The next few months were peaceful for the new couple. They had developed a pretty satisfying routine. They would eat breakfast together then Tony would go down to the lab and work on new projects for a few hours. Steve would then make a quick lunch for the two of them. Tony would descend back into his lab for a couple more hours until he was informed dinner was ready. Occasionally Steve would visit Tony while in the lab but he usually let Tony alone for the most part. The lab was his sanctuary and Steve knew what it was like to need a sanctuary. His was his room that Tony had made to look like his old barracks. It reminded Steve that life was short and to never forget how he had arrived at his current point in life. Steve's days usually consisted of drawing and exploring the city. He became venturous and instead of using his bike, Steve discovered he liked public transportation. Just riding on the subway made him feel at peace.

They would always have a quiet dinner together. At first they kept to the house but after a couple of months they had decided to try dining out. Steve had been hesitant at first due to Tony's celebrity but Tony knew all the private places to go so they would not be bothered. After their dinner, the two would retreat to one of their rooms and make love to each other. Steve enjoyed these moments. He loved knowing Tony would be there when he woke up. By the fifth month of this routine, Steve's nightmares had stopped. He was finally home. His life was with Tony.

Lately, Steve had only one thing on his mind and that was marriage. He knew it had only been six months, but Steve had grown up in a time where most relationships lasted only a couple of months before couples were married. He also wanted to be able to share to the world how much he loved Tony. He had now come to terms that Tony would always be a celebrity. He knew at some point he and Tony would have to come out to the public. So it was not unusual on a particular day that during one of Steve's trips into the city that he found himself in front of a jewelry store.

He walked inside the antique store. It reminded him of his era and how passionate everyone in love had been. The store was small but it had a classic appeal. The theme of the store was to keep things simple but to mix simplicity with class and style.

"Can I help you sir?" asked a young woman who had noticed Steve perusing through the wedding rings.

"Umm…I am just looking for a simple wedding band." He thought for a moment. "Do you have one that has six separate diamonds in it?"

"Of course, let me show you." She walked him over to a separate glass enclosure and pulled out a white gold band with seven individual diamonds lined up along the top of the band. "What do you think about this one?" she asked. Steve held it in his and looked it over. A smile came to his face as he pictured it on Tony's finger. He would love it. It was flashy but not over the top. It not only represented the combination of their personalities but it paid tribute to the Avengers as a team hence the six separate diamonds.

"It's perfect. Thank you ma'am uh how much is this?"

"This one is eight thousand dollars but for you I can sell it for about five" she said smiling.

"You are too kind" said Steve as he reached for his wallet. The girl rang up his bill and then placed the ring in a silver box.

"Whoever it is should feel very lucky." Steve let out a chuckle as he felt his cheeks turning red. He noticed how she had not just assumed he was giving it to a woman.

"I hope so. I am hoping for the best."

"Well we do have a 30 day return policy but hopefully you will not need to return it" she was still smiling as she handed him the small bag.

"Thank you again. I will try and remember this place for further visits" he replied nodding his head and then Steve merrily walked out the door. His heart was racing and he began to feel highly anxious. He had to figure out exactly how to propose to Tony. He decided on doing something small. He was going to fix him a special dinner then propose during their nightly toast.

When Steve got home, he immediately headed to the kitchen to see what he could prepare.

"JARVIS do we have the ingredients to fix Tony's favorite meal?" he asked as he rummaged through the fridge.

"I believe so sir. Check in the bottom drawer in the fridge and in the pantry closest to the sink."

"Thank you JARVIS. What would I do without you?"

"You would be at a loss at how to fix Tony's dinner? Is there a reason you are fixing filet mignon with macaroni and cheese?" Steve paused for a moment debating on if he should fill JARVIS in.

"I think I am going to propose tonight" he said quietly.

"Congratulations! I know how much you love Tony and I am sure he will respond to your act of love with a resounding yes."

"Good I am glad you agree. I don't want to be the only one with proposal jitters. Now tell me how to fix this dinner" he said with a laugh. He was looking forward to this evening. He loved Tony and wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with Tony. He was sure Tony would say yes after all he had said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him that day in the hospital and surely his feelings had only increased.

