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Steve and Tony were an item.
Everybody knew.
Until they didn’t.
It all began one day when Natasha walked in on them sitting on the couch after a particularly harsh mission.
Since the battle of New York, it was a tradition for the Avengers to come home, take a hot shower and gather on the communal floor to spend the rest of the day together.
Sometimes it was a battle at board games (with a fair amount of alcohol involved), other times it was karaoke, but more often than not they just slouched on the comfortable couches and armchairs scattered around the living room, eating takeout, and watching a movie.
This was one of those days.
The battle with the villain du jour – some repressed guy with a brain and reasonable ability, whose life had been a sequence of injustice, come back to take his revenge yadda yadda - had been long and exhausting. Seriously, it took all six of them to take him down, and even then they managed to catch him only because by some miracle he landed exactly between the Hulk and Thor.
It goes without saying that as soon as they arrived at the Avengers Tower they headed towards their suites, and no one cared to stop Tony when he asked Jarvis if he could order pizza for everybody.
After a mission, Natasha liked to pamper herself using the coconut shower gel Clint gave her for Christmas and braiding her hair loosely so that the next day it would be naturally wavy.
She was always the first one to finish but today she was late because she wasted time looking for the blue scrunchie she was adamant to use. So, when she entered the living room she was a little taken aback by the scene in front of her.
Steve and Tony were sitting on their loveseat (the one that overtime for one reason or another had become theirs, however) and that was fairly normal.
The unusual thing that made her come suddenly to a halt was that Steve was sitting cross-legged with Tony between his legs, his back facing Steve’s chest, his hands resting gently on the soldier’s knees and his feet dangling a few inches from the ground. His eyes were closed in a blissful expression and his head was tilted back while Steve dried off his dump hair with a towel.
Natasha wasn’t exactly surprised, she could sense their sexual tension from miles away. What amazed her was the straightforwardness of the scene before her eyes. It was probably the first time she saw them so natural, so effortlessly domestic with each other.
Cute, she thought with a grin that went unnoticed.
Among them, surely it was Tony the one with no stable timetable, but that didn’t mean the others had a perfect circadian cycle.
Even so, it was uncommon to find Bruce up late. Circumstances permitting, he always tried to get up early and to go to bed by midnight. He found out that a routine helped him to handle the Hulk and even the Big Guy - however dynamic - was happier if he could have his beauty sleep.
Tonight though it was an exception.
A project in the lab had kept him busy more than he thought initially, and he had lost track of time.
When he raised his head towards the clock and saw it was already past 3 in the morning, he decided to take a cup of tea before going to bed and that for once he could sleep in.
He shut down the lab and took the lift to the common floor. Everyone had their own suites, but they took the habit of staying mostly together especially at breakfast and dinner, so pretty much everything to eat or drink was stored there.
When the lift door opened, however, he immediately sensed he was not alone. He waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness and when he finally could see a little better he noticed two people at the kitchen island.
The only source of light was a small spotlight underneath the kitchen hood that cast a warm glow and soft shadows all around and wrapped everything in a bubble frozen in time.
Bruce stood there, looking from a distance who now recognized to be Steve and Tony. Something must’ve happened because they were silent. Steve was sitting on a stool with his elbows on the countertop and his head bowed, while Tony was warming up something in a small pot.
After a couple of minutes, Tony took the pan and poured some milk in a mug, added a dash of cinnamon and a teaspoon of honey, and put it in front of Steve placing a comforting hand between his shoulder blades.
“Do you want to tell me about it?” Tony asked in a soft voice that Bruce never heard him use.
Steve stood there motionless for a while but just when Bruce thought he would not speak, he heaved a deep sigh and he finally answered.
“The usual. I’m on a train with Bucky and just when I think this time I will save him, he falls,” he says with a dull voice. “All of a sudden, I’m on the plane, sitting on that bloody uncomfortable leather seat and I’m talking to Peggie. And then… the usual, I told you,” he sighed again.
“There, drink it,” Tony said quietly pushing again the mug towards him, not commenting on what Steve said.
Steve closed his hands around the cup, trapping Tony’s hand under his.
“I heard you,” he said in a thin voice. Tony looked at him disoriented but before he could ask something, Steve went on. “This time, before the impact I heard your voice. When-” he cleared his throat, trying to sound more confident. “When I asked you- When I asked Peggie to post-pone our date, she told me she would’ve waited for me the following Saturday at 8 o’clock but- but I still didn’t know how to dance. And then I heard you say, ‘I’ll show you how, just be there’, just like she did,” he explained absentmindedly caressing Tony’s knuckles with his thumb.
