Chapter Text
As Tony makes his way to school, he feels a mix of excitement and nerves. High school will be a completely different ball game compared to his days in middle school. The thought of meeting new people, taking on more challenging classes, and navigating the halls of a much larger school makes his stomach twist with anxiety. But having his friends by his side gives him some comfort, knowing that he isn't going through this journey alone. As he walks, Tony's mind wanders to all the possibilities that lay ahead. He wonders if he'll make new friends, excel in his classes, or maybe even join a club or sports team. The idea of being able to start fresh and carve out his own path in high school is both exhilarating and daunting. He hopes that he'll be able to find his place and make his mark in this new chapter of his life.
As he approaches the school, the first thing that Tony notices is how different it looks from his old middle school. The halls are longer, the lockers bigger, and the students more diverse. He feels a twinge of self-doubt creep in as he realizes that he's now just a small fish in a very big pond. But he pushes those thoughts aside, reminding himself that he has the support of his friends and the confidence in his abilities to navigate this new environment. Upon entering the school building, Tony takes a deep breath and squares his shoulders, ready to face whatever challenges come his way. He nervously runs a hand through his perfectly styled hair, a few stray strands falling back into place. He glances around the crowded hallways, feeling a sense of relief wash over him as he spots a familiar face. His friends Thor and Loki Odinson are nowhere to be seen, but...
"Yo, Tony!" a familiar voice hollers.
Tony is relieved when he sees his best bud Bruce weaving his way through the crowded hallway toward him. With his wild hair, Bruce is definitely hard to miss.
"Yo, Bruce! I'm so pumped to finally see someone I know in this place," Tony exclaims once Bruce catches up. "This school is massive compared to middle school."
Bruce nods. "For sure. I felt the same way when I started last year. But don't stress, T. You'll get the hang of it."
Tony shrugs. "Yeah, I guess. So, have you spotted the squad yet?"
"I last saw Steve when Granny dropped us off. He dipped to find you guys. Probably hunting for Bucky, though," Bruce replies.
Tony and Bruce exchange knowing looks. Everybody knows that Steve and Bucky like each other. It's painfully obvious to everyone around them. The flirting and games of subtle footsies under the table don't go unnoticed.
"Man, those two are so obvious," Tony says with a laugh.
Bruce chuckles. "Yeah, but it's kind of cute, don't you think?"
Tony nods. "Definitely."
They walk for a while, jokingly pushing each other around.
"Hey Bruce," Tony inquires after a few minutes.
"Yeah?"
"So, like, do you even know where we're headed? Because I'm totally lost, and I just wanted to double-check that one of us has a clue."
"Well, it kinda depends," Bruce replies. "What's your locker number?"
Tony shares his locker number, and they begin to head in that direction. They take a turn and veer right, with Tony's locker being the third one to the left.
"Thanks, Brucie!" Tony high-fives his friend. "Let's go hunt down the rest of the crew, yeah?" he suggests, finishing up stashing his gear in his locker.
The pair weaves their way through the bustling hallway, and Tony can't help but notice the diverse cliques scattered throughout the school. There are like, the Goths, the punks, the jocks shooting hoops in the gym, the preppy kids and cheerleaders (including his stuck-up ex-BFF Pepper), and the nerds chilling in the library. It gets Tony thinking - where does he fit in all this chaos? Is his fam of five or six buddies all he has going for himself in this big ol' high school world?
After what feels like forever wandering around this new place, Tony finally spots something that catches his attention. He sees a familiar blond and spiky hairdo above the sea of students. Without hesitation, he grabs Bruce's hand and drags him through the crowd to get closer. Tony's suspicions are confirmed when he reaches the corner and sees another friend.
"Hey, T! So glad we finally linked up!" Thor greets Tony with a high-five.
"About time, dude. Like you did so much to make this happen," Tony sarcastically replies.
"Yeah, well, this school is huge. Didn't want to risk getting lost," Thor explains.
As Tony looks at the exotic fashion statement of his friend - black spiky ponytail, flowery sweatpants, leopard print shirt, and a silk scarf - he finds that he admires his unique style.
"Hey, Steve!" Tony says with a grin, catching his friend before he can walk by.
"Yo, what's up?" Steve replies, giving Tony a quick dap.
Tony is in disbelief at the change in Steve's appearance. His hair is longer like Thor's and now pierced at the tips, giving off major rocker vibes. And dude, did he hit a growth spurt or what? Steve is way taller and jacked since the last time they hung out.
"Dang, bro, gotta jet," Bruce groans, facepalming lightly. "I gotta see something before class starts. Later, dudes!"
"Later, Bruce!" Steve yells, waving as he disappears into the crowded halls.
"Yo, let's compare schedules," Thor says, grinning.
The three of them gather in a tight circle and check out their papers.
"Sweet! Steve and I have art and science together," Thor says excitedly.
Tony looks a mite disappointed. "Looks like Steve and I don't have any classes in common."
"Don't worry, man," Thor tells him reassuringly. "You and I have woodshop in the seventh period." Thor's grin grows even wider.
Tony forces a smile. 'Awesome,' he thinks sarcastically. 'Thor Odinson with sharp objects and wood. Make him mad and you're done for, Stark.'
The school bell rings loudly, signaling the start of the day. Tony, along with the rest of the teenagers, push and shove their way to their homerooms. After some struggle, Tony finally makes it to his destination.
"Name?" The teacher questions him as he walks in.
"Stark," he replies with a raspy voice.
The teacher checks her attendance list. "Ah, Anthony Stark, son of the famous inventor, Howard Stark," she says with a hint of disdain. "Sit over there." She motions to a seat in the front row, the fourth desk from the right.
