One thing most people don't ever realize about Tony Stark is that, despite popular belief, he's actually a patient person. Okay, he'll be honest. Most of the time, he's not, really. If he wants your attention right now, he'll be damned if he's waiting the two minutes it'll take for you to stop whatever it is you're doing that, chances are, isn't as important as he is. Bruce will be the first to attest to that. And it's not limited to just people, he gets frustrated at the microwave for daring to have to take three whole, entire minutes to cook his food. It's true, when it comes to the small, petty things in life, he's about as impatient as an unruly five-year-old. But when it comes to the things that matter, really matter; getting all the minute, tiny details of the Iron Man suit absolutely perfect before telling JARVIS to fabricate the pieces; or waiting for Steve to say he's ready for a relationship without making him feel pressured; he refuses to push things. He knows, in the back of his mind, that he could push Steve. It wouldn't even have to be a guilt trip, though that would work. All it would take is just a few serious talks to convince him, or maybe flirting with other people to make him jealous enough to go ahead and initiate something. But Tony also knows that it would be completely counter-productive, because that's pretty much the last thing Tony wants. He wants Steve to come to his own decisions on his own terms. He wants him to want Tony because he just does, not because Tony manipulated him, guilted him or convinced him to. Which is why when they kiss, on the rare of occasions they do, Tony doesn't complain or object when Steve pulls away; he just lets himself smile indulgently and enjoy having Steve so close. It's also why, when Tony occasionally sneaks into Steve's bed late at night, he doesn't let his hands wander. Instead, feeling every muscle in his body relax, being pressed up so close to Steve; and feeling Steve sigh contentedly against him. Steve is still a complete sap and a sucker for physical contact. It's not unusual to see him sitting with Natasha's feet in his lap, or even stretched out with Thor on the sofa. Tony doesn't get jealous. Though, he does wonder how the sofa survived that combo. He understands how much Steve craves physical affection, and besides, Tony's still the only person Steve sleeps with. Even if it is just sleep. Regardless, the whole team co-operates in indulging him on a daily basis, since everyone else seems to enjoy it, too. And it's why, when Steve comes wandering into his lab, he doesn't shove him against the wall and start grinding against him, while whispering a combination of sappy and absolutely filthy promises into Steve's soft, warm skin. Instead, as he looks away from the monitor in front of him, takes a moment to admire Steve's new haircut as he hops up to sit on Tony's desk. "Oh, hey, look at you." Tony says approvingly, reaching out to gently tug on the tips of the gentle brunet spikes Steve's hair has been styled into. "New. Modern. I approve." Steve shrugs, and playfully grinning, pulls away slightly from Tony's grasp. "Who finally snapped and took you?" Tony asks excitedly, "Was it Bruce?" Then he waves a hand dismissively before Steve can answer, "No, no, couldn't be. He has to be reminded to get his own hair cut. Did Natasha drag you to her girly salon?" At the fond shake of Steve's head, he guesses again, "Wasn't Thor." He says with a snicker, "Clint?" He finally asks. "What makes you so positive I didn't just decide to go on my own?" Steve asks, quirking an eyebrow, amused. "Oh please, like you'd give up your love affair with Brylcreem so easily." Tony says, giving Steve his best 'who-the-fuck-are-you-kidding' look, and Steve laughs. "Darcy." Steve finally reveals. "Jane's friend?" Tony asks, reaching out again to run his fingers through Steve's hair, who lets him this time. "Yeah, I walked into the living room, and all the girls were there watching a movie. Suddenly, Darcy just grabbed me and told me we had to do something about my 'adorably-old-school-but-slightly-sad' situation. Took me half-way to the hair salon to understand what she was talking about." Tony laughs, picking up his water bottle and taking a drink. "So you were coerced, huh?" "Well," Steve says, stretching it out so it has multiple syllables, "more like... forcefully guided?" he says, barely holding back his laughter. "I might have been a little afraid to say 'no'. Might've." Tony gives a mock-gasp, "Captain America, National Hero, afraid of a plain, average, human girl?" Steve shoots him a look that lets him know, they both know all the women in their lives are not to be fucked with. Some are just deadlier than others. "My only regret is I didn't get to be the one to drag you there." Tony sighs in a dramatic fashion, leaning back as far as his desk chair will allow without