After school that day Steve was doing drills with Coach Fury, who wouldn't stop lecturing him.
"I still don't get this whole detention thing," Coach said as he reached for the ball.
"It was my fault, and I have said that I'm sorry Nick," Steve pulled away from him just in time and threw the ball into the basket from the half point line.
"Well you know that Coulson will take any opportunity to bust my chops, and that's including yours too, no matter how big of a fan he secretly is of you," Coach retrieved the ball that was bouncing freely around the court and Steve suddenly stopped because his thoughts were getting to him. He needed some fatherly advice, and Coach Fury was the closest thing he had to one right now.
"Hey, Nick…did you ever want to try something new, but were afraid of what your friends would think?"
"Like a new Captain America uniform? The new one you got was fine, everyone loved it!"
"Well, no… I mean, what if you wanna try something really new and it's a total disaster and all of your friends laugh at you…" Steve probably should've just come out and said he was considering auditioning for the school musical, but Nick Fury was also probably one of the people who would laugh at him for doing so.
"Well, then maybe they're not really your friends. You know the whole point of a team is that you gotta look out for each other, and you're the leader. Hey, there's going to be a lot of college scouts at our game next week. Do you know what a scholarship is worth these days?"
"A lot?" Steve didn't even try to give an exact number guess since he still needed to get used to the new value of the dollar (or at least it was new to him).
"Yeah, so focus Steve, come on!" Nick said as he threw Steve the ball. Steve sighed to himself as he started dribbling it across the court. Screw it, Steve thought, if Tony's willing to go tomorrow and audition, I'll audition with him…
"I expect that we all learned our homeroom manners yesterday, people, correct?" Mr. Coulson asked irritably to the class that was in a tense silence, "If not, there are some dressing rooms that need painting! Now a few announcements: This morning during free period will be you chance to the musicale auditions, both single and pairs," Loki and Thor looked at each other with cocky grins and Steve snuck a peak at Tony who smiled and shrugged at him.
"I will be in the theatre until noon for those of you bold enough to extend the wingspan of your creative spirit…" Mr. Coulson continued his monologue about creativity and Steve was starting to zone out when the bell finally rang. He was the first one out of the classroom and was going to head straight to the theatre until someone grabbed his shoulder.
"Hey, the team's hitting up the gym during free period, what should we run?" Clint asked him. Well, shit, Steve thought, this just became more difficult to do…
"I can't make it, I gotta…catch up on some homework," Steve felt pretty clever with his excuse (it was his first 21st century excuse about homework!) until Clint replied.
"What? No, it's only the second day back from break! Even I'm not behind on homework yet! And I've been behind on homework since preschool!" Clint laughed, and Steve laughed shakily, but now he needed to get away from him.
"That's hilarious! I'll catch you later," Steve said as he started dashing away through the crowded hallway. Clint looked after him skeptically.
"Homework? There's no way." Clint said to himself. He started following Steve throughout the school but surprisingly lost track of him after seeing him in the study hall room and then he disappeared the second he looked away. Clint eventually gave up looking for him and went to the gym.
Steve creeped into the auditorium and hid behind the janitor's supply basket to watch the auditions. Ever since the close call in the hallway with Clint he was paranoid that his friends would find out where he was. Mr. Coulson and the students who were the audition victims walked in through another entrance. The auditioners, including Thor and Loki, sat down in the first few rows and Mr. Coulson walked onto the stage followed by a petite girl wearing glasses and hiding her hair in a bowler hat. Mr. Coulson cleared his throat and started speaking.
"This is where the true expression of the artist is realized, where inner truth is revealed through the actor's journey to the stage. Those wishing to audition must understand that time is of the essence. We have many roles to cast and final callbacks will be next week. First, you will sing a few bars and I will give you a sense of whether or not the theatre is your calling, better to hear it from me now than your friends later. Our composer, Natasha Romanoff, will accompany you and will be available for rehearsals prior to callbacks," The girl in the bowler hat shyly waved to the people in the seats, "Now, let's get started!" Mr. Coulson finished and the auditions officially started.
Steve watched as all of the people gave very bad and some slightly disturbing auditions. There was one interpretive dance audition that he could just sense that Thor was captivated by. Someone tapped Steve's shoulder and he jumped about ten feet out of his body.
"Hey," Tony smiled and whispered, "so you decided to sign up for something?"
"Uhh… no, you?" Steve collected himself and replied.
"No…so um…why are you hiding behind a mop?" Tony pointed to the Janitor's supply bucket that Steve was still hiding behind.
"Oh, umm…"
"Your friends don't know you're here, right?"
"Right…"
"Well I think we'd have a better view if we sat down in the chairs provided in the auditorium," Tony smirked and gestured to two chairs in the back row.
"I don't know, looking through this mop gives me a pretty cool, abstract view of the stage…" Steve shrugged playfully as Tony giggles and led him to the chairs. They watched as one poor student froze on stage and didn't sing the song.
