Erosion of the Heart

Stony

Steve couldn't take his eyes off of Tony. His gaze would cascading down his curves, that dip in the small of his back making his ass a target of a slap and squeeze. He felt a flush rushed to his cheeks and his crystals blue eyes flicked away down at the table.

Natasha smiled. She saw it. The subtle ways Steve would give him long glances. How he'd feel embarrassed with himself for thinking, whatever he thought of when he forced his eyes away. The small gifts he tried to leave for Tony. Be it a full fresh pot of coffee in the morning or a donut at his desk. The longer he stayed silent, admiring, fantasizing, he made it worse for himself.

"You could talk to him." Natasha said catching him at the mini fridge of the lounge grabbing a water. Her voice steady and low because they weren't the only ones in the room.
"Who?" Steve questioned looking up after he'd made his grab for a water bottle.
"It's no secret Steve. We all see the way you watch him." She met his eyes and her full lips went into a soft smile, showing it wasn't an accusation. He froze, letting the door to the fridge go. It slowly closed with a soft 'tick.'
"It's okay." She saw his frame go ridged, "None of us will see you any different." She assured him looking up at his eyes fear and nervousness etching over his brow. "If you're worried about how the rest of the world sees you" she paused with a shrug, "Well you can't please everyone can you?"

She left him with her words joining Clint and Banner on the couch to mingle with them. Steve's eyes looked around the room, Tony wasn't there. Yet. And if others noticed his long stares at him did Tony notice as well? If he did, why hadn't he said anything to him about it? Maybe Stark didn't 'go that way'. Maybe he wanted him to make the first move. Couldn't he give him some kind of sign? When they interacted aside from harmless bickering about Tony was flirty- but he was like that with everyone. It was just, Tony. He'd make eyes at inanimate objects. Bite his lower lip at a sandwich like it was an exotic dancer. Honestly Steve felt he could never get a proper read on this man.

Not to mention his own self. When did he start liking males? No. It wasn't just men. Hell Thor literally has a body of a god, and he hadn't felt what he felt or thought what he thinks when he sets his eyes on Tony. He thought a lot about Peggy before he started hanging around Tony. And god did Tony remind him a lot of the young Howard he met a long time ago. As far as he could remember he had no feelings like this towards him. In fact maybe a bit of jealousy. He was rich and good looking, any man would be jealous. That they weren't him, or that he'd easily sweep their girl off her feet- not because he loved her more and intended to provide for her the rest of her life, but just because he could.

Tony however, didn't really seem that way.  He never made any serious moves at anyone. Or at least not that he would let anyone know about. Tony was different than his father in all the better ways so it seemed. And he'd been wrong about him, not ready to sacrifice for anyone but himself. Or maybe he'd done so just so he could make him eat own words.

Hhh Tony Stark, why are you so unclear?

"He's single." Natasha mentioned to him when everyone had cleared from the room and he'd still stood in place just lost in a string of his own thoughts.
What? How could that be possible? No he has to be seeing someone!
"I mean he might have a one night stand here and there. But that's because he is truly single."
Steve sighed, "I-" he paused bitting his lip. Why was this so hard to say?
"You, what? Don't like him?" She raised her brows. Natasha was and always will be a spy. She's an expert at reading people. She waited for him to speak again. Knowing if he tried to agree with her statement he'd only be lying to himself. Or he could come clean. Face his feelings with her and get comfortable with it.
"I don't know what to do." He finally got out bowling his head.
She smiled. That was a start. "You're a romantic aren't you? Surprise bouquet of flowers, candle lit dinners, a dance?"
Steve places the bottle of water on top of the small fridge and rubbed the back of his head.
"I should buy him flowers?" He questioned. As sappy as it sounded to do for another man, he'd thought about it once after Tony mentioned the lack of color in the grey and white debriefing rooms. Flowers? When this man can rent out the entire square garden of the city to himself if he wanted? What special dinner could he afford to compete with anything Tony might have eaten before? A dance?
Aw Peggy... his first dance that never came. He didn't know how to dance. Today's dances were beyond his understanding and probably body physics.
"What do I give a man who has everything?" He shrugged finally looking up and caught a glimpse of Tony out the glass wall separating the lounge and hall. He peeked up, unable to hide the butterflies in his stomach.
Natasha read his jittery shift in stance and looked behind her with a smile, "You give him you." She nudged him forward and left out the door as Tony walked in.

