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Tony Stark was amazing at almost every single thing he did, if only because he had the attitude pull it off. He embodied the attitude of the "fake it until you make it" saying. He was great at almost everything. But almost was the key word and almost never cut it.
Steve had been amazing. He had thought of everything for their anniversary and Tony had nothing that could compare because out of all of the amazing things Tony Stark could do, he was horrible at romance.
Steve had taken him out to their favorite place for dinner, candles, roses, everything, a walk along the river in Paris because Steve knew how much Tony loved to travel, and ended it in the worlds most comfortable, classy hotel which was a castle. A castle. Steve had gotten them a night in a castle because Steve was wonderful and thoughtful and Tony didn't deserve him in the slightest. Laying nestled in Steve's arms in their giant bed in the castle- Tony could not get over the fact that they were in a castle- Tony had never felt more happy and unworthy at the same time.
"Steve?" said Tony after almost an hour of silence.
"Yes love?" said Steve softly, his fingers on his left hand tracing patterns over Tony's face, gently caressing his closed eyes.
"You touch these tired eyes of mine and map my face out line by line," said Tony, saying the words as they came to his mind, knowing he had to say them quickly or they would never get out, or he would over think them and Steve would never know how important he was to Tony. "And somehow it's perfect, and I've never felt more secure or loved in my life."
"Always," smiled Steve because the super soldier knew how difficult it was for his boyfriend to admit his feelings aloud. He knew Tony had been through the ringer emotionally and never once did he doubt that affection because while Tony rarely said it, he showed it every day in all of the things he did.
"I know that I'm sort of bad at these things," rambled Tony. "I mean, I'm practically allergic to feelings and you, you're amazing. You pretty much wrap your thoughts in works of art and the best I can do is hang them on the walls of my heart, but that's nothing compared to what you do. I mean, I may not have the softest touch, I may not say all those touchy feely words, I may not look like much, but I want you to know that I'm yours."
Tony snuggled closer and Steve could tell that it didn't end there.
"You healed my scars over time," whispered Tony, taking Steve's larger hand and moving it to trace the arc reactor, something that had taken him months to allow Steve to even see, let alone touch freely. "You embraced my soul when I wasn't even sure I had one left and you loved my mind when most end up hating me for it. You put up with my insanity, you've never given up on me, no matter how long it takes me to adjust. You're the only angel in my life."
Steve kissed the brown locks tickling his nose, unable to fully believe that the man he was holding was his to have and to hold. When they had first met, Steve had written Tony off as arrogant, self-centered, and obnoxious, everything he had heard he was. After watching him fly the nuke into the wormhole without a thought to himself, Steve had been forced to reevaluate his opinion of the man. Then Tony made him think even harder when he not only sent an open invitation to every single Avenger to live at his newly renovated Tower but went the extra step and designed each an apartment that fit their personality and needs specifically. He never told them this of course, they all just ended up meandering in for various reasons, normally needing a place to sleep for a night while in New York, and found a room designed specifically with them in mind. Eventually, their visits became more frequent until one day they just didn't leave. Tony never commented.
"I may not be the easiest guy to get along with and I know I sure as hell don't deserve you," continued Tony, not seeming to notice Steve's musings. "And I know I don't fit and I can't promise you it will be easy or I'll get easier to deal with, but I'm yours."
Tony sighed as if a huge weight had been lifted from his chest with the end of his admission. He had never wanted to be anyone else's ever. When Steve had first asked him to go steady, he had asked Tony specifically to be his man and Tony had refused with the counter offer of being his boyfriend but stating that Tony Stark belonged to no one. Over the years, he had unintentionally become wholeheartedly and irrevocably Steve's, but saying it aloud was something he had never done.
"I know," said Steve quietly, lips in Tony's messy hair, smile clear in his tone. "Thank you."
"You knew?" said Tony, looking up in surprise. "But I've never told you that."
"You never had to use words," shrugged Steve. "I could tell by how you act. But it's nice to know that you know it too."
The words were said gently but they still stung Tony's pride; he hated being that last to know anything.
