Steve couldn’t really blame Clint.
When they were stranded there, he had searched Steve and asked, specifically, if he was comfortable sharing a bed with Tony. At the time, the tension between them was at an all-time high, and Clint’s caution was probably wise, but it felt wrong to steal Natasha and Bruce’s moment of privacy, so Steve just agreed.
Later that night, when they laid on the bed, he tried his best to sleep, he really did. But it was impossible, when Tony just couldn’t stop shifting by his side, changing positions so many times Steve couldn’t help but look.
He was surprised when he realized Tony was actually asleep. He supposed the battle had taken its toll on him, as it had on everyone else. It was easy to forget, but Tony was, at the end of the day, a normal man.
Under the slight moonlight coming from the window, he looked uncharacteristically relaxed, which Steve couldn’t help but think was probably rare even on his sleep. His hair was messy, because of the constant moving; and his eyes were closed, long eyelashes impossible to not notice on his peaceful face.
He looked smaller, curled up like that. Of course, they had been all caught by surprise, having to sleep there, so Tony was just wearing one of Clint’s t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants, but it was still a little large for him, especially around the ankles.
Steve felt himself smile. Sometimes it was easy to forget that, excluding Natasha, Tony was the shortest of them. The armor made him taller, and even out of it, his posture seemed to shield him from anyone who attempted to tower over him, owning up a room the minute he stepped inside it.
Now, though, he just seemed… Comfortable, Steve guessed. Almost… Soft.
He shifted a little himself. It had been ages since he had last slept with someone – he remembered sharing a bed with Bucky as a child, and of course the Commandos often slept all but piled over each other, sharing small quarters – and he didn’t remember that level of… Awareness of the person next to him. Tony’s body seemed to irradiate warmth, and Steve felt his face and chest go hot staring at him.
Maybe the beds had gotten smaller.
Steve ditched the blanket – he really, really didn’t need to warm himself more – and turned around. Even then, he barely got any slept, incredibly conscious of Tony’s movements next to him and the sound of his breath.
The next time, well, there was just no reason to argue.
“Mind if I keep working?” Tony asked, his tablet in his hand, sitting up on the bed with a pillow on his back. Steve felt a comment on bad work habits coming up, but he had no right to reprimand Tony like that, when he hadn’t touched it all afternoon.
“No,” Steve said, laying his head on the pillow. He eyed the schematics on the screen. “What is that for?”
Tony smirked. “For the next time you decide to throw yourself in front of a fire explosion, fearless leader.”
Steve felt a warmth over his cheeks, strangely travelling to a place inside his chest. “We were out of options.”
“I know. And you shouldn’t have been,” Tony said, typing something onto the screen. Steve’s eyes shifted towards his face. It had been months since Ultron, but Tony still seemed slightly too tired, like the last time they had been there had also been his last peaceful sleep.
He was wearing his own clothes, this time. Pepper had them delivered, when Tony let her know he’d be spending the weekend there to check on Clint’s damaged bow. Unlike everything else Tony wore, they didn’t look too expensive – just a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt from a band Steve didn’t know.
Unlike Clint’s clothes, too, they were slightly more… Fitted. The dark t-shirt hugged Tony’s torso and the sweatpants hanged a little low, so, when Tony shifted on the bed – and he shifted constantly – his shirt rode up slightly, exposing a little bit of flesh, just a small glimpse of golden skin.
Steve felt his mouth a little dry.
“Fight with us next time,” he blurted out, without thinking. “That would’ve helped.”
Tony turned towards him.
Steve swallowed – that was the thing, when talking to Tony: Staring at his eyes made it harder to find words.
The corner of Tony’s mouth twisted up in a smile: “I might.”
Steve felt his heart taking a leap on his chest. It had been months since he kept ignoring Tony’s official request for a press conference announcing his retirement on his desk. “Really?” he asked, immediately regretting the transparent eagerness on his voice.
“Maybe.” Tony’s gaze flickered towards Steve’s face, and a for a moment he seemed thoughtful, and Steve felt incredibly exposed, almost transparent, in front of those brown, greenish eyes. “Guess you guys have really been missing me, huh?” His voice was teasing, but with a strange hint of tension behind it, as if he was challenging Steve to agree.
Well. After so long, Tony really should know how Steve dealt with challenges.
“We have,” Steve said, very determined to not look away, although he felt his face heating. His posture stiffened, and he sat up. “The team needs you, Tony.”
The words felt heavier than they should, coming out of his mouth. Tony blinked, his expression changing to something Steve didn’t fully understand – softer, maybe, or, or… Expectant? But Steve didn’t know why, exactly, and the air around them felt lacking, for a moment. Suddenly Steve was too aware of the shape of Tony’s body next to his, separated by such a small gap, and his bright eyes staring at him. Tony looked smaller on the bed with those soft clothes, and he looked closer than he had ever seemed before, in the armor or in his usual fancy suits, and Steve tongue seemed to get too big for his mouth and he stuttered to get the next words out.
“We, uh. We’re lacking in air support without Thor.”
Tony blinked – God, he had big eyes – for a moment, seemed slightly taken aback. Then he grinned a little.
“Really? I think Rhodey, Vision and Sam might take offense to that.”
Steve opened his mouth to say something, but he didn’t know what, so he just stared at Tony for a moment. He heard a laugh on his head that sounded suspiciously like Bucky – specifically, Bucky after Steve had failed to chat up a dame who had been really excited to meet Captain America at a bar – which made no sense, since it had nothing to do with that situation, where he wasn’t in a bar but on a guest room, with a bed and a teammate and his… His… Eyes.