Tony looked at him flabbergasted and after a moment hugged him from behind, placing his chin on his shoulder. More minutes passed in silence until Steve said, “I’m not heartbroken anymore, but it always upsets me when I have this dream. It’s just… It’s been an emotional moment and it’s not an easy one to re-experience.”
“I know. I got you, babe,” Tony murmured, stroking his arm.
Suddenly, Steve giggled and turning his head towards Tony, he asked disbelieving, “Are you quoting Cher?”
“Ooh, someone did his homework,” Tony replied in a playful tone.
“Like I had a choice with you,” Steve said still a little misty-eyed but with a small private smile.
Tony burst out laughing, he stood up and took Steve’s hand in his, dragging him on the open space between the island and the countertop and starting to sway in place at the first notes of I Got You Babe (bless Jarvis for starting the song without needing to be told).
Bruce saw Steve laughing out loud while Tony led him around the kitchen, not really dancing but nevertheless moving to the rhythm.
With a serene smile, Bruce turned around and took the stairs to go to his room. He could always drink that tea the next morning.
Despite not being Midgardian, Thor felt a strong connection with this world and its inhabitants. The first time he set foot on Earth, he didn’t think that he would’ve found such great companions, but after the battle of New York, he was happy to say he did.
He realized that he felt a sense of responsibility towards the Avengers. Being the oldest one put him in the condition of feeling morally compelled to guide them and be there for them whenever needed. And even if he still had his people to take care of, he tried to come to Earth as soon as possible.
In all honesty, the person he worried about the most was Steve.
At first, he didn’t understand why the Captain seemed so out of his element. From what he’d heard, he was a hero, a legend even. So how could he be so uncomfortable and out of touch in his own home?
Later on, Clint and Bruce had told him his story and he finally knew why the Captain stood out like a sore thumb.
That’s why he took him under his wing.
He respected him, he didn’t question his capability as a soldier or a leader, because it was obvious he was of high-value. Technically speaking, on the battlefield the Captain was perfect. But then, when all was said and done, the Captain took off his cowl and what remained was Steve.
Shy, awkward, gentle Steve, with a young face but old eyes that made you easily forget he was only 25. A strong man with a strong temper and soft hands that were able to bake, to draw, to play.
So, Thor sparred with Steve anytime he realised was holding back during a training session because he didn’t want to harm anyone but needed to blow off steam. He always chose old cult movies during movie night because he knew Steve wanted to watch them but didn’t want to impose on the others. With the excuse of discovering the many beauties of America, he dragged him around the country, and often this trip became little vacations for all the team.
He knew how it was to be in a foreign environment, but he didn’t imagine how hard it could be to feel a stranger in your home. Thor just wanted to be sure that Steve didn’t feel lonely.
Also, he thought he was the only one who paid attention but soon he was forced to change his mind.
One day, Fury had called to tell them that the AvenJet was waiting for them on the landing pad because they were needed somewhere in Brazil. What they thought to be a routine mission, turned out to be a long, tiring battle against a man who could control basically every material.
After literally hours of fight, they won (without major injuries, which was a victory in itself) and dragged themselves back to the AvenJet, ready to come back home.
Clint was setting the return course, Bruce was attending to the minor scratches and bruises that studded their bodies, and the others were scattered all over the seats.
Probably due to his exhaustion, he didn’t notice immediately, but at a certain point, he saw that Steve and Tony were sitting together.
Tony had stripped off of his armour and now was in his undersuit, his head leaning against the headrest, his mouth a little open, and a lap full of Steve. Steve had removed just his cowl and now his dump blonde hair was shooting in all directions, also thanks to Tony’s fingers intertwined in his locks, that were massaging his scalp.
He seemed relaxed, with his head cradled in Tony’s lap, his left leg propped on the seat beside him, his right hand dangling off the edge, nearly brushing the floor.
It was common in Asgard to cultivate a relationship with a fellow soldier, so he wasn’t scandalised. No, it hit him strong just because how could’ve he missed it?
Maybe now he didn’t have to worry anymore, he thought, smiling broadly.
