om_main | Steve and Tony, backdated to Dec 5

Steve gets nervous about the added publicity around Stark Industries, and the two make a plan for how to deal with it.

Steve smiled as he came out of Tony's kitchen area, two coffees in one hand and a plate with two leftover slices of pie in the other, to the sight of Tony reclined across the couch. It'd been a lazy day, the rare kind Steve spent entirely sweats and hoodies (today's was black with 'Stark Industries' embroidered on the left breast, because if you couldn't fit in your boyfriends' shirts, his branding was the next best thing), watching TV. Tony had insisted on the original Star Trek series, and had spent the entire time laughing at the cheesiness of it all. (To be fair, Steve was right there with him, and enjoying every second of it.

"I come bearing pie," he announced, setting a plate and mug in front of Tony before settling on the other end of the couch. He stayed sitting up, though, crossing his legs underneath him instead of starting the next episode. "Tony, I need to talk to you about something." He smiled before taking a sip of his coffee and added, "And I don't mean in the 'we need to talk', way, it's nothing terrible."

Tony had perked up at the arrival of food and coffee, only to immediately give Steve a slightly suspicious look. Nothing terrible or not, he could tell when he was being buttered up for something.

And okay, it worked, but that was besides the point. "Okay," he said slowly as he reached out to take the coffee. A moment later, he stretched out a bit more to tuck his feet under Steve's knee, mostly because he could.

Steve laughed a little at the suspicious look, and put his hand down to rest on Tony's ankle, swiping his thumb over the bone. He'd been thinking about what to say the entire time the coffee had been brewing, planning out his little speech, but it all left him now that he was here. He took a breath, then let it out slow.

"First let me say that I think you did a good thing here, with the apartments for everyone. I always have, for various reasons, but with everything that's just happened with Pietro, even more so. Pietro had a safe place to go with sound cover story, along with great protection- I think the financial and legal might of your company would be enough to give the Facility pause. You're keeping him safe, Tony, and that's...that's really good."

He paused to sip his coffee and gave his ankle a little squeeze. "The problem is, people are paying attention now. And there's Pietro, and Betsy, and you've been out with your light showing through your shirt, and you're all in this building. And people are going to draw conclusions, and...I'm not ready for them to draw those conclusions about me." He watched Tony carefully, unsure what his reaction would be.

It may have been the coffee, but Tony's expression faded pretty quickly into something more thoughtful. "I could spin it pretty easily," he said, propping his elbow on the arm of the sofa and leaning his chin on his hand, "but you're not wrong. Nothing really stops speculation once it gets going, and telling the media that they're not allowed to look at the building will only make them try harder." He had safeguards in place, of course, but there was only so much he could do about the public sidewalk.

"So I'm gathering you have thoughts on what to do about it?"

Steve nodded as he took another sip of coffee, leaning backwards into the arm of the couch. "I was thinking I'd take you up on that offer for you to visit the school, until our trip to over break. And then, well." He rubbed at the back of his neck, nervous and a little hopeful. "I was thinking, if you were okay with it, towards the end of it, we could go out somewhere. Hold hands or kiss where we know someone is taking pictures." He gave Tony a little half smile. "If people know I'm your boyfriend, it's not suspicious for me to be coming and going."

"If you want," Tony said with a blink. "I mean, I have no problem with it, but you seemed uncomfortable before. You're more comfortable with people knowing we're together than them suspecting you might be a mutant?"

"I am," Steve said with a nod, and after taking a sip of his coffee, he gave him a little smile. "When I was uncomfortable before, it was because I didn't want the added stress of the publicity when we were just starting out.

His hand slipped up Tony's leg, rubbing at the muscle of his calf as he caught his eyes. "But I feel secure in this now, and I don't think I'm wrong in thinking you do too, so I'm comfortable with the idea now."

Tony nodded a little, already taking on the expression that meant he was doing some fast thinking. "Okay then," he said almost absently. "Do you have any thoughts on how you want to play it, or should I work that out and run it past you?"

