I'll actually have Steve and Tony properly together in the next chapter, I swear guys, I just want to focus on their separate lives first to show it off a bit before having them in one another's lives if you get what I mean.

I haven't written for this in while, mostly because I've been very busy with my life and with other fics but I'm here with another chapter because I love writing this with all my heart. I've also been thinking of other plot points in this fic and by doing that, it's been making me want to update this even more so, it's just finding the time to do so.

Thank you for over 400 votes and I hope to reach 300 comments soon! So thank you for everyone who comments and votes!

It's a cold night, and really, it shouldn't be surprising that it is since it's usually so cold in New York, a coldness that Tony has gotten use to despite the state of the arc heating system that Howard had installed since Maria had a hatred for anything cold, which was ironic to say the least since she was married to a man who knew nothing more but being cold, cold hearted, cold blooded.

And sometimes, Tony would like to think that the man that his mother married was not how he turned out to be, that he had once been charming and handsome, sweeping ladies off of their feet with a charming smile and a flirty comment. A man that didn't spend all his free time drinking until a slumber, or shouting slurs across an empty house to a son who has done nothing in life but try to live up to his fathers expectations, and in which he failed to do.

But of course, that was a man that Tony had never met, a stranger that's only remembered in newspaper clippings and neatly kept scrapbooks that Maria Stark has kept treasured in the library for years. Now, the Man that was once, has been replaced with one that Maria has had to grown to get use to, and a man that Tony wishes that he never knew.

But back to it being cold, it's a type of cold that Tony can feel all the way to his bones, staring at his finger tips, at his toes and causing a deep shiver to run up his spine, but he doesn't mind. In a way, he likes the cold, the type of bitter coldness that you only get during a winter night in New York, it's one of the few things that he likes about being back in New York.

It makes him feel alive, with the way that the icy wind would nip at his bare skin, cause the goosebumps to rise across his skin, or the way that it blows in his face and wakens a usually exhausted Tony into a conscious state. It's freshening, it wakens him up and makes him feel.

It's where he finds himself now, bundled out on the balcony that leads from his bedroom, overlooking the fields of covered green that now is blanked with a layer of white snow that surrounds Stark Mansion. The concert Balcony is almost colder than the wind that's gushing into the side of Tony's face from where he's sitting down on the concert floor, his duvet draped around him, cocooning him with a warmth.

The New Years midnight excitement has now disappeared into the night sky, but it wasn't as if Tony had did anything spectacular the celebrate the night anyway, he usually never does unlike his Parents who had already left that morning to spend a week or two on one of the islands that they own in the Caribbean. So Tony was left on his own, just like he is every New Years, with nothing but the bitter cold of New York and the glow of the arc reactor to keep him company.

Rhodey hadn't stayed long, and Tony didn't expect him to either, and in a way he didn't want him to stay long either. He knows that Mama Rhodes wants him home before he's back off to MIT and Tony may miss his company, crave him attention and touch - because it's moments like these, where he's alone in the cold that he needs that familiar touch and attention - he's not going to get in the way of Rhodey and his Family.

It's worse still when Tony realises how clingy he has gotten over the last couple of days, especially after the night of the Dinner Party, where the memories of what happened after still linger in his foggy mind, the touches ghost like against his skin. And he can still remember the way that he has smirked at him, spoke to him in that way that he has so many times before, contrasted against the way that Rhodey had looked at him in concern and held him tight that night whenever Tony wouldn't stop shaking and refused to talk.

Because Tony never talks, everyone knows that.

And Rhodey knows that, he knows that when Tony makes up his mind then that is that, and if Tony isn't going to speak then he has to deal with that, and instead make up to him with the soft touches and attention that he knows Tony craves. Because he's a good friend, he best of friend that Tony could ask for, and it pains him to watch him walk through the airport security away from him, with nothing but a murmur to text him and a promise to meet him at the airport.

"Hey Aunt Peggy. I know you're unable to answer the phone right now, you're probably busy, but I just wanted to Wish you a Happy New Years, like I do every New Years, because I guess that's the normal thing to do. And yeah, I don't know, that's it I guess. And I miss you, don't be a stranger. It's Tony by the way, but I guess you knew that already, so um, bye and Happy New Years, again."

He didn't expect her to answer anyway, she rarely does nowadays and that's okay, Tony knows that he's busy with her job since her promotion, but it does still hurt that Tony seems to be the only person that reaches out and never receives a reply in return.

