Archive of Our Own

“You’re late,” agitated words echoed through the darkened hallway causing goosebumps on Tony Stark’s flesh as the sound made its way to Tony’s ears. With the words, Tony could feel tension creep in as the man he’d been searching for stepped out of the shadows to reveal the pensive expression on his face.

“Fashionably late,” Tony teased hoping to elicit a glimmer of amusement from his companion, but even he knew better than to anticipate a joyous response from his date for the night.

“In what circle exactly is that timing considered fashionable?” Scott Summers retorted with a tip of his head and a nod towards the golden watchband on his wrist.

“None worth mentioning,” Tony smiled in response hoping that his faux pas hadn’t severed any potential for a memorable evening between them after he’d promised Scott a night neither would forget.

“Clearly,” Scott’s lips pinched together. He raised his chin up, turning his focus away from the watch in favor of observing Tony’s arrival once more.

The angling of Scott’s face brought attention to the way the moon’s highlights through the oversized window carried over Scott’s soft skin, illuminating his perfectly sculpted features and drawing emphasis to his sharp jawline. His ever-so-kissable lips were curved downward in the beginnings of a scowl as Scott stood before Tony less than patiently awaiting a reason for Tony’s delay. Scott’s usual uniform that Tony had been more accustomed to had been exchanged for semi-casual attire in a pair of neatly pressed, dark colored slacks and a soft blue button-down shirt. It was a step down from formal, but up from too casual, Tony noted moving forward. Regardless Tony had to admit that Scott was striking regardless of what he was or wasn’t in.

“Truth is I had to concoct a good cover story as to why I couldn’t participate in a round of jacuzzi beer pong and team bonding,” Tony sighed crossing the empty corridor of the hotel’s business wing. His fingers curled around the long neck of the ridiculously expensive bottle of champagne in his right hand. In his left, he prudently gripped the stems of two crystal champagne flutes raising them up as a peace offering for his tardiness after he’d single-handedly arranged the timing behind his meet up with the X-Men team leader hours earlier, “You know how Barton can get when he sets his sights on a little bit of friendly competition for the night ahead of him. You tell him you’ve got other plans, but he thinks his ideas take precedence. Before you know it, you’re struggling to make your way to the door with a drink in hand and the team practically dragging you back inside for another round. It’s really quite aggravating to be honest.”

“Nowhere near as aggravating as having to make up a convincing excuse to the head of the committee of mutant/human relations in an attempt to pull yourself away from a peace summit only to discover that your boyfriend is running more than an hour late on your dinner plans,” Scott mouthed with lips curving downward in the beginnings of the familiar scowl that Tony often found endearing despite the somber mood that often accompanied his lover’s disposition when it appeared.

“I suppose that means our dinner reservations are shot, huh?” Tony probed noting the darkened sky beyond the vacant corridor they were standing in.

“The restaurant called a half an hour ago to say that they couldn’t hold the table any longer,” Scott disclosed with a deliberate, uncomfortable breath, “They informed me that there wasn’t anything they could do about our predicament given that it was a weekend and…”

“So, call them back,” Tony rolled his shoulders back and shrugged dismissively, “Let them know that we aren’t going to accept that. Tell them who they’d better be expecting in the next twenty minutes or else they’re going to find themselves on the receiving end of…”

“It’s fine,” Scott waved his hand again in the hopes of deflecting Tony’s irritation, “Forget about it.”

“No Scott, it’s not fine. After the day I imagine we’ve both had, it’s not even remotely close to fine given that I promised you a sensational night you wouldn’t forget,” Tony’s exaggerated words spilled from his lips. He could see Scott doing his best to cover up the disappointment that lingered beneath the surface, but Tony knew it was a rouse.

“Starting a debate with a hostess whose hands are tied at a restaurant that had every right to tell us to fuck off isn’t exactly the best way to begin a night to remember,” Scott sighed rolling his shoulders back and turning towards Tony, “What’s done is done at this point.”

“You give up too easily,” Tony argued with a dismissive wave of his fingers, “That’s why I wish you would’ve let me make the reservations when we talked about it. If I would have been the one to put in the request, then…”

“What?” Scott inquired with a neutral expression on his face, “You would’ve seen to it that the entire city of Atlanta would’ve moved heaven and earth to reserve our table for the evening? Or better yet perhaps the paparazzi would’ve been at the door ready to watch you walk the red carpet in the hopes of sneaking a peek at Tony Stark’s mystery date.”

“Who said I was up for sharing?” Tony teased with a playful wink, “I always reserve the red carpet for my third or fourth date. This early on is a little fast even for me considering that we didn’t have time to coordinate our wardrobe and…”

“Tony,” Scott’s lips began to curve upward in the beginnings of a reluctant smirk.

“Trust me when I plan on showing you off to the rest of the world, I’ll give you a full briefing first,” Tony offered up boastfully, “Although with the way you look tonight, as delicious as you are, I imagine the paparazzi would eat you up.”

“I suppose we won’t really know about that given that our reservations were canceled,” Scott sighed taking a stab at Tony’s tardiness once again.

“Are you always on time?” Tony wrinkled his nose as Scott’s teasing caused him to question just how disappointed his lover truly was.

“Punctual down to the letter,” Scott promised readily, “If I’m not early, then I consider myself late.”

“Consider me truly indebted to you for your forgiveness on my oversight,” Tony curled his arm in over the center of his chest, clutching the champagne bottle in front of his heart.

“Consider me open to a little groveling on your end,” Scott’s sly grin expanded before he motioned to the shirt he was wearing, “Although had I realized we weren’t going to the top rated restaurant you kept boasting about, I might’ve dressed down a bit for the occasion.”

“You’re stunning,” Tony replied without hesitation, “You’re gorgeous just as you are.”

“Glad to hear it, but at this point in time on a weekend with the summit in town, I’m starting to think our choices for the evening are Waffle House or McDonald’s at this point.”

“Speak no such words,” Tony waved his arm around in the air once again, “I promised you a distinctly memorable, delectably tasteful meal after the day of meetings and I intend to deliver.”

“We can always reschedule,” Scott suggested with a shrug when Tony sensed the teasing in Scott’s tone.

“Not on your life,” Tony shook his head firmly. He puffed his chest out and held his head up high to present his best boast of confidence in moving to address his lover’s concerns, “I can call the restaurant back right now myself and…”

“Don’t bother,” Scott argued simply resigning himself to their newfound fate, “Their mind is made up and their tables are taken by punctual customers who know their policy on keeping reservations on point with timing. The place is evidently quite full and…”

“That’s because you refused to tell them who would be dining there this evening. If you would’ve name dropped me, they might’ve considered minding their manners if we had done it my way,” Tony explained with the beginnings of a scowl.

“We agreed that we were going to play this low key tonight with both of our teams in town,” Scott pointed out.

“Low key sure, but we still could’ve at least name dropped Banner to get some kind of recognition. He’s popular in these parts especially with the ladies,” Tony tossed back at him with a small laugh, “Plus, no one tends to want to refuse a table to the Hulk under such circumstances.”

“Next time I’ll keep that in mind, but for tonight I’m afraid dinner, as we planned, is out of the question,” Scott’s words served as a poignant reminder of just how disappointing Tony’s detour with the team was proving to be as it had severed his promising plans for the evening.

“Damn, if I would’ve known they’d be less than accommodating for us, I would’ve simply purchased the establishment myself. Though a quick phone call right now to Pepper in New York and I’m sure I can get us not only in the door, but to VIP treatment where …” Tony decided inspired by the train of thought his mind had taken him on after Scott’s disappointment struck a chord in him.

“Does anyone ever tell you no?” Scott questioned blankly all the while revealing nothing of his thoughts.

“Not if they know what’s good for them,” Tony answered seeing Scott shifting on his feet. His focus drifted away from Tony onto the window revealing the city lights beyond their reach, “Look. I’m sorry. I’m not trying to come off as a pompous ass here.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Scott spoke underneath his breath.

