Sorry this chapter is so late, but it's been a busy week at school. Thank you again for any/everyone who is supporting me and taking the time for my story.
TW: child abuse

Tony's POV

Tony walked down the dark hotel hallway with his family's room key in one hand. Howard was clumsily stumbling behind him carrying his passed out wife. They all came to dark red door with beautiful golden handle and lock. Tony stabbed the key from his hand into to the shiny lock and twisted it with a satisfying snap of the wrist.

*click*

He pushed the door open with a bit more force then needed but, fortunately, Howard didn't notice. Tony held the door open and respectfully tilt his head down as Howard glared and forcefully pushed past him to take his drunken wife to bed. As the older stark walked into the his bedroom Tony silently closed the door, still respectfully keeping his head down.

With his hands clamped together Behind his back and and a very stiff and defensive posture, he walked his way to his own room. As soon as he was close enough to his door he reached for the door but paused when the heard the voice of his father.

"Where do you think you're going?" Tony internally sighed 'when do I ever catch a break?'

He turned and glanced up to see the older mans face. He wasn't exactly angry, more so, he was just tired. His old, drunken eyes seemed to sink into the bags under them.

"Come here." His tired and gruff voice sounded as though he was just done with the whole day.

Slowly Tony made his way over to the drunken bastard and held up his wrist. He squeezed his eyes shut eyes and waited for the pain as Howard lifted a giant wooden stick to come down on his wrists.

*whack*

Tony suck in a quick breath and bit his lip so he wouldn't scream out or whimper in pain. He figured he bit too hard once coppery liquid dripped into his mouth.

Slowly and a bit shakily he counted "one". Knowing he still had two more to go he clenched his teeth tighter.

*whack*

Feeling a splinter from the wood stabbing his somewhere, he founded it harder to keep the tears from falling. With an even shakier voice then the last on only one voice crack be managed to count.

"Two" just one more. One fucking more then Tony can leave and hide in his room forever.

He heard the swoosh of the beating stick as it came down on his bruised and tender wrist one last time for the night.

*whack*

Tony took in another quick breath as the overwhelming pain felt as though it traveled throughout his whole body. He put every last piece of strength he had left in himself to get the last number off his tongue.

"Three" the word held some relief in it but Tony knew that this might be the end of the physical punishment but Howard still wasn't done.

A huge hand held onto back of Tony's neck in a vise-like grip and dragged his biological son to his room. With a harsh push he through the fragile child into his room.

"Don't even think about leaving this room for the rest of the trip. And that means no food, no tinkering, no- no anything!" He slammed the door shut with enough strength to shake the entire floor.

As soon as Tony gathered himself he gently lifted his left hand and intensely flipped off Howard through the door.

Taking a deep breath to calm down, he picked himself off the floor and let the jacket slip from his shoulders and fall onto the floor. Once to his feet he shuffled his way over to the bathroom. Gently pushing the door open he looked into the blackness that filled the room. His little fingers hovered over the light switch as he stared at his small silhouette reflect from a mirror in the blank abyss. Did he really want to see how bad he looked?

Tony let out a deep sigh 'now or never' and flicked the switch. Everything turned white for a second as he was blinded but as his eyes focus, they couldn't help but stare, transfixed, at the mirror. The once small silhouette turned in to a pathetic six-year-old with red, swollen hand print that took up half of his baby face. His wrists were so much worse, they were bruised, beaten, bloody, and probably broken. His eyes turned into an emotionless void as he kept all his depression at bay.

Taking off his soaked clothes, he curled up in the corner of shower after he turned on the water. As the water rains down on his beaten body and soul he could tell how fragile and pathetic he really was, and finally snapped for the day. His chestnut eyes flooded with the water of the never ending waterfall of despair. Tony ignored the tears that was done clinging to his eyes and fell upon his face as the warm water that cleansed him.

Once he was calmed, he stared blankly at the shower head. Letting out a long, miserable sigh, turning the water off and walking out.

Tony walked over to his red and gold suit case to grasp the little Captain America key chain attached to the zipper. Zipping the case open, he took the gauze ( Jarvis thought he might need it... Just in case.) and carefully wrapped both wrists. Once both wrists were secure, he pulls on his Captain America boxers and through the plushy on the bed.

Tony took out his self-made phone out of its hidden compartment he made himself. ( Howard said he couldn't have a phone so he built one and now him and Jarvis hides it.) He found the he had one message.

J- Checking in, sir. I hope that you are fun on your 'vacation' with your parents. Please be as safe as you can with that man. At least don't go looking for trouble and hopefully, hopefully, you'll be fine. I miss you, and will always wait for your next message and return, young master.

