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It’s been about four years since the team formed, and still no one has noticed the thin chain around Tony’s neck. It’s made of thin beads of metal, and is the kind you buy from Walmart for ten bucks a pop; not exactly the typical quota for billionaire jewelry, but he loves it anyway. It’s not the chain, but what hangs on it, hiding underneath his blue cotton shirt.
It’s been about four years since the team formed, and still no one has noticed the locket Maria wears; or at least, they haven’t noticed that it’s anything but an ordinary locket. Small, silver, and round, the pendant hangs against her chest just as any other necklace would. It’s not any other necklace though, it’s what is inside of the small pendant that matters.
-
That is until one day Clint had invited Tony to spar and inadvertently won, that someone noticed the chain around his neck. Far too exhausted from his defeat, the genius didn’t notice the chain was no longer under his shirt, but now on display for the world to see. And on it hung a simple silver ring.
“Hey Tony,” Clint began, his eyes forming slits as they zeroed in on the ring, resting lightly atop his chest. “Is that a wedding ring you’re wearing on that chain?”
The billionaire’s eyes went wide as he looked down, finally noticing that it had slipped out from underneath his shirt. He may have backed himself into a corner with this one, Tony chose to remain calm and vague.
“Sure is.”
“Why?” The archer's nose crinkled as he asked the question, visibly confused.
Tony quickly thought up a brilliant way to get himself out of that question. “Because if I wore it on my hand, it could get caught on something in the lab, and then I’d be left with nine fingers.” No one said anything for a moment. “Do you know how hard it would be to work with nine fingers?"
Clint shook his head. “I meant, why are you wearing a wedding ring around a chain?” Tony picked up the ring and examined it, before pulling his shirt away from his chest and dropping it back inside. The faint sound of metal hitting metal was heard as it thumped against the reactor in his chest. “Are you married or something?”
Without answering, Tony stood up and walked out of the training room, giving a small salute to the confused dirty blond archer he left behind, still pondering the conversation.
-
One thing some people might not guess about the infamous Maria Hill was that she was prone to losing things. Then again, who wouldn’t be when living in a compound with a bunch of superheroes, having to babysit them at Fury's orders, and all of which are insanely obsessed with pranks and a lack of personal space. Upon realizing she’s lost her locket, she goes practically insane. Her most precious belonging was stashed inside the small silver cage; a simple gold ring with a single ruby.
“Alright, who took my necklace?” she asked angrily, storming into the kitchen during breakfast. She was, oddly enough, the last one to wake up today. Her husband had been working in his lab since the previous afternoon.
"You mean the one which is 'oh so precious to you'?" Sam asked. Maria glared at him, before rolling her eyes and throwing him a look.
“Ugh,” she groaned, running her fingers through her brown hair. “I need to find it, and I’m almost positive one of you had something to do with its disappearance.” Everyone around the table shrugged.
“Calm down, Lady Maria,” Thor laughed. “It is just a simple necklace, is it not?” How could Maria ever explain the meaning of that necklace to her without compromising herself?
Vision examined her, pausing the equations running through his mind momentarily. “Is it of great importance to you, Ms Hill?”
“Yes,” she confirmed, glaring at everyone around the table. “I was wearing it when we got home from the club yesterday; I know one of you has to know where it is.”
Bucky strolled into the kitchen a few moments later, munching on an pear and swinging the silver necklace around his metal fingers. “Hey Mari,” he began, pausing to take a bite of his apple. “You left this in the living room last night. Chain’s busted, probably from yesterday.” He handed her the locket, its chain snapped in half but the pendant intact.
She instantly let out a breath, closing her fist around the locket. “Thanks, Buck.”
He nodded. “Neat idea by the way,” he continued mindlessly. “Keeping the ring inside of it, that way you won’t lose it on missions. Where’d you get it from anyway?”
Maria was sweating slightly, unusual since she was such a well-trained liar. “My grandmother?” It was obvious to everyone in the room that the woman was nervous, but they all chose not to comment on it, knowing she was fully within her right mind to kill them.
Bucky nodded. “Cool.” His mouth said he suspected nothing, but when he looked into her eyes a moment later, they said something different. He shot her a look, as if saying 'I know'. She swallowed and went to retrieve a new chain from her jewelry box.
-
Bucky, Wanda, Steve, Sam, Clint, Thor, Natasha and Vision in his phased form decided to go see a movie, since it was an experience a majority of the group had never had. Tony stayed behind to work in his lab, Rhodey stayed behind since he had a date, and Maria stayed behind because she hated romantic comedies.
It was beginning to get late when Maria opened the door to her husband’s lab, walking in quietly. “Tony?” she questioned, locating him at a worktable on the far side of the room. “I was just about to watch television on the couch, if you wanted to join?”
