Butt Dial (Stony)
“You’re the cutest boy I’ve ever seen. Isn’t that right Charlie? You’re going to be a good boy for me, right?” Steve’s gentle voice played over the speakers in Tony’s room. “That’s it. You’ve got it!”
After coming home from a particularly boring meeting, Tony was touched that Steve had thought to leave him a voicemail. Tony hated traveling to the satellite branch of Stark Industries in LA without his loving boyfriend, but the daily calls made it bearable. He plopped down on the bed and requested that JARVIS start the playback.
That’s when he heard Steve’s gentle, loving voice. His heart wrenched when he realized the tone hadn’t been directed at him. Steve had clearly made this call by accident while he was off cheating with this ‘Charlie’ behind Tony’s back. The voice resonated throughout the otherwise silent room, surrounding him. Every word stung. Tony knew he should be furious, but his mind was filled with insecurities. “Of course I wasn’t good enough for Captain America.” He remembered all the times he left Steve to sleep alone as he tinkered in the lab, all the times Steve looked up at him with a disappointed expression because he had to leave for work, all the times he’d been to afraid to share his feelings and created misunderstandings. He was a hot, emotionally-constipated mess. Pepper knew it and now Steve knew it. Tony cried himself to sleep, but once he awoke, he ditched the pity party and gave in to rage.
~Earlier in the Day~
“They’re all so adorable!” Steve nearly squealed as he intently watched a kitten paw at a ball of string. Clint laughed at loud from his spot by the Pit Bull mix across the aisle. “Every time I come here I have to restrain myself from adopting every animal in here. I love on a farm, but I think Laura will kill me if I bring in a sixth dog. The excuse that Lucky needs friends only stretches so far.”
“How do you think Tony would feel about pets in the tower?”
“He’d probably pretend to dislike them at first, but eventually fall in love. You could definitely convince him: he’s so smitten he’d do anything you asked.”
“I don’t know about that, but I’m coming back here. Thanks for showing me.” Steve turned to the volunteer coordinator at the shelter, “I’ve cleaned the litter boxes. What do you need me to do next?”
The middle aged woman gave him a soft smile and pointed over at a tiny puppy cowering in the corner of his cell. “This little guy’s name is Charlie. He was just brought in yesterday. He was cold and completely alone so he’s been a bit skittish. Seeing as how you have a way with animals, can you attempt to bottle feed him?”
Steve’s heart melted. He didn’t even notice his phone turning on in the back of his jeans as he crouched down to help the little guy.
~Back to Tony~
The flight back to the tower was awful. Tony’s mind was ricocheting between intense anger and gut wrenching pain so he never managed to fall asleep. He was absorbed in the former when he stomped into the tower. Steve happily ran over to greet him, “How was your business trip, Tony? I’ve missed you.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you really missed me.” Tony snapped bitterly.
Steve stopped in his tracks and shot a confused look at his lover’s aggravated mood.
“If you really missed me, you wouldn’t have run off with another man. Is he younger, prettier, more available?” Tony exploded.
“Tony, I -“
“Don’t even try to make excuses Rodgers. I guess even America’s golden boy has his problems. Just be grateful I’m giving you a week to move out.”
“You’re breaking up with me?” Steve’s tone was flat. He was in too much shock to even process the situation.
“Even I have enough self-respect to dump someone who cheated on me. You can come back for missions though. Don’t worry, JARVIS won’t sic the arsenal on you.”
Steve couldn’t move from his spot as Tony ran upstairs, turning his head to hide the tears that had started to leak down his cheeks.
“Tony’s breaking up with me.” Steve whispered in disbelief as he crumpled to the floor. He eventually picked himself up and made his way to his bedroom. “Why does he think I cheated? I would never do that to him?” Steve petted the puppy curled up in his bed as he sobbed.
The next day, Steve discovered that Tony had revoked his privileges to enter the lab or master bedroom or any of the communal areas. He could only go to his room or outside. He spent the entire day leaving messages for JARVIS to pass on, but based on the radio silence, he assumed Tony was deleting them.
The day after, he pled with the AI for hours to just let him see Tony for an hour, but it’s orders were strict and Steve’s attempts were all unsuccessful. He slumped against the wall as he accepted defeat. “I guess we’re moving out Charlie. Sorry, I won’t be able to afford someplace as nice as this.” Steve’s voice broke as he spoke. He tried to focus on packing his things, but his thoughts always drifted to happy memories of him and Tony.
“What happened?” Sam opened the door, surprised to see Steve looking devastated at his door in the middle of the night.
“Tony broke up with me. I don’t really want to talk about it. Can I stay with you until I find an apartment?”
“I’m so sorry man. Stay as long as you need.”
~Tony~
Tony hadn’t stopped working since breaking things off with Steve.
“Sir, Steve has left another message with me. That makes five unheard messages. Would you like to hear them?”
“No, JARVIS mute all notifications about Steve Rodgers. I don’t want to be reminded of them.”
Tony futilely attempted to throw himself into the new spy technology for Nat and Clint, but everything in the lab reminded his of Steve. The cute sketches of him and the robots, the sticky notes with reminders to eat and sleep, the upgraded Captain America suit in the corner - they all shot pain through his chest.
“Sir, Agents Barton and Romanoff have arrived from their mission. They are in the communal kitchen area if you wish to see them.”
Tony nodded and admitted it was probably time for a break. He stumbled up to the kitchen.
“Jeez, you look like shit.” Clint scoffed as Tony made his way toward the spies making sandwiches.
