Tony's life, very recently, has been on a rocket-propelled trajectory and on any given day it's hard to predict where it's all going. That didn't used to be a problem for him, when he was aloof and far less serious about everything. Not even that was that long ago. Even still... there's a clear line of demarcation between old Tony and the second his convoy got blown up in Afghanistan. Ever since then he's been running frantically. Much more so with every passing event.
It's why if he was asked if he had time to settle, he would've said no. Which is kind of how he got into a large mess with Pepper. The woman whom he thought he'd loved- still very much does, no need to lie to himself about it. He'd pursued her a little relentlessly after all that and somehow she'd agreed. Yet he'd found every single way to fuck it all up. Because no. No he can't settle. Not in the ways she wants him to. It's unfortunate. It was gut wrenching. The fight hadn't been nasty, really, but it had been devastating all the same. To know that he was never going to be the person she needed him to be. But. That was that. They split.
He nursed the heartbreak and was sure that was it, unless she changed her mind. That she'd perhaps like to keep living the glossy lie that being with him was. Knowing he'd always be on-call. Would always pick the world over her, because he has to. Knowing that he has demons he can't outrun some days. That he can't put work down. All things he has lied to her about before, saying he'd try or that he'll get better. But he won't. That was why he was sure he was destined for the job and the job alone. He'd had fun for a long extended period of time. Fourteen to about thirty-seven. Good long run. Case closed.
That was until Steve actually reciprocated interest. A little thing. Tony, flirting with people because it makes him feel better. Because it makes him feel in control, something he desperately needed after Pepper had split. But... truly, and someone must have noticed, he did it with Steve more than anyone else. First to get a reaction, then a rise, then because it got comfortable. A little too comfortable. And then one day there Steve was. Just... reciprocating. Who was Tony to back off then? A stronger man might've but that's not Tony at all.
So they fell in line. Fell in love. There's a safety in Steve that Tony desperately needed. Because Steve gets the job. Steve would never ask him to put away the suit just like Tony would never ask him to put down the shield. Having someone understand him the way Steve does has been so freeing. Has made it that much easier to fall so deep in love with him that... suddenly there's a future. Suddenly there's talks of moving in together and apartment tours and real estate agents.
It's ridiculous and amazing and all he's known for sure since they started seeing each other is he only ever wants more. And he'll do whatever it takes to make that happen. To protect this thing they have. And Steve, too. Though Steve doesn't need his protection, and sometimes that only makes Tony want to protect him all the more.
They close on a very high high-rise. A two-floor penthouse with floor to ceiling windows that gets a lot of light. A private elevator that he's worked on to enable FRIDAY in so that nobody uses it or tries to get onto their floor, whether he got permission to actually retool the elevator or not. In a building with high security and other big name clientele which provides understood privacy. Nobody bothers them. They're working on renovations and decorations and furniture and things Tony just never thought he'd get to have after the falling apart of roughly his entire life, twice over now even if different compartments of it. It's... nice.
He's spent a dedicated amount of time on the space that's his workshop/lab. Of course. So that's almost finished. He's just finished fitting the entrance of it with his usual security protocols that all his labs have. Fingerprint and access code entry of the utmost importance.
They have dinner plans tonight though he's thinking of just asking Steve if he'd rather order in. Not in the least of which is just so he can keep Steve to himself and so they don't have to travel very far from the kitchen to the bedroom. Or any other nearby surface. He's in the middle of thinking about that and a hundred other things, on his hands and knees on the floor with a few of the panels pulled up as he works on rewiring some of the space. He has his usual obnoxious rock music on, accompanied by his own complaining about this and that and FRIDAY's soft sass whenever he asks her for something. He's not expecting company right now.
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It's why if he was asked if he had time to settle, he would've said no. Which is kind of how he got into a large mess with Pepper. The woman whom he thought he'd loved- still very much does, no need to lie to himself about it. He'd pursued her a little relentlessly after all that and somehow she'd agreed. Yet he'd found every single way to fuck it all up. Because no. No he can't settle. Not in the ways she wants him to. It's unfortunate. It was gut wrenching. The fight hadn't been nasty, really, but it had been devastating all the same. To know that he was never going to be the person she needed him to be. But. That was that. They split.
He nursed the heartbreak and was sure that was it, unless she changed her mind. That she'd perhaps like to keep living the glossy lie that being with him was. Knowing he'd always be on-call. Would always pick the world over her, because he has to. Knowing that he has demons he can't outrun some days. That he can't put work down. All things he has lied to her about before, saying he'd try or that he'll get better. But he won't. That was why he was sure he was destined for the job and the job alone. He'd had fun for a long extended period of time. Fourteen to about thirty-seven. Good long run. Case closed.
That was until Steve actually reciprocated interest. A little thing. Tony, flirting with people because it makes him feel better. Because it makes him feel in control, something he desperately needed after Pepper had split. But... truly, and someone must have noticed, he did it with Steve more than anyone else. First to get a reaction, then a rise, then because it got comfortable. A little too comfortable. And then one day there Steve was. Just... reciprocating. Who was Tony to back off then? A stronger man might've but that's not Tony at all.
So they fell in line. Fell in love. There's a safety in Steve that Tony desperately needed. Because Steve gets the job. Steve would never ask him to put away the suit just like Tony would never ask him to put down the shield. Having someone understand him the way Steve does has been so freeing. Has made it that much easier to fall so deep in love with him that... suddenly there's a future. Suddenly there's talks of moving in together and apartment tours and real estate agents.
It's ridiculous and amazing and all he's known for sure since they started seeing each other is he only ever wants more. And he'll do whatever it takes to make that happen. To protect this thing they have. And Steve, too. Though Steve doesn't need his protection, and sometimes that only makes Tony want to protect him all the more.
They close on a very high high-rise. A two-floor penthouse with floor to ceiling windows that gets a lot of light. A private elevator that he's worked on to enable FRIDAY in so that nobody uses it or tries to get onto their floor, whether he got permission to actually retool the elevator or not. In a building with high security and other big name clientele which provides understood privacy. Nobody bothers them. They're working on renovations and decorations and furniture and things Tony just never thought he'd get to have after the falling apart of roughly his entire life, twice over now even if different compartments of it. It's... nice.
He's spent a dedicated amount of time on the space that's his workshop/lab. Of course. So that's almost finished. He's just finished fitting the entrance of it with his usual security protocols that all his labs have. Fingerprint and access code entry of the utmost importance.
They have dinner plans tonight though he's thinking of just asking Steve if he'd rather order in. Not in the least of which is just so he can keep Steve to himself and so they don't have to travel very far from the kitchen to the bedroom. Or any other nearby surface. He's in the middle of thinking about that and a hundred other things, on his hands and knees on the floor with a few of the panels pulled up as he works on rewiring some of the space. He has his usual obnoxious rock music on, accompanied by his own complaining about this and that and FRIDAY's soft sass whenever he asks her for something. He's not expecting company right now.