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From the very beginning, the four of them had realized that everything happens for a reason: There is a reason why Roberta picks up a night shift and never makes it back to her three children. There is a reason why Donald lets his stage fright get the best of him and keep him from his audition. There is a reason why Natasha rejects the proposal from her boyfriend, James, only to change her mind. There is a reason why Clint grows a conscience and tries to steal back the things that he stole in the first place.
There is even a reason why Howard and Maria are driving to the hospital that night, why they narrowly miss being hit by the trolleybus that the other four had been riding, and why the quartet’s spirits become attached to the new life of one Tony Stark.
No one aside from Tony ever sees or hears them. At least, that’s what Natasha realizes as the little tike grows older. Clint is the first to realize that, for some reason, all four of them are stuck within a fifty-foot radius of the kid at all times. Donald is the first to sing Tony to sleep when his parents are the ones to cause his tears. But it is Roberta who suggests, when Tony’s parents consider having him committed at six-years-old for his obsession with “invisible people,” that they need to truly become invisible to keep him safe from the world.
The four spirits stay with Tony, even if he can’t see them. They watch him learn to ride a bike, experience his first kiss, graduate high school, talk to a therapist, pursue his masters, work at a fancy law company, and have a revolving door of significant others. At the very least, Tony’s current boyfriend, Steve, is a good catch – all four of them love him, and love that he’s good for their boy.
It’s just too bad their boy isn’t too good to himself outside of that relationship.
“…I’m going to bring it back in on Saturday,” Tony nearly hisses into his phone, “and waste my weekend allowing you to explore your incompetence, alright? Oh, by the way –” The brunet keeps one hand firmly on the wheel as he reaches for the device attached to his dashboard, pressing End Call and hanging up on the car detailer on the other line.
Natasha, squished in the back seat with Donald and Roberta on one side of her, grimaces upon hearing the man’s attitude. If Tony could see them then, he probably would’ve rolled his eyes at the disdain on her face. She peels her arm away from her body, leaning an elbow against the window. “I hate that phone. He’s always on it.”
“Saves him time,” Donald points out, staring out through the front windshield at the passing streets. Clint’s legs are dangling from where he sits on the roof, but they all know that it doesn’t impede Tony’s driving at all.
Roberta scoffs under her breath, her eyes darting to watch Tony from the rearview mirror. She can’t even tell if his own are focused on the road because of his dark shades. “Doesn’t save him enough time to call his mother and father now, does it?”
The phone rings through the car’s stereo speakers again, and Tony answers with a curt, “Yeah?”
“Hey, Tony, it’s Pepper,” his assistant says.
“Pep, what do you got for me?”
“You’ve got a board of directors meeting at four o’clock later… oh! And Steve called. He cancelled your lunch at Fogo de Chao.”
“He did? What for?” Tony questions, his brows knitting together slightly. That isn’t his boyfriend’s usual MO; he never does something like that without a reason. Regardless, after Pepper sends him the address, Tony heads straight over to see what the blond is up to. The other four are excited to be along for the ride.
~*~*~*~
The botanical garden’s tall structure comes to a clearer view as the four of them follow Tony out of the car and through the parking lot, its exterior designs intricate and detailed all the same. “Oh, I know this place! I used to come here when I was a kid,” Roberta muses, following behind Tony as he takes the steps two at a time. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
“But it isn’t a restaurant, is it?” Natasha asks, turning to give her friend a look.
“Nah. It’s full of plants and flowers and stuff,” Clint chimes in. He shoves his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, squinting at the building as they get closer. “You know what, I broke into this joint! Mid-sixties, Valentine’s Day. My girlfriend needed flowers.”
Donald reaches up to take his trilby hat off, worrying the edge with his fingers. “At least it’s not crowded here,” he puts in cheerfully. “I hate it when people walk through us.”
“Eh. It depends on who it is,” Clint teases, grinning.
“That’s the difference between us, Clint,” Donald mentions haughtily, “I’ve always considered it an invasion of my personal space.”
Natasha and Roberta follow close behind Tony, stopping only when he does. There’s a CLOSED sign at the door, with a note taped to it written in barely legible handwriting: Except for Tony!
He pulls it off and smiles slightly to himself. Tony starts off again in the next moment, making his way through the front door of the botanical garden. The other four phase through it as it swings shut. Upbeat music greets them as they enter, and Tony follows it as he meanders the halls of wild roses, white lilies, daisies, and red carnations, until he eventually reaches a domed area in the middle of it all.
Steve is swaying back and forth to the music when Tony spots him, moving in a short two-step that makes the brunet stifle his laughter. He takes a moment to appreciate the blond, who wears a cable-knit sweater and dark wash jeans.
To make himself known, Tony calls out, “Sir, I do believe you’re trespassing. They’re closed, didn’t you read the sign?”
His boyfriend pivots on his heels, head jerking in Tony’s direction. A sweet smile immediately spreads across his full lips as he takes in the sight of the brunet wearing the well-fitted business suit that hugged him in all the right places. “You’re late,” Steve presses, raising a brow.
“Surprising, right?” Natasha sarcastically says, even though neither of them could hear her. Clint only snorts. The four of them stay near some of the planters, silently agreeing to give the couple some space.
“I know. I’m sorry, honey,” Tony apologizes, moving towards the blond and into an embrace. His arms wrap around broad shoulders as Steve’s hands land on Tony’s waist. “God, how did you get them to let you use this place?”
Steve’s eyes immediately fall to Tony’s mouth as he replies, “They owe me.”
“Oh yeah?” Tony pulls his lip between his teeth, trying to suppress his grin as Steve hums his response, nodding. The brunet leans up to brush their lips together, soft and chaste.
Against his mouth, Steve mutters, “They offered it up after we hosted the arts auction here last year.”
“That I do remember,” Tony whispers, closing his eyes as he captures Steve’s mouth again. He twists his fingers up into blond locks, tugging hard enough to earn a groan out of his boyfriend.
“Oh, I can’t watch this,” Donald bemoans, turning away from the two men. He makes a beeline to a nearby cherub statue, examining it like it had some profound message.
Clint clicks his tongue, rolling his eyes. “Don’t be such a prude, Don.”
“No, no, he has a point,” Roberta says, waving a hand. “Let’s let them have their private moment.”
“Tony hasn’t had a private moment since he was born,” Natasha brings up, resting both of her hands on her hips. “I don’t know about you guys, but I for one am living vicariously through their moment.”
Clint high-fives the redhead, laughing loudly. “Living! Ha, that’s golden, Nat. Because we’re dead.”
“What do you have over there?” Tony inquires once they pull away from each other. He nods over to the picnic basket sitting off to the side, along with the bountiful spread of sandwiches and drinks and desserts.
Steve shoots a glance over his shoulder, as if he hasn’t previously noticed the gingham blanket laid across the floor of the garden. “Lunch,” he answers simply. Grinning as he faces Tony again, Steve places another quick peck to his lips.
