Chapter 13
In the aftermath of the interview, the press swiftly changed their focus and, like relentless hounds, dug deeper into the lives of Steve and his friends. Fame came with a price, and sometimes, it was proving heavier than many had anticipated. Every little aspect of their lives was revealed. The good, the bad and the ugly. The boundaries between what was personal and what was public were blurred. Nothing was sacred.
The revelations about Natasha were particularly scandalous. The woman had been successful in her life, something that wasn’t to everyone’s tastes. Natasha's betrayal of several people for promotion and money was revealed to the public. Former colleagues eagerly spilled the salacious details, painting a vivid picture of a person willing to use her beauty and sexuality to get where she wanted, willing to sacrifice integrity for personal success. A lot of those testimonies were probably due to pure jealousy, but Natasha’s reputation was tarnished forever.
Clint’ story had everything of a modern tragedy. He had abandoned his wife and children to chase the enticing draw of the high life in New York. The woman simply wanted a divorce now, her life altered by the consequences of her husband’s decisions.
Sam, on the other hand, was able to avoid the storm to some extent. His life had been relatively private, spending a fair amount of his life in the military. His friendship with Steve was fairly new, and he was visibly stricken by the lifestyle and stardom. He had been attracted to Steve like a moth to a flame, attracted by the promise of a different and improved life, far from the discipline routine of the military service. He was now burned by the fire.
It came to light that Steve had been in a long-term relationship with Bucky. They have known each other since growing up in Brooklyn, always been together through thick and thin. Barnes' life had recently changed a great deal. The man had just recently lost his parents and sisters in a terrible accident. Perhaps because he needed to find his roots once more, Bucky had recently made the decision to learn more about his Romanian ancestry. Through his research, he discovered he had a distant family in that country.
So, he had made the decision to travel there and meet them, leaving Steve behind. For Bucky, the idea of getting back in touch with his roots and developing relationships with his newfound cousins seemed like what he needed to do at that moment. Bucky had begged him to accompany him, but the painter was more concerned with his career.
After then, Tony's version of events felt a lot more plausible. While there was absolutely nothing wrong with being career-driven, the public began to ask questions about Steve's sincerity and depth of feeling for the famous genius.
As soon as Bucky and Steve found themselves back in the same city, they got back together. People loved to gossip more than anything, and Steve's side of the story didn't make for good appearances. All of that could have been avoided. Their lives could have stayed private as much as humanly possible. What a waste.
Fortunately for everyone concerned, the media was always on the lookout for the next scoop, the next big story, never staying too long on the same topic. The Kardashians were apparently hard to keep up with. In their never-ending effort to be the centre of attention, the Kardashians created a constant distraction for the media's ever-moving gaze. Tony, on the other hand, had no desire to be in the spotlight. Tony wanted to be as far away from it as possible. It worked out well for everyone.
Perhaps not for Steve, though. His career took a significant downturn. The art world was quite small, and even if others had used similar strategies to become famous in the past, those things were to be kept quiet. No one wanted to face that reality. Steve would probably be forgiven at some point, but the process would likely take a year or two before he could fully reintegrate into the scene. Steve had wanted to move more quickly than the music. In the end, he had most likely wasted valuable time.
In a twisted way, Tony had to thank Steve. Without his betrayal, he would never have the wonderful life he had now.
“Aunt May baked that walnut cake for you.” Peter said, entering the flat. “She said that when you are invited somewhere, it’s good manners to bring a gift. You don’t have to eat it though. Aunt May is not very good at baking. Or cooking.”
"You will thank your aunt for her gift." Tony replied with a smile. Peter was always a ball of awkwardness and energy mixed together. "I'm sure it will be lovely."
"I honestly doubt that," Peter responded, his scepticism apparent in his tone.
Due to everything that had been going on, Tony had not been able to organise his house-warming party like he had planned to. He had all the time in the world now that his schedule was for him to decide. The kids, who had played a significant role in furnishing his place, deserved a reward and a meal in the plates they had chosen for themselves not so long ago. His guests would be few but well chosen.
Tony wasn't as adept at cooking as Logan, but his mother had taught him a thing or two. Taking inspiration from his family's beloved traditional Italian recipes, he set out to make a creamy pasta dish that was both easy and excellent. It was an homage to his mother's favourite Italian recipe. Tony wished she would still be there to finally see him successful and happy.
While working in the kitchen, he couldn’t help but hope that his cooking skills would not only impress the kids, but also Logan. It was his way to express his gratitude for their unwavering support and understanding. Tony poured his heart into the meal.
