Chapter 39
STEVE
They decided to do the interview.
Tony was a little too happy about it, but People magazine had upped the ante and offered the first month of magazine sales to be donated to the Trevor Project.
So there they were, sitting in makeup chairs as they were prepped for an interview and subsequent photoshoot.
Steve did his best to ignore his husband’s oogling while they were getting dressed, but it was hard to resist now that they could see each other in the vanity mirrors. Tony was winking and giving him ‘kissy faces’ while Steve just rolled his eyes fondly, wondering if he could will this to be over faster as the makeup artists tried to pretend not to see anything.
“Mr. Stark-Rogers, would you prefer the photoshoot first or the interview?” a small redheaded intern asked Tony, clipboard in hand.
“Pictures first,” Steve spoke up for him.
“You heard the man, let’s get this show on the road,” his husband said cheerily as he clapped his hands together, standing up off his chair and pinching Steve’s side as he passed. The blonde got up to follow him, staring at the ocean-view setting they had set up.
He forgot that multiple photos included multiple wardrobe changes, so all in all it took a few hours to take some pictures. Steve was starting to get a little cranky, never once being a fan of being in the spotlight but he kept his mouth shut until the interviews.
“You’re doing great, pumpkin,” Tony whispered to him, reading his mind and pulling his collar down to kiss him on the lips in gratitude. Steve smiled into the kiss, glad the man could read his mind. They broke apart and the brunette offered a wink before grabbing the man’s hand and leading the two to where the interview was set up.
There were cameras set up facing the grey couch, where the redhead from earlier was directing them.
“Gentlemen can I get you any drinks before we get started?” she asked as the two settled on the couch together. Steve wrapped one arm around Tony and instinctively pulled him close as the man sank against him.
“Yes, actually could I please get an herbal tea?” Steve asked.
“And I’ll have a triple-shot espresso-”
“-he’ll have a vanilla latte,” Steve interrupted him, smiling to himself when Tony pulled away at that, turning to glare at the blonde.
“We better do this interview quick before I divorce you,” his husband spat out, stone face breaking when the crew laughed around them.
“Yeah, we both know that will never happen,” Steve smirked back, smiling when the brunette looked wholeheartedly offended.
“Oh?!”
“Yeah,” Steve said smugly as he settled back on the cushion and faced the cameras. “I never signed a prenup.” The room erupted into laughs again as Tony laid his head back and groaned. The redhead came back into the room handing them their drinks as a pretty blonde woman took the interview chair.
“Gentlemen, we are so happy you finally changed your mind about letting People interview you! My name is Brittney, I’m a huge fan of yours. Thank you again for agreeing to do this. I understand you are both busy men, so I’ll try and keep this brief.”
“Sounds good,” Tony said simply as he took a drink of his latte, though Steve could tell his husband liked the girl.
“So, let’s get the clichés out of the way - could you share with us some of the secrets to thirty years of marriage?”
“Forgetting to make him sign a prenup, I’d say that’s pretty high up there,” Tony sassed as Steve felt his eyes roll for the upteenth time today. “Picking someone with super soldier serum, so they age slower and you constantly have a hot piece of ass in your bed helps too. Let’s see…” the brunette said as he tapped his finger to his chin in thought, his ego growing as the room erupted into more laughs.
“I second the prenup thing,” Steve agreed easily, laughing when Tony tried to poke him in his ribs at that. He scooted away from him and gave him a what’d you expect? look. “But if I’m being serious then have patience with one another, be supportive and tolerate their behavior like when they roll their eyes on camera during an interview,” Steve said, still facing Brittney but catching Tony out of the corner of his eye blush suddenly, causing the room to laugh some more.
“Steve, what are some things our readers would be surprised to know about Tony?”
“Oh, good question. Well...sometimes he has the ability to be quiet,” Steve said seriously, smiling when the room laughed again. He looked up at the ceiling to seriously think of the question, smile brightening when he saw his husband out of the corner of his eye try to jab him in the ribs again. Except Steve saw it coming, and keeping his eyes on the ceiling as he intercepted Tony’s hand to hold it in his own.