"I will love you forever and always," whispered Steve, as if he could feel Tony's hurt and wanted to reassure him of what he meant. "Through the good and the bad and the ugly. I'm not going to leave, so you have to stop expecting it. Because while I know you're mine and have known it for a long time now, I need you to know that I entirely yours."
"Do you remember the fight?" whispered Tony, his voice quaking at the mere thought of the fight.
Steve knew exactly which fight his boyfriend was referring to and merely held him tighter in answer.
It was supposed to be an easy, quick mission, which was why they had only sent Tony and Steve, who were already on that side of the world for one of Tony's many conferences. The mission itself was easy, something any one of them could have handled on their own, but the return trip had turned into a mess quickly, with their aircraft being shot out of the sky and Tony and Steve having the option to crash inside the aircraft and be killed or jump and hope to live. They jumped, just Steve and Tony, no Iron Man suit, the shield of no use, and when they landed had survived.
The aircraft hit farther up the slope a minute later, triggering an avalanche, and they had barely had time to duck into one of the cramped caves that littered the mountain side before the snow sealed them in. Steve, covering Tony with his body as the snow rumbled down, had been knocked out briefly by a chunk of ice, leaving Tony alone in the dark cave to panic.
"Please wake up Stevie," whispered Tony, who only called him Stevie when he begged. "I don't want to be alone. Come on, please."
Steve remained motionless.
"Steve, I understand that the world will carry on without you," said Tony, shaking from cold and terror, trying to keep the encroaching memories of caves and dark at bay by begging his lover to wake up. "But nothing will be the same. I would be lost without you. Please wake up. Stevie, please! I swear, I'll do whatever it takes. I'll stop being a selfish bastard and let you be with someone you deserve if you just don't leave me now. Please. Stay."
Slowly, unwillingly, Steve blinked his way back to the world of the living to find a sobbing, shuddering Tony clutching his chest in the midst of a full blown panic attack. Without thinking, Steve wrapped his arms around the smaller man, pulling him into his lap as he sat up, tugging his phone out of the genius's back pocket and sending the emergency notice to the others, knowing they would be out in a few short hours once one of them responded.
They didn't speak of that time in the cave. Steve had only a mild concussion, Tony a broken foot and leg from the drop from the plane, but the time stuck in the cold, dark cave was entirely more painful for both than those physical injuries. Steve felt guilty for leaving Tony alone thought he had not control over the situation, and Tony was embarrassed at his melt down.
"You weren't responding," whispered Tony. "We had only been together for a month but you weren't responding and that was the moment I realized I couldn't lose you too and it was also the moment I realized that I had never given you a reason to stay. And I promised myself that if you woke up I'd give you every reason to stay and tell you how I felt, and I know it's been three years and I never told you, but I'm ready now. So Steve, if you really meant what you said, that you will love me forever and always, then I promise to spend the rest of forever trying to make you as happy as you make me and giving you every reason to stay."
Tony dug into his pocket and pulled out a box.
"Steve, I never understood what people meant when they said they found their other half. I mean, how could you be half of a whole your entire life? It didn't make sense. And when I met you, I didn't think you could ever complete me because I had been whole a long time ago. But you made me see that while I had been whole, I had never been complete. With you, I can do more. You're my muse, my inspiration, the reason I want to become better than I am. What I'm trying to say is, Steve Rogers, I love you. Will you marry me?"
Steve laughed. Not just a chuckle or surprised yet pleased giggle, it was a full blown belly laugh that sent vibrations through Tony where he was draped over the larger man's broad chest.
"I simple no would have worked," grouched Tony, turning away to hide the hurt.
"No, Tony," gasped Steve, trying to fight back his laughter. "No, of course I'll marry you, you goof. I'm laughing because-love, look at me."
"No, you'll just laugh at me again," pouted Tony.
"Sweetheart," said Steve, his voice rumbling in that irresistible way that forced Tony to turn, almost against his will.
Steve was holding out his own ring, grin on his face.
"You beat me to the punch," said Steve.