"This our last evening together. You know what it means, right?"
Tony made a dramatic pause, surrounded by other students of the Avengers Academy. He prolonged the moment and grabbed the handle of the fridge door, before opening it in a grand gesture and letting everyone feast their eyes on the treasures inside.
"Cheese for everyone!"
The crowd cheered, blocks and wheels of cheese being passed from student to student. It was the evening after graduation and tomorrow everyone would head home and their realities and there was a lot of cheese to eat before that.
Steve leaned over the bar area in the Club A, watching the commotion around Tony and his cheese fridge. He saw Clint biting into a block of cheddar, Lucky jumping around him and demanding a piece, Natasha smearing a piece of brie over a baguette, but the most entertaining was the trail of moving cheese blocks, as Scott used his small friends to get some of his favorite kinds for him, Hope and Cassie without having to fight between always hungry A-Bomb and Hulk. Luke and Jessica were playing pool, forming a team against Foggy and Matt, which honestly didn't surprise anyone anymore as Daredevil didn't have any limits. Not far from them Miss Marvel kept talking to Captain Marvel, and Steve caught some words like 'fanfiction', 'new ideas', 'otp', among many others, and Carol listened to Kamala, nodding her head in agreement. The dance floor was probably the most crowded, people coming and going to grab a drink or a snack, and the one person always present was Loki, dancing all the time, like he kept through the school year, all in rhythms played by DJ Vision and Viv. And at midnight Guardians of the Galaxy were supposed to give their last concert at the Club Galaxy. It was a good evening.
A good, very, very sad evening.
"Steve, you okay?" Bucky asked, stopping next to his friend, holding a package wrapped in silver tinfoil.
"Yeah," Steve smiled sadly. He remembered the day they got Bucky back from Hydra's school. His friend was finally safe and managed to find an outlet for his emotions in rather gloomy music. Speaking of which. "Shouldn't you get ready for your concert?" Steve asked, remembering that Bucky was supposed to play some new songs he and Adam Warlock had created in their 'Winter Warlock' band.
"I still have a minute before that," Bucky answered, leaning against the bar in the same manner as Steve. For a moment, they stood in complete silence, just taking in the atmosphere and watching their friends and teachers mingle. And still, Steve's eyes were always drawn to the cheese fridge and Tony, all dolled up in his business suit…
"What's that?" Steve asked, noticing the silver package Bucky was holding.
"Tony gave it to me," Bucky said, moving the package closer to his eyes so he could get a better look at it, and Steve felt some tug in his heart after hearing the name. "It is a Sainte-Maure de Touraine."
"He gave you cheese?" Steve laughed. Punching Hydra, fighting in the multiverse and knowledge about different types of cheese where what Steve would take with himself from the Academy.
"Not just any cheese," Bucky almost bragged, "it is soft goat cheese, rolled in wood ash. Tony said it matches my style. Maybe I will write a song about cheese," Bucky's voice dropped in thought.
Steve laughed and put a hand on Bucky's shoulder. "I will gladly listen to that, pal," he smiled.
"Hey, did anyone see Captain America?!"
Steve's heart beat faster. He turned around and locked his eyes with the person who was calling him. "Here?" he said, even rising his hand a bit.
"Oh!" Tony paused, lowering his sunglasses. "Sorry, not you! Meant Roberta!"
Captain America 2099. Not him.
"Didn't see her," Steve answered, trying to be neutral, despite some pain in his heart.
"Man, I hope she didn't leave yet. I have a nice piece of aged mimollete I think she will like-"
"I saw her and other 2099 people near the hot tub," Pepper said, holding her own piece of cheese, a rectangle shaped one and Steve could guess it was a piece of some expensive parmesan. Some students had to leave and earlier today Steve and Bucky said their goodbye to Peggy and other Bucky, and even if Steve wanted to ask Tony to stay, he wouldn't hold him back. After all, Roberta seemed like everything Tony ever wanted.
"Ah, Pep, I can always count on you to know everything around here!" Tony brightened. Pepper did work as a school administrator all this time and was irreplaceable. He almost turned around and walked away, when Pepper grabbed him under his arm and twirled around with him.
"Don't you have something to do first?" Pepper said sharply, almost as if disciplining Tony.
"Um, right," Tony admitted, looking away and seemingly distressed. He reached into a paper bag he had been holding which Steve just noticed and took out a medium wheel of cheese covered in red wax and handed it to Steve. "This is for you, something to remember me," he said, smiling and Steve took the offered piece with a stunned look on his face. "It is baby gouda. Mild, soft and boring. Just like you," the friendly smile changed into a pleased grin as Tony delivered his final remark to Steve.