Tony wouldn't be able to stop the smile the formed on to his lips, even if he tried. Jarvis always had his back whenever he needed it. Tony quickly replied to his butler that he was doing fine and had lots to tell him when he comes home. Shuffling over to Bruce's jacket he started to rummage through it looking for Bruce's number. His pale, little fingers picked the slightly soaked paper out of the freezing jacket. Fortunately, the numbers on the paper were smudge but still recognizable.

After typing the digits in to his contacts, he let the little paper gracefully float down as he tottered his way to bed. Snuggling into the clean, white sheets as one arm wrapped around his plushy, and the other holding his phone. Letting the light reflect off his face, enlightening the room.

Tony's big, brown eyes stared at the newly added contact to his phone. Not wanting to disturbed his wrists, he very gingerly tapped the keyboard.

Tones- Heyy, it's Tony!

'Ugh, too excited' Not liking it he deleted it and tried again.

Tones- Hello, this is Tony Stark, from the party.

'Too formal.' Once again; delete and try again.

Tones- Hey, Brucie-bear.

'What? Are we a couple now? Come on Stark, you can do this'
*delete*

Tones- Tony here :P

'Great, now I'm a teenage girl.'
*delete*

Tones- howdy part'er, it's y'er frien' Tony.

'When did I become a hillbilly, cowboy from the old western.'
*delete*

Tones- こんばんは。それは私です、トニー• スターク。

'How do I even know Japanese!? ...Oh right, it's because my genius brain knows no bonds...I'm being a bit show off-y.'
*delete*

After around 15 minutes Tony was still trying to get the perfect, first text.

Tones- Hey, Bruce, it's me, Tony. I hope I typed in the right number, and if I did then, yay! Can't wait to hear back from you (if you get this), and hope we stay friends.

He let out a frustrated sigh as he squeezed his eyes shut. This one showed that he makes a lot of mistakes and is a total loser. All of Tony's messages have turned to be all failures just like this disappointed of a text. Glazing his thumb over the buttons to press delete, his wrists gave him a quick spasm and click send instead. He could do nothing but watch in horror as the sending bar filled up with green. Once the green filled up the bar, the phone let out a quiet *bing* signaling it has been sent.

Starting to have a panic attack and promising to himself that he will never, ever text again, he shoved his phone under the hotel's fluffy pillows. Shutting his eyes let his shut the world out, and let him pretend there was only him and cappy (the plushy), and ignore that phones have ever existed, ever, and that he -most definitely- did NOT embarrass himself to his new friend by texting something idiotic.

Tony was surprised out of his panic by a muffled sound coming from under the pillows, signaling he got a message. Dragging his phone out from under its hiding place and lifting it up to his face, he slowly opened his eyes. A small number one next to an envelope that had 'Bruce' on it. Frightened of what he would say, Tony raised his shaky thumb and tapped the envelope.

Bruce- Hi Tony, I'm so glad to be hearing from you too, and don't worry so much. We're going to stay friends, so just wait, we're going to become the most unstoppable force in the galaxy. I hope you like the party, I certainly did!

Tony smiled up at the message, he was so glad that he didn't mess up horribly.

Tones- I had a great time at the party, thanks. Sorry about the whole 'getting you freezing wet' ordeal, and thank you for putting up with me during it.

Bruce- it was absolutely worth jumping in a freezing pool with you. I only hope everything is fine with you. Your dad did seem like he was pretty mad...

Tony started fidgeting at the mention of his 'father'. Subconsciously, he glanced at his wrists and began to gently typing again.

Tones- He was perfectly fine with it. Even took me out for ice cream. Of course, I got mint but father got vanilla. *Tony hesitated* How did your parents react. I'm sorry if you got in trouble, I'll totally make it up.

It felt like hours as each tick of the second hand ticked in his ears. 'Please, please don't be in trouble. I'm sorry, I'm so, so, so sorry. I hope your okay. Oh, please be okay.' Tony snapped out of his guilty prayer with a musical bing.

Bruce- They thought it was great that I finally made a friend and actually had fun at one of our parties. No, I'm not in trouble, they don't think we did anything wrong, as do I. We really didn't do anything wrong, all we were doing was being kids and having fun. I think what we did was great and would make any bored child jealous at the humorous fun we had.

Tony immediately calmed as he read, and tears started to form at the corners of his eyes. Bruce didn't blame him at all, in fact, he tried to defend and justify why, what they were doing was fine.

Tones- That's great! I'm so glad you're not in trouble. This does give me the best story for school, about how I swam with thee Bruce Wayne on Christmas Eve. All my friends are going to be so jealous, lol.

'If I actually had any friends' echoed in Tony's mind as he sent the message.

Bruce and Tony texted for hours and hours till they ultimately pasted out from the day of excitement, freezing waters, and worn-out minds. Once pasted out Tony slept contently with his self-made phone in one hand and the other wrapped around cappy, tightly.

And for the first time in years, Tony had a real dream. Not a nightmare or one of those blank ones but a real, -wake up fresh- dream.