Three days passed by peacefully, Bruce was slowly getting closer to curing Tony, Natasha and Thor were looking after Tony, and Clint and Steve were…well avoiding the child.

At one point during the fourth day and after lunch, Thor wandered off to the gym, leaving Natasha in charge. Only half an hour later, the redhead had to go have a video-call meeting with Fury. The god wouldn't be done with his workout for another hour and a half, so with no other option she left Steve and Clint in charge of Tony with a glare of threat should anything happen to the small boy.

"котенок," She murmured pulling the boy away from his science book,

"Yes, Ms Nat?" She chuckled at his response, he was so polite,

"What have I said about calling me that!" She exclaimed gently, showing the boy he wasn't in trouble, "Call me Aunt Nat, Auntie Tasha, or something of that variation, котенок." He nodded with a shy blushing smile, "I have to go have a meeting with your Uncle Nick now. However, Steve and Clint will be here with you to look after you." She leaned in and whispered loudly, "Or rather you're here to look after them." Gone was the adorable pout that had appeared when she said she was leaving as a giggle and a grin replaced it. "I shouldn't be too long, sweetie." She pressed a kiss to his forehead before making her leave, sending Clint and Steve one more threatening glare as she passed.

The child didn't interact with the adults; the adults didn't interact with the child. It was a silent deal they had made without talking to each other. Then hesitantly, Tony broke the so-called rule as he found himself struggling on one of his science book questions. Standing with the book held open against his chest, he wandered over to Steve, who had been drawing on the other side of the living room.

"Mista Steve." The man didn't acknowledge him, but Tony waited patiently. Howard had told him to never interrupt if no one responded to him the first time. That he was to just wait until he was given permission to speak. Minutes passed before the blond sighed and looked up, Tony barely hid his flinch at the irritation swimming in the man's icy blue eyes.

"Yes?" He asked through gritted teeth and a false smile,

"Umm…sorry to bother you, sir, I was just wondering if you knew how to work out this question?" Tony's voice lost his hesitation and became emotionless and professional, in a way that Howard had drilled into him when talking to…well most people. Steve didn't even look at the question and his face reddened slightly,

"Trying to show off your intelligence by mocking people. Good one Stark." He spat angrily not paying attention to how quick Tony's face paled,

"No! No, I was just-"

"Get lost." He did as asked fearing the consequences, after all, the man looked like he could pack a punch very well.

Tony, still stuck on his question, made his way into the kitchen where he could hear Clint.

"Mista Clint." He said walking into the kitchen

"What?"

"I was wondering if you could -oh wow are you making cookies?" He hastily asked changing his initial question as baking was far more important.

"Yes. What of it?" The archer growled waiting for some snide and possibly sexist remark to come out of the kid's mouth (because apparently all four going five-year-olds are sexist, also since when was Tony sexist? Barton needed to sort out his facts).

"Please, can I help? Jarvis always lets me help, we even have competitions to see whose are better. He always says mine are better, but I know his are. He's super good at decorating them too! My favourites are the chocolate robot heart ones he makes! They are soooo delicious and pretty! Did you know I love robots? I want to make them when I'm big!" Before Tony could continue his excited rambling, a loud smack echoed through the room as Clint's hand came down harshly on the countertop. Tony froze. Bambi eyes open wide as furious ones glared down at him.

"Do you ever fucking shut up!" It wasn't a question as Clint's voice ricocheted through the room in anger, "God you're so fucking annoying, Stark. Spoilt, irritating and stupid. Piss off already! No one gives a shit about what you want or like to do, you're just an entitled little shit, who gets what he wants and annoys everyone around him. Get over yourself already! And cease all this unnecessary talk about Jarvis. It's Jarvis this and Jarvis that, for fuck sake the guys probably dead or far away in retirement all happy because he no longer has to look after you." By the end of it, Clint was panting and tears were running quietly down Tony's cheeks. The archer took a step forward, he wasn't sure what his intentions were but Tony took it as Clint getting ready to hurt him. Flinching so hard that he fell on his bottom, Tony scrambled to his feet, leaving his book as he ran away.

There was a squeak from a shoe rubbing against the floor and Clint turned to find Thor and Natasha glaring at him, Steve stood off to the side of them both looking ashamed. Faintly they reminded the archer of Mama-Bears or perhaps Mama-Dragons as Natasha looked seconds away from breathing fire as did Thor.

"I hope you're happy with yourselves. You're no better than bullies." The redhead growled knowing that particular word would hit Steve like a kick to the groin before she and the god took off in search of their the small human. (How did they know about the situation? JARVIS had notified them moments ago that Steve had snapped at Tony and it looked like Clint would do the same, so they came as quickly as they could ignoring their other tasks, but they were too late).

