Tony's birthday always had been a very public thing; Howard had paraded him around when he was still young and Howard had hope for him and later when Howard was done with him Tony made damn well sure himself that no one would ever forget his birthday, even though he could barely remember them in the morning.
So yeah, the Avengers really should know that it was his birthday today. But given by the empty tower that wasn't the case.
Tony had, maybe foolishly, thought that now that his husband was also part of the Avengers they would get to spend the day together. But Sam had been on a mission with Natasha and Clint for the past two weeks; he had been due back home two days ago but had called in to tell Tony that it would take longer.
So no husband, obviously no teammates, Pepper was busy acquiring a company halfway across the world and Rhodey was employed in one war zone or another.
At least Jarvis and his bots remembered that it was Tony's birthday.
Jarvis congratulated him, the bots wore little party hats and blew confetti at him about which Tony complained good naturedly. What really surprised him though was the cake and bouquet of flowers that waited for him on his workbench.
"Jarvis, who sent these?" he asked and carefully walked over.
The flowers were beautiful, all his favourite colour, yellow, apart from one single red rose. There were sunflowers and daffodils, tickseeds and dahlias, orchids and tulips as well as yellow roses and Tony gently rubbed a petal between his fingers. The cake seemed to be a chocolate one and Tony suspected that the chocolate would go all the way through.
"I believe there is a card," Jarvis replied the moment Tony's eyes fell on the card.
He picked it up; it was plain white and the only inscription was "To the love of my life".
Tony was aware that he was smiling like a sap but he couldn't help it. Even though Sam was so far away he had thought about Tony and took the time to do something for him.
Tony ate the cake for breakfast and kept the flowers on his workbench. He tried to work on a new tablet for SI but he was constantly interrupted.
Every other half hour another flower delivery came and brought one single rose to him. Tony already had acquired eleven before something stirred in the back of his mind.
"Jarvis, has there been a list?" Tony incredulously asked once the memory of a drunken night came back.
"I believe so," Jarvis told him and Tony could swear there was amusement in his voice.
Tony wrecked his brain, trying to figure out what had been on that list but he couldn't remember. It had been early in Sam's and his relationship and they were celebrating something Tony couldn't even think of now.
There had been a lot of alcohol and at one point Sam had asked him what his favourite birthday would look like. Chocolate cake for breakfast and a bouquet of yellow flowers had been on there, just like getting as many red roses as years he had lived.
They were obviously at that point now, but Tony couldn't for the life of him remember the rest.
"Tell me?" he asked Jarvis, because he was unsure if Jarvis had even been around at that point.
"Mr. Wilson asked me not to," Jarvis said and Tony swore. Of course Sam would think about that.
Tony abandoned his work since he was pretty sure he wouldn't get anything done now anyway. The roses were still coming in and Tony was more focused on figuring out what else had been on that list than solving any work related problems.
So he ventured into the living-room where he had just barely sat down before Jarvis announced that there was another delivery for him.
"What is it this time?" Tony excitedly asked but Jarvis stayed quiet.
The elevator from the lobby came up and Tony waited in front of it. When the doors opened he was met with another red rose and a pizza box.
Tony bent down to pick both up, putting the rose to the others in a vase and then went to the kitchen, stomach already grumbling with the amazing smell.
So, pizza for lunch seemed to be another point on the list and Tony laughed at his ridiculous young self.
When he opened the box he saw that it was the horrific pizza Sam and he had invented probably somewhere around that night.
It had nearly everything on it you could put on pizza, and the batter wasn't thick enough to support all the toppings.
Tony laughed when he saw anchovies and pineapple mixed with meat and olives, but he happily got out a plate.
He hadn't thought about this pizza in years, but it was obvious that Sam still remembered.
Tony took his first bite and it was just as disgusting as he remembered; maybe even more so because he wasn't drunk.
Still, Tony polished off the whole thing, not leaving anything behind and when he was done Jarvis spoke up again.
"Sir, another delivery."