When Nick Fury firstly formed the Avengers, they all thought they wouldn’t last a week. They were so different and even though they fought well during the battle of New York, it is known that beggars can’t be choosers, especially not in case of necessity.
Steve was too judgemental, Tony was too proud, Natasha was too harsh, Bruce was too reclusive, Thor was too condescending, and Clint was too distressed to think straight.
Maybe it was because of the Tesseract, maybe it wasn’t, but even when everybody thought that the Avengers project was a pipe dream, Clint never had a doubt.
Hawkeye, his own name declared it, and he prided himself for having a 20/20 vision. Among the Avengers, he was the one that first picked up their fighting style and then, when they moved in together, their routine. And when they realised that they could work and that living together wasn’t so bad, you can bet your ass he was the one who yelled ‘I told you so’.
So, despite what the vast majority of fanfiction claimed, he was not some dull buffoon with a peculiar obsession for the ventilation system, on the contrary, he was always the first to notice something. It gave him a sensation of control, he felt safe. It didn’t matter if it was something strange, something trivial or something bad. He just noticed.
He knew that, on an ordinary day, if he’d gone in the kitchen at 7:30 in the morning - like he was doing that day - he would’ve seen Steve newly showered after his morning run already cooking, he knew that Bruce would’ve had his tea and by now was probably in his lab, that Tony might have been in there too after pulling an all-nighter in the workshop and he knew with absolute certainty that Thor and Natasha wouldn’t appear before 9 a.m.
When he got off the lift and heard Steve and Tony speaking, it wasn’t a surprise at all.
“No, Tony. You can’t live on coffee non-stop,” he heard Steve reprimand him. “How long has it been since you ate something healthy?”
When Tony didn’t answer something intelligible, Steve asked Jarvis.
“It’s been thirty-four hours since Sir ate something proper, Captain,” the AI answered dutifully.
Tony was so drowsy that he didn’t even say the usual ‘traitor’ that shot back every time Jarvis teamed up with someone. Especially when said someone was Steve.
“Come here,” Steve said. And just when Clint was going to walk into the kitchen, he saw Steve picking up Tony bridal style and put him down on a stool. “If I leave you now, will you fall off?” he asked with a smile, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Tony almost face-planted on the countertop and didn’t answer back, but when Steve saw that he was more or less safe, he went back to the stove.
Clint stood there, unseen by the two men and after a moment of hesitation, he decided to go ahead. He opened the fridge, took the milk and his favourites cereal, a pear and sat at his spot.
“Good morning,” Steve said, briefly turning his head.
“Morning,” he mumbled. They knew he wasn’t very talkative when he just got up, so Steve didn’t mind.
They stood there in companionable silence for a couple of minutes and then Steve placed (his) breakfast in front of Tony, who didn’t even move.
“Hey,” Steve murmured, “Breakfast’s ready,” he said, stroking again his hair.
“No, it isn’t,” Tony finally answered.
“Yes, it is,” Steve answered in a playful tone.
“No,” Tony repeated. “There’s no coffee,” he clarified, not even bothering to look at him.
“You sure about that?” Steve asked, placing a mug of black coffee beside the dish.
Tony’s head snapped up and as soon as he pinpointed the mug, he chugged all the coffee. With a satisfied sigh, he put it down and dig into the dish, filling his mouth with blueberry pancakes and bacon. By the time he finished, Steve had almost cooked his breakfast again.
Tony took his mug, stood up and went towards the coffeemaker, but Steve intercepted him.
“Oh, please,” Tony groaned.
“You had too much already,” Steve said.
“Please, Steve? Pretty please?” he asked fluttering his eyelashes.
“Fine, but then you go straight to bed,” the other allowed.
“Alright, gramps’.”
Steve took the mug and filled it himself, placing it carefully in Tony’s hands, then turned back towards the pan, checking his bacon.
Unexpectedly, instead of coming back to his seat, Tony wrapped his arms around Steve and hugged him from behind, placing his head on his back and whispering softly, “Thanks, darling.”
Clint had witnessed the whole scene speechless.
Ok, how could he have missed it?
He was ready to internally rant about his (apparently) lacking visual skills when he realized he’d never seen Tony so relaxed and at ease and Steve’s smile so tender, and he suddenly calmed down.
After all, of all the things he could’ve missed, he didn’t mind that it was something this good. He was just happy it happened.
Even if he - surprisingly – realized it just now.