“It’s just…” Tony bit down on his bottom lip nervously all the while wondering if he had overdone it in throwing around the legacy of Tony Stark to get his point across. Instead he softened his voice and revisited the issue with sentiment behind his words, “I just wanted to make tonight special for us. I promised you something remarkable when we agreed to meet up in Atlanta like this.”

“It’s really not necessary,” Scott shook his head dismissively before angling his chin to reveal the soft, pouting lips that Tony had often found himself longing to kiss in their brief, stolen moments together away from the rest of the world, “None of it is. I’m a simple man Tony. I don’t need the world to fall at my feet to make me want to be with you.”

“You deserve nothing less,” Tony appealed to him once again, “You’re special to me Scott.”

“You’re special to me too, but the fact is that I don’t need to be given the star treatment considering that I spend a lot of my time hoping to avoid the media frenzy associated with who I am,” Scott’s brow tensed with something that Tony suspected went far beyond their conversation with one another.

“It wasn’t about putting our relationship into the spotlight Scott. It was about me pampering you because I wanted to,” Tony brought his hands up, curling his arm to guide the champagne bottle to the center of his chest in front of the place that once housed his arc reactor, “because I wanted you to see how special you are to me.”

“Don’t you think I realize that already?” Scott replied tipping his head down ever so slightly.

“Do you?” Tony felt his heart race as he watched the man before him, unable to believe that he’d agreed to give Tony a chance at wining and dining him for the evening before their plans fell apart.

“Of course I do,” Scott mouthed raising his chin up again only to reveal the faint tease of a smirk upon his lips, “It’s not every day that I decide to cut out on a peace summit for the promise of a thrilling date with a sexy Avenger, you know?”

“Was your ex there—at the summit?” Tony couldn’t help but question watching as Scott’s brow creased with the unspoken truth in his answer.

“That’s not relevant to why I stepped out early,” Scott mouthed with a shake of his head.

“Maybe not, but it explains why tonight’s set back might be feeling worse than it is,” Tony offered up sympathetically, “I can’t imagine having to face that under these circumstances when…”

“What went down with my team at the summit holds no relevance on how I’m feeling right now,” Scott promised solemnly, “After listening to a day of debates, I just wanted to see you. Truth be told it was all I’ve been thinking about since the team flew into town.”

“Is that right?” Tony grinned. He moved in closer to Scott feeling his heart swell with possibility over the idea of spending the night with the man who’d consumed his thoughts for the last few weeks.

“You have no idea just how much of a distraction you’ve proven to be in my life. After that night we spent at your penthouse with one another, I’m afraid I’ve had this horrible bout of waning concentration given that you’ve been on my mind more often than not,” Scott’s face grew hot with the admission behind the sentiment, “I know that we agreed that we wanted to do things on the down low just so that we didn’t run the chance of…”

“Some jackass deciding that we weren’t worthy enough to be seated at their barbeque after a long day of headache inducing meetings?” Tony finished behind pinched lips when his thoughts returned to the way they’d been snubbed by the local barbeque place on their night together, “Scott, that’s entirely unacceptable considering that we haven’t seen one another in…”

“Over two weeks I know.”

“Two agonizingly painful weeks without your smiling face,” Tony corrected moving in closer to his companion.

“Believe me I was feeling it too. After that morning when I was called out of town for the mission before our game night was truly over, I couldn’t help, but find myself carrying around a deep sense of resentment and disappointment in knowing duty severed any progress we made with one another,” Scott finished with an agonizing groan.

“You never gave me the opportunity to end your Trivial Pursuit winning streak,” Tony jabbed with a wink and a hint of laughter.

“You never stood a chance at beating me Stark,” Scott boasted triumphantly at the words, “Even if I had stayed at your place longer than I did, you would’ve found yourself sorely disappointed in the outcome of that competition.”

“If I could’ve started my morning with you in my arms, then it would’ve been worth the humiliation I’d endured in the loss,” Tony explained in an impassioned tone. His dark eyes cascaded over the lines of the man before him remembering the passion and the heat that Scott carried with him when the rest of the world wasn’t scrutinizing his every move. Unlike Tony, Scott had spent most of his life reserved and restrained until Tony had somehow managed to open the door to Scott’s more wild side, “I promised you breakfast in bed before you left. I still intend to deliver on that.”

“That would’ve been a nice way to start the day instead of where I ended up in the trenches after my briefing that morning,” Scott agreed with soft sentiment in his voice when the warmth of what might’ve been lingered in the air around them, “I recognize that nothing about that night was how we anticipated things going, but…”

“We deserved a second chance at making a good first impression upon each other which is why I wanted our first official date tonight to be something to remember,” Tony’s frustration mounted giving him time to consider all the ways he was going to make someone pay for the alteration of his plans.

“Raising hell at a restaurant just because they snubbed us probably isn’t the right way to begin the night,” Scott added quickly dispelling Tony’s enraged thoughts. Ever pragmatic in his approach Scott’s voice was smooth and controlled when he tipped his head once again, “It probably wouldn’t have been the kind of first date meal we’d really want to set up for a night of alone time ahead of us either.”

“Perhaps, but…” Tony paused considering his lover’s words, “I just wanted us to have something remarkable tonight—something that wasn’t about anyone, but the two of us without any kind of distraction. Granted I’d rather whisk you off to somewhere like London or Paris, but…”

“I’m aware of that, but at the same time with our team obligations, we both know that was out of the question for the time being,” Scott presented up in kind preparing to do that thing that he always did in accepting the reasoning behind their inability to meet up to continue what they’d started nearly a month ago on the rooftop of Tony’s nightclub with one another.

“Gorgeous, can I help it if I wanted to show you a good time?” Tony moved in nearer as the mounting tension in his shoulders carried down over his spine causing him to suddenly regret his decision to change their impending plans for the evening, “I promised you something special when we left New York and…”

“I know you did, but at the same time I didn’t expect it,” Scott bit down on his plump, bottom lip nervously, “Tony, I already explained that a full blown date wasn’t necessary tonight given that we are both in town with a full agenda and…”

“Agenda or not, I wanted to show you a good time,” Tony’s voice carried the disappointment over their lost plans once again, “I wanted to lavish you and spoil you a bit.”

“You don’t have to spend a fortune to make that happen,” Scott explained simply as he pushed one hand up through his soft, dark hair, “In fact, how about the two of us just put our first official date on pause for now? We can skip to dessert like you promised back at the penthouse that night before I got called away.”

“That was a pity indeed,” Tony agreed as flashes of their previous night with one another surrounded his thoughts, causing him to remember the long, lean lines of Scott’s beautiful body beneath the moonlight.

“So, what do you say? How about we head up to your room and see what we can come up with as we work through our frustrations?” Scott pursed his lips provocatively serving as a reminder of all the talents his delectable mouth carried with him in the heat of the moment.

The words hit hard as Tony recalled only too well the taste of temptation that he and Scott had explored with one another at the nightclub. It had been remarkable to say the least, but as the thought of stripping down swirled around Tony’s mind, he recalled the impulsive decision he’d made when he’d encountered his desperate teammate with his new lover.

“Yeah, um about that…” Tony swallowed down hard when he was reminded of his earlier burst of generosity in handing his key over to Steve and Bucky after he’d spotted them together in the men’s locker room by the pool, “As tantalizing as that sounds, the room really isn’t exactly as I’d hoped for it to be. As it stands…”

“What?” Scott probed with a curl of his lips, suddenly making Tony want to go back in time and reconsider his thoughtful consideration in sparing his teammate any unnecessary grief in his budding relationship.

“I just…I think that…” Tony stammered on his words before considering his options, “I really would rather much prefer us do something else out of this place for a bit. Something where we can take in the city for a while.”