“You’re an Avenger, Tony,” he somehow found the presence of mind to say, his voice thankfully sounding more confident this time. “We all work better as a team.”
Tony’s expression softened, and his grin grew a little more sincere, and for some reason the temperature of the room raised a few degrees.
“I’ll think about it,” he said, still eyeing Steve with that gaze that seemed to spell out a million things in a language Steve did not speak, and then turned towards the tablet. The movement made his shirt ride up even more on his side, exposing part of his hip, and Steve couldn’t help but watch it. Tony was sitting down, but he could see his shirt had rode up on his back, too. Those pants hung very low, and Steve imagined with his shirt rolled up, you could probably catch a glimpse of Tony’s rear, which… Which… Was not a thing for a teammate to be thinking about.
“Cap?” Tony’s voice pulled him back to reality, and, with a shock, Steve realized he had been staring. He felt his face burn, and Tony’s eyes seemed intrigued, the corner of his mouth twitching up in a smile. “Everything ok?”
And Steve was definitely delirious, because something about Tony’s voice felt different, slightly lower than usual, his question lingering in the air between them as if he was asking something else as well. But that didn’t make any sense, because what would that question even be, and Steve’s fingers clenched into fists at his sides as he forced himself to look at the ceiling.
“Yes,” he said, and his voice came out a little too weak for his taste, but thankfully, Tony didn’t comment on it. “Goodnight, Tony.”
Tony’s voice was still on that low, softer tone that made Steve think of hot chocolate or slow music or other completely unrelated things when he answered: “Goodnight, Cap.”
The next time wasn’t long after that. Clint had this idea of using the barn for Wanda’s birthday, and he kept insisting for everyone to stay, until it was too late for Steve to ride home on his bike.
“Hey there, designated roomie,” Tony said, his voice drawling every word out, evidence of the beers that had kept him from driving home. Steve felt his posture stiffen – he was hoping to already be asleep when Tony got to the room, because of… Reasons.
“Hey,” Steve said, because it would be too impolite not to say anything, and he had already been awkward enough with Tony that evening, what with constantly finding his eyes drawn towards him, looking away whenever Tony caught his gaze. Still, he kept staring at the wall, his back turned to the door.
He expected to feel Tony’s weight climbing onto the bed, but nothing happened. Instead, he heard some movement, some shifting. Steve’s enhanced hearing was able to discern it sounded like fabric. Fabric being moved…
“Great party, huh?” Tony sounded cheerful, and oh, my God, Steve thought, he was changing. He was. Changing clothes. “More birthday cake and party hats than my usual scene, but still. Those kids are awesome.” Steve took a sharp breath, very determined not to wonder if the piece of clothing he heard being clumsily thrown on the side table was Tony’s tie, or his jacket, or his shirt, or… “Don’t tell Barton I said that, though.” He added, his voice a little panting, and Steve figured it would probably take a bit of work, to remove pants so… Fitted. Tony would probably need to, uh, move a little, to get them off. It wouldn’t be a big deal for him, his hips were already… Very… Malleable. You couldn’t help but notice, and once you saw it, it was – it was a bit hard to look away, if Steve was perfectly sincere. There was just a lot of… Movement.
“God, I hate jeans.” Tony huffed, and, yes, he was taking his pants off. Just. Casually, calmly taking his pants off with a teammate in the room. A teammate he probably trusted not to have inappropriate thoughts about his hips. Steve focused on taking slower breaths.
“Much better,” Tony mumbled, so, ok, the pants were off. The pants were off and Tony was probably in his underwear, standing in a small room with no one other than Steve.
That was fine. That was nothing compared to what Steve had seen in the army. Guys would often change in front of each other without shame, some would even have whole conversations with their junk hanging out and – no, no, no, don’t think about that. Whatever you do, don’t think about that, don’t think about Tony’s…
“Are you all right there, Cap?” Tony asked, and for a horrifying moment Steve thought he had somehow guessed the extremely inappropriate place his mind had gone to, when he added, “Did you fall asleep on me?”
Of course, Steve thought. Tony was talking. He was talking, because there was no reason for him not to, because that was a perfectly normal situation and the room was at a perfectly normal temperature and there was no reason for his face to feel so hot. “Uh. No. Sorry, I just… Drifted.”
God, he was being ridiculous. And Tony didn’t deserve that. They were getting along so well, lately, now that Tony was back on the team. Their strategies were sound, their fighting moves were in synch, and they were building some kind of friendship, Steve guessed. There was a trust there, and Steve wasn’t about to ruin that. Certainly not because of – what? Because he was somehow turning into the prudish boy scout everyone else thought he was, all twisted up in knots because Tony didn’t feel the need to go to the bathroom to change into his pajamas? That just didn’t make sense.
“Yeah, yeah, I think you might’ve fallen asleep, buddy.” Tony’s voice was closer now, and Steve felt the bed shifting as he climbed up. The wave of warmth that came over him was completely unnecessary, since that meant Tony had finished changing. Still, something on his chest seemed to be responsive to Tony’s voice, like his very personal USO number playing inside him every time Tony breathed by his side or something. Which was definitely inappropriate. “It’s okay. My ramble isn’t at the height of its entertainment at this time of the evening, usually. Well. Not at this kind of party, at least.”
Steve turned around, because Tony deserved a proper answer, with Steve looking at his face like a proper friend and. And.
And Tony was shirtless.
He was. Very shirtless.
“I,” Steve said, and, then, eloquently, he added, “Uh.”
