Work Text:
The door of the lab burst open. 'Tony! TONY!'
Tony Stark closed his eyes. He really hated when he was disturbed from his current activity. He turned off his solder iron and lifted his protective goggles. 'What?'
'She said yes!' The excitement in Steve's voice was evident.
'That's great.' Tony turned around to give his full attention and pasted a smile onto his face, and hoped it at least didn't look fake. Steve was grinning from ear to ear; he was bouncing on the balls of his feet; his cheeks were flushed and his eyes were shining. Nerdy, shy, awkward, beautiful Steve Rogers was going out with the fierce and feisty Peggy Carter, and he'd just asked her out on their third date. It wasn't hard to see why she said yes. Steve was kind, thoughtful, caring and funny. Tony supposed she also thought his lack of experience with the opposite sex was charming. He was happy that Steve was happy, but he wished Steve were with him instead.
'I'm taking her to the World War II museum, and then invite her out for a picnic in the courtyard.' Steve's eyelids lowered, and Tony counted his long lashes. There were thirty-four on the left side. 'I'm getting a loaf of bread and various toppings so we can make our own sandwiches. And of course I'll bring her favourite cranberry juice. What do you think?'
'It sounds a lot of fun.' Tony was trying really hard to ignore his intestines twisting in jealousy.
'It's just... There's one thing.' Steve looked anxious all of a sudden, and he bit his lip.
'What?'
'Well... Bucky said third dates are... When people... Do the do...' He blushed a soft shade of pink. Tony thought it was cute that someone still thought having sex was a sacred thing.
'Do you want some tips?' he smirked. He thought he should be rewarded for at least trying to be a good friend.
'No!' The blush deepened. 'But... Well... I'd like to kiss her.'
'OK. I'm not stopping you.'
'But... The thing is... I want to be good at it. Everyone already knows she's my first girlfriend ever. I don't want her to think I'm a bumbling idiot.'
'Steve, she's not going to leave you just because your kissing techniques suck,' Tony said patiently. 'Some girls do dig that kind of thing. Which she clearly does.'
'But... I still want to... Do good by her. Doing it with Bucky's too weird because we've been friends our entire lives. And you seem to have more experience, given the stories of you in high school I've heard...' Steve frowned as if he disapproved of them.
'What are you saying?'
'I... I want you to... Teach me how to kiss.' The blush, if it was possible, darkened even further.
It was like Earth had stopped spinning and Tony had been flung off with the force. It simply wasn't possible. Steve didn't just say he wanted to kiss Tony. He must be in an alternate timeline. He leaned against Dummy, who had just whirred up to him, beeping and spinning his claw.
'Tony! Are you all right?' Steve rushed up to him and held his shoulders.
'I'm fine. I think I'm coming down with a cold,' he said dismissively.
'You shouldn't spend so much time cooped up in here,' Steve chided worriedly.
'And give up my title as The Futurist? I don't think so,' Tony huffed. 'Anyway... About what you just said...'
'It's totally fine if you don't want to,' Steve said quickly. 'I mean, I get how you're attracted to girls. I don't want to put you in a situation you're not comfortable in.'
'No, no, it's fine.' It was more than fine, in Tony's opinion. 'When do you want to do it?'
'My dorm, tomorrow after class?'
'Sure.'
'Great!' Steve smiled radiantly at Tony. 'I have to go go. Thanks, Tony.' He skipped to the door and walked out.
Tony sagged into a nearby plastic chair, exhaling the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He still didn't know how everything led to this. He and Steve always drove each other up the wall back in high school, what with Tony being the mouthy son of rich businessman Howard Stark and Steve being a scrappy kid who didn't know how to back down from a fight. Tony had no idea how things changed when they entered university. Steve had apparently developed a bigger heart in addition to a more pleasing physique, and extended an offer of friendship to Tony, and Tony somehow took it instead of mocking him for it. And they've been pretty close since then. What one lacked, the other made up for in spades. Their friends were nothing less than flabbergasted at the change.
Tony closed his eyes. He really wished his feelings for Steve would go away. Apparently his hostility towards him was really attraction. Tony really wanted to do something to Peggy, either by spreading a rumour or telling her to fuck off, but he couldn't do that. Not only was she a nice girl in her own right, but Steve would be unhappy with him, and he didn't want that. He glanced at his soldering job and scowled when he saw that the joint wasn't completely straight. He grabbed a bottle of whisky, uncorked it and took a swig as he stood up. He tried to ignore his palpitating heart as he put his goggles back on and flicked a switch on the soldering iron.
*
The next day, true to his word, Tony knocked on the door of Steve's dorm. This was probably the first time he actually made an effort to be early, he thought wryly. He'd dressed in a collared shirt, a black blazer and the only pair of jeans he hadn't managed to wear out. He hoped Steve wouldn't think it was too formal, but he did want to look nice. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity not many others got.
There was a pause. 'Hang on,' he heard Steve say, and the door clicked. 'Hi, Tony. Come on in.'
Tony stepped inside. Of course Steve's dorm would be tidy. Tony heard he was sharing it with the famed Bruce Banner. He was slightly jealous; he wanted to have access to one of the most gifted science students the university had, too. Instead he had to be paired with some dude named Barton, and he was a complete slob. It wasn't that Tony was a neat freak, but he appreciated an organised bedroom, too. The room was empty except for essentials, and yet it didn't feel unloved.
'...Tony's here,' Steve said to a picture of his mother in his phone. 'Say hi, Tony.'
