2 months later.

     Tony rubbed his nose obsessively as he stared in the mirror of the boy's bathroom. He could feel the blood trickling over his lips and down his neck. If he tried hard enough he could see it behind his eyelids. He slammed his palms on the sink and glared at his reflection. It was two months ago, he thought bitterly. He should be over this by now. He itched to talk to Dum-E or Happy for just a few meaningless moments. He thought about calling Jarvis then shook his head. He couldn't bother the butler in the middle of the day unless it was an emergency. Feeling like blood is oozing out of every orifice isn't an emergency. 

     Tony's phone buzzed and he raised an eyebrow at Jarvis' text. His new guardian seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to him being uneasy. He smiled at the screen, splashed some water on his face, then sent a text as he walked out. Tony hesitated at the doors of the canteen. His stomach roiled unpleasantly as he stood in the shadow of the large doors. He closed his eyes and breathed. 

     Tony's eyes widened when he came face to face with Hammerhead. He smirked when his back collided with the hard wall. "Ah, my friend. Compadre. Confidant. Brother in arms. How have you been, Hammerhead?"

     Justin snarled and shoved away from him. His fists were clenched, anger and something else in his eyes. Justin scowled. "Just because you're dad's going to jail and I'm not spending every minute beating you into a pulp like you deserve doesn't mean we're chummy."

     "I never said it did," Tony replied with a wave of his hand. He placed his hands on his hips. "Are you saying we're getting chummy? That would be kinda disheartening. Who would be my arch-nemesis then?"

     Tony pouted playfully at the boy. Justin glowered then disappeared into the canteen mumbling under his breath. Tony tapped his nails against his phone case. The constant sound grounded him slightly. He pushed through the doors of the canteen with a smile. The students barely paid him any mind and the few that did only averted their gaze. Tony wondered if everything would be different if Howard had managed to cover everything up. He sometimes missed being roughed up a bit. It was a sign that things were how they should be when he got stuck in his head with Howard. 

     But now Jarvis and Anna took care of him. He had missed the man so much that it physically ached to see him at Steve's house that New Year. He couldn't go back to the manor, but Anna had room at the house. He liked how small everything was. Tony swerved away from the line with a wrinkle of his nose. School lunch still managed to disgust him. His appetite always seemed to elude him these days. 

     Tony slumped over the empty table tiredly. He glanced up at the line, eyes scanning over each student's face before putting his head back down. This was a bad idea. He wasn't hungry and he could feel people's eyes on him when his head was down. He rubbed his nose against his shoulder roughly. The canteen was as suffocating as ever. 

     Tony jerked when something was dropped beside him. He cracked an eye open. At the sight of veggie chips, he smiled. Tony propped his chin on his hand. "Another peace offering?"

     Natasha rolled her eyes as she sat beside him. "Have you done something wrong recently? Plus, I don't think you're in any shape to start a war against me."

     Tony smirked as she picked at her salad. He popped open the bag and tossed a few chips into his mouth. Bruce waved with his free hand and Thor smiled around his hamburger. Tony watched Steve and Bucky taunt Clint on his right. He tilted his head at the three, raising an eyebrow when Clint climbed on a table to get his food from Bucky's hands. Clint scowled at them before catching Natasha's eye. He jogged over then sat beside her, Steve and Bucky sitting on Tony's right. Tony kicked Bruce in the shin softly. 

     "Are you busy after school? I think I might've found a way to help with your project."

     Bruce beamed at him. "No, I'm not. My place or yours?"

     And Tony was suddenly hit with the domesticity of the question. Before, he couldn't even think about having people over. Now, he's sure Jarvis and Anna won't mind if Bruce comes over. Tony smiled to himself before answering. "The library, yeah?"

     "Oh great. I need to get some books. We're in," Natasha said with a pointed look toward Clint.

     Clint blinked. "What? I don't do libraries. Too many books."

     Natasha stabbed her fork into her lettuce. "You don't have a choice because you're my ride."

     "But I don't want to go," he whined. 

     Tony chuckled under his breath as Natasha and Clint began to argue. Steve took a large bite out of his cookie. "I need to study, so I'll come too. If that's all right with you, Tony."

     Tony rolled his eyes. "Geez, you're so polite. Nat didn't even ask for an invite."

     Natasha paused in her remark. She looked at Tony. "Because I knew I was invited. I can read minds."

     "Oh yeah? Then tell me what I'm thinking," Tony challenged.

     Natasha stared into his eyes. "You're thinking that I can't actually do this."

     Tony feigned a gasp. "How did she know?"

     "Just one of her many talents." Bucky shrugged but then it turned into a wince.

     Tony's eyes zeroed in on the metal arm. He immediately grasped the prosthetic. "Does it hurt? Do you feel hot on one side but not the other? Are your joints catching? Seriously Bucky. You have to tell me if something is wrong so I can fix it." Tony turned Bucky's arm reverently with a calculative stare.

     Bucky chuckled. "Tony, I just burned my mouth. My arm is fine."

     Clint snorted when Tony blushed. "Oh," he said dumbly. 

     Clint and Thor began to laugh. "That was priceless. Tony, you're such a mother hen."

     Tony pulled a face. "No way. Shut up, Clint. That's Steve's job. I was just making sure there weren't any problems. It requires a lot of maintenance. Bucky doesn't need to be in unneeded pain."

     Clint and Thor just laughed harder. Tony crossed his arms as he pouted like a petulant child. Bruce shook his head fondly at Natasha. He mouthed something to her as Tony started throwing chips at Clint. Soon they started holding a contest to see how many Tony could make into his mouth. Natasha smiled at the ceiling for a moment before flicking a chip off of Thor's nose and into Clint's nose. Tony froze in place. He handed her the whole bag and proceeded to watch her make trick shots with vegetable chips. Needless to say, Happy was not entirely enthusiastic about that.