A ROMANTIC EDUCATION - STEVE/TONY AU [CHAPTER 3] 

Previous Chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2

So he sat down at the desk, pulling out his English books and resting them on the clean wooden surface. Now he had a little time to think, he couldn’t help but wonder if he had been too harsh.
Tony, on the other hand, wasn’t used to people being rude to him and he did deserve it. Everyone in the young millionaires old school respected and didn’t talk back to him, therefore Steve’s words didn’t affect him in the slightest, they only made him more interested. He was really different, and Tony would have fun pushing him and test his limits. He smiled in satisfaction and excitement. Maybe this year WILL be interesting after all. 
“Pepper, what class do I have now?”, he asked, rubbing his eyes.
“English Mr.Stark. It’s in the room… B2, it’s just around the corner.” She said handing him his bag. “Um…Tony? Don’t you think that it would be wiser not to get into any trouble on your first day here?”, she said shyly.
“I’m not causing any trouble at all, I’m just curious”, Tony replied, fixing his tie and blazer. “I’ll see you later”.
He made his way out of the gym and into the corridor. The door of the classroom was wide open, and the teacher hadn’t arrived yet. When he stepped inside, once again the looks turned on him whilst the air was buzzing with mentioning his name repeatedly. He smiled and nodded with approval while he looked for an empty desk, thoroughly enjoying being the centre of attention.
And what a surprise; the only empty desk was the one right in front of Steve Rogers. He didn’t notice him yet, and Tony made his way there grinning.
“Hello again. Just so you know,I’m not reporting you for your bad attitude in the gym”, Tony said while he fixed himself in his seat and turned his back to him.
“Bad attitude?” Steve said, gritting his teeth ever so slightly, “I do not have a bad attitude, I’m not the one that’s going around making fun of basketball players in their own court - as well as implying that the captain of the team is stupid.” He tried to argue, but it wasn’t really in his nature. He turned his head sharply to the side, muttering as he read over the paper that he had written the previous night.
“Oh excuse me, not showing any interest for basketball implies that I’m insulting you? You really are sensitive about it aren’t you? Isn’t your girlfriend treating you well then? You seem to have everything that an average school boy wants”, Tony replied, looking at Steve closely.
“What? Well look who’s talking Mr ‘I get everything daddy buys me’. You were insulting me, you said that I don’t get grades, Stark, you don’t even know me.” Steve said confidently, leaning back in his chair as he continued to read his paper, not looking up even once.
“My father worked hard and our company is doing exceptionally well, I’m allowed to have what I wish for. Yes, I don’t know you, you are right, though I wonder why I even bother talking to you common folk”, Tony said turning his back at him and taking out his books.
The entire class fell silent as they turned their heads and watched Steve and Tony argue, it was as though they were watching Godzilla fight King Kong.
“First of all, I’ve worked hard for what I’ve got. Second, you know what that’s called? Mooching. You’re scrounging off your dads reputation - and you’re using it as an excuse to be an ass. Thirdly, common folk? Why don’t you just go back to being home-schooled, Stark.” He shook his head, no one had gotten him this riled up in a long time, and no one else was used to seeing such emotion from the golden boy of the school.
“Now I’m being an ass, huh? I thought that was considered as ‘trying to fit in’. That’s how friendly I can be towards you, Rogers, I’ll just ignore you from now on. You annoy me.”, Tony said, a bit upset. Maybe Steve already reached his limits. “And for your information, I wasn’t home schooled, I have always been top of my class and I intend to stay there. You can keep your lame basketball to yourself”
“Trying to fit in? So yeah, insulting the basketball captain is trying to fit in? Calling us common, your way of trying to fit in?! I don’t get you, Stark. You can go ahead and ignore me all you want, look at how much I care! You go ahead and be a loner, you silver spoon fed jerk. You go ahead and continue your life alone, with your freaking butlers, you’re nothing without money. You don’t even deserve to be here.” Steve didn’t know why he was getting so annoyed, he wouldn’t think that Tony would actually ignore him. He had no enemies in this school, not even Wade or Logan hated him, they just accepted him and moved on. Steve stopped and looked around at the class, who were continuing to stare, clearly he had hurt Tony but now it looked like he was rubbing it in. For once, Steve Rogers looked like the bad guy.
“So, you think so much of yourself that insulting you is considered to be the worst thing that could happen to me on my first day here? Pathetic. I don’t need anyone to be my friend, don’t make it sound so dramatic. I haven’t done much and I already have fans. I wouldn’t call a life of luxury and parties a loner’s life, Rogers.” Tony looked back at the class, making sure that the others went back to what they were doing rather than gawking over the arguement. He still couldn’t believe that Steve had the guts to oppose him, though he wouldn’t let him win this argument.
“Going to parties doesn’t mean you have friends. You have groupies. They’re different, but I guess someone as nasty as you wouldn’t know anything about friends.” The teacher walked in to see the class oddly silent, all with their heads buried in books and work; scared off by Tony’s warning glare.
“Okay class, get your books out-”
Steve stood up, grabbing his things and putting them into his bag and walking up to the teachers desk, “I suddenly feel ill, ma’am, I’m headed to the nurses office.”
“Okay Steve, I hope you feel better soon.” She said, as he walked off. Of course she let him go, he was one of the star pupils in English.
He walked in the hallway, punching a locker on his way to the nurses office, though, he wasn’t really sick. He just had such a headache from being challenged, no one had ever challenged him before and he certainly wasn’t going to get used to it.

Next Chapter: Chapter 4