"Steve, I don't know about this." Tony admitted to his husband. "Are we really the best people to care for these boys? Dean is as amped up as a feral cat, and god Steve. He looks so scared!"
The couple were preparing for bed, Steve pulling down the sheets while Tony paced the floor.
"How can we help him if he's scared of us!" The engineer threw his hands up in frustration. Steve walked behind the man and wrapped his arms around his middle.
"Remember when we first met the other kids?"
Tony sighed. "Yeah. Yeah I do."
"Thor was ready to fight everything, Bruce was scared of his own shadow, Clint was terrified of doing anything around us in case it was wrong and Nat would sleep against their door to make sure it couldn't open. Not to mention she never said a single word to us for the first six months." The soldier rested his chin on Tony's head as he spoke. "And technically we still haven't met Loki, but his and Thor's father really did a number on him."
Tony hugged his husband in return. "I get it. We've been through a lot, we can work through this. But Steve." Tony pushed himself out of Steve's arms. "What if we screw it up? What if we scar them for life?"
Steve pulled the shorter man to their bed and pushed him in before climbing in beside him and pulling up the covers.
"We do our best. That's all we can hope for"
Knock knock.
"Come in."
Deans head popped out through the crack in the door. "Can I talk to you real quick? Please?"
"Of course, what is it Dean?" Tony's eyes widened in surprise as he sat up further in their bed. The men watched Dean come further in the room, closing the door behind him and leaning against it.
"I'm here to make a deal." The boy states after taking a bracing breath.
"A deal? What deal would that be?" Steve slowly drew the covers off himself as he prepared to get off the bed.
Another deep breath.
"You do whatever you want to me if you don't touch Sam." Deans voice dropped off and silence filled the room.
"Dean-"
"I mean it, anything, I'll cover for you! I know how to hide bruises, I don't scream that loud, no one would ever know!" An edge of panic betrayed the boys voice even as his face was a stony mask.
The men blinked at Dean for a moment, their hearts essentially breaking for the fourteen year old who had been through more than he definitely should have. Tony slowly, never taking his eyes off Dean, got out of bed and drew closer to him.
"Why don't you wait for us down stairs and we'll talk for a little bit. Sound good?"
Dean nodded, expression unwavering, but Steve noticed that his hand shook as he opened the bedroom door.
"What the fuck." Tony collapsed on the settee at the end of the bed, running a hand down his face. "What the actual fuck."
"Tony. What do we do?"
"Well obviously not take him up on it!"
"Well obviously, genius! I meant what are we gonna say to him? He's never gonna believe us when we say we'd never hurt Sam." Steve stood up and was wrapping his robe around himself.
A muffled response came from behind Tony's hands. "Fuck if I know Steve. I am definitely not the expert in this area." Steve handed Tony his robe which the other man swatted away. "With Nat she just didn't talk to us, Dean just straight up offered to be a punching bag! I mean-"
"I know Tony. But like you said, we'll do our best."
Tony grumbled in response. Standing up, the man took his husbands offered arm. "Bloody optimist"
Steve chuckled lightly as he kissed his husband. "That's why you love me. Now. Let's take care of our newest son."