A/N: Hello everyone! I had to fight FFN to get this chapter posted. This chapter is 100% the beginning into Angstville. At least you can enjoy Darcy being a good bro. Things are going downhill from here, so watch for warnings in the author's notes. Tony is just going to get more and more miserable, and I hope everyone can enjoy the trip on the SS Tony Feels.
All that aside, Tony and I wanted to thank you for all the favorites and follows! It does his sad little heart good to hear your worry over his suffering. He suggests you continue to follow/review, because it makes him happy(ish). Makes me happy too c:
As always, big thank you to my beta BigTimeHiddlestoner!
Updates on Fridays or Saturdays!
Warnings: Violence/A bit of blood
After the lunch bell rang, Tony hung back with Rhodey and Pepper, slinging his bookbag over his shoulder while waiting for his friends to finish gathering their things.
Ms. Hill was watching them from her corner, perched on the edge of her desk. She smiled at Pepper and Rhodey as they walked out the door, then scowled as soon as their backs were turned. The look she gave Tony was one of pure loathing, and Tony knew it would be within his best interests to get going before he was dragged across Fury's welcome mat for the fifth time that month .
He hoped that they'd given Hammer & Co. enough time to chase down lunch, and was right when he stepped out into a mostly empty hallway, save for Pepper and Rhodey.
"Man, Hill's got it out for you," Rhodey stated once they were out of earshot of the classroom.
"It's not fair, Tony. Why don't you report her to Fury? She's never humiliated anyone else like that," Pepper protested, bumping shoulders with Tony.
Tony shrugged, taking care as they came to a stairwell.
"She's not the first, and she won't be the last. I'm just that kind of guy," Tony replied, his words full of false bravado.
Rhodey said nothing, waiting until they were at the bottom of the stairs to ruffle his hair.
"Whoa, not the 'do, Platypus. Anything but that," Tony complained, batting Rhodey's hands away.
The cafeteria was abuzz with the last round of students for the day. They were all clamoring to get a spot in line, and there was plenty of shoving and attempts to cut. Tony didn't actually have any money to eat with (credit cards weren't accepted in high school cafeterias), so he followed Pepper to their usual table. Pepper packed lunch everyday, and saved her lunch money to use on things like shoes and shit. Tony would never understand, but he didn't begrudge her preferences.
Occasionally, Darcy Lewis would crash at their table while her best friend Jane Foster was sucking face with Thor. Tony really liked Darcy, because she was a smartass and could snark with the best of them. Darcy was already sitting at their table, looking disgusted with life as she stabbed her plastic fork into a tray of spaghetti with a vengeance.
"Is Jane off with Thor again?" Pepper asked, sitting down across from Darcy. She pulled out her lunchbox (pink) and began pulling out a carton of yogurt, a bag of carrots, peppers, and celery, and then a sandwich which Tony knew to be chicken salad, because Mondays were always chicken salad.
Darcy grumbled something unintelligible, taking a vicious bite of her spaghetti before answering. She wiped at her face with napkin, adjusting her glasses with a scowl.
"Yes. Damned traitor. She and the other dopes are all eating in the senior lounge."
"But they're not seniors!" Pepper protested while carefully peeling off the top of her yogurt carton. She pulled out a spoon and mixed it, then took a bite while waiting for Darcy to work herself into a tirade.
"They've got 'connections'," Darcy growled in a wheedling tone, making air quotations.
"Namely one Loki Odinson," Tony offered as he dropped down next to Darcy. "That little shit knows how to get into every nook and cranny in this school."
"Little fucker," was all Tony heard in between bites of garlic bread.
Tony pulled out his own sandwich and apple, silently thanking Sarah Rogers for her sainthood. Somehow, she managed to make peanut butter and jelly taste like heaven, and the apples she bought were always delicious. Rhodey popped up at Tony's elbow, dropping an extra carton of chocolate milk on the table before sitting next to Pepper.
Rhodey and Pepper shared a brief kiss, ignoring Darcy and Tony's gagging noises, before they both turned back to their lunches. Rhodey had opted for a ham and cheese sub (on extra healthy wheat bread, because the Jr. ROTC and various team sports had standards), and a fruit cup. Rhodey was always chill enough to get Tony a carton of chocolate milk, and seemed to know that being a 'rich kid' wasn't actually working out for Tony.
