Tony Stark has popped up in more news the past weeks—not just the name, but the man himself. Hitting his stride again, as one anchor calls it. So far, Tony has given speeches and grants at different colleges for science and technology, attended social events more again, and announced that Stark Industries's newest projects will focus on environmental concerns. When asked about the Avengers, he confirms his continued financial support, but that his direct involvement as Iron Man has been set aside for newer ventures—a focus on relief efforts and building scholarships—and that the current Avengers roster is more than capable under the leadership of Captain Steve Rogers. (Any further comment on the Avengers Tony declines to make.) This change in behavior, keeping a low profile after the tragedy in Sokovia to this, happened gradually after the holidays and sometime in January solidified. Most people attribute it to the passage of time since his involvement in Ultron. Meanwhile, the internet speculates.
No reporter makes specific note of it, but the people who know Tony will notice the difference in him on camera and in the photos. He faces them again when called, instead of turning his face aside. Time could heal him to this point, sure, but he possesses a certain steadiness again that can only come from outside support. Those people might guess from whom.
After Valentine's Day, one of the texts that Steve receives from Tony reads, In case you caught the recent SI announcements it has absolutely nothing to do with your altruism boner.
Steve notices - maybe because he keeps up with Tony-related news, and because he knows him well enough to divine something of his moods from pictures, even when he's wearing the mask he uses to interact with the public. He knows Tony's body language, and it's more self-assured, more confident. He knows why, or he hopes he does, and he feels a little pleased. At least he's done something right.
Altruism boner? he texts back. Steve's not sure he would use that term for what he simply views as being a decent person, but he also knows there's absolutely nothing casually coincidental about what's going on.
Yeah, your hard-on for charitable works, remember? Anyway, full credit to the indomitable Pepper Potts for getting that ball rolling. Tony sounds halfway caught in P.R. mode.
I see someone's been watching news about me. Did they get my good side? How was my hair? appears, followed soon by, That was a trick question. All my sides are good.
In a company jet forty-one thousand feet in the air, Tony smiles to himself and taps back, That view is an exclusive. Only one person gets the up-to-date scoop on it.
It's not currently available for comment. These plane seats are far too luxurious, Tony smugly types and slouches in the plush leather seat with his tablet like the young girl on a school bus tittering over every new message from her boyfriend. The day's drudgery slowly lifts.
The phrase is an ass that won't QUIT, not won't be stopped. And YOU can stop up my ass anytime, tiger. As soon as he presses send, guilt gnaws at Tony for procrastinating, but is trying to enjoy the moment so bad? Things have been good the past few days after the drama of their Valentine's Day weekend. Conversations between them haven't been strained. There's just the elephant in the room: Tony's suggestion of moving in. Steve can't have missed the complete lack of further mention about it.
Of course Steve's noticed it - but after how much he fucked up on Valentine's day, he's not going to press the issue. He's assumed that Tony doesn't want to move in with him anymore, and he doesn't blame him for that choice. He's disappointed, of course, but he understands the thought process that he thinks is behind it. There's no one to blame for this but himself.
And what was that exactly? When he gets back from this Tokyo trip, Tony decides. He'll stop by the compound on his way ... home, and he'll tell Steve everything.
Smiling softly down at his tablet, Tony sends, Guilty as charged, and then tacks on, Smooches! xoxo, along with an extensive line of kissy-face and peach emojis.
Steve has his own moment of grinning sappily at his phone - thankfully, he's in his office, and nobody's around to see it.
Is the peach really what people use for an ass? Thanks to Natasha, he's well aware of what the eggplant emoji is for. Steve can't be surprised that there's a universally accepted ass emoji as well.
The next text pops up slower than the previous ones. Tony has to smother his smile first. God, he wishes moving into the compound with Steve were easy. Logistically, no problem, but he's not talking about the physical baggage. Moving in seemed simple at the time, but everything seems simple in that half-floaty state. Just the next morning—just later that same night, reality crashed down onto him. Okay I concede. That was good, he sends finally.
Yet you still hopped on and persisted without prep...... Tony continues adding lines of periods after the initial message, which at least implies teasing.
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No reporter makes specific note of it, but the people who know Tony will notice the difference in him on camera and in the photos. He faces them again when called, instead of turning his face aside. Time could heal him to this point, sure, but he possesses a certain steadiness again that can only come from outside support. Those people might guess from whom.
After Valentine's Day, one of the texts that Steve receives from Tony reads, In case you caught the recent SI announcements it has absolutely nothing to do with your altruism boner.
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Altruism boner? he texts back. Steve's not sure he would use that term for what he simply views as being a decent person, but he also knows there's absolutely nothing casually coincidental about what's going on.
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Of course Steve's noticed it - but after how much he fucked up on Valentine's day, he's not going to press the issue. He's assumed that Tony doesn't want to move in with him anymore, and he doesn't blame him for that choice. He's disappointed, of course, but he understands the thought process that he thinks is behind it. There's no one to blame for this but himself.
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But you're my ass.
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Is the peach really what people use for an ass? Thanks to Natasha, he's well aware of what the eggplant emoji is for. Steve can't be surprised that there's a universally accepted ass emoji as well.
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