YOU WERE A VISION IN THE MORNING LIGHT. ( amelioraate ).

[stevegrogers]

One stipulation for freedom following the rather messy division from the Registration included taking black op gigs, something Steve really didn't mind one bit. His group of Secret Avengers worked for SHIELD now under the brand new direction of one Tony Stark. The deal undoubtedly from his negotiations in the first place, something Steve felt grateful for because trials or the Raft weren't exactly wonderful alternatives. The failure did sting, however, and Steve knew one day the others would regret it but for now he had to be apart of the team and make sure everyone remained safe. The current gig should have only lasted two days tops but Steve ran into some complications, which Natasha looked none too pleased about when he arrived back to his apartment. He really needed to find a way to Widow proof his place to make it more difficult for her to break in. She reminded him twenty thousand times to not be late getting back because they were celebrating Tony becoming the Director and Commander Rogers needed to be there. He wanted to be there, of course, but could he help the rogue operatives nearly BLOWING HIM UP? How about no and thanks for all the concern. With a roll of his eyes, he listened to her lecture, heading to the shower when she finished up. He rolled his eyes again when he saw an outfit already placed on the bed for him. Those jeans were not his and were far tighter than anything he would willingly wear. Why would Tony care what he wore anyway? The man didn't feel for him what he felt, sadly enough. He would just pine until Tony found someone else to be with and then he would sigh. It sounded like a good enough plan to him. It took thirty or so minutes for him to get to the venue, Natasha promising to meet him there later. Seemed a little fishy to him but he let it go, a little too excited to congratulate Tony and offer him the gift he managed to nab on the way back to the States. When he arrived, the place looked cosy, almost intimate and he felt confusion working over him. Did he have the wrong place? DID TONY PLAN A DATE INSTEAD? Oh no. He stood there awkwardly, taking in the candles (how many were there??) and the soft music playing, which sounded more like from his time than anything current.

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[stevegrogers]

Being able to just freely look at Tony kept taking his breath away and while he tried to not stare, he couldn't help it. There were sights they took in all over the world with various missions but nothing else compared to the beauty of an unguarded Tony Stark smile. They were few and far between, after all, and Steve couldn't believe he kept getting them. It made the protectiveness rise up higher in him to protect Tony from everything else. There were few things he really had in his life and what he did have he protected with every single ounce within him. The list mostly rested with Bucky and Tony because they both made him feel like something other than the supposed legendary Captain America. The others meant well and he would fight for any of them but they saw him as a walking history lesson just like the rest of the world. He couldn't really blame them and maybe he didn't give them a chance to see beyond his certain surface levels.

A slight shiver worked up his spine from the words, his eyes remaining carefully trained to the menu to not do something suddenly like move over and kiss Tony again. This time far more passionately than before. Limitations didn't really work well for Steve and he knew for a fact Tony didn't even know what the word meant. They would end up banned from the restaurant for good and Steve actually liked the place and felt comfortable there.

"I'm saying you're showy," Steve commented with a smirk, daring to look up at Tony over the top of his menu. Big mistake. Why did Tony have to be so sexy? "You missed a golden opportunity there for another innuendo. If even I see that you know you messed up." Meaning Tony could have mentioned wanting something Irish, given Steve is, in fact, Irish. "I have heard so much over the years about the seduction skills of one Tony Stark. How he can make anyone puddy in his hand but I'm just not seeing it."

The waiter happened by and Steve couldn't help the smirk on his face. He liked feeling like he had an upperhand for once. "I'll have the roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, this vegetable medley thing and mac and cheese." He needed carbs, okay.

[amelioraate]

The thing about hope, Tony thinks, is it burns away a great deal of common sense when it really should be wrapping itself up in it. Sure, perhaps the point of hope was that you went against all the odds and maybe ended up with something better than you thought possible, but it also-- it left you with very little to hold onto when you finally managed to find yourself falling off the ledge into the waiting arms of very terrifying things. Hope doesn't really give you wings, it just gave you a blindfold so you didn't see the drop coming. And gods, it was on hell of a drop that hope had led him to here, and the edge felt like the heat of Steve's skin against him and the look on his face that he gives Tony. And while Tony knows that hope has blinded him from the reality of being with Steve, Tony doesn't quite care right now and is more than willing to let Steve push him right over if that would make him happy.

Sitting there, across from Steve and his quiet smiles, Tony knows that he is well and truly okay with falling off the edge and into whatever might be in the freefall.

So long as Steve was falling with him.

"I am not showy, Steve. I am privileged." Another smile, honest and bright, before he continues with," and I enjoy making sure the people I like are aware that I like them. I wouldn't call that showy." His laughter is light, and Tony rests his chin in his hand as he looks at Steve. "You want me to seduce you? What, my stunning personality and wit hasn't done that already? I am a little hurt by that, Steven."

