"You didn't have to do this, Tony." Steve said awestruck by the fancy chandeliers and expensive dresses and suits everyone worn.
Tony snorted, "This is nothing. I could have just flown us to Paris." Following a waiter to their table Steve sat across from him and smiled ignoring the confused look of the waiter. Maybe from two heroes on a date or maybe because Tony was looking at Steve with sparkle in his eyes. Steve chose to ignore that look as well.
"Eh, I'm not in a mood for airplanes tonight." Steve retorted accepting a menu. He opened and his blue eyes grew wide from the items. He could never imagine why anyone would pay so much for a sliver of a duck and a side of dry herbs.
"I wasn't talking about a plane." Tony replied before asking for a bottle of wine. Steve looked up to him and licked his lips nervously. Tony smirked at him and winked at the blonde super hero.
"So, forgive me but I don't know what the hell any of this is…" Steve mumbled at the menu.
Tony silently cursed Peter and tried to think of something to say but the waiter had come back with wine and two tall glasses. "Excuse me we will actually take that bottle to go." Tony told him handing over a hundred dollar bill and exchanging it for the bottle. He grabbed Steve's hand and pulled him out of the restaurant to the car, escaping the cameras that had magically appeared outside with ease thanks to a few bodyguards.
Steve took the bottle from the dark haired man before he could take a swig. "What are we doing?"
"Burgers!" Tony shouted back stealing the bottle back and taking a drink. Steve held out his hand but Tony only looked at it wondering if he should kiss it or shake it or smell it or all three.
"Keys. I can't get drunk so I'll drive." Steve said looking at the bottle with only a hint of sadness. Tony reluctantly handed over the keys and opened the driver's seat for Steve, the brunette looking grateful he chose a vintage car. Steve settled in and started the engine with ease setting them off towards a burger place he hoped was still there. If it wasn't Clint was raving about a burger place he went to after his first kill at Central Park, apparently you crave burgers after a kill. Or shawarma.
Steve slowed down near the old burger joint that had become a mobile phone store, Steve scowled and speed up again but not without a glance from Tony. Who respectfully quieted his questions with a swig of the bottle and a look at Steve's hands. Steve saw that look out of the corner of his eye deciding not to ignore it and removed one of his hands from the steering wheel to rest on the would have been stick shift if Tony hadn't changed it to be automatic. Tony took the hint with his classic charm and slide of his hand into the super hero's. Even though the romantic gesture was not so classic, it felt incredibly nice which Steve had to admit to himself. And just after he admitted this he forgot the address and where he was going and ended up having to stop to admit out loud he was lost.
Tony laughed and spit out jokingly, "The leader's lost, didn't expect this, Cap." Steve rolled his eyes and gave him a look.
"Please don't call me that out of the battlefield. Especially if we are on a date," Steve said looking at their hands with the smallest of smiles, "which might as well be a whole new battlefield. Can you tell me where the nearest joint is please?"
Tony squeezed Cap's hand before spilling out directions which Steve obediently followed to small, flickering, place offering "The Best Burger in Town". Steve parked in the only open spot on the block and slowly untangled his hand from Tony's. Tony quickly fumbled to get out of his seat and out the car to open the door for Steve forgetting the alcohol in a cup holder. Steve couldn't remember being treated this well and so genuinely since maybe Agent Coulson.
Tony lead him into the fast food place with a hand of the small of Steve's back. The owner greeted them with big gestures and excited, rapid gibberish that slightly resembled a nervous laughter and lightning speed English. In his hyper speed speech he seated Tony and Steve at a booth in the empty restaurant. Tony waved off the menus and ordered two cheeseburger combos with a press conference smile.
"Must be a routine for quite some time now." Steve commented while the waiter put down two glasses of coke, he nodded thanks. Tony gave him a questioning look. "The smiles, the winks, the grand persona, the parties, the Tony Stark" Tony deflated but quickly regained composition and laughed it off.
"Peter suggested a place like instead of before y'know. I should've taken his advice and I could have saved some gas money..." Tony started to ramble to change the subject. The super hero decided it was best to just listen because he certainly wasn't one to talk about routines and smiling. He didn't miss those days, why would he?
Being fake. Being a fraud that people died for. Selling bonds and an image of himself, the new person of himself. No he didn't miss those days, he only missed the fighting and Bucky and simple times of the days after that. The waiter had returned with their food and Tony had stopped talking.
They dug in. Almost biting their own fingers, Steve suddenly thought to himself that this food was finger biting good and could barely hold in a laugh that resulted into a chuckle. This chuckle set off Tony chuckling just to feel included or maybe because Steve's chuckle was higher pitched than either could imagine. The two superheroes were chuckling together in a small burger joint on a date. And both of the superheroes smiled genuine smiles, complete with eyes crinkled and teeth shown and cheeks hurting.
Tony threw down a hundred again and they left holding greasy hands. Back to the car Tony decided that the full stomach had made him sober and Steve threw him the keys which Tony dropped and Steve laughed. And Tony claimed that Steve distracted him which probably wasn't a lie and Steve blushed.
"I don't hold hands. You know that and yet here we are holding hands like teen sweethearts." Tony mumbled in the car. He looked over to Steve and Steve noticed the quick glance at his own lips. He chose to ignore it, at least for a little bit.
"And I don't go on dates." Steve told him as Tony drove off down the streets and to Brooklyn. Steve turned to an alleyway and laughed, "I got beat up in that alley." Tony abruptly stopped the car and got out to walk to the alley. Steve sighed and followed him.
Once Steve met Tony in the alley Tony started to whisper something inaudible to himself, practically breathing out the words. The brunette looked up at Steve and mouthed something. Steve mouthed a question. And then Tony moved his hand to Steve's cheek and pulled him down to eye level. Tony's pupils were dilated, the black stretching across the dark brown, Steve's pupils were just the same becoming a black hole in a sea as he became aware of what was about to happen. Steve grabbed the back of Tony's neck and connected their lips in a sweet harmony. That tasted of onions.
