At last, the slash-with-feels chapter you've all been waiting for! ;)

The following day presents itself with a grey, over-cast sky. It's like Mother Nature knows exactly how Steve feels and reflects it across the sky for all to see. It's only been two days since Tony kicked Steve out of his house. It kills Steve that he hasn't heard from him. It actually buries him after killing him because he still doesn't know what he did to get treated like that.

Were they going too fast? Does Tony just want to say he slept with a guy for more bragging rights? Does he think the time they spent together is wrong, so he refuses to do it anymore? What if he threw away the note? The more Steve thinks about the painful situation, the more his stomach churns. He misses Tony, and he wants to see him. Perhaps he deserves this for getting in Tony Stark's way in the first place.

Steve decided to spend his Saturday at the mall with Jane and Loki. He suggested they all hang out or else he would just lay in bed all day feeling depressed. in an attempt to keep his thoughts off Tony. If he stayed home, he would have just laid in bed all day feeling depressed.

"OH MY GOD!" Jane's shriek violently slices Steve's thoughts in half. He glances at her and watches her press her face against a store window.

"Jane, that is the most hideous dress I have ever seen," Loki comments with a quirked brow.

"Oh, what do you know?" She pries herself away from the glass. "I need to go try it on!" She rushes into the store.

Loki sighs and shakes his head. "And she's off. We are going to be here all day with her."

Steve chuckles lightly. "That's okay. I don't have anything better to do."

"Eh, I don't either." Loki smiles and walks over to a bench positioned outside the store. "To think, I used to have a crush on her."

Steve turns and looks at him. "Really?"

Loki nods. "Yes. She's a bit too bubbly for my taste, though."

Steve shrugs. "We all have a type."

"She would look great with you." Loki grins. "Is she the mystery girl by any chance?" He nudges him with his elbow.

"I already told you that there isn't a girl, so you can drop it." He instantly hopes that didn't sound defensive.

Loki blinks. "Alright, alright, I will stop pestering you about it...for now."

Before Steve replies, loud giggles distract him. He looks past Loki and tenses when he sees Pepper with a couple of her cheerleader friends. The three girls carry several bags each, which means they probably just destroyed their parents' bank accounts.

Loki turns around at the boisterous girly noises, and his mouth flips into a frown. "Fuck, you've got to be joking," he mutters under his breath.

"OhmiGaw! Why did you leave Tony?" one of the girls practically yells at Pepper.

"Ya! He's such a beautiful man!" the other one pipes up.

"A freaking catch, girl!"

Steve feels the color drain out of his face. Of COURSE they talk about Tony. Even if the world came to an end right now, they would still babble about him. They get too close for Steve to make a break for it, so he looks around for something to disguise himself. Thankfully, a small magazine rack stands just an arms-length away, and he grabs one. He opens the magazine right in front of his face to conceal it and listens in on their conversation.

"Because he's into men!" Pepper replies loudly. "I thought you girls knew this!"

"He's too gorgeous to be into men," one girl huffs.

"I want to sleep with him so bad!"

"Bloody hell," Loki groans in disgust and buries his face in his hand.

Steve's eye twitches in revulsion at their words. He desperately wishes Jane would hurry up and buy her damn dress. Something heard his prayers because he hears Jane's voice, followed by a screech. He peers over the magazine and sees clothes all over the ground. Pepper's jaw is slack, and Jane looks shocked. Pepper's friends pick up the clothes and shove them back into the bags like the brainless little servants they are.

"That was so rude, plainey! Watch it!" Pepper hisses at Jane.

"Maybe I would if the "Wall of Stupid" didn't stand right in front of me!" Jane slings back.

Loki stands up and approaches the ladies. "Hello, Pepper, where's my brother?" he asks in an attempt to divert her attention.

"Don't you know since you're, like, related to him?"

Loki shrugs carelessly. "I typically find myself uninterested in everything he does. I'm just curious to know why you aren't with him."

Pepper flips her long, blonde hair over her shoulder. "Well, if you must know, he's got a football game tonight and has been practicing all morning for it."

"He's choosing football over spending time with you?"

Pepper's eyes narrow. "No! Football is important to both of us, but I don't have cheer rehearsal until later!"

Jane takes this moment to slip around Loki and sit down next to Steve. Steve glances at her from over the magazine.

"What are you doing that for?" she asks, amused. "Afraid you're gonna catch one of her viruses or something?"

Steve laughs softly and drops his arms. "You never know with people like her, right?"

Jane chuckles and nods. "Too true."

They both look back at Loki and Pepper. They are amazed at how Loki got her to calm down. Her friends hand her bags back to her.

"Well, just keep your little girliefriend away from me, and we won't have problems," Pepper tells him with her nose in the air. She perches her bags back on her arm and throws a glare at Jane to prove her point.

That's when she notices Steve. Her blue eyes remain narrowed as she approaches him. Steve gulps and slowly looks up at her. There's no use hiding now. Oh shit.

"Where's your boyfriend?" she asks snidely.

Jane stands up angrily. Loki rushes over and grabs her arm, holding her back.

"Y-You mean your ex-boyfriend?" Steve curses himself for stammering.

"Don't play stupid with me, Rogers!" Pepper yells, rousing the attention of nearby shoppers. "Tony kissed you!"

Her friends, who stand behind her, drop their own bags in disbelief. "Tony kissed a guy?!" they exclaim in unison.

"Duh, I already told you!" Pepper snaps back at them.

Steve's face flushes in humiliation. Being called out by the cheerleader ex-girlfriend of the popular guy you are secretly interested in can only end badly.

"Pepper, it didn't mean anything to him," Steve tries lowly, not wanting to make a bigger scene out of this than it already is. "He was just being his dumb old Stark self."

"How do I know that?" Pepper asks with a scoff.

"Why do you care?" Steve musters up a sudden courage. "You guys are broken up, right? Why does it matter what he does?"

Pepper falls silent as she eyes Steve levelly. Who is someone like him to question her authority? Loki appears impressed, Jane grins, and Pepper's merry band of whores are too busy with their own conversation to back her up. Pepper glowers at him, whips around and marches off. Her friends are slow to notice and hurry to catch up with her.

"Wow! You told her!" Jane praises and grins at Steve in admiration.

Steve stands up from the bench and high-fives her. "Someone has to tell her."

"She still has feelings for that slime-ball," Loki says partly to himself. He watches Pepper until she disappears into a store.

"It's so obvious that she does," Jane says with a wave of her hand. "Those people swear they love each other, then they swear they hate each other, then they never get over each other."

Loki chuckles, turning to her. "It's so batty, isn't it?"

Right then, Steve feels his phone buzz in his pocket. Thinking it might be Clint or Natasha wanting to join up with them, he pulls it out and glances down at it. His breath catches in his throat at who it really is: Tony. Hearing that Jane and Loki are busy discussing the freaky emotional cycle of popular people, he eagerly flips his phone open to read the message.

get dressed up in your best and be at your house at 5

Steve rereads the message a few times, feeling quite puzzled by it. Tony is planning something? He can't help but smile as that particular warm feeling slowly comes back. Maybe Tony isn't upset with him anymore. Hopefully this is the opportunity to clear this confusing, unnecessary tension up.

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"Did you send it?"

