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~ January ~
…
Tony tried to roll over onto his back, groaning softly. He really needed to stop drinking so heavily. Instead of the space he expected to roll into, in his—admittedly expansive—bed, he found himself hitting a solid wall of heat instead.
Forcing his eyes open, Tony blinked when he found himself staring at the familiar face of Steve Rogers. His mind short-circuited. What the fuck had he been thinking?
Of anyone to fall into bed with on New Years Eve, Tony had to admit that Steve—Captain America—Rogers was the very last person he would have expected.
Not that Tony didn’t want Steve in his bed, of course—that had been fantasy fodder for years—but he’d rather had the idea that Steve only just barely tolerated him.
“Go back to sleep,” Steve murmured, without opening his eyes. Startled, Tony slid away from the super soldier, only to be pulled back by a strong arm wrapping around his waist. “Sleep now, meltdown when there isn’t a brass band fighting drummers in the space where my brain used to be.”
Tony snorted, but given that he could absolutely sympathise with the feeling, he thought that, maybe, Steve’s idea wasn’t a terrible one.
…
“Welp, this is a little awkward, isn’t it?” Tony said, when he woke up the second time. Steve handed him a steaming mug of coffee in reply, and Tony was about ready to just propose marriage. That’s how much he needed the coffee. “How are the brass band and the drummers doing now?”
Steve chuckled. “They’ve made friends and are playing a symphony now.” He shook his head. “No, I’m okay now. The serum helps, I suppose. That’s the last time I trust Thor’s ‘special’ mead though.”
Tony nodded, sipping at the coffee, because despite it being way too hot to drink, it was wonderful, and he needed ten gallons of it.
“I don’t think it needs to be awkward, by the way,” Steve added, as he sat down with his back to the headboard, rejoining Tony on the bed as though it was the most normal thing in the world. Tony was surprised; he’d kind of expected for Steve to run for the hills. “At least, it won’t be if you let me take you on a date.”
“You don’t have to do that, you know?” Tony murmured, because he felt like he really needed to at least offer Steve some kind of out.
Steve’s brow furrowed slightly. “I know that I don’t have to, but… I’d really like to. I think that I told you last night that I’ve been trying to work up the courage to ask you out.”
Tony blinked. “The only memories I have of last night are bright flashes and loud music, Steve.”
“Oh. That… makes sense,” Steve said, biting his bottom lip. “Well… I don’t feel obligated because we shared a bed, and I really have been trying to ask you out for months. I’m just… not very good at it.”
“I mean,” Tony raised his mug. “You brought me coffee in bed. I think you’re pretty good at it. And, uh. I’d like that. You know, the date thing. We should do that.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
…
~ February ~
…
“Oh god, send help,” Tony moaned, banging his head against the desk.
“I’m not god, but what’s wrong?” Pepper asked, as she stepped into the office, takeaway coffees and two wrapped sandwiches in her hands.
“It’s Valentine’s day,” Tony replied, this voice the tone of a man talking about the deepest levels of hell. “And Steve and I have only been a thing for like a month, so do I do the thing, or do I not do the thing? Pepper, help me!”
She chuckled, putting the food and coffee on the desk before she sat down in her chair. “Have you asked him if he wants to do anything to celebrate Valentine's day?”
“Uh. No?”
“No?”
“Very much no,” Tony confirmed. He wrinkled his nose. “Haven’t even brought it up. I… yeah, asking him would have made sense, wouldn’t it?”
“Little bit,” Pepper agreed, rolling her eyes at him. “So, why don’t you just call him, and ask him if he wants to do something?”
“Because now it’s like… an afterthought. I don’t want him to think he’s an afterthought, Pep!”
“Tones… he won’t see it that way. He could be freaking out just as much as you are, you know?”
“You think?”
“Tony… call him. It won’t go badly, I promise.”
…
“Hey, Tony!”
Tony smiled slightly. Steve always sounded so happy to hear from him, it was actually adorable.
“Hey, Steve. How’s your day?”
“It’s good. How are the meetings?”
“Death. They are death, Steve,” Tony complained. “But, uh. I was calling, because, uh, Valentine’s, you know? I didn’t know if you wanted to do anything, and I, uh, well.”