Steve smiled a little at the sight of Tony's brain already working things out. "Not exactly. I'm not sure how it all works. But I thought that maybe we could say we met when I was doing the landscaping? If you don't come up with anything better."

There was a moment where Tony just stared at him before letting out an honest to god cackle. "You want to announce to the media that I'm dating my gardener?" He managed in between giggles. "Oh my god, that is the best thing ever. Please can we do that."

It took Steve a second to realize what he'd suggested, but then he was laughing too. "Oh wow," he said as he shook his head, and he watch Tony laugh, a big fond smile on his face. Christ, he was cute. "I hadn't even thought of that, but I'm still fine with it." He grabbed Tony just below the knee and tugged him in across the couch, hauling him into his lap when he was close enough. "I mean, you did, after all."

Tony let out a sound that he refused to classify as a yelp as he went skidding across the couch, but he settled himself comfortably against the line of Steve's body once he was there. "I really did," he agreed, sounding smug. "I specifically set it up for just that reason. Well mostly the ogling, at the time."

Steve reached forward to grab Tony's mug off the coffee table, passing it to him when he was settled back again. "Well, I hope you feel you got your money's worth. Lord knows I took my shirt off enough."

He kissed the top of Tony's head before propping his chin on it. "So you're fine with this?"

"Yes?" He cradled the mug to his chest, not looking up at Steve because it would dislodge him. "I told you I would be."

Steve smiled warmly, dragging his hand through Tony's hair and gripping it to pull his head back for a slow kiss. "I know," he said when he pulled away, and his chest felt warm and tight, so much that he had kiss him quickly again once. "I just wanted to make sure."

And far from arguing with that, Tony just kept his head tipped back to give him an amused look. "So how much can I get away with in public now? Kissing? Friendly groping?"

"Really, Tony?" Steve chuckled and raised an eyebrow at him, but it was all fond. "Kissing is fine, hand holding is fine. I'm going to need a more exact definition of 'friendly groping'."

Tony gave him his best completely innocent look. "How about a practical demonstration instead?"

Steve barked out a laugh, surprised even though he could now see how he'd walked right into it. "You are shameless," he said, still laughing as he held Tony tighter against him with the arm around his waist, and he kissed his shoulder as he set aside their coffee mugs.

"I am," Tony agreed without looking the least bit apologetic, and somehow managed to wriggle around until they were facing each other. "I was born without an embarrassment gene. Probably my actual mutant power."

"That explains me," Steve said with a little bit of a silly grin at suddenly having Tony facing him, and he let his hands rest on his hips. "I had to be born with enough for both of us to even it out."

"We'll work on that," Tony said cheerfully. "Spending enough time around me might cure you anyway."

"Well, you're welcome to try," Steve said, laughing as he cupped Tony's cheek for a short, sweet kiss. When he pulled away, he was smiling as he stroked his thumb over his cheek, but the corner of his mouth was trying to tug up into a smirk. "But I thought you were going to show me something?"

"Was I?" Tony gave him a look of such over-the-top innocence it was almost hilarious, and hooked a hand into the collar of Steve's shirt. "Maybe you should remind me."

Steve opened his mouth, closed it again as some color started high on his cheeks, and narrowed his eyes. "You're trying to do it now, aren't you?"

Tony smirked. "Why, is it working?"

Steve just turned pinker, and he dropped his head into Tony's neck with a huff. "Tony," he said quietly, and it definitely didn't sound like a whine at all, "You know I can't say stuff like that when I'm not on the phone."

"Well then this will be excellent practice," Tony said with a laugh and stole a kiss. "We'll go slow."

Steve frowned, pressing his face into the side of Tony's as his blush spread down his chest. Still, he was never one to back down from a challenge. His lips brushed just below his ear as he said, "I think you were about to demonstrate a few things for me."

"Hm, good enough for now," Tony said with a smirk that he knew Steve couldn't see. "We can practice more later. For now, a quick example of friendly groping."