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Steve stood in the corner of the room, playing awkwardly with his tie. He was uncomfortable in his suit, not because he didn't like the way he looked in it, but because he'd never been to a function that required him to be so dressed up, that wasn't military.
He had performed his duties and had resigned himself to being the outcast in the corner. He still wasn’t comfortable being around a large amount of people. Though what he considered a large amount and what other people considered a large amount was vastly different.
Standing next to his best friend, in front of all their friends, had made him nervous. He had stood there with a smile on his face, as his best friend stared lovingly at the beautiful red head beside him. He handed over the rings when the minister asked for them and he gave the best man speech to the very best of his abilities.
He was happy for his friends as he watched them spin gracefully around the dance floor. But his sadness at being alone masked his happiness. He was used to being alone, but it didn’t hurt any less, watching all the couples dance around the dance floor.
“Hey, Cap, why aren’t you out there cutting a rug... Or whatever it is they used to say in your day?”
Steve shrugged dropping his tie and watching Clint and Johnny dance, he wasn’t sure which one was leading, but they looked like they were having fun, so he supposed it didn’t matter. “I never learned.” Was all he said for an explanation.
“Well that’s no good, how about I teach you?” A hand was held out to him, but he didn’t take it.
“What’s the point?” He signed. “You don’t actually want to dance with me, why don’t you go find your girl.”
“I don’t have a girl today. I decided since you were going stag, I’d go stag as well. Solidarity sister.” Steve rolled his eyes.
“There are any number of girls that would be willing to dance with you, Tony.”
“And yet, the only person I want to dance with, is finding reasons why he can’t or shouldn’t dance with me.” Steve looked up, suddenly forgetting about everyone else in the room. He had long ago learned to ignore his desire for the brunette in front of him. One sentence and the feelings came crashing back.
It had been a few years since he had been thawed out and he had marveled at how much life had changed. Being with the same sex was not against the law and in some states they were allowed to get married. He had not known what to think of that information at first. He had not lived under a rock in the 1940s, he had seen guys together, but they had always had to be very secretive about it.
It had been a shock the first time he had seen Johnny Storm and Clint together. He had heard of Storm’s playboy ways and Clint had been with Natasha at some point. Seeing the two of them locked in a kiss in the elevator had been the most shocking thing he had seen since he had woken up. He had stammered an apology and let the doors close without getting on. He could hear Johnny’s laughter through the closed door. He had taken the stairs to his floor after that, unwilling to intrude on anymore make out sessions with any of the inhabitants of the tower.
Still, it had given him a lot to think about, and think Steve did. He had had a lot of down time to learn about the world, but nothing had been more eye opening as seeing Clint and Johnny together. It had brought back a bunch of old feelings he had never expected to feel again.
He had learned a long time ago to ignore the feelings he got for other men. In the strange new world he had woken up in, he had found he didn’t need to ignore it or loath the feelings. Still he pretended not to have feelings for a certain brown haired, brown eyed genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.
“You don’t really want to dance with me, you are just saying that.” Steve was feeling a little self deprecating. He really just wanting to congratulate Bucky and Natasha one more time and go home.
He was happy to have Bucky back, it had been a shock to find he was still alive but the avengers had taken him in and made him part of the team. It had been a bit of a struggle at first, but they had made it work. Tony and Bruce had worked very hard to make sure that none of the old programming from Department X was still around and there had been a few tense moments between Bucky and Clint that had resulted in more than a few broken rooms. The whole of Avenger Tower had been grateful when Bucky and Clint had called a truce.
Steve was pretty sure the two of them would never actually like each other, but they were civil to each other. A feet Steve considered bigger than the sun, considering the intensity of their anger.
Tony grabbed his hand and pulled Steve from the wall in a bit of strength that surprised him. “Yes, I do big guy.” Tony dragged Steve out to the dance floor just as a slow song started.
“I’ll lead.” Tony placed Steve’s left hand on his hip and his right on Tony’s shoulder. “It’s really easy, just step back when I take a step forward, like this.” Tony took a step forward and Steve followed with a step back. “Now, step forward when I step back.” Steve mirrored Tony’s movement and smiled.
It didn’t take long for Steve to understand the dance Tony chose. He didn’t know the name of it or anything, but like in the battlefield he found he could anticipate Tony’s moves. The worked well in every situation they had ever been in together, dancing was no exception.
Steve liked the feel of Tony pressed against him, moving him around the dance floor as if they were the only two people in the room. He almost believed that they were, until the song ended. Steve started to pull away.
“I don’t think so Steve, I finally have you pressed against me, I’m not letting you go.”
“Hey Steve!” Steve turned his head to see Johnny and Clint moving over to them.
“Letting Tony lead...Thats kinda gay.” Tony reached out and cuffed Johnny around the head.
“Hey, watch it old man, or we’ll see if your armour melts under extreme heat.”
“I’ve tested it against your heat Johnny, gotta say, you’re not all that hot.”
“Oh burn.” Johnny snickered. “You do like them older don’t you?” Johnny said looking Steve up and down. Steve wasn’t one to blush but he felt a little uncomfortable under the Torch's gaze. “And wrapped in red white and blue I dare say.” Steve looked at Tony sharply, meeting Tony’s eyes, he smiled at Steve.