Tony looks over at Bruce and gives him a thumbs-up. Bruce smiles and raises his water glass before taking a drink. The two friends hang out down in the den. Tony actually felt self-conscious about asking Steve out, so he invited Bruce over for support.

"How are you feeling about this?" Bruce asks, sinking into the bean bag chair.

"Not as confident as I was yesterday." Tony sighs and runs a hand through his dark hair. He sits in the other bean bag chair and studies the ceiling intensely. "Is it too early to do this?"

"I don't think so. It sounds like he needs the reassurance that you aren't just using him." Bruce clasps his hands together and places them behind his head.

"I didn't think I would ever feel anything for him. I planned to use him like everyone else." Tony shakes his head at himself.

Bruce shakes his head as well. "It's a shame that was your intention, but I'm glad you finally found someone worth your time."

"He's too good for me. Someone like him can do a thousand times better than someone like me. I don't know what the hell he sees in me."

"Probably the same things I see in you." Bruce smiles. "Believe it or not, you do have a heart, Mr. Stark. A lot of people just don't get the chance to see it."

"Because I never open up to anyone," Tony says quietly. "I opened up to Steve so fast. It just happened. I can't explain how."

"I think that's your first sign. You don't open up to just anyone. Even Pepper doesn't know anything about you."

"Let's keep it that way." Tony takes a drink from his glass of Coke. "The less she knows, the less she can use against me if she turns into a psycho bitch and plots to kill me."

Bruce laughs. "True, true." He checks his watch. "It's almost 2:30. You only have a few hours."

"Okay, I know this sounds totally girly, but, since you are here, you should critique my outfits and see if any of them look appropriate." Tony looks over at him earnestly.

Bruce grins. "Of course, Tony. Anything to help you out."

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To Steve's relief, there wasn't another run-in with Pepper. After the altercation, the three friends settled down and got something to eat in the food court. Afterwards, they shopped for a little while longer until they got bored and left empty-handed. Jane didn't buy the dress, although she was a little disappointed she didn't find something else worth her money. Since Thor has the car and Jane's car is at the shop once again, Steve's friends carpooled with him. He didn't mind, but he's anxious to drop them off so he can head home and get ready. He is eager to see what this mystery thing with Tony is about.

"I am so glad to be out of there." Loki yawns and rests his head back on the passenger's seat. "Shopping makes me tired."

"Because you didn't buy anything, duh," Jane says from the back. "I could shop all day."

Steve laughs. "I think the people who invented the saying 'shop 'till you drop' had you in mind, Jane."

Jane grins in agreement. "You know it!"

"Did you guys hear that The Dance Factory has a discount on Saturdays?" Loki asks. "Everyone gets in for half-price."

"Half-price? Wow! It's about time," Jane remarks. "That club is so expensive."

"Is that the one downtown?" Steve asks.

Loki nods. "It's the only non-alcohol one that allows people 18 and older."

"We should totally go," Jane inputs. "Maybe Tasha and Clint can join us."

"Uh, I'll see...I might be busy tonight," Steve almost says to himself.

"You got a date?" Loki asks teasingly.

Steve's cheeks flame red. "What? No!"

Loki laughs. "I was only teasing. Just let us know if you can go."

When the car rolls to a stop in front of Loki's house moments later, he exchanges goodbyes with his friends and disappears inside his house.

After dropping Jane off, Steve heads back to his house. Thoughts race through his mind at the speed of light. He hopes this mystery plan follows through so that he can see Tony tonight. After greeting his parents, he climbs up the stairs and enters his bedroom. Once he closes the door, he walks over to his closet.

"What to wear, what to wear," he mutters and taps his chin in thought.

Although he examines his selection carefully, he feels at a total loss. The last time someone asked him to "dress up in your best" was at his cousin's wedding last summer. That's only because it was a requirement. He spots the suit he wore to the wedding hanging in the back of the closet. Well, it's definitely the dressiest thing he owns.

He pulls it out and gently lays the suit on his bed, giving it a quick scan. The material is in impeccable condition, so you can't even tell he wore it. This better be what Tony means because he doesn't want to look like an idiot with whatever the plan is. A quick check of the time tells him he doesn't have long, so he gets workin'.

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"Excuse me sir, but do I know you?" Bruce asks Tony with a chuckle. He stands back and checks his dressy friend out.

"You think this all looks okay?" Tony asks uneasily while staring at himself in his mirror.

His usual high-volume hair is slicked back, his face shaven, sideburns trimmed, a gold Rolex watch on his wrist, and he wears a black suit complimented with a red tie.

"Do I think it looks okay…Tony, it looks amazing!" Bruce gushes. "This is Tony Stark going out on his first legit date!"

"Hey, I've been on dates before. Just…not this fancy," the genius retorts while fixing his tie. He turns around and faces Bruce with a smile. "I already made reservations at this ahmazing Italian place."

Bruce smiles. "Does he know this is a date?"

"Nope, unless he figured it out based on the context," Tony answers. He picks up his cologne bottle and applies a few spritzes onto his person.

Bruce checks his watch again. "You've gotta get going, my man! Text me later and let me know how it went." He wiggles his eyebrows and exits the room.

Tony raises a brow at him and adds a few last-minute touches to his hair. He checks himself out one last time before leaving the house as well.

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Steve stares at the clock as if he dares it to hurry. It's almost five, and he's never felt so nervous. He has no idea what Tony has planned.

Steve sits down on his bed and nibbles his nails. At least he doesn't have to lie to his parents tonight. They are out on a date and won't be back until later. He will make sure to send them a text once he leaves though. Lesson learned with that. Speaking of texts, Steve's phone buzzes, indicating he just received one.

Look outside

Steve stands up, opens his blinds, and views a sleek, black car parked in front of the house. Leaning against said car and looking incredibly dashing, is none other than its owner, Tony Stark. Steve feels relieved when he sees how dressed up Tony is. He races downstairs and out the door. Tony's face lights up a bit when he sees him. When Steve approaches the car, Tony opens the door for him.

"After you."

Steve blinks at the surprisingly polite gesture. "Tony…"

Tony gives him a look. "After you." He motions to the seat.

Steve's face flushes lightly. "Thanks." He gets settled and falls silent when they take off down the road.

Tony drives 15 over the residential speed limit and rolls down their windows, allowing the cool evening air inside. Steve exhales quietly at the temperature change. Tony turns the radio on just in time for Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust." He rests his arm on the door and bobs his head along with the beat. Steve finds it amazing how the guy looks as composed as ever. It's almost like nothing even happened.

"Where are we going?" he yells above the music.

"You'll see," is the response.

They don't speak again for the rest of the 20-minute drive. Steve keeps his gaze transfixed out the window, where he observes the typical Saturday night crowds gathering downtown: The high schoolers hang around the outlet mall, the college folk hit up the clubs, the homeless beg for handouts, and the regular couples have fun on their harmless dates. Steve's friends will be out tonight as well, and he hopes they don't run into them.

"Here we are," Tony announces when he turns around a corner and pulls into a parking space. Steve reaches for the door handle, and Tony makes a noise of disapproval. "Allow me." He jumps out and opens Steve's door for him again.

Steve nods in appreciation and steps out. He examines the fancy, white building in front of them. "Ristorante di Pasta?"

"Yep. You like Italian food, right?" Steve nods again, and Tony breathes a sigh of relief. "Good. I made reservations to the right place then."