“You had a meltdown about it, didn’t you?”
“Little bit.”
“Tony, if you want to do something tonight, then I’m happy to, but don’t feel pressured. I don’t need a random day in the calendar to prove how I feel about you, and I don’t need one for you to prove anything either. You show me every day.”
“Right. I… that’s good. Pepper said, but I, and—”
“Full sentences, sweetheart,” Steve interrupted gently.
Tony chuckled. “I’m a disaster, aren’t I?”
“Little bit,” Steve agreed, a smile in his voice. “But I like disaster you, so I guess that we’re fine.”
“Kay. So, I’ll be home by like, seven-ish, and we can… order food and snuggle on the sofa?”
“Sounds perfect.”
“And if I fetch home flowers, that’s good too?”
“That’s good too, but only if you want to, okay?”
“Okay. Okay. Steve?”
“Hmm?”
“You’re the best.”
“I’ll see you later. Have a good rest of the day.”
“Kay. Bye, Steve.”
…
~ March ~
…
The raging fire of his anger had settled into something more akin to a simmering flame by the time Steve returned to the tower. It almost ignited again, when he found out that the workshop was on blackout, but JARVIS quietly informed him that Tony hadn’t blocked his code.
He just hadn’t wanted anyone else to bother him.
Steve sighed. He really hated arguing with Tony; more so now that they were dating. It felt so much more personal, and he supposed that, in a way, it was, but… they had to be able to argue about things if they were going to be effective leaders of the Avengers.
Their personal life couldn’t affect that.
He pressed his code into the access pad, and waited for the glass doors to slide open and allow him entrance. He expected to find Tony engrossed in his work, but he wasn’t.
He was sitting on the couch, staring at a bottle of whisky like it held all of the answers to the universe. Steve quickly noticed that the bottle was still full, and the seal was still unbroken.
“Tony?”
As Tony turned his head slowly to look at him, Steve wondered what on earth he was thinking.
One thing he did know was that, even if they both lived to be over a thousand years old, he never wanted to see that look in his boyfriend’s eyes ever again.
Tony didn’t speak, but he had the air about him of a man, waiting for the axe to fall. His fingers were playing with the loose thread at the hem of the old t-shirt he was wearing—one of Colonel Rhodes’, if the size was anything to go by.
“You okay?” Steve asked, sitting down on the edge of the sofa, unsure of his welcome.
Tony shrugged. “I guess. I… can you just get this over with? I don’t need you to try and be kind, or draw it out, or—”
“Tony… what exactly is it that you think I’m here to do?”
Tony blinked at him. “You’re here to break up with me. I get it, Steve, I really do. I was stupid to think that, this time, I could—”
“The hell I am!”
The words were out of Steve’s mouth before he could stop himself, but he didn’t regret them.
“I… what?”
Steve shook his head, furiously. “It was a stupid argument, Tony! I’m not going to break up with you! I came down to see if you wanted to go out for dinner, or if you wanted to stay home with the others. They’re having a movie night.”
“But you… you left.”
“I went for a run to clear my head,” Steve said, reaching out to snag Tony’s hand in his. “Idiot. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”
“I… oh.”
“I love you,” Steve said, raising Tony’s hand to his lips to press a kiss to the back of it. “I love you, and I don’t care if it’s too early to say that. I’m not leaving you, okay? Not unless you tell me to go, and even then it’s iffy on if I’ll listen without a fight. Okay?”
Tony nodded silently, and then was a brief pause, before he practically threw himself at Steve.
Steve caught him, wrapping his arms around Tony to hold him in place as Tony wrapped his arms around Steve’s neck, burying his face against a broad shoulder.
Steve felt a small patch of his shirt getting damp, and he stroked a hand down Tony’s back. He’d never, ever wanted to make him cry.
“I’m sorry,” Tony murmured. “I know that we need to compromise more.”
“We’ll get there, sweetheart,” Steve promised. “I think that we’ll stay in tonight though, hmm? Watch a movie with the team, maybe steal Clint’s popcorn?”
Tony nodded against his shoulder, and Steve smiled. They’d work it out, he knew, and one day, they’d be able to disagree without Steve having to run off the anger, or Tony thinking that they were over.
