Well, despite everything that's going on in my life, I knew I had to update. It's not fair to you, the readers, to keep you waiting. I'm just going to take it slow for the next couple of updates. There's something I have to deal with right now, and I'm going to try and update as quick as I can. Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, following this story :)
So, I really stuck my hand in this time eh? Steve and Tony are together, but there are some loose strings I have to tie before I decide this is finished. In light of that, I'm skipping the weekend getaway and moving a little forward into their relationship. Just know they had a nice time looking over some of Steve's childhood memories, Tony fell off a snowboard, and Steve's mom accepts her son is dating his boss.
Um, can I just say this whole chapter is a warning? I don't know…
Chapter 8
Steve and Tony had been together for a few weeks now. It was definitely a work in progress. Tony wanted to jump right into the process, going on more dates and holding hands in public, kissing in restaurants and the like. He had a gorgeous man at his side, why shouldn't he be able to do so? Steve wanted to take it slow, let the moments come, but Tony kind of pressured him to go beyond his limits.
In a way, they were good. Lots of dinner dates and Saturdays at some new art exhibit or play. At work, Tony would beg Steve to stay in his office for a bit longer, teasing the man and letting his hands wander.
"Stop that, we're at work," Steve complained for the third time.
"But I can't help myself. I just want to have you here with me," Tony said, groaning at the stack of work on his desk. "Any chance we can burn these cases?"
"Your father will have a fit," Steve said.
"It's his fault anyway. If we had this much work, he shouldn't have been so quick to lay off some people." It's true; ever since the initial lay off, the cases were piling up. Tony was forced to take on four new clients, all high maintenance and willing to complain to his father if Tony did not accommodate him.
"Either way, you have work. I have to go," Steve said, walking out.
"Fine, leave me with my work," Tony said, reviewing the paperwork.
Steve headed to his desk, noting the tall man standing in front of it.
"Took you long enough," Neal said gruffly. "The boys next door are requesting your assistance."
"I have stuff I need to take care of," Steve said curtly. "When I am done, I'll go ahead and help them."
"C'mon sweet cheeks, we're dyin' over there. We all have new cases cause of the layoff. Help us keep our jobs."
"And I actually have work, so if you could move," Steve said, maneuvering himself to his chair.
"Watch it, pretty boy. Out of all of us, you're the one who's in the most danger here," Neal sneered.
"Oh really? And why's that?" Steve said, typing away at his computer.
"Howard's cutting loose ends. You're a simple go-to boy, nothing special. When the time comes, you'll be out on the street."
"I'm glad you told me that. Now move," Steve said, glaring at the man.
"Keep acting this way, and you'll see how cutthroat us Stark employees really are," Neal scoffed, walking away.
Steve couldn't believe that man. The nerve of him! He typed away furiously, one eye on the clock. What he wouldn't do to give that guy a punch!
"Tasha's making stir fry, and you're saying you can't come?" Clint said over the phone.
"Yeah, Tony and I are going to this restaurant in town, some fancy Italian place. Either way, we're celebrating together," Steve said, folding his laundry.
"Aw, is it your three week anniversary or something?" Clint cooed.
"Something like that. Tony managed to overturn some judge's custody decision for a poor working mother. It's his tenth pro bono case that he's successfully closed so far."
"Congrats to him,' Clint said.
"Yeah, we're happy. It's a happy thing," Steve said simply.
"So is he paying for dinner or…?"
"We split the check."
"Okay, well I'll tell Natasha you're not coming. Won't be the same without our little Steve coming to eat us out of house and home," Clint sighed.
"You can have a date night," Steve suggested.
"Eh, Tasha's not into the whole splurging thing. Rent is pretty expensive and all."
"I know what you mean. Howard cut my wages again," Steve said.
"What? That bastard's just cruel."
"I'm lucky. It's still decent enough that I can afford rent and food, I just can't buy any comic books in the meantime," Steve said, placing his folded laundry in the correct drawers.
"Seriously, you should talk to Tony. Maybe you both can stay in or something, save some money,' Clint suggested.
"No, I can't. This place is a dump; I can't bring him in here. And I don't want to feel any worse about my situation by going over to his posh palace."
"Still…"
"I'm just going to be a little thrifty is all. I'll order a salad instead of the ravioli," Steve's stomach grumbled. "And it wouldn't hurt if you brought over some leftovers from the stir fry."
Clint sighed. "I'm always gonna end up feeding you, aren't I?"
