Fondue & University

"The all powerful Tony Stark and his sexy Captain aren't here. Leave a message with Jarvis and we'll get back to you after fondue--" (Tony) "Tony! Stop it! I apologize, just ignore him, please..." (Steve) ON HIATUS| First Year | Second Year | Third Year |...

[stonyversity]

Hiatus Announcement

Hey guys, as you've noticed, we haven't exactly been active. 

Life is getting in the way of writing and we both feel that we need a break from writing Stonyversity on a regular basis. This is a temporary thing, don't worry, we are still continuing this AU. But for now, if we do update it will probably be at random intervals.

Feel free to contact us on our personal tumblrs whenever you want and if you have any questions do not hesitate to ask :D

~Arra and Serenity

[stonyversity]

The First of Many Feasts

First Year. September 2009:

“…and I very nearly sliced the poor maid’s arm off! Mother was furious when she discovered the mischief I had gotten myself into. She almost forbade me from fencing completely until Father convinced her otherwise and the lessons were merely withheld for a short period. I shall never forget that woman’s screams.” Thor shook his head at the memory and chuckled.

Steve stared in near disbelief at Thor and laughed along with him. “I can’t believe you actually did that, I mean, how even…?”

“The cinema, dear Steven, is on what I place the blame. I was always an admirer of the fierce and fearless swordsmen depicted on television and I wished to replicate their skills. What a foolish child I was!” He smiled and then shoveled a huge forkful of food into his mouth.

Steve was learning that he was not only amazed by the stories Thor spun about his far-off homeland and family life, but also by the man’s enormous appetite. Steve was by no means a light eater, but he was on his second plate while Thor was on his fourth, each one seemingly piled higher than the last.

He certainly wasn’t kidding when he said he was starving, Steve thought.

“You will have to be introduced to my brother in the near future,” Thor said through a mouthful of food, “He can appear slightly aloof and distant, but he is a good man.”

Steve smiled. “I am sure he is.” At that moment Steve’s phone went off. He apologized to Thor and opened it to see a text waiting for him.

‘Just wanted to say that I hope your first classes are going well! Don’t scare too many other frosh you big lug, and for god’s sake speak up and make some friends down there :P Are you free to call tonight? Love you.’

Steve smiled affectionately at the teasing words and quickly sent off a reply before turning back to Thor.

“Sorry about that, it was my girlfriend.”

Thor raised an eyebrow and smirked. “You did not mention a lady friend, Steven. Is she as fair and beautiful as your amorous expression implies?”

Steve blushed slightly and tried to change whatever ‘amorous expression’ he was showing, though he wasn’t sure how successful he was in that as he continued to smile as he thought of her: her wavy brown hair that sits atop her shoulders and frames her face, those fierce brown eyes that go soft whenever he makes her laugh, her perfect red lips that contrast starkly with her fair skin.

“Yeah, yeah she is,” Steve murmured, still smiling.

“And what is her name?” Thor pressed and waggled his eyebrows a bit, clearly enjoying this conversation.

“Margaret, though she prefers Peggy.”

“And is this ‘Peggy’ a gentle and soft-spoken maid? I can see you finding that type to be your liking.”

Steve sucked in a breath as he remembered all of the times Peggy had shown just how soft-spoken she was when they and their friends would go out, or how gentle she was when she straightened out a few undisciplined new recruits…he winced especially when he thought of the time before they were dating when she caught him kissing another woman. “Not exactly, but if you meet her you can ask her that and I’m sure she’ll demonstrate.”

Thor looked slightly confused by Steve’s words, but did not question it. “So where is she now? Your lady?”

“She is still serving in the military and working on a bunch of different programs with them.”

Thor nodded, turning his answer over in his head and chewing on his roll before speaking. “You mentioned that you had also served time in your country’s army.”

Steve nodded once, not liking where the conversation was turning. “Yes, I did. That’s how we met; I was assigned to work with her on a couple of special projects and missions.”

“You never revealed why it is you left, and I do not understand especially since it must have been good having Lady Peggy alongside you.”

“Well…” This was a topic Steve always tried to avoid, but he did not like outright lying whenever the frequent question of ‘What did you do before coming here?’ popped up. He really needed to not only come up with a short and solid answer he could just throw at anyone, he thought, but also needed to train himself to be able master the art of saying it quickly and changing the topic.

“There were some things that happened and I discovered that the military wasn’t what I really wanted to do.” He sighed and hoped that Thor would find that answer to his satisfaction.

The other blond man had seemed to sense Steve’s discomfort and had taken on a serious tone. “There are many tales of glory that have come from the battlefield,” he said solemnly, “but there are those that are not so celebrated and some that are not to be shared.” He paused and looked Steve in the eye. “I understand, my friend; you need not speak of it any more than you wish.”

Steve smiled gratefully. “Thanks.”

Thor returned the smile and then looked up suddenly at the people moving about him. Steve looked around too and noticed that many of the students were cleaning up and on their way out and to their classes.

Steve frowned in surprise. “Is it really time for the next class already? I didn’t think it had been that long…”

He glanced down at his watch and his eyes widened as he saw the time.

“We’ve been here for two hours!” He exclaimed. “I have another class in five minutes…ugh I’m going to be late if I don’t go.” He stood and started to gather his things.

Thor copied his actions. “Yes, we would not want you to find yourself in the wrong classroom again.”

Steve shot him an annoyed glance and Thor just laughed so Steve couldn’t help but grin along with him.

“Hey, um, do you want to meet up for lunch like this again? After we get out of our morning classes?” Steve asked, dishes in both hands.

Thor expertly balanced all of his plates and cups on one hand and slapped Steve on the back with another.

“Steven,” he smiled, “I would find that most enjoyable.”

(previous  Student Orientation  next)

[stonyversity]

Welcome Home, Sir

Sequel to Don't Waste It

First Year. March 2010:

Tony stopped outside his dorm room, startled to a stand still. It's familiarity felt foreign to him. For six whole months he had seen that door every day. One Christmas vacation and a three month holiday in a cave changed all that.

He flipped the keys over in his hand, having already used them on the front door to his dorm building. He said goodbye to all his friends but Bruce in the quad. Told them he wanted to be alone for a little while, settle in for the night. No one argued and he kissed Pepper on the cheek before heading to the large building next to the mealhall that he'd come to call home. He and Bruce split up in the stairwell, Bruce heading up to second floor while Tony ventured to the basement.

Tony was actually surprised to find that tiny bit of social interaction, with people who cared about him and greeted him with open arms and wide smiles contrasting their sad eyes, to be incredibly overwhelming. He was exhausted from smiling back at them, from pretending that everything was okay when...

“Welcome back, sir!” The British voice boomed over the speaker system Tony had installed before the break. He had forgotten that JARVIS was now completely operational, for the limitations of a dorm room. He also did not expect to see his first robot, DUM-E, stationed in the center of his room with a paper hat formed out of printer paper with scribbled, almost unintelligible words written on it.

“Happy birthday.”

Tony froze. His eyes fixed on the paper hat and the birthday themed music that JARVIS was now playing over the speaker. His mouth was open, lips trembling but no words would come out, not that his mind had provided him with any to speak.

DUM-E whirred, as if prompting Tony to speak but all he could do was step forward and let the door swing closed behind him, locking automatically thanks to JARVIS.

“It's late, sir. As your date of birth is on the third of March. But in your absence we have-”

“JARVIS.” Tony interrupted the A.I., voice strained.

“Yes, sir?”

With a sharp inhale, Tony fought the rising feelings in his stomach, but when he spoke he could only choke out a quiet sob.

He'd forgotten. His birthday. It had passed while he was in the cave, planning his escape with Yinsen by his side. He was nineteen years old now.

Tony pursed his lips together. Everyone always talked about Tony's age. How bright he was, how talented he was, how arrogant he was for someone so young. So very young. And for the first time in his life. He felt it. He felt how truly young he was.

“Sir?” JARVIS's concerned and slightly robotic voice asked over the coms but Tony simply sniffed back his tears, shaking his head.

He had managed to survive. Another year was under his belt and he could have lost it, easily. Without the help of Yinsen... who wouldn't have another birthday again... he would have died. Alone and forgotten in a cave. At the age of nineteen. Possibly even eighteen if he hadn't managed to bluff for three whole months.

And his robots, two objects he'd spent a considerable amount of time working on, remembered his birthday when he hadn't. True, JARVIS was programmed for such matters, but that didn't change how it felt. It was weeks past, overlooked and unimportant by this point, but his robots wanted to celebrate his birth as if it was something that couldn't be pushed under the rug with everything else that had taken precedent.

Tony pressed the back of his hand to his mouth, attempting to stop the sobs that refused to be held inside any longer. For three whole months he'd been strong. He'd put on a steely disposition and didn't let anything penetrate the barrier. It was broken now.

He sank to the floor with his back against the door. Hitched breaths filled the room as he buried his face in his hands, finally letting loose all the emotions he'd been holding back, been too afraid to feel – because if he had felt them it would have cost him his life.

He could never say it. Never admit it. But Tony was scared. He'd been terrified of dying, of being left to rot in that cave, never to see his friends again. And now he was changed, both physically and mentally, and there was no going back to his old life.

JARVIS was silent above him, but a whirring sound was added to the muffled cries and Tony felt a presence next to him. He glanced up from his wet palms and out of the corner of his eye he found DUM-E, the silly little invention that did nothing but screw up, lingering beside him. The robot's hand stretched out toward him, almost comfortingly nudging his shoulder as gently as it as able. Tony choked out another sob, turning his face back into his hand but using the other to reach up and grasp the robot; holding him near, keeping him pressed close as he continued to breakdown in the safety of his room with the most consistent thing in his life.

[stonyversity]

Study Break

First Year. December 2009:

The Rape of Persephone was sculpted between 1621 and 1622 by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The sculpture has very realistic elements to it, such as the way Bernini carved the marble to make it appear as though the hands of Hades are curving and pressing into real skin rather than stone flesh.

