1651/The Shameless Avenger

The Shameless Avenger
Date of Scene:	13 May 2020
Location:	Stark Tower: Penthouse
Synopsis:	Tony and Steve talk about the aftermath of the kidnapping... and politics.
Cast of Characters:	Tony Stark, Steve Rogers

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Tony Stark has posed:
"Punctual as ever; don't hang about the doorway waiting on ceremony. I'm about to eat," Tony calls over to the polite Steve at the entrance to the penthouse. Tony's in super casual mode: a rock tee over a long-sleeved black shirt, jeans, flashy designer sneakers. He gestures to Steve from the kitchen area, where he's pulled up a stool next to the long counter, picking through the variety of food he'd had ordered. It looks (and smells) like pizza. It is, in fact: New York deep dish, meat lovers and a supreme, with some other various add-ons.

Tony pauses, though, leaning down towards the end of the counter, turning a bottle of whiskey around, to do what is likely a refill of a glass not far from where he's seated. "Something to drink? There's a whole bar and then some," Tony offers with a waggle of hand towards said bar area.

Steve Rogers has posed:
"Join you in a glass of whiskey." Steve shucks out of his motorcycle jacket at the door to reveal that he's in a plain t-shirt, black, and jeans over his combat boots. He hangs it on one of the hooks by the door before entering further into the abode, his carriage loose and comfortable in the familiarity of the place.

"Pizza smells amazing," he adds, carried by the scent and over to the countertop with its offerings of food. "How'd you know I'd forgotten to eat dinner?" Tony gets a grin even as he serves himself up not one, but three slices. Gotta fuel that super-serum!

Tony Stark has posed:
"I know everything. It's one of my charms. I drink," Tony lifts his whiskey glass, "And I know things." He downs the whiskey. "Depsite being a Stark and not a Lannister." Tony tips his head up and back with a playful smirk and roll of eyes. "If that reference went over your head, we'll get those for you, though there's some graphic parts that might insult your sensibilities," Tony teases. He pours a whiskey for himself and Steve both, this time, and lifts Steve's by the top with three fingers to set it before him.

"In this case, while I know you're a bottomless pit and would join me, I'm the starving one, but you're welcome to make sure I'm not drinking alone." Again.

Steve Rogers has posed:
"Funnily enough, you're not the first person to make a crack at the name 'Stark' involved in Game of Thrones," the Captain shares even as he settles down with his pizza. Thanking Tony for the whiskey, he doesn't get to sipping at it right now, little that it'll do for him anyways with how the serum processes alcohol. He gives Tony one of those quiet, attentive looks at the crack the inventor makes at his solitary habits.

"Not drinking alone tonight. Eat some pizza, Tony." Thanks, Team Dad. "You're getting to look like two burnt holes in a blanket. You sleeping alright?" Thanks, Team Dad redux. He sets down his pizza now, chewing on a momentus bite and working at cleaning his hands with a napkin, the better to again level the patiently-focused attention on Tony.

Tony Stark has posed:
Tony lets the whiskey glass make a little 'thud' on the counter as he sets it in front of Steve ploddingly, with a smirk and lightly released laugh. Mostly, perhaps, due to Team Dad's comments.

"Well, last night, I was definitely unconscious. Some of it was in my bed," Tony snickers, able to laugh at himself. Sort of: it's not funny. It's humor as a defense, but also an admission. Tony sobers, a little abruptly, pulling a slice of pizza towards himself, and looks at Steve, his brown eyes firm. Tony is fully capable of being serious, and this is one of those moments, suddenly.

"It's not sleeping. The house of lies needs to collapse. Can't rest inside it, not really," Tony states.

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve's golden brows quirk. He recognizes the deflective nature of the joking now, after years of working with him. Meeting the man's dark eyes doesn't make him flinch; if anything, he readies himself because this conversation has the potential for a sobering twist. It arrives.

