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"Finally, our night off!" Clint hopped around them, humming 'night off’ over and over.
"Could you stop?" Nat asked, but even she was smiling.
Now that the team had more members, they had agreed on a time off schedule. So, when one part of the team was out, the other would be on duty, monitoring everything, in case the Avengers were needed.
Today was the night off for Clint, Natasha, Thor, Bruce, Steve and Tony.
"Will they need help?" Steve asked aloud, looking towards the Tower.
"Cap, for the ninetieth time, relax." Tony smiled. "They can handle it."
"Besides, we deserve some time away from all that stress." Bruce said.
"Friend Banner still having trouble controlling the Hulk?" Thor asked. It was still disturbing to look at Thor in civilian clothes, Tony thought, walking a few steps behind the God of Thunder. It was like watching a bizarre dream come to life.
"No, Hulk and I are fine." Bruce waved his hand, dismissing Thor's concern. "What has been stressing me out are Bucky and Sam, who have now met Peter." Bruce sighed. "As if Wanda and Vision weren't enough."
"If the Tower is whole when we get back, I already consider tonight a victory." Tony shrugged.
"And I'm the one who's the optimist." Steve looked sideways at him and smiled.
A chill ran through Tony's body. Steve's smiles, those sincere ones, always too fast, elusive and extremely rare, were the ones Tony liked the most, but he'd never admit it out loud.
“Making jokes already, Cap? And we haven't even gotten there yet.” Tony smiled. "A night of surprises, it seems.”
They had chosen to go walking that night and, surprisingly, it was a quiet walk, with no one asking for photos, no autographs, or any unsuspecting thief trying to spoil that rare night off.
"We're here." Nat announced, opening the door to the oriental restaurant they had chosen for that night.
After everyone entered, the receptionist took them down a corridor to a room separate from the rest of the restaurant. "Enjoy the night," she said, opening the door.
Inside there was a table set, full service, drinks already served, and the special order of the night already fully operational at the back of the room, with the colored lights flashing and the TV on.
"Karaoke!" Clint screamed and ran to the small stage in the back, with Thor right behind him. Who knew the God of Thunder liked singing so much, Tony thought, going to sit at the table to eat. It was an extremely pleasant start to the evening, with Clint and Thor alternating karaoke shifts while the others ate.
Tony chose a sushi and put it in his mouth. He groaned softly. It was delicious. "We should do this more often, don't you think?" He looked around the table and his gaze stopped at Steve, who was watching him with a funny expression, his mouth open, his eyes fixed on Tony ... no. Not Tony, specifically. On Tony's mouth. But it was obvious that it could only be the effect of sake already, right? Tony was seeing things.
"I think that’s the fun of the whole thing." Nat said from across the table. Steve blinked and swallowed. His face turned red and he looked away. This is all sake's fault, Tony repeated. “If it happened all the time it wouldn't be so exciting when it comes. The excitement comes from waiting, from expectation.” Nat ended, looking deep into Tony's eyes.
"But waiting too long sucks." Clint said, falling into the chair next to Nat.
"Indeed." Thor agreed, sitting at the end of the table.
"I think it just takes balance." Bruce added. “Everything that is too much isn't good. But if you know the right time to act, things can get really exciting, as Nat said.”
"Are we still talking about our nights off?" Tony asked.
Nat smirked at him. "You tell me. Are we?"
Tony shifted uncomfortably in his chair and finished what was left of his sake in just one sip.
"What do you think, Steve?" Nat asked, unaffected, making Tony choke and cough a few times. Steve tried to reach him, but Tony pushed him away. He didn't need Steve that close at the moment.
Steve didn't respond immediately. He thought about it, and Natasha waited, still smiling without showing her teeth. A snake ready to strike was the image that came to Tony's mind.
"I think that when you really want something, the wait is worth it, even if it takes time."
Nat leaned back in his chair. "Smart answer." She turned to Bruce. "Come on, it's our turn to sing."
Before Bruce could protest, Nat dragged him to the stage, leaving Clint and Thor talking animatedly about the next selection of songs, which certainly had to be just duets, if not, what was the purpose of going there, and Steve and Tony. Tony filled his glass with more sake and finished it in three sips. As he refilled the glass, he could feel Steve's gaze burning on his skin.
"We're off duty." Tony said. "Today I can."
"I didn't say anything." Steve said quietly, but Tony could hear that he was trying to hide his laughter.
"You practically screamed, Cap."
"Steve."
Tony looked at him. "What?"
Steve smiled. “As you said, we're off duty. So here I’m just Steve.”
Tony couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. "Sure, Steve."
How it was possible that he existed, Tony found himself thinking. Steve was ... soft, a calm and comforting presence in Tony's chaotic life, a certainty. That's right. Steve was the certainty that Tony had, no matter what happened, no matter what the dilemma, whatever the villain of the week, no matter what the crisis was, Steve was there, the silence in the middle of the confusion. The calm in the eye of the hurricane. Tony laughed to himself in the middle of a sip of his sake, thinking how appropriate that image was.
Getting to the eye of the hurricane was an almost impossible task, it hurt, it made chills just to think, but the reward was worth it, wasn't it? Getting to Steve was more or less like reaching the eye of the hurricane. It was very worthwhile to spend all the time in the world in his company, making him laugh was the biggest reward, but it was also wonderful to see some more intimate things, things you had to be persistent to get, like how his eyes sparkled when he discovered something new, to follow the excitement he tried to contain when he came to show one of his new drawings, watching him fall asleep on movie nights, enjoying the view that was Steve training at the gym, or just enjoying his company, silent and comforting.