Steve sighed and rested his head in his hand and continued to read through his art history notes, occasionally glancing over the textbook sitting next to him. He was trying to take in the information, but after four hours his brain just didn’t seem to want to absorb any more. His final was the next day, however, and he could not afford to take a break even though he had read the last paragraph a half a dozen times.

He looked up to see how the rest of his friends were faring in their studying. Across from him, Bruce was furiously running practice equations through his calculator, a small stack of used scrap paper sitting next to him and littered with already solved problems. To his right were Tony and Clint; the genius was playing with his phone and the other had his head on his textbook like he was trying to absorb the information through osmosis. To his left, Natasha was reading through her notes while listening to music through her earbuds, Thor, brow furrowed, was going over some flash cards and mumbling quietly to himself while Loki, at the end of the library table, had put his study notes aside in favor of a novel.

Steve glanced over briefly, distracted only slightly by his friend. No one else stirred.

“You said that half an hour ago, Tony. Nothing has changed.” Bruce didn’t look up from his equations as he spoke.

“Which clearly means that I am still bored and will continue to be bored until something happens.”

“Shut up Stark, you’re interrupting my nap,” came the muffled reply from Clint.

“Just because you only have three finals doesn’t mean you should be sleeping.” Clint opened one eye to look at Natasha. “You have papers to do too.”

“But I’m a growing boy and I need rest, not to mention my beauty sleep,” he whined before rubbing his head after being struck with a pen.

“Then go get your beauty sleep so I won’t have to look at your ugly mug anymore,” Tony teased as he dodged a swipe from Clint.

A table or two over, someone cleared their throat loudly. Tony glared in their general direction but nonetheless quieted down along with the others.

“We should go out and do something, get out of this musty old place,” Tony whispered after a few moments.

“Are you not concerned about preparing for your examinations?” Thor inquired.

Tony opened his mouth to reply but Steve cut him off. “Not all of us can already recite all of the material in our sleep Tony.”

“It’s not my fault they’re making me take boring courses,” Tony huffed.

“Nor is it your fault that you have a raucous, gaping maw, but then such tragedies cannot be helped.” Loki smirked over his book at Tony.

Tony jabbed a finger at the black-haired boy. “Watch it there, Joker, smile any bigger and they won’t need to slice your mouth.”

“Why must you be so serious, Stark?” Loki’s smirk grew wider. “You should really put a smile on that face.”

Tony frowned and Bruce and Natasha couldn’t help but grin and chuckle a little at the banter occurring across the large table. Tony noticed this and would have said something probably rather insulting that might have earned him a pencil in the eye from Natasha were it not for Bruce’s elbow being jammed into his side. Bruce nodded slightly in the direction of the surrounding tables and a few of the others looked to see that they were receiving quite a number of glares from the other students. Steve ducked his head slightly out of embarrassment and gave an apologetic smile and half-wave.

Everyone at the table went back to studying or whatever it was they were doing before and managed to stay quiet for another ten whole minutes. Clint decided that he had gotten enough rest and was engrossed in making miniature paper planes from shreds of Bruce’s discarded equation sheets. His first target, of course, was Tony but because they were sitting right across from one another the playboy caught the plane easily before it hit him.

He scoffed, “You call that a plane? Here, let me show you a real paper plane…”

Steve was wary of leaving the two men to their diabolical planning, but he chose to ignore his better judgement and go back to trying to study while Tony showed Clint the finer points of proper paper folding.

It wasn’t long before a small projectile zoomed past Steve’s nose and hit Thor in the cheek. The large bearded blond rubbed his face and glanced down the table where Tony and Clint were attempting to look innocent and otherwise engaged.

Natasha raised an eyebrow and smirked. She whispered something to Loki after which he gave her the paperclip holding his notes together. She removed the elastic that held her hair away from her face and positioned it between her fingers in the form of a slingshot with the paperclip as the projectile. She pulled the elastic back, aimed carefully, released, and hit Clint square in the temple.

“OW!” He rubbed the small pink mark where the metal hit and gave the redhead a dirty look. “Fuck Natasha…”

She simply quirked an eyebrow. “You started it.”

“SHHHHHH!”

The whole group turned to see the librarian glaring as he shushed them.

Bruce and Steve shared a look before the former sighed and began to pack his books. “Come on children; let’s go find you somewhere else to play before you get us banned from the library.”

Tony stood with a dramatic huff. “Finally! You know, I think I could feel the dust beginning to settle from being here for so long. Now come on; I have a couple bottles of good booze I want to finish off before the break.”

“Oh, I’m right behind you Stark!” Clint hurriedly collected his things and rushed after Tony who was already at the doors.

“Come on sourpuss,” Natasha gave Loki a light shove, “you might as well come take a break with us; I’m not going to let you stay holed up in your room. And you, Rogers,” she turned to Steve, “you had better relax. I saw the way you were ‘studying’, and forcing yourself will do you no good.”

“The lady is correct,” Thor added, “even warriors need to rest in the midst of training to become strong.”

Steve smiled and nodded, “Alright, alright, but just a few drinks.”

They left the library and came across Tony and Clint having a fierce snowball fight right in front of the library steps, almost hitting a few innocent passer-bys. Thor roared with laughter and ran to tackle Tony into a snow bank while Clint followed with more snow. The others laughed and Bruce and Steve picked up the boys’ discarded backpacks and began to make their way to Tony’s dorm. Steve breathed deep and smiled. Maybe a break wouldn’t be so bad.

[stonyversity]

Stormy Revelations

Second Year. August 2010:

(sequel to The Rain Reveals)

So here he was.

Sitting in a canoe, with Steve Rogers no less, listening to the distant sounds of Pocabarton echoing across the river.

He knew he would regret this decision the moment Bruce had walked into the kitchen and told the five of them about this cabin on the lake. It wasn't as though he had a fear of water... anymore. Sure there was a certain spark of memory every time he stepped into a shower but now that he'd created his arc reactor there were no exposed battery wires to simultaneously electrocute him. It was only water.

The worst part was having to walk around in the sun of the summer wearing the layers he wore to protect himself and the prospect of water would make it how many shirts he was wearing all the more obvious.

Fun and Tony weren't things that mixed well these days. He'd given up his late nights partying and getting too drunk to remember whose bed he woke up in. Of course, Pepper had helped to change that before January but she didn't stop his excessive drinking, gambling or partying. Being mistaken for his father changed all that.

“Did you want to start heading-”

Steve began but Tony was too zoned out to fully pay attention to his request to head back to the group they'd unwittingly distanced themselves from.

“Hey, what's over there?” Tony focused his sights on a bend in the water that turned around the shore. It seemed interesting and a Stark was always up for adventure – and Tony would never admit it but being out on the quiet water, only accompanied by the odd sentence from Rogers, had him feeling... calm and unhindered by his own mind.

Steve and Tony agreed to float down the small path of water and Tony let his mind carry him away on the gentle rocking of the water. The landscape surrounding them was made more beautiful by the fact that Tony never took the time to appreciate nature. He'd spent most of his life watching Howard destroy it for demonstrations of his latest weapons. Weapons that Tony did not approve of anymore. If his father found out some of the things he was currently working on in his own lab... technology that could disrupt and target Stark Industries weapons... he'd be written out of the will.

It would be worth it. To protect places like this. People like Steve...

Tony didn't let his mind wander on that thought for too long because the shallow pool filled with grass green algae destroyed all notions of natural beauty.

“And here I was hoping we'd find something cool like waterfalls or the entrance to a cave.” Tony threw his hands and oar up in the air dramatically. Perhaps that would convince Rogers that he hadn't simply been enjoying the scenery and hadn't given a second thought to what exactly they found, he had only wanted to enjoy the moment for a while longer.

That was when Rogers noticed the storm rolling in and they both agreed to head back to shore, roaring at a quicker pace back to the main section of lake they had ventured off from.

“Tony?” Steve's curious, hesitant voice chimed through the silence hung around them.

“Hm? Yeah?” Tony glanced over his shoulder. He was still caught up in his own thoughts that had steered away from nature and back to the technology in his lab for the time being.

“Well, uh... you're probably going to laugh at me and think I'm an idiot...”

Tony laughed and grinned. He didn't know what sparked Steve's sudden interest in proper conversation but it was a nice addition to their adventure, “Probably, but try me.”

“Are you... are you afraid of water?”

Tony could swear his arc reactor shot a spark straight down to the heart it was preserving. Where the hell did that come from?

Being who he was and having the ability to bluff anyone under the table, Tony let his shoulders relax as he turned around to face Steve dead-on with the most incredulous look on his face. It was followed by a rehearsed laugh, “Am I what?”

He watched Steve's eyes study his features, looking for any sign that Tony was lying to him and, technically, Tony wasn't lying. He wasn't afraid of the water. Not anymore. It was simply a minor inconvenience to his life when he wanted to be topless.

Steve's gaze averted as he mumbled an embarrassed, “Nevermind.”

Tony kept laughing, “You really are something Rogers.” But his eyes swept over the man, carefully considering how he had arrived at his particular fear. He couldn't know anything about the reactor, that wasn't possible. It was interesting though... the concern that had laced Rogers' voice.

A few minutes after Tony had turned around in the boat, he let himself speak. It was better than getting carried away with his thoughts again, that was for sure. He knew why he brought it up. Steve had been sneaking out at night quite a lot recently and it was toying with Tony's mind. He was curious and potentially... something else he couldn't figure out... when he focused on why exactly Steve would be going out in the middle of the night and coming home hot and bothered. He was seeing someone, that's the conclusion he'd come to but he need confirmation from the blonde man himself.

Tony knew why he brought it up. He didn't know why he wouldn't let it go.

The rainfall cut his interrogation off on the ride back to shore but once the canoe was returned to the storage unit, he started up again. Steve's patience was practically non-existence at this point yet Tony couldn't stop himself from pushing.

“C'mon Rogers, tell me!”

Steve sighed and gritted his teeth as he turned to face Tony, eyes sweeping over his features and Tony felt a chill run down his spine as his friend's eyes lingered far to long on his chest where the layers of shirts were clinging to him from the rain.

