor." Tony nodded, and Thor nodded back. He wanted to run out of the room, but his head hurt like hell and his body felt weak. Maybe he should've eaten at lunch.
"Here's a bar of chocolate and some juice. I need to check your blood pressure, so if you have that after-"
"No need. I'm fine, see?" Tony practically leaped off of the bed to stand up. His body swayed a bit, to his despair, and his vision darkened, but he stayed standing.
"You're about to faint again, so sit back down and roll up your sleeve."
Unwillingly, Tony did so. He didn't miss the look of worry and confusion on both Cho's and Thor's face when they saw a scar running up his arm. Tony hadn't even realised it was there until they both looked. He knew exactly when he got it.
His father had thrown several glasses at Tony, and one cut on the wall behind him and a shard flew towards his arm, making a long, deep cut before Jarvis got involved and patched him up.
"Your blood pressure is really, low, Tony. When was the last time you ate?"
"Lunch."
"No you did not." Thor piped in. "You sat and did work. I did not see you eat a morsel."
Snake.
"Lunch yesterday."
"You are lying once more, Anthony."
Tony groaned quietly. "I ate on the weekend. Whatever. Can I go now?"
"Tony, it's Thursday." Cho said sadly. "Why haven't you been eating?"
"I'm not hungry. Can I go now?"
"I'll have to call your parents about this."
Tony's head shot up, his heart beating hard against his chest. "No need. I'll eat, okay? I'll eat this stupid bar of chocolate and go have a late lunch. You don't need to call my dad."
Cho's heart broke for the boy, and so did Thor's. Something was up and the Avengers were going to help. Because Tony deserved it, whether he believed it or not.
Cho had to call Tony's parents, by law. So Tony tried not to go home. He went to the coffee shop and forced himself to eat a sandwich there, slowly, and he forced himself not to throw up. He felt so fucking sick, and he hadn't even finished half of it yet.
The Avengers came in and Tony couldn't be bothered to care. He hid behind his laptop as usual until someone sat down in his booth. Actually, six people sat down in his booth. Two of which were beside him.
Bruce and Thor had sat by him. Barnes, Rogers, Romanoff and Barton were opposite him. He felt claustrophobic.
"Why the fuck are you guys here?"
"You fainted in gym. We wanted to make sure you were alright." Rogers said simply.
"Well I'm fine."
"You also haven't eaten since the weekend." Thor mentioned.
"I lied. For attention. I ate a three course meal for dinner last night and was perfectly full after." Tony said in his asshole voice.
"Anthony, you accepted my help earlier. Is it the rest of my companions you wish to shy away from?"
"I don't- I'm not some charity case you guys can pick up and make better, alright? I know you guys think you care but you really don't. You're just trying to get the latest gossip or some shit. You can leave me alone."
"We want to help you." Barnes said softly. Tony had never heard his voice before, at least not so softly, because he was usually quiet and observed people. The only time he heard Barnes' voice was when he called some freshman a dick for jostling his arm.
"You guys don't even know me."
"So give us the chance to get to know you." Barton smiled at him. "I know we haven't been the nicest to you, but we want to change that. We want to help you, and be a support system for you. Everyone deserves to have someone."
"I don't- you- Romanoff literally said she wanted to befriend me to find out my secrets. You guys are only interested in me for the sake of being interested. There's no real concern behind it." Tony almost shouted.
"You heard that?"
"I had to stop coming here because every time I was here, so were you guys, and you always mentioned me."
"We are sorry, Anthony."
"It's fine. Just-"
"Don't tell us to leave you alone." Bruce interrupted. "Let us help you, Tony. I know it's hard, and I know you might be afraid of accepting help, but we've got good intentions. And I know what it's like. Let me be there for you."
"You know what what's like?"
"What it's like to be abused." Bruce said simply. The table was quiet out of respect, but Tony was just shocked.
He knew they'd said things regarding abuse, but he didn't expect Bruce to expose himself so willingly. If that was Tony- well it wouldn't be, would it? Because he was terrified of talking about it. He was terrified of someone finding out and judging him for it.
But he wouldn't be judged by someone who's been through the same, would he?
