A/N: I am SUPER excited for this chapter, so let's go ahead and get started!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers.

Chapter 4

On Saturday morning, Tony finds himself in his lab updating the iron man armor, with Black Sabbath blasting over the radio and Dummy trying to be helpful.

Keyword: trying.

"Dummy, I swear, if you knock that box over one more time, I will donate you to an elementary school and laugh while the kiddies try and play with you." The robot hangs his arm in shame and Tony rolls his eyes, returning his attention to his armor right as JARVIS says,

"Sir, Captain Rogers is requesting entry into the lab."

Tony raises an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What does he want?"

"He wants to know if you are still willing to be painted this afternoon, sir."

A confused look crosses Tony's features before he remembers that he volunteered himself to be Steve's model earlier in the week. "Shit, is it Saturday already?"

"It is eleven a.m. on Saturday May eighteenth, sir," JARVIS answers.

Tony panics, scrambling his brain trying to think of what to say. He didn't mean to spend all night in his lab, but the armor really needed updating, and Dummy kept knocking things over and distracting him. "Tell him that we're still on and I'll meet him on his floor in—" he sniffs his shirt and scrunches his face. "Thirty minutes?"

"Captain Rogers says thank you and he will see you then."

Tony sighs relieved, a small smile crossing his features. He quickly finishes updating the armor and cleans up Dummy's mess before telling JARVIS to save everything and shut down the lab. He takes the elevator up to his room, showers, and changes into a plain black t-shirt and faded jeans that are a little too big for him. Tony fiddles with his hair before deciding to fuck everything and simply spike it. He leaves his room and heads for the elevator, pressing the button for Steve's floor and watching the doors close.

He arrives on Steve's floor moments later, exiting the elevator and looking around, seeing no sign of the blond. Steve's main area is fully furnished with the basic necessities and his entertainment system is killer. No wonder the blond doesn't hang out in the Avengers lounge that often, this place is sweet! "Steve," Tony calls.

"Tony? Is that you?" Steve yells back, his voice slightly muffled.

"Yeah, where are you?"

"Down the hall, third door on your right."

Tony follows Steve's voice to the room in question. He cracks open the door and finds Steve fiddling with a wooden easel off to one side, his eyebrows furrowed, and mouth drawn in a line. Tony enters the room, glancing around. The room is furnished with the easel, a long red couch in the center of the room, three large cabinets are placed against the wall on the right that Tony assumes is filled with art supplies, and a small drawing table placed against the ceiling to floor length mirror, which gives a spectacular view of New York City. The engineer's eyes turn back to Steve taking in the man's casual attire of a tight white t-shirt and gray sweatpants. Tony licks his lips before deciding to announce his presence. "How much skin do you want me to show?"

Steve doesn't seem fazed by Tony's sudden appearance or his comment. "How much skin are you comfortable showing?"

The brunet smirks. "Ooh. Are you going to paint me like one of your French girls," Tony teases.

Steve rolls his eyes as he sets up his wooden easel. "I don't know. Would you like to be painted like one of my French girls?"

"Why, Captain, we haven't even had dinner yet!" Tony continues to tease as he pulls off his shirt and throws it on the ground before collapsing on the couch, watching Steve as he sets up his canvas, paints, and brushes.

Steve snorts and finishes setting up and looks at Tony, giving the other man a curious glance. "Is that it?"

Tony raises an eyebrow, not sure if he should be offended or not, before realizing that Steve is referring to the arc reactor. He takes a breath. "Yep, this is it in all its glory," he answers as the blond walks over to the couch and kneels next to Tony to get a better look. The engineer watches Steve as the man looks over the reactor with curiosity and wonder—two emotions that Tony wouldn't usually associate the device with.

"And this . . . device is keeping you alive?" Steve asks, looking away from the reactor and into Tony's eyes.

"Didn't you read my file?" Tony questions.

"Yes, but I'd rather hear it from you," is the answer.

Tony doesn't know what to do with this information, but Steve is looking at him with open interest as if he actually wants to hear the story and it's making Tony's stomach do flips. So, he talks about everything: how his convoy was ambushed, how he was held prisoner in a cave by a terrorist organization, and forced to make weapons. How Yinsen saved his life by attaching a car battery to his chest—a technique that Tony later used to create the small battery in his chest right now—and how with Yinsen he created the first Iron Man armor and was able to escape unfortunately without his new friend. He told the soldier about Obadiah, and how he almost lost his entire company . . . everything.

