I love fall-time in Dubai [Tony/Steve - Tuesday evening]

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony decided to take a break from the lab for a bit. He could just watch TV down there if he really wanted to, but he wanted to make use of the comfortable couch and stellar entertainment system he had bought. He made himself a bowl of popcorn (that was at least something he could cook if you could considering putting a bag in a microwave cooking). He settled himself onto the couch with the bowl. He rolled his eyes when a ball of fluff vaulted onto the couch and flopped down beside him.

"Yeah, yeah. Suppose I have to still be nice to you outside the lab," he said as he dropped down pieces of popcorn for Gmork to lap up. "You tell mom that I'm ruining your dinner, no Doctor Who for you. Which will be a good threat once I've gotten you addicted." He turned the tv on and set up the episode he had recorded while he and Pepper were out at a show on Saturday night. He propped his feet up on the coffee table, one hand scratching Gmork's tummy as the other popped popcorn into his mouth as the familiar theme music started to play.

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[capsteve_rogers]

Steve knew that his recent purchase was extravagant and pretty silly, but he didn't care. He hadn't been able to resist, and he didn't think there was anything wrong in spoiling Ella and Duke while they were young enough to enjoy such treats. From what he could gather, they would get to be pretty big when they grew up, and they would probably be like human teenagers and be content to lie around and ignore him. The puppy stroller meant that they could now go jogging with him, and he liked being able to get them out and also get some exercise. He stopped in the park and let them out of the stroller so they could run at their own speed, but the stroller would be good until they were able to keep up with him running on their own.

When they got back to the tower, he headed to the common area first because he had made them another new pet treat to try after he got home from the construction site with Loki. The peanut butter yogurt treats should be frozen by now, and they could eat their snack while he had a bowl of ice cream. After the jog and playing at the park, he could use the cool down. He would also need to let the rest of the puppy owners in the tower know about the treats, since he had made enough for all the puppies.

As he pushed the stroller out of the elevator, he heard noises coming from the common room. He veered in that direction and smiled when he saw Tony sitting on the couch with his puppy. "Hello, Tony," he said, listening to Ella and Duke yip at him. "Okay, okay. I hear you. You want out." He unfastened the stroller and let them jump out. Looking back at Tony, he smiled. "Would your dog like one of the treats I made? They're peanut butter and vanilla yogurt frozen together. I'm about to get Ella and Duke one each."

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony was just going to give Steve an absent answer while he kept his eyes on the TV, but then he caught sight of the stroller.

"Pause," he said trying to stifle a laugh. "What is THAT? Oh almighty, that's a doggy stroller isn't it? Please tell me you did not actually buy a doggie stroller.". He couldn't help it then. He was laughing, his head resting back against the top of the couch. He didn't even notice Gmork wiggling out from under his had to go sniff suspiciously at the stroller.

[capsteve_rogers]

Steve frowned when Tony started laughing. "I can't tell you that because I obviously did buy a doggie stroller," he pointed out. "I don't understand what's so funny." He squatted down to pet Tony's puppy. "Ella and Duke can go jogging with me if I go slow, but they're still too young to run fast enough to keep up with me if I really want to let it go. I saw this at the pet shop and thought it would be an easy way to let them go running with me before we hit the park for some puppy play time."

Standing up, he tossed his empty water bottle at Tony. "You can stop laughing now, jerk. It isn't funny. What's your little fella's name?"

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony shook his head as he kept laughing. "Oh no. It really is that funny," he gasped between chuckles. "Just you. Running. With a stroller. And then... The costume. It just pops in my mind.". He tried to bat the bottle away, but the movement plus his laughter made him lose his balance and slide off the couch onto the floor. Which only made him laugh more when Gmork scrambled over him to woof up the popcorn that'd spilled across the floor. "Oh man. Steve, you're killing me. Sorry. The image. It's just...". He shook his head as he gestured vaguely from his spot on the floor towards the popcorn eating pup. "The puppy who is not mine is not named Gmork."

