Oh goodie! It's time for a new chapter. Not much to say here so I'll see you at the end.


After Tony's breakdown and Steve's revelation, the two started to spend more and more time together. It actually made both of them calmer on a day to day basis. Steve spent almost all of his free time with Tony. Whether it was down in the lab or watching a movie together. And they touched a lot more. There was always some sort of touching. It was actually grounding for both of them. It also had the added benefit of sometimes making Tony blush. Steve just couldn't get enough.

Tony and Steve also slowly began to share a bed at night. It wasn't anything sexual. (Although Steve was waiting patiently for the day it WAS.) It was just more comforting for the two of them to sleep side by side. Steve no longer felt the chill of the arctic water as he tried to sleep and Tony had someone to try and keep the nightmares at bay. They both understood each other. They understood the struggles that came with being heroes and having a difficult life.

The downside to all of this was that it didn't take very long for the other members of the team to realize what was happening. And that was when the teasing started. It was mostly by Clint and Natasha and it was never directed at Tony. It was all in good fun but still, having Natasha bug him about his love life was a bit unnerving.

"So… what's going on with you and Stark?" asked Natasha one day out of the blue while Steve was making some lunch to bring down to the lab where he and Tony were working.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do. I've seen how you are with him. We all have. You're good for each other. So, when are you going to make a move?" Steve just sighed and shook his head in defeat. There was no use trying to hide things from Natasha.

"He's not ready for that kind of stuff yet. He's still jumpy and uncomfortable. I want Tony to feel safe before I spring any of this on him."

"Well, don't wait too long. The tension is going to kill someone at some point."

Steve wasn't really sure how to respond. And he didn't really have the chance to. Just as quickly as she appeared, Natasha was gone. Steve just shrugged and went to go bring the food back down to the lab.

UMTB

A week later, after almost two weeks of not waking up alone, Tony woke up alone. He was still in Steve's bed, but he was all alone. Tony just sighed dejectedly. It was only a matter of time before people got tired of him. The comfort was nice while it lasted. Tony slowly got out of bed, savouring the last moments of warmth and the subtle scent that Steve had left behind, before making his way to the bathroom.

The whole time, Tony's mind kept wandering back to Steve. He wasn't ashamed to say that he had a crush on the man. Hell, it was the old Captain America poster that Howard had in his workshop that made Tony realize that he was bi back when he was 13. But, in Tony's mind, he knew that nothing would ever come from that crush. He was impossible to love and he'd always screw it up in the end. It was better to keep quiet and to himself.

Tony finished getting ready for the day with the clothes he had slowly begun accumulating in Steve's room and headed out the door to go hide in the lab. He didn't need any more problems today. But just as Tony opened the door to head down, he noticed that the hallway was covered in sticky notes. At first Tony was just going to ignore then. There was no way possible that these were for him. But, as Tony got closer to them he found that they all had his name on them with arrows pointing towards a destination. Fuelled by curiosity, Tony began to follow the sticky notes. He soon figured out that they were leading to the living room.

As Tony rounded the corner he could hear a smattering of giggles coming from Clint as well as some other sounds that clearly came from Thor. But, when Tony looked around the room he couldn't see them. Actually, it was a little bit hard to see anything with all the lights off.

"JARVIS. Can you turn on the lights?" asked Tony.

The second the lights turned on he was face to face with the other Avengers all with huge smiled on their faces.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" came the exuberant shouts of everyone in the room. Tony looked on in surprise before a few tears dared to fall from his eyes. Steve noticed this and ran over to pull Tony into a hug.

"I didn't think you guys would care." Whispered Tony and Steve just held on tighter.

"Of course we care Tony. It's your birthday. We want to celebrate with you." Smiled Steve and Tony held a little watery smile of his own.

"Also, since your little de-ageing thing with Loki we couldn't decide if this should be your 43rd birthday or your 19th so we just did what we did with Cap. So, Happy 19th Birthday Tones!" smiled Clint as he joined in on the hug.

