Woohoo, chapter two! Welcome back to this madness, so we left off with Tony walking into the living room. I wont try to hold you up here, onto the chapter!
Steve looked up at Tony when he walked into the room. His eyes were still slightly glazed with awe and his pupils were dilated as if he was trying to take in everything at once. Loki was, as JARVIS had said, playing Mortal Kombat happily on the couch and Clint was perched atop the television stand.
Tony found himself snorting slightly as he sank gracelessly down onto the couch, acting as if nothing had happened in the lab. Clint spoke first. "So what sciencey dork stuff did you guys find out?"
"Well, our buddy Thor here has the digestive system of a god; he has the enzymes to digest anything. How's it been with you and Cu-Steve, need anything?" Bruce's voice wavered
Steve's attention seemed to snap directly to Bruce as he raised a formed eyebrow. Clint also held a slightly confused expression. "We've been watching Loki yell at the television. It's actually more entertaining than you'd think, he's a very skilled gamer."
Thor nodded delightfully. "Loki spends lots of time playing video games at home, my favourite is the one with the rainbow bridge."
Loki made a soft growl in the back of his throat but said nothing else. Tony watched as Loki performed a drop kick on the other character. He whooped in triumph, a large pearly grin curling on his lips. "Take that bastard!"
Tony shivered slightly. "Let's do a movie marathon."
"Can we watch the one with the ponies?" Thor asked, munching on another poptart.
"What ponies?" Clint squinted.
"He's talking about that 'My Little Pony' movie," Loki sighed. "Why don't we watch something more beneficial like Avatar or something."
"The blue people?" Thor tilted his head.
Loki nodded with a hint of finality. "The blue people."
"Sounds good," Tony grinned, getting up to put the movie on.
Tony had fallen asleep somewhere during the middle of the movie, much to Loki's distress seeing as the brunnette ended up leaning against him in his sleep. Loki huffed and shoved Tony over, slightly impressed when he didn't so much as stur more than enough to press his nose into Steve's knee. Steve didn't seem to mind, in fact he pulled Tony's torso closer over to his lap so as to prevent the shorter from falling off of the couch. At least, that's what he would claim if he was questioned on it.
Bruce had passed out on the floor near the flatscreen, monster energy drink at hand. He had tried to desperately keep awake mostly because this was his favorite movie and he wanted to try and keep order. He woke up due to the sound of Tony being pushed over. He didn't know if he should do something, waking him up would cause Tony to have a embarrassed fit. He did, however, take note of Steve's actions.
Steve yawned tiredly, slowly pulling his phone from his pocket. He wasn't aware that Bruce had woken and was watching him. He called Bucky, fighting off another yawn. It picked up after the second ring and he spoke in a hushed tone, afraid of waking anyone. "Hey Buck, I just called to tell you that we're going to bed now." He listened to the murmured reply, completely aware of how late it was. "Sorry for waking you, you can go back to sleep now. Good night Buck." He pocketed his phone once more.
Thor was half on the arm of the couch, half on the ground with a partially eaten poptart in hand. The Poptart fell to the ground and it was painfully obvious that it would be forgotten until the morning.
Howard Stark found himself back in the living room shortly after midnight to turn off the lights.
The group of boys was woken the next morning by Tony's home system, JARVIS, playing Baby by Justin Beiber very loudly over the home speakers. Clint fell off of the television stand and cursed loudly, Thor started humming along, Loki turned a pale green colour, and Tony flushed a very vibrant shade of red. "Dad! What the hell did you do to JARVIS?"
Bruce just tried to suppress a chuckle, this had not been the first time this happened. Last time Bruce came over, it was even louder.
"Shut up Bruce," Tony barked, glaring balefully at his friend. "JARVIS, turn that god awful shit off!"
"I'm sorry Sir but my commands have been over ridden."
"Dad!" Tony looked downright murderous as he tore through the house.
Steve had a lost expression. "What is this?"
"Just his favorite song," Bruce almost died laughing
Steve, if possible, just looked even more lost. "If it's his favourite song then why did he seem so angry?"
"This is the most annoying song in all of the universe, Banner was joking," Loki grunted, a hand over his stomach as if he were trying not to get sick.
"I like it," said Thor, softly singing along.
The song cut off and Tony reappeared, looking slightly less angry. "That was my dad's idea of a joke," he grumbled to himself. "Come on, we'd better get ready for school. We leave in an hour."
"And I'm the 'Angry rage monster,'" Bruce scoffed
Clint peeled himself from the ground, rubbing his back slightly as he stumbled over to everyone else. "Shut up Bruce," Tony muttered, disappearing down the hall to get clothes for everyone before heading to his own room to change.
Tony grumbled unintelligibly as he joined everyone at their lunch table. This year just kept getting better and better. Next thing you knew they'd be asking him to build a giant shield to put on the top of the building.
"Could you turn it down Stark? No one can hear themselves think over your brooding" Bruce said snarkily.
"My bad, Banner, but you aren't the one who has to show around a Russian transfer student sometime this week?," Tony scowled.