"Thank you, next!" Mr. Coulson shouted.
"Mr. Coulson is a bit harsh…" Steve whispered.
"Is the Avengers superstar afraid?" Tony looked at him.
"no, not afraid just…scared," Wow, real smooth Steve, say a word that means the EXACT SAME THING AS AFRAID, Steve smacked himself mentally.
"Me too…usually," Tony said. He was still considering auditioning, but if he and Steve were both scared maybe they shouldn't do it.
"And for the lead roles of Mickey and Arnold we only have one couple signed up," Mr. Coulson read the names off the list, "Loki and Thor, I think it might be useful for you to give us a sense of why we gathered in this hallowed hall." Thor and Loki made their way to the stage proudly and started going to their positions when Natasha stopped Thor.
"Uh, what key?" she asked politely.
"Oh, the man that practices with us while playing the instrument of piano has done another version for my brother and myself to perform!" Thor smiled as he got to his position. The curtains closed and someone pressed the play button on a small boom box. Suddenly Thor's and Loki's hands appeared and started snapping along with the upbeat music. The curtains opened and they were each handed microphones. Thor started singing first.
"IT IS INCREDIBLY CHALLENGING TO PLACE CONFIDENCE IN MY EYE SIGHT TO KNOW"
"THAT YOU WERE STANDING HERE NEXT TO MY BEING!/You were always there besides me" Loki joined him, hiding the anger that his brother was getting the lyrics wrong, again!
"I CONCEIVED THAT I WAS BY MYSELF WITH NO COMPANIONS TO EMBRACE/ thought I was alone with no one to hold"
"BUT YOU WERE ALWAYS STANDING HERE NEXT TO MY BEING!/But you were always right besides me,"
"This feeling's like no other,"
"I WOULD APPRECIATE TO INFORM YOU/ I want you to know…"
"THAT I HAVE NEVER HAD A MID OR ASGUARDIAN THAT IS AWARE OF ME SUCH AS YOURSELF!/ That I've never had someone that knows me like you do,"
"IN THE WAY THAT YOU ARE EDUCATED!/ The way you do!"
"I NAVER NEVER HAD A MID OR ASGUARDIAN THAT IS AS FANTASTIC FOR MYSELF AS YOURSELF!/ I've never had someone as good for me as you!"
"THERE IS NO ONE LIKE YOURSELF!/No one like you!"
"I WAS BURDENED WITH DEEP LONELINESS BEFORE THIS MOMENT BUT I HAVE FINALLY DISCOVERED WHAT I HAD BEEN SEARCHING FOR!/So lonely before, I finally found what I've been looking for,"
Loki started tapping to the music while Thor did a cart wheel and Steve and Tony looked at each other. There was something off about the way they were doing this song (not just the clashing of lyrics, although that was very off). Loki stopped dancing and started singing.
"So good to be seen, so good to be heard,"
"THERE IS NO NEED FOR SPEAKING/Don't have to say a word!"
"FOR A VERY LONG PERIOD OF TIME, I WAS CONFUSED OF MY WHEREABOUTS AND IT IS GOOD TO HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED BY SOMEONE!"
"I AM VERY MUCH ENJOYING YOUR PRESENCE WITH ME/ I'm loving having you around"
"THIS EMOTION THAT IS INSIDE ME IS VERY UNIQUE!"
"I WOULD APPRECIATE TO INFORM YOU/ I want you to know…"
"THAT I HAVE NEVER HAD A MID OR ASGUARDIAN THAT IS AWARE OF ME SUCH AS YOURSELF!/ That I've never had someone that knows me like you do,"
"IN THE WAY THAT YOU ARE EDUCATED!/ The way you do!"
"I NAVER NEVER HAD A MID OR ASGUARDIAN THAT IS AS FANTASTIC FOR MYSELF AS YOURSELF!/ I've never had someone as good for me as you!"
"THERE IS NO ONE LIKE YOURSELF!/No one like you!"
"I WAS BURDENED WITH DEEP LONELINESS BEFORE THIS MOMENT BUT I HAVE FINALLY DISCOVERED WHAT I HAD BEEN SEARCHING FOR!/So lonely before, I finally found what I've been looking for,"
"BEHOLD MY ABILITY TO GO "DO"/ do-do-d-do"
"DO-DO-D-DO-DOO-DO!"
"BEHOLD I CAN ALSO GO "OH" AND "WHOA"!/ oh whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh"
"DO-DO-D-DO, DO-DO-D-DO-DOO-DO! OH WHOA-OH-OH-OH-OH!"
The song ended with them both doing very dramatic poses and then Thor pulled Loki into his arms. The other auditioners and Mr. Coulson went wild with applause and Loki kept his smile as he hissed at Thor.
"I told you we were going to do the Midguardian version of the lyrics!"
