Hey guys! I did a thing! It's angsty and throws cannon out the window. Enjoy the thing! Pairing: Stucky. Rated T. Warnings for child abuse.
Steve stared down at the tiny infant in his arms and wondered how things got so bad. It had seemed like a normal call out. The Avengers were called out to deal with Amora. Thor's weird-ass stalker who was convinced that she was going to marry him and rule the nine realms at his side. Thor was very much against this so here they were.
Fighting a goddess who really liked to mess with people. Liked to ruin their lives.
Steve wasn't entirely sure what had happened. One minute he was shouting at Thor and Bucky to get into position and for Thor to try and get closer and the next he was shouting as Tony and Rhodey were hit by a bright, white beam from Amora. Amora had disappeared pretty fast after that.
Everyone had gone running to the fallen Avenger's sides. They were all worried, especially Steve. He was the leader of the team and took every injury on as his responsibility. Although, he didn't know how to handle the situation at hand at all. When they got to the fallen armours and opened them op to check on their teammates, they were met with quite the sight.
Laying there in the suits was a four-year-old Rhodey and an infant Tony.
They were quick to get the shrunken Avengers back to the compound. The whole time little Rhodey was crying for his mama while Bucky held him. Steve had Tony in his arms. The infant made no noise other than a tiny little whimper when Steve had initially picked him up.
Things very quickly got worse when Thor stepped in the jet after failing to catch Amora. He came with some news. Bad news. You see, Thor was very familiar with the spell Amora had used on their teammates. He'd seen it used before. Tony and Rhodey had been de-aged quite a bit. And the worst part about that was… it was permanent. They would retain a few of their adult memories, but that was it. They'd been de-aged to the exact way their bodies were at the age they'd been brought down too. Hence why Rhodey had said he was four and a half and had said the scrape in his knee was from tripping while running after a ball.
Tony was harder to pin down. He looked like a newborn. He was impossibly small in Steve's arms as he took him to medical. The doctor got to preforming some tests to find things out that they'd need to know and the whole time Tony didn't cry. Steve hated that. Babies were supposed to cry when they were hurting.
And boy was baby Tony hurting.
To start off, the doctor had pegged Tony's age at about two months old. That was the only neutral news that Steve got. Then the bad news started. Tony's legs and arms were littered with bruises. He had bad diaper rash and was absolutely starving. His weight was way lower then it should have been and his growth was a little behind. That was why Tony was the size of a newborn. With some help, Steve was able to give the hungry baby a small bottle that was practically guzzled down.
And that was where Steve was now. Sitting in medical with baby Tony in his arms trying not to think about the implications as to why Tony was like this. Of course, the more Steve thought the more he understood what had happened.
If Steve could go back in time he would absolutely murder Howard Stark.
Tony had never said anything explicitly, but the few times Steve or Bucky had brought Howard up in conversation Tony had either gone silent or on the defensive. They later learned from Rhodey and Pepper that Howard had not been a good father to Tony. They never said anything of what had happened but the haunted look in Rhodey's eyes spoke to the man probably seeing some of the horrors Tony went through. The fact that any abuse Tony had suffered had apparently started at birth was hard to stomach.
God, it made Steve feel terrible. He'd been a right ass to Tony when they first met. He'd compared him to Howard before and yelled at him so many times on the field and back at the compound. Steve wished he'd never acted the way he had. And how he couldn't even apologize. Their Tony was gone and replaced with this tiny little baby who didn't cry and was hurting.
They were lucky that they had a few baby things there at the compound. When Clint's wife had given birth to their youngest son, Tony had made sure that there were some diapers and such around in case they came by to visit. So, Tony now as a baby had a fresh diaper and a warm blanket. At least he had that going for him.
Fortunately for Steve, he didn't have to dwell on things for too long. After a few hours of sitting in medical with the baby, Bucky walked in. Steve didn't notice at first. He was too wrapped up with the infant in his arms. It was only when Bucky leaned over and gave him a kiss on the forehead when Steve realized he was no longer alone.
"How's Rhodey?" asked Steve before Bucky could ask him anything.
"Birdbrain is stuffing the tyke full of ice cream. He's fine. A little shaken and still asking for his mom, but he's fine. He recognizes us so that confirms what Thor said on the jet." Explained Bucky as he pulled up a seat next to his partner.
