lost boy (stony college au) [✔]

Chapter Five

Steve spent every day of the next three weeks re-reading every text in his phone between him and Tony, from the very first flirty texts to the more heartfelt ones later on.

He hated it.

Loved it.

Missed Tony he physically ached with it.

The day his results came in, Steve actually sat at his table and cried.
Eight years of school were finally over. Countless hours of studying. The last three weeks of pacing and worrying and running every minute of the exam through his mind over and over again.

And he had passed.

Steve poured himself a celebratory shot of his favorite aged whiskey, and picked up his phone to call Tony.

*****************
They met at the cafe they ordered from when they would study together, and Steve sat there for nearly fifteen minutes before Tony pulled up, stepping out of a brand new bright red car.

"Steve. Sorry I'm late." Tony was dressed in his standard black skinny jeans, even though these ones weren't ripped. The light blue t-shirt was a change and Steve couldn't help the spark of interest at the way it stretched and pulled over Tony's arms and chest, bringing out the soft brown in his eyes. His gloves were gone, but the eyeliner was still there, even if it was a little less caked on , and his goatee had grown in nearly all the way, making him look several years older, and Steve kind of loved it.

"It's no problem. You, um, drove? Since when?" Steve eyed the shiny new car with a little smile. "Thought you didn't do that sort of thing."

"Yeah. Got my license. Bought a car." Tony followed his gaze out the window. "I never wanted to drive, not after my mom's accident, but I figured it was time to move on, time to grow up a little."

"Good for you." Steve meant it. "I can't imagine that was an easy decision to come to."

"It really wasn't." They were quiet, awkwardly so, as the waitress came over to give them menus. "So." Tony finally said. "The bar? Have you heard?""

"I passed!" Steve couldn't stop the grin, and Tony's whole face lit up in an answering smile.

"I knew you would. I knew it. Steve, that's amazing. I am so proud of–" his voice trailed off, but his smile didn't dim. "I'm happy for you."

"Yeah, it's really amazing." Steve couldn't have tamed his grin if he wanted to. "I've already interviewed and accepted a job with a firm downtown, I start at the end of next week. Everything I've been working towards for eight years and it's finally working out."

"I'm happy for you." Tony repeated, then he glanced out the window, his fingers flexing nervously. "So um, you didn't call. I waited, and you didn't... why not? I mean, I know you were busy but I thought maybe you'd changed your mind about wanting to try. Have you– have you changed your mind?"

"Tony." Steve held his hand up, and took a deep breath. "I didn't call you after the bar because I needed to know if I passed or not, needed to know which direction I was going to be going. Because whether you meant to be or not, you were a total distraction these last few weeks and I was a little worried I'd do something reckless if I didn't pass. I needed to know for sure first."

"That's... fair." Tony said slowly, and then a little panicked, "I wasn't purposefully trying to distract you, Steve. Not consciously, I mean? I swear. I swear."

"I'm sure you weren't." Steve assured him. "But before I could even think about seeing you again I had to know if feeling this about you was more detrimental than helpful to me. We had so much fun but if it was pushing me away from my goals... well that's a whole other thing to be dealt with."