falling over. "Well, you can come along in six weeks when I go back to get it trimmed." Steve teases, patting him consolingly on the shoulder, "Does that make you feel better?" "Oh, I got a few ideas on how I could feel better." Tony says, voice dropping to a seductive tone, eyeing Steve up and down. "Or a few dozen, whatever." "Down, boy." Steve says, grinning, pushing Tony with the hand on his shoulder, and making his chair swivel slightly. This isn't unusual for them. Give them a decent amount of time together, and Tony will inevitably make a suggestive comment or lewd remark, and Steve will swat him away affectionately without ever really saying 'no'. It's a kind of security for them, that they're both on the same page, still want the same things they did five months ago. "Speaking of feeling better, I'm glad to see you're feeling better today." Tony mentions lightly, and Steve gives him a small, rueful grin. "Yeah, sorry about that." He says, looking pained. "Ah!" Tony holds up a hand, "We both agreed, no apologies for the shit in our lives we can't control. No take-backsies." "Okay, okay." Steve says, holding up his hands in mock-surrender, Tony drops his hand and Steve follows suit, playfully sticking his tongue out at Tony before speaking again. "But yeah, it is a lot better today. Yesterday was… just a bad day." "I know. It happens." Tony says, casually. "I'm just glad it doesn't happen too often." He gives Steve's hand a small squeeze, and Steve just grins fondly. Steve still does have bad days. Some worse than others, and yesterday had been pretty bad. He'd woken up with a hollow ache in his chest, and Tony knew something was wrong when he'd woken up and Steve was still next to him, instead of out on his morning run. Like Tony said, it didn't happen often, so when it did, they both just kind of let it be. Tony hadn't said anything or even asked, there wasn't any point. He already knew what was wrong. He just pulled Steve closer and stroked his hair. They'd both learned that leaving it be, laying around and just letting Steve feel it, helped. Even if that meant Steve spending the better part of his day sporadically crying into Tony's neck. Ignoring it just let to worse situations later on. Getting Steve out of the Tower after a while also helped. Tony idely wonders if maybe Steve allowed the haircut because he wanted a change or if he wanted out of the Tower for a while. Tony goes back to his screen, tapping away contentedly, and Steve watches. This is another habit of theirs. Steve usually watches Tony work for a while, before wandering over to his corner of the lab to read or draw. He doesn't spend all his free time down there, they've both learned the value of independence in their relationship; but Tony had the sofa, bookshelves and cabinets installed without consulting Steve. When asked, he managed a pathetically weak defense of 'not a big deal' and 'just wanted you around sometimes.' Steve didn't bring it up again, just smiled and thanked Tony gracefully. Now, it was normal to find him down in Tony's space while Tony worked. Instead of wandering away this time though, he clears his throat and sighs. "Hey, Tony." He says casually. "Would you like to go out tonight?" "Sure," Tony says, without looking up from the screen. "Where're we going?" Steve smiles, always pleased when Tony agrees to go anywhere with him. Usually, there's a third-party, or most times, even a fourth or fifth, but still. "It's a surprise." At that, Tony does look up, eyeing Steve skeptically, "This isn't gonna be like the last surprise, where Bruce took us to that weird sushi place, is it? Don't get me wrong, I love Bruce; but that place was sketchy as hell and you know it." "Hey, he was taking someone else's recommendation," Steve says, coming to Bruce's defense, "he was just as grossed out as the rest of us were." "Who the hell does he know that would recommend that place?" Tony asks, sneering in thinly-veiled disgust. "I have no idea." Steve admits, shaking his head. "No, actually, I was wondering if we could go out tonight. Just... you and me." "Oh," Tony says, mildly surprised. It's unusual for it to be just the two of them, the implications and overtones of the evening feeling too official date-like for either of them to be comfortable. But, hey, he's willing to try again if Steve is. "Sure. Okay." "Great!" Steve says, beaming at Tony, and Tony feels his heart skip a beat. No matter how many times Steve smiles at him like that, he knows he'll always react the same. "I'll come get you at six?" Tony nods agreeably, and Steve beams again, jumping down off of Tony's table. "See you then." - Tony's in the middle of calibrating the new repulsors into the holographic gauntlets on the display in front of him, when he hears the doors to his lab slide open. He forces himself not to flinch at the realization he's most likely very