It was a learning curve for both of them, after all. But he had no doubt that together, they would get there.
…
~ April ~
…
“Tony?”
Tony looked up from his tablet to see Steve standing in the doorway, tugging at the neck of his suit uncomfortably. He looked edible, and Tony had to subtly check himself for drool.
“Hey, babe, you look stunning,” he assured him, smiling softly. “I’ll be ready to go in like, five minutes?”
“Tony, I, uh. Is there going to be dancing at this thing?”
Tony stood up and adjusted the line of his dress trousers so that they settled perfectly against his shoes. “Yeah, of course there is. Why?”
“I can’t dance.”
“Everyone can dance, Steve. Some people do it better than others, but no one is expecting you to do a perfect jitterbug.”
Steve shook his head, though his lips turned up a little at the reference. “No. I mean… I’ve never danced. When I was a little guy, nobody really cared too, and then after the serum… I never really had a chance.”
Tony softened, and he stepped closer, holding his hand out. Steve took it cautiously.
“Focus on me,” Tony said quietly, guiding them into a simple box step, as JARVIS started music playing in the penthouse. “And dance, my dear.”
…
~ May ~
…
Steve was late, but he was just happy to be home at all. He was pretty sure that he’d be walking into some kind of chaos—what else was he supposed to expect on Tony’s birthday—but he was still looking forward to it.
Tony wasn’t expecting him back for another two days, so he hoped it was a happy surprise for his bodyguard.
Except…
Steve stepped into the common room of the tower to find only Natasha and Clint in there. Clint was sprawled across one of the large sofas, his eyes on the TV, and Natasha was curled up in an armchair, flicking through one of those fashion magazines that scared the life out of Steve.
“Oh, hey!” Clint said, when he saw Steve. “Tony said that he wasn’t expecting you back for a few days yet.”
“I wanted to surprise him,” Steve said, smiling. “Where is he?”
“In the workshop, I think,” Clint said, his brow furrowing slightly. “He was out early this morning with Pepper and Rhodey, but… he was in a strange mood. Seemed almost… I don’t know, disappointed by something? I don’t know, Steve, but you being here will probably cheer him right up.”
Steve could only stare at his teammates. They weren’t actually serious, were they?”
Except, it seemed that they were, because the longer Steve looked between them, the more confused they seemed to get.
“I think that he was probably disappointed that his team—the people who are supposed to be his friends, his family, even—didn’t even bother to remember that today is his birthday,” Steve said, eventually, shaking his head. “Tony does so much for all of us, without us even asking him, and you couldn’t even give him one day? I reminded everyone about it two weeks ago.”
Clint shifted uncomfortably, his guilt evident in the sudden change in his body language. Steve could even see regret in Natasha’s eyes. While she had been growing more comfortable around them all, it was still a little odd to be able to read a genuine emotion from her so easily.
Not bothering to stick around and listen to excuses, Steve turned back to the elevator and requested JARVIS take him to Tony, but not to tell him that he was home.
…
Tony banged and clanged and made as much noise as he possibly could, to try and drown out his thoughts. He was being ridiculous, he knew that. He shouldn’t care that the team had forgotten his birthday.
He really shouldn’t.
And yet, he did care, because he hadn’t forgotten one of theirs over the last year. He’d even done the shopping himself, he’d taken weeks to make sure that he had their presents exactly right.
Would it have killed any of them to put it in a calendar? He didn’t care about the lack of presents, or a party, or… any of that. Just a ‘Happy birthday’ would have… it would have proved that they cared.
Cared about him, rather than what he could give them.
He’d woken up that morning to a text from Steve with the promise of a facetime later that night, and Pepper and Rhodey had picked him up early for breakfast, but he’d spent most of the day alone.
He’d had a moment of hope when Bruce had stuck his head around the door, but he’d just wanted to borrow some petri dishes.
He startled when arms wrapped around his waist, but he knew immediately that it was Steve. He twisted around to see the smiling face of his boyfriend, and he immediately curled into Steve’s embrace.
“You’re home!”
“Couldn’t miss the whole of my best guy’s birthday, could I?” Steve asked, pressing a kiss to Tony’s shoulder. “I’m sorry that the team forgot, sweetheart.”
