It's Fate

Steve called absent at his job. Which, okay, that might be the next miracle on Tony's list because Steve Rogers never ditched his job.  Not that he was complaining though, because waking up, for the second time in the day, to the smell of freshly done coffee and neck kisses was the best morning he could think of. 

“Not going to work today, huh?” He said, lazily stretching under Steve’s ministrations. 

“I wanted to take the day to enjoy it with my fiance,” Steve said caressing the ring on Tony's finger and Tony would deny the stupid smile that adorned his face. 

“Well, that sounds like a really good plan.” The brunette turned around to face him and ran his fingers through his hair. Steve just smiled at him before kissing his skin further and further down his neck.

“Want to take a shower before breakfast?” Asked the blonde between kisses. “I can join you if you want.”

Suddenly, he did not feel as relaxed anymore. All he could think of was seeing the name of someone else drawn on the naked skin of Steve’s hip, in the perfect angle that the blonde couldn’t look at it without a mirror. Tony sometimes wondered if that made Steve forget that he has a destined lover waiting for him.

“Tony?” Steve now looked worried, brows furrowed. Tony had surely zoned out without realizing it. 

“I… I think I need an actual shower.” He responded, trying to smile but he was sure it looked more like a grimace. 

His fiance looked at him like he was trying to decipher something, but eventually just sighed and kissed his forehead.. “I’ll finish breakfast then.” 

Tony felt guilty as he saw the blond detach himself from him and walk towards the kitchen, but he needed some alone time to deal with his thoughts. Because no matter how pacific everything looked, they still had a huge problem on their backs. Finding your fated person was not a matter that anyone took lightly. People say that once you find them you are interlinked, constantly crabbing for each other company, and everything in your being demands you to look for them, to remain together. That was the source of every fairytale romance written since the beginning of time. 

But that was not a fact, not really. There was no evidence that the marks created a chemical reaction in your brain or changed your body functions, they looked and acted as simple as any tattoo. Tony would know if it was different, considering all the nights he had hidden in the workshop and read book after book obsessed with the topic. People could only explain it with magic, something extraordinary that you could not understand if you had not experienced it yourself. 

Tony hated magic.

He didn’t believe in it. He didn’t. And Steve had said he did not care about that stuff. 

The shower kept running as fast as his mind but Steve was surely waiting for him. He turned it off and got out. 

– 

He was about to comb his hair when he was interrupted by muffled voices coming from the living room. Somebody was visiting? It was unexpected that someone would come by at that time. Tony hurried up to the source of the voices and was left petrified when he realized what was happening. 

At the door was standing a woman, back straight and posture proud. Her hair was styled perfectly with brown curls fading smoothly at the sides of her head. Her brown eyes were big and full of something he couldn’t point out, and they were contrasted by the red lipstick on her lips. 

She was beautiful and young.

The woman stared at him and Tony just knew.

“So you were not lying when you said you already had a partner.” 

“Ma’am.” Said Steve, seemingly using all the patience in his body. “I told you, you are not welcome here.”

“Tony Stark, right?” The woman passed past the blond to extend her hand to Tony. “I´m Peggy Carter, Steve’s fated.”

Tony took her hand without thinking, he was working on automatic, foreign to his whole body. “I see.” He whispered before he was pulled away from her.

“Seriously, Ms. Carter.” Warned Steve keeping his grip on Tony’s arm, his face red with what only could be fury.  

“I understand that you are already aware of your partner's situation.” She continued, pointedly ignoring Steve and directing at Tony. “And I want to believe that you are aware of the power of fate, regardless of your…condition.”

Suddenly, he felt like he was in front of hundreds of cameras, microphones out and towards him and a press-mask appeared on his face. 

“I don’t know, Ma’am.” He said smoothly. “Why don't you tell me? You seem to believe you know me from just some tabloids.” He used the sass that charmed and disgusted the audience and his sly smile that was just as fake as his confidence under Carter’s gaze.

The woman smirked. 

“Not from the tabloids Mr. Stark, I just assume you are a smart man due to your background.” She said, fixing her purse. “That’s why I assume you are not going to be dumb and try to win against destiny.”

“I believe you should not assume so much of someone, Ms. Carter, you might get disappointed.”

She just kept smiling and looked at Steve, apparently unnerved. “I really believe we need to talk privately.”

“No.” The blond said firmly. “We have nothing to talk about, I already told you I am not interested, no conversation is necessary.”

“You said that now, but we are interlinked now. I am sure you can feel it too.”

“I don't feel anything.” One of Steve’s arms curled around Tony’s waist, grounding him on what was happening. “So I ask you again to please leave.”