late, because he needs to keep concentrating or he'll have to start all over. "JARVIS," he asks, not looking away from his display monitor, "What time is it?" "The current time is 6:08pm." JARVIS answers, and Tony sighs. Well, that's not as bad as he thought, but it's not good. "Well, shit." He says as he makes a few more adjustments, "Hold on, just a sec, Cap. I'm almost finished with this." A few more moments pass before he lets go of the hologram in front of him, and turn to Steve, arms outstretched. "Done!" A moment passes in complete silence, as Tony takes in Steve's appearance. Neither one of them move a single muscle for a long moment. Finally, Tony lets his arms drop, and steps closer, sees Steve fighting back a grin. His new hairdo is a little less messy than earlier, carefully styled and contributing to his more formal look. Black dress slacks, dress shoes, and a pressed, light blue button down; which is (dear God save him) buttoned all the way to the top. "Well, look at you," Tony says, carefully, "All spiffed up. If I didn't know better, I'd swear this was an actual-" Steve pulls a perfect red rose out from behind his back and Tony is momentarily rendered speechless. "Date." He finishes quietly. He stands motionless, staring in shock at the flower in Steve's hand. "It doesn't bite." Steve jokes after a long moment, shaking the rose slightly. Tony doesn't miss the hint of nervousness in his tone. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Tony says, with a forced kind of calm, hoping. Hoping so hard he can feel it slide down his spine; how badly he wants Steve to tell him tonight is finally a real date. "Yes." Steve says, a little more confidently. And Tony will forever regret and deny his teenage-cheerleader tone when he asks in an excited, breathless voice he barely recognizes as his own, "Really?" Steve doesn't make fun, just laughs, and nods. "My therapist and I have been talking about it for a while now, a long while, and we-" Steve suddenly cuts himself off with a sharp exhale. "You know what? It's not important. I'll tell you about it later. What's important right now, is that tonight is a real date; we have reservations; and you still need to get ready. Oh, and I'm still holding this." He says, playfully holding the flower back up, and Tony carefully plucks it from his fingers. He hesitates for a moment before looking up at Steve. "You're sure about this?" Tony asks, suddenly the nervous one. "There's always time to find someone else." His irrational fear that Steve might have changed his mind is short-lived as Steve grins, carefully putting a hand on the back of Tony's neck and pulling him forward to lay a soft kiss on his temple. "You're one of the few things I'm absolutely sure of." Steve says, quiet and confident. Tony sighs and rests his head on Steve's shoulder. A long beat passes. "Now, go." He says, pulling away and clapping Tony on the shoulder. "Get showered and dressed. I'll be in the lobby when you're ready." Tony goes to step away, but before he does, stops with a 'wait' and reaches up to undo the top button of Steve's dress shirt. "There, now you're perfect." - After they leave the restaurant, it's not freezing outside, but comfortable enough for them to decide to walk back to the Tower. Tony supposes, for a moment, walking down dark New York streets isn't a brilliant idea. Then he remembers he's Iron Man, and his current date happens to be Captain America. He doesn't really think about it again after that. Instead, he turns towards Steve and asks, "So what were you going to say earlier, about you and your therapist talking about this?" Even in the dull street lights, Tony can see Steve duck his head and blush while they walk. "Uh, we've been talking about me dating. Dating you, to be more specific." "So you've mentioned me, huh?" Tony asks with a shit-eating grin, wiggling his eyebrows. Steve rolls his eyes. "You've come up a few dozen times, yeah." He can hear the grin in Steve's voice. "Doctor Lee, she uh, she thinks that I've reached a point where dating in general isn't a bad idea, but she was especially encouraging when I told her I wanted to date you." "Wait," Tony says, confused, stopping Steve with a hand on his bicep, "What difference does it make who it is your dating?" "Well," Steve says, and licks his lips. "I told her what happened during the whole… episode. Everything we went through, everything you did for me- do for me. I mean, I told her everything, Tony. I - I hope that's okay." "Yeah, of course." Tony says, nodding. Steve starts to walk again and motions vaguely for Tony to follow. "Well, she said because you understand my situation and what I've been through," Steve went on, "If I had problems, or I needed someone I could talk to, besides her, you'd be a… 'supportive partner.'" He says, making air quotes with his fingers, "You wouldn't hurt me or