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"Where are you taking me, Tony? I've been in this blindfold for a half hour now."
"Oh, please. Remember our “S.H.I.E.LD. mission” in the Bahamas? You had me blindfolded 48 hours in a row. I could hardly walk when we got home."
"I still remember the way you waddled around the week after," Steve said with an apparent smirk on his face. "Are you finally getting your revenge?"
"Revenge? That would imply I didn't enjoy losing all feeling in my legs." Tony had something of a fetish for the way Steve made him ache. His supersoldier stamina proved itself on the battlefield and the bedroom. After three rounds of the best sex Tony ever had (and that was saying something), Steve usually geared up for a fourth while he would doze off, exhausted and sore in the most fulfilling way. "Think of this as more of a thank you for the past month."
Tony set up a special dinner for the two of them. Roses, wine, candles. The whole kit and kaboodle. With the media’s already negative reaction to the Avengers as of lately, they both realized their relationship needed to remain private for the time being. Besides, they still hadn’t told the team and he wouldn't jeopardize their relationship because of some silly label he had to tell his friends or the press.
"Are we almost there?"
"You know, for somebody who had to wait decades to be rescued from a block of ice, you sure are impatient."
"And this is coming from the same person who burns his tongue on hot coffee every morning because he refuses to wait for it to cool down."
"Coffee is a different story, Steve. And you of all people should know I like a little pain with my pleasure. Now, stay here."
Tony bounded to the table to make the proper adjustments. He tugged the red table cloth so it hung evenly and rearranged the silverware accordingly. Everything needed to be perfect.
"I'm sure whatever it is looks great, Tony. You already made me wait two other times."
After he first blindfolded Steve, he bolted upstairs to set up the forgotten candles. Then again once he realized he neglected to light them.
Tony checked to make sure they all still glowed. Between those and the roses, he nailed the romantic ambiance. The storm raging outside obstructed the excellent view of the city, but the lights still looked stunning on the horizon.
Not too shabby, he thought to himself. Even if everything did look great, a twinge of fear still rattled his confidence. Another excuse to use his favorite coping mechanism: ill-timed humor.
"Alright, Steve, the time has come for you to remove your pants.”
“Tony.”
“Worth a shot. Go ahead and take a look.”
Steve reached behind his head to untie the blindfold while Tony fidgeted in one of the seats at the table. Supervillains and quantum mechanics? Easy. Romantic gestures? Not so easy. He tried to appear nonchalant. Oh God, was the chicken parm burning?
“This is…”
“It’s cheesy, I know. It just sucks that we can’t go out and I wanted-”
“Perfect. This is perfect. And I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Tony let out a blatant sigh of relief. “You mean it?”
“Of course I mean it.” He took his hands and hoisted him out of the chair. “This past month has been incredible. I can’t remember the last time I felt this way about someone, and maybe that’s because I never have. But I want you to know that despite everything with the media and the team…” His forehead pressed against his own. “This is worth it.”
A rush of endorphins flooded Tony. There was something so passionate hidden in the deep blue of his eyes, and now that he found it he'd do anything to drown in it. He grabbed him by the nape of his neck and crashed their lips together, taken over by the wave of euphoria sweeping over him.
Steve leaned back a few seconds later and placed both of his hands on his shoulders. “If we start now, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop. Besides, I’m looking forward to this meal.”
“Let me tell you,” Tony said in a weak attempt to regain his breath. Just a few kisses left him winded. “I was an Iron Chef in another life.”
He pulled out Steve’s seat for him, thanked with a brief peck on the cheek. Homemade salad, bruschetta, and mozzarella sticks all cluttered the table. He had more appetizers lined up along with the entree, knowing how much food it took to satisfy the supersoldier.
A giddiness took over Tony, so much so that he had to stop himself from skipping to the kitchen. The cliche of a candlelit dinner would have bored him a few years ago, but now? He wanted to shower Steve in all the stereotypical displays of modern romance. Did he still have that boombox in the workshop...
“Uh, Tony? You might want to come over here.”
