Work Text:
Tony couldn’t sleep.
That wouldn’t have been unusual once upon a time, but in recent years he had fallen into a routine of actually going to bed at a sensible hour and sleeping a solid six hours. To suddenly be lying star-fished and wide awake in his king sized bed had not been part of his plan.
He’d gone to bed whilst the sun was still in the sky and he’d laid staring out of the crack in the blinds as it sunk lower and lower until the street lights had flickered on.
Sleep eluded him. He’d counted sheep, but had admitted defeat somewhere around eight hundred and twenty-four. Even some deep breathing exercises that he vaguely recalled from years past hadn’t helped him in the slightest.
Tony had picked out shapes on the ceiling, made shadow puppets using the faint light of his arc reactor, and even gone over his entire schedule for the business trip he was being forced on at the end of the month, but nothing had worked.
Finally, he could take it no more. With a heavy, put-upon sigh he threw the comforter away from his body and swung his legs over the side of the bed. The carpet was warm beneath his toes, but Tony didn’t savour the moment as he stormed out of the room. He kept his quick pace up until he reached the living room, only stopping when he stood at the arm of the couch.
Tony crossed his arms over his chest and waited impatiently as the lump beneath the blanket started to move.
There was a grunt and then a hoarse; “Tony?”
“Move over,” Tony said, no preamble or pleasantries.
There was another moan and the blankets moved a little more. “What are you doing out here?”
“I couldn’t sleep.” Shoulders slumping in defeat, Tony kicked the floor, embarrassed by his admission. “So move over and let me on the couch.”
“What?” Steve pushed himself up to squint at Tony through the darkness. “No. Let’s just go back to bed.”
It was because Steve’s hair was such a wonderful mess and the fact that there was a pillow crease across his cheek that Tony didn’t notice his husband’s movements for a long moment. Steve had already made to stand up and was holding a hand out to his husband before Tony realised what he was doing.
“No,” Tony answered quickly, sharply. He twisted his shoulders suddenly to move away from Steve’s touch and frowned down at him. “No. I’m still mad at you; you’re not allowed in the bed yet.”
Steve stared at Tony for a second. He must have seen that Tony was serious as he let out a long sigh and rolled his eyes. Ultimately giving no further fight, Steve dropped his hand to lift up the blanket instead and shuffled until he was lying against the back of the couch.
“Come on then,” he said, beckoning Tony forwards, voice soft and wrapping around Tony like a blanket. “Lie down. It’s some stupid time in the morning and I know you’ve got a breakfast meeting.”
As much as he wanted to protest a little longer, if only for appearance’s sake, Tony also really wanted to sleep. After sharing a bed for as many years as they had, Tony had gotten dangerously reliant on Steve’s body next to his and struggled to find peace without him.
“Better?”
Tony nodded as he pressed himself against Steve from head to toe, burying his face into Steve’s neck. The couch was far too small for two grown men, but they’d promised each other long ago not to take their problems into their bedroom. That was their space, their safe haven of love and nothing else. Arguments were not for their special place.
“I’m only doing this to sleep,” Tony muttered somewhere around Steve’s collarbone, words muffled by the old band tee that Steve had definitely stolen from Tony’s wardrobe. As soon as he’d touched Steve, it seemed as though his entire body had turned to melted chocolate. His exhaustion caught up with him immediately, but it was such a happy, floating feeling. His eyes fell closed and his speech started to slur, hands settling on Steve’s stomach. “I’ll be mad at you again in the morning.”
Tony didn’t need to see Steve’s face to know that he was rolling his eyes and the smallest of smiles tugged at his lips. As sleep finally called out for him, Tony felt Steve’s arms wrapping around his body and holding him close.
Come morning, they’d be alright.