Work Text:
The thought came to Tony when revelations often did, while he was tinkering away in his workshop. He’d been using the blowtorch, hands steady and gaze focused on the melting metal, sweat working its way steadily down his temple, when he faltered.
Marriage.
The blowtorch clicked off. Tony lifted his mask and stared, dumbfounded at where the two pieces of metal were now loosely melded together. Sometimes he honestly hated his brain, but at the moment he hated his heart more for the treacherous leap it made when he absently imagined a ring of malleable metal around Stephen’s finger.
Uh.
Tony set the tool down and sat on his stool, blankly examining the blueprints and calculations for his most recent project. It wasn’t that Tony had never thought of marriage before, he had, though it was generally only in the abstract. Marriage was a concept for the future or not at all really, especially with the way his life had been going.
He’d considered it, briefly, with Pepper before coming to the conclusion that they should probably work their shit out regarding the suit before he entertained it further, oh and should probably ask her what she thought of marriage. Unfortunately, getting their shit together manifested in a friendship instead of forever. It was ok, he’d had plenty of time to heal from that particular crack in his heart.
Stephen, however, now this felt completely different.
It wasn’t so much that Tony felt like he suddenly wanted to propose, not at all. It was more that the idea, the concept seemed to just slide smoothly into place with them. Marriage seemed like a logical step and Tony wouldn’t hate the idea of adorning Stephen’s finger with proof of their relationship.
Not in a possessive way of course. More like, well, like if something were to happen, which was a very real possibility, he’d have something to say look…look at this ring and this paper, it was real.
The truth was it didn’t often feel real. Too good to be true and all that.
Just as Tony was beginning to envision what all that might look like, Stephen, because sometimes he was as inconvenient as Tony’s genius, decided to appear in the workshop at that particular moment.
Stephen was smiling slightly, eyes twinkling with the manic energy he’d learned to associate with either a victory or the learning of a new spell. Honestly, it was a very pretty sight, and Tony, being distracted as he was spit out, “what do you think of marriage?”
Surprised silence filled the space between them. Tony himself really wanted an answer so he chose to wait out Stephen’s incredulity patiently. It didn’t take long. Stephen blinked slowly, shook his head, and walked over until he could sit heavily in the chair across from Tony’s workstation.
“Hello to you too Tony.”
Tony grinned, “well?”
“I haven’t thought about it.”
Well ok, that hurt a bit. Tony also acknowledged the inquiry wasn’t completely fair considering he’d only thought of it as of a few minutes ago. Still. Tony pursed his lips, picked up a little mechanism off to the side of his table and determinedly fiddled with it, not looking at Stephen.
“Initial thoughts then?”
“This isn’t a proposal, right?” Stephen asked wearily.
Tony grimaced, “no, I’m just curious.”
The sorcerer leaned back in his chair, those stormy eyes seemingly scrutinizing every inch of him. Tony bore it silently, long used to Stephen’s pauses before choosing to speak.
“It doesn’t seem…practical.”
Tony just raised an eyebrow.
Stephen sighed.
“I mean marriage isn’t anything special, not really. You and I aren’t the romantic types and we both know it. All a marriage contract would do, is complicate a lot of things that should stay uncomplicated.”
Tony frowned, “I’m not following. What would it complicate?”
A little smile played on Stephen’s lips, the one he wore when he thought Tony was being purposely obtuse, “you’re Tony Stark and Ironman. You are, for all intents and purposes, wildly famous. How long do you think a marriage certificate would be kept secret with your name on it?” Stephen’s tone gentled. “People might know I exist but how much more digging would people do if they knew I was your husband? Think of how dangerous that would be for Kamar-Taj, for us with our many enemies.”
Tony kind of hated that Stephen was right. It wasn’t as though he’d grown attached to the idea of marriage in the five minutes, he’d had to contemplate it, but he would admit he liked the idea of there being a record, a proof of it all.
“That wasn’t the answer you wanted to hear,” Stephen observed.
Tony shook his head quickly, “I didn’t know what I wanted to hear. I wasn’t against marriage and I guess it would have been kind of nice to put a ring on your finger, but I also think you’re right.”
“I usually am,” Stephen said with another tight smile. “I love you and you know I love you. We don’t need much more then that, do we?”
Tony shrugged. Not really. He could live quite happily without marriage and he knew he could.
“You know,” Tony pointed out. “Marriage would make you a very rich man.”
Stephen snorted, “as if Pepper wouldn’t have made me sign a prenup.”
“Oh, she would have, but that wouldn’t have stopped me from dumping thousands into you’re bank account every week.”
Stephen bristled like Tony knew he would and had to stifle a laugh, “I don’t need your money Tony. Remember; boundaries, independence.”
“Wong would disagree. Think how many sandwiches you could buy him.”
Stephen shook his head, “I bet Wong would say yes to a marriage proposal from you.”
“Too bad I’m already in love with someone else.”
“Hmm, even though he turned you down?” the question came with a teasing lilt, but Tony didn’t miss the hint of insecurity in the depth of those eyes.
Reaching across the small table to steal one of Stephen’s hands, he tugged his lover forward until he could press kisses to the scarred limb, “I think I can manage to forgive him. I do love him after all.”