✵ the conversation stopped and i looked down at the ring ✵

[letmetakeaselfie]

This has the makings of every Tony Stark party to date, plus a few. It's loud, dark; and so totally nineties. It's his era, he can't help himself. Big yellow sunglasses accompany his light-colored suit, hair slicked back and a smile glued on his face. He's ready to make this an affair no one will ever forget.

Before making his way out, he stops to see her, hanging in the doorway as she pulls on her dress. "Did I get you that?" he asks, slowly slipping into the room to help her zip. It's been a few days since he's seen her -- they've barely spoken. Sometimes he gets up long before her and is in the lab long after she gets home. Though they sleep in the same bed, it's as if they lead entirely separate lives at times. He owes her so much more, this week especially, and this is his grand occasion to make up all his misgivings.

He smiles softly, thinking of their night under the stars. Eating diner burgers and garlic fries and looking over their life together. It was impossible to look forward so they had looked back, enjoyed the past for what it was. Though he had never accepted there wouldn't be a future for them, he had had to entertain the possibility that his father would let him down one last time. Fortunately for everyone, Howard had come through, and just in the nick of time.

Tony's forty today and it feels ancient. He's known Pepper for well over half his life and here they are. Once her dress is secure, he pulls her into his arms from behind, hands winding possessively around her waist. "I can tell everyone to go home." Maybe he really should have listened -- made this an intimate affair. But the wedding would be small -- quaint and New England in every way. The engagement had to be big. West Coast big. He sighs against the side of her face, unable to keep from grinning.

--

He is very, very drunk when he gets up on stage, but no one here expects anything less. He has a glass of champagne and he calls Pepper out of the crowd. This is it; their moment. The one his family's been pushing him for since the moment they'd met. "Damn," he says into the mic as she stands, whistling lowly and shaking his head. "What took me so long?"

It gets laughter, of course, but then it's quiet like a library. The New Haven library where they first met, even. No music, no nothing. When Pepper joins him , a walk that seems to take forever, he doesn't hesitate to get down on one knee, his glass left on the podium as he pulls a box out of his pocket.

"I know you wanted to keep this small, so naturally I did the exact opposite." He drops the microphone so he can pry open the box, a giant but tasteful vintage stone shining up at her. Tony swallows back his nerves, playing up the cheese for the crowd, tipping his head with a lopsided smile. "Now that I'm not dying, what do you say?"

Comments

pepper & tony

[efficacy]

For all that she prefers a more monochromatic wardrobe for the office, Pepper's event wear has more color to it. For tonight she's picked a knee-length dress in pale yellow that complements Tony's own outfit, her hair piled on top of her head in a loose chignon.

"Not every dress I own was a gift from you," she quips lightly without pausing in her task, adjusting the straps as Tony steps over to zip her up. She leans back against his chest as he wraps his arms around her, lifting a hand up to his face and turning her head so their cheeks are touching. Sighing, she enjoys their closeness for a moment, thankful that he's here; that he's better, that they're finally moving onto the next chapter in their lives.

Her happiness colors the small laugh she breathes out at his comment about sending everyone home. "What, on your birthday? I'd never hear the end of it. All your adoring fans would be so very disappointed."

[letmetakeaselfie]

"Is that a yes?" he teases, nuzzling against her unabashedly. God, his birthday. He's glad he has something else planned for tonight because for once all the focus being on him would just be too overwhelming. Not that he'd really had any affairs like this since Afghanistan, but he didn't cease to be him. He still fed on attention; still enjoyed his public. But he'd narrowly escaped death just a few days before turning 40, shit had gotten real. "I like it. And I recognize it, which means I probably liked it then too."

Sometimes he acts a little autistic though, whatever. Pepper's used to it. He kisses her ear and holds a little too tightly to be casual any more. "I'm an old man now. Are you sure you still like me?" There's an edge to it that makes it sound almost serious. He knows Pepper's feelings haven't changed, but even he needs reassurance sometimes. Especially after so much excitement.