“Dinner’s kind of shot, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t head up for dessert,” Scott urged him on again as Tony was reminded of just how long the two weeks had felt since they’d experienced any kind of physical contact with one another, “I’m sure that despite its shortcomings your room has an incredible view. If you’re hungry, we can call for room service on my dime and…”

“As enthralling of an idea as that is, I really wanted this to be something a bit more substantial than that—at least for now,” Tony confessed with a sheepish expression on his face, “Don’t get me wrong the idea of having you in my bed is…well, rather captivating in it's inception, but I imagined we’d work up to the whole sex thing this time around given that last time we kind of shot first and considered dating later.”

“Right,” Scott bit down on his plump bottom lip nervously, “So then you’re saying that you want to…”

“Take our time working up to a repeat performance,” Tony assured him with raw honesty behind his words, “I know you said you’re not really up on this whole dating thing, but…”

“I just assumed that we were going to pick up where we left off before,” Scott swallowed down nervously at Tony’s hesitation, “After the night at your club and all the dirty talk between us through texts, I just assumed that you wanted…”

“To jump your bones?” Tony arched a mischievous brow, “Absolutely without a doubt. You have no idea how many times I’ve rubbed one out to the memory of that night at my club, but…”

“But?” Scott repeated shifting on his feet when Tony struggled to put together his incoherent thoughts.

“I like you Scott…a lot and the last thing I want to do is jump the gun in taking you to bed without letting you see that this isn’t just a fling,” Tony explained suddenly feeling his palms sweating as he gripped the bottle harder than before, “Don’t get me wrong sex is nice—really nice and I have no doubts that sex with you is out of this world, but at the same time…”

“You want to see what makes me tick?” Scott’s voice carried a nervous laughter that Tony found even more endearing in their awkward exchange with one another.

“I’d like us both to work our way through all those things that people who are caught up in dating do,” Tony acknowledged with a hint of uncharacteristically anxious laughter in his voice, “Truth be told it’s been a long time since I’ve dated someone Scott and I’m a bit rusty myself.”

“Fair enough,” Scott conceded with a smile, “The last time I was on a real date I was sixteen years old and I have to tell you that it wasn’t all that impressive.”

“Considering the company you kept, I can see why it was a disappointment,” Tony quipped with thick sarcasm in his tone, “Although I can assure you that whatever we do it will be exponentially better.”

“Even with canceled dinner reservations…” Scott poked back at him.

“Especially with canceled reservations given that place was far too ostentatious for us anyway,” Tony decided with an impatient huff. He curled his lips considering a backup plan as he fought to find a way to make the most of the night ahead of them, “I’ve got something better in mind for us.”

“Such as?”

“We discover the city together,” Tony waved the champagne bottle around in the air once again, “We say to hell with our previous destination, take destiny into our own hands and find a way to see to it that we have a night on the town that’s every bit as remarkable as promised and…”

“Just see where the wind takes us?” Scott finished encouragingly.

“Precisely,” Tony nodded with an eagerness in his step, “We take our chances on what the night has laid out before us.”

“It sounds like an interesting challenge,” Scott conceded turning his attention to the darkened night sky beyond the walls of the hotel they were standing in.

“Just say the word and we’ll make it happen. Wherever you want to go name it and we’ll be on our way,” Tony spoke up encouragingly.

“I don’t have the first clue,” Scott divulged with laughter, “I’ve never really spent a significant amount of time in the area…any time really…”

“Hmm, well, you know there’s the…” Tony stopped himself when nothing came to mind before speaking up again in an attempt to fill in the blanks, “and the…”

“I take it you’re not a frequent traveler out here?” Scott glanced over at him once again.

“If we’re talking bars and hotel rooms where…” Tony bit down on his bottom lip nervously, “I’d have to have been sober to remember half of my trips out here.”

“And you weren’t?” Scott questioned.

“Unfortunately, no, but this time,” Tony motioned to the bottle in his hand, “This time I’m going to take my time careful not to overindulge.”

“The champagne is a nice touch Tony, but if you’d rather not,” Scott offered up sympathetically as Tony’s fingers gripped at the neck of the bottle.

“For such an occasion, I wouldn’t skip out on this,” Tony motioned to the bottle in his hand through the shadows in the hallway and submitting its decorative golden label for Scott’s scrutiny across the way, “This stuff is worth taking a sip of. It’s an Italian vintage and…” 

“You know if you wanted, you could’ve stayed with the others for team bonding,” Scott noted with a wrinkled expression on his face when his gaze returned to Tony once again. He leaned up against the giant marble pillar near the oversized hotel windows drawing out an overstated breath, “Barton’s beer pong would’ve been good for team morale.”

“If that was the case, then I would’ve had you join me,” Tony teased with a small laugh, “especially after Barton started spreading wild rumors about strip poker.”

“Oh, that would’ve been good for you,” Scott’s dry, hollow laugh carried over the corridor once again.

“Only if you tell me you’re terrible at poker,” Tony teased unable to refrain from giving Scott a long once over.

“I’m not,” Scott crushed Tony’s illusions without prejudice, “I’m one hell of poker player I’m afraid.”

“We’ll have to test that out when we get back to New York one on one,” Tony decided with a playful expression on his face.

“You’ll lose,” Scott mouthed with a wry grin.

“If I end up naked for you, I don’t consider that to be a loss,” Tony winked over at him all the while taking note of the color his words brought to Scott’s perfectly sculpted features, “certainly not for you or me for that matter.”

“I won’t argue that fact, but that’s kind of missing my point here.”

“What point is that?” Tony questioned curiously.

“That bringing me to a team bonding session would undoubtedly cause discord in the Avengers community,” Scott reminded him with a heavy, dejected sigh.

“You know how I like shaking things up,” Tony laughed lightly.

“Are you looking to find a way to break the team up by inviting me behind enemy lines?” Scott tossed back at him flippantly, “Just thinking it proves that you were going out of your way to ruin Cap’s night, weren’t you?”

“Capsicle has more than enough to keep his hands full tonight. I don’t think that anything I said or did would steal the high he’s riding on away from him right now,” Tony answered with a cryptic smirk knowing only too well tomorrow he was going to find a way to make the most of gloating in the moment he spotted Steve again with the rest of the team. Given that Steve and Bucky were in his suite undoubtedly having the time of their lives, Tony would make sure to hit extra hard with the subdued, teasing jabs for what it cost him on his night with Scott, “Whereas I personally feel as though my obligation is to you.”

“The purpose of this trip was to work on team bonding and skill building. You told me yourself that…”

“I was looking for a way to reach out to you given that Xavier tends to hold you just beyond my reach most of the time,” Tony clarified firmly when the sour reminder of their time apart consumed his thoughts, “When you mentioned the peace summit, I went out of my way to make sure that we were staying here so that…”

“You could cut out on the team you’re working so hard to bring closer together,” Scott shook his head with heavy disapproval, “Part of being a leader is setting aside your own personal wants and desires in favor of…”

“Being bored out of my mind with yoga and other random activities that our overpaid event planner put together,” Tony rolled his eyes at the thought, “Truth is we all know we don’t need that. We’re more than effective as a team, so rather than going through the semantics I choose to have a good time with someone who is also long overdue for a little bit of adventure in his life.”

“I’m not so sure it’s adventure that I’m looking for when we both know that I undoubtedly should’ve maintained my position at the summit instead of…” Scott bit down on his lower lip nervously.

“Having to endure listening to a bunch of windbags going on about their thoughts on maintaining peaceful relations that really hold no relevance in their lives?” Tony challenged with a sardonic smirk, “Face it gorgeous they were never going to arrive at any kind of satisfying resolution at the conclusion of their meetings.”

“Not when everyone is at odds over what is the best proposed solution to the matter at hand,” Scott quipped sliding his arms down at his sides. His head tipped back, his lips relaxing just a bit as he touched the pillar behind him. Flattening his hands out, he observed Tony’s every movement giving himself time to consider his lover’s tardiness once again.

“What I propose is we forget about their problems and focus on the plans we still have ahead of us,” Tony suggested with a wiggle of his brow, “After all, as your very late, very apologetic boyfriend, I was kind of hoping that you’d let me make it up to you after I groveled just a little bit for my mistake.”

