Week Two: Smile and Nod (Avengers!Movieverse, Steve/Tony)
Title: Smile and Nod
Author: lady_ganesh
Theme: Brunch (five meals)
Rating: PG
Notes: Thanks to lindentreeisle for betaing. Remaining mistakes are mine. Some issues aren't resolved here, but I promise they will be by dinner. :D
Country clubs made Steve uncomfortable. He never learned how to golf - never really wanted to or gotten the chance - and he'd certainly never hung around the upper crust. Bucky's starting pay had been $600, and membership probably cost twice that. The thought still made Steve a little queasy, even though he knew things cost more now, even though he knew Captain America would never be poor again. He still wanted to turn back around and find a diner.
"Why are we here again?" he sighed.
"Because Tony Stark can't go to a charity brunch by himself," Tony said. "And you said you'd come. And Natasha and Clint are in Al-Kufrah, and I'm not asking a giant green rage monster to deal with these people, no matter how calm Bruce is. It's all I can do sometimes to talk to them without Hulking out."
"And Pepper broke up with you."
"Yes," Tony said sullenly. "Thanks for reminding me, Cap."
"Did she have to go to all these things?" Steve asked, scanning the crowd. No one wore hats any more, but there was one woman with peacock feathers in her hair. And a man whose tie had hats on it. "Because I might break up with you then, too."
Tony sighed. "That is not in fact why she broke up with me. And if you bring it up again, I might have to start hitting the mimosas early."
"I'm not taking you home if you get drunk," Steve warned. "And I'm not dealing with any reporters, either."
Tony waved his objections away. "All you need to do is look good," he said. "I'll behave, I promise."
To Steve's shock, he did. He didn't ogle any attractive young ladies. He didn't drink too many mimosas. He didn't mouth off at the executive who said that the sudden appearance of costumed crimefighters was a part of an international conspiracy that would strip everyone on Earth of their freedoms. (Okay, so maybe Steve did, a little, but he was only human, and he really was old enough to be the guy's grandfather.)
Steve should have been relieved, but it felt wrong. Tony felt wrong, dampened, all the rough edges tucked away in favor of a broad, fake smile. Steve watched, and got more worried as the day edged toward noon.
He didn't blame Pepper for breaking up with Tony -- how could he? He'd wondered since he met her how she managed to put up with Tony's shenanigans -- but he could see how much it had hurt. And he certainly didn't know what to say; the closest thing he'd ever had to a relationship ended before Tony was born.
What would Peggy say to Tony? Had they--
Had they ever met?
Steve's mind took a moment to wrap itself around this new, terrifying thought. He didn't get much further than that, though, because at that moment a good section of the wall collapsed, and something very large, very loud, and very threatening appeared. It looked a bit like the Hulk, if the Hulk was sandy brown and even angrier than usual.
Steve reached for his shield, then remembered he wasn't in uniform. Tony's suit was already forming around him. "Did you know this was coming?" Steve asked.
"No offense, Cap, but if I had, I would've brought the rage monster."
"None taken," Steve said, looking at the behemoth before them and wondering how well the silver dessert trays would hold up against a punch. "That probably would've been a better idea."
Author: lady_ganesh
Theme: Brunch (five meals)
Rating: PG
Notes: Thanks to lindentreeisle for betaing. Remaining mistakes are mine. Some issues aren't resolved here, but I promise they will be by dinner. :D
Country clubs made Steve uncomfortable. He never learned how to golf - never really wanted to or gotten the chance - and he'd certainly never hung around the upper crust. Bucky's starting pay had been $600, and membership probably cost twice that. The thought still made Steve a little queasy, even though he knew things cost more now, even though he knew Captain America would never be poor again. He still wanted to turn back around and find a diner.
"Why are we here again?" he sighed.
"Because Tony Stark can't go to a charity brunch by himself," Tony said. "And you said you'd come. And Natasha and Clint are in Al-Kufrah, and I'm not asking a giant green rage monster to deal with these people, no matter how calm Bruce is. It's all I can do sometimes to talk to them without Hulking out."
"And Pepper broke up with you."
"Yes," Tony said sullenly. "Thanks for reminding me, Cap."
"Did she have to go to all these things?" Steve asked, scanning the crowd. No one wore hats any more, but there was one woman with peacock feathers in her hair. And a man whose tie had hats on it. "Because I might break up with you then, too."
Tony sighed. "That is not in fact why she broke up with me. And if you bring it up again, I might have to start hitting the mimosas early."
"I'm not taking you home if you get drunk," Steve warned. "And I'm not dealing with any reporters, either."
Tony waved his objections away. "All you need to do is look good," he said. "I'll behave, I promise."
To Steve's shock, he did. He didn't ogle any attractive young ladies. He didn't drink too many mimosas. He didn't mouth off at the executive who said that the sudden appearance of costumed crimefighters was a part of an international conspiracy that would strip everyone on Earth of their freedoms. (Okay, so maybe Steve did, a little, but he was only human, and he really was old enough to be the guy's grandfather.)
Steve should have been relieved, but it felt wrong. Tony felt wrong, dampened, all the rough edges tucked away in favor of a broad, fake smile. Steve watched, and got more worried as the day edged toward noon.
He didn't blame Pepper for breaking up with Tony -- how could he? He'd wondered since he met her how she managed to put up with Tony's shenanigans -- but he could see how much it had hurt. And he certainly didn't know what to say; the closest thing he'd ever had to a relationship ended before Tony was born.
What would Peggy say to Tony? Had they--
Had they ever met?
Steve's mind took a moment to wrap itself around this new, terrifying thought. He didn't get much further than that, though, because at that moment a good section of the wall collapsed, and something very large, very loud, and very threatening appeared. It looked a bit like the Hulk, if the Hulk was sandy brown and even angrier than usual.
Steve reached for his shield, then remembered he wasn't in uniform. Tony's suit was already forming around him. "Did you know this was coming?" Steve asked.
"No offense, Cap, but if I had, I would've brought the rage monster."
"None taken," Steve said, looking at the behemoth before them and wondering how well the silver dessert trays would hold up against a punch. "That probably would've been a better idea."