July 3rd on Stark Tower..
Tony blinked a few times. No. This is not happening. His hand clutched a beautiful wedding invitation. Tomorrow is his and Steve's big day, but right now he can't help but to feel like he want to pass out. Pepper said it was just wedding jitters, cold feet, nervousness and its a common thing.. But Tony felt like he really can't do it. He should just call it off.
Never in his life he imagined he would be getting married. When he was young, sure.. having a beautiful blonde wife, three kids and a dog sounds really good. But when he looked at his parents, no, how could he? So the dream of being marriage buried, deep within Tony Stark's heart as he grew up. And now, he was actually getting married. With a man, none the less. With his late father's best friend. How could Tony not be nervous?
Its not the marriage life that scared him. Its the wedding. The 'stand-in-the-altar-wearing-white-waiting-for-Steve-walking-down-the-aisle' thing. And reciting his vow in front of hundred people. And having conference press. And dealing with thousand haters because they 'supposed to save the world, not fucking each other and get married, poisoning the children's mind'. No, this is too much even for Anthony Stark. He can't do this big and grand wedding thing.
"It's all Steve's fault. He always wanted to have big wedding. A fucking parade. I don't want this huge wedding, I can't Peps. I need to call it off." He said to the hologram screen, facing a very furious Pepper Potts.
"Are you insane? You really wanna ditch someone like Steve Rogers? You're really are an asshole, not that I didn't know but this is really prove it. You hear me old man, you're going upstairs, take a shower and go the fuck to sleep. You're getting married tomorrow."
"Pepper, you don't get it. I love Steve, really I do, but I can't do this. This is not a wedding jitters, it's real. I... I don't want to get married. I want things to stay where they are, I can't lie to him. I can't lie to myself. I don't want this."
"Then why are you not telling him from the moment he proposed? Why did you just say this to me the night before the day? Tony, I'm sorry but you can't do this. You can't back out from this wedding. Steve didn't deserve this."
"I know! That's the problem! Steve didn't deserve this, any of this, he didn't deserve me! What if one day he's just so tired to deal with me but he can't leave cause he don't wanna hurt me? While all I did was hurting him all along? How do you think I feel all this time? I said yes to him because I want him to be happy, I always knew he wanted marriage while I don't but I thought I could do this. And I'm wrong. I cant do this wedding thing. It's all Steve's ever wanted, not me."
Tony didn't know someone else was there. Someone else was listening him saying he don't wanna marry Steve. That someone else was broken.. "Tony.. is that.. oh my God.. is that.. true?" Steve said, stuttering.
"Steve?"
"Is that... you... really never wanted to marry me? You just... did that to make me.. happy?"
"No, no that's not what I meant. I love you.. I just.."
"You don't wanna marry me. You never wanted married. I get it. I'm sorry."
"No, you don't get it! It's not that.. Steve listen to me," Tony huffed, finding the strenght to be honest to his lover. It's now or never, he thought."I love you. Really, I do. I just don't think this wedding is a good idea."
"What did you just say? This wedding isn't a good idea? Where were you this damn 4 months? Can't you say that to my face before the big day? You had 4 goddamn months and you can't say that to me?" Steve was unbelievably mad. He thought Tony was just making up ridiculous reason.
"For fuck's sake Steve, this 4 months you barely had time for me. You were busy organizing this grand, huge wedding you want! And not even once you asked about how I feel, or.. or do I like the flower you picked? You singlehandedly organize this wedding like it's your own, not our's. It's like you don't even need me anymore. How do you think I feel?"
Steve felt a pang of guilty and hurt in his heart. Tony had said all of that, pointing Steve's fault. He was just a selfish and inconsiderate person about how his fiance felt all along.
He can't do it anymore. He just stormed out from Tony's lab, taking elevator down to the lobby and get the hell out of the Tower. He didn't care if it was raining, he was soaked and he kept walking away. He thought that maybe the rain could washed away all the pain he felt in his heart. Somehow, it felt like he was back to all those years, drowning in the Arctic. He was once again lonely, cold, and hurt.
Tony, on the other hand, felt a little bit relieved after Steve stormed out. He always worried about days like this to happen, days when one of them just wasn't strong enough to try again, and just walk away from the other's life. He clutched his alcohol. He was trying to kill the pain with more and more booze. He was left by his fiance the day before the wedding, he was broken. He was once again a broken man.
Steve was heading to Central Park, the only place he goes to when he needed to find peace. He remember all the things they've been through. All the kisses, romantic dinners, dates, slowdances, the walk in the park... he remember everything. 5 years wasn't a short time. Then he recalled the day he confessed his undying love to Tony. He said that it was destined, he had to be frozen for 70 years so that he could meet his true love. He remember saying he would love Tony no matter what, and he promised to be by his side forever. He promised he would never leave Tony alone. He promised to make him happy whatever it takes. And he promised he would give all of him to Tony.
But look what he just did. He just walked out on tony. He just left him alone, feeling hurt. He betrayed his promises to tony. He felt like a horrible person for left Tony alone. So, instead of leaving the town for good, Steve went to the nearest florist and picked up a bucket of roses. Hot rod red roses, the kind Tony loved most. With that in hand, Steve ran back to tower, splitting the rain in Manhattan.
Back in Stark Tower, Tony remember their first date. It was actually The Avengers' movie night. Where Tony saw Steve draped a blanket around his body. It was adorable but Tony didn't know why Steve did that. "I tend to got cold so easily. I hate feeling cold. It reminds me of my dark days in the Arctic." And since then, Tony swore he would never let Steve feeling cold ever again. He set up a fireplace in their room, he monitored the temperature all the time so it wouldn't be too cold, and he always tucked Steve in a blanket when they sleep.
And now it was raining. Hard. Tony had no idea where steve had gone. "Jarvis, where did Steve go? Is he leaving the tower?" Jarvis replied with his robotic voice, "It appears so, Sir." Tony rushed to grab a blanket and do what he always did. He needed to find Steve and warm him up. Tony took the elevator down to lobby and when he went out from the tower, he saw a soaking wet, puppy-looking Steve Rogers who was holding a wet and ruined roses.
"You stupid, it's so cold out here where were you going?" He said, enveloped him in the blanket he brought. Tony put his head on Steve's broad chest. He listened to his fast heartbeat and he can tell that Steve was running on his way here.
"I had to get you this. Sorry it's ruined. Had to run my way here. Dont wanna leave you alone for so long." Tony felt tears dripping down his cheeks. He felt so bad for hurting steve.
"I'm sorry. Im so, so sorry. I promised you I would never walk out on you, never leave you alone but I just did. That was incredibly stupid of me. I was so inconsiderate and I feel like a complete douchebad. Tony, I totally understand if you don't wanna get married tomorrow, we could just call it off, it doesn't matter. I dont need a big wedding, I just need you." Said Steve groggily, he was still feeling cold.
"No baby I'm sorry.. I was so wrong. I just don't know if I could actually make it, hell i dont feel I deserve you and I'm freaking out what if one day I just decided that I'm bored and I wanna end it, I don't want to hurt you, I don't wanna see you broken. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Let's get married tomorrow."
"So, we're not calling it off? Because I don't mind, I love you so much I'd do anything to make you happy, remember?"
"I would be a total idiot if I blew up my chance to marry the love of my life. And marrying you would obviously make me happy, so yeah, we do that tomorrow."
"Tony, I love you. Thank you for giving me a second chance."
"I love you too. Now come on you big puppy, let's cuddle. I don't care about Pepper telling us to not sleep together before the wedding but I could really use a cuddling right now."
They held hands and go back inside.