"What's with the long face Tony?" Bruce asked worryingly as the genius made his way up to them. Every step he took felt heavy, almost like a pair of weights were hanging over his shoulders, pressing him down into the soft ground. Or maybe it was just his backpack which he carried like half of all his books.
Tony gave him a sneaky smile. "This long face is tired, that's what it is." He said casually, acting like nothing had happened as he sat down next to him. They were all waiting for Rhodey, he was probably late as usual.
"Well why don't you just lay down and sleep while we go and buy hot dogs and will absolutely not leave you here until some creep comes and kidnap you?" Clint said which made Bruce snort.
"Sure, but I know you wouldn't be able to leave me. You love me too much." Tony answered teasingly, which Clint rolled his eyes at.
"Well the kidnapper would probably return you, you never shut up." Clint mumbled jokingly.
"And that comes from the right person." Tony answered sarcastically with a glint in his eye as Clint kicked him lazily in the leg where he stood above him.
They talked for a while, waiting for Rhodey to come and meet them up but he was just as slow as the other times they planned to meet up.
Even though Clint kept distracting him, Tony couldn't stop thinking about Steve. He felt bad for some reason. The way Rogers had looked at him when those horrible words left his mouth was heart-shattering and he felt how a feeling of regret grew deep inside his gut. He didn't even hear when Bruce asked him a question.
"Tony? Hello? Earth to Tony Stark."
Tony looked up confused as Bruce snapped his fingers in front of his face.
"Okay what's going on with you? Did something happen with Rogers?" Bruce asked worryingly, noticing how his friend looked so down all of sudden.
"Did you guys fuck?" Clint asked with a smirk which made Tony wrinkled his eyebrows at him.
"Seriously?" He asked.
"You totally fucked him, didn't you?" Clint said before sitting up with wide eyes. "Or did he fuck you?!"
"Wh-what? No! No one fucked anyone!" Tony almost yelled embarrassingly loud before putting his head in his hand, groaning deeply.
Bruce raised an eyebrow at Clint before turning to his BFF again. "Then what happened? You look so...regretful?"
Tony looked at him impressed. "How the-? Okay I'm seriously getting scared right now." He laughed as he jokingly moved away from his friend.
Bruce rolled his eyes. "I've known you since forever Tony, I can read you like an open book. Now tell me, what happened with Steve?"
Tony turned away from him as he pulled up a fist off the grass and started to play with it between his fingers. Which made both of his friends look at him suspiciously.
"He saw me-"
"Naked?"
Tony threw the fist with grass over Clint in an irritated manner, very close to hitting him in the head. Bruce stopped them just in time and pushed them away from each other. Telling Tony to keep talking.
"He saw me without the glasses. And...offered to help me to take care of it." He mumbled unsurely, looking down at the grass-covered ground before meeting his friend's eyes.
"That's it?" Clint asked.
Tony bit his lip before he kept going. "I kind of...panicked-god this is so awkward." he said with a laugh and hit himself in the forehead.
"No keep going. I wanna hear the story." Clint laughed with a smile. Not judging at all though.
"Ipanickedwhenhestoodclosetome."
Bruce raised an eyebrow as Tony spoke wat too fast for them to catch. "What?" He asked.
"I gay panicked okay!" Tony groaned out loudly, which made both Bruce and Clint look at each other with shocked looks.
"Didn't see that coming..." Clint mumbled awkwardly as he took a sip from his water bottle he just had pulled out, but Bruce just smiled.
"I did. I knew you had a crush on him."
"I don't have a crush on him Bruce! I admit he's hot. But I'm not in love with him." Tony moaned as he laid down on the grass irritatingly. "But that's not the worst part, I kind of...yelled at him."
Bruce raises his eyebrows. "For what?"
"For standing in my personal bubble and asking where I got my black eye."
Clint choked on his water as laugh took over his breath and he started couching wildly into his arm.
"Clint for god's sake." Bruce mumbled, but couldn't help but have a smile on his lips at his friend's reaction.
"There's more.." Tony said warningly, making Clint look up with a raised eyebrow.
"I kind of...told him that no one likes him and that everyone will hate him eventually..." Tony said awkwardly. He heard how Bruce whispered something to himself and how Clint started laughing again, laying down on his back with his hands on his chest with heavy breaths.
"I panicked! He was this close to finding out about my dad!" He said and showed a small space with his fingers which made Bruce groan under his breath.
"Did you do anything more? You apologized right?" He asked hopefully, but when Tony avoided his gaze, Bruce threw his head back. " Oh god you are so stubborn sometimes!"
"I'm not! You are!" Tony protested.
