Chapter 19
“Smoke cleared and he didn’t even look at the rest of us, just smirked at the suits and waltzed out of the arena.” James recounted as he sat in Tony’s workshop, arm on the bench in front of the engineer.
Tony cackled, never looking away from the tiny tools he had, tinkering inside the metal appendage.
“That’s our boy.” Tony crowed, pleased as punch. “Trust him to win and piss off the establishment. We raised him well.”
James snorted.
“When they tried to accuse him of freeing the thing on purpose, he turned all wide eyed and innocent.” James huffed to cover his laugh. “They knew he was full of shit, but what were they going to do when everyone’s cheering him on?”
Tony snickered, pulling back from the arm to turn and look at James directly.
“He was okay though, right?”
“Only one to come out completely unscathed. Minus a bit of burnt hair, but they fixed him up right away.” James’ smile returned, and he didn’t try to hide it now, because he knew the genius needed the reassurance. “Should’ve seen their faces when he just walked right up and talked to it.”
Tony chuckled again, shaking his head as he turned back to the arm.
“Next task, it’s in the lake right?”
“Merpeople apparently.”
Tony just shook his head, exasperated.
“At this point, nothing surprises me. How much time does he have?”
“Few months.”
The pop and clang of one of the ceiling grates was the only warning before Clint dropped into the lab.
“You forgot about the ball.”
The two brunettes froze, turning in sync to look at the archer.
“The what now?” Tony demanded, caught completely by surprise. Clint’s grin was Cheshire wide.
“The Yule Ball. On Christmas. All the champions are expected to be there, and with a date.”
There’s a moment where they both stare at him before turning to exchange a look. When they look back at Clint, he knew he was in trouble. He was already leaping back up into the vent with a cackle when Tony lunged at him.
It was 5 minutes later when they found him lounging in the common room, head in Natasha’s lap as she read.
Obviously sensing tension, she looked up at them over the cover, lifting a brow. Tony shot an accusing finger at Clint.
“Birdbrain just said there’s a ball and Harry’s supposed to take a date!” Tony exclaimed in a tone of betrayal. Natasha just blinked at him, sliding her gaze to James. James kept his expression completely blank, but he knew she must’ve seen some of his amusement because a flicker of it crossed her features.
“That’s right. All of the champions are supposed to lead the first dance. Good thing we’ve already taught him, isn’t it?”
Tony’s mouth open and closed like a fish.
“But - but - A DATE!” He all but screeched. Clint started cackling.
“I think we broke him, Nat.”
Tony makes a strangled noise of frustration before turning on his heels and storming from the room. He only paused long enough to drag James after him.
Neither of them miss the crash as Tony ran something over in his distress of Harry potentially dating.
>>>
Bruce heard the crash from the other room but didn’t so much as falter as he moved his knight across the chess board. When Remus looked up, alarmed, Bruce just waved him off.
“It’s fine. It’s just Tony being Tony.”
“You think he’s alright?”
“Of course. Clint’s just antagonizing him.”
“How do you know?” Remus asked as he slid a pawn forward.
“Clint’s usually antagonizing someone.” Was the mild reply as Bruce frowned at the board before shifting a pawn of his own. “But also because the Other Guy can hear them. Tony’s having a parental crisis at the thought of Harry dating.”
Remus sputtered, and Bruce shot him a quick smile at the reaction.
“Since when is Harry dating?”
“Oh, he’s not. But there’s a ball coming. He’s required to bring a date.”
The werewolf frowned then, using his rook to take Bruce’s pawn.
“Ah, of course. But what does that have to do with Harry actually dating?”
Bruce’s laugh was warm and inviting.
“Exactly. But Tony fixates.”
His knight took Remus’ rook. Remus just stared at the board another moment.
“Do you think Harry’s interested in dating?”
Bruce shrugged, glancing up at the wolf.
“When he is, he’ll tell us.”
“Just like that?”
The scientist’s smile was small but genuine.
“Just like that. Checkmate.”
Remus gaped, but the results were inarguable. Bruce started clearing the board.
“Play again?”
>>>
Clint hummed in pleasure as Natasha scraped her fingers over his scalp, looking up at her through hooded eyes.
“Who do you think will ask first?” He asked, having seen the same signs she had a few weeks earlier.
She hummed, but didn’t put down her book.
“As much as we love him, he’s oblivious about some things.” She acknowledged, and Clint murmured his agreement.
“Okay, but do they ask him, or just sort of - trick him into going with them?”
Natasha looked away from her book long enough to toss him a smirk.
“Only one way to find out.”
Clint smirked back.
>>>
Padfoot was waiting outside the lab for James to be finished with the arm. Though he’d been invited in, neither Sirius nor his Padfoot form ever came in while James’ arm was unattached. As James preferred it to just be him and Tony when it happened, he didn’t mind, but he was always glad to see the other man around after, regardless of the form he took.
Today, as he was Padfoot, the two of them made their way outside, circling around the building in a perimeter sweep that wasn’t needed but soothed them both.
As Padfoot raced ahead, James regarded the shaggy black form, thoughts wandering. He and Sirius spent nearly all their time together.
They took their meals together, spent the majority of their free time together, and more nights than not they ended up sleeping in the same bed, though it was Padfoot that curled up at the base of his bed, not Sirius.
He wondered why that was - because it wasn’t like they hadn’t shared sleeping quarters when they’d been in the shack - Sirius too sick to be left alone overnight.
He wondered why it mattered to him.
He wondered if it mattered as much to Sirius.
Padfoot bound back towards him, and when he bunched to leap up on him, James ducked and rolled underneath, starting the inevitable game of chase.
Padfoot let out a bark of approval before giving chase, and James let himself shake the thoughts off and poured himself into the physical task of outfoxing the animagus.
He knew he wouldn’t be able to avoid it forever though, and he just hoped that whatever conclusion he came to, Sirius felt the same way.
He glanced up at the house out of the corner of his eye, and realized the other man’s reaction wasn’t the only one he was counting on.