A/N: Really quick, I would highly suggest listening to the tracks listed in these next few chapters while reading them to get more of the experience. :)

Chapter 3: The Pre-Party

Tony knew exactly who stood came up behind him before he turned around. Standing there was Pepper, the sort-of love of his life. He frowned when he saw she was still wearing her white blouse and khaki skirt.

"Pep, aren't you supposed to be dressed by now?" he asked, already in his police officer costume. Complete with a pair of fake handcuffs and a baton.

Pepper stood there and looked at him closely, her strawberry blonde bangs hanging over her sad eyes. Tony took out his cuffs and swirled them around his finger.

"You wanna test these out?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Tony, are you sure you want to do this?" she asked, ignoring his joke.

"Do what? Celebrate me becoming a legal adult? You know what's hilarious about that, by the way? I could join the army, star in a porn, vote, get married, but I'm not old enough to have a drink at a bar."

Pepper she blew her bangs out of her eyes.

"Like that's stopped you before?"

Tont turned around and looked back out of his window. Down below he saw teams of big armed workmen bringing in stereos, spin tables, lights and various other things inside through his front door. It was early evening. His party would be starting soon. A lot of people from school would be there. Tony hoped his new crush would be among them, and it killed him when he came to that realization. He both loved and hated this new feeling.

"Why do you ask?" he questioned.

Pepper strolled up behind him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Rhodey told me about what happened the other day. I just thought you would want to take things easy for a while."

Tony closed his eyes and let out a sharp breath from his nostrils. Damn Rhodey and his big mouth. He saw the way Pepper looked at him, her eyes full of pity and concern. It was the exact reason he didn't want Rhodey to tell anyone else. He hated pity. Why would he need it? He's Tony fucking Stark!

"Pepper, when have you known me to takes things easy? Like, ever?" he asked.

Pepper couldn't help herself as she giggled softly.

"I know Tony, I know. I wasn't expecting anything different from you but you know me. I have to ask." she said.

Tony shook his head and let a smile come back. He wasn't upset at Pepper. He could never be upset with her.

"And you know me, Pep. What happened happened, and now I say 'fuck it'. Now you get your bony ass in that bathroom and get in your costume. Rhodey's on his way and I'm going to go get our VIPs soon. I need you to work your magic and get the party started while I do that."

Pepper gave Tony a small kiss on a cheek before she went and did what Tony asked.

"You're going to be the death of yourself, you know that?" she said as she closed the bathroom door behind her.

Tony looked out of his window again and saw more workmen carrying a rather impressive ice sculpture of his bust inside. He grinned his shit eating grin.

"I'm counting on that." he muttered to himself.

The double doors to his bedroom opened and in walked a husky pudgy faced man with graying curly hair.

"Mr. Stark, your ride is ready."

Tony spun on his heel and strolled over to the man, his grin going nowhere.

"Thank you, Happy. Lets get this show on the road, shall we?"

**************************************************************
Clint did his usual thing as they hung out for a little while waiting on Tony. Turns out Steve's mom had baked an apple pie and made crackers and cheese sometime before he and Natasha arrived. Steve, Thor, and Bruce sat at the kitchen table eating the pie (or rather what was left of it after Thor attacked the damn thing). He and Steve were yapping on about whatever while Bruce only nodded and talked occasionally. Natasha was there at the table with them, slowly nibbling away at her crackers. She seemed content in the company of the other boys, but she never said a word. Clint meanwhile stood in the corner of the kitchen, leaning against the wall and merely observing them all. He noticed all the little details about them, like how Bruce rarely looked up when he spoke and constantly ran his hand through his hair. The way Thor would lick the corner of his mouth, trying to catch any more taste of the pie from his trimmed stubble. How Steve sat up straight with perfect posture despite being around friends. At one point, Natasha looked over to him. Glancing at the empty chair between her and Bruce and back at him, Clint knew instantly that she was silently asking him to sit down there. Clint wanted to shake his head no and resume his position, but he knew the power the redhead had over him. If she wanted something from him, he would give it to her. Clint rolled his eyes as he very slowly pushed himself off the wall and over to the chair. When he sat down he looked at the surface of the table, mentally tracing the swirly patterns and zig-zag lines. He saw Natasha grin at him out of the corner of his eye, and he grinned back. It was weird. He was so used to sitting with nobody but Natasha all the time that sharing a table with three other people felt alien. He was grinning because as weird as it felt, these guys weren't so bad. Maybe, just maybe, he would-

"What about you two?" he heard Steve ask all of a sudden.

