17.
The nervousness with which Steve woke up made his insides clench uncomfortably. He kept his eyes closed and just listened. He could feel Tony sitting next to him, just like the first time he'd slept in his bed. He could hear him muttering softly to himself and one of his hands was in Steve’s hair. That calmed him at least partially.
He looked up. Tony was working, hair sticking in all directions and eyes still a little puffy from his long sleep. Steve shifted a little, drawing his attention to himself. Brown eyes immediately looked up to him, filled with a mixture of joy and some shyness that even Steve felt.
It wasn't actually that surprising. Steve himself had never had the opportunity to spend the night with a lover and wake up next to him in the morning, and Tony, at least from what Steve had heard, had avoided that kind of scenario at all costs. If he'd let a woman spend the night with him, he'd wake up before she did, disappear into the workshop and leave either Pepper or Jarvis to see her off in the morning. So yes, some shyness was to be expected.
They stared at each other wordlessly for a moment, tension in the air. But then Tony smiled.
"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," he crooned, leaning down to press a brief kiss to the corner of Steve's mouth. "Did you get enough sleep?"
Steve sighed contentedly and nodded. Everything was fine, Tony hadn't planned on kicking him out of bed and last night hadn't been a very vivid dream, but a reality. He chuckled softly and rolled over onto his stomach, one arm around Tony's waist and his head resting on his thigh. He felt silly, and it was the best he'd felt perhaps since he'd woken up to the twenty-first century.
"Oh God, I was right. You really are just an overgrown puppy!" Tony exclaimed in mock annoyance, but his hand found its way back into Steve's hair and there was a hint of smile in his voice. Steve laughed softly again and just stayed in place for a few moments, still resting with his eyes closed. Tony's fingers in his hair felt so nice, so comforting.
"Do you still want to sleep?"
"No," Steve murmured, pulling Tony closer to him. "I just want to hold you."
"Heh... Okay," Tony hummed, returning to his work undisturbed. Steve’s curiosity finally get the best of him and he sat up so he could look over Tony's shoulder.
"What are you working on?"
Tony immediately turned off the Starkpad and slid it under his pillow. Steve blinked in surprise.
"Is it a secret?"
"Yeah... Big one," Tony agreed, looking at him with a stony expression. "I don't know exactly what would happen if I told you... But I suspect the entire solar system would be in danger."
Steve believed him for maybe a hundredth of a second, and it was obviously reflected in his face because Tony's laughter began bubbling in his chest almost immediately. He cocked his head and laughed, relaxed and genuinely amused. Steve just watched him, trying to keep his expression serious.
"Okay. Keep your secrets, metal man," he uttered in a voice as similar to Thor's as possible, making Tony laugh even harder as he pressed his hand to his stomach. Steve finally joined him.
Then they sat side by side, their backs against the headboard, still giggling. Tony rested his head on Steve’s shoulder and let out a long sigh, the smile still on his lips.
"This is weird."
"What?"
"This," he muttered, motioning with his hand between the two of them. Steve felt his throat tighten.
"Wrong kind of weird?" He dared to ask, congratulating himself, for his voice was calm and firm. Tony immediately shook his head.
"I didn't say that. It's just... I don't know, just weird, okay? I'm fine, I'm fine with you, but... but I'm honestly scared that it won't last. That it's going to get weird weird in a minute and I'm going to realize that this isn't for me."
Steve just watched him in silence. Of course, he'd thought of that too, it was a very real scenario. It scared him, too. But there was nothing he could do.
"Let's wait and see, huh?" He suggested, throwing an arm over Tony's shoulder. "And if it comes to that, we'll find a solution. Agreed?"
"Fine," Tony nodded, looking up at him, a smile reappearing on his lips. "I hope you'll do your best to make sure it doesn't come to that," he whispered, challenge in his eyes, and leaned in, brushing his lips with Steve’s. Steve smiled. Gently cupping his cheek in his palm, he waited for permission before capturing Tony's lips in a slow, lazy kiss. Tasting his mouth, Tony met him, trying to take the lead. He let him and just listened with pleasure to his quickening pulse and breathing.
"I had a good time last night," Tony purred, running his lips down Steve's jaw. "When do we do it again?"
"Whenever you like."
"Now?" He grinned, showering Steve’s neck with kisses and nibbles. Steve gasped desperately.
