Chapter Text
Tony met Steve eight months ago and started dating him six months ago. He’s not exactly the type to settle down but something about Steve was so comforting and welcoming. Normally he wouldn’t even be thinking about marriage, much less kids. But he loves Steve and wants to start talking about settling down and making a family together.
Tony owns a tech company, nothing major but it’s big enough he won’t have to worry about his bills until well after retirement. He was well off, especially after he’d inherited after his parents passed. He was going through a coffee shop when he met Steve working behind the counter. He kept going back and soon enough mustered the courage to ask Steve out. Normally Tony was never nervous, he was usually very well off when he got his own dates.
But this was different, he really cared about Steve. But Steve was a bit shy and hesitant at first, it took Tony a few tries before Steve agreed to go on a date with him. He was easygoing and agreed to almost anything. Tony found the relationship with him so much easier than any other relationship. But Steve was hesitant for each new step in their relationship. He’d said no to sex the first few times and Tony stopped offering and waited for him to be ready.
But he loved him and figured he was just a bit shy. They never argued and Steve never disagreed on anything he said. They got along perfectly fine. So tonight’s the night, Tony will muster up the courage to bring up the talk of marriage. One step at a time, first comes marriage and all that. He stops outside the apartment door and knocks waiting for Steve to answer. Steve was a little paranoid and had four locks on his door. Tony never questioned it, if it made him feel safe, who was he to argue that? He liked for Steve to be safe.
“Hi.” Steve smiled.
“Hey, are you not ready?” Tony asked, he was sure they’d agreed to go out to dinner.
“Oh, dinner. I’m sorry. I’ll…I’ll get changed. I’m sorry.” Steve started to ramble on.
“Hey, it’s no big deal. We can order in if you don’t want to go out.” Tony gently put a hand on Steve’s arm to stop him and calm him down.
“I’m sorry.” Steve whispered.
“Don’t be silly, you’re already comfy. Did you want to order in?” Tony asked.
“Sure.” Steve closed the door, locking the deadbolt only.
“What should I order?” Tony pulled out his phone.
“Whatever you want is fine.” Steve shrugged. “Can I get you anything to drink?”
“Whatever you have is good. I know you don’t keep any real drinks around.” Tony didn’t look up from his phone. Another thing he found odd, Steve never mentioned being an alcoholic or having trouble with such a thing. But he never had alcohol of any sorts in his apartment, he always got a little quiet when Tony would order a drink when they went out so he cut back.
“I ordered chinese, is that alright?” Tony put his phone down.
“Yeah, fine. I got soda or water.” Steve held a bottle of water and a can of coke.
“I’ll have the soda.” Tony held out his hand. Steve handed it over, taking the bottle of water for himself.
“How was work today?” Tony asked.
“Fine, I had to mop up a large coffee.” Steve laughed.
“Why? What happened?” Tony grinned.
“Uh, this customer, he just picked it up from the counter and he saw this girl. She was very pretty and I guess he got distracted. But anyway, he totally bit it. Butt in the air and all.” Steve explained.
“What happened to the girl?” Tony asked.
“She helped him up and they got a table. Three coffees later, they left together.” Steve smiled.
“That’s actually kind of cute.” Tony laughed.
“How was your day?” Steve asked. Tony never liked to get into work because he felt like Steve would get bored. But some days he just couldn’t help it. He rambled on about the new tech that he was working on. Going into details that he thought Steve would find boring but Steve just listened intently. The food arrived and they dished out some food sitting at the table to eat, while Tony talked on.
“Are you okay? You’re quiet tonight.” Tony asked when he realized he was still the only one talking.
“Fine, just listening to you talk. It’s kind of comforting.” Steve smiled.
“Look, there’s been something I’ve actually been wanting to talk about.” Tony pushed around the few grains of rice left on his plate.
“Okay?” Steve questioned.
“Uh, I was wondering. What’s your take on marriage?” Tony asked. Steve stopped eating and looked at Tony.
“Uh, why do you ask?” Steve put his head back down.
“I know we’ve only been dating six months. I was just wondering what your take was. If that’s something I should be working on?” Tony shrugged.
“No, I’m not getting married.” Steve stood up taking his plate to the counter. Tony was confused on why he shut the idea down so quickly.
“I mean we can just talk about it. It’s not like I'm proposing right this second.” Tony scoffed.
“I said no.” Steve raised his voice.
“Honey, what’s wrong? I was just bringing it up for discussion. We can’t even discuss this?” Tony stood up taking his plate with him.
“I have a commission due this weekend.” Steve backed up, going around to the other side of the counter. Steve was an artist on the side and worked on commissions here and there. Nothing big or popular but he had a couple of regulars that found him drawing at the coffee shop. “I should work on that.”
“What? You want me to leave? For bringing it up?” Tony asked, putting the plate in the sink.
“Please Tony, I just…I have work to do.” Steve put his head down.
“Can I at least help you clean up?” Tony asked.
“No, I got it.” Steve muttered.