"You made us reservations?" Steve asks in shock. He's doing this for him?

Tony shrugs. "Yeah, it was a breeze, really. Now come on. Amazing pasta awaits us."

He goes to the front door and opens it for Steve. A nicely dressed couple is on their way out at the same time, and they both nod at Tony's chivalry. Steve steps aside for them and inhales deeply. He smells all sorts of fresh breads, pastas, and sauces, all which cause his mouth to water. He hasn't been out to eat in a long time. Steve walks in, followed by Tony. Lines of people sit on the red plush benches, but there isn't a line for the hostess.

"Ciao ragazzi!" the friendly-looking girl pipes up with a cute Italian accent. "Hello, boys! Is it just you two tonight?"

Tony steps forward. "Yes, and we made a reservation."

"Okay, great!" She glances down at a clipboard. "What name is it under?"

"Stark."

The girl slowly looks back up at him. "Dio mio! Are you related to Howard Stark?"

Tony puts on a polite smile that says 'I've heard this many times, but I don't mind answering your question.' "That's right, miss."

The girl stares at him in awe for a few seconds before clicking a pen and scratching "Stark" off the list. "Alright guys, follow me!"

She grabs two menus and leads them into the warm, delicious-smelling restaurant. Steve looks around in amazement at the diverse types of people in here. They are so different, yet they each possess a similar level of affluence. Tony's neighbors are the ones who hang out in a place like this. Steve can only fathom how much lighter the wallet will feel when they get done.

The hostess leads them to a quiet corner table near the back. Two candles, their flames flickering gently, cast a soft, warm glow across the little, round table.

The hostess turns to them. "Is this spot okay for you guys?"

Tony nods with a smile. "This is perfect, thank you."

"Di niente! A waiter will be right with you." She hands them their menus and strolls back over to her post.

Steve is in a state of shock when he takes the seat Tony pulls out for him. This couldn't feel more like a date. He glances at his "date" and opens his menu to the entree page.

"There's so much to choose from."

"There usually is in a place like this," Tony states while flipping through his own menu. "There's six pages of nothing but incredible, authentic food."

"Damn," Steve says under his breath.

"Good evening gentlemen, my name is Phil, and I'll be your server tonight." The balding man dressed in a butler-esque suit looks back and forth between them with a warm smile. "What drinks can I get you two started with?"

Tony clears his throat. "From your Imported Italian Wines section, I will take a glass of Amarone."

"May I see some ID?"

"Of course." Tony retrieves a card from his pocket and hands it to him.

"You look young, Robert," Phil comments and gives it back.

Robert? Steve stares at Tony in bewilderment.

Tony ignores Steve's look and just smiles. "Thanks, I get that a lot."

"You'll definitely appreciate that when you're older." Phil chuckles and turns to Steve. "What drink for you, sir?"

"Uh, I'll just have Coke, please," Steve replies.

Phil nods and writes it down. "Perfect. I'll be back in a few to take your orders."

Steve turns back to Tony, who sits there grinning like he's on top of the damn world. "Robert...?"

Tony slides the card over to him. "Fake ID. I made it last year. Pretty sweet, huh? It's gotten me all kinds of good stuff."

Steve looks over the convincing, well-made card. "Yeah, I guess, but Robert?"

"It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"Sure?"

"I can make you one too, if you want."

"Thanks, but I'd rather not risk it."

"Are you sure? I already have a name picked out for you. How does Chris sound?"

"You think I look like a Chris?"

Tony shrugs. "It's just the first name that came to mind."

"No, it's fine, Robert...I mean, Tony. Fuck."

Tony smirks. "Alright, Chris, if you change your mind, let me know."

It's all Steve can do to not roll his eyes. "You can get away with anything, can't you?"

"Does that mean I'm still not ceasing to amaze you?"

"I don't think you ever will."

Tony chuckles at that and shifts his attention back on the menu. "You can order whatever you want. I've got cash."

Steve shakes his head. "Tony, pardon my French, er, I mean Italian, but you've got to be fucking crazy if you think you are going to spend all this money." He looks closely at the prices listed after each item, astounded at how much each separate dish is.

Tony's eyes flicker over to him. "Steve, I've got it covered."

"…okay, but-"

"No buts. This is your night." He gives a tiny smile and diverts his eyes back onto the menu.

Steve studies him. This is my night? What's that supposed to mean? Okay, now I need answers. "Is this your way of apologizing to me?"

"What's that?"

"This whole dinner thing…is this your way of making it up to me without saying it?"

Tony ponders on his words for a moment. He shrugs and nods. "Yeah, pretty much. Is it working?"

There goes that damn glow again. Steve feels a sudden rush of happiness, and his face breaks out into a grin. "This is a date."

Tony's eyes widen. "Nooo, this is no such thing, Rogers."

"Come on, Stark! You got me dressed-up like this, picked me up, and have been opening doors for me. That's not just common courtesy among casual friends." Steve smirks slightly.

Tony clears his throat and flips a page. "So what if this is a date?"

Steve grins. He cannot believe he is on an actual date with Tony Stark!

"I don't have any objections." He manages to turn his attention back onto the pricey menu once more.

Tony smiles from behind his menu as a sudden inexplicable feeling of bliss springs up inside him.

"Hey, guys, I got your drinks!" Phil reappears with two intricate glasses. He sets them down and pulls his notepad out. "Can I get you started with appetizers?"

Tony takes a drink from his glass and shrugs. "I'm fine. How about you, Steve?"

"Fried calamari," Steve replies and looks up at Phil with a grin.

Phil smiles back and jots it down. "The calamari is the best appetizer on the menu. I love it."

"Glad to hear that we won't be disappointed," Tony remarks while checking out the price. Fifteen dollars. Psh, that's nothing.

"Okay, I will be right back with that and then I will get your entree orders." He flashes another smile, turns, and walks off.

Steve slowly raises his glass to his lips and looks at Tony, who can't decide what to get.

The genius taps his chin thoughtfully. "You're right about there being too much to choose from."

Steve chuckles. "It all looks so good!"

"Definitely." Tony sighs and flips another page.

Right then, Steve's phone vibrates in his pocket. Curiously, he slips it out under the table. The message is from Loki, which immediately makes him nervous. What if he saw them? Steve exhales and checks the message, unaware that Tony is watching him.

we are on our way to the club. Meet us there?

Well, at least they weren't spotted, but still. Steve chews on his lip. He throws a glance at Tony and feels awkward when they make eye contact.

"Who are you texting?" His dark eyes bore into Steve.

"Just a friend," Steve replies. He really doesn't care to tell him and create tension.

Tony's eyes narrow in suspicion. "Who, exactly?" I swear, if it's that chick who his friends were teasing him about, then we are going to have problems. I am NEVER second pick.

"Why does it matter?"

"What's her name?"

"Who?"

"The girl you are texting," Tony leans back in his chair and braces himself for the response.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Tell me."

"No."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because I don't know what we're talking about!"

Tony huffs and sets his hands on the table. "Steve, I overheard your friends teasing you about some girl at lunch a few days ago."

Ohhhh, THAT…oh shit, I really hope he doesn't think… Steve sighs and sits up straighter. He looks at his real romantic interest sitting across from him. "Tony, I'm not seeing anyone. Even if I was, they wouldn't be a girl, trust me."