"Yes and how will I ever plan this out in time with all your moaning?," Bruce hissed.
Tony huffed slightly."Plan what out?"
"Trying to steer them away from you the best I can so I have the slightest shred of hope to keep them happy with this place," Bruce's anger slowly diminishing. "Besides, I have no clue who they are so I need to think this through. Anybody heard of them?"
Thor nodded. "The football team was briefed earlier today. We were told to look out for a red headed girl who goes by the name of Natasha."
Loki snorted as he sat down. "What's so frightening about a redhead?"
"Oh you'd be surprised," a girl said as she sat down beside Tony, right between him and Steve. Her red hair flowed down her back as she smiled innocently at Loki.
"Hey Pep," Tony smiled slightly, eyebrows twitching in confusion.
"Who is this?" Thor asked, raising a spoonful of pie to his lips.
"This is Virginia Pepper Potts, my first girlfriend." Tony said with a shrug. He stabbed at the occupants of his tray mindlessly.
"Girlfriend? You mean you actually hit it off with the ladies?" Clint guffawed, his blue eyes sparkled with humor.
"Watch it Barton," Tony growled. "We broke up a month before school ended so it wasn't really... News worthy I guess."
"Obviously if we're just now hearing about this," Clint laughs. "I was afraid you might be batting for the other team." He hummed happily, completely oblivious to the way Tony fidgeted beside Pepper and the way Steve's eyes darted about the room as if trying to find a safe spot.
The tension in the air was broken by Thor's loud exclamation of, "This pie, I like it..." He raised his spoon and threw it on the table. "Another!"
Pepper stared at him as if he'd grown another head. "Stop being so barbaric."
Thor looked utterly confused. "I am sorry, I did not mean it." Pepper looked satisfied as she nodded approval.
Bruce raised an eyebrow. Sure Thor wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed but he wasn't barbaric. Bruce didn't like how satisfied she look at Thor's befuddled expression after his apology.
Tony scoffed, "Don't apologize to her Thor, if she doesn't approve she can go somewhere else." He accompanied this with a pointed glance at Pepper who waved it off flippantly. "Throw all the silverware you want to, Thor. Don't let her tell you what to do."
"No wonder you couldn't keep her long, Stark," Clint snorted. "You should know that the woman's always right even when she's wrong."
Steve made a face. He wouldn't agree to that. If someone was wrong, they were wrong. There was no in-between.
Bruce offered Thor his food to get Thor to forget what happened; Bruce couldn't stand people like her.
Thor accepted happily, no longer paying attention to Pepper as she scoffed unhappily and stood up. "Why did you come over here," Tony asked her with a lack of interest.
Pepper flicked her hair over her shoulder. "Am I not allowed to miss you?"
"I'm not taking you back," Tony said monotonously. "I left you for a good reason."
She puffed her cheeks and stormed off. "Trouble in paradise?" Tony spun around to find a redheaded student adorned with shaded glasses.
Tony's nose scrunched. "I don't like her anymore."
"I caught that." He grinned lopsidedly. "If you want my advice, look for someone with the same interests and possibly the same social status as you. You sound sort of geeky so look for someone into art or science or literature."
Tony just blinked. "I'm not into Bruce like that."
Bruce, who had not been paying attention, suddenly had his attention snap on to Tony. His face turning a light pink colour as he said, "Wait what? What the hell did I miss Stark?"
Clint choked on his drink and started coughing. Thor pounded him on the back in hopes of being helpful.
The strange kid in shades chuckled. "You'll find someone."
"Who are you?" Tony scowled.
"I'm just that blind kid that no one takes seriously," he responded, his smile widening a tad. "I'll, uh, see you around. Not literally of course."
Tony watched dumbstruck as he wandered off, brushing against tables and narrowly avoiding people as he brushed his walking staff in front of him. He turned back to the occupants at the table who were staring at him. Bruce's face was a colour that was bright enough to rival that of a fresh tomato.
"What?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at them.
"Nothing," Bruce's face regaining it's natural color. "But I think I know someone who matches that description," Bruce shoots a quick discrete glance at Steve.
Tony rolled his eyes. "I'm not interested in whoever you have in mind." He pushed away from the table and walked off.
Clint, who had finally regained some composure, blinked rapidly. "What the hell? Was he suggesting... No. He... No." Clint shook his head adamantly and folded his hands on the table. "Now let's see, ah, the new transfer student."
Steve was glad for a change of subject. "The art club is making a little collage to display for her. It'll show all of the possible clubs she can join."
Thor grinned. "The football team is supposed to be practicing plays when she shows up, I'm not sure I'll be able to meet her."
Loki tutted. "Why would she want to meet you, oaf?" He rolled his eyes. "I personally think she'd be better off leaving well enough alone."
"No one asked you," Clint retorted.
They argued a bit more until the bell rang, telling them that lunch was over. Steve was the first to leave. He had a free period after lunch today and he intended on spending it in the library. He was slightly shocked to find Tony sitting at a table with a few books beside him. He walked over and said, "Is this seat taken?" He was motioning to the one in front of Tony.