“Just a sec.” He poked the chicken parm to confirm it cooked all the way through. “I don’t know what’s making my mouth water more, the way you look tonight or these cutlets. Seriously, this has to got to be my best batch-”
His teasing stopped once he looked up at Steve. The color drained from his face as he dropped the half-eaten bruschetta back on his plate.
Okay, no way is my cooking that bad, Tony thought to himself.
Before he could ask Steve what tasted so foul, the skyline caught his eye. It reminded him of the broken Christmas lights Clint insisted on decorating the tower with every year. He’d be buzzed on five plus glasses of eggnog, assuring the team he still had enough balance to hang them himself. The individual bulbs glowed on and off until they finally broke, creating a jumbled pattern of reds and greens, blues and yellows.
Except Manhattan’s horizon was devoid of all color. The city descended into darkness as the gleam of the skyscrapers and buildings faded into the pitch-black night. One by one, almost all the remaining lights blinked off.
Almost.
Avengers Tower lit up the sky. Whether the citizens would see it as a beacon of hope or a modern version of Sauron’s obelisk, he couldn’t say. Nevertheless, the structure ran on its own grid of clean energy apart from the rest of Manhattan. It’d take a hell of a lot more than a storm to disrupt the power.
“Friday, what’s going on out there?”
“There appears to be a large scale power outage, sir. A nearby plant suffered a few lightning strikes and shut down. Millions in the area are without power.”
Tony breathed a sigh of relief. Last week some seriously shitty crooks attempted to sabotage the sanitation departments across New York, pun intended. The last thing he needed was to investigate another sewage system.
“Is there anything we can do?”
“Not much. No way can we power that many homes. It looks like the city has dispatched repair crews to restore the building, though.”
“What’s our move, Cap?” Tony asked. Steve hovered by the window, his hand on the glass. He looked particularly pensive, and he had a feeling they’d be handing their candles out to Manhattan’s residents.
“Is anyone in danger, Friday?”
“No more than usual, Mr. Rogers.”
Steve plopped down in his seat and took a swig of red wine to Tony’s surprise.
“I think Manhattan will survive one night without internet. The city government can handle this one on their own,” he said while crinkling his nose. “We’re all still recovering from Wednesday.”
“Well, what do you know. Is Steve Rogers holding a grudge?”
He shrugged and held his hands up in defense. “I’m just saying. I’d rather not get electrocuted on one of our only nights off. Besides, we’ve got a date to get back to. Can I interest you in a cheese stick?”
Tony took the appetizer offered to him, snapping a mental image of the cheeky grin plastered on his face. He should’ve planned this weeks ago. Steve deserved to be pampered, especially if it’d take his tension away like this.
“You know,” Tony responded as he chomped on the end of the cheese stick. “I think I’m starting to like this new laid-back approach to superheroism. Chicken parm, coming right up.”
Within the next couple of minutes, he served the rest of his dishes along with the much-anticipated main course. Steve dug into every item eagerly. Tony made it a priority to cook for him more in the future. If only they could picnic in Central Park without the paparazzi hounding them.
“This is delicious. I think you should open your own restaurant right here in the tower.”
“I can see the headlines now. Superhero by day, chef by night.” Tony leaned back and placed his hand on his stomach. With all the items he prepared, he could only manage a bite from each one before his bloated stomach rumbled in protest. He’d be living off leftovers for the next month unless Thor decided to reappear.
“Sir, you have an incoming call from Natasha,” Friday announced. “Should I put her through?”
“Go ahead.”
“What’s going on out here, Tony?” Nat asked as soon as the call went through. “Bucky and I lost power and it looks like the rest of Manhattan did, too.”
“Nothing to worry about. The storm knocked out one of the central power plants, but the city’s on it.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” From her line, the thunder and rain sounded especially loud.
“What, is the iconic ex-Soviet super-spy afraid of the dark?”
“Hardly. Some jackass just cut us off on the bike.”
“Why the hell are you driving in this weather?”
“You think we’re gonna let you keep all that electricity to yourself?” A cacophony of honks blared in the background. “Listen, we’ll be at the tower in 5, or maybe more like 10 with the way these idiots are driving.”
Bucky shouted a slew of profanities at the drivers around him as the line went dead. So much for low profile.