"Then who's getting you all flustered?"

Steve clears his throat. "Uh…you. It's you."

Tony blinks slowly. "…they think I'm a girl?"

Steve lets out a tense laugh and shakes his head. "No. Well, kind of, I guess, if you look at it from their perspective. But it's better they think you're a girl than Tony Stark, right?"

Tony shrugs, unable to hide his amusement. "You've got a point there. I don't necessarily like the idea of getting burned at the stake. Don't think you do either."

"That wouldn't be fun," Steve says in agreement and looks back down at his phone. "Loki is the one who texted me."

"Oh, the bastard who's in love with me, right, right." Tony waves his hand. "Do continue."

"Well, uh, he and my friends are going to be downtown tonight and-"

"Calamari!" Phil pops out of nowhere, causing the pair to jump. He sets a small, hot plate of fried calamari in front of Steve.

This shuts Steve up, and he licks his lips. He gently picks up one of the breaded strips and blows on it.

"Now what can I get for you both?" Phil asks with a smile.

"Yeah, I'll get the Chicken Linguine with a slice of Focaccia on the side," Tony answers.

"Nice choices." Phil writes it down and turns to Steve. "And for you, sir?"

Steve sets the calamari strip down setting it down for a moment, grease already all over his fingers. "I want the Ossobuco. That sounds interesting."

"Okay, we actually have two types of Ossobuco. There's the modern version, which contains cinnamon and bay leaves, and the original, which contains carrots, celery and tomatoes. That one's more like a vegetable beef stew."

Steve thinks it over for a moment. "The original sounds awesome."

Phil nods and writes it down. "Original it is. Alright, I will just get these menus out of your way and put the orders in!" He takes their menus and strides away.

Tony sips from his classy, yet illegal beverage and looks back at Steve. "What were you saying?"

Steve finishes the first piece of calamari and picks up another one. "My friends are going to be downtown tonight."

Tony raises an eyebrow. "For?"

"For the 18+ dance club. We can't let them see us, though."

"Obviously," Tony snorts. "The clubs are further down the road, so I doubt they will."

"But what if they do?"

"You worry too much."

"Yeah? Well, you don't worry enough. You already know that this can get us killed."

"Socially, yeah, it totally can." He pauses. "We all enter risky situations sooner or later, though."

Steve scoffs. "You live off riskiness. You're Tony Stark."

Tony smiles casually. "I'll drink to that." He holds out his glass and takes another drink.

Steve sighs and sets his phone on the table. "What should I tell Loki? I can't just leave him hanging."

"Simple. Just let him know you're busy."

Steve looks at him blankly. "Busy with what? They are all going to be there."

"Busy with homework. That's a believable one right, overachiever?" Tony chuckles at himself.

Steve shakes his head and opens his phone. "I get my homework done early, and they know that. Maybe I can say that my parents forced me to spend some family time with them."

Tony nods in approval. "Do it."

Sorry man I cant go. Parents forced me to go out with them for some "family time".

Steve gets Tony's approval and sends the message. "That actually felt good."

"Lying does that sometimes." Tony chuckles and smiles proudly at him.

Steve keeps smiling as he shuts his phone off and slides it back into his pocket.

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Tony and Steve's time in the restaurant rolls on. They receive their food and chat the whole time on a wide range of subjects. From Steve's end, he loves this one-on-one bonding time. It's so fascinating how much Tony opens up to him.

On Tony's end, he is pleasantly surprised by how well this works out. Everything goes as planned. The whole incident between them is nothing but dust in the wind as the two laugh and have a good time in each other's company.

"One-hundred twenty bucks? Man, you are out of your damn mind!" Steve exclaims when they exit the restaurant.

"Eh, I've paid worse," Tony replies nonchalantly. "But no amount of money in the world could replace the awesome time I'm having with you."

"Awwww, that was almost romantic," Steve gushes sarcastically and hits Tony on the arm playfully.

Tony exhales in defeat. "I tried." He opens Steve's door for him. "After you…sir."

"Why thank you…sir," Steve replies with a grin and sits down.

Tony shakes his head with a smile and gets into the driver's seat. He sticks the keys into the ignition. "Okay, so where are we headed to next?"

Steve glances at him. "I thought you had this night planned out?"

"Only dinner. I got nothing after this."

"Do you want to go to your place?"

Tony looks at him. "Yeah, we could. My old man went out to some prominent dinner thing with some prominent people I don't care about. So we'd be alone." He clears his throat. "That sounded weird, didn't it?"

Steve laughs and shakes his head. "I don't think so. There's so much more to do at your place than mine."

"True. My place it is, then."

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Wow, this place looks so different at night. This is Steve's first thought when they turn into Tony's neighborhood about half an hour later.

Several windows glow with different light strengths - some harsh, some soft. At the Stark Mansion, only a few windows glow, which means nobody is currently home.

"Huh, this place looks familiar," Tony comments when they park.

Steve chuckles. "Yeah, is this déjà vu?"

"Let's find out!" He jumps out and opens Steve's door.

"How gentle-manly of you." Steve smirks and steps out.

"Just trying to change my uncivilized cretin ways."

Steve waves his hand. "Don't listen to Loki. He's full of crap."

"So are the rest of your friends. They all hate my guts."

"That's because they don't know you."

"I bet you hated me too."

Steve shakes his head. "Hate's a strong word. Honestly, I didn't care for you either way."

Tony shrugs when they reach the door. He sets his finger down on a fingerprint identification pad next to the door.

"Welcome, Anthony," the device chimes.

Tony cringes. "I hate that name," he mutters as they walk in.

"I think it's a handsome name," Steve comments.

Tony cracks a small smile at him. They stand there for a few seconds, where Steve observes Tony's smile flip into a frown.

"Hey, what's up?"

"I don't know. I just thought about last time and…I'm so sorry that happened."

Steve is taken aback by how small and vulnerable his voice sounds. "…it's okay, Tony, we can just forget it about."

Tony shakes his head. "I put you in a hella awkward position. We can't just forget about it."

Steve shrugs. "It wasn't awkward."

"How?"

"Because I told you the truth…"

He eyes Tony uneasily. The last thing he wants is for the genius to freak out on him again. To Steve's surprise, he doesn't.

"I'm aware of your feelings. But I'm pretty confused about my own…"

"What's going on?"

Tony rubs the back of his neck. "Well, I think I might like you too..." Steve blinks, and Tony continues, "That's why I'm confused. I've never felt anything for a guy before. Or anyone, really. But you, Rogers, you're different. You actually believe I'm worth more than some stupid family name. You're taking the time to get to know me."

Steve takes a moment to process the heart-felt words. He's at a loss for what to say, so he reaches out and sets a reassuring hand on Tony's shoulder. Steve's silence prompts him to continue.

"Believe it or not, I'm a bit more complex than everyone thinks. At school, I act like I don't give a shit about anything, like I don't have any problems, but I got 'em just like everyone else does."

"Why do you feel the need to cover everything up?" Well, that was a dumb question, Steve.

Tony scoffs. "Are you kidding me? I have a reputable family name that can't be ruined. Since I'm the kid of a famous person, there's too much at stake if I don't act a certain way. I constantly have to live up to stupid standards to preserve Howard's "perfect" life. It's a load of fucking pressure, Steve. It's hard getting up every day and being something that I know I'm not, but I've trained myself to be a pro at it. It's taken years of practice to get where I am now, and I'm fucking tired of it. And the fact that I'm interested in another guy…yeah, that just doesn't happen to people like me."