Peggy Carter was a massive part of Tony's life, from the minute that he had been born, Tony had spent more time in his Aunt Peggy's arms than his own Mothers. She had carried him on his shoulders through shopping centres, took him to the park, was at all of his Science fairs and took him traveling during the school holidays. Peggy Carter was his Godmother, his only childhood friend and it has hurt when she exited his life.

But he doesn't blame her. Peggy had gotten a promotion, realised that she had to do something more in her life than hanging around New York all of the time, so she moved with her promotion to Washington and started up her new life, away from Tony, and away from all of her old memories. That didn't mean he hadn't seen her or heard from her, because Tony did, just not as much as he wishes, especially during the times that he really needed her.

Tony flinches whenever his phone starts to ring, an unknown caller trying to Video call him which makes Tony's face frown. As much as he is a flirt, Tony is always careful of who he gives his phone number to and surprisingly, only a few people actually have his phone number which Tony is okay with because he'd rather have a few than everybody.

He lets it ring off with the possibility that it could be a drunken Ty Stone attempting to video call him, something that he has a habit of doing at this time of night. Tony wouldn't say that Tiberius Stone is the worse of people in the world -  Because Howard and Obi probably make the top of his list - but he isn't the best, and he defiantly isn't one of Tony Starks favourites.

By the third attempt video call, Tony is pressing accept with his thumb covering over the front camera lens as a friendly, familiar face is popping up on the screen of his Stark Phone. It's a face that makes Tony self-conscious start to smile because it's been a while since he's seen this face and he's only realising now just how much that he's missed it.

"Tony!"Steve's always soft, always conceding voice is greeting through the phone. He's in a party type atmosphere, just like any Teenager would usually be on a New Years with his possible friends hanging off of his arms as he tries to move through the crowd to talk better.

"Steve."Tony is letting out a breath that he didn't even know that he was holding, one that follows with a smile that he only seems to smile when he's around Steve, that warm type of smile that's usually accompanied with the flutter of butterflies in his stomach.

"I can't see you! Move your thumb away from the camera!"Steve is shouting over the music to be heard, that stupid grin still on his face that never fails to make Tony feel all warm and tingly on the inside.

"Oh, fuck sorry."Tony is moving his thumb away from the front camera in awareness with a bush on his cheeks at the stupidity of it all."I was covering my identity."

"What are you, a superhero?"Steve laughs, holding the phone a little too close to his face as he tries to shuffle through the crowds of people that have found their way into Natasha's home. It was supposed to be a quiet New Years party with just their inner circle, which ended up - because Thor has a big mouth - as a full blown party that Steve wishes he hadn't gotten involved with.

"I could be. You haven't known me that long, I could be a serial killer for all you know."Tony Smirks as he settles against the concrete pillar of the balcony behind him, wrapping the duvet cover tighter around himself. It's strange, because Steve doesn't know him that long, and he especially doesn't know just how rich that Tony is.

"And I'm a secret agent."Steve rolls his eyes in amusement.

"What are you implying?"Tony raises his eyebrow at the blonde, feeling defensive at the thought that Steve is implying something.

"That you don't have the potential to be a serial killer. You couldn't hurt a fly."

"I could try."

"But you wouldn't."

"You don't know me."

"Okay, you're right. I don't know you and I'd like to change that."Steve admits as he finally makes his way outside, taking a seat on what is left of the brick wall in Natasha's front garden. Steve can still remember the incident in which caused the broken wall, of how Clint had dared Thor to juggle Natasha's fathers prized bowling balls in which it ended with a broken front wall after dropping them all.

"And how do you plan on doing that?"Tony asks almost quietly, watching as Steve smiles at him through the camera.

"I'd like for you to come down to Brooklyn, before you leave to go back to MIT, and spend the day with me. And my friends."Steve adds onto the end, something that makes Tony's smile flatter and for the butterflies in his stomach to stop for some odd reason because he shouldn't have been expecting anything other than that.

"Yeah, um, I don't know Steve-"Because it's one thing being friends with someone outside of his comfort zone - and Steve is so far out of his comfort zone that he might as well be on Mars - but it's even worse meeting new people. Tony might be the worlds biggest social butterfly but that doesn't mean he enjoys the company of others because he doesn't.

He's grown up in large crowds, forced to Dinner parties and shoved into Boarding school dorms with other kids that only wanted to get close to him because their parents found out who is father was, and he got use to that. And even know, at an age where he spends his college days stuck in an overpriced club on a guys lap for hours, he's gotten use to that to, but mostly now it's because he's too intoxicated to care.