"Now," Steve agreed without hesitation, grabbing Tony by the hips. He wanted to roll him under himself and kiss him again. Hungrily, urgently. Only Jarvis stopped him mid-move.
"I'm sorry to interrupt. Captain Rogers, Director Fury is calling you. Do you wish to speak with him?"
"Shit," Tony cursed and pulled away.
Steve grumbled. He gave Tony one more brief kiss before looking up at the camera near the ceiling.
"Sure, Jarvis."
A soft beep announced the start of the call and Steve automatically straightened his back. "Director Fury," he greeted calmly.
"Captain Rogers," Fury said without hesitation, "are you alone?"
Okay, very strange question. Steve heard, rather than saw, Tony take a breath to answer for him. He immediately covered Tony’s mouth with his hand and shook his head warningly.
"I'm alone," he assured him, his gaze fixed on Tony's face. He was surprised, but the mischievous lights in his eyes flared almost immediately. "What's going on?"
"I have a task for you. I need you to go check on an agent. He hasn't checked in for days and I need to know what happened. Find out what's wrong with him and bring me his research."
"Of course, sir," Steve agreed, but he couldn't help frowning. This was fishy. Carefully, he lowered his hand from Tony's mouth, but put a finger to his lips, indicating that he should keep quiet. Tony obeyed. "What kind of research is it?"
"You'll be told later, Rogers, I promise. But listen to me," he paused, and Steve looked up at the camera again, as if trying to stare straight through it at Fury, "it's really important that Stark doesn't know about this. You know him, he can turn anything into a disaster and he doesn't even have to try very hard."
He grinned, clearly imagining Tony's hurt expression and he didn't even have to look at him. "This isn't the first time you've wanted me to keep something from Stark, Fury."
"It's for the good of everyone, Rogers, believe me."
He held back a wry smile. He'd figured out long ago that SHIELD was afraid of Tony. And they had reason to be. If he wanted to, he could destroy their entire institution before he finished his morning cup of coffee. Steve had lived with him long enough to know that, and with each passing day, he realized how brilliant Tony really was and how much he knew. Fury had a lot to worry about.
But that didn't mean Steve was afraid of him too. No, he trusted him, and not just because he had certain feelings for him. No, Tony was a member of the Avengers, and Steve would put his own life in his hands without hesitation.
"I understand. Give me fifteen minutes."
"You have ten, Romanoff will pick you up."
A low beep announced the end of the call and the room was plunged into a silence that was only broken by Tony, "You just lied to Fury."
"I know."
"You just flat-out lied to Fury and you aren’t even embarrassed by it," he repeated and Steve finally turned to him. A mischievous smile graced Tony’s face and it was clear to Steve that he agreed wholeheartedly and completely with his actions.
"Maybe I'm a little remorseful. I'll go to church to confess later," he joked, rolling his eyes. "Like I said, Fury's trying to keep a lot of things from you, and it's honestly starting to annoy me."
"And it's starting to piss you off because deep down you think it's unfair or because I had your dick in my mouth yesterday?"
"Definitely the latter," Steve assured him without missing a beat. Tony's smile only widened. He leaned over to the bedside table and searched for something for a moment, then tossed Steve a small flash drive. Steve raised an eyebrow.
"Get me a copy of that research. I don't know a single scientist who doesn't have notes on his computer," he winked at him. "I'll take a look at it. If Fury doesn't want me to know about it, it's must be a big deal. Maybe we'll dig up some dirt on them and find out what's rotten. Oh God, maybe they've figured out a way to get rid of us all!"
"Don't scare me..."
Steve hid the flash drive in his palm and nodded. Tony was right. He hadn't forgotten their conversation and he still thought something was very wrong with SHIELD lately.
"And this," Tony continued, putting his watch around Steve's wrist. "Jarvi's inside. He'll scan the place when you get there. So we'll also have information he won't have stored on the computer. You hear that, Jarvis? Be good to Steve and take care of this for us."
"Of course, sir," Jarvis replied immediately. Steve nodded again and looked at the watch briefly. It looked ordinary.
Steve pressed a brief kiss to Tony's lips and left the bedroom. But he stopped at the door and came right back. He could have had a lot on his mind, but that silly mood hadn't left him.
He grabbed Tony by the hips and, smiling broadly, rolled him into the pillows until he let out a surprised chuckle. Steve kissed him again, playfully but urgently. He pressed himself against him, they were both still naked after last night, and the feel of skin on skin was electric. Tony moaned into the kiss, looking up at him in surprise when Steve pulled away.
