Work Text:
Adults all the way
Tony Stark was listlessly staring at the set of clothes in front of him. There was a kid in Queens that he was surveilling right now. And when he had seen the boy’s DIY costume, he had immediately felt the need for improvement. He didn’t even know, if he would ever give this to the kid, but he couldn’t help it, when inspiration hit. Only now he was half done and had lost all interest in it.
He had been cooped up here for the past week. Locked in his lab inside the Avengers Compound. He simply had to get away from… everything.
And as usual he had thrown himself into his work and had hoped that it would help. Only now he was sitting here, staring out of a window and… he was sad. Too sad for words. He only ever had one girlfriend and after all those years together he had really thought that… well, there was nothing to it now. He did understand, in a way, why Pepper had left him. But on the other hand he really, honestly didn’t. She had known him for years. Had known what she got into. And then? She had expected him to change.
His gaze wandered to his right. There, on his desk, was a picture taken their first christmas together. Tony and Pepper in the midst of Harry and his family. They had been happy then. Content. Now both these amazing, redheaded ladies were gone.
At least Pepper didn’t die, Tony thought and then hated himself for even thinking that.
There was a soft knock on the door, interrupting Tony’s gloomy thought and he looked up, expecting to see Wanda, Steve… maybe Vision, who weirdly enough still seemed to think it was partly his job to inform people about what was going on around here. Maybe there was still more Jarvis in there than anyone liked to admit. It wasn’t Vision though, or any of the regular inhabitants and guests. No, it was Harry poking his head in and then walking over with a friendly wave towards his brother.
Tony got up and hugged him tightly, without even saying anything. It was just good to see the most constant face in his life. The only person he knew would never leave him.
“Hello.”, Harry grinned, casually dropping onto Tony’s couch. He was wearing slacks and a t-shirt. Rocking the casual look like only a Stark could, Tony thought and grinned for the first time in what felt like weeks.
“To what do I owe this pleasure, oh sweet brother of mine?”
“What? Can’t I just visit my dear brother when I feel like it?”
“You can. But you generally don’t.”
“Ouch, now you make me feel guilty.”, Harry answered, mockingly putting his hand to his chest, “I am hit. Right in the feelings department.”
Tony laughed out loud. “Sure you are, buddy. Seriously though: What are you doing here? Everything okay at home?”
“Yes. But my home life is not the reason I am here.”, the smile had vanished off of Harry’s face and Tony realized a second later what his brother actually meant by that.
“Pepper told you.”, he stated, running his hand through his hair.
“Actually, no. But I did have her letter of resignation on my desk this morning. Which I found somewhat surprising.”
“Pepper quit?”, Tony winced. He hadn’t expected that.
“Apparently. Not immediately though, thankfully. But I will need to find a replacement.”
“Well, maybe you could…”
But Harry interrupted him: “I am not here to discuss SI. We can, of course, if you really want to. But I came here to see how you were.”
“I…”, Tony stopped. He didn’t like admitting to his feelings. He didn’t like to talk about personal things. But this… this was different. This was Harry, “I am sad.”, he admitted and Harry gave him an understanding smile.
“And I don’t really know what to do about it. She was the only girlfriend I ever really had. The only partner. And I just… miss her.”
“It’s strange.”, Harry agreed, “When the person you share everything with, suddenly isn’t there anymore.”
“Man, I know it’s not nearly the same as…”
But again Harry didn’t let him finish: “No, I know it’s not. But losing your partner is always hard, no matter why. The everyday things are what gets to you.”
Tony didn’t know what to say to that, but Harry didn’t really expect him to answer anyway.
“I thought”, Harry continued, when Tony didn’t say anything, “That we might go out tonight.”
Tony stared at him. “What?”
“Out. Us. You know? You do realize that there is this fancy club we are both members of? We pay the pretty hefty fees, but I don’t think either of us has ever been.”
“That weird gentlemen club Dad only went to, because after he married Mom it was inappropriate to go to strip clubs anymore?”, Tony questioningly raised his eyebrow, only half joking.
“Yes. That one. He did grumble about it all the time, saying it was boring because it didn’t allow women, but maybe…”, Harry stopped and raised his shoulders in a questioning gesture, “Maybe it’s fun. I don’t know. I have never tried.”
“So you want to apparate us to New York and have a nice glass of Scotch.”, Tony concluded. He just really had to make sure that this was really what Harry was saying.
“Why not? We are two grown-ass men. Who’d stop us?”