They'd finally gotten together just a year ago. Steve had finally found him after the fall of SHIELD and brought him to the tower so he could heal. Tony had helped of course. Plus having an extra hand around had come in handy in keeping Ultron from escaping the tower. Ultron hadn't been Tony's fault. When they managed to trap the program they found out that it had activated itself from something hidden deep in Loki's sceptre that fed off of Tony's fears. Having Bucky fight alongside the team had allowed Tony to stop the program before it could escape into the internet. Everyone was thankful for that.
"And how's this little guy?" asked Bucky pulling Steve out of his reverie once more. And that was when Steve lost any composure he had left. A few tears fell from his eyes as he looked down at the sleeping baby in his arms.
"It's bad Buck. It's really bad. He's covered in bruises. He's got diaper rash. He's starving. That's why he's so small. He wasn't being fed enough."
"Hey, hey. He'll be alright punk. He's got us now. We'll get him nice and fed and comfortable." Soothed Bucky as he reached out and ran a hand over baby Tony's head.
"It's just… I feel horrible. I didn't treat him right before. I wasn't the nicest, especially once I found you. And now that I know that Howard abused him and probably kept him from his mother… I just… I just feel like a horrible person."
Steve was full-on crying by the time he was done talking. Bucky just held him and made sure that Tony was secure in their arms.
"We're gonna take care of them, Stevie. Tony and Rhodey. We're gonna make sure they're taken care of. Now, how about we get out of here and back to the living area. We can get you some food and I know for a fact that some of the others went shopping for baby things. Plus Rhodey has been asking for Tony. I guess one of the memories he retained was Tony. So what do you say? Shall we go?"
Steve nodded and dried his eyes with his free hand. He slowly got up and walked down the hall with Bucky back towards the main living room where Clint and Bruce were sitting on the floor with toddler-sized Rhodey building Legos and munching away at Thor's "hidden" pop tart stash.
"Hey there buddy. You having fun there?" asked Bucky as he knelt down beside where Rhodey was playing. Steve sat on the couch nearby with Tony still sound asleep in his arms.
"Yeah. Is baby okay?" asked Rhodey and everyone's hearts melted with how cute he was.
"He is. He's just sleeping there with Stevie. See?"
Bucky gestured to where Steve was sitting with the baby in his arms and Rhodey instantly climbed onto the couch and sat beside them.
"You gots to be careful and nice to him. His last daddy wasn't nice." Spoke Rhodey somberly and that just made everyone else sad. They really hoped that the memories that the two tiny Avengers had weren't all bad ones. But the fact that Rhodey knew how bad Tony had had it under Howard's care just spoke to how close they were. Nobody else knew, but Rhodey did.
"Don't worry bud. Tony will be safe here with all of us. Now, why don't you go play some more with Clint while we adults talk about boring things? Alright?" asked Bucky and little Rhodey nodded and went back to his game. Soon enough the other adults, including Pepper and Happy who had arrived and been caught up on things not even 10 minutes ago.
"So… what are we going to do?" asked Sam as he looked at the sleeping infant in Steve's arms.
"Raise them. Take care of them. Make sure they're happy. Make sure they feel safe." Spoke Bucky as he took his seat beside where Steve was sitting.
"I'll have to go talk to the board for SI." Said Pepper as she hovered close by. "I'll need to take full ownership until Tony is old enough again. We're lucky he has so many designed ready to go so we can roll things out over time so I doubt the company will have any problems. I'm just glad that Tony might get to have a better childhood this time around."
"He will. Between all of us, he'll be safe this time." Sighed Steve. He couldn't take his eyes off of Tony.
The adults talked for a little while longer before Pepper, Happy, Natasha, and Sam went off to go buy the things they would need now that they had two kids to take care of. Bucky moved onto the floor to play with Rhodey while the others worked on getting dinner ready. Steve remained with Tony on the couch. He was starting to fuss a bit and Steve wondered if he would actually cry for what he needed. The doctor had said that Tony's lack of crying was most likely from nobody responding to him when he needed things. Steve was bound and determined to change that. He wasn't going to let Tony suffer anymore. Never again.
Tony woke up long enough for Steve to change him and give him a bottle before he went back to sleep. By then, everyone was back home, things had been set up for the tiny Avengers, and dinner was ready. Everyone tried to keep up a jovial attitude for Rhodey's sake. They didn't need the four-year-old to see how upset they all were over the situation. Well, at least having a small child around gave everyone the excuse to indulge in mac and cheese and dino nuggets.