He and Natasha's eyes snapped to the boy, who was looking at them expectantly.

"What?" Clint asked, blinking himself out of his thoughts.

"Would you be interested in a movie night in the future?" Steve asked.

The corner of Clin'ts mouth curled up and his eyebrows lowered, making an expression that said "What the fuck?" Steve just met him not too long ago. He already convinced him to go to a party he wasn't even fully sure he knew why he was attending. Now he's inviting him to movie nights? Didn't Steve know who he was? Why would he ask that? Steve noticed his face and his eyes turned sad. Oh shit, now I've offended him, Clint thought to himself.

"What movie?" he heard Natasha ask.

Clint turned to her. She wasn't smiling but her features were gentle.

"Three Kicks To The Head Part Three." Thor answered, who failed to notice the awkward moment between Clint and Steve.

Clint's expression went from confused to contemplative. He was actually a fan of the Three Kicks To The Head movies, and he hadn't seen part three yet. He looked at Steve and gave him a small smile, causing boy's eyes to light back up.

"Perhaps." he said.

He would see how tonight went before deciding on whether or not to give these people any more of his time.

"I would like to, but I haven't seen the first two movies yet." said Bruce.

"Then we will have to catch you up, friend Bruce!" Thor boomed, which caused Clint to flinch.

Damn the guy was loud. Suddenly Thor's phone began to ring loudly. He brought it out of a pocket inside his tunic and answered it, putting it on speaker.

"Friend Tony!" he greeted.

"Yes, hi Thor." they heard Tony say, his voice crystal clear over the speaker.

The five of them noticed music playing and the sound of an engine in the background.

"Tony where are you?" Steve asked.

"Down the street! Get your asses out here!" Tony ordered before quickly hanging up.

Steve shrugged as he stood up from his seat and brushed some crumbs off the S on his chest. Clint wanted to laugh. With Steve in his Superman get up and Thor in his homemade Hercules creation, it was almost like they weren't in costumes at all. It was the same with Natasha as Jessica Rabbit. Hot damn if she didn't look good enough to eat. Only he and Bruce seemed to be in costume for real. He didn't know much about Bruce but he knew full well he wasn't some Christmas sweater wearing child killer. Clint himself was far from a beach going surfer boy who said "dude" with every other sentence. He mock saluted Steve again as he stood up, too.

"Aye aye, captain."

Steve only smiled at the nickname as they grabbed their bags of clothes led his company outside. Sure enough in full Tony Stark fashion, there was a sleek looking black bus coming down the street to his house. Pictures of Tony wearing a black suit and striking various model poses plastered the entire exterior of the bus. Multicolored lights were flashing from the windows and Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" was blasting full force from the bus's speakers. Clint groaned at the sight, considering grabbing Natasha and going home right away. He only took one step backward before he felt Natasha painfully grip his forearm. She leaned into his ear and whispered,

"Clint, don't you fucking dare. It was your idea for us to go. We're already dressed up, so were doing this."

Hating himself for it, Clint whimpered in Natasha's grip before he nodded. She let him go and he rubbed his arm. How could he forget the girl's hands were a vice when she wanted them to be? The bus parked in front of them and the music died down somewhat as Tony poked his head out the door when it opened.

"Get in, losers! We're going shopping!" the millionaire shouted.

Thor, Steve, Natasha, and Bruce scrunched their faces, the reference completely going over their heads. The policeman dressed teen slumped against the doorway, groaning loudly.

"Ugh! Oh come on! You guys don't get that reference?!" he cried.

They shook their heads as they went and boarded the bus.

"Mean Girls." Clint whispered into Natasha's ear.

"It's disturbing that both of you know that." she deadpanned.

Clint was about to respond when he saw the interior of the party bus and gaped in awe. Plush cream colored carpet covered the floor. Burgundy colored seats lined the sides of the bus, which were velvety to the touch. Various colored lights spun around on the ceiling. There were cupholders and compartments galore, and snacks decorated the ebony wood shelves above the seats. Being a bus it was extremely roomy, and a stripper pole stood in the center. Tony threw out his arms, relishing in his own money well spent.

"Maybe this won't be so bad after all." Clint muttered.

