Den des Chasseurs

Tony Is Just Tony, Right?

No one notices the way Tony doesn't make a sound when he walks.

They don't notice that his face is nothing but a mask, and something glitters in his eyes.

They don't notice he always seems to know when you are there.

No one notices the way Tony seems like he's always on edge in a new place, through his facade.

No one sees the way his eyes flicker to all possible exits, traditonal or not.

Not one person has ever noticed the way his reflexes react so quickly, or the toned body he keeps hidden under expensive suits.

People don't notice the way he seems to gravitate toward the shadows, when he's not pulled into the spotlight.

But most of all, people don't notice the floor on the very top of his new tower is unlabeled, and you need a passcode to get in.

Well, not everyone is included in that 'no one'. But no one asks, or thinks much of it.

Rhodey, having gone to MIT with Tony, noticed first. He also noticed the nights Tony snuck into their shared dorm late in the night, or the occasional injury that appeared after a few of these late nights, or in some cases long days or weeks he was gone.

He only asked once about it, before chalking it up to just being Tony. That was until one night...

Happy noticed second. The moment he stopped those muggers, he just had a feeling the man in the expensive suit could do much more damage than he had helped him inflict. That's the day he became Tony Stark's bodyguard and driver.

During his spars with Tony, he noticed the way he seemed tense, and restrained, but got a rare glimpse every once and awhile of a graceful move, before Tony became tense once more.

When Happy asked, Tony responded with a laugh, and a raised eyebrow, saying; "Happy, son of a billionare here, my dear old dad thought it would be a good idea to teach me self-defence."

Happy didn't ask again, but the thought never quite left his mind. And he realized not too long after he was right not to let it go.

It was a given Pepper noticed third.

From the day she marched into his office to point out an mistake (pepper spraying the guards to get in), to the day she realized she cared deeply for the man, it was a flitting thought at the back of her mind.

She asked many times, receiving either a sarcastic remark in response, or a distraction from the original question. It took almost three years for her to find out.

The Avengers were so new to Tony, they hadn't quite noticed, or downright refused to let the thought enter the conscious part of their minds.(Not including those who already knew, of course...)

Because Tony Stark was just Tony Stark, right? The annoying sarcastic genius who was annoyed at the thought of having them live in his tower, even though there was was plenty of room.

Nothing more.

Oh how wrong they were...

Tony was 3 the first time his father beat him.

The eager young boy had been dying to see his father's lab, and had already made minor projects (which his father was not impressed with, and his mother didn't care, too drunk to function most of the time, the only one who cared was the butler, Edwin Jarvis, who Tony considered family), and had finally been allowed to watch his father work. He was told to stay away from anything his father was working on, or that was dangerous. Howard had given him a few tools and some scraps to play with if he got bored, but was allowed to watch his father work from a distance.