Crap.
Tony watched Natasha pass him and left down the hall not even giving a glance behind her. His brown came back looking up at Steve. Natasha always calm and collected there was no use in trying to figure out what had just transpired between the two from looking at her. But Steve, Steve was an open book.
"Oh, did I interrupt something?" He asked with a smile.
"NO!" Steve blurted out quickly, "No. nononono." He shook his head and wiggled a finger, "Nothing like that Stark."
"Okay." He held up his hands, "Sorry for asking."
"No. I mean- Listen, Tony" he was going to do it! This was it, he had to! Otherwise he'd be left with the impression he and Natasha were an item.
"Listening." Tony found his way to the coffee station pitching up one of the styrofoam cups and pulled the pot of freshly brewed coffee unknowingly made by Steve to pour himself a cup. "But don't make it long. I have a meeting to get back to."
"Are you free tonight?" He asked. He tried to keep his composure after he was put on the spot and now being rushed to ask him on a date!
"I'm a proud American." Tony snickered behind the rim of his cup, "I'm free every night."
Smooth mother fucker. And he still had no idea, does he?
"What is it this time? Need help setting up an email? Or learning the difference between 'sink' and 'sync'? Really any of those things you can look up on the internet and get the definition for."
"No, I got that." He rolled his eyes. This running joke of his technological 'impairment' was getting a little over used and old. "Come have dinner with me."
A new wave of butterflies tickled his stomach with the achievement. He said it!
"Sure. Who all will be there?" Tony gave a small shrug.
"Just us." Steve tried to keep himself from fidgeting. "If that's okay?"
"Why wouldn't it be okay?" Tony gave another shrug. "Just us. Time and place?"
"My place, five o clock." Steve answered quickly.
"Jarvis?" Tony looked up to the ceiling. The AI answered him promptly saying, "I've set a reminder Sir. Dinner with the Captain at five pm."
Tony nodded, "Alright." He smiled watching Steve as he took his cup with him back to the door, "See ya then."

When he disappeared from the hall Steve frantically breathed and began to pace the floor. HIS place?! His small Brooklyn apartment?! Was it even clean?! What would he make!? It didn't have to be home made just because they were at home right? There's plenty of restaurants that would deliver food.

"Perhaps I could be of some assistance, Captain Rogers?" Jarvis asked his sensors picking up on his panic.
"Uh—" Steve muttered.
"Perhaps a suggested menu for tonight's dinner?"
"Yes. Please." He nodded.
"I've compiled a list of Mr.Stark's eating habits. Most of the items are low carb high protein items, and have recently began to cut back on the 'gluten' intake. However he will allow himself the occasional splurge."
Steve looked through the items on the screen Jarvis popped up for him. This man ate like a rabbit. So many vegetables, and some he hadn't known the name of or what they looked like. To his relief though he didn't seem picky. There was also meat on the list. And sporadically pasta, rice, and bread. He just ate very healthy. And why shouldn't he? The world would need Iron Man for a long time. Could have your super hero dying of high cholesterol, or with conditions such as IBS. Having the money helps pay for all these organic, grass fed, free range; what ever a 'non gmo' is, food.

"If it helps, I over heard Mr.Stark talk about how he'd love to treat himself to some Domino's pizza, pasta carbonara, and Neapolitan ice cream."
That was easy. Yeah! He'd order the pizza, pasta isn't too hard to make at all with a quick recipe to follow online because he does know how to use the internet as much as people joke about him not being tech savvy. And pick up some ice cream. His heart fluttered with excitement, now all he had to worry about was cleaning the apartment.

"Thanks Jarvis. I gotta go." He finally walked out of the room then a full on sprint to the parking lot of the newly constructed Avengers Tower and to his motorcycle.