Lessons In Love: Chapter Ninety-Six: Circles (Part 1)


Bucky Barnes tossed a certain brown couch out of Steve's apartment. He found another one, and had it moved into the living room. It was dark blue, and it seemed to fit Steve's style.

He knew that Steve liked things simple, and Bucky thought it worked. He got him a bed and a desk. The would-be-winter-soldier even set up his room just like he had it in the 1930s.

The apartment was ready for Steve. He looked everywhere for a stupid bowl. The blonde always had a bowl by his front door. He remembered Steve and his mother routinely putting their keys in that bowl, and he wanted Steve to have the same thing.

Bucky hadn't heard anything from Steve in a while, but he knew that he would be back eventually.

The brunette finished up all of the decorating, and he locked the door behind him. He headed down the hall and entered his own place. Bucky tossed his keys on the kitchen counter. For him, that was the perfect place for his keys to be.

He crossed his minimal apartment, and sat down on his favorite chair. Bucky lit up a cigarette, turned on a baseball game, and carried on with his evening.

Steve Rogers was on the opposite side of the country. He was entering a giant home, and being introduced to someone named Jarvis. Edwin Jarvis looked very happy to see Steve.

The man told him that he served with Steve during World War II. The younger Steve felt terrible, because he wasn't the person that Jarvis was describing. He shook the man's hand regardless, and gave him an honest smile.

Thankfully, Tony changed the subject. He was too excited about introducing Stephen and Steve as his "boyfriends". Jarvis told him three times that he was insane.

Stephen softly smiled. He didn't say much, and he kept looking around the giant home. Jarvis informed them that Howard was discussing business in his lab, but it was almost done.

"That's cool. We can avoid all the business, stuff. Where's mom?"

Tony wanted to avoid the business person, actually. His anxiety about that was picking up. Obidiah Stane was the owner of the beige Mercedes that was parked outside.

If he was staying for dinner, Tony thought that he might freak out. He was in a mess of shit before his parents were "killed", and he spent way too much time with Obidiah.

His devious nature, and growing addiction to cocaine, led him into doing some crazy shit with that person. Yikes. It was all coming back to Tony in that moment.

"I SAID she is in the kitchen. Screwball."

Jarvis was talking. AHAH. Tony laughed. His sassy butler had the coolest voice. Tony heard his insult, and he thought about recording him. Stephen stared at Tony, and so did Steve.

His behavior was too weird. They both had an arch to their eyebrows as they watched him strut about and brush off Jarvis.

It was time for Tony to formally introduce his mommy to his two boyfriends. Tony held a large smile as he walked down the hallway. He got toward the end and abruptly stopped. Tony stomped his feet in place and gasped loudly.

Fuck sauce...

Obidiah was walking his way. Tony saw that beige suit and he shrieked. His chest was about to burst open, and his hands felt super hot. Obidiah was twice Tony's age. The brunette didn't move. He calculated the age gap as he remained frozen solid.

17+17= 34.

Tony was acknowledging the fact that he was very intimate and got all crazy with a 34 year old. He swallowed the thought as Obidiah stopped in front of him. Tony heard him say hello.

He heard that talking suit call him the "little live wire". Tony couldn't do anything. It was just a simple greeting, but Tony's behavior had Steve weirded out, and so was Stephen.

Stephen could see between the lines. He recalled a conversation that he tried to have with Tony. He looked at the "little live wire" and decided to speak.

"You must be some jerk."

Stephen greeted Obidiah, but his expression was very cold. The would-be-sorcerer looked lethal, and Obidiah caught the hint. Stephen could tell that the person in front of Tony was the "some jerk" that worked for Howard Stark.

Obidiah quickly glanced at the front door. He was on his way out, but Tony's frozen body was in his way. Stephen's comment made the man sweat. He acted oblivious, made some comments, and migrated toward the door.

Pathetic. Stephen held an icy expression. He followed Obidiah with his sharp eyes, as that terrible person left. The door closing brought Tony out of his mini-coma. Ho shit. That just happened.

"Who was that?"

Steve needed an explanation. That golden thing was very confused, and he could feel that something was off. Stephen looked directly at Steve.

"I'll tell you later."

"JARV? YOU SAID THE KITCHEN? Ok."

Tony needed to get going. He ignored the situation, and pulled his cute boyfriends over toward his mommy. He kept thinking that he needed to talk to her about Obidiah, but didn't want to do any of that for a while.

Tony knew that she was going to freak out, and his father would probably die.

Stephen and Steve tried to talk, but they could only stumble along. The two of them were being dragged through the house, and it was laughable. Tony's anxiety made him seem frantic.

He mellowed out when he saw his mother. Maria Stark was bringing some food out to the table. She saw her son, and realized that she had to prepare more food. Steve smiled at her, and offered to take the bowl that she had in her hands.

Tony's chitter-chatter picked back up, and he introduced his mother to his two boyfriends. Maria just held an amused smile, then she put all three of them to work.

She had Steve helping with the food, Stephen making the iced tea, and Tony setting the table. Tony happily set down the fifth plate as his father walked into the dining room.

The brunette looked up at his father. It felt like he hadn't seen him in twenty years. Howard thought that Tony looked older. He noticed a change in his frame and height.

"Where've you been kid?"

Howard fixed a few uneven utensils that Tony put on the table. His son was always in a rush, and he wanted to remind him that he needed to slow down. Tony needed to learn how to take his time, and relax.

"I've been in Nepal, and way out in some other dimension. I brought a few people over. Just two, guests.."

Tony didn't mention the "boyfriends" thing to his father. No way. He wanted to, but ultimately he didn't want to turn his connection with Steve and Stephen into a joke. He was very serious about them, and he really wanted his father to see that.

Oh, Howard saw something. He saw that smitten kitten look on his son's face immediately. He kept his eyes on him for a moment, then he glanced at the kitchen door. Howard withheld his reaction when he saw Tony's "guests".

Stephen Strange brought out the unsweetened tea, then he headed back in to grab the other. Steve Rogers walked in with a bowl of food, then he went back in to retrieve something else.

Oh boy. Howard had to rub his forehead. The father took in a very deep breath. One eyebrow was arched high as he turned and gave his son a sharp look.

Tony formed an innocent grin on his face, then he quickly got back to setting the table.


Chapter: END

Thanks for reading.