The archer stayed quiet, leaning against the counter, his fingers tapping away impatiently before he looked up and met Steve's eyes. They had both fucked up. So very badly fucked up.

—LINE BREAK—

As Clint started to shout, the archer faded away and all Tony could see was Howard glaring down at him and screaming. The words were Clint's as was the voice, but the person he saw was Howard, so when the figure took a step towards him, Tony knew that his father would be preparing to hurt him. He knew he'd be in even more trouble, yet he couldn't help but run away and hide. The Tower was big enough as a whole, but with so many floors being for the Avengers, it could and would take a while for anyone to find him. He rushed to his room and grabbed his 'Because Science' blanket before going in the elevator and hiding up on the Penthouse floor. Through hiccups and sobs, he asked the AI to not tell anyone where he was going. Begrudgingly, JARVIS complied. Tony hid in the walk-in-wardrobe of his older self, wrapping himself in his blanket like a burrito, he buried himself in the back, hidden by the suits and clothes on hangers.

The tears wouldn't stop. They ran down his cheeks like they were racing each other. They painted his skin. The sobs tore through his throat. He sounded like an animal. He could barely breathe.

"Stop it." He hiccuped to himself through his wails, "Stark men are made of Iron. Stark men don't…they don't cry." He scrubbed at his eyes, the tears never stopped and his eyes became more puffy and red. "Stark men don't cry. We don't cry. Stop it. Go away. Stark men don't cry. Made of Iron. No cry." He repeated.

—LINE BREAK—

It wasn't Natasha or Thor, who found the crying boy. Nor was it Bruce, who had heard and was trying to help with the search. Nor Steve, who was trying to get JARVIS to tell him (he was failing spectacularly as the AI was barely speaking to the blond due to him upsetting Tony).

No. It was Clint who found him. The archer had gone to look in the vents as Tony would be small and adventurous enough to go in them and thankfully, whilst the boy hadn't gone in the vents, a sound echoed through them, leading Clint to find Tony crying in the wardrobe. He jumped elegantly down from the vent, landing a few feet away from the boy. Once on his feet, he sat down and stared at Tony, waiting for the boy to acknowledge him. The archer knew exactly when Tony noticed him because the boy hastily wiped at his eyes, stopped crying and sat up straight with fear in his eyes.

"You're not in trouble." Clint murmured but the boy didn't relax one bit and personally, the archer wasn't surprised. The sandy-blond haired man shuffled around so he was leaning against the wall next to Tony, but he kept his distance so he wouldn't scare or intimidate the child. "I'm sorry." That caught the kids attention and something tugged at Clint's heart when he saw confusion whirling around in Tony's coffee coloured eyes, "I really am sorry. I know it's no excuse, but I haven't been sleeping well at the minute and I took my exhaustion and anger out at you. I am sorry, Tony." They said nothing after Clint's confession. Choosing to sit in silence as Tony sniffled every few minutes.

"Did you mean what you said?" Tony whispered and Clint knew he wasn't asking about the apology,

"I did." Tony's face seemed to shatter at the honest answer, but the archer continued, "I meant what I said, but once I said it, I realised just how wrong I was. I realised that the boy I was shouting at was anything but spoilt or stupid or irritating. I realised that you were a young child, who didn't grow up the way everyone thought. I saw it in your eyes and the way you flinched." Tony chewed at the corner of the blanket as Clint spoke,

"I…I know I'm supposed to be big. I'm not supposed to be this age." That caught Clint's attention, "So I know that Jarvis is probably…gone, but for me, he isn't. Jarvis is the only adult in my life that seems to care for me. Which is why I talk about him so much." Clint couldn't help but wonder how much of young Tony's words reflected onto the older Tony. "He makes me cookies when I'm sad. When I've done something, like when I made the circuit board. He's the only one that celebrates with me. The one to patch up my cuts and bruises. To wipe away the tears and to hold me after Daddy hurts or shouts at me." Before he could stop himself, Clint had pulled Tony onto his lap and was hugging the child comfortingly, "Do…do you dislike older me as much as you dislike me?"

"It's complicated."

"No, it's not."

"I don't dislike older you. But…I guess I've lost my brilliant sight if all I can see are the masks and nothing beneath."

"Older me is probably sad. We are lonely." Tony was definitely one insightful child, "I have no friends now and…I think older me is probably sad because he wants you to be his friend, but you're not."

"I think you're right, kiddo." Clint whispered moments later as he looked back, thinking of all the many times he'd caught Tony staring at the group with longing, only for it to vanish the instant someone was looking at him. "I'm sorry, Tony." Whether it was to the young one or the older one, he didn't know, but he guessed it was towards both of them. Looking down, he found the boy fast asleep and soon his own eyes drifted shut.

Here's my tumblr if you're interested, it also has the story collages: anxious-soul

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