Her expression fell, just barely, but she soon composed herself. “Okay, I understand.” She turned to the door, “But you’ll come around sooner or later” and walked away without another word. 

All the fight instinct left Tony in an instant. He was again paralyzed in place. When he realized Steve was already sitting on the table. “Your coffee got cold.”

“Steve…”

“I'll make you another one.”

The brunette sat on the table while the other prepared his cup, not looking at anything in particular. “Steve, you-”

But Steve kept talking. “I was thinking of arranging dinner with my friends next Saturday, what do you think?”

Tony's lips made a thin line, and the cup in front of him felt as cold as his skin. “That might… be good” 

– 

He left for the office later that day apologizing and claiming that Pepper needed him with urgency at SI. She had never called, but he guessed his presence might be needed in the office regardless. He busied himself in his office with all the paperwork he had ignored the past few weeks and tried not to think of anything else.

“What are you doing here?” 

“I believe this is still my company Ms. Potts.” He said, smiling at the redhead leaning on the doorframe.

“Yes, and I still have to drag you to it.” A smile betrayed her as she walked to the desk. “What are you doing?”

“Some paperwork, I guessed you would be happy about it.”

“I am, in fact.” She said, looking at the different files already done on the table until her gaze fell on Tony’s hand, his left hand. “What is that?”

“Oh, this…”

“Tony…are you engaged?” Pepper took his hand, inspecting the ring. “Steve proposed?”

“Yes, he- he proposed.” The brunette felt the sudden need to hide the ring. Irrationably ashamed and sad.

Pepper kept silent, looking at him quizzically. “You don’t seem happy.”

“Pep-”

“Why are you here today?” She crossed her arms in front of her, brows furrowed. “Did he do something?”

“It’s nothing Pepper, he just-” He wanted to lie, but she would have seen right through it, as always. After a long pause, he finally gave up. “He met his fated one.”

Despite his naturally collected appearance, Pepper stiffened in front of him. “God, Tony…”

“It’s okay,” Tony excused. “He told her he was not interested.”

Pepper was looking at him with worry written all over her face. “He proposed to you after that?”

“Yes, he even invited me to meet his friends.”

She looked unimpressed. “Why now tho?”

“What?”

“Why everything so suddenly? Just after meeting his fated one?”

“He said it was already planned, he just was forced to move everything because of that.” Tony defended, starting to feel very upset. But even without raising his head to meet her eyes, he knew that she didn’t believe it. 

“They have to be interlinked now.” 

“He doesn’t feel anything” Tony argued back. “Como one Pep, why are you being like this? Can’t you just feel happy for me?”

“Because it’s weird. What if he is only sweetening you up? What if he wants to keep you both?.”

“What?” He breathed more offended than disbelieving because that seemed like a possible outcome coming to think of it. “You don’t know him, you never gave him an opportunity.” Tony stood from his desk already feeling bad for raising his voice at her. 

Pepper didn’t say anything. 

“I am honestly very tired of your constant Steve slander, I am not in the mood so, if you excuse me.” He left the office without waiting for an answer. 

– 

Saturday came by surprisingly fast. Steve was anxious and restless, but he put on his best “calm and collected” act and took Tony’s hand all night under the table. Tony decided he would not call him out on it. 

Dinner went normally, to put it simply. It wasn't the worst, meaning the redhead named Natasha didn't stab him with the butter knife like she seemed to want to. But it wasn't the best either, the atmosphere was weird even though everyone was trying to act friendly towards Tony. 

He always had suspicions as to why Steve never wanted him to meet his friends, he assumed they wouldn't like him at all. At first, Steve himself didn't like him.

The label of “the merchant of death” never left him — not even when he had been devoted to green energy for years — and all the people at that table could read it clearly and loudly. He couldn't blame them, people like them were the ones most affected by his previous mistakes, all in some military position or retired from them. They saw on the front line what his weapons had done. A part of him, the one that he kept hidden the most, didn't want to meet them either, too embarrassed and guilty.

But nobody mentioned the blood in his hands, everyone kept eating. 

–

Pepper and he weren’t talking, which meant the days in the office were a hundred times more boring. But he didn’t want to stay at home in the workshop either. Steve seemed to be dedicated to being home early and coming by for lunch if he could.

The first time he did that, Tony looked at him like he had grown two heads because there was no other thing that Steve loved more than his job. After retiring as military Captain, Steve had jumped to pursue art, with a little help from Tony, and found his real passion. 

Tony had understood, he was older than Steve, and he wasn't ready to slow down and have a quiet life now. That was more of a craving for people like Tony. So now having him home was weird, it wasn’t unpleasant because he loved being with Steve, but lately, it felt…wrong.

