Love and Hate - Stony Highschool

09| Dye and Driving

Eight Months Earlier

"Tony! Slow down!" He could barely hear his name being called as he ran. The water splashing on him and around him, the occasional thunder boom was heard.

How perfect was it that it was raining on a day like this?

Tony ran as fast as his legs could go. He didn't even know where he was running or what he was running from. That was a lie, he was running away from that house. From her. Not that it seemed she was following. His feet barely touched the ground before they pushed himself off again. He wasn't the fastest runner but it seemed his best friend couldn't catch up.

And then, Tony slipped on a puddle. He cursed to himself as he held out his hands to catch his fall. Never run in a rainstorm. He fell to the ground and scraped up his hands and one knee. He moved to sit down on his ass.

The figure who's been chasing him finally stopped in front of Tony, the umbrella closed up and thrown over his shoulder. Of course Justin stopped to grab his umbrella before running after Tony, that was just so Justin.

He kneeled down to be level with Tony. Tony wasn't looking at him but away, his eyes red and the tears falling down slowly.

"I'm so sorry, Tony." Was all Justin said. He wasn't the best at comforting just like Tony. But the fact he even ran after him showed he cares and that's all that matter.

Tony finally averted his eyes to look at his friend. Justin's eyes were soft and vulnerable, almost as if he felt Tonys pain. He reached a hand out to wipe away one of Tonys tears off his cheek.

Stark tried to give a soft smile, but it was a weak effort. The one party he didn't go to. He remembered what he thought of earlier:

It was one party that was happening during a thunder storm. He could miss just this one. What could happen that's so huge at one party? Bella would forgive him.

Well it seemed she didn't care enough to even notice him gone.

He trusted her too. He finally opened himself up to someone and this is how it worked out. Tony should've known, should've expected it. Especially when he got the text message from Quill to get down to the party. That was the last thing he expected to see.

That's when he noticed how his breath was swaying. Shit. He was having a panic attack. In the middle of the side walk he was going to break down. How pathetic was he?

"Hey hey, no no no. It's okay I'm here," Justin tried to hug him but just got pushed away. Tony hated when people tried to touch him during his attacks and Justin knew that.

He fell back a little and landed on his ass just as Tony was. Tony wanted to apologize and say he didn't mean to push him away too much, especially since all he was doing was trying to help. But words wouldn't form.

Instead of moving back towards Tony, Justin stood up. He opened his umbrella and held it over Tonys head.

The scene must've looked insane. A boy standing and getting soaked, as he held the umbrella over another boy sitting on the ground crying.

The small gesture meant so much to Tony that it actually seemed to calm him down. And that's how he knew.

He was in love with Justin Hammers.

-

Bruce was walking around his room looking for his keys.

"Come on, Bruce! He started it!" Tony argued. Bruce didn't stop to face him and just kept pacing around.