Tony jogged over to the elevator, bouncing on the balls of his feet out of excitement, and he would deny to his dying day that he squealed when the door opened and revealed Sam.
Sam was smiling brightly at him, holding another rose and he held it out for Tony.
"So what does this tick off then?" Tony asked while he took the flower and Sam laughed.
"You figured it out, huh?" he asked and Tony nodded.
"But I can't remember what was on the list."
"So I still get to surprise you. Even better," Sam said and took Tony's hand to pull him in.
"This completes the 'spend the day with someone who loves me' point on that list," Sam breathed against his lips and Tony shuddered.
"Wow, I was a happy young adult wasn't I?" he asked and Sam pulled him away to look at him.
"You had a shitty childhood, so that shouldn't come as a surprise. But I'm going to make sure that your adult life will be so much better."
"You already do," Tony said, right before he kissed Sam.
When they parted, Sam brushed his thumb over Tony's cheek. "How was the pizza?" he asked and Tony started to laugh.
"Horrible. It tastes just as bad as all those years ago."
"I figured. That's why I got your favourite curry as an afternoon lunch."
"You are the best," Tony sighed and Sam nudged his cheek with his nose.
"Good thing you deserve only the best then," he whispered and Tony laughed again before he pulled away.
"I didn't think you would make it," he admitted and Sam frowned.
"I know. But I had to let you think that so I could surprise you," Sam said and Tony nodded.
"Figured that out by now. So what's next on the list?"
"Well, your timings where very specific, so I won't manage to get that done like you wanted," Sam cryptically replied. "There was a lot on that list and I am trying to do as much as this day will allow." He kissed Tony again. "Good thing I have many more years to get everything done," he said with a little wink and Tony felt like a young teenager again, with the butterflies in his stomach.
"So now, we're going down to your workshop, and you will work on that one file you have labeled 'Stupid' in your system and you will explain everything to me, while I sit there gazing lovingly at you and occasionally feed you more cake," Sam told Tony softly and Tony scoffed.
"Yeah, sure. What are we really gonna do?" he asked and took a small step away from Sam.
But Sam snatched his hand and pulled him right back in. "That's what we're gonna do. I assume you still have cake?" he asked and now Tony blushed. He hadn't believed Sam, that was just too sappy even for him, but Sam was talking earnestly to him and Tony couldn't help it.
"I haven't worked on that file in years," he lowly said and Sam nodded.
"I know. That's why we're going to change that now."
He tugged Tony into the elevator and they made their way down. Sam greeted the bots who were still wearing their hats and he laughed at the sight.
Tony found himself thinking that no matter what else this day held for him, seeing Sam laugh with his bots in his workshop was probably the happiest he was going to be.
Sam ushered Tony to the workbench and then gathered the cake and a plate to prepare himself so he could actually feed Tony.
Tony was throwing him a glare while he pulled up the file they had talked about but Sam just smiled at him and held out a bite for Tony.
Tony held his mouth closed until Sam sighed and said "Don't make me do the stupid airplane thing, because I totally will," he threatened and when Tony laughed at that Sam quickly brought the fork closer.
Tony caved and took the bite and it tasted even better than this morning.
After that Tony started to work on the long abandoned project but after a minute Sam cleared his throat.
"I believe I said you were going to tell me all about it," he softly admonished and when Tony opened his mouth to protest Sam shoved another bite of cake into his face. Tony took it but glared at Sam again.
"I can't talk to you when you keep feeding me," he said once he swallowed and Sam smirked.
"Well I can't decide which I like best, so we'll just have to keep trying it out. Now talk."
Tony laughed at that but he did as Sam demanded and started a long explanation of where that specific idea had come from and why he had abandoned it in the first place.
This was by far not the first time Sam stayed in his workshop while Tony was talking and working on something but today it somehow felt special.
Sam kept true to his word and regularly fed him with cake. There were a few interruptions when more roses arrived and Tony slightly frowned at how many he would get; how old he really was.
"You stop thinking whatever it is you're thinking right now," Sam chided him and instead held out more cake. "There will be no frowns on your face today," he stated and Tony sighed before he took the offered bite and then forcefully shoved the thought about his age away.