The Avengers were gathered in the living room of the communal floor when they discovered they knew.
It was one of those rare quiet afternoons in which by some miracle no villain had the heart to attack the city, maybe because of the sudden burst of heat that hit a couple of days before. Normally, they kept doing what they had to, but in companionable silence or a soft buzzing.
First came Steve, who much preferred the communal floor rather than his private rooms, that sat comfortably on the loveseat opening the folder with the report he had to read and check for the next meeting with Fury.
By the time Bruce arrived, though, he was propped on the edge of the cushion, with a couple of files in his hands, his elbows on his knees and a pensive frown between his eyebrows.
Bruce made some tea and then settled in his armchair with a mug in a hand and a paperback in the other.
Natasha and Clint came almost at the same moment. She sat on the rug displaying her collection of knives all around her and began to polish them neatly. Instead, Clint slouched on the big couch with his ankles propped on the small table drinking what was probably the most sugary cup of coffee, with little coffee and a lot of whipped cream, that he could find at the café across the street.
When a quarter of an hour later Thor arrived too and settled on the couch beside Clint small talking with him, they thought he would be the last one to join in.
So it came as a surprise when Tony strode in all dressed up, fumbling with his tie, and let himself fall on the loveseat with a groan, half landing on Steve. To his credit, if the soldier was surprised to find himself with a lapful of Tony he didn’t show it, barely adjusting to make more room for the other man.
“Ugh, I wanna die,” he murmured dramatically, covering his eyes with his forearm.
“What for?” Steve asked absent-mindedly still reading the file, and subconsciously stroking Tony’s hair.
“Pepper woke me up at 6 in the morning. She barely left me time to prepare and dragged me at SI for a multitude of meetings that ended only half an hour ago,” he complained.
“Did she?” Steve inquired, turning the page.
“Did she what?” asked Tony, lowering down his forearm and looking up at Steve.
“Did she wake you?” Steve clarified.
“That’s beside the point,” Tony brushed off easily, making Steve smile a little. “She kidnapped me, I tell you! To add insult to injury, I only drank a cup of coffee. Only one, Steve!” he exclaimed. “And just because Happy bought it when he picked me up.”
“Mm-hmm, now I understand where all your despair comes from,” Steve a tad ironic.
“All this sass doesn’t suit you, soldier boy,” Tony replied resentfully.
“You know it does,” Steve challenged, finally looking down at Tony with a smirk.
After a couple of seconds, Tony heaved a deep sigh, “Fine, it does,” he conceded, rolling his eyes upwards.
“Come on, let’s go get you coffee,” Steve said satisfied, closing the folder.
“Really?” Tony exclaimed, jumping on his feet with a big smile.
“ ’ Course. Do you wanna come, guys?” Steve asked at the others.
Clint was going to open his mouth, but Thor stealthily nudged him in his ribs, so he kept quiet.
“No, thank you, Steve,” Bruce replied for everyone, setting aside his book.
“Alright, bye,” Steve greeted them, going towards the elevator where Tony was already waiting for him.
Before the door closed, they could hear Tony say, “I knew you were my favourite for a reason.”
For a moment no one said anything then, carefully placing a knife beside her, Natasha said, “You know, too. Don’t you?”
“It’s hard to miss,” Bruce confirmed with an amused smile.
“Indeed,” Thor said almost proud, and he really was. “Our Captain and Anthony make quite a couple.”
“Yeah, those two fuckers nearly made me die when I realised it,” Clint sniggered.
“Why? Does that bother you?” Thor asked taken aback, looking at him already getting on the defensive.
“Who, me?” Clint snorted. “Not a chance. It’s just that when I finally realised it, I also figured out that they’re together for a long time now,” he explained. “And I really cannot fathom how could I have missed it!”
“I’m glad they finally found someone worth it,” Bruce stated.
“They will be good for each other,” Natasha nodded.
Months went by as always: some battles, some injuries, some arguing, a lot of movie nights, pizza, and love. After so much time spent trying to settle down, they all began to believe that maybe they finally found a place to call home. All was well.
Evidently, villains really hated extreme temperature swings, because now that it was nearly Christmas none of them seemed interested so much in taking over the world.
And since it was almost Christmas, soon the Maria Stark Foundation would have hosted his annual charity gala.
“So, you two are going to come together?” Tony asked apropos of nothing one night while end credits rolled on the TV screen, drinking noisily from a straw.
