Stark Tower but Small, Monday morning

[heroic_jawline]

Steve stared at his reflection in the mirror, running his hand over his now beardless jaw.

"Feels weird," he muttered, walking out of the bathroom and reaching for the jacket of his dress uniform. His eyes went across all of the ribbons, making certain none of them were out of place or crooked, then pulled it on and gave his reflection one final look.

"Tony?" he called out. "I'm heading to Arlington."

Now that he wasn't a wanted felon he was back on the speakers circuit for Memorial Day. He'd resent it, but he had too many friends to visit in that cemetery. Making nice with Ross for a half hour was nothing compared to their sacrifices.

Comments

[heroic_jawline]

"That is a step in the right direction," Steve agreed. "Some of the older fellas said they'd missed me."

[imafuturist]

"It is," Tony agreed, leaning into Steve's side as the very dry documentary continued to talk about the migratory habits of elk.

[heroic_jawline]

Horrifically boring documentaries were about where Steve's brain could land right now. "Learning a lot?" he asked.

[imafuturist]

"Oh, not at all. But it let's my brain shut off to answer work emails."

Pepper? Thrilled.

[heroic_jawline]

"I'm glad you're answering Pepper," Steve said earnestly.

[imafuturist]

"You are supposed to be on my side," Tony grumbled even as he dutifully nixed a design from R&D as morally questionable.

[heroic_jawline]

"She writes to me when you don't reply," Steve said.

[imafuturist]

"...no she doesn't." Damn it, Pepper.

[heroic_jawline]

"Only on the important things," Steve said, not making it better.

[imafuturist]

Tony frowned at his tablet at that. "I guess I'll be more on top of things."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve kissed his cheek, enjoying the feeling of Tony's beard against his own clean-shaven skin. "She doesn't do it often."

[imafuturist]

Tony sighed and closed his eyes at that. "Still."

[heroic_jawline]

"You have a lot going on," Steve said.

[imafuturist]

"Yeah, more recently," he said with a sigh.

[heroic_jawline]

"Talk to me about about it?" Steve asked, cuddling closer.

[imafuturist]

Tony wrapped an arm around him as he listed off the projects slated for the third and fourth quarters for the company and money going into a possible Avengers team on the west coast with Janet talking about moving out there for her fashion career anyway.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve soaked in the information, letting Tony's voice wash over him in a reassuring wave of normality. "Would you have to recruit for new members on the West Coast, or do others already want to move, too?" he finally asked.

[imafuturist]

"Clint and Vision were also thinking about a change," Tony said. "And I think they can manage to recruit people out there."

Surely there were heroes on the west coast, right?

[heroic_jawline]

"How many members are you thinking?" Steve asked.

[imafuturist]

"At least five," Tony said. "My team shuffles in and out with people as reservists."

Like that time Rhodey, Wolverine, Ben Grimm, and Spider-Man saved the day.

[heroic_jawline]

Fun crowd.

"And do they make their own calls or have to check with the East Coast?" Steve asked.

[imafuturist]

"That would be something to figure out," Tony admitted.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve rested his head on Tony's shoulder, closing his eyes. "You'd want one final voice."

[imafuturist]

"I want cohesion." Because a final voice was never going to fly. They were all Type A folks.

[heroic_jawline]

"And how long would that take, working across time zones?" Steve asked.