Nodding almost to himself, the Captain finishes chewing. A sip of his whiskey that he sets aside again before he speaks, sounding pensive. "Think I follow what you're saying. You've re-evaluated 'nd found your priorities have changed since you got back. Thinking it'd be better to take a step back? Focus on your work here?"

Tony Stark has posed:
"About sums it up," Tony answers, flippant immediately. Tony swings freely between comedy and seriousness, though it isn't difficult to follow the shift. He drops the pizza slice down on his plate, rubbing the fingers together, some flecks of cheese falling away.

"That guy that told the world - against the advice of agents and politicians - that he was Iron Man - pretty sure that was me," Tony chuckles lightly. He sits back a little, though his posture is still relaxed. He isn't stressed out, that isn't the emotion.

"This great big political mess..." Tony picks up the whiskey, relying on the emotional support of the drink for the moment. "It's getting in the way of that hero." Tony grins sideways towards his friend.

Steve Rogers has posed:
One corner of the Captain's lips twitches at the memory of watching Tony's unexpected revelation on the Internet. That had been a thing to watch, his fellow Avenger revealing to the world precisely whom he intended to be rather than a playboy/philanthropist/billionaire alone. He nods understanding at the sentiment shared about heroing.

"Been a task to balance it all, I bet. You know the team'll stand behind you, whatever you choose to do. You're one of us, even if the suit has a bit of dust on it. Doubt it does though, the roomba-bots wouldn't let it happen," Steve notes in his own dry vein of humor, his grin not reserved, but still calm in its way.

Tony Stark has posed:
"It can gather dust, I'm starting a new one," Tony says absently. His eyes flick to Steve. "But, yep. A kidnapping really makes you sit and stare at your own reflection. Decide what you can live with." Tony lets a breath go, but doesn't hold the gaze of his friend, he looks at the far windows.

"Turns out politics just really isn't my thing," Tony laughs. "Or the maze of lies that comes with it, more like. A blurry mess: somehow I ended up forced to lie every day. I thought I was just in /one/ trap, kidnapped by AIM, but that political machine is an invisible one, let me tell you. Crush you into being someone you're not." Tony doesn't like what he was becoming.

"SHIELD is probably not going to react well, neither are a lot of other people, but. Fortunately for me, I'm shameless," Tony aloofly comments, going back into eating his slice of pizza with a sound of deep satisfaction. "Damn that's good," Tony says through the pizza mouthful.

"You're stuck with me. The Shameless Avenger."

Steve Rogers has posed:
"Lucky for you, 'm immune to shameless," comments Steve around a mouthful of pizza, as if to make his point by this alone. "'nd politics too. Know a lot more about politics'n most people think...or realize. Bitter point of knowledge." Those broad shoulders shrug even as he lifts his glass to his lips, drinks more whiskey to clear his mouth.

"Politics are messy even when war's not on the books. If you're trying not to talk yourself into a corner, then you're someone else's pawn on a chessboard." The blond shakes his head, brows tightly knitted. "Not my forte." He laughs once. "Better to stick to what 'm good at, being there for the people as best I can. Maybe people'll be flustered or make noise at what you decide -- that's people for you 'nd part of what we're here for: making sure they have that voice. If it means stepping aside to be part of the Avengers' duty to keep that voice? People'll respect your decision there too." Steve seems very convinced of this by his decisive demolishing of slice of pizza to follow.

Tony Stark has posed:
"While this last ... forced vacation... wasn't being locked in a cave by terrorists with a battery under my arm to stay alive, it still made me think. Hence the new suit ideas," Tony smirks. He's teasing. Kind of. He did get /ideas/. It's not a lie.

"But also, giving that up? Come on now. Give that up, to live in a collapsing house of lying to the country? I'm better than that. And you all know it," Tony grins briefly. "Pepper does, at any rate," he points out, pouring new whiskey for himself, and topping Steve's off, though he continues to eat the pizza.

"I'll have all this free time, though. I was thinking we should co-lead the Avengers," Tony says evenly, as if this had been in talks for ages.

