A/N: This is an AU story, with no super powers and actually I just stole Tony and Steve and tried to imitate Tony's snarkiness and cute rambling. It contains a bit of angst as the story goes on (hopefully I'll get on with it, but I warn you, I'll be terribly slow because of this damn thing called school) and friendship and probably some romance? I suppose, yes.
Summary: Steve finally got into art school, but what the hell? he has an artblock, so that leaves him with watching a TV talk-show, where there is an arrogant bastard of a guest, called Tony Stark. Who might have some resemblance to his long-lost friend - who is also Tony. And this man just might help him get over his artblock.
Pairing: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
slight warning for my swear-word vocab...
Sketches
~1~
~*An arrogant man*~
Steve was sitting in the corner of the couch of his small living room staring at some programme on TV. At first he didn't even want to turn it on, but he was desperate for anything that would take his mind off of his art-block.
This art-block was especially annoying. He had worked through the entire summer so that he could pay for his school and during that time when he barely found the strength in himself at the end of a day to change for bed, new ideas were bursting his mind and his hands, but now as he would be obliged to get at least a few of them done, even though his fingers were itching for a charcoal or a brush he wouldn't put a damn line on paper.
Yes, Steve was definitely beyond irritated.
Among normal terms he would be outside on a run or something to clear his head and hope for anything, a bird, a kid in the park, really, anything to kick in as inspiration. But nope. The weather was gray and rainy and cold. Dull. And shitty as it had been since the end of summer. So it wasn't helping at all either.
So it left him with the TV.
The upcoming programme finally perked up his interest. He liked this one. Well, sort of. He wasn't head over heels for talk-shows but this one – unlike all the others – sometimes had some sense and something important to say. They invited successful people, businessmen, film stars, politicians, anyone who made it big, and they talked about what motivated them, who were the important people in their lives. You know, things that would show the average people, that they aren't that special.
Or maybe, that they really are that special to make it so far.
Some of the invited were just egoist bastards. And Steve felt only pity for them. Unfortunately there were more and more of this kind.
Not that Steve was a regular watcher of this programme. He usually wasn't even at home at this time – he was either working or at school, but now near the end-of-term exams and arts waiting for him to be done he had neither.
And there came the signal of 'Behind the stars', conducted applauding and cheering from the audience as the camera zoomed onto the presenter, Chris Seeman, who had that foul yet in some sense attractive flashy smile plastered on his face as he waited for the clapping to cease so that he could introduce today's guest.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it's great to be here today. And it's even better that one of my greatest wishes, which I've been harbouring for like 3 years now, came true, and I can be sitting across a man who shouldn't be introduced to anyone who watches TV at least once a year or jogs passed a newsvendor boot now and then. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Anthony Edward Stark..."
As he trailed off the camera passed to the man across from Chris and his name flashed on the screen. And the audience went crazy.
Steve felt a strong urge to turn down the volume if not switch off the whole thing.
Of course, he was one of the few on Earth who had no idea who this Stark man was. He watched TV, yes, and he jogged quite a lot on the streets too, but he never cared much for celebrity news.
And the guy was just like one. As far as he could tell behind the shelter of the tinted lenses of the sunglasses and tailored, painfully fitting suit, he had the looks – the looks of a killer, but Steve would never admit that his inner thoughts formed and played with such ideas. He had tanned skin, dark hair, perfectly shaped goatee that highlighted his flashing white teeth behind the most attractive smile Steve'd ever seen. Except that it was sharp, and he was sure it didn't reach Stark's eyes.
Steve had a good ability at judging if one's smile was true or not and was quite good at reading what was behind it. Stark's smile was one flashy accessory for his appearances in the media. Charming, but he had his own thoughts of you behind those glasses. And he was already calculating. You couldn't get a win, no matter what situation you were in, he was always a step ahead of you.
A smile of a businessman. Likely without a heart. These were this kind.
"Hello, Mr. Stark, nice to have you here." Chris started their conversation, turning towards the man, holding his question card in one hand.
"Mr. Stark was my father. It's Tony. And hi."
Words rolled from those lips smoothly. Stark could definitely lure you into anything he wanted.
Steve felt uncomfortable in front of the TV screen. He didn't dislike anyone. But even though this man in that cushioned red leather chair was radiating charm, he couldn't surpass one part of his mind screaming 'narcissist, egoist, cocky bastard' at Stark. And even that part of his mind seemed to be true.