“No need,” Scott decided pushing away from the pillar to stand up straighter, “You don’t have to grovel when a proper apology will do just fine.”

“Hmm….well, a little booze, good conversation and maybe a little bit of…” Tony’s words trailed off as Scott’s face grew a deeper shade of crimson, returning to the tint that perfectly complemented the ruby quartz glasses that he donned over his beautifully sculpted cheekbone.

“Yes?” Scott questioned lazily as Tony considered his options. Looking to the oversized windows beyond where his lover stood, he strayed from his direct path setting the champagne glasses down on an end table. He motioned to Scott again before popping open the champagne bottle and pouring them both a glass.

“How about a drink before we begin?” Tony suggested with a sultry smirk, “It will give us both the opportunity to unwind and loosen up as I move forward from the night that I put behind me.”

“I can only imagine how strenuous jacuzzi beer pong would be for you,” Scott’s words were laced with sarcasm.

“You would not believe how competitive it can become,” Tony teased carrying the two champagne flutes with him over to where Scott propped against the pillar once again, “Although I really didn’t stick around long enough to play splish-splash with the team.”

“No?” Scott questioned gracefully extending his long fingers to accept the small token of his lover’s apology. He raised the champagne glass to his lips, considering Tony’s words before speaking up again, “Then why were you so late tonight?”

“You wouldn’t believe the truth if I spelled it out for you,” Tony divulged with a mischievous smirk. He raised his own glass to his lips taking a quick sip before his grin expanded, “Let’s just say that tomorrow I’m undoubtedly coming into a small lump sum of money that I will graciously accept before taking you out on yet another night on the town away from the rest of the world. I was thinking maybe we could start earlier in the day with a wine tasting and a tour the countryside or…”

“What aren’t you telling me?” Scott cut to the point.

“Let’s just say that we’re undoubtedly not going to be the only men getting lucky tonight,” Tony teased bridging the distance between them long enough to push up on his toes to seek his lover’s mouth out in a tease of a kiss.

“Who said anything about you getting lucky tonight? Weren’t you the one talking about pacing ourselves?” Scott’s sultry, teasing words pressed over Tony’s lips, creating a warmth in the center of his abdomen with the teasing.

“A man can only move to a slow crawl, but that doesn’t mean that he wants to stay lingering behind at the start line,” Tony mused inching in closer to Scott as their lips eased in close enough to touch, yet still worlds away when it came to kissing.

“I wouldn’t leave you staggering behind even if our plans only entail a slow crawl,” Scott promised with lips parting.

“Maybe more of a steady sprint,” Tony suggested feeling his face grow flushed at the nearness of the man he’d been dreaming about for the last few weeks.

“I suppose we can work up to that if you can keep up,” Scott teased with a flick of his tongue out over his bottom lip. The damp tip centered in over the middle of Tony’s mouth, causing his entire body to react to the fleeting taste of the man beside him.

“You’re such a tease,” Tony decided bringing his arm around Scott’s waist, to guide him into the kiss.

“We both know better than to believe that,” Scott assured him with a sudden burst of raw confidence in his voice, “Once I commit to something, I’m all in.”

With a hint of laughter in his tone, Scott inched forward gently skimming his soft, lush lips over Tony’s perhaps overeager smirk, knowing just the right way to set everything inside of Tony ablaze with temptation and desire in all the ways that only Scott Summers could do.

“Hmm…well now that you mention it, maybe we can get back to that whole boyfriend thing you were talking about earlier,” Tony decided in between teasing nips over Scott’s sought-after, scrumptious lips, “I think I’d like to delve into that a little bit deeper and discuss the terms and responsibilities associated with that title. Perhaps we could go over the details of the perks in our mutually beneficial arrangement starting with the pleasures we intend to engage in with one another later tonight when…”

“I don’t doubt that you would,” Scott teased brushing the tip of his nose against Tony’s with a playful burst of amused laughter, “After all it’s not every day I skip out on responsibility to play hooky with one of the most narcissistic, sought after heroes on the Avenger’s team.”

“Just like I wouldn’t dream of simply spending my time wasted with the most uptight, straight-laced, delectably charming X-Men team leader at my side, who might I add has the most perfect ass known to man,” Tony flirted as his fingers eased up over Scott’s spine to imprint the warmth of the man beside him.

“Known to man?” Scott repeated with laughter at his lover’s obvious praise.

“Man, monster, machine,” Tony tossed out with a dismissive wave of the hand still holding his champagne glass, “Whatever we can use to classify it as, it’s truly a work of art.”

“And here I thought you were with me because you had a deep appreciation for my sense of discipline and my structured mind,” Scott joked with a lightness in his otherwise serious tone.

“Your mind turns me on in ways that I really don’t think we should get into here out in public when at any time a janitor could come walking in and catch us in the act of exploring how attracted to your mind I truly am,” Tony assured him with a wide, goofy grin.

“Yeah, that’s not very convincing Tony,” Scott retorted with uproarious laughter, “It sounds like you’re just trying to placate me to get into my pants again.”

“Oh I’ll get into your pants again sooner or later,” Tony reached out to touch the side of Scott’s face, forcing Scott to meet his convincing eyes for a few lingering seconds, “but it’s all of you that intrigues me. If I simply wanted to fuck you, we wouldn’t be standing here now having this conversation.”

“No?” Scott arched an inquisitive brow.

“You aren’t simply a one night stand in my eyes,” Tony appealed to him once again, “You never were as far as I was concerned given that it took me years to work up the courage to even consider asking you out.”

“I was married Tony,” Scott reminded him once again.

“Even so,” Tony further explained, “That time we were on the mission in New Orleans when our teams were at odds with one another…”

“When Cap refused to listen to reason,” Scott clarified behind pinched lips.

“That’s the one,” Tony nodded reaching out to ease his fingers through Scott’s thick, dark hair, “When our bickering came to an end after that explosion. After it was over, you were standing outside of that building you cleared out with ash on your face and your hair wild and unruly, in those few seconds I knew…”

“Knew what?” Scott’s words were barely above a whisper.

“That I was going to have to ask you to dinner sooner or later regardless of your marital status,” Tony confessed brazenly, “You perked my interest gorgeous and that doesn’t happen all that often.”

“I imagine it happens more than you’d like me to believe,” Scott teased with an uncertainty in his tone.

Despite his attempts at being cool and collected, Tony knew full well that there was doubt brought on by Jean’s deplorable behavior through the years she and Scott had been married. Hell, it was obvious to anyone with eyes that she’d worked a number over Scott, but Tony was also aware of the fact that Scott deserved far more than he’d been given during the time he’d committed to his unappreciative ex-wife. It was one of the reasons why Tony had been determined to reach out to him in the first place.

“No one has ever intrigued me the way that you do Scott. You’re smart, gorgeous, a good leader who knows how to keep his team safe and beyond that you’re fun to be around,” Tony continued earnestly, “You don’t have to pretend to be someone the world anticipates you being. You just are as you were meant to be and…”

“Oh please,” Scott groaned outwardly, “Even I know that most of the world sees me as an asshole.”

“Then join the club because I haven’t met a person alive who hasn’t found me to be an insufferable dickhead upon meeting me. Most people don’t see beyond the legacy of Tony Stark, but when they do…”

“They get to see the man that I want to get to know better,” Scott’s face shifted with fondness when his words came from the heart, “The one who awakens a part of me that I never felt comfortable exploring before he walked into my life.”

“Truthfully,” Tony paused considering his words, “that’s not really how it is. I don’t tend to let just anyone in. Granted there’s my whole inner circle, but for those in the know…well, let’s just say that there must be something special to reach this point as far as I’m concerned. After all I don’t let just anyone get a shot at stealing my title of the reigning king of board games.”

“Is that right?” Scott laughed lightly, “So then you’re a sore loser?”

