Work Text:
He hated her.
Tony knew he had absolutely no right to hate her, she had been nothing but nice to him and the other avengers, but he couldn't do anything but hate her with every fiber of his being.
And it wasn't even her fault.
All she had ever done was date Steve Rogers.
It wasn't her fault he was secretly in love with him.
When they had first met on the helicarrier, they fought and exchanged jabs they knew would hit each other where it hurt. Yet somehow that fire had evolved into something else, that burned to save the city, the place they both loved. It had been that fire that had driven him to fly the weapon into the abyss, to prove himself to the team, but most importantly to Steve Rogers.
And it was his face he saw when he woke up for the first time.
His blond hair, tousled from the fight. His blue eyes, beaming bright with relief. And that smile. That smile that could melt anyone's heart.
Apparently it had also melted her heart, the woman in question being Tiana Evans, a beautiful, peppy blond who was sweet and caring, pretty much the opposite of himself. They had met at a benefit that the Avengers had attended, one of the many they went to to raise funds for repairing the city.
She had been a reporter for one of the smaller papers and had somehow ended up dancing with a very charmed Steve Rogers.
And was now sitting with Steve on the love seat across from Tony while the Avengers had their weekly movie night.
"Mmm, want some more popcorn baby?" He heard Tiana whisper across the room as she fed him a few kernels. Tony wanted to gag at the sight, taking another drink from his whiskey to numb the feeling. They were barely one third into Aliens, Clint's choice and Tony could barely stand being in the same room as them.
Watching how he put his arm around her, how she curled up into him, how warm and strong he must feel against her touch.
Unbeknownst to him, the rest of the team could feel the tension. Clint and Natasha exchanged looks from where they shared an armchair, Natasha sighing every time she caught Tony obviously mooning over the oblivious Steve. Bruce always wanted to drag Tony away to have a talk with him over his obvious feelings, but knowing more likely the billionaire would just dismiss them and drown himself in another bottle of scotch. They all sat behind and wondered how much more of this they could stand.
But Tony knew that he couldn't stand it anymore, the way his heart pounded and he gradually gripped his glass tighter and tighter. He suddenly got up, ignoring the way everyone stared at him, murmured something about needing to work in his shop and raced to the elevator. He finally felt like he could breathe again as the elevator descended, wondering if this was how things were going to be for the rest of his life.
"What got into him?" Steve wondered out loud as the team watched Tony storm out of the living room.
No one seem to know what to say, should they tell Steve? Make an excuse?
"I'll go talk to him." Tiana spoke suddenly, standing up to everyone's apparent shock.
"Are you sure?" Bruce finally spoke. "Maybe one of us should-"
"Oh, I may not be an Avenger, but I'm sure I can handle this." Tiana said while caressing Steve's shoulder. She confidently walked out the room, swishing her hips as she walked.
Tony wasn't terribly surprised at the knock on his lab door, he knew his performance leaving hadn't been his best, Bruce had probably been sent down to see if he was alright.
"JARVIS, let them in." He said, not looking up from the engine he was quietly tinkering with. He was surprised when he heard the soft click of heels coming down the stairs instead of Bruce's clomps. He turned his head and was greeted with the coifed image that was Tiana.
"Oh, Tiana, hi." He says, making an attempt of a grin.
"Cut the crap Stark." Tiana says, her normally kind face twisting sour.
"Excuse me?" He felt utterly dumbfounded at this transformation.
"You heard me." She says as she walks over to him before stopping barely a foot away. "Listen, we've all been pretending to play stupid to your sad little crush, but its really getting old.
He could feel his palms sweat as his blood ran cold. Everybody? Did that mean-
"Yes, Steve knows, and its just so pathetic. He's been trying to be nice to you, because you're his team mate or whatever, but we both know he always wants to be the good guy. Which makes me have to be the one to come down here and spell it out for you. He's not interested in you. Period. And he never will be, so just stop your pathetic little flirtations and accept it." Her face breaks into a cold smile. "What makes you ever think he would love a sad, pathetic, emotionally damaged, old drunk when he could have me?" She adds a final smirk before turning on her heels and slinking her way out of the workshop.
The team collectively turned as she entered the room, her face a mix of shock and despair.
"What's wrong?" Steve said, immediately rushing to her side.
She turns to him as tears quietly slid down her face. "What did I do wrong? What did I ever do to make him hate me so much?" With this she breaks into sobs and wraps her arms around Steve's neck.
As she cries into Steve's neck, he can't help but wonder what happened down in the lab. And he can't help but want to do and see how Tony is, what he's feeling. He knows how Tony can be sometimes, lashing out at those close to him, saying things in the heat of the moment he doesn't mean.
And even with Tiana's body pressed against him, there's still that voice in his head that wishes it was Tony he held in his arms, wishes he could whisper into his ear, kiss him gently on the head.
"Oh Steve," he heard her whisper, "He was so cruel to me, I don't think I can be around him anymore."
