pov. Tony
I stretched a bit as I slowly woke up. But something was different, the sun wasn't shining directly in my face as usual and the bed I was lying in was a lot softer too. A bit disoriented I opened my eyes and looked around. Directly above me was a roof beam, when I looked straight ahead, my eyes fell on a high bookshelf. Unlike mine, the top cover was in place. A gust of wind blew through the open window, disarranging the leaves on the desk a bit. I wanted to sit up quickly, as usual, but a sharp pain shot up my back and slowed me down a bit. That's when it all came back to me, I was at Stephen's house. Smiling slightly, I ran my finger to my lips, to the place where I still felt Stephen's lips. I was happier than I had ever been in my entire life. Stephen felt what I felt, I didn't know if we were officially together, but I didn't care. I really wanted to, but if Stephen needed time to take it slow, then I would give it to him. I brushed the covers off my body, I was still wearing yesterday's jeans and the scratches on my bare back were already a bit crusty. I sleepily ran my hands over my face and tousled my hair before looking around the room a bit. No Stephen. Immediately panic crept into my limbs that something had happened to him, that Howard had done something to him. Because Howard was the only thing that seemed to overshadow my happiness at the moment.
"Hey" Stephen's soft voice from the doorway made me breathe a sigh of relief "you should get some more rest." I could almost see him furrowing his brows and eyeing my back.
Grinning I turned around "I'll be fine." then I looked down at myself for a moment "I'd just need something to wear, I can barely get to school like this." I had to get to school, Howard would find out if I wasn't there and then all hell would break loose.
Stephen sighed and then went to the closet "I suppose you still need rest." he plucked out a black shirt and tossed it to me.
As was to be expected, the shirt was too big for me by at least two sizes. It slouched around on my skinnier arms and reached almost to mid-thigh, but it smelled like Stephen. Inhaling a little deeper than was necessary I pulled it over my head "Thanks."
I fixed my hair a bit and looked at the grinning Stephen leaning against the door frame "I can't have everyone staring at my boyfriend, can I?" then suddenly it seemed to occur to him what he had said and he looked at me questioningly "unless you want to wait a bit."
I just grinned and walked up to within a step of him "I'd love to be your boyfriend." then I pulled him down to me and pressed my lips to his. I had to grin as I felt him widen his eyes but then carefully wrapped his hands around my back. I clasped my hands behind his neck and for that one moment there seemed to be no more problems in my world. It was as if our kiss shielded me from reality and made me forget my worries. That protective bubble burst as we broke away again.
Stephen grinned at me a little out of breath "You're making me so happy right now you know that?"
I smiled a little, I never wanted anything else. But then I remembered something that clouded my voice a little "What about the others?" they had only known me for two weeks, what if they didn't want me to be with Stephen?
But my worries were unfounded because Stephen just laughed "Trust me, they've long since placed bets. We did with Sam and Bucky too."
I choked a little "What!?" but then laughed too.
Stephen glanced at his watch "We should get going if we want to catch the bus."
Throwing on my leather jacket that had something jingling in it, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my house keys including my car keys "Who says we have to catch a bus." I triumphantly held the key in front of him. I must have put it in my pocket yesterday and forgotten in my panic. I did shudder at the thought of going anywhere near Howard, but sooner or later I would have to. Stephen caught my look, which probably expressed exactly what I was feeling, and gave me a quick hug "Sure you want to?"

I just nodded "I can't avoid this forever." but it was also so much easier knowing Stephen was with me "Let's go." I grinned rather half-heartedly. I followed Stephen down the stairs, still having to be a little considerate of my hip so I was a little slower. When I was finally downstairs, my gaze fell for a brief moment to the mirror, which hung above the dresser piled high with scarves, gloves, caps as well as hoods. Bruises had formed around the scratches on my face, and where my chin had hit the stairs it was a bit swollen, turning the entire side of my jaw blue with purple hues. Carefully I felt over it and hissed a bit as the injury sent a pulsing pain through my head.