Tony hummed a bit in response, looking up with a mischievous grin. “What do I get if I do?”
“Let me think,” the former Deputy Director dragged sarcastically, looking at him with a small smile. “How about we cuddle?”
“And?”
“A kiss.”
“And?”
“Ice cream.”
"Sold,” the billionaire announced, sauntering over to the brunette and pulling her in for a hug. “Can I go ahead and get that kiss now?” With a cheeky smile, she leaned over and planted a kiss on his lips.
They went to the kitchen and each made a bowl of vanilla and cookie dough ice cream, then headed into the living room to watch their favorite show, Criminal Minds. They were snuggled under blankets on the couch, eating their ice cream and with their limbs tangled among one another.
Soon, an exhausted Tony, who had pulled five consecutive all-nighters, rested his head on his wife’s stomach. Maria, who would normally make him get up, decided to let him stay, running her fingers mindlessly through his short hair.
"James found the ring,” Maria said, and her husband hummed a little in response.
“Clint saw mine,” he told her quietly.
Maria thought for a few moments. It had been eight years since their marriage; she doesn’t really understand why they hide it anymore. Originally it was because of their jobs, with her being Deputy Director. But now SHIELD has fallen it took away much of the risk.
“Should we just... tell them?” Maybe it was for amusement.<
Tony smiled a bit. “And what’s fun about that?” He let out a small laugh. “Instead of telling them, let’s just... put our rings on our fingers or kiss in front of them or something?”
Maria imagined their faces if they did something like that; it was an enjoyable thought. “Alright.” It was definitely for amusement.
-
A few days later, they decided to go through with it. Maria managed to get Tony into bed at a reasonable-ish hour, she put his ring on his finger as he drifted off to sleep. When she woke up the next morning, she brushed out her hair, changed out of her pajamas, and slipped her own ring on her finger, leaving the repaired locket on her pocket.
When she got to the kitchen, she grabbed her favorite mug and poured herself a large cup of coffee, sitting down with her huge pile of paperwork. After a while, the kitchen was filled with people, all enjoying plates of pancakes, egg and bacon, courtesy of Steve and Wanda. No one noticed the ring on her finger. Eventually, the only one missing was Tony, and Maria dearly hoped he hadn’t decided to back out or forgotten to wake up; maybe she just wanted to get it over with, but she also couldn’t wait to see the team’s reaction.
Finally, just as she was beginning to think he may have forgotten all together, Tony came strolling into the kitchen like any other morning. Except it wasn’t like any other morning; Maria saw the gleam of his ring as he walked through the kitchen.
“Morning everyone,” he grunted, strolling to the counter and pouring himself a large cup of orange juice. Faint echoes of ‘good morning’ floated around the table. He strolled back towards the table, slowing when he reached Maria. She looked up at him from where she sat, and he suddenly leaned down and planted a kiss on her lips. “Morning Ria.” She gave him a small smile in response, shifting her head back down.
The expressions on the faces of their friends were absolutely priceless. Thor was grinning and whooping, but nothing too over-the-top. Vision had no reaction. Bucky just sipped his coffee with a raised eyebrow, the look saying I told you so. Rhodey and Natasha were their witnesses at the wedding. Wanda, Clint, Steve, and Sam, on the other hand, looked absolutely shocked; mouths hung open and limbs suddenly numb, they stared at the couple.
Finally, someone spoke. “So are you guys, like... together?” Wanda asked slowly, looking back and forth between the former agent and the genius.
The brunette looked up at her husband again, and they both held up their hands, showing off their rings. Everyone’s head swung around as Sam choked on his glass of milk.
“You’re... engaged?” he managed to choke out eventually, staring at them with wide eyes.
Tony shook his head. “Married.”
Steve, who had suspected something since he saw Tony’s ring, was surprised, but not to the same extent as Sam and Wanda, who had no idea. “You’re married...” he dragged, staring at an empty wall. “How long?”
“Eight years, maybe nine.” Maria shrugged, and her husband nodded.
Wanda cocked her head. “But, no offense, you’re usually the meanest to him.”
The former agent wore a huge grin, something she didn't do often. “Had to cover the tracks.
“And we’re going to stop that now?” Tony asked, a hint of humorous hope in his voice as he took a seat next to his wife at the table.
She wrinkled her face. “Eh, probably not. Too much fun.”
"Vrai, et t'avoir taquiné est la meilleure chose qui soit."
"We're in the kitchen, Stark."
"Stark-Hill." Tony teased.
"I thought we agreed on Hill-Stark?" Maria smirked, punching Tony's arm lightly.
"Get a room! I'm tryna eat here." Sam grumbled.
"Getting." Tony smirked as he stood up, pulling Maria with him.