Not long after dinner, Bucky and Steve managed to get both Tony and Rhodey all dressed and ready for bed. Rhodey was out like a light but Tony was awake again and just laying in his new crib watching the little stars and planets on his mobile. He seemed calm and not in distress or in any pain so Steve sat off to the side and just watched. He just needed Tony to be ok. He's fucked up with him in the past and was terrified he'd do it again. Especially when Tony was now so vulnerable.
"Hey, it's gonna be alright." Soothed Bucky as he walked into the room and gave Steve a hug. Steve just nodded. He wasn't in the mood to argue otherwise.
"We're gonna take care of them, Steve. Tony and Rhodey will be safe with us. They'll be safe."
Steve nodded once more and got up to follow Bucky out of the room. It had been an exhausting day and he really needed some sleep. So, he and Bucky climbed into bed and turned out the lights, but not before Steve made sure that the new baby monitor was on and working and Tony was sleeping soundly. He fell into a restless sleep worrying about what the future would bring.
88888888888888888888888888
Bucky and Steve had had Tony and Rhodey in their care for two weeks before the media caught onto things and a press conference was demanded. In that time there were a few adjustments that happened. First, Rhodey started going by Jamie because that was his nickname when he was little. Second, Sam was put on as a more permanent member of the team to cover their now lack of areal support. And third, Steve and Bucky now took turns staying home with the kids if there was a call out.
Jamie was a pretty happy kid. He loved playing and colouring and mac and cheese. He was generally a ball of laughs but never really strayed far from Tony's side. Tony was just as silent as he had been when he was de-aged. He started cooing a bit and gurgling, but he still wasn't crying. They brought Tony back to the doctors to find out if there was anything wrong that would prevent Tony from crying. They were told that it was most likely from crying but not having needs met. They'd just need to keep an eye on Tony and make sure that all his needs were met and that he felt safe.
In that time Bucky and Steve were also presented with the option of becoming Tony and Jamie's legal guardians. Because of the nature of the situation, everyone agreed that it was probably better for the little ones to stay with the Avengers. They'd were better prepared to deal with things if anything changed. Bucky and Steve were quick to say yes and take the kids as their own.
And that was why they were at this press conference. To tell the world what had happened to Tony and Jamie and that Bucky and Steve would be taking care of them. Pepper and Natasha were the ones who did all the explaining to the crowd while Bucky and Steve stayed behind a curtain with the kids. Bucky was sitting on the floor with Jamie playing some sort of game and Steve sat down with a sleeping Tony in his arms. The baby was wearing those huge headphones that cancel out the noise so that all the reporters and yelling didn't wake him up. Tony sure slept a lot but they were told that this was normal and he'd start being awake more now that he was being cared for and his needs were being met.
All too soon it was time for Bucky and Steve to take the little ones out to meet the word. Nobody was excited about it but they knew nobody would believe the situation without proof. So, on their cue, They brought the kids out to flashing cameras. Jamie definitely wasn't a big fan of all the flashing and buried his head in Bucky's shoulder to avoid everything going on.
Neither Bucky nor Steve really said anything when they were up there. They answered a few questions and let the world know that Jamie and Tony were going to be protected by them and the other Avengers. There were a few negative comments but they were shut down pretty quick. Most people knew better than to piss off the Winter Soldier.
So, with the world now aware of the new situation with the Avengers, things continued on. They were still all in a huge adjustment period, but so far nothing bad had happened. Well, other then Jamie tripping and scraping his knee. But little kids get small cuts and scrapes all the time so nobody was really concerned. Everything was better after the tyke was given a band-aid and a cookie.
But other then that, both Jamie and Tony were healthy and happy. Well, it was hard to tell if Tony was happy because he was still so small, but there was nothing wrong with him that warranted concern. Tony mostly slept and ate and sort of played with a few soft things. He slept the best when he was cuddled up with Steve. Steve may or may not be holding that fact over Bucky's head. He was totally Tony's favourite.
When Tony was three and a half months old, he cried for the first time since getting de-aged. It was late at night and Bucky and Steve were half asleep after trying to get Jamie to actually go to bed. They'd given him a bath, read him a story, and then chased the little hellion around the compound after he decided that he wanted to play even though it was way past his bedtime.
But hey, nobody said raising a toddler was easy.