Tony... No. This can only be a coincidence. His Tony was a nice guy. Heartbroken and shattered and bitter, but a good man. This Tony wasn't.
"So, Tony, then." Chris smiled. "I'd have a very difficult task introducing you in a few words, in case someone actually didn't know you –"
"Which is quite rare."
"That's right, pretty rare nowadays. But you have a very witty way of introducing yourself. So if you could describe yourself in four words –"
"You've been waiting for the chance to make me say genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, haven't you?"
Those four words and that cocky smirk...
"Yes, actually." Chris chuckled, and tried to suppress his childish glee and discomfort all the same time, that Stark always interrupted him, staggering his position at having the reins in his hands. "I would like to get to the main point immediately – "
"Aww, Chris, come on! You're no fun at all."
"– as everybody knows, this show is about to get to know who helped people like you – "
"There's no such like me." Stark muttered under his breath, but still loud enough for the mics to pick his words.
"- to success." Chris obviously fought to finish his sentence and sent a disapproving frown at Stark, who only flashed him a sharp smile in return. "Especially that you became the most successful man in the past 3 years. Becoming CEO of Stark Industries at the age of 21,after the sudden death of Mr. Stane, getting many prizes I wouldn't dare to list – "
"To tell you the truth, I don't mind keeping a record of them either. They are so useless anyway. Just showcase, nothing damn meaningful."
While Chris frowned and wiped his hands in the fabric of his trousers as his irritation and discomfort was getting at him, the urge had risen in Steve again to turn off the show. However, somehow these nonchalant yet so cutting remarks kept him on this channel. A feeling stirred in his whole existence – that this guy – who just turned out to be no more than 25! – may not only be an egoist who only minds polishing his image and looking down the whole world that's not his almighty self. There was something behind his words that held a sharp, blunt truth, he just couldn't grab them, couldn't take a peek under their disguise.
"Would you mind sharing your thoughts about this?"
"To scandalize and ruin everyone's opinion about me?" Stark faked his best innocent-look that obviously added to Chris' discomfort.
"No, I didn't mean to-"
"Don't worry, honey, there's nothing to ruin." now Stark had that smirk on his lips – of course, he was playing with the presenter. Poor guy. And the audience just loved it. It looked like, they loved these sudden changes and snarky remarks in the conversation. Or more likely: all in all, they loved Stark, no matter what a dick he was. "Anyway these prizes are so useless. Just a reason for people to gather, throw a flashy party, giving you one hell of a time preparing for a speech and to restrict yourself from making faces and throwing insults, and to assure everyone that you're working on a better future – because it's important to know that we have a future, right? – then you have to throw another party to cheer and celebrate – sometimes I don't even know what, and not that I would need any more money, right? So really. I just keep on wondering why they still bother giving me anything at all. Maybe after this they won't..."
"Probably because of your great and difficult decision for closing up the arm-division and of the other breakthroughs your company made on other fields, like healthcare and defence-systems."
Stark snorted in disgust.
"If the world were working all fucking right – I would be outlaw, by the way – such things should not be praised and be the natural decisions to be made."
"I can't deny any of this."
"Of course, 'cause I'm damn straight right." Stark agreed with a sneer but then all of a sudden his expression perked up into a cheeky grin. "Just as always."
"So it wasn't a difficult decision at all to change like the whole profile of your father's company?"
"You always have to come back to the serious business, don't you? And anyway, it is my company. I can change whatever I want. The old man is pretty much dead if I remember correctly, so please don't make it sound like I just sabotage his life's perfect work! "
"I didn't want to imply such thing." Chris couldn't handle Stark's pout. Really what was up with this guy? He actually bent Chris around his finger, he couldn't even come up with a witty remark, even though he was good with such things himself on his normal behalf. "But what brought you to that decision? Things had been going fantastic, as I recall."
"Definitely. But there are always things you have to change. They get terribly boring very fast, and I don't take boring well. I don't do boring. And turning on the TV and being asked questions about how I sleep when I'm producing weapons and killing people on a daily basis got very soon annoying and dull. I'm sleeping well, by the way, if anyone's still interested. When I sleep at all. Blue eyes are keeping me occupied."
"And who were the people who inspired you to take that path? I mean, you reached such peaks most of us don't even dream about. There must be people helping you on your road. For whom you are grateful to be there or to have them in your way. Like your parents, they were well-known good people, or Mr. Stane, your teachers who might have pushed you in the right direction..."