My hackles stood up as I felt Stephen's breath on the back of my neck "If you press on it, it won't get better." He reprimanded me, smiling slightly.
"You don't say?" I muttered, more to myself, running my hand through my hair. Then my eyes fell on the door and I took another deep breath. "I'm sure Howard will sleep off his drunkenness." I reassured myself. With a click, Stephen unlocked the door and held it open for me. Under other circumstances I would have thought that was cute, but at that moment it took all my willpower to leave the safety Stephen's house offered me. The closer we got to my house, the more tense I became. When I realized Stephen was about to take my hand, I pulled mine away. While I would have liked nothing better, I couldn't risk Howard being up after all and seeing me holding some guy's hand. With everyone else I didn't care what they thought about it, but with him I was just afraid he might completely lose his temper.
I pressed the button on my car key and with a beep it unlocked.
"Tony" I felt Stephen's hurt gaze brush mine "what's wrong?"
I squinted worriedly at the window of my house which was on the first floor facing the street "I'll explain in a minute." I assured him and walked out into the street to get to the driver's seat.
Only seconds after I closed my door, I heard the slam that told me Stephen had slammed his too. I briefly put my hand on his before turning the key in the ignition and driving off "I..." I ran my right hand through my hair and exhaled with a sigh.
That's when I felt his hand rest on mine again "Tony's okay."
I shook my head "No it's not" I searched feverishly for words on how best to say it "I want to show everyone that we are together but How..." I bit my lip "my dad is the biggest homophobe I know." I looked stubbornly straight ahead " and I don't know what he would do if......." my voice broke a little because just the idea of what he would do caused a lump in my throat.
I shifted down a gear as we were about to get to school, miraculously I found a parking spot and parked myself with a sharp turn.
"Tony look at me." I turned my head to my friend, in his eyes I didn't see disappointment as I expected but just pure understanding "I don't care what or who your father is." he lightly touched my cheek which wasn't covered in bruises with his hand, his gloves felt cold on my skin "I only care about who you are."
Involuntarily the corners of my mouth pulled up, that was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to me "Thank you." I leaned over the gearshift and handbrake to him and pressed a quick kiss on him.
We both flinched and pulled apart as someone banged on my window. I pulled around and saw a grinning Pietro "About time." almost pleased, with his so typical grin on his face he looked through the window.
I sighed and ran my hands through my hair in embarrassment, while Stephen was already getting out "You don't know anything like privacy in Russia, do you?" he looked at me reproachfully. reproachfully he looked at Pietro.
"Oh, come on, it wouldn't be as......" I didn't hear any more of Pietro's answer, because the passenger door slammed shut with a crash.
I took one last look in the car mirror diagonally above the steering wheel and ran a doubtful eye over the battered half of my face. "They won't believe the staircase story here." I heaved a sigh of relief, at every other school I had been to before, everyone had believed my excuses. No one got the idea that the great Howard Stark was to blame for his son's injuries. But not here, here people weren't so shallow and I had real friends who weren't just friends with me because of my dad. I took a deep breath, opened the door and got out.
Pietro had put his arm around Stephen's shoulder in a buddy-like manner and was grinning like a maniac "You two just got me" when I turned my head a bit and he saw the injured side of my face he snapped his eyes open and fell silent. Then he let out a torrent of Russian, which of course I didn't understand, but his eyes narrowed a bit in anger "Who was that!!!" he finally concluded in English.
I bit my lower lip a bit "I have two left feet and fell down the stairs." I mumbled, hoping I was convincing enough.
Apparently not, because Pietro's brows only drew together more "With your face?"
Looking to Stephen for help, I didn't want everyone I was friends with to get involved, the fear of them getting hurt too kept me from telling.
Smiling a little Stephen wrapped his arm lightly around my waist "You know Tony, sometimes his head is faster than his legs, you can miss a step."