Steve listens intently to his rant and lets his arm fall to his side. Poor guy is a ticking time-bomb. And Steve thought his family life was bad...

"Hell, I don't even know who I really am, thanks to this lifestyle," Tony adds lowly.

"I think you're just like everyone else," Steve says. "Your fears, problems, and pressures are really no different from other people's."

Tony glances at him. Perhaps he's not as special as his familial reputation claims he is. The possibility makes his head spin. Steve's words could trigger a paradigm shift in the way he's viewed himself.

"You know how long it's been since I've done something with Howard? Gone out fishing, taken a trip somewhere, played ball in the park. Anything that dads do with their sons. Yeah, this house is nice and everything, but we never do any of the stuff in it together! I just don't exist to him. It's ridiculous."

Steve draws in a deep breath. "If it's any consolation, we are graduating soon. I mean, I'm sorry things are the way they are for you, but you can move out and have new experiences with new people."

"That's another thing that scares me," Tony mumbles.

"College can't be worse than high school. Besides, you're super-freakin'-smart! You will make it through." Steve smiles.

He sees Tony fight the urge to smile back. The genius wants to believe Steve, yet his damn ego tries to get in the way and make him think otherwise. When he answers, his tone is soft, and so opposite of what it usually is.

"I just don't know, Steve."

Steve carefully sets his arms around Tony and pulls him into a hug. Tony doesn't budge. Steve keeps his own tone low and steady.

"I know what you've been needing."

"I don't think you do."

"Well, if I were to take a guess, I'd say that all you need is love."

Tony scoffs lightly against his shoulder and discreetly inhales the light scent of Steve's cologne. He finds it oddly relaxing and says, "I will not be swayed by your Beatles reference."

Steve chuckles. "I mean it, Tony. That's all you need."

"Psh, I can't fall in love."

"It's not that you can't. You just shove it away before it could happen."

"...that's what I meant to say."

"Why do you do that?" Steve asks carefully.

"Apart from the fact that the person would probably be after my inheritance, I've seen what a divorce looks like. They fought constantly."

Steve hugs Tony a little tighter and with more confidence, unaware that this helps the shorter man relax.

"I don't want that to happen to me," Tony mumbles and nuzzles Steve gently. "It's not worth the risk."

"I'm sure it won't, Tony. Whoever you end up with will treat you right, and you will have an awesome relationship."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"No, I'm not. I'm sure of it."

"Oh, because we both know I will end up with you, right?"

Steve blinks and feels his face grow red. "I-I didn't say that, Tony."

Tony finally hugs Steve back. "But we're both thinking it, aren't we?"

Steve's heart picks up speed as his mind entertains the thought. Is it possible for him and Tony to get and stay together?

Steve clears his throat. "It never hurts to wonder, but I didn't say-"

"Wondering hurts less than a heartbreak would." Tony pulls back a little bit but keeps his arms around Steve.

Steve's face grows darker, and he's glad it's not very noticeable in the dim lighting. With the lightness of a feather, he runs his hand down Tony's warm face. Ah, the mighty Stark must be blushing, too. Or riled up from his rants. Or both. Tony looks up at him, and their eyes lock.

Steve smiles softly at him before leaning in and closing the space between them. Tony feels his body instantly heat up at the gentle contact. He is experiencing such intense emotions right now that he is practically numb. However, with Steve being so intimate, the emotional surge ebbs away. Seconds tick by, and he finds himself kissing back. He pulls Steve in even closer and deepens the kiss.

As Tony shares this moment with Steve, he can't help wanting that tingly warmth one gets when they think about their significant other. He wants someone to feel that way about him whenever they think about him. It sure would be a nice change.

Steve breaks the kiss, and Tony moves with him like he's trying to hold on. Steve chuckles slightly at that, his voice soft.

"If we, um, try to have sex again, will it mean something?"

Steve almost feels awkward for asking that, but he won't have sex with Tony again unless they meet this requirement. He wants the act to mean something and not just count as a meaningless fuck.

Tony briefly chews on his lip. He never had sex out of passion before. However, this is a special situation. Tony's never felt like this about anyone before, so it must be meaningful.

He nods slowly, looking Steve directly in the eye. "It will. And I hope you know that I haven't slept with anyone since the night of the party."

"That long ago?" Steve asks, shocked.

"Yeah. See what you've done to me, Steve?" Tony utters a small chuckle.

He pulls away from Steve and grabs his hand. Tossing the blonde a charismatic smile, he leads him down the hall and into his room.

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Tony locks his door and turns to his lover. "We have a couple hours until Howard gets home, so we don't have to make this quick or anything."

"I wasn't planning on it." Steve smiles and lays down on Tony's luxurious king bed. "Care to join me?" he flashes him a sly look.

Tony checks Steve out and shakes his head to clear his thoughts. He can't get a hard-on already. That would ruin some of the fun. He approaches the bed and lays down, not wanting to appear awkward or unsure.

"Well, having sex side-by-side could be interesting, but it probably won't be too comfortable." Steve chuckles in amusement.

Tony's face flushes, and he sits up. "Right, right." He rolls over and straddles Steve's waist.

They stare at each before Tony goes for Steve's lips.

The kiss is tender and delicate. Both men close their eyes at the sensations flooding throughout their bodies. Tony coaxes Steve's mouth open by gliding his tongue across Steve's bottom lip. Steve complies and greets Tony's rough, wet muscle with his own. Their tongues dance in a sensuous rhythm, twirling and diving around each other. Tony moans softly as he captures Steve's tongue and makes it surrender by sucking on it gently, which earns him a from the blonde beneath him.

Steve does what he did last time and sets his hands on Tony's hips. He slowly moves them under Tony's shirt to feel the warm, supple skin hiding underneath. Tony shivers once the light, little goose bumps break out across his skin. Steve smirks against the kiss. Time to crank it up a notch. Without warning, he runs his hands back down and grabs a hold of Tony's ass. He squeezes firmly, and Tony lets out a surprised noise into Steve's mouth. The genius breaks the kiss and looks down at Steve's hands, his face flushing darkly.

"Now who's the one full of surprises?" he asks in disbelief.

Steve shrugs and smiles proudly. "I've watched a few things before."

Tony smirks. "You kinky bastard." He rolls his hips back against Steve's hands and pulls him in for another deep kiss.

Steve feels Tony's growing bulge grind against his own and moans into Tony's mouth. Tony picks up the pace as he gets more aroused from the feeling of Steve's arousal pressing against his own. Steve squeezes his eyes shut at the deliciously hot friction. If they keep this up long enough, Steve will orgasm in his pants for sure. He bucks his hips up in response and grinds back. Tony smirks inwardly at Steve's reaction.

Tony sits back and breaks the kiss, strands of saliva connecting their kiss-swollen mouths. Steve stares up at him, panting lightly, almost daring him to make the next move. Tony stares back and sees the challenge in Steve's eyes. His mouth curls up into a smirk, and he slides his dress jacket off his arms. He gently sets it on the bed post. Now in just his white shirt and tie, Tony reaches up and starts untying the tie. He makes direct eye contact with Steve while his fingers work the tie.