[efficacy]

"Alright, you may have gotten it for my birthday four years ago," Pepper relents with similar playfulness, chuckling. While Tony is often eager to buy her gifts, the success rate of pleasing her with them is 99% higher when she picks those presents out for herself. It's been a very working system, so far. "And you did like it, though I seem to recall you liked it better on the floor."

It had been a very good birthday. Laying a hand over his arm across her waist, Pepper pulls her head back enough to catch his eyes, smiling softly. She knows turning 40 is a sore spot for him.

"Always, Tony." Leaning back in, she kisses the corner of his mouth, quirking a more teasing smile. "Besides, those grey hairs at your temples are sexy. Very distinguished."

[letmetakeaselfie]

"I knew it," he exclaims, pushing his nose against her throat. She picked it out, he knows that without asking. Idly, he smooths out the fabric he disturbed around her waist with his hold. "And I'm sure I will like it that way again... tonight." His voice goes a little husky, nipping playfully at her earlobe. He intends on having a good birthday himself, after all.

Tony pulls back a little to lean into her kiss, though it's too brief to return. He lets out a mild noise in protest. "Distinguished isn't a real thing. It's just what people say to old guys to make them feel like they're not obselete."

after the party

[letmetakeaselfie]

The last of their guests are finally headed home, and Steve on his way to bed, and Tony couldn't feel more relieved. It's late, sure, and he's had a little too much to drink, naturally, but it's actually incredibly nice not to have to talk to anyone else but Pepper for the night. He knows he'd brought it on himself, but being that social and polite (by his standards) for that long was absolutely exhausting, even for him.

Tony grabs her hand and allows her to pull him back upstairs to their room, stifling a yawn behind his free hand. "Alright, scale from O.J. to Gotti. How in trouble am I?"

[efficacy]

Pepper had been ready to retire at least a few hours ago, but that would have been in bad form. So when the last guests are finally out of their house, she wastes little time dragging Tony upstairs. Lucky for him, any annoyance at being blindsided with an engagement tonight has long since fizzled out.

"Martha Stewart," she replies cheekily. "Thank your lucky stars that the ring is very pretty." Smirking, she tugs him into the master bedroom. "Tired already? You have gotten old."

[letmetakeaselfie]

He snorts at the assessment, grabbing the door and closing it behind them. "I wouldn't mind being stuck at Camp Cupcake for a night..." But instead of anything else smart he could think of to snipe back, Tony uses his leverage to turn her, puling her in flush against him. And then he's kissing her, slow and thorough, letting his lips do the speaking for him. He'd rather be here than anywhere else in the world, just like it had been since the moment he'd seen her.

pepper & tony & steve

[efficacy]

Pepper should have known better than to think Tony would let the opportunity to draw as much attention to himself -- to them -- slip through his fingers. It's true that she would have preferred a proposal that didn't involve an audience, but at the same time, she can't muster up too much annoyance over his stunt. Not when only a while ago she feared they might never get to this point in the first place.

She makes her way over to the stage with a serene smile, handling the jokes and the attention with her usual poise. But not even her composure remains unshaken when Tony takes a knee and pulls out the ring box, wetting her suddenly dry lips. She musters a quick smile at his joke, before the wink of the ring steals her attention and some of her breath, too. This is really it.

"I guess it would be in poor form to turn you down in front of an audience. That's really why you did this, isn't it?" she quips a little shakily, earning ripples of laughter from the people close enough to hear her, but utter silence descends again soon. Pepper's smile softens, and the audience ceases to exist for a moment as she gazes into Tony's eyes, nothing but love in her heart. "Yes, Tony. Yes, of course."

[letmetakeaselfie]

She's so beautiful. So together. She always says exactly the right thing no matter the occasion or audience. She's always amazed him -- absolutely enthralled him. It really is obnoxious that it took him this long. But she doesn't blame him, she never does (unless he really deserves it). His fingers shake as he pulls the ring out of its casing, biting the inside of his lip as he slips it on her finger. It's barely on before the front most rows errupt into cheers and applause and whoops, startling him out of his tunnel-vision.