Tony likes the company of his own, and if not on his own, then the bots back in his workshop at MIT or Rhodey on those days that he needs the comfort and attention. Sure, he liked that Steve came up the hospital to visit him, and the texting but that's different. Steve is different, he looks at Tony different, treats him different and that's what Tony likes about him. He just isn't sure that he'll like his friends.

Or worse still; that his friends like him.

"Tony. I might be blonde, but I'm not stupid."

"Doesn't that saying only work for women?"Tony rhetorically asks, fully expecting the glare that Steve gives him."Or so I hear?"

"Come. Please. My friends would love to meet you, they've been pestering me about it for ages now."Steve continues with his own blush coating his cheeks, something that Tony brushes off as the cold wind that Steve is getting from being outside. The music from the party is still blasting some latest pop anthem that neither Tony or Steve know of.

"You talked about me? To your friends?"Tony says quietly, playing with the draw strings of his hoodie as he avoids looking at Steve, for some reading feeling embarrassed about the whole situation.

"I mean, yeah? I guess I had to, They were my ride to the hospital most of the time, and Bucky kind of stole my phone and saw all of our messages so there's that too. Secrets don't stay secrets in my friend group."Steve admits, scratching the back of his neck as he blushes."But yeah, you should come down to Brooklyn. The next night we're all hanging out is game night if you want to come."

"I'll think about it. Thank you for the invite."Tony decides just to go with it, seeing as Steve doesn't seem like the type of person to just give up, being the stubborn bastard that he seems to be. In a way, Tony finds it charming, just as much as it's annoying. After a couple of moments of silence, Tony speaks up."You don't seem like the party type of guy."

"I'm not."Steve deadpans, casting a glance back at the house and then back to the camera so that he can see Tony. He had stolen Phils phone to be able to video call Tony, seeing as his phone was unable to do that and that he wanted to wish Tony a Happy New Years face to face as best as he could."Somebody opened their mouth about a free house and eventually the entire school found out."

"Party's are lame, wait until you get into clubs. It's far more intense."

"You're 16."Steve deadpans, looking unamused with the fact that Tony has access into clubs at such a young age, younger than him by at least a year."How do you possibly have access into clubs?"

"I have connections. And older friends which helps."And that's a bit of a stretch, because they aren't his friends, their his fuckbuddies of the night, the laps that his ass will make home for for the rest of the night but that's as friendly as people get when they're in college.

"I don't think I'll experience that type of life, anyway."Steve shrugs his shoulders, looking away from Tony whenever he hears a crash from inside of the house, followed by Clint stumbling out through the open front door and onto the decking. He's drunk, and anyone would be with the way he has been drinking all night."Fuck."

"What's wrong? Is everything alright?"Tony asks in alert whenever he hears Steve curse, almost wishing he was there to see what Steve sees.

"Yeah, I mean kind of. It's just Clint, drunk."Steve pitches Tony in just in time for Clint to belt out Steve's name.

"Stevie! There you a-"Hiccup,"-re!"He's stumbling his way down the steps, nearly toppling over into the bushes as he sways to the side. There's already the loss of his hearing aids and Clint is too drunk to lipread.

"Clint-"

"Ohmygod, is this Tony! Tony, Tony Tony."Clint gasps whenever he's found himself draped over Steve's shoulder, staring at the Brown eyed teenager through the screen, patting at Steve's face."He's so pretty, Steve! So so so so pretty."Clint sings.

"Okay and I think this is an excellent time to say goodbye."Tony is blushing, trying to find anyway to end this conversation before Steve can figure out how much that Tony is affected by this."Take him to bed, not literal, but you know what I mean. Before he hurts himself."

"Good idea."Steve nods, not even minding whenever Clint is basically nuzzling his face into Steve's and mutters of his pretty that Tony looks, something that makes Steve warm all over."I bid you goodnight."

"You bid me?"Tony raises his eyebrow fondly with a laugh.

"Shut up."The blonde rolls his blue eyes at Tony in fondness."Get some sleep, you look like you need it. And a Happy New Years, Tony."

I ended this a little awkwardly I think but I've finally updated at closing in to 2am bc I guess that's my Update hour when it comes to this fic. 😂

Anyway, please tell me what you think!

On Tony's relationship with his Aunt Peggy?

What else do you think that Tony is hiding when it comes to Obi and Tiberius Stone?

Who's looking forward to the next chapter?

Votecommentfollow

Peace✌🏼