“He loves cheesy rom-coms,” Steve continued, gently holding Tony’s hand in his. “Oh! He can knit! Not a lot of people know that. He made our grandbabies their own baby blankets…”
“Which reminds me,” Tony said as he pulled his hand away to gesture to him, “I should start on a new one for-”
“-yeah he can make just about anything!” Steve interrupted, giving Tony a look to remind him that they shouldn’t reveal their newest (foster) grandson’s name to a media outlet. The genius caught on quickly, nodding before turning back to Brittney.
“I’m assuming I get to spill his dirty laundry as well, right?” his husband asked as the woman laughed and nodded her head.
“Yes, Tony what are some things we don’t know about Steve?” Steve appreciated the fact she talked to them as people, instead of as retired superheroes or celebrities.
“Oh, well he’s a stubborn mule. Though I think people can tell that just by looking at him,” his man said, shooting a smirk at Steve. “He can’t dance to save his life, two left feet this guy,” Tony smirked and pointed back at Steve, who got offended.
“Hey, I took classes for our twenty-fifth and learned how to dip you!” he said in his defense, blushing when the room chuckled.
“Yes dear, a few classes and lowering someone to the ground makes you Gene Kelly…”
“Well that’s not a fair comparison,” Steve grumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest, pouting a little. He thought they looked good in the video Peter had recorded.
Tony brought him out of his thoughts by laying a hand on the blonde’s thigh, palm side up in silent invitation. Still pouting, he reluctantly uncrossed his arms to hold his husband’s hand again.
“Have you guys been enjoying retirement?” Brittney asked and Steve felt Tony squeeze his hand a little. They both liked this woman and her way of dodging the ‘why did you retire’ question followed by the ‘but you’ll come back if we need you right?' question.
“Yeah, it’s given us more time to spend with our family and work on our charity organizations,” Steve said easily.
“And you know, more time with ‘each other’,” Tony said cheekily, patting Steve’s hand holding his as the blonde felt himself flush again. The room laughed so Steve let it slide.
“Glad to hear you two have taken time for yourselves. You’ve certainly earned it,” Brittney said with a warm smile. She was good. “We had a few fan questions we’d like to ask, like this one from Donnie W. Donnie asks, ‘how would you guys recommend coming out to your loved ones?’”
“Excellent question, Donnie,” Tony said immediately as he scooted to sit closer to Steve, who released the genius’ hand to wrap around his shoulder - also knowing his husband well enough that he got animated with his hands when he talked. “First of all I’d like to applaud your bravery for wanting to live your true self, that isn’t always easy. As for your loved ones...what do you think Steve just rip the bandaid off?” Tony asked as he turned his head up at him. “Or butter them up first?”
“I think ripping the bandaid off is a good idea, but some homemade cookies never hurt anyone.”
“Yes, same goes for cake. Hopefully you’re with loved ones that would love you even if you said it in passing.”
“Right, exactly. But I’d also like to add that we want you to be safe about it. Have people you trust on standby if necessary. Also if you need a place to stay in an absolute worst case scenario, we have shelters for LGBTQ youth and adults in all fifty states. And like my faithful husband of thirty years said, remember how brave you are for wanting to live your true self,” Steve said with a smile, lowering his arm from his husband’s shoulder to his waist and hugging him even closer.
A collective ‘aww’ murmured throughout the room, until of course his man ruined it.
“Did none of you see that TMZ picture of Steve galivanting around with some woman? Pornstache and all?” Tony said with fake offense, even though he stayed snuggled to Steve’s side. The room laughed again as Steve decided he’d had enough of that joke.
“Would you all like to know what I was doing when that picture was taken?” he asked as Tony’s hand came up to cover his mouth.
“Brittney, doll, didn’t you have some fan questions for us?” his husband interrupted, apparently trying to ignore the additional laughter.
“Of course! Amy R. wants to know what your grandkids call you guys?”
“Aw, cute question Amy. They call me Grandaddy and Mr. Overshare here goes by Poppy.”