"Gee, thanks, Tony," Steve said, rolling his eyes.
"Welcome! Now, excuse me," Tony wriggled out from Pepper's hold and disappeared among partying students.
"Sorry for him," Pepper turned to Steve with an apologetic look on her face.
"It is fine, Pepper," Steve laughed. As odd as it sounded, he would miss being teased by the snarky genius. He would miss...
"Oooh, I see you got your cheese!" Janet squeezed past Pepper. She was holding a half-eaten piece of colby jack cheese, cheese with two colors, giving it a marble-like look. It wasn't the most expensive kind of cheese, but it was tasty and creamy and brought a lot of joy. Just like Janet. "What are you going to do now?!" she demanded answers in her usual overenthusiastic way.
"Eat it on a cracker?" Steve asked back, unsure what kind of question Jan was expecting. His answer made even Bucky sigh. "What?"
"Hopeless. I have to get ready for my concert," Bucky commented, waving over to get Adam's attention and walking away. Both girls stayed and eyed Steve critically.
"What?" he asked, feeling on edge. "Whaat?"
Pepper and Janet exchanged looks. They had to do everything around here.
"Just go and talk to Tony," Pepper said in her office voice.
"But-"
"Just go!" Janet wasn't that understanding and gave Steve a push, sending him stumbling on his way. He turned around, shooting a confused look at the girls, and saw Jan giving him an encouraging thumbs up and Pepper waving at him to move it. Not understanding and having a wheel of gouda as his only companion, Steve started to navigate through the crowd.
Finding Tony wasn't easy. He passed many students, almost everyone holding a piece of cheese hand-picked and personally delivered by Tony Stark and soon Steve decided to follow the cheese trail, finding the paths Tony had taken. Finally, he found him, near the blasting range and handing T'Challa a piece of Beaufort d’ete, known as the prince of gruyere’ cheeses. Seemed fitting for royalty.
Steve stopped in a distance from them and waited for the talk to finish. T'Challa and Tony shook their hands, and Steve had a feeling that it won't be the last time Wakanda and Stark Industries crossed their paths before both took their separate ways and Tony turned, pausing upon seeing Steve on his path.
"Hey," Steve smiled insecurely, his voice warm and low.
"Hey," Tony repeated, walking and closing the distance. It was quiet around them, the air a bit cold and a starry sky above them. Almost perfect. Almost.
"Thanks for the cheese," Steve said, motioning to the piece of gouda in his hand.
"You already thanked me, old man," Tony said, his characteristic smirk back on his face.
"I know, but - uh, can we talk for a bit?" Steve asked, unsure what he was doing.
Tony looked at him, the smirk disappearing, replaced with surprise before a smile took its place. Steve liked Tony's smiling face better. "Sure. Just a bit though, I have more cheese to give," he said, walking with Steve to the stone bench. It was pretty cold and Steve took off his denim jacket and laid down for Tony to sit on.
"Seriously, Cap?" Tony asked, sliding his sunglasses down considering such gesture completely unnecessary.
Steve only smiled. "Don't want you to catch a cold," he said, and Tony let out a small, irritated huff, but sat down, Steve following. He looked at Tony's profile and pulled his eyebrows together in confusion. "Why are you still wearing sunglasses?"
"Oh, it was pretty bright at the party and my eyes hurt from working and looking at holographic screens. But I guess I can take them off now," Tony said, taking the sunglasses and putting into the front pocket of his suit. "So, what did you want to talk about?" he asked, turning to face Steve and Steve's breath stopped as he looked into the brown eyes, in the warmest, most welcoming shade of brown ever imaginable. He always knew Tony's eye color but it was probably the first time he was seeing them so close. Almost hypnotic. When Tony blinked, Steve realized that the other student was still waiting for an answer.
"Um, what do you plan to do after the graduation?" Steve asked, genuinely curious.
"I don't know yet," Tony smiled lightly, "probably return to Stark Industries for a while to sort things out. Oh, and I and Jan have this plan, but it is still in the making, so don't tell anyone, okay?"
Steve smiled and nodded, seeing an excited spark in Tony's eyes and hearing his voice rising in pitch as whenever Tony got enthusiastic about something. Adorable.
"We are thinking about setting up a foundation to help kids become superheroes. I have my lab, Jan has her sense of style and there are a lot of people out there who could be heroes, but don't have the right means. I think we could make a difference," Tony explained, a happy smile not leaving his face. Steve listened, feeling his heart swelling with love. He always knew that Tony was generous, but this was a new level.
