Chapter 3
tony wasn’t wrong to say the least. when he got back into his apartment all he could do was fall back asleep on his bed, despite having only been awake for a few hours. it took him a while to realize this could have to do with the medication and made sure to call the doctor about it soon.
he would have loved to daydream about steve, because as of the mit website, a graduate student was allowed to have a relationship with a staff member that wasn’t of authority to them.
steve did daydream about tony a little. he couldn’t help but return those beautiful innocent eyes into his mind. and yes, tony did seem very mature even if he was a bit younger than steve. he sure hoped the kid would show up the next day, but from the looks of it he would.
tony woke up the next morning seemingly well rested and not feeling sick for once. on days like those, the teenager took particular advantage of his health. he filled up on as many calories as he could and even took a slow walk in the morning.
and when he went to sit by the beach in the afternoon, he didn’t feel ready to fall asleep or like he was freezing to death, and he thought if he could feel that way for a prolonged time, he might gain some weight back on like a few months back. the bruise on his back was healing slowly but surely.
he’d brought some tea for himself and steve, and he would suggest opening a bottle of wine at his place after the surf session.
steve surfed for just over an hour before joining tony on his picnic blanket and thankfully sipping some tea the younger one had brought.
“so what have you been doing this break?” the man asked in order to make conversation and was astonished when tony mentioned the mansion his family had on hawaii, unbeknownst to the fact of who the kid next to him really was.
steve mentioned to tony that he’d spent the first part of the break with his ma and sister and her family back home in new york and had then enjoyed boston quiet of college students for a few weeks.
this led them to talk about where they’d grown up, gone to school and soon a warm sense of nostalgia filled the air, probably because tony kept quiet about his age and health issues.
tony figured now was the time to ask; steve was open and nostalgic and also freezing, so suggesting opening a bottle of wine back at his place seemed fair.
steve said yes after considering that tony might not have reached drinking age yet, and so he agreed to go to the student’s apartment without much of a thought.
tony had steve park his car next to his lamborghini down in his area of the garage, without mentioning that the car to their left belonged to himself. he’d stayed off driving for he’d been tired a lot lately, and while he could forgive himself dying, he wouldn’t be able to face survivor’s guilt.
steve was barely able to close his mouth upon being shown around tony’s luxury penthouse. the teenager lived right at the waterfront in a two bedroom apartment. however, space wise he would’ve had enough for 7 rooms. his walk in closet was the size steve’s entire room was in the apartment he shared with bucky.
“wow. this place is amazing,” the counsellor commented and tony blushed in embarrassed response.
“yeah, my parents are way too generous.”
“the terrace must be amazing when it’s warm out,” steve added when they sat down on the couch with two glasses of wine and the rest of a way too expensive bottle on the couch table.
“sure is. there’s a rooftop terrace with an outdoor kitchen as well. i used to sleep out there a lot during my first months here.”
“do you like to cook?” steve asked, ready to bite down the butterflies that were fluttering up his throat like bile. cooking just sparked something in him, the thought of a man smaller than him wearing one of his button ups and making a beautiful meal.
tony spared the older man the truth of him not being able to eat much cooked stuff anymore without feeling ready to throw up, so he just nodded along.
they had already exchanged so much personal details that day, so tony suggested they watch a movie or two. he didn’t want steve to have to reveal every detail about himself that he might not even want.
the two of them sat close to each other when the music started softly and slowly, and steve’s hand was facing up on his lap, so in the middle of the movie tony slipped his own in there. they both pulled back a tiny bit for a short second, then intertwined their fingers like it was so normal.
if steve hadn’t said something about being hungry, tony might’ve never chewed on the smallest piece of pizza he could find and left the rest to his ‘date’.
tony tried to stay awake for as long as he could, but he crashed against steve’s shoulder before the bells rang midnight.
“hey uh tony,” steve said when he shook the boy’s small frame awake the next morning. “your phone rang, i didn’t pick up but it’s your mom so i figured it might be important.”
tony rose up the moment he reached clarity in his mind. “thanks,” he said with a smile. “what time is it?”
it was eleven in the morning and steve had been awake for about two hours, but he’d helped himself to some coffee and fruit and watched tv while letting tony sleep in.
