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Tony sat in his car, phone glued to his ear, staring at the house he'd arrived at 10 minutes prior. The moment he'd turned off the ignition, he had panicked. Which meant he'd called Pepper to talk him down.
“Tony, what's really going on? I know it’s not the salad you brought that is stressing you out,” she asked calmly after he’d rambled on about a million bullshit excuses why he couldn’t go inside.
Tony knew better than to bullshit now. It was part of why he'd called Pepper instead of Rhodey. “What if they hate me? Pep, this is Steve's family. If they hate me, they will tell him and then… Pep, I like him. A lot. I don’t want this to end because his family doesn’t like me.”
“Oh, sweetheart. There is nothing you can do to make them hate you.”
“You just listened to me ramble about salad and the colour of my shirt for 10 minutes. You know better than anyone the dumb shit I say when I’m nervous.”
She let out a sigh, and Tony could hear the smile on her lips without seeing her. “If Steve is ready to introduce you to the most important people in his life, he is sure about this Tony. He knows you’ll fit in with them in the same way you knew when you introduced him to us. And he knows one hypothetical bad introduction isn’t going to make or break this. He knows you, and he loves you.“
“You’ve definitely jinxed it. We haven’t said that yet, so I don’t know.”
“I’d beg to differ on that one,” she laughed. “Just be yourself. I promise they will love you as much as Steve and I do.”
“You think?” Tony chewed on his thumb, knowing what was coming. “What if they think I’m weird?”
“Then they’ve obviously met the real you! We’re all a little weird, honey. Now, deep breath.” Pepper did it with him. “Grab your keys. Get out of the car.” She waited until he’d closed his door behind him. “Grab that orzo salad and go see your guy. And have fun, Tony.”
“Thanks, Pep.”
They hung up, and Tony did as he was instructed. He grabbed his salad, walked to the front door and rang the doorbell.
Normally, he and Steve would have driven up together, which would have helped with the jitters a bit at least. Steve had spent a few days at his best friends’ house, helping them get the last of their boxes unpacked and the house set up after their big move an hour out of the city. Leaving Tony alone on the front porch, imagining the worse greetings possible in the span of a few seconds. He barely had time to take another deep breath before Steve answered the door, lips stretched in the brightest smile.
“You made it,” he said as he opened the door, barely seeing Tony, leaving no doubt on what was happening.
“You’ve been watching me this whole time, haven’t you,” Tony asked sheepishly.
Steve rubbed the back of his neck and looked guilty as heck. “I’m sorry. I got excited when Nat said there was a car that had pulled up… talking with Pepper?”
Tony smiled, remembering Steve telling him he had a ‘talking to Pepper’ face a few times. “That obvious? Sorry if I worried you.”
“No, you didn’t. I shouldn’t've been nosy. I was just excited- okay, let’s just forget that happened.” Steve smiled again, and Tony realized Steve was just as nervous as he was. “Come in. And let me grab that from you.”
“Why are we being so awkward?” Tony asked with a nervous huff of laughter as he tried to step around Steve, who was still holding the door but also trying to grab the bowl from his hands. They looked like they were in the middle of a disastrous attempt at dancing around each other, which ended in them laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.
Steve got the salad on the kitchen island, Tony following the short distance.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Steve said as he cradled Tony’s face in his hands and kissed him.
The contact was what Tony had needed, because for the first time that day things fell into place and felt right. Steve tended to have that effect on him. He managed to quiet Tony’s ever racing thoughts and grounded him like no one could.
“I’m happy I’m here.” Tony returned the kiss easily.
“Ew, mom! Uncle Steve is sucking face with his boyfriend,” a girl’s voice came from a door at the back of the kitchen.
“Your dad dare you to say that,” Steve asked without even turning, instead kissing Tony again, this time more loudly and over-the-top than Tony had ever experienced from Steve, making him laugh.
“He promised me 20 bucks.”
“That does like your father,” an exasperated woman replied. “Please behave.”
“I’m sorry in advance for the lot of them,” Steve whispered to Tony, a hint of that earlier nervousness returning. Steve kissed Tony’s nose before turning to face the newly arrived people in the kitchen with them. “Sweetheart, this is Natasha and my goddaughter, Alex. Guys, this is my boyfriend, Tony.”
Natasha came around to give Tony a hug and welcome him, while Alex commented that Steve was old to have a boyfriend.
“It’s nice to meet you both,” Tony told them when Natasha released him. “Thanks for inviting me. Your house looks beautiful.”
“Uncle Steve never stops talking about you. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“Stop teasing your uncle and go tell your dad to fire up the grill, please,” Natasha asked her daughter before turning to Tony. “Thank you, I’ll make sure Steve gives you the proper tour when things quiet down. I’m sorry in advance that everyone in that backyard will act like they’ve never seen another human with Steve before. He doesn’t usually bring anyone to meet us, so they will tease him mercilessly.” She winked at him, a kind smile directed his way.
“We’ll be out in a second, Tasha,” Steve called out to her as she left them in the kitchen. He rubbed his hands up and down Tony’s arms. “You ready for this?”
Tony smiled at him, but he knew it was a bit strained. “Can’t be that bad. Why do you seem so worried about this?”
“I’m not. Not really. They’re going to love you,” Steve started saying. “They can just be… much. I just want you to like them, you know?”
“Yeah, I, um… I know that feeling. It’s why I called Pep. I worry they won’t like me and then you’re going to not like me and, yeah. It seems to be a general sentiment.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” Steve wrapped him in a hug, holding him for a few long beats before backing away, tangling their fingers today and giving him that smile that Steve seemed to reserve just for him. “They’re going to love you, I have no doubt. Come on, let’s go meet everyone.”