“The absolute worst kind of loser, but when I’m in your company even if you are kicking my ass at Trivial Pursuit, I feel like I come out on top as a winner,” Tony’s grin expanded when the soft color carrying over Scott’s features pulled Tony even deeper into affection for the man at his side, “I like being around you Summers.”

“I like being around you too,” Scott offered up sheepishly before his face turned a deeper shade of crimson, “That night at the club was a first for me Tony in a lot of ways.”

“I could see that,” Tony added with a salacious grin, “which makes me even more thankful that I was the one you decided to explore your options with.”

“I know it was on a whim,” Scott bit down on his plump bottom lip nervously, “but when we stepped outside of the expectations the rest of the world had for us, it did something to me.”

“Knowing that I stood a chance at getting to know you beyond the team animosity,” Tony moved in closer to him, “You’d better believe I jumped on it hoping like hell that you’d look beyond what you’d heard.”

“Oh, I heard terrible things, but I’m not one to fall for rumors and gossip,” Scott promised mirroring Tony’s movements and moving in closer to the man who’d seemingly invited him to step out of the shell that surrounded him.

“Neither am I, which is why I realized from the moment you didn’t outright refuse my offer for us to spend some time together that I knew just how special this was going to be for us,” Tony reached out to touch the side of Scott’s face, coaxing Scott to look down at him again.

“Everyone said I lacked imagination,” Scott teased with a wrinkled expression on his face.

“They clearly never took the time to carry a conversation with you because that thing at the club…” Tony’s eyes lit up with the promise of the memory they shared, “was certainly not a lack of imagination in any way.”

“What would you call it then?” Scott tipped his head down, sliding in closer yet.

“Inspiration at its finest,” Tony’s words rolled over the tip of his tongue to intermingle with Scott’s warm breath, “That setup was sexy as hell and truth be told it was probably one of the hottest things I’ve ever experienced in my life.”

“Says the man that has undoubtedly tried everything,” Scott groaned outwardly in an attempt to deflect Tony’s words.

“I’m serious Scott,” Tony stroked the side of Scott’s face coaxing Scott to accept the truth behind his words, “Being close to you turns me on in ways you can’t even begin to imagine.”

“I can imagine a lot,” Scott teased sliding in closer to him.

“You’re gorgeous Summers,” Tony assured him brazenly, “You’re hot in ways that I don’t think I can even put to words. You’re smart, witty, one hell of a tactician…”

“Not to mention I’m an asshole,” Scott noted considering some of the earlier debates they’d gotten into on the battlefield long before they’d considered seeing one another.

“Yeah, well I think that’s actually pretty hot as well. It turns me on like you wouldn’t believe,” Tony declared arching up towards Scott with the promise of a kiss on his mind, “As does everything else about you.”

“Hmm…well if I knew all it took was an overactive imagination and a bad reputation to capture your attention, I might’ve tried years ago,” Scott offered up while languidly reaching out to encourage Tony’s forward approach into his personal zone.

As their lips collided, Scott’s arm slid around Tony’s shoulders, coaxing Tony to rise higher on his toes to give himself further to the kiss, to taste the passion and desire burning beneath the surface between them. With each slow exploration and soft, lingering caress, Tony found himself wondering how he’d lived without Scott’s presence in his life. Yes, he’d been in plenty of relationships before, but Scott had proven to be decidedly different. As their lips parted and Scott’s shivering exhale vibrated over Tony’s mouth leaving him hungry for more in their exchange, Tony knew full well that he was hooked on the man enfolded in his arms.

“Mmm…so what now?” Scott questioned holding the champagne glass loosely in one hand while the other tapered off over Tony’s shoulder with creeping fingers easing down over Tony’s spine.

With slow teasing brushes of his fingertips over Tony’s dark colored shirt, Scott sought out Tony’s mouth again. Their lips collided with urgency giving way to the want and deep yearning inside of them for the time spent together that their busy lives had stolen from them. At first dinner had sounded like a great plan, a way to encourage conversation, but with Scott’s arms around him, Tony’s mind was sidetracked instead guiding him further away from intention and deeper into hunger. With one hand entrenched in Scott’s thick, dark hair, Tony wrenched him in closer, keeping their mouths connected, their tongues exploring each other with playful longing while savoring the faint taste of champagne between them.

“Dinner’s off the agenda…” Tony’s words vibrated over Scott’s lips, enveloped in the promise of temptation when Scott’s palm pressed firmly over Tony’s ass offering up a determined squeeze.

“And dessert?” Scott’s words were laced with hunger that had entirely everything to do with the man in his arms.

“My hotel room is out of the question for the night,” Tony groaned outwardly. He pulled back just enough to take in the view before him. Scott’s breath was uneven, his face flushed and lower lip trembling as Tony found himself reaching for Scott’s glass of champagne. Detangling himself from Scott’s embrace, Tony attempted to return to reason, but instead he merely set the glasses down on the windowsill before facing Scott once again, “It’s a bit occupied at the moment.”

“Occupied?” Scott repeated curiously, “How?”

“I sort of lent it to Cap for the night when he…” Tony stopped himself when the memory of Steve and Bucky’s naked encounter replayed in his mind, “I was doing him a favor and because of it…”

“We’re out of a place to be for the dessert explorations,” Scott realized when faint traces of a scowl touched upon his ever-so-kissable lips.

“We could always take this to your room,” Tony wiggled his brow suggestively, “I know it’s not the penthouse, but…”

“We can’t,” Scott shook his head simply.

“Why not?” Tony questioned with the beginnings of a frown as Scott stood before him looking like the ultimate fantasy come to life all hot and bothered by their kisses, “If you’re worried about it not being extravagant enough…”

“It isn’t the quality of the room. The thought honestly hadn’t crossed my mind,” Scott wrinkled his nose again before expelling an uneasy sigh, “It’s just that I have a roommate on the mission and…”

“A roommate?” Tony repeated with an impatient huff when it became painfully obvious that any inkling of alone time was becoming nothing more than a distant fantasy left to be unfulfilled during their Atlanta adventure, “Xavier has millions at his disposal, and he sends you out here with a roommate? Then again is this a roommate or a chaperone given that he knows you’re here with me?”

“It’s not atypical for us to travel in pairs especially to something this big when…” Scott attempted to explain when Tony felt a twinge of jealousy overtake him.

“Who are you staying with?” Tony questioned without considering the impact of the jealousy that carried over his inquiry.

“Logan,” Scott looked away from Tony’s questioning eyes. He swallowed down hard and took a step back, struggling to keep his voice even when Tony’s jealousy grew exponentially at the knowledge that Scott's roommate was the teammate that anyone with eyes knew Scott had once spent time pining over. The thought was immediately damning with Tony envisioning the details of Logan being assigned to Scott's personal space.

“You’re sharing a room with Logan?” Tony repeated struggling to hold back on the concern that carried over him.

“We do it all the time,” Scott shrugged his shoulders. He brought his hand up over the back of his neck, struggling to put together the words to smooth over the situation before he pinched his lips together nervously, “We’ve been doing it for years and while I don’t mind him as a teammate, I really don’t think that you’d appreciate him observing the two of us together in that setting…”

“Who knows?” Tony forced a sly grin when he clung to the thought of the deep connection he and Scott had discovered with one another. Instead of jealousy, he felt amusement creep in over his senses returning him to his playful, sarcastic nature in his teasing, “He might be able to take notes and pick up some pointers if he was able to witness us…”

“Tony,” Scott blushed further and spoke up in a warning voice.

“What?” Tony laughed with a casual wave of his hand, “It’s not like he couldn’t use the instruction I’m sure given that he’s…”

“Not relevant to this conversation,” Scott cut him off abruptly before extending his arms out in the distance, “The point is that right now I’d prefer not to think about the teams or anything that’s operating outside of the two of us given that…”

“…being together is something we should most certainly be taking advantage of,” Tony agreed returning to Scott’s arms once again, “It’s been too long without your face Summers.”

