Steve spent the rest of the day happier than he had ever been.
When the final bell rang Steve felt like walking on a cloud to his old truck but right after he left the hallways a low snarky voice said from behind,
"You ready?" Steve would recognize that voice even if he was deaf.
"What? Now?" he asked turning back to him and Tony shrugged.
"Why not?"
"Well, I need to get dressed and everything" Steve tried to explain but Tony laughed.
"Why? Is not like it's the first time you go to my house let alone meet my parents. Besides," Tony put an arm over Steve's shoulder and walked to the parking lot with him "I'm not your boyfriend, there's no need to impress, you should save that for the other guy" his words were filled with mockery, the good kind though. Steve lowered his head.
"Right, the other guy" he repeated in a low whisper.
"Yeah, the one we still need to talk about"
"Tony-
"Hey, no, you're talking about him, you're talking about him how you talked for hours about Peggy, I don't care"
"Yeah but-
"It doesn't matter if it's a dude, I swear-
"It's not that" Steve said and Tony fell quiet.
"Then what is it?" he asked after a while.
'It's you'
"I shouldn't be thinking about him, at all" Steve said closing his eyes and opening them after a minute to find Tony staring at him deeply. Tony looked away.
"Oh" Tony pressed his lips together making a thoughtful face, like if he wasn't sure he screwed up or not. "Why?"
"He's with someone and- it'll never work" Steve shrugged helpless.
"Well, have you tell him how you feel?" Tony asked slowly. Steve swallowed.
"No" he said low and low and not really looking at Tony.
"Then how do you know that someone is just a cover up" Tony said -more like asking- with a shrug "it's a girl isn't it? You think he's fully straight and that's why you haven't told him?"
"No, no- I- he's bi, I'm aware of it"
"Oh" Tony said and kept his mouth like he was going to say something but no words came out of his mouth "ok, I still don't get why you don't say anything-
"It's complicated-
"Then simplify it-
"I can't" he snapped, Tony was pushing him just like Peggy was and the fact that it was Tony was unbearable. He wasn't ready. He was afraid. Too afraid.
"Steve- it's okay, just- don't cry" and Tony was touching him, he was wiping the tears away from his cheeks and he was so close. Why was he crying? Since when was he so sentiment?
"Sorry- I don't know what happens with me- I'm stressed"
"That or you're turning into a first class woman" Steve sent him a death stare and saw Tony's bright white teeth.
"I can't leave my truck here"
"Fine, I'll pick you up at 5" and Steve really fought the urge to kiss him goodbye.
-o-
"I'm home" Tony yelled entering the lonely mansion.
"Good evening, young Tony" the artificial AI sounded across the whole place.
"Anyone home, JARVIS?" Tony asked losing his sunglasses leaving them at the table.
"Your mother is out with her lecture club" meaning gossip, Tony thought "and Master Stark is in his office"
"Drinking, I bet" Tony said going upstairs.
"Tony" it was his dad's voice, sober-ish. Tony sighed and went downstairs again.
"What?" he asked opening his door.
"I just spoke with Director Fury" he said looking at the window, Tony facing the back of the big chair in front of his dad's expensive desk.
"What are you getting him now?"
"Did you know that Fury rejects my every single offers?" Howard was hoarse, Tony wasn't sure if he was mad or just annoyed because he had to deal with Tony's school stuff.
"Fool" Tony said serious, joking with his dad always seemed hypocrite of him, too hypocrite.
"Did you know that he calls me every single school day between morning and afternoon?"
"Creeper" Tony was looking around now. Papers on the floor, a couple of empty bottles of bourbon.
"Did you know," Howard turned back to look at him, sitting still, very God Father-ish to Tony's taste "that he no longer wants you in his high school until you and I go to therapy?" "Can he actually do that-
"That's beyond the point" Howard interrupted Tony's desperate tries of changing the subject. "What do you tell people about us?" he asked and Tony hold the loud laugh filled with hypocrisy.
"Nothing. I actually avoid talking about you" Tony said and shrugged.
"And why is that? Most people would brag about having Howard Stark for father" and that's when Tony couldn't hold it. He burst into laughter and didn't even bother to hide it.
"Good one. Thanks for the joke, I'll leave now," Tony said walking to the door again.