"You guysh are disgushstin'," Tony said around a mouthful of PB&J. Darcy punched him in the arm, brandishing her fork at him.
"Don't talk with your mouthful, Anthony. Didn't your mother ever teach you manners?"
Tony swallowed his bite and took a drink of chocolate milk, then leveled Darcy with a serious stare.
"No."
Darcy opened her mouth to retort, then faltered. The table suffered an awkward silence, before Tony took another swig of chocolate milk.
"I won't be waiting with you guys for the bus today. I gotta stay late with Dr. B."
Pepper rolled her eyes, leaning against Rhodey while picking through her bag of veggies. Rhodey huffed out a breath in amusement, before taking a bite of his sub.
"How in the hell did you score afterschool with Banner?" Darcy asked, eyeing Tony over the rims of her glasses. She'd finished off her spaghetti and was working on her pudding cup, offering a bite to Tony before he replied. Tony wrapped his lips around the spoon, relishing the sweet taste for a moment before he licked off the remaining bit. Darcy finished the rest on her own, unconcerned about the sharing, then shot Tony a look that said, 'I'm waiting'.
Tony shrugged, covering a yawn with a hand.
"I came to class right at the bell. Called him 'Dr. B', because I know how much he secretly likes it. I didn't take notes. I zoned out during an in-class quiz. Shall I go on?" Tony snarked, balling up the baggie his sandwich came in and lobbing it to the nearest trash can, making a fwish noise when it went in.
He turned back to the table, starting when he realized they were all staring at him. Pepper had her 'Mildly Exasperated With Tony's Existence' face on, Rhodey sporting 'Amused Incredulity/Tony You Jackass' and Darcy was all out leering, leaving Tony to wonder if he'd be dragged out of his shop class for a little bit of fun behind the bleachers.
"Man, no wonder you've got to stay late. Good luck with that," Rhodey offered, starting on his fruit cup.
Tony feigned nonchalance as he bit into his apple, humming appreciatively. In reality, staying after school meant that Tony would miss his bus. The driver wasn't allowed to come get him, so Tony would be stuck walking. It meant he'd be getting home after dark, with no time to do homework or work on his project. He kept his grimace of displeasure to himself, and instead finished his apple and then his chocolate milk.
"No big, Sour Patch. Dr. B is totally chill, when he's not smashing up the lab and freshmen. I'll make up the work and head on home. Life will go on."
Darcy snickered, tossing her empty pudding cup onto her foam tray, picking up Tony's apple core and dropping it on top.
"Throw away my trash, slave," she said archly, shoving the tray towards Tony. He wrinkled his nose, but swung his legs off the bench anyways. Darcy was one girl he took care not to piss off. The rumors about the taser she carried in her purse were definitely based on fact.
Dropping the tray in the trash, Tony was completely unprepared for the crack against the side of his skull that sent him staggering to the right. He pressed his palm against his left temple, vision swimming as he applied pressure. He could feel blood trickling down the side of his face, and when he looked down he saw a dirty napkin and a piece of asphalt from the school parking lot.
The entire cafeteria had fallen silent, but Tony knew where to look. Hammer & Co. were sitting in the middle of the cafeteria, all looking far too innocent. Hammer appeared shocked, but his mouth was fighting a smirk. Amora was hiding her smile behind a hand, and the glint in Ty Stone's eyes told Tony all he needed to know.
The Blond Trio looked mildly disturbed on their side of the room, and Tony hoped they felt fucking guilty. They were just as bad as the others sometimes, and he prayed his blood made them feel queasy. He swung back around to face his friends, lightheaded and his steps unsure. Rhodey was at his elbow, pressing a napkin to Tony's head, his voice slightly panicked.
"Tones? You okay, man?"
"Mmm...yeah. Totes okay," Tony slurred. His head was pounding, and he couldn't really see straight. If he knew anything, he knew that he wouldn't be making out with Darcy Lewis during fourth period. Guys with head wounds weren't cool.
"Alright," Pepper declared. "We're going to the nurse's office. Jim, can you go and speak with an administrator? Darcy, grab Tony's backpack."
Tony knew it was serious if Darcy went without complaining. Rhodey passed him off to Pepper, then jogged off to deliver some justice. There were plenty of witnesses, and the cafeteria had cameras. Even if they weren't punished severely, Tony took some measure of comfort from knowing they'd get in trouble.
