Work Text:
The tower was silent, all the floors below the penthouse floor were empty. It was rare for The Avengers to have time off. Between homegrown scientists creating rampaging jello monsters and the more serious issues, like Loki and Red Skull, Steve rarely had time to sleep, let alone set up a date with his husband.
He had been planning it for weeks. Jarvis had downloaded episodes of cooking shows so that Steve could be sure that everything was perfect. Steve wasn’t known for his ability to cook, in fact he was pretty much lost in the kitchen. It wasn’t because he didn’t understand the technology, he had long since learned his way wrong the new era he had found himself in years ago. It was because no one really cooked in the tower. Tony had always had the top chefs on his payroll or they would go out to eat.
Steve wanted to do something different. He didn’t want to eat out, he wanted to stay in. He wanted to enjoy the silence of the tower, and the unusual calmness that the world had suddenly found, after the current demise of Red Skull. Steve had been around that block more than once, he was simply enjoying the down time till Red Skull showed back up, with a bigger, more evil plan, but that wasn’t what the night was about.
The oven timer went off, pulling Steve from his thoughts. The dessert was ready and sitting on the counter, the softly simmering pot on the stove was removed from the heat and the smooth sweet scent of the red wine reduction filled his nose. He poured the concoction over the lamb he had let rest the appropriate amount of time. He took the food out to the table and stood back to look at everything he had set up.
The linens were dark black and elegant, the silver and white plates stood out against the black, waiting for the dinner to be served. Steve wiped his hands on the dish towel in his belt and lit the candles on the table. Everything was ready and waiting. Jarvis was sending Tony up to the top floor. The genius was in his workshop retrofitting something. Steve didn’t often ask question about what Tony did down in the shop. He would be shown the finished product or Tony would offer up the information on his own. Steve dropped the dish towel and pot holders on the counter in the kitchen and went to get cleaned up.
Steve smoothed down his shirt and tie and looked at himself in the mirror. He had nothing to be nervous about, it was just a date with his husband. He and Tony had been married a little over a year, but they had been together for more than three. He had nothing to be nervous about, but for some reason, he was. It wasn’t a special occasion or anything, he just wanted to show Tony how much he loved him.
Steve walked out of their room, leaving the door open so that Darcy, their sassy little cat could leave if she wanted. She was currently curled up on Steve’s pillow. He headed back down the hall to the kitchen to wait for Tony. He didn’t have to wait long, in fact Tony was already in the kitchen.
“Hey, Steve!” Tony smiled from where he sat on the counter, as he took a bite of a cupcake.
Steve stopped dead in his tracks and watched Tony devour the baked good that Steve had worked so hard on.
“These are really good! Where did you get these?” Tony threw the foil wrapper in the trash bin on the other side of the room and raised his arms in triumph as the wrapper disappeared. Before Steve could say anything, he grabbed another.
He hadn't noticed Steve's dress shirt, tie and neatly pressed black dress pants, nor had he noticed the small scowl on Steve's face.
Steve wasn't mad, per se, he was simply annoyed that Tony had failed to see what was right in front of him. He knew his husband had a way of being tunnel vision when he was in work mode, and, if the state of Tony's grease stained, well worn, black tank top and ripped jeans said anything, Tony was in full work mode.
“I made them,” Steve said crossing his arms and leaning against the door frame.
“You...” Tony looked up from the cake display, the half unwrapped cupcake stopped inches from his mouth.
Steve raised his eyebrows, waiting for Tony to put the pieces together. He could see the cogs in the genius’s brain working. Brown eyes scanned Steve head to toe and locked on to blue.
Tony put the cupcake down. “I’m an asshole. You did something special, didn’t you, and I came along and fucked it up.”
Steve snorted, “You are an asshole, but you didn’t fuck anything up. I just wanted to make you a special dinner, and dessert, to tell you how much I love you.” Steve moved forward, Tony was adorable in his work clothing. He loved the dirty, hard working look. Tony was such a sharp dresser and handsome in his $5000 suits, but Steve prefered the junky torn jeans, and dirty shirts. It was a look reserved only for the few people Tony felt comfortable enough around to show his true self.
“You made dinner too?” Tony reached for the black silk tie around Steve’s neck and pulled him close. “I didn’t know you could cook.” Tony’s smirk was mischievous and dangerous. Steve knew the look all too well, it told him Tony was planning something.
“It’s the first time we’ve had the tower to ourselves in a while, I just wanted a nice quiet night in. I was also hoping to impress you with my cooking abilities.” He smiled and kissed Tony softly on the lips. “We never get time to ourselves any more.”
“So,” Tony wrapped his legs around Steve and brought him as close to him as the counter would allow. Tony leaned forward, his lips brushing Steve’s cheek. “What did you make for dinner?”
Steve wanted to reply, he really did, but the scruff of beard and the soft smooth lips on his ear rendered his ideas inert.
Tony pulled back slightly, a light in his eyes. “I say we take this to the bedroom and worry about dinner some other time.” Tony ran his tongue down Steve’s jaw sending a shiver up his spine.
Steve wrapped his arms around Tony and lifted him off the counter. “Dinner can wait.”
“Yeah and so can everything else,” Clint’s voice broke the bubble Steve had surrounded them in.
Clint stood just outside the kitchen in his costume. His bow was at his side and his quiver strapped to his back. “Sorry guys, Agent 13 called. She needs us to come in. You weren’t answering your coms, so I got the joyous task of finding you.”
Steve sighed and put Tony down on the floor, already morphing into Captain America mode. He would be mad about the ruined date later, but if Sharon was calling everyone in, it was important. He should have expected something to go down on the one night he had been planning on nothing happening on. It had been too quiet for too long.
“Meet you at S.H.I.E.L.D,” Tony said leaving the kitchen to get his Iron Man suit.
Steve left with Clint to get his uniform and shield, on his way, he blew out the candles on the table. They had melted down nearly half away already.
“Sorry about this,” Clint clapped Steve on the shoulder, “I know how important tonight was to you. Smells good, if it means anything.”
“Thanks,” Steve chuckled, “It’s not your fault. Don’t worry about it.”
“Well, when all of this is over, we’ll make sure you and Tony have the place to yourselves again. You need a do over.”
“Thanks, man.” Steve stopped at his bedroom door, Darcy had moved over to Tony’s pillow. “I’ll meet you on the quinjet.”
Clint nodded and walked back down the hall to the landing pad on the balcony.
“Tony isn’t going to be happy with you missy,” Steve stated, scratching Darcy behind the ears. “You know he hates it when you get hair all over his pillow.” Dracy swatted at him as he abandoned her for his costume.
So much for a quiet night in. At least Tony liked the cupcakes, that was something.