Okay. So. I had to redo this entire part bcuz Wattpad deleted it and I really don't fucking care so this chapter will be shit.

Tony couldn't believe it.

Years ago, he thought he wouldn't have made it this far.

He ought he was going to die of drugs, or his alcoholic tendencies.

But now he was sitting there. With fifty-four candles on a magnificent cake. Smiling at his loved ones, his friends. People he had even called enemies at one point.

People have asked what the man who had everything wished for.

When he blew out the candles, he himself didn't know. Until he looked back at his family. And realized, he wanted this. He wanted to be bathed in soft candlelight with his friends and family. Eating and laughing, joking around.

That's what the man who has everything wished for.

He started tearing up. Thinking about what would have happened to him if he hadn't met these people.

"Aw, is the genius billionaire philanthropist crying?!" Clint mocked.

" Man Of Iron, what is upsetting you?"

"Dad, what's wrong?"

"Be careful Ironman! Tears rust metal!"

He cleared his throat to silence them, looked into the beautiful blue eyes of his lover, and said something the family didn't think they'd hear out of his mouth.

"I love you guys. I love you 3000."

*le time skip brought to you by this pic.*

Tony rolled over in his bed. He stared at the fluffy blonde mass that was Steves hair, and sighed.

He had loved his birthday celebration, but he couldn't help think about his other family. The one that's was removed from his life.

*back in the day*

Tony wasn't the toughest kid, the strongest, but his dad wasn't understanding. He never understood. He wanted his son to be like Captain America. Fearless, and brave, strong. All the things he thought men should be. All the things his son wasn't.

Tony had mistakenly told Howard that he liked guys and girls. Howard took that as kind of a personal insult. His judgement was already screwed ftom drinking, but this was something he would've not been calm about when he was sober.

After that day, Tony knew what pain was.

Howard would beat messages into him. Be smarter. Be stronger. Be taller. Be perfect.

"You don't like guys. Only girls."

"You don't think you're bisexual."

"I'm going to disown you."

"Trash."

"Failure"

If Tony got anything less than a 99% on his report card, it was a beating.

If the teacher said he was having a behavioral issue, it wa a beating.

He would get bullied at school on top of it all. On top of all the shit in his life, kids would think it was funny to mess with the 'rich boy'.

Until his savior came.

His name was Lee, he was Tony's first friend, he helped him when he was being bullied, they'd hang out. Walk around, get icecream. Sometimes Tony and him would help eachother with homework.

Unfortunately, Tony started developing feelings for him.

A/ N I'm so sorry this chapter is shit because I had to rewrite it and rewrites are never as good.

Tony and Lee found themselves walking together. They didn't pay attention to where they were going.

When Tony saw the street name, he panicked.

His house was across the road, he left the house because shit happened At Howard's work, and when that happened. Howard got very drunk. And very angry.

He tried to move Lee along. But found he couldn't move. He was paralyzed with fear.

Howard was staring directly into his eyes.

He tried to run.

He tried to get Lee away.

But that's all he remembered.

White lights.

People in nurse and doctor outfits.

Tony felt an IV in his arm. 

The nurse told him that his father had attacked him and Lee with a bottle. A neighbor called the police, Tony had lost a lot of blood, he had to have a transfusion. Lee was perfectly fine, but shaken up.

Tony knew that Lee would never speak to him again.

Howard probably told him that he was bisexual.

That he was a failure.

That he was nothing.