Chapter Text
A delicate wind blew through the trees and rustled the leaves as Steve Rogers approached Field Hall. He took his time, breathing it all in. Finally he was away from his high school, from the mocking laughs (even after he buffed up so he could be on the wrestling team junior year). He didn’t have to deal with that dick of a guy-
A shove came from behind and suddenly Steve was on the ground with all the things he brought from home.
“Still a pussy!” A familiar voice sounded in Steve’s ears. It wasn’t…his…but a “minion” of his for sure.
Steve scrambled to pick up his dropped belongings. The sounds of condescending laughter faded behind him. One figure didn’t move from his side, though.
Him. Tony Stark. He stood with his hands resting on his hips with an air of importance surrounding him. Steve would’ve recognized him anywhere. Of course, after senior year Steve thought he’d never have to face his bully ever again. Just Steve’s luck that he’d run into Tony freaking Stark in the front lawn of his dorm room at UMass Amherst. The reason he wanted to get out of Brooklyn.
“Stevie!” Tony smirked and kicked lightly at Steve’s side.
Sucking in a breath, Steve remembered what his mother had always told him about being nice to arrogant assholes. Steve stood up and brushed himself off. Attempting a smile, he held out his hand politely. “Hello, Tony! What brings you to UMass? I assumed you were going to MIT or Yale.”
Tony stared at Steve’s hand as if it were mutated. Sniffing snobbishly, he replied “I wanted a lower-key university.” Tony lied.
The truth was that his father forced him off to University of Massachusetts Amherst as what he called a social experiment. Meaning he wanted Tony to associate with people below his level to teach him how to live with the lower class of society (the lower class meaning anyone not exclusively high class). There were many shouting matches the past summer before finally Tony was dropped off in front of Field Hall.
“I didn’t know there was going to be your sort of people around here.”
Steve ignored that last and nodded along. “So are you living in Field Hall also? Maybe we’ll be neighbours!” Please, please, no… Steve grimaced. The look Tony gave him said that he felt the same way.
“Might want to pick up your…” Tony looked at the various items that had fallen across the area. He crinkled his nose in disgust as if the items personally offended him. “…things.”
“Oh yes, thank you!” Steve’s smile was stiff and didn’t come close to reaching his eyes. “I’ll see you around, Tony!” A small mocking wave and Tony was off. Steve heaved a sigh and began placing his things back in his boxes. Gathering his confidence, he stood and carried on his journey into Field Hall.
“211…211…211…aha!” Steve muttered to himself as he looked for his room. He saw his name written on a paper pentagon in black Sharpie. Below his was the name PETER in a star shape. He knew the name of his room mate, but had yet to actually meet him. He was rather excited.
It was, obviously, on the second floor of the building and therefore a tad bit inconvenient for moving in purposes, but the view wasn’t half bad. He had a beautiful view of the campus, especially in the afternoon sun. It cast shadows wonderfully across the field in front of the dorm room. Steve stopped to take it in for a moment. He decided at some point he would have to draw the view for himself.
Steve got settled into his dorm room before Peter got there. He stared at the empty bed wondering who this Peter was who would soon fill it. Would they get along? What if they didn’t? Would his new roomie accept Steve’s affinity for books? Would he share it? What about art? Was he an art major like Steve? Would-
The train of thought came to a halt as said man – boy, this kid looked twelve – clambered into the small area. Peter’s arms were full with two boxes and he was sweating like he’d just walked through Mordor (which Steve laughed inwardly at because one does not simply walk into Mordor).
“Hello, you must be my new roommate!” Steve said cheerily. At least it’s not Tony. He sighed. This lightened his mood incredibly.
“I guess so.” The boy wiped his forearm across his forehead after dropping all his boxes. He stood for a moment, catching his breath. “I’m Peter, obviously. Peter Parker.”
“Steve Rogers.”
Steve reached out for a handshake, but Peter was having none of it. “No! We’re gonna be bros now, and bros do this.” And then Peter proceeded to give Steve a very bro-like hug. “I’m honoured to be rooming with you, bro.”
It was in that moment Steve knew he didn’t want to hear the word ‘bro’ used in reference to him ever again.
“Oh, thanks, I guess…” Steve shuffled his feet. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve already settled on the right side of room.”
“That’s fine with me!” Peter began to put his sheets on his bed just as an elderly lady came bumbling into the room.
“Peter! You forgot your webcam! How else will I be able to chat with you on the computer?” She pressed the camera into Peter’s hands.
“Thanks, Aunt May.” Peter said a little uneasily. “I’ll Skype you tonight.” That was a lie. Peter loved his Aunt May, but she was a bit…over bearing at times. He’d probably webchat her sometime the following week. Phone calls would be enough. Peter doubted she’d know how to answer a Skype call yet anyway.