“Me and Nat?” Clint pointed back and forth at themselves, surprised. “We already have a golden couple in the team, no need to fake one,” he said carelessly.
“Oh! Did I miss something?” Tony perked up. “Spill it. Who it is?”
“What do you mean ‘who it is’?” Clint was befuddled. “It’s you and Steve,” answered as if it was obvious.
Tony and Steve exchanged a confused glance and then burst out laughing. At that, even the others, who were paying little attention at the discussion, turned towards them.
“What?” Tony asked laughing. “I mean no offence,” he said looking again towards Steve, “We all know you’re the peak of human perfection but-” and then he started laughing again.
“Clint, where did you get the idea?” Steve asked, still smiling with a little blush on his cheeks.
“Come on, Cap. You don’t have to be shy!” Clint tried to reassure him. “We’ve known since forever and if it’s not clear, we support you,” he highlighted for the sake of it. “If you don’t want to come out yet we understand you, but there’s no need to fake it in front of us.”
“I appreciate the thought, truly, but… Tony and I are not together,” Steve said sincerely.
“Of course you are together,” Clint retorted.
“Um, we’re really not,” Tony said amused.
“How could you n- Ow!” Clint yelled, spinning his head towards Natasha, and squeezing the shin she just kicked. “What was that for?!” he asked indignantly with a high pitch.
“I think someone here had too much beer. Time to go to bed, boys,” she said cryptically, putting an end at the evening.
They all watched Steve and Tony leaving the room still laughing a little, as if Clint made the funniest joke of the year, but otherwise letting it go almost immediately and heading to bed.
“Why didn’t you back me up?” Clint asked offended when he was sure they wouldn’t hear them. “Now they will think you all hate them!”
“No, they won’t,” she said, shaking her head. “They’re not together.”
“Are you shitting me? Of course they are!” Clint exclaimed.
“No, they aren’t. Didn’t you see? Tony was too relaxed and even if Steve blushed a little he was absolutely honest. And we all know he’s shit at lying,” she remarked.
For a moment no one talked, and they just replayed the conversation in their mind.
“Holy shit,” Clint said, eyes wide open and both his hands raised to cover his mouth.
“So they’re not together…” Thor murmured a little disappointed.
“They’re not together,” Bruce confirmed with a sigh.
“ARE THEY BLIND?!” Clint exploded a few moments later. “They’re practically married!”
After Clint’s faux pas, things went on smoothly as always. No one talked about Steve and Tony just like before. It was their own business after all, and as long as they were happy the team was happy too.
At the same time, though, they couldn’t not think about how Tony and Steve were close. Especially Clint refused to think that he was wrong. It took him time to understand that there was something between them, now that he saw it, he wasn’t willing to let it go. Evidently, he didn’t say a word to the happy not-couple, he knew that such a thing would’ve split them, but it didn’t mean that they forgot.
It wasn’t until several months later that they heard again about Steve and Tony as Steve-and-Tony.
New Year’s Eve, Easter and Memorial Day have come and gone, and now summer was just around the corner. Natasha sat on the couch, her legs stretched on the cushion beside her and a massive book written in Russian on her lap. She just came back from a mission and after a shower, she was planning to spend the afternoon loafing about since dinner.
She opened the book, settled a little better on the couch and-
“Hey, Nat,” Steve called her from the door. “I didn’t know you were already home,” he said moving closer.
“I arrived about an hour ago,” she answered. Then, seeing that he stood there, seemingly hesitant and waiting for something, she added, “Do you want to talk?”
“Is this a good moment?” Steve answered almost immediately.
Natasha stared at him for a while, then placed the book on the small table, pulled her legs towards her to make him room and patted the spot beside her. A little more decidedly, he sat down. Then, she waited.
On one hand, Steve was grateful that she was like this, that she was a good listener and didn’t rush you into something. On the other hand, he almost wanted her to speak because he really didn’t know how to phrase what he wanted to say.
“Why- Um. Do you remember when Clint thought Tony and I were a pair?” he asked looking at her a little awkward but otherwise calm.
“I do,” she simply said.
“Why? I mean- Even if Clint was the only one to speak at that time, I realised that you – all of you – thought that we were together, too. So I was wondering what made you think that,” he explained, sincerely curious.
She studied him for a moment, her face unreadable as always. He could never have said what she was thinking, and it was both amazing and distressing.