“did you… did we?”
steve chuckled in response. “i slept in the guest room, hope that’s okay.” he took a breath. “i figured you’d sleep better in your bed than on the couch and… i move slowly with people.”
tony’s heart made a summersault at that. that was adorable. “of course it is. did you eat something?”
steve told him about his little dig through the refrigerator that was completely empty save for yoghurt and some milk. “we could grab lunch together?”
tony sighed in response. “i’m meeting my mom for lunch, she’s in town for the day.”
“that’s okay, we can meet for dinner?”
steve left tony’s apartment building after the teenager had taken a quick shower, after which he made sure to take his meds unseen by steve, and put on a suit and coat, for his mom would be waiting with a limousine just outside.
when steve saw his little crush get into said limousine before pulling out of the garage, he decided to look up tony’s student file. something had to be wrong with that kid, right?
“hi baby, are you well rested?” maria asked before kissing her son’s cheek.
“yes ma, thank you i’m fine.” he let a small smile play on his lips. “really fine.”
maria was drunk, her breath smelled of too much martini and vodka. besides that, she was unable to talk about anything other than business.
lunches with his mother before he’d gotten cancer had been fun. they would go to the most exclusive places and talk and talk and talk. whereas since they knew that tony would die an early age, maria had tensed up a lot, gotten into drinking and who knows what else. the teenager was always glad when those meals were over and he wouldn’t see his parents again for a while. at least while he wasn’t out of it that’s how things tended to be.
steve arrived in the elevator when the sun was starting to set.
“hi there,” tony said. he was still wearing the exclusive suit he’d put on in the morning, and steve had to admit that the boy looked beautiful.
“you’re sixteen,” steve said as he walked inside.
tony sighed. “yes. but i’m also a grad student and really attracted to you,” he said with a smirk.
“i’m twenty-five.”
“so? are you not attracted to me?” tony asked a bit unsurely, because you can’t be that bad at reading signs, can you?
“that’s besides the point,” steve said although it really wasn’t. “it feels wrong. have you even had sex with a man? have you had time to explore your sexuality?”
“my sexuality is mature intellectuals.” tony watched steve pace around the apartment.
“why didn’t you tell me?”
“i didn’t think it was necessary. age of consent is sixteen here and i’m mature aren’t i?”
steve sighed as he rubbed his temples. “yes you are tony but… it’s weird. if you had more experience or were a bit older or able to drive-“
“hey i can drive! that’s my lamborghini in the garage,” the teenager said in an offended manner.
“and that’s something to tell people too! your dad is howard stark for god’s sake. he’ll get me killed if he finds out about us.”
“steve. nothing has happened, nothing will happen without my consent. and besides, howard doesn’t give a shit about who i’m doing.” he stepped closer to steve and put his hands on his broad shoulders. “nothing has changed besides the fact that you thought i was a few years older.”
“oh tony. i don’t want to hurt you. you’re meant to experiment, to have first times together with high school crushes.”
tony laughed in response. “that ship has long sailed. i graduated when i was 13. and i’ve had sex with a girl, just not with men. and besides, what speaks against finding things out with someone more experienced?” he spoke more softly and quietly by the minute. he didn’t need to brush up into steve’s face.
the older man looked into tony’s beautiful chocolate eyes and his heart ached at the thought of breaking this off. of not seeing the pure soul in front of him again. “oh tony i-“ he was so distracted with his thoughts that he didn’t register the boy holding his mouth closer and closer to his, or that he pressed his lips against the taller man before he could say anything else.
tony's lips were wine and strawberries and chocolate. and the kiss wasn’t even tinted by the boy’s age which steve had thought it would be.
once they’d both pulled back, steve looked at tony with a pitiful expression on his face.
“that bad huh,” tony said and looked away. he was not going to get hurt at this. he didn’t even know steve. it was not the man’s problem that tony felt like this was how people felt meeting the loves of their lives.
“tony,” steve said and then sighed. “can you leave us some time to think this through? just… give me a few days. i don’t want to take advantage of you this way.”
this was fair… usually if people start dating they don’t decide to become something serious within two days and after two unofficial dates right? the teenager nodded his head. “yes, okay you’re right. i’m sorry i didn’t tell you.”
“don’t worry tony, i could have asked.”
they stood close together for a while, neither saying a word. then steve opened his arms wide and hugged the short boy, who barely reached his chest, as close as he could for about 10 minutes. then he left without another word.