“I’m here now,” Scott promised moving in to claim Tony’s lips again in a deep, impassioned kiss. His arms surrounded Tony’s waist drawing Tony in against his long, lean torso before Tony pulled away from the kiss overtaken by a newfound sense of curiosity.

“You and Logan…” Tony couldn’t help, but pose the question he’d considered for years before he’d been brave enough to ask Scott to accompany him to dinner a short while ago, “the two of you haven’t ever been…..”

“What?” Scott questioned squeezing his arms around Tony’s shoulders.

“You know,” Tony felt his face grow hot with the ridiculousness behind his own sense of questioning. It was beyond his own comprehension why it mattered but knowing that Logan was undoubtedly back in Scott’s hotel room on the prowl and preparing for his return, it made Tony uneasy in ways he hadn’t thought he was capable of.

“Not in a very long time,” Scott answered with a scowl touching over his lips, “We tried it a couple of times, but ultimately decided that it was better for the team to keep it professional.”

“And now?” Tony asked again.

“I’m right where I want to be with the person I’ve been dreaming about since that night at your penthouse when we were…” Scott explained himself, but with his words, Tony had discovered he’d heard more than enough. Instead his mouth crashed into Scott’s again, kissing him with unrestrained longing and desire. His hands were entrenched in Scott’s hair, coaxing him in closer for a deeper connection. Within seconds they were pawing at one another, pressed up against the pillar in the empty hallway exploring the friction of their bodies against each other, hard and urgent for the one thing that they’d seemingly avoided the first time around with one another.

“I can get another room. I can book an entire hotel just for us if you’d like,” Tony decided in between nips over the side of Scott’s neck. His hands roamed over the planes of Scott’s chest, taking in the warmth of the man beside him with each groping press, “Let me just make a call and…”

“Tony, I thought we were going to go out for the night…” Scott’s words were the voice of purpose behind their actions, but with Scott’s fingers plucking away at the buttons of Tony’s dark colored shirt, he found that reason had been tossed out the window. Instead they arched back against the marble pillar behind Scott, kissing and teasing one another until the sound of loud throat clearing caused them to part ways without question.

“What the…?” Tony prepared to curse the person who’d taken to stealing their moment away from them, but as he spun around to discover Bruce standing in the shadows slack jawed and wide eyed, Tony knew that karma had come around full circle stealing the moment from him and Scott as he had done with Steve and Bucky.

“Sorry…I was just…” Bruce swallowed down hard with embarrassment carrying over his surprised features. He motioned over his shoulder pointing behind him before shaking his head and pushing his hand forward with an accompanying nod to point to the exit just beyond where Scott and Tony had been making out with one another, “passing through. It was easier to cut through here to get to the other tower and…”

“Bruce,” Tony spoke up as he reached down to zip up his pants and adjust the loose buttons on his shirt. He looked over his shoulder, seeing Scott’s face had turned a deeper shade of red when Scott struggled to adjust his now unruly hair.

“Dr. Banner,” Scott’s timid voice piped in as Scott, too, cleared his throat and attempted to make light of the situation they’d unknowingly entered with Tony’s teammate.

“Scott,” Bruce greeted him in a polite, neutral tone, “How’s it going?”

“It’s…” Scott’s gaze shifted over towards Tony before he returned his focus to Bruce again.

“Better now that you’re here. Summers and I were just discussing the peace summit that he’s attending and…” Tony covered doing his best to honor Scott’s wishes to keep their connection to one another under wraps until Scott was ready to open up about their relationship, “We were just…”

“Catching up with one another,” Scott added stepping away from the pillar and returning to the same, stoic stance that often carried over him during their team encounters, “Given that there have been extensive meetings for the last few days, Tony was curious about…”

“The direction of the meetings,” Tony finished with a nod, “They’ve been a bit intense and I was considering offering up the support of our team should things get out of hand in the negotiations.”

“Are they that intense?” Bruce questioned with a worried expression on his face, “I hadn’t heard much about any kind of growing tension in the exchanges, but…”

“I’d be remiss if I said everything was running smoothly,” Scott answered honestly when he divulged the details of the day he’d put behind him, “but at the same time Tony was simply offering his time and expertise on the matters at hand when…”

“Of course,” Bruce nodded rubbing his hands together nervously, “I can’t speak for the rest of the team, but the Avengers would be more than happy to lend a hand in any way we can, should the need arise. I’ve been following the meetings for a while on CNN and I know that this is a subject worth visiting all around. With the new proposals and the increasingly tense political climate…”

“…we’ve got a lot to take in, which is why I was attempting to entice Scott into accompanying me to dinner,” Tony blurted out knowing only too well that Banner had seen far more than he’d ever dare speak of in their encounter, “Which brings me to question what it is you are doing out here given that the last time we saw one another you were back in the jacuzzi and…”

“Yeah,” Bruce replied with a shrug and a self-depreciating half smirk, “you know how team bonding and alcohol works. The other guy really isn’t someone that I need to be sharing that with.”

“No, I suppose not,” Tony shifted on his feet, “but at the same time I thought that you agreed to take it easy for the night. The team bonding night was about slowing down for a while.”

“Yeah, well when half the team excused themselves, I decided that I should probably to the same,” Bruce noted with a sigh, “Things were getting a bit hot and heavy in there and I was starting to feel like a third wheel. I figured I’d just as soon step aside and leave Clint and Natasha some time to enjoy the jacuzzi with each other.”

“Right,” Tony hesitated to look over to Scott again before focusing his energies on Bruce. Granted, Bruce hadn’t spoken about it much, but he knew full well that Bruce had been feeling down after Bruce and Natasha had shared a brief romantic thing with one another. It was in the aftermath of the relationship ending that Bruce had retreated to himself more often than not leaving Tony to wonder if the sight of the newly reunited Natasha and Clint had stirred up old feelings about the things that weren’t meant to be in Bruce’s life, “I can see why that might’ve been for the best.”

“Yeah, well, you know I’ve learned when to cut my losses and move forward,” Bruce cleared his throat before his eyes shifted between Tony and Scott once again, “but I won’t hold the two of you up. I’m sure you have plenty to talk about where the summit is concerned and…”

“Actually,” Scott stepped forward surprising Tony with his approach, “Tony and I hadn’t really settled in on any concrete plans for dinner, but if you’re willing, we wouldn’t mind you coming along with us. I would love to hear your thoughts on the peace summit meetings. Another voice of reason might be helpful right about now.”

“Oh no,” Bruce shook his head apologetically, “I couldn’t…”

“Of course, you could,” Tony cast Scott a grateful glance in realizing that Scott had picked up on Tony’s concern for his friend, “Two is fun, but three’s a party. What do you say? I’m thinking maybe Cantonese or Mexican…”

“I heard they have a great barbeque place just around the corner that everyone is bragging about,” Bruce offered up after a moment’s contemplation, “Clint was bragging about it earlier and…”

“I heard it was horribly overrated,” Tony waved his hand dismissively, “but now that I think about it, I’ve got a better idea if you’re willing.”

“What might that be?” Scott asked with a curious expression on his face.

“You’ll both just have to wait and see,” Tony decided hoping like hell that he could find a way to balance his friendship and his new lover with one another on a night when things were going anything, but as he’d planned. However, as he was faced with the challenge of incorporating the two parts of his life as one, he vowed to do his best to intermingle them in such a way that the night could end without any problem on the horizon.

“Only Tony would think about doing all of this,” Bruce laughed lightly looking up to the aquarium glass overhead that surrounded them in their retreat away from the hotel. As a colorful array of fish swam above the glass over where the trio had been seated earlier with their take-out Italian food and picnic blanket set out across the ground, Scott couldn’t help, but smile at the lengths that Tony had gone to in order to ensure they had a good night with one another.

“It was a nice touch,” Scott confessed poking his fork into the silver serving dish that housed his chicken alfredo. He arched his head up watching as the oversized aquatic creature swam beyond the school of fish bringing with the movement an uncanny glimpse of what it was like to be under the water surrounded by aquatic life.