'Hi, Mrs. Rogers,' Tony greeted.
'It's been a long time, Tony!' she gushed. 'How are you doing at uni?'
'Fine, thanks.' He'd met Mrs. Rogers at his high school graduation ceremony and they'd taken a liking to each other.
'Tell Steve to call me more often, will you?' she asked, shaking her head in disapproval. 'I swear, that boy is more of a Luddite than his father.'
'Mum!' That blush was back.
'It's true.'
'I'm going to go now,' Steve said firmly. 'See you later.' He hung up.
'That's not very nice.' Tony really liked throwing Steve's words back at him.
'She'll talk your ear off for an hour if you're not careful.' There was no malice in Steve's voice, just love. He looked over Tony properly for the first time. 'You look very nice today, Tony.'
If Steve were single, Tony would've flirted back. Instead he settled for 'Thanks,' and an internal preen.
'You should wear that kind of outfit more often,' Steve continued. 'I mean, people are hardly likely to take you seriously if you just show up in your T-shirt and tattered jeans.'
'Are you saying you wouldn't mind me dressing nicely because you asked me to?' All right, maybe a throwaway line wouldn't hurt.
'No, I'm saying that you should put more effort into your everyday appearance,' Steve rolled his eyes. 'Anyway... Let's get started.'
Tony's heart skipped several beats. This was it. The big moment. Steve sat down cross-legged on the floor and looked up at Tony, who was still standing.
'Should we stand up for this?' he asked.
'Oh. Right.' Tony quickly deposited himself on the floor. Steve looked so beautiful that day. He was wearing jeans and a tight black long-sleeved shirt, and his blond hair was brushed back immaculately. The greenness of his blue eyes seemed to be more noticeable than usual, and his lips were cherry red, perfect for kissing.
'You want to make sure you're sitting in a shaded area at the courtyard,' Tony began. 'You wouldn't want the sun to get in your way.'
Steve nodded, shoulders and back ruler-straight and his face set. He looked like a soldier in training about to go through his first obstacle course. The comparison made Tony want to laugh, but he didn't.
'You want to set a nice rhythm. Don't rush it, but feel free to ramp it up a little if you think it's going slowly.'
'Should I close my eyes?'
'You don't have to if you don't feel like it.'
'Bucky told me anyone who does that gets called a creep.'
'Screw Barnes. And of course, you can use your hands to spice it up.'
Steve nodded. 'Then show me.' It was a command voice, and Tony's dick stirred hopefully. He clamped it down.
Steve leaned forward, his mouth prying open slightly. Tony had a flitting thought of running away at the last second, but he pushed it away successfully. This was the only time he'd get to kiss Steve. The fact that it was only practice was almost irrelevant. He'd been waiting for months, maybe even years, for this. His heart started beating at an abnormal speed again. Steve's breath was hot and even. Could he feel that Tony's was rapid and irregular?
Their lips touched together, and it was like something had been awakened in Tony. He started kissing Steve, slowly, gently, in order to not scare him off. Steve's lips were sweet and tender, and he was clumsy, but somehow it added something that Tony had never experienced before. He allowed himself to slow down so he could savour the taste of Steve's skin.
Steve gave his all to the kiss, so earnest and wholesome, and it tugged at Tony's heart. It was just so honest and true and so Steve. Tony took his face into his hands, and their kiss deepened. The scent of Steve filled his nostrils, a combination of cypress wood, ginger and something uniquely Steve. He could drown in it forever. Steve shifted his body so he could be more comfortable and Tony buried his hands in Steve's thick, soft hair.
Something inside him screamed for him to stop, but he ignored it. This was too much of a good thing to give up. He knew he was being selfish, that he was fucking Peggy over. But he didn't care. All he wanted was for Steve to take the deepest part of his soul and claim it as his.
Steve let out a low breath of delight, and greed took over Tony. He traced the tip of his tongue on the outline of Steve's lips, and when he parted them, slid right into his mouth. Their tongues touched, and Tony started to kiss him even harder, wanting to take and give everything. It was the most passion-filled moment of his life. None of his previous sexual encounters could compare to this. He could feel his trousers growing tight ever so slowly.
But then Steve tentatively tried to do the same thing with his tongue, and it was like Tony had been struck by the god of lightning. He wrested his mouth from Steve's as if he'd just been touched by a white-hot iron. His heart was pumping much harder than before, he thought he was going to pass out.
'Tony?' Steve said worriedly. His hair was mussed and his lips were swollen. 'Did I do something wrong?'
Tony clutched at his heart. What was he doing? He was bypassing Steve's consent to get what he wanted. What kind of person was he? Steve was a person who valued honesty and integrity. He'd be ashamed of being friends with such a cheat. Tony remembered that time when Steve broke off his friendship with a guy named Brock Rumlow when he found out he'd been embezzling money. He wouldn't tolerate similar behaviour from Tony, no matter how close they were.
'I have to go,' Tony blurted out. He scrambled up, rushed for the door and sprinted towards the dorm exit as fast as his short legs could carry him. Steve was much more athletic than he was and would catch up to him with no effort. He had to get away as soon as possible.
Tony shouldn't be here. He had no business being in the same school grounds as Steve. He was going to have to go far away from here, where Steve couldn't reach him. He made a note to ask his parents to transfer schools. They'd understand if he explained that it was to obtain a better education. His heart twisted at the thought of losing his friendship, but he convinced himself it was for the best. Because Tony Stark didn't deserve Steve Rogers, the only person to see the world for every miracle it had to offer.