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Tony just thought that the knocking on the window was the tree with the wind. The groundskeeper, bless him, always forgot to trim the giant oak tree outside his window. Tony wasn’t complaining, it made midnight getaways that much easier.
But the knocking just kept going.
Finally, looking up from his latest sketches, Tony noticed Steve outside in the tree. He rushed over, throwing the window open and ushering the blonde inside.
“Steve? Are you-” his questioning stopped short at the black eye that was rapidly expanding on the right side of Steve’s face.
Steve’s breath hitched and he pitched forward into Tony’s arms, shuddering in an attempt to hold in his sobs. Tony knew he should go get some ice or pork steak or something for Steve’s eye, but leaving at this precise moment seemed like a supremely bad idea.
“I’m here, darling. Just me, you’re okay now.” Tony was murmuring, pressing kisses to the side of his boyfriend’s head for comfort. He could feel Steve’s shuddery breaths, but all he could do was hold on, hoping and praying to anyone who would listen that he’d be enough.
It was several minutes before Steve broke down, sobbing on Tony’s shoulder. Great, gaspy, shuddering sobs that seemed to come from the very center of his being. The brunette walked the two of them back over to the bed, maneuvering them both onto their sides so that Steve’s head was tucked underneath Tony’s chin.
“Just let it all out, honey. I’m here. We can talk when you’re ready. You’re safe. It’s okay.”
Tony knew that Steve’s homelife wasn’t great. Despite being the captain of the lacrosse team and the best artist in school, Steve’s life wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine. His mother worked all the time because his father was a deadbeat drunk who beat Steve more often than not. It had only gotten worse after Steve came out to his parents. His mom loved him the same, but his dad had been a completely different story. Steve had ended up in the ER that night with a broken arm. Tony did his best, but sometimes it just felt like he’d never be enough.
“I don’t t-think I can d-do this anym-more.”
Tony forgot about this ice in his heart for a moment because his automatic thought with that statement was that Steve wanted to break up. Jumping to conclusions never worked out well, so instead, Tony asked, “What was it this time?”
Sniffling, Steve scooted back so that his forehead rested against Tony’s. “I asked if I could go on the museum field trip next week. We were eating d-dinner before Mom left for her shift. She said yes a-and he got up.
“I-I couldn’t let him hurt her over me, T-tony. I just couldn’t.” Steve let his head slide down to Tony’s chest, quietly crying.
“Hey, look at me, sweetheart. Steve? Please look at me?”
Steve rolled back just enough to look Tony in the eye. “This is not your fault. You had no control over his actions, only your own. This was not your fault. Please believe me, Steve. You and your mom are the victims in this situation. Understand me?”
The blonde nodded, so Tony continued. “Is your mom working all night? Just your dad back at the apartment until later tomorrow?”
Steve had moved so that he was cuddled closer to Tony, but the genius felt the artist nod.
“Then you’re gonna stay with me tonight, alright? Mom and dad are out of town for some convention; it’s just me and the Jarvises here. You’ll be safe tonight, honey.”
….
It was a while before Steve spoke again and even then, only in a whisper.
“How much longer until we graduate?”
Tony kissed Steve’s forehead, “Just about a month, darling. And then you can move out, I promise.
“We’ll go to college, you at BU and me at MIT, huh? Stay close, hope our roommates will let us have the room every few weekends? If not, there’s all kinds of cute hotels or bed and breakfasts around. We’ll be far away, Steve. He’ll never be able to touch you again. You’ll be safe in Boston.”
“And just leave my mom?” Steve’s aquamarine eyes were quickly welling with tears. What kind of son would he be, just leaving his mom all alone with his dad?
“Would she even survive without me, Tony? I’ve never left because I’m not sure what he’d do to her. It’s bad enough when I’m there, what happens when I leave? It just gets so bad that one day she doesn’t get up again? Tony, I can’t just leave my mom. I can’t!” The blonde was practically hysterical at this point.
Tony grabbed Steve’s hand, planting it right in the middle of his chest. “Steve, I need you to breathe with me. In and out. There you go! In and out. In and out.” They did this for the next few minutes. The last thing they needed tonight was Steve passing out from a lack of oxygen.
Once his breathing was under control, Steve pushed his head under Tony’s chin again, hiding. “I can’t just leave her here on her own. She’s my ma! But realistically, I know I can’t stay here either.
“I wish she’d just leave him, but I know now that she’s never going to do that. I think he’s threatened her before, so she’s never tried to leave because she knows he’s crazy enough to actually follow through on his threats. But if I leave and something happens to her, is that my fault? For leaving when I could have done something?”
“No, Steve. That would never be your fault. Your ma is an adult and if she decides to stay with that piece of shit, then that’s her choice. You’ve done your best to convince her otherwise, sweetheart. Now it’s up to her.” Tony rubbed circles onto Steve’s back, both because it calmed him down but was also soothing to Steve.
The blonde sighed and then whispered, “How am I ever going to do this?”
“We’ll do it together, babe. Just like we do everything else. Together.”