Throughout Tony's entire confession, Steve didn't interrupt and listened to everything Tony had to say. He even winced at some parts. When Tony finishes, Steve takes a hold of Tony's left hand in his right and giving him a comforting squeeze. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault," Tony responds breathy.

The blond glances away for a moment before looking into Tony's eyes. "Can I . . .?" he asks quietly.

Tony nods, still in shock with himself for spilling everything to Steve. He hasn't even told Pepper or Rhodey everything that happened in Afghanistan other than the fact that he now has a battery in chest keeping him alive. He watches Steve's left hand trail gently over the metal of the reactor, the blue glow encasing Steve's features and illuminating his fascinated expression. The engineer's chest tightens and his stomach flutters; no one has ever done this before . . . not even Pepper. Unconsciously, he raises his right hand and runs his fingers through Steve's short blond locks, feeling nervous and elated at the same time.

"You're incredible," Steve says in a quiet tone, bringing his eyes from the arc reactor and meeting Tony's eyes.

Tony takes a shaky breath. "You think?"

"I know," Steve answers, his face open and honest, and Tony is overwhelmed with emotions that he can't explain. He feels like his entire body is on fire and Steve's hand is warm and comforting. He knows it wouldn't take much for him to tug Steve down, but the blond is pulling away, muttering something that he doesn't catch, and Tony knows he's missed his opportunity. He lets his hand fall Steve's hair, and flop against the couch. The billionaire watches the blond walk over to his easel; opening a few bottles of paint, he squirts the contents onto his palette before beginning.

Tony feels drained like he just had the life sucked out of him. What the hell is he thinking revealing that much to Steve? He probably just ruined whatever friendship they formed by moping around like that. But . . . Steve didn't seem freaked out by his story or even by the arc reactor. He even touched it! No one's ever done that before.

The billionaire watches the solider as he paints, noting the man's complete focus on his work. Tony bets that Clint could run into the room screaming and firing arrows everywhere and it wouldn't break the other's concentration. He wonders if this is what he looks like when he's working in the lab: his entire body both tense yet relaxed, hands eagerly fiddling with his tools as he builds and creates new ideas, listening to the sounds of his robots and music in the background.

The afternoon sunlight floods into the room, highlighting Steve's golden hair making it appear as if he has a halo. Tony's breath catches and he tries his best not to shift uncomfortably because holy shit, Steve is gorgeous. Moments later, the blond sets down his brush and smiles. He looks up at Tony and motions for him to come over. The brunet slowly stands, grabs his discarded shirt, and walks over to where Steve is, looking at the painting and inwardly gasping. The painting is a work of art, and Tony knows it sounds lame but Steve is fucking talented. He managed to capture Tony as not only a strong, uncaring figure due to his sprawled out position on the couch, but also as vulnerable and relatable if his expression is anything to go by.

"Holy shit, Steve," Tony breathes out, his eyes raking over the painting. "This is incredible."

The genius can feel the other shift uncertainly behind him at the praise and can only imagine the light pink flush on his face. "Thank you," the blond responds. "And thank you, for modeling for me."

"Oh, don't mention it," Tony says, turning to face the other man and taking notice of his small, proud smile. "Can I . . ?" he trails off, gesturing towards the painting.

Steve smiles wider and nods. "Of course. As soon as the paint dries, I'll bring it to you."

Tony returns the smile and steps away from the other man. He pulls on his shirt and heads for the door, hearing the sounds of Steve putting away his paints. The engineer places his hand on the doorknob before whirling around and blurting, "Do you want to get a coffee or something? You know . . . as a thank you for the, uh, painting?"

Steve looks up and smiles at Tony. "I'd love to," he says. "Just let me finish cleaning up here and change, okay?"

The engineer nods, his heart fluttering and he should really get that checked out. "Yeah sounds, good. I'll meet you in the lounge in say . . . forty five minutes?"

The blond nods. "See you then."

"Okay," Tony says, quietly. He leaves the room, shutting the door behind him and leaning against it. Fucking hell, the brunet can't believe he just did that. He takes a deep breath trying to calm himself down. The genius slowly walks away from the door, trying to prepare himself for the rest of the afternoon.