“It’s incredible,” Bruce deposited his fork into the oversized meatball in his own silver dish, scooping it out with a spiral of spaghetti before taking a hearty bite. He chomped on it, savoring the tangy, acidic sauce before looking over to Scott once again, “but I still kind of feel like the third wheel given that this all speaks volumes about a date here.”

“A date,” Scott repeated with a hard swallow, “What would make you think that this was…?”

“A date,” Bruce laughed lightly before reaching for another forkful of his take-out meal, “I don’t know…perhaps it was the champagne glasses in the hallway or the way that you two were…”

“What?” Scott questioned turning his attention to the glass observation tank where Tony was having an extensive conversation with the elderly woman who’d granted them access to the aquarium after hours. He was entertaining her with a story about his youth when he’d gone deep sea diving on the west coast seeking out adventure.

“Nothing,” Bruce held his hand up and waved his fingers dismissively before returning his focus to his dinner, “I just…”

“What?” Scott asked again. He looked to his half-eaten meal contemplating another bite before he placed the silver foil bowl on the blanket just beyond his reach, “What is it?”

“It’s just…” Bruce looked over to Scott again with a solemn expression on his face, “Tony’s probably the best friend I have in my life right now. He’s a good guy. He doesn’t often let people see that, but when he cares about someone…there’s nothing that he wouldn’t do to make them happy.”

“I can see that,” Scott admitted fondly admiring the man whose company he’d been eager to keep.

Still entrenched in the details of his deep-sea diving story with the aquarium’s volunteer, Tony was all smiles and laughter until his eyes found their way to Scott again. He continued speaking to the woman but winked over at Scott and offered up a small, not so secret wave in Scott’s direction.

“So, are you?” Bruce asked directly.

“What?” Scott questioned returning Tony’s wave before looking over to Bruce once again.

“Happy?” Bruce inquired while using his fork to slice his meatball into four sections within his aluminum bowl, “The last time you and I spoke to one another you were in a bit of a dark place and…”

“I was going through a lot of change in my life,” Scott noted reaching for his pasta once again. He dipped his fork within the silver walls of the bowl, scooping up an excess amount of sauce before pushing the cheesy dish into his mouth. He chewed on it for a few seconds, taking advantage of the time spent chewing to consider his words before speaking, “At the time I thought I was facing the end of the world, but now, well, now I’ve discovered that there are other options out there.”

“I can imagine,” Bruce laughed nodding towards Tony, who was now speaking with exaggerated movements in flailing his arms around at the height of his tale shared with the laughing woman beside him, “That wouldn’t have anything to do with him, now would it?”

“Actually,” Scott swallowed down hard when the weight of the truth carried over him, “It would have absolutely everything to do with him. Tony’s a very special guy.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Bruce’s laughter rose with Tony’s outrageous moments taking him and Scott from their conversation to observing Tony’s tale of triumph over a shark that had wanted to take a bite out of the then teenaged Tony Stark on his underwater adventure.

“Look…the thing is…” Scott found himself struggling to find the right words, “I really don’t want to screw this up. With my marriage ending the way it did…”

“Yeah,” Bruce’s somber expression returned, “I heard about that. I’m sorry.”

“I’m not,” Scott replied surprising himself with how truthful his words were when they carried over his lips, “The thing is that at the time it ended, I wasn’t sure what was ahead for me. I was in this place where I was questioning a lot of things about who I was and where I had been in my life, but ultimately…Tony, well, he gave me clarity that I’d been lacking up until that point in time.”

“He’s good for that,” Bruce noted with a sympathetic smile, “He’s just got this way about him that…”

With Bruce’s words on the tip of his tongue, he was distracted by Tony’s storytelling. Tipping his head to the side, Scott observed Tony’s lips pinched together and he was making a buzzing, blowing sound that had the volunteer at the aquarium in a fit of laughter.

“Yeah,” Scott agreed with a wide, undoubtedly ridiculous grin on his face watching as Tony entertained the gray-haired woman who had been kind enough to stay after hours and give them all access to the otherwise empty aquarium, “he does.”

“He just finds his own way to reach you even when you think you’ve been entirely lost,” Bruce added with admiration in his tone, revealing depths of the bond he shared with Tony through the years.

“He’s one of a kind,” Scott entirely agreed feeling his heart swell with love for the man who’d somehow awakened something inside of him that he’d felt had been lost years ago.

“That he is,” Bruce agreed with laughter preparing to finish off the rest of his spaghetti when Tony waved them on for an exploration of the tour that he’d arranged for them.

“She’s going to give us a private showing with the dolphins,” Tony announced excitedly bouncing around the corridor to join Bruce and Scott beside the blanket, “They have this whole show they put on with lights and tricks, which I know you’re both going to love. Given how intelligent dolphins are I anticipate it being an opportunity for us to reach out and see what kind of connections we can make…”

“It sounds like it,” Bruce laughed scooping up a forkful of his spaghetti and meatball pieces working to finish it off before departing their makeshift dinner table on the floor.

“What do you say?” Tony questioned extending his hand out to Scott as Scott remained seated on the blanket. He wiggled his brow suggestively before speaking up with laughter behind his enthusiastic expression, “Shall we take an underwater adventure?”

“I’d love to,” Scott agreed accepting Tony’s fingers and allowing his companion to pull him up from the floor and into his arms.

For a brief second their bodies collided bringing them closer to one another than they’d been since Bruce’s arrival. In the chaste touch, jolts of awareness carried over Scott’s body reminding him of the unquenched desire he harbored for the man beside him. It consumed his thoughts taking him from the promise of the dolphin show to the memory of what it was like on top of the nightclub breaking all the rules in Tony’s arms.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Tony’s sultry words rolled over the tip of his tongue, guiding him in closer to Scott as if he, too, was caught up in the memory of their night at Tony’s nightclub when they’d been immersed in one another, “It’s going to be quite the adventure I’m told.”

“I’m always up for adventure,” Scott flirted finding himself drawn to Tony’s mouth again when he suddenly remembered Bruce’s presence in the hallway with them. Taking a step back, Scott cleared his throat and turned to Tony’s friend again, “Are you coming along with us?”

“I’ll get there eventually,” Bruce waved one hand up in the air before poking at his bisected meatball, “Right now I have a question for our host about one of the exotics we saw in the other area. I was hoping she could give me a more in-depth background on the species if she doesn’t mind showing me around.”

“Not at all,” the elderly woman practically squealed at the suggestion. She rushed forward stepping over to Bruce’s side with an eager expression on her face, “I would be delighted to discuss our aquatic life with you Dr. Banner.”

“I appreciate you accompanying me,” Bruce smiled up at the woman before looking over to Tony once again.

“You really don’t want to miss the dolphins,” Tony piped in encouragingly when Bruce shifted on the blanket picnic area.

“I’ll see them eventually,” Bruce finished off his meal before pulling himself up to a standing position. He dusted his pants off before looking between Tony and Scott, “but if I don’t make it, then you two be sure to fill me in, yeah?”

“Sure thing,” Tony promised readily reaching out to take Scott’s hand in his.

“We’d love to have you with us,” Scott added curling his long, slender fingers around Tony’s as their hand holding served as the first outward sign of their connection to each other beyond the glimpse they’d revealed to Storm on the rooftop back at Tony’s club.

Now, as they held each other’s hand and stood together beneath the blue hues of the water overhead, it seemed that the tension they’d first experienced in being found out was erased by the ease of knowing that their growing relationship was safe in Bruce’s confidence. With a smile over at them, Bruce nodded and stepped back rubbing his palms together before motioning to their guide.

“I realize that,” Bruce acknowledged and smiled back at them, “and I appreciate the time you’ve spent with me already, but it seems that I have my own date for the evening with Mildred here, yes?”

“Of course, Dr. Banner,” Mildred practically yelped with delight, “It isn’t every day we get such charming, talented, handsome young men willing to spend their free time here with the rest of us. We’re all such fans.”