Steve was putting the finishing touches on the macaroni when he heard the elevator door open. Tony walked into Steve's apartment taking on a full blast of the aroma of steak and macaroni. He was impressed. He wondered why Steve had decided to make dinner himself let alone Tony's favorite meal.

"What's with the cooking?" he asked nonchalantly as he strolled over next to Steve.

"Um I thought it would be nice if I gave JARVIS a night off and I have never made steak before so I thought I would um surprise you. How are the new weapons turning out?" he asked trying to quickly change the subject. This did not go unnoticed but Tony thought it best to try and figure out what Steve was up to.

"It is tough. I can't exactly get it to stay on a straight projector but I am close to figuring it out. I'm sure in the morning my genius mind will have come up with something. How was your day?" he asked taking a sip of water.

"It was ok. I went out and explored old town New York City. It was cool to see some of the shops that were around when I was a kid. There was a…this jewelry store that was still there. It has changed a lot over the years but it still reminds me of that time in my life." He was beginning to get nervous so he thought it best to start serving dinner.

"Can I help you with anything? I mean had I known you were going to slave away in the kitchen all day I could have least brought some bread or something."

"No it's okay. I wanted to do this so can you please sit down" Steve's hand was beginning to shake as he set down the bowl of macaroni.

"Steve what's going on? You are acting kinda weird" said Tony as he took his place at the table. He tried to pinpoint what exactly was bothering Steve but he just couldn't read him. He watched with intense eyes as Steve scuttled back to the kitchen to get the steak. He noticed Steve grab something from underneath the sink and stick it into his pocket. His curiosity was growing. Steve hustled back to the table. He was now starting to sweat.

"How is the macaroni?" he asked nervously. He sat down and took a big gulp of water hoping to hide his anxiety.

"Um…it's good but I can't really focus on enjoying it with you being all riled up. You look like you are about to have a heart attack."

"Look Tony I have been doing some thinking and well I was thinking of taking our relationship to the next level. I'm ready for uh the world to know." He began to fidget more and could feel the beads of sweat drip from his head. He reached for the object inside his pocket. "Tony I was wondering if you would do the honor of marrying me?" he pulled out the box and opened it for Tony to see.

Tony froze when he saw the silver ring in the box. He should have known this was where Steve was going with all this. The dinner and Steve's anxious behavior summed it up. It was too much for Tony to take. He wasn't ready for the world to know he had fallen in love with a man. He never thought Steve would have been ready this fast either. This was too soon, way too soon. He loved Steve but marriage? His phobia of commitment came flooding back. He stood up from the table and started to walk back towards the kitchen.

"Steve I can't do this. What…what made you think I was ready for this? What were you thinking? Why didn't you fill me in on how you were feeling? This is too sudden." Tony looked shocked and scared. Steve's heart sank. He could feel it breaking into a million pieces.

"Tony don't do this please. We love each other. I thought you were ready for this. We have been through Hell and back for each other. I…I don't understand. You told me you wanted to spend the rest of your life with me. Don't you remember?" All of a sudden he felt humiliated. This wasn't how this evening was supposed to go. I have to get out of here he thought. He made a dash for his coat which was hanging by the door.

"Steve wait…don't leave. I want to talk about this. Where are you going?" Tony pleaded. Steve was too embarrassed. He didn't want to be here any longer.

"Leave me alone. Don't come near me. I'm sorry I sprung this on you…I have to be alone…Please just don't talk to me!" Like a frightened puppy terrified of his owner, he bolted out of the apartment leaving Tony standing there with a look of defeat and helplessness on his face. He walked back over to the table and picked up the box. He looked at the ring and headed back to his apartment. He opened his door and plopped on the couch with a huge bottle of whiskey in his hand. For the first time in six months, he began to drown his sorrows in a sea of alcohol.

Steve had taken the elevator to the basement leading to the garage. He saw his bike standing in the corner. He needed to go for a ride. Maybe if he had taken a ride earlier he would have known not to spring a proposal like this onto Tony. He paused for a second hoping Tony would walk through the door but when he realized the door wasn't going to open, he jumped on his bike and drove off into the dark night. He didn't even feel a sense of danger as he rode further and further away from Stark Tower.