Tony finds himself sitting on the living room couch waiting for Steve, bored out of his mind. There's some random cartoon playing on the television, but Tony isn't paying attention. He keeps replaying the conversation he had with Steve. Do you want to get coffee or something? Christ, Stark, could you be any more embarrassing? Tony's so focused on his thoughts that he doesn't hear Steve approach him, and jumps when the man clears his throat. "Hey, Steve," Tony says trying to recover from being startled.

"Hey, Tony," the blond responds his voice laced with amusement. He is dressed in a light blue plaid shirt covered by a dark brown motorcycle jacket, light brown pants and brown shoes. His short blond hair is spiked in the front. "Ready?"

Tony nods and follows Steve to the elevator taking a moment to appreciate the soldier's ass in those jeans before averting his eyes and entering the elevator. When the door closes, the blond turns to him. "So," Steve begins. "Where are we going for coffee?"

"There's a small coffee shop, Kristyn's, at the end of the block," Tony answers. "They make the best cup of coffee you'll ever have—it's even better than Starbucks!"

Steve furrows his brow before shaking his head and chuckling as the door opens to the main lobby on the first floor of Stark Tower. The pair exit the building and head west towards the shop. Halfway to the coffee house, Tony shivers and wraps his arms around himself. He wasn't expecting it to be this chilly. He should have checked the weather before they left.

"You cold?" Steve asks.

Tony nods. "A little bit," he answers before being surrounded by warmth. A surprised look crosses his features. Did Steve just give him his jacket? Tony touches his bicep and feels the leathery material of the blond's jacket. The engineer wants to blush. He's heard that Steve is a gentleman, but holy shit; he wasn't expecting this on the first date.

The first non-date, Tony mentally corrects. Because this isn't a date. Nope. It's just two friends hanging out.

Right?

The brunet turns to Steve, surprise still on his features. "Won't you get cold?"

Tony wants to slap himself.

The soldier chuckles and shakes his head. "The serum makes it so that I don't really feel the cold."

The genius raises an eyebrow. He has the feeling that Steve is full of shit, but his suspicions stop him from tugging the jacket closer and sliding his arms through the sleeves. The jacket smells of Steve's cologne, an oaky scent that's not too overwhelming and smells amazing. Tony smiles to himself.

The pair arrive at Kristyn's a few minutes later and Steve holds the door open for Tony, the latter smirking and saying, "Why thank you, kind sir," causing Steve to roll his eyes and smile bashfully. The shop itself is currently empty, but is a small, intimate place, with few tables and dimmed lights. The place has one long window with the blinds half closed that runs the length of the right wall while the left consists of the counter where the cashiers take their orders. There's a door behind the counter, which leads to the kitchen. The place always smells of cinnamon and coffee grounds. Tony takes a big whiff and smiles to himself as he and Steve approach the counter.

The barista, a small, elderly woman with tanned skin and short ebony hair wearing her uniform consisting of a maroon shirt, black slacks and a green apron, looks up from the register and smiles. "Tony! It's been a long time since I've seen you here!"

"Maxie! It's been too long. How have you been? How are the grandkids?" Tony asks in a joyful tone.

Maxie smiles, her entire face lighting up. "They're doing fantastic! Joyce just started preschool last week and she loves it! I've never, in all my years, seen a child so happy to go to school before!" She laughs, a joyful sound, which reminds Tony of bells ringing. She glances behind Tony and notices Steve's presence. Maxie gives Tony a sly smile. "Well, now who's this handsome devil behind you?"

Tony blinks before turning to Steve, who is looking over the menu above the counter with a curious expression. He gently touches the blond's arm to get his attention. "Maxie, this is my friend, Steve. Steve, Maxie."

Steve gives the woman a smile before holding out his right hand. "Steve Rogers. It's nice to meet you, ma'am."

Maxie gives Tony another sly look. "Handsome and polite," she says grasping Steve's hand in her own and shaking. She lets go of Steve's hand and places both of hers on the counter. "Steve Rogers," she repeats with a faraway look on her features. "You know, I used to know a Steve Rogers. He was a skinny little thing; I always thought that I would break him whenever we hugged despite him being older. Did you know he was the only one to call me Maxie? Everyone else called me Maxine," she said, emphasizing the last word with a scowl. Tony remembers Maxie once telling him that she hates being called Maxine.