“And we’re fans of you gorgeous,” Tony released Scott’s hand to in favor of stepping forward and reaching for Mildred’s. He raised it to his lips and offered up a chaste kiss over the top of it that caused her to swoon in response, “You are truly enchanting Mildred. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide for the evening.”

“No, we couldn’t,” Bruce agreed extending his arm out to her in invitation, “Shall we take that walk around the aquarium again my dear?”

“Absolutely,” Mildred eagerly accepted Bruce’s arm. She squeezed over his bicep and giggled before looking around the trio that surrounded her, “You’re all such a delight. The girls are going to be so envious that they weren’t here to see you tonight.”

“We can return in the morning with the rest of the team for a photo op if you would like given the generosity that you extended to all of us,” Tony suggested brightly, “We’ll even bring Cap.”

“Oh, I do like him too,” Mildred giggled again like a teenager caught up in the throes of meeting her favorite boy band in her youth, “He’s entirely too cute for words.”

“That he is,” Tony agreed with a flit of giggles himself playing into Mildred’s enthusiasm before he stood up straighter and spoke up in a solemn voice, “I’ll have him here before the lunch rush so you can all take your turns getting your picture with him. We’ll even bring Hawkeye if he promises to behave.”

“It’s a deal,” Mildred decided with a spring in her step before looking to Bruce again, “though right now I’d gladly spend one on one time with this handsome fellow. For the record I think you’re much more handsome than Captain America.”

“Thank you, Mildred,” Bruce replied with a small blush behind his words, “I happen to think you’re wonderful as well.”

“If I was thirty years younger,” Mildred’s words were laced with flirting behind them, “you wouldn’t stand a chance of getting away from me Dr. Banner. However, if you’re single, as it stands, I have the loveliest of granddaughters who graduated from MIT a few years back.”

“He’s single,” Tony added encouragingly as he returned to Scott’s side once again, “and very interested.”

“Tony,” Bruce spoke his name in warning when Mildred squeezed his arm again.

“She’s a nice, young girl who wants to enter into research herself,” Mildred continued to extol the virtues of her talented young granddaughter she’d hoped to peddle upon Bruce in their adventures away from Scott and Tony.

“Have fun you two, but not too much fun,” Tony called out to them. They moved away from the dinner blanket remaining on the ground, taking laughter with them in their departure and serving as a reminder of their time away from the rest of the world. With an angle of his head, Tony’s eyes found their way to Scott once again and his grin further expanded, “Hey there gorgeous. Come here often?”

“It’s my first time actually,” Scott answered feeling butterflies dance in his stomach at the way that Tony was watching him, “Truth be told I haven’t spent a great deal of time in aquariums such as this one, but I was kind of hoping for a private showing now that you’ve made friends with the resident expert on staff.”

“Well, you know me and Mildred, we go way back,” Tony motioned to the direction she and Bruce had taken off in, “She’s absolutely adorable, but unfortunately she’s only got eyes for Banner and maybe Cap apparently, which is perfectly fine by me considering that I’ve only got eyes for you.”

“For me?” Scott’s face grew flushed as his lips curved upward in the beginnings of a smile, “Is that so?”

“Truth is,” Tony stepped in closer bridging the distance between them with mischief behind his sultry, dark eyes, “I find myself thinking about you more and more with each passing second.”

“That could be dangerous considering I’m close to being enemy number one where your team is concerned,” Scott matched his movement while shuffling his feet across the aquarium floor. With the caustic patterns from above illuminating Tony’s sharp, handsome features, Scott found himself drawn to the man before him, unable to take him in fast enough.

“I think you’re doing good so far,” Tony shrugged before moving in closer, “You’ve already won over the big guy and he’s a pretty big deal.”

“Banner’s a good guy,” Scott dismissed Tony’s encouragement, “I have yet to see him meet a man or woman that he couldn’t get along with.”

“Banner’s great, but the big guy…oh, he’s a tough sell, but something tells me that he’d still really like you,” Tony moved in closer yet, “Just like I do.”

“You do, huh?” Scott questioned closing the gap between them. His arms surrounded Tony’s shoulders, guiding Tony in against his warm, welcoming chest once again, “Is that right?”

“Absolutely,” Tony promised sliding his arms around Scott’s lean, slender waist, “Truth be told I actually have been at odds with myself over that particular affliction that’s been happening inside of me for quite some time.”

“How so?” Scott questioned when Tony leaned forward to press a kiss over the side of Scott’s neck.

“Well it seems that when you’re away from me, you’re constantly claiming my thoughts,” Tony explained depositing tiny, fluttering kisses over the side of Scott’s soft, vulnerable skin, “It seems that even at the times I’m in need of my concentration, there you are consuming my mind and leading me to the inevitable conclusion that I’ve carried with me for quite some time.”

“What might that be?” Scott lazily ran his fingers up and down over Tony’s spine, taking the time to seal in the warmth of Tony’s arms around him.

“That I may actually be crazy enough to consider falling in love with you one day,” Tony arched back, raising his chin up to meet Scott head on in his confession, “What do you say to that?”

“I think that you’re absolutely insane,” Scott teased with a hint of laughter in his voice, “All those rumors I’d heard about you being out of your mind and prone to random outbursts seems to be proving true given that…”

“You’re one of a kind Summers and even though it sounds crazy, I’ve been thinking about this for a while,” Tony divulged quietly as his arms surrounded Scott more completely, “The truth is that I’ve kind of had a not-so-secret crush on you for a very long time now. It’s actually becoming more of an obsession and…”

“What if I told you that I might possibly be in a similar position?” Scott countered quietly leaning in closer to nuzzle his nose against Tony’s.

“How so?” Tony inquired pulling back just enough to search Scott’s features.

“Well you see…a long time ago when I was just a teen…” Scott paused dramatically considering his words before speaking up again with a timid confession upon his lips, “I snuck away from the orphanage to see Reed Richards during a lecture and when they revealed that the guest speaker there was none other than the great Anthony Stark…”

“What?” Tony watched him with curious dark eyes.

“Let’s just say that seeing you up on that stage may or may not have played a hand in my bisexual awakening that day,” Scott’s face grew flushed with the admission, “I didn’t know it at the time, but when I listened to you speak there was something about you standing there looking so confident and in control that…”

“What?” Tony prodded further as Scott’s face grew hotter in the admission.

“I guess I just never thought that there would be a day when the two of us would be standing here in the center of Atlanta after hours at an aquarium experiencing a romantic night under the water with Banner like this sharing the experience of just being together…” Scott mused with sentimentality in his voice.

“With exotic wildlife, the mysteries of the ocean, tantalizing Italian food,” Tony added with laughter as he rose up on his toes to offer up a quick, far-too-fleeting kiss for Scott’s liking, “and music around us.”

“Music,” Scott repeated when the sound of the Beach Boys flooded the small hallway taking away from the mood that they’d created between them, “Granted it might not be my first selection for creating a romantic atmosphere for the matter, but…”

“May I have this dance?” Tony questioned detangling himself from Scott’s arms. He extended his hand out before flashing Scott a sexy, sultry smirk, “What do you say?”

“That I’m about to be in for a lifetime of wonderful surprises with you at my side,” Scott readily accepted moving into sway to the peppy, romantic sounds that surrounded them underneath the bustling water world above.

With each movement they made together, they settled into a slow rhythm, bodies aligned in a dance that offered up a world of promise and the magic of the night they’d shared after a series of mishaps. Now with Tony’s nose nestled into the side of Scott’s neck tapering tiny feathery light kisses over Scott’s skin, Scott couldn’t help, but tilt his head down pressing a soft kiss over the top of Tony’s dark hair. In response, Tony’s face shifted upward, angling in towards Scott once again as their lips met in a soft promise of things to come. The soft whisper of vibrations exchanged between them carried over beyond the walls of the aquarium as it seemed that together things were finally perking up for the both of them in ways that neither had ever truly imagined.