“We thought you were together because you are not exactly social beasts, not even Tony despite what he likes to make people think. Nevertheless, you too seemed quite close,” she answered honestly.
“But I’m close to you, too,” he replied thoughtfully.
“Not as you are with Tony,” she said. “Neither physically nor platonically,” she added prodding him a little.
“Well, you’ve got your SHIELD missions and you are a woman, it- it has never been easy for me to deal with dames,” he reasoned.
“Mm,” she murmured, seemingly according with him. “What about Thor, then?” she asked a few moments later as if she didn’t already think about it. “He doesn’t have missions and he just stays in Asgard to check on Loki – just like Tony goes to work – but otherwise he’s always here. With him, though, you don’t behave differently than with me, Clint, or Bruce. Would you tell me why?” she said gently.
“I– I don’t know. I didn’t notice,” he said lost in his thoughts. “Do I really act differently with him?” he asked, looking at her a little bewildered.
“Mm-hmm,” she nodded with a slight smirk that he would’ve missed if he hadn’t looked at her.
“Uh,” he said after a while. “Alright,” he stood up, smiling at her. “Thanks for the talk, I missed you.”
She observed him walk across the room and before he could enter the lift she stopped him.
“Steve.”
“Yeah?” he turned again towards her.
“Whatever it is, it’s good for you. The both of you,” she told him, picking up her book and finally settling to read it.
Before the lift door closed, she saw Steve smile with the corner of her eye.
“Brucieee, Bruce, Bruciebear,” Tony entered the lab with a mug in each hand and a press-smile plastered on his face.
Bruce knew far too well that tone. When Tony combined nicknames, tea and coffee and a fake, detached smile it could only mean that he wanted to talk about feelings. Heaving a deep sigh, even if the other man hadn’t spoken yet, he surrendered to the difficult talk he was about to go through.
“Thank you,” Bruce said, shutting down the project he was currently working on.
“Well thank you, sugarplum. But there’s no need to leave your work just for lil’ old me,” he smiled broadly again.
“I think I do,” he simply said, turning his stool towards Tony. “And a pause was due anyway.”
“Well, what’s the latest?” Tony asked nonchalantly, sipping his coffee.
“Oh, you know. The usual. The Hulk still likes when I smoke, so it’s a double effort not to. Lately, I experimented with Indian cuisine and both unexpectedly and fortunately Clint is loving it, so I’ll keep practising. And a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist is playing dumb and is talking to me as if I were a reporter or a psychologist rather than his friend because he’s too afraid when it comes to feelings and irrationally thinks that I won’t notice. I told you, the usual,” he said deliberately casually.
Tony stood there frozen for a moment and then plopped himself on a chair, dropping his mask.
“You’re too smart for your own good, you know?” he huffed, stirring his coffee.
“I’ve been told,” Bruce replied with a smirk. “So, what do you want to talk about? And please,” he added when Tony opened his mouth. “Don’t beat around the bush. Whatever it is, I won’t judge.”
“Hmm,” the other mumbled. A few moments passed in silence but then he decided to talk. “How come you thought Steve and I were together?” he asked calmly, looking at him with doe eyes.
Bruce kept quiet a little taken aback. It had been months by now. An answer was due, though, especially since Tony stood there uncharacteristically honest.
“You seemed comfortable with one another, you took care of each other and talked a lot. You were spontaneous,” he answered. “You still are,” he pointed out.
“Hmm,” Tony murmured thoughtfully.
“Nothing changed since then, though,” Bruce said. “So why are you asking me now?”
Tony didn’t answer and Bruce thought that he might hide but eventually, he spoke. “It’s just that– At first I didn’t think much of it, Clint’s always been a prankster. But then I realised that maybe you agreed with him and… I don’t know, I just wanted to know why.”
“Hmm…” Bruce nodded. “And what do you think about it?” he asked gently.
“Steve and I are friends,” Tony replied honestly. “Maybe even best friends.”
“I thought Rhodey and I were your best friends.”
“You are,” he said just as much confident. “It’s just… Uh.” With a wistful expression, Tony slowly stood up and drinking absentmindedly from his mug he walked across the room, not really seeing where he was going.
“The door,” Bruce pointed out, raising his voice a little and watching Tony manage a last-minute veer off and leave with his head in the clouds. Then, he shook his head with a smirk and shut down the lab. For today he worked enough.
