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Tony watched warily as Steve picked up baby Ian from his baby chair. His husband had been tense all day, lines marking his forehead as he continued frowning through their usual routine. In another time, he would have been terribly worried it was something he did, or that Steve was growing tired of him, but he knew better nowadays.
They’d had been married almost two years ago now, after Steve dropped on his knee as soon as a particularly nasty battle had ended. Tony went so hysteric at the surprise they had to put an oxygen mask on him and the team never ever let him leave it down. Clint had a framed picture of it hanging on his wall, that’s how much they didn’t let him live that down.
But Tony had eventually said yes, after a minor freak out over worrying Steve wouldn’t want him anymore, and they had been married in a fall ceremony with Rhodey, and Bucky as best men and the rest of the team as groomsman. Except Clint, who was the flower bearer, and Sam, who got a trained falcon to fly after him and deliver the rings.
Because that’s their life, of course.
After a wild reception where Steve drank everyone under the table and ended up in a wedding dress Natasha had gotten from somewhere non disclosed, Tony’s life had been blissful.
He never had thought he would be so happy as he was, fighting the good fight with his better half and enjoying the camaraderie of his team, until Ian came into the picture. Then he learned just how happy a man could truly be.
“Papa,” he came out of his musing to see Ian complain loudly to Steve, “Dada!” he yanked at his shirt, begging for Tony’s attention.
“Don’t worry, munchkin, Dad’s just lost in thoughts,” Steve soothed him, “here, why don’t we go eat some grapes and watch tv?”
Tony watched as Ian wrinkled his nose in concentration, looking so much like Steve it physically hurt.
“Grapes,” he proclaimed finally, scurrying out of Steve’s lap and into the floor.
“FRIDAY,” Tony asked, “put that dreadful pig nonsense on for him, will you?”
“Peppa pig will be playing shortly, sir.”
“Back with us, shellhead?” Steve kissed him gently, a bowl of cold grapes in hand pressing against Tony’s stomach. He had no doubt it was on purpose.
“Yeah, I could ask the same actually,” he said, stealing a couple grapes, “what’s going on with you?”
“I’ll tell you later,” he shook his head, “you have a business meeting now, and Pepper said she would kill you if you missed it.”
“She says that once a week, I miss about half of those, and still here I am,” he whined, really not wanting to go away from his family today. Or any day, really. Maybe it was time he retired from SI entirely, now that would be a thought.
“Yeah, but that’s usually because of Avengers business,” he moved, grabbing a sippy cup from the fridge, “go on Tony, we’ll be here when you come back with cuddles and kisses.”
“Alright, fine,” Tony gave in, “if you give me a kiss,”
“Here you go,” Steve laughed, kissing him on his way to the lounge. He grabbed Ian who was sitting on the floor right in front of the tv and kissed his belly while he squirmed, trying to get back to the television. Steve sat on the floor, as they usually did because they were total fiends with no appreciation for his couch, Tony thought, and cuddled with Ian to watch an annoying pig cartoon talk.
Tony was so lucky.
There is no punchline. Tony is simply lucky, and he feels so everyday. He doesn’t know how that became his life but by God, did he love it. He really didn’t deserve it, and his past is so bloody he probably should be in jail, but Steve loved him. And Tony would do anything to be worthy of that love, of seeing Ian’s little cross face every morning because that boy did not like waking up. Of sharing his life with Steve.
“Hey, babe,” Tony greeted Steve as he came back, being surprised by a deep kiss Steve usually saved for in between four walls.
“Hey,” Steve said with a goofy grin as they came up for air.
“What was that for?” he asked curiously.
“Can’t I just kiss my beautiful husband and enjoy a night where Sam and Bucky took Ian for the evening?” he answered gleefully.
“Why didn’t you say so before,” Tony demanded already pulling off his tie and shirt, “and why are you not naked already?”
Steve merely laughed, and pulled him to another kiss.
As they laid side by side, sated and worn down, Tony could see Steve’s worry line again.
“What’s going on, babe?” he asked, reaching to brush Steve’s hair from his face, “I love impromptu sex escapades, but I can tell there is something in your mind.”
Steve sighed deeply, intertwining their legs together before answering.
“Nick asked me to be part of a new team,” he said in a low tone, “a secret undercover kind of team.”
“Oh. I’m not sure what to say to that,” he admitted, “who’s on the team? Anyone we know?”
“Nick could only tell me Nat’s in it, but that I shouldn’t talk to her about it for now.”
“Why exactly are you so conflicted?” for Steve not not have said yes on the spot, it had to be bad.
“Nick really didn’t want me talking to you about it, that already made me wary. But he wanted me on the team bad enough to make an exception,” Steve explained, sounding upset, “and the team is supposed to do undercover mission work in foreign countries.”