So he decided to spend more time in his office. 

He still hated it. 

So when the PR team informed him of a fundraiser Gala he could attend he accepted rather easily, to the surprise of everyone in PR who had been rejected time after time by a very busy genius. 

But tonight it was different, Tony thought it would be a great excuse to get dressed, go out, get a few drinks, and distract himself for a while. It would be a good night, a very good night.

He was very wrong. 

Because once he returned from the bar with his second glass of scotch in hand, he had seen Peggy Carter, in a stunning red dress, smiling at some SI shareholders. He would have turned around and left if the same shareholder hadn’t pulled him into the conversation completely unaware of the tension building inside him.

“Have you met Ms. Carter? She is the sub-director of SHIELD.” Said Richard? Robert? What was his name again? Tony couldn’t remember he was just standing there asking himself how much the universe hated him. 

Of course, of course, Steve’s destined person was a gorgeous young woman, sub-director of an extra-governmental military intelligence who loved to attend charity events to raise funds for the ones in need.  

“Yeah, we had the pleasure to meet before” Tony smiled, and Carter gave him a knowing gaze. 

They kept talking as if nothing was happening, Tony learning all the wonders Carter had done, how loved and respected she was among the high society. He felt like they were stepping on his chest until the group decided to disperse and move to other conversations. Except for Carter. 

“You might be thinking that I did this on purpose.” She said once they were alone, leaning on a wall far away from the crowd, not facing each other. Tony sipped at his scotch. “But I had never seen you in events like these before so I didn’t think I would find you here.”

Tony nodded, “I see.”

He could feel her stare at the side of his head.

“Mr. Stark, I get this is complicated for you.” Tony swallowed. “But you can’t fight this even if you want to.” 

There was a meaning behind her tone that Tony could not decipher, again. 

“I don’t think it is worth the trouble, at the end is the same outcome. I will not fight for a man, but I am warning you it is hopeless to drag this out. You’ll just hurt yourself”

“How are you so convinced?” Tony intended to sound more aggressive, but the words came out softer instead, vulnerable. 

“Because is destiny.” Carter smiled, almost apologetically, and he hated her a little for that. “We belong to each other because we are a really good match.” 

– 

Tony didn’t know which number was the drink he was having, he just knew it was over way too many. He also didn’t know where he was heading, but he had a suspicion that the building ahead looked a lot like Rhodey’s condo. 

“Honey bear, long time no see.” Tony collapsed over his friend more than he hugged him. 

“Gosh, you are wasted.” Rhodey said once the smell of alcohol hit him and all but carried his best friend to the sofa before he could fall on the floor. “What happened, Tones?” 

“You see…” Tony started, detaching wobbly from his friend to look at his face and smile. “Steve is going to leave me.” 

At the look of utter disbelief on the other man’s face, Tony nodded. “Hmm, he found the true love of his life and she is fucking perfect.” He tried his best not to slur, or he thought he tried. “She is nothing like me.”

At that, the genius’ smile faltered, and suddenly Rhodey saw his best friend start sobbing in front of him. “He hated me Rhodey, remember?” 

It was hard to figure out what Tony was saying while he was crying so violently, but James understood all completely. “Steve hated my guts the moment we met and he was right. She is worth ten of me.” 

Rhodey could feel his heart breaking at the sight. “That’s not true, Tony. You know is not true.” He pulled him into a hug and led them both to lie on the sofa until Tony could breathe normally. Slowly Tony calmed down until he stayed silent so long Rhodey thought he had passed out. 

“He will remember,” Tony said, just above a whisper. 

“What do you mean?”

“Steve…he will remember all the things he hated me for and he is going to love her.” Tony yawned, ready to fall asleep.  “I was not supposed to be loved to begin with.”

Rhodey wanted to protest, but Tony was out before he could speak. 

—

“Steve?”

“God, Rhodey I was so worried.” He sounded breathless like he had just run a marathon. And by the thirty missed calls on Tony’s phone, he could figure out why. “Is Tony there? He stopped responding to my messages, he did not come home last night and Pepper had no idea where he was-”

“Yes, he is here, he is just…very drunk.” He said, watching the slow rise and fall of Tony’s chest. 

“What? He…” Had not been drunk in almost four years, Rhodey knew. “At least he is fine.”

“Yeah, not very much. What the hell is happening Steve?” 

“I- Fuck” Rhodey had not heard Steve curse in all the years he had known him. “Everything is a mess right now Rhodes.”

He didn’t know what to say, because it indeed looked like a total mess and no words would make it better right now.

“Can I come to your house? I can’t-...I can’t sleep without him.” Despite himself, James smiled at that. 

“Yeah, come by.”