A real family
“So he didn’t talk then.”
”No. He went to bed and pretended to sleep. I’m sorry but I don’t think he’ll talk to you either.”
”Don’t underestimate me, Tony”, the doctor smiled.
”Listen, I am trying all the tricks. I’m considerate, I’m nice, I’m quiet, I’m understanding- What are you going to do? What do you have that I don’t have?”
”Fatherly guidance.”
Tony crossed his arms.
”Now I have to ask you to not underestimate me, doctor.”
”I’m not dumb, I know you’re a leader and he deep down, even if he isn’t showing it, is a follower. But there is a difference between being a daddy and being a father.”
Tony’s eyes widened as a slight blush creeped onto his face.
”What do you think you’re implying?!”
”The thing your reaction just confirmed.”
Josh was a sneaky bastard and he was proud of it. He liked Stark. He really did. A lot. But he still had to show that in the end, he wouldn’t back down. To Josh, the billionaire was perfect for his- whatever Stephen was to him. But there were things, situations, that were better handled by Josh himself. Slippery just didn’t have the full trust yet. There was a weird gut feeling of- having to let go. Of knowing he’s an adult now. And just that thought was weird enough. Of course Strange was an adult. He wasn’t exactly what you’d consider immature or a kid. But he’d forever be that for Josh. Just a kid. A lost boy.
”Tony, don’t get me wrong. Neither Christine nor I mean any harm by getting involved. There just is things that better be handled as a family.”
Stark looked into the other’s eyes and his posture softened. Family. Stephen had a family. And he needed it.
”Do you want tea or coffee or whiskey? Maybe a nice beer or glass if wine?”
”For breakfast?”
”Yes.”
”You’re not even trying to drop the whole It’s afternoon somewhere card, are you?”
”No. I always drink when life’s shit. So- tea then. Stephen’s horrible British habit has to come from somewhere.”
“Guilty.”
That actually earned the older a chuckle.
”Yeah, you’re really one of a kind.”
Tony disappeared in the kitchen while Josh took a look around the mansion. It wasn’t fair that this kid was born a rich asshole and Josh had worked all his life and still lived his normal, ordinary life as a single dad to not his real son. Speaking of
”Josh?”
”Good morning, sleeping beauty.”
“What the actual fuck are you doing at-“
Realisation hit.
”No. No, fuck no.”
”Stephen-“
”No. It’s fine. It’s fucking fine.”
”You said fuck three times in three sentences. It’s not fine.”
”I’m just- why?”
”Because we worry about you. We care.”
”If you cared about me you’d respect the privacy I choose having.”
”No. Because you’re not choosing privacy. Your depression chooses loneliness. You know why?”
”Stop.”
”Damage control. You know for what?”
”Go. Away.”
”Coping with shock and trauma.”
”I’m not in shock!”
”Then why does the doctor in me want to hand you a blanket?”
”Because sometimes your doctor instinct is wrong! Walking down memory lane when you forgot that bullet in that guy’s head. Oh, the good times when your inner doc failed you.”
”You don’t have to project your anger onto me.”
”I’m not projecting anything!”
”Why are you screaming?”, he asked so painfully calmly.
”Because you’re standing in our living room!”
”Because I’m your boyfriend’s guest. Pretty harsh not to introduce us to each other.”
The quiet sound of the door opening interrupted the men, as Tony stuck his head out as if checking if he’d get hit by something.
”Good morning.”
The billionaire didn’t know what to do, so he just smiled and awkwardly placed a tray with three cups on the table. Two cups of tea and a tripple espresso with rum. Clearly.
”So- you two good?”
Strange’s eyes widened as he gave his partner a what the actual fuck do you think look.
”Okay. Good. Fine.”
The engineer took his cup.
”But just know one thing, all I did was to open the door. Didn’t get him or talk him into coming or- you know.”
”Are you letting all strangers into the house?”
”He’s cleared your dad though.”
”No, he is not. He was my boss and by now I’m his.”
That one actually hurt Tony more than it hurt Josh. The doctor knew that trauma was a bitch and that Stephen was very defensive but he needed to toughen up.
”Yes, I am. At least I’m the guy who held you while you were a wreck, crying and sobbing and breaking down 24/7 as a child when your family was killed. When your sister died.”
”Stop.”
”What? Telling you how it was? Do you think he’ll leave if he knows that yes, you were in fact a broken child and never got the chance to change really? Look at yourself, Stephen. You need help. Let us help you.”
”No.”
”Yes, you will. Because I’m still your doctor and I can admit you. Stephen, if you’re falling back into your old mindset, I can admit you.”
”I’m not.”
“You already are in there.”
“In what?”, Stark asked and looked at Stephen.
”In what? Stephen, what is he talking about?”
The younger shook his head. He felt his headache coming back and how his legs started shaking. Tony carefully opened his arm as an invitation and really, his boyfriend didn’t object. The billionaire caressed the other’s back carefully and whispered encouraging nothings into his ear. Josh came over and put his hand onto Stephen’s shoulder too, drawing little circles with his thumb.
”Did they force themselves onto you?”
No reaction was a reaction too.
”Did they hurt you otherwise?”
A slight nod.
