Chapter 3
“...So what happened to the other eye?” and there’s the tact all Starks are known for. Jesus no wonder they hated each other. Steve doesn’t voice any of this however and just shoots Tony a disapproving look, which is obviously ignored. Fury gives the same look but fit into one eye and goes to continue his debrief. “I’m just gonna keep asking until I get an answer. I bet I’ve got everyone else at this table thinking about it now too.” Steve facepalms while Natasha and Clint share a look, Thor nods in acknowledgement and Bruce just shrugs.
“Lost it in a fight. May we continue now?” Tony hums in consideration but shakes his head a second later.
“Nah, I need more than that. Who were you fighting?” Fury’s good eye twitches.
“We’re getting through this debrief, then I’ll entertain the idea of telling you.”
**
The rest of the team are waiting outside of the conference room after being shooed out by an aggravated Director Fury. Tony lasted a whole five minutes before looking at his watch and sighing loudly for a solid ten seconds, which seemed to be the last straw.
“What do your super-soldier ears hear Cap? Is Stark dead? Is there hissing? You don’t think a basilisk can kill a dragon do you?” He directs his last question to Natasha who gives a shrug in response. “Do you think it depends on if they make eye contact? Tony could win if he doesn’t look him in the eye-”
“They’re not fighting Clint.” Steve’s rubbing at his temples, hoping to stave off a headache.
“So you can hear what’s happening. How dare you withhold information from me. I thought we were a team. How could you betray me like this-” A hand is shoved over his mouth to silence him and he’s honestly tempted to lick it in retaliation.
“Clint. Please. I can’t hear anything and I’m sure I could if they were fighting.” The soldier looks back to the door but jumps away in disgust, wiping his hand on his uniform quickly. “Clint!” The archer just smiles in triumph and goes back to staring at the door with a sad look.
“Nat I don’t want Fury to kill my dragon.” Clint pouts and the spy just rolls her eyes at the petulant tone.
“You’re his Clint. That’s how Stark works.” Steve sends her a questioning look and she does a double-take at the expression. “You mean to tell me you haven’t noticed the scent-marking?”
“...What?”
“I swear Rogers, you’re as oblivious as a-” The door opens unprompted to reveal Tony Stark cupping Nick Fury’s face in hands. The Director looking incredibly dumbfounded. Tony nodding to himself.
“You’re mine now.”
Natasha sighs in resignation while Bruce just goes back to his seat at the table. While passing the two, he pats Fury on the back in sympathy.
“Welcome to the hoard.”
**
After they get back to the tower, everyone disperses. Clint practically sprinted to his room for a nap, Natasha went off to do Natasha things, Thor to the kitchen, Bruce goes to check on an experiment’s progress, and Tony to his workshop. Steve just heads to the common room. After about five minutes Bruce heads up to the common room as well and finds Steve just staring at the wall. The scientist just sighs and sits next to him on the couch. After no response he nudges him with his shoulder and reaches for the tv remote.
“...He hoards people.”
“I mean, you’re not wrong but it’s a bit more than that.” Steve finally looks over to decipher his meaning but can’t seem to. The scientist is a bit more focused on trying to find How It’s Made, it’s a very soothing program.
“I didn’t realize I was about to become property when I accepted the invitation to live here-” Bruce lets out a noise of frustration and bops Steve on the head with the remote and gives him a side-eye.
“Natasha’s right. You’re dumb.” Steve grunts in indignation but gives Bruce time to find his words. “Look, Tony doesn’t really use his words either so I don’t blame you, but god Steve, he doesn’t own you.”
“But-”
“Look, I don’t know how to put what we are to him, it’s not like property though you idiot. If you’re so concerned, go, oh I don’t know, ask him yourself.” And with that he falls sideways to lay down on the couch, curling his legs up and hugging the couch pillow under his head, attention fully on the television in front of him. Steve goes off to do as told.
**
Steve couldn’t hear the music blaring in Tony’s shop and usually that meant he wasn’t down there. But that wasn’t right, Tony said he’d be in the shop working on something for Nick. He halts in his tracks when he notices the windows are tinted and goes over his options.
“...Jarvis?” He bites his lip in consideration on what he should ask.
“Captain, what might I assist you with?”
“Uh, is Tony in his workshop?” There. Safe question.
“He is captain, if you are looking to seek entry however, access will be denied.” Steve blinks slowly in thought.
“Why?”
“Sir is… otherwise occupied.” Even if Tony’s working on something he usually lets everyone in. So why not now?