[capsteve_rogers]

"Don't listen to Uncle Tony," Steve told Ella and Duke, who were sitting next to him and watching Tony as if he was a curious exhibit at the zoo. "The stroller is perfectly acceptable for little dogs who don't have big legs yet to keep up with Daddy when we run."

Duke yipped at him before running over to sniff at the popcorn that Gmork was eating. Ella looked at Steve then ran after Duke, pouncing on him and then eating the piece of popcorn he'd been sniffing. "Don't eat too much or you won't get the treats I made," he warned, shaking his head as he walked over to the couch and looked down at Tony on the floor. "I wouldn't be wearing the costume if I was out running with my puppies. So, you named the puppy, I see. Are you still trying to pretend that he isn't yours?"

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony grinned widely up at Steve. "Tye image is in my head though. It can't be erased. Only thing that'd make it funnier is if it were cats and not dogs.". He tilted his head to the side in thought, absently petting whichever pup was snuffling his hand. "I should look into that stroller company though. They must have some hard core engineers if the stroller can keep up with you."

He shrugged before stretching his arms above his head. "Still pretending. At least with you. But I do love being contrary.". He made a face and rolled his eyes. "Which is not and invitation to go into all that daddy crap, got it?"

[capsteve_rogers]

"You're wacky," Steve muttered, sitting on the arm of the couch. "I guess I know a way to make you laugh, though, even if it wasn't my intention." He snorted. "There are actually a lot of people in the park who use these things. That's how I knew what to look for at the pet shop."

Reaching over, he slapped Tony's hand lightly when Tony stretched. "You've got a puppy. There's nothing wrong with that, you know?" He looked down where the puppies were eating popcorn. Well, Gmork and Duke were eating, and Ella was swatting at the popcorn as if it was going to attack them. "No daddy talk, promise. I know that's probably odd for me to say to the puppies, but I feel awkward calling myself Steve when talking to them. And, yes, I know I could just not talk to them, but they're easy to talk to."

"How did whatever you did with Loki last night go?" Steve looked at him curiously. "I still haven't been invited to your lab. I guess I need to just invite myself. Maybe after I get back from Dubai."

[playboy_philanthropist]

"Fine line between genius and insanity and I do love straddling it," tony said with a cheeky grin. "And how many of these stroller owners are big and brawny?"

He snapped his hand away from Steve with a scowl. When Gmork flopped across his chest with a growl, he rested his hand on the dog's head and ruffled his fur to soothe the beast. "I'll refrain from going into the list of why I shouldn't have a dog again," he said in a bored tone before shrugging. "It's not that strange. Weird, but not uncommon amongst pet owners. That and animal babytalk."

Looking up at Steve, he frowned. "Yeah, hey, what was up with that cc? Doesn't seem that wise a thing to do when you're sneaking around.". His frown grew. "You want to see the lab? I've only really invited Bruce to see it, you know. Everyone else just sneaks in.". He raised an eyebrow. "Dubai happening soon or are you planing to raid my lab on Christmas?"

[capsteve_rogers]

"There are some. I've seen muscular guys with tiny little dogs that squeak instead of bark. Now that's actually kind of funny." Steve smiled. "That list doesn't matter when you've got a dog that wants to adopt you and is more stubborn than you are. He seems to have decided you're his pet human, and you giving him a name confirms it." Duke and Ella had finished playing with the popcorn and were now taking turns pouncing on his foot. "I don't do baby talk. That'd be insulting to them, just like it is to babies."

Steve looked back at Tony and shrugged. "I don't really know. Sometimes Loki does things that I don't understand. I guess he wanted me to know that he was going to work with you in the lab," he said simply. "Was he polite? I asked him to try to resist provoking you. What were you two working on? Anyway, I'd like to see your lab sometime. It's a large part of your life, so I'd be a crappy friend if I don't ever check it out."