Tony pushed the brew button on his coffee maker and mumbled, “I was working on technology for you Katniss. Any more jabs on my appearance and you may never know what it feels like to shoot invisible arrows.”
“I thought you’d be playing with Steve’s new puppy this weekend, not sulking in the lab altering arrows - not that I’m complaining though.”
“Steve’s what?”
“Charlie. You know? The dog he picked out from the shelter the day before you got back. He seemed really excited to show you, but I guess he never worked up the nerve.”
Tony’s face must have turned into one of horror because Clint quickly added “If you hate dogs and have them banned from the premises or something, just remember, I’m only the messenger.”
“I need to go.” Tony rushed toward the elevator.
Clint shrugged it off as Tony’s eccentricities. Natasha raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything as she dug back into her meal.
“JARVIS, take me to the floor Steve is on.”
“Captain America vacated the Avengers Tower as of 6:03pm yesterday evening.”
“What?” Tony’s face well “Why did he...?”
“If I may, your words ‘just be grateful I’m giving you a week to move out’ during your most recent argument may have prompted him to leave.”
Tony leaned back against the handle and closed his eyes. When he walked into the room that night, Steve was so happy. He was practically beaming to have Tony home. He was probably going to share the news about him getting a puppy and give that pouty face that was irresistible to Tony. Why hadn’t he trusted Steve? Why hadn’t he given him a moment to speak?
“JARVIS, play Steve’s messages.”
“Hey Tony, it’s Steve. You probably could already see that I guess. Can we talk about whatever this is? I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I promise I was never unfaithful to you. Love you. Please call me back.”
“It’s Steve again. I can’t find any media articles claiming I’m having an affair, but I promise if you saw one that it’s all libel....I love you.”
“Hi, it’s Steve. I can’t tell if you aren’t getting these or your just ignoring me, but I really need to see you...”
“I’m going to be in that coffee shop you like from 5am-2pm today if you want to come work things out. Please show up.”
“Hello, it’s Steve Rogers. I’m really sorry for whatever I did to hurt you Tony. I honestly didn’t mean it. All I ever wanted to do was making you happy, but I guess I’m just a giant failure. Don’t worry, I’m packing up my stuff and moving out tonight. I’ll be out of your hair. I’ll still always have your back in the battlefield Tony. I know you don’t trust me, but maybe you can trust Captain America. Steve Rodgers was never enough anyway.”
Tony’s heart cracked at the first four messages and shattered at the fifth. He was a monster. Steve didn’t do anything wrong. He didn’t even know what he was accused of and Tony didn’t give him a chance to share his side. Tony knew he needed to apologize. He could only pray that their was some shimmer of a chance that he would be taken back.
It took several hours of sifting through security footage and tapping into illegal surveillance methods to figure out Steve went to D.C. As soon as he got Sam’s address, Tony suited up and flew as fast as he could to the front doorstep. He pounded on the door.
“I’ll be there in a second. Stop trying to break my fucking door.” An irritated voice yelled out and suddenly Sam’s face was visible in the doorframe.
The instant he saw Tony, he puffed up his chests and stretched his arms to prevent him from entering. “What do you possibly think you’re doing here?”
“I made a mistake. I need to apologize to Steve.”
“He explicitly told me he didn’t want to see you right now. You shouldn’t of broken up with him if you still wanted him.”
“I know. I did something terrible and I need to make it right. Please just give me five minutes with him.” Tony’s voice must’ve been pathetic enough to soften Sam up, because the next thing he knew, he was standing in the guest bedroom Steve had been staying in.
Hope flashed across Steve’s featured for a millisecond before he squashed them with a mask of stony indifference. “Sorry, did I accidentally take something of yours? Do you want the suit back? It’s all yours.”
Tony felt like throwing up. Steve looked so wrecked. His eyes were dull and his hair unkempt. He clearly wasn’t sleeping. Tony has caused this.
“Well, I wanted to say that... I came here so that I could... I’m a giant idiot and I’m so sorry. I never meant to...Stevie I’m so so so sorry. I jumped to conclusions and I hurt you and I ignored you. I know you wouldn’t cheat on me. I was just so mad and jealous and insecure. I lashed out and you didn’t deserve it. I understand if you never want to see me again. Just let me know.” Tony’s eyes drifted down to a speck on the wood floor. “I know I have no right to ask this, but is there any way you would be able to try again? I’ll do everything to make up for this. I’ll be the best boyfriend that’s ever existed. I just don’t want to lose you.” Tony dropped to his knees as he begged Steve for a second chance.
Steve’s eyes widened as he contemplated the situation before him. “What did I even do?” He said softly. “You wouldn’t even let me explain myself Tony. You didn’t trust me and you didn’t give me a chance to fix any problem I caused. How could you throw me out like I was nothing? Do you even love me?”
“I love you more than I love my own life Steve. I was unforgivably cruel to you. When you sent me that voicemail...” Tony explained his misunderstanding to Steve and he finally seemed to notice the dog on the bed.
Steve lumped onto his mattress and the dog was immediately in his la. “You’re a little troublemaker, aren’t you boy?”
He thought for a moment longer before moving the dog aside and kneeling down next to Tony. “I love you too. I want to be with you more than anything in the world. Please promise me you’ll work on trusting me?”
Tony nodded vigorously and gave a relieved smile. Steve leaned in to kiss him. When they pulled back for air, he said “I guess I’ll have to forgive you then.”