Meanwhile, Steve's neighbors were growing increasingly antsy at the current state of affairs. A man had spent the last hour on the wet doorstep of their building alternating between pressing the buzzer and calling up to Steve's dark window. Many hands hovered over 911 as they watched him carefully but he showed no sign of leaving.
They watched as the man called again, "Come on, Steve! I said I'm sorry! I didn't mean to screw it up!" He began shivering severely as he moved over to hold his finger against the ringer for Steve's apartment.
Tony always knew that Steve was stubborn but he was struggling to believe that the man could tolerate the incessant buzzing and calling for a full hour especially when the man's neighbors were becoming so distressed by it. The man really was a model citizen so surely wouldn't allow his fellow inhabitants to suffer like this.
He moved back to again holler up to the empty window when a familiar voice stopped him.
"What are you doing here?" Steve asked.
Tony spun around and a sudden flood of guilt washed over him. Maybe he should have listened when the old man on floor four called out the window saying that Steve clearly wasn't in. Tony brushed off the emotion and instead focused on the man.
"I came to see you." He put every inch of plea into his voice, "I realise what I did was a dick move and I need to apologise." The admission hurt his ego but he hoped it was for a good cause.
"I think I need to apologise too." Steve muttered, looking down at the floor. Needless to say, Tony was hugely surprised by this sudden turn of events. He was still working through his own guilt and hadn't yet started to think about what Steve might to be to blame for. The taller man continued, "I over reacted. We are both just as unfamiliar with the whole relationship etiquette thing and you didn't know how much what you did would embarrass me."
"But it was against the rules." He suggested, hesitantly. He was almost certain that it was probably against the law but he didn't want to make it seem worse.
"And when I became interested in you I knew that you often disregard those rules. If you weren't who you are I wouldn't have… become interested in you. I like you for you even if that means you sometimes go against my morals." He explained in a stuttering and unusually ineloquent manner.
Tony realised it was now his time to make his apologises and explain his actions, "I should have thought it through and considered what it would do to you. I regret not doing that… I'm sorry." His natural instinct had him wanting to make a joke to lighten the mood but he had nearly lost Steve once already so didn't want to risk it again. He had always been criticised for acting like he had no heart and he was ready to prove everyone wrong.
Steve smiled gently, "If you still wanted that drink I have some beers in the fridge."
Tony smiled back. How could he refuse when he still had so much to make up for?
—
-One and a Half Years Later-
Tony flopped down at his desk, the chair wheeling back slightly under the force of his weight, just in time for the start of his shift. As his first day back he wanted to start off on a good footing going forward which he nearly blew by being so close to being late.
Opening up the computer on his desk, he did everything in his power to distract himself from the empty desk which stood cold and dull across the room; they hadn't yet managed to replace Steve as most the applicants hadn't managed to fill the large shoes Steve had left behind him. The flashing of an email icon on his screen drew his eyes away from the desk and back onto his work.
Stark jolted as Clint slapped his hand against the detective's back, "Good to have you back. It wasn't the same without you, man." The comment was only in passing but he could feel Barton's handprint long after the man had left.
He couldn't understand why he was feeling so down as he loved his job, his colleagues and helping the citizens of New York. The other detectives were all at their desks or in the small kitchen area chatting before they got down to work. He could feel Steve's absence and he knew that everyone else could too despite his senses being especially heightened toward the missing detective.
His distraction continued throughout the morning until Captain Fury summoned them all for their regular Monday morning briefing meeting. All the detectives dragged themselves in to the conference room wearily; nobody was exactly upbeat for this Monday morning. Squeals filled the room as the chairs got shuffled around.
"Firstly, I want to welcome back detective Stark." Fury began when he made it to the wooden podium. He rested his large hands against the sides of the tower and leant forward, "We also wish Detective Rogers the best in his further endeavours but I'm sure Stark will keep us up to date with his progress." He nodded in an uncharacteristically soft movement.