Gratefully I looked at him, not caring about John Walker and his gang who were staring at us from a little further away.
Pietro seemed content with that answer for now "We need to get going" he looked at me promptly "Math is about to start and I don't feel like doing extra work just because we're late."
I grinned, I would have done these so called extra assignments within half of the actual lesson "Go ahead I'll be right behind you."
The Russian nodded and started walking with slightly faster steps towards the main gate of the school, in which he disappeared after a short while.
"Tony" Stephen turned me a little towards him "you don't have to protect any of us, you know that?" he looked at me with his deep blue eyes, in which I could sink for hours.
Hesitantly I nodded "I" I looked down a bit "am just so used to it."
I felt his hand on my chin lifting it up again "Listen, if you don't want it I won't tell. When you want the others to know is up to you alone, okay."
Relief flooded my body "I'll tell them" I bit my lower lip, I would put this off as long as possible, I was afraid they would think I was weak for letting a fifty year old alcoholic beat me up. But every time I tried to fight back my brain would just shut down and switch to escape mode "just not now."
Stephen started to say something but the bell rang across the schoolyard interrupting us he heaved a sigh "I'll see you after school yes." he took my hands and pressed a quick kiss on them before walking towards the main school annex and disappearing into its entrance.
I stood in the same spot for a moment longer, smiling and touching the spot where Stephen's lips had been just a short time ago. It sounded ridiculous, but it was still so surreal that he felt the way I did. I violently pulled myself out of my stupor and walked as fast as I could with my hips towards the school building. Fortunately, nothing serious had happened to my foot and I wasn't even limping as I walked through the hallways toward the door of my class. As quietly as I could, I slipped through the door and muttered a quick, "Sorry I'm late." Before walking towards my seat, keeping my head down, and dropping down next to Pietro. I leaned my head on my hand in a way that covered most of my maltreated face, but still everyone stared at me.
"Mr. Stark" with a hard pull around his mouth the teacher looked at me, his gaze lingering briefly on my disfigured face, concern flitting across his face for a moment "I explained to you in your first lesson with me what would happen if you were late didn't I?"
Just annoyed I looked at the man, he was just on the priority list of my problems at the bottom.
The teacher rummaged around in his briefcase and pulled out a piece of paper, which he slammed down on my desk: "You will not leave this class until these examples are solved. He said nothing more and went back to the green board in front, which was already half full of formulas, calculations and underlined results.
With a glance, I skimmed the examples on the double-sided sheet. "The man isn't even that stupid." it popped into my head, because these examples were way above high school level. But nowhere near above my level. Grateful and grinning a bit, I took the pen Pietro held out to me and got to work. Fluidly, without having to think for more than a few seconds, I filled the blank sheet of paper with black bills. Already after half an hour I was ready and squinted a little to Pietro over, who seemed to be rather confused and desperate. I quickly scribbled the simplest solution to the example on a piece of paper and unobtrusively slid it over to him.
A small grin appeared on his face "Thanks." he formed with his lips.
"No problem" I returned just as silently. Then I looked forward again "Sorry, but I'm done." the teacher's surprised face almost made me laugh, to be honest I had to pull myself together a lot not to laugh out.
After a second already, the man at the blackboard put his mask of indifference back on "Well then, just don't bother." then the gray-haired man turned around again and no longer paid attention to me.
I took a quick glance at the clock, the hour was out in about twenty minutes. Faded, I looked out the window. The weather matched my mood. The sun was shining from the sky, bathing everything in a golden light. I began to let the pen swirl through my fingers. I didn't allow myself to think about the afternoon at the moment, because sooner or later I would have to go home again. I was already dreading that, but as I said, I banished that thought as soon as it flared up in my brain. Instead I thought of Stephen. I smiled slightly at the thought that we were really together now. He was the only good thing that had happened in my shitty life for a long time and I would do anything not to lose this happiness again.