"I wasn't finished" Tony heard the click of the door's lock and looked back at his father "please Tony, sit" Howard said with a serious face and Tony gave him his 25k smile -hypocrite as it might be-
"I much rather not, thank you"
"Why are you pissing Fury off so much?"
"Ahm- I don't really think that's your business-
"I'm your father!" Howard snapped and Tony was seriously annoyed now.
"Not in practice!" Tony yelled back "I may have your last name and your biological code running through my body but don't think for a second that just because you decided to marry the girl you knocked up and take financial care of both of us that makes you a father" Tony's voice went quieter and quieter and Howard just stared back at him with an unreadable look, Tony cursed in his head because -boy, he hated to talk to his father, under whatever topic; he just hated to be around the man-
"Is that how you feel?" was all he said after a long pause.
"Oh, fuck you" Tony turned back and faced the door "let me out" he demanded without facing his father.
"Tony, we're having this conversation whether you li-
"JARVIS, override code 1-1-3-4-beta-6-5-4-1-1, JARVIS open the door" and the door opened "override code 1-1-4-5-6-beta-4-3-1-1" and he shut the door behind him hard, holding the tears of anger in, like he always did. Tony went to his bedroom and fell asleep because he needed to leave the world for a minute.
-o-
For minute turned out to be shorter than he expected, since next thing he remembered was someone knocking his door.
"Tony?" it was the sweet voice of his mother.
"I'm trying to sleep" he said honestly.
"I just wanted to check how you were" she said through the door.
"I'm fine" a bit annoyed maybe, so annoyed he wanted to kill someone maybe, but still fine. There was a long silence but Tony knew better, "you're still in there aren't you?"
"I just wanna talk, honey" she said and Tony could bet she had a grin on her face. Like she would listen, all she wanted was to play good-mother for a matter of 5 minutes until she actually gets bored.
"Did you talk to him?"
"Tony-
"Goodbye, mom" Tony took the covers over his head and shoot his eyes close.
-o-
Close until 4:56pm to be exact.
"And then I asked her not to tell anyone" Steve said entering Tony's room with Tony on his back.
"I knew you told her first just because of that" Tony replied locking the door behind him.
"Well, it wasn't just that..." Steve said slowly looking at his hands, he was sitting quietly in his bed.
Tony set next to him and gave him a worried look, "what is it?" Tony asked.
"Is just- the guy- uhm- the guy I like- I don't think he likes me back..." Tony clicked his tongue.
"Well, if he doesn't, it's his loss" Tony shrugged and he knew it was bad to feel good because Steve's possible relationship wasn't going to work, but that's honestly all he felt "who's the guy, anyway?"
Steve took a slow moment to move to that, like he was analyzing his answer, or maybe lost in somewhere, Tony almost clicked his fingers in front of him to catch back his attention.
But Steve moved, "it's you" he said staring at him. And Tony didn't even had a moment to understand what was happening before Steve was all over him. Clumsy hands moving from his face to his chest and Tony hold his grin, processing everything together before mouth-openly reply. That surprised Steve because for a moment he stopped moving and just froze, Tony took that moment to catch a breath and slightly bit Steve's lower lip. "I'm so-
"Shhh" Tony shushed him and grabbed him by the neck slowly pulling him closer and taking his sweet time to put their lips together. Too many times Tony had waited for this very moment, so yes, he was going to enjoy every piece of it.
Steve's mouth welcomed his own like he belonged there since ever. Tony imagined Steve waited for this as much as he did, but the single thought made him a little mad so he shook it.
It wasn't long before Tony had his mouth spread in Steve's really comfortable neck and the sounds coming from Steve's mouth were just... priceless.
"Tony" he groaned and Tony left a mark in his neck. "Tony" he said again and Tony went back to his mouth and took it fast and harsh
"Tony" long arms shook him and Tony opened his eyes widely.
"What?" Tony screamed, his heart racing because -of course it was a dream-. Steve set and smiled. Tony stared at him for a long moment and Steve raised his eyebrows waiting for something to come from Tony "oh my god, dinner!" and he remembered, Steve nodded.
"I drove here, I figured it was better if I brought my car since I have to drive myself home too, and since you never came..." he explained.
"Yeah, I- sorry it was just-
"Yeah, your mom told me" Steve said looking down and then at him quickly, Tony looked at the window, the sky was orange-pink "wanna talk about it?"