Soon enough everyone had joined in on one giant group hug. Tony had never felt so loved. Sure, he'd had some good birthdays before. Like the one when he turned 5 and Jarvis and Ana had gotten him a stuffed bear that he'd managed to hide from Howard for 5 whole years. Or the time at MIT when Mama Rhodes had invited him to spend the time with her and Rhodey. He'd had his first real birthday cake that year. But this, this was amazing. Almost everyone he cared about was there because they wanted to spend time with Tony.

The team didn't really get Tony any presents, but Tony didn't want any to begin with. They did make some donations to the Maria Stark Foundation and Tony loved the gesture. There was a cake that Bruce had made, there were games and movies and honestly, Tony was feeling on top of the world. Everything was perfect.

And, once bedtime rolled around, and both Tony and Steve had retreated into what was not essentially their room, Tony was met with one last surprise for the day.

"I know there was sort of an unspoken agreement not to get you any presents because you'd think it was awkward, but I just couldn't help myself." Smiled Steve as he handed Tony a small box with an ostentatious pink bow.

Tony looked at the box a little skeptically before he slowly removed the bow and opened the box. Inside was a flat head screwdriver the same as he used for all his major projects, but this one was unique. It had a red and gold handle with the phrase Avengers Assemble embossed on the side. It was beautiful.

"It's beautiful. Thank you." Whispered Tony. He was still in a little bit of shock over the gesture.

"It's no problem, Tony. You deserve it. I like seeing you happy." Smiled Steve as he gave Tony a quick hug.

They slowly stepped apart and got ready for bed. Since Tony and Steve had begun sharing a room Tony actually found that he was sleeping more regularly. He hadn't had a late-night lab binge since Loki hit him with his spell. Tony was actually healthier in general. He was eating better thanks to Steve noticing that he tended to forget when his brain was working in a million different directions. He was sleeping better thanks to having a cuddle buddy. And to top it all off, Tony had been 100% sober since Loki happened. Sure, Tony had been working towards sobriety for a while. He hadn't quit cold turkey because he knew it would mess with some of his medications. But since Loki, Tony hadn't had a drop. And you know what, he felt really proud of that fact.

Tony slept well that night as he dreamed of finally getting his life together and maybe, just maybe, Steve falling in love with him.

UMTB

Two day's after Tony's birthday, Pepper arrived at the tower. As much as both of them would have preferred it to be a social visit, it just wasn't one of those occasions.

"Tony, the press is going insane. You haven't made an appearance in months and I can only cover for you so many times. We need to hold a press conference." Spoke Pepper once she was seated with Tony. The other Avengers were in the room as well because this also affected them.

"Do I have to? I really don't want to do one. Maybe we should call Loki so he can make the press just go away." Sighed Tony as he curled up where he was sitting. Steve moved a bit closer so he was ready to comfort Tony if needed.

"I know you hate the press Tony, but this needs to be done. We can't just have you drop off the face of the Earth." Tony frowned and did not look pleased at all. Steve picked up on this and added in his own suggestion.

"Well, seeing as this was caused in an Avengers fight and this really is Avengers business, shouldn't I be the one to explain things before Tony goes out. That way everything is verifiable and we have backup if we need it."

"That's a great idea. I'll let you guys sort out the details about what information is classified and what's not. The conference will be Monday afternoon so be ready." Finished Pepper before she was out the door. She would have liked to stay for a bit but she had a meeting with the Board of Directors about the possible stalk hit that might happen after the conference.

The team dissipated a bit so they could wash up before dinner. They'd been training all afternoon and honestly, some of them stank a bit. Steve, however, remained with Tony. He could see how tense he was and he wasn't about to leave him.

"I really don't want to do this press conference." Whined Tony as Steve pulled him into a hug.

"I know. I don't either. The press are vultures. I wish they'd report on actual news that affects people instead of cheep gossip when people are vulnerable. I just want to keep all that away from you."

"Steve, I'm a big boy. I've dealt with the press since I was a baby. I don't think you can protect me." Sassed Tony and Steve smiled. Tony was starting to feel more comfortable around everyone and his sassiness and jokes were starting to return.

"I know you are. But that still doesn't make everything ok." Spoke Steve as he rested his head on top of Tony's. At that moment Steve wanted nothing more than to kiss the man but now wasn't the time. Soon though. Soon he would ask Tony out and they would be happy.

