It was Steve who noticed the ring first.
Sam and Tony had agreed that just outright telling the team would be no fun at all, and they decided to drop hints here and there to see who would catch up on them first.
So far no one had even looked their way with suspicion, and while Tony was really tired to pretend to just be friends with Sam now that they finally lived in the same house, he also found it hilarious that his team mates were so dense.
Steve had stared at the chain around his neck for almost an hour before he said something and Tony had been ready to shove the ring into his face.
"What are you wearing?" Steve asked him finally, sandwich halfway to his mouth but now forgotten. "I have never seen you wear jewelry."
"What?" Tony pretended to be surprised by Steve's question and then fumbled with the chain around his neck. "Oh, you mean this? It's just a ring, no big deal," he told Steve and had to suppress a laugh when Steve's eyes went wide as he saw the very gold, very obvious wedding ring.
"You...is this...a wedding ring?" he asked and the sandwich was lowered back onto the plate.
"Mh? Yeah, course it is," Tony said with a shrug and put the ring back under his shirt. It wouldn't do to get scratches on it.
"So a family heirloom?" Steve further inquired and Tony had to work hard to keep his face straight.
"Exactly," he told Steve, not mentioning that it had been Sam's mothers' ring instead of his own.
"Why are you wearing it around your neck?" Steve questioned and Tony smiled at him.
"Wouldn't want to scratch it or for it to get caught on something down in the workshop. I need my hands. The neck is the only place I can wear it without wearing it down."
"Why would you even want to wear a family heirloom?" Steve seemed confused. "Shouldn't it be, I don't know, kept safe until you want to give it to someone?"
"Someone wanted to give it to me, so that's why it technically should be on my hand," Tony told Steve just as he took a sip from his mug and to Tony's endless amusement he promptly choked on it.
Before Steve got his breath back and could further ask about the ring, Tony walked away, incredibly smug about how this went.
When Tony entered their suite, Sam could immediately tell that something was up.
"What happened?" he asked Tony with a kiss to the temple and Tony melted into his husband.
"Steve noticed the ring," he answered and Sam chuckled.
"Yeah? What did you say?"
"I implied that it was given to me. I wonder how long it will take them to figure it out now."
"Hopefully not long at all," Sam said and held up his hand. His wedding ring shone brightly on his finger and Tony would never get tired of the beautiful contrast the gold made on his skin.
"You're helping them," Tony accused and Sam shrugged.
"I am so tired of not being able to kiss you or hold you or tell you I love you."
"We can always still just tell them," Tony reminded him, because he felt the same way. He couldn't wait for the day they could finally cuddle during movie night.
"Now that would be just boring," Sam protested and Tony smiled. While it was pure agony to keep their hands to themselves, it was also too much fun to lead the others on.
"Besides, I'm guessing it won't take them long now. Steve definitely went to Natasha with this, so Clint knows as well now. They should figure it out soon enough."
"I hope so," Tony mumbled and leaned in to kiss Sam. He couldn't wait to do that in the common kitchen as well.
As it turned out, their team mates were a lot denser than they had thought. After Steve noticed the ring around Tony's neck it took them almost five days before Clint noticed the ring on Sam's finger.
"Dude," he suddenly said during dinner and his eyes were wide. "Is that a wedding ring?" There was disbelieve in his voice and Tony tried his hardest to keep his face vaguely interested.
"What does it look like to you?" Sam asked back instead of giving a straight answer and Tony pressed his lips together.
"It looks very much like a wedding ring to me," Clint said and Sam shrugged.
"Then I guess that's what it is." Sam dug back into his food, seemingly done with this topic but Clint obviously wasn't.
"No, no, nonononono. You can't just drop that and then get back to acting like nothing happened! You're married and you didn't tell us?!"
"I actually thought you would figure it out a lot sooner, to be honest," Sam smoothly replied and looked at his ring. "I've been wearing this for the past week."
Clint gaped at him and even Steve was staring wide eyed at him.
"You're married and you never thought to tell me? This whole Hydra fiasco could have endangered your wife!"
"My spouse can take care of themselves," Sam replied to that and now Natasha looked up.
"Your spouse, huh," she thoughtfully said and her eyes slid over to Tony for a second. "So I'm guessing it's not a wife then."
"You're guessing correctly," Sam told her and Tony was about to yell at them because how difficult could it be to connect the dots now.
"You're married to a man? How did that happen without us noticing?" Steve asked and Sam smiled at him.
"It didn't. I've been married for twenty years."
Steve's fork clattered to the ground. "And you didn't think to mention it?" he asked yet again and now Tony had enough.
"Jesus Christ, guys," he started and like she had only waited for that Natasha shifted her concentration to him.
"So, Tony, didn't you say it wasn't your heirloom you're wearing around the neck?" she smoothly asked and Tony grinned at her.
"That I did."
Clint's mouth fell open. "No way."
"Yes way," Tony childishly and reveled in the disbelieve he saw on Clint's and Steve's face.
"You two are married and you never thought to bring it up?" Clint eventually yelled and Steve only blinked at that while Natasha was looking way too happy about all of this.
"We decided to let you come to the conclusion," Tony told her and Sam nodded his encouragement.
They looked at each other and then simultaneously reached out to take the other's hand.
Clint stared in horror at them. "You're disgusting, I can already tell. How the hell did we not notice this?"
"That's a question we have been asking ourselves for the past month," Sam said and smiled at them.
"I hope you won't have a problem with that."
"Twenty years," Steve mumbled and sounded awed. "You've been married for twenty years and still manage to look at each other like that."
"What can I say, it's true love," Tony happily said and leaned over the table to kiss Sam.
"Okay, rules here, we need rules, no kissing during eating," Clint chimed in and Tony chuckled against Sam's lips.
"Don't think we can do that," Sam said once they separated again. "We have to make up for two months of lost time."
"Oh god. I'm leaving," Clint said and stood up. "No offense, I'm happy for you, but I'm leaving. Steve, Natasha, my kitchen is well stocked."
"Jep, I'm coming as well," Steve rushed out and hurried to get up. "Like he said, really happy you guys have each other but...there's only so much I want to see."
"We didn't even do anything yet," Tony yelled at their retreating backs and slapped Sam when his hands found their way under Tony's shirt.
Natasha was the last one to get up and she didn't seem to be in a hurry at all.
She made her way around the table and stopped next to Tony.
"I'm glad you're happy," she said and pressed a kiss to Tony's head before she turned to Sam. "I'm also glad you're happy, but he's my favourite. So hurt him and we'll have a problem."
"Twenty years, Nat. We're long past that phase."
"Good," she said with a smile and then left them as well.
As soon as she was gone, Tony slid into Sam's lap.
"That went better than expected," he said and nibbled at Sam's neck.
"What are you doing?" Sam asked with a smile in his voice and pushed his hands further under Tony's shirt.
"Making up for lost time," Tony whispered and Sam shuddered under him.
"I like the way you think," he told Tony who grinned.
"That's why I'm the genius in this marriage."
"We'll see how much of that will be left once I'm done with you," Sam lowly told him and now it was Tony's time to shudder. They should have told the team a long time ago if it got him this now.