“What’s a Skype?”
Peter grinned and shook his head. “Don’t worry, I’ll show you when I come home for break. Bye, Aunt May!”
With a final hug and kiss goodbye, Aunt May was out the door and Peter was alone with Steve.
Peter wasn’t going to lie to himself, Steve scared him at first. The whole “bro-hug”? That was just a defense mechanism. You can’t beat someone up if they hug you, Peter liked to believe. It went swimmingly, so Peter felt like he had an in with the guy.
“You don’t like…beat people up for a living, do you?” Peter asked nervously.
To Peter’s relief, Steve laughed. “No, I did wrestling in high school. They wouldn’t let me be scrawny so I had to buff up a lot.”
Peter let out a relieved sigh. “Good. But like…you could protect me if someone was trying to beat me up, right?”
“I don’t like bullies.” Steve said simply. Peter took that as a yes and was immensely glad he had a protector already.
“We’re gonna be good friends, Steve.”
Tony Stark had wanted to room alone. He made this very clear to his father. This was actually the reason he wasn’t rooming alone. Howard Stark made it his personal mission to make Tony’s college life as horrible as possible. It was almost like the man sought out what college Steve Rogers was enrolled in just to put the icing on the cake.
He stalked down the second floor of Field Hall until he came to a stop in front of room 212. TONY was written in annoying black marker on the shape of a star. Just above that was the name THOR written out in the same fashion. Thor? What the hell kind of name is that?
“Here starts hell.” He grumbled under his breath.
Thor had already settled in the dorm room. The first thing Tony noticed was four shampoo bottles lined up on the floor besides Thor’s bed. There was a collection of pop-tarts on the desk at the foot of his bed where the big man was laying down. He seemed to take up the whole bed.
“Next year you can come to school with me! Do not even think about tricking the principal into letting you out of senior year…just remember to wash your hair and perhaps you will even get a girlfriend!” Thor was laughing heartily on the phone. He stopped when he noticed Tony standing in the doorway.
“It seems that I now have company! I look forward to your visit…I adore you, also.” With another chuckle, the booming man hung up his age-old cell phone and sat up on his bed. “Hello! I am Thor Odinson!”
Oh boy. “Yeah, I know. I’m –“
“Tony Stark! I’ve heard much about you!” Thor stood and grabbed Tony’s hand in a firm, almost bone crushing, hand-shake. Tony winced against his will.
“Yeah, well, nice to meet you.” Tony sat on the empty bed on what he could only assume was his side of the room. “So, Loki…that your girlfriend?”
Thor laughed. I’m going to have to train myself to get used to that. How can he laugh that loud? “No! Loki is a foster child my parents brought in. One of many, but he’s my favourite…” Obviously. Tony thought.
Thor then proceeded to tell the story of how Loki has been with them since he was fourteen and Thor was fifteen. They had bonded quickly and become close friends. Thor claimed they were like brothers, but Tony knew that was a lie. Brothers don’t tell each other “I adore you”.
Tony also learned that he was from Norway (obvious from his odd name and strange way of talking) and that the Odinson family moved to the states a year ago. Loki was attending some high school in Boston and Thor wanted to go to college close to his “brother”.
“You will meet Loki next weekend when he comes to visit!” Thor smiled. This guy is too happy for his own good. Tony decided. It was then Thor noticed the lack of baggage Tony carried in with him. “Where are your belongings?”
“Coming in later. I got Jarvis setting me up while I go explore campus. I just wanted to check in first.”
Jarvis was Tony’s butler. Really, he was more like an uncle. Jarvis practically raised Tony himself and Tony liked him way more than Howard.
“Jarvis?”
“Butler.” He said simply. “Well, I gotta run. See you later, Thor.”
The Norwegian man waved a quick goodbye then went to open a new pack of strawberry pop-tarts.
The next time Tony saw Steve was fifteen seconds later when he exited his dorm room. The tall blonde was outside his own room helping his roommate, who according to the door signs was named Peter, move a box into the room.
“Does your Aunt May like finding reasons to see you?”
“Yes, but I didn’t know she’d come back just to send me a box of Tupperware…It really shouldn’t be this heavy.”
“It’s not heavy, it’s just – “ Steve tried to shove it through the door. “Huge.”
Tony snickered as he passed. “Looks like you and me are neighbours, Steve-o.”
He turned around to see Steve turn pale before continuing his swaggering walk.
Peter turned to Steve. “Is that –“
“Tony Stark.” Steve stared after the shorter brunette.
“How do you know him?”
“He went to my high school.” Steve replied through gritted teeth. Peter seemed to get the message and backed off for now. Soon, the topic was forgotten as they continued attempting to get the huge box of Tupperware through the door.
This year was going to be an adventure.