Chapter Text
Tony hated birthdays.
Well, actually, he really only hated his. He would gladly celebrate someone else’s - Steve’s for example.
Steve’s birthday had just rolled around. Bruce had made dinner, some Indian recipe that he had picked up on the run, and the team had had a special movie night and presents. Tony, though, had planned something special for the good Captain.
And no, it wasn’t anything dirty. (Not to say he wasn’t hoping)
He took Steve to a Yankees game. Steve enjoyed it, there was no doubt about that, but even though he didn’t say it, Tony could tell that it brought up bittersweet memories. As a kid, Steve never had money to spare on a luxury like baseball, and now that he – or rather Tony – did, he wished Bucky could be there.
After the game and Avenger night, Tony took his boyfriend down to the floor right above his workshop.
“Okay, close your eyes, big boy,” Tony said, eagerly turning to Steve.
Dutifully, his boyfriend closed his eyes with a soft quirk of his lips.
Tony carefully led Steve through the doors by his hand and into the open space. Tony’s palm was sweaty where it was enclosed in his boyfriend’s larger one.
Tony felt his stomach twist in anticipation. Tony never gave gifts. He usually just gives them money or tells them to pick something out themselves. Pepper just had his credit card and usually picked out a new pair of heels for herself whenever he didn’t show up to a board meeting or forget to sign some papers.
But this gift was special.
Tony handpicked everything for this room himself, so when Steve opened his eyes, Tony waited with baited breath.
“Tony,” Steve breathed, a look of wonder on his face. “This is amazing!”
Steve pulled his hand gently from Tony’s as he wandered closer to the giant table sitting under the enormous window, piled high with every type of art supply imaginable.
Tony had gotten Steve his very own art room.
To top it off, Tony had even found an old picture of Howard, Steve, and Bucky during the Howling Commando days, framed it, and hung it on the wall next to the work table.
When Steve turned back to Tony, the Captain’s eyes were glassy with unshed tears.
“Hey, Steve, baby. Please don’t cry. I’m sorry. I thought you would like this. Oh god, I made Captain America cry on his birthday,” Tony babbled.
It only took Steve a second to cross the room to Tony. Steve’s soft lips quieted the rambling billionaire as he rested his forehead against his boyfriends.
“I love it, Tony. This is perfect.”
Looking back on the day now, Tony felt the stirrings of excitement for his birthday tomorrow. He didn’t care what he did or what he got, he was just eager to spend it with Steve.
The last couple of months have been rough for Tony. Shield had taken Seargent James “Bucky” Barnes aka the Winter Soldier into custody after he walked peacefully into their headquarters. Apparently, he had been brainwashed for seventy years by Hydra. Fortunately for everyone, his brainwashing had worn off, leaving him needing serious counseling and a new prosthetic arm but otherwise whole and very much alive.
Tony had generously offered Bucky a room in Stark Tower, one he gratefully accepted after some prompting from Steve.
While Bucky still clung to his childhood friend, he had been branching out lately. Just a couple of weeks ago, Tony had wandered into the kitchen to find Bucky and Natasha sitting at the table talking lowly in Russian.
Tony entered quietly, but the pair of assassins still noticed him. Natasha leveled him with a stare that Tony couldn’t decipher. Things were still tense between the two of them after the whole stabbing-him-in-the-neck-and-lying-to-him-about-everything incident. Tony didn’t trust easily, and Natasha hadn’t helped anything.
“Uh, hey guys. Just getting some coffee,” Tony said awkwardly before bolting from the room, coffee mug in hand.
It just got worse after that. Bucky was everywhere.
Bucky called Natasha “Tasha” and “Nat,” pulled pranks on Clint, reminisced with Steve, arm wrestled with Thor, and even meditated with Bruce.
Now, Tony was happy that Steve was happy - he really was - but Natasha barely let Tony look at her, nevertheless call her a nickname, Clint pretty much stayed away from Tony because he didn’t trust him, and even though Thor got along with everyone, he never offered to do anything special with Tony. At least he and Bruce were still Science Bros.
The thing that ticked him off the most was that he barely ever got any alone time with Steve. It was always “Bucky wants to see this” or “Bucky should go see that.” Tony knew he sounded like a whiny teenager, being irrationally jealous of his boyfriend’s best friend, but he couldn’t help it.
That’s why he was so excited about his birthday. It would be a day completely devoted to Tony with no interruptions from anyone else, and the team would have no excuses not to include him in any of their outings.
