Chapter Text
It’s maybe a little late when Steve finally says goodnight to Bucky and goes up to the room he and Tony are tentatively sharing, wondering if Tony will be there and awake, or asleep, or down in his workshop, or — it makes Steve smile just thinking about Tony in any of those states, because he doesn’t know what he would’ve done without Tony these past weeks, and he can picture Tony waiting for him. Or working in his lab, intent on whatever. Steve likes imagining it both ways.
He’s not expecting to see Tony sat there with his arms crossed, lights off, just — staring. Steve frowns a little. “Jarvis, can you turn the lights on, please? Tony, what’s wrong?”
"I was just waiting for you," Tony said, but there’s a hard edge to his voice.
Steve goes across to him, leaning down for a kiss. Tony doesn’t pull away, but it doesn’t really kiss back, either. Steve sits down next to him and tries to take his hand. “Tony, what’s going on?”
"So when do I get you? That’s what I want to know. Are you his until midnight and then you turn into a pumpkin, or are you going to alternate days? Maybe I’ll get you on weekends?"
Steve shakes his head in confusion. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
"You and Bucky. You must’ve figured out some arrangement, you’ve been talking long enough. Or was it something else? Were you — have you already had sex with him?”
“What?”
"You know what I’m talking about," Tony says, tugging his hand from Steve’s. "And you know, I’m desperate enough to share you, but you could at least have talked it through with me first. I am part of this relationship, right? You’re not breaking it off, you said you wouldn’t, so — "
"Tony," Steve says, suddenly understanding. He catches Tony’s face in his hands, smoothes his thumbs over Tony’s cheekbones. "Tony, love. I’m not — me and Bucky aren’t going to — you said you’re monogamous, right? Well so am I. Bucky’s just a friend. He always will be. But it’s you I want to do this with."
"Oh," Tony says, dumbly. "You — "
"Only want to have sex with you," Steve says, tries for a teasing smile, "or not have sex. Whatever."
"You don’t want him?"
Steve closes his eyes, because he kinda wants to smash everyone that made this brilliant, brilliant man so frightened of abandonment, so desperate to cling on to whatever love he can get. He kisses Tony, makes it last, strokes Tony’s cheekbones again and slides his hands into his hair, nuzzles against him when the kiss finally breaks. “No. I just want you.”
"I’ll hold you to that," Tony says, after a moment, and his hold on Steve, his kiss, is fierce and sweet.