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Tony’s been in relationships before. Many of them. Like, a lot. But he never cared about anyone like he cared about Steve. He never loved anyone, really, before Steve. The guy was shorter and skinnier than Tony was, but he had a heart of gold the color of his hair and a dopey smile that made Tony’s heart thunder in his chest.
They’d met during Tony’s senior year of college, after his advisor forced him into a stupid introductory drawing class because “you need an elective to graduate, Tony, there’s no going around it.” He had gone to the art class expecting to hate it, to find an excuse to drop it and change it for something else – until he saw Steve, the graduate student facilitating his class.
Tony had spent most of the spring semester blatantly flirting with him just to see those cheeks flush red, but could anyone really blame him? Steve didn’t, to his surprise, because the minute their last class session officially finished, he had walked up to Tony and asked him out on a date.
The following months were like a whirlwind summer romance, but Tony knew in his bones that Steve had ruined him for anyone else. If someone asked, he’d make a fuss about how Steve was the one who fell in love with him first, not the other way around. And Steve would just hide a smile and accept it, because while Tony tiptoed around the situation a lot earlier than he did, Steve had the courage to be the first one to say, “I love you.”
Even then, Tony had his insecurities. Steve was older than him by a few years, for one, but he’d never had a serious relationship before theirs. Once the fall semester had started up again, with Steve going back to grad school and Tony now interning at his father’s company, they had to actively find time to see each other.
But Steve always seemed to have time for his dumb friends that he never introduced to him. Sure, he’s met Sam and Bucky and Nat, but he couldn’t fight the little demon of jealousy that told him Steve was ashamed to acquaint him with his other friends. He was always hearing about a Michael and a Joann and a Blick (he’d made fun of the name before, but after meeting Bucky, he wasn’t one to judge).
Again, it was always Michael this and Michael that. What was so fucking great about Michael anyway? What the hell did he have that Tony didn’t?
Tony made a face as he stared down at the messages. Did he need anything? He had started to type out yeah, you before he caught himself. He punched at the backspace angrily, replacing it with:
Tony stared at his phone with wide eyes, reading and re-reading his boyfriend’s texts. It took a second before the absolute mortification set in. Steve sent a quick I’m coming over and continued to type, but it took another second for Tony to decide – yup, he so does not need a phone anymore – and threw the device down onto his couch like it was set on fire.
He felt like digging a hole and burying himself in it, with how embarrassed he felt. Locking himself in the bathroom seemed like the next best thing.
~*~*~*~
When Steve let himself into Tony’s apartment, it was uncharacteristically silent. There was no mind-numbing baking show playing on the television, no rock-and-roll playlist on shuffle, and no Tony coming up to greet him like he normally did.
Tony wasn’t in the living room or the kitchens, and his bedroom was empty when Steve checked. He couldn’t have left, either, because his keys were hanging by the door and his Mercedes-Benz was parked in its spot in the lot. Steve had called Tony twice and left a slew of messages without a response, and after finding his phone face-down on the couch cushions, he had to roll his eyes.
His boyfriend always was one for the dramatics.
Steve continued to search, stopping only when he noticed the yellow lights from the bathroom peeking under the door. The knob didn’t turn when he tried, and he moved to press an ear against the door while he knocked.
“Babe, are you in there?”
A beat, then a muffled: “Go away.”
Steve huffed out a laugh, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Tony, c’mon, I think I need to take you up on that talk.”
“I’m not coming out,” Tony replied petulantly. His voice was louder, like he was just on the other side of the door.
“And why the hell not?”
“You know why not!” He was clearly embarrassed; Steve could hear it in his voice. That still didn’t keep the amused grin from creeping onto his face though.
“Did you… Did you really think I was cheating on you?” Amusement laced his words. “With craft stores?”
“Shut up,” Tony grumbled. “I’m never going to survive the humiliation, Steve, we actually have to break up. I don’t make the rules.”
Steve couldn’t help the snort that came out of him, and it turned into a full belly laugh when Tony whined, “Stop laughing!”
“I’m not, I –” He swallowed down his chuckles, attempting to school his expression into one more neutral. “I swear, I’m not laughing at you. Come out, please.”
“Give me one good reason why I should.”
Steve leaned his forehead against the door, smiling slightly to himself. “Because I love you,” he replied simply. “Because I find it kinda hot when you get jealous. Because I want to look you in the eyes when I tell you ‘I love you’.”
“Now that is so not fair,” Tony said, audibly turning the lock on the knob. Steve stepped back as it swung open. “I specifically told you one – what the hell are you wearing?”
Steve felt his face burn hot as Tony looked him up and down, donning an expression mixed with both surprise and confusion. He shifted uncomfortably, adjusting the collar of the costume. The fabric felt heavy on his skin under his boyfriend’s eye, and Steve suddenly felt a little dumb for wearing his homemade Captain America costume instead of being a normal person and just showing it on his phone.
“I, um…” Steve smiled sheepishly, looking up a bit to meet Tony’s eyeline. Big, brown eyes blinked back at him expectantly, so he continued: “This was supposed to be a surprise. It’s the reason why I haven’t really been to see you lately, ‘cause I’ve been working on them.”
“What?” Tony squawked, brows rising up on his forehead.
“For – for Halloween in a couple weeks,” Steve said, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Y’know, I thought – ugh – just… c’mere.”
“Steve, you didn’t,” Tony gasped, letting Steve lead him to the living room after slipping his hand in his. Sitting on the floor was a large cardboard box filled with red and gold pieces, and a familiar-looking character mask.
“Look, okay, you mentioned a while back that you wanted to do a couple’s costume, and I know how much you love The Avengers,” he explained, bending down to grab the faceplate replica, “so I thought maybe we could go as Iron Man and – oof.”
Steve shifted his feet to balance his weight and Tony’s, smiling broadly when his boyfriend wrapped his arms around him in a bear hug. He was warm heat plastered across his back, and Steve moved to grasp at his hands. Tony linked their fingers together as he buried his face in the crook of Steve’s neck.
“I don’t deserve you,” he muttered against his skin. Tony raised his head to rest his chin on Steve’s shoulder. “I shouldn’t’ve – I mean – who’d name their kid Blick, for fuck’s sake?”
Chuckling, Steve grinned, turning his head to press his lips to Tony’s. “Don’t ever change.”
“You too,” Tony teased, “I kinda dig the whole man-in-uniform thing.” He cackled deviously as he leaned his weight sideways, taking Steve with him over the back of the couch in a tangle of limbs.