"I just wanted to let you know that I'll really take care of you when I get back," Steve crooned with a mischievous grin. Tony laughed and patted him on the shoulder.
"I'll take you at your word. But now get out of here before I return you the shelter."
Steve kissed him one last time and left. He allowed himself one more glance over his shoulder, wondering if he was rushing things, but Tony didn't seem displeased. He propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes full of excitement and joy. That was good. It was great.
"I hate that you're leaving but I love to watch you go ‘cause of your ass!" He could hear Tony hollering as he got into the elevator. He had to laugh quietly to himself. Apparently, he wasn't the only one feeling silly.
Steve watched with a grin as a car pulled up in front of him and Natasha smiled mischievously at him through the open window.
"Just the two of us for the first time in a long time, old man. Ready?"
"Always," he nodded and got in. Natasha immediately surged forward and joined the traffic. She was the same as Tony in her driving, precise but quick and rash. Steve was getting used to it.
They were silent for a while, he was aware that she was watching him out of the corner of her eye and frankly, he didn't care. He was smiling happily, looking at the road, his head full of Tony. I should concentrate on the mission, he thought, but not that it would have any effect.
Natasha dropped a slim folder into his lap and tapped it with her fingers. "There you go, so you don't get all grumpy again that no one's telling you things."
"I don’t get grumpy," he protested lightly, but opened the folder. He looked at a photograph of a man he had never seen in his life, but it was clear to him that this was the agent they were supposed to find. Hali Nilsson, originally from Sweden. He was a middle-aged man with stubbly features and bright green eyes. He was a scientist, researching in chemistry and biochemistry. Steve quickly ran his eyes over the rest of the information and closed the file. There wasn't a word about his research in it.
"Fury said he was supposed to turn in his research results two days ago, but he didn't show up," Natasha said, turning into a poorer section of Queens.
They stopped in front of a row of apartment buildings and got out. Steve looked around. There were only three people on the street, two children and an old man walking his dog. They didn't pay much attention to them. There were cars driving by, there was a law office across the street, and the whole place actually gave off quite a pleasant impression. Natasha elbowed him in the ribs.
"Smelling trouble?"
"Not really," he shook his head and followed her to the door. They were let in by a little girl with a pink hat who had just run out to greet a man getting out of a car - probably her father. Steve smiled, this place had its charm.
"You finally asked that nurse out, didn't you?"
He looked up in surprise and gave Natasha a puzzled look. She watched him, an impish smile playing on her lips, and by the look in her eyes Steve knew she was studying him, ready to expose any lie. He shook his head.
"So the girl from the gym? Debbie?"
He shook his head again and went up the stairs. The hallways were clean and the smell of floor cleaner wafted through the air. Natasha was right on his heels.
"So the agent who is under Hill’s wing. What's her name... Hannah!"
"Helen," he corrected her, shaking his head patiently again. "I didn't ask anyone out, Nat. Why are you even asking?"
"Well," she began innocently, her gaze knowing, her eyebrows arching slightly upwards, "you seem exceedingly pleased. Probably like a guy who's had a good time after a long time."
Steve shook his head one more time with a smile and sighed.
"I won't tell you anything," he assured her, continuing on his way. He knew there was no point in lying, Natasha would know right away. But he could keep his mouth shut, there was nothing even she could do about it.
"So you were with someone!" She whistled admiringly. Steve earned a pat on the back. "I'm proud of you."
"Give me a break," he chuckled in mock annoyance, then paused. They were standing outside Agent Nilsson's door, and at first glance, everything seemed to be in perfect order. Only Steve could clearly smell the faint odor of a decomposing body. He grinned in disgust.
"We're too late."
He braced his shoulder against the door and, to the sound of breaking wood and the clink of the safety chain, he broke the door down before Natasha could fish her lock pick set out of her pocket. The smell was stronger now, but not strong enough to make them sick to their stomachs.
"It was locked from the inside," Nat remarked quietly as she slowly slipped into the apartment, holding her gun down at her hip. The apartment was quiet, no one was inside. Steve carefully stepped over the pile of papers on the floor, closed the broken door behind them and looked around.
The apartment was just one room with a kitchenette on the left and a door on the right. Piles of papers were strewn all over the vertical surfaces, one entire wall taken up by a whiteboard covered in chemical formulas. The smell wafted from the door.
