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This was the third time Steve had asked the question, "Do you want to go to dinner sometime?" and this was the third time that Tony brushed past the subject like Steve hadn't even opened his mouth.
"Hand me that wrench." Tony didn't look up from his table full of sharp metal objects, only letting his hand hover mere inches from the wrench he was referring to. Steve sighed and handed it to him.
"Alright, I can see you're busy. I'll ask again later." Steve walked out of the lab and towards the elevator. He didn't know how to be any more blunt other than asking for sex. Tony might actually agree to that, though. It was just dinner, nothing to be...what /was/ Tony being? He never showed emotion towards the question, only a change of subject. The elevator doors opened and he stepped inside, pressing the little button that would take him to the kitchen. Seven floors later the doors opened again and Barton stepped inside in nothing but a towel. Steve averted his eyes from Clint's reflection in the polished doors and attempted polite conversation.
"Good shower?"
"Yeah." Clint laughed, "What's on your mind, Captain?" Maybe Barton /could/ answer his question.
"How do you ask someone out these days? Is dinner not something people do?" Clint laughed again.
"Stark still putting it off? Dinner is still a date thing but Stark is...well, Stark. Try asking him to something where he can talk about himself, a car show or something." Steve would consider it. He said goodbye and exited onto his floor.
*****
The next morning on his way down to shower he passed a hastily dressed blonde in the hallway, another of Stark's. Steve had seen more women in the tower lately and was beginning to worry that Tony wasn't actually as experimental as he had been inclined to believe. He took a quick shower and was on his way back upstairs when the elevator opened and none other than Tony stepped out.
"I was thinking maybe we could go to a car show instead." Steve blurted before he changed his mind. A smirk grew on Tony's face,
"You have something in mind?" Steve flushed,
"Uh, I don't know."
"Find a show, get back to me." Steve's ears were already burning red, he may as well go for broke.
"You know, I could stop making a fool of myself if you'd just tell me that you weren't interested. It wasn't easy to find a date in the 40's either, I understand if you don't swing that--." Tony laughed a little.
"Three, Saturday. Vintage car show. Some of the stuff might be as old as you." Tony winked and walked away without another word, probably with that stupid smirk on his face, too. Steve was elated though, he got in the elevator with a grin spread wide across his face.
*****
Saturday had rolled in fast and Steve hadn't talked to Tony again but for answering a question about milk yesterday morning. Steve had asked Jarvis about the show Tony had referred to, some high end show that cost a lot to even get into. He pulled out one of the suits Tony had bought him. Apparently a good suit was a mandatory superhero disguise--or so Tony had said. At least it was coming in handy for something and Steve had to admit that he liked the fitted lines, reminding him of his military dress. Steve got in the elevator and rode up a couple floors to Tony's room. The doors opened and the first thing he saw was the toppled couch. Clothes littered the floor, there were singe marks on the edge of the bed and Tony was lying on the floor.
"Stark!" he ran over to his body, face down in the carpet, and flipped him over. "Stark!"
"Hey, Cap." He slurred with a drunken smile. He reeked of bourbon and had somehow given himself a black eye. "What're you doing here?"
"Tony, how much did you drink?"
"Just a glass, officer." Tony laughed and tried to roll back over.
"Come on, let's get you in bed." Steve sighed and picked Tony up off the floor. He carried him to his bed and covered him with the blankets that hadn't been burnt.
He supposed he would try to clean up a little while Tony slept. /I should probably change first./ he thought, /I'll use the suit some other time./ He looked back at the lump in the bed before closing the door.
*****
The next time Steve saw Tony was almost a week later. Tony had been sobering up, working and out of the country and hadn't been around the tower. Steve was willing the elevator to get there faster, hoping Tony wouldn't say anything before it did, he wasn't really in the mood for talking.
"Hey, Rogers!" Damn.
"Hey, Tony."
"Still interested in the car show? There's another one this weekend."
"You know, Stark, I don't get you."
"Not many people do, Cap."
"You blow me off but try to make it up by asking me on another date."
"Now, no one ever said it was--"
"It's a date and you know it. So what's your deal, Stark? Why won't you admit it? It's really starting to--"
"Because you're you. Do you want to go to the show or not?"
"What the hell does that that mean? Of course I'm me, why can't you go out with /me/?"
"You're going to have to buy me a drink first."
"Okay, we'll stay in then. You can drink and I can get my information."
"Not a good idea, Cap."
"And why not?"
"It's not. But if thats what you want then sure, no car show. My room, nine." Tony walked past him without another word and Steve got in the elevator. He'd find out tonight then.
*****
Steve took a deep breath and kinked a couple times on the door. He was nervous but he didn't know why. Probably because Tony was being so secretive about things. The door opened and Tony waved him in.
"Drink?" Tony asked, refilling his glass.
"No, thanks."
"Sit." Tony gestured to a seating area with his glass, the ice cubes clinking against the side. Steve chose one of the big arm chairs and watched as Tony poured himself onto the couch.
"So...should we get right to it?" Tony sighed and took a large drink.
"You're intimidating." Tony mat have started drinking an hour ago go admit something like that so quickly.
"How so?"
"You're Captain America." He was still sober enough to know he couldn't reveal too much at a time. Even inebriated Tony wouldn't give to much away.
"No, I'm Steve Rogers. You aren't answering my question, why won't you go out with me?"
"I grew up hearing stories about you, you know. You were my dad's pride and joy, he never stopped talking about you. I grew up thinking Captain America was a hero and I don't think I can date that."
"Oh." Was all Steve could think to say. He wasn't expecting that at all.
"I don't want to fuck anything else up." He finished off his drink and poured himself another. This gave Steve a little time to think about things.
"You won't." He said when Tony sat down again.
"What?"
"You won't mess anything up. We'll go to dinner, if you like it then we'll go from there. If it's awkward then I understand." He waited for a response from Tony who was staring into a corner, sipping his drink. Eventually he stood and put his dink on the table and walked to Steve's chair. He pulled his knees up and straddled him, running his fingers through bright American wheat fields of hair. He pushed Steve's head back and shoved his lips agains his. He liked it, it wasn't as strange as he though it might be. It wasn't comfortable yet but give him more alcohol and a night of talking and maybe things would change.
"I take it you're up for going to dinner?"