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Tony Stark loved a good party. Unfortunately, while most fund-raising benefits could be categorized as parties, not many of them met the criteria needed to be considered a good one. It was even more regrettable that the ‘philanthropist’ portion of Tony’s self-description meant that he had to attend a lot of the events. Being an Avenger didn’t change that, although it did improve the quality of company that he kept at some of them.
Punctuality was not in Tony’s skill set and so the fund-raiser was already started by the time he arrived. It was hardly an accident. The evening was the kind of event that Tony usually avoided, charity or no charity, but the media was still having a field day about the Avengers’ involvement in the Chitauri invasion. If putting in some face time at an event organized to help the rebuilding efforts eased them off, then it was something he was willing to do. Besides, Tony wasn’t the only Avenger to think that way and as the most experienced party hound on the team, Tony felt it was his responsibility to look out for the others.
Seeing the other Avengers, or one Avenger in particular, dressed in their finest, had nothing to do with his attendance. Nothing at all.
It wasn’t hard to spot Thor; the Asgardian towered over everyone else. It wasn’t fair, really. Thor looked as good in a tuxedo as he did in his armor and cape. Tony wasn’t the only one who thought so, either. A good many other attendees were crowded around Thor, no doubt attracted by his good looks, charmed by his personality or titillated by the fact that he was an alien. From where he stood, Tony couldn’t see Jane Foster, but he knew she was there. The woman looked like a tiny doll next to Thor, but her size was deceptive. If anyone tried to take advantage of Thor’s good nature, they’d have Jane to deal with and she was a daunting woman when she wanted to be.
It was useless to look for Bruce, because Tony knew he wouldn’t be in attendance. The Hulk might have been instrumental in saving the city, but people didn’t exactly want to rub elbows with a man who might become a rage monster at any time. Bruce, the manipulative bastard that he was, used that fear to his advantage. Bruce hated parties and used the other guy as an excuse not to attend.
If Bruce wasn’t in attendance, then it was a sure bet that one of the Wonder Twin Assassins had stayed behind with him. Clint and Natasha were very protective of their lover, something that Tony thoroughly approved of. It was about damn time that someone looked out for Bruce.
It took a few minutes to discover which of the SHIELD agents were at the party; for two incredibly attractive people, Clint and Natasha both were adept at blending in to a crowd. Eventually Tony spotted Natasha. She was hovering in Pepper’s vicinity, no doubt pretending to be her assistant again. It was a cover they’d been using for both her and Clint as a way to explain why they were around Stark Industries and the Avengers so much. Natasha was wearing a long dress that seemed green one moment and black the next. When Tony looked closer, he realized that it was actually a green dress with a black overlay. The effect was sophisticated and yet dangerous; just like Natasha herself.
Pepper, dressed in a slinky silver dress that Tony thorough approved of, was arm-in-arm with Phil Coulson. Seeing her with another man no longer brought a pang of regret. Tony wasn’t used to being loved and so had assumed his strong feelings for Pepper were the romantic kind. Thankfully they both realized that they made better friends than they did lovers. He missed the closeness of her company sometimes, but was also glad to see Pepper so happy with “Agent.” It helped that she had a good man. Phil was still not 100%, but was healing more fully than the SHIELD doctors had originally hoped. Determination, both Phil’s and Pepper’s, had a lot to do with that.
While Tony watched, Phil kissed Pepper quickly on the cheek and melted into the crowd. Phil was careful of Pepper’s safety and so didn’t like to make it too apparent that they were a couple, worried that one of SHIELD’s many foes would target her. Natasha quickly stepped up and together they approached Tony.
Everyone else was accounted for, which left one straggler. Tony scanned the room, but Thor was the only oversized blonde in attendance.
“He’s not here yet.”
Tony turned back to the ladies, carefully hiding his grimace. It wouldn’t have been so bad if Pepper had sussed him out, but Natasha, in her dry way, would tease mercilessly.
“He who?” Tony tried to deflect her comment, but all it took was one delicately lifted eyebrow to show him that his tactic hadn’t worked.
“Steve, of course, and I have no idea where he is.” Pepper responded. She was kinder about it than Natasha, but was just as amused. “Natasha and I didn’t come here directly from the tower.”
From the satisfied glance the two women shared, Tony had a pretty good idea of where they’d arrived from. “You did some girly thing involving a lot of water and flower petals, didn’t you?”
“Copious amounts of flower petals, yes.” Pepper’s smile was barely there and yet so totally smug. “And don’t forget the scantily clad young man providing the massage.”
“Oh, no,” Natasha purred. “You definitely never want to forget him.”
“Hey!” Tony’s attempt at feigning outrage was marred by his grin. “I thought I was the hedonist of this bunch? Besides, you two are spoken for; you’re not supposed to be drooling over some poor, overworked masseuse.”
“We’re not blind, Tony.” Pepper chided him, her cheeks slightly flushed. “Besides, looking is not the same thing as touching.”
“But if he was a masseuse, that means he was giving you a massage and if he gave you a massage, he had his hands all over you,” Tony helpfully pointed out. Even if they weren’t dating anymore, getting Pepper to blush was still a favorite hobby. “If that’s not touching, I don’t know what is.”
“What are you doing here, Stark” Natasha changed the subject, probably more for Pepper’s sake than her own. “Since when do you have time to mingle with the unwashed masses?”
“Unwashed? That’s a fine way to refer to your fellow Avengers.” Tony quipped, waggling a finger at her. “I’m telling ol’ Daddy One-Eye that you were being mean again.”
“Oh, Tony.” Pepper didn’t roll her eyes, but Tony could tell that she wanted to. “You didn’t forget about the auction, did you?”
Tony blinked at her, exuding innocence from every pore in his body. “Auction? What auction?”
Natasha answered before Pepper could rise to the bait. “You know the one, where dates with the most handsome, available and wealthiest bachelors in New York are auctioned off for charity.” She gave Tony a once over and came perilously close to smirking at him. “You meet two of those criteria.”
“They asked, I said no.” Tony grinned at her; he could always count on Natasha to be a good sparring partner, verbally or physically. “A price tag simply cannot be placed on a date with me.”
The smirk became full blown. “You mean that you’ve given it away for free so often that you were afraid that no one would bid on you.”
Tony sniffed. “Trust me, if I decided to charge for it, no one in this room, even as large as this impressive venue is, would be able to afford me.”
The women were silent after his comment, which was a bit aggravating. Tony wanted to play some more. Irritated, he took a closer look at his companions. Both of them had their gaze focused across the room. Their eyes had twin glazed looks on them and their carefully painted lips were partially open in frozen gasps. If Tony didn’t know them for two of the most competent people he’d ever known, he would swear that both Pepper and Natasha looked like school girls about to faint at a Justin Bieber concert. He turned around to see what had sparked such a reaction and soon was just as dumbstruck.