"What comes after this?" he asked in a short break when yet another rose arrived and Sam looked at his watch.
"Like I said there will be curry for afternoon lunch, which should arrive in a few minutes actually. Why don't you save your progress so we can go up?"
Tony did as he was told and then followed Sam back up to the kitchen.
"I will get fat if you keep pampering me like that," Tony said on the ride up and Sam pulled him to his side.
"More for me to love," he said gravely and then started to laugh at Tony's outraged look. "You're barely eating enough as it is. You can deal with one day full of gluttony."
When they arrived in the kitchen Tony stared at all the take out boxes.
"This cannot only be afternoon lunch for us," he said and Sam suppressed a smile.
"Who says it's only for us?" he shot back and Tony's eyes got wide.
"But everyone else is not…" he trailed off when the elevator made another sound.
Everyone was squashed into it; his team, but also Pepper and Happy and Rhodey were there.
Tony pretended that he didn't tear up at the sight of all of them with a red rose in their hand and little stupid party hats on their heads, but given the way Sam hugged him to his side, he still saw it.
"Happy Birthday, Tony," they all said in unison and Tony laughed to hide his tears.
"So what does this mark off?" he lowly asked Sam who kissed his temple.
"A family who loves you," he somberly said and Tony hid his face in Sam's neck.
"Thank you," he breathed into the space and Sam stroke his back.
"There are still some other small point on the list," he promised and Tony was so over flown with feelings that he felt a bit faint.
Everyone came to congratulate him, hugging him and only slightly teasing him for the emotional scene they had just witnessed, but everyone looked so damn happy to be there that Tony let it slide and didn't took offense.
After that part was done, they got right on to eating and it was a wonderful disastrous thing. Everyone had their own plate, but no one actually stuck to that, so bites were snatched left and right and everyone was talking at once. It felt so wonderfully like home that Tony nearly choked on a bite.
Sam noticed, of course he noticed and gently nudged him, huge smile still on his face.
"Is this good?" he asked and Tony could only nod.
"I think today will mark the first time in forever that we don't have to fight over our movie choice for tonight," Clint said eventually, when everyone was sated and slightly leaning back in their chairs.
"And why is that?" Tony asked and Sam rolled his eyes.
"Because it's your birthday and you decided what movie we were gonna see a long time ago."
"Oh god," Tony mumbled, because he was a bit afraid at the no doubt stupid choice his younger self had made.
"If you're not up for Star Wars we can always watch something else," Sam told him with a smirk and Tony perked right up.
"No! That is perfect."
Sam nodded like he hadn't expected anything else and everyone quickly started cleaning up the kitchen.
When they were done they all ventured into the living-room; it took some time until everyone found a place but finally they were all seated.
Tony was half lying on Sam, cuddled up to him and securely held close with an arm around his middle.
"This is for the 'watch a movie I love' and 'cuddle with someone who loves me' part on the list," Sam whispered before Tony could actually think to ask about that. "I also checked off the 'No reporters and photographs of this day', since they won't be coming in here."
"How many points are left?" Tony asked contently and Sam shrugged slightly.
"You'll have to find out on your next birthday," Sam told him and kissed his head.
"Thank you," Tony whispered and Sam gently guided his head around until he could look him in the eye.
"I love you, Tony," he told him and softly kissed him, just sweetly pressing their lips together.
"I love you," Tony said against his lips when Sam retreated a bit and then snuggled closer.
The theme music was no playing and Tony fondly looked around the room. Bruce and Thor were sprawled out over the loveseat together, totally uncaring that they were half laying on top of each other. The second couch was occupied by Clint and Natasha as well as Steve and Bucky, who were all pressed close and unashamedly enjoying the close contact.
Pepper and Rhodey were next to Sam and Tony on the couch, leaning into each other, but both stretching out a hand towards Tony.
Tony pressed another kiss to Sam's chin and hoped he could convey just how much this meant to him. This was undoubtedly the best birthday he ever had.