The smell of the club was a new experience for Steve Rogers. He'd been around many war buddies and friends when they went out drinking, but something was very different about things now. He guessed it was the lack of cigarettes. Compared to living the 40s, it felt like no one smoked anymore.
The music was so different now also. Gone were the days of AM radio and acoustic bands. While the electric guitar had been around for a while, Steve hardly knew any bands that played it, back then.
It seemed everything had an electric sound to it now. Steve felt bad for thinking it reminded him of Ultron. It was all so fast and artificial.
Working through the crowd was not very different. Now that he was male again, he had a significant size advantage over most of the guests. A few people craned their heads in surprise and more than a handful of fingers were pointed his way with looks of recognition.
Steve waved lightly, but turned away to look for his friend. 'How'll I even recognize her?' He wonders. 'I am not even absolutely certain that she's here.' Steve made his way around the club, making sure to look in every seat, corner, and around every bar. He was really hoping to spot something familiar, like a shirt or some flashy technology. It wasn't helping.
'She wouldn't be out on the dance floor would she?' Steve wonders. He looks out at the crowd and tries to see if anyone stands out. Even with his height, it's hard to get a good look. There are definitely a handful of women that are similar to who he was looking for, but Steve had no way of knowing.
As Captain Rogers begins to walk around the corner of the dance floor, he spots a group of three guys dancing around a small black haired woman with a red suit jacket and black slacks. He notices what looks like a t-shirt under the jacket. She is bobbing up and down with her hands in the air and her eyes closed. He suspects it's not her, but decides to stay and watch for a little longer.
One of the three guys gets a little close to the woman and brushes into her. She opens her eyes, braces both feet, and pushes him away. "I said, back off!" she snaps at the man. Despite her size, she manages to push him hard enough to stumble. The two friends laugh while the tall guy smirks. The man gets back up and pretends to keep dancing, but is clearly buying his time to try again. It doesn't take him long to start approaching the woman once more.
Steve does not wait for the man to reach her before he moves in. "Alright fellas, let's give her some room." He steps in between the two.
"Hey!" The tall man protests. "I was dancing with her, buddy!"
"It doesn't look like she wants to dance with you." Steve tells him.
"If I wanted your help," Steve feels the woman's hands wrap around his left arm, "I would have asked for it." She pulls Steve away from the man, spins him around, and tries to push him away.
'Is it her?' Steve catches himself wondering again. 'I should have asked Scott for a picture.'
"Yeah, she didn't ask for your help, Captain America!" The man says sarcastically, not realizing it's the truth.
"You and your girlfriends need to get lost also, before you piss me off." The young lady tells the man.
"Hey, I bought you drinks!" The man snaps back.
"And I left them on the counter!" The lady tells him. "I don't like being handed things."
At hearing this, Steve Rogers is quite a bit more certain he found who he was looking for. He turns back toward the group waiting to see how it plays out.
"Come on man. Let's go, she doesn't like you." One of the two friends tells the tall one.
"No," the guy snaps, "I'm just trying to be nice. If you didn't want to party, then why did you come out?" He says to her, then looks up and down at Steve. "Is this your boyfriend, or something?"
"I didn't come here to party with you." the girl says, then turns to the Captain. "Get out of here Steve! I already told you I don't need your help."
"Steve?" The big man asks, studying Captain Rogers in detail now.
"Bro..." The third friend finally speaks. "I think that's the real Captain America!"
The big man's eyes light up and his annoyed look disappears almost instantly. "What? Captain America? It's really you! I was just joking!"
"Whoa!" One of the friends shouts as they move in to get a closer look and start up a conversation. "I can't believe it's really you." A couple of nearby guests notice the commotion and they begin to move in, hoping to get a better look at the Captain.
"Hey man," the big guy speaks up, "I'm sorry for bothering your friend. I didn't know you knew her..." The big guy thinks about the encounter a bit. "Hey, was that the Black Widow?"
"No, that was..." Steve Rogers looks up, but the lady is gone. She must have fled to another corner. "She's just a friend." The Captain says, deciding to defuse the crowd before looking for her.
A short while later *
It took Steve Rogers a lot longer than he expected to shake the crowd. It was starting to quiet down as the club cleared up. He was rather worried that he lost his query, but didn't take long to spot her sitting at one of the bars in the corner. He approaches slowly, being sure to be seen before getting too close.
"I suppose Bruce sent you to come get me!" She grumbles aggressively before sipping at a glass tumbler. "Or was it Pepper?" Captain America can see her trying to concentrate. "Why would Pepper send you? She doesn't care about me." She takes another sip.
"You know that's not true, T..." Despite feeling certain he found his target, Steve hesitated to say her name.
"Fine!" She refuses to argue. "Then who sent you?"
Captain America hesitates to answer, but decides it's for the best not to lie. "Scott... She GPSed your car."
"Ant-Man!" She exclaims. "I guess that's why you're here..." She takes a drink. "She can't really just come waltzing in." Tony makes a gesture to imply a baby bump. Captain Rogers doesn't understand the implications, so he just pushes it to the back of his head.
"Can I get you something?" One of the bartenders calls out to Steve.