"Dinner is great," Steve said, raising his water glass.
"Are you sure you just want the spaghetti? There's a lot of things on the menu you can try," Tony said, sipping from his wine.
"No, I think I'll stick with spaghetti." In truth, the pasta was way pricier than he expected, but if he told Tony, the man would try and buy him a plate of shrimp alfredo. Steve settled for the simple dish, aware of how much money was in his wallet. When the food arrived, they ate quietly for a bit.
"So, how is your mother handling this?" Tony asked.
"She's taking it well. I get texts sometimes, and she's always got some new piece of advice for me. Last night, she sent me a text saying 'Don't ever cook for Tony. Goodness knows what you'd give him'."
Tony smiled. "Something tells me you were cursed as a child."
"Oh yeah, some evil sea witch decided to cast a wicked spell on me," Steve said sarcastically.
"It could be possible," Tony mused.
"Hans Christen Anderson has already done it. Besides, I think it might just be some genetic defect," Steve said, polishing off his plate. The two continued to talk until someone came up to them.
"Tony! Long time no see!" A young man wearing a burgundy coat and sleek pants came up to them, smiling brightly at Tony.
"Hey kid," Tony said stiffly.
"I haven't seen you around lately. I thought old Stark had you locked up in that fancy mansion of his?"
"Maybe. Either way, I'm trying to enjoy a nice meal with Steve right now, so if you could just leave," Tony said quickly, not looking at the man's face.
"This your boyfriend?" He asked, pointing at Steve.
"Yes."
The man gave Steve a wide smile. "Hello, I'm Adam, an old friend of Tony's."
"He's someone I met long ago," Tony said to Steve. He had seen the questionable look on Steve's face.
"Okay then," Steve cleared his throat. "I think I'll use the restroom right now."
He really had no intention of going, but what could it hurt to let Tony meet his old friend? Excusing himself, he headed to the other side of the restaurant. Adam plopped down in Steve's seat, grinning wildly at Tony.
"You really had to show up didn't you? After what you did to me?" Tony whispered furiously.
"I remember you were willing to go through with it. Besides, old Stark still kept you around didn't he?" Adam said smugly.
"After he cut me off. Damn it, I was just getting over all that crap," Tony sighed, running his fingers through his hair.
"The party scene just isn't the same without you Tony. No more drunken fights at the bars and the dancers at the clubs have got nothing on you," Adam purred, crossing his legs.
"I'm over that. Go away now, before Steve comes back," Tony muttered.
"Steve huh? Seems like you're settling down now. What happened to the guy who swore he'd never get trapped in a relationship? The man who was hell-bent on jumping into the fire, no matter how much it burned?" Adam said. "I think he's still in there. Somewhere, somehow, I know I can get him back."
"Leave!" Tony shouted, alerting the next table.
"Would you like to join me?" Adam said, ignoring Tony's outburst. "Noir's got this cool new DJ who's spinning tonight. I have extra guest passes if you'd like."
"No thanks," Tony answered.
"I know Noir used to be your favorite club to hang out. No rules or limits," Adam said, pulling two shiny passes from his coat. "Besides, I think the press would be eager to hear about Tony Stark's new date. All it would take is one phone call…"
Tony glared at the young man. "Adam, you wouldn't dare."
"Oh~ Are we hiding this from the news? Didn't you get papa Stark's approval yet?" Adam asked mockingly. "Dear, aren't we being little rebels?"
"I swear, if you go to the press I will—"
"Bring your date to Noir. I'll keep my mouth shut if you do," Adam said, placing the passes on the table. "I think it would do you good to show Steve who you really are."
Tony looked at him questioningly. "Steve and I just started dating Adam; don't make this about what happened two years ago."
"No I'm not. But do you really think you can hide your past from him? I mean, seriously, if you knew anything about relationships, you'd know Steve would eventually ask questions as to why Howard thinks you're a disappointment."
"It was an accident," Tony said. His eyes looked worried, noting the blonde walking over.
Steve came back, hoping he did not interrupt them. Adam smiled as he walked over.
"Steve! We were just talking about you."
Tony stayed silent, grabbing the passes. He looked at Steve. "Adam got us passes to this club. I think it'd be nice if we go."
"Are you sure?" Steve asked.
"Trust me Steve, Noir's a cool place. You love it!" Adam gushed. He took a glance at Steve's outfit. "You just need some fancier duds. Tony, would you mind splurging?"
