tony stark. (knightish) wrote in valloic, @ 2022-12-21 11:41:00 |
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He’d been thrilled to see Steve re-appear after several months gone, especially considering what it meant to James. And from what he’d seen at Natasha’s birthday dinner, Cap seemed to be settling back into a rhythm here just fine.
He knocked on Steve’s door with a knuckle. “Senior Dinner Delivery Service.”
Steve set down the crossword puzzle he'd been whiling away on at the kitchen bar and went to answer the door, shaking his head in amusement as he did. Once he saw Tony standing there, a Tony he'd grown to accept even though he looked different, he glanced at the food and smiled.
"It's a bit early for dinner, Tony, no matter how old it is." His eyes drifted back up to meet with Tony's and he tilted his head slightly. "You're looking a bit rugged, is everything okay?"
“I think you mean ruggedly handsome.” Tony ran his hand through hair that was beginning to streak with silver, then handed the bag o’ dogs over to Steve. “We don’t actually have to eat those anyway. I really can’t vouch for the safety of street vendors here. Can you really trust a hag who sells street dogs? Questions that need answers.” He rambled that all off in his typical Tony Stark way, accompanied by a grin and a shrug of his shoulder. “But don't worry your pretty head about me, I’m just fine. I may have temporarily forgotten how little sleep is involved when a 5 and 3 year old occupy the house, but Pep and I sure remembered quickly.”
As usual, Tony steamrolled the conversation before Steve could retort, but it didn't bother him at all. It would be a losing battle to try and match wits with a Stark in any regard and Steve preferred the long game, anyway. Instead, he accepted the hot dogs and moved aside to let his friend in before placing the bag on the counter. "You two have always learned quickly, but I also remember a certain super genius who rarely allowed himself sleep when an idea struck in any case."
"I'll grab some plates and if you need a bit of caffeine, I've got a few Coca-Colas in the fridge. The Zero version, in case you're watching your sugar."
Tony followed Steve into the apartment and quickly made himself comfortable in a chair. “I do love it when you call me a genius. Makes me all fluttery inside. But I swear that all sleep deprivation is wholly childcare related. I made a promise to not let work take up too much of my time anymore, and I intend to keep it.” What had started as a joke trailed off into something much more sincere. After a moment, he hopped back up and headed over to the fridge to grab a soda for himself. “You want one too?”
“I’ll take one.”
A voice that was decidedly not Steve’s called out from behind him. Luckily Tony was more than used to that particular voice popping up unexpectedly in his own place, so it wasn’t too much of a shock. He turned to hand a Coke to Natasha without missing a beat. To his credit, he only did the smallest of double takes when he realized she was wearing one of Steve’s button up shirts and nothing else.
“Nat,” he deadpanned. “A new take on business casual, I see.”
She smirked and gave him a shrug in response. “Don’t mind me, I just needed a drink. You two boys have fun on your man-date.”
Steve was improving; his face wasn't quite as red as Natasha's hair. He couldn't say he disliked seeing Natasha like this, but he was determined to not be embarrassed if she wasn't. That smirk she gave Tony was still resting comfortably in his mind as she disappeared back into the bedroom.
Clearing his throat, he turned towards the living room. "A man-date, is it? Let me put on my shoes."
Tony popped open a soda for himself and gave a small chuckle at Steve’s reaction. Falling somewhere just behind James in terms of enthusiasm, Tony shipped it. And he wasn’t afraid to show it. It made sense to him, after all, given that their counterparts in his world had been “Couple Goals.”
“Man-date it is.” While Steve went to retrieve some shoes, Tony busied himself with putting the food away in the fridge. He doubted they’d keep well, but they were really only a thinly veiled excuse to check in on Steve anyway.
“You had a chance to check out the new tower yet?”
"Briefly," answered Steve, pulling out his sneakers from beside the entertainment center. "James invited me over for some sparring and food not too long ago. I'm really impressed with how much food he willingly puts away. I have a strong metabolism, myself, of course, but I still pace myself."