Steve looks at the bartender then to his friend and considers ordering her a coffee or a water. He thinks about his war buddies, Bucky, and himself and what they might want in the same shoes. "I'll have a beer." He tells the bartender as he begins to sit down.
"What kind?" The bartender asks.
"It doesn't matter." The captain answers. This seemed adequate as the bartender started shuffling through his collection.
"You're not here to drag me out?" The woman asks.
"No," Steve answers, accepting his drink. "Not unless that's what you want... Tony?" He says her name, more out of curiosity than support.
Tony looks like she is seriously considering it for a long moment before clicking her tongue and turning to her drink. She is hugging it rather close. "That won't be necessary, Steve!" She emphasizes his name, to imply she noticed his uncertainty.
Captain America looks Tony up and down and it is very apparent to him that she is clearly in defensive mode. Despite wanting to talk to her, he realizes anything he says will likely be taken as an attack. He'd learned to recognize these signs from his PTSD studies. Despite his strong desire to talk, he decides it's best to let her be the one to initiate a conversation. Steve turns away from Tony and starts drinking his beer.
The feel of the bottle on his lips is strange to him as he wasn't used to being back in his original form once more. Everything feels small again. It'd also been a while since he'd had a drink. The last time was when... A flashback of Tony kissing him popped into his head. He feels embarrassed, but for some reason, he can't resist a chuckle.
Tony notices this and loosens her grip on her drink. She finishes it off, places the cup down, and orders another. The bartender is quick to take the glass and place a new one which he pours a single malt scotch on the rocks. Tony uncrosses her arms and accepts the drink, taking a sip to judge its contents. She looks at Captain America who is now watching the nearest TV, drinking his beer. Tony tries to determine what is on the TV, but all she sees are two sportscasters with no hint of what sport is being played. She doesn't have the attention span to keep watching or care, so she studies her drink.
Captain America finishes his drink quickly and orders another. He sees Tony staring, but still chooses to give her some space. She has to make the first move, he reminds himself. He pretends to watch TV, but can't help but play out several conversations in his mind. He really doesn't know what to say.
It stays like this for nearly an hour. Two superheroes sitting in a bar, having drinks. Eventually the captain orders a fourth beer. As it arrives, Tony turns slightly toward him. She places a hand on his forearm. "Why are you here Captain?" She asks. " I know you can't get drunk."
Captain America takes a drink from his beer, buying a second of time to think. He wanted to say he was worried about her, but he knew Tony would hate that. It would probably put her back on edge again. Instead he reached across with his left hand and placed it on hers. "Dr. Banner told me what you did," He turns to look at her, "for me."
Tony feels the warmth of Steve's hand and looks up into his eyes. She can't stop her gaze from bouncing back and forth between his left and right. She feels a little embarrassed thinking about it, so she pulls away and grabs her drink. "You mean what he did... She did... I don't know what he is anymore." She takes another sip. "Everybody knows what happened." Another sip.
"I'm sorry, Tony." The Captain tells her. "I didn't mean that." Tony looks up at him and gives him a confused and judging look. "She told me why you did it." The Captain clarifies. "She said she tried to talk you out of it, or at least get you to think things through."
"I suppose it's a good thing we didn't." Tony grumbles, taking a drink. "Dr. Demento was on us like..." Tony peers into her glass hoping to find the right comparison.
Steve watches her for a long second, realizing she is stumped. "Like Thor and a buffet?" He offers.
This works, making Tony chuckle. "Yeah," she says, setting her scotch down, "he eats a lot!"
Steve smiles back, chuckling. They both concentrate on their drinks. After a long silence, he risks asking a question. "So, what next Tony?"
"Let's not talk about work." Tony answers. She turns toward Steve Rogers. "Next, we drink." She raises her glass, in a toast-like gesture. "And dance." She slides off the bar stool and turns toward the dance floor.
Despite being worried for his friend Steve smiles, grabs his drink, and follows her. They both make their way to the mostly empty dance floor where Tony starts bobbing to the music. Neither is familiar with the song as it is pop, a genre neither usually listens to. Steve is not so into it himself, but Tony does not seem to mind.
Steve can't help but watch his friend, having to remind himself that she is a responsible adult. Probably more responsible than he is when it comes to drinking. It intrigues him to watch her. She looks so small and frail now, but he also knows just how strong she really is. Flashes of Tony working on Steve's suit, back when their roles were reversed, pop into Steve's head. He can't help but smile, surprised at how happy it made him feel. He wonders if it's wrong that he already misses those days.
The song changes and Tony sets down her finished drink. She tries to wave at the bartender to order another. Neither is sure if he saw them. The next song kicks in. A bass drum repeats at a brisk place as the intro starts. Tony seems to enjoy it as she shifts her dance style. She bobs to the beat a few times before looking up and waving at the bartender. Steve turns as Tony tries to approach the counter, but trips instead, colliding with him. She reaches up holding him for balance and occurs to her that maybe she has had a bit much.
"You can be amazing." The music sings. "You can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug."