It was a movie night like many others. Steve and Tony were on the loveseat with an empty bowl of popcorn between them, Bruce was in his armchair with his ever-present mug of tea, Natasha was leaning on her chaise, while Clint and Thor were sharing the couch.
“Ahh…” sighed Clint with a dreamy voice. “Grease is a masterpiece.”
“It’s been an agony,” moaned Tony. “If I hear another whoo-whoo-whoo I’ll scream,” he sighed theatrically, hiding his head in Steve’s shoulder.
“I heard you sing along!” Clint exclaimed in outrage.
“Come on, guys,” Natasha stopped them before they could start a rant. “Time to go to bed.”
“Alright-alright boss,” Clint crooned, with his hands up.
Like little soldiers, they all stood up and tidied the room, cleaning up for good no matter how many people would’ve come the next day for this specific reason. After that, they all bade goodnight.
It was only when Steve and Tony stood on the opposite sides of the bed in Tony’s room, already in sleepwear and with the covers pulled aside that they realised they went in the same room on autopilot like it was the most natural thing to do. Like it was the right thing to do.
They stood there for a moment, a bit unsure of what to do and then smiled, huffing a small laugh, and lied in bed side by side. They couldn’t pinpoint when sleeping together had become a habit but was it really so wrong?
“Hey, Tony,” Steve called, looking at him.
“Yes, Steve?” Tony answered turning his head left.
“How long is it since you dated someone?” he asked with a soft voice. Maybe it was the dim light in the room, the late hour, or the fact that they were so close, but it seemed right.
“You know that since Pepper–” Tony trailed off.
“Yeah, I know. But you had plenty of– affairs,” Steve finished lamely.
Tony snorted. “Affairs? Yeah, I had them. I don’t know when it stopped, though. Not the exact moment, at least,” he added as an afterthought.
They stayed there, eyes fixed on the ceiling, looking at the lights that came in from the window wall, basking in the quiet atmosphere of the room that sort of lulled them.
“Do you-”
“Do you-”
They promptly stopped, looking at each other in surprise and then laughed again.
“You go first,” Tony said quietly.
“You’re my friend, Tony,” Steve said losing himself in his eyes. “I think I proved that in the last few years. And I never had–” he faltered a little but then went on. “I’ve never been with someone, but… Lately, I’ve been thinking and before, when we were coming to bed – don’t,” he added, trying to restrain his smile when Tony playfully wiggled his eyebrow. “Before,” he repeated, “I thought it all felt natural, that coming to bed with you was the right thing to do. And then I realised that we’ve been doing this for a while and that there’s no one else I would rather come home to.”
“You’ve been thinking about what Clint said that time, haven’t you?” Tony asked.
“How do you know?” Steve said surprised.
“I’m a genius, duh,” he retorted on autopilot. When Steve swatted weakly his shoulder, he sniggered and then replied seriously. “I’ve been thinking about it, too.”
Steve just looked at him waiting for what he wanted to say.
“You never had a relationship, Steve, but I never had a conventional one. The only person I’ve truly been with it’s Pepper and we were boss and employee, we knew each other basically by force of circumstances,” he explained. “Maybe–” he said, looking at Steve dead in the eye. “Maybe that’s why it took me so long,” he heaved a deep sigh.
They both turned again towards the ceiling.
“You mean we’ve been together for years without knowing?” Tony asked befuddled after some minutes.
“Apparently,” Steve said in wonder.
“How did we miss that?” Tony said astonished, looking at him.
“How could I know?” Steve laughed. “Are you okay with this?”
“Steve,” Tony murmured, placing his hand on his cheek, and stroking it lightly. “Do you want to – apparently – keep on staying with me?”
“Of course I do,” Steve smiled, placing his hand above Tony’s. Then, he leaned down to kiss him softly like they always did before sleeping. “Goodnight Tony.”
“ ’ Night, Steve,” he murmured peacefully, turning on his right side so that Steve could spoon him. Then, he squirmed, burying himself deeper under the covers.
“I can’t believe we could’ve fucked months ago,” Tony said sleepily, swaying his hips slowly and brushing his butt against Steve’s groin.
“Tony!” he exclaimed laughing.
“Don’t worry, I know you’re old-fashioned. I’ll do everything properly. Tomorrow I’ll take you to our umpteenth first date,” he half-joked said with a smile.
“I look forward to it.”