Tony blinked, long eyelashes being very long against his very bright eyes, and he looked down at his very – very – shirtless torso. “Oh. Sorry, Cap.” He smiled apologetically, shrugging with one – naked – shoulder. “I figured since you were in the army and everything, you wouldn’t mind.” His eyes sparkled with something Steve didn’t get, and his smile grew. “Didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
Steve felt his whole face go hot. “I. I don’t mind,” he blurted out quickly, attempting to make his voice sound a little less strangled. Way to not seem like an old man, Rogers.
Tony raised an eyebrow at him. Then he turned towards him, propping his head up on one elbow and, God, had he been spending extra time in the gym lately? “You sure?” He asked, and – and there was that voice again, slightly lower, sending shivers down Steve’s spine. Steve did his best to swallow, trying to gain some presence of mind to respond, doing his best to focus on Tony’s face and not all that golden, toned skin on display. “I can ask Clint for a shirt. You know,” he was almost whispering now, and an insane part of Steve’s mind wondered if he’d come closer, and he found himself unable to let go of the thought – Tony coming just a few inches closer, body curling around his, skin incredibly warm under Steve’s hands. His brown eyes seemed almost darker in the half lit room, and Steve felt a spike of heat down his chest as well, taking over his whole body. “If you want me to.”
Steve parted his lips and, thankfully, actual words came out, instead of the very embarrassing noise he, for a horrifying second, thought he might be about to make. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, turning on his back to stare at the ceiling. “It’s your pajamas, you can wear whatever you want.”
There was a pause. Then Tony let out a low, short laugh.
“Good,” he said, turning around, leaving Steve to carefully count every crack in the ceiling to avoid staring at his back muscles.
When Clint invited everyone to spend a weekend at the farm, Steve knew he should say no. He knew. But things had been remarkably calm, and everyone was excited at the idea of a small break, so Steve couldn’t be the killjoy.
Plus, at this point, there was really no way to avoid sharing a bed with Tony without being rude.
It wasn’t Tony’s fault, really, that his choice of sleepwear had been tormenting Steve for weeks. Tony had no way of knowing Steve kept bumping into things because he couldn’t stop staring at him – the way he walked, the way he moved, how he sometimes leaned forward to grab the remote and his shirt rode up, which made Steve think of that low, syrupy voice. And Tony had no way of knowing Steve kept having highly inappropriate dreams of running his hands over Tony’s sides, cupping his rear, feeling his goatee against his face as Tony’s lips parted pliantly against his.
Basically, Tony had no way of knowing Steve was going insane.
He must have noticed Steve was acting strange, though. Because he kept giving him those strange, thoughtful looks, turning away whenever Steve caught him looking. He started touching him more, smiling at him in a strange, lingering manner.
Steve couldn’t avoid a wave of guilt. It was so clear: Tony was reaching out to him, attempting to keep their relationship amicable, and Steve was deliberately driving him away because of silly, delusional feelings Tony had never done anything to encourage.
Steve felt terrible. His friendship with Tony was too fragile to harm over something like… That.
Therefore, when the night came, Steve was determined to not do anything to make Tony uncomfortable. He went to sleep early, but, unlike the last time, Tony followed him, talking endlessly about the movie they had just watched.
“So this is where the book-to-movie relationship really goes off the rails. That means however much you’ll like the next ones depends on how much you care about faithfulness to the source material. You don’t strike me as a purist, Cap, but I gotta say, Goblet of Fire is a tough pill to swallow, if you’ve read the book.” He sat down on the bed, brown eyes staring at Steve as he nodded, taking off his jacket. “You know, I have this theory your thermogenic system works exactly like a regular ninety year old’s, because there’s no way a normal person could wear a jacket in a heat like this.”
Steve rolled his eyes, but couldn’t fight back a smile. It was hard, to fight back smiles around Tony. It just felt unnatural. “I think it’s a bit chilly.”
“Chilly? Cap, I’m actually melting.” Tony waved his hand towards his face dramatically, apparently indicating his messy hair. Steve fought the urge to point out that had more to do with his and Rhodey’s fight over the remote than with the weather. His t-shirt was slightly rumpled, too, and Steve was pretty sure some popcorn had fallen under his collar.
It was cute.
Steve looked away, focusing on the floor as he quickly made his way to the opposite side of the bed. Then he remembered Tony had said something, and, on the spirit of attempting to keep a civil relationship between them, he should probably answer. “I can keep the blankets if you don’t want them,” He tried, but when he gazed at Tony, he grinned at him.
“Don’t worry. I’m just gonna… Get in my pajamas,” he said softly, and Steve felt his stomach clench in anticipation. Don’t be ridiculous, he told himself. It’s not anything you haven’t seen before.
Then Tony started… Undressing. He loosened his tie and started undoing his cuffs. The loose tie gave him an air of relaxation, along with the crumpled shirt, that seemed like he’d be ready for bed on that, too. Then he started with the buttons, opening the first one slowly.
At the glimpse of Tony’s chest, Steve felt his heart rush. He wasn’t really sure of what to do – certainly he should look away, right? But if Tony was doing it so… So casually, right in front of him, wouldn’t it be stranger if Steve acted like he was doing something indecent?
Tony finished undoing the buttons, slipping his shirt off his shoulder in a graceful, slow movement – Tony’s clothes were all expensive, which probably explained why he was being so careful, fingers caressing the fabric so gently it gave Steve a shiver as he imagined those hands on his skin.
When Tony reached for his belt, Steve’s breath hitched. He wanted to force himself to look away, because that was just out of line, but it was impossible, as he watched hypnotized as Tony slowly undid his belt and started working on his pants. He lowered them down, fingertips brushing over the skin of lean, gorgeous legs, kicking them off at his ankles. He was wearing a pair of black briefs, and Steve had trouble figuring out which part was harder to look at, the front or… The back.