He said all this while sitting on an ottoman to pull on his shoes, but still looked impressed. "Youth, right?"
“Did you just say yutes?” The movie quote dropped from Tony’s lips almost automatically. He glanced over at Steve with a grin before he took in the confused expression. “Ah, nevermind. But we are definitely watching My Cousin Vinny during our next movie night.” He took another swig from the soda can before he continued. “Did you and the kid have a good time?”
Steve's confusion disappeared quickly. At first he thought maybe his native New York accent had gotten worse without him realizing it, until the mention of a movie popped up. He had raised an eyebrow, but lowered it cautiously. This was Tony, after all. You never knew when he might throw out another reference that you'd have to try and catch the curveball on.
"Some sparring, some father and son discussion. So yeah, I'd say we had a good time. Though you're as much a father to him as I am, so I'm sure you know how that is. He's got a lot on his mind."
Tony sombered softly and gave a nod. James carried an immense weight on his shoulders. He’d lived a life few people could truly relate to, and Tony knew how frustrating and isolating it could feel for him. Luckily he had the all star team of support systems. Between Torunn, Steve and Natasha, himself and Pepper, Francis, and all the other people who loved him, he was confident that James would continue to make his way through whatever life threw at them, even if it wasn’t always simple. “Too much on his mind, if you ask me. But I know the feeling all too well, myself. He seems…lighter since you two talked, though. So whatever you said to him, keep it up.”
"I'm known for my pretty speeches, after all," answered Steve, offering a friendly smile. "You're not wrong, though, which is another feeling you probably know too well. He's been through more than anyone his age really should. Torunn, too. I'm just glad we're here, for however long this place lets us."
Steve finished strapping his tennis shoes on and stood up, then grabbed his keys, wallet, and phone. "All right, any ideas on where we're going?"
Tony couldn’t exactly argue that. He woke up grateful every day that they were all here. Nothing was promised forever, which he knew was one of James’ struggles, but regardless of what happened down the line, he’d be happy for every moment they had.
“Oh, I have ideas.” Tony made quick work of chugging down the last of the soda and tossed it into the recycling. “Follow me, mon capitaine.” He headed toward the front door, pulled it open with a flourish, and headed back out into the hallway.
The two men made their way back down to the street, and Tony led them over to the waypoint. “I know you said you briefly saw the new tower, but I’m making you go again anyway. I will not be denied the right to show off my shiny new toys to my friends.”
"Far be it for me to deny you one of the few joys you have in the world, Tony," answered Steve, eyeballing the waypoint and stretching his neck before stepping through. Teleporting was always weird for him, he never really understood how it worked. He'd read a story about how it was destroying every atom of the previous you and assembling a brand new you at the new location. He didn't really believe it, but he couldn't help but think of that every time he approached a waypoint. It was like a musical bug that wouldn't just go away.
"Okay, I'm ready to see your fancy toys."
Tony shook his head at Steve’s dry response but also didn’t miss the skeptical way his friend seemed to be eyeing the waypoint. He’d been about to suggest they walk when Steve barrelled through and Tony gave a small shrug. He followed after Steve and and the waypoint spit them both back out a short walk from Stark Industries, which was about a block away from the new tower.
“Not a fan of the waypoints, eh?”
"I've had to adjust to mystical gateways and spaceships, I'll get used to these, too," was the answer, accompanied by a single-shoulder shrug. "You'd think I've been around long enough, but it still manages to raise the hairs on my neck. Call it an overactive imagination."
He'd always been appreciative of how Tony took to science and technological advancements, and if Tony trusted them, so did he. The only thing they'd ever disagreed on was applications of it and the occasional political discourse, like any good friends. But that's why he could also give him his honest thoughts in response versus trying to play it off as something else.
Steve could already see several of the taller Vallo buildings dotting the landscape and was pretty sure he could tell which of them were Tony's, but he didn't want to spoil the surprise.