Steve Rogers had entered the room.
The other Avenger had stopped just inside the doorway, as hesitant at a party as he was confident on the battlefield. At the moment, Tony thoroughly appreciated that fact; the pause gave him plenty of time to ogle. Tony was used to seeing Steve, often in clothing that was far tighter than what the younger man was currently wearing, but it wasn’t the same. The formal Army dress uniform had been impressive enough, but the sight of Steve Rogers wearing an exquisitely tailored tuxedo was a vision that truly needed to be savored.
“ Oh, my.” Pepper’s voice had a breathy quality to it.
“Oh, my, my, my.” Natasha’s was slightly firmer, but not by much.
The cut of the tuxedo emphasized Steve’s broad shoulders and narrow waist. It was, of course, a classic version, but looked far from old-fashioned. Trend-setters tended to sport tuxedos that were of non-traditional colors or that had neckwear other than a bow-tie. Steve’s was black and the way it looked on him made Tony wonder why anyone would consider any other color. The bow tie was also a classic and, as Tony watched, Steve tugged at it. He clearly wasn’t comfortable in the tux, but that only made him all the more appealing. Had Steve been suave or debonair, he would have been too perfect. Untouchable, even, and that would have been a shame.
From the way the low murmur of conversations in the room faltered, Tony wasn’t the only one distracted by daydreams of touching.
Before he had time for actual drool to form, Tony noticed that Steve was holding something. It appeared to be a 8 x 10 square of glossy paper. If that hadn’t been enough to trigger Tony’s alarm bells, the way that Claudia Vanderclive, the charity function’s organizer, was bearing down on Steve got them clamoring full blast.
“Oh, hell, no.” Tony muttered, not caring if it was under his breath or not. He also headed towards Steve and used a speed that wasn’t quite socially acceptable in a room crowded with New York’s elite. Behind him, Tony was vaguely aware of Pepper’s voice and realized that the woman was, as usual, smoothing over whatever feathers Tony had managed to ruffle. Luckily, Vanderclive was sidetracked by other party-goers and so that, along with Tony’s speed, meant that he managed to reach Steve first.
“Spangles, it’s not like you to be fashionably late.” Tony felt like biting his tongue off; he hadn’t meant to start with a smartass comment.
Not surprisingly, Steve blushed. “It took longer to get ready than I thought.”
“It was worth it,” Natasha, along with Pepper, had caught up. “You clean up nicely, Cap.”
Steve’s blush deepened. “I was just going to wear my dress uniform, but when Miss Vanderclive invited me, she said that wouldn’t do. Had me come out to this swanky place for a monkey suit.” His sheepish expression darkened into a frown. “The fella there insisted on making some last minute . . . adjustments.”
“Let me guess, he’s not only the reason you’re late, but he got handsy too.” Tony commented. When Steve looked surprised, Tony chuckled.
“Some people aren’t experienced with tailors as you are, Tony.” Pepper interjected. She shot Tony a quelling look. “I’m sure he was just measuring your inseam or something like that, Steve.”
“Maybe.” Steve didn’t look convinced. He might be old-fashioned, but Tony knew that Steve wasn’t naïve. Even a poor kid from Brooklyn could tell when it was his inseam -- or something else entirely -- that was getting measured.
It was time to get to the point and Tony did so by gesturing at what Steve was holding. “What do you have there, Spangles?”
“This?” Steve looked at the paper in his hand, having clearly forgotten that even had it. As he did, Tony could tell that it was a picture of Steve. “Miss Vanderclive said that there was an auction for charity and that I should bring a picture.” He shrugged again. “I’m not sure how they expect to raise much with just a photograph, though. I offered to draw something, thinking that would be worth more, but she insisted.”
Vanderclive hadn’t reached them yet and that was a good thing. Had she been right in front him, Tony would have gladly throttled her. Sensing his anger, Pepper put a hand on Tony’s arm.
“Did Miss Vanderclive tell you what kind of auction it was?” Pepper asked Steve gently.
“She asked if I’d be willing to participate in an auction to raise money to rebuild New York and to bring a photograph.” Steve was beginning to look less confused and more uneasy. “I misunderstood something again, didn’t I?”
“Somebody sure did.” The ache in Tony’s fingers made him realized he’d clenched both hands into fists. With an effort, he managed to relax them. “Don’t worry about it, Cap, we’ll fix it.”
“Oh, I don’t think there’s anything to fix.” Vanderclive had reached them and her voice was practically a purr. “Captain Rogers, you look exquisite.”
Surprisingly, it was Pepper who jumped on the socialite. “Take a good look because we’re leaving. Now.” She put a hand on Steve’s arm, as though to lead him away.
Vanderclive’s expression hardened. “The captain promised.” She gestured to the crowded room. “All of these dedicated patriots have shown up tonight, ready and willing to donate generously to the rebuilding of New York. Many of them have done so with the expectation of Captain America doing his fair share. We wouldn’t want to disappoint anyone, would we?”
The last comment was directed to Steve, who’d been looking more and more uncomfortable as the conversation went on. “Of course not, ma’am, but I am wondering exactly what it is that I promised to do.”
“Yeah, Claudia.” Tony glared at her. “Explain to the United States’ most beloved living icon what it is you duped him into agreeing to.”
Vanderclive chose to ignore Tony in favor of bestowing a smile on Steve that was as fake as the woman’s breasts were. “It’s rather simple, Captain. Along with a select few of New York’s finest examples of male beauty and patriotism, in a few moments you’ll be presented onstage and the ladies in the audience will be bidding on the rights to an evening of your time. Or perhaps an afternoon or morning, if that’s your preference.”
All of the color bled from Steve’s face. “What?” He swallowed heavily. “Is that even legal?”
“It’s nothing like that, Steve.” Pepper was quick to assure him. “It’s a bachelor’s auction. You take the highest bidder out on a date, that’s all.”
Tony was half surprised that the explanation hadn’t come from Natasha, since she’d so readily provided explanations to Steve in the past. Belatedly he realized that the assassin had disappeared into the crowd and it made him frown. Natasha was not one to back down from a confrontation; she must have something else in mind.
When he returned his attention back to Steve, Tony realized that the other man wasn’t totally reassured yet.
“It’s just a date?” Steve looked to Pepper and Tony, not to Vanderclive. “No. . . funny business?”
“Just a date,” Tony replied firmly. He too ignored Vanderclive. “If, that was, you were still participating. Since you were tricked into agreeing, no one expects you to follow through on it.”
“But-!” Vanderclives’s protest was cut off by Pepper, of all people, stepping on her foot.
“No one,” Pepper repeated Tony’s words, “expects you to follow-through on this, Steve. In fact, if word got around that participants were misled into helping out, I imagine the charity would find it much more difficult to procure either volunteers or funding in the future.”
