Tony sighs softly as he pulls over to the side of the dark road. He waits a moment before turning the engine off and takes in the miserable figure before him. Steve was sitting by the side of the road next to some Motorcycle that seems like it had seen better days. He was drawn in on himself and looking very defeated.
He leaves the lights on as he steps out of the car. Steve had called him past dark, past midnight, saying he was out of gas on interstate 95… somewhere near Augusta, Maine. He had no idea why Steve was all the way out there, and he sounded absolutely wrecked over the phone. Tony had wasted no time in hopping into his father's Porsche 959 and drove out to get him.
"What happened, Steve?" Tony asks as he walks over to him, "And where did you get the bike?" His stomach sinks at the heartbroken expression Steve gives him.
Tony crouches down next to Steve by his spot on the side of the road. They guy's blond hair was messy with filth and bugs, his face dirty and tear stained. He had a feeling it was less to do with the fact he didn't have a helmet and something else.
He laid a comforting hand on Steve's shoulder. "Steve? You okay, buddy?" he asks softly.
Steve puts his face in his hands and lets out a shaky breath. "They know" is all he says.
Tony goes cold all over. "They know what?" He thinks he knows what Steve is talking about, he hopes he is wrong. "Steve…"
Steve scoffs bitterly, turning away. He could see the fresh tears rolling down his handsome face. "That-… that I'm gay".
He sits himself down and sighs. He couldn't imagine Steve's orphanage taking too well to that. At all. "Shit" he breathes out, "Sorry"
"Not your fault." Steve says. "I- Well, it was going to happen someday. I wish it didn't, but…"
Tony stays quiet, waiting for Steve to continue. He knew Steve was gay, and had guarded that information carefully for years. He and Steve both knew how hard people were on people like them.
"Hodge saw me eying up some guy after school. Told Father Schmidt. I ran off before he could get his hands on me." Steve explains.
Tony pulls Steve in for a tight hug.
"Only a few more years, right? I'll live" Steve laughs, but is strained and bitter. It's not a laugh at all really.
"You could run away." Tony says. He knows Steve can't, but he wishes he could. He knows that people would go looking for Steve and find him. There were only so many places for a 15 year old to run to, and even then….
Steve pulls back from the hug. "And go where?" He says, a slight edge to his tone. Tony knows it wasn't aimed at him, but the system that he was part of. "There ain't many options for a guy like me, Tony"
"Steve…" Tony pulls Steve back into the hug and Steve doesn't fight it. "What about you live with me? We have so many spare rooms that we don't use. No one would mind." His parents probably won't even notice. It wasn't like they ate as a family anymore. They are either away for work or in their own respective studies. It's normally just the house staff and himself. They wouldn't mind Steve. Or his friend for that matter... "Barnes as well." he adds.
"I'd be a burden" Steve says sadly. "Its fine, I'll be okay"
He hardly thinks Steve would ever be a burden, and he hates that Steve could ever think of himself like that. "Okay, but remember, the offer will always be there" Steve nods quietly.
Tony stands up and helps Steve up from the road. "We should get going" he says
Working together, they manage to get the bike onto the roof of the car. They don't have any racks, just a lot of rope. It'll do. They lay the car flat on the roof and do their best, but neither of them were boy scouts. But it was better than nothing.
"Where did you get the bike from anyway?" Tony asks.
Steve shrugs. "I donno. I-... Well, I kinda ran around the city for a bit an' just came across it. I didn't really think about it."
Tony can't help himself but laugh. All the times his father said he should 'be more like that boy, Steve'. If only his father knew what a punk the guy was. Well, he wasn't going tell the old man, might just give him an aneurysm. He and Steve were more alike than his father would be comfortable in all honesty. "It's okay. We'll drop it off by the Police Station, they'll handle it."
"What about you? You'll be in deep shit, you don't even have a license. Can't even grow that beard you keep talking about yet."
Tony flips him off, "Yeah, whatever, Rogers. Not the only one too young to have a license here. Besides. I'm Tony Fucking Stark. They can't do shit"
Steve shakes his head, "I'm pretty sure breaking the law is breaking the law. Your father's lawyers won't be able-"
"They've dealt with it before. No big"
"Thanks" Steve says earnestly.
"For you, Rogers. Anytime. Maybe next time run my way, huh? Or just call?"
"Yeah." Steve says softly, "yeah, okay"
Steve winces at the scratches the bike made to the car. "Your Dad is gonna kill you, you know?"
"Eh, I could just say I hit a deer or something…" he says with a shrug. His father probably wouldn't even care, it's not like they were short on money.
Steve laughs, "In reverse?" he asks disbelievingly. He loves Steve's laugh. The way his smile brightens his face and lights up his eyes.
"He won't care" he says. "I'll tell him I won. That I bested that dear. All manly like. He'll eat it up, love it even."
Steve laughs even harder and he joins him.
He gives Steve a light shove to the passenger side of the car. "Come on, let's get back. You can stay the night."
The End
Notes: For my Cap-Iron Man Bingo Prompt "Out Of Gas" [S2]