When Wanda awoke a few hours later, she was shivering. The room was dark, and the setting around her was unfamiliar. Her heart sped up, and she panicked for a short second. It took her several moments to gather her bearings and remember the strange events of the past day, as well as her location. She zipped up her jacket - not her jacket, she noted drowsily, but Steve's - and pulled the hoodie up, trying to warm herself a little bit. She felt groggy and sweaty. She'd never had too strong an immune system, and the cold night must have gotten to her. She stood up, heading towards the teacher's desk at the front of the room where she remembered seeing a tissue box earlier. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could make out the shapes of her friends around her.

Peggy rested in the soft desk chair behind the teacher's desk, a coat draped over her to compensate for a blanket. Natasha was laying on the length of two desks that had been pushed together, curled up on herself to try to retain some body heat. Clint had a similar setup, lying on some desks towards the back of the room, shifting every few seconds uncomfortably. Wanda heard a mutter of disdain coming from him, and she guessed he wasn't fully asleep yet. Steve had fallen asleep at a desk with his head resting on his crossed arms. Tony was nowhere to be seen, but she didn't give it much thought (on the contrary, she hardly noticed he was gone).

Wanda picked up the tissue box and left the room, trying not to wake everyone as she shut the door gently. She felt hot and exhausted, dabbing at the sweat on her forehead as she made her way towards the bathroom.

Way down the hallway, Wanda noticed Tony was walking in her direction her, looking like he hadn't slept much. She gave him a wry smile despite trying to match his lazy grin as he noticed her as well. Suddenly, she felt a wave of nausea and she dropped the tissue box to the floor, rushing to the bathroom doors and forcing them open. She vaguely heard Tony calling her name, but she was too busy slouching over a sink and throwing up into it painfully to register it.

Tony followed Wanda into the bathroom when he saw her run inside, worried that she was hurt. His eyes widened when he realized she was throwing up, and he quickly stepped over, pulling her hair back away from the sink so she wouldn't ruin it. He rubbed her upper back, not saying anything; she looked pained and exhausted, and it even looked like she was crying. Tony had spent many nights like this, heaving his guts out in a bathroom, but he figured this was much more serious than a drunken mess. Her shivering clued him in on that much.

Wanda rinsed her mouth out once she was sure her stomach wouldn't try to implode again. She took a deep breath, lowering herself down onto the ground of the bathroom, not feeling strong enough to keep standing. Tony sat down next to her, hesitantly putting an arm around her for support. She leaned against him, his warmth helping to slow down her shivering by the tiniest bit. Tony pushed her hair out of her eyes and placed the back of his palm on her forehead. "Feverish," he concluded, then moved his hand back. "Not good."

Wanda nodded, closing her eyes. She no longer felt nauseous, but still shivered despite being coated in sweat. Tony's arms around her helped, but she knew she needed some medicine. She'd gotten fevers before, but usually she had her brother and her mom by her side, and blankets, and hot soup. And she would stay home from school, definitely not stay the night at it.

It was also a little weird to be held by this boy, one that was practically a stranger to her, but it didn't feel wrong. It felt friendly. Despite knowing his reputation, she wasn't afraid and she trusted him despite feeling weak. Pietro would scoff, but she couldn't explain it. She just... trusted him.

Tony, on the other hand, was less comfortable with having a stranger in his arms, but he didn't particularly mind. She was sick, and everyone else was asleep, so he felt responsible for her. He hardly ever felt responsible for anything, so while this feeling was new, it was welcomed. He was also surprised to see that she trusted him so much. They'd barely talked, but he guessed she was the quiet type. The kind to get to know you without ever speaking to you. He could understand.

Wanda shifted slightly, so Tony leaned away momentarily, shrugging off his jacket and draping it over her shoulders. Wanda didn't object, pulling the second jacket on appreciatively. It seemed to help her shivering a little, which cheered Tony up. He was glad he was able to help a little. He didn't realize how much Wanda appreciated the little gestures he considered pointless.