Her tone made it clear that her comment wasn’t just a theory, it was a promise. Or a threat.
“All anyone can talk about since the invasion is the Avengers. Having one in our auction assures a record-setting donation and Captain America is the only suitable Avenger.” Threat or no threat, Vanderclive wasn’t willing to give up her star bachelor without a fight. “Prince Thor is in a committed relationship, Dr. Banner is too risky and that nasty gentleman at SHIELD won’t identify anyone else who is involved with them.” She glared at Tony. “And I remind you, Mr. Stark, that you turned us down.”
Tony jumped at the chance to get the somewhat shy Steve out of something that was sure to mortify him. “I’ll take his place.”
“Thanks, Tony.” Steve looked nervous, but determined. “But you must have turned them down for a reason and, besides, being stupid isn’t a good enough reason for me to break a promise.” He sighed. “I helped wreck New York; I feel kinda obligated to help clean it up.”
Tony groaned internally; as if Steve hadn’t been working hard enough on the clean-up efforts. “You helped save New York and you’ve been busting your ass ever since the fighting stopped,” he emphasized as he glared Vanderclive’s smug face. “You’ve done more than your fair share.”
“The auction is a way to honor those that participated in repelling the alien invasion too.” Vanderclive was quick to comment.
“Really?” Tony scoffed. “Because sticking someone on display and inviting people to bid on him isn’t exactly an honor.”
“And Captain Rogers doesn’t appear to be very flattered,” Pepper added.
“As long as the money goes back to helping the city, and doesn’t involve anything illegal or immoral, I can put up with it.” Steve was firm on the subject. Tony felt a little surprised, then, when the captain turned a rather implacable gaze on Vanderclive. “But I do not like being misled, ma’am. I’ll remember this.”
“All future requests to the Avengers for charitable donations, either in service or monetary funds, will be vetted through my office.” Pepper added. “And you can be sure that my staff and I will be thorough. Very thorough.”
Tony almost pitied the next group who approached the Avengers for time or money.
Vanderclive was at least smart enough to realize when she’d gained every advantage she was going to get. She nodded regally at the group before turning to address Steve again. “The lights will begin to dim shortly and that’s your signal to head backstage. I’m sure, Captain, that we won’t need to worry about you being prompt.”
Steve looked around the room. “Where’s the stage?”
“Through that archway over there,” Vanderclive gestured with a lazy, elegant hand and then held it out towards Steve. “I see you’ve brought a photo. Excellent. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll get it to our tech team so that it can be incorporated into the presentation.”
Without a word, Steve handed over the photo and she left without waiting for a comment. Tony muttered ‘good riddance’ under his breath and for once Pepper didn’t reprimand him about his rudeness. In fact, Pepper patted his arm. Natasha was still AWOL, but no one else tried to approach, maybe because of the scowl on Tony’s face.
“Thanks,” Steve ran a hand through the hair on the back of his head. The man was the very picture of sheepishness. “I appreciate you trying to get me out of my own stupidity. . . but a promise is a promise.”
“Unless it’s made under false pretenses.” Pepper disagreed, but Tony knew it was a losing battle. Steve Rogers really was too noble for his own good, not to mention stubborn. “Excuse me.”
Pepper stepped away, neatly intercepting a small group of people who’d approached while they were talking. With a sly smile at Tony, Pepper engaged them in conversation, keeping them away from Steve and Tony.
“I’ve survived worse,” Steve blushed. “I did that USO tour, remember? I’m used to being on display or used to raise money.”
“That doesn’t mean you have to like it.” Tony commented quietly.
Steve’s smile was small, but genuine. “No, I don’t like it. When you grow up sickly like I did, it was kinda fun at first to be seen as the hero, but after awhile, I got tired of it. The USO stuff was just words - and actions speak louder than words.”
“Well, your actions have been saying plenty.” Tony remained uncharacteristically serious. “In fact, you might be one of the few things that my old man was completely, utterly, 100% right about.”
Steve blushed and looked down. Tony wondered if he’d gone too far. It seemed as though Steve had been flirting with him lately, but Tony had such a hard time reading the other man. Steve was both decades older and years younger than Tony; it made for a difficult puzzle to make out.
There was nothing Tony loved more than a good puzzle.
“Tony-. . .” Steve raised his eyes and there was no mistaking the warmth in that gaze.
Just then the lights dimmed and Claudia Vanderclive cemented herself at the absolute top of Tony’s shit list by making an announcement over the loudspeaker. “Ladies and gentlemen, the Rebuild New York Bachelor Auction will be taking place in just a few moments in the adjoining ballroom. Volunteers, please make your way at this time to the backstage area.”
Steve straightened his shoulders, something Tony’d seen the soldier do before heading into a battle or training. “I guess I shouldn’t put it off; I promised.”
The two men looked at each other awkwardly for a moment, neither quite knowing how to end the conversation. They were saved by the lights, which dimmed again.
“I better get going,” Steve said, although he made no effort to move.
“Yeah, break a leg,” Tony winced as he said what might be the lamest thing to ever come out of his mouth.
“Thanks, Tony,” Steve sighed and headed towards the backstage area.
Tony watched the younger man walk away, for once not distracted by the way that glorious backside moved, maybe because the coat of the tuxedo covered it. A touch to his arm brought his attention around to Pepper.
“Will you be all right by yourself for a little while?” Pepper had returned, her phone in her hand. “I have some calls to make.”
Tony grinned at her. Vanderclive didn’t know it yet, but she was through in this town. A pissed Pepper Potts was a force to be reckoned with and Vanderclive’s actions with Steve had riled Pepper but good. Largely because she didn’t abuse her influence by throwing her weight around on a whim, when Pepper did use her influence as CEO of Stark Industries, she tended to get results. This was likely the last gala that Vanderclive would be heading-up.
“I think I can manage to be civil,” Tony assured her. “I’ll be downright couth, in fact.” Privately, he thought the auction could do with a little uncouth behavior, but didn’t want to embarrass Steve any more than he likely would be.
Pepper eyed him warily; too aware that seeming compliance on Tony’s part could blow up to some sort of naughtiness later. “Tony . . . .”
Tony raised his hands in defeat. “I’ll be good, I promise. Now, while Vanderclive is basking in her glory, make sure that bitch will regret tricking Steve into this.”
“I’ll do my best,” Pepper kissed Tony chastely on the cheek before heading towards a relatively quiet corner. “Save me a seat.”
‘Stark!”
Tony was certain that Thor didn’t mean to bellow; it was just that the man’s volume control was always on loud. Thankfully, the rest of the gala’s attendees were headed towards the ballroom that was next door.
“What’s up, big guy?” Tony asked as Thor reached him. Jane had a grip on Thor’s arm and was breathless from virtually having to run to keep up with her man.