"No" Tony said, still looking at the window. And that's how easy it was really. Steve understood. Steve cared for him but he knew talking wasn't Tony's deal, so he wasn't going to push him into doing so. He was just going to stand there and wait for Tony to be ready to talk or to cry or to yell, whatever, Steve would always be there.
"What were you dreaming?" Steve asked suddenly and Tony quickly looked at him.
"Why?" he asked fast.
"Well, you said my name..." -Crap, yeah, definitely don't wanna talk about that either-
"Ahmm- I don't remember" Tony shook it getting out of bed. It was when Steve's eyes widen that Tony realized he was full hard on his pants. He looked down and Steve looked away "I'm going to- uhm- the bathroom" he said.
"Yeah, you-uhm do that" Steve said awkwardly as well.
-o-
"So you're not staying here tonight?" Tony said when he got out of the bathroom. Showered and clean. Steve was just where he left him "your room is still intact" Steve frowned smiling.
"Really?"
"You're kidding? You're Howard's favorite kid" Steve looked at him between serious and sorry, Tony just shrugged "I mean it, we call it the guest room but no one has really slept in it since you"
"yeah, well, I don't know, I don't wanna perturb" Steve tried to explain but Tony waved a hand at him.
"What about this," Tony said sitting in the edge of the bed, next to Steve "you come live here, and I'll go to your apartment" Steve laughed.
"I don't think you can manage to live like me for a day, you spoiled Ricky Rich" Steve joked.
"Fine, I'll go live with you, you work and I stay home with the kids" Tony joked back but Steve smiled like a kid on Christmas. Tony's stomach twitched "hey, we have something to discuss"
"What's that?" Steve asked lost in his head.
"Uhm- your prince charming- or is he the damsel in distress?" Steve shook his head, frowning.
"I wouldn't call us that"
"Then what would you call you?"
"Nothing- I think"
"You're still uncomfortable with it?" Tony had to ask, because if that was an issue, it was the most important issue.
Steve shook his head and then let out a long breath, "no, it's- it's fine, it's whatever, love is love" Steve said quickly, nervously, and his words hit Tony in the butt, metaphorically.
"You- you love him?"
Steve took a slow moment and Tony fought the urge to smile at Steve's impossible affair with a guy Tony had really started to hate unconsciously.
But Steve took a deep breath before Tony could start dreaming, "I do" he whispered, looking at his hands.
"Well, then- fight for it, is that the regular protocol?" Tony asked getting up and looking for the tiny nano-ball that was never boring. "You really think that's what I should do?" Steve asked emotive. And Tony hated what he was going to do,
"Me? Well, I don't know- you said it was impossible right?"
"Yeah, he- uhm- he has a girlfriend" Tony bit his bottom lip and turned back to Steve.
"Then I think you should forget about him- I mean, you're not the kind of guy that just breaks a relationship, are you?" Tony didn't let Steve reply "it's sick-love, you're only gonna get hurt and I'd really hate to have to kill someone at this young age" Steve tried to laugh but his face was more like if Tony just told him he kicked a puppy "hey-hey" Tony said calling Steve's attention sitting again "it's fine, I know it's hard, but it's for the greater good, maybe- you know- you're not meant to be and all that crap" and it was selfish. Oh it was so selfish because he had Pepper. And he should let Steve live his life. But he was selfish like that.
"I guess"
"There are more fish in the sea" Tony tried to say with a smile but Steve looked so miserable, it was physically impossible for him to smile "you'll be fine, you have me"
"Yeah" but Steve knew he didn't, not like he wanted and friendship just wasn't enough.
'It is for the greater good' echoed in Steve's head.
Sneak-Peek for the next episode:
"You're doing it again" he complained.
"I'm sorry" he replied dyly.
-o-
"I screwed up" he said taking a sip from his bottle. He set next to him.
"Yeah, I just talked to Pepper..."
"What? I wasn't talking about Pepper-
"Well, you screwed up with her, too. She said she thinks you're in love with someone else"
-o-
"I have a couch you can crash into" the guy frowned in reply.
"You'll invite to your house a total stranger?" he asked.
"You don't seem harmful to me..."
"Now, I think you're a serial killer"
"Is that a yes or a no?"
"A maybe"
ok, so this one didn't took me much longer. (yay?)
and yeah, i know the built-up part is boring but I'll get there, promise.
also, two important characters are to come, get excited.
and tell me your thoughts, who do you think these two are? (tho i think I really gave it away, already)