The Metropolitan Museum of Art - NYC, NY - Wednesday Afternoon

[imafuturist]

One of the nicer things about being in a New York where Tony wasn't a wanted criminal was that he could go places without needing to hide too much.

There was the usual level of gawking from time to time, but a true New Yorker wouldn't bug someone without a damn good reason. It was mostly the tourists you had to watch out for. So of course Tony had to keep his promise to take Steve to one of the main tourist spots in the city.

Look, he made poor choices. It was a thing he did.

"Okay, which exhibit should we see first?"

[For the guy from the 40s. Wait. The blond one.]

Comments

[heroic_jawline]

Steve was practically vibrating with excitement. "The exhibit of post-WWII female artists," he said. "JARVIS told me about it."

[imafuturist]

"Alright, lead the way, Cap." Was it bad Tony was sort of hoping there'd be some pin-up art in there too? Yes, it probably was.

[heroic_jawline]

It was more...angry abstract paintings. Steve would enjoy the pinups, too, though.

"Maybe I'll know some of the names," he said. "I took a few art classes before the war. Some of them had real talent."

[imafuturist]

"I'm sorry, I'm picturing you and a lot of ladies in a figure drawing class." Because he just knew tiny Steve would have been bright red for it.

[heroic_jawline]

Like he was right now?

"There were a couple of those, yeah," he said.

Though Bucky hadn't posed for them.

[imafuturist]

Just like that, yes.

Tony grinned, slapping Steve on the back. "I'm sure your art was great."

[heroic_jawline]

"Not MOMA worthy," Steve said, still blushing. "Not even close."

[imafuturist]

"Art is supposed to be subjective, isn't it?" And Tony would totally put Steve's art in the Stark wing. Like a normal person might put up on a refrigerator.

[heroic_jawline]

With obnoxious, shield-shaped magnets.

"Some of it is," Steve said, tilting his head to examine a modern painting. "But some of it is just obviously good."

[imafuturist]

It was really a lucky thing Tony hadn't managed to accumulate those sort of magnets already.

"Is this?" Tony asked, nodding at the painting.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve nodded. "I like it," he said. "It's not Picasso, but what is, right?"

[imafuturist]

"Something equally expensive?" Tony teased, tilting his head to consider it.

[heroic_jawline]

"I have no idea how they come up with the prices on art," Steve admitted, stopping in front of a striking painting.

[imafuturist]

"Rarity?" Tony suggested. "I have--had a curator to figure that part out."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve bumped his shoulder into Tony's. "Do you miss it at all?" he asked. "I bet there's a Stark wing here. We can go see if your taste is the same across universes."

[imafuturist]

Tony snorted, bumping him back. "I miss some of it," he said slowly. "But a lot of that were just... things. Those can be replaced or rebuilt."

He shot Steve a sideways glance, heading onto the next painting.

"Besides, most of the art in the collection was picked by my mother."

[heroic_jawline]

"Yeah?" Steve replied, smiling softly. "What did she like best? Paintings? Sculpture? Photography?"

[imafuturist]

Tony smiled a little, thinking about it. "Paintings. She liked Monet. They're... soft. I guess." He laughed at himself and shrugged. "I'm awful at describing art."

[heroic_jawline]

"I can teach you," Steve offered, blushing a bit and focusing on another abstract painting to hide it.

[imafuturist]

"I have been told I'm an awful student," Tony warned him. He watched Steve out of the corner of his eyes trying to puzzle out that reaction before just going with 'something from the 40's maybe???'

[heroic_jawline]

Steve thought it was going to be waaaaay too obvious that he wanted to spend more time with Tony. Dork.

"You just need to be properly motivated," Steve said idly.

[imafuturist]

Oh, like Tony would possibly complain. He was a friendship barnacle.

"Is that so?" Tony asked, grinning and turning so he could face Steve. "What do you propose, Professor Rogers?"

[heroic_jawline]

"You get to pick the movie for the next movie night without me getting to object?" Steve offered.

[imafuturist]

"Ooo, that's a good bargain. You think you can handle all that bad science?" Tony asked, ignorant to how that could sound just a little suggestive.

[heroic_jawline]

"I can handle anything you can show me, Stark," Steve said, laughing.