“Your girlfriend?”, Tony teased and then smiled when he saw Harry’s happy grin. It had been almost four years since Ginny’s death and Tony was thankful beyond belief, that Harry was smiling about someone again.
“She won’t mind.”, Harry laughed, “She said she wouldn’t be with me, if she could trust me that little.”
Tony felt a sudden sting. Pepper would have minded.
How did Harry actually manage to find two women that were generally cool about things?! He looked at his little brother lounging on his couch and just gave up. He would probably never be able to understand his brother.
“So?”, Harry asked and Tony realized he had been silent for far too long.
“Okay. Yes. Let’s do it.”, he hurried, still unsure though, if he really wanted. Too late now, he thought, as he looked into his brother’s happy face.
“We should ask the others.”, Harry continued, “It would probably be fun.”
The others, Tony knew, where Wanda, Cap and Vision.
“Wanda won’t be allowed in anyway.”, Tony told Harry, “Not to mention the fact that she probably really doesn’t want to spend her evening with us old folks.”
“Please talk about yourself. I am young and dashing.”
“Wanda is roughly the same age as your oldest son.”, Tony deadpanned.
“Fuck off.”, Harry informed him lovingly.
Tony just kept on laughing, as he got up from his seat and left to find the other current inhabitants of the Compound. Although Wanda and Vision were the only ones actually LIVING here, one could find the other Avengers more often than not, eating themselves through Tony’s fridge.
Harry followed closely behind, still chuckling to himself and Tony was just incredibly relieved that Harry was there. No one else could ever lift his mood that quickly.
They found the other three sitting in the kitchen/community area, with Steve eating what looked like three Pizzas and Vision and Wanda watching him with fascination. One did never really get used to Cap’s metabolism.
Apparently they had all seen Harry on his way in, since they all just waved at each other.
“Harry and I are going to New York to have a drink. Someone interested?”, Tony asked brusquely.
The three just looked at him with a mixture of confusion and surprise. What?
“I don’t eat or drink.”, Vision informed them unnecessarily, “And I do suspect that my appearance would cause some stares that you will probably want to avoid.”
“I am out as well.”, Wanda shrugged.
“And you, Steve?”, Harry asked his blonde friend hopefully.
“I can’t really get drunk…”, Cap started carefully, but Harry was having none of it: “So? It’s for the company. And to get out of here. Talk a little. And Vision, I could magically tweak your appearance a bit. No one would know anything. At least not at first glance. “
Cap still looked unconvinced, but apparently Harry’s puppy dog eyes were very affective on him.
“Okay. Why not?”, Cap agreed and finished the last of his pizza.
“I still don’t think I will join.”, Vision admitted, “Wanda and I had already decided to watch Wall E tonight. I don’t like to change plans.”
Tony huffed. Wall E?!
“What’s wrong with that?”, Harry asked him, sounding offended, “I love that movie.”
“You are such a Dad.”, Tony informed him with an eye roll.
“If you watch enough kids movies, you learn to appreciate the good ones.”, Harry informed him in a very dignified voice.
“Oh really? Which one is your favourite.”
“Tangled.”
“Really? I would have thought…”
“Guys, please.”, Wanda interrupted them, “You are seriously freaking me out.”
“It’s the old man’s gentlemen club, so better dress up, Cap.”, Tony informed his friend and totally ignored Wanda.
“I don’t have anything here to dress up.”
Was he actually turning red?
“Not a problem. I can transform one of Tony’s suits to fit you.”, Harry shrugged.
“Oi!”
“Stop complaining. Come on, Steve, let’s get you dressed. Tony, you better do the same. You need longer than us anyway. To hide your grey hair.”
Tony didn’t even honour that remark with an answer, but he very maturely stuck his tongue out and left to find a suit. Harry and Cap followed a bit farther behind. Tony could just about hear Cap say: “I enjoy you two together. You are both so different then.” Sadly he couldn’t hear Harry’s mumbled response.
It turned out Tony was really the last one down again. And, he thought, the best looking.
“We can just apparate into an alley behind the club.”, Harry told them. Cap nodded, looking somewhat unsure about actually joining the two brothers. But Harry had successfully found him something to wear, so there was really no going back.
“We can sleep at the tower tonight.”, Tony offered a little half-heartedly, “So Harry won’t have to drunk apparate us back.” They had all avoided the tower for various reasons.
“I am not planning on getting drunk, remember?”
Oh yes, Tony remembered. They were going to a grown-up-club.
“Have you ever apparated before?”, Tony changed the subject.
Cap carefully shook his head. Ha! That ought to be good.
