Avengers High School Chapter Three
"Tony! Calm down!" Steve yelled, running down the hall after his boyfriend who had just stormed past him without saying a word. "What's wrong? What happened in there?"
"My Dad! My Dad is paying for that girl!" Tony said, not slowing his pace.
"What? Who? Penny?" Steve asked.
"Yes Penny! I knew she was lying!" Tony replied.
"Why would your Dad pay for Penny?" Steve asked.
"I don't know, but I intend to find out!"
"Tony wait a second!" Steve said, running ahead and blocking his path. "Look Penny is upset, you can't just barged in there and start accusing her again. She might not even know anything about this!"
"You're right." Tony said, turning and walking in the other direction "There is only one place I'm going to get answers."
"Where?" Steve asked, following him.
"New York." Tony replied.
"What? Tony that is hours away! You'll miss class!" Steve complained.
"So cover for me!" The dark haired boy said, heading to the car park. As he reached the outside, Tony pulled out the key from his pocket and unlock the red farrari that sat in the middle of a bunch of much less impressive teacher cars. The car had been a birthday present from his Father and by 'present' Tony meant he had taken his Dad's credit card and bought the car after the man had forgotten his birthday.
"I'll be at my Dad's by tonight, get the answers I need and then drive back tomorrow morning." Tony said climbing inside the car. "Just tell people I'm sick or something."
"I think they'll notice your car is gone Tony. Can't you just call him?" Steve asked.
"And let him hang up on me? No way!" Tony said "If I face him he can't run away."
"Tony..." Steve began but he realised that it was pointless. He knew from experience that he couldn't change Tony's mind once it was set on something. "Just drive safe okay?"
"I will. Kiss for good luck?" Tony asked.
"I erm...not out here..." Steve replied, blushing. Tony rolled his eyes.
"I'll be back tomorrow." Tony said starting the car and pulling away.
Steve stood and watched for a moment as his boyfriend's car disappeared into the distance.
He didn't like this.
He knew Tony's relationship with his Father was rocky at the best of times, and any confrontation was bound to lead to a fight. The two just didn't see eye to eye, and Steve often wondered if that was because of the distance they live apart, or the distance was because they didn't see eye to eye.
For a moment Steve considered whether or not he should have gone with Tony, but the blond wasn't sure what he could have actually done other than be company. Any way the shorter man would have asked if he'd wanted him to come.
Sighing Steve turned and went back inside. This wasn't something that was going to end well, but for now all he could do was wait.
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Penny was curled up on her bed when she heard the knock on her door. She had long since stopped crying, but knew her eyes were still red and puffy. She didn't want to move, mainly because moving would prove this wasn't some horrible dream, but partly because she didn't want to see anyone. Still the knocking persisted, and in the end Penny decided to just get up and see what whoever was there wanted.
Pulling the her hoodie up over her head, Penny went to the door and slowly pulled it open. Part of her worried it might be one of the boys come to threaten her into silence, but she doubted any of them would want to risk the chance that Steve or Tony was still around.
"Oh I'm so glad you are alright!" Gwen said, giving her a hug as soon as the door was fully open. "People have been saying all sorts of awful things! Three people told me you'd been stabbed!"
"No...they just cut my hair.." Penny said, pulling her hood down. "...people are already talking about it?"
"Yeah, it is all over the school." Gwen said softly "But you know how these things are, it is hard to tell what is made up and what's true. Did Steve Rogers really carry you from the scene?"
"What? No! He just walked me to my room. Tony Stark was there too." Penny said.
"Ah really? You are so lucky!" Gwen whinned, then noticed the look on Penny's face "...Ah I mean...besides from the hair thing. But you know I wouldn't mind giving up a little hair to have Tony Stark in my room."
"Really? He is kind of a jerk." Penny pouted. "He kept grilling me about my scholarship..."
"Well it is a little weird you got a single. Scholarships always get-"
"Doubles I know." Penny snapped. "Sorry...It has been a long day.."
"No I'm sorry..I'm not really helping." Gwen said. "..You know I used to cut my brothers hair, he hated going to the hair dressers and would never stay in the chair. I bet I could even this out for you."