Finally, after Jamie was asleep and tuckered out, Bucky and Steve headed back to their own room to unwind for the night. Bucky wanted to get some reading done and Steve wanted to finish up some art pieces he was doing for the kid's rooms. They were both working quietly when they heard some sounds on the other end of the baby monitor they kept on them.
"Is… is that crying?" asked Steve as he picked up the monitor to hear better.
"I… I think it is. JARVIS? Is that crying?" asked Bucky.
"Yes, Sargent. Little Sir started crying precisely one minute and twenty seconds ago." Replied the AI and the pair's eyes widened.
"Oh god he's crying!" shouted Steve and soon they were racing off to Tony's room to see what was wrong.
When they got to the room Steve and Bucky were met with the sounds of a very unhappy infant. Tony was in his crib crying up a storm. Steve instantly picked him up to soothe him while Bucky tried to figure out what was wrong. Tony didn't have a dirty diaper and he wasn't gassy. The poor thing just needed some cuddles. Cuddled that Bucky and Steve were happy to give.
"Well, at least he trusts us enough to cry. I didn't feel right not having a baby cry when they needed something." Spoke Steve as he set Tony back in his crib. He'd fallen back asleep after being rocked and sung to for the last half hour.
"Agreed. I didn't like it when he wasn't responding to things."
The two slept with one ear open that night to listen for Tony's cries. Neither had any problems comforting the tiny thing when he needed it.
Time passed and the Avengers got into a routine now that they had kids all over the compound. Clint moved in with his wife and kids. It was a little rough sometimes having five kids around, but it brought that team some joy when they'd come back from battles.
Despite Tony now being six months old, he was still pretty small for his age. The doctor said he was alright, and Tony was hitting all his other milestones so they weren't too worried. Tony was short as an adult anyway. Jamie, on the other hand, was growing like a weed. They already needed to buy the kid some new clothes because he grew out of the ones they'd got him when he first got de-aged.
Actually, Bucky and Steve ended up getting their charges a lot of things. New toys and games. New clothes. Steve almost caved and got them a puppy but Natasha talked him out of it which made him and Clint sad because they also wanted a puppy.
One thing that nobody had a problem with was the frequent park excursions. It was harder once the snow started falling, but Laura Barton was able to introduce them all to the wonder of indoor playgrounds. The Avengers ended up taking the kids at least once a week to burn off all their energy from being cooped up inside. Clint and Bucky would go run around with Cooper, Lila, and Jamie while Steve and Laura sat in the seating area and played a little bit with Nathaniel and Tony. They played a lot of blocks. Like, a lot of blocks. Tony really loved blocks.
They were at the indoor playground one afternoon when Steve had his first run-in with a "Karen". Laura had left for a moment to go change Nate leaving Steve there with Tony while the other kids played. Steve was just minding his own business and playing with Tony when an older woman approached him with a scowl on her face.
"Excuse me sir, but you shouldn't have such a young baby here." Spoke the woman and Steve knew in just from the way she worded things that she had no clue who he was.
"Last I checked babies over the age of four months were allowed in this area." Spoke Steve as he looked back at Tony.
"Well then leave. Your baby is clearly too young to be here."
"No, ma'am. Tony here is six months old. He's just fine." Replied Steve. He really hoped that Laura would come back soon.
"Well, he's too small. Clearly you aren't caring for him." Snapped the woman and Steve almost lost it.
"For your information when my partner and I adopted him and his brother he was in a bad situation. He's healthy now but a little behind in growth. Mind your own business and stop judging people without all the information." Snapped Steve.
The woman stood there aghast while Steve picked up his and Laura's things and moved himself and Tony to a new location. He tolled Laura what had happened when she returned. She couldn't help but glare over at the woman when Steve was done talking.
They didn't stay at the playground for much longer after that. Not because of that woman, but because Jamie and Lila were tired and the babies were practically falling asleep.
The year continued on and Steve could honestly say that he was actually happy. He was happy that he had Bucky by his side and in his heart. He was happy that Jamie was a bouncing, bubbly little boy. He was happy that Tony was getting the care and love he never got the first time around. He was honestly happy.
He had a family. He had kids that he never thought he'd have. Sure, he missed adult Tony and Jamie with a passion, but if he could give them love and happiness like this, then he'd take it. And who knows, maybe they'd grow up to change the world all over again. Between the two of them, Steve wasn't doubting it.