He rubbed the back of his neck when he thought about the upcoming mission to Dubai. "We leave early Thursday morning, actually. I'm starting to get a little anxious and worried that I won't be able to pull it off or I'll put Clint in danger somehow," he admitted. "Oh, speaking of Dubai, could I ask you for a favor? Would you mind keeping an eye on Ella and Duke while I'm away?"

[playboy_philanthropist]

"Those are funny too. Which would include you if you had a Chihuahua or some other yappy little dog as well." Tony snorted in amusement. "Or a toy poodle." He waved a hand dismissively. "I never liked that list anyways. Even if most of it is very logical."

He shrugged. "'God' of mischief. If everything he did made sense, he wouldn't be that mischievous. Also, telling someone not to provoke someone else is like telling a kid they can't eat the candy. Only makes the temptation worse." A smirk quirked his lips as Gmork wiggled so he could stand on top of his chest. "We were testing the metaphysical properties of his cleav- oof!" Tony made a face as the puppy stamped his front paws down against arc reactor shining through his shirt with a yip. "Oh, no no no no," he said as he scooped the puppy up in his hands before Gmork could scratch more at the light and held him up over him at arms length. He pouted at how the puppy was sulking in his hands. "Don't give me that look. I need that to live. It follows lab rules. Sniffing ok, but no scratching or chewing."

Getting up, he flopped down on the couch next to Steve with Gmork in his lap. "Yeah, come by any time when you get back. I didn't think you'd be interested." He kept a hand on Gmork's back as the puppy tentatively stretched up to sniff the arc reactor through his shirt. "You'll do fine, Steve. You did a shit ton of missions back in the day." He raised an eyebrow. "Or is it the whole negotiation thing that has you worried? That it isn't just sneaking around and running into a warzone and shooting things up?"

He made a face. "If I do, I'm not taking them out in that." He nodded towards the doggie stroller.

[capsteve_rogers]

Tony lost him when he mentioned metaphysical properties. Steve wasn't good with science and stuff. He really should be, considering he was pretty much a science experiment, but he'd trusted the scientists back then to know what they were doing and to do things right. It hadn't been necessary for him to understand it all, which was good because he'd tried listening and knew some of the general information but it hadn't clicked right in his head the way other things could. Math and science were just areas that he didn't excel in, but he was okay with art and reading, so it was probably a trade.

"Were your tests conclusive or whatever it is you needed them to be?" he asked curiously once Tony and Gmork were settled on the couch. Ella and Duke weren't to be ignored, though, and they were soon on the cushion giving him their puppy eyes. He snorted but sat down so they could climb on his lap.

"I've never done undercover work before, and I'm worried that they'll reference something that I don't understand but any other normal person would," Steve admitted. "I have to make sure that I've got Clint covered, just in case, because they can go after me without much risk, but I don't want him or anyone else hurt because of me." He shrugged. "I'm better at shooting things up, I guess."

Steve rolled his eyes. "You don't have to because it's not like you'd be out jogging with them. They have a room and comfy bed, so I'm mostly concerned about them getting food, attention, fresh air, and having their toilet area cleaned. No, I'm not asking you to do that. I'll figure something out there, but the cuddles and food are things I'd rather rely on a friend to do."

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so interested about what we're testing?" he asked curiously.

Resting his arms along the back of the couch, he turned more towards Steve. "There are ways to get around the referencing. Who exactly are you going to be undercover as?" He waved a hand dismissively. "You're worrying too much too about Clint. It's not like he hasn't done this shit before. You'd be putting him more at risk worrying about covering him than if you just let him handle things himself."

He shook his head as he puffed out a breath. "Yeah, sure, keep guilting me with all this use of 'friends'. Alright... I can do food and what counts as cuddles for me. Get Loki to clean up their shit."

[capsteve_rogers]

"I'm not that interested in the specifics," Steve said honestly. "I just asked if the tests had gone well. Is there something I should ask instead? Scientific talk or whatever it is you'd say?"