“It’s fine—”
“It’s really now, but forget about them for tonight, okay? We’re going to go and take a shower, and then we’re going to order food, and I have presents in my bag for you, and we’re going to snuggle in front of Disney movies until bedtime, okay?”
Tony smiled. “That sounds perfect.”
“And tomorrow, we’re going to go out and do whatever you want to do,” Steve added. “Even if you want to go to the ballet, because I just love you that much.”
Laughing, Tony shook his head. Steve really hated ballet, it was a bit odd. “I don’t wanna go see the ballet, don’t worry. I actually have tickets for a baseball match, if you’re interested?”
“You’re perfect,” Steve murmured, leading him from the workshop. “Absolutely perfect.”
…
Steve caught a wayward baseball for Tony during the match, and the pitcher signed it for him afterwards. When the two of them got home, the team was waiting for them, with a home cooked meal, a birthday cake, and a pile of presents.
It might have been a day later, but it was still one of the best birthday’s that Tony had ever had.
…
~ June ~
…
“I still don’t see why you find this so entertaining, Steve,” Tony complained. “We’re in the middle of nowhere, there’s no wifi signal, and my legs hurt!”
“We’re in the mountains, hiking is fun, and I can kiss you in the sunshine and nobody will bother us for it.”
“Oh. Well then, I’m on board, let’s continue.”
Steve shook his head and laughed boisterously, before he continued on, tugging Tony along by their joined hands.
…
~ July ~
…
“Happy Birthday!”
Steve looked around at all of his friends, and he grinned widely. When Tony had proposed a trip to the countryside for his birthday, Steve had readily agreed, but he had, admittedly, been thinking that he’d miss seeing his friends.
Of course Tony had thought about that.
And Steve had thought that it was just Tony’s usual extravagance that had made him book out the whole hotel for the weekend.
“You didn’t think that I was really letting you get away without a party, did you?” Tony asked, grinning at him. “Really, Steve, it’s like you don’t even know me.”
“I… why the countryside?”
“You and the ice-pop over there don’t like fireworks,” Tony said, shrugging as he glanced over at Bucky, who was standing with Sam, and looked completely comfortable in his surroundings. “It seemed like the thing to do.”
“You are the most perfect boyfriend,” Steve murmured, leaning down to press a gentle kiss against Tony’s lips. “Thank you.”
Tony smiled. “Anything for you.”
…
~ August ~
…
It was so hot. Tony felt like he was going to just melt into a puddle of goo on the ground. Steve sat beside him, grumpy in the heat, and bored out of his mind.
Even the villains were hiding from the heatwave that had taken New York into its clutches.
Tony pulled at his magenta shorts, grimacing when they peeled back off his leg, stuck to him by sweat.
“Okay, nope, I’m done with this,” he announced, pushing himself up off the sofa. “If even the air-con can’t keep up with the heat, there’s only one thing for it.”
Steve looked up at him curiously, a spark of hope of actually doing something appearing in his eyes.
“I’m taking you flying.”
…
Steve gripped the suit tightly, his pastel yellow t-shirt billowing in the wind from the sheer speed that Tony was flying through the air.
It was wonderful; cool, fun, and just the right amount of danger for an adrenaline junkie like Steve.
Tony twirled and flipped through the air, never once letting go of Steve as he performed loops and spirals, and other crazy manoeuvres that shouldn’t be possible when he had a passenger attached to his suit.
“This is amazing,” Steve shouted, though his words were stolen by the wind, and he just whooped into the air instead.
…
“Better?” Tony asked, as the suit peeled away from him so that he could step out of it.
“So much better,” Steve agreed. “Come on, the aircon had been on in the penthouse since we went out. Let’s go and get sweating the fun way, shall we?”
Tony grinned. “Baby, you have the best ideas.”
…
~ September ~
…
Steve watched through reddened eyes as Pepper ran a comb through Tony’s hair. When he made a questioning sound, she smiled at him, though her own eyes were red rimmed and puffy from tears.
“He hates waking up in hospital with his hair a mess,” she explained softly. “He doesn’t care about it any other time, of course, the contrary shit, but… it’s a thing for him, and Rhodey and I make sure to sort his hair for him.”
