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1. Fury
The Ultimates had been together a few weeks and things had been going fairly well. The team was new and they were still working through the kinks but overall Fury was pleased with their success.
Fury immediately regretted thinking that as he heard raised voices coming from medical.
Stark and Rogers were arguing.
Fury pinched the bridge of his nose and resisted the urge to walk in there and just butt their heads together.
It had been a long mission and Stark had pulled a stunt that had saved their asses and neutralized the threat but had went against Roger's orders to do so and he was none too happy about it.
“What are you so angry about, Cap? We succeeded and are home in time for dinner and drinks.”
“You went against direct orders.”
“And it worked.”
“You nearly got your arm ripped off.”
“Nearly doesn't count, darling.”
“Don't nearly me. You're lucky to be alive, Stark.”
“Awww, I didn't know you cared.”
Rogers didn't retort for a long moment. “Don't be a dick, Tony. Of course I fucking care.” Rogers admitted in a lower tone.
“Sorry, I'm doped up to the gills. I think I misheard you.”
He heard Rogers huff at that. “You heard me just fine, Stark.”
Fury had heard enough and high-tailed it out of there. He did not want to be privy to the rest of their conversation. He'd heard more than he wanted to as it was.
He'd get Stark's debrief tomorrow.
2. Betty
As the Ultimates PR rep, it was Betty's business to know everything about everyone and she prided herself on that fact.
Rarely anything surprised her nowadays which is why it was shock to walk into the Triskelion's cafeteria and see Tony sitting next to Steve talking in low tones. She watched as Tony stopped mid sentence and lifted his hand to Steve's lips, presumably to wipe something off of them.
Betty froze, thinking there was about to be an incident of Steve throwing Tony halfway across the room, instead she was rewarded with the smooth baritones of Steve's laughter.
She'd never heard Steve's laugh before.
Tony gave him an easy smile and-
Oh.
Betty quickly turned on her heel and began fervently typing on her tablet.
While Steve and Tony were currently dating other people, it was Betty's job to plan for all possible outcomes because if the media got wind of... whatever was happening here, it had the potential to be a PR nightmare. Betty made a detour to the coffee maker because she knew she would be working long into the night for how to spin this should their relationship become something more.
3. Clint
Clint hadn't expected to see Stark and frowned when he did. While the billionaire was financing the Ultimates now, Stark himself had been taking a break from the team, which was code for 'drinking himself into an early grave'. After the mess that was Natasha, Clint wholly understood the sentiment. Clint pushed down the mess of emotions he felt about Natasha's betrayal and his family's senseless murder, closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths.
When he finally opened his eyes, he thought he was hallucinating.
Stark was smiling at Cap. That wasn't the odd part though. Tony loved to rile Cap up, but the weird part was that Cap was smiling back.
Clint watched as Stark raised his eyebrows at Cap and gave him a good-natured pat on the shoulder before he went to the locker room to finish suiting up.
Cap smiled again at Stark's back before seeming to get a hold of himself and go back to pre-mission preparations.
Clint narrowed his eyes, looking around but it seemed as if only he had seen Cap and Stark's positive interaction. Nevertheless, Clint had other things to worry about himself, strumming the string on his bow in nervous habit as he tried to calm himself before their current mission.
4. Jan
Jan walked into the room and saw Steve sitting at the table.
She sat down across from Steve and gave him a smile.
He gave her a nod back.
Things had been a little tense since her and Steve had broken up. It had been amicable sure, but he still wasn't crazy about her talking with Hank and it showed.
Tony sauntered in after Clint had, martini in hand, as he flopped down next to Steve.
Steve narrowed his eyes. “It's ten in the morning, Stark.”
Tony shrugged. “It's five o'clock somewhere, dear.”
Steve raised an eyebrow and Tony gave a put upon sigh and set the glass down and dramatically pushed it away from himself.
“Happy?”
“Ecstatic.” Steve deadpanned.
Tony gave him a sharp grin. “Well, as you know, I aim to please.”
Tony licked his lips suggestively and Steve's eyes traveled down to them for the briefest moment before the corners of Steve's own lips quirked up.
Jan felt her mouth drop open but then Thor was walking in and Steve was straightening up at his arrival and stepping back into the role of impassive leader as he started the meeting.
Tony was a big flirt. Jan knew that. He had said sexual things around Steve before which usually ended in Steve scowling or just flat out walking away from him but he had actually smirked at him this time.
She hadn't thought Steve liked guys in that way, but Steve had definitely looked at Tony's lips and then shown amusement at his sexual innuendo.
Jan found herself happy for him. Steve was a good guy and while she and him hadn't been a match, it was nice to see he wasn't haplessly pining over her.