Jesus Christ, he thought, when Tony actually bent over to take his pants off the floor - ok, definitely, the back. Jesus.
Steve decided to not watch as Tony put on his sweatpants, turning to change his own clothes quickly, not looking at Tony in the process. He laid down on the bed, taking deep breaths.
Ok, he thought. He could handle shirtless Tony in sweatpants. He had survived it before – barely, but still. He could handle it.
“Hey,” Tony said. Steve felt the weight of the bed shift as he climbed into it. “Are you going to sleep now?”
Steve turned towards him and choked on his own spit.
Tony was not wearing sweatpants. Tony was not, in fact, wearing anything other than the black briefs, and he was lying on his belly, his naked torso in full display.
Steve’s gaze followed the elegant curve of Tony’s back and stopped. And froze. And perhaps transported him to a different dimension where nothing else existed other than Tony Stark’s ass, incredibly evident on that skin-tight fabric, perky and round and perfect like nothing else Steve had ever laid his eyes on.
It was impossible not to stare. Steve had noticed Tony’s ass before – God, he had definitely noticed – but in the way you noticed, say, an original Michelangelo in an museum exhibit. From Steve’s experience, masterpieces weren’t usually at touching distance.
Or, you know. In his bed.
“Cap?” Tony asked, bringing Steve momentarily back from what had definitely been some inappropriate staring. “Did you hear what I said?”
Making an effort to remember how human language worked, Steve forcefully dragged his eyes back to Tony’s, which didn’t help him at all. Tony’s face was mushed against the pillow, but he had a sly grin on his lips and those brown eyes were staring at Steve, so bright and beautiful he felt he could physically melt like this, under the warmth of Tony’s gaze.
It would be one hell of a way to go.
“Uh, yeah,” Steve mumbled, still helplessly attempting to not ogle Tony’s body. “I mean. I’m going to sleep now, yeah. Probably. Aren’t you?”
Tony’s grin grew. “Dunno,” he whispered, and embarrassingly, Steve felt his cock twitch in his pants at that low, raspy voice. Tony, oblivious to his discomfort, stretched languidly on the bed, and Steve thanked the heavens for being able to fight back a whimper. “Not really tired.”
“Oh,” Steve replied. He wasn’t sure of what else to say. For a terrifying moment, he wondered if the blanket was doing its assigned job on hiding his hard-on or if he was just staring at Tony with a tent on his pants. He adjusted it around his hips nervously.
“I wanted to thank you, you know,” Tony said, his grin gone, replaced by a different, more serious expression – not sad, just thoughtful. “For… For fighting me on that retirement.” He swallowed, and, despise he being the one who was clothed, Steve felt incredibly exposed, bare in front of those bright eyes. “It really was the best call. I mean. For, uh. The team and everything.”
“There’s no team without you, Tony,” Steve said, feeling his face and chest hot at how transparently fond his voice sounded. Tony’s expression seemed shocked for a moment, and then settled into that same intense, nerve-wrecking gaze from before.
“That’s… That’s really great,” he whispered, and God, there was that voice that could melt actual titanium, that Steve couldn’t even begin to imagine how it’d feel whispering onto his ear. “Especially from you.” Tony’s voice was even lower now, and there was a pause, his whisper echoing on that incredibly short distance between their bodies. He licked his lips – Steve could feel his cock throbbing on his pants at the sight of his tongue running over his pink, soft-looking mouth – and parted them as if he was going to say something else.
“I’m, uh. I’m gonna turn the lights off,” Steve said abruptly, turning to the other side, quickly rearranging the blankets to make sure they didn’t slip and reveal too much. “Goodnight.”
The next day, Steve came to regret his own cowardice.
Because Tony was definitely mad at him.
There was no other way around it. Steve had too much experience fighting with Tony to not catch the snappish tone on his voice when speaking to him, or the way his entire expression seemed to close off when Steve looked on his direction.
Steve didn’t know what to do. He had hoped he had at least managed to hide his feelings enough to not create any awkwardness between them, but Tony was clearly offended, and honestly, who could blame him? Steve’s mind was still having trouble getting over the image of Tony looking at him through long eyelashes and his perk, bubbly ass barely covered in black fabric, like a golden pot at the end of a gorgeously tanned, lean rainbow. And that was just the tip of the iceberg of his list of terribly inappropriate thoughts.
So, at night, when he announced he was going to bed and Tony eyed him with a slightly nervous expression, Steve felt incredibly guilty, but he hoped that his determination on going to bed early and staying very firmly put on his side, staring at the wall, would make Tony more comfortable after he had crossed so many boundaries.
However, when Tony walked into the room a few minutes later, Steve heard him groaning in frustration.
“Come on,” he said, his voice seeming exasperated. “It’s nine o’clock, Cap. There’s no way you’re already asleep.”
Steve shifted nervously. Then, because that was getting too ridiculous, he turned towards Tony. To his surprise, he grinned.
“There you go,” he whispered, approaching the bed. There was a hint of tension on his manners, but also something a little more electric, almost eager, which didn’t make sense. “Thought you were gonna keep me company longer yesterday.”
God, what a mess, Steve thought. Tony had wanted to talk, and he had cut their conversation short by acting like a perverted creep. “I’m sorry,” he said, and Tony’s eyes widened and he gave him a smile that still seemed a bit too nervous for Steve’s taste.