"I'm going in," Natasha said, cautiously pacing. She hesitated with her hand on the handle, allowed herself a deep breath, and opened it. Steve forced himself to breathe through his mouth.
Agent Nilsson lay on the dirty white tiles, naked, tangled in a shower curtain. Nat squatted down beside him, holstered her gun, and stared at him searchingly. Steve took advantage of her not paying attention to him and tapped his watch quickly. Within seconds, a red beam scanned the entire room and disappeared again. Natasha didn't notice anything.
"He's been dead for about three days," she announced, glancing over her shoulder. "He has no injuries, except for the wound on his head. I can't believe it, but it looks like he slipped when he climbed out of the tub."
He joined her and also gave the agent a searching look. And he had to agree with her conclusion. It did indeed look like the agent had slipped, he had tried to grab the curtain but it had snapped off. Nilsson hit his head on the toilet bowl and didn't move ever since.
"So it was just an accident?" He said in disbelief, Natasha nodded. She stood up quickly, not bothering with the dead man any further, and strode over to her laptop. Steve blocked her path.
"What are you doing?" She frowned at him, and her whole body tensed. Steve folded his arms across his chest, staring into her eyes.
"I want a copy of the research."
"What?"
"You heard." He frowned. "I've had enough of Fury's secrets. So I want a copy."
She didn't answer right away. She watched him warily, studied him. Steve didn't move, returning her gaze, feeling the atmosphere thicken. He was well aware of her loyalty to Fury and SHIELD, and he was aware that they were now on very thin ice. He hated himself for having to put Natasha in this position, trying to force her to disobey Fury's order. But he had no choice. Or so he thought.
"You want to give it to Stark..."
He nodded. As he already said, there was no point in lying to Tasha. She'll know. She could smell a lie a mile away like a shark can smell a droplet of blood, and if she wanted to know the truth, she would do anything to get it. That's why Steve didn't lie. He was being honest.
"Steve," she sighed in agony and wiped her brow. "You can't be serious. You know Stark, he'll always do something stupid for the greater good. And you've already vouched for him once. He'll drag you both down like this."
Steve clenched his jaw and his gaze hardened. He knew there was a lot of truth to her words, but he trusted Tony. He trusted that he wouldn't do anything stupid and maybe he was naive, but he couldn't help it. He knew Tony.
"Something's been going on with SHIELD lately," he said slowly, having her full attention again. She didn't say anything, but the look on her face was answer enough. "You must have noticed, Natasha. Something's going on. Fury tells us even less than he ever have before, they're doing research they don't want us to know about. Do you really think he's going to tell us what Nilsson's been working on? He won't. He sent the two of us because he knew we'd complete the mission and we wouldn't ask any questions. But I'm done with that, Nat."
His gaze grew soft and his hands dropped along his body. "I'm worried about all of us. This," he gestured with his hand around them, "is definitely connected to the Avengers somehow. Maybe I'm crazy, but I get the feeling. And believe me, I'm not going to let anything happen to any of you. I'll go up against SHIELD if I have to."
Silence fell between them, but Steve knew he had won. It was a bitter victory, for seeing Natasha's inner struggle reflected in her face was not pleasant. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a flash drive.
"Please trust me," he said and handed it to her. She sighed and her shoulders slumped.
"You're a fool, Steve. But I trust you," she said, took the flash drive and walked over to Nilsson’s laptop. She worked in silence. Steve was looking over her shoulder and could feel a warm feeling of gratitude welling up in his chest.
"But you have to tell me who the lucky one is," she spoke up after a few minutes, laughter in her voice. Steve sighed and squeezed her shoulder gently.
"That's not going to happen."
"You're being cruel. How am I supposed to check her out when I don't even know who she is?"
"You don’t," he smiled, tucking the flash drive back into his pocket and turning to the exit. They'd let Fury know to send someone to take care of Nilsson, deliver his laptop, and they'd finally be off the hook. Steve was looking forward to getting back to the tower, after all, he still had some work to do. He couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face.
"You must introduce her to me one day," Natasha finally decided. "So I can approve it."
"I certainly will someday," he promised with a quiet laugh as they got into the car. He was sure Natasha had no idea that the mysterious she was actually a he.
By the time Steve got home, it was well past noon and Tony was gone. He didn't need to ask Jarvis to find out. It was strange, but he could tell. It wasn't as if the tower was ever completely empty, no. There were always a lot of people down in the lobby, as well as in the labs, Steve knew that. But when Tony was gone, he could feel it.