Tony continues to cling to Steve for balance as the song carries on. She wants to let go, but for some reason, she feels like she can't. She thinks about how awkward it would have been had Steve still been female and she crashed into him this way. 'She was so pretty...' Tony thinks, too drunk to shake random thoughts.
"Are you okay, Tony?" Steve asks.
"Yeah..." She closes her eyes to concentrate, not sure on what. "Just sway with me a bit." She asks, realizing it helps calm her.
Steve places his hands on her shoulders, wondering if he should guide her away. After a brief pause he chooses not to.
"Do you want to sit down?" he asks. Tony shakes her head.
"You know," She starts telling him, "I usually hate this type of music." Steve continues to listen. "It's too distracting, and emotional." Tony looks up at him as they both sway to the song.
Steve looks down at her. "Are you sure you don't want to rest?"
"What's the matter Steve? This your first dance?"
It never occurred to him that it might actually be, making him feel a little embarrassed that it's here and now, with Tony of all people. He can't resist an awkward smile as they both look into each other's eyes.
The song works its way toward the chorus. "I wonder what would happen if you say what you wanna say? Just let the words fall out. Honestly, I wanna see you be brave!"
Steve studies Tony's hair realizing it has a bit of a curl to it, reminiscent of Peggy. It makes him smile.
Tony studies Steve's face and feels lost in the same blue eyes he'd spend the last three months working with. He feels a longing that he can't quite understand.
"Honestly," The song continues, "I wanna see you be brave. I just wanna see you be brave. I just wanna see you be brave..." it carries on.
Steve Rogers eyes dart between Tony's several times then finally down to her lips. A detail that does not go unnoticed.
Tony tries to pull away quickly, but is still pretty drunk. Steve, being the gentleman, still picks up on it and gently guides her hands off his waist.
"On second thought," Tony says, "I hate this song. Let's leave... Bartender!" She lightly stumbles as she approaches the bar. "I'd like to close my tab."
A short while later at the Avengers complex *
"You never revoked my access." Steve says, walking in the building, rather surprised.
"Don't let it get to your head." Tony replies. "Most of it was restored after Wakanda..." Steve realizes Tony is referring to after the snap, but Tony's mind is elsewhere. "Not thee uhm..." Tony points to her lips and toward Steve.
"It's ok, I know what you mean." Rogers tries to reassure her. "Are you going to be ok, Tony?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." She peers around the lab looking lost. "Yeah, I'll be fine." She walks toward the long lounge sofa, pushes a pile of parts off of it, which land on the floor loudly, then she stretches out to fall asleep.
"Tony, don't go to sleep there. It's covered in oil."
"I like it here," she protests, "It helps me think."
"No, come on Tony. I'll take you to one of the bedrooms."
"No! I'm fine!"
Steve Rogers approaches her as she turns away curling up. He looks her up and down as she pulls on her coat sleeve for warmth. "If I have to carry you, I will!" He threatens.
"No!" Tony snaps lightly shaking, but not getting up.
"Alright, you asked for it." Steve bends down and in a brisk motion, easily lifts Tony.
She grumbles in protests and raises her fist angrily as if to smack him. She is about to start yelling at him, but once again, they lock eyes.
Tony is flooded with a barrage of emotions tied into the last two years. The absurdity of where they are now dawns on her, and it shocks her that it's even real. So much guilt wracks her mind, from the airport, to little snide comments, and even Steve getting stabbed to protect her.
Tony has to resist the urge to reach up, caress Steve's face and apologize for everything. She contemplates if maybe she should, but the look she is getting says she doesn't have to. A look of complete trust. A look of sad concern. A look of love.
That last thought snaps Tony out of her trans. She makes a fist and lightly punches Captain Rogers in the chest. "Fine." She says, leaning in and resting her head in the cradle of his arm. "If you tell anyone about this, I'm gonna sell you to an antique shop. You can sit on a shelf with Dum-E."
"We can't have that." Steve responds, before shifting Tony and now tossing her over his shoulder.
"Hey!" She exclaims. "Oh, that is not a good idea!" She states when her stomach hits his shoulder.
"Just don't barf on me." Steve tells her.
"You'd deserve it." She counters.
Steve laughs as he takes her down the hall. He is happy that the first room he checks still has a clean bed. He assumed it's because the complex hadn't been used for some time. "Alright, I'm gonna set you down." He tells Tony. She grumbles back.
Steve has to sit down and struggle to get her in the bed properly and adjust the already too tight covers. It's a bit of a mess, but he feels satisfied as he takes off her shoes, dropping them on the floor.
"Are you going to be alright?" He asks her before getting up.
Unexpectedly, Tony turns toward Steve, wraps her arm around him, and places her head on his chest. "You're warm." She says.
Steve sits there for a long confused moment, trapped, unable to get up, and feeling awkward. "Tony, I can't..."
"Zzzz..."
"Tony?"
Steve tries one last time to pull her away but Tony surprisingly holds on harder. "Don't." She whispers, before dozing again.
Despite the awkwardness, Steve leans back against the bed's headboard and decides to kick off his shoes and settle in. He contemplates where to rest his left arm, and decides it's not going to make a difference at this point, so he rests it on Tony's shoulder. She smiles.