Harry smiled at him reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Steve, it’s not going to be that bad. Here: Take my arm.”
Steve complied, although still looking a bit queasy. Tony took Harry’s right arm, while mindful of his wand. This wasn’t his first rodeo, after all.
A moment later Tony felt the familiar sensation of being pulled through a tube and spit out again. Familiar but still very much unwelcomed.
They landed with a thud in an alley not far from the club. Tony immediately turned around and looked at Cap expectedly.
“You okay?”, Harry asked.
“Yes. I am fine.”, Steve shrugged and Tony huffed in disappointment. Damn that serum.
The man at the reception didn’t even ask for their names, when they walked in. Neither did he stare, Tony noticed, a professional all the way. Tony felt painfully reminded of the real Edwin Jarvis.
Five minutes later the three men and their dapper, black suits were seated in extremely comfortable wing chairs, each of them with a glass of their most expensive whiskey in hand. There was a piano player behind them, producing soft music.
Tony could see at least three men in tweed reading news papers.
“It’s nice here.”, Cap told them loyally, sipping his drink.
“Yeeees.”, Tony agreed. Harry had been so happy about this, he didn’t want to be the party pooper.
“You are both horrible liars.”, Harry informed them with a snort and emptied his drink in one go, “It’s boring. Let’s go somewhere else.”
“What?”, Tony laughed, “You wanted to come here.”
“I did. But it’s boring. I might be an old Dad and Steve about a hundred…”
“Hey!”
“... but we are not boring. Let’s go and find a place with good music.”
“And women?”, Tony asked hopefully.
“And women.”, Harry agreed. Cap groaned.
Again no one gave them any weird looks, when they left. In a weird way, Tony did get the appeal of a club like this. Just not for him. At least not right now. And he hoped: Never.
Harry hailed them a cab and the three men uncomfortably slipped insight. SOME of them took up too much space.
“Where to?”, the driver asked and before Tony could even share any of the vast experience he had collected over the years, Harry answered: “Depends. What is the best nightclub in Manhattan?”
“How much money do you wanna spend?”
“We don’t care.”, Harry informed him and the driver looked into his rearviewmirror. His eyes widened almost comically, as he noted the two avengers and the CEO of one of the world’s biggest companies sitting in his car. His mouth fell open. Then he seemed to collect himself.
“I think I have the right one for you.”, he told them, grinned and took off.
The people standing behind the velvet ropes outside the place, took a step back, when they saw a simple cab drive up. But there was an almost collective gasp and a lot of cameras going off, when the three men exited the car. Tony waved, like he always did. Cap and Harry looked a lot more uncomfortable.
“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”, Harry mumbled as they made their way towards the door.
“No backsies now.”, Tony hissed through gritted teeth, grabbing both of them and putting his arms around them for a picture.
“Oh dear.”, he could hear Cap moaning, as the cameras went off.
They were ushered through the door and took the elevator upstairs. Tony had been here a couple of times and knew what to expect. Harry had married his girlfriend from school and basically been a father at 17. Tony wasn’t sure, if Harry had ever really gone out to drink. To a pub, yes, but this? There wasn’t even any need to mention Cap’s past.
They were important enough to warrant a table in the VIP area (of course they were. If not them, who else?).
Five minutes later they sat quite comfortably, again: Scotch in hand. And still everything else seemed completely different. The music was pounding all around them, people dancing and drinking. Harry grinned from ear to ear.
“I like it.”, he declared.
Cap still looked somewhat uncomfortable.
“Relax a bit.”, Tony told him comfortably, “Why am I even out with the two of you?”
A third glass vanished into Harry, who looked at him with big eyes. “What does that even mean?”
“You both aren’t really the type. Come on, guys, you would both be more comfortable watching Wall E in your PJs.”
“It was my idea.”, Harry shrugged, “Why wouldn't I wanna be here?”
“You are here to distract me from Pepper.”
“What about Pepper?”, Cap asked, looking between them. Tony could have sworn out loud.
“You didn't tell them?”, Harry frowned.
“No. I did not.”
“Tell me what?”, Cap asked suspiciously.
“Pepper and I broke up.”, Tony’s voice was clipped.
“Oh, Tony, I am so sorry.”
“Stop. I don't want your pity. Either of yours.”
Tony almost felt sorry, when he saw Cap’s hurt look.
“Don’t be ridiculous.”, Harry hissed, as someone refilled their glasses, “It’s not about pity.”
Couldn’t they just stop? The both of them?
Tony downed his fourth glass, suddenly feeling bold.