He headed for the kitchen, put the newspaper down on the kitchen island and made himself some tea. He ended up staying longer at the SHIELD headquarters, the conversation with Fury was uncomfortable, as if perhaps he suspected Steve had disobeyed him. He was lucky that Natasha had decided to trust him and had his back. He was grateful to her.
"Where's Tony, Jarvis?" he asked. He stood by the window, sipping his tea, mindlessly watching the snowy New York. It would be Christmas soon. And he honestly didn't really care. Should he get Tony a present? And the rest of the team? Were they going to celebrate Christmas at all? He didn't know.
"He's gone to see Dr. Banner, to help him move," Jarvis replied immediately. "They should be back soon."
"Thank you."
He didn't move for a few minutes and just continued to watch the flakes fall. He was thinking, his head swirling with many thoughts and even more worries. Without planning to, he remembered Ruby. He felt a chill run down his spine as he recalled her face, smiling but strangely insincere. Something about her wasn’t right, even in hindsight, he didn't change his mind.
"Jarvis, if I told you the place and time, could you get me the CCTV footage?" he asked, taking another sip of his slowly cooling tea. The sweet taste spilt over his tongue, and he closed his eyes contentedly.
"Depends on what kind of place it would be, Captain. I have access to public spaces all the time, but if it were a private institution, it could be a problem and I'd have to check with Mr. Stark."
"A shopping mall."
"That won't be a problem, Captain," Jarvis assured him, lighting up the holographic screen to his right. Steve turned and gave Jarvis the information he wanted. It took only a few seconds for Jarvis to open four windows. Steve saw himself and Tony, sitting at a table, Tony's hand on top of his, leaning inappropriately close to each other. He swallowed hard as he remembered the situation and felt a mixture of excitement and irritation. Innocent, phew. Right.
The chill in his back was worse than before. He watched Ruby approach them from behind Steve's back. She was so close, that all she had to do was reach out and touch him. And he hadn't known about her the whole time. Yes, he had to admit with some embarrassment that he was paying attention to Tony at the moment, but he never stopped being cautious. His body was aware of the people near them, all too aware of the woman with the baby on her shoulders who had walked past them just seconds before Ruby, or the group of teenagers. He was aware of every person that was near them. Just not about Ruby until she spoke to them. Only a handful of people could approach him like that, like Clint when he was really trying; or Natasha.
Steve froze. He had no trouble recalling the girl's eyes, the look she'd given them both. And he realized that Natasha had the exact same look, just today, when they'd entered Agent Nilsson's apartment together, or any other time when their lives might have been on the line. It was a sharp look, a wary one. The look of a human who is acutely aware of the smallest details, knowing that even a slight inattention could cost lives. The look of a human who is used to navigating life-threatening situations. That's not a look that ordinary high school girls have.
"There, that black-haired girl," he pointed out to Jarvis, and the shots in all the windows focused on her. "Could you find out who she is?"
"Of course, Captain," he assured him, and for a moment nothing happened. Steve watched Ruby, his unease growing. He didn't have the slightest evidence, just his bad feeling, but even that was enough. He felt that the girl was dangerous.
"It won't be so easy after all," Jarvis spoke again, and Steve could have sworn he heard the irritation in his voice. "She's passed thirteen cameras, but not one of them has fully captured her face. She must have known how they were positioned, Captain. I'll have to glue her face together from fragments from different cameras. It's not impossible, but it will take time."
Steve nodded. "Sure, Jarvis, that's fine. Thanks for your help."
"You're welcome, Captain."
"And... Jarvis? Do you think you could not tell Tony about this?"
Jarvis didn't answer right away as if he was thinking about the answer.
"I'm not in the habit of lying to Mr. Stark."
"Sure, of course. If he asks, of course tell him everything, but if he doesn't ask... could you keep quiet about it?"
"I suppose I could," Jarvis finally agreed, and Steve sighed and thanked him again. He remembered how unhappy Tony had been when he'd been suspicious of Ruby. It was clear to him that if Tony knew what he had asked Jarvis to do, he wouldn't be twice as happy.
His gaze wandered back to the window, feeling the itch in his fingers. He felt like drawing, the atmosphere outside the window seemed so peaceful. Finally, he nodded to himself, went back for his jacket and sketchbook, and walked out onto the terrace.