"-And happy birthday to Tony Stark," Exclaims the blonde model-type on camera, with a photo of a grinning Tony on the screen next to her, "Still one of America's hottest bachelors at thirty-nine!"

The whole team goes quiet now, before Thor reacts excitedly.

"Tony!" Thor booms in his boisterous voice, "You did not tell us today is the anniversary of your birth! This is a joyous occasion!"

"Yeah, I guess I just didn't want to make a big fuss out of it," Tony remarks quietly, hoping their attention will soon be drawn elsewhere.

"Please, Stark," Barton begins, "Everything is always a big fuss with you."

"Look. It's just not important. Okay?" Tony defends, getting a little angry, adding a "Can we just drop it?" before hurriedly leaving the room.

The group looks to Steve now.

"Did he tell you?" Natasha questions.

"No, he, uh, hadn't mentioned it," Steve replies, rubbing the back of his neck. "I hadn't even really thought about it."

"That's not really like him," Natasha adds, agreeing with Clint's previous statement. "He usually wouldn't let anyone forget his birthday. Maybe you should go talk to him?"

"Yeah, I guess I should," Steve agrees, standing and moving toward the stairs to Tony's workshop, before giving a nod back to the group.

As he makes his way down, he can hear Tony's music loudly thumping over the speakers in the workshop, increasing his concern for the clearly upset man.

"Tony?" He calls out, trying to speak over the music. "Tony!"

But Tony has his head down, and is absorbedly trying to make himself look busy, despite the fact that he had only just stormed out of the room a moment before.

"JARVIS!" Steve yells out, "Can you shut off this music for just a minute?"

JARVIS does so immediately, which actually surprises both Steve and Tony, who interjects with a quickly muttered "traitor," before trying again to appear busy.

"Hey, Tony," Steve starts, placing a hand on the older man's shoulder. "What's wrong? It's not a big deal that you didn't mention your birthday, really. We're just worried about why you seem so upset by it," he adds, pulling Tony closer to him and wrapping his arms around him with his chest pressed to the other man's back.

"It's really nothing," Tony tries to pull away. "Like I said earlier, I just didn't really feel like making a fuss this year."

"Tony, please. You don't have to pretend with me. You can tell the others whatever you'd like," Steve calmly pushes, "But please, don't lock me out."

Tony remains quiet for a moment, the silence now feeling particularly heavy. Steve, however, doesn't let go of him. He feels Tony start to relax and turns him around to face him, the smaller man pressing his face into Steve's chest.

"It's just," Tony starts slowly, "I just don't see a reason to celebrate anymore."

Steve gives him a soft yet quizzical look, urging him to continue.

Tony exhales loudly, before continuing. "When I see you, I see the same young man who was in all the videos from the war, the guy I saw in photographs next to my young father. And I realize how much older I am than you. Not technically, I guess, but physically. You're so perfect, and young, and fit. And I'm almost forty now, with graying hair at my temples, and wrinkles around my eyes and forehead. It just seems easier to try not to think about it. Why would you even want to be with someone like me? I figured, If I don't mention it, maybe no one will-"

"Tony, no," Steve stops him. "Look at me," he says, drawing Tony's eyes upward. "You are perfect," he reassures him, placing a kiss on each of Tony's temples. "Whatever you think your flaws are, forget about them, okay?" Steve asks, placing another kiss on the middle of his forehead. "I want to be with you, because you give me an anchor in this world. I don't know what I'm doing half the time I'm awake, but you make that better. You show me things, you teach me things, and you listen to me," Steve emphasizes, "I couldn't imagine not being with you. I don't know where else I'd rather be."

Steve pulls Tony in tighter, kissing the top of his head, and starts to understand the feeling he gets in his gut when he's around the smaller man.

"Thank you," Tony says softly into the fabric of Steve's hoodie.

"Thank you," Steve emphasizes. "Why don't we spend your birthday together? Just the two of us? We can lay low. No fuss, I promise," he smiles.

"I'd like that."

A/N: So I'm pretty sure Tony is actually about ten years older than that, but the movies seem to make him younger. I've definitely never gotten the impression he's supposed to be pushing fifty. I figured I'd just shave off an even ten, make it easy.