"That's alright...I'll just wear a hat till the weekend or something."
"Don't be silly! I mean come on it isn't like I can make it wor—I'll just get the scissors." Gwen said, running off.
Penny sighed. She knew there was no point arguing, and Gwen was right, how could things possibly get any worse?
Returning a few minuets later, Gwen moved Penny' desk chair in front of the mirror and gestured for the other girl to sit in it.
"Pixie cuts are really fashionable nowadays." Gwen said as she began trying to even out the little hair Penny has left. "Emma Watson has one and loads of guys think she is hot."
"But Emma Watson was hot before she has her hair cut." Penny has replied "I looked like a 14 year old before all this...now I'll probably look like a 12 year old boy."
"Don't be so down on yourself, you have lots of great features. Great eyes, nice smile, I bet that is why Loki likes you." Gwen replied.
"Loki likes me because I'm fun to annoy." Penny replied "Anyway it isn't like he 'like' likes me."
Gwen rolled her eyes.
"Right oh of course. I mean, it isn't like he broke a guys noes after he cut your hair or anything, oh wait."
"Those guys had been picking on him for a while, it was only a matter of time before he snapped on one of them. That doesn't mean he likes me."
"Ah Pen, you have a lot to learn about men." Gwen said sighing. "Now keep your head still, I don't want to accidentally cut you and have Loki out for my blood." She added, snipping off some of the longer pieces.
It took 20 minuets before Gwen was completely satified and Penny had to admit, she had done a good job. Ofcourse the style wasn't one she'd ever pick for herself, but as a necessatity she didn't think she looked to bad.
"Thanks Gwen, you are a life saver." Penny said, giving the blonde girl a hug.
"Don't mention it." Gwen replied. "It really suits you, Loki won't know what hit him."
Penny rolled her eyes, but decided not to argue. Gwen might be a good hairdresser, but when it came to Penny's love life she was way off.
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Tony had missed New York. He loved the lights, he loved the night life, he loved the pizza. He loved everything about the city, well almost everything. The rats he could do without, it was a rare day when he didn't at least see one scurrying about, but that was a minor thing. Nowhere was perfect after all, and New York was a lot closer to perfect than the sleepy country town that Midgard Academy was located in.
He had always resented being sent there, always resented being put away in a box so that his Dad only had to deal with him when he felt like it. Out of sight out of mind right? Well not this time. Tony needed answers, and he didn't care if he had to wait all night. He didn't care if he had to stomp into everyone of his Dad's business meetings and cause the biggest scene imaginable. He was going to get answers, just as soon as he could will himself to get out the car and go inside.
Tony couldn't understand it, he had driven like a mad man to get here, broken every speed limit and probably got himself a 100 different tickets, but now he was here, all he could think about was turning around and going back to school.
"No, this is ridiculous, I'm going in. Yes. No arrg!" Tony said, hitting the steering wheels a few times.
"I should have bought some booze." Tony said, leaning back in his seat.
"..They'll be scotch inside, Dad always has scotch... Right, I'm going in." he said, opening the car door and stepping out. He took a deep breath as he looked up at his Father's house.
A mansion, over 30 rooms, 5 bathrooms and a pool, all for one man to rattle around in alone. It wasn't Tony's home, it was just the place he returned to each summer.
Tony walked up to the door and pressed the buzzer. He didn't even have a key.
"Stark Residence." A familiar voice said through the intercom.
"Open up Jarvis, it's me." Tony said, running his fingers through his hair.
"Master Stark, I wasn't expecting you. Is everything all right?" Javis asked, concerned.
"Everything is fine Jarvis, I just need to speak with my Dad. Is he there?" Tony asked, knowing Jarvis wouldn't lie to him. The man had worked for Tony's father as long as he could remember, and had treated Tony more like a son then his own Father did.
"Yes, he is in the study, I will inform him of your arrival." Jarvis said
"That's okay Jarvis, I'll do it, just let me in." Tony said. He didn't want to give his Dad chance to realise he was suddenly too busy to talk to him.
"Ofcourse Master Stark. One moment." Javis said. A moment later the door opened and Tony was allowed in.