“Well?” Tony pried further, mostly because he was maybe feeling a little self-conscious with how utterly focused Steve's gaze was... not that Starks ever felt self-conscious...

Steve muttered something but Tony didn't catch it and he made that known to Steve who snapped out the repetition.

“It's you, okay?”

That was... unexpected and Tony was too unprepared to let his expression show anything other than his genuine surprise. “What?”

“You're what has been on my mind. You're what makes me go out for runs in the middle of the night.”

He was... but he couldn't be that was... Tony scoffed and rolled his eyes. Rogers was fucking with him. Of course he was. Let's make Tony feel special because I want to avoid the subject. “Yeah right Rogers, good joke. If you really want to avoid the question that badly-”

“I'm serious Tony!”

Steve's harsh tone shocked him into shutting the hell up. It had been a while since he'd heard Steve truly snap at him but this was... different. This was real and this was... a confession apparently because that's what tumbled out of Steve's mouth. Steve was worried about him, about how he was doing. Wonderful. They were right the fuck back here again.

Tony sneered, his eyes growing dark and bitter. “So you've taken this whole mother henning me to a new level, is that it? You know, I can look after myself Rogers, and I damn well don't need you hovering over my shoulder at everything I do.”

He was close to storming off but Steve held up his hands as he tried to explain himself. Tony's brows furrowed as Steve quickly attempted to remedy the situation and somehow it was working. He hit Tony deep, right where it mattered. “I don't want to see you disappear.” He vaguely remembered Pepper saying something like that to him in the last crumbling moments of their friendship, when Tony tried to win her back. “You're disappearing on me, Tony. I don't know who you are anymore. I don't think you know who you are anymore.”

Tony listened to Steve. There wasn't much else he could do. He was frozen in place by his words, his honest words. “Because I care about you.” That's what he said... in the end... Steve cared about him. It was... it didn't make sense yet it did. It was obvious and confusing and every coherent thought in Tony's mind seemed to be tangled around each other making it hard to process anything Steve had been saying.

“Does that answer your question?” An empty laugh... what did that mean? Did it... Tony furrowed his brows. Technically yes, he guess it did answer his questions but...

“Does that, I mean what you just said, how-”

Tony wasn't allowed to finish his sentence and that was probably a good thing because he hadn't quite finished formulating the sentence anyway. Steve's hand was on the back of his neck, pulling him in and pressing their lips firmly together. Tony's eyes went wide and he tensed immediately at the physical contact, at the threat of being discovered, at the feeling of Steve's unnaturally soft lips against his own rough mouth. He didn't respond to the kiss, but he didn't pull away either. It was as though his mind had short circuited and Tony was fairly sure it had.

Steve was kissing him... Steve kissed him. Of his own free will. He cared and he was...

“That's what I meant.”

Tony felt Steve's breath on his face from his close proximity. He hadn't even noticed the kiss had ended.

“Oh.” Was Tony's reply. It was all he could get out. He didn't trust his voice or his current brain capacity with anything else because what the hell was Rogers doing kissing him and caring about him and liking him in any sort of that sense? It didn't make sense to him. It was not logical. Everything in their history of being friends went against the notion of Steve liking him. Steve tolerated Tony. Steve criticized everything about Tony silently in his head with blue eyes so unwilling to judge others. Steve didn't kiss Tony.

Steve muttered something about going back inside to get changed and that was... that was an image Tony hadn't expected. Tony's gaze shifted minutely to stare at how Steve's t-shirt was clinging to his muscles, the same muscles the shirt would cling to when he pulled the shirt over his head to change, the same muscles that Tony recalled licking like ice cream during the first time they met. Now that was an image. Tony felt his body lean forward, ever so slightly, seeking the warmth of Steve's completely lickable chest when suddenly Steve's body wasn't there anymore.

Tony had been wrapped up in his... thoughts that he didn't notice Steve walking away. He jumped when he heard the door to the patio close and his gaze shifted from where he had been wanting to do something to Steve's chest -

“Where the hell did that come from?” Tony muttered in the safety of his own room. He shook his head and blinked rapidly to get these... thoughts from out of his head because they didn't belong there. That specifically was the section of his mind where he kept important math equations and these slightly obscene images of a man he was meant to be friends with weren't supposed to be there. “I'm going crazy. That's the only answer. The fresh air and plants are poisoning my head. That has to be it.”

He barely remembered getting to this room, walking into the house was a daze before Clint clapped his hand on Tony's shoulder to announce they were going out to the backyard to have a bonfire and roast marshmallows, tell horror stories and not listen to Clint singing campfire songs as Natasha added with a sharp tone. Tony told them he'd meet them out there in a bit, he had to make some calls and check up on JARVIS to make sure Wade hadn't broken into their house... again.

Everyone let him. No one argued. Not even Steve, who might not have been in the room at all, Tony practically had blinders on him that led him from the front door to his temporary bedroom he was sharing with Bruce.

Now Tony was pacing around the room, hands running through his hair that was nearly dry from the rain at this point. Nothing made sense... nothing at all. How could- they didn't like each other. That was a thing. They were complete opposites. Steve hated people like Tony. People who took advantage of their privileges, had egos the size of Australia, who were loud and obnoxious and had questionable morals. Sure they got to know one another on some level, tolerated each other and could manage to joke around and be civil but they weren't... they weren't that close of friends. It was Bruce and Clint and Natasha and Thor that made them friends.

Then January happened and he was gone. Three months he wasn't even there for Steve to get to know him below the surface of bullshit and barriers. He'd come back bruised and broken in a lot of ways... there wasn't much of Tony there for Steve to like. The summer was... the summer was tension and Steve mother henning him and... Tony thought he was a charity case. That's what he felt. He was something for Steve to fix and nurture into a better person but jokes on you Steve, Yinsen already got to me...

“Apparently I was wrong.” It was possible. For the great Tony Stark to be wrong. Steve being there... all the time, watching him, making sure he was eating and sleeping properly and drawing him when he was sleeping. He was the one who put the blankets on him whenever he passed out on the couch. It had gotten to the point where Tony would watch the clock and make bets with JARVIS on the next time Steve would come down to the lab to check on him. And when he didn't...

“Fucking hell Stark, you've really done it this time.” He fell back onto his bed, letting his head hit the mattress as the box spring squeak beneath him.

How did he ever let this happen without his notice?

“I have to talk to him... that's all there is to it. A nice, civil conversation about his feelings and my... feelings. Yeah that's not going to happen...” Because he did have them. Feelings. They were there whenever Steve was around. This tight feeling in his chest that wasn't the hunk of metal pressing against his sternum. Longing whenever Steve wasn't around to scold him about his behaviour. All of these things with Steve that had developed into second nature for Tony. It was irritating.

Tony sighed, sitting up. He had to talk to Steve. Whether it was about feelings or if talking meant placing his lips on those gorgeous muscles of his to prove a point which was... well he was unsure what the point was but he was sure it was a good one. It was that simple and it was going to be awkward no matter what... he just had to get it over with.

“It's decided then.” Tony stood up, making for the door when his legs fell out from under him. His entire body tensed and he felt a sharp pain sink into his temple, spreading through the rest of his body, constricting his lungs.

“Oh, I don't think you're going anywhere right now.” A familiar voice, too familiar, taunted him as hands gripped around his arms.

“Breathe, easy, easy.” The voice calmed him as Tony's back was settled against the bed, he felt his head roll back onto the mattress from where he was positioned on the floor and he was faced with his father's good friend and his mentor.

Tony struggled to move his mouth, to will his lips to speak the words on his mind but his vocal chords were absent.

“Hello, Tony.”

Tony choked on his own breath. Everything felt claustrophobic, like the air was pushing in around him. He couldn't move.

“You remember this one, right?” His eyes were presented with the old device that caused short term paralysis. He did remember it. It hadn't been approved by the government.

“Ah Tony,” he muttered, taking the devices that kept him safe from his ears and pocketing them, “when I ordered the hit on your father, I had no idea they could be idiotic enough to kidnap the wrong Stark.”

Tony's eyes widened. Of course they knew that Tony had been accidentally mixed up with his father but Obadiah...

“You have caused me a world of trouble. Do you know that Tony. They didn't kill you. They knew how much you were worth – though not to your father, am I right Tony? He didn't even try that hard to find you. It was the military that was desperate to find the miniature Stark. The prodigy. That's what you are Tony. The one who will lead everyone to victory when your father passes away. One more obstacle for me but being so young, you could be manipulated. I could always count on that. You always looked up to me. The man that gave you more attention than your father. Did you actually think you were someone I cared about, Tony?

“With your father out of the way, I could have used you to make the company into what I wanted it to be. It would have been simple. But you had to get in the way, didn't you Tony? You had to get in the wrong van and now your father, the delightful Howard Stark whose funeral should have been months ago, has found the ransom video. If they had killed you, like they were meant to kill your father, nothing could have traced back to me but you had to be the prodigal son. Now they want to arrest me and that's why I'm here. I'm sure you've figured that out. Being as bright as you always have been. You're my bargaining chip.”

“I don't think so.” The door swung open and a steely gaze walked into the room, hands in fists and at the ready. From the looks of things, at least from what Tony could make out from his dazed and disoriented view on the floor, Steve had been standing at the door listening to Obadiah before he entered.

If he could, Tony would sigh and sink back into a more relaxed position, but the device still had him paralyzed for at least fifteen minutes.

Obadiah stood up, hand reaching for his pocket but Steve beat him to it. He grabbed Obadiah's arm, twisting it until Obadiah was forced onto his knees from the pain of what was definitely a sprained wrist. The man continued to fight back, attempting to take out Steve's legs but again, Steve was too fast for the older man. Steve and his military training, his superior muscles mass, his fist that collided with the side of Obadiah's head knocking him out cold.

Steve released the unconscious man's arm, letting him fall to the floor, and rushed to Tony's side. His hands were on the paralyzed man's shoulders, shaking him gently as his face entered the close proximity of Tony's.

“Tony! Are you okay?”