"It is favorable to the audience who is watching, they have feelings of love for my chosen dialect!" Thor grinned.
Loki pulled away from him and bowed with his brother and they went off the stage. Mr. Coulson stood up from his seat.
"Are there any last minute sign-ups?" he shouted while Natasha stopped Loki as he was passing her piano.
"Oh, actually, if you do the part with that particular song, I imagined it much slower and-" Natasha started but was cut off by the very insulted Loki.
"IF we do the part? Natasha, my sawed-off Sondheim, I've been in 17 school productions. How many times have your compositions been selected for them?" Loki turned sharply on his heels towards her.
"This would be the first…" Natasha said quietly.
"Which tells us what?" Loki asked taking a step towards her.
"that I need to write you more solos?"
"No, it tells us that you do not offer direction, suggestion or commentary! And you should be thankful that me and Thor can lift your music out of its obscurity! Are we clear?!" Loki got up in her face.
"Yes sir! I mean, Loki…" Natasha sat down on the piano bench suddenly just so her personal space would be less invaded by Loki. His face went from a stern anger to a sickly-sweet grin.
"Nice talking to you!" Loki strutted off the stage.
"Any last minute sign-ups?" Mr. Coulson shouted again.
"We should go…" Steve whispered to Tony, who had a serious internal debate going on in his head.
"No? good, done!" Mr. Coulson started packing his bag when Tony thought "Screw it! Now or never!" and spoke up.
"I'd like to audition Mr. Coulson!" Tony walked quickly towards him, leaving Steve to make very surprised and "ARE YOU CRAZY?!" and "OH CRAP NOW WHAT DO I DO?!" hand gestures.
"Time means something in the world of theatre young man. The individual auditions are long over and there are simply no other pairs," Mr. Coulson explained firmly and Tony's heart started to drop when he heard a familiar voice behind him.
"I'll sing with him!" Steve came forward with a "I may regret this but I can't let Tony down" look on his face.
"Steve Rogers? Where is your sports posse or whatever it's called?" Coulson raised an eyebrow at him.
"Team. But I'm here alone…actually…I'm here to sing with him…" Steve gestured to the wide-eyed boy next to him.
"Yes, well, we take these shows very seriously here at Marvel High. I called for the pairs auditions and you didn't respond. Free period is now over," Coulson started walking away from them.
"He's got an amazing voice…" Steve called after him in a feeble attempt to make him change his mind.
"Perhaps the next musicale," Coulson said as his final words before leaving their sight. Steve and Tony gave sad looks to each other before hearing the sound papers flying everywhere and the lowest keys of the piano played at once that Natasha had pressed to catch her from falling. Unfortunately her sheet music had flown everywhere and she had to pick it all up. Steve and Tony rushed to the stage to help her pick it up.
"So you're a composer?" Steve asked her, she nodded silently, "You wrote the song that Thor and Loki just sang?" she nodded again, "and the entire show?" once again she nodded, "well that's really cool, I can't wait to hear the rest of the show," Steve smiled as he handed Natasha another piece of sheet music.
"So why are you so afraid of Thor and Loki? I mean it is your show," Steve asked.
"it is?" she responded quietly.
"isn't the composer of a show kind of like the playmaker in basketball?" Steve asked.
"playmaker?" both Natasha and Tony were confused on what that was.
"The one that makes everyone else look good, without you there is no show. You're the playmaker here, Natasha," Steve grinned and gave her the last piece of paper that had fallen.
"I am?" Natasha smiled slightly as Steve and Tony nodded, "Do you wanna hear how the duet's supposed to sound?" She got up and went to the piano and started playing the keys slowly. Steve read the lyrics and started singing.
"It's hard to believe that I couldn't see that you were always there beside me," Tony started reading the lyrics and joined in.
"thought I was alone, with no one to hold,"
"but you were always right besides me.
This feeling's like no other. I want you to know
That I've never had someone that knows me like you do
The way you do
And I've never had someone as good for me as you
No one like you
So lonely before I've finally found
What I've been looking for" Steve and Tony looked at each other and smiled as Natasha played the last notes of the song.
"Wow," Steve said looking at Natasha, "That's nice,"
"Rogers! Stark! You have a callback!" Mr. Coulson's voice suddenly rang out, "Natasha, give them the duet from the second act and work on it with them." He exited the auditorium for real this time as Steve was left standing there confused as Natasha became really excited.
"If you guys wanna rehearse I'm usually here during free period and after school and even sometimes during biology class! You can come and rehearse anytime, or come to my house for breakfast! I have a piano we can rehearse there, after school before school- whatever works! After basketball class…" Natasha continued when they can rehearse as she handed them both sheet music to their soon-to-be performance song. Steve's world slowed down a bit as he stared at the sheet music.
"What?" Steve mumbled to himself. Steve couldn't even imagine what would happen next.