“Not even worth denying,” Tony said smiling at Steve. “I’d take him over you anyday Storm. You may look freakishly alike, but...” Johnny went to say something else but Clint dragged him away.
“I think you’ve achieved your goal flameboy.”
“I’m not so sure, old Stars and Stripes can be a little dense. Maybe I should just say... Hey STEVE!” Johnny shouted, “Tony is in love with you, would you please just kiss him already!” Johnny’s shouts drew the attention of everyone in the room and Steve blushed. Johnny really didn’t need to shout, Steve could hear his and Clint’s conversation.
Tony smiled at Johnny as he grabbed Steve’s hand and led him off the dance floor.
“Tony, what...” Steve’s words died as Tony dragged him out of the room and down the hall.
There was a lot going through Tony’s head. Johnny had known what he was doing when he had started the conversation with he and Steve. He wasn’t sure if he should be annoyed with the meddling fire started or kiss him. He supposed he’d make up his mind after he saw Steve’s reaction to the idea.
Tony wasn’t worried about his reaction to being with another man. The blond had long ago confided in him that he had been with both sexes. He was not the blushing virgin everyone made him out to be but he had never gone all the way with a guy. He’d come close with one, but Steve had never given a name, and Tony had never bothered to ask.
It was more that Tony was worried about how Steve would react to Tony himself. Theirs had not been an easy relationship in the beginning. Tony had found that he had a hard time getting over the standards his father held him to, and which he could never measure up. Upheld by the living legend. The man his father had talked about so often, had continued looking for up until he had died, was the man that his father had put on a pedestal and told Tony to reach for. Tony had never been able to measure up to the great Steve Rogers, nor would he ever want to. It had taken him a long time to realize that no man could reach the level of perfection, moral upstanding and kindness that was Steve Rogers. Steve was in a class all his own and Tony didn’t want to try and be that guy. He was his own person and for the most part he was happy with who he was.
It had taken meeting Steve to realize all of that, and it was only after that blow up fight they all had, that he understood it. It had been a downward spiral from there. He had always had a crush on the big guy. Even with all the anger he felt toward Steve for being an impossible standard, he had found a comfort in the man. The stories of heroism his father would tell would play out in Tony’s head as if he were standing next to the man with the red white and blue shield while the battle wore on.
The stories had given him strength in the most desilet of times in his life and he had come out the victor. If Captain America could defeat a horde of angry nazi freaks, than by god Tony Stark could beat his demons.
Steve had been everything his father had said and more. The living legend was far more than the legend made him out to be and Tony had fallen for the man, HARD. They had developed a great friendship and he had been willing to allow that to continue. Unwilling to have happen between he and Steve that had happened between he and Pepper. Most days he stilled missed Pepper, she had walked out on him after the last run in with a bad guy, and had not looked back. He hadn’t heard from her in months.
Tony was afraid that Steve would do the same thing. That he wouldn’t be able to handle Tony and that he would decide he wanted out, or worse, maybe he would decided not to even give Tony a chance. Then Tony would have to live with that knowledge and see Steve every day. It had been the driving force keeping him from taking that step in admitting to Steve his feelings.
The truth was, around Steve Rogers, Tony felt like a schoolgirl with a crush, on unsure footing on uneven ground. Steve had the upper hand and the strength to crush Tony’s heart. But seeing Steve in the corner, alone, without a date, something had snapped in Tony and he had decided he was done hiding.
Tony came to a stop and looked at Steve, if he had been in a more daring mood, he would have kissed Steve right in front of everyone like Johnny had told him too, but he didn’t want to embarrass Steve any more than Johnny already had.
“Tony come on, we should get back...” Steve was pushed against the wall in the deserted corridor Tony had led them down. Tony’s body pressed gently against his, Steve closed his eyes at the feeling. Tony wasn’t soft like a woman, he was toned and solid and Steve wanted to feel the way the muscles in Tony’s back moved under his fingers. Steve tried to get ahold of his thoughts, stop himself from going too far, it was easy for his mind to wonder when the brunette was involved. His thoughts died as a pair of soft lips were pressed against his.
The kiss was tentative and slow, Steve hardly had time to react before Tony was pulling away. The dark haired man was always so confident but as Steve looked at him, he saw a vulnerability within that he had never seen befor. Tony was scared of Steve’s reaction and Steve knew only one way to change that.
He reached out and pulled Tony back in for a kiss. It was everything he had dreamed it would be and yet his imagination hadn’t even come close. Tony’s lips were soft and forceful, and Steve needed more. He pulled the man tighter against his body and nibbled Tony’s pouty bottom lip. The kiss wasn’t gentle, teeth clacked and tongues battled for dominance in a war that neither person would be victor in.
Panting hard, Tony pulled back to look at the man before him, blue eyes almost black, red lips swollen and parted taking deep breaths in. “I’ve wanted to do that for ages.” Steve just smiled and pulled him back in for another kiss.
Johnny Storm had officially made Tony’s nice list. The kid would be getting something big and expensive for his meddling.