Work Text:
Tony stood outside a house that he had seldom visited, even before he’d left for Italy. It almost didn’t feel real, it had been so long since he’d been here. More than a year—maybe closer to two—though the house still looked exactly the same. Small and with a homely porch, the roof now covered by a thin layer of snow from the early morning.
His teeth dug into his lip as he steeled his nerves and rang the doorbell. After a few moments the sound of footsteps grew louder and the door opened to reveal a tall man with dark hair and green eyes that matched Tony’s. The shock on his face was almost comical.
“Tony?!” he exclaimed, throwing his arms around the smaller man. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Crushed against his chest, Tony managed to breathe out a few words with a laugh. “Hey, Tom. I figured it was time I came home to visit you and Mom.”
After what seemed like hours Tony was finally released from his brother’s embrace. Tom reached out to ruffle his hair, a grin on his face. “Wow, you’re really here! Long time, no see.”
Tony fixed his hair and straightened his clothes. “I know. I’m sorry I didn’t visit sooner, just been busy with my studies and, well… life. You know how it is.”
Tom slung his arm over his brother’s shoulders, guiding him inside. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were coming.”
“I wanted it to be a surprise,” he said, the corners of his mouth upturned.
“I can’t wait to tell Mom that you’re here!” Tom beamed.
“Well… I’m actually staying with her. I arrived last night.”
“What? I can’t believe she didn’t tell me!” he pouted.
“I made her swear she wouldn’t.” Tony looked around the room. “Jake home?”
“Nah, he’s got a planning session with a client today. Just us.” He eagerly gestured for Tony to follow him. “You want anything to eat? Drink?”
Tony let out a small laugh at his brother’s enthusiasm. “You have hot chocolate? It’s fucking freezing outside.”
***
Tom and Tony sat comfortably on the couch, readjusting to each other’s company with ease, hot chocolate in hand.
“So, what have you been up to since we last spoke?” Tony questioned, sipping from his mug.
“Well, I’m no longer a police officer.”
Tony spluttered, choking on his drink. “Wait, what? First you lost your job as a spy, now you’re no longer a police officer? You worked so hard for those jobs, what happened?”
“I quit a while back,” Tom said simply. “After some reflection I realised that that lifestyle just isn’t for me. I work as a lifeguard now during the warmer months, and I’m gonna figure out what I wanna do for the rest of the year.”
Tony looked at him thoughtfully. “Well, I hope you’re happy with the change. You seem happy”
“I am. And Jake and I are doing well. I have a few friends who I see often, too. I guess I’m just pretty happy overall with where I’m at.”
Tony took a moment to really look at his brother. He looked exactly the same as he did when he last saw him, except there was a certain glow to him that hadn’t been there before. Just goes to show what a change of career and actual socialization can do to a person, he supposed.
“That’s really great to hear, Tom. I’m glad things are working out for you.”
“Me too.” Tom set down his already empty mug and leaned back into the couch. “So, how’s life in Italy?” he inquired enthusiastically.
“It’s… really great. I just feel like it’s the place for me, y’know? Of course I miss you and Mom, but it’s also nice being around Dad considering I didn’t get to see him a lot when I was younger. My studies are going well, I have plenty of friends from college—they’re from all over the world too, which is really cool. And everything just seems so… picturesque. I think you’d really like Italy, the food at least. You should come visit sometime.”
As Tom listened to his brother ramble he was struck by the maturity in the way Tony carried himself. He’d always had a hint of an old soul, but now he seemed truly grown up. “Yeah, maybe I should,” he agreed. “ Jake and I could plan a trip.”
“You should, you’d have your own personal tour guide,” Tony added with a small grin.
Tom’s expression became more earnest. “You know, I wish I got to see you more. You’ll have to make sure you come over for the wedding. I’d really love for you to be there, Tones.”
Tony looked perplexed. “The– what?”
“Oh right, I forgot to tell you. Jake and I are engaged!” Tom grinned, holding up his hand to show off his ring.
Tony’s eyes widened. “Wow, really? Congratulations, when did that happen?”
“Uh, about six months ago now,” he answered as he fiddled with his ring, a dreamy look on his face.
Tony’s expression fell, his brows furrowing. “Six months? And… you didn’t tell me?”