"Middle school comeback? Nice blow Stark." Clint commented and Tony gave him the finger sneakily so Bruce wouldn't notice him.
"That's it...you go and apologize to him now." Bruce commanded as he stood up with his arms over his chest like some kind of a boss.
Stark laughed. "Pff no..."
"Don't make me use your full name. I don't want to act like a mom!" Bruce said with an amusing smile. "You like him right?"
"No."
"Yes you do. So if you don't want to fuck this up, get your lazy ass up and go and apologize to him!"
Tony bit his lip hesitantly before letting out a deep sigh. "Yeah...maybe you're right."
◇
Sweat was running down Steve's muscular back and soaked his white t-shirt. The sun burned his skin and his legs felt weak under him as he ran.
They had been playing for so long now and he took his chance to take a little break when the ball was kicked off the field. The blond squatted down a little and brushed off some sweat from his forehead with the end of his shirt, showing of a little part of his stomach.
"You okay buddy? Wanna take a break?" Sam asked as he stood at his side, also panting heavily after the almost two whole hours of running with only small breaks.
"No I'm fine..." he assured him with a small smile. He had told his friends about his and Tony's argument as they got ready for soccer practice. Both of them seemed irritated by the story, but there weren't any other big reactions. And Steve knew that the things Tony had said wasn't that mean, but it just hurt knowing that the words were meant for him, and the way Stark had said them made him feel weird.
"Hey Rogers wake up! The ball is on the field!" He heard the coach yell at him and he stood up quickly, looking around himself only to spot the ball a few meters from him.
A guy named Jake ran at full speed towards their goal before making a good pass to one of his teammates. Steve smirked to himself as he already knew their tactic. The ball would be passed over to the other side. So he made a quick turn, getting rid of the player who blocked him out of the game and ran over to the player the ball was going to.
He ran in front of the shorter guy and caught it with his chest, only to slow it down before passing it to his player.
"Great Rogers! Next time less sleeping and more playing!" The coach yelled.
The team kept practicing for about ten minutes before the coach told them to take a break, which everyone groaned out thankfully and threw themself on the soft ground. The burning heat was killing them and Bucky picked up his water bottle. He drowned his hair and face in it before drinking the rest, swallowing the almost warm water.
Steve took his own and drank a few sips. Already feeling his strength returning slowly after the long and hard workout. His legs started to feel normal again and he threw his head back with closed eyes. Cursing at the strong sun hitting his body and making him sleepy and weak.
"Steve I think someone wants to talk to you." Bucky mumbled, making both Sam and Steve looked up to find a small figure coming toward them, only to stop a few meters away.
It was Tony. He had his hood pulled over his head with a few black stains of hair hanging down over his glasses. He looked like a drug dealer.
Steve raised a questioning eyebrow at him as the black-haired guy nodded his head at the side, telling him to come over. Steve looked at Sam and Bucky.
"What the hell does he want?" Sam asked, taking a sip from his bottle.
"No idea." Steve said before biting his lip softly, not knowing if he should go or stay with his friends. But curiosity took over him and he looked at his teammates one more time before standing up, walking over to the shorter boy who shifted nervously where he stood.
When Steve had got up to him he looked at him uninterested. "What do you want?" He asked rudely.
Tony swallowed. Not just because of his nerves but the fact that Steve's hair was messy and his shirt clenching onto his body and showing off his muscular form in the best way possible. He let his eyes take in the sight in front of him, almost licking his lips as dirty thoughts made their way into his head. But before anything happened he snapped out of it. Getting back to his normal cocky self.
"You know those shorts are doing nothing for your ass." He said, completely forgetting why he was there. Okay maybe he knew why he was there, he just didn't want to admit it.
Steve scoffed. "You came down here to say that?" He asked uninterestedly.
Tony shrugged. "Pretty much."
Steve looked at him suspiciously before he shook his head and turned around on his way to leave. But Tony stopped him quickly.
"Wait. It's not everything." He said a little hesitantly, god he hated this.
Steve rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest, waiting for the other guy to continue.
"I wanted to talk to you." Tony said nonchalantly and let a small smirk appear on his lips.
"Since when? You made it pretty clear you didn't like me. So why are you even here?" Steve asked. Shifting his weight to his other foot to look more nonchalant.
Tony bit his lip. "Yeah...and I-" he signed deeply looking down at the ground.
"I wanted to...apologize?"
Steve couldn't help but laugh a little. "Is it a question or a fact?" He asked teasingly.
Tony wrinkled his forehead. This is not how he thought Steve would react. He thought he would be mad and not letting him say a word. He was so sure Steve wouldn't even want to talk to him.
"A fact actually." Tony responded.
