My SEXY enemy (Stony Highschool AU)

Chapter 53

It felt like yesterday since he stood in this room. He could still feel the recognizing smell in his nose and the home welcoming air around him, like a safe and warm hug. The floor under his soles felt just like the way he had left it many months ago. It felt strange knowing that the last time his feet had hit the exact same spot, was when he had run outside to meet Steve on the driveway. They had driven away to that stupid place in the forest and returned back home to his drunk father without knowing it.

Tony's world had fallen apart that night. He had never been at his old house after that. He hadn't dared to go back, afraid that horrible pictures and memories would pop up in his fuzzy mind. But sometimes you just have to get your shit together and do what you don't want to do. Even though memories and pictures came back faster than lighting.

The couch where he used to play video games was still there. His tv was there and his messy bed was still waiting for him to return from wherever he had gone with a certain Steve Rogers one night. His desk was covered by papers, school books, and notes. Exactly where he had left them several months ago, together with his still-open laptop.

"Hey! That's mine!"

"No, it's not! I bought it! With the money I work hard to earn!"

Tony swallowed as the two sentences suddenly were the trigger to all the memories. His eyes fell on the computer again, remembering his own behavior and how his father tried to reason with him. Maybe he had deserved the treatment he received after every argument after all.

Stark quickly closed his eyes when the images of his father jumped in front of his eyes. He inhaled deeply, trying to think about other things than the pictures forming in his miserable head.
He jumped a little in surprise when he felt someone behind him, but rolled his eyes when Clint made an overly surprised sound.

"Damn this room is lit!" The dirty-blind exclaimed and threw himself on the couch.

"Buy it then, bitch." Tony said as Bruce also appeared in the doorway, looking around himself with curious eyes.

"I would if it didn't stink alcohol in the whole house." Clint joked as he reached for the remote control and turned the tv on.

"Don't get too comfortable." Rhodes warned from outside the room while passing a few empty cardboard boxes to the raven-haired guy by the door. "Let's just pack up what Tony still wanna keep and get out of here."

"Done." Stark said with a bored voice after he had gathered a few of his notes from the messy desk. Bruce, Clint, and Rhodes looked between him and the empty boxes confused.

"Tony," Bruce said softly, but his friend ignored him and made his way towards the door.

"You seriously don't wanna keep anything else?" Clint asked slightly shocked. "Everything in here is awesome! I would totally steal it!"

"Take it if you want. I don't care." The genius said with a slightly annoyed voice.

"Not even this?" Rhodes asked lowly and held up a frame he had picked up from one of Tony's shelves. Stark looked at him with a raised eyebrow before looking at the photo in the frame, his heart sinking a little at the picture of his mother with flowers in her beautiful hair. The frame was white and slightly cracked, but it didn't matter because the picture of Maria Stark covered the pointless flaw perfectly.

Tony took the frame in his hand and looked at the woman with emotionless eyes. The more he looked at her, the more it hurt, but he couldn't let go of it. "Maybe I'll take this.." He mumbled.