Clint burst out from somewhere at the back, "Who'd have thought someone would actually have the ability to tame Stark!" The room vibrated with the chuckling of the crew and Tony couldn't help but smirk. It felt good to be back.
He raised his left hand in the air and flashed the band of metal in the harsh light of the precinct. With a smirk carrying through his tone, he called back to his friend, "I think it works both ways...Nobody thought I'd manage to bag a respectable man like Steve!"
Once again the staff laughed. Tony felt a comfortable warmth settle across his chest at the reminder of his friends here in the office. Even though Steve had moved on things didn't have to change for him. He still had his partner, still had his friends and still had the job he loved. As he lowered his hand the gold band glinted in the light again and he peered down at his hands with a gentle smile. The golden glint contrasting the light brown of his sun darkened fingers.
"Less talk of the newlyweds and more about this week's cases!" Captain Fury snapped over the chatter of the room before moving on with the set tasks and started dishing them out.
—
He struggled to see the keyhole of his apartment in the shadows; he leant to the side to allow the streetlamp to light the keys path into the hole. The darkness of the outside is mirrored inside the building as he has to remind himself that for Steve's first few weeks at his new job he would have to work late in order to catch up with everything the other precinct was in the middle of. Dumping his bag, he entered his home and kicked off his shoes and began to head towards the kitchen before remembering that Steve liked to keep the shoes in line; a remnant of his experience in the armed forces. With the tip of his toes he tapped them gently until they lined up beside Steve's running sneakers.
The sound of glass bottles jingling accompanied the hiss of the opening refrigerator as he reached in to fetch himself a beer. Condensation was cool against his fingertips while he sipped the amber liquid. He moved through to the lounge and dumped himself down onto the couch like a heavy sack of potatoes, beer licking at the rim of the bottle in threat of spilling over. Tony rested his legs up on the seat beside him to allow himself to stretch out and lie back.
He doesn't know when he falls asleep but is jolted awake by the sound of the front door being closed. His mind followed Steve's progression as he listened as the man shucked his jacket, pulled off his shoes and lined them up (and also pushed Tony's further in line) before following the soft light into the living room. Tony felt a familiar warmth spread through his chest at the sight of his husband in his tight white shirt and tie. The white made his honeymoon tanned skin glow brightly.
"Good afternoon, Deputy Rogers." Tony smiled while giving a lazy salute in his partner's general direction.
"Is that anyway to act towards your superior?" The taller man asked with a façade of seriousness.
Tony peered up at him with a smile, he had always been able to read through Steve's attempts at seriousness, "Are you pulling rank on me, Deputy?" He purred seductively.
Steve couldn't help but grin. He stepped over to his husband and grinned down at him until Stark grabbed hold of his tie and tugged gently to bring them closer. Steve followed along, pressing their lips together but he couldn't control his smile.
"You're hard to kiss when you're happy. Be sad, for me… Just one minute of sadness." Tony chuckled as he felt Steve's lips curl up even further.
"Impossible." Rogers muttered against the other man's lips. The taste of beer was still dancing across Tony's lips. He leaned in to deepen the kiss again but Tony's witty mind was interrupting Steve's intention.
"I know, you love me just too much to ever be sad." The words sprang out in an almost musical tone.
Steve scoffed and dropped down on the couch between Tony's legs so he could treat the other man's thighs as an armchair. He rested back against his husband's chest with a sigh. Rolling his eyes, Tony wrapped his arms around his partner's torso and dropped his head down so his chin could rest against Steve's fluffy blond hair.
"How have we come so far?" Steve asked, watching their legs touching and Tony's hands joined around his shoulders.
Two years ago he couldn't even imagine working a case with the disrespectful, rule busting and cheeky Tony Stark but now he couldn't imagine a day without having the man in his life. To say their relationship took them both, and everyone else for that matter, by surprise was an understatement.
Steve sighed, "I love you, Detective Tony Stark." He could feel Tony's confusion at the sudden announcement, Steve was always more open with his feelings than Stark but neither were overly emotional.
He dropped a kiss on Steve's head gently, "I love you too, Deputy Steve Rogers."