"It is good to see you Master Stark." Jarvis said "Can I get you anything, drink? Armour?"
"I haven't been expelled Jarvis don't worry." Tony replied. This wouldn't be the first time Tony had shown up half way through the school year. He often arrived to tell his Father he had been expelled from the latest dumping ground he'd been left in. In fact this would have been his 4th time, had that been the reason for his visit.
"A drink would be good though. Scotch."
"It is still a while before you turn 21 young master. You'll have a coke." Jarvis said, turning to go and fetch it.
"At least put some Jack Daniels in it!" Tony yelled after him, but he knew the old man wouldn't.
Taking a deep breath, Tony headed towards the study. It took him several minuets to find, having not been in the mansion for several months and always finding the maze like layout confusing. When he eventually reached the correct room, he saw his Father looking the same way he always did. Stern, sitting in his favourite chair, with a glass of brandy in one hand and a paper in the other. It was an image Tony had seen throughout his childhood, and it occurred to him that this might be the only room in the mansion his Father actually used.
"Father." Tony said, entering the room.
"Tony." His father said, not looking up from his paper. "What was it this time? Another explosion in the science lab. Honestly I had thought you'd grown out of this."
"I wasn't expelled Father. But thanks for you faith in me." Tony said, taking a seat opposite him. "I've come about Penelope Parker."
That got the man's attention, he looked up from his paper and stared Tony straight in the eye, as if trying to work out how much the boy knew.
"I hacked the school network, I know you are paying her way, what I want to know is why?" Tony said, not breaking his Father's gaze.
"Simple enough. The school ran into some financial difficulties so I volunteered to pay for the scholarship program this year, on the condition that any rules you may break are over looked ofcourse."
"Oh that is bullshit!" Tony snapped. "If that was the case then why give her her own room? Why give her new books? Even if they made you pay for them they'd have just used the money to buy the teachers a new coffee machine or something!"
"You have a very low opinion of the staff there." Howard said, calmly taking a drink of his brandy.
"I only paid the money, it is up to the school how it is spent. Perhaps they just felt like giving a disadvantaged girl a bit of luxury."
"Stop lying!" Tony said, slamming his hands on the table. "Just tell me, are you her Father?"
"...You don't want the answer to that, not really." Howard said, looking at his son.
"Yes. I do. Did you cheat on Mom? Penny...she isn't that much younger than me, you would have had too...before."
"She died." Howard said, finishing his son's sentence. He stood, placing his newspaper on the table in front of him. "Yes Penelope is my daughter."
The truth hit him like a knife to the gut. He knew, all the way down here he had known that was the only options, but still there was a difference between thinking you know something and really knowing.
"Your Mother was sick, almost gone." Howard explained. "And Mary, Penelope's Mother, she worked for Stark Industries, a brilliant scientist, funny beautiful. I had her on my team for the Ultron Project, back then work was a distraction from everything else. Your Mother was barely awake most of the time and you? You hated me. You screamed whenever I tried to hold you, in the end I just left you with the Nanny." Howard explained, walking to the bar to fill up his brandy.
"It was late one night, I didn't want to go home, so I stayed at work. Mary did the same, she was using it as an escape too, some fight with her boyfriend that looked like it could end the relationship. So we worked and then we drank and then..." He added taking a long gulp of his drink.
"It wasn't love, it was just comfort. A warm body instead of the cold one waiting for me at home."
"Well I'm sorry Mom dying got in the way of your sex life!" Tony spat angrily.
"You judge me, but it was one night of weakness out of months of loyally staying by her side. I watched her waste away into nothing! Do you think I didn't feel guilty? Ofcourse I did!" Howard snapped back. "I loved your Mother with all my heart, which is why I never told her, there was no reason to cause her un necessary pain."
"Yeah right it was all about her. Nothing to do with you being a coward!" Tony said. "What about after Mom died?! How come I never heard about Penny? Never saw her? Did you ever see her? Drop by after one of your business trips with a bear and a crap load of child support?!"