“Jane assures me that slavery has been outlawed on your world,” Thor’s expression was concerned. “And that the auction bespoke of is but a sham.”
The Asgardian didn’t phrase it as a question, but clearly Thor was confused. Next to him, Jane gave Tony a pleading look, silently asking for help in explaining it to him.
“The idea here isn’t to sell the men, but time with them.” Tony told him, but it soon was apparent that he’d used the wrong tactic to clarify the situation.
“Ah, ‘tis a brothel,” Thor’s expression didn’t seem much happier.
“No, not exactly.” It was hard not to laugh, but Tony managed, knowing it wouldn’t help the situation. “No sex, just a date. Jane has explained to you what a date is?”
“It’s not that different than how wooing occurs on my world.” Thor stated. “When two mutually interested individuals make an effort to spend special time together.”
Tony nodded. “That’s it. The auction is just a fun way to get some rich people to part with some of their money in the name of a good cause.”
Thor shook his head. “It’s their city, wouldn’t they just want to rebuild it as a matter of pride?”
Jane rested her head on one of Thor’s large arms; she was too tiny to reach his shoulder. “You would think so, but sometimes those that have the most are willing to give the least.”
While his expression cleared a little, Thor looked far from convinced. Tony wasn’t sure he blamed him. He’d merely been indifferent to the idea of a bachelor auction when first approached, but now that Steve had been roped into one, he was not in favor of them. Not at all.
“Aye, that is also true on most worlds.” Thor looked around, as if suddenly missing something. “And what does our good captain think? I saw him earlier, but find it hard to believe he would condone such a thing.”
Oh shit.
“You know how you and Steve often don’t understand cultural references?” Tony asked, rocking back on his heels.
“Oh, no.” Jane figured it out before Thor did. “He’s not. . . .”
“He is,” Tony confirmed with a dark tone. “The organizer didn’t explain very well and Steve agreed before he knew what he was agreeing to.”
The sharp crack of thunder could be heard through the thick walls of the building they were in.
“Captain Rogers is being auctioned off this evening?” For once, Thor used a quiet tone, but that didn’t reassure Tony at all, since it was full of menace. The Asgardian also seemed to have lost whatever understanding of the auction that Tony and Jane had managed to instill in him. “I will have the name of the villain responsible.”
Tony replied quickly, before the lightning could become more serious. “Pepper’s on it.”
Thor relaxed and, thankfully, no more thunder was heard. “That is well, then. Lady Potts is a formidable woman.”
“Yeah, I’m glad she’s on our side. We tried to get Cap to step aside, given he was bamboozled and all, but you know how Cap is about keeping a promise.” The lights dimmed again and Tony turned towards the entrance to the ballroom where the auction had been set up. “I’m going in, you two coming?”
Thor, normally the most decisive of men, hesitated. “I think not. You are right, friend Stark, that the captain would not renege on an oath, even one given under false pretenses, but I would not embarrass him further by being a witness. Not when you will be in attendance to,” Thor’s mouth twisted as he struggled with the unfamiliar vernacular, “have his six.”
Tony reached over and clapped Thor on the arm that Jane wasn’t currently attached to. “Good man, I’m sure Cap will appreciate it. I’ll give you the rundown later.”
“See that you do,” Thor nodded regally and Tony didn’t even mind. After all, Thor actually was a prince and was entitled to the attitude.
Thor and Jane headed towards the exit and Tony made a beeline for the entrance to the ballroom. He normally wouldn’t worry about getting a decent seat, but this was about Steve and that made a world of difference. He needn’t have been concerned. Even among New York’s elite, Tony was considered a high roller and so was immediately ushered to seats in the front that had been saved for him. There was not only a chair reserved for him, but also for Pepper. On it was a bright blue bidding paddle with a number on it. Tony picked it up absent-mindedly and settled himself down. He was just in time too. Tony had no more than gotten situated before Vanderclive took the stage.
“Ladies, and gentlemen, it is my very great pleasure to welcome you and thank you for attending the Rebuild New York Bachelor Auction,” Vanderclive’s voice throbbed with an enthusiasm that sickened Tony. “Tonight we will be introducing you to some of New York’s most eligible bachelors who have agreed to offer their time and attention in order to obtain your donation. The lucky woman who wins a bid with one of our bachelors will not only be contributing to bringing New York back to its full glory, she’ll also be rewarded with a once in a lifetime opportunity to spend quality time with a gentleman of the finest order.”
There was a smattering of applause, but the vibe in the air was one of anticipation. Tony glanced around and saw that the ladies were tense, some even perched on the edge of their seats. They were going to eat poor Steve alive.
As though she’d heard Tony’s thoughts, Vanderclive went on. “And we have a very special bachelor tonight. As promised, an Avenger, one of our city’s saviors, has agreed to be part of the auction and it’s only fitting that he help begin our evening. Captain America, please come meet your adoring fans.”
There was an audible gasp from the audience, which immediately gave way to a swell of excited murmurs. Tony remained silent. Oddly enough, he found himself wishing that Pepper had joined him; he could have use one of her all-healing hand pats right about then. He kept his eyes to the back of the stage, where Steve was sure to exit from. He was rewarded almost immediately. Steve emerged from the curtained off area and walked forward with what appeared to be his usual confidence.
The crowd applauded wildly and Steve’s steps faltered for a moment, but soldier that he was, didn’t let the clearly unexpected crowd reaction phase him for long. While the audience was still cheering, Steve made his way to Vanderclive’s side and acknowledged the applause with a casual salute and a smile that Tony knew was completely forced. Tony knew it was fake because he’d been lucky enough to see the real thing and he preferred one of those shy smiles over the toothy, plastic grin Steve was currently sporting.
After an encouraging gesture from Vanderclive, Steve slowly walked down the runway. He hadn’t gotten very far, however, before the socialite began reading from a script.
“Captain America needs no introduction,” her voice was breathy with badly hidden excitement. Behind her, an image of the picture that Steve had brought with him appeared.
Tony snorted. “And yet she’s still talking,” he muttered under his breath, forgetting for the moment that there was no one near enough to hear.
“This valiant soldier has served his country and yet still looks as fresh as the day he put on the uniform.” Vanderclive continued. “And speaking of uniforms, he fills it out nicely, doesn’t he, ladies?”
There was another round of applause, accompanied by whistles of appreciation. Tony was glad that Steve had moved passed him at that point. He could see that the tips of the other man’s ears were red; he didn’t want to have to look at the expression on Steve’s face. He was doubly glad that Thor had left; there was no telling how the Asgardian would have reacted.
“Captain Rogers is six feet in height, with chest measurements of 47 inches.” Vandclive cooed into the microphone. “He has blond hair and baby blue eyes, loves the quintessential American sport of baseball and is the perfect gentleman.”