“Don’t be.” His hands went to the buttons of his shirt, and Steve swallowed hard. Something seemed to flicker on Tony’s eyes, and his smile grew as he got rid of his shirt, speaking in a more casual, light tone that still seemed somewhat different from the one he normally used. “My rambling drove you to sleep, I get it. Definitely not the first time it happened with me.”
“It – it wasn’t that,” Steve managed, deliberately ignoring when Tony’s hands reached his belt. “I was just…” Tony stopped mid-motion, looking at him. “I. Uh. I got distracted.”
Tony’s mouth curled strangely, almost as if he was suppressing a laugh. “Yeah, I can see that.”
Steve opened his mouth to answer, but, before he could say anything, Tony bent over to remove his socks, and Steve was just going to have to accept he wasn’t capable of words whenever he did that. Then, strangely, Tony turned his head slightly, gazing towards Steve, sending a scorching heat down Steve’s belly as he removed his pants. And.
And.
He wasn’t wearing briefs. He was wearing… Something else, that Steve didn’t know the name of, something smaller than briefs, similar to something he might have seen Natasha wearing at the beach – though even Natasha’s bathing suit didn’t show that much. It was a blue, tight thing that could really only be described as a piece of fabric that snugly covered Tony’s front and – dear God – seemed to be held by a string in the middle of his ass cheeks, culminating in an almost comical strip on Tony’s hips stamped with. With.
A shield.
Steve’s shield.
Steve’s shield. On Tony’s ass.
Steve blinked, slowly, almost unable to breathe for a moment, or maybe several hours where his body was just paralyzed with overwhelmingly embarrassing arousal. Tony looked at him over his shoulder and smirked.
“Laundry day,” He said, as if that explained everything.
Steve’s whole face and body felt hot. He couldn’t believe it. Was that – there was no way that wasn’t – could that really be…? Jesus, Tony’s ass, perfectly shaped and perky, there on display under Steve’s shield, almost, almost branded as his, and even thinking that made his whole body shudder - was that Tony’s idea of a joke? Some kind of sick punishment for Steve’s inappropriateness?
“Are you…” Steve stuttered, his voice sounding weak and strangled to his own ears, and Tony’s grin grew. “Are you making fun of me?”
Tony’s grin immediately faded. “What?”
Steve’s hands clenched at his sides. He didn’t – he knew he had screwed up, certainly, but that was just too much. “I didn’t… I didn’t mean to, I. I knew you were upset, but-“
Tony blinked, wide eyes searching Steve’s face. “Oh my God,” He said, slowly. “Is that what you think has been going on here?”
Steve swallowed. “I… I know I should’ve kept it under control, but this is… This is just…” He forced his eyes to not look away, to not stay stuck at Tony’s ass under his shield. “I. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“Offend me?” Tony shook his head, face now full of shocked amusement as he looked at Steve. “God, you’re – you’re unbelievable, you know?”
Steve opened his mouth, but no sound came out of it, as Tony walked towards him. His expression seemed soft, almost… Fond, in a way, which made Steve even more confused as Tony stopped right in front of him, hands finding his shoulders.
“Cap. Steve,” he practically purred, taking Steve’s jaw in one hand, brown eyes sending shivers down Steve’s spine. “I’ll give you three guesses to what is actually happening here,” he said, leaning forward, his breath warm against Steve’s face. Steve felt unable to move, watching helplessly as Tony climbed onto his lap, knees on the sides of Steve’s thighs as he nipped lightly at Steve’s lower lip, making a soft, delighted hum that travelled through Steve’s whole body. “And the first two don’t count.”
“Oh,” Steve said, because Oh seemed to be the only coherent sound his mind seemed capable of making. He felt dizzy, as if he was dreaming, feeling the heat of Tony’s hot mouth against his. “Oh.”
Tony huffed a laugh. “You are,” He whispered, his voice low and husky as he rolled Steve’s bottom lip between his teeth and sucked lightly, hands tightening on Steve’s jaw when he felt his body shudder. “Fucking adorable.” He angled Steve’s head a little, mouth descending onto his, kissing him deep and wet, running his tongue over Steve’s lips and licking inside his mouth.
Steve parted his lips immediately, feeling the kiss grow rougher and hungrier as Tony’s hands touched him – big, calloused hands ruffling his hair and holding the back of his neck. He had been kissed before, definitely, somewhere in space and time that he couldn’t remember, but it paled next to the scorching feel of Tony’s mouth on his. Kissing Tony Stark was a category all on its own. Steve felt like he was floating. Tony’s goatee was prickly against his skin, sending delicious shivers all over Steve’s body, and his lips were just as soft as Steve had thought they were, but he couldn’t have dreamed of that energy between them, of that feeling that he needed Tony’s mouth to breathe.
Steve raised his hands hesitantly to Tony’s thighs, and Tony shifted above him, the hardness of his cock impossible to ignore against Steve’s stomach, and Steve felt his fingers clenching into Tony’s legs unconsciously, burying onto warm, firm skin as he pulled him closer. The kiss grew desperate, and Steve could feel Tony’s hands in his hair, his naked chest pressing against his. Tony rolled his hips forward and Steve saw stars, pulling Tony even closer, rolling him over and pushing him into the bed roughly, with a thunk.
“Sorry,” Steve mumbled.
Tony rolled his eyes, his hands curled around Steve’s shirt, letting his body on top of him. “Like I said,” he whispered between kisses. “You’re goddamn precious. Feel free to manhandle me anytime you want, Cap.” His mouth trailed down, pressing kisses along the line of Steve’s jaw, adding teeth and tongue as he found his way to Steve’s neck. A biting, sucking kiss made Steve’s body shudder, and Tony took a sharp breath. “Jesus. Ok, give me a sec.”