Monday arrived faster than they would have liked. It was stressful for everyone. Tony was stressed because he had to order a new suit because his older ones were just a little bit too big now. Steve was stressed because he just knew that something would go wrong and he'd have to protect Tony. And Pepper was stressed because she didn't want to see her friends get hurt or upset. Despite no longer being together, she still cared deeply for Tony and only wanted to see him be happy.

As they waited behind a curtain for Pepper to begin the conference, Tony kept pacing back and forth. He looked so nervous and scared and it broke Steve's heart. All he wanted to do was bundle Tony away back to the tower, but that just wasn't an option.

"Hey, Tony. Anthony. It'll all be ok." Soothed Steve as he approached Tony and held on to his hands.

"How can you be sure? I just know the press is going to crucify me for not being the asshole playboy they want me too." Fretted Tony and his teeth worried at his bottom lip.

"I won't let them hurt you, Anthony." Whispered Steve has he placed a hand on Tony's cheek. "Nobody wants to get on the bad side of Captain America. They won't mess with you if they know what's good for them."

"Although I appreciate the sentiment, Steve, I know that the press won't care. The best we can do is try to minimize the fallout." Replied Tony as his face fell.

Steve would have liked to reply to Tony. He would have liked to have talked things out before they got called away. But he didn't get the chance. Pepper had appeared and called Steve up to the podium to address the masses. With a last look back at Tony, Steve walked out to the public to face the music.

Steve, luckily, had prepared a pre-set script of what he needed to talk about. He left no room for interruptions. Questions could be asked after he was done talking. Steve talked about exactly what had happened. How Loki had attacked and how it had affected Tony, how the team was working forward, and how it would affect things moving forward for the worlds. In all honesty, this whole situation had sort of been a blessing in disguise. Since Loki, the team had actually been working better together and were more inclusive and less reclusive. Steve had actually seen Tony smile more genuine smiles since the whole incident and Steve had gotten himself into therapy when he heard that Tony was now going.

Things were getting better.

But that really wasn't the whole point of this stupid press conference. The point was to get the world used to Tony being different from the carefully crafted image he had always presented forward when he was out in the world. Tony was so much more than just a rich genius. He was more than a persona and a suit of armour. No, Tony was so much better and the world just needed to accept that.

Steve tried his best to get this all across to the press. He knew Tony wasn't feeling great about this and Steve was also feeling more than done with the whole press thing. He'd done the whole dancing monkey routine back during the war, but, he would do this for Tony. Feelings or not Tony was his teammate and they should stick up for each other. God knows how many times Tony stood in front of the press defending the rest of the Avengers after a fight. It was time that Steve returned the favour.

When Tony walked out to the podium he was greeted to the almost deafening sound of cameras clicking and people shouting. The public hadn't seen Tony looking this young in about 20 years. The Tony in front of them didn't yet have his signature facial hair. He was shorter, and he didn't hold himself as high as he once did. Luckily, the noise seemed to quiet down substantially when Tony was ready to speak after a well-placed glare from Steve.

"Um… Hi there. You all know who I am. I uh… I know my appearance is a little bit different, but I promise you that this won't affect things with SI and the Avengers." Spoke Tony with as much confidence as he could muster in the face of the situation.

But there was only so much false confidence Tony could get across. Loki's spell prevented him from hiding his true feelings about things and unfortunately, this was one of those moments where that spell was getting in the way of Tony just getting the job done.

And the press quickly picked up on that fact.

"Mr. Stark, if you can't even make it through this press conference how can anybody trust you to keep it together in battle?" asked one pushy reporter. And before Tony could even answer even more reporters were yelling out questions.

"Captain Rogers, Mr. Stark was an even worse alcoholic playboy at this age than when he was a few years ago. How can you allow someone like that on the team?"

"Mr. Stark. How can you be sure that you won't relapse into old habits now that your body is younger?"

The questions just kept coming and the noise just kept getting louder. It was overwhelming for everyone involved. And Tony, poor Tony who was already having a shitty day and wasn't able to hide his emotions anymore, was just having the worst time. His frown deepened and his hands shook at his sides as he tried to keep everything under control. But, his eyes betrayed his true emotions.