Jan rolled her shoulders and settled back in her chair feeling a heaviness lift off her chest as she listened to the rest of the meeting.
5. Bucky
When Steve had asked if it was okay if Tony join them for their weekly dinner, Bucky had thought he was joking, but here Tony was, dressed to the nines with a charming smile on his face.
He gave Bucky a firm hand shake and gave Gail a friendly kiss on the cheek, offering to help her finish up the rest of dinner.
Tony was pleasant company and seemed genuinely interested in the conversation.
Bucky watched as Tony moved to steal a meatball off of Steve's plate with a cheeky grin, but instead of Steve batting Tony's hand away like he had every time Bucky had tried to do the same thing, Steve just let him off with an eye roll.
“You have perfectly good food on your own plate.” Steve complained but there was a lack of heat to his tone.
“Aren't you the one always pestering me to eat more?” Tony retorted with a light smirk.
“Yeah, because you don't eat enough as it is, but that doesn't mean you need to steal my food too.”
Tony pouted and turned back to his own dish.
They were bickering like, well... Him and Gail.
Bucky felt a bit flummoxed at this revelation and turned to Gail to see what she had thought about that exchange. Her were lips were turned up and she gave Bucky a knowing nod. She grabbed his hand under the table and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Bucky huffed a laugh as Tony theatrically told them a story that, had it been anyone else, would have probably been made up.
Bucky glanced at Steve who seemed completely enthralled by Tony's story, his attention solely focused on Tony.
It was obvious to anyone with eyes that Steve and Tony were involved.
Bucky smiled and settled back into his chair.
Steve would tell him when he was ready.
+1. Steve
“I think I'm in love with you.”
Tony jumped so bad, he nearly spilled his drink, half of it sloshing over the rim and coating his hand in alcohol.
“You... You think you love me?” Tony said, eyebrows raised.
Steve frowned, shaking his head a bit like he was angry at himself. “No. I meant, I know I'm in love with you.”
Tony abandoned his drink on the first flat surface he could find and slid into Steve's lap with a pleased smile. “Oh, darling. I've been quite smitten with you for a while.”
Steve smiled and pressed a kiss to his lips. Tony deepened it, hands coming up to touch Steve's neck. Steve dug his fingers into Tony's hip creases, savoring the warmth of Tony's skin.
“We should get married.” Steve said when they finally broke apart.
Tony leaned back putting some distance between them.
“You want to get married?” He asked dubiously.
Steve shrugged. “It's legal now, isn't it?”
“I mean, yes,” Tony said with a little laugh. “But I never thought that you would want to.”
“I love you and we've been doing this for over a year now. That means something to me.”
Tony's mouth opened and closed a few times before he surged forward, lips meeting Steve's in a passionate kiss.
“If this is you proposing then, yes, yes, yes.” Tony said between messy kisses.
“It is.” Steve said, tugging Tony closer and wrapping his arms around him.
“We should have a big wedding. The biggest wedding of the century. Oh, that'd make Greg jealous for sure.” Tony said, eyes burning brightly as he envisioned it. He paused, pursuing his lips and seeming to sober for a moment. “But then again, after my last fiasco of an engagement, maybe something smaller and more... intimate would be better.”
Either way sounded fine to him. Marrying Tony was the goal, he didn't really much care for how it happened.
“Whatever you want.” Steve murmured.
Tony caressed a hand down Steve's cheek. “God, I love you so much. I just-”
Tony stared at him for a long moment before giving up on words and just kissing Steve's lips, pushing Steve back into the cushions with a groan.
“We need rings.” Tony gasped when Steve pulled back for breath. “How do you feel about rose gold? Or maybe silver is more your style?”
“Actually...”
Steve reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box, opening it up. Tony looked stunned, letting Steve slide the simple gold ring onto his finger, giving it a soft kiss before he let Tony's hand drop.
Tony blinked at him and swallowed a few times, seeming to start a few wordlessly sentences as he studied the ring on his finger. Tony finally looked up at Steve, his eyes wide and a little glassy.
“How long have you had this?” Tony asked quietly.
“Since last week.”
Tony's mouth fell open and he pressed a long kiss to Steve's lips. “Bedroom. Now.” Tony commanded, scrambling off of Steve's lap.
Steve, very happily, obliged as Tony dragged him off the couch, the ring on Tony's hand a warm weight between their intertwined fingers.
(Tony ended up buying Steve a ring the very next day. It was identical to the one he had bought for Tony but it was in white gold. When it glinted in the light the color of it reminded him of Tony's armor. Steve absolutely loved it.)