Tony shook his head. "Go ahead, I don't mind." He never once looked up from the book he was reading. It was a book on inventions, no surprise there, and Steve smiled softly before going off to get his own book.
He returned shortly after with a book on World War II. He hummed softly before sitting down and opening it. He wasn't really reading it, just skimming through and reading bits and parts that he had always found interesting.
Tony glanced sidelong at Steve.
Steve, suddenly feeling watched, looked over at Tony and flushed. "What?"
"You actually think I'm going to buy that? It's horribly obvious that you aren't actually reading."
Steve flushed again. "So?"
"Nothing." Tony sniffed slightly and pressed his nose into his book.
Steve closed his book and put it down. "Alright, what is it?"
"Why'd they want me to show this new student around?" Tony whined slightly.
Steve shrugged. "Because you're popular?"
Tony puckered his lips as if he'd eaten a lemon. "Thor would be a better candidate than me."
"Maybe so but you shouldn't argue with Mister Fury."
Tony nodded slightly. "That would be bad. I wouldn't be allowed in my lab if my dad-"
Steve watched with a raised eyebrow as Tony's eyes widened. "What?"
"My dad," Tony growled. "He's behind this."
"Tony, don't jump to conclusions-"
"I'm not jumping to any conclusions, I know it was my fucking dad." Tony glared at the book in his hands and dropped it back onto the table. "He's trying to set me up again, I don't want to be in a relationship and he's trying to fucking set me up."
"Tony-"
"I'll see you later Steve," Tony jumped up and ran out of the library.
Steve just stared after him in a state of confusion.
Tony glared down at his hands which he had folded in his lap. He was still red in the face and ready to knock someone out. He'd just gotten through arguing with his dad and Professor Hill had walked by. Perfect timeout, really–if you thought that being sent to Principal Fury for arguing with your dad was a good thing.
Which it wasn't.
Tony found himself growling softly.
The office door opened and Tony was mildly surprised when he saw Loki rather than another teacher. "What are you in for?" He asked quietly, lazily glaring back down at the floor.
"I punched Banner in the face," the black haired male said with an air of smugness.
Bruce walked in moments later, a hand covering his nose and blood dripping from between his fingers. "Dude," Tony said, having looked up again. "You look like shit."
"Thanks, you're looking like a real model yourself," Bruce scoffed at the still red Tony. Bruce was tempted to hit Loki back, he really was willing to take the reprimands.
Loki snorted. Tony just flushed brighter. "Yeah well at least you aren't the one with a jackass father."
"Are you sure your dad's the jackass here?" Bruce's voice escalated. First Loki then Tony. Lovely.
Tony puckered his lips. "He volunteered me to show around a new student and his reasoning is 'because I need to see people.'"
Loki snorted once more. "Lonely hearts," he looked at Tony. "That's what you and I are."
"I am nothing like you," Tony scowled. "Sure Bruce and I argue all the time but I'd never punch him. He'd just as easily tear me limb from limb as I would solve a scientific equation."
"Maybe if you recognized how you felt, you could start seeing a certain someone. It could even be someone you already know personally; someone who you maybe talk to everyday, hell, it doesn't have to be the best-looking… girl." Bruce hesitated a little right before 'girl'.
Tony's eyes narrowed. "And what might this girl look like?"
"I don't know Stark, you tell me." Bruce looked Tony straight in the eye ignoring the waterfall of blood coming from his nose.
Tony's eyes widened comically. "Bruce." He growled a warning. "It's not like that."
"Oh so you do have someone in mind. Why not try seeing them," At this point Bruce wasn't trying to antagonize Tony, he was just tired of Tony's denial.
Tony growled and glared down at his feet. "Get your ass in the nurse's office before I give you another reason you'll need to see her."
Bruce just dropped his cover. "The hell's your problem Tony? I'm trying to help you out and you're being a prick for absolutely no reason. Why are you denying it? There no point to that." Bruce braced himself for the worst; he was hurt but not weak.
Tony growled a warning. Loki shifted slightly, away from the angered boy. "Bruce, drop it. There's nothing going on between-"
"Mister Stark," Principal Fury's voice called out,breaking the tension in the air. "I hope you aren't retiring to antagonizing fellow students now."
"No sir," Tony said, shifting his glare from Bruce. He stood up and followed Fury into his office.
Soooo, closing off chapter two. A little earlier than we had planned but we both had free time due to snow. A little shorter than the last but we found this to be a good enough stopping point.
Guests: Howard Stark, Bucky Barnes (Captain America), Pepper Potts (Iron Man), Matt Murdock (Daredevil)
Again, feel free to give your thoughts. And if you come up with a little thing you want to see feel free to PM either of us your ideas. As long as they're K-T, no M please.
Parts done by me: everyone but Bruce (as usual)
Parts done by Butterknifeking: Bruce Banner
Did you know Bruce is secretly cupid, a very aggressive cupid?
Omg XD Butter.
By 'Butter,' of course, she means her loyal servant.
Lol, you know I love you. ~Cat.
And remember, use them multi-bottle rockets. ~Butter