Not really, but there is a tremor there, a worry that maybe all Steve wanted was something easy, fun-- no the kind of relationship that Tony wanted. Sure, he was known to have a short fling here or there but Tony was always better in relationships, and he knows he wouldn't survive Steve being a short term thing.

The waiter interrupts though, giving Tony time to recover, even if he didn't falter much. "I will have the steak with the lobster tail, asparagus as the side please? Thank you."

Once the waiter has left, Tony turns his attention back to Steve and leans into his chair a bit. "What were you saying about energy?"

[stevegrogers]

As old-fashioned as they come, Steve didn't really understand the whole concept of light, fun and casual. One night stands were lost on him because when did it leave time for courting and really grasping onto a person? He preferred to slowly warm up to someone because he didn't easily give himself away. Even before the crash, Steve kept mostly to himself out of habit and very few were close to him. This continued in the current era and while plenty could claim to be near and dear to him, they didn't actually know him. They knew of him and what he allowed to be seen.

Tony, however, peeked through the walls he had up and in some ways it downright terrified Steve. What if Tony found it not worth it in the end? What if he didn't like Steve and preferred the Captain America persona far more? It had happened before, far more times than Steve cared to count.

"Stunning might not be the word I'd use," Steve responded, swirling his water in his glass a little to give his hand something to do. He didn't want to keep grabbing for Tony when they were supposed to be eating normally.

He let Tony suffer just a little longer before he added, "More like breath-taking." The whole flirting thing didn't come naturally to him but he wanted to try for Tony's sake.

"Oh, you've seen me on missions, Shellhead. You know the stamina I have." It had to translate to other activities, right? While he never really tested things, he still figured he could tease Tony with the possibility of it. He knew he didn't need much sleep, in the very least. "I just finished an op and I'm here feeling fine." He paused for a moment. "It went fine, by the way, Director."

Grinning, he took a drink of his water. "Usually, I'm grilled. If you're always going to be this laidback, I really am happy you got the job."

[amelioraate]

The whole point of a one night stand was to have no grasp of the other person; no strings, no attachment, no possibility of being hurt if things don't pan out the way you hoped. Tony has a soft heart, despite what so many though, which is why he often favoured one night stands over getting into relationships. You can only be burned so many times before you start to fear the fire. And yet-- here he was with Steve, willing to get burned all over again.

It would be worth it, at least he thought so.

Tony laughs at Steve, gaze catching on the swirl of water, the way Steve seemed almost awkward in his own skin for a moment, and he has a ripost on his tongue, when-- breathtaking. It makes Tony falter a little bit, not because of the word Steve uses, but the honesty in his words as he says it. Tony stares at Steve a moment, eyes wide, before his face melts into a soft smile that is rarely seen.

"Careful, Steve. You might make me think you like me." Easy confidence in the words, but it's clear with the look he gives Steve that he appreciates the honesty. "And I think that sounds a bit like a challenge there. How long does your stamina last, I wonder."

It is meant to be a musing thought, something that Tony can throw on the table and dance around with a teasing smile and perhaps a few flirtatious looks, but then he finds himself thinking about it and-- oh. Well then. Perhaps that is not going to work out quite the way he wanted. Not when he thinks about Steve and his stamina and the body that Tony knows lies beneath the suit he is wearing. About how long he has thought about being able to get to take Steve apart, about--

"Mmm, sorry, should I ask for a mission report over dinner? I thought that might in bad form." Another smile, Tony's fingers idly tracing the line of the glass. "There is a comment about being laidback and other positions while giving missions reports, but we do have dinner to get through."

[stevegrogers]

If nothing else, Steve usually maintained a very, very honest and rather blunt viewpoint, having little qualms about expressing his feelings and often displeasure with matters. Passion roamed thickly within him and if he felt others were being slighted, well, he never held his tongue then. Whether inspiring speeches or disapproval rants flowed depended on the situation. Sometimes, just a sigh and a glare could work well enough. But when it came to emotions and expressing his deeper feelings, Steve struggled far more. His patriotism soared but his emotional attachment shook at his core constantly enough to keep him a certain distance from everyone else. Mostly, because he didn't really fit as well as he hoped to, his eyes often shifting longingly to the past where things made a lot more sense.

The only thing which made a lot of sense of the future rested in front of him with a smile on his face he never witnessed before. "We can't have that. It might go to your head then where will we be?" Steve offered back with another easy smile filling his face. He could do this easily - bouncing retorts back and forth but soon enough they would slip into something more meaningful.

"I'm not really sure. I've never really tested it. I mean, beyond what is needed for ops and missions." He offered a small shrug but his stomach twisted a little as images scattered around in his mind. Things he pictured plenty in the past but now they were actually possible. The anticipation and sheer want would do him in. Seriously.

Tony wouldn't help with behaving, would he?