By that time, Steve had reached the end of the runway and made it partway back, walking faster than he had before. His smile looked even more forced than before and his gaze was fixed on some distant point. Tony had a feeling that if Vanderclive hadn’t been a woman, she soon would have been on the receiving end of a patented Captain American verbal smackdown.
When Steve had made a full circuit and stopped the podium, Vanderclive immediately wrapped herself around his arm and made a most unladylike squeal. “Isn’t he divine, ladies?” There was a thunderous round of applause, which pleased her but clearly embarrassed Steve. “Do I have an opening bid?”
There was a wave of color on both sides of the runway as nearly every woman in the audience raised her paddle. For the first time in several minutes, Tony’s smile was genuine. He couldn’t really blame them. The bidding would soon get out of hand. In the beginning, though, every woman could imagine that she had a chance to win a date with Captain America.
Bidding did indeed get very out of hand, very quickly. Before the blush could fade from Steve’s ears, it was over $100,000.
“We have $100,000, do I have $105,000,” Vanderclive had given up her grip on Steve, so intent was she to drive up the bidding. “Oh. Oh, my. Our next bid is $150,000.”
Tony craned his neck, but couldn’t get a good look at who was bidding so aggressively. He had a vague impression of bright hair and a vivid green dress, but that was about it. He pulled out his phone, intending to text Pepper, but instead got a message. It read, “Ur paying, hope u brought $.”
Tony looked again and, this time, got a better view. The fierce bidder was Natasha. She’d let her hair down from the up-do she’d arrived with and somehow managed to remove the black overlay from her dress. Tony never would have thought such simple changes would make her look so different, but even he hadn’t recognized her at first. Realizing that she was looking at him, he gave her a nod; no matter how high Natasha had to bid, Tony would cover it.
Once again, the Avengers had Steve’s back.
Now that he knew he could control the outcome, Tony was more relaxed about Steve’s predicament. He still didn’t like the wooden expression on the younger man’s face, but at least Tony knew that Steve wouldn’t be at the mercy of some high society woman who might try to take advantage of the fact that Steve was such a gentleman.
Steve was unaware of how his teammates had planned on shielding him. At least, that was what Tony thought when he noticed Steve’s stoic expression change to a frown as the bidding went on. After several more fierce volleys, Steve leaned over and whispered into Vanderclive’s ear. Tony had the pleasure of watching the hostess’ face go pale, in spite of the layers of make-up she had lacquered on.
Unfortunately for Vanderclive, Steve had that particular set to his jaw that was a clue that he’d decided to dig his heels in; the man could out-stubborn all of the Avengers combined when he wanted to. The audience became restless as the whispered debate continued, but not Tony. He stretched his legs out in his seat and even went so far as to clasp his hands behind his head. Vanderclive didn’t have a chance, even if she didn’t know it yet.
Finally, Steve ended with a glare that Tony knew well, having been on the receiving end of it all too often. Vanderclive didn’t fare any better against it than Tony ever had; she caved immediately and approached the podium’s microphone with an uncharacteristic timidity.
“Ladies and gentlemen.” Vandclive glanced at Steve again, who responded with a terse nod. “Captain Rogers has asked me to open the bidding up. He is willing to go out on a date with whomever wins his time, whether the highest bidder is a woman . . . or a man.”
The audience buzzed with excited comments. Bachelor auctions had evolved over the years, but this particular one was old-fashioned and had a tacit agreement that only the ladies could bid. Tony sat up straight in his chair at Vanderclive’s announcement. He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting after Steve was through talking to Vanderclive, but a public admission of what was, at the very least, bi-curiosity was the last thing he’d anticipated.
“One million dollars!”
There was a collective gasp from the audience as a male member stood to shout his bid instead of using the discreet auction paddle that had been provided. The previous, female-only bidding had already reached a record high, but was dwarfed by the new bid.
Tony’s eyes narrowed. He recognized the bidder as a Broadway producer, one who’d been rumored to be keeping the tradition of the ‘casting couch’ alive and well. Even if he was innocent of those allegations, Tony’d been at parties where the man had bragged over the various famous people he’d bedded. Tony was arrogant as they came, but he never bragged about his conquests. Frankly, he didn’t need to; his various partners were the ones who bragged about being with Tony. Of course, the ones that made a spectacle of being with Tony found themselves never having another shot.
A vibration from Tony’s phone distracted him from the action. He looked up and read “Ur on ur own.” He looked over to Natasha and she grinned slyly at him before winking and disappearing into the crowd. The little minx was going to make Tony bid for himself and, for the life of him, Tony didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.
The bidding activity had suddenly become a whole lot more personal and Tony turned his focus back on it. Despite the size of Mr. Casting Couch’s bid, he was quickly left behind as a bidding war of epic proportions commenced. Men and women both tendered offers, although the increases in the amounts narrowed considerably; even the superrich had their limits. Through it all, Steve stood stoically, only the deepening of the blush on his ears showing that his discomfort grew. Every once in a while, he threw a look Tony’s way, but the expression was indecipherable. Tony didn’t know if Steve was trying to figure out if his willingness to go out with a man had offended Tony or was wondering why Tony wasn’t participating in the auction.
Eventually, only two individuals were bidding and Tony knew them only by reputation. Susan Clarkson was the CFO for a multinational corporation that was almost as big as Stark Industries, although its focus was chemicals rather than the type of high tech equipment that SI produced. Another way they differed was environmental responsibility; SI was the leading name in clean energy, whereas Clarkson’s company was frequently in the news for EPA violations.
The man was Ellington Howard Benson III, but if the bright blue tuxedo he was wearing was any indication, he didn’t seem as stuffy as his name would imply. From what Tony’d heard, the man came from old money. Tony had inherited quite a bit from his father too, but in spite of his former party boy days, he’d also made a real effort to grow his legacy. Benson, on the other hand, only seemed interested in growing his family’s collection of art and other oddities.
Tony was not about to let Steve become another man’s collectable.
“1.3 million,” Clarkson called out. The bidding paddles had long since been forgotten by everyone.
A warm body sat down next to Tony and he was momentarily distracted. Pepper had returned to his side, phone held in her hand like the weapon it was. At the moment it was powered down, but Tony didn’t know if that was because she’d successfully completed all of her calls or if she’d run the battery dry while burying Vanderclive’s future prospects. Pepper had a scowl on her face that was normally only reserved for people that kicked kittens or Board members that dared to malign Tony.
“You are not going to let that bitch win,” Pepper didn’t bother to lower her voice. There was enough ambient noise that her words didn’t carry too far, but the people sitting in their immediate vicinity were able to hear. She glared at those staring at her in disapproval. “What are you looking at?”
