Work Text:
It was quiet in the privacy of Stephen’s study, where he had been working for nearly three hours. The fire crackled pleasantly, wafting its warmth into the room and leaving him sitting comfortably by the window, where the sun had just begun to sink, lighting up the sky in brilliant colours. He was getting tired, had been for awhile now but he was never one to give up easily, even as words began to blur and float from the page.
A glance at the Cloak revealed its disapproval, stiff and hovering near the desk in a clear signal of ‘time to go’ which was adorable but hardly convincing. He ignored it, flipping another page and shaking his head when it fled the room in offense. Between the Cloak, Carol, Tony, and Wong, Stephen couldn’t help feeling a tad suffocated, though he tried to ignore it. It came from a good place even if he wasn’t willing to put up with it all the time.
Two quick knocks sounded against the wall and Stephen looked up, frowning at Carol who was leaning into the room with a raised eyebrow, “I was told you were misbehaving,” she teased.
Stephen shot a glare at the Cloak that hovered behind her, all puffed up and proud of itself as it raised a corner and waved condescendingly at him, before rapidly zooming away, knowing it was in trouble.
“Traitor,” Stephen hissed.
Carol shook her head, coming in with a soft laugh, “don’t be mad, though it is embarrassing to be betrayed by your outerwear…”
He rubbed at his eyes, willing his irritation to subside in the face of his lover’s presence, knowing the last thing he wanted was to give away his exhaustion, “I’m surrounded by traitors and fiends,” he lamented.
“And I thought Tony was the dramatic one,” She stopped in front of his desk, eyes moving over the papers and Stephen had to stifle the urge to cover them childishly. “How long have you been working on this?”
“Not long,” he lied.
“Right, which is why Levi came and got me,” she circled the desk, eyes on the tome in his lap and Stephen found himself gripping it tightly.
“When did you get back?” he tried to change the subject, eyeing her uniform.
She always looked so damn good in it, but it appeared she wasn’t to be distracted, his favourite half smile quirking her lips, “nice try.”
She was then tugging the book from his hands and placing it gently on the desk which Stephen appreciated because Tony was never so considerate about the ancient things in their home. But she didn’t stop there, in one smooth move she was straddling his lap and making the office chair groan from the effort.
His trembling hands settled instinctively on her hips, holding her secure, while she rested her own on his shoulders, fingers playing with the hair on his nape. Carol narrowed her eyes a little, murmuring, “you better not drop me on my ass.”
Stephen laughed, looking up at her grinning face and feeling something inside him ease at the sight, “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Good,” she leaned down then, shifting a bit until she was comfortable and making Stephen bite his lip at the friction. He ignored her knowing smirk, so much like Tony’s and instead sighed softly when she pressed her lips to his.
It was a slow gentle kind of kiss. You never really knew with Carol, it all depended on mood, sometimes it was fast and aggressive, setting you on fire in a matter of seconds and leaving you dizzy with the sensations. Other times, it was calm but intent, like she knew exactly where she wanted you and how to get you there and you just needed to let her guide you along. Then there were moments like these, soft and unexpectant, reverent almost and it never failed to make Stephen’s heartbeat faster as emotion choked his throat.
A tongue drifted along the seam and Stephen opened to the delicate inquiry, letting her explore her fill lazily. The fingers at his nape slid higher, until she was cupping the back of his head and holding him still, sending a shiver down his spine. Her other hand, kept a steady rhythm, stroking his throat lovingly, and he was always amazed how she could guide him so flawlessly, take care of him so kindly.
She pulled away, lips a little redder and cheeks a bit pinker, though he knew he must be worse from the way her eyes glittered as she examined him, “there,” she murmured. “Isn’t that so much nicer than all this work you have to do?”
“I only have-”
“Nope,” she popped the ‘p’ with a smile. “You’re done for today. You are going to join me and Tony for a nice take-out dinner and a long-earned night of us spoiling you.”
Stephen frowned, “I don’t want-”
“No arguments,” she tugged his hair lightly with her fingers and that was so unfair, the sting going straight to his cock. “We both know you’ll whine and complain but you’ll end up loving it.”
“Just give in gracefully before we make Levi help us.”
Startled, Stephen looked past Carol to the doorway, where Tony was leaning with a wicked smirk on his face. He clearly only just arrived home, suit still on and glasses hanging from his fingers as he gestured toward the Cloak hovering behind him.
Stephen pouted, “I’m being ganged up on.”
Carol laughed, “yes you are, because you’ve been working on this project for days and that book specifically for nearly three hours now. You know the rules when one of us gets obsessive.”
“She’s right Steph,” Tony agreed, approaching them until he was close enough to press a kiss to Carol’s temple and another to Stephen’s lips. He pulled back barely an inch from there. “Let us take care of you and give you a decent night sleep then tomorrow you can get right back to it.”
Stephen sighed, already knowing the battle was lost. He wanted to keep working, it was true, but when they were this determined it was hopeless and besides…it wasn’t the worst thing in the world when his lovers doted on him. Plus, from the looks in their eyes, he had a feeling he might get more out of it then a bit of pampering.
He tugged Tony down for another kiss, relenting with a wave of his hand as all the documents and books carefully drifted back to their homes for the evening.
Carol pressed her own kiss to his throat, “good boy.”