“Babe, I’m sorry I brought it up. I didn’t mean to upset you.” Tony went around the counter and gently took Steve’s hand.
“I just don’t want to get married. It’s not that I don’t love you. I do love you.” Steve rushed to explain.
“Hey, stop.” Tony wanted to keep him from rambling. “Like I said, it was just me bringing it up for discussion. If you don’t believe in marriage or whatever. We don’t have to talk about it.”
“I’m sorry.” Steve whispered.
“No, it's fine. Just like with the whole sex thing. Just tell me if you’re ready to talk.” Tony sighed. Steve looked at Tony and as much as it hurt for Tony to feel like Steve was rejecting him, he leaned in to give him a gentle kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Tony grabbed his jacket and went to the door and left. He had never heard Steve so much as raise his voice, much less argue. He looked back to Steve’s door and he heard him locking the door. He loved Steve and he was prepared to be patient with him. As much as he did want to have sex with him he wasn’t going to pressure him into it.
The fact alone that they hadn’t moved so far into their relationship was new to Tony. He was used to one night stands and quick hookups. But Steve wanted to wait so he was happy to wait. Granted six months was the longest he’d gone without sex and didn’t recommend it to anyone. But he was willing to wait for Steve because after a few weeks of dating he knew he loved him. Always will, which was why he was bringing up the topic of marriage.
Steve was different from anyone else he’d dated and he dated quite the array of people. But that’s what he liked about him. That he brought Tony down to earth and humbled him. They didn’t have to go on extravagant dates. Steve was simple and liked the nights where they could watch movies and spend time together. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that Tony finally got to see Steve’s apartment. He’d pick him up for dates and Steve would be waiting outside.
He tried his best to push the thoughts aside to try to sleep. Tony had insomnia and usually struggled to sleep. This was where it came in handy to have a boyfriend who worked at a coffee shop. Steve would have his usual ready for him first thing in the morning when he was there. But when he went in the next day to get his coffee he didn’t see Steve. He got to the front and saw Steve’s co-worker.
“Steve’s not in today. But he called ahead.” The barista held out Tony’s usual.
“Oh, thanks.” Tony paid for his coffee and left. Steve didn’t say he wasn’t going to work. Or that he wasn’t feeling well. Tony immediately got worried and called him only for it to go straight to voicemail.
Tony sent a message to his assistant to clear his day and he wouldn’t be coming in for the day, a perk of being the owner. He could take days off when he needed to. He went back to his car and drove to Steve’s apartment. He got to the door and looked at the listings, one day he was going to memorize the number. He found Steve Joseph and pressed in the number. There was no answer and Tony was stumped. He went around to the side of the building and saw Steve’s bike was still parked in its spot. He went back and tried again, this time it picked up but he didn’t hear anything.
“Steve? Are you there? It’s Tony.” Tony thought maybe he couldn’t hear him. There was still no answer when he heard the buzzer go off. He opened the door and went up the stairs. The fact that Steve lived in a three story apartment with no elevator was ridiculous to him. Although his penthouse was more than worthy of an elevator he wasn’t about to climb flights of stairs to the top floor of his skyscraper.
“Steve?” Tony knocked. He waited and heard the locks before Steve opened the door. “Are you okay? They said you didn’t show up to work.”
“I’m fine. Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” Steve backed up to let him in. Locking the door behind him.
“Perks of owning the company. I can take a day off when I need to. You’re not sick are you? I can run for some soup.” Tony offered.
“No, I'm not sick.” Steve took a seat at the table working on another drawing.
“Then what’s wrong? You never do this, close yourself off. Was it the whole marriage talk last night?” Tony took a seat.
“God, can you just drop it with the marriage thing?” Steve tossed his pencil to the table, giving up on the drawing.
“I just don’t see what the whole problem is. I just brought it up to discuss. I didn’t think you’d get so worked up over it.” Tony sighed as he stood up.
“Well, I already said I don’t want to get married.” Steve pouted.
“Okay, now I know it’s not that. You do want to get married don’t you?” Tony asked. Steve peeked a look at him. “When you lie you cross your arms and pout.”
Steve uncrossed his arms and tried to wipe the pout from his expression. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“What won’t I understand?” Tony raised his voice. Steve let out a breath and got up heading over to his bed. Another thing Tony never understood, Steve didn’t want a bedroom he settled for a bachelor suite. “Steve, what’s so wrong? Why can’t we even discuss marriage?”
“Because.” Steve muttered.
“What am I a toddler? You can’t just say ‘because’ and expect me to just drop it.” Tony argued.
“Because I’m already married!” Steve yelled. Tony’s heart shattered to a million pieces at those words. How could he not have seen it? Steve never wore a wedding ring. Was he cheating on him? No, he was the other guy. Steve had a husband out there. So what were they doing for the last six months, besides making a fool of himself.
“You’re what?” Tony finally managed to get out, his voice shaking. Every emotion he could feel, hurt, sad, anger, jealousy, all of it washed over him at once making it overwhelming.
“I’m already married.” Steve repeated.