“I’M Mr. Overshare?!” Steve asks incredulously, turning in disbelief to the man sitting next to him - whose pants should currently be on fire.
“Next question, Britt,” the brunette said cheerfully.
“Candice L. asks if either of you have ever given each other a ‘hall pass’?”
“I don’t know what that is?” Steve asked in confusion as he turned back to her, frowning when some of the crew members chuckled at him.
“It’s a person you’d let me cheat on you with,” Tony told him before turning back to the woman, “and no to answer the question.”
“What? People actually do that?” Steve asked, thinking over forty years in the twenty-first century would’ve helped him play catch up.
“It’s more of a joke,” Brittney tried to intervene, “like a hypothetical.” Steve thought about that before turning to his husband.
“Do you have someone?”
“That I’d be okay with you screwing? No one really comes to mind,” the brunette said skeptically, squinting his eyes at the blonde.
“I wouldn’t get to participate, right?” Steve asked Brittney, whose face had suddenly flushed bright red. “Would I get to watch them or is this like he tells me about it later?” he asked seriously, thoroughly enjoying the gaping look from not only Brittney, but the rest of the crew around her.
It was Tony who busted out laughing that broke the tension in the room, the only one who knew how big of a troll Steve was. The others laughed as well while Steve kept what Tony calls his ‘shit eating grin’ on his face.
Of course Tony was always calling his bluff, and Steve should’ve known the man wouldn’t pass an opportunity to make Steve blush.
“You’re revealing your kinks in a public interview? Let me add, find someone that can still surprise you,” Tony said to Brittney as Steve felt his competitive side start to kick in.
“Well, wait now there are a few people that I’ve caught you giving googly eyes to…”
“Excuse you who on Earth have I given these so called ‘googly eyes’ to?”
“George Clooney.” Tony’s face changed from offended to mischievous.
“Okay, I admit that one. But that was also because of Amal and to be fair I was picturing a foursome.”
“What’s your next question?” Steve asked Brittney, who was staring fondly at the couple.
“Just one more, guys. Five year old Cindy S. wants to know what your favorite animals are?”
“Five year olds are reading People magazine?” Tony asked in disbelief. Brittney’s smile changed to a shy one.
“My daughter asked me this morning when she found out who I was interviewing. I’m sorry my producer said it’d be fine-”
“-That is a great question we’d be happy to answer. Cindy, my favorite animal is a grizzly bear,” Steve interrupted her with a smile. He knew Tony’s but he gave his husband the chance to answer.
“I was going to answer regardless! And Cindy, you beautiful inquisitive soul, my favorite animal is an orca whale.”
“Awesome! Thank you guys so much this has been a dream interview of mine.”
“Thank you Brittney, it was a pleasure,” Steve said as he stood up and extended a hand, shaking hers before waving to the rest of the crew.
“Brittney, you’ve been a doll. What’s Cindy’s favorite animal?” Tony asked, making Steve feel warm at Tony’s generosity as the shorter man stood up to join him.
“Elephants, Mr. Stark...why?”
“Excellent. Give my PR guy Hector your address, we’re sending Cindy a few things,” Tony said before grabbing Steve’s hand, leading the two to the elevator. The second the doors closed, Steve yanked his husband close to his body and kissed him senseless.
“That was really sweet,” Steve said when he pulled away, wiping some saliva off his husband’s chin.
“I get a kiss like that for giving a kid some toys? What about the toys we donate on Christmas?” Tony asked, the slightest pout to his gorgeous lips.
“Remind me again at Christmas and I promise to kiss you elsewhere,” Steve replied with a smile, brightening when Tony chuckled. The two held hands when they got off on the first floor, walking to their car in the garage.
Later that day they got a draft of their magazine interview.
It both surprised and delighted Steve when he noticed what they chose for the cover photo - the photographer snuck a picture between takes of Tony reassuring Steve he was doing well, the two looking at each other with fierce love that can’t be staged.
Even though they’d gotten good at it after over thirty years of marriage, it was nice to see these moments captured on film.