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Chapter Text

"You like him," Natasha deciphered with a surprised tone. Tony attempted to scoff and raise his eyebrows to say 'what?' with his expression but there was no point denying it with Nat. Admittedly, he had spent the last ten minutes 'discreetly' gazing over Natasha's shoulder at the boy enjoying his food with his friends and struggling to even gather a sentence in his mind as to how he would approach T'Challa.

T'Challa was in Tony's Physics class and the two often struck a conversation or debate while the others around them took their time working out what they were studying. It was needless to say that they were both the smartest in the class and Tony genuinely enjoyed every moment of the conversations they had. Whenever they weren't discussing Physics, Tony tried to get to learn more about T'Challa such as the origin of his accent but for some reason, T'Challa opted to never be specific with his answers.

As the brown-haired boy spent more time with T'Challa, he found himself being more ambitious to talk to him and soon Tony realized that he was developing a crush on his fellow Physics studier. However, Tony could have sworn with the way T'Challa smiled at him and occasionally winked when Tony got an answer right that he was aware of how Tony felt - but Tony also believed that T'Challa was simply a friendly and supportive person. Either way, he didn't like the thought of being wrong about it.

"Wow, you're good," Tony smirked and Natasha shrugged her shoulders.

"Or maybe you're just obvious. If I can tell you're staring at him, so can he."

A moment's silence fell between them and Tony put his coffee to the side and looked over at T'Challa again, whose head seemingly turned as soon as Tony's eyes were fixed on him. Once again, Natasha was right. T'Challa must have caught him staring at least once or picked up on something he said. Reading over it in his mind, Tony wanted to bury his face in his arms against the table and groan.

"Shit... do you think he's said nothing so I'm not embarrassed?"

"If he is, at least he's taking your feelings into consideration. You won't lose him as a friend if you ask him out."

Tony crossed his arms and felt curiosity burn in his mind.

"Why do I feel like you haven't gotten to the 'and' or 'but' yet?"

Natasha grinned and put her hands up in fake surrender. "You know me too well. There's always the chance that he likes you too and wants to ask you out but feels exactly how you do."

Tony's eyes lit up and he gently clapped his hands to applaud his best friend.

"I think someone deserves a trophy," Tony teased, knowing how much Natasha despised those things.

"I'll take a coffee on you tomorrow instead."

"Deal. Well, the bell's about to ring so I'll message you tonight, yeah?"

"See you around, lover boy," Natasha quipped and Tony rolled his eyes before laughing and leaving the table. He walked in the direction of T'Challa and tried to garner the confidence to ask to speak with him alone but it proved to be futile when he was side-by-side with the seated boy and ambled past T'Challa's back. He was kicking himself in his mind but after a few steps, he heard someone call his name out.

"Tony," the voice called and Tony recognized it immediately.

Quickly turning around, he looked to find T'Challa was no longer facing his friends but half-turned in his seat, looking up at him.

"Hey," Tony replied with a smile. "What's up?"

"My parents are going away for a while and I was thinking if you wanted, you could come to my party."

T'Challa was one of - if not -the smartest in the entire high school and he broke the stereotype of smart people not being the popular ones at high school. Everybody loved him and he made sure everyone knew he respected them. Well, all apart from his cousin, Erik, but that relationship had been strained long before T'Challa was transferred to Midtown. Having a party though, that was something Tony wouldn't have expected of T'Challa. 

"Sure, why not? Thanks for the invite."

"Yeah, it's not like T'Challa hasn't invited everyone else," Bucky stifled and Sam slapped his shoulder.

"Don't be an ass," Sam smiled. "Ignore him, T'Challa invited everyone else by text. You're his first personal invite."

"Gee, thanks," Tony laughed and he found himself in direct eye contact of T'Challa. "I'll see you in Physics."

T'Challa nodded and waved his hand slowly. "See you later, Tony."

Tony walked to his class with his heart racing and his mind overwhelmed with thoughts about both what happened and what could happen at the party. He messaged Natasha before taking a seat and trying to focus on his work and not the boy who walked in a couple of minutes later. It was impossible to do so when he saw T'Challa give him a smile from across the room.

Chapter Text

Tony couldn't concentrate and focused on messaging his best friend during his class.

he invited you to his party? ask him out there!!

um r u CRAZY? what if he says no in front of everyone?

come on, this is like the best opportunity you're gonna get...