Steve propped himself up on his hands, watching as Tony rolled towards the other side of the bed, reaching for something on the pockets of his abandoned pants. He bent forward, his ass on the air while he looked for whatever it was, giving a little wriggle.
“Tony,” Steve almost groaned, to his own embarrassment, but Tony rolled back immediately, a big, devilish grin on his face.
“Ok, that was mean,” he said, not sounding sorry in the slightest, pressing a wet kiss to Steve’s mouth. There was a small device on his hand, along with a bottle. “Here.” He pressed a button, throwing the device against the wall, and it emitted a wave of blue light. In response to Steve’s puzzled look, he added: “Soundproof bedroom. No need to scare Barton’s children for life.”
Steve tried and failed to suppress a fond smile. Of all the things sex with Tony could have included, he should have expected at least one impressive, slightly weird surprise. “How long have you been planning this?”
“Uh, the past six months?” Tony started tugging on Steve’s shirt, pulling it up. “You know, all those times you lay here essentially torturing me?”
Steve huffed out a laugh, helping Tony remove his shirt, trying to not get too distracted by the sucking kisses he was pressing on his shoulder. “I was torturing you?”
“Mm-hmm.” Tony hummed, skimming his hands over Steve’s naked chest, his eyes gazing over his torso, dark and focused in a way that made Steve’s cock twitch in his pants. “Made me go to sleep with blue balls a few times, you.”
His hand cupped one of Steve’s pectorals, finger flickering over his already hard nipple. Steve let out a whimper at the light touch, and Tony’s eyes widened. “God, you’re so…”
But Steve didn’t know exactly what he was, because at the next moment Tony’s mouth was on his nipple, tongue flickering over it as he lightly scraped it with his teeth, and his whole body was jerking forward, helpless at Tony’s touch.
“God, ok, ok, so, this might be quicker than I thought,” Tony said, releasing his nipple, taking sharp breaths as if to compose himself.
Steve kissed him again, lowering his head, taking advantage of that moment of pause to lick into Tony’s mouth. Tony tasted so good, so warm and sweet, and Steve felt when his body melted into the slow, deep kiss, going deliciously pliant on Steve’s arms. Steve felt he could just stay there, holding Tony, kissing him endlessly, until they ran out of air completely. It felt like a good way to spend his last breath, kissing Tony. Maybe the best way.
“Ok, no,” Tony breathed, pushing him away slightly. Steve complied, pushing himself up by his arms again. Tony was panting, his face flushed, lips swollen and red from all the kisses. He looked slightly ravished already, his hair falling into his face, his body shaking as he tried to regain his breath. He was the most beautiful thing Steve had ever seen. “I’ve been waiting for this for months, you’re not going to make me come in my pants with kisses, ok, that’s just not fucking happening,” he said, but it came out strangled and weak and Steve had to smile in wonder at how affected he seemed, at the thought that Tony could be feeling a fraction of what he was feeling.
“You’re gorgeous.” Steve said, without thinking, and Tony’s eyes widened and a deep red flush covered his cheeks. Steve wanted to kiss it, but he wasn’t sure if he could, if there was some line that should not be crossed with such a transparent display of affection. “Uh. Sorry,” he added, pulling back, intending on sitting up, but Tony’s hand grabbed his wrist, holding him into place.
“Don’t,” Tony said, and for a moment his voice seemed softer, almost shaken, and there was a flicker of vulnerability over Tony’s face that made his heart ache. “I mean, uh. Don’t be sorry. You – you can say whatever you want, it’s. It’s fine.”
He grabbed Steve’s hand, seeming to hesitate a bit before placing a kiss on the inside of his wrist. It was a small kiss, almost shy, and Steve felt his heart fluttering at that tiny touch, so unexpected and precious. He smiled and Tony’s flush deepened, but he just pulled Steve closer, pressing a few chaste pecks on his mouth.
“Come on, Cap,” he whispered, his voice closer to the low, husky purr from before. “Want you inside of me.”
Steve let out a groan, blood roaring on his ears at the thought. His hands flew towards Tony’s hips, climbing up to grab his ass, basking on that delicious feel of firm muscle under his fingers.
“God, yes, like that.” Tony gasped, pulling Steve into another kiss, shifting beneath him, hand aimlessly reaching above them to grab a pillow. He broke apart quickly, pressing wet kisses against Steve’s jaw as he placed the pillow bellow his hips, propping himself up. “Give me just one second, baby.”
Steve wasn’t sure why, but the endearment sent a shiver down his spine, said in that sweet, syrupy voice that seemed to soften at the last word. He leaned down, kissing along Tony’s jaw, feeling the prickliness of his goatee, biting lightly on his collarbone. Tony let out gasping, weak noises that seemed uncharacteristic of him, and Steve felt a burst of raw pride and arousal at being able to provoke something like that.
“Can I do it?” he asked, mouth on Tony’s earlobe, seeing from the corner of his eye when Tony reached for the bottle of lube. It was probably a dumb thing to ask – Tony could probably do it on himself much quicker and more efficiently, Steve had never done anything like that before – but he couldn’t help but feel his head spinning at the thought of working Tony open, of feeling that gorgeous ass of his clenching around his fingers.
