Work Text:
“What did you say?” Steve asked quickly. He glanced over to Tony, who lay naked and pressed against his side, curled up next to him in their bed.
“Well, remember a few days ago when we were fighting those guys that could manipulate electricity and technology? Which, not fun by the way. It’s like they were born simply to inconvenience me.” Tony said. He waved a hand a bit for affect, a little quark he did when he was talking that Steve had fallen in love with. “Anyway, they sorta manipulated the arc reactor so it would explode and I asked you to take it out and destroy it before it blew up New York.”
“Yeah, and I refused.” Steve said.
He didn’t want to talk about this. It had been terrifying and infuriating and when they managed to save both Tony and the city he had skipped the debrief and went straight home, keeping Tony in bed with him for days. He had been gentle and slow and told Tony over and over that he loved him. Steve didn’t like thinking about what would have happened if he killed Tony.
“Right. So I want to ask you a question. If you had to kill me to save the world, would you?“ Tony said, he was far too calm. Steve had seen Tony turn into a pale and shaking mess when he thought he was going to die, but he was determined and still tried to convince them all that destroying the reactor would be the best way to go. He was prepared to die that day, no matter how terrified he was.
Steve sighed, shaking his head slowly. “I have no idea. If the whole world was at stake and I had to kill you to save it I honestly have no idea what I would choose.”
He could feel Tony smile, his face pressed against Steve’s shoulder. “Baby, you’re sweet. But I need to know.” He said slowly. “I need to know that if it was between me and the world you’d make the right choice.”
Steve rolled over, taking Tony with him until the smaller man was sprawled out underneath him. Tony smiled as Steve’s head dove down to suck at the slightly bruised marks around Tony’s neck and collar.
“There is no right choice.” Steve whispered as his mouth trailed from one mark to the next. “If I lost you I don’t know what I’d do. If the world was destroyed we’d all be dead anyway so there would be no point.” Steve’s hands started to trail down Tony’s sides, his fingers brushing over each rise and dip of muscle.
Tony sighed softly at the touch. “Alright then. How about we make a compromise?” He said slowly, his eyes sliding shut. “If it has to be done, you don’t have to do it yourself. Just don’t stop anyone else from doing it.”
Steve lifted his head to look up at Tony. He looked flustered and hazy, Tony’s eyes were drooping slightly and his skin was flushed a beautiful pink. “If you’re asking me to stand by while you kill yourself to save the world then you’re mistaken.” He whispered as his head dove back down to suck at the soft skin of his neck.
“I’m not asking you for that.” Tony said, moaning softly as Steve’s fingers started to trail lower. “I’m asking you to let me lay down on the wire.”
Steve pulled back, the memory of their first fight returning to his mind. He regretted those words, regretted everything he had said to him. He had apologized, Tony did too, and everything was great now. If Tony was taking his words as justification to let himself die then Steve would fall apart.
“Fine, but if our roles were reversed then I expect the same.” Steve said.
“You planning on crashing another plane into the arctic?” Tony asked. He grabbed lightly onto Steve’s face and dragged him up for a kiss. Tony’s tongue trailed over Steve’s lips and he gripped tighter to Tony’s hips. He couldn’t possibly imagine a life without Tony, where he had died to save them all and then Steve was left alone, in an empty world without these soft lips, smug smiles, and slightly offensive jokes.
“Maybe. You do know I have a flair for the dramatics. Or next time I could just fly a rocket into the sun.” Steve whispered. “Go big or go home, right? But if it happened, and it was me or the world, would you let me do it?”
“Jesus Steve, can’t we have sex without talking about one of us dying?” Tony said.
“You started it.” Steve moved his mouth down to Tony’s jaw and nibbled at the skin and stubble. “And we’re technically not having sex yet.”
Tony chuckled. “We should change that.” He said, bucking his hips up slightly. “I did start it, didn’t I?”
Steve nodded, his mouth trailed down lower. “Let’s just not talk about it anymore. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” His lips brushed over the scarred skin around the reactor. “We’ll find a way, we always do. I’m not gonna lose you and the world will keep on spinning.”
Tony sighed, his hands coming up to wrap around the back of Steve’s neck as his fingers trailed through the hair there. “Okay.”