He whined out a breath that was supposed to be “No, not really but thanks for eavesdropping.” Steve smiled, apparently able to translate Tony as being unharmed and he dropped his head in relief.

“Hey guys, you're missing the best stories, are you- Woah what's with the dead guy?” Clint halted at the doorway, taking an unconscious step back as his finger pointed to where Obadiah had been abandoned on the floor.

“He's not dead,” Steve informed him, his voice calm but strict enough that there could be no way for Barton to argue with him, “but call for the police and an ambulance.”

Clint nodded, muttering several things under his breath as he pulled his cellphone from his pocket and doing as instructed.

Steve let his gaze settle on Tony's much less strained eyes. They were blood shot from the effects of the device but he was no longer stressed and worried that he was going to die at any moment, which was a plus. It was when Steve let his hand cup Tony's cheek that something warm and comforting settled in Tony's stomach, allowing him to let everything Obadiah had said to him go for the time being.

“We'll talk later.” Steve whispered softly, confirming Tony's suspicion that Rogers had come here for the same thing Tony was planning on finding him for. Even if Tony would have to wait for the paralysis to wear off, and for the police to interrogate him, and for his father to do the same... eventually, later, yes, they would talk.

[stonyversity]

The Rain Reveals

Second Year. August 2010:

“I am not doing it.”

“Don’t be such a spoilsport, Stark, it’ll be fun!”

“Fun my ass.”

“Come on! We all decided to do this—”

“No Barton, you all decided and dragged me along. I, frankly, do not give one flying fuck about going out on some water in a flimsy log.” Tony kicked the canoe lying in the grass at his feet.

“I could build a better boat in less than ten minutes,” he muttered.

“Could it be that our friend is fearful of water?” Thor teased.

“I—what? No!” Tony sputtered.

Bruce smiled, “Then you have no logical reason to object.”

It was the end of summer and school was soon going to be back in session. The group of six decided that they all wanted to do something together as a sort of celebration to the end of summer. It was then that Bruce suggested the cottage. It turned out that a couple hours’ drive from their university town some of Bruce’s relatives had a cottage on a lake. He had described it as a quiet, relatively secluded spot that was nicely encircled by the forest.

“I have been there plenty of times in the past and they have always extended an open invitation to me. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind us using it for a weekend if we asked.”

And they didn’t. They were rather pleased, in fact, that the camp was going to get some use and told the group they could go down anytime.

Everyone was enthusiastic about the idea; just the chance to get out and get away from the town was incentive enough. Tony was the only one who was not as excited.

“We’re going to the middle of nowhere!” he had complained and lamented the fact that he would be without wi-fi and his lab equipment, to which Bruce had simply replied that he could probably use a few days without.

That left them where they were now, standing at the edge of the lake in front of the quaint cottage with three canoes laid out before them.

“You know,” Tony spoke up, “on second thought, I really am afraid of water, so I’m just going to go back to the cottage and—GAH!!”

He was suddenly lifted up from underneath his arms, almost as if his assailant was going to put him in a full nelson.

“You spend far too much time with your machines, my friend. It is time you enjoyed the fellowship of your comrades and the simple joys of the wild.”

With that, Thor plunked Tony down in one of the canoes and started pushing it towards the water.

“Hey, hey, hey, HEY!” Tony tried protesting as the others smiled and laughed.

“Dibs on Thor!” Clint shouted as he began dragging one of the other canoes to the water.

“Why?” Steve inquired as he went to reach for the other canoe, but discovered that it was already in the water and being pushed off by Bruce and Natasha.

“I want to reach top speeds with this baby,” Clint grinned, patting the side of the canoe, “and, no offense man, but Thor has some muscles. Hey! Big guy!” He motioned for Thor to join him.

That left Steve with…oh. He saw Tony floating in the boat, trying to find a way to get back on shore without getting wet. Not giving him another moment, Steve grabbed the two oars in the grass, hastily kicked off his shoes and went in to the just-over-ankle-deep water before getting into the canoe.

“Oh good. My savior has come to rescue me,” Tony deadpanned. They were facing each other with Tony at the front. “Now take me back to shore.”

“Nope.” Steve replied simply as he stuck an oar in the water and began rowing, water droplets still clinging to his bare feet and shins and providing a nice relief from the hot day.

Tony looked at Steve closely. “What did you just say?”

Steve shrugged. “We’re here to go canoeing and have a good time, so that’s what we’re going to do. You can sit there and complain all you want,” he began as Tony opened his mouth, “or you can pick up the oar and help me and enjoy yourself.”

Tony closed his mouth and paused for a moment.  Reluctantly, he picked up the second oar. “So how do I use this thing?” he mumbled.

Steve burst into laughter. “Is the great Tony Stark asking me for help?”

“Shut up Rogers or I’ll push you into the lake.”

“I’ll take you with me.”

Tony grumbled. “Just show me how to use the damn thing.”

Steve slowed the canoe. “Well first you have to turn around so we’re both facing the same way,” he explained, still smiling, “Be careful though! We don’t want the canoe to capsize.”

Tony continued to mutter as he righted himself.

“Now put your oar in on the opposite side as me and just try to match my pace. I’ll take care of the turning.”

It took them a few tries, but Tony quickly got the hang of things and they were soon sailing across the lake. It was a rather large lake, not terribly wide but it stretched and made curves and had tendrils snaking around groves of trees and out of sight, so it was impossible to know just how far it went on.

Steve noticed that Tony had begun to relax and was settling easy into the rhythm and even tried turning a couple of times.

“So how is being out on the water in some flimsy log?” he teased.

Tony just ‘hmph’-ed in response but in Tony language that meant it was good. Tony then quirked his head slightly and looked around. “Where did the others go?”

Confused, Steve looked around and noticed that they were near the far end of the lake and the four others were nowhere to be seen. He was surprised that they had lost track of where they were going to go so far and was about to suggest turning back when they heard a strange sound echoing from across the water.

“JUST AROUND THE RIVERBEND! JUST AROUND THE RIVERBEND!”

Curious and puzzled, the two men looked behind them to see their missing friends out in the middle of the lake, Clint and Thor moving surprisingly fast with Natasha and Bruce taking a much slower and relaxed pace. Their voices were easily carried across the water so the two men could hear them clearly, although they could have probably heard Clint regardless.

“Clint…”

They definitely heard the warning in Natasha’s voice, and apparently Clint picked it up too:

“Faster my minion! Faster!”

Thor did not seem to mind Clint’s proposal and so with a broad smile on his face carried on rowing even harder, though it was probably no exertion for the large man.

“I LOOK ONCE MORE, JUST AROUND THE RIVERBEND! BEYOND THE SHORE, SOMEWHERE PAST THE SEA! DON’T KNOW WHAT FOR—”

“I swear to god Barton, if you keep singing I will knock you off your canoe and hold you under until you drown.”

Clint immediately froze, lowering his arms from where they were outstretched and making movements to accompany his lyrics. Her voice was calm but it held that unspoken and deadly promise.

“Why did you cease in your serenading, Clint? It was quite good. You would have made a fine bard in ancient times.”

Clint must have muttered something Steve and Tony couldn’t hear in response to Thor because the larger man gave a hearty laugh and kept rowing, his long hair flowing rather magnificently in the wind.

Bruce spotted Tony and Steve and waved to them and they responded in kind.

“Did you want to start heading—”

“Hey, what’s over there?”

Steve looked in the direction Tony was pointing and saw one of the wider side flows of the lake that made a wide turn around the shore and continued out of sight.

Tony turned to Steve, “Wanna go check it out?”

Steve couldn’t help but smile at the childish grin Tony had on his face and nodded, “Sure.”

They floated on in silence for a while, which was odd because Tony was never quiet for this long. It was as though they were both lost in their own thoughts as they admired the scenery around them , the quietness of the woods with only the gentle rushes of water with the strokes they made. Steve couldn’t help but notice the serenity present on Tony’s expression whenever he would turn his head just enough. His brown eyes were widened slightly, taking in their surroundings but they were calm and his lips were curved into a soft, slight smile. Each stroke of his oar became slower and gentler as he became absorbed in his thoughts, and Steve had to remind himself to focus before he slowed too much as well.

As they rounded the next bend, they saw that they had reached their destination.

“Well this is…anticlimactic.”

Steve nodded in agreement and grimaced slightly. They had simply reached a small, shallow pool covered in algae.

Tony sighed, “And here I was hoping we’d find something cool like waterfalls or the entrance to a cave.” He threw his hands in the air, oar included.

Steve chuckled, “Well, we found out where this led at least.” It was then he noticed, now that he wasn’t so distracted by the…scenery, that it was not nearly as bright out. He glanced up and saw darkening clouds were the sun had previously been brightly shining.

“We’d better head back; looks like it’s going to storm.”

Tony glanced up and nodded and together they turned the canoe around and pushed back off, at a quicker pace this time around.

As they navigated their way back through the twists and turns to the main lake, a thought struck Steve, something that had bothered him earlier.

“Tony?” he ventured cautiously.

“Hm? Yeah?” Tony glanced briefly over his shoulder.

“Well, uh…” Tony was probably going to laugh at him and think him an idiot, and Steve said as much.

Tony laughed once and grinned. “Probably, but try me.”

“Are you…are you afraid of water?” Steve forced the argument of the beginning of the summer and the terrifying mental images to the back of his mind.

Tony immediately stopped and turned his torso to look at Steve dead-on. He had the most incredulous look on his face and started to laugh, “Am I what?”

Steve studied Tony carefully for any trace of deceit before he let himself look away in embarrassment. “Nevermind,” he mumbled.

Tony continued to laugh, “You really are something Rogers.” Steve could have sworn that out of the corner of his eye he noticed Tony let his gaze linger a bit long before turning back to the front and continuing to row, but he convinced himself that he was imagining things.

“Since we’re apparently interrogating each other,” Tony started after a few moments, seemingly restored to his normal, chattering self, “are you going to tell me why you go out so much in the middle of the night?”