"That's fine, you don't have to hang out with him." He says.
"How am I going to do that if you're always around him." She says as she pulls away from him slightly to make eye contact. "I understand you working with him, but this? You live with him, how am I ever supposed to see you if you live with someone who despises me? You have to pick, me or him." He says pulling away completely and folding her arms.
He is completely shocked. He understood her not wanting to be around him, but was she really asking him to choose between them.
"You said you loved me. Didn't you mean it?" She says coyly, putting her hand on his face.
"I-I-" He says, stuttering, before he finally comes to his senses. "I'm sorry, but I pick Tony."
The room is completely silent at this declaration, but for him its like he suddenly has an epiphany.
"Tiana, I'm sorry, but I pick Tony. He's... he's the best man I know. He's my best friend. I don't think there is anyone in the world I would pick over him." He says steadily, sorry for the pain he must be causing her but unable to have this buried inside him any longer.
"Are you kidding me Steve?! You're picking him?! So you lied when you said you loved me?! I can't believe-"
"You. Hateful. Bitch." Came a voice from the other side of the room. Everyone turns suddenly, to see Bruce looking up from the Ipad in his lap. From what he can see, it looks like he'd been watching the security tapes from the workshop, he could sort of make out the figures of Tiana and Tony.
"I have no idea what you're talking about Bruce." Tiana says as she immediately regains her composure. Watching her change from victim to martyr to villain right before his eyes, he can't believe he ever cared for her.
"Really?! You have no idea?!" Bruce said as he stood up from his armchair. "I just watched that little exchange between you and Tony, where apparently he was so mean to you! And you are without a doubt the worst person I have ever met in my entire life! How could you say that to him?! You are a monster! Now get the fuck out of the tower and pray I never see your bitch face again!"
Tiana's mouth falls open, and she gasps a couple of times before grabbing her purse and sprinting out of the tower.
The room stays silent before Steve finally clears his mouth and speaks "Bruce... what exactly happened??"
He can see his other teammates exchanging looks before he takes advantage of their distraction and grabs the Ipad from Bruce.
"No, Steve, I wouldn't" He stammers, attempting to reach the Ipad before he half heartedly gives up.
The scene flashes before Steve's eyes, horror and hatred rushing through his veins. But Tony's face, once she leaves, breaks his heart into a million pieces. His face looks like his heart and his entire world were shattered, like every horrible thing he has ever thought about himself has just been verified, that he really is all his mistakes.
"Tony..." He says, running his fingers along his image as though he could somehow heal his hurt. He suddenly throws the Ipad down before racing down the stairs to the lab, figuring the elevator would be too slow.
When he makes it to the studio, he finds the door open and races into the lab. "Tony!!" He hollers, looking around the studio for the other man. He has trouble spotting him until he spots two legs peeking out from under one of his more expensive cars. And from the looks of it, he's been busy destroying the damn thing since she left.
"Tony, we need to talk!"
"Your fucking girlfriend did all the fucking talking I think is necessary." Tony snarks from under the car. Even from under the car, he can hear the pain and anger in his voice.
"Tony!" Steve says. "Please come out from under the car."
"Steve-"
"Everything she said was a fucking lie!!!" He yells, his voice reverberating around the lab.
Tony slowly slides out from the car, confusion now added to the pain and anger on his face.
"Every fucking thing she said to you was a fucking lie." He whispers to the other man, feeling his eyes start to blur with tears.
"Steve, how-"
"She came upstairs after she talked to you and said you hated her and I had to choose between the two of you. And all of a sudden, I finally figured it out. I would pick you out of everyone else in my life. Hands down. There's no competition." He hears his voice crack and hopes he can explain how much Tony means to him. "You wanna know why? Why I'd pick you over anyone else in this world? Because I love you. I love you Tony Stark."
Tony just looks at him, like he wants so hard to believe him but everything inside is telling him otherwise.
And he needs to know, how much he loves to him, how much he means to him. He slowly closes the distance between the two of them. He slowly raises his hands to Tony's face, caressing his face slowly. Tony's lips quiver as Steve slowly leans in, before closing the distance between them and feeling Tony's mouth on his. His heart starts to melt as he feels the softness of Tony's lips, the rough feeling of his goatee against his hand, the taste of whiskey on his lips.
He pulls back slightly, their lips barely separated. "I love you, Tony Stark."
"I-." The other man starts before breaking off again. "Why would you ever love someone like me? I'm damaged and I drink too much and I-"
He crashes into the other man again, unable to hear his argument anymore. "I love you, because you're stubborn and wonderful and make me feel something that I never have before. And I think you love me too."
The shop is quiet, the only sound around them the quiet hum of the machines. For one cold, long moment, he worries Tony will say he doesn't, retreat into the safety of being alone, close himself off.
"I love you." Tony finally whispers. He can't help the smile that breaks out over his face when he hears this, feeling his heart swell with love.
"Tony..."
"Steve..."