Clearing his throat, the waiter appeared right then to place their plates of food down, giving Steve something else to focus on. If he could eat with the knots and heat pooling in his stomach. He had never felt such a desire for someone else and the lingering feel of Tony's lips on his hadn't been enough. "How do you - feel about becoming the Director. Has it sunk in yet?" He needed to focus on something else and not about getting up from the table and - nope, nope, nope.

[amelioraate]

Futurist. That was what they called him, that was what he was; he saw the future long before it was possible and worked towards achieving things that were impossible. Since he was young, Tony Stark had been peering into the worlds that would be and building an altar to the future to worship at. He prided himself on being able to see things coming before others, and yet-- and yet he really never saw this coming. Never saw a future where Steve was sitting across from him with a smile on his face and teases on his tongue. A future where there was so much more possibilities than what Tony saw upon first glance.

Futurist, yes. But also rational, so he always waved off the thought of him and Steve as something of more of a dream than a future.

This might be one of the first times that Tony was so very pleased to be proven wrong.

"We would be in trouble, that is for sure," he responds with another easy smile and a tip of his head, eyes still shining with humor. This was such a natural thing with Steve, banter and humor, but Tony could feel something else beneath the surface; and undertow that he is very tempted to let take him under and drown him.

The urge to skip dinner completely for other far more interesting things is only compounded when Steve tells him that information, with a straight face and god, Tony wants to test so much, fuck that Tony just wants. Taking a sip of water to assuage the dryness in his throat, the newly appointed director sits himself up a little straighter, leaning in towards Steve and has something of a terrible idea on the tip of his tongue when the waiter appears.

It was probably better for them to fuel up anyway.

"Mmm, not really? I mean, it is nice in the sense that I can finally make sure that the right calls get made but-- I feel like I was kind of already doing that already." There is another smirk, Steve knows better than most how inclined Tony was to disregard orders if he thought there was a better way; a more helpful way. He picks up his knife and fork and cuts into the steak before him.

Perhaps the moan that he gives is a bit exaggerated, but he will claim that the steak is perfectly done.

[stevegrogers]

A relic of time, fit for a museum exhibit but Steve actually lived it everyday, having to somehow contend with the fact his natural instincts and attitudes were old fashioned in the new era. It constantly made him feel out of place, out of time and he really doubted his abilities to acclimate in a culture he found too fast paced. The world focused so much on technology it seemed, a never-ending striving for more, more, more and it left other things to fall to the side. What about forming genuine connections and living in the moment with those around you? Sure, there were advancements he felt pleased as punch over but he still preferred to hold actual things in his hands - such as books and records. He may have gotten on board with CDs but digital albums left little to be desired.

Together, they brought a merger of the past and the future; various beginnings with strands of historical foundations. It made them stronger but it also set a sort of divide on how they viewed things and what their reactions would be. In the best circumstances, it sprung discussions forward but in the worst of moments, it led to only arguments and bickering.

"I'll try to not give you too much trouble," Steve responded with a smirk as he dug into his food. He nearly dropped his fork right on the floor from the moan, though. How completely obscene but of course a Tony sort of thing to do. Swallowing thickly, Steve shifted in his seat a little. A white hot want surged through him but he tried to ignore it and continue eating the food. He barely tasted anything. Damn it, Tony.

"You're terrible," he muttered, drinking a big gulp of his water. He should have suggested they have the food to go. "I kinda can't believe this is even happening." He took another couple of bites, somehow. "I wonder if this will be against protocol. Dating your boss is kinda frowned on, isn't it?"

He gave a grin this time, just considering how the others would take the news. Slowly, he reached out to run his fingertips along Tony's arm, needing to touch him in some way.

[amelioraate]

It is incredibly difficult for Tony to concentrate on the future, on anything really, when he has Steve right there in front of him; all smiles and flashes of blue that makes something in his stomach twist. He is so far gone that it is ridiculous, wrapped up in all the strings of history and the past when he should be focused on the future before him. Not that he would change it, not at all. Steve was-- well just because Steve was something of the past embodied, he was also something good; something that Tony could look to when he found himself wavering in his choices, in how he saw the world.

There has been more than one instance where he has chosen something simply because he thought of how Steve would look at the situation, how Steve would look at him for making that choice. Perhaps it wasn't the healthiest way to deal with things, but-- Tony was sure that it was a truth that Steve was, and always will be, the better man out of the two of them.

And when he is here, faced with Steve teasing him and smiling at him like he is worth something-- well you can't blame him for wanting to hold onto that for as long as possible.

"Oh? And what is making you change? I am sure you giving me trouble is part of the deal, isn't it?" There is a knowing look in his eyes as he watches, perhaps a little more poignant about eating than he might usually be. But he wants, and it is so easy to toe that line with Steve, to see how far he can push until one of them snaps.