“Alright well, will you let him know I was looking for him, and when he has a minute I’d like to talk to him?”
“Of course Captain.” The soldier nods at the answer and heads to the elevator. Might as well sketch while he waits.
**
Meanwhile in his lab, the dragon is currently wrapped around a redheaded assassin napping on the couch. He practically purrs when she scoots back closer to his warmth and he nuzzles the back of her neck.
“Remember how I came down here to work on something then you distracted me?” Natasha hums at the question. “Not that I’m ever opposed to cuddle puddles but what’s on your mind gorgeous?”
“Maybe I just want to be held and not talk.” She mumbles.
“Fine. I’ll bother you about it later.” He presses a kiss to her neck and rests back onto the couch, closing his eyes for a quick nap.
He’ll deal with responsibility later.
**
“Sir.” Tony grunts and tries to burrow himself further into the couch. “Captain Rogers was looking for you two hours ago and requested to speak with you when you were next available.”
The genius nearly growls and stretches out his body when he asks “And why wasn’t I warned about this two hours ago?”
“Agent Romanov was with you at the time sir.” Oh. Right. Where the fuck did she go? Leaving without a goodbye? Fucking rude, now his skin’s all prickly.
“I’ll let it slide for now then Jarv.” The man sighs and gets up to move to the work bench. “Tell Captain Griffin I’m ready for a chat.” Once he takes a seat, bright blue holograms encase him and he gets to work on his current project labeled, “H.T.B.S.M.H.B.L.G.”
It’s still the basic work in progress but all of the templates are prepared, the theory’s stable, all that’s left to do is make it happen. Tony loses himself in the dancing lights for long enough that a throat clearing jerks him out of his trance.
“Is it still a bad time?”
“Not at all Cap.” He gives a flick of his wrist and the holograms disappear altogether, leaving them in a quiet workshop. “I get the feeling you want a serious conversation here, so what do you wanna talk about?” Once the question is in the air, Steve shuffles his feet and looks anywhere but Tony’s direction; which is just so strange that Tony can’t help but lean forward, placing his chin in his hand and watching the man attempt to sort his thoughts out. “Wow, pretty serious huh?”
“I don’t uh, know… how you work?” A raised brow is the billionaire’s response and Steve just groans, rubbing his face with both of his hands in frustration. “Look I’m um, not all that great with words? So, basically, I’ll just be blunt I guess.” The soldier huffs a breath, almost bracing himself. “What all do you hoard?”
“...Cap, you were acting like the world was ending.” Tony huffs a laugh and gives a gesture to his shop, “I mean, you’ve been down here before, pretty sure I hoard tools.” Apparently that’s the wrong answer however because the man just gives him a patented disappointed look. “...What?”
“You sure that’s all you hoard? Tools?”
“Yes. Steve. I hoard tools. You could probably extend that to technology in general but yes. I only really hoard tools.” His eyes narrow, because he’s receiving a shocked sort of look. “Steve for fuck’s sake, what is the problem?”
“You hoard people Tony.” The dragon jerks back from the mere thought. “Oh my god, do you even know you’re doing it?”
“That ice nap did something upstairs Cap, I don’t hoard people. You’re delusional.” He’ll have to transfer the name bird-brain from Barton to Rogers apparently, it’s more fitting in both instances anyway.
“Tony, you’ve got all of the Avengers living here.” He looks so sympathetic, like he’s talking to a fucking four year old. It’s disgusting.
“So? So what? I like the Avengers.” It’s incredibly petulant but he can’t help but cross his arms and turn away. Looking over at the door to the shop.
“Alright. Fine, I’ll give you that, but why did you insist they stay here?” Steve crosses his own arms and takes his soldier stance.
“Maybe I thought it’d be better for the world if we assembled quickly, fuck off.” Quieter this time, “Maybe I just like to know where they all are for safety reasons.”
“Okay, what about the debrief today with Fury? You said, and I’m quoting ‘You’re mine now’. How do you explain that?”
“... You didn’t hear what happened to him, you’d say the same thing.”
“Fair.” The dragon breathes a plume of smoke out of his mouth from his growing agitation once the soldier turns, looking ready to leave. “Oh, Natasha was packing a bag when I passed by her room earlier.”
“She what?!” The tower shakes with the force of an earthquake and Steve is shoved out of the way as Tony makes his way to Natasha’s room. He just meant to knock but the door is busted off of its hinges to reveal Natasha in a towel, laying out her outfit for the day, with no bag in sight. They blink at each other for a moment before the redhead’s eyes shift to the remnants of her door.
