Adopted By a Billionaire

Chapter 18

"Percy, will you please let me in the living room?" Steve asked for what felt like the hundredth time. Every time he tried to walk in, the six year-old would throw pillows at him. He didn't even know they had that many on that floor. There had to be over forty or fifty. The child would throw two at a time, one with scary good accuracy and the other following short of the other by a few feet.

"No!" The child shouted and it was the answer every time the soldier asked. "I don't like you!"

Steve frowned, "But why don't you like me? I haven't done anything to you!"

"Not me! Team! You're a liar!"

That made the blonde furrow his eyebrows, "I've never lied to the team!"

"Yes! You lie by om-om..." His voice went down as he seemed to ask someone near him, "What's the word?"

"Omission."

"Thank you. You lie by om-omission!"

Steve took the chance to peek over at the six year-old because he swore that was Bucky's voice. Sure enough, the soldier was sitting next to the boy, handing him pillows that Clint dropped to them from the vents. Well, that explained how there was so many on the floor.

James caught sight of him and grabbed a pillow, throwing it at the blonde like it was a throwing star. When Steve leaned back quickly, it hit the wall with a hard smack, "Go away, Stevie. We don't want to talk to you."

"But why? I haven't done anything to you guys," Steve tried, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"You're hidin' something," James studied him, like if he focused enough he could see it, and Steve resisted squirming under his hard gaze. "We're not goin' to let you near until we know what it is. It's somethin' about Tony, I know that," He gently squeezed Percy's hand when the child grabbed his prosthetic.

For a moment, Steve seemed to pale but he denied James' claim, "No, I'm not hiding anything from To-"

"Stop lying!" Percy shrieked, tears building up in his eyes again, "I saw! I saw you and Mr. Tony and you hurt him! Because you didn't tell him and Mr. Tony fought back! You hurt him! You hurt him again and again and again!" At this point, the child was a sobbing mess, his face buried in James' chest, his small hands holding the soldier's shirt with a white-knuckled grip.

"You should go," Bucky said calmly, his eyes cold. "Now."

"R-right," Steve backpedaled out of the area fast, getting into the elevator to head to his floor.

—

"It happened again," James said as he entered Tony's room, Percy asleep in his arms. The child's face was red, his eyes puffy, and tear tracks ran down his cheeks.

"Oh, Percy," Tony put down his tablet and took the child, holding him close. He ran a hand through the six year-old's hair and smiled when he seemed to relax and snuggle close to him. "I'm so sorry, bud. I'm so sorry that you have to go through what you are. I wish you didn't have to."

"Hey, um," James shifted from foot to foot. "I'm sorry."

The billionaire looked up at him and raised his eyebrows, "What for?"

"For Steve," James ran a hand down his face. "Percy said before that he was hiding somethin' about me. I just- I'm sorry."

"Hey, no," Tony patted the bed, gesturing for the soldier to sit next to him. He continued when he did, "It's not your fault. Steve's stubborn, I know you know this. You grew up with the guy. He also has this sense of justice or whatever that none of us seem to get. Knowing Cap, he probably thinks he's doing a good thing."

"Yeah, but... I think he's trying to protect me from something..."

"Tony," Percy was looking up at the two men, a too serious look in his eyes for a six year-old.

The genius looked down at the child, "What?"

"He's-" Percy hiccuped, scrubbing his eyes before tears could form, and focused on them again, "Mr. Steve is trying to protect Jim Jam from Daddy..."

Tony inhaled sharply before looking at James, who was looking just as startled back. Steve definitely knew something, something bad. They had to find out what or the secret could potentially tear the Avengers apart...

—

"Steve, you really should tell him," Natasha said as she watched the super soldier pace on his floor.

"No," The blonde shook his head. "I can't!"

"Why not? Don't you think he deserves to know?"

"But it's not Bucky's fault!"

"James," Natasha corrected. "His name is James. It's not about who's fault it is- Tony deserves to know, Steve. Don't you think so?"

"But he doesn't have to. If- If he knows then he'll blame Bu- James when it's not his fault! Hydra did this, not him!"

"This isn't about James!" She stood up quickly from the couch, finding herself at her last nerve, "This is about Tony and his parents and the fact that the Winter Soldier murdered them! They're his parents, Steve..."

James, who had come down to talk to Steve, backpedaled quickly into the elevator that JARVIS opened quietly for him. "I-what?" He shook his head, leaning against the wall, "No, no, no, no!"

"Mr. Barnes, you must calm down. Your heart rate is worryingly high at the moment," JARVIS spoke, his voice coming through.

"But- How- JARVIS, I killed them. I killed Tony's parents."

"And it has come to my understanding and observation that you were unaware of this fact. May I advise you to calm down before taking any action?"

"Why- Why don't you hate me?" James looked up at the camera in the corner, not moving even when the elevator doors opened.

JARVIS didn't answer for a moment, "I cannot dislike an innocent man, Mr. Barnes. I also do not believe it will be helpful for you or Mr. Stark if you are as you are now. I advise that you rest for tonight and discuss what you heard with Mr. Stark tomorrow."

James didn't want to, not tomorrow. He didn't want to have to be the one to tell Tony that his parents didn't die in a car crash. He didn't want to tell Tony that they were actually murdered, and they were murdered by him. "I will," He promised because he knew he had to. "I swear I will."

"...Thank you, Mr. Barnes."