Howard and Maria
"Will you move your stupid toy off the table," Howard snapped, "This is your last warning Antoinette." the eight year old quickly moved his Captain America figurine off the table.
"Sorry," he whispered, "Can I ask you something?"
"What is it child?" Anthony knew his father had a bad day, but he was hoping that his news would cheer him up.
"Can you call me Anthony?" the room fell silent, even Jarvis had stopped moving as he made his way over to the table. Nobody spoke and Anthony felt his smile slip, "Dad?"
"What the fuck?" his father's eyes were hard and Anthony knew he made a mistake he just didn't get what the mistake fully was, "What did you say?"
"I want to be called Anthony, after you."
"Where's this come from, who gave you this idea?"
"I did... I like Anthony better, it's less girly than Antoinette." Anthony looked over at Jarvis, the older man looked sadly at him and Anthony just didn't understand.
"It's less girly because it's a fucking boys name," Howard slammed his hand into the dining table and Maria started crying, "You're a girl, you were born a girl and you'll stay a girl."
"I don't want to be a girl, I like my other name?" Anthony felt the tears behind his eyes.
"Sir, if I may?" Jarvis said, stepping forward, "Anth... Antoinette is young, some children go through gender identity crisis and..."
"Are you trying to tell me my kids a tranny?" Howard shouted, "She's fucking eight years old, she doesn't know anything." Anthony wanted to protest; of course he knew what he meant, he only started feeling happier with himself since Jarvis started calling him Sir and changing his name three years ago. He didn't even know what a tranny was.
"No, Master Stark I was nearly suggesting that..." Howard stood up.
"Take your suggestions and shove them up your ass!" Howard snapped, "My daughter is not going through a gender identity crisis."
"I thought you'd like the name," Anthony whispered, clutching his toy to his chest in comfort, "I wanted to be like you." Howard scoffed and walked towards him.
"Like me? You even think you could be worth a name like me?" he snatched Anthony's toy from him, "You'll never be like me, you're nothing but a freak."
"Give me my toy back please daddy." Anthony was near tears.
"What's your name?"
"Anthony." he reached out for his toy but Howard gripped it tighter.
"What is your name?"
"Anthony," Howard threw Anthony's toy across the room, he could hear the crack of something breaking and he screamed out, "Cap!"
"Tell me what you're fucking name is or so help me it's you going through that fucking wall next." Howard was panting, his eyes full of rage and Anthony knew full well that his father's threat wasn't to be taken lightly. He stayed quite.
"Antoinette," his mother begged, "Antoinette, please, my sweet girl stop this, please." Anthony hated seeing his mother cry, hated it even worse when she was crying over him.
"So tell me girl, what's your name?" Anthony hung his head.
"Antoinette." his father laughed, it held no humour only darkness and Anthony hated it.
"See, that wasn't so hard now was it?" Anthony glanced over to where his favourite toy lay broken on the floor.
"You broke my Captain." Anthony did his best not to flinch when he father struck him across the face, he always did his best not to flinch whenever his dad hit him so that it didn't make things worse.
"If Cap was still around, you wouldn't be worth his time so I think you can live without a stupid toy," Anthony felt hot tears pooling, he hated whenever he dad belittled him when being compared to Captain America, Cap was his hero despite him no longer existing and he couldn't stand it when he was told Cap would hate him, "Jarvis take Antoinette to bed, I want her out of my sight." Jarvis nodded and rests his hands on Anthony's shoulders.
"Very well sir," Howard walked over to his drinks cabinet, his back turned to the rest of his family, so Jarvis took Anthony into his arms and walked out; picking up the Cap pieces before he left.
Jarvis carried Anthony all the way to his room, the young boy allowing his tear to fall openly now that he was with someone who made him feel safe.
When they got to Anthony's room, Jarvis placed him on his bed and shut the door. Anthony saw that Jarvis made sure to get out the Captain America pyjamas they bought on their last shopping trip, they always comforted him and he couldn't wait to just put them on; neither one of his parents will come give him a goodnight kiss so he felt safe in wearing them.
Once changed, Jarvis tucked him in and wiped away his tears and, not for the first time, Anthony wished they could just run away from his parents and just live somewhere else; just himself and Jarvis.
"Is there anything I can do for you, sir?" Anthony nodded, "What would you like?"
"Can you start calling me Tony please? Anthony isn't a good man name." he whispered sadly.
"Of course, Master Tony," he tucked some hair behind the young boys ear, "But Anthony is your name, and you're a good man so you can make it your own without ever resembling your father." Tony smiled softly.
"Thank you Jarvis." Jarvis kissed the top of his head.
"Good night sir."
"Good night." Tony shut his eyes, his arms feeling empty without his Cap and tried to fall asleep despite the throbbing in his cheek and the sickness in his stomach.
When Tony woke up the next morning he saw his Captain toy sat at the foot of his bed. He pushed the covers off himself and crawled towards the toy, noticing that the pieces that had been snapped off were back in tack. There was also a small note which he read;
Captain America would be so proud of you, Tony, he'd believe in you.
He held both the note and the toy close to himself, he would thank Jarvis when he came into his room in a minute or so, and for the first time in a while he felt normal despite his father's words last night.