Work Text:
Monday
Steve steps into the elevator, letting out a loud sigh of relief when the doors close without anyone else coming in. The mission he's just returned from had been a long one, and all he wants now is a good cup of coffee and some decent sleep.
It’s good to be home.
Steve lifts his head as something else occurs to him. “JARVIS, is Tony around?”
Tony has been very busy with Stark Industries meetings for the last couple of weeks, so they've barely seen each other. Before Steve left on his mission, he made it a point to be in the kitchen every day after his morning runs, just to see and spend a few minutes with Tony. Despite his exhaustion, a smile spreads across Steve’s face as he remembers the look of sleepy contentment on Tony’s face whenever he takes his first sip of coffee in the morning, grinning at Steve over his kitten mug.
It’s one of Steve’s favorite ways to start his morning.
If he ever gets the courage to ask Tony out on a date like he’s been wanting to for months, he might even get a chance to kiss Tony on those sleepy mornings. Steve feels a sliver of want curl through him at the thought.
He’d get to wake up next to Tony, make him coffee, and kiss him good morning. All Steve needs to do is ask him out.
“Sir is in his office, Captain Rogers, but he is currently tied up with an urgent matter with Ms. Potts,” JARVIS says, sounding almost apologetic in his reply.
“Oh.” Steve leans back on his heels, trying to ignore his immediate disappointment. It’s no big deal. He’ll just look for Tony after getting some rest. He definitely needs a nap, anyway.
Suddenly, the StarkPhone in his pocket starts vibrating rapidly. Steve retrieves it, squinting down at the screen in front of him.
A series of BREAKING NEWS tabs fill his screen. All of the headlines are on the same topic:
HAWKEYE AND IRON MAN SPOTTED CAKE TASTING AT A WEDDING BAKERY - CLICK INSIDE FOR MORE
DO WE HEAR WEDDING BELLS FOR IRON MAN AND HAWKEYE?
A NEW ROMANCE: EXPOSED
INSIDE SOURCES SAY TONY STARK IS HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE - HAS HE FOUND THE ONE THIS TIME?
Something that feels a little too much like panic spreads through Steve. He swallows hard. He knows there’s nothing romantic between Clint and Tony and that Tony’s been tasked with cake-tasting as Rhodey’s best man for Rhodey and Pepper’s wedding. Yet, somehow, Steve still feels off balance.
He clicks the top article. The link takes him to a page with the same screaming headline. Steve scrolls down. His finger halts on the screen, covering the edge of the picture that shows Clint taking a bite of cake straight from Tony’s fingers.
Steve scrolls further down. Another picture shows them laughing while shoving cake in each other’s faces. The next one is a blurry shot of Clint’s arm around Tony’s shoulders. Steve’s heart twinges as he reads on about an inside source claiming that Hawkeye and Iron Man are very much in love and excited to tell the world about their relationship.
He’s so focused on his phone that he doesn’t hear the elevator doors open.
“Captain Rogers?” JARVIS sounds even more somber than before.
Steve glances up and colors when he sees the open doors in front of him. “Thank you, JARVIS,” he answers.
When he enters the living room, he’s greeted with an exuberant embrace from Thor, who nearly lifts him off his feet. “Captain, I am heartily glad for your return. Hulk and I are about to begin a glorious sparring match in the gym. Would you like to join us? We would appreciate your company.”
Steve rubs a hand over his eyes. Right now, he would like nothing more than to crawl into bed, pull the covers over his head, and forget about everything he just read. “Not today, Thor. But thanks for the offer.”
Thor nods. His happy expression turns mischievous as he looks down at Steve's phone. “Ah, so you have read about Tony and Clint’s new attachment as well? A fantastic joke, is it not?” He clasps a hand on Steve’s shoulder before leaving the room, his laughter booming loudly behind him.
“Yeah. Fantastic,” Steve echoes into the empty room.
Completely and utterly fantastic.
Tuesday
Steve grins up at Tony as he releases his grip on the armor. “Thanks for the assist, Iron Man.”
“Anytime, Cap.” As always, Tony’s voice is modulated by the armor’s speakers, but Steve imagines he can hear a smile in Tony’s words.
He reaches for his shield as a Doombot tries to tackle him from his left, destroying it easily with one throw. Tony stands beside him, gauntlets directed towards other approaching Doombots. “Hey, Tony. After we’re done with clean-up here, would you like to—”
Steve freezes as Tony lets out a swear and takes off. It only takes him a moment to see why - Clint’s falling fast through the air with no signs of stopping.