"Steve! Thor! Always good to see you!" Tony greeted, then his eyes spotted Bruce, Clint and Natasha.

He raised an eyebrow and bit his lower lip. Clint was sure it was Natasha making him do that.

"You three! I know you! Uhhhh, Bruce, right?" he asked, pointing at the curly haired brunette.

Bruce looked shocked, confused as to why he of all people was recognized by a Stark.

"Yeah. B-Bruce Banner. How did you-"

"I make it my mission to know people. Especially when they happen to give incredible science presentations, presenting theories that no high schooler should know about." Tony complimented.

He winked at Bruce, causing him to blush and look away with a shy smile. Clint almost forgot that Tony was also an egghead behind all the style and flair and over-the-top behavior. It must've felt nice being in the presence of another genius. He felt the same way about Natasha. With her looks and charm, she could be with the In Crowd any time she wanted without a hitch. But he knew what she was. He knew who she was. A fellow outsider. Tony looked at him and his partner and smiled even wider.

"And you are the Bonnie and Clyde of the school. Barton and Romanoff." he said.

Clint looked at Natasha with an arched brow. She shrugged.

"We've been called worse." she said.

"That we have." said Clint.

Much worse. Tony's gaze lingered on them as he continued chewing his lower lip.

"Jessica Rabbit huh? You know she was my first boner."

"Tony!" Steve shouted in her defense, but Natasha looked like she was trying to keep herself from laughing.

"Happy! Get us out of here!" Tony commanded the bus driver, completely moving past his strange comment before things got too awkward.

The bus jerked forward, and Tony waved his hands at the speakers, turning the music back up.

"So, obvious question, who's gonna test this thing out first?" asked Tony, head bopping to the beat of the song while gesturing to the pole.

Bruce shook his head and sat firmly in one of the burgundy velvet seats, grabbing a bag of Cheetos off the shelf behind him. Tony looked hopefully at Natasha for two seconds before she sent him one of her famous death glares. The playboy's swagger broke for all of half a second as he stopped smiling and gulped nervously before looking away. Clint grinned sideways at her. That's my girl. Tony's smile returned when he passed over Steve (it was a given that old captain wouldn't do something like that) and he locked his brown eyes on Thor and Clint. Thor smiled warmly but politely declined. That left Clint.

"Come on, Clyde. I can't be the only naughty one in here." Tony coaxed.

Natasha smiled knowingly at her partner. She knew full well what Clint was capable of, and Clint suddenly felt more daring than usual. Clint gave Tony his own shit eating grin and playfully gave the long hair of his wig a flip.

"You have no idea how 'naughty' I am, Stark."

Tony threw his hands up.

"Whoo!" he yelled.

Tony then snapped his fingers, and the song changed to Britney Spears' "Gimme More".

"Is this seriously happening?" asked Bruce, grown incredulous at the sight of the school's bad boy about to pole dance for Tony Stark's entertainment.

"I believe it is, my friend." Thor answered, who was curious as to what was about to happen.

Clint took a deep breath. No backing down now, Barton. He lept forward, grabbed on to the pole and performed a perfect circular swing, the tips of his toes barely missing Steve's hairline. His companions' jaws dropped as he lifted his legs above his head, grabbed the pole with his feet and brought his upper body out perfectly straight. He winked at Tony and Natasha before twisting his side, grabbing the pole with his left hand. He swung his legs out, twirling himself around the pole. Round and round at an incredible speed. Tony and Thor were clapping and cheering him on. Steve and Bruce's jaws hung open, speechless at the sight. Natasha crossed her arms and smirked. She'd seen his flexibility and dexterity used in much more interesting ways in the past. After his twirls, Clint wrapped his right leg around the pole and let the rest of his body bend down backwards, perfectly aligned with the straight piece of metal. He grinned at the faces staring at him. Oh they are loving this! he thought. Clint grasped the base of the pole and while upside down, spread his legs open in a perfect split and spun himself around more, causing Steve and Bruce to finally join in on the cheering. Clint brought his legs up and flipped gracefully backwards, landing into a sexy crouch just as the song ended, earning him a standing ovation.

"You spider-monkey mother fucker! Where in the hell did you learn to move like that?" Tony yelled, his face with a smile so wide Clint thought his cheeks would tear.

Catching his breath, Clint walked back over to Natasha who just kept smirking in silence.