Groaning, Tony allowed Pepper to lead him, disturbed when he had to swap out his blood soaked napkin with a fresh one.
"Whoa, Stark. That's gross," Darcy snarked. "That's like, a biohazard. Keep that shit to yourself."
"Shut your trap, Lewis," Tony muttered. "I am injured."
"No excuse to be a slob," she replied archly.
Tony's reply was cut off when they arrived outside of the nurse's office, and he was pushed into a chair. Pepper and Darcy shuffled off to the side, leaving Mrs. Carter, the school nurse, to fret over Tony. He ended up in the nurse's office more often than most, and he liked to think they had a good rapport going.
"Goodness, Tony! What have you been up to? I hope this wasn't from gym again!"
"Nah, Mrs. C. I think it was a rock. Somehow my head found it and they became friends," Tony murmured, his smile goofy and his gaze far off.
"Always getting into something," Mrs. Carter clucked, pulling the napkin away from the cut. She tossed it in a biohazard bin (Darcy's 'Told you so!' was a little on the loud side.)
"Mmm. I just like your company, Mrs. C."
Mrs. Carter smiled fondly, patting Tony's unbloodied cheek a few times before turning away to gather gauze and peroxide. She cleaned out the cut with peroxide, dabbing at it with gauze while it foamed. She cleaned the blood off the side of his face, and inspected the cut while it bled sluggishly.
Tsk'ing, she bustled back to the cabinet and found a box of butterfly bandages, then set about closing the wound a bit. Tony hissed a few times, grumbling and growling. Darcy's hand on his shoulder and Pepper's on his knee kept him grounded, and reminded him not to start cussing Mrs. Carter.
"It's a nasty cut, and your face will probably be fifty shades of purple, yellow, and green," she said with a chuckle, as if her joke was funny. "But it won't need stitches. Would you like some aspirin for the pain?"
Tony hummed in thought, weighing his options. Chances were, he'd make it to his bus well enough, and could stumble back to the mansion with little incident. He'd just need to dodge Banner. If the aspirin could take the edge off, why not?
"Yes please, Mrs. C," Tony replied, snickering at the pitiful excuse for a rhyme. The nurse's smile was still fond (Tony could totally tell) as she got the pill bottle out of a cabinet, and shook two pills into her palm, offering them to him with a cup of water that Darcy had so helpfully filled up. Making a show of sniffing it to upset his friend, Tony gave up joking and tossed the two pills back, whining when it made his head spin.
"I'm not letting you out of here until your dizziness has abated, Tony," Mrs. Carter said in her sternest tone. She secretly loved him, of that he was sure, so he knew he could wheedle his way out at some point. But still, the better part of valor and whatever had him nodding slowly.
"Yes ma'am."
Mrs. Carter looked surprised at his quick agreement, but she didn't comment, instead turning to Pepper and Darcy. "You two girls need to go on to class. Tony will be fine with me."
Pepper and Darcy shared a look, and Tony would have given anything to know how the female mind worked, but he didn't get any insight when they came to a silent agreement.
"Alright, Mrs. Carter," Pepper said, her voice full of that ginger charm that world on practically everyone. "Thank you very much for patching him up. We know he's a handful."
"Nonsense," Mrs. Carter tittered, waving them off. "Now get. You still have time to go get your things before the bell."
Darcy moved in front of him, pressing a kiss to an unbandaged portion of his forehead. "See ya later, Bleachers. Your time will come soon enough."
"Aw, man," Tony grumbled, quieting when Pepper's hand cupped the uninjured side of his face. Her hand was cool, and he had never loved her more (in a totally platonic way).
"Be good, Tony. Listen to , and please be careful."
Tony didn't nod again, because it would make him dizzy. So he settled on raising an eyebrow and smirking. "Me? Not careful? I think you're mistaking me with some other kid."
Seeing her frown, Tony covered her hand with his, smiling in earnest. "I'll be careful, Pep. Promise."
Pepper nodded, then ushered Darcy out of the room, stopping her from stealing Mrs. Carter's stash of lollipops. Mrs. Carter checked on his bandage one more time before moving into her office, leaving Tony to sit on the cot and lean against the wall behind him, trying to regain his equilibrium before the fourth period bell rang.
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