try to judge me." Tony stayed silent, listening. "I told her that I already had… feelings for you, and that I couldn't imagine being with anyone else." Steve says, looking down as he continued walking. "She thinks starting a relationship from scratch would be… difficult for me right now, too many unknowns about the other person to try and handle on top of everything else. But since we're sort of already in one?" Tony nods, easily. They are as far as he's concerned. "We agreed it seemed like a natural step, to get closer, and if you were willing, now would be as good a time as any. You and I both understand what's important in a relationship, and you won't try to push me into anything or magically fix me." "You sound pretty... confident about me." Tony remarks, feeling slightly self-conscious for the first time in a long time. Steve just smiles, and takes Tony's hand in his as they walk. "That's because I am." - It was late when they finally arrived back at the Tower, dinner having gone extremely well. The restaurant they'd gone to was nicer than most they'd been to before, but the conversation during dinner flowed as well as it always did, with easy laughter and comfortable silences. Tony's not sure how it happened, but somehow, when they got back to the Tower, he'd become the girl, being escorted up to his room. He's pretty sure it started with the rose. He's also pretty sure he should be a little more annoyed than he is about the whole thing. But then again, he's not sure who could go out on a date with Steve and be annoyed about anything. When they make their way up to Tony's door, before Tony can say 'good night,' Steve leans forward and presses a soft, sweet kiss against Tony's lips. It's slow, and unhurried, but it only lasts a fraction of what Tony would like it to. He leans forward when Steve pulls away, chasing Steve's lips with his own. Usually, he'd worry about that little maneuver being perceived as desperate, but right now, all he can think about is getting Steve's lips back on his. Steve relents and leans back into him, kissing him again with a small, happy hum. His hands come up to rest on Tony's hips, but he makes no move to press further. Tony grips Steve's shoulders as Steve pulls away, not letting Tony chase him this time and Tony sighs like a petulant child. "Can I ask a question?" He asks, noting how Steve hasn't moved his hands an inch from Tony's hips. Which is, in Tony's book, both a win and a loss. "Not yet." Steve answers gently. "Why not? It's an simple question." He says, huffing a sigh. "I know. That was the answer." Steve says, grinning, leaning his forehead against Tony's. "How'd you know what I was going to ask, and how long is 'not yet'?" Tony's hands slide up to play with the hair at the back of Steve's neck. Tony doesn't want to be impatient, really. He'd rather die than pressure Steve into doing anything he wasn't ready for, but still. He's been waiting five months. He's allowed to whine, just a little. "Number one, I know you. Number two… I'm not sure yet. We'll know when we get there." Steve answers reasonably, and Tony watches him close his eyes before following suit. "So, in like, five minutes, then?" Tony says, mostly-joking. It works, he notes, as Steve huffs out a small laugh, and his thumb strokes Tony's hipbone over his tailored shirt. "Tony." Steve says, and Tony has yet to figure out how Steve can make a single word sound so affectionate and yet reprimanding at the same time. "Yeah, I know. Too soon." Tony admits softly, and Steve, unfortunately, chooses right then to let him go. He lets Steve go, too, without objecting like he so wants to; and he might be willing to admit that a small part of him is somewhat pleased to see Steve looks just about as unhappy about the situation as he is. A much larger part of him just hates to see Steve unhappy at all. "Hey," he says, forcing himself to grin slightly, "'Not yet' isn't a 'no,' and neither one of us are going anywhere." He can do this. If he can be patient for anyone in the world, it's Steve. He's satisfied to see Steve brighten up a just little, lips quirking up in the corners, but before he can say anything, Tony decides to call it a night. He quickly leans up to press a quick kiss on Steve's cheek. "Good night, Steve." He says, opening his door and going to step inside. Before he makes it all the way in, he feels Steve grab his wrist and gently, but inexorably pull him back, kissing him warm and firm on the lips. It's still relatively chaste, but fuck, if just kissing Steve is this amazing, the sex is gonna kill him. After a moment, Steve lets him go and smiles that megawatt smile that makes both men and women alike swoon. "Good night, Tony." He says quietly, looking at him with such bright fondness and affection, Tony's glad he gets the door shut before Steve sees the flush spread over his face. He is such a goner.