Steve sighs in relief when Tony manages to catch Clint in time, only to freeze again when the reporters gathered beside the debris start yelling with excitement and pointing their cameras up at Tony and Clint.
A photo of Tony catching Clint in a bridal carry makes it onto every single evening news program that night, amid more wedding speculation.
Steve skips dinner with the team in favor of destroying three punching bags in the gym. It doesn’t make him feel any better.
Wednesday
Steve halts in the doorway, the sight of a sleepy, barely-awake Tony in the kitchen lifting the last dregs of his bad mood from yesterday.
He steps forward, only to be interrupted by an out-of-breath Clint barreling into the room. Steve watches as Clint spots the just-filled coffee mug in Tony’s hands and lights up.
Darting next to Tony, Clint takes the mug from him in a flash, before pressing a sloppy kiss to Tony’s cheek. “I’ll take that. Thanks, honey.” Steve’s heart thuds painfully in his chest. He resists the sudden and very strong urge to push Clint away from Tony.
It’s just a stupid joke. Right?
A loud crash behind them makes Clint wince, and he shoves the half-empty mug back into Tony’s hands. “I think that’s my cue.” As Clint races from the room, Tony stares after him before shrugging and returning his attention to his coffee.
Throughout the whole scene, Tony doesn’t notice Steve lurking in the doorway.
Steve turns away, suddenly in no mood for breakfast.
When JARVIS passes on a message from Tony about grabbing lunch with him, Steve tells JARVIS he needs a raincheck.
Thursday
“So, Sandra, any thoughts on the rumors about a romance brewing between New York’s very own Iron Man and Hawkeye?”
Steve winces as Nat grabs the remote next to him to turn the volume up. It seems like he can’t spend five minutes outside of his room these days without hearing about another member of the press speculating over Clint and Tony’s relationship.
“Something wrong, Cap?” Nat asks, shifting in her seat as she makes a grab for the popcorn bowl in Thor’s hands.
“Nothing,” Steve tries, forcing a smile on his face. A blurry picture of Tony sneaking a bite of chocolate cake from Clint’s plate fills the large television screen. Steve fends off the impulse to pull his hoodie up over his eyes just so he doesn’t have to see another one of these pictures again.
He knows they’re innocent, that Clint and Tony are just friends, but the idea of all these people believing that Clint and Tony are together makes his hackles rise.
Nat lets out a hum, and Steve knows without looking at her that she’s unconvinced.
When Thor makes a play for the remote so he can go back to watching his soap operas, Steve almost hugs him.
Friday
“Want to dance?”
Steve holds back a sigh at Tony’s question, fingers clenching around the stem of his champagne glass.
On any other night, he would have been thrilled at Tony’s question, relishing the chance to hold Tony close in his arms. But tonight, his nerves have been scraped raw by the many curious gossipers at the gala who have either been cooing after Clint and Tony or hounding Steve with questions, clearly angling for fresh details on the so-called hottest couple of the year.
“I’m not really in the mood for dancing, Tony,” Steve tells him, hoping he doesn’t sound as frustrated as he feels. “Besides, you wouldn’t want the crowd to think you’re abandoning your fiance, would you?”
Steve had meant his question to be a joke, but judging by Tony’s surprised expression, he’s probably missed the mark.
“I don’t want to dance with—” Something in Steve’s expression makes Tony’s face fall, and Steve almost regrets turning down his offer.
“Never mind,” Tony finishes, looking down at his feet. He shoves his hands in his pockets, and Steve bites back the completely inappropriate urge to smooth out Tony’s frown with his fingers, or his lips.
He opens his mouth to say something, anything, when Tony straightens and laughs. “Well then, I guess I gotta give the crowd what they want, yeah?” With a quick nod at Steve, Tony turns on his heel and heads in Clint’s direction.
Steve reaches for another glass of champagne. He really, really wishes he could get drunk right now.
Saturday
“Oh, they look so adorable! I just love them together, don’t you?”
Steve shoves the baseball cap over his face. He usually doesn’t get coffee outside the Tower on weekends, but the thought of running into Tony or Clint in the kitchen had sent him down the street to this new coffee place.
The girl in front of him laughs and looks over at her friend’s phone. Steve glances over it before he can stop himself, only for his stomach to fall to his feet when he sees what they’re looking at.
It’s Clint and Tony dancing at last night’s gala. Tony’s head is thrown back in that loud laugh that Steve loves so much as Clint grins at him in the photo.
For a moment, Steve feels so very small, staring at something he wants but can never be his. In a perfect world, those girls would be giggling over a picture of him and Tony dancing at the gala, but he lost his chance at that too.
