Chapter Text
Gods Tony couldn't breathe he'd woken up with the feeling of his father's hands wrapped around his throat, lifting him out of his bed with an ease you would a rag doll. slamming him against the wall his father's breath hot against his neck as the smell of alcohol clung to him like a second skin. bracing himself for impact did nothing to stop the sharp splashes of pain as his father's fists collided with his stomach yet he dare not cry as it could get worse so much worse.
racking his brain to see what he'd done this time, there was always something he was just that useless he thought to himself, as the fists kept coming. he hadn't spoken at all since arriving home, he'd done all the work Howard had left for him, he'd done all his school work, he was maintaining perfect grades, oh he thought to himself as realisation dawned on him, it was Monday Howard hated Monday's. Tony was just lucky that his father was smart enough not to go anywhere higher than the neck and Howard was lucky that tony was smart enough to wear clothes that covered his neck.
after what seemed an hour the beating stopped with a final mutter of 'useless boy' and his father left to go and get ready for the day. taking a shuddering breath tony pushed himself up and into the bathroom. now for the worst part of the day pulling himself towards the mirror he quickly stripped to esses the damage. purple shaped fingers were wrapped around his throat while a painting of yellows blues and purples of old and new bruises mixed together to make a piece of art. staring at his body in disgust he knew why his father hated him.
he could feel and see the layers of fat that stuck to his body like glue. with one last pull at the non existent fat tony hopped into the shower letting the water lead a crusade against his already bruised skin. quickly getting ready he threw on his soft black hoodie, AC\DC top, charcoal grey jeggings, his boots and of course his sunglasses. grabbing his bag he ran out the door. hopped in his car and drove.
now technically speaking Tony wasn't allowed a car since he was only 14 but being Howard Starks son came with some perks. also all his peers were 16\17 so he got away with it quite well. parking he hopped out and pulled up his facade made of broken smiles and shattered glass. strutting inside he made his way to his locker. ahh the daily war has begun again he thought to himself who shall win locker or boy. the locker won. Tony ended up with an even more bruised shoulder and a late but he got his books so he thought it was a tie (he was lying to himself though he wasted twenty minutes on the dam locker.)
having already missed most of the lesson toni felt himself zone but couldn't be bothered to try and zone back in. the shrill sound of a bell forced him back to reality momentarily dazed he wondered where his next class was aha cousins he remembered. cousin was this english teacher who was always wearing a suit he worked close with the principal fury and was friends with the geography teacher hill.
he was pretty cool guy however he had his favourites. the group of kids who called themselves the avengers, as some sought of inside joke. were every teachers most favourite pupils and they all happened to dislike tony.
slipping into coulsins classroom he made his way over to his seat in the corner hammer turned around and started to make jeers at him but not wanting to aggravate his throat further he just simple glared.
God he just wanted to call rhodey or curse him for leaving him to enlist in the RAF where he only could see tony every once in a while. or pepper who left for her all girls school in Switzerland. leaving him alone with a father who hates hi a mother whose so high she can't see straight and his mask of the arrogant rich kid. so call pepper or rohdey or just go back to bed.
hmm bed was sounding like a better and better option as stone sat on the side of tony, with a hammer in front of him, they had boxed him in like a predator trapping its prey.
Finishing the work up and listening to Coulson ramble on about was starting to give Tony headache. maybe he could skip next period in favour of napping in the janitors closet.
'Are you with us mister stark" came Cousins voice has appeared in front of Tony out of nowhere. normally tony would fire back a snarky comment but could not muster up the energy to do so he just nodded. coulson eyed him suspiciously before carrying on with the lesson.
However unknown to tony he was also being stared at by a particular group of people with looks of curiosity for the remainder of the lesson. at the end of the lesson tony slipped away to take a nap.
By the time Tony woke up it was lunch the most dreaded period of the day for tony he wanted to eat to stop the clenching of his stomach but already he could feel the rolls of fat sticking out against his top.
yet he headed to the cafeteria anyway to work on the latest work his father had set. finding an unnoticeable corner he settled down and began to work.
Unknown to tony across the cafeteria a group of students were having a very interesting conversation about him.