“God, yes,” Tony answered immediately, and Steve smiled at his poorly disguised eagerness. Tony brought his knees to his chest, ass propped up by the pillow, and Steve took a moment just massaging his cheeks, feeling as Tony’s body shivered in response to every strong squeeze. He could feel Tony’s muscles melting at his touch, and it made him feel dizzy, the thought of affecting Tony in such a way. “Here.” Steve reluctantly let go of Tony’s ass to take the bottle, slicking one finger as Tony spread his knees apart, reaching to take the string of his underwear off his ass crack, pulling it to the side. It squeezed one of his ass cheeks beautifully, and Steve felt his mouth water at the sight. “Thought maybe you’d like to keep it on.” Tony added with a lascivious grin, and Steve knelt in front of him.
Impulsively, he leaned forward, hand slipping under the tight string, pulling it with his finger lightly, just enough to snap it a little against that gorgeous buttock. Tony’s body shivered, and, unable to resist, Steve brushed his lips against all that skin, nipping slightly at that firm, delicious ass cheek. Tony whimpered in response, and Steve added teeth and tongue, pressing a sucking kiss that made Tony’s knees shake above him.
“Holy shit,” Tony groaned, his voice broken and strangled, and Steve grinned. He took his time, mouthing at the rim a little longer, skimming his hands over that warm, beautiful ass, slicking Tony’s entrance with the tip of his fingers before slowly pushing one inside.
Tony’s hole was hot and tight, and it felt wonderful, to see him like that, stretching around him. Amidst the arousal, Steve couldn’t help but feel in awe at the situation – Tony under him, needy, panting, wanting Steve, opening up for him. Maybe it was silly, but Steve felt it was an honor, to get to have Tony like that, and he wanted Tony to know it, somehow, how much that meant to him. He pressed his finger further, unable to avoid a gasp when he felt Tony’s body shuddering. He felt his face hot, a little hesitant of what to do next, but Tony’s hands were on his shoulders, pulling him closer as Tony pressed aimless, sloppy kisses over his chest. “Yes, just – move a little, baby.” Steve obeyed, crooking his finger, moving in small, steady circles. He wasn’t sure if he was doing it right, but Tony shivered around him, letting out weak sounds against his ear, and that was all the encouragement he needed.
He pulled out slowly to slick another finger, and Tony let out a small noise of protest that made Steve melt. He pushed both fingers inside, opening and closing them in a scissoring motion, reaching a spot that made Tony’s whole body jerk in response. “Yes – right there, that’s – that’s great, keep going, gorgeous,” Tony arched his hips upwards, sinking deeper onto Steve’s hand. Steve pushed his fingers in and out, slowly stablishing a rhythm, feeling every spasm and shiver of Tony’s body with an overwhelming wave of adoration. God, he looked beautiful, spread open like that, lips swollen from kisses parted and leaving small, wonderful noises at every movement of Steve’s fingers. He was babbling now, whispering frantically against Steve’s ear, Yes and More, keep going, baby, please-
“Oh, my God,” Tony breathed, when Steve slowly took his fingers out. “What,” He struggled to speak, breathless, and Steve marveled at his flushed, winded face. “What are you doing?” he whined, and it would be comical if it wasn’t unbelievably hot, how needy and broken his voice sounded.
Steve raised the lube bottle sheepishly. Tony groaned, rolling his eyes.
“You…” He said, before composing himself more, taking a few breaths. “You’re going to run out of this before we get to the main act, Cap.”
Steve felt his face warm as he slicked the third finger. “Don’t want to hurt you.”
Something flickered in Tony’s eyes. He seemed taken aback for a moment, and then he bit his lower lip, his hands curling around Steve’s shoulders, fingers sinking onto his skin.
“No,” he whispered, pressing a lingering kiss on Steve’s neck. He sounded soft and fond, almost as if Steve wasn’t meant to hear it. “You wouldn’t.”
The words caused a strange rush on Steve’s chest, and, when he finished spreading more lube on his hand, without thinking, he leaned forward and pressed a long, gentle kiss onto Tony’s mouth. Kissing Tony just felt so good, so right, and he lowered his hand again to press his fingers inside him, kissing every noise and gasp off Tony’s lips. It felt amazing, to feel Tony trembling against him like that, the way he jerked against Steve’s body, lips parted just enough for Steve to lick inside his mouth between every thrust.
“Steve,” Tony moaned, when he pulled his fingers out and reached for the bottle one more time. He panted against Steve’s shoulder, taking sharp breaths. “For fuck’s sake, Cap, I’m not going to break, I promise.” He pushed his hips forward, his flushed, hard cock against Steve’s stomach, reveling on the shudder that got out of Steve’s body. “Get on with it.”
Steve smiled, fondness flooding his chest at that familiar exasperated tone. Tony groaned, pulling him closer and pressing a wet kiss on his mouth as he lowered his hand on Steve’s sweatpants, pulling them down.
“Jesus,” Tony breathed, eyes dark and greedy eyeing Steve’s cock in a way that made him feel light-headed. “I’ll spare you from a very cheesy remark on the benefits of the super serum, but I feel like I need to register it anyway: Jesus.”
Steve rolled his eyes, giving himself a few strokes, slicking up his length. With the sight of Tony in front of him, gorgeous and spread open, he had the fight the urge to thrust forward, instead lowering his hands on Tony’s hips and angling him. He lowered himself, sinking inside of him, feeling Tony’s tight, wet and hot hole all around him, and it was almost overwhelming, that perfect ass clenched around his cock while Tony moaned loudly, arching his hips upwards for Steve to sink in deeper.
“God.” Steve’s voice was a broken gasp as he pressed further until he could feel Tony all around him, those perfectly round cheeks resting against his balls.