With Steve's undivided attention on him, he stops untying for a moment and grips the long fabric with a loose fist. He then slowly moves his hand up and down the length of it while staring Steve down like he has so many times before. Steve gulps at what Tony's action implies, and his black dress pants get even tighter. And Tony calls him kinky?

Tony's eyes scan Steve up and down until they rest on the obvious protrusion in his pants. He finishes with his tie and carelessly throws it to the side. God, he wants to touch Steve so badly. Sweet, pure, innocent Steve - the sweet, pure innocence that is now his. Steve sits up, feeling awkward that he is still fully clothed, and attempts to take his own clothes off. Tony chuckles lightly at him.

"Anxious?"

"Um, I thought this is what I'm supposed to do," he mutters.

"If you want to…or you could let me do it." Tony winks and unbuttons his own shirt.

Steve freezes and stares at Tony's chest. He remembers bits and pieces from their drunken sexcapade, but he doesn't recall details. Tony's beautifully tanned chest is well-built for someone who doesn't get out much. There's a thin yet noticeable trail of dark hair that starts at Tony's chest and gets thicker as it travels down his abdomen and disappears inside the hem of his pants. Steve subconsciously licks his lip and watches Tony crawl back on top of him.

"I want to make you feel so good, Ste-ven," he purrs in Steve's ear and traces the sensitive outer shell with the tip of his tongue.

Steve moans quietly and feels his tie loosen as Tony's fingers work at it. Tony moves his lips down to Steve's neck, where he sucks and nips at the tender flesh. He slides the tie out and tosses it while sucking harder. He wants to leave a mark to show the world that Steve Rogers belongs to him.

"T-Tony," Steve breathes out and turns his head so Tony has better access. The sensation stings a bit, but it's so arousing.

A few sucks later, Tony successfully breaks the skin. He laps at the blood that seeps from the fresh wound, kisses the area, and pulls back to remove Steve's jacket. Steve looks up at Tony, and their eyes lock when Tony unbuttons his shirt. The genius pulls the whole shirt open to reveal Steve's bare chest. He takes this moment to appreciate Steve's amazing torso as if it's the first time he has seen it (which, from a certain perspective, it is). His nipples are erect, and a trail of dark blonde hair starts at his chest and ends at the hem of his pants. The faint outlines of a six-pack are also present.

He works out? That's hot.

Tony leans down and rubs his thumbs over Steve's nipples. Steve gasps and arches his back up off the bed. He had no idea those little buds are so sensitive! Pleased with the reaction, Tony continues rubbing the buds in slow circles. At the same time, he places his lips at the top of Steve's chest. He plants a trail of small kisses along the blonde's happy trail, only stopping when he reaches his waistband. Tony pulls back and teasingly messes with the belt.

Steve's breath catches in his throat, and his eyes widen. He props himself up on his elbows to watch Tony, curious as to what the brunette's next move is. Tony winks at him and skillfully uses one hand to undo his belt while the other one rubs Steve's clothed bulge.

"Ah-ahh," Steve moans and bites his lip to suppress more sounds. Nobody's ever touched him down here before.

This is a new experience for Tony, too. He never thought he would ever touch another guy's junk. And here he is, groping Steve's hard and ready need through his pants. It feels so wrong, yet so amazingly right.

Tony slides the loose belt out of the pant loops and discards it. He unbuttons and unzips Steve's pants and feels blue eyes bore into him. He slowly pulls the loosened slacks down. A soft noise escapes Steve's mouth as he is left in his boxers. Tony licks his lips. Steve's erection presses tightly against the restrictive fabric.

I can't wait to ride that. His dark eyes flash up to Steve and then back down at his underwear.

He grips the elastic waistband and pulls the underwear down. Steve lays back flat and moans when his hard, throbbing erection springs free from its confine. Tony's jaw falls slack as he stares at it. Steve has to be about seven inches. Very impressive, Steven. His erection is so ready for action that the swollen, dark pink head leaks precome.

Tony eyes the clear substance for a moment and wonders what it tastes like. Only on very rare, kinky occasions has he tasted his own. He leans down close to the head in order to get a nice view of the wet slit. Tony closes his eyes and sticks his tongue out, giving the head a single lick.

Steve tenses up at the sensation, his heart thudding in his chest. "Fuck! Tony, damn, that felt…wow."

Tony smirks and takes a moment to analyze the substance he just swiped up. Hmmm, a little salty with a dash of sweetness. Not too thick or sticky. Delicious. He sticks his tongue out again and gives the head another lick, savoring the taste this time.

"Mmmm, ahh." Steve bucks his hips up instinctively. That feels amazing!

Tony cleans up the precome with a few more licks and swallows it down. He glides his tongue over his lips, a small moan of satisfaction rising from his throat. "Delicious."

Steve blushes darkly. "Um, th-thank you, I guess."

Tony chuckles and wraps a hand around Steve's erection, pumping it slowly. Steve grips the bed sheets tightly. This act feels good enough on his own, let alone having another person do it. But it's not just any other person. It happens to be the one-and-only Tony Stark.

Tony watches in fascination as the foreskin moves up and down. It's interesting to see everything from this angle.

He then leans down and captures the head into his mouth and sucks on it gently while his hand continues pumping the hard shaft. He uses the fingertips on his other hand to graze over Steve's swollen testicles. Tony finds it amazing how he feels Steve's pulse pounding through the enlarged veins.

Steve's eyes squeeze shut as he falls into pleasure overload. He fails miserably at controlling the series of moans spilling out of his throat. Where in the hell did Tony learn to do all this?

Tony's erotic actions turn himself on considerably more. His neglected erection pulses and strains against his pants. He surprises himself with his own knowledge. For some reason, it feels natural.

Prying his lips and hands away, Tony stands on his knees above Steve. He reaches down and messes with his belt while wearing a smirk. Shame how he can't take a picture of the way Steve's face looks with his beautiful mouth dropped open, a nice rosy color on his gorgeous face, and sky-blue eyes wide open with curiosity and concern.

Tony knows Steve lacks sexual experience, so of course this whole thing unnerves him to an extent. Tony'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous too. On the other hand, Steve doesn't know how lucky he is to be the first person allowed to venture inside Tony Stark's body. Who wouldn't get excited about that?

Tony slides out his belt and unbuttons and unzips his pants while Steve watches his every single move. From Steve's end, he is ready to go all the way, but he is skeptical about taking Tony's other virginity. There's got to be a catch to this, right?

His eyes shift up to Tony's, where they make quick contact until Tony frees his own erection. Steve's eyes immediately fall on the long, tinted-pink organ. Thick, curly black hair surrounds the organ, which looks to be about six inches long. Steve licks his lips, which suddenly grow dry. His own erection gives a painful, anticipatory throb.

Tony senses his lover's eagerness and crawls over to his nightstand. He opens the drawer and pulls out a shiny foil square, along with a bottle of lubricant. Steve props himself up on his elbows to watch him. He instantly recognizes the square and moans lowly. Oh yeah, he knows exactly what's about to take place.

Tony turns back and wiggles his eyebrows at Steve. He removes the rubber ring from the wrapper and slides it open along Steve's erection, nice and slow. Steve bites his lip to stifle a moan. Even putting on a condom turns him on! He glances down and observes the rubber stretching tightly over his throbbing organ.