That night, Tony went to sleep happy, filled with anticipation, and curled safely in Steve’s arms.
The next morning, Tony woke up to a cold bed.
Maybe he’s making me breakfast in bed, Tony thought with glee. He had to use all of his willpower just to stay put and not get up to see what his wonderful boyfriend was making him.
An hour later, Tony was still waiting.
Finally, impatience won out. Tony threw the covers off and pulled on a pair of overly large sweatpants that were probably Steve’s.
The tower was suspiciously quiet as he padded to the kitchen where he thought Steve would be. As he got closer, the sound of chatter and laughter floated to Tony’s ears. A grin settled on his face, accentuated in the dim hallway by the soft glow of the arc reactor.
“Hey guys – “ Tony’s greeting petered out as he saw the team already eating Steve’s special pancakes. With a false bravado, Tony asked “What’s going on here?”
Steve turned around from his position at the sink, a large smile stretched from ear to ear. “Hey Tony! You just missed the pancakes. I would make you some more, but we’re all out of eggs.”
Tony looked around the room at the various faces of the Avengers.
Thor was sprawled across a chair eagerly stuffing his face with pancakes. Clint was perched on the edge of Natasha’s chair in just a pair of boxers and a Hulk t-shirt. Natasha and Bucky had their chairs pushed closely together, Bucky’s metal arm resting casually on her thigh.
None of their faces belied any hint of celebration for Tony, but maybe they were planning a surprise party or something. Tony shrugged it off, not taking it to heart.
“Uh, that’s okay. I’ll just have cereal. The coffee made?” Tony asked, turning back to Steve.
With a happy nod, Steve handed over a steaming mug.
“So big day today, huh,” Tony hinted.
Clint perked up at that, a smirk on his lips. “Yeah, the old man here is turning what, 97? We’re gonna have to put you in a nursing home soon.”
“Wait, what? It’s Bucky’s birthday?” Tony asked incredulously.
“Yeah, we’ve got a lot planned. There’s this family-owned Italian place that’s actually still around from when me and Buck were kids,” Steve said, grinning at Tony.
“Hey, wasn’t that that place you got beat up behind, Rogers?” Bucky joked.
“Hard to say. I got beat up a lot of places.”
Tony’s smile slowly slipped from his face as reality set in.
No one remembered his birthday.
Bucky once again took this day from him.
The worst thing was that Tony had known better than to get his hopes up. All through his childhood, Tony was told by Howard that Stark’s didn’t celebrate something they didn’t actually accomplish. Tony had no say or effort in being born, so why should he get rewarded for it?
But just this once, Tony had hoped that he would have friends, a family even, to celebrate with. Unfortunately, he was wrong.
Tony forced a smile “Oh, that sounds . . . fun. I’ll just uh, be in my workshop.”
“Are you sure? You can come with us.” Steve looked worried now.
“Nah, that’s okay, Cap. You guys go have fun.”
Steve gathered Tony in his arms from behind. “I’ll miss you, but at least join us for cake and movie night later? It’s no fun cuddling by myself.”
Then, Steve actually pouted. Whoever said Captain America didn’t play dirty was a lying bastard. There was no way Tony could resist the pout and Steve knew it.
“Fine. I’ll see you later.” Tony extracted himself from the hug, and with a quick kiss to Steve’s cheek, fled to his shop.
Moments later, Tony was safely tucked away in his shop.
“If I may, sir, happy birthday,” Jarvis spoke up.
“Thanks, buddy, but it’s just another year gone by, another year closer to death.”
“I believe that Dum-E has something special for you.” Jarvis’ voice softened with something that could only be described as affection.
Whirring happily, Dum-E held out his present to Tony. It was a slightly mushed chocolate cupcake with a mess of frosting on top with a single unlit candle perched pathetically on top.
This was simultaneously the sweetest and saddest things that anyone has ever done for him. Without warning, Tony’s eyes filled with tears as he gingerly took the cupcake from Dum-E’s one arm.
“Thanks Dum-E. This means a lot. I probably don’t tell you guys this enough, but I love all of you a lot. I hope you know that,” Tony’s voice wobbled as he spoke.
Jarvis voice was gentle when he replied, “Sir, we love you just as much. You are, in essence, our father, after all.”
“Happy birthday to me, I guess,” Tony said bitterly as he grabbed a bottle of vodka from his stash.
Time to get smashed.