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Tony heard the music he had been shouting over in an argument with Rodney die out, and he sighed in relief before resuming his points on why it had been him that had saved everyone’s asses on their mission earlier.
Okay, Rodney and Thor may have been the flying strongmen of the coup d’etat, but it had been his idea.
Ansty whispers sprung up as the quiet continued, and Tony looked around. Everyone that had been laughing or dancing was now fidgeting with their drinks or their outfits.
A muffled, indistinct shout came from the other end of the room, causing another ripple of quietness as people craned their heads to see what who it was. He was standing halfway up when he heard Natasha clearly berating Steve.
“Steve, if you don’t get up there, I am going to yell it across the room for you, you’ve been yakking off my ear about this for-”
Laughter and a few quiet screams of surprise sounded from the people near Steve and Natasha, and Tony looked at Rodney, who just gave him a smile before laughing into his drink.
“Hey TONY, STEVE WANTS TO KNOW-”
Natasha was cut off suddenly, and after a few moments, the loud music continued, the party slowly picking up again. A handful of people were now whispering under the music, looking at him before rolling their eyes or laughing.
He felt a bubble spread into his throat, and he flapped his mouth open and closed before trying to nonchalantly smile and nod, turning back agonizingly slowly to the group he had been talking to.
All of which were staring at him before breaking eye contact and looking around randomly as if to imply they had not been staring at him.
“What’s- what’s going on?”
Rodney raised an eyebrow in response to Tony’s question, failing to nonchalantly shrug his shoulders as he avoided his eyes.
Tony wasn’t sure how gracefully he excused himself from the group, but he turned around again to the room at large, gripping his drink tightly as he tried to circumvent the perimeter of the party goers.
Everything has been going fine between him and Steve recently- and if he allowed himself to self-delude, things had been going amazing, wonderful- minus the few supervillains that tried to kidnap one or the other-
Halfway to where Natasha’s voice had sounded, he had to stop as he squeezed his glass.
Had he done something wrong?
No, Steve was too- too Captain America for it to be something bad.
Right?
Right. Everything was fine. As everything was always fine.
“Nat, he’s coming-” Tony jumped as Clint singsonged, shooting the archer a glare as his arm was grabbed and he was dragged forward.
More laughter from the people around him as they passed him gleeful and knowing glances.
“You just had to announce that, now Steve’s trying to- get back here-”
Steve and Tony froze in their respective dragger’s holds, Steve flushing brighter than Tony had ever seen him flush.
“Steve, I believe you have something to say?” Natasha pushed, letting go of Steve.
“Um.” Steve supplied lamely, looking like he was about to pass out as Clint let go of Tony, backing up to give them room.
The two stared at each other as the room quieted again.
Steve opened and shut his mouth a few times as Tony’s heart started pounding in his ears, his hands shaking until Clint gently pulled the glass from his hand.
Natasha cleared her throat, elbowing Steve, who reacted stiffly, staying mute.
Tony’s throat was sticky as his heart continued to pound.
“Hey, Steve, Honey, everything okay?”
Steve nodded, continuing until Natasha rolled her eyes and pushed Steve towards Tony. Maybe there was laughter from their audience, but Tony’s couldn’t tell over the pounding in his ears.
“Tony, Steve has something to ask you.”
Steve grew pale, audibly gulping. Tony felt the blood rush from his face as his heart skipped a few beats.
Ask?
Ask?
Steve took a steeling breath, taking Tony’s shaking hands as Steve slowly started grinning like an idiot.
Oh my god.
Ask.
“Tony, I-”
Steve stopped, taking another breath.
“Tony, I- when I first met you, I thought- you were a bigger shock to me than waking up in the twenty-first century. I thought you were too self-assured, and I let other’s opinions of you sway my impression of you. I resented having to share leadership of the Avengers with you as I got caught up to speed on my history. I thought you would give up when the going got tough-”
Steve stopped, his hands shaking as he started crying a bit. The room was dead silent.
“-that you were everything people had said about you. Then you opened your hands to us, giving us a home, giving us a life outside the battlefield lying beyond this tower. I thought it was just a show, not noticing you for who you were. It took me a while until I stopped one day and realized all of the qualities I…resented were the opposite. While you were busy saving the world, the galaxy, everyone you could, I had thought you were just performing. I can’t count the number of missions where it was you that saved the day, where you risked everything you were for every civilian you could. That you never had wavered in your character, despite the animosity you got from those around you. ”
“That was the day your face became alive to me. Everything you are- brave, kind, intelligent, became stamped across your face. That was the day I fell for you. That was-”
Steve stopped, taking a shaky breath as he slowly let go of Tony’s hands. Tony covered his cheeks, realizing they were covered in tears.
“That was- that was the day I realized I wanted my future to have you in it.” Steve haltingly got on one knee, fishing a box out of his pocket, opening it.
“Will you, Anthony Stark, take me to be- will you- I-” Steve cut off as he became overcome with emotion, Tony dropping down to his knees as he nodded similarly mute until he could get his voice to work.
“Yes. I do.”
The applause and cheers dimmed as Steve reached forward, grabbing Tony in a hug, the whole world just becoming the warmth radiating from Steve.
Tony dug his fingers into Steve’s back, swaying them back and forth as Steve laughed, releasing his nervous tension.
Steve snuck a kiss to his head before releasing Tony, fumbling with the box as he tried to pull out the ring. Steve’s hands were shaking as he reached for Tony’s hand, slipping on the ring.
He looked at it for a moment before looking back up at Tony.
“I love you.”
Tony felt his heart swelling.
“I love you too.”