Tony looked over to the back of T'Challa's head and felt a blend of hope and worry swirl in his stomach as his crush was talking to one of his friends. In his mind, the brown-haired teen was praying that if he asked T'Challa out and he was rejected, nobody would remember anything the next day. As Mrs. Warren continued explaining linear acceleration, everything around Tony became muffled as he imagined the scenario of T'Challa saying yes. 

"- and make sure Bucky knows not to smoke in my house. There are some things my parents will tolerate, the smell of marijuana is not one of them."

Eavesdropping wasn't something Tony often did but he continued to pretend to write as T'Challa was speaking to Sam and Bruce about his party. Bruce was one of Tony's friends as well, so it came as a bonus when Bruce would bring Tony into conversations about the work they were doing.

"That's like asking Peter to stop referring to 80's movies. Just won't happen."

"Parker or Quill?"

"Both."

Tony smiled to himself, being one of the people that would find themselves involved in both Peters' war of 'best movies ever' despite the fact that almost everyone in the same year told Quill to stop picking movie fights with a kid one year younger than all of them. Peter Parker was in Tony's Physics class too due to his intelligence but kept to himself when he could.

"Whatever, just try, alright?"

Once the lesson was over, Tony picked up his bag and continued to message Natasha about what to do while Sam, T'Challa, and Bruce slowly walked behind. Peter Parker managed to sneak behind them without catching their attention until he lost himself in pretending not to be listening so much that he bumped into Sam and awkwardly chuckled. 

"Uh, sorry guys. So, um, you guys are having a party, right?"

Sam turned his head to T'Challa and smirked, impressed with Peter's upfront approach of it. He was a year younger than them and yet, he still found the courage to ask them about the party. As the four of them left the classroom, a grinning Bucky walked happily and put his arm around Sam, kissing him.

"Hey, baby. How was Physics?"

"Good," Sam answered, kissing Bucky back. "Lil Spider-Man was about to ask us about T's party."

Peter hated the fact that he'd brought a pet spider to his project years ago, especially after it got lost and found itself on the teacher's face. Bucky laughed and ran his fingers through his silky brown hair. "Please say yes, T'Challa..."

"Isn't he a bit young for a party full of us?" T'Challa teased. 

Peter followed behind the group and darted his eyes across to watch everyone who was talking.

"T, Buck, how about this? Bucky doesn't smoke at your party, Peter goes and he can have one drink."

"Aww man," Bucky whined, somehow still managing to be happy. "Fine, me and Clint will just do it outside."

Bruce laughed and nudged T'Challa. "You hear that T? Bucky's doing it with Clint."

T'Challa grinned and pointed at Bucky. "Just not in my bed."

Throwing his hands up in surrender, Bucky smiled and kissed Sam again, bringing his cheek to his lips.

"You know I'd never do it with anyone except you."

Peter was still behind them and remained silent until Bucky noticed him, prompting the brunet stoner to tap T'Challa's shoulder.

"Hey, man, I think little dude's still waiting for an answer."

T'Challa turned to Peter and gave him a genuine smile, full of friendliness. "You can come to my party, Peter. Just... no spiders. I hate the things."

Peter wanted to urge that he didn't casually carry spiders around with him but the boy was much happier about the fact he had been invited.

"Thanks, T'Challa! I'll, uh, send you a message about the directions."

"Biggest house within a five-hour driving zone," Bucky murmured.

"You're a fuckin' mumbler when you're high, you know that right?" Sam grinned. "But I love your sassy ass."

"I just love your ass," Bucky whispered, grabbing Sam's rear which made him jump. Peter disappeared from the group and Sam raised an eyebrow in T'Challa's direction.

"So, what's the deal with you and Tony? Guy acts all weird around you and you invite him to the party?"

"I don't exclude, we talk, and Peter is surely more absurd than Tony?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders and smiled to himself. "Sure thing, whatever you say."

Bruce said his goodbyes to catch a ride with Thor so they could see the new movie about 'something to do with space' in Bucky's words and Sam & Bucky departed to get Bucky some food - and by some, it was any amount Bucky could pay for. T'Challa was about to get in his car when he noticed Tony on his own, ambling with his headphones in and decided not to call his name out. He'd talk to him soon.