For a mere second there was a dark shadow crossing Stark's features followed by the hint of a smirk, which Steve only picked up because he was watching all this man's stirs – looking for something. Something he couldn't put his finger on just yet, but he knew it was there – something somewhere.
"Oh yeah. I should definitely be grateful for my father for providing me such a dysfunctional family and making my childhood feel like hell and then leaving me when I would need some kind of the slightest support, with nothing else but the legacy of a billion-dollar company, being the biggest weapon-producer of the States and the nickname of Merchant of Death. Which is actually cool to have such a bloody nickname, just saying.
"And my godfather who acted as if he cared for me, and vetoed all my peaceful designs only accepting those of the mass-killing stuff, making me quit university before my last year and nearly forcing me into suicide, and then trying to murder me a few times before I could take over the company. Really heart-warming memories of my people and inspiring things. I had the best role-models to follow, don't you agree?" Tony flashed a mincing smirk first to the slightly shocked Chris and then to the camera so that everyone could see.
From behind those sunglasses loathing radiated out, mixed up with mirth and gloating adding up to an unreadable and strange mixture.
"... but aren't there people who inspired you? For whom you actually really are grateful?" Chris was a little bit lost and his question cards didn't help him out either. Tony Stark was an unpredictable man. And it was just rubbed in his face. Again.
"Aren't they great enough?" Tony presented an innocent look, but it was only as innocent as the cat who knew he got the canary and now was just waiting for the cream to be presented on the table. "Giving you the perfect foundation of emotional stability and the chance to be faced with the cruel reality of a broke where it doesn't even count how brilliant you might be? It can be the most inspiring, trust me."
"No, no, this is not what I actually meant. I was thinking about for example Pepper Potts. You seem to be very close. And you sure have other friends..." Chris was getting desperate now to keep the conversation on the track he had planned that he finally managed to ask the main question. He couldn't handle such overwhelming amount of sarcasm.
Because that's it what it was, right?
Tony let out an amused chuckle.
"What should I be grateful for? For Pepper beating all martyrs and saints to the end with her long-suffering looks and taking the lead of my company out of my hand? Or for screaming at me all the time to get myself together and dragging me away from my workshop, because I'm supposed to be an average human being and need sleep and food, and taking up with my shit for years now? Definitely nothing to be thankful for.
"Or Rhodey, who made my last year at university a piece of hell because I couldn't go out with him partying because of his lack of dancing skills, plus beating the crap out of me a few times when I most needed to be left alone to drown in self-pity?
"Or the most honest and naive man with the most mesmerizing blue eyes that still haunt me in my nightmares and all in all every time I close my eyes, who stopped me from blowing up the whole world and jumping off the bridge and get relieved?
"Or anyone who managed to spend more than an hour in my presence, then didn't come to the conclusion immediately that I was a shit-man and missed to flee the city as soon as possible? It's natural that people can't resist my charm.
"So I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."
Stark was met with silence. Everyone was staring at him bewildered and shocked. You could hear a fly had there been one. He got what his theatrical self was seeking – his audience was taken aback by his speech. He raised a questioning eyebrow as if he didn't understand what had been so surprising.
"Why should I be thankful for these people? What for? Why should anyone? For always being there when you need someone to grab your wrist when you'd feel eager to cut it open? Or stop your hands when you're reaching for the fourth bottle in one night? Or smiling at you when you feel like shit? Or just beating some sense into you at those moments, and drag you out of your frigging dark hole of misery and yell to man up when no one would give a fuck for you? What are these things? They haven't done anything big, or great. They didn't win millions of dollars – while killing hundreds of innocents and making thousands orphan by blood as a collateral damage. It doesn't count, right? They didn't throw great flashy parties to meet other dumbasses in dresses and tuxes which cost so much they could feed an African village for a year from their prices. They didn't get to the scandal columns, they didn't sleep around like whores. They were just good. And who cares for good nowadays? It's natural, isn't it? Everyone is so fucking perfect and flawless it just makes us so frigging bad at it."
Chris and - Steve would bet all his tuition fee that everyone in front of the screens were staring at Stark jaws slack and eyes wide open in shock.
Because just what. the. fucking. hell. was. that?
...
TBC
I liked very much writing this part, and it includes my own opinion quite a lot (of course), and it's probably my most favourite part of the whole fanfic I'm planning to write... and please forgive my mistakes, I might have not caught snarky irritating Tony as much as I wanted :/
Please review, and share what you think!