“My mum baked cookies and gave them to me to bring you.” Harley said, extremely proud. “They are amazing!”
“Yes! Your mum’s cookies are the best!” Peter stated enthusiastically as he reached for one.
"Easy on the cookies, kids! Don't spoil your appetite," Tony playfully cautioned, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
Logan and Laura were the last two people to arrive. They had brought lemonade and orange juice, as well as some sliced fruits. That drink had left quite an effect on Laura. Tony had prepared the table for the dinner by setting it with the just bought plates and cutlery. The gifts were safely put in the kitchen while they just chatted for a while. Even though they were together every day, they could always find something to talk about.
Having guests in such intimate circumstances wasn’t something Tony was used to, and he was a little bit nervous. Tony had always been the type to insist on every little detail being just right. He had thought long and hard about their places around the table. His original plan to put the adults at either end of the table felt a little too traditional. They were together, of course, but the relationship may have been too fresh to go that far.
So Tony decided to try something new, taking a seat at the head of the table, with Logan on his right. But looking at it more closely, it felt too intimate.
Tony should really stop overthinking everything. After all, the seating arrangement wasn't a life-altering decision. Nobody was going to abandon him because of how they were sitting. With a shake of his head, Tony decided to keep it simple and placed their plates in front of each other, abandoning the mental gymnastics of figuring out the perfect arrangement. Perhaps, he thought with a wry smile, they could always play footsie under the table while enjoying the meal.
"That is a very good dish." Logan congratulated him.
The kids were too busy eating to say anything. For a brief minute, Tony was reminded of his mother and the expression she usually gave him when he ate something she had made him. She had only been looking at him, a faint smile on her lips. Back then, Tony hadn’t completely realised the significance of that gaze. Now, as he watched the children enjoy the simple dish he had made, it became obvious. He saw the warmth of familial ties, links that were stronger than anything in the world.
Tony had always been one to invent and create, but he had never actually interacted with the people who would eventually use his inventions. Because of those people who were his family now, everything felt different. Just seeing them enjoy the food and being seated together around the table made him happy, a slow feeling spreading from his heart to the rest of his body. Today, surrounded by the laughter and shared moments, Tony could almost see the image of his mother and her smile. She would have been happy to see him now.
Tony and Logan went on many dates, some of which were planned by the genius and others by the café owner. They were moving forward slowly, enjoying getting to know each other. They also were both mature adults with needs. The habitants of their little town meant well but were a little bit too noisy sometimes. Tony and Logan weren’t really hiding, just keeping that part of their lives between them.
Because they were attracted to each other and that part was explosive, greedy, and all-around fantastic. Logan and Tony craved each other as if they had been starving for years. Each kiss carried an intensity that left them breathless, and every caress demanded more, met with a willingness to give endlessly. They were a perfect match, two halves of the same being that had finally found their counterpart.
Tony had finally met the perfect partner. That perfection scared him at times. His life experiences had taught him that when things seemed too good to be true, it was because they really were. Often, he had not listened to his instincts and things would alway turn out badly. Not this time.
Logan could see Tony was unusually self-conscious for a showman. He rarely talked about his history in length, but Logan could read between the lines and most of the time the story wasn't pretty. He was aware that the genius was giving him as much of himself as he could. There would always be moments of doubts.
To be fair, Tony was so ideal for him that it felt surreal. Logan wondered why the other man had made the inexplicable choice to remain in the small town in the middle of nowhere to be with him. It wasn't a complaint by any means, just marvelling at how he had managed such a feat.
During one of his moments of uncertainty, Logan impulsively purchased a ring. A set to be precise. The decision, a compulsive one, seemed a little bit ridiculous, especially since he wasn’t entirely sure about the ring size. He had tried comparing their hands to figure it out. He felt silly now that he had the velvet box in his hands.
Laura was a bright little girl who seemed wiser than her years. She already knew what life was like and how to deal with it. Logan was proud of her, even if he wished she would behave like the young girl she was. Sometimes, he wondered who was the parent and who was the child.
"Dad," Laura's voice broke through Logan's thoughts one night as he found himself lost in contemplation, staring at the box. “What are you waiting for?”
Laura should have been fast asleep, but often enough, she would wake up for a glass of water. She would never stay up for long. Laura settled down beside him on their small sofa, staring up at him as she waited for an answer to her simple question.
Good question. What was he waiting for?