The dark haired woman leans against the counter, fond gaze returning. "I was only a little girl, but I remember he would come into my parent's shop that was previously located in Brooklyn with his friend almost every day. Steve would sit and draw with me while his buddy would flirt with my sister . . ." She trails off with an affectionate smile on her face. "When the war broke out, he said he wanted to join in on the fighting. I didn't want him to go, but he insisted," she chuckles, brokenly. "He kept trying and trying . . . until one day, he didn't come back. I had always assumed that he gotten into the army but . . ." she trails off again. "I've always wondered what happened to him . . ."

Tony freezes at Maxie's tale, his entire body tense. Holy fucking shit. He can't believe that same barista that he's known since he was in boarding school used to know Steve when she was a little girl! Talk about a small fucking world! The engineer slowly turns to face his friend, finding unconcealed shock and joy spread on the other's face. Tony can't even imagine what Steve is feeling finding out that someone he knew and watched grow up is not only alive, but has been right here the entire time.

Steve gulps. "Maxie-Max?"

Maxie perks up at Steve's voice. "He used to call me that . . ." her eyes roam quickly over Steve's features, really looking at him, before covering her mouth with her both hands, tears glistening in her green eyes. "Stevie-Q? Is it really you?"

Steve bites his lip and Tony notices the soldier's bright blue eyes are looking watery. He nods and Maxie lets out a short sob before rushing around the counter and throwing herself into Steve's arms, and weeping against his chest, muffled words of "you came back" drifting to Tony's ears. The blond returns her embrace and rests his cheek against her hair, lips moving in what Tony assumes are comforting words.

The engineer gives the pair a sad smile. His chest tightens and he bites his bottom lip, wanting to shed tears of his own. The brunet shifts uncomfortably feeling a little awkward and out of place. Not wanting to interrupt the pair, Tony quietly steps around them and heads for the washroom. He opens the door and slips inside, stepping in front of the sink and turning on the faucet. He rolls up the sleeves of Steve's jacket and sticks his hands under the spray, feeling the cold-water tingle, and freeze his skin. The billionaire cups his hands and splashing some water on his face a few times before turning off the water, grabbing a few paper towels, and drying his skin. He tosses the used towels in the bin before rolling his sleeves down again. He exits the bathroom, and finds Steve and Maxie chatting excitedly.

The small barista turns when she hears the door open, a wide grin crossing her face when she sees Tony. "Tony! I was just telling Steve here how you two have to let me give you a slice of my mom's famous coconut cheesecake on the house!"

The billionaire smiles at her enthusiasm. "It would be an insult if I didn't!"

The ebony haired woman's smile seemed to grow even more as she ushered the two towards a booth, resting against the long window in the coffee shop. Steve and Tony slide into the booth across from each other while Maxie stands restlessly at the edge of the table. "Can I get you boys anything else? Coffee?"

"Black," they say in unison before sharing a knowing look.

Maxie smiles. "Coming right up," she chirps before hurrying into the kitchen, leaving the two men alone.

Tony places his hands in his lap and looks at Steve, who still has a small smile on his face. "So, you and Maxie?"

Steve lets out a quiet laugh before turning to Tony, his smile even wider. "Yeah, it's just like she said. Bucky and I used to come here all the time. Even if we didn't order anything, it was still a nice, clean place to hang out after classes," he chuckles, eyes growing sentimental at the memories. "And when Maxie was born, we would babysit while Miss Kristyn and her husband would run the shop. I will tell you, that girl was both an angel and a terror. Whenever she was in the room, she had an air of "This is my house, I just let you in it,"" he says, causing Tony to laugh. "And when she learned to walk, she would slip Bucky and I treats from behind the counter—"

"My momma used to scold me for that all the time," Maxie interrupts announcing her arrival. She is carrying a large circular black tray with two plates of delicious looking coconut cheesecake and two steaming cups of coffee. "But, she did have a soft spot for you boys," she says passing out the items between the pair. Steve scoots further down the booth, so Maxie can sit down next to him.

