No-One But You (The Mystic Consultant) - Part 2

Chapter 51: Istanbul (Part 1)

Pepper Potts, everybody.

Tony reintroduced Steve Rogers to the only human being deemed competent enough to run Stark Industries, while the actual Stark family pretty much did as they pleased. I mean, Howard Stark retired and he relocated to some dusty farm off in Nebraska, and Tony only showed up when he felt like it. Technically, Tony didn't feel like showing up in that moment at all, but he did it to humor Steve's interesting mood.

The blondie boy was hell bent on sketching the walls and all the furniture. Tony concluded that Steve was doing it to somehow make amends for the years of neglect that was secretly shrouding their relationship.

Tony was pretty oblivious to it, but Steve sure wasn't. He brought it up every five minutes, and Tony really only had one thing on his mind as the day carried out. He figured he'd be getting laid at some point, but Steve was inwardly trying to correct all of his "horrible" mistakes.

Tony was so ready to shut Steve's adorable bullshit down, but now the family business was involved, along with Pepper Potts. Steve actually had his cute little sketchbook with him, and his pencils as he was being given the grand tour.

…

I mean, come on Steve. Tony kept chewing on his bottom lip as he journeyed around his own company, with Steve perfect face Rogers and his lovely tour guide. Tony was losing his mind as Steve's redemption tour progressed. The golden boy was learning oh so much, and Tony was about to put a stop to the show. Pepper Potts was being a genteel host. The absolute best, and Tony was proud of her.

He took note of her perfect clothes and Gucci shoes. Not one hair on her precious head was pushed out of place. Her tour progressed to Tony's thinking space. Pepper stopped at the doors of Tony's office and she smiled at Steve. The blonde was all smiles as well, and Tony quietly crossed his arms.

"Tony, did you want to present your own office? I don't have much to say about it, since you're never in it."

Awwww classic sassy Pepper. Tony's grin stretched from ear to ear. Of course he'd love to talk about his puuurrrdyyy office. Yeah, Tony fully intended to take over the show. The salty comment about his office encouraged the timing on that, so he held onto his smile and he gently opened the door. Tony walked into the magical space, and he glanced behind him to see if the blonde planned to follow.

Of course Steve followed. He kept asking questions about the various art pieces that were placed about the entire building. Steve was apparently unaware of the expansive art collection that went hand-in-hand with Stark Industries. Tony put Pepper to task on that years ago, but I guess that was news to Steve? For some strange reason, the blonde got all bent out of shape about it.

Tony could hear it in Steve's tone and see it by the look on his face. The brunette was puzzled by Steve's behavior all morning, so, in his opinion… the tour was very over.

"Thank you for the tour Pep. I'll take over from here."

Buh bye. He smiled. Tony gave her a gentle wave too, and he waited for her to say her pleasant goodbye to Steve. Pepper mentioned that she had things to do. A company to run, and all of that fun stuff. Tony knew the drill very well, so he kept his smile game going, as Steve continued looking at one of the portraits that was hanging on the largest wall in the office.

Steve seemed pretty preoccupied with the painting. He understood that Pepper was leaving them, but his curiosity and the need to explore Stark Industries was dominating his thoughts. Tony waited for the fancy office doors to eventually close. Once Pepper's delicate hands closed the door, Tony imagined her Gucci heels as she trotted back to her own office. Pepper had phone calls to make, and an entire to company to run so…

"When are you going to cut the shit?"

Tony's arms were very crossed, and Steve was very shocked to hear the words that just cruised right out of Tony's mouth. Cut the SHIT? Say, what now? Steve Rogers just about choked when he pulled his focus away from the painting. He stopped his thought entirely as he looked over in Tony's direction…

His little red corvette had a fiery look on his face. Tony looked pretty pissed off, and Steve didn't know what to think.

"Is something wrong?"

"Yeah. You. What are we doing here?"

I mean, the gig had run its course. Tony felt very "seen" now, thanks Steve. He more than knew that the blonde was upset with himself, but Tony started catching on and he didn't necessarily agree with Steve's delulu ideas about their relationship. In his opinion, Steve was dead wrong in a lot of ways… The blonde approached him, but Tony kept his bothered composure.

"I wanted to see this building. I have my reasons Tony.."

