Apartment above Stark Industries

[heroic_jawline]

Steve came in--panting slightly--with the last of the grocery run. There had been a note on the calendar that helpfully told him that he and Tony were apparently hosting a cookout tonight (!) and between them, they had zero cooking skills.

...this would not change as they got older, no, but it came as more of a shock now. "Okay," he said. "I got hot dogs and buns and every kind of potato chip they had. That should be enough, right?"

[OOC: For the guy! Party post in a sec!]

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[heroic_jawline]

"Okay," Steve said, jaw still stuck out stubbornly. "Because I'd talk to 'em."

And that would end well.

[imafuturist]

Tony needed to protect this sweet child at all costs.

"I can't kiss you if you get a broken nose," he pointed out.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve grumbled a bit but finally agreed. "You could kiss me with a black eye?"

[imafuturist]

"I can still kiss you then," he granted Steve with a huff. "It's fine, though. You're worth it."

Had to be, right? Tony probably wouldn't get disowned for just anyway.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve went bright red at that. "I am?"

[imafuturist]

"Yep," he said, doubling down on this fact.

[heroic_jawline]

"How do you know that?" Steve asked, biting his lower lip.

[imafuturist]

"Well." Tony glanced a little anxiously at him out if the corner of his eye before taking his hand. "Don't think I'd give up school for just anyway. But I can work on scholarship now! They'd love to have my name attached to a program, I'm sure."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve grabbed onto his hand, looking a little wild-eyed at that. "You must really like me."

[imafuturist]

Tony nodded in agreement. "My dad's a dick anyway. Shouldn't have to hide things."

[heroic_jawline]

"My ma would love you," Steve said earnestly.

[imafuturist]

"Yeah?" He sounded way too hopeful at that. "Tried calling my mom, by JARVIS kept killing the call."

Tony shrugged, watching their hands closely like he needed to figure out something about it.

"Sucks, you know? Guess she stuck with Howard on this."

He wasn't tearing up, you're tearing up!

[heroic_jawline]

Steve launched himself at him for a surprisingly fierce hug, given the noodle arms.

[imafuturist]

Tony froze up for a moment before hugging him back. "It's stupid," he muttered, furiously wiping at his eyes to erase all evidence of his weakness.

[heroic_jawline]

"It's not," Steve replied seriously, still hugging him, "and it's okay to be hurt by it."

[imafuturist]

"You're a pretty great guy," Tony said at that. For so many kinda sad reasons. "You know that?"

[heroic_jawline]

Not really, he didn't know that.

Steve smiled. "Thanks, Tony. This is just basic human stuff, though."

[imafuturist]

Don't make it weird, Steve.

"Maybe in Brooklyn," he said, laughing even as he sniffled a little.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve gave him another hug. "I'm sticking around."

[imafuturist]

"That's good," Tony said, sticking a little close. "I'd be screwed trying to throw this party on my own."

Because humor was a great defense mechanism.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Not what I meant."

[imafuturist]

"Yeah," he replied quietly, bumping his shoulder against Steve's. Gently. He wasn't trying to break the guy.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve smiled and rested his head against Tony's shoulder.

[imafuturist]

They'd have to finish setting up eventually, but for right now? Tony was enjoying this. Way more than he thought he would when the whole 'relationship' thing was going through his brain.

[heroic_jawline]

"We should probably find plates and cups and stuff, huh," Steve murmured finally, still not moving his head from Tony's shoulder. "What if no one comes?"

Oooh, new thing to worry about!