The next hour was a whirlwind of associating faces to names and stories Steve had told him over the past months. While Tony hadn’t had a chance to meet Steve’s people yet, he knew so much about them. On the first night they’d met, Steve had told him all about how he’d lost his mom when he was still young – when Tony was dealing with his own sudden familial loss. They’d talked about how Steve’s best friend and his mom, who Steve had always considered more like a brother than a simple friend, had become his family in the same way Tony considered Rhodey his brother, and his family his own. Tony had desperately needed that reminder that blood didn’t only make family.
Through the following weeks and months, Tony had learned about Bucky and Natasha, and how the two of them had been thrown into parenthood very early out of high school, and how it had shaped both theirs and Steve’s paths. He’d learned just how involved Uncle Steve was with his goddaughter, and how absolutely smitten he’d been with her as a baby, and how protective he was of her as she approached teenagerhood. How Steve had met Sam in college, and they’d realized how much they had in common in all their differences, which had brought him into their little unit. How Clint had stumbled in Nat’s life, no one really knew how, but never left. They’d added kids along the way – mostly Clint and his wife Laura, although Tony knew Nat and Bucky were expecting after all this time, and Steve couldn’t wait – and a few partners had come and gone. But at the core, no matter how they’d come into each other’s lives, this was Steve’s family.
Tony went around and met everyone of them, who did in fact tease Steve but did so with so much fondness and love that Tony smiled the whole time. Tony also learned that he shared a love of classic rock with Clint, he understood Sam whose current partner Riley was a military man like Rhodey was, he shared a love of science with Bucky, and Natasha’s sense of humour rivaled his own.
Tony also fell hard and fast for Alex, who followed Steve around as much as she did her parents. She was smart, kind, and funny. Tony hadn’t really gotten to know many pre-teens, but he really liked Alex, and he loved Steve with her, which absolutely shouldn’t make his mind shoot years in the future, and yet…
Steve fluttered around, sometimes leaving Tony to go assist someone or to join in a game of corn holes if someone was short a player – except Clint, for some reason no one ever wanted to play against him, and Steve had warned him he’d lose if he attempted it.
Tony found he never ran out of things to talk about with anyone there. Even when Steve left him by the grill with Bucky so he could go help Natasha bring out food for dinner, he returned to find Tony and Bucky still in a conversation about the feasibility of flying cars. Steve only grabbed Tony’s hand with a quick squeeze to let him know he was there and let them continue theorizing on what would be most efficient between a hybrid fly-roll model, or just flying with no other option. He expected Bucky or Steve to change the subject, but neither did. Steve even jumped in asking if the automotive or aviation rules would need to be considered once these flying vehicles made it to production. They had needed Natasha to come and save dinner before Bucky forgot it on the grill.
“If you figure out how to make it, I just want the first model in my driveway,” Bucky had called out as he brought stacks of burgers to the main food table.
Tony had only laughed, but his mind was trying to come up with a way to make some sort of remote-controlled version for Christmas. And that was something he hadn’t expected. He’d never thought that far ahead about any relationship he’d had, even less about people adjacent to that relationship. Dreaming of a future with Steve was so easy, and even more so when he thought of all the other amazing people that would be in his life, and how Pepper and Nat would get along so well. How Rhodey would love hanging out with Sam and Clint and watch a game with them all. And the thought of having kids with Steve and watching them grow up along with the current and upcoming additions to the various rosters here. He had never thought it could be so simple.
Steve pulled him out of his daydream, wrapping their joined hands behind Tony’s back and kissing his temple. “How you holding up?”
Tony smiled easily at Steve, kissing him indulgently for a long stretch. “I’m really good. Everyone is amazing.”
Steve tilted his head like he was considering that assessment. “They’re alright.”
Tony laughed. “I’m sorry,” Tony blurted out to a confused looking Steve. “Earlier, when I was worried. When I got here. I just- I couldn’t bear the idea that they might not like me and then you’d break up with me ‘cause no one wants to date someone their family hates, and I love you way too much to lose you, Steve and-“
“I love you too,” Steve cut him off with a wide smile.
Tony’s eyes grew wide as he realized what he blurted out in his rambling, and that Steve had said it back. “Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“That’s… that’s really good.”
“Yeah, it is. That’s why I was so nervous too. Because I am absolutely crazy about you, and I thought you’d find this all weird and want out.” Steve curled his free hand around Tony’s neck and pulled him in for a kiss, both searing and sweet in equal measure.
“Daddy! Uncle Steve is doing the face sucking thing again.”
“You already got your 20 bucks, let the man be gross in peace,” Bucky retorted.
Steve tried to continue kissing him, but he and Tony were smiling far too much for it to work anymore.
“By the way, Pepper and Nat will either rule or destroy the world once they meet, I can’t decide which yet. And I’m calling dibs on Alex when we break up.”
Steve scoffed, mildly affronted but mostly amused. “I just told you I love you and you’re thinking of us breaking up, huh?”
“Just planning for the future.”
“Which doesn’t involve me apparently,” Steve teased.
“Actually… not even close.”
Steve teasing smile softened at Tony’s admission, and he worried it might have been a step too far.
“That was a lot for a backyard barbecue moment.”
“No, I feel the same. Which is… unexpectedly easy and right with you.” Tony nodded and Steve brought their lips together again, to a slew of whistles and cat calling. “They’re never going to stop doing that, you know,” Steve told him fondly, foreheads resting together as they caught their breaths.
Tony just smiled. “That’s what family’s for, amiright?”