✵ 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."

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."

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.

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.