"I didn't know Mary had become pregnant until Penelope was already born. Mary had quit Stark industries about a month after we'd slept together. Ofcourse now I realise it was to hide the pregnancy, but back then I had assumed it was because her boyfriend had proposed. Apparently their little fight was a way to keep her off the scent. I never met Richard Parker, but I can only assume the man was a complete idiot." Howard said bitterly. "It was a year later that I found out about Penelope. Mary had called me in tears, Penelope was sick and the doctors suspected something serious, it was likely she would need a blood transfusion and well Mary wasn't a match and neither was Parker, which only meant one thing. She begged me to help her, help 'our' child, the child she had hidden from me. Ofcourse I said yes, but in the end it turned out that Penelope's condition was much less seriously than first suspected and she didn't need me."
"And that" Howard said, turning to his son. "Is out relationship in a nutshell. Penelope didn't need me, she had a Father, one who even after the truth came out resolved to stay and raise her as his own. There was no room for me in that girls life, and I already had a son who I could barely handle, why add a daughter?"
"So you just abandoned her." Tony said, glaring.
"You make it sound like I left her on a street corner. She had a family who loved her, who was I to interfere?"
"But what about after they died? Why not look after her then?!"
"I was a stranger to her Tony. She was a seven year old girl who just lost both her parents. Her Aunt and Uncle were more than happy to take her in, and that was what was best. I sent them money ofcourse, though the Uncle rejected most of it. Apparently he didn't like the idea of me doing things half way, I was either in her life or out of it. So I chose to be out of it, and then the stubborn old man ended up getting himself shot." Howard continued. "I'm not completely devoid of sentiment for Penelope, she is still my daughter after all, and there was no way I was leaving her in a neighbour hood where people are killed in their own home. So I called her Aunt, told her I'd pay for Penelope to go to Midgard Academy. It was her idea to pretend it was a scholarship, apparently she thought that telling Penelope that her Dad wasn't her real Dad would be too much on top of everything else. So I went along with it."
Tony was quiet for a moment, letting the information sink in.
"Well Dad, those are some pretty great excuses for not stepping up. Too bad you didn't have one of those for me huh?" Tony said angrily. "Why did you never tell me? Didn't you think I deserved to know?"
"Tell you what? That I had had an affair and you have a sister you wouldn't be seeing? She wasn't in out lives Tony, she wasn't any of your business," Howard replied.
"She is my sister! Any you...you send her to my school like it is no big deal, like she is just another student. What am I meant to do now? How am I meant to face her knowing this?"
"I told you, you wouldn't want the answer." Howard replied, taking another sip of brandy
"I won't be pare of your lie." Tony said.
"So you are going to tell her? And what are you going to say exactly? That her Mother cheated on the only man she had ever known as her father? That her real Father was more interested in giving his money that his time?" Howard asked."What do you expect to happen? That she'll throw her arms around you and cry ' oh brother dearest I love you so much'? No, she'll be angry and she'll be hurt and she'll probably never speak to your again."
"You can't keep lying to her! You can't keep making excuses!"
"Do not take that tone with me young man! I am your Father and hers and I will decide what's best!"
"What's best for you you mean!" Tony snapped "You sent me away because you couldn't be bothered to be my Father, and you are doing the same thing to Penny! Is she even the only one? Or are there a bunch of other little half brothers and sisters running around somewhere?!"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Howard snapped.
"Oh I'm being ridiculous?! You know what? I'm done with this! I'm going back to school!" Tony said, turning and storming out. He could hear his Father calling after him but he ignored it.
"Master Stark?" Jarvis said, carrying a tray which held a glass of coke and some biscuits. Tony stopped and took the drink off the tray, downing it in one.
"That really needed Jack Daniels." Tony said, placing the glass back on the tray and continuing his march down the hall.
"Master Stark, are you leaving already? It isn't wise to drive while upset, please, stay the night and return to school in the morning." Jarvis pleaded, following him outside.
"No, I'm not gonna stay here and give him a chance to twist things." Tony said, heading out to his car. "I'll be fine, don't worry, I was mad coming down here and nothing happened."
"Mast Stark..." Javis began, but he knew it was pointless. "One day I hope you can leave this place without being angry at your Father" Jarvis said sadly.