Steve set his notebook down on the closest surface, and he decided to approach Tony with caution. The brunette didn't budge at all when Steve touched one of his hands, until the blonde started looking at it. He took Tony's left hand, and his eyes slowly focused on a set of scars. One scar, two scars, and a patch where Tony had obviously burned his skin.

Tony snatched back his own hand, then he turned a bit so Steve Rogers could get a clue. His Stark exploration extravaganza had run its course, and Tony didn't want to continue going through it. It was hard enough to be toured as if you were a living museum. The concept was getting to Tony, and his soul was getting all stirred up. He just wanted things to go back to normal. Tony told himself that he didn't want to hear any "reasons" out of Steve either…..

He had heard enough, and it all would have been perfectly fine if they just stayed in bed together. Tony was a fan of that, so he wanted Steve to cut the shit and move on. Steve processed Tony's reaction. The blonde took in a slow breath, because he knew that he had a pretty delicate situation on his hands. Steve's blinders were officially off, and he could tell that his new awareness was affecting Tony.

Honesty is always the best policy, so Steve felt like it was best to come clean, and get his thoughts all out in the open. Then, they could regroup and repair the damage.

"Tony when we met, you said you wanted to take off on a joyride and leave the X-Mansion. You were trying to leave New York when you said that to me, right?"

Tony invited him to join in on that "joyride" and Steve agreed to leave with Tony right off the bat. He wanted to, but in truth, they never took that ride together. Stephen Strange was the one who physically drove Tony back to California, and Steve ended up staying in New York. Thanks to Bucky, he remained there, stagnant, forever in his apartment in Brooklyn.

Then, Tony moved in with him. Steve thought it all over, because it was years before his blinders came off..

Tony wasn't sure why Steve insisted on digging up the past. He kept his bothered behavior going as he processed Steve's question. YES. He planned to leave the X-Mansion in his dust. The brunette only left his parents home and travelled ALL THE WAY to New York at the request of Charles Xavier. That mutant dangled Steve Rogers in front of his face like a baby carrot, so naturally, Tony wanted to rebel and steal Steve away from the XMEN.

Yeah, he planned to leave and go back home to California. What of it? Tony slowly rubbed his own eyes, because Steve's discovery time was BUGGIN. Tony felt more than emotional about it, and he just glanced out one of the giant windows.

"I'd actually like us to live here more. In California. Maybe, we can head back to Brooklyn for Christmas?"

Steve liked all the lights in New York, during Christmas. But, for the rest of the year, the blonde began to think that he wanted to be somewhere else. What happened with Bucky was the final straw, and Steve's mind had been going haywire ever since. It's not that he didn't trust Tony, that wasn't the issue at all. Steve just came to the conclusion that being in Brooklyn was suffocating his little red corvette, and keeping him from being himself.

Tony was quick to cover up his eyes again, because now that golden thing started talking crazy. Steve dropped a let's move to California bomb on Tony, and the brunette wasn't in the best place to process the information. His brain was on overdrive, and Steve was just too sweet to see. Tony knew the blonde was doing his best. Steve was doing and saying what he thought was best.

"STEVE. You don't have to do, that."

Nobody had to do anything, say anything, go anywhere, or change anything about anything. Tony's eyes were open super wide as he spoke. He looked directly at Steve Rogers, and his eyes were pleading for the gorgeous blonde to stop, cease and desist. Tony loved living in Brooklyn, and he loved living there with Steve. He moved in with him for a reason, because with Steve… he finally felt secure, loved, and safe.

The brunette was about to burst. He couldn't get over how innocent and pure Steve's soul seemed to be in that moment. Why on EARTH would they leave Brooklyn? Tony felt like he was collapsing. His soul was trying to keep it together, understand and see the logic.

"Steve, please, jussssstttt be with me. You don't have to get the location right, or sketch out all the details. I'm actually very simple, OK? I just, want you."

That's all Tony's EVER FRIGGEN WANTEDDDDDD for yearsss, centuries and five storylines later. So, his soul felt beyond maxed out and at capacity in that moment. He took in the deepest breath that he could muster, and he patiently waited for Steve to hear what was said.

The blonde heard Tony's words. He thought them over, but Steve couldn't really bring his focus up any further than hisshoes.

Chapter: END

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