Tony plops down in the designated seat, scanning the room frantically for a familiar face. No luck. He rests his head on the desk, closing his eyes and wishing he could turn back time to middle school. This isn't even the first period of the day, and he already feels miserable. Suddenly, the classroom door swings open, and in saunters a tall, cool dude. Tony lifts his head from his desk just in time to catch a glimpse of this mysterious newcomer. The guy has a killer swagger, swinging his hair and hips like he owns the place. Tony can only see his back, but man, he's digging the vibe. The dude's hair is like dark chocolate, long and wavy, reaching all the way down his back. He rocks a sparkly pale green shirt with some words that Tony can't quite make out (Tony bets it says something like 'Prince Charming'), showing off a hint of skin. Those tight, sparkly hip huggers? *Chef's kiss*. And don't even get him started on those open-toed sandals and rings on his toes. This guy is the epitome of coolness.
Then, the tall boy turns around and reveals a shirt that reads 'Your God' in gold, sparkly letters. Tony is shook. He can’t take his eyes off the dude’s tan arm as he hands the tardy pass to the teacher. Tony lets out a low whistle but, before he can ogle any further, the teacher's voice jolts him back to reality.
"Take the third seat on the right, next to Stark, Mister Odinson," the teacher directs.
"Holy shit," Tony mutters under his breath, cheeks flushing with embarrassment as he slouches down in his seat.
"Hey, Tony," Loki greets casually as he gracefully sits down beside him.
Tony's stomach somersaults as he stammers out a nervous, "... hey."
Tony is in total shock to see his childhood bud, Loki Odinson, sitting next to him in class. He just can't believe how hot Loki has gotten over the summer. Tony has always kind of had a thing for Loki, but now he's downright irresistible. Tony shakes his head, trying to brush off his feelings for his friend.
'I must be breaking some kind of surrogate incest law with these thoughts,' Tony cringes at himself.
"So, how's high school treating you so far?" Loki asks with a smile.
"It's, uh, fine," Tony replies awkwardly. "I was a little late to homeroom, so I probably made a great first impression."
Loki chuckles. "Sounds like you had a better morning than me. Thanks to Thor, I had a cold shower, had no time for breakfast, missed the bus, and had to walk to school. Yeah, fun times."
Tony is finding it impossible to ignore the butterflies in his stomach as he looks at Loki's smile. 'He's just a friend,' Tony reminds himself. 'I can't be catching feelings now.'
The bell rings, signaling the start of the first period. Tony grabs his backpack, ready to hustle to his next class and avoid any more late arrivals on his first day. Just as he's about to leave, Loki stops him.
"Any classes together?" he inquires.
They quickly compare schedules.
"We've got fifth period and the same lunch wave," Loki grins.
"Hey, we also have science in third period," Tony points out.
"Nice catch, Tony," Loki compliments. "Well, see you in a couple of periods." With a wink, he saunters away, leaving Tony feeling all kinds of emotions.
Thor wrinkles his nose and squints at the clay creation Bruce is poking at with a toothpick during art class.
"What even is that?" Thor asks, giving Bruce a confused look.
Bruce rolls his eyes and lets out a big sigh. "It's art, Thor. Maybe you're just not artsy like me."
"Hey, I've got creativity!" Thor protests.
Bruce smirks, glancing at Thor's project. "Sure, Thor. Keep telling yourself that."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Thor retorts, turning to Steve across the table for backup.
Steve just shrugs, staying focused on his own project. Thor grumbles to himself, feeling a bit embarrassed.
When Bruce shakes his head, Thor whispers under his breath, "Yeah, that's what I thought."
Tony can't stop thinking about Loki during the first and second periods. The boy has totally transformed over the summer. He's no longer the troublemaker everyone thinks he is. How did that even happen? Like, people don't just change that much in one summer, right? Tony keeps replaying these thoughts in his head. He basically spent the whole summer chilling with Thor and Bruce. How did he not notice Loki sooner?
"Oh, Mr. Stark? Earth to Mr. Stark?"
Tony snaps back to reality in a flash.
"Seriously, Mr. Stark, you need to start paying attention. This is high school and no one's gonna go easy on you. Not the teachers, not the jerks who steal your lunch money, and definitely not me," the teacher scolds him for zoning out, making Tony feel embarrassed in front of his classmates.
After second period finally ends, Tony is stoked to dip out before the teacher can trap him for a one-on-one chat. He scrambles through the halls, hoping to spot Bruce. He knows the odds of bumping into him are super low, but he's lowkey freaking out. Hanging with Loki in the next period has him feeling all sorts of confused. Tony heads to science class for third period, kinda bummed that he can't track down his ride-or-die. He barely slides into class as the tardy bell rings.
"You must be Anthony Stark."
"Sorry I'm late." He mumbles.
"No matter." The new teacher replies. "You're here, aren't you? That's what counts." Tony smiles a little as the teacher waves around. "Just find yourself a seat, Anthony."
"Actually, can you call me Tony?"
Scanning the room, he finds Loki chilling at a lab station. Loki gives him a nod; Tony walks over and sits down on a stool beside him.
"Hey," he whispers to the boy in the green as the teacher starts yapping about boring stuff.
"Hey," he replies. "Took you long enough. I had to fend off a million guys to save you this seat."
Tony chuckles. "Loki Odinson, fighting them off? Yeah, right." He banters back, not at all surprised.
"Shh, keep it down," Loki hisses. He glances around to ensure no one is listening to their convo. Then he smirks at Tony. "Would that really be so shocking?"
Tony shrugs. "You did eat worms as a kid, dude."
"That was when I was two!"
"Loki? Tony? Should I separate you two troublemakers?" the teacher jokes, a twinkle in his eye.
"We're good," they chime in together.