"Never gonna happen buddy. He is just impossible." Tony said opening his car door. "Did you know? That Dad has another kid?"
Jarvis was quiet for a moment.
"I was suspicious, but it wasn't my place to pry." Jarvis said. "Don't think too badly of your Father, how ever miss guided I believe he really does do what he thinks is right."
"Right for him." Tony said climbing into his car. "I'll text when I get back to school. Let you know I didn't die in a burning wreck or anything." he added, shutting his door and pulling away.
He took one last look at the mansion before pulling away. Tony had come home to get answers, but somehow they had only left him with more questions. The biggest one being; What the hell do I do now?
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"No Aunt May I just felt like a change...Pixie cuts are in these days! My long hair was getting annoying, you know how it is...I got gum in my hair?" Penny practices, trying to find the right words with which to explain her new hair cut to Aunt May. Sighing she sat on the bed, she'd have to build the ground work before she saw her aunt again. Mention she was thinking of cutting her, claim she had mad an appointment, that sort of thing. Ofcourse she could always tell her Aunt the truth, but the idea made her feel sick. Aunt May would never forgive herself for letting Penny go to a school where something like this could happen, and the likely hood of her ever letting Penny return were slim to none.
Penny was brought out of her thought by a knock at the door. She thought about ignoring it, but then remembered Steve's promise about returning later to see her. Leaving her hood down this time, Penny went to the door and slowly opened it, still cautious that it might be one of the three boys here to scare her into not telling on them. It turned out to be neither of one of the boys or Steve however, as instead Loki stood there, looking rather sheepish.
"Penelope." He said holding out a chocolate chip muffin. "I've been told America girls like to eat vast amounts of chocolate when they are depressed, sadly though this was the best I could lay my hands on without going off campus.
"Oh, Thank you." Penny said, taking the muffin. "Would you like to come in?" she added, standing aside to let him enter the room. Loki nodded in reply, entering and shutting the door behind him.
"Your hair looks better." He said, taking a seat on her bed.
"Thanks, Gwen came by and evened it out for me." Penny said, sitting next to me.
"Good." Loki replied.
The two sat in awkward silence for a moment before Loki spoke again.
"Just so you know, I have informed Thor of what transpired, and since I have a strict policy of not telling Thor about anything that goes on in my life, you should be grateful." Loki said. "He was enraged. When he finds those boys they'll be lucky to leave with their lives, let alone a few broken bones."
"He doesn't have to do that...it is just hair. I don't want you two getting in trouble." Penny said quietly, looking away.
"No it wasn't just hair!" Loki replied angrily. "In Asgard long hair is a symbol. It shows strength, virility and a lot of other old fashion rubbish that is so popular there. Having your hair cut short it is a giant dishonour. The only people who have short hair there were slave, back when we had slaves, and prostitutes."
"You saved me from becoming a laughing stock in my own country. To come back from America with short hair, it would be a shame I couldn't recover from." He continued. "Still seeing them do that to you...I hope that explains why I lost my temper."
"Yeah...I didn't realise it was such a big deal in Asgard...I was more worried that they were going to hurt you."
"I see." Loki replied " Really I suppose this means I owe you debt now. How annoying. Though perhaps we can call it even since I broke Kingley's nose." He added, smirking wickedly.
"Are you going to get in trouble for that? Tony said you could get expelled..." Penny asked nervously. Loki just laughed.
"Stark is a fool, they wouldn't dare to expel me." Loki said "I'm a foreign Prince, my family has donated thousands to this school, and if it were to get out that I was bullied for being from another country, well that wouldn't exactly attract new students would it?"
"I guess not, but still even if you aren't expelled they could punish you some other way." Penny asked.
"Kingsley will never admit it was me who did it, and even if he did he'd have to inform the school as to why and that is much more likely to get him expelled than me." Loki replied. "Have you informed that staff of what happened?"
"No. I didn't want to get you in trouble and Tony said it would be better to sort it out amongst ourselves." Penny said.
"Well perhaps Stark isn't a complete fool. Thor will make them suffer more than the teachers ever could."
"...He isn't going to kill anyone right?"
