Chapter Text
(July 25th is my birthday so I'm giving you this the day before! ~Christopher)
Tony and Bruce knew who the Avengers were. Every child in the orphanage did. Nobody expected them to come to this specific orphanage where they were. The Avengers wanted to adopt a child but Tony and Bruce doubted it would be them. Both boys came from abusive homes and had frequent nightmares. Anybody who wanted one had to take the other. Both of them had already been returned multiple times after the adults found they were too difficult for them to care for.
Bruce and Tony sat in the corner, holding hands, and watching the Avengers hang out with children individually, in pairs, and in groups. It seemed that they were going to leave until the red head, which they identified as Black Widow, pointed them out.
Tony was the unwanted secret child of Howard Stark, the man who owned Stark Industries. Howard was friends with the Avengers, since he supplied them weapons and other such items. When the abuse had been discovered, they agreed to let the man go as long as he gave Tony up. Bruce was the son of Brian Banner, a man who murdered his own wife for trying to protect her child. The man was now in prison for a long time.
Both boys had come to the orphanage at the same time, were around the same age, and were child geniuses. They had bonded as soon as they met each other, preferring to stay away from the rest of the kids. They refused to be adopted if both of them weren't going. The headmaster was kind and understood why they wanted it that way. The headmaster, Mr. Finch, had experience with traumatized and abused children and he had a talent for knowing who could handle high maintenance kids like them.
The Avengers came up to them calmly and sat down in front of them.
"Hi there. What are your names?" Hawkeye asked.
"Bruce." Bruce said quietly.
"Tony." Tony whispered.
"Do you guys want to get adopted?" Captain America asked. Hawkeye face palmed and Black Widow rolled her eyes. Both boys scoffed at the same time.
"Of course we do!" Tony said, narrowing his eyes.
"Nobody wants us. We keep being returned." Bruce said, looking sad.
"And nobody wants both of us. We go together or not at all." Tony growled, raising their held hands. The Winter Soldier, Ant Man, and Falcon started laughing, trying to hide it but failing horribly.
Black Widow was smiling, as well as Hawkeye. The all looked at each other, Steve looking embarrassed.
"We'll be right back." Black Widow said. Tony and Bruce watched them leave, wondering what they were doing.
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"Did you find your child?" Mr. Finch asked as the Avengers came into his office.
"We found our children. We want Bruce and Tony." Black Widow answered. They all noticed Mr. Finch's worried expression.
"Well... They may not be the best option. They're high maintenance and require lots of attention. They've also bonded so they don't do well when they're apart in any way, shape, or form."
"Why is that?" Ant Man asked.
"They both come from abusive homes. Tony had to deal with it much longer than Bruce and a little bit worse. They have very bad nightmares often, and it's easier for them to sleep together. Also, Tony is afraid of small spaces. I was informed he was often locked in closets or other small places for long periods of time with no light or sound. They both hate being alone.
"Can we see their files?" Black widow asked, wanting to be informed.
"Oh... Bruce's you can see but due to a non-disclosure agreement I don't even have a file for Tony. His father is a celebrity of sorts, and instead of going to prison or something, they gave him a deal. If he gave Tony up, nobody would be allowed to say anything. Nobody knew he existed until someone accidentally found Tony and reported it."
"Do you know his last name?" Captain America asked. Mr. Finch shook his head.
"No, but I do know he's very lucky to get away from that monster. Any longer and he could have died." The Avengers looked at each other and shared a single nod.
"We want them." The Winter Soldier said. The headmaster looked shocked and then smiled.
"Well, I do believe you'll take good care of them." Mr. Finch handed Black Widow Bruce's files and gave the Avengers the two boys' adoption papers.
After everything was signed, the headmaster went to get Bruce and Tony.
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Tony and Bruce were in their room, playing patty cake, no longer concerned about the Avengers until the headmaster came in, smiling.
"Mr. Finch?" Both boys were confused.
"You boys should start packing. The Avengers want both of you, so hurry now." Tony and Bruce did as they were told, not fully believing that the Avengers were going to keep them.
On the way to Avenger's Tower, Tony started getting nervous. The Stark boy squeezed Bruce's hand, whom cuddled closer, understanding his feelings. Tony had told Bruce about his father and how he was friends with the Avengers and provided everything for them when they first met. The boy was afraid of what would happen if Howard saw him in the tower.
Hopefully, the man would never see him. It would be quite the shit storm if Howard caught Tony with the team he cared for. It would be just his luck.
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