Steve nodded before looking at him, waiting for him to say something. Tony bit his inner cheek. Fuck he didn't know what to say. Should he just...say I'm sorry or?
"I don't have all day you know." Steve said dryly.
Tony rolled his eyes. "Yeah I know I just-"
"You're not so good at this."
"Shut up and let me speak." Tony said jokingly. He couldn't help it, this dude was something else.
"I'm- I'm sorry...you know..for the things I said to you." He said a little hesitant, not knowing if that's what you are supposed to say. Maybe he should say something else. "It wasn't...cool. You know..."
Steve tried to keep a straight face on, but he couldn't help it. Tony was acting really cute and he just had to smile brightly at him. Which made the other boy's heart melt.
"Yeah I get it." Steve said jokingly.
"Rogers! Get over here and start training!" The coach's voice suddenly was heard and Steve groaned as he closed his eyes.
"I gotta go..."
Tony nodded. "Yeah." He said quietly.
"What are you gonna do after this?" Steve asked curiously, which made Tony smirk.
"Sorry Rogers but you're not my type." He said, which was not true at all. Steve was totally his type. The blue eyes and blond hair combination with strong cheekbones and big muscles were his type.
Steve rolled his eyes. "I'm not asking you out, I was just wondering." He explained and Tony smirked.
"I was planning on staying here and watch the rest of the game."
Wait what? No he wasn't. He was supposed to go to Bruce and study! Why the hell would he stay here. Yes he loved soccer but he still needed to study, plus his friends are waiting for him.
Steve raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really?"
"Yeah." Tony answered nonchalantly. "But only cause I like soccer....I still don't like you." He assured him and Steve smirked as he shook his head.
"Yeah yeah I get it."
"Rogers! Get over here! Now!" They heard a commanding voice from the field.
"Coming!" He yelled back at the coach tiredly before looking back at Tony. He really wished to see his eyes for some reason. But knowing that wouldn't happen as long as that black eyes still was visible. So instead of saying anything more, he bit his lip.
His eyes still locked on the other guy' face, not knowing what to say, so he turned around awkwardly and off to the field. He got into his position before looking over at the smaller teen one last time, smiling at him a little as he saw how he placed himself against the fence that surrounded the field.
The game was just as tough and fast as the last one. Not a single moment where he could take a break or even stop. He had to admit, this team was a lot more active and skilled than the one in Brooklyn.
He tried to keep himself concentrated, but his mind always slipped away and Stark always popped up in his mind. Those small smirks and sweet smiles made his heart burst and he found himself deeply in thoughts at the same time he played.
Just when he had got some kind of flow, he felt how someone tackled him hard. He felt how something hit his shoulder roughly and stepped on his foot in the process.
He let out a painful groan as he fell, his foot getting in between the other players shoe and the ground as it was twisted. He bit his teeth together to prevent any sound from escaping as he laid on the ground, knowing that the game would stop when a player was down.
"Hey are you okay?!" Bucky asked worryingly and bent down next to him. The coach and some other players gathered around him with worried faces.
"Rogers are you alright?" He asked worryingly and Steve shook his head. His foot hurt bad and he hissed as he felt how someone touched it lightly.
"Okay, Barnes go and help Rogers get some ice on that." He motion at the blond and Bucky nodded.
He bent down and grabbed Steve's arm and placed it carefully over his head. "Can you walk buddy?" He asked.
"I don't know.." he responded as he let his friend help him up on his feet. He tried to take a step on the soft grass, but the pain shot up in his leg to his knee and he bit his lips together. He shook his head.
"Okay Barnes take him to the side and wrap him up." The coach said and Bucky nodded understanding, but just as he turned around carefully with Steve in a tight grip, an unknown voice from behind stopped him in his tracks.
"No need. I'll take him."
Unexpectedly Tony appeared at the field and swung Steve's arm over his shoulder in one swift movement. Not knowing why he did this...but it felt like he kind of had to.
Bucky looked at him with surprised eyes just as everyone else. Steve's mouth even dropped open as he felt how Tony held his whole body up with his own one, it was kind of impressive.
"Thank you Mr. Stark. Everyone else, take a break and get ready for the last ten minutes. I won't be easy on you!" The coach yelled out as Tony starter carrying the player to the side, on his way onto the locker rooms that wasn't too far away.
"You are stronger than you look." Steve said impressed which made Tony rolled his eyes casually.
"And you are clumsier than you look."
Steve gasped. "I-I was tackled! I didn't fall- or I mean...yes I fell but not on purpose!" He defended himself with a joyful smile.
"Sure whatever you say big guy. Now shut the fuck up and focus on walking instead."