They made small talk. Tony knew Pietro, so they talked a little bit about him, or about the mess of the snowstorm. They talked about what'd they would get from the vending machines in the morning, and if they'd be able to go home by then. Soon enough, Wanda's voice began to fade and her head rested on Tony's shoulder. She was soundly asleep, and Tony didn't dare move, staying silent and taking a few moments to think as he stared at the stalls of the girl's bathroom. He never slept much, and tonight wasn't any different. The eerie quiet was suffocating, so he was thankful for some company when he heard feet shuffle in through the door.

"Hey, someone's in here, don't freak out," he warned softly, so whoever was coming wouldn't get scared of the two figures sitting in the dark. The footsteps paused and then continued; Tony could make out a female figure, but she was too far and it was too dark to note any details.

"Tony?" Peggy's voice called out unsurely, stepping forward. "What're you doing here?"

"Hey," Tony gave a soft laugh. "Wanda got sick, I kind of helped out, and now she's asleep on me. You can use the bathroom. I'll close my eyes, I swear." He gave a little smirk, not knowing if she could see. "Maybe."

"I'll wait," Peggy decided, and he could hear the smile in her voice. He heard her coming over until she was close enough for him to see, and she sat on the ground in front of him. "What's wrong with her?" Peggy's voice, while caring, was still as demanding and firm as ever. Tony tried to signal to her to quiet down.

"Fever, I think. She's shivering real bad. This whole thing sucks," he said dejectedly, casting his eyes down. "Never thought I'd miss stupid things like heating and ibuprofen."

Peggy shrugged one shoulder, pursing her lips. "Guess you shouldn't take things for granted, Stark."

"I know." Tony didn't look straight at her, his eyes instead focusing on the ceiling. He didn't say much else, feeling like a little kid that had been chastised for something they didn't do.

Peggy let out a sigh, watching him for a moment. After a moment she decided to speak up. "What are your plans, if we get out of this place?"

"Go to the beach. Have some real food. Enjoy the heat," was his immediate response. He could almost smile at the thought of getting out, of not being cold and of having a hot meal. Not to mention the beach girls, but that was a different story.

"It's the middle of Winter, in New York City, Stark. What beach?"

Tony looked down again, hesitating before answering. This never played out well. "I mean, we own a jet. And a small beach in South Carolina."

"Right. Of course." Peggy's words were hard like stone, and it almost sounded like she would scoff. Tony expected as much, but that didn't mean he wasn't upset by it.

Tony shot Peggy a glare against his own objections. "I said I have a jet. Not that I've been convinced of assault. Christ, I'm not a bad person because my parents are rich."

"I know that," Peggy replied quickly, realizing how she'd come off. "I didn't mean-"

"Yeah, I know," he cut off, shaking his head. He didn't feel like talking about it; he wished he hasn't brought it up in the first place, but it was like everything he said had something to do with money. Like his entire personality was engrained in it, and that made people look down on him.

"No, let me talk. I'm sorry, it's this...perception of you, that's all I've been hearing for years on end. And I know it was wrong to judge, and I won't do it again, I swear." Peggy was nothing if not solemn, and she meant what she said. Her expression was steel, yet apologetic at the same time, in a way only she could be.

Tony shrugged again, already having mentally shut off this topic. But Peggy's words made his head pound. "Let's just let Wanda rest for a few more hours, then we can hunt Mr. Coulson down and get her some medicine from the nurse's office."

Peggy nodded, standing up, recognizing her cue to leave. "I'll just go across to the boys' bathroom... see you later, Tony. Sorry, again."

Tony sighed, watching Peggy step out of the room, wondering if he had been too harsh, but he dismissed the thought tiredly. At least now she'd think twice before assuming the worst of him, and maybe she'll tell the others, too... In a few short minutes, he found himself falling into a calm sleep for the first time in a very, very long time.


I really love how this chapter turned out. Tony is so interesting to write, and I love to write friendships evolving. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did - let me know! :)