He didn't have to fear them not believing him either, because they were the ones with the accusation. All he had to do was confirm it, and he'd have the support system he'd craved for his entire life.
Howard Stark is too rich for them to take me away and free me from him. So what would be the harm in them knowing and just being there for me? I'd have someone to talk to, and at least one of them would understand. It's not help, it's support.
He could deal with that. He wanted that.
"I do too." Barton smiled sadly. It was a shock to everyone but Romanoff. "I understand as well. You have two people who get it, Stark. Let us be there for you. That's all."
Tony couldn't deny the offer when Barton had just exposed his secret for him. That would be the most asshole thing he'd ever done.
"Make that three." Romanoff looked at Barton, who smiled at her proudly. They knew each other's shitty childhoods, the rest didn't. She didn't talk about the Red Room orphanage, and Clint didn't talk about the circus. Coulson saved them both. No one needed to know. But if it helped Tony, they were willing to share their secrets.
Fuck, Tony had to accept their support now, didn't he?
"Four." He said quietly. "Four of us."
The Avengers wanted to be proud of themselves for getting him to admit it and accept their help, to be proud that they'd figured it out, but it hurt. All it did was hurt to know that they'd severely misjudged the billionaire's son and probably made his life feel a little shittier.
"I do not understand." Thor said loudly. "But my brother does. My brother was abused back at home by my father. I am lucky my father never laid a hand on me. But he did with my brother, and I've spent eternity helping him with his injuries, and I shall do the same for you, if you are comfortable with that."
"Is he okay? Is he still with your father?"
Rogers couldn't help but feel worse about his unreasonable hatred for Stark when the boy asked to see if Thor's brother was okay immediately, rather than accept the help. Stark was everything they said he wasn't. He was kind, caring and misjudged. He deserved better.
"He is with me. We moved here together. Now- you cannot distract me. Will you accept our help now?"
Tony nodded slightly. That was all he did. And it was enough for the Avengers, the group that was now his.
True to their words, the Avengers helped Tony Stark. If he had a nightmare, he could text their group chat and at least one of them would be awake to talk to him. It was usually Clint, because he slept at weird times but, you know what, it was enough for him and he got a healthy amount of sleep somehow.
When they found out he stopped eating because his father told him to, so he could please the abusive man, they focussed on trying to help him start eating properly again. They would help by convincing him that starving wouldn't get him anywhere, and his father was just sadistic by trying to malnourish his son with his manipulative words.
Weeks flew by and Tony started to believe he was worthy of eating. He started to believe his friends, and not his 'family'. He told Jarvis that he'd been throwing all the meals he made for him away, and that he couldn't eat because of what Howard said, and Jarvis hugged him and promised to sit with him through every meal.
And he did. Jarvis was with Tony for breakfast and dinner, and accompanied him in his room in case the food upset his shrunken stomach. During lunch, the Avengers would be with Tony, helping him eat and get his weight back up. His skin started to regain some colouring, his face filled in a little and his ribs, collarbones and wrist bones stopped jutting out so much.
Howard made sure to belittle Tony's recovery, made sure to remind him that he was fat and ugly, and that Stark men were made of iron, and iron is not heavy, iron is shiny and flawless. And Tony was not shiny, flawless and was in fact heavy. But Tony didn't believe his father anymore, no, he believed Jarvis and his friends.
When Howard hit Tony, Tony went to Bruce or Clint or Natasha, because they understood. And when Howard hurt Tony, Tony went to Thor, because he would patch the sophomore up in a heartbeat. Tony was comfortable with having Thor touch him, despite his fear of being hurt.
They made Tony feel safe, and supported, and he was recovering from whatever eating struggle he had. He was no longer struggling alone. He still struggled, but he had people there with him to make sure he wasn't hurting by himself.
And it was beautiful.
Stark men are made of iron. Tony is iron. But Tony is also human, and he is beautiful.
jesus fucking christ ive never written such a long one shot
lol nvm i got to 9165 in the last chapter of peter parker whump
this had the potential to be a full book but i woulda lost motivation
it might feel slightly rushed but thats because ik i would've gotten past 10k words and written a whole mini book if not
if u made it to the end of this congrats
words: 7205
cinnamon <3