"No, I don't need new clothes thanks," Steve interjected. "How is what I'm wearing not good enough?"
"Noir's got a dress code. If you pulled out your shirt, maybe ruffle up your hair a bit… Yeah, I think you'd look great. I'll lend you my grey coat I go stashed in my car."
Steve looked at Tony. "Do you want to do this?"
"Yeah. Let's pay for the food and go," Tony said, raising his hand to signal the waiter.
Twenty minutes later, Steve stood next to Tony, his eyes looking over the lavish night club. The exterior was a glossy black, and a line that reached the next block stood in front. Adam pulled them to the door, all of them flashing their passes. Steve felt a little uncomfortable in Adam's coat, but when he noticed what other people were wearing, he felt a tiny bit shabby.
Tony steered him away from the throng, finding a small table near the bar. Adam seemed to float by, enjoying the attention from the people around him.
"So, the DJ's coming on at 10. Let's get some drinks beforehand," Adam shouted over the pulsing music.
"Wait, Adam!" Steve shouted, but the man had left to the bar already. He returned with three glasses of ice and a large bottle of whiskey.
"Thought it'd be nice to give Tony his favorite drink. Come on, pour!" Adam shouted, giving Steve the bottle. "A nice little boy like you should learn to pour alcohol!"
"Adam! Stop this now!" Tony shouted.
Steve opened the bottle and poured a bit into each glass.
"Atta boy Steve! Come on, let's toast!" Adam lifted his drink. "To the new couple!"
Steve lifted his slightly, and sipped. He tried not to make a face, noting the look of content on Adam. For some reason, he felt a bit put off by the man, and he really wanted nothing more than to go back home. Tony seemed fine though, and if he wanted to stay, Steve did not want to force him to leave.
Tony tried to remain calm, but he watched Adam like a hawk. Any sign of him bolting, and Tony was ready with a phone call to the right people. He would not have Adam ruining his night out with Steve.
"I think it's time. C'mon Steve!" Adam pulled Steve up out of his chair, surprising the couple.
"W-What?" Steve said.
"We're moving closer to the stage. This DJ's got some wicked way of letting the beat pulse through the audience, come and see!" Before Steve could protest, Adam held onto his arm, pulling into the crowd of people dancing. The pressure in his arm disappeared after Steve reached the middle of the dance floor. He was stranded, surrounded by so many people gyrating around him.
"Adam!" Steve shouted, gasping when someone's elbow hit him in the shoulder. He maneuvered his way to the front of the stage, where the DJ stood, readying his equipment. Steve tensed; the music playing was pounding right in his ears. He tried to think. Maybe he could get to the edge of the dance floor and head back? There was no way he would want to stay in the crowd. Looking around, he knew he would never find Adam in there.
But the crowd had other ideas. As soon as the DJ was announced, they swarmed around Steve, trapping him. Chests pressed against his back, and he shuddered at the feel of someone's hand on his bottom. Swatting the hand away, he slinked to the left, avoiding the people right at the edge of the stage dancing.
Somehow, Steve managed to escape after a while trapped between the dancers. The crowd thinned, letting him edge away. He had pushed a few people out of his way, but he had apologized! The area around the dance floor was a little calmer; Steve just had to avoid the staring and walk towards the brightly lit bar. He saw a man holding a bottle over his head, standing on top of a table.
"Steeve!"
Oh no.
"Where's my cute ass lover? C'mere you!" Tony made his way off the table, cursing a little as he prodded the bottle into his chest. On the ground, he swayed a bit. Steve walked over furiously, grabbing the bottle from Tony.
"What have you been doing?"
"Whassa matter? A guy can't have a couple of drinks?" Tony gushed, leaning on the table.
"Where's Adam?" Steve said.
"Adam! My best friend… he got me a drink! Said," Tony burped. "Said he's gonna get me a drink. Where is he?"
"Good question. Now, I think we need to head back." Steve grabbed Tony's arm, but Tony pulled away.
"Nuh-uh! You went and danced all night! I want to dance wi'h you now~" Tony slurred his words, grabbing Steve's waist.
"I don't want to Tony," Steve said, pushing against Tony's chest.
"S-Stebe, I want," Tony rolled his head a bit, "to dance with you."
"No," Steve protested. Tony's hands wandered over Steve's body, and the way Tony kept eyeing him…
He flinched when Tony's face got closer. There was no way he was going to let Tony pull any moves on him while he was drunk. Steve knew what he wanted, and doing those things while Tony was drunk would be disastrous. He kept his face away from Tony's, pulling away from the man as soon as his hold loosened.