And Steve saw this.

Steve saw this and lost his shit.

"Alright. Everyone, be quiet." Shouted Steve and the room fell silent. "I have to say that I am appalled at your behaviour. How can you be so eager to try and tear down a man who had done more for this world then most of you ever will? Tony Stark is an Avenger, therefor he's protected by the rest of us. You all know nothing about him other than the preconceived notions you already had. Instead of actually trying to learn what happens in situations you run off of rumours that cause more damage then they do good. Now, you should all watch your backs because if you mess with one Avenger you mess with all of us."

By the end of his little speech, Steve was practicably snarling and the whole room was almost deadly quiet. Nobody knew what to say. What Steve had said struck a chord with some people and honestly, nobody wanted to make Captain America any angrier than he already was.

"I'm going. I can't deal with these idiots any longer." Sighed Tony and in his eyes, Steve could tell that he was holding tears back. The world really was harsh and uncaring to people when they weren't what they wanted.

Steve looked over to Pepper and she nodded that they could go. She would handle the rest. Tony and Steve swiftly left the stage and once behind closed doors Steve pulled Tony into a hug. They both needed it.

"I fucking hate the press. How can people act like such jackasses?" whispered Tony and Steve just shook his head. He didn't know.

"Thank you for defending me by the way. The only other person who's ever done that to the media is Rhodey. So you know… thank you." Spoke Tony once he'd composed himself a little bit better.

"Tony, I will always defend you. We're a team. We should have each other's backs." Smiled Steve as he looked Tony over. That was a promise that Steve would be keeping. Nobody was going to mess with HIS Tony and get away with it.

With both of them eager to get back home, Tony and Steve were quick to take the elevator back up to the Avengers floors. Tony made a b-line for his lab and Steve was quick to follow. Neither really wanted to be alone and both understood the need to do something to get their mind off of all the horribleness.

They worked up until dinner time when Clint called them up. The team always questioned their collective sanity whenever it was Clint's turn to cook. Well, it wasn't so much cooking as it was burning things then ordering pizza. Why they still let Clint in the kitchen was up for debate.

Dinner was a silent affair. Both Tony and Steve were still stressed out from the press conference and everyone else felt for them. They'd all seen what happened and it what a miracle that none of them had arrived to cause trouble.

After dinner, everyone went their separate ways for the evening. Even Tony and Steve. Both needed to get their heads clear before they went to bed or else neither of them would be getting a good nights sleep. Although, they did seek each other out right before bedtime. Steve could tell that Tony was exhausted from the day's events so he was quick to bundle him up and whisk him off to bed. By the time Steve had Tony laying down at his side, the man was already asleep. For a man who was famous for not sleeping due to lab binges, Tony sure had been sleeping a whole lot.

Well, it wasn't really a whole lot but it seemed that way. Tony was just actually getting sleep every night and was looking healthier for it.

Once Steve had situated himself comfortably he noticed he had a little bit of a problem. Luckily with how Tony was curled into his side like a little kitten, he wasn't privy to Steve's problem. Now, Steve was no blushing virgin like the media tended to paint him as, but even he felt embarrassed by what had happened.

As Steve watched the rise and fall of Tony's chest he quickly realized that he was sporting a very inappropriate erection. He knew what had caused it. Tony was just so beautiful both asleep and awake. Plus all the adrenaline from the day really wasn't helping. Not wanting to make the situation more awkward than it already was, Steve extracted himself from the bed and made his way over to the bathroom to take care of his little problem. He was very thankful for the soundproofing.

When Steve was finished he looked at himself in the mirror and frowned. He just knew that his attraction to Tony was only going to get worse. He needed to think of a plan. And that plan involved asking Tony out on a date. But it couldn't just be any old date. It had to be the perfect one.


So, what does everyone think? I thought that this one was cute. Also, I think we can all agree that the press are evil and that Birthday Tony is adorable. On another note, I've started writing my very own novel that I hope to get published someday so updates on this fic might be a little bit slower. I'll let you all know how that's going. So, until next chapter -Shadows