The barista settles into her seat, placing the tray on the wooden table and resting her elbows against it. She looks fondly between the two men as they dig into their cake and give matching groans of enjoyment, feeling elated that she nailed her mother's recipe again. Oh, if only her dear momma could be here now, bless her soul. She wouldn't even begin to imagine that little Stevie Rogers had returned.

"Wow, Maxie, this is incredible," Tony comments before taking another bite.

"He's right," Steve agrees. "It tastes just like I remember it." He takes a sip of his coffee. "Miss Kristyn would be proud."

Maxie blushes and bristles with pride. "Aw shucks, Stevie," she says with a wide grin on her face. "Thank you."

Tony smiles at the exchange between the pair. He can't even begin to describe how much joy he feels watching Steve interact with someone special from his past. When the two finish their meals, Maxie grabs their dishes and brings them to the back leaving the men alone with their coffees. Tony nurses his cup and glances between gazing out the window and at Steve. He catches the blond's eye and smiles into his cup at Steve's shining gaze.

"Tony," the soldier begins, wrapping his larger hands around his mug. "Thank you for bringing me here. I never would have guessed that . . ." he trails off, furrowing his brow, trying to think of what to say next.

"Hey," Tony says gently, setting his mug on the table. "Don't mention it." Steve directs a blinding smile in Tony's direction, and the engineer's stomach flutters.

Maxie returns to the table and Steve smiles at the woman, kindly tells her that they should be going. She looks a little sad, but Steve promises to return as soon as he can, causing the barista to smile. The pair rise from their booth and each give Maxie a big hug, as the ebony haired woman informs them to return at any time.

Tony and Steve exit the coffee house, feeling satisfied. Feeling the cold air hit him, Tony tugs Steve's jacket closer and glances around, trying to decide on what they should do next. He's about to suggest the Met, when something catches his eye. A light blue minivan shaped vehicle perched in the lot of "David's Used Car Dealership" across the street. He looks between Steve, who has a confused look on his face, and the vehicle before grinning and darting across the street, hearing Steve's worried shouts following him.

The engineer crosses the street ignoring the car horns blaring around him. He reaches the other side and enters the dealership. He quickly finds a salesman, a tall skinny man who appears to be in his early twenties, with messy red hair, freckles dotting his face, and wearing a red and yellow plaid shirt, black khakis and polished black shoes. The man's name tags says "Buster" and before the salesman could get a word in, Tony points to the car he saw across the street and says, "How much for the minivan?"

A surprised look crosses Buster's features at Tony's bluntness. He collects himself quickly and says in a snobbish voice, "It's a Kia Sedona and it depends on how much you got?"

Tony is about to respond exactly how much he has when Buster is slapped over the head with a rag. The disgruntled man whirls around and glares at the person behind him. The new figure has neatly combed light brown hair and stubble across his jaw line. He's wearing a solid dark blue shirt, black slacks and black shoes. He has a wide grin on his face and laughs at the salesman's expression before waving him off. The ginger huffs in annoyance before stalking away causing the brunet to laugh again. He turns to Tony with a wide smile and holds out his hand. "Sorry about my brother, he's in a mood. The name's David and I own the place."

The genius grasps David's hand in his and gives it a shake right as Steve finally catches up. "Tony," he says, letting the man's hand go and pointing to Steve. "This is Steve." He points to the Sedona. "How much for that?"

David lets out a hearty laugh. "You have good taste here, my friend." He leads the pair over to the car and grins while patting the hood. "This here is a 2011 Kia Sedona, in as good a shape as any used car in this lot. She's been fixed up the best mechanics in the city, and is going for eight thousand dollars."

Tony looks between the car and David. "I'll take it," he says. David gives Tony a wide grin and rushes off to get the papers.

Steve flinches in surprise. "Tony, shouldn't you think about this first?"

"No," Tony says. "I want it, and I have money, so I'm going to buy it."

The blond rolls his eyes. "I wouldn't have pegged you for the minivan type."

"It's not for me. It's for you."

"But, I don't need a minivan, Tony," the soldier protests. "I mean, I already have my motorcycle which you were kind enough to get for me. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever thanked you for that."

Tony snorts and waves the other man off. "It's no big. I know how much your bike means to you. This is a gift and you're supposed to except it."

Steve smiles genuinely and Tony almost swears that his heart skips a beat. He'll have to make a mental reminder to give the arc reactor a once over later tonight. "In that case, thank you, Tony."