"No, my Brother is far too kind hearted for that. Plus they are cowards, I imagine he'll just threaten to break their arms if they don't apologise. You can probably expect one by tomorrow morning."
"I'd rather not talk to them again honestly.."
"Penelope trust me. They won't dare to touch you again, they'll probably be too scared to even look at you." Loki said, putting a hand on her shoulder and looking her straight in the eye. For a moment, Penny felt time slow down. She had never really noticed the colour of Loki's eyes before, or the softness of his face. He may not be able to compete with his brother in rugged good looks, but he was in no way a bad looking man. Suddenly Gwen's words began running through her mind.
"Um...so." Penny said breaking his gaze. "Does this mean you think I look like a prostitute now?" she asked, touching her short hair.
"Oh yes." Loki replied smirking. "But a very high end one, I'm sure any man would pay a lot for you."
"Well I suppose that was the best answer I could expect." Penny said, breaking the muffin into two and offering him half. "Jerk."
Loki smirked, reaching over and purposely taking the bigger half of the muffin. Penny elbowed him gently but didn't say anything.
Loki was a good friend, and she was glad to have him in her life, but he was hardly boyfriend material. After all, he was no Steve Rogers.
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"Woah, what happened to you?" Sam asked as Steve entered their shared room, his clothes covered in mud.
"I had to pull Thor off three guys and it got a little...messy." Steve said, pulling off his shirt "Honestly that guy should look into joining the wrestling team, forget football."
"You tried to take on Thor? I'm honestly surprised you don't look worse." Sam replied, jumping off the top bunk. "So what got the big guy all upset? It isn't like him to get into a fight, mainly because no one is stupid enough to challenge him to one."
"Kingsley's little gang was picking on Loki again, but they went way too far this time." Steve replied.
"Oh? The guy all right?" Sam asked, passing Steve and clean shirt.
"Yeah, but you know my lab partner for science? She tried to intervene and they cut off her hair."
"What the hell is wrong with those guys! You should have let Thor kill them!" Sam said. He had never met Penelope, but if he knew one thing about girls, it was that their hair was off limits.
"Yeah well I was more worried about him being arrested than I was about protecting them. " Steve replied "At least I managed to calm him down."
"Man You vs Thor? I wish I'd seen that." Sam said, leaning against the bunk beds.
"It wasn't that exciting, it only lasted a couple minuets. And it wasn't like it was a real fight, I was just trying to pin him down so those jerks had a chance to flee." Steve replied.
"Right, well you've got a couple twigs in your hair 'Mr hero'" Sam said "You should shower. I was gonna head down and get some dinner but I'll wait if you want."
"That's okay, you go on ahead, it might take me a while to get all the mud off." Steve replied. Sam nodded and headed out the door.
Steve checked out his appearance in the mirror. He definitely looked a state, and could help but remember the times when he and Bucky used to wrestle as kids. Why was it that he always managed to find a mud puddle to roll into?
"Oh hey Tony." Steve heard Sam say as he headed down the hall.
"Sam." He heard Tony reply.
"Tony!" Steve said opening the door. "I didn't think you'd be back till tomorrow!"
"Yessh well my Dadss a jerk.." Tony slurred.
"Wait Tony are you drunk?" Steve asked.
"Maybe." Tony replied, stumbling slightly
"Are you nuts?! What if you get caught?!" Steve said, pulling the boy inside the room and shutting the door behind him.
"Then I'll be ex-spelled. Buts right now I don't give a rat asss about that." Tony said, pulling what looked like a shampoo bottle out of his jacket and drinking from it.
"Hidden stash." Tony said, noticing Steve's horrified look. He slumped on to the lower bunk bed and downed the rest of the bottle, throwing it aside when he was done. "What happened to you? You take a mud bath or somin?"
"There was a incident between Thor and those guys who attacked Loki, I had to break it up." Steve replied "I'm guessing things went badly with your Father then?" he asked, sitting next to him.
"She is my sister." Tony replied after a moment of silence. "While my Mom was dying, my Father was screwing his lab assistant. Got he knocked up and she made a run for it, obviously knew what a crappy Dad he'd make. He said that by the time he found out about her she already had a Dad willing to take his place, and then when he and her mother died he found another stand in."