"You caught me," he admits, too late, and maybe it has a slightly duplicitous meaning. More than slightly. Completely duplicitous. "You've been here, by my side, for 22 years, but I know you've just been waiting to make your escape." Tony remembers to say the last part into the microphone, getting to his feet with a slight grimace -- his knees aren't what they used to be.

[valuedstrength]

"You know you should really stop tempting her to make a break for it." Steve innocently states before taking a drink. It's loud enough for the couple and everyone else to catch. There might be some good natured giggling from the crowd at his commentary.

"Especially when you're not ready to chase after her." That earns some real laughs. Steve winks before making his escape. Yeah he's not waiting for Tony's revenge, but come on. He had to say something before he kept Pepper up there for ten years with cheesy lines.

[efficacy]

Pepper gives a small, breathless laugh as Tony slides the ring on her finger. It really is beautiful, but she's determined not to be that cliche bride-to-be who grabs her own hand to ooh and aah over it. At least she won't do that in front of an audience. She rolls her eyes in good-natured amusement at Tony's lines, shaking her head fondly. Thank god for Steve; Pepper knows how Tony can go on and on with this little show, especially since he has some drinks in him -- she is, as always, less inclined for the attention than he is and would rather continue off the stage.

But she doesn't give any outward signs of being bothered, instead playing along and pointing a thumb in Steve's direction, nodding with an expression that clearly says he has a point.

"Considering just earlier today you were complaining about feeling your age..." she chimes in at Steve's second remark, making sure to lean in for the mic to catch her words and eliciting more laughs from the crowds. Before Tony can retort, she cups his cheek and kisses his lips, keeping it light and PG appropriate. There's instant, riotous applause and whooping catcalls, and she can't help but giggle a little against his mouth.

"Okay, wrap it up, honey," she suggests pointedly for Tony's ears only when she pulls back, though her eyes shine with happiness and the smile on her lips is genuine.

steve - open

[valuedstrength]

Steve slips away from the big scene in order to work on a more important mission: documentation. He's got collect as much proof as he can that this happened. Naturally if Peggy can't be here, he'll bring the party to her. He hasn't given up on his wife. This is going to make her year once she finds out. She's been waiting for this since Pepper turned eighteen, after all. He can't let her patience go unrewarded.

Steve can be found milling about with his phone. He's taking pictures and getting in a few short videos in wherever he can.

(Pepper should prepare to be cornered for one sans Tony at some point.)

Someone may want to stop him at some point to at least indulge in the idea of enjoying the moment rather than observing it for his wife.

[relicta]

Natasha slips up behind him; she makes no noise. Her thumb presses against a vital pressure spot in his neck, which to any partygoer would look like a friendly greeting between partners. She speaks lowly into his ear.

"Put the phone down, Rogers. You have three seconds."

[valuedstrength]

Steve grimaces. Okay, okay. He's slipping it into his pant pocket. He already got the shot he wanted anyways!! "You know some people just say hello, Natasha. I like your suit. It's great your nephew is finally getting married."

Why do you hate him? :(

[relicta]

"I like your suit," she admits with a half smile, hand moving down to thread through his elbow. It serves a double purpose of making sure the phone stays pocketed, but of course seems 100% casual. She sighs, deliberately wistful. "They look happy."

[efficacy]

Pepper's attention has been fairly effectively dominated by Tony since his birthday bash turned into their surprise engagement party. Not that she minds that in the least, but eventually she gently shoos him off to mingle with the guests one on one while she does the same. Though first, she pulls back to the sidelines and away from the crush of people to take a moment for herself -- relatively speaking, at least.

But when she spies Steve, she makes her way over with a happy smile. "Gathering proof for posterity's sake?"

[valuedstrength]

Steve nods, snapping a photo a second later. "You caught me." The phone is going down. This is Pepper's big day. He's not going to stick his phone in her fact the whole time.

"How do you feel?" This is a little crazy. He wouldn't blame her for feeling just a little overwhelmed.