Steve looked down at the puppies and saw Ella staring at him while Duke chewed on the hem of his t-shirt. He pet them both and ignored Tony's comment about his concern for Clint being unfounded. While he had to let Clint take lead in this mission, it was difficult to stop thinking like a leader. He'd worry about any teammate, but it being Clint made him more anxious. He could admit that much to himself, at least.

"I'm some rich guy setting up a deal," he said. "We leave first thing Thursday morning, and there's a meet scheduled for the weekend. It's all about the first impression that'll lead to the actual deal, which is where we can get what we need to take them down."

Steve snorted. "I'm probably going to arrange for a cleaning service to come in on Friday to clean things up. They're smart puppies, so they shouldn't make too much of a mess. JARVIS can keep an eye on some housekeeper, can't he? I don't really like the idea of a stranger coming into my space, but S.H.I.E.L.D. probably has a safe list or something."

[playboy_philanthropist]

"I got the blood samples I wanted," Tony said with a shrug. "Still need to set them up for all the experiments I want."

He couldn't help a small chuckle of amusement at the idea of Steve trying to be some rich guy. But then he'd had his life filled with rich guys and even the most giving of them weren't even half as wholesome as Steve was. Sitting back fully against the sofa, he nudged Steve's shoulder with his hand. "Alright. Show me your first impression, hot shot," he said before waving a hand dismissively. "We'll figure something out, Steve. You have enough to worry about with this mission without having to worry about the help."

[capsteve_rogers]

"My first impression? Now? Haven't you laughed enough this evening?" Steve got the puppies off his lap and stood up. "Fine. No laughing, though."

He walked over to the bar and focused, thinking about Cary Grant and Humphrey Bogart because he thought a billionaire who wanted to arrange the sale of weapons had to be charming but tough in an understated way. This was something he could do, he kept telling himself. It was just acting.

"Scotch?" he asked, rather pleased that he'd managed to change his accent just enough to sound more posh than Brooklyn boy. "I have it flown in from a brewery outside of Glasgow. I can't tolerate any other brand." He poured some Scotch into a glass and turned to face Tony, feigning disinterest as he swirled the liquor in his glass.

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony had to admit that Steve did better than he'd anticipated. Passable. Certainly passable. But...

Pushing himself up off the sofa, he sauntered over to Steve with a stride that had been born of years having to deal with living in the spotlight.

"Good. And I will," he said as he poured himself a glass of scotch. "Just a few things. First, distillery, not brewery. Second, just go with Glenfiddich. They'll know the name and you won't have to deal with bullshitting your way through questions. It's a highland scotch. And all other information about which is better doesn't matter to you because since you like this one, it is the best. Third..." A mischievous smirk quirked his lips as he raised his glass and clinked it against Steve's. He knew the taste of the scotch well, knew that most people preferred it softened by a bit of water. But he was curious to see if Steve knew what he'd gotten himself into and how he would deal with the burn and taste. "Bottom's up."

[capsteve_rogers]

Steve listened carefully. He was pretty sure he wouldn't have to talk about scotch, but he wanted to know about it, just in case. At Tony's words, he raised the glass and took a drink. It wasn't unpleasant, but it wasn't a favorite drink, either. The flavor was a little strong.

"Basically, I need to remember that I don't have to explain anything because I'm rich and that excuses everything?" Steve wrinkled his nose but nodded. "If I have to have a drink with the guys, is there a specific liquor that is more likely to be chosen by someone wealthy? What about posture? Straight or slouched or in-between?"

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony had to give Steve credit for drinking the scotch without coughing or anything. He chuckled as he leaned his weight against the bar.

"Basically," he said with a wry smirk. "You're rich. If you want anything, it's yours. Everything has a price and you can always pay it. And since you can, it means you deserve to have it. Also means you can bribe whoever you want, buy your way out of any situation, have everyone loving every little thing you do no matter how horrible it is because it sells papers and gets ratings, so you can do whatever you want whenever you want for no good reason." He shrugged. "If you're setting up the deal, you're giving them the honor of your presence, so it must mean you're serious. Must also mean that you've got the best bodyguards money can buy."