“How much wine have you had?” Tony asked with a grin, only half joking. It wasn’t like Pepper to be so coarse at a charity event. Or anywhere, really. In fact, Tony wasn’t sure he’d ever heard her use the B word before.
“Not nearly enough, thank you very much.” Pepper grimaced. “What a fiasco. When I’m through with her, Claudia Vanderclive won’t get a street cleaner to come to another one of her events.”
Their attention returned to the auction, where Benson had just upped the bidding to $1.33 million.
“You haven’t even bid yet!” Pepper gestured towards the stage, but did lower her voice. “This is Steve. You can’t possibly mean for someone else to win a date with him?”
“Just biding my time,” Tony reassured her. In truth, although every fiber of his being rebelled at the thought of Steve’s time being bought by anyone else, he also wasn’t sure it was such a good idea for him to win. How badly could Captain America’s image be tarnished by going on a date with an infamous playboy like Tony Stark? Tony was afraid of the answer to that question.
“The bidding stands at $1.4 million.”
While Tony had been whispering with Pepper, the auction had gone on and Clarkson had countered the last bid. The entire audience, including Tony, turned to Benson. The socialite shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, bowing in Steve’s direction with a flourish before sitting back in his chair. Clearly he was done.
“$1.4 million for a date with Captain America,” there was a trill of excitement in Vanderclive’s voice. “Going once. . . .”
Tony was on his feet before he could do any more analyzing of the situation. The audience had been murmuring at the potential end of bidding, but stilled at his movement. Tony’s eyes snapped to Steve’s face. For the first time, there was a softening of the other man’s features and, while Tony might have been imagining things, he thought that Steve seemed at least relieved, maybe even pleased.
“Mr. Stark,” VanderClive spoke from the podium. Apparently Tony had lost a little time while he exchanged glances with the man on the auction block. “Do you have a bid?”
“Yes, I do.” Tony rocked back on his heels for a moment, not above milking the situation for every drop of drama he could. “$16 million dollars.”
For an instant, the ballroom was so quiet that a dropped pin could have been heard and then it erupted into chaos. Some audience members shouted that it wasn’t fair, while authors broke into spontaneous applause. Through it all, Tony was vaguely aware of Vanderclive at the podium, ineffectually trying to get everyone’s attention. Most of his considerable focus, however, was on the man next to her. To Tony’s immense relief, Steve had broken into a big grin before ducking his head and blushing when the protests began.
“It was rigged!”
“Stark gets to see Captain America all the time!”
“Give someone else a chance!”
As the protests continued, Steve lifted his head and frowned. After saying something to Vanderclive, he moved in front of the podium and lifted his hand. Where the audience had largely ignored the hostess, they immediately quieted when the captain gestured for their attention.
“You know, lots of things have been said and written about me since I was chipped out of the ice,” Steve stated, looking over the audience sternly. “But have any of them implied that I’m the type of person to rig anything, let alone something like a charity event?”
Tony looked around and was satisfied to observe the audience members shuffling in their seats with embarrassed looks on their faces. As well they should. Captain America was the last person on the planet who would cheat.
Steve also seemed pleased at their reaction. “The important thing to remember here is that we’ve gained $16 million to help rebuild our city. Mr. Stark should be thanked for his generosity.”
The audience responded with a healthy round of applause. As it died down, Steve stepped aside for Vanderclive again, giving Tony a slight nod of his head.
“Thank you ladies and gentlemen, and Captain Rogers and Tony Stark, for an exciting beginning to this year’s bachelor auction.” Vanderclive was a bit breathless, but otherwise had regained her composure. “I assure you that we have many fine gentlemen to bid on. Shall we bring out the next participant?”
Tony tuned out as the next man was brought out to be paraded up and down the runway. If he had the energy, he would have felt sorry for the sap that had to come after Captain America; Steve would be a hard act to follow. It was actually good strategy on Vandclive’s part, though. If Steve had been left until last, potential bidders would have been reluctant to bid, wanting to hold on to their cash in the hopes of winning a date with Captain America. This way, the auction made more money – and Steve got his ordeal over with early in the process.
“Good job,” Pepper praised him when Tony’ recovered enough to look towards her. “I just called Charlene in Finance; SI has plenty of funds to cover the bid.
Her comment roused Tony from his post-auction stupor. “No.” When Pepper looked shocked at his abrupt tone, Tony made an effort to gentle his voice. “This comes out of my personal funds, not the corporate ones.”
SI had already made sizeable contributions towards rebuilding New York, both in money and in products and services. The figure of $16 million hadn’t been pulled out of Tony’s ass. Even before deciding to attend the charity event, and well before Tony had known Steve was a part of it, Tony had decided to donate additional funds from his own accounts. He’d fought to save the city and was proud of that, but felt personally responsible for some of the damage. $16 million was a drop in the bucket to him and if it helped him sleep better at night, he figured it was money well spent.
“All right, Mr. Stark, if that’s what you want.” Pepper’s eyes were dancing. “Even for you, this is going to be one expensive date.”
“It’ll be worth it,” Tony replied, a decided lack of banter in his tone. Before she could call him on it, he came up with a deft way to deflect Pepper’s interest. “You used the B word.”
As he thought, Pepper got flustered. “I . . . .”
Tony waggled a finger at her. “Don’t deny it, I heard it.”
“Well, you haven’t had to testify against her in environmental policy hearings.” Unfortunately for Tony, Pepper had known him too long to be easily deflected and quickly returned to the point. “And don’t change the subject – you now have a date with Steve. Are you okay with that?”
“Yeah,” Tony savored the thought, “I think I am.”
Tony wasn’t happy at the way that it happened, but he and Steve had been dancing around each other for weeks. Maybe a grand public gesture like bidding an exorbitant amount of money during a bachelor auction was just what the two of them needed to goad them into the next step. In any case, Steve had given Tony a golden opportunity – and hadn’t looked too unhappy when Tony had stepped up. Maybe this wouldn’t be a disaster.
The auction didn’t last forever; it just felt that way. Eventually the stream of eligible bachelors trickled off. Tony was amused that some of others took Steve’s lead and offered to let the bidding open up to other men. Not all of those bids were won by men, but enough were to cause Vandclive’s mouth to pucker. Tony counted that as a win.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes our auction,” Vandclive finally – blessedly – brought the event to a close. A young man handed her a slip of paper. She looked at it and smiled. “You should give yourselves a big round of applause. Because of your generosity, we’ve raised $19.7 million dollars that will go towards rebuilding our glorious city!”
The applause was thunderous and not a few audience members turned and directed their applause towards him. Tony’s bid for a date with Steve had made up the lion’s share of the money raised.
“For those of you who won your bids, I’d like for you to make your way behind the stage so that you can be formally introduced to your future date.” Vanderclive glared at Tony and he just blew her a kiss. “For the rest of you, I bid you a good night.”