When protocol is mentioned, the look on his face turns teasing, a wicked smirk barely hidden by his fork. "So I shouldn't as for private mission reports in my office? I am sure the desk is strong enough, but if protocol is a thing you are worried about..."

Giving a theatrical sigh, Tony puts his fork down and letting his arm move closer and into Steve's touch before dismissing table manners that would have Howard rolling in his grave, grabs a piece of lobster to pop in his mouth with his fingers. After dipping it in butter, of course. And then having to lick said putter off his fingers.

How terrible.

Tony doesn't break eye contact the whole time.

[stevegrogers]

In a lot of ways, Tony opened up his eyes to see a bigger picture than just the more narrow focus he tended to have with a lot of objectives. Oftentimes, Steve set a mission for himself, figured out all the little details to reach it and then went for it. Usually, a few quick turnaround and he knew his impulsive nature could be dangerous but it also saved the day a lot of the times. Sure, he might end up more banged up than if he took the time to consider the bigger picture but he always healed eventually. The lack of concern for his own safety probably should have worried him more but again he never really dwelt on the bigger picture of it. Tony, however, made him see beyond his own focus to what rested beyond and what could stem from the actions. The man tended to look more to the future and what could be than existing in the present terms. It made them very balanced if they worked together and moved past the bickering of being 'more right' than the other.

"One reason you took the job huh?" Steve responded with a more lopsided smirk resting on his face. He didn't exactly have the best reputation with authority figures but he often disregarded rules and all sorts of protocols if he needed to in the pursuit of justice. At times, he behaved more like a vigilante than an agent but at least with the more secret ops it gave him freedom to handle things as he desired to.

Tony's words painted a very vivid picture and Steve needed to use every ounce of restraint he possessed to not moan out loud. Damn it, Tony. "Uh -" Nope, nothing else followed the word since Tony melted his brain into a goo all over the table.

Of course, Tony did not stop there and his eyes followed the movements closely. The heat evident on his face and at last he reached his own breaking point. "How did you get here?" Steve asked, knowing his own motorcycle would not work. The bathrooms maybe? Tony might not agree to public bathrooms, though. But maybe if he worked him up enough.

Lightly his nails dug into Tony's arm, letting his breath hitch audibly in his throat. Two could play the teasing game, Stark.

[amelioraate]

They worked well together, something that people have always said about them since they first came together as a team. They managed to balance each other out and push each other forward and-- well, in cases like this, they were just able to push each other. Because that was what they were doing, they were pushing and toing the line as best they could in public, and Steve gave as good as he got.

It was more than a little admirable because Tony was-- well he wasn't exactly going easy. Not that the thought of Steve pressing him against the desk in his new office, shoulders wrapped in the blue of his Commander uniform, was something that left him completely unaffected, but he had played that fantasy in his mind more than once, it didn't make him want quite as much as it might Steve.

And it did affect the Commander. Tony moans lightly around the salty burst of butter against his tongue, eyes still on Steve. He watches, just as entranced, as Steve's mouth opens and no real sound comes out and, fuck, the fact that he could make the other man look like that, look at a loss, was heady. The following noise, something hitched in his chest, is less for the show of things and more because he can't quite believe his luck.

"Mmm, it is delicious lobster, would you like some, Commander?" There is a flash of teasing there, a taunt, but it doesn't really hold out against the look Steve gives him, the way he grips his arm and fuckfuckfuck, Steve really could play just as well if not better than him. The nails against his skin, the sound of Steve's breath catching makes Tony consider public indecency charges, and not being let back into this place. Just for a moment.

Thankfully (or unfortunately) he reigns himself in, just a bit, though it is clear he is fraying at the edges. "Car. Why-- Why do you ask?"

[stevegrogers]

Oh, there were plenty of things he wanted at the moment but he wouldn't include the lobster among the list. Eyes darkening considerably, Steve forgot all about his food (a feat considering how much he loved to eat), his fingers running circles over where his nails had just dug into Tony's arm. The sparks it caused only pooled the heat more in his stomach. It made him want more than he ever had before, a dizzying array of emotions considering he never actually thought Tony would want him in the first place. How far had they come to reach a point like the one they were currently in?

"I'd like to see your car," Steve murmured, licking slowly over his lip, more because his mouth felt dry than trying to be alluring. But if it worked for both objections then so be it. If it also made Tony want to leave then even better. "We can - get the food to go?" The suggestion nearly felt desperate but he couldn't bring himself to care at the moment not when he had wanted Tony for so long. Since nearly their first encounter with meeting one another, which he'd never admit to. Not easily anyway.

Removing his grasp from Tony, he stood up to find the waiter (after a slight pause, thanks Tony), asking for some to go bags and the check. He also made a quick order for some dessert because he had a few ideas for it.

After he took care of all of it, he returned to the table, fingertips brushing over the back of Tony's neck. "You ready, Director? Or are you just all talk?"