Tom glanced down sheepishly. “Well, things have been busy. And I figured you were having such a great time studying in Italy, I didn’t wanna bother you or anything.”
“Bother me?” Tony scoffed. “Tom, you wouldn’t be bothering me by telling me such an important life update. You’re my brother, I want to know what’s happening in your life. Especially when it’s something as big as this. When were you even planning on telling me?”
“I… I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought about it,” Tom quietly admitted.
“Was it gonna be when you sent out wedding invitations? Or was I not even going to receive one of those until I arrived here and you remembered I exist?”
“Tony, that’s not…” Tom trailed off with a sigh, unsure of how to respond.
Tony bit his lip, his gaze turning to the floor. He crossed his arms tightly over his chest as a silence fell between them.
The hurt on his brother’s face stabbed at Tom’s heart. “Look, Tony,” he started softly, “I- I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner. I didn’t think it would be that important to you, that’s all. I mean, we were never super close.”
“Yeah, because you were gone before I’d even reached double digits,” Tony muttered bitterly.
Tom recoiled with a wince. “Tones…”
Tony grimaced, rubbing his face. “Sorry, sorry. That wasn’t fair.” He slumped in his seat, his usual collected demeanor long gone.
“I would have liked to be closer to you, you know,” Tom said quietly. “I guess the distance just made it hard.”
Tony looked up at him, his expression softening. “Yeah, I guess it did. I mean– I get it. There’s almost a decade between us, you couldn’t wait around for me to grow up. But… at the same time I can’t help but wish you’d been there a little more. Mom’s amazing, but… there’s some things she just wasn’t able to understand. And with my dad being across the world…” He shook his head. “It might be selfish, but I needed you around. And it’s not your fault that you weren’t. I don’t think either of us are to blame for any of that.”
Tom let his eyes wander over his brother. It was strange; before him he saw a young man, but at the same time flashes of a little boy clinging to him begging him not to go to the spy academy played in his mind. He still had trouble accepting that Tony wasn’t that little boy anymore.
“...You’ve really grown up, you know?”
Tony scoffed. “Well I’d hope so, I’m 21.”
Tom shook his head, “I just mean, I didn’t realise it was happening. It feels like it happened so fast and I wasn’t around to see it. I wish I was.”
Tony fiddled with his hands, nodding wordlessly.
“Also, you’re right,” Tom said softly. Tony looked at him in surprise as he continued, “You’re right, I could have been around more. Could have visited more than I did. I’m sorry, Tones. But, the fact that we’ve spent a lot of time apart over the years hasn’t made me care about you any less. I’ll always be your big brother, and… I know we’re not exactly close, but you can talk to me anytime. And I’ll try to reach out more too.”
Tony cleared his throat. “Thanks, Tom. It means a lot to hear that. I want you to know that, while we haven’t spent a whole lot of time together since you left home when I was a kid, all the memories I have of us are good ones. Really good ones.”
A smile crept onto Tom’s face. “Do you remember those game nights we’d have with Mom?”
Tony shook his head with a huff. “Don’t get me started. The way you’d always cheat in Sorry! would piss me off so bad, but you never ended up winning anyway so it didn’t matter.”
“Hey! I definitely won sometimes.”
Tony rolled his eyes with a smile. “Sure, sure.” He bit his lip, hesitating for a moment. “Maybe… maybe while I’m visiting we can have a rematch? At Mom’s house?”
Tom’s face softened, a warm feeling in his chest. “I’d like that a lot. I need to redeem myself.”
“And I need to keep up my winning streak,” Tony countered with a smirk.
“You’re such a dork,” Tom groaned.
Tony picked up his forgotten hot chocolate with a laugh. He took a sip and wrinkled his nose. “Ugh, cold,” he mumbled.
“Here, let me heat it up for you.” Tom held his hand out for the mug.
Tony hesitated before passing it over. “Thanks.”
Tom got up to head to the kitchen, but Tony’s voice stopped him.
“Hey, Tom,” he took a deep breath, “I think, all things considered, I was pretty lucky to get you as my brother.”
Tom paused as a wide smile crossed his face. “Right back at you, Tones.” As he walked into the kitchen he called out behind him, “Now prepare yourself, because when I get back in there I’m interrogating you about your love life.”
Tony pretended to groan in protest, trying to hide his delight at the brotherly banter of which he and Tom had many years to catch up on.