Looking around, Steve tried to find the exit, but so many people were crowding the bar for a drink, they were blocking the entrance. He spotted Adam standing a few feet away, grinning ferally as if he had finally caught his prey. Adam walked away, motioning towards the exit, away from the crowd.. Steve nodded his thanks, and pulled a dazed Tony towards the carefully hidden door.
The air outside was cool, a reprieve from the heat and sweat of the club. Steve grunted as he pulled Tony's limp arm across his shoulders, supporting him as they walked over to the main street.
Stave was taken aback when a camera flashed, and soon, he was surrounded.
"Excuse me, can I have a word?"
"Hey, that's Tony Stark!"
"What is Mr. Stark doing here?"
"Give me a name doll face! What's your name?"
Lowering his head, he tried to push ahead of the photographers, but until Tony decided to pull his weight, Steve couldn't move.
"Who are ya kid?"
"The name's Steeve, punk," Tony shouted, half conscious. He pushed the photographer out of the way. "Le'ss go home and party!"
"Dammit Tony," Steve muttered, pulling Tony away from the cameras. He spotted Tony's car a couple of feet away.
"How's it you're shoooo hot Steve?" Tony said, bumping into Steve's body.
"I, am, never, letting, you, do," Steve grunted, pulling Tony's upper body back up, "this, to, me, again!"
"'S fun though?" Tony said. "Hey, let's... let's go back to my place, ok?"
"No!" Steve shouted, pushing Tony onto his car. He started rummaging through Tony's pockets to look for the car keys, but Tony had other plans. He pushed Steve onto the ground, burying his face into Steve's neck.
"You schmell sooo good Stevee," Tony caressed Steve, running his hands over the shaking body and licking his neck. Steve struggled, kicking at Tony's legs. His hands held Tony's body over him, but Tony had grabbed onto his coat, and would not move any further.
"Get off of me!" Steve said through gritted teeth.
"Why? I wanna feel you Steve~"
This was not how he wanted to do this! Steve, after uttering a quick apology, kneed Tony in the groin, and rolled the man over onto the ground. He stood up shakily, his hands grimy with dirt from the floor.
Not looking back, he walked a little ways away from Tony and pulled his phone out.
"Hello?" Clint said quietly.
Steve struggled to catch his breath. "Clint, can you come over to Baker Street? I need a ride."
"Steve, is everything okay?"
Clearing his throat, Steve managed to sound okay to answer Clint. "I'm fine; I just need to get away from here."
"I'll be right over."
The press had printed the story. Every magazine in town boasted pictures of the couple going out, Tony's arm around Steve's shoulders. Articles were written, people were gossiping, and yet no one could find out the name of Tony Stark's newest fling.
Who is Tony Stark's hot date?
Well, it seems someone has brought our favorite playboy back where he belongs: in front of our cameras. Recently, the powerful heir to Howard Stark's empire has been seen strolling around his old hang out spots, sporting a very stylish blonde man. Sources say that the man's name is Steve, but nothing else about the man has been uncovered.
Meanwhile, Tony has been back at his old ways. Last night, our reporters found him exiting a popular night club with his date, highly intoxicated and hanging onto his date's shoulders. Now, we are all ready to accept this new love interest, especially if it brings big party boy Tony back into our lives.
"There's another one Steve," Clint pointed out. Steve groaned; on Friday night, Tony had convinced him to go dancing at a night club he used to frequent. Ever since they started dating, Tony had been pushing him beyond his boundaries. It was all becoming too much for Steve.
"I'm going crazy," Steve muttered.
"Listen to this: 'Wow, Stark really likes them hot. Too bad he's gay ;)'."
"And?" Steve had heard that so many times over the past few days; it no longer irked him as much. People were going to talk, he knew. Steve only wanted Tony to stop giving people things to talk about.
"Someone else replied to that comment," Clint trailed off. He shut off his laptop, facing his friend. "Nothing good on there. Anyways, how about dinner?" He yelled over his shoulder. "Tasha, is dinner ready yet?"
"Of course!" Natasha shouted from the kitchen. Steve sat across from Clint, trying to relax. The whole weekend was nothing short of a nightmare. With Tony's attempts to steer clear of the press, the rumors about them got even worse. Steve shuddered as he remembered a certain blog calling him "a two timing twink messing with a rich man." The stories were getting out of hand, but Steve couldn't deny them, and he couldn't just forget about them. Tony was ignoring his calls, and the media was adamant on letting the story run its course.