With that, the lights came up and people started getting from their seats. Tony rose and offered his arm to Pepper, which she graciously accepted. He wasn’t in a hurry to get backstage, since he already knew Steve. It was more important at the moment to not abandon Pepper. As they made their way out, various people stopped them to congratulate Tony, which he accepted with as much grace as he could. Eventually they made their way back to the reception area and Tony looked around, wondering what to do next.
“I trust I won’t have to give you the shovel talk.”
Tony jumped; he hated it when Coulson was able to sneak up on him. “I’m gonna make a bell for you, Agent. Your days of creeping up on me are over.”
Coulson smiled a little as he came around Tony to stand next to Pepper. He loosely wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her chastely before answering. “Don’t try to change the subject.”
“Yes, I know. Shovel.” Tony’s voice was dry. “You do realize that I’m Iron Man, right? Any shovel you can come up with, I can out-engineer.”
“My shovel will be wielded by Natasha Romanoff,” Coulson wore his characteristic deadpan face, making it hard to tell if he was serious or not. “Out-engineer that.”
Tony turned to a higher authority – Pepper. “Doesn’t it bother you that your boyfriend is still all fanboy over Captain America?”
“I think it’s cute,” Pepper kissed Coulson briefly on the nose. “But Phil, you do need to keep in mind that if a shovel talk is given to Tony, I’ll find out about it and when I find out about it, I’ll be giving the exact same shovel talk to Steve.” When Coulson opened his mouth to protest, Pepper leveled one of her stern looks at him. “That’s fair and you know it. The only real hard shell that Tony has is his suit; Steve can hurt Tony just as much as Tony can hurt him.”
Tony tried not to puff up. He appreciated that she was still willing to defend him – and to her lover, no less.
“Fine.” Coulson didn’t exactly look pleased, but he still capitulated. “No shovel talk, but I’ll be watching you, Mr. Stark.”
“Of course you will; everybody does.” Tony deftly ignored Pepper’s eye roll at his comment. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a date to set up.”
Pepper touched Tony’s sleeve as he walked by. “Just. . . . be careful, all right?”
It was tempting to blow her off with another quip, but the genuine concern in Pepper’s eyes stopped Tony. He was learning, if slowly, how to react when people showed they cared about him.
“I will.” His glance flickered to Coulson. “I think Cap and I can manage not to inflict too much emotional damage on each other for a few minutes.”
With that, he left the couple behind and strode towards the backstage area. It wasn’t fair to leave Steve alone for too long to deal with the fallout over the auction – and Tony didn’t doubt for a minute that there would be significant fallout. Captain America willing to go out with another man? The tabloids would have orgasms with a headline like that.
The security guard waved him through; apparently there were some benefits to dropping $16 million on a bid. When he entered the backstage area, it didn’t take long to sort out the activity. A small platform had been set up, complete with podium and backdrop that showed the charity’s logo. Clearly, Vanderclive had made plans for publicity.
And publicity is what she got, although maybe not of the type she wanted.
Steve was on the podium, with the clingy Vanderclive next to him. Gads, the woman was a leech. A small crowd of media personnel surrounded them and flashbulbs were going off like crazy. Tony didn’t hear the question that was raised by one of them, but he did slow down his approach enough to hear the answer.
“You can’t put a limit on freedom or who gets it,” Steve replied, a particularly earnest expression on his face. “The minute you do, it’s not freedom anymore. Back in the day, I took a lot of flack about who I let into the Howling Commandos. Having an Asian-American or an African-American in an elite troop was unheard of. I’m sure we had gay guys too, but admitting that could have turned into a death sentence back then. I’ve not made it a secret that there are a lot of things about this modern era that I don’t approve of, but the strides that have been made for equal rights for all Americans, regardless of the color of their skin or who they choose to love, is something that I’m very happy to see.”
“So are you saying you’re gay, Cap?” One of the reporters called out.
Steve’s gaze was steady as he looked back at the man. “I’m saying it doesn’t matter.”
“Are you trying to tell us that this wasn’t part of a political agenda?” The next question had an accusatory tone to it.
Tony’d heard enough. He stopped lurking at the back of the crowd and pushed his way through the reporters. Even though several tried asking him questions as he strode passed, Tony didn’t stop until he was at Steve’s side.
“I happen to know that the only agenda Cap had tonight was to raise money for the rebuilding of the city that he loves,” Tony addressed the crowd.
Vanderclive had been looking more uncomfortable with every moment that went by. No doubt she was unhappy without having her event’s spotlight taken over by the hoopla of Steve opening up the bidding to men. As far as Tony was concerned, it served her right, not only for duping Steve, but for also being so backward not to have a provision for men bidding in the first place. Unfortunately, she took Tony’s comment as the opening she needed.
“The important takeaway is that the auction raised a record number of donations,” Vanderclive interjected. She would have gone on longer, but Tony’d had enough of hearing her voice.
“Ah, our gracious hostess, Claudia.” Tony acknowledged her. He smiled coldly at her before turning back to the reporters. “He’s too polite to tell you this, but Cap didn’t even know about the auction when he agreed to attend tonight. So you see,” Tony pointed at the reporter who’d badgered Steve, “Cap couldn’t have an agenda all planned because he found out about the auction about five minutes before he was on the block. In fact, if there’s a controversy here, it’s the way Vanderclive misled at least one participant. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that she maybe even blackmailed some of the others.”
The reporters turned towards Vanderclive, who opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, but didn’t manage an immediate answer. Tony took advantage of her distress and put a hand to the small of Steve’s back, encouraging the other man off the platform and quickly following him.
The two men managed to find a quiet, semi-private corner; once there, neither one of them quite knew what to do and ended up staring at each other awkwardly. As desperate as he usually was to fill up any silences, though, it wasn’t Tony who spoke first.
“Thanks, Tony.” Steve shifted clumsily, uncharacteristic for a man who was usually so graceful.
“For what?” Tony didn’t know how to react, so went back to his old standby, being a smartass. “Dragging you offstage before that rabid pack of reporters could make mincemeat out of you; outbidding everyone to save you from the clutches of some rich pervert; or just for being my normal, awesome self?”
Much to his relief, Steve didn’t seem to mind the frivolity of his answer. The other man even smiled fondly at him. “All of the above.”
Tony grinned at him. “Good answer.”
“$16 million dollars is a lot of money,” Steve didn’t let the subject drop. “You didn’t have to. . . .”
“Was gonna donate it anyway,” Tony interrupted him. He knew that Steve was still wrapping his head around modern economics and, having lived through the depression, was something of a cheapskate. Tony thought that reassuring Steve that the money hadn’t been spent solely to rescue him from something silly like a date would make the other man feel better, but then he had to go and ruin it by adding, “Would have spent twice that, though.”
