A/N: This is part of the college AU, going after Take Me Back, and before Cemetery Weather. Enjoy!
Steve isn't fond of parties, so he's not quite sure why he's spending yet another Thursday night in some strangers' apartment. It isn't that he's not social; it's just that he prefers the quiet of his dorm room to the pounding rap music that's currently playing over the speakers. Not to mention, he'd only gotten off work an hour ago, and he'd prefer to wind down after his nine hour shift with his sketch pad and a World War II documentary.
Instead, he's standing against a wall in a crowded living room, with a red Solo cup filled with God-knows-what. At least it'll take the edge off, he figures as he takes another sip, wincing slightly. The awkward blonde glances at his watch; he's only been here an hour, but it feels like so much longer. Unfortunately, it's also only ten thirty, so he knows he'll be here for quite a bit longer.
He'll stay until Tony leaves, or until he has to carry the boy out; whichever comes first. Not that Tony even cares if he stays. He wants him there, sure, since they're best friends. But the younger boy would never admit he needs Steve to make sure he's safe. He reasonably knows he can't stop Tony from drinking, but he can at least try to make sure he gets home safe and sound.
While he waits, he finishes off the concoction he'd been handed upon entering the apartment, and then opts for a good, old-fashioned beer. Once he's got a good buzz going, he finds it a little easier to socialize. He's nice enough to the girls who come up to him, but he also tries to make sure they can see he's not interested.
It's embarrassing, but Steve is fully willing to admit he's basically always been single. He's dated a few guys here and there, but he just never really connected with any of them. Then, of course, there's his crush on Tony; if one calls being completely head-over-heels in love a "crush." He's never acted on it, though. First of all, he knows Tony is straight; the kid practically beds a new girl a few times a weekend. Tony is also still only seventeen; hell, he was only sixteen when they'd met a year ago, a full four years younger than Steve.
Steve decides to seek out more of the jungle juice he'd been given early, feeling suddenly glum about his love life. After a another cup-full or two scooped out of the large bucket it's in, Steve can definitively say he's wasted. Even he can't believe he's actually this drunk, especially since he's there to look after their group's resident binge drinker. It does make everything feel better, though. He starts to relax, and when another guy approaches him to dance, he even accepts it.
Actually, this guy is kind of cute. He's smaller than Steve, slender but still muscular. He has dark hair, and dark eyes to match. His skin is tan, not quite in a natural, glowing way, but still, he has a nice smile. They dance for a while, getting a little closer with each song, until they're grinding on each other; much like the other couples in the room. Normally, Steve might be embarrassed by this kind of behavior, but he's had a little bit too much to drink to care.
It just feels good, to have someone's body against his own. The nameless brunette is squeezing his ass and sucking on his neck. Steve leans into it, capturing the other man's lips in a drunken kiss. And then the smaller man is leading Steve away from the living room, and toward a bedroom, and Steve doesn't mind. He's drunk, he's horny, and damn this guy feels good. As they make their way down the hallway, groping and pawing each other, they look for an empty room. They find a door that's still slightly ajar, and take that as a good sign. What they find, however, is not what Steve expected.
Inside, Steve freezes. The small brunette tries to lead him to another room, but Steve is stuck where he is. On the bed, naked and entangled with a tall, blonde football player, is Tony. Steve literally can't believe his eyes. Tony is straight. He sleeps with girls.
What's also disturbing Steve, is that this isn't some eighteen year old freshman that Tony usually goes for, it's a twenty-two year old senior. He's actually someone Steve and Tony know, being a teammate of Thor and Clint's. He's about six feet tall, with short bleached-blonde hair, and blue eyes. And while he's a pretty attractive guy, he's always irked Steve; he seems fake, untrustworthy.
Seething, Steve pulls Tony out of the bed and hastily dresses the blacked out kid, before carrying him back to his dorm. He'd have Thor deal with the blonde prick later.
Still drunk himself, Steve is trying to process what's just happened. He knows Tony isn't gay, so is he bisexual? Or was this some kind of drunken college mistake he'll swear he doesn't remember? Steve doesn't want to get his hopes up, but he knows that even drunk, Tony knows what he's doing; it's just his judgment that's off.
Steve, surprisingly, makes it back to his dorm, and is able to deposit Tony on the bed, before passing out next to him.
The next morning he wakes up with his arms wrapped around Tony, and slowly pulls away; he doesn't want to wake the younger man. His head is throbbing, he discovers once he moves it, and his mouth is as dry as a wad full of paper towels. Steve is fairly certain he's never had a hangover like this before, and can't even fathom how Tony wakes up like this so often. He's wondering what happened last night, when he suddenly starts to get flashes of it.
The most important thing he remembers is that Tony likes guys. Maybe there's hope then, after all, he muses while downing the water bottle on the table next to the bed. Then again, he knows he probably isn't Tony's type and that Tony doesn't actually date anyone; and Steve doesn't want to be just another one of the notches on Tony's bed post.
Right now, he decides, it isn't all that important, so he lies back down with Tony still next to him.
A/N: I'm thinking I might right this from Tony's point of view, and add it on as a second chapter. Would that be interesting?