The engineer grins. "It's what I do," he says. He smirks and adds, "Plus, you are the Avengers unofficial mom, so why not give you the stereotypical "soccer mom" vehicle?"

Steve sputters in shock, much to the billionaire's amusement. "I am not the Avengers 'mom'," he says, voice raising an octave due to his embarrassment.

"Clint called you mom at breakfast," Tony points out.

Steve rolls his eyes. "That's because it's Clint. He always does weird things like that."

"True, true," Tony agrees.

The conversation dies down and Tony finds himself enjoying the comfortable silence between the two of them, while they wait for David to return. He glances over at Steve and notices a small smile on the blond's lips. The engineer looks around and notices Steve's right hand dangling against his side. Tony bites his lip and contemplates on whether he should do something or not. He decides to fuck it all and take a chance. The brunet shuffles closer to Steve, placing his left palm against the soldier's right. He looks away to hide a wide grin when Steve laces their fingers together.

"I had a really nice time today, Tony," Steve says later that evening as he and Tony stand outside the latter's bedroom door.

Tony's heart warms and he smiles. "Me too. I'm really happy we did this."

After signing the papers and leaving the dealership, Steve drove the pair to the Met, where they spend hours looking through each exhibit, cracking jokes and laughing so hard that Tony cried. They had dinner at a nice restaurant on Fifth Avenue, which Tony paid for despite Steve's protests. The brunet is finding himself more and more attracted to Steve and he doesn't want to say it out loud, but he really likes the soldier. Tony knows his feelings go beyond friendship, but he's not sure how far they go yet. Plus, the billionaire doesn't even know if Steve feels the same way. He did hold Tony's hand the entire time though, so the blond can't be too put off. And the soldier is smiling at Tony right now like he just won the lottery. The engineer's stomach does flips and he gulps nervously, glancing between the blond's eyes and his lips, trying to will himself to just lean forward. Steve is speaking and Tony blinks, missing everything the man says. "What?"

The blond laughs, and Tony feels his heart constricts and he really needs to get down to the lab to double check the arc reactor. "I said: we should do this again sometime."

The brunet feels elated. He smiles at Steve and nods. "Yeah . . . I'd like that."

Steve smiles back. "Great! So, I'll . . . see you in the morning?"

"Yeah," Tony responds.

Steve leans forward slightly and Tony thinks the blond is going to kiss him. Instead, the soldier places a hand on the brunet's shoulder, and quietly tells him goodnight. The engineer watches Steve walk away, disappointment coursing through his body. He feels the blond's lingering touch and raises a hand to his shoulder, fingertips encountering a leathery material. He's confused for a moment before realizing he's still wearing Steve's jacket. "Wait, Steve!" Tony calls, watching the other man turn towards him. He gestures to the coat. "You forgot your jacket."

Steve pauses for a moment before smirking. "Keep it. It looks good on you," he says before entering the elevator.

Tony's face feels hot, his heart pounding as the elevator doors shut. He fumbles for his doorknob in a daze for a moment before opening and shutting his bedroom door. He leans against it, trying to calm his overdriven senses. He takes a calming breath and grins. The engineer runs over to his bed and leaps onto it, landing spread eagle on his back. "JARVIS, you will never believe the day I just had!"

"It appears that you have warmed up to Captain Rogers quite nicely, sir."

Tony nods eagerly. "I have. Okay, when I first met the guy he was kind of an asshole, but today, I got to know him even more and . . ." He trails off, replaying the day in his mind. "You know how you meet someone and you think, "Oh my God, they're so beautiful." Then, you get to know them, and they just . . . shine even brighter than you could have ever imagined. And you find yourself thinking, "Wow, this person is incredible and amazing and they're all mine" and you feel like you're floating on cloud nine and—"

The engineer cuts himself off, his entire body tensing and heart pounding. Tony gulps nervously running his hands through his hair before letting them fall against the mattress. "Holy shit," he breathes out. "JAR, I think this is more than I crush. I think I'm actually falling in love with him."

JARVIS whirls. "Shall I inform Miss Potts, sir?"

A/N: I wasn't planning on this chapter being so long, but it happens. Lol. I hope you guys enjoyed! Please review!