Even If I Could

Chapter One

Tony had said "no kids". And yet here they are, standing over a pale blue cot in the local adoption centre and staring at another baby. Steve is cooing quietly at it, tickling its feet.
"Peter! Come back here! And for Gods sake, put the rattle back!" Tony wails at his five year old son. He takes one look at the baby Steve is playing with and shakes his head.
"Steve, darling. Can we at least go for something...older?" Tony whines, grabbing Peter's collar and kissing Steve's cheek, slowly guiding them both away to the older kid's section.
"But I liked Amelia. Didn't you?" Steve asks with a frown. Tony sighs, his heart leaping at Steve's face.
"Yes I did, honey, but I'm just not ready for more sleepless nights, horrid whining and, frankly, no sex." Tony arches an eyebrow at Steve's blush and he smiles lop-sidedly. "Now come on." He says with a small nudge.
They spend the rest of the day going around the adoption centre; Steve cooing at basically anything in a cot, Tony bored out of his mind, and Peter playing hide'n'seek with his parents, who weren't amused. It has only just gone 5:15pm when they all pile into the silver Audi R8 and Tony breathes a sigh of relief that they didn't end up adopting today.
"Seatbelt, Peter. Please." Steve instructs kindly from the front of the car. They drive in silence; the radio softening the awkward tension between both men. Once home, Peter rushes to his room and Tony plops onto the sofa. After watching Steve potter aimlessly around for a minute, Tony sighs and rolls his eyes.
"What is the matter, Cap?" He asks with a patient smile. Steve pauses in front of Tony, gazing out of the floor-to-ceiling panoramic window. He takes a deep breath, feeling his husband's eyes on him, waiting.
"We didn't adopt today." Steve sighs, locking his eyes on the horizon.
"Really? I didn't notice. Are you sure?" Tony rolls his eyes, sarcasm strong in his tone. He heaved himself off the plush sofa to put himself a tumbler of whiskey.
"I'm being serious her, Tony." Steve says, turning to face him as he finishes pouring the burnt orange alcohol into a glass. Once done, their eyes meet.
"I know." Tony swallows a mouthful of whiskey, feeling the familiar burn. "But don't you think one's enough? Have you met Peter?" He jokes, trying to be light.
"Tony, please." Steve says flatly, which is enough to shut the smaller man up. He shakes his head and takes another breath. "What I'm trying to say is I wanted to adopt today. Before you even start, I just... I just feel like it's time, you know?" Steve casts his head down to look at the pale cream carpet. After a moment, Tony speaks.
"I know, Steve." His voice is soft and gentle. "Believe me, I could see it in your face. I understand you want another kid but I'm not someone who would just adopt if one fell on my doorstep." Tony notices Steve's eyebrow raise. "Or our doorstep. Whatever." He sighs and downs the rest of the drink in one gulp. There's silence again; Steve staring at the floor and Tony feeling increasingly guilty. It is JARVIS, the house's built in AI, that breaks their trance and makes the couple jump.
"Mr Stark?" The stereotypical British voice shatters the silence.
"Yes?" Tony and Steve both reply in unison, resulting in a small chuckle from both of them and a knowing glance at each other. This wasn't the first time it had happened.
"There is someone at the door. Or rather, sitting on the doorstep." JARVIS says politely.
"Oh God. If it's Natasha again calling about relationship advice, I swear down-" Tony groans, before feeling a strong hand on his arm. He turns to see Steve, smiling reassuringly.
"It is not Natasha, Mr Stark. It is a teenage boy, possibly fifteen years of age." JARVIS states, making both men frown.
"Why's he here?" Tony asks, not happy that a stranger chose their doorstep.
"The cause is unknown, Sir." The AI says, like it is saying the sky is blue. Steve removes his arm from Tony's and his brow creases.Tony stays where he is.
"Shall I get the door then?" Steve mutters when he sees that his husband isn't moving.
"Yeah. Yeah, sure. I'll check on Peter." Tony nods and swiftly leaves upstairs. Steve watches him go before walking to the door. He sighs, hand on the door handle, before twisting it and allowing the deep mahogany door to swing open.
There, hunched on the doorstep, is a small and skinny figure of a teenage boy. Clad in black jeans and a dark green hoodie with the hood up, the boy made no attempt to move when Steve sat next to him. His skin is unnaturally pale and the hood casts a shadow over his face. Feeling slightly awkward, Steve clears his throat.
"Um, hi there." Steve says casually, pausing for a response but not receiving any. "What are you doing out here?" The boy glances hesitantly at Steve before biting his lip.
"I don't know." He mutters, tugging at his hood. Steve notes the bitten fingernails. He sighs and smiles kindly at the stranger.
"Well...what's your name?" He asks politely. That is always an easy question, right?
"I don't know." Came the response. Steve frowns, looking at the boy next to him.
"C'mon." Steve smiles, trying to be reassuring like Tony. "You must know your name. Or at least how old you are." The boy shakes his head. "Not even where you're from?" Steve suggests.
"Don't you get it?" The teen stands suddenly. His hood falls back, revealing long, raven locks, tear stained cheeks and piercing green eyes that bore into Steve.
"I. Don't. Know." He speaks the words individually, like talking to an idiot. "I don't know why I'm sitting on your doorstep. I don't know who I am. My name, my age, my home. I don't remember them. Fuck, I don't even know where I am!" Another round of tears threatens to make an appearance.
Steve stands and slowly extends his arms to the boy; a friendly gesture. Unsure, he wraps him in a warm hug, feeling him start to sob quietly into his chest.
"Steve?" They both hear Tony call his husband from inside. Steve pulls back, smiling at the teen, who is frantically wiping away tears.
"You hungry?" He asks, getting a quick nod in response. "That's good then, because you're just in time for tea." Steve leads him into the house, shutting the door, and then meeting the shocked and stern glare of Tony.
"Steve. No."