Once it's all the way on, Tony picks up the lube and squirts a lot of the liquid onto his hand. A light, fruity smell permeates the air. He lathers the thick liquid in his hands then massages it onto the condom.

"Mmmm," Steve moans and closes his eyes.

The condom already hugs his erection pretty closely. He can't imagine how Tony's ass will feel.

Tony pulls his hands back to admire his slick handiwork. He picks up the bottle again and squirts more fluid onto his fingers. He spreads his legs and reaches around to thoroughly coat his puckered entrance with the fluid and work a couple fingers inside himself. His face screws up at the strange feeling. He only tried this once.

Steve blinks. "What are you doing?"

"Just tryin' to prep myself a bit. Hang on."

He replays the gay porn video he watched while doing this. He plunges his fingers in deeper, adds a third one, and scissors himself. According to the how-to video about anal sex, his fingers will help, but he should still be prepared to experience some discomfort, especially depending on the size of the "top." Judging by Steve's impressive girth, he knows he's in for a ride. Despite it all, Tony is as ready for this as he'll ever be.

Apart from the video, Tony looked at several websites where guys shared their "I had butt sex with another guy" stories. He learned where the prostate is, how sensitive it is, and that another man's penis is the best way to stimulate it. Tony's entrance gives a nervous twitch as he stares at stares at Steve's swollen erection. Steve's anatomy just stands there, beckons him to sit on it.

That's going to be inside of me. Damn.

With a pleasured gasp, Tony removes his fingers. Steve glances at him.

"You alright?"

"...yep. Never better."

"You sure? Are you ready for this?"

Tony gulps in an attempt to swallow his anxiety and nods. "Yeah…I can."

Steve watches as Tony straddles his waist again and lines up his entrance with the head of Steve's erection.

"Easy does it, Tony."

Tony chews his lip and slowly lowers himself down. Steve grabs the base of his erection to keep it steady. Tony squeezes his eyes shut when the warm, condom-clad head touches his hot orifice. He keeps lowering down and stops with the head concealed inside. He takes a few moments to get adjusted to the foreign feeling. There's a bit of a stretch, but it doesn't hurt...yet.

Steve reaches up and sets his hands on Tony's hips. He flashes him a sincere look that says, "I'm sorry if I hurt you. I don't mean to."

Tony gets lost in Steve's eyes. This gives him a little burst of motivation, and he continues sliding down the shaft. Steve throws his head back as the virgin tightness consumes him. This feels so strange, yet the pressure is incredibly intense. Tony's eyes shoot open as his inner muscles stretch open to accommodate Steve's size. He moves with quite a bit of ease due to the excessive amount of lube. The video got that right: This would be impossible without it.

Despite the mild stinging, there's no pleasure so far. Tony stops again with Steve's erection fully sheathed inside of him. The two let out small, repressed moans and grunts, both of them getting accustomed to the new feelings.

After a few moments, Tony slowly lifts up before going back down. Steve's hands remain on Tony's hips, and he lightly digs his fingernails into the skin when Tony moves down. Tony goes up again and, on instinct, Steve thrusts up without warning, his erection slamming back into the willing body. The genius lets out a choked gasp.

"D-don't do that," he says through a bit lip.

Steve pants lightly. "Sorry, Tony."

Tony draws in a deep breath and quickens his pace. Steve moans and digs his fingernails into Tony's hips a little harder. When Tony sets a rhythm, Steve jerks his hips with the movement.

Tony moans louder the faster they go. Now it feels good. In no time at all, he rides the man beneath him like a bucking bronco. The pleasure is intense by this point. Both men moan each other's names, along with a string of profanities.

"Fuckin' shit, Steve, yeah!" Tony hollers, his erection bouncing up and down.

"Nnng, God, Tony." Steve squeezes his eyes shut, and his mouth falls open in a small "o."

He thrusts his hips up when Tony goes up, repeatedly diving into the genius's sinfully warm, tight heat.

Suddenly, Tony's eyes shoot open, and he throws his head back. "Ohhhh, Steve!"

Steve feels his erection bump into something the deeper he thrusts in. He makes sure to keep hitting the thing that drives Tony crazy.

Tony feels liquid fire race along his spine and sees stars twinkle across his vision every time that certain spot gets hit. He grabs his neglected erection and pumps it along with their rhythm. Steve leaves red, crescent-shaped indents on Tony's hips and caresses the twitchy, olive-tinted thighs. He feels Tony's muscles tense and flex with his efforts.

"St-Steve, I'm getting close," Tony warns, his forehead and chest beaded with sweat.

Steve squeezes Tony's thighs. His lower back aches from the thrusting, and his abdomen grows heavy with the unmistakable feeling of impending release.

"Me…me too."

Tony rides Steve as fast as he can and strips his erection until his muscles tighten. "Steve!" He throws his head back when he orgasms his most intense orgasm ever and unleashes several spurts of thick, white fluid onto his hand and Steve's chest.

The way Tony's entrance spams around him drives Steve off the edge. "Ohh, T-Tony!" He squeezes his eyes shut as his own orgasm hits home.

He thrusts into Tony erratically while his warm release fills up the condom.

When the last waves of orgasm fade, Steve stops thrusting. A thin sheet of sweat covers his body, and he looks up at Tony through half-lidded eyes. Tony collapses down on top of him and just lays there with his chest heaving.

The two lay in silence as they bask in their afterglows. The sound of breathing fills the room and, as usual, Steve's mind takes the opportunity to wander. What does this all mean for them? How will Tony feel about everything from now on? From Steve's end, their intimacy only made his feelings stronger. Whether Tony likes it or not, this created a special bond between them - an unbreakable bond. At least in Steve's mind.

Steve summons the energy to wrap his arms around Tony, keeping the smaller man in place. To his amazement, Tony doesn't tense up. If anything, he feels the genius relax further and snuggle against him. Wait. Snuggle? Tony Stark is snuggling? Steve cranes his neck to look at Tony's face. His eyes are closed, and his mouth bears a small smile. He looks content for once. That must mean something.

"Steve?" he asks groggily after a while.

"Yeah?"

"…what do you think about...maybe dating exclusively?"

Steve's heart swells so big he thinks it might burst, and his face breaks out into a grin. However, as soon as the grin appears, it disappears into a frown.

"You know how risky that would be, Tony. I don't…see how we can take that risk."

"But we wouldn't be committed, so we wouldn't be risking too much."

Steve chews gently on his lip. "I don't know, Tony..."

Tony lifts his head and looks Steve straight in the eye. "Do I mean a lot to you?"

"Well, yeah, of course, but-"

"But what? What's holding you back?"

Steve sighs. "We would have to keep it secret."

Tony huffs. "No shit. But it's not every day I ask someone to be with me like this. You really mean a lot to me Steve, and I want a chance to get to know you like this."

Steve thinks on it for a bit, although he really doesn't know what there is to think about. It's a well-known fact that Steve has feelings for Tony and that Tony has feelings for him. What is holding him back? Nothing. Steve smiles again and runs a hand through Tony's damp hair. His hair is even darker when it's damp, if that's possible.

"Okay, I'd love to do this, but again we have to-"

"Keep it down low, keep it undercover, yeah, yeah," Tony finishes with a dramatic wave of his hand.

Steve nods in agreement. "Even with all this, I still don't want to see anymore cheerleader whores hanging off of you, understand?"