"That's a great idea, Tony," Steve smiled back, honestly thinking so.
"Of course it is, like all my ideas," and the old Tony Stark was back, and oddly, Steve didn't mind. "What about you? What are Captain America's plans for the future?"
"I wish I would know," Steve sighed, "there is no Hydra left for me to punch," it was supposed to be a sincere complaint, yet Tony laughed like if Steve told a joke.
"If that makes you better, you can punch me," Tony offered with a grin.
"I don't want to punch you, Tony," Steve quickly said, sounding irritated and mellowing down the next second. "Sometimes I wish that we had spent more times on getting to know each other instead of fighting," he sighed again, looking down at his feet.
Tony hummed. There was a lot of conflict between them on numerous occasions but it was also what kept things interesting. "I will have to discuss it with Jan, but if you have no other plans, you could join us. We could use someone with military training and a solid, moral spine. Unless…" Tony's voice dropped down, some sadness hearable, "unless you rather go back."
Steve didn't understand. He looked at Tony, and Tony turned away the second he did so.
"Go back where?"
"Back to your times. To Aunt Pegg- to Peggy and the other Bucky. The portal didn't close yet."
Maybe it was an idea. To hide back in the 20th century, to live his life how it was supposed to be. Just knowing what he knew now, could he go back?
Steve shook his head. "It is not my place anymore," he said, accepting the truth.
"Right. Your place is here."
"Or at least I like to think so," Steve smiled, looking at the sky above them. So many stars.
Tony glanced over at Steve. He bit his lip, wanting to ask something but holding back. He didn't want to make things more complicated and painful.
"You okay?" Steve asked, noticing with the corner of his eye that Tony shivered.
"Yeah," Tony breathed out, wrapping arms around himself. "Just cold."
"Come here," not thinking much, Steve wrapped an arm around Tony and drew him closer. Tony blinked in surprise, but soon leaned into the super soldier, taking in the warmth. Cozy. And Steve smelled good. And Tony really didn't want to lose this. And it was their last evening together. And what the heck.
"Steve…"
"Hm?" Steve's breath stopped, when Tony tipped his head up, his lips pressing to Steve's tight ones in a brief kiss which lasted too short for Steve to properly react. And when Tony drew away, it was the most horrible thing.
"Oh man, I am sorry," Tony went into a chatterbox mode, clearly distressed, "did I read this all wrong? Because I thought we were having a moment and you needed some encouragement and-"
"Tony, shush," Steve ordered, only to put both hands on Tony's cheeks and kissed him properly. Slowly. Soft. Lasting. Only the two of them kissing under the stars.
"FINALLY!"
Or not.
Tony and Steve drew apart and saw half of the academy crowding behind the blasting range, the most noticeable Jan, who was yelling at Peter Parker to take photos and looking as almost crying, and both Tony and Steve got blinded time after time by the flash.
"The heck- get out of here!" Steve yelled, waving his hand as if trying to chase everyone away. Meanwhile, Tony took out his sunglasses and clearly started posing. Those photos would go to a school yearbook for sure. When the crowd got back to the main party, chatting and laughing on their way, Steve still seemed irritated with everyone sneaking up on them like that. Tony didn't mind, laughing and going in for more kisses, finally having permission to do something he wanted for a very long time.
"We should go back. I want to hear the Guardians playing. Also, I scheduled a surprise firework show," Tony grinned, not faltering when Steve sent him a harsh look.
"Did you discuss it with Director Fury?"
"It wouldn't be a surprise if I discussed it with him," Tony stood up, kissing Steve for the last time. For now. They had like three years of kissing to catch up on. "And I still have some cheese to give away. Do you think Loki will hate me for giving him velveeta? That guy is super hard to please anyway."
Speaking of cheese...
"Tony, why did you give me gouda?" Steve asked, remembering that this whole commotion started after Tony gave him his gift.
Tony paused in surprise. "Because it is my favorite cheese. And the best one for grilled cheese sandwiches," he explained simply.
Steve slowly smiled, finally making a connection. "And you love grilled cheese sandwiches."
"I do love them," Tony confirmed, smiling brighter and more beautiful than the starry sky above them. "Let's go, I want to see you dance Charleston for the last time," Tony urged.
Steve laughed and followed Tony, having some other dance in mind. After all, he and Tony had to make up for the lost time, and hopefully, they would have all the time to spend together very soon.