It seemed as if Tony was reverting back to his wicked ways, and Steve had no idea how to feel about it. He mumbled to himself, ignoring the plate of pasta Natasha placed in front of him.
"What's wrong?" Natasha asked, sitting down.
"I don't know," Steve said, picking at his plate.
"Is it Tony?" She tried again, noting Steve's utterly expressionless face.
"I just want things back to how they were three weeks ago, when things were nice and simple," Steve muttered.
"Nothing is simple about relationships Steve, you know that," Natasha said.
"Nothing's different. I mean, I should have known; Tony was a firecracker before his dad to a hold on him," Steve said.
"It wasn't your fault. Tony just walked in like Prince Charming," Clint said.
"Oh yeah, some Prince Charming. You know, he was some prick before… I don't know, somehow, he seemed okay after New Year's and stuff. I liked the guy who sat next to my mother and held her glasses for her when she looked out the window, not the guy who…" Steve trailed off. He hadn't told Clint or Natasha about Tony's attack. Somehow, he knew it wasn't the right time to say anything; Clint would be furious and Natasha would stalk the man until he was dead.
"The guy who did what?" Natasha said.
"Nothing. Just a bad drunk is all," Steve said, lifting a bit of pasta into his mouth.
Tony stumbled back into his apartment. His key would not go in for some reason, until two hands stopped him, and opened the door. He looked to his right, and Pepper stood there, glaring at his drunken state.
"Pepper? What are you doin' here?" Tony said, leaning on the doorframe.
"I thought I would be nice and come see my friend being a responsible adult. Instead I get a half drunk loser," Pepper said stiffly.
"Ha, I'm just a little piece of shit aren't I?"
"You're a mess," she said simply, pushing him into the dark room. Tony grumbled a bit, and toddled off to his bedroom.
"How long has this been going on?" Pepper asked him as she followed him.
"Just a bit of drinking, nothing to worry about," Tony said sleepily.
"Right. I'm having a hard time believing that when the whole city is aflame, they think you're coming back. I had three people ask me if you wanted to party with them," Pepper watched him pull of his ties and shoes. "How is Steve taking this?"
"Thinks I'm his Prince Charming," Tony said with a grin.
"You take it too far sometimes, I swear," Pepper said.
"I just wanted to show him a good time. All he knows about me is what I've shown him, so why can't I show him this side of me as well?" Tony said sluggishly.
"Because this isn't you Tony. You're scaring him off like this, and it's all because you don't know how to handle your drinking,"
"Don't say that, I want to be with Steve," Tony protested. "I just… this is what I used to do with the people I slept with. They liked me at my worst, why shouldn't Steve?"
"Steve isn't somebody who you want to hook up with. He's a nice man, and your employee. Treat him like dirt and he'll leave."
"M'not treating him like dirt," Tony said, dozing off. Pepper rolled her eyes, and rapped the man in a blanket.
"Stop treating yourself like this."
I lost this just as I saved it. Probably because I saved this chapter as "Study on Human Mind" (some assignment for psychology class). I should definitely keep track next time :P
I swear I'm done inserting characters. Adam's just a tease; he's a catalyst for what's to come. I wanted to use a canon character, but I had a vision for Tony's past, and I needed a sleazy guy. Sorry, but I adore all the characters in the Avengers too much to make them into that (even Loki!).
Reviews:
jack2724: As always, thanks for liking it. You keep me going! :)
Mimi Striker: Thank you lovely! I just tried to make it as sweet as I could :)
bjb89: Glad you enjoy the story! Neal's not much more than a bully though, but I think I'm gonna let him continue to be just a nuisance :)
Dragon-Bowl: I think you're right, I feel I skipped something, but I'm trying to keep myself from doing that. About that, I guess I never really figured out how to create internal conflict, or I've seen it done in other stories much better than I could. Maybe it's just me, but I think I would never do Steve and Tony's characters justice if I placed more conflict within them (not that I'm doing such a good job now either). Thank you so much for pointing out I'm missing though. I feel you really helped me find what I'm lacking as a writer :)
Zeldachic459: I'm just glad you're still reading my story! Honestly, thank you for liking this. I'm sorry for the wait though! :)
Miss R. Hood: Yep, first published story! I'm glad you like it! :)