“Oh, that doesn’t sound good.”
“He said it was really important work, and that it was essential otherwise he wouldn’t have asked me at all. I think I heard something about Latveria before walking in.”
“I don’t like the sound of it,” Tony frowned.
“Me neither, but if it was important enough for Nick Fury to beg me, I feel like I have to do it,” he explained.
“It’s Nick Fury we’re talking about, he is a master manipulator,” Tony pointed out.
“He’s also been my friend for a long time now, Tony. I know how he is like, and he seemed genuine.”
“What else did he say about this new team?”
“We’d be going on few missions, but long lasting one. At least a few weeks. If the first goes well enough we might not need any of the next.”
“I don’t like it,” Tony whined, “I don’t want you spending time away.”
“Me neither,” Steve reached for Tony’s hair and mindlessly played with it, and for a second he looked like he was in physical pain, but he let out a breath and continued, “But I think I’ll do it. Are you terribly against it?”
“I don’t want you doing it, but I know you, babe. If it’s your power to help out, and you don’t, you’ll feel responsible,” Tony admitted.
They had been Avengers for almost seven years now, through ups and downs, victories, and heartbreaking losses. Their team had changed much through the years, with old friends leaving and new ones arriving as new superheroes gained powers and skills. Tony felt good about their current layout, with the team having almost sixteen members and everybody being able to have off nights apart from the eventual earth-threatening catastrophe.
It’s what had allowed them to keep Ian, after Steve found him on a HYDRA lab he had been raiding with Bucky and Sam.
“You know me well,” Steve agreed playfully, but soon became sober again, “I know we had been talking about another kid,” he pointed out, sadly.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Tony asked, a bit surprise that was what Steve was thinking of.
“I’m not gonna be around for weeks at time,” he answered, “I feel bad enough leaving Ian for so long of a time! Fuck, I can’t do this to him, Tony.”
“Ok, Steve, calm the fuck down ok? You’re spiralling,” he patted Steve’s face soothingly, “if you do join Fury’s new team, yes, Ian will miss you. But we can have video conferences and phone calls when you’re able, this is not the 40s anymore. I’m, surprisingly enough, completely able to take care of our kid on our own, and I’ll even take some leave while you’re out, ok?”
“Fuck, Tony,” Steve hid his face in the pillow.
“In a second, but we need to talk about this first,” he smiled at the small chuckle he managed to elicit from his husband, “did Nick give a timetable of when exactly you’ll be gone?”
“Two weeks at best.”
“Well, that’s a bit tight but we’ll be fine,” Tony calculated, “I’ll call Pepper in the morning and settle everything with S.I. and then - hey, who would you rather lead the team in your absence? Carol or Sam?”
“Both? Both is good” he answered looking much more relieved.
“Eh, good enough for me. If they are not on Fury’s secretive team that is.”
“C’mon Tony, they both suck at espionage.”
“And you don’t?” He teased.
“No, I don’t,” Steve protested, hitting Tony with a pillow. Tony merely laughed, glad they were back to lightheadedness after the minor break out from earlier.
“See, Steve, everything will work out ok,” he reached for his husband’s hand and gave him a kiss.
“When did you become the rational optimist of this relationship?” Steve asked, reaching to hold Tony in a hug.
“When you proposed to me and I reacted so badly our team still mocks me two years later,” he answered immediately. “Who do you think will be on the team besides you and Nat?”
“Clint, maybe? Jess would be a good fit, too.”
“Bucky would’ve been good, if he wasn’t working on training the younglings.”
“Yeah, with me gone he will have double the work, and Nick wouldn’t need Captain America if he had the Winter Soldier”
“You feeling better now?” Tony asked hooking his fingers on Steve’s boxers.
“Yeah,” he answered with a grin, pulling Tony by the hair for a kiss.
In the dead of night, as everything was silent and Steve thought his husband was asleep, he whispered:
“You know you are my team, right?” He doodled mindless shapes on Tony’s back, “you and Ian.”
“Are you expecting me to answer, you sap?” Tony groaned, face shoved in his pillow.
“Nah,” Steve smiled, “though if I find a possible new team member I can bring them home, right?”
“Steve, go to sleep for fuck’s sake. What are the odds of you finding another baby?”
“You’re right,” he sighed wistfully.
“We’re gonna have to go at it like normal people this time, but go to sleep ,” Tony commanded, “cause team player 1 is coming on full of energy in the morning and I’m just a rather old human who needs rest”
“Alright,” Steve turned to spoon Tony from behind, breathing contently on his husbands neck, “goodnight, shellhead.”
THE END