“What the fuck Tony?”
**
Steve finds him a few minutes later on the roof, head in his hands as he peers out to the city below. The man winces and moves to take a seat next to the brunette.
“I hoard people.”
“I mean, you don’t do it maliciously. You didn’t even know you were doing it until I told you.” If anything, Tony just slumps further in on himself. “I mean I didn’t handle it well either? But I know we aren’t… nevermind.”
“Oh by all means, finish your thought, Rogers. It can’t get much worse.” The soldier sighs and braces himself to get punched off of a building.
“I thought, being in your hoard meant... we were your property.” Steve Rogers really has no tact at all. He was expecting some anger for the assumption, he wasn’t expecting Tony to look on the verge of crying when he finally looked at him.
“I’m not that much of an asshole right?”
“No! No, Tony, I just, don’t really know how things work. Never met a dragon before, I don’t know how much of the stereotypes are actually true.” He squirms a bit when the dragon just narrows his eyes. “I mean you know I was only human before right? I don’t, ugh, I don’t even understand myself. I didn’t really think things through when I asked to talk to you. I’m good at action, not words, you know?”
“It’s not like I’m mad at you Rogers, for pointing it out. Did the others know I was doing it? Bruce did, but I figured he was joking with the ‘welcome to the hoard’ comment.”
“Pretty sure. I guess I was just kind of oblivious for the past couple of months.”
“Is this you comforting me? Because it’s not working, I’ll be honest.” There’s an upturn to the corner of his mouth however, so Steve can’t be doing too bad of a job…
**
If Steve has no tact, Tony has no shame; considering he just kicked in Steve’s door right after his shower and Steve will go to the grave denying the scream that escaped his throat.
“Stop screaming. I got something for you. Come down to my shop.” He saunters away from the still wide door and calls, “You’re welcome Rogers!”
Steve doesn’t think he’ll appreciate it as much as Tony thinks he will. Whatever he’s got planned will probably be the last thing Steve thought he’d worry about, but he’s sure it’ll be a nice gesture all in all.
He takes his time dressing and heads down to Tony’s open workshop where he’s working on one of his holograms.
“What do you have for me Tony?” At the question, Tony kicks a creeper piled with books over to Steve, who can’t help but try and process what they’re supposed to be.
“Thanks?” The genius rolls his eyes at that and continues maneuvering his new project.
“I figured you’d prefer print to screen. Maybe read the cover of one of the books before you silently judge.” He grabs a book off the top of a pile and flips it over to see the cover and he nearly drops the book. ‘Basic Biology of Shifting Classes’ He rifles through the rest of the pile until he has an armful and lowers himself to the ground so maybe he won’t feel so lightheaded.
“You okay over there? I thought you’d like them-”
“I do!” He flinches at his own pitched voice and clears his throat to try again. “I do. Tony. Thank you. This, this is probably the nicest thing someone’s ever done for me.”
“Okay, if this is the nicest thing someone’s ever done for you, they’re doing it wrong.” Steve looks up to find Tony looking over to him with a pursed look on his face. “You should at least comprehend your own body’s new biology.” He shrugs a shoulder and musses his hair not a moment later. “You probably didn’t have a lot of time back in the day, so, there you go.” He gestures to the creeper still filled with books. “Read up. So next time you’ll have a decent understanding of what someone’s doing around here.”
“Can I… Do you mind if I-?”
“Feel free Cap, couch is over there.” He gives a big smile in thanks and drags the creeper over with him to the couch. He’s got reading up to do.
**
He’s brought out of his readings by Director Fury’s voice chewing someone out. He looks up to find Tony with a big smile on his face and his head resting on his chin.
“Who the fuck told you it was okay to hack my systems Stark? ‘Cause it sure as hell wasn’t me.”
“I did. You’re welcome.” Steve does his best not to smile at his antics.
“I didn’t ask for it!”
“Well learn to live with it. It’s there to stay.” He waves his hand through the air and the connection with the director cuts out through another protest.
“What did you do Tony?” The brunette smiles and opens up the project he was working on earlier labeled H.T.B.S.M.H.B.L.G. “What does it mean Tony?”
“Help The Basilisk See Maybe He’ll Be Less Grumpy,” The captain sighs and hold the book in front of his face to block eye contact. “He doesn’t have to turn to see anymore!”
“I don’t think it worked.”
“Shut your filthy mouth. He loves it.”