"Sorry, Tony. I show, not tell." said Clint with a devilish grin.

"I gotta admit, I'm impressed, Barton." said Steve.

"A most excellent display!" Thor shouted, giving Clint a punch in the shoulder that made him wince.

Bruce said nothing but smiled and gave Clint a thumbs up. Against his will, Clint's grin transitioned into a full blown smile. He had no idea why the hell he just did that, but he was happy he did.

"You know, I was going to go next, but now I just don't see the point." said Tony.

Suddenly the bus stopped and the doors opened. Hopping aboard was a short pretty girl and a black boy who looked just as built as Steve. Both of them in costume. The girl was dressed in a lime green leotard with chocolate brown elbow warmers, red and white striped stockings, white fluffy boots, and a hot pink wig adorned with peppermints and candy hearts. The boy was dressed in a long black trench coat, a long haired dreadlock wig, and black top hat. The top half of his face painted white resembling a skull, and his eyes had red colored contacts. The girl hopped up and wrapped her arms and legs around Steve, peppering his cheeks with sweet kisses.

"Hi, baby!" she greeted, kissing him on the lips.

"Hi, Sharon." Steve said back after they were done kissing.

"Are you supposed to be a candy shop, Sharon?" Tony joked, his eyes still on Clint and Natasha.

Sharon hopped down off of Steve as the bus moved forward once more and pointed a finger at Tony.

"You're damn right, Tony. A candy shop where the only customer is Steve." she replied.

Steve wrapped his big arms around her waist from behind and softly kissed her neck.

"Aww, Sharon that's so sweet." he said.

"Candy puns? Oh god, you're giving me diabetes." said Clint.

The boy in black snorted.

"Tell me about it. I'm Sam by the way." he greeted, sticking out his hand.

Clint shook it firmly.

"Clint." he said simply.

"And I'm Natasha. Nice to meet you Sam."

"Likewise." Sam replied, his eyes lingering on Natasha longer than he intended.

"Hiiiii, I'm Sharon. Steve's girlfriend." said Sharon, giving Clint and Natasha quick hugs.

Sharon looked at Natasha.

"I remember you, Natasha. I'm still bummed you didn't join the dance squad." she said.

Natasha shrugged.

"Teams aren't really my thing." she said coldly.

Clint nudged her, and then quickly she added,

"but uh, it's flattering knowing you think I've got what it takes."

Sharon just smiled at her.

"Oh that's alright." she said.

"So Sam, what are you supposed to be?" asked Bruce.

Sam jumped a little. He had nearly failed to notice the science lover.

"Papa Legba." he replied kindly.

Steve shrugged.

"He's been watching American Horror Story reruns."

Thor groaned at the word horror.

"You're a lover of horror as well?" he asked, still a tad uncomfortable with Bruce's choice of costume.

"You damn right I am. Plus it took me a long time to get this costume together." Sam replied.

Tony laughed and put a hand on the big guy's shoulder.

"Oh Thor, it'll be okay. One of these days I'm gonna have a horror movie marathon with you."

Thor's expression saddened, surprising Clint a lot.

"Am I being punished, friend Tony?" he asked.

Catching everyone off guard, Bruce threw his head back and let out a loud howling laugh, making everyone else to laugh, too.

"No Thor," Bruce started, catching his breath, "Tony's just going to try and desensitize you to American horror movies. By showing you a ton of them, eventually you'll get used to it."

Tony grabbed Bruce and threw an arm around his shoulder.

"Yes! Exactly!"

"I do not understand." Thor grumbled.

"Oh don't worry, Thor. You will." Bruce assured.

"Well now that we're all here, there's a birthday in need of celebration and a house to get to. Mine! Happy! Take us home, yo!" Tony shouted.

Tony snapped his fingers and the next song that played was "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World. He started jetting his hips left and right and bopping his head to the drums. His arm still around Bruce, he was practically forcing the boy to groove along with him. Steve, Sharon, and Sam joined him in the dancing. Thor stood next to Clint and Natasha, who watched them in amusement. Natasha leaned in closer to Clint's ear.

"So Clint, why did you do your little dance? Don't get me wrong it was awesome but,... I thought those shows were just for me." she joked, but Clint could detect the seriousness in there.

He chuckled, scratching his scalp under his wig and cap.

"To be honest with you Nat, I really don't know."