"I want to adopt a kid." The billionaire playboy froze on the spot, his hand hung mid air in front of the holographic screen he was typing on.
"I'm sorry, did you just say what I think you just said? You're not by any chance talking about the kid from the Oscorp lab we saved last week right?" Tony asked, a small shocked look on his face, unsure of whether he should trust his ears.
"Yes, that kid. And you're not going to stop me, Tony." Steve had his arms crossed over his chest, daring the engineer to oppose his decision.
Tony sighed as he swiped the hologram away. He was covered head to toe in grease stains and probably hadn't showered for days. "Steve. You know that if the kid lives with us here, he'll always be a constant target with us being superheroes right? Your decision effects ALL of us. Think about it."
Steve hung his hands down by his sides. "I know. And I'll be the one who will take full responsibility over him. I'll sign the papers as his legal guardian and make sure that he won't have an abusive household to live in. I know it's only fair that he gets a normal life considering everything he's been through."
Tony now stood to face the super soldier, his shoulder a little tense as he pinched the bridge of his nose to avoid an incoming headache, taking a deep breath. "Steve, the decision you're making is a selfish one. Did you even talk to Bruce or Natasha about this? Did you even think about asking them about how they thought about your decision to adopt a kid? Also, I doubt Bruce will want be anywhere near the kid considering he's self cautious when it comes to accidentally hurting innocent bystanders. And what would the kid gain from us anyway? We're hardly equipped to take care of a kid. Hell, we can barely take care of ourselves for that matter. And to top it all off, we're hardly normal. More than half of us suffer from PTSD. Do I even really need to list you a whole other bunch of reasons as to why you need to reconsider these irrational actions of yours?"
"I know. That's why I'm asking your permission first." Steve said which confused Tony.
"But why me of all people?" He glanced at him curiously. Of all the Avengers in the tower, Tony would have thought he'd be the last to be consulted with, especially for such a delicate matter like this.
Steve sighed and stared at Tony once more. "Tony, you're a shut-in. I know for a fact that Bruce and Natasha were somewhat good with kids in the past based on the files SHIELD had given me. But I hardly know anything about you. You'll barely talk to us unless when it's for a mission, let alone to a child. At least I'll have some reassurance that you'll be somewhat comfortable with him being around here."
Tony turned angrily at Steve, anger in his voice as he spoke his next words.
"You want to know why I'm not a sociable guy? I grew up without a father, Steve. I don't even have the slightest clue of what a good father or a healthy household even looks like. I graduated from MIT when I was just fifteen and was already building my very first Iron Man prototype by the time I was sixteen. Nothing I had done could please that man.
"He barely even acknowledged the fact that I had graduated from college at fifteen. Fifteen! How many kids do you know can do that? I bet he doesn't even know how I look like to be honest. So, I just gave up.
"I don't think about family because I never saw the benefits of having one. All I could gather was that to have a family meant you had to carry a burden you may or may not want to even shoulder yourself in the near future.
"Then, I became Iron Man and was part of the Avengers. I thought I had matured by then, that I was finally doing something right with my life. But no matter how many times I told myself that, I just couldn't convince myself enough to actually believe it."