[efficacy]

Pepper shakes her head at the question, giving a wry grin. "Oh, I... definitely didn't expect this tonight of all nights, but I guess I should have known better. Go big or go home is pretty much the only setting Tony has, most of the time."

Something that Steve very well knows. Her smile softens into something more subdued and sincere. "But I'm happy. More than I expected to be."

She never needed to get married in order to be happy and content, but now that it's actually happening, she feels a profound sense of completion that's hard to ignore.

[letmetakeaselfie]

The sight makes him sad. He knows exactly why Steve is filming. But he pastes on a bright smile, holding out a champagne glass for Steve. He saw him refuse the one the waiter brought for everyone, and it's tradition damnit!!!

"You got my good side, right?" he asks, glomming on to Steve's shoulder. It's selfie time, bitch.

[valuedstrength]

Steve's not accepting it until he snaps that selfie of them since he knows Peg will love it. Then of course he has to be a jerk about the whole thing. He hesitates as if holding off on the bad news. "Well I did the best I could, but you see what I have to work with."

He sips the champagne innocently. What? Did he say something wrong? Honesty is important in a relationship!!

[letmetakeaselfie]

"Yeah, you're right. They both look good next to your ugly mug." It's the very most important thing. He taps Steve's cheek affectionately. "Enjoying the party? Or have you been filming the whole time."

natasha; open

[relicta]

This is Nat, motherfucking deal with it. JK no doges. Probably.

She is covertly scanning the crowd for any suspect behavior and if you have the wherewithal to catch her talking to herself she's actually reporting back to Nick, something she'll quickly cover over. Other than that, she's perfectly agreeable, congratulating the beautiful couple. Putting her gifts for Tony and the engagement at the table. What? Word gets around S.H.I.E.L.D. fast.

[efficacy]

Pepper is working the crowd, and another glass of champagne. Tony's parties are always big, loud affairs, but she's a little impressed at the turn out for this particular event, spotting several Hollywood names and wondering how many of them are here just to be photographed for the next issues of every tabloid out there. She frowns a little, thinking she just saw another Kardashian. How many are there??

Starlet wannabes are forgotten as Pepper spots a familiar redhead in a sleek black gown. While she's still feeling slightly ambiguous about Natasha's involvement in the recent events, she supposes she can't hold a grudge against the other woman for doing her job.

"Ms. Rushman," she greets shrewdly with a knowing little smile, uncertain whether the spy would appreciate her breaking out 'agent Romanoff' instead in this crowd. "Glad you could join us tonight."

[relicta]

She smiles sweetly, turning away from the gift table to meet Pepper's gaze. Just the person she wanted to see. "I wouldn't miss it." It's easy to identify the uncertainty pouring off of her then. She can't blame Pepper for being cold. Perhaps Fury and herself were a bit hasty. Then again, he calls the shots; Nat's just along for the ride.

"But don't worry, I'm here as myself tonight," she assures with a little eyebrow raise, tipping in almost in conspiracy. Natasha Romanoff scarcely existed outside of S.H.I.E.L.D., Black Widow missions, or the occasional jaunt with Captain America. This is certainly her first public appearance in many, many years. "I wouldn't want my congratulations to seem hollow after all."

A beat. "Congratulations, Pepper."

[efficacy]

Pepper still isn't sure who Natasha Romanoff actually is. How much of her is real, the actual person underneath all the aliases and the mask of Black Widow. She wonders if even those closest to the spy know. She'd like to be able to say she can trust Natasha if only because she's Peggy's recruit, but Pepper's pragmatic enough to understand the need for the ruthless people in an organization like SHIELD; the people willing to go the extra mile and dabble in the gray areas of morality to get the job done. But Pepper can set aside her wariness for today, at least, in attempt to forge a better understanding between them.

"Thank you... Natasha," Pepper adds, smiling more genuinely now. "I appreciate it." Her expression shifts into something gently amused a moment later. "You know, if you ever want a break from SHIELD, you should give me a call. I could put your efficiency into good use at SI."