"Stand in? Oh wait...She lived with her Aunt and Uncle...till he died...She told me she came here because her Aunt couldn't afford to look after her.." Steve said quietly.
"Yeah and if you can't get family to do it. There are always schools looking to take the kids you don't want!" Tony said bitterly.
"It wasn't a scholarship was it? He paid for her." Steve asked.
"Ding ding ding." Tony said sarcastically. "Dear old Dad is footing the bill. Lets him feel less guilty about abandoning her without actually having to be her Dad."
"Wow Tony...that's a lot to take in.." Steve said. "But you know, I'm sure your Dad thought he was doing what was best, how ever misguided."
The moment he saw Tony's face, Steve knew he had said the wrong thing.
"Oh well you'd know all about keeping secrets for 'the best' wouldn't you?" Tony spat, angrily.
"What are you talking about?" Steve said, though he had a sinking feeling he already knew the answer.
"Us! I'm talking about us!" Tony replied, annoyed. "Me being your dirty little secret! The fact you will only really be with me behind closed doors!"
"Tony..." Steve said " You know...this isn't easy for me.."
"Right because touching another man is disgusting, because I'm disgusting!" Tony snapped.
"Tony I never said that!"
"But you think it! Deep down you think this, us, is all wrong, that I'm some kind of sick freak who is tempting you to the dark side!"
"What Tony no- I...My Grandfather.."
"Oh right, the man who isn't here! Who wouldn't know if you were out and proud because he is 100 miles away!" Tony yelled. "Admit it Steve, you are embarrassed to be seen with me, to have everyone know we are more than just friends!"
"Tony you know that isn't it!" Steve snapped back. He knew he should give Tony a break, that the boy was drunk and upset, but what he was saying hit a nerve. "I just need a bit of time."
"A 'bit' of time! It has been months! How much longer do I have to wait until you realise that being gay isn't a bad thing?" Tony yelled.
"Tony you need to calm down." Steve began, knowing he had to end this before one of the men said something they couldn't take back, before he could say anything else however, Tony grabbed him and pulled him into a kiss.
"Did that feel wrong? Unnatural?" Tony asked, breaking the kiss. "Are you disgusted?!"
"Tony stop it!" Steve said, blushing. "You know I...I care for you a great deal, but..you can't rush me!"
"Yeah well...maybe I'm sick of waiting." Tony said, standing up. "Maybe I'm sick of people lying and saying it is what's 'best' when the only person it is best for is themselves!"
"Tony.."
"No! I'm sick of people being selfish! Because you know what?! Maybe what's best for them isn't what's best for me?! Maybe I needed a little sister! Maybe all those time I felt alone, because I was at home for summer and my Father was spending every waking second trying to avoid me, maybe it would have been nice to have a little sister there to play with, or fight with or just...have someone in my family give a damn about me!" Tony yelled, and Steve could have sworn he saw tears in his eyes. "And maybe I need you...I need you to acknowledge that this is real! Because while it is like this...what's to stop you deciding you can't handle it and go off with one of those little fan girls of yours."
"Tony...I wouldn't.."
"You have a choice Steve. Either you are out or you aren't, because I can't deal with a guy who is half way in the closet." Tony said, his face pleading.
"Tony.." Steve began, but the words wouldn't come. He wanted to tell Tony he just needed more time, but he knew that excuse wouldn't fly any more. Still he wasn't ready to be out yet, and he knew he couldn't give Tony what he wanted, not yet anyway, and Steve Rogers wasn't the type to make empty promises.
"Goodbye Steve." Tony said, his voice quiet and resigned.
Turning, Tony walked out of Steve's dorm room. What remained of his anger coming out as he slammed the door behind him.
-End Chapter Three-
So I resolved one cliffhanger only to leave you with another one. It is almost like I want you to keep reading or something :P
Sorry this chapter took so long, I've been really busy at my new job and not had a lot of writing time. To be honest I don't imagine the next chapter will be out for a while either, but be patient and I'm sure I'll get it done eventually. For now, enjoy chapter 3 :)