Even if Clint and Tony aren’t actually together, Tony could never be his. Steve’s an old-fashioned, stubborn ass who can’t even deal with his own feelings without avoiding two of his best friends. What hope does he have that Tony might return those feelings?
He leaves without getting coffee.
Sunday
Steve cancels plans to go see that new spy movie with Tony, asking JARVIS to tell Tony that he’s feeling under the weather.
He spends the day curled up under a pile of blankets and watching romcoms, failing to distract himself from thinking about Tony.
Monday
Steve steps out of his bathroom suite, running a towel through his hair. He’s barely gotten his pants and shirt on when Tony storms into his room.
“That’s it, Rogers. I let you sulk yesterday but I know you were lying when you said you weren’t feeling well. You’ve been acting weird for days and no one knows why. Not even Nat—”
Tony blinks as his gaze focuses on Steve, taking in his disheveled state. “You’re… wet. Why are you wet?”
His voice stutters at the end of his question, and if Steve didn’t know any better, he’d say Tony’s blushing.
“I just took a shower,” Steve explains, tossing his used towel into the laundry basket. When he turns to face Tony again, Tony’s expression looks almost glassy. It’s gone with a shake of his head and Steve wonders if he had imagined it.
“Steve? What’s wrong?” Tony asks, his gaze fixed on Steve. He doesn’t sound exasperated now, just quietly and achingly confused.
Steve sighs, not knowing what to say. Then, before his brain can catch up with his stupid mouth, he blurts out, “You went cake-tasting with Clint.”
What the hell was that? his brain yells back.
Tony’s startled expression shows that he’s probably thinking the same thing. His mouth falls open then closing again. “You’re upset… because I went cake-tasting with Clint?” Tony asks slowly, his tone clearly screaming what.
“No! I mean, yes! Not…” Steve rubs a hand over his face, his skin heating in embarrassment. He wishes the floor would open up under him right now just so he doesn’t have to have this conversation. He’d even take a fight with Red Skull over this.
“If that’s what you’re upset about, we can go cake-tasting right now, Cap. They have this maple pecan vanilla cake I know you’ll love, the frosting is—” Tony’s words are stopped in their tracks as Steve settles a finger over Tony’s lips.
“It’s not the cake.” Steve pauses, fighting the urge to pace around the room. “I mean, yes, it was the cake—” He takes a deep breath, and starts again. “It’s the press. All those articles about you and Clint together, having a secret romance…”
“We’re not,” Tony breathes, staring up at Steve, and it’s only then that Steve realizes his finger is still on Tony’s lips. He blushes and opens his mouth to apologize, only to find Tony’s own fingers circling his own wrist, moving Steve’s finger just a little until it lingers on the edge of Tony’s bottom lip.
“We’re not together,” Tony repeats, sounding breathless, and Steve’s heart leaps in his chest as he recognizes the glowing, warm expression on Tony’s face as hope. “Did you think… Is that why you…”
Steve easily reads the question in Tony’s scattered words. “I knew you weren’t together but I didn’t like the idea of everyone else believing and wanting you and Clint to be in love.”
He swallows. “I hated it.”
“Why?” Tony asks, his expression softer than Steve’s ever seen it.
“Because… because I want to be with you. I want to be the one who gets to hold your hand, who gets to bring you coffee in the morning and kiss that sleepy look from your eyes, the one who gets your last dance at every gala, the one that everyone else thinks, knows you’re with.”
“Steve,” Tony whispers. “If I’d known you’d wanted any, all of that, I would have given it all to you in a heartbeat.” His fingers tighten around Steve’s wrist, his eyes bright. “That’s why I asked you to dance. I want those things with you too.”
“You do?” Steve feels like he’s floating, like his heart is too big to be contained in his chest right now. At Tony’s answering nod, he presses down on Tony’s bottom lip, a shiver of want burning through his veins at the soft sigh that escapes Tony’s mouth.
Then, Steve lets go of his restraint and does what he’s been dreaming about for months; he kisses Tony.
Tony’s smile is warm and sweet underneath his. Steve doesn’t think he’s ever felt happier when they part for breath minutes later.
“So, Cap, you want to go cake-tasting?” Tony whispers against his lips with a tiny smirk.
Steve grins back at him before hoisting Tony into his arms. “I think I’d rather taste you.”
Tony laughs and buries his face in the crook of Steve’s neck. “That was terrible. I love it. You’ve ruined me for anyone else, I’ll have you know.”
“Good.” Steve steals another kiss from Tony’s lips, basking in the sound of his laughter. “Right back atcha.”
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