School Mornings
Tony and Loki met Sage in the communal kitchen the next morning, Loki looking alert and ready for his day, while Tony looked like he had just crawled out of bed.
“Good morning, Sage.” Loki greeted her, Tony mumbling a muffled “mornin’” as well.
“Morning.” She smiled at them, and took a sip of the coffee in her hands, scanning the textbook in front of her.
Tony glanced at the textbook tiredly as he poured himself a mug of coffee as well. “That homework?”
Sage shrugged. “It’s just ‘studying’. I like looking through the chapter we just went over before a test, just so that there’s a chance I absorb just that bit more that will help me ace it.”
He smirked at her. “Not a huge studier, huh?”
“It’s not that… exactly. I made up a study sheet, and I took good notes, but with the move and things, I haven’t had the most opportunity to be studying. Not that I really think I would have studied that much anyway, but, you know.”
Tony hummed and glanced at Loki momentarily, feeling slightly guilty. “I would offer to help you with studying, but… I’m probably not the best person for that.” He grinned at her ruefully. “Studying and I never really got along. Not that I really needed to study.” He snapped suddenly, face lighting up. “Rhodey would help you study though! Wait, you haven’t met Rhodey.” He smacked himself in the forehead. “How have you not met Rhodey.”
“I believe you were rather preoccupied with other things, and introducing Miss Ahlers to Colonel Rhodes wasn’t a top priority, Sir.”
Tony glared up at the ceiling while Loki smirked and Sage covered up her laugh with a cough. “Did anyone ask you JARVIS?”
“No one else was replying, Sir.”
At this, Sage guffawed, but she immediately quieted, directing her giggles into her coffee mug.
Tony glared at her playfully. “If it wasn’t so early in the morning, I would be offended.”
“Of course, Sir.”
Loki rolled his eyes at the AI, and turned to Sage. “I believe Happy will be driving you to school today, but I would be more than happy-” He narrowed his eyes slightly at Tony’s snicker, “To accompany you, if you wish.”
Sage considered the offer, and smiled at him. “Sure, that’d be cool.” Then, she bit her lip. “Except… Probably don’t… like, get out at the school.” She winced. “No offense, but my friends usually wait outside for me in the mornings, and I wouldn’t want them harassing you or something.”
Loki laughed softly. “While I don’t think that’s a large cause for concern, I will concede that you admittedly know more about schooling here. If we were on Asgard that would be a different story, but thankfully we are not.”
Tony smirked. “Yeah, but you’ve never really had experience with teenage girls, have you, Loki? One look at you and there’d be a mob.” He winked at Sage when Loki turned to him, looking confused. “It’s cos you’re hot, babe. Don’t worry. Nothing personal.”
Sage snorted quietly, turning her attention back to her book. “Yeah, I think that’ll work though. Like, I’m totally fine taking the bus, but whatever works.”
Tony wrinkled his nose. “The bus? Yeah, okay, that is never going to happen.”
She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue.
“No breakfast, Sage?”
The girl looked up, startled at the new voice, but relaxed slightly when she realised it was Steve. He must have just gone for a run, judging by how much he was sweating. She resisted the urge to wrinkle her nose in distaste. “Nah. I’m not much of a breakfast person normally. Plus I’m really bad at, like, deciding what to eat, so…”
“Cap, not everyone has to like breakfast at ass o’clock in the morning, okay?”
Steve frowned at Tony. “But breakfast is-”
“If you say ‘most important meal of the day,’ I’m going to straight up scream.”
Everyone turned to look at Sage with wide eyes, but she didn’t look up from her book.
“You have no idea how many times I’ve heard that. I get it, breakfast is great. I love brunch, myself. I just cannot physically eat this early in the morning, I get sick to my stomach. So just don’t.” She turned the page and glanced up at Steve. “Sorry.”
He held up his hands, conceding defeat. “If you can’t eat breakfast, that’s fine. I just think that some people in this tower,” he looked exaggeratedly to Tony, “Could stand to eat something before noon.”
“Right, I think that that’s my cue to leave.” Tony winked at Sage as he headed toward the elevator. “Have a good day at school, Sage. I expect to hear about it when you get home.
She gave him a mock salute. “Yes, sir.”
He grinned at her, and went down to his workshop, making a plan in his mind for what he needed to and could get done while Sage was at school, and what would need to be set on the back burner for now. He’d probably have to cut back on his workshop binges, but this, he thought, was worth it.