He set his drink on the bar as he thought over Steve's weaknesses. "Straight posture, but relaxed," he said absently, his body automatically going into the posture. "Your god given right is to be wherever you are. Have no doubt in your movements. Even if you are bored out of your mind and couldn't care less, you move with purpose." He nodded slightly. "You have money so you can also afford to be eccentric. Use it to your advantage. Find some reason to why you'd collect old things and only watch old movies. Maybe the only person you ever felt cared for you is your grandpa and you collect things from his childhood to feel closer to him. Maybe you hate the crass, bloody modern day world and long for a simpler, more romantic time." He smirked. "Might not be true from how you remember it, but it's how people feel nowadays. Maybe you just really wish for a proper World War like the old days. The glory of battle that's televised everywhere instead of hidden and forgotten."

[capsteve_rogers]

Steve was pretty sure that he wouldn't be able to think like a wealthy man regardless of how much money he ever accumulated. It made sense, though, and he knew how people with money had often seemed so entitled and behaved as if they were superior to anyone else. He had still be pretty young during the depression years, but he'd been old enough to remember his mother talking about the rich people losing everything, so he knew how fleeting it all could be. He had a feeling that Tony was speaking from experience, too, which made him sad to consider what Howard must have become to give that type of example to his son.

"Alright. I think I understand the basic behavior," he said, grinning at Tony. "I appreciate the advice because it should give me an added depth in this impersonation. I can't really understand people romanticizing my time, not when there were so many people unemployed or working their ass off to barely get enough food for their families, and women were treated pretty rough and there was a lot of prejudice and judgment all around. I mean, it's still not that great, but it's miles ahead of where a lot of places were back then."

He shrugged. "Anyway, I'm getting some ice cream and I made homemade snacks for the puppies, if Gmork would like one. Did you want any ice cream?"

[playboy_philanthropist]

"Human habit. Any time you aren't in must have been great from this hind sight rosy glasses." Tony shrugged. "They see the fashion and the black and white pictures and the movies that only show the good stuff and think it must be so wonderful. People might get all dreamy about how romantic traveling by carriage might be, but I bet you they aren't thinking about how bad all those horses and the shit smells."

Reaching out, he clapped Steve on the shoulder. "You'll do fine. It's all a show and you're the top dog. Which means you're used to people listening to you and doing what you say." He smirked. "Just go all captain on their ass."

Nodding, he picked up his glass as he headed back towards the sofa. "Gmork would like one. I would like some ice cream too to make up for my popcorn." He paused, swirling his scotch in his glass a moment before taking a long sip. He glanced back over his shoulder at the other man. "Steve... I have a favor to ask too. If... if you see the Stark Industries logo on anything over there, tell me. Alright?"

[capsteve_rogers]

"Thanks. I'm glad someone's confident," Steve said, ducking his head and smiling sheepishly. "I think you and Clint are the only ones that think I can actually do this. That means a lot, you know?"

Steve looked at Tony and nodded. "I can do that. I'm sure we won't, though." He knew about what had happened to Tony and what had turned him away from making weapons.

He reached over to squeeze Tony's shoulder before he walked to the kitchen. "The dog treats I made actually sound pretty good. They're peanut butter and vanilla yogurt frozen up into blocks. I'm tempted to try one since it's not really dog food." He smiled mischievously. "You want one?"

[playboy_philanthropist]

"The doubters obviously haven't seen how well you can pretend to punch out Hitler," Tony joked before relaxing and nodded. "Here's hoping."

He raised a glass with a smirk before taking another big drink. "Sure, grab me one. If it's anything like your cobbler, I'm sure it'll be bliss." He flopped down on the sofa. "But you're going to have to sit and watch Britain be taken over by a million black tesseracts while you eat. I think it's a fair trade-off."