“Fuck, Steve,” Tony groaned, clenching tighter, making Steve’s body arch forward. “You feel so good, God, I knew it,” His arms pulled Steve down, pressing his knees against his chest. “You’re so gorgeous, you’re fucking perfect, keep going, baby, yes,” He cried when Steve trusted his hips forward, sinking deeply. Steve pulled back slightly, thrusting in a constant, setting a pace as he felt Tony’s heavy, flushed cock bobbing against his stomach, gorgeously wet with pre-come. Steve reached for him, taking him in his hand, thumb flickering over the head to spread Tony’s come over his fingers, giving him a long, slick stroke afterward.
Tony moaned, hips following every motion of Steve’s cock, chasing him greedily after every thrust, taking him in deeper and deeper, clenching tightly around him. Steve felt like he was boiling, body burning at every brush of Tony’s skin. He stroked Tony’s cock again, wrist flicking around him, taking his thick length on his fingers and increasing his rhythm, as Tony’s moans grew louder, incoherent mixes of Yes and Fuck and Steve, Steve, Steve.
Steve focused on keeping himself steady, focusing on the way Tony’s body shuddered under his, how his fingers felt digging into his shoulders, on his face as he came apart, coming in a hot wave, looking simply beautiful, stunning around Steve’s cock.
“Steve,” Tony sighed, and Steve thought he could never get tired of this, of seeing Tony saying his name like that, he’d see it every day for the rest of his life if he could. The thought was scary but overwhelmingly real, and Steve couldn’t deny it if he tried.
He wasn’t sure if he should stop, if Tony was too sensitive, but Tony pressed a bunch of wet, sloppy kisses on his shoulders, uneven breath sending shivers over Steve’s skin. “Do you want to come, baby? Keep going – Come inside of me, gorgeous - Want to feel you, gonna feel you for days.”
The thought of Tony walking around, pristine in his usual armor of a perfect expensive suit, still feeling Steve on him, unable to move without thinking of Steve inside him, made him thrust forward strongly, forgetting his pace, unable to think of anything but Tony, Tony hot and wet all around him, Tony’s mouth moaning his name on his ear, Tony’s body slamming helplessly against the bed as Steve’s thrusts increased in strength.
He came in a rippling heat, everything cutting to white noise as his body collapsed forward, feeling Tony’s soft, light kisses against his face, all over his mouth and jaw.
“Look at you,” Steve heard him whispering, so softly he wasn’t sure if he was meant to hear it at all.
He rolled on his side, delighting on the small, needy noise Tony made when he pulled out of him. His body seemed boneless, completely melted next to Tony, still wrapped on his warmth, his presence.
“I’m sorry,” Steve managed to say. “For, uh. For making you wait.”
Tony pressed a lingering kiss on his mouth. “It’s ok,” He said, skimming his hands over Steve’s shoulders and chest. “Glad the thong worked, though. My next idea was gonna be a jockstrap, and that is a bitch to wear through the day.”
“A what?”
“A thing. Don’t google it, now I’m gonna save it for your birthday.” His hands froze, as if he immediately regretted his words, but Steve couldn’t help a burst of hope on his chest.
“My birthday is only three months from now,” he said, trying to make his voice sound light, casual, like Tony usually did. “Maybe just leave it for next time?” There was a pause in which Tony stared at him wide-eyed, and Steve decided to push his luck. “After dinner, maybe?”
The delivery was a bit shaken, and, yes, that was only a slightly less awkward excuse to ask someone out than using their washing machine, but Tony blinked, those gorgeous eyes of his finding Steve’s as he opened a big, amazing grin.
“What, that easy? Do you think I just put out after every date? Because you are absolutely correct,” he babbled, and Steve smiled, huddling a little closer. Tony watched him attentively and swallowed, his face seeming slightly nervous before he added: “…You don’t have to do this, you know. Like, dinner and everything. I mean, if that’s a virtue thing, you should know that ship sailed an incredibly long time ago. We can just keep…” He gestured aimlessly between the two of them, and on the bed, Steve could easily see, that anxiety creeping in, replacing the happy smile he had just seen a few moments before. “Or, I mean, if you don’t want, we can just pretend it never happened. It could be a, uh. A ‘guys helping guys’ kind of thing.”
Steve raised his eyebrows, thinking of the passionless hand jobs married men exchanged behind the barracks sometimes, at night, without knowing each other names, and Tony’s long, deep kisses as he called him baby and precious and gorgeous. A lot of things had changed in the future, but Steve didn’t think the definition of guys helping guys had changed that much.
“Tony,” he said slowly, risking moving in closer, pulling Tony in. He came easily, compliant, resting his head at Steve’s chest, and Steve couldn’t hold a big smile, running his fingers through his hair. “What are you talking about?”
“I. I don’t know.” Tony stuttered, and Steve huffed out a laugh, pressing a kiss at the top of his head. He could feel Tony’s body relaxing, curling around his, melting against Steve’s chest, and, God. That was such a better way of sleeping.
“So,” Tony started, his voice a little lighter. “Dinner, then. Do you have any preferences? Japanese; Italian; Taiwanese, maybe?” He pressed his lips together, big eyes bright with such eagerness that Steve felt something in his heart swell. “I can work with whatever you want.”
Steve didn’t really need to think much. “I want to go to your favorite place. And I want you to let me pay.”
To his delight, the words had the expected effect: That lovely, beautiful flush on Tony’s cheeks, as he widened his eyes and immediately looked away, shifting a little on Steve’s arms. “Geez, ok, Captain Romance,” he said, and it was such a silly quip Steve couldn’t help but chuckle, his arms tightening around Tony’s waist. “You know, you’re pretty straightforward when you’re not being completely oblivious.”
Steve ducked his head, fulfilling his previous wish of kissing that gorgeous blush all over. “So are you.”