Steve nodded. “They said that he’s going to be okay. I—”
“He’ll be fine, Steve,” Pepper said. There was a certainty in her tone that Steve wished that he had himself. He wished that he could have that kind of faith in something. “He’ll be driving you mad before you know it.”
“Driving me mad?”
“He’s the worst patient,” she said, laughing a little as she looked down at the battered and bruised man in the hospital bed. “Bloody idiot thinks that he can run before he can even get out of bed.”
“That’s nothing new, is it?” Steve murmured, smiling as he shook his head fondly. “I don’t mind taking care of him. He settles if I stroke his hair. He’s really just a human sized cat.”
Pepper looked thoughtful for a moment, before she nodded her head. “I can see that. He’s definitely a human sized cat.”
“Charismatic but aloof,” Steve pointed out. “Affectionate, but just as likely to bite you, if he doesn’t like you.”
“He likes to mark the things that are his,” Pepper added, looking pointedly at the love bite on Steve’s neck.
“He’s possessive, and he loves attention from the people that he loves.”
“And he likes to sprawl all over people,” Colonel Rhodes added, from the doorway. “Are we counting all of the ways that Tony is a people sized cat?”
Pepper and Steve exchanged a glance, and then burst out laughing. They almost missed Tony groaning, before his eyes opened.
“Was I hit by a bus?” the injured man asked. “I feel like I was hit with a bus.”
“I think the villain did throw a bus at you, at one point,” Steve mused, before he shook the thought away. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”
“Weren’t you listening?” Tony grumbled. “I feel like I was hit with a bus. Spring me out of here now please.”
…
~ October ~
…
Steve stood in the doorway of Tony’s office, his head tilted to the side slightly, as he watched his boyfriend work. He’d barely seen anything of Tony for close to ten days, and he was a little bit sick of the space beside him that was Tony shaped and empty.
He moved towards the desk, and the movement must have caught Tony’s peripheral vision, because he looked up and smiled tiredly.
“Hey dollface,” he murmured, rubbing his eyes. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s twenty past eleven, sweetheart,” Steve replied, his tone soft, to ensure that Tony knew he wasn’t mad. “I’m here to bring you home. You need to rest.”
“I’ve still got—”
“Paperwork that can wait until the morning,” Steve interrupted. “Come on, doll, I want a cuddle, and you need sleep. The paperwork will be there tomorrow.”
Tony opened his mouth to protest but then shook his head. “You’re right. Just… five minutes, while I finish up this one piece, okay?”
Steve nodded. “No problem, sweetheart.”
…
Having Tony curled up against him—right where he belonged—was perfect, and as Tony drifted off to sleep, Steve gently stroked his fingers up Tony’s arm. It was splayed possessively across Steve’s chest, and Steve loved it.
The bare fingers of Tony’s hand caught his attention, and a stray thought popped into his mind, about how pretty that hand would be, with a little jewellery adorning it.
Huh.
Now there was an idea.
…
~ November ~
…
“Steve, lookit!” Tony exclaimed, bouncing on the heels of his feet like an excited child. Steve, already smiling, crossed the room to stand by the window. “The first snow!”
“Wanna go and play in it?” Steve offered, grinning wider when Tony shook his head emphatically.
“I want hot cocoa, so that I can stand here and watch it and be warm, Steve.”
Pressing a kiss to Tony’s temple, Steve replied, “Hot cocoa, coming right up. Marshmallows?”
“As if that’s even a question.”
…
~ December ~
…
Steve was nervous. He’d been assured by multiple people that he had no reason to be nervous; Tony was definitely in love with him, and would definitely give him the answer he wanted, but.
Steve was still nervous.
“Countdown time, Steve!”
Tony grinned up at him as, around them, their family and friends started the countdown to the New Year, and for a moment, Steve felt like he couldn’t breathe.
But then, he could, because this was Tony . His Tony. If was for Tony, for both of them and that was—
Steve dropped to one knee as he slid a small box from his pocket. As the clock struck midnight, Steve asked one simple question.
“Marry me?”
…
~ January ~
…
Tony smiled, his eyes bright with unshed tears as he nodded his head.
“Yes! Yes, of course I’ll marry you!”