Bucky curiously glanced at stark from afar, so far he hadn't heard him say a word to day, and if he thought about he hadn't said much last week. stark was a puzzle to him one in which he wanted to solve. 'hey what do you guys know about stark' he heard himself ask.
steve sent him a curious glance while Natasha shifted raising a single eyebrow. 'why do you ask' clint's voice drew his attention from the two before him and to clint bruce and Thor who were lounged around him all starting with inquisitive looks. ' he just seems so" bucky paused searching for the right words when Natasha popped in with "his masks you mean?' bucky just nodded glad he wasn't the only one who had noticed.
looking around bruce was nodding as well as thor. you couldn't read clint's expression however bucky new he was going through his head analysing memories. steve just looked confused. a minute later clint nodded having come to the same conclusion as everyone else apart from steve who took a little longer however was soon explained to by Natasha.
have you noticed he never eats' stated bruce and no bucky hadn't realised he didn't however a quick scan of the last few weeks showed stark ether not at lunch or working on some project.
he's always wearing hoodies and jeans even summer" added Clint 'he also never talks to anyone unless he's spoken to first' piped in Natasha. "he also only actually uses snarky comments towards teachers and hammer and stone" steve added 'I mean can you blame him those guys are arseholes" clint supplied.
as if they had mind links they all in unison looked over to where Tony was sitting furiously writing things down in a notebook lost in his own world. taking over the sight if soft brown sleep ruffled hair poking out of the hoodie. the way he bit his lip in concentration the hoodie dwarfing him making him seem small and defenceless backed up in the corner.
they all shared a look which ment see what's behind the masks and if he's not an arse adopt, ADOPT. looking back over they watched as suddenly hammer and stone sat themselves down on either side of tony plonking there trays down causing the table to jerk slightly tony looked up nose crinkled in confusion and disgust.
Bucky noticed as he subconsciously seemed to curl in slightly and started to get up pulling up his sleeves and out of the corner of his eye saw steve doing the same thing, there maternal instincts rearing their ugly heads. cause dam tony looked small and cornered in like a baby deer surrounded by lions. but before he could march up and pull hammer and stone away from tony.
he felt natasha grab onto his elbow yanking him down steve along with him. they both turned to glare at her. 'yall scare him of, il go' she said. he was about to protest but the look on natasha's face told him not to. however he nearly ignored that feeling all together when he saw hammer lean in and whisper something to tony causing to tony to swallow and look away as the lions moved closer and closer.
natasha though had already walked off towards Tony, he watched as she said something and Tony got up and grabbed his stuff natasha forcing hammer and stone out of the way as she herded tony towards them. Tony know looking much like he wanted to run.
he walked up to bucky and said " natasha said you missed coulsins class this morning did you want to borrow my notes or..' tony trailed of. bucky hadn't actually missed hills class however he smiled and thanked Tony taking the notes saying he would give them back tomorrow. soon after the bell rang and they all made their way to class.
Tony was confused he thought bucky had been in coulsins class this morning, however he thanked the gods for natasha's timing stone and hammer were saying things he already knew. however they were also to close for his liking and Tony had been close to panic attack.
Oh well he thought to himself as he made his way to his next lesson science. science was always a good period for tony A because of the teacher yinsen, yinsen never told his last name and insisted we call him his first. he was a medic in the army until he decided to settle down and teach. B because he was left alone to his thoughts as nether hammer or stone where in this class.
the day continued to drone on and when the last shrill bell sounded was when Tony drove straight to hell in a house.
he opened the door silently taking his shoo's of and placing them in the shoe rack he heard his mama call his name ' Antonio' she said again 'is that you' she murmured . 'yes mamma' he muttered softly.
'I've missed you' was the reply 'i know' tony felt himself say as he walked forward slowly placing a kiss on his mama's cheek and holding her as she slumped into his arms slowly letting go, he made his way upstairs to start on his sis work and homework. only to later on that evening to be interrupted by the sound of shattering glass as a beer bottle hit the wall beside him.
his father know up in his face the smell of alcohol a constant presence as the fists started coming howard only stopping to grab another beer from the pack that he'd brought. with one hand drinking and the other holding tony up against the wall he drained the bottle letting it slip from his fingers as he whispers to tony 'lets take this to the room shall we'.
Tony felt his breathing sped up as he father said that no, no, no tony hated the room. he knew he deserved it but the room was his worst nightmare and he was going to have to go in there again.
howard lifted tony up with the ease tony did his rucksack, being held by his throat tony was dragged towards the room panic levels rising.