Steve’s eyes widened and then narrowed as he assessed the other man, no doubt looking for a joke hidden in the comment. Finding none, Steve blushed deeper. “You have more money than you know what to do with, then.”
For once, Tony was the one who kept the conversation serious. “You’re worth it.”
“We’ll have to agree to disagree about that.” Looking away, Steve shrugged. “I’m sorry to have dragged you into the middle of a controversy, though.”
At that comment, Tony laughed. “You’ve read my file; you know better. For me, this whole bidding on a date with another man is barely a blip on the radar.”
“This is different,” He didn’t like it that Steve was disagreeing with him, but at least he had returned his gaze to Tony. “This was my fault.”
“Nope, as much as you like taking the blame, Cap, I’m not going to let you this time.” Tony crossed his arms across his chest. “If you must point a finger, it was Vanderclive’s fault. In this day and age, I can’t believe she set up a bachelor auction and expected only women to bid.” He reached out and put a hand on Steve’s chest. “And being who and what you are, you couldn’t stand for that.”
Before he was done talking, there were flashes of light and the men belatedly realized that just getting off the platform didn’t automatically take them out of public view. The hint of scandal of Vanderclive misleading Steve into participating in the bachelor auction hadn’t distracted the reporters for long.
“This way.’ Ever the strategist, Steve was clearly familiar with all of the room’s exits. He headed for a door at the rear of the backstage area and Tony readily followed. So did the pack of press members, but the security guards belatedly stepped in. The door opened into a utility corridor and, at the moment anyway, it was empty except for some unused serving carts.
“I’m so-. . . .’ Steve started, but Tony interrupted him.
“Don’t you apologize for those assholes,” Tony demanded. “Just answer me this one question – do you want to go on a date with me?”
Much to his relief, the self-reproach left Steve’s face and the younger man’s expression lightened considerably. “Yes.”
“Good,” Tony nodded, “because I want to go out with you too, although, really, you should have figured that out by now.”
Steve smiled broadly. “I should have?”
“I don’t pay $16 million for a date with just anybody, you know,” Tony sniffed. “Had it been Barton up there, I might have raised the bidding just to mess with him, but in the end, I would have left his ass swinging in the wind – and at the mercy of the highest bidder.”
“No you wouldn’t have,” Steve countered, sounding confident again. “You’re a good man, Tony, and a good friend.” His grin widened. “And, besides, in that scenario you would have had to answer to both Dr. Banner and Natasha and I don’t think you would have wanted to face either of them.”
“I’ll neither confirm nor deny that accusation,” Tony responded and then rubbed his hands together. “Now, what shall our date be? We could fly to Paris for some crepes so you can see it all cleaned up from the war. Or, I know, we could go to LA and rent out Dodger Stadium for some batting practice – I bet you hit a mean home run. . . ..”
Steve put a hand on his arm, stopping Tony’s scheming. “They filled me in on the rules while I was waiting for the rest of the fellas to be bid on; I have to plan and pay for the date.”
Tony waved him off. “I’m sure those are guidelines rather than rules. You don’t need to pay for a thing.”
“But I want to,” Steve was firm and that stubborn set was back in the set of his jaw.
“This doesn’t make me the girl, does it?” Tony asked, wondering how far he could push the younger man. “I draw the line at wearing a dress.”
Steve looked him up and down. “I dunno, I think you have the legs for it.”
“What?” Tony put a hand over his heart and pretended to stagger. “Did you just make a joke? Capsicle is capable of making a funny?”
“Maybe.” Steve’s eyes twinkled at him. “I guess you’ll just have to go on a date with me and find out.”
“I guess I will.” Tony was looking forward to it. After the battle with the Chitauri, it hadn’t taken long to learn that Steve wasn’t the stick in the mud that Tony’d first thought. But making a cross-dressing joke? That kind of sass was a whole new side of Steve that Tony was looking forward to exploring.
“If it’s all the same to you, there’s something I’d like to take care of before the date,” Steve seemed far more comfortable than he had a few moments earlier. “I know I’m a little ahead of myself, but if that press conference was any indication, there’ll be a lot of people paying attention. I’d rather not have an audience for this and since we’ve got this space all to ourselves for the moment. . . .”
As he spoke, Steve moved forward. Tony managed not to give way to the hunk of tuxedo-clad hotness that was soon looming over him. Steve stopped close enough to Tony that the warmth of his body could be felt. Knowing what was coming, Tony lifted his head up even as Steve bent down.
Their lips met somewhere in the middle.
Tony’d had more first kisses than he could count, but he none of them were like what he had with Steve. It was sweet and passionate , not to mention a little awkward. Steve Rogers, though, was a fast learner. Soon enough his lips were moving more confidently against Tony’s, with just the tiniest suggestion of teeth. They broke apart briefly and Steve looked down at Tony, happiness shining from his face, but just a little bit of uncertainty too. The combination was too adorable for Tony to resist. Before Steve could say anything, Tony pulled him down for another kiss.
The sound of someone clearing their throat made them both jump, effectively ending the kiss. It was Natasha, standing with one hand on her hip, smirking at them. “About damn time.”
Tony wasn’t sure if she was talking about the kiss or about them finally acknowledging their mutual attracting. Knowing Romanoff, it was probably both.
“Your adoring public awaits,” she turned and started walking down the corridor. “Pepper’s getting bombarded with questions and if you don’t make an appearance soon, she’ll eventually take my advice.”
“Which was?” It was Steve that asked.
Natasha threw them a smirk over her shoulder. “To start making stuff up.”
Steve, naïve man that he was, looked relieved. “That doesn’t sound too bad.”
Tony groaned. “Think again – Pepper’s guilty pleasure is Harlequin romances.” At Steve’s confused look, he explained, “Think gooey romance; you probably wouldn’t be too happy with what she comes up with.”
Even though Natasha was doing her best to hurry them up, Steve made a grab for Tony’s arm and pulled him to a stop. “So. . . . I guess we’re going on a date?”
Tony grinned. “You bet your ass we are. You figured out what we’re doing yet?”
“It’ll be a surprise,” Steve assured him. “You’ll like it.”
Tony couldn’t help teasing, even though he was pretty sure that Steve could spend their date reading the phone book out loud to him and that Tony’d think it was the best date ever. “I don’t know, I have rather high expectations.”
Steve responded well to the banter. “That sounds like a challenge.”
“Might have been.” Tony’s lips twitched as he tried to stay serious.
“Oh, it’s on,” Steve retorted and started following Natasha again.
Holding back a moment, Tony watched the way the smooth fabric of Steve’s tux moved against the younger man’s impressive physique. He had a date with Captain America and it had only taken $16 million and a public scandal to procure it.
Tony might just have gotten the bargain of the year.
~the end~