Steve Rogers has posed:
"Pepper knows a good deal of things about you, Tony," notes the man drolly after two-thirds of his seconds slice of pizza is gone. "Runs a number of things while you're busy, from what 've noted." Tony brings up his idea and it brings the Captain to look over at him with brows lifted.

A napkin is snagged and crinkled again to rid fingertips of grease. "Thought that was a given, but you're thinking the team needs to know it in an official capacity at this point?" Daubing at the corners of his mouth with the napkin, he looks faintly amused. "You call the shots half the time as it stands. Figure 'm here to use my wisdom 'nd experience when we step to action. Should've seen the fine print on the document the World Security Council sent in after the fight with Loki." He shakes his head, looking now theatrically solemn. "Right there at the bottom, addendum: Captain Rogers must keep the Shameless Avenger in check."

Smirk.

Tony Stark has posed:
"Yeah. I have a lot of t-shirts I've already got that were going to say Stark 2020, but I figure they can make the Avengers leadership official instead," Tony deadpans back. "Captain America has a lot more letters than Iron Man, so the font will be smaller," Tony adds, smoothly.

"I call all the shots that need to be called, I'll have you know. I'm here for you, old man," Tony says around a mouthful of pizza, picking up the glass.

Tony's gaze softens a little, dark eyes kind, some relief back in there, behind the layers of bullshit. He lifts his whiskey for a toast. "Hey. To the Avengers going forward. May they ... always Assemble, in truth, justice, and so on. Help me out here, this is your gig. Inspire me."

Steve Rogers has posed:
Ambient light from the penthouse shines through Steve's glass of whiskey as he lifts it, his close-lipped smile patient and good-natured. A pointer finger unwraps from it, aimed at Tony.

"First of all, 'm a senior citizen, respect the experience, whippersnapper." He then continues in a more dignified manner.

"May the Avengers always Assemble in truth 'nd justice, nobility 'nd strength, cunning 'nd bravery -- in honor of freedom 'nd the people of this world we protect against tyranny 'nd darkness to the very last stand -- in unyielding understanding that power has a responsibility...'nd it should be to make this world a better one. Slainte," he adds in Gaelic, smiling just enough to flash perfect white teeth now.

Tony Stark has posed:
Clink.

Tony drinks, and then sasses automatically, "That was more than enough to cover a second drink, though, I think." He refills it and downs that also, with a waggle of eyebrows, sly smile, making his glass make a resounding sound as he puts it down.

While Tony is a highly functioning alcoholic, this is still a bunch all at once, even with the pizza. He may be putting up a decent front about everything, but the behavior does stretch at the seams. He's holding it together, but something had to give.

Steve Rogers has posed:
His fellow pizza-eater takes a swallow of his whiskey rather than a whole other drink entirely. It's impossible to miss the second pouring and how quickly it disappears. It brings Steve to set aside his glass and eye it with a thoughtful frown before looking back to Tony.

"Brevity is the soul of wit...or at least 've heard it said by some long-dead author." Shakespeare, he knows, but it's all part of how he plays along. A sigh. "You've been through enough to give any man a reason to drink, Tony, not only back when, but recently enough. Seen how folks react to stress like that, some of 'em fellow friends 'nd soldiers."

Barnes, in other words.

"Just know you've got connections through me I can use if you want to talk to somebody," Steve offers with a tone implying absolutely no obligation whatsoever. He knows that sometimes, some nightmares require a first step made solely by the one who suffers them.

Tony Stark has posed:
"If your connection is hot, blonde, and wants to be a great distraction in Vegas, I'll talk to her," Tony says, with a snap of fingers and point at Steve, playful. "Though I will also accept other hair colors." A different tone sprang to mind, but he moves on. He's had a lot of liquor in the last twenty minutes alone.

"Anyhow, you've got the main update. Somehow America will have to get by with a lesser candidate, but the Avengers win." They get Tony. He expressively tosses his arms open and smirks, then returns to his pizza, smiling.