Tony just needed the courage to approach. He knew that in the final count, Steve was the light between them and Tony was, well, a walking disgrace, full of traumas and defects, and with his heart resting on a metal crutch that pierced his chest, leaving him full of strange and painful scars. Not to mention all the trauma that Howard had left behind. Tony shook his head. He didn't want to go that way that night. They were off duty. Just happy thoughts.
Like the way Steve was looking at him right now.
"What's it?" Tony asked.
Steve's face turned red and Tony found it extremely cute.
"Nothing." Steve swallowed. "I'm just wondering when you're going there." He nodded at the karaoke stage, where Nat and Bruce were singing Mamma Mia.
“You don’t want to see this." Tony laughed and finished his ... well, who was counting the sake glasses, right?
"I love watching you sing." Steve said quietly, and Tony was afraid he'd have imagined it.
"I don't sing."
"Yes, you do." Steve smiled sheepishly.
"No, I definitely don't sing, Steve." Tony was outraged. He filled the sake glass and took a sip.
"You sing while you work." Steve looked at him and his smile widened, smug.
Tony opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Did Steve pay attention to that? Nobody paid any attention to Tony when he worked. What mattered were the results, the cool toys that came out of his workshop. Nobody cared if Tony sang or not while making them. Well, nobody, except the one person who cared to check if Tony was okay, if Tony had eaten, if Tony had slept, if Tony had showered, and the only person who didn't mind spending hours quietly drawing, just to keep Tony company while Tony worked.
Tony's heart jumped and went back to place, but in the wrong way. No. Scratch that. The right way, but beating differently. Steve was still staring at him, smiling in that funny way. Tony wanted to reach out and touch him, come closer and say that he cared too, that he loved the fact that Steve was his certainty, that he loved the fact that Steve cared. That he loved Steve.
Tony finished his last glass of sake, got up and looked at Steve resolutely. "Maybe I waited too long."
"For what?" Steve asked, not understanding.
"To act." Tony said, opening the button on his coat. "And to try to get what I want." Without waiting for an answer from Steve, Tony turned and headed towards the stage, where Nat and Bruce were choosing the next song.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to sing a song now."
Natasha looked Tony up and down and smiled. "Finally." She handed Tony the microphone and pulled Bruce back to the table.
Tony slid his finger across the touchscreen, surprised with the number of songs available, until he found the one he was looking for. He then positioned himself in the middle of the stage and the lights began to flash, colored, over him, making Tony look like a beautiful futuristic hologram.
He focused his gaze across the room, at Steve, who was looking back at him. "Steve, darling, I dedicate this one to you." Tony pointed at him. "Do what you want with this information."
The first notes of the song started to play over the speakers and Tony let all the sake he had had that night take care of him, and he just let his voice out, without looking away from Steve at any time.
You and me, we're not the same
I am a sinner, you are a saint
When we get to the pearly gates
You'll get the green light
I'll get the old door in the face
"What?" Tony saw Steve asking, with a doubt line between his eyes. Tony didn't care and continued to sing.
Doo, doo, doo
I'm a loser, a disgrace, yeah
Tony saw Steve shaking his head, outraged, and mentioning getting up, but Natasha stopped him by holding him by his shirt. "Pay attention." Tony read her lips. Steve didn't sit down again, but his eyes remained fixed on Tony, mesmerized.
You better be prepared, Steve, Tony managed to think. We have arrived at the moment of truth. Let's see if the wait was really worth it.
I've found love in the strangest place
Tied up and branded, locked in a cage
I say I'm gonna stage a great escape
Let loose and love all
But baby we're out of place
"Oh, my God, Tony." Tony read Steve's lips through the colorful stage lights. He left the melody playing in the background and took a deep breath, looking at Steve. "We're not out of place." Steve said, walking around the table and towards the stage, towards Tony. Heart pounding, threatening to tear his chest, Tony started singing again, making Steve stop at the edge of the stage.
Doo, doo, doo
I'm a loser, a disgrace
You're a beauty
A luminary, in my face
I got it all, and not a lot, I got a lot less than a lot
I've got problems, not just the ones that are little
It's those people problems, it's something to consider
When you eat for dinner at my place
Steve ignored that the song was still playing and that Tony should finish it, and went up on stage, taking the microphone out of Tony's hands and looking deep into his eyes.
"Are you asking me out to dinner, Tony?" And the jackass smirked.
“Did you hear anything else that I sang? The part about me having problems, maybe? Or the part of me and you being extremely different?” Tony was gesticulating wildly and looking everywhere but Steve.
Steve took Tony's hands in his and placed them on his chest, close to his heart.
“Tony? Look at me." Tony did what he asked and wow, he was so beautiful and Tony could feel his heart beating. “If I heard the same song that you dedicated to me, I heard you singing to me that you found love in this place so different and nonsense that it's you and me. Isn't it?"
Tony nodded in agreement. "I just didn't know how to say it."
Steve smiled. “I said I'd love to hear you sing. I never imagined that I'd hear you say that you loved me while singing.”
"What does that mean?" Tony realized that he was shaking. Come on, Steve, tell me you also ...
"I love you," Steve said. “That whole conversation about waiting that is worthwhile? How long do you think I’ve been waiting to tell you this?"
Tony winced. "A long time?"
Steve laughed. "A long, long time."
"Thank sake for giving me all that courage."
"You don't need sake to have the courage to sing, Tony."
“I'm not talking about courage to sing. I was talking about courage to finish what we're doing here.” Tony smirked.
Steve raised an eyebrow. "And what are we doing here?"
“Now, Steve, we're on a stage, in front of our friends, under colored lights, after telling each other that we love each other. What do you think comes next? We put on a little show." Tony untangled his hands from Steve's hands and wrapped them around Steve's neck, pulling him down so they could finally reach the grand finale with the kiss they deserved, to the sound of cheers and the “I always knew it" from Natasha.
oOo