Chapter 7
By: MysticFantasy
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"Go for a morning skinny dip?" Tony asked when he saw Steve and Natasha walking toward them.
"Shut it, Stark." Natasha warned and placed her handful of shells on the ground by the hut.
"Steve, you're walking again." Bruce mused.
"I am." Steve confirmed with a smile. "Still hurts a little but at least I can walk."
"That's good."
"Yeah, he got to miss all the fun, hard work." Tony said sarcastically.
"Yes Tony." Steve said in the same tone the inventor just used. "I broke my leg just to miss out on the hard work."
"Sounds like something Tony would do." Clint said. "Just to get out of a board meeting."
"Never done that but it sounds like a good idea." Tony said. "But knowing Pepper, she'd find a way to make my poor broken limb better in order to get to that meeting."
"Just how many of those meetings do you not go to?" Clint asked curiously.
"That's a question I refuse to answer at this time." Tony replied. "Especially if it ever reaches Pepper's ears."
"It's time you make that woman your wife, Stark." Natasha said as she sat down and laid back. "Don't you think she earned that a long time ago?"
"She has." Tony answered seriously. "She has earned the right to have a diamond ring on her finger a long time ago."
"But..." Bruce pressed on gently.
"What if I turn out like my dad?" Tony asked. "What if...I become a lousy husband and father like he was?"
Clint, Bruce and Natasha all turned their eyes to Steve.
He was the only one who could relate to this question because he had personally known Howard Stark. Although he didn't know what Howard was like as a father and husband, he knew that the present Avengers father was a nice person.
"Tony," Steve started. "I don't know what Howard was like after I went into the ice. But when I did know him, he was just like you are now. Brilliant in everything he did, dedicated and always tried to do the right thing. He had his wild side like you do but he slowly left that side of himself behind. I understand how he changed in the years after I went into the ice but that doesn't mean that you have to do the same thing. You're like Howard in many ways but you can decide if you want to be everything he was or only be like him in some things. Deciding how you want to be as a husband, and possibly a father, will be up to you."
Tony lightly sighed as he let Steve's words sink in. Coming from the super soldier himself, a person who was still alive who really knew Howard, Tony really thought about what he just said.
He rarely heard Steve talk about his father because it was a sensitive topic for the both of them but when he did hear it, he heard how he and his father were so much alike but still had great differences.
And what Steve just said was true.
Only Tony could decide what kind of husband he wanted to be and he would make sure that he wouldn't be anything like his father.
"Well, guess I'll have to make you my best man, Capsicle." he said.
"Hey! I wanted that spot!" Clint exlcaimed.
Steve lightly smirked as the two now began a debate over who should be the best man. It didn't really matter to him but he would honor whatever choice Tony made.
He was just happy to see that Tony was finally going to ask Pepper to become his wife and he knew that once he proposed it was going to be a mad house in trying to make the perfect wedding.
"I can hear Pepper squealling in excitment now." Natasha mused.
"I can picture her making you her maid of honor." Bruce said.
"Oh, that is going to be the one thing she would regret." Natasha said with a smirk. "Her hen party would make headlines across the country."
"Why does that frighten me?" Steve teased.
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"Come on, fishy fishy." Tony urged. "Take the nice bait. You know you want it."
"Tony, they can't understand what you're saying." Steve said. "Even then, I'm sure they wouldn't just fall for it right away."
"I'm not use to waiting." Tony replied.
"Yes, I know."
"Yeah, well, I don't know how you can wait so long."
"Wait for what?"
"To make your move on Red."
"Please don't start that again."
"Why not? We all know that you both have a thing for each other. Why you keep refusing to admit it and just say it is beyond me. Heck, if I didn't have Pepper, I would be trying to become Mr. Black Widow."
Steve raised an eyebrow in question at what Tony just said but knew not to challenge it because it would just lead to a way for Tony to try to prove that he was right.
"Seriously, you're great at helping other people with their problems. Even their love problems. Which kinda surprises me. But you can't admit to yourself that you're falling for our little spider? Why?!"
"Tony, I'm pretty sure that I am not Natasha's type." Steve said. "I'm too old fashioned."
"Well, I won't argue with you on that part." Tony lightly teased. "But I'm sure you're every girls type. Why don't you just talk to her and see if she feels the same?"
"Because I know what it'll lead to and none of us want to go through that." Steve answered. "I can't mess with our emotions or the team dynamics."
"Something like that shouldn't mess with the team. Just find out and if there isn't anything mutual then I know a few single and pretty ladies."
The soldier lighlty shook his head.
"Let me guess, models?"
"That's right!"
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"So, when are you gonna talk to Steve?" Clint asked while he and Natasha boiled some water to make fish and crab stew in a survival cooking pot.
"I am not going to tallk to him." Natasha answered. "Besides, we have other things to worry about than my love life."
"There's always time to worry about your love life." Clint replied. "Especially when you don't have one."
"Let me worry about that. Besides, we both know that I am not the kind of person that is meant to be with Steve Rogers."
"Nat, he likes you. I don't see why you both are being so...high school about it."
"We are not acting like that." Natasha stated as she tossed in a few small crabs.
"Yes you are." Clint replied. "You're both adults and two of the world's best heroes but you're both acting like high school students who have obvious crushes on each other but won't do anything about it."
"Alright. If I talk to him, will you drop this topic?" Natasha questioned.
"By 'talk' do you mean planting a big wet one on him?"
"Barton!"
The archer chuckled at his friend's outburst.
"Alright. I'll settle for a talk."
"Good. Because that's all that's going to happen between Steve and I." Natasha said.