Steve was not quite sure how to respond. It took him a minute to remember, but he might have mentioned something to Tony when he happened upon him and his little accident.

“C’mon soldier-boy,” Tony continued, apparently reading the blonde’s thoughts, “even if I didn’t remember what you told me last month, don’t think I of all people haven’t noticed you coming home late and going out in the middle of the night. You always return home all hot and bothered; could it be that innocent and pure Rogers has a secret love affair?” Tony turned his head to smirk impishly at Steve.

Steve blushed furiously from embarrassment, because Tony was not far from the truth.

Tony’s eyes widened as he saw the red creep up Steve’s cheeks. “I’m right, aren’t I? Little Stevie has a lady friend hidden away from the rest of us!”

“That’s not it at all, Stark! I told you, I go out when I need to think,” Steve exclaimed.

Tony’s smile faded slightly. “Oh. Well that’s a letdown,” he sighed, though he didn’t look quite as disappointed as he said.

“Just keep rowing Stark, we’re almost there,” Steve muttered, and indeed they were, for they could now see that the main lake was just around the corner.

Tony rolled his eyes and faced forward again but refused to let the subject drop. “You can’t tell me that that’s all you do when you’re gone; you’d have to have a lot to think about.”

“Drop it Stark.” Steve’s voice was low. Tony pretended like he hadn’t heard.

“What is it that’s got you so riled up that you have to go out almost every night to clear your head?”

“I said drop it.”

“I mean, it sounds to me like you’re running from something.”

Steve tightened his grip on the oar in frustration and was about to snap back at Tony when a loud clap of thunder suddenly roared overhead. A moment later rain began to fall, slight at first but it quickly became a downpour. Neither man spoke, both silently agreeing that getting back to the cottage and out of the waterfall of rain was their priority. By the time they reached the shore, they were both soaked through their clothing so Steve didn’t mind jumping out of the canoe and getting his legs a bit wetter to pull it further onto the bank. Tony got out, almost tripping over the edge of the canoe, and together the two men picked it up and hauled it underneath the large, overhanging deck where the other canoes had already probably long been stored.

“So are you gonna tell me?” Tony piped up as they finished securing the canoe in place.

Steve groaned. “For God’s sake Stark…”

Tony grinned like a madman, having a delightful time tormenting Steve. “C’mon Rogers, tell me!”

Steve sighed heavily and grit his teeth. He turned so he could see Tony full-on. His smirk was wide and impish, showing his teeth. In the shadows Steve could make out the sharp angles of Tony’s face from his cheekbones to his jaw line and the way the water trailed from his darkened, soaked hair down the side of his face and dripped off. The dark shirts he wore were a little more form-fitting due to the water and were tight especially around the shoulders where the short sleeves gave way to lean and wiry arms that also had water running down them, dipping into every muscle curve and causing his skin to glisten in the half-light. He was stunning, and Steve had to clench his jaw harder and run a hand through his own drenched locks to distract himself.

Would it be so bad if he told Tony the truth? The worst he could do is reject him and was that really any worse than never knowing? Steve mulled over these thoughts quickly as they passed through his mind.

It was as if Tony could sense Steve’s resolve falter for he sidled a little closer and raised his eyebrows expectantly.

“Well?”

Steve looked away and murmured something.

Tony raised an eyebrow questioningly, “Didn’t catch that.”

“It’s you, okay?” Steve snapped, whipping his head back to Tony.

Tony looked genuinely surprised. “What?”

Steve placed his hands on his hips and shook his head out of frustration and embarrassment. “You’re what has been on my mind. You’re what makes me go out for runs in the middle of the night.”

Tony stared at him for a moment before scoffing and rolling his eyes. “Yeah right Rogers, good joke. If you really want to avoid the question that badly—”

“I’m serious Tony!”

The sharp tone shut Tony right up. Steve had no idea what he was doing but at this point he was ready to just go with whatever came out of his mouth.

“I can’t…it’s difficult to explain but…I think about you and worry about how you’re doing…but there’s also…uh…” He fumbled and made gestures with his hands, fidgeted, all trace of the well-trained and composed soldier gone. This brought him back to the time when he asked Peggy to be his girl and he smiled inwardly at the thought. There was no pang that came with it, not even a dull one at the thought of her, but it did not come as a surprise to him; he welcomed it.

“So you’ve taken this whole mother henning me to a new level, is that it?” Tony sneered. “You know, I can look after myself Rogers, and I damn well don’t need you hovering over my shoulder at everything I do.” His brown eyes were dark with fury, replacing the teasing light they previously held.

“No! Tony, that’s—that’s not it!” Steve held up his hands in an attempt to achieve some calm to the situation. This was one particular time he really didn’t want a fight to break out between the two of them. “I don’t—I don’t mean to invade your personal space, and I have been trying really hard not to, to let you have your own peace when you need it. But,” he straightened and his blue eyes softened slightly, “I also don’t want to see you disappear. You’re a good person Tony, even if you don’t always see that, and you shouldn’t hide that from the world because it will miss you.” I’ll miss you. I already do. “I only try to get you out so you won’t miss out on anything either. You won’t take care of yourself so try and help. I ask how you’re doing and if you’re okay because I actually care about knowing and I can tell when you’re lying.”

He sighed. “I don’t mean to be annoying, and yeah, okay, I probably have been a bit overbearing. I can try to stop, if that’s what you want, but I won’t be able to. I’ll always be thinking of you and wondering if you’re all right and wanting to try and make things better. Because I…” He paused. This was it, there was no turning back now; his next words could not be undone and he would deal with whatever came of them. He looked Tony in the eyes.

“Because I care about you.”

He kept his voice steady and strong, trying to attach his emotions and his intentions to the words as best as he could.

Tony had just stood silent during Steve’s whole speech, not even making an attempt to interrupt. He had just let Steve talk and now that Steve was done he still did not utter a word.  It was a bit of an awkward silence that followed, neither knowing what to say and Steve waiting for a response from Tony.

“So,” Steve tried when Tony did not answer, “does that answer your question?” He chuckled, but it was empty.

“Uh, yeah. I guess it does. But,” Tony furrowed his brow, as if encountering a math problem that he couldn’t solve and it was his turn to be tongue-tied, a rarity for the young genius. It appeared as though Steve hadn’t been clear enough for Tony, or that he didn’t quite believe what the blond said. Steve watched as he concentrated and tried to reorganize his thoughts, opening and closing his mouth several times in an attempt to start a sentence, observing the way his lips moved, sometimes subtly, and his ‘fuck it’ instinct took over just as Tony regained speech.

 “Does that, I mean what you just said, how—”

He was cut off by Steve gently but firmly grasping the back of his neck, pulling him closer and pressing their lips together. Steve was soft and only moved his lips slightly against Tony’s, not wanting to do too much even though he longed to push for more. Tony’s lips were rough, slightly chapped, and had just a hint of the blueberries that Tony had at lunch still lingering on them, and Steve relished in it.

He noticed that Tony did not respond, and he really hadn’t been expecting him to, but he resisted against himself and pulled away before he lost himself a little too much. He opened his eyes that he didn’t realize he’d closed to see Tony staring up at him, wide-eyed and maybe even a little bit dazed.

“That’s what I meant,” he breathed, face still incredibly close to Tony’s.

“Oh,” Tony replied softly, and when he said nothing else Steve panicked.

Had he gone too far? Did he push Tony’s boundaries a bit too much? He let his hand quickly drop from its comfortable place on Tony’s warm neck and backed up a step. The chill from his drenched form finally set in as reality came rushing back to meet him and it merged painfully with the contraction in his chest.

“I, um,” his throat felt thick and difficult to speak through, “we should head back inside. Get changed. The others are probably wondering where we are.”

He hesitated briefly just to see if Tony would say anything else, but when he didn’t Steve quickly turned and ventured out from under the deck. He walked back into the pouring rain, letting it soak him further and cool the burning of his cheeks and quell the pain in his chest before getting inside.

[stonyversity]

Hidden Away

Second Year. July 2010:

Fingers twitched restlessly above the keyboard without fully pressing them, leaving the email window empty save for the words he'd received.

Tony was frustrated and more than a little pissed off with himself. He hated that he was known as a reclusive person now. The time he spent hidden away surrounded by technology hadn't necessarily increased from the -as Pepper and Rhodey had often out it -absurd amount of time he normally spent with his machines; but he wasn't spending the rest of his time surrounded by people either.

At his old university, and for the majority of his known life, Tony had been a social butterfly. His life was in the limelight and he enjoyed it that way; constantly in the presence of people, partying and having fun. Now he was sitting in his room spending more time than necessary on his school work or reading every book on his course lists for a school semester that hadn't even started yet. The most time he spent with other people were the weekly movie nights his house continued to host or when he was down in the lab at the same time as Bruce – which wasn't all that often because Bruce mostly did his work in the morning when Tony was turning in for the... 'night'.

The proximity of the voice behind Tony was so unexpected he almost jumped, but he caught himself. His shoulders tensed and his hands flinched but he kept his composure enough to breathe properly before calmly closing his laptop.

“Morning, Rogers.” Tony spoke evenly, patting the top of his closed laptop.

Steve moved around Tony at the kitchen table and sat down adjacent to him. “You okay, Tony?”

Tony shut his eyes and inhaled deeply. How many times had he heard Rogers ask him that in the past few months. Ever since move-in day there's been a certain tension and he can feel Steve approach the question cautiously before speaking it every time. It makes Tony feel like he's made of glass. He hates it.

“Fine, Rogers. What's it to you?”

Steve's expression didn't falter, he didn't apologize or take offense; he simply remained eye contact and continued on with his thought. “I didn't mean to snoop but that was an email from the Fine Arts department, right?”

Tony's brow rose and it was easy to tell it meant he was agitated, but still Rogers carried on.

“You should model again. You were... you were good last time. More professional than most models we get, they tend to fidget or not practice their poses beforehand, and we don't get many male models either.” Steve continued on about the differences of anatomy and how beneficial it was for the artists without realizing that he was rambling but Tony didn't stop him.