”Can I see? As a doctor. Or dad. Whatever feels better.”
Another nod. Softly Tony broke the protective hug.
”Do you want me to leave?”
”No.”
”Okay, alright. Yeah.”
The man intervened their fingers and helped the younger to the couch to sit down.
”Okay”, Slippery whispered as he kneeled in front of him.
”I’ll just check. I won’t ask anything.”
With a sigh, Stephen took off his shirt. The painful branding was visible on his chest and Tony had to really pull himself together to not react. He didn’t even feel pity pr anything. Just pure rage. Stephen knew immediately. He looked away from his boyfriend and into Josh’s eyes with nothing but honesty. ”And no. I’m not back in my old habits. And my old mindset. I’m just in pain. A bit shocked. I just need to process it but I’m not a child anymore, Josh. I can handle this.”
”No one just handles torture and abuse, Stephen”, Tony interfered with a change in tone.
”I do.”
”Don’t you dare talking against me on this. Say you’re wrong”, the other insisted.
”What?”
”Say. You’re. Wrong.”
Stephen felt goosebumps all over.
”I’m wrong.”
”Yes, you are. And you’ll let us help you.”
”But Tony-“
”That was a statement. Not a question.”
Their eyes stared into each other until Stephen broke the intense contact and nodded.
”Hm? What’s that?”
”Yes.”
”Yes what?”
”Yes, I’ll let you help me.”
”Yes, you will. Go to the dining room, I’ll be right with you.”
Stephen put his shirt back on and got up, being stopped by Tony for a second as he gave him a small kiss onto the cheek. The engineer smiled and the other couldn’t help but smile back too. As soon as he’d left the room, Josh let his mouth drop.
”Taking everything back. He doesn’t need a father, he needs a daddy.”
Stark snorted.
”He needs guidance and someone who makes some decisions for him. You have to believe me when I say I’m not controlling him in any inappropriate way. I’m not an abuser, I just take care of him in the way I know he needs to be taken care of.”
”I know that, Tony. If I didn’t know that, you’d be laying bleeding in the corner of the room right now, waiting for the police to take you with them.”
”So you’re that kind of father, huh.”
”Yes. You can have everything from me. All support. All help. Any kind any time of any day. But hurt him and you’re a dead man walking.”
”I appreciate that. The first part. Not the- the other- what if we ever fight? Is that already a death sentence? Or- is there a chance of survival?”
Slippery laughed quietly.
”I think that-“
The door to the room opened and two teen boys came out yawning. Tony smirked.
”Peter, Harley, that’s your grandpa.”
”Careful, Stark!”
The boys’ eyes lit up.
”Hiii, I’m Peter, this is Harley!”
The older smiled warmly.
”I’m Josh, I took care of Stephen when he grew up.”
”That’s. So. Cool!”
Tony sighed at the sight. Harley was dressed in his black sweatpants with his black t-shirt and his bedhead hair hanging into his face while Peter wore pink trousers with dots on them and a more than oversized t-shirt saying Unicorns are real on it with a white horse that had a horn photoshopped onto its forehead on it.
”Classic, the depressed emo kid and the closeted gay fining out about their sexuality”, Tony mumbled in a way only Josh could hear.
”Doc-dad is already in the dining room probably preparing your guys’ breakfast. I’ll be with you in a minute.”
Peter dragged Harley into the room whilst letting out a long
”Foooooood...”
”That’s me by the way. The unicorn shirt boy. That’s my upbringing that made him that way. I take full accountability for turning a perfectly healthy and normal child into the thing you just saw. That’s my boy. And Harley is Stephen’s creation. That boy and Stephen connect on a spiritual level that I have no fucking idea of. See- we were probably just made gay in order to not being able to breed. And now look at us fucking go. Destroying the universe’s plan? Check.”
”They look damn happy.”
”They are”, Stark looked at the door to the dining room in pure adoration.
”Two of my children are already happy and the third one I will get there too.”
”That’s really all he is, you know? A kid.”
”I know.”
”Look after him, yeah?”
”Of course I will. That’s my fucking life in there. Him and the boys. Look, I thought I’d be forever stuck in a hell of pretending and being lost. Now I have the perfect boyfriend, two amazing children and even my father-in-law likes me.”
”Meh.”
”No, you do. Look at your approval of me. I’m the textbook son-in-law.”
”Uh-“
”Just give me that.”
”Yea, okay”, he chuckled.
”Thank you. Should not have been that hard.”
”I like you.”
Stark smiled with honesty.
”I like you too. Thought I wouldn’t but you’re a good guy. Welcome to the family.”
The younger stuck out his hand and Josh shook it.
”You know that it’s not easy. That he’ll have bad days. And that this is recovery. It’s long overdue recovery. It’s not a quick fix.”
”I don’t need a quick fix. I love him. With his past. And our future.”
The doctor nodded.
”I’ll see you. And keep him away from the hospital. He needs some time off. And he’ll take it.”
”He will. Goodbye, Josh.”
”Bye, son-in-law.”
Tony smirked and pulled the man into a quick hug before he led him to the door. It’d be okay. It’d actually be. They’d be a family. A real one. With one last deep breath, the engineer turned around and walked to the dining room. To his family.