“I didn't wanna tell either of you guys, because it felt petty and childish.”
Tony wasn’t sure which of the two men looked more dumbfounded.
“What?”, Cap asked, shooting a questioning glance at Harry.
“You were a Capsicle for decades, your girl got married and old. And you, dear brother, had your wife murdered by a madman. You think I wanna complain to you guys about Pepper LEAVING me?!”
There was a deafening silence between them now or as much, as there could be in a club full of people.
“Tony. Our heartbreaks don't make yours less valid.”, Steve told him carefully.
“Steve’s right.”, Harry agreed and Tony feared he might actually start crying in front of them, “We are not here to judge you. Or to talk shit about Pepper. We are here, because we have your back.”
There was another long silence, before Steve unexpectedly told them: “I sometimes feel like I am just too much of a coward for a relationship. One thing the serum didn't change: I still feel like no one could really want to be with me for myself.”
Tony blinked. What was happening?
“I used to envy you, sometimes.”, Harry admitted, “I got married so young and I felt like I was missing out on the fun.”
“You could try it now…”, Tony started, pretty sure that this wasn’t the appropriate response. To his big surprise, Harry blushed.
“I did. It wasn’t my thing.”
Now both Tony and Steve were staring at him.
“What exactly does that mean?”, Tony poked.
Harry mumbled something incoherent and Steve actually leaned forward in his seat.
“Does that mean you slept with more than two women?”, Tony would not let this go.
Funnily enough it was Steve’s turn to go red.
“It does.”, Harry admitted, “Happy now?”
“No. Not before I know more.”
“I might have had a One-Night-Stand a couple of months back.”
“So…. Three?”
Harry’s silence was quite telling. So was his intensifying blush. Tony couldn’t believe this. How had he not know about this?!
Steve meanwhile looked like his last comrade had left him.
“There was one other woman. One. We were both just… lonely, I guess. That was all. Not a relationship. Just…”
“Sex.”, Tony finished and couldn’t believe his ears. His little brother, the ultimate badass Dad.
“Yes. Fine. It was just sex. Happy now?”, Harry groaned, emptying his glass for… was it the seventh time already?
“Who was it?”, Steve asked curiously.
“Yes, thanks, Steve. Do we know her?”
“We do!”, Steve called, when Harry stayed silent and Tony couldn’t help it: he laughed out loud. The whole situation was so surreal and yet so… comfortable, Tony decided. For the longest time he hadn’t been sure how to treat Steve, now he knew: His friend.
“If you tell anyone… if you tell her, I told you, I will find out. And I will make the both of you believe you to be ten year old girls for a week. At least.”, Harry threatened.
“Pinky promise.”, Tony told him with mock-seriousness. Steve nodded enthusiastically.
“It was just… nice. She helped out with the kids. It felt good to…”, Harry stopped, biting his lip.
Suddenly Steve’s eyes widened.
“Oh wow!”
“What?!”, Tony asked, still completely clueless.
“You are talking about Natasha!”
“No. No, he’s not! Are you? Oh my God, Steve IS right! You slept with the sneakiest sneak that ever sneaked!”
“Don’t be unfair.”, Steve defended his friend.
“No. But. I mean… what?!”
“Ignore him.”, Steve told Harry.
“I am used to that.”
“I need more infomation.”, Tony informed them.
“Tough luck. That's all you’ll get. Steve, I think it's time for us to join the dancing population.”
“I can’t dance.”, Steve hurried.
“As long as you can move from one foot to the other, you’ll be fine. I told Tony. Now you go and ask a lady to dance.”
“I don’t think…”, Steve started, but Harry interrupted him:” Be brave, my friend.”
“You are a decent looking guy.”, Tony agreed, still shocked at what he had just heard, “They won't run away screaming.”
Steve downed his glass, although the drink had no effect on him and got up.
Looking way more confident than he probably felt, Steve made his way towards a group of friends laughing next to one of the windows. One of them, a (Tony thought) plain looking girl, was standing a bit further away from the others, carefully nursing her drink.
“He is totally gonna do it.”, Harry informed him, taking Steve’s vacant seat so he could watch the whole thing a little better.
“Do what?”
“Tip his imaginary head. Oh yeah, there it is!”.
“I can’t believe he just did that.”, Tony groaned.
“She seems to like it though.”, Harry nodded towards the girl, who had blushed happily and abruptly placed her drink into the hand of one of her gaping friends.
“He looks really happy.”, Harry smiled.
“So do you.”, Tony was suddenly serious, “Are you?”
“Very much. This was a good idea.”