He watched his face. How his lips moved; his mouth was slowly curving into a smile that extended all the way up to his eyes... the kind of smile that people got when they were talking about their passions. Art was something Steve had always been passionate about. He could see it in his eyes when he was drawing, the way his brows furrowed in concentration. It was fascinating to watch him when he was like this. To actually see Steve being... himself without censorship.

Lately, Tony had become annoyed with the constant mother-henning Steve was exerting over him; making sure he wasn't injured, making sure he ate properly, slept properly... he could tell Steve was trying to be nice, to be a good friend and he tried to do it without invading Tony's personal space which... was something everyone avoided now that Tony had made it clear that physical contact with him wasn't... preferable. But it was frustrating. For the most part, Tony put up a front, made it seem like it didn't bother him. Although there were times when he did appreciate Steve's newfound concern... Tony flexed his arm that was still bandaged from last week's incident.

Their whole friendship right now... didn't feel honest. It felt forced and fake. Both of them putting up fronts that made them forget about move in day and about Tony's trauma and Steve's insistence on making everything okay.

It was moments like this, when Steve actually let himself go. Let himself get caught up in the moment and ramble on and not be centered around Tony's wellbeing that made Tony want to get swept away as well. He felt as though he could listen to him talk for hours and never get bored, which was a rather new and potentially confusing notion that Tony pushed to the back of his mind.

A smile threatened his lips as Steve continued to ramble and laugh over embarrassing moments with models in the past and how terrible some of them had been, even one who hadn't understood what lounging poses were.

Suddenly all Tony could see was the sketch Steve had drawn of him while he was sleeping. Had that been a good lounging pose? The sketch was certainly beautiful... Steve was a brilliant artist and he was surprised that it had been the first time viewing any of his sketches. He hadn't even seen the ones Steve drew during the time Tony modeled for his class. Maybe if he modeled again he could sneak a -

Tony's heart went cold. His heart that was only beating because of a metal contraption in the center of his chest, glowing brightly from the arc reactor underneath the many layers of clothing meant to prevent the light from escaping.

The smile that was so close to surfacing dissipated and any joy that he'd received from listening to Steve fell from his eyes. Without speaking, he stood up, picking up his laptop and tucking it under his arm.

“Tony?” Steve's blissful muttering stopped and Tony let his eyes focus on the table, refusing to look at the confused expression that consumed Steve's previously carefree smile.

“I'm not modeling anymore. I'll be too busy catching up on everything I've missed.”

“I thought that was what the summer classes were for.” Steve spoke without missing a beat. He was never afraid to call Tony on his bullshit and it surprised Tony every time because very few people -besides Pepper and Rhodey- could realize he was bullshitting.

“They were but... I have a lot to do. Some of us have already done the undergrad scene and have a Master's degree to get next year.”

“You're planning on getting your Masters in two years?”

“Why not? Got my undergrad in three years. Masters isn't much harder. I was already overloading courses last year and I've taken more summer courses that you're advised to. Therefore, I won't have time to dwindle my time away standing exposed for all your little art friends, as much as they want to admire and lust after my body again.”

Steve rolled his eyes and shook his head, getting up from the table and stepping further into the kitchens. He spoke as he opened one of the cabinets and pulled out a box of cereal, “Always so full of yourself, Stark.”

“Wouldn't want to disappoint.” Tony smirked and gave a half-hearted salute before leaving the kitchen. His smirk faded as soon as his back was turned and he frowned, listening to the sound of the cereal hitting a ceramic bowl.

Tony ascended the stairs and his hand moved up to press against the arc reactor through the layers of clothing, fingers tapping gently on the fabric covering it. Ever since he got back he had taken endless precautions to make sure the contraption it remained hidden. And it would always remain hidden.

[stonyversity]

Who's the one who gets up to make the coffee in the morning?

Steve: Me.

[stonyversity]

Which would you rather have as a best friend Batgirl or Catwoman?

Both: Catwoman.

Tony: Otherwise she’d try to steal our shit.

[stonyversity]

Steve - What is the best way to distract Tony from his computers?

Steve: Remove the temptation.

[stonyversity]

(don't know if I missed it or not) Steve how was it to have Tony as a nude model for your drawing class?

Steve: I-it was… interesting.

Tony:Couldn’t take her eyes off me ;P

Steve: That’s because I had to draw you!

[stonyversity]

What was Steve's reaction to the first time Tony whispered naughty things?

Tony: Not desirable.

[stonyversity]

Has tony ever suddenly stopped during... err... you know, fondue... and run to the laptop to draw up plans for a new gadget?

Steve: All. The. Time.

Tony: …what?

[stonyversity]

Steve - Do blonds really have more fun?

Steve: Yes but blond has nothing to do with it.

[stonyversity]

Quarry Dealings

First Year. November 2009:

Steve walked into his dorm room and he nearly walked back out thinking it was the wrong room – which was ridiculous considering he had to use his key to unlock the door and that key only went to one room in the entire four story building (basement included). The room was a disaster. Clothes were thrown everywhere; Clint's bed, his bed, the floor, the desks, the closets, the windows. Nothing was in its proper place, not even Clint's sacred television and DVD collection that was not to be touched or shifted or dusted without going through a substantial amount of paperwork.

He paused in the doorway, after he stopped himself from retreating and gazed about the empty but chaotic room. He was going to have to have a stern discussion with Clint, which was odd. After living together for two months they hadn't had any problems other than the standard dorm room issues but even then, Clint was chill and Steve was tolerant. There were certain habits of Clint's that he still didn't approve of but Clint had been more than considerate and usually did it somewhere else. But this – this wasn't okay. Even Steve's belongings had been rooted through – not as drastically and thoroughly as Clint's possessions but his drawers and closet were open, his sheets turned down, everything on his half of the shelf was on his bed... what could have happened to cause Clint to destroy their bedroom?

Rather than comment on it, however, Steve chose to address the state of the room first – even if he didn't quite get that chance. “Clint, what happ-”

“I'm out! I'm all out!” Clint shouted as he continued his frantic search through piles of objects and clothes that had to have been turned over at least three times by this point. “Only two months in and everything is hopeless. It's all Stark's fault. I was doing so well but he had to come along and-”

“Clint, slow down. Explain what's going on.” Because it was starting to sound as though... Steve really didn't know if he was comfortable going down that path. It all seemed very awkward with friends he'd only known for two months, even if they were a group of friends who hit things off strangely fast.

“Look, I know you're a prude and I don't judge you for it. But some people like a little deviation from the norm.” The drama major stopped in his efforts to throw his arms up in defeat, falling back onto his bed. “And it helps me memorize my lines.”

Steve narrowed his eyes, watching his roommate suspiciously when the light bulb in his head went off and while this wasn't something he approved of... it was something he was more comfortable talking about compared to the alternative with Tony.

“You're out of-”

“Yes. What'd you think I was talking about?” Clint asked the ceiling nonchalantly, as he didn't bother sitting up to glance in Steve's direction.

“N-nothing. Exactly that. I guess I don't approve of it no, but I'm sorry that you're unhappy.”

“Typical, Rogers.” Clint laughed but did not get the chance to elaborate because there was a knock that the door. Clint startled and rolled over on the bed to get a look at who was there while Steve merely turned his head toward the door.

“Hey man, couldn't help overhearing – and you might wanna be more careful about that yeah? But if you need some I know I guy.”

“Yeah?” It took two seconds for Clint to propel himself off the bed and practically slide over to the door. “I haven't found anyone on campus yet, who is he?”

“He's a townie, really odd guy too but his is quality and the price is decent.” The guy, who Steve recognized from down the hall as Jim, or Pat, or Ted? Some three word name that he'd forgotten from their lack of contact. It might have also been his permanently red eyes that turned Steve off from really getting to know him.

“Doesn't sound half bad as some of the people I've bought from before.” Clint shrugged and then shivered what Steve had to assume was an unpleasant memory attached to one of his previous dealers. It sounded terrible in his mind... dealer. Clint may make fun of him but it was illegal, he'd regret it if he got caught. “What's his name?”

“Wilson. But he calls himself Deadpool – don't know.” Jim/Pat/Ted waved off the impending question on Clint's lips. He must have gotten it a lot.

“Whatever, still not as weird as I'm used to. Where do I find him?”

.

.

Clint stood in the cold, early, Winter air. He was in the middle of nowhere, some stupid ravine, quarry bullshit across the road from the dorms on the south side of campus and through a ridiculously narrow path through the woods. Luckily Clint was used to the freezing air from those sparring times when he spent time on the streets or without proper heating in cheap living spaces.

It was quiet in the space, not even a twig snapping. Only the wind and the birds tweeting softly. Which was why Clint jumped extraordinarily high when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Jesus shit!”

“No but if he did it would probably smell heavenly.” The man was hidden by shadows behind him but Clint could tell he was grinning. He could also see in the dark, that his eyes had thankfully adjusted to, that the man was wearing a long, vibrant trench coat and a matching beanie. Seriously, what kind of drug dealer wore a bright red trench coat with black down the sides and a matching beanie? Who matched their beanies to their jackets?

“You're... Deadpool I imagine?” Clint asked, narrowing his eyes skeptically at the man as he contemplating trying to find his way back out of this maze of a death trap. It was a good thing Clint was so intuitive and could handle himself in a fight, otherwise coming out here all alone to this desolate place would have been the biggest mistake of his university life.

“The one and only, pretty boy.” The young man held out his arms as though he was showing off the goods, but the trench was buttoned closed... He believed he was the goods. Oh how cute, Clint mused.

“What's that stand for? Find a dead body in a pool when you were a kid?”

Even in the darkness, Clint could see Wade's lips curl into a sinister smirk but that was all the response Clint was given.

Clint sighed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes at how much this guy got off on being mysterious. “You gonna crawl on outta the shadows or you gonna make me Guess Who? what you look like? Does he have brown hair? Does he look like a punk?”

