I don't think anyone's asked this before, but how do they court Tony? I get that they share meals and Bucky teaches him how to ride and Steve teaches him to fight, but do they have specific dates with him where they go out and tour the kingdom,see the sights, etc.?Also, do they continue courting him after they get married, or are they so busy with the kingdom that they can't? lots of hugs and kisses, you are amazing and I love seeing your posts, whether or not it's about you or someone else(1/
At first a lot of their courting is literally sitting at a table and talking. It makes Tony uncomfortable because he doesn’t have a lot to say and it makes Steve and Bucky uncomfortable because they feel like they’re dominating the conversation all the time like assholes. It’s only after Bucky starts taking Tony out on rides in the morning that Tony starts to open up.
(Sarah assumes that Tony is being chaperoned. Clint can’t be assed to get up at the crack of dawn and when Natasha sees that Tony isn’t uncomfortable, she graciously bows out. Bucky appreciates this. Their alone time is very special to him.)
A lot of their time riding is at first spent with Bucky teaching Tony all the tricks of riding a horse. Tony is an excellent student, and Bucky tells him so, and is delighted when Tony flushes with pride and pleasure and covers his face.
Steve doesn’t really consider his sparring sessions with Tony ‘courting’ until the day it ends in kisses. Luckily by that time their sessions are unsupervised because Steve has proven that he’s very serious when it comes to training. He’s super strict with Tony in the beginning because he wants to make sure that his grip and stance are correct.
(Clint and Natasha actually decide that there is literally no danger of them getting handsy besides Steve carefully pulling Tony into correct physical positions for practice.
“If he gets fresh, just whack him in the head with your sword,” Natasha orders.
“Unless it’s real,” Clint adds while Tony sputters. “Then go for his ankles.”)
Tony is much more enthused at their sitting-and-talking dates after this too, and he chatters on and on about how he didn’t know how many types of swords there were and how the fencing scenes in his books are so much more interesting now and Bucky has the pleasure of seeing Tony flush with pleasure again when Steve proudly states, “He’s a natural for a sword, Buck, he’s gonna give the guards a run for their money soon.”
Once Tony is more comfortable with them, they do take carriage rides through the kingdom. Natasha and Clint sit up front with the driver and tell Tony “just thump the front wall if they’re getting fresh with you.” Steve and Bucky hope that Tony will give them some kisses but he’s plastered to the window looking at the sights. He’d been a little too subdued and scared to take in much as he’d been led to the castle, after all.
Luckily it just enamors them more. All of the excited 'what’s that’s and ‘who is that’s and ‘what are they doing’s and ‘WHAT IS THAT ANIMAL’s are just too cute. Then Tony starts pounding on the front of the carriage and he is less cute because the carriage jerks to a stop and Clint swings in the door without even climbing down, looking rabid.
“WHAT ARE THEY DOING.”
“No stop you’re blocking my view!” Tony whines, and Clint gapes at him, flabbergasted, before moving aside. “This cow is too big,” Tony moans, cupping his cheeks in concern. “Why is it so big? And it’s so white. What a pretty cow.” Come to think of it, most of the cows in the Stark kingdom had been smaller and more on the fawn-colored side. “I’m gonna pet it,” Tony decides, climbing out of the carriage.
“NO IT’S A BULL,” everyone shouts, scrambling after him, including the driver.
(Apparently even the male cows of the Stark kingdom were gentle. Tony learns this is not so with the Rogers cows when the bull he’d wanted to pet bellows and charges the fence at them. Tony screams.