Before Steve or Tony had time to react, Friday brought more bad news.
“Clint just entered the building, Mr. Stark. He’ll be up any minute.”
“SHIT!” He leaped from the table and proceeded to pace around the kitchen. All he wanted was one night alone with Steve, and here he was hosting a spontaneous house party. Not to mention they’d be expected to explain why they were together in the first place.
“Tony, don’t panic. Let’s just go meet Clint. We can finish this another time, alright? I promise.”
Steve kissed him on the forehead before they hastened to the elevator. No doubt he wanted to tell the team about their romance. But as soon as the group knew, it only took one slip-up and the press would eat them alive. Articles, manipulated photos, and god knows what else the internet managed to cook up might threaten their relationship. A life in the limelight made Tony especially cautious.
They descended to the living quarters where the team usually gathered after missions or during movie nights. The elevators opened to reveal Clint lounging on one of the sofas, handling the remote as intensely as he would his bow.
“You know I never thought I’d say this, but we could really use Electro right now.”
“I was hoping Strange might show up. One of his disappearing spells might come in handy if you know what I mean?” Tony retorted.
“Funny. Nice of you to have Steve over, by the way. Did Friday forget to send my invite?”
“Actually, Clint, I stopped by earlier to show Tony a few more non-armor combat moves in the event the suit malfunctions again,” Steve stated matter-of-factly. “You saw how banged up he was after the ordeal with the Taskmaster.” He winked before strolling to the sofa, pleased with his alibi.
Before he could come up with a witty response of his own, one of the elevators dinged to announce Bucky and Nat’s arrival. They stormed into the living room, helmets in hand.
“Remind me again why we’re based in this god awful city?” Bucky asked. Nat nodded in agreement and tossed their belongings on the counter.
“Would it kill you guys to use the instant dryer on the first floor? You’re dripping like wet dogs.”
“We just couldn’t wait to see you, Tony,” Bucky added with a devilish grin, barrelling toward him. He squeezed Tony to his soaking form as Steve snorted in amusement.
“Wow, you even smell like a wet dog,” he managed from where his face smushed against Bucky’s chest.
“Hey, what’s with the candles on the table?” Nat pointed out to the rest of the team.
Tony froze in Bucky’s grip. He forgot about the set up he had done down here, in case he and Steve wanted to watch a movie after dinner. If they saw what he did in the bedroom…
“Oh, you know,” he replied after he was released from the embrace. “Just in case the power did happen to go out. They don’t call Cap the man with a plan for nothing.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Right.”
Once again, the elevator signal dinged. This time, Rhodey and Sam entered the living room.
“Stark, you better have a good reason for taking up all the power in New York,” Sam said, clapping Bucky on the back as he made his way in.
“You caught me,” Tony responded. “I sucked up all the city’s power just so my friends would come see me on our one night off.”
“I told ‘em you were a softie underneath all that metal.” Rhodey leaned closer to Tony. “You sure we weren’t interrupting anything?” His eyes flickered to Steve.
“Hardly. I think I've had it with combat lessons. Turns out these fists only have one skill and it isn’t punching.” Rhodey scoffed at his crude humor but backed off nonetheless. Of all his teammates, he wanted to tell Rhodey the most. He witnessed the rise and fall of his past relationships and always gave the best advice. And by advice, he meant pleading with Tony to not do something incredibly stupid and self-destructive.
It worked about half the time.
“GUYS! Wonder Woman just started,” Clint yelled from the couch.
The team claimed their respective positions on the sofa almost instantly. Tony sat down on the cushion next to Steve, who offered him a sad smile. He was careful not to sit too close even though he itched to throw himself in his lap. Across from them, Bucky and Nat curled up in the oversized recliner.
A few months ago, Bucky had declined his invitation to join the Avengers. He knew the consequences his membership would have on the group’s reputation. Tony always wondered if it had to anything to do with his relationship to Nat. Now he understood.
About halfway through the film, Clint paused it to make some popcorn.
“Friday, lights please.”