Except Clint's grin faded when Deadpool took a step forward into the light from the houses overlooking the quarry. The skin of the man's face was contorted, almost like it had been put through a meat grinder but Clint could tell they were remnants of burn scars. What Clint found shocking was not the fact that he had these burns but how extensive they were. He could that they dipped well below his collar bone covered by the coat and his loose black t-shirt underneath and Clint couldn't help but wonder how far down they went.

“80% of my body.” Deadpool offered when Clint's eyes trailed down the man's torso. “House fire when I was ten.”

“Shit man, sorry.” Clint scratched the back of his neck, unsure of how exactly to respond that how nonchalant Deadpool was about that sort of tragedy.

The dealer shrugged his shoulders, lowering his arms and letting the coat billow around his sides. “Chicks dig the scars.”

A smile threatened the corners of Clint's lips, “I bet the do.”

“Guys do to – usually more than the ladies.”

Blue eyes narrowed suspiciously as he tried to access whether or not Deadpool was flirting with him. “So you got a real name or what?”

“Peter Parker.”

“I know for a fact that your last name is Wilson.” As mentioned by the kid in his dorm who alerted him to Deadpool's existence.

“Nah man that's a volleyball.”

“If you're gettin' some from Tom Cruise it would explain that ridiculous jacket.”

“Low blow, dude. Can't be giving our name to a guy dissin the coat even if he seems kinda cool.”

Great, now he was speaking in third person. That was always a good sign from a sketchy guy in the darkness of a secluded ravine.

“We already gave him a fake name... No, I don't think he's born yet... Depends on what issue you're following...” Deadpool went on for a few minutes, seemingly talking to himself, before Clint interrupted him.

“You do know we're the only two people here, right?” Clint half joked, half questioned for his own sake... depending on the man's answer he would be taking off very shortly.

Deadpool's attention shot back to the drama major immediately, playful smile gracing his features. “I'm livin' in a world of reefer, leave me alone! And it's Wade.”

“See that wasn't so hard.” Barton grinned, taking a step closer to the dealer and patting his shoulder with an open palm. “I'm Clint, by the way, and do you actually have anything on you or do you get off on luring nice boys out into the dark.”

Wade's reply was pulling a small bag from one of his pockets with the familiar substance Clint had been craving. “Come on tweetybird,” the man moved forward to flop down by the edge of the quarry, legs dangling over as his coat curled around his body, “I'll give you a free sample.”

Clint shook his head, all the reasons why doing this in such a remote location with someone he barely knew – and had fair suspicion that he wasn't in the best mental condition – was a bad idea. Yet he followed suit and let his own legs hang over the edge as he scooted up next to Wade.

.

.

“And that, kids, is the story of how I fucked your uncle Clint.” Wade smirked, clapping his hands down on his knees.

“Ugh...”

“Gross!”

“Why would you-?”

“Pics or it didn't happen.”

All eyes turned to Tony for a moment, almost as disturbed with him as they were with this Wade Wilson character who was suddenly a part of their lives. By that, the group meant that he randomly showed up to one of their movie nights claiming Clint had invited him and that they needed to hear the story of how he and Clint met.

It was hard for anyone in the group to believe Wade's telling of the tale as truth.

“Clint?” The gaze of the peanut gallery shifted to the theatre major, sitting behind them with an unreadable expression.

“No, he's being an ass. We did not – and will not-” he added for good measure, “-sleep together.”

Wade opened his mouth, ready to retort but instead he sighed heavily and frowned.

“Okay.” Bruce interrupted. “Now that that's settled can we start the movie? Some of us-” he turned a stern gaze upon Tony, to which the playboy pointedly avoided, “-have a midterm in the morning.”

“All right fun, let's rock this Bea Arthur!”

No one bothered questioning Wade. They wanted to watch a movie, not listen to another fraudulent story. Although the night was more rambunctious than usual and there was popcorn thrown at Wade several times when he wouldn't keep his mouth shut and kept spoiling the events of the movie, despite the fact that he claimed he'd never seen the film before.

Later, when everyone had left the lounge and it was only Natasha and Clint cleaning up – because Steve had to be up early and Thor was needed to forcibly remove Wade from the premises – Natasha gave Clint a look. Her eyes digging right into the core of Clint's being as she interrogated him with only her eyes.

Clint sighed, slamming the cover of his DVD case. “I don't know, all right! We were fucking wasted-”

Natasha's lip curled up into soft, knowing smirk.

“You're such a bitch.” Clint groaned, gathering his belongings into his arms and stomping out of the room. The least he could do was make a dramatic exit after all that and leave Natasha to clean up their mess as a punishment.

[stonyversity]

Take Care of Yourself

Second Year. July 2010:

The cool air whipping past was a welcome relief to the extreme excess of heat being produced by his body. His breath came in steady beats, but he was nowhere near coming up short even though he had been running for over an hour. He could feel parts of his perfect blond hair, damp with sweat, sticking to his forehead. He listened to the drum of his sneakers on the sidewalk and how the sound and rhythm would change slightly when he cut across the football field, crossed the old metal train bridge, and took a few gravel and dirt paths through the woods. It was about the only sound echoing through the streets that late at night—or was it early morning?

A mist was beginning to settle, creating a distorting haze and causing the street lamps to glow eerily. The heavy moisture in the air mixed with the sweat on his skin and gave him a slight chill.

Steve slowed and paused in his running, breath heaving in and out as he placed his hands on his hips. For the first time since he began his run, he took in his surroundings. He was on the other side of town, out where the farmland began and the pretty little lake lay. The moon reflecting on the dark water made it look all the more inviting, but Steve knew that he would not enjoy the journey home if he was sopping wet. Taking one last deep breath, he turned and set off for home.

Steve knew what it was, he wasn’t oblivious to that. It was almost the same feeling he’d had when he was with Peggy. He was falling. Hard.

He had first really noticed it after Tony had returned. The huge wave of relief that had washed over him when he saw Tony step out of the car, coupled with the months of endless worrying and anxiety, Steve realized there was a bit more behind it than just concern for a friend. Thinking back on it now, Steve thought that the time Tony modelled for his class probably set off a spark. No, it definitely did. Then there was their fight at the beginning of the summer, and not too long ago when he’d found Tony passed out on the couch, too tired to even make it to his bed.

In any case, Steve couldn’t act on his feelings because Tony had been with Pepper—and that was fine, they had worked well together and Steve had been genuinely happy for them. Even now Tony was still relatively fresh out of a relationship and Steve knew he needed time. Hell, he didn’t even think Tony would respond the same and it would more than likely be a disaster if he said anything. So, he kept everything to himself and went on plenty of drives and runs to clear his head.

Finally arriving home, Steve entered the big house he and his friends shared and shut the door as quietly as possible, for everyone else was in bed and had been for a while. The first thing he did was head for the kitchen and down a couple glasses of water, the cool liquid utterly refreshing.

As he started upstairs to the shower, he heard some soft clanking coming from the basement. He smiled and shook his head; he should have known better than to think that Tony would be asleep.

The moment the bathroom door was shut, his clothes were off and he was under the water, sighing as warmth cascaded over his body and sunk into his tired muscles. He was there for a while, but turned the faucet off before he used up all the hot water. He dried off and covered himself with a towel before exchanging it for a pair of clean sweatpants in his room. Still lazily drying his hair with a towel, he ventured back downstairs to find some food.

He was in the process of making a rather large sandwich when he heard a loud curse emanating from the basement, followed by a clank. Brow furrowed in concern, he went over to the slightly ajar basement door.

“Tony?” he called quietly. The only response was a string of more curses. Steve cautiously made his way down the stairs.

“Tony is everything—” he stopped when he reached the bottom and saw Tony.

Tony looked up when he heard Steve enter. “Ah, Rogers. Come to join me in my humble lab?” He grimaced as he spoke because from his arm blood was running. A lot of it.

“Fuck, Tony!” Without a second thought, Steve rushed over and, grabbing the towel he had left hanging around his neck, pressed it to Tony’s arm.

“Wow, I made Steve Rogers swear. There must be an award for that or something.” He tried to laugh but winced instead as Steve applied pressure to the wound on his bicep and wiped at the blood running down the length of his arm, but he did not pull away.

“Shut up Stark, I was in the army. I can out-cuss you any day.” Tony chuckled and Steve made an attempt at a smirk but kept focus on stopping the bleeding. He lifted the towel hesitantly, the white now most likely permanently stained crimson, and saw that the bleeding had slowed significantly.

“Do you have a first-aid kit?” He asked, looking up at Tony.

Tony tried to wave it off, “Bruce might have one down here but I’ll be fine. Just slap a band-aid on me and—”

“Where is it Tony?” Steve’s tone was firm and not to be argued with, but he was surprised when Tony relented and jerked his head in the direction of a cabinet. Leaving Tony to keep pressure on his arm, he quickly retrieved the kit.

“I don’t even want to know how you get yourself into these messes Tony,” Steve sighed, lifting the towel and cleaning the area with antiseptic wipes.

“If I didn’t, then I wouldn’t have the privilege of having Nurse Rogers take care of me,” Tony quipped. “Although I think it would be much better if you wore a sexy nurse outfit; it’s the only way to do it.”

He was trying to push Steve’s buttons, as usual, but the blond wasn’t going to let it get to him. Even so, he couldn’t help the faint blush from dusting his cheeks as he applied a gauze pad and began wrapping up Tony’s arm.

“You’re insufferable,” he muttered.

“So I’ve been told.”

They stood there in silence for a moment as Steve finished patching Tony up. Tony, as always, could never stay quiet for long.

“What are you still doing up anyway Rogers? Shouldn’t you have been in bed long ago, waiting to get up at the crack of dawn?”

Steve grinned, “You’re not the only one who likes to stay up late sometimes. I was out for a run.”

“At this hour?” Tony gaped. “God, you are crazy…”

Steve shrugged, “It helps me think.”

Before Tony could say any more Steve applied the last piece of medical tape to the gauze wrap. “There, good as new.”

Tony took his arm and moved it around, wincing slightly when the skin pulled.

“Be careful,” Steve cautioned, “It wasn’t big enough to need stitches thankfully, but you’re going to want to change the dressing a couple of times and you should take it easy with it.”