“I’ve got some good news for you. Now that the Tower is complete, our next project is going to be public transportation of the non-magical variety. I have plans for a high speed monorail, but I’m sure we’ll have plenty of hoops to jump through before we can actually start building anything.” While he’d mellowed out quite a bit over the years, sometimes he’d still get annoyed when politics and bureaucracy got in the way of his plans.
The air outside was brisk, but Tony didn’t mind. He kept his hands in his pockets as they walked side by side. “You doing okay since your great return?” Ah yes, the real reason for his impromptu visit, and as always he was as subtle as a sledgehammer.
"I don't recall any other version of you having issues with those hoops that you couldn't throw money at," responded Steve, with the clear intent of it being both humor and a bit of truth mixed in. "But I'm doing well. Better than before I left, I think, if you can believe that. Which sounds a bit selfish, I know, and I miss Bucky, but otherwise it's great."
He and James were still in a good place. He truly liked Torunn, and Thor was always pleasant to know. But what really made him smile in the morning was Nat. He'd known a different Natasha before arriving in Vallo and was pleased that she'd shown up as well, but then she disappeared and didn't have the same memories when she returned. Which usually meant alternate universe (or universes), so he hadn't been sure where they stood before he himself had apparently disappeared. But things just really took off when he returned and honestly it made every day brighter, which sounded sappy. But he didn't care.
"You know, I just realized we're two dads out on the town. Does that mean we're officially old?"
The news that Steve was doing even better genuinely buoyed Tony’s spirits a bit. Bucky’s disappearance had hit hard, and he knew all too well the sting losing a best friend could bring. If Rhodey had been here and then disappeared….well, Tony would keep on going, of course, but there would certainly be bumps in the road for him. Still, the earnestness in Steve’s response read as genuine, and Tony had no trouble believing that he really was happy. “That’s good to hear. You deserve it.”
The nice moment lasted about 15 more seconds before Steve made his observation about their Dads Day Out. “No, no. All the young, cool kids use phrases like Out on the town.”
Steve laughed. "I recognize that tone. Thanks for the support, pal." He reached over to give a thankful pat on Tony's shoulder. "But don't think I haven't noticed some kind of ulterior motive here. Tell me you haven't been worried about me settling back in while building a tower and raising two small kids and looking like you haven't slept in a week."
He accompanied his rhetorical statement with a wry grin and crossed his arms over his chest. It'd be just like Tony to put his own health aside for others while still coming across as the most selfish and egotistical person on the planet. You just had to get to know him and that soft heart under the iron exterior.
“Listen, I’m a very good multi-tasker, and sleep is for the weak, anyway. I am allowed to check in on my friends, regardless of how many things I’m juggling. Especially the stubborn ones who wouldn’t actually tell anyone if they were having a tough time of things.” Tony gave Steve a pointed look. “I just needed to make sure you were good.”
"Kind of feel like you're talking about yourself at the end there." Another wry grin, but Steve didn't want to spend this time 'lecturing' his friend on health and well-being, much less this unsustainable idea of multi-tasking that he had. He felt Tony had some kind of conflicting notion that multi-tasking meant all-tasking, all the time. But without it, would he still be Tony?
He nodded. "I'm good, Tony. Now, you want to show me this tower or are we going to stand out here all day trading barbs?"
Well. Tony couldn’t really deny the truth to that statement, even though he wanted to. “It’s annoying when you’re right, you know that?” It was said with affection, though, and a gentle elbow to the ribs.
Steve’s response was well timed, as they had finally reached the tower in question. A shiny new high-rise apartment building. Huge windows sparkled in the late afternoon sunlight and the architecture and landscaping all looked sleek and modern. Tony had, for once, chosen not to emblazon his name on the building, but otherwise everything about it felt very Stark.
“I know, I know, you’re very excited.” He led the way through the front gates and up to the entrance. “Weep if you must, but please try to hold all applause until the end of the tour.”