Tony scoffs. "Please, Rogers, they're history now. You got me interested in a little something else." He smirks and leans in to kiss Steve softly.

Steve blushes at his comment and kisses his lover back, although he feels as much anxiety as he does joy. He can't shake the sudden image of a very angry and disappointed Loki out of his mind. If they can at least hide this until graduation, the worst will be over.

Tony senses Steve's unease and snuggles him. "What's on your mind?"

"My friends…" Steve mumbles.

Tony sighs lightly. "They won't find out about this, Steve. All we have to do is pretend like we don't know each other at school. We've already been doing that, so nothing changes."

"Yeah, but it shouldn't have to be like that. We shouldn't have to hide."

"I know. Sucks how we have to, but that's how it is. When was the last time you saw someone from your level going out with someone of mine?"

Steve briefly thinks back and shakes his head. "I can't."

"Exactly. It's unheard of because it's forbidden. Unless it's going on more than we know, but yeah."

"Well, even those relationships wouldn't look nearly as bad. We're two guys. Hardly anyone, no matter what status they belong to, would accept that easily."

Tony absentmindedly draws invisible shapes on Steve's chest and nods along with what he says. "Yeah, the whole gender thing isn't going to win a lot of respect."

"Did you know that Jane is a lesbian? She's the short girl in my group."

Tony blinks. "I never would have guessed. She seems so...girly."

"Yeah, she's definitely not a stereotype, so I don't think anybody would believe it."

"Have you told her anything about us?"

Steve shakes his head quickly. "I don't think I can. Even though we're out to each other, I don't think she would accept it."

"Why not?"

"You're Tony Stark. All my friends hate you, remember?"

"Oh, that's right. How could I forget?" Tony rolls his eyes.

"Speaking of a certain one, I got after Loki the other day. He was talking trash about you…again."

"Oh yeah? What'd you do?"

"I told him off. I dished it out cold right in front of Thor and Pepper."

Tony stares at him. "I don't know whether that was a genius move or a stupid one. Maybe a bit of both." He pauses. "What did you say?"

"It wasn't about you directly. I was just pissed off because he rants so goddamn much. It probably looked like I was standing up for you, though, which I was, but they don't need to know that."

"Hm," Tony hums.

"Well, Loki hasn't shit-talked much since." Steve smiles slightly. "That set him straight."

"Straight. Ha, ha ha ha," Tony laughs randomly then clears his throat. "Sorry, that word is just…so not me."

Steve chuckles. "It never was me." He yawns and checks the fancy, silver clock hanging on Tony's wall. His eyes widen. It's past midnight.

"Fuck, my parents are gonna kill me!"

Tony also glances at the clock and slowly pulls himself away from Steve. He disposes of the condom and gets them cleaned up.

"You sure you gotta go? I mean, it's Saturday night…"

Steve gets up and gathers his clothes while his mind thinks over what he just said. Yeah, it is a Saturday night. And yes, he would love to stay, especially because he doesn't feel like driving. He glances down at Tony, who snuggles under his blankets on one side of the large bed. Tony looks over at him almost pleadingly and keeps glancing at the empty spot next to him.

Steve sighs. How can he say no to that face? "Will your dad care if I stay?"

"Psh, no. It's your parents you should be more concerned about."

Steve pulls his phone out of his pocket. Amazingly, he doesn't have any texts or missed calls. It's almost a relief. No nagging, snooping friends for him on Monday. He brings up his mom under his contacts and sends her a short message, although he doesn't expect a response at this hour.

Tony grins in achievement. Steve chuckles and shakes his head at him. He sets his clothes and phone back down and occupies the empty spot next to the man who always gets his way. Tony immediately scoots over to him and snuggles against him like he's cold. Steve takes full advantage of this, because it might not happen again, and cuddles back.

"Clap," Tony says.

"What?"

"Clap your hands once," Tony mumbles tiredly. He closes his eyes and rests his head on Steve's chest.

Steve doesn't question the command. He lifts his hands and claps them together once. Both small, dim lamps on either side of Tony's bed go off, leaving them in tranquil darkness. Steve feels his eyelids get heavier, and he yawns. Everything that happened today was absolutely wonderful. He had a nice dinner, he knows more about Tony, he lost his other virginity, and he now he's going steady with Tony. Steve loves how this all worked out. It feels so right.

On the other hand, what feels right to them looks wrong to those closest to them. Steve plans to guard this relationship better than his last one, which was in middle school one. Word about that relationship leaked too quickly, and, as a result, Steve and the guy got bullied. That's when he was a bit younger, of course, and the other guy wasn't the notorious son of a famous millionaire tycoon. Man, if that's how Steve got treated with a guy who belonged to a regular status, he can't imagine how people would react to this relationship. Hopefully college will ease most of his concerns.

Steve heaves a gentle sigh with his eyes closed. The sound and feeling of soft, steady breathing beside him tells him Tony is asleep already. Steve smiles and kisses the top of Tony's head before drifting off into a content slumber.

Aaaaaand FIN! Ha ha, hope you all enjoyed this story! I am seriously contemplating doing a sequel of how everyone's lives end up down the road. Eh, we will see. Depends on how popular this gets. :P Anyways! Reviews would be amazing so feel free to leave one! Hasta luego!

UPDATE 5/17/14: Hey everyone! I have edited the entire story, so if you've read this before, there are some changes! Man, I can't believe it's been a year and a half since I wrote this...time flies! Anyways, I'd just like to say that a sequel could still be a possibility. It would be a college AU revolving around Steve and Tony's advancing relationship. If I do one, it will most likely get done towards the end of the year. It all depends on how crazy life gets and whatnot. The end of the year is also when I should be done with the pilot for the screenplay of the TV show I want to make, so life could take me in an exciting direction! I am so pleased with how much attention this story has gotten, so thank you all for viewing, reviewing, following, and favoriting! :)

UPDATE 8/2/14: I am excited to announce that I have officially, as of today, started on the sequel! I don't exactly know when it will get finished, but I just wanted to let you all know that the next installment has begun. Farewell for now!

UPDATE 12/29/14: Hello, all. I hate to inform you that I still don't know when the sequel will be completed. I might post what I have to see what everyone thinks. I'm wrapped up in two other stories (I will definitely be posting one of them), so I've lost focus on the Stony sequel at the moment. Thanks for your patience and understanding!

UPDATE 4/30/15: Hello, Stony fans! Exciting things are happening right now. The Avengers sequel, Age of Ultron, has been released! I'm stoked to go see it. :D That, and the sequel to this story will be released soon! Yeah, I started it back in August, but then I took a dreadfully long break from it. Looking back, I'm not satisfied with how it was going, so I'm redoing it. Age of Ultron is giving me fresh inspiration, so I am determined to get the sequel up and going. See you soon!

UPDATE 6/25/15: Oh, happy day! After all this time, I am most pleased to announce the sequel, Ensemble, has officially been posted. The dark cloud of procrastination is FINALLY lifting! Go check it out! :D

UPDATE 8/10/16: Greetings! I just finished giving this story the biggest revision yet. I am a firm believer in the revision process, so this probably won't be the last time I mess with this thing. Anyways, if you've read the story before, I hope you noticed how much cleaner and more coherent the structure/dialogue is. That's all I have to report for now. Until next time, my lovelies!