“Sir, yes sir!” Tony mock saluted, which earned him an eye-roll from Steve.

“Just be more careful with yourself.” Steve couldn’t help the subtle affection that was creeping into his tone, so he quickly grabbed his bloodied towel and started upstairs before he said anything else.

“Steve?”

He turned to see Tony gazing up at him with a bit of a smile on his face.

“Thanks.”

There was no mockery or sarcasm hidden in his voice, just pure sincerity. That, and the smile that came with it, made his chest tighten almost painfully. He could only nod and smile in return as he continued upstairs.

[stonyversity]

Flaws in Subtle Lines

First Year. December 2009:

The first week of December and the year was slowly coming to an end. These were the last few classes before exams started and Steve was lucky to have less exams than most first year students considering he was a fine arts students. His 'exams' were finishing large projects rather than sitting in a gymnasium for three hours writing out everything he could remember from study sessions. Except he did have a couple of those, mainly because he'd taken Art History which did have an exam. However, it didn't mean he wasn't stressed. He'd spent a good few weeks staying up much later than he normally did trying to get his projects finished on time.

Now he had the majority of his work done and he could relax until he started studying for his exams. It made sitting in front of his easel and large sketchpad for his drawing course much easier to focus on.

Steve's eyes widened when the model for the class walked in, long red and silk robe covering his body. His gait confident with an edge of smugness and Steve held back a scream of frustration or a groan of annoyance (they were practically synonymous) when his eyes through a suggestive glance in his direction.

Why the hell did Tony have to volunteer to be a model for his class? Then he remembered... last weekend...

“There is no way you would do it!” Clint shook his head, determined in his argument as he filled the blender with more fruit, rum and ice.

They were having yet another party in the lounge of Steve and Clint's dorm where they hosted their movie nights. This time alcohol was involved, even though Steve and Bruce weren't drinking, and they weren't planning on watching a movie, instead they were playing games. Thor and Natasha were sitting on a couch regarding their two feuding friends with amusement while Steve tried his best to ignore the conversation entirely – preferring to talk to Pepper about what her campaign to be president of the Commerce group, while Bruce was in the middle of dealing a new round of cards for Apples to Apples – which Tony stated as a boring and lame version of Cards Against Humanity, only Natasha laughed in acknowledgement as the rest of the group had never heard of the game.

“I have no qualms with the idea of a little exposure.” Tony shrugged, taking a swig of brandy.

“Little exposure?” Clint gaped, brow rising in astonishment. “Dude, it's the Full Monty. Not Half Monty, not partial Monty, not just a wee bit of Monty. Full. As in Clint Jr. would be there for everyone to see.”

A few members of the group shuddered, Thor laughed heartily.

“Not a big deal. Hell, I'd audition but there's no way I'm doing the whole song and dance of the wild, flamboyant theatre student.”

Clint responded by pressing down the button on the blender and letting the loud, whirling noise fill the room as he glared angrily at their resident playboy.

“Fine,” Clint spoke after turning the blender off, uncapping the lid as he started pouring the fruity concoction for the group to try. “I'll make you a deal.”

Tony nodded, lips curving into an interested grin.

“I'll audition for the Full Monty if you expose yourself publicly on campus – even if it means streaking illegally because we all know you can manage whatever the fine costs-”

“Around $1000, it varies from state to state and it can include no more than a year in prison.”

“Your knowledge of this concerns me...” Pepper added, shooting a disapproving look at her boyfriend that Steve interpreted as Tony being in the doghouse if he considered indecent exposure.

“Don't worry, Pep. I will not tiptoe over the law, this time.” Tony flashed her an honest yet arrogant smile before turning his attention back to Clint. “Challenge accepted.”

Now Tony was standing before him, taking off his robe and exposing himself for the entire class to see and Steve's first instinct was to avert his eyes, instead finding the blank canvas of his sketchpad far more interesting.

Why did he have to win the bet his way? It's true Steve had joined the rest of the group in betting that Clint would lose because it was Tony, he was going to expose himself and have no qualms about it because... well it was Tony. The only thing Steve didn't understand was why he was the one being punished for this. He didn't deserve a whole three hours of staring at Tony's naked body, sketching the various poses as he let it all hang out.

His professor passing by him woke Steve out of his stupor. Why should it matter who the model was? Steve had drawn nude models for an entire semester and not once had he let it get to him after that first day of being uncomfortable. The human body was a natural and beautiful thing... it shouldn't be awkward that he knew the model or that he was male. He simply had to see this as another model, another reference for sketching, not his friend who often made him question why they were friends to begin with.

Steve took a deep breath, but not too deep as to draw attention to himself in the room that was silent save for the pencil scratching on the paper and the slow, occasional footsteps of his professor, and he glanced up. Tony was in a standing pose, head lowered and eyes focused on the floor to his right, his hands followed his gaze in a point, his right hanging in a straight line next to his body while his left was bent at the elbow in front of his chest. It was a good pose and Tony seemed to be acting rather professional about the whole ordeal, making Steve's job easier.

His pencil followed the lines of Tony's body, focusing on the silhouette of his limbs as he was only doing a thirty second pose, and would be doing them for the next fifteen minutes. It wasn't until Tony started doing three minute and five minute poses that Steve started to draw his body in greater detail, but still his eyes only swept over his body, barely seeing anything other than the broad shape of it.

It was when the professor announced the model would be doing fifteen minute poses that Steve finally let his pencil see the subtle curves of Tony's lithe body. He was sitting in this pose. Back straight, one leg stretched out while the other was bent at the knee, his arms on either side of him as he stared in the direction of his extended leg. Tony's shoulders weren't as wide as his own but they were solid, as were his muscles. Again, not as well defined as Steve's but it was clear Tony was taking care of his body. His skin was more of a bronze than the majority of people who paled out in the winter and it was astonishing how young and serene Tony seemed when he wasn't putting on airs and being smug and superior about everything. His expression had softened as he let his mind wander, not a single muscle flinching or twitching in the position he chose. He looked... relaxed and calm in his own little world, not a care or concern for the people glancing up at him occasionally as they sketched the layout of his body.

Steve found himself putting far more detail into Tony's face with that pose rather than the rest of his body. The shape of his ear, the curve of his strong and expressive eyebrows, his jawline, nose, eyes, facial hair, everything looked at specifically while the rest of him was glanced over. He found it amazing that even in Tony's blank state, his face was expressing countless things to Steve. It was... impressive.

The next pose Tony kept a similar position as he brought his extended leg closer to account for his upper body leaning forward, pressing into his knee, arms on either side of the leg bent close to his body, wrists crossing above his foot. This time Steve paid closer attention to the detail of his body. The length of his spine that curved as he stretched forward, the muscles of his leg and arms taut and flexed in their position, even the shape of his foot and individual toes.

What he found his attention particular centered on Tony's hands during this pose. The lines as his wrists extended into his thumb; his long, nimble fingers; nails that were well taken care of but clearly used to a significant amount of work. He was fascinated by the contrast in his hands. Well worked but gentle and smooth. Steve knew how much Tony worked with his hands, they were his main tool despite using a ridiculous amount of tools – most of which Steve had sworn he'd invented himself – and that only meant Tony must moisturize, among other things, to keep his hands that healthy.

He got wrapped up in the detail of Tony's hands, the rough knuckles juxtaposed with his smooth skin, that he was startled when the timer went off. That was the last pose.

Tony got up, stretching limberly without care that he was naked before he replaced his robe over his body, and once again Steve had to avert his eyes as Tony's default expression of Stark-superiority fell into place. He vaguely wondered what Tony would be like if he didn't have the fame behind his name...

“Enjoy the show?” Tony grinned as he strutted over to Steve's easel.

Steve found he had to clear his throat before he could look up and meet Tony's gaze. “You, uh, you were very professional. I'm... amazed.”

“At the wonders of my masculine body?”

“At your ability to remain still without flaunting your body to the young, impressionable ladies that were drawing you.” Steve quipped, slowly recovering his ability to banter with his loud-mouthed friend.

“Who's to say I wasn't making eyes at a few of them when I had my back to you?” Tony shrugged, barely thrown by Steve's sarcastic response.

“Pepper.” Steve said simply, a smile tugging at his lips because he knew he'd win.

“Well, yeah technically Pepper I guess...” Tony grumbled, rolling his eyes and Steve couldn't help but wonder what his drawing would look like with a ball and chain attached to Tony's leg. Thankfully, however, he'd flipped the page to a blank one before Tony walked over.

“Either way,” Tony finally continued, completely dismissing their previous conversation now that his fun had been taken away. “You can tell the rest of the group that I followed through. Challenge completed. Twinkle-tights now gets to show the whole school his package.”

“Uh, technically,” Steve didn't want to say that he loved spoiling Tony's fun but... yeah he really did, “The bet was that if you exposed yourself publicly then Clint would audition for a role in the Full Monty. There's no guarantee that he'll get the role, and even though Clint is a good actor, there were no rules that stated he couldn't purposefully bomb the audition.”

Tony's grin was gone in an instant before it transformed into something nonchalant as he shrugged his shoulders. “Oh well, not like Clint won anything. I've been nude in front of far more people. This one time-”

“Please, Tony. I do not need to know the details of what happened that one time at science camp.” Steve held up his hands to urge Tony to stop talking before he stood up from his seat and began collecting all his belongings.

“Fine,” Tony grinned, backing away from Steve's easel, “wouldn't want to offend your delicate sensibilities. Especially after I made you sit through three hours of basking in the glory that is my flawless body.” He turned around then, walking back toward the model's changing room and leaving Steve alone in the room.

Steve rolled his eyes at Tony's antics. He hardly had a flawless body, as he flipped back through his many sketches he could point out many of Tony's flaws... but flaws were what made people who they were. Steve shook his head, unsure about the strange feeling in his stomach, and shut his sketchbook before packing the rest of his supplies into his bag. He was probably hungry, having skipped breakfast that morning, because any other explanation would be absurd.