The team groaned as their eyes adjusted. Steve stretched in place, his shirt sliding off his shoulder slightly. A faint series of bruises still lingered on his collarbone, and it was too late before Tony realized what they were.
“Hold up,” Sam hollered from across the room. “Are those hickeys on you, Steve?”
He tugged his shirt back in place, but not before the group had seen the marks on his flesh.
Strangely enough, a sense of pride crossed Tony’s mind. He had given Steve those hickeys when he first arrived at the tower, and yet his enhanced healing factor still hadn’t kicked in.
“And where did those come from, Captain?” Nat inquired, eyes darting back and forth between the two of them.
“I bet it was the woman from the coffee shop,” Clint piped in. “She’s always sending him heart eyes from across the counter.”
Bucky took his turn. “No, no, what about the engine control guy who works on the helicarrier? He has definitely stolen a few glances of Steve in his commander uniform.”
Cap rolled his eyes at their guesses, letting them ramble on about whoever could have left such an impression. Tony knew he’d never reveal their romance, especially when he’d been so adamant with Steve about keeping it under wraps. Except Tony didn't love how many people his friends managed to list off. It wasn't that he questioned his partner's loyalty, but a part of him (the playboy part mostly) yearned to reveal himself. If he had to hear one more name…
“You don’t think it could’ve been Justin Hammer, do you?” Nat prodded. “He spent an awful lot of time in that interrogation room with him, discussing his affiliation with A.I.M.”
“Okay, THAT’S IT!” Tony leaned across the sofa and planted the most obvious, sloppy kiss he could manage on Steve’s lips. “Now you know, and I don’t want to hear anything about Steve and Hammer ever again.”
Instead of looking shocked by his announcement, the team burst into hysterical laughter.
“Wow, who knew any good could come from Justin Hammer. You can pay Rhodey and me later, boys.”
“Excuse me, pay?” Tony asked Natasha.
“For the past couple of weeks, we’ve had a bet going on about who would crack first. Rhodey and I called Tony, the others called Steve.”
Steve wrapped his arm around Tony and pulled him close. “I had a feeling you guys knew. We just don’t want to involve the press in this right now. Not with our reception these past few months. You understand that, right?”
“Of course,” Nat assured as the rest of the team bobbed their heads in agreement. “Just make sure Clint knows to keep his mouth shut.”
Tony sighed, partly relieved and shocked by his outburst. His feelings for Steve exceeded anything he ever could have planned for, especially in such a short amount of time. “I know I can trust you guys.” Tony realized the only person he had trouble trusting was himself, as per usual. He laid his head down on Steve’s shoulder. “I just wish we could actually go out now that you all know.”
The team exchanged a few glances before Rhodey spoke up.
“We’ve got just the idea.”
----------------------------------------------
“And no one will be able to see us? Not even any weird mutant or inhuman kids who might happen to be running around?”
“You think I’m a rookie, Stark?” Doctor Strange questioned. “The disappearing spell should be good for an hour. Now, go enjoy yourselves.”
“Thank you, Stephen,” Steve called as he spread the blanket out on the grass. As soon as the sorcerer was out of sight, Tony threw his arms around him. They kissed for much longer than any couple should in public, but he planned to get his hour’s worth from the spell.
Eventually, they sat down and munched on the lunch Tony spent the morning preparing. He insisted on making everything himself despite Steve’s offers to help. He had no doubt Cap would pay him back later.
“One day, Steve. One day, we’ll walk out of the tower, holding hands, acting as if nothing is out of the ordinary. We’ll go to a fancy restaurant and check into a hotel later that night. Just you and me.”
He chuckled. “As long as you can manage to keep your hands off me in the meantime. You’re lucky no one manipulated the footage of you slapping my ass after our last mission.”
“Well, I did recover pretty well, even if it made the team uncomfortable. Though my jaw is still sore from where Nat clocked me after I slapped hers.”
They admired Central Park for a few minutes, simply enjoying each other’s company.
Steve pulled Tony against his chest as he rested between his legs. He wrapped his arms around his waist and placed his larger hands over his. Tony melted against his body like it was one of his suits. “We’ll get through this, Tony.”
“You’re right. Because this is worth it.”