Office Hours, Friday

[screwyoumarvel]

Steve was in his office on Friday, working on lists of supplies he'd need for upcoming classes and wondering whether the administration would pay for them. And wondering whether he needed to change some of his approach in order to get through to the kids from more privileged upbringings...

On the bright side, the teenaged, brainbreaking Tony Stark hadn't exploded anything yet.

((Open office = open!))

Comments

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Give Tony time. Just give him time.

He poked his head into the office, knocking on the door. "Mr. Rogers?"

[screwyoumarvel]

Oh, God. "Please tell me you're not here to tell me you've blown something up, Mr. Stark."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"No," Tony replied slowly. "Why does everyone assume I will?"

Possibly because they'd met him, but those were minor details.

[screwyoumarvel]

Steve opened his mouth, paused, closed it again, then finally settled on, "You don't really want me to answer that. What can I do for you today?"

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"I brought your vacuum back," Tony said, holding it up as if to prove it wasn't exploded. "I had to replace a few parts, though."

A beat.

"It was a lot of cleaning."

[screwyoumarvel]

Despite what his icon might say, Steve was just going to duck his head and rub at the back of his neck now. "Didn't I tell you not to modify the vacuum cleaner?"

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"I had to fix it!"

Really, Steve. He was forced into it.

[screwyoumarvel]

"Was it broken?" Bless Tony's heart, he had no idea whatsoever how many times Steve had heard that line.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

...damn your logic.

"It was making a noise that don't sound right, so I opened it up to check," Tony replied. "And then I noticed that I could make it run better, so..."

[screwyoumarvel]

"So you voided the warranty," Steve sighed. "I told you not to do that."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"But it works better!"

[screwyoumarvel]

"That's not the point, To--Mr. Stark. Mr. Stark." Right. Because if Steve let himself think of this kid as Tony he was going to wind up freaking himself out.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Right. Tony was just going to give him a confused look.

"I made it better," he replied. "I don't see how this is bad."

[screwyoumarvel]

Steve buried his face in his hands briefly; said directly into them, "Of course you don't, you're Tony Stark." Then he looked up and said, "It's someone else's property. You can tinker with things all day long as long as they belong to you, and I won't care." Unless something exploded.

Well, that or until he found out about the suit. Whichever came first.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"But I made it better," Tony insisted. Because he was Tony Stark, damn it.

[screwyoumarvel]

"It was fine before." Yeah, Steve got that part.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Did I mention the funny noises?"

That were possibly the noises a vacuum normally made, shhh.

[screwyoumarvel]

"You did mention the funny noises." Steve was just assuming there had been no funny noises to start with. It seemed like sound policy. "They're irrelevant." He paused, then said, "Please do not take the washing machines apart."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Tony paused, as if to object that the thought never crossed his mind. "I'm sure I could put it back just fine."

[screwyoumarvel]

"That's not the point." It was like arguing with a brick wall. Or, you know. Tony Stark.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

It could be worse somehow! It could be 616!teenage Tony.

"And it wouldn't explode. I haven't made anything explode by accident in years."

Two, to be exact.

[screwyoumarvel]

Then he was probably due, wasn't he?

God, this kid made him feel old.

"Look, I don't think 'don't tamper with school property,' is such a difficult rule to follow," Steve tried.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Tony sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "What counts as school property?"

[screwyoumarvel]

"Anything on or from school grounds that doesn't belong to another student or yourself," Steve said, and, after a moment's thought, "and the bus." The other students were just going to have to fend for themselves.

...and, if he was honest, he doubted this would do anything practical to keep school property un-tinkered with, but he had to try.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Can I have access to the hard light holographic projector if I leave the washing machines alone?" Ah, bargaining.