Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

After all his joking about Steve’s age, Tony is miffed to say the least that he was the one that was turned into a dinosaur. He supposes it was his fault; after all he jumped in front of the spell meant for Steve. If he’d just left him to his fate, Steve would finally look his age and Tony wouldn’t be waddling around in feathers for the next 24 hours.

Seriously, that was another thing he wanted to complain about. He felt so lied to; the velociraptors in Jurassic Park looked nothing like this. He could kind of deal with the feathers, he felt silly, but at least they were red and goldish. No, the worst thing was the height. He was not even three feet tall and it made him feel like an overgrown chicken, the way the others kept teasing him didn’t help either.

“It’s kind of a relief that he was turned into something that has such a large presence on the fossil record,” Bruce interjected into Clint and Natasha’s unflattering opinions about Tony’s new form.

“How so?” Steve asked. He was gently stroking the feathers on Tony’s cheeks in a way that made Tony want to- well he wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do but it involved waving his tail and wing (arm?) feathers around. It felt quite nice.

Bruce frowned and fiddled with his glasses. “Imagine if it was something that no one had ever seen before, we’d have no idea if he was even a real creature, not to mention what kind of diet and behavior to expect. As it is, we are only running on the theories of paleobiologists.”

Clint snorted and started ruffling the feathers on Tony’s tail. “Oh yeah? What theories are out there about veloci-chickens? Is there anything about the evolutionary purpose of gaudy feathers?”

“Well, they have quite a bit to say about their hunting habits, and judging by the way the retractable claws on his feet are twitching, Tony might just think of you as prey if you don’t stop poking at him.”

Clint’s hand drew back. “Sorry dude.”

Tony huffed and took shelter in Steve’s lap; he was just the right size if he curled his tail around his feet. Steve picked up the stroking again, this time covering a lot more area. Relaxing into it, Tony started producing a soft chirring noise.

Chapter Text

Part 1
Sometimes Tony wondered how he could go so wrong while trying to protect people. First the weapons he made to protect American soldiers were used to harm them and innocent people, then his peacekeeping robot wanted to destroy humanity, and now this, all the compromises he made to protect his team, the people he cared about, Steve, all of it just drove them apart. It just goes to show that Tony was never meant to be a shield, no matter how much he wanted to be.

Part 2
Steve held Tony tight, as if bringing him close now could erase the previous distance between them. "Even Captain America can't protect everyone alone, Tony, but maybe we can do it together," Steve whispered. The two stayed like that for a long time, taking shelter from their mistakes in each other's arms.

Chapter Text

Steve peeked through the door to see if Tony was awake yet, and if he was, whether he was behaving himself. By some miracle, Tony was both awake and staying in bed like he was supposed to. He opened the door the rest of the way and walked through.
"Hey, how are you doing?"

"My leg hurts," Tony whined.

Good, that probably meant it wasn't that bad. Tony only complained about minor injuries, when he didn't mind getting attention. Unlike when he was seriously hurt and just wanted to be left alone.

Steve wasn't going to hold back then. "That's what happens when you aren't paying attention in battle."

"That bus came out of nowhere!"

"You were showing off and didn't pay attention to what was behind you."

"Are you just here to give me an earful? Because if you are, you can go!"

"No, I actually brought you something." Steve placed the takeout box on the table next to Tony's bed. "I thought you could use one of those crepes from that cafe you like so much."

Wide-eyed, Tony looked at Steve and asked, "Nutella and strawberry?"

"Would I get you anything else?"

"You might. You seem to have this preoccupation with eating healthy."

"Hurry up and eat it before I decide to feed you gruel instead," Steve said, but Tony was already stuffing the crepe in his mouth.

Powdered sugar flew everywhere and chocolate was dripping down Tony's chin. Steve was a little worried he'd choke, at least there were plenty of nurses around. More distracting were the moaning sounds Tony was making. Did he really have to do that?

Steve fidgeted in his seat and tried not to think of other times Tony might moan like that. His movement must have caught Tony's eye, because the next moment Tony was looking up at him with his cheeks stuffed full.

"mf mffh ffu" Tony said before swallowing.

"Tony, I don't know what that means."

"Just that this is the best crepe ever." Tony lifted up a piece. "Want a bite?"

Steve really meant to take the crepe from Tony's hand, but for some reason his brain focused on the chocolate on Tony's lips instead. Before he knew what he was doing, he was grabbing Tony's chin and going in for the sweetest kiss of his life.

Chapter Text

"A thousand people want to see us kiss?"

Tony shook his head and turned away from the computer. "Oh no, it's way more than a thousand, that's just how many people are on this one part of this relatively new site."

"I guess I just don't understand why."

"Because in bed, I'm a sexy beast and you're as sweet as apple pie?"

Steve blushed fiercely. "Tony!"

"Or maybe they want to see you with a super rich and handsome sugar daddy," Tony purred.

Though Steve did see some truth in that, Tony was so much more, he provided Steve with a home, not just a place to live. So instead he pointed out: "I'm older than you."

Tony shrugged. "Only technically."

"Here's an idea, they see how much I care about you," Steve whispered, wrapping his arms around Tony's waist. "They know I'll take good care of you."

Tony snorted. He didn't believe that many people besides Steve cared about his welfare, if his personal experiences were anything to go by.

"No, they probably see us fight each other and like the way the sparks fly. Belligerent couples are fun to watch. It's all the hatesex."

Steve ran his fingers through Tony's hair. "Maybe they saw us fight together and liked how well we worked. We fit together. We're an unbeatable combination."

"I am always better when I'm with you." Tony pressed a soft kiss to Steve's lips.

Chapter Text

The waves sparkled in the sunlight and a soft breeze ruffled Tony’s hair. Steve surfaced from the warm, blue waters with a smile on his face. A few seagulls chattered away overhead, heedless of the drama playing out below.

"It's not that bad."

"What do you mean it's not that bad? We're adrift at sea!" Tony shouted down to where Steve was treading water.

Tony probably should have been happier to see Steve without a stitch of clothing on him, but the whole being stuck on a raft in the middle of who knew where was really taking its toll. He hadn’t even been conscious when Steve had stripped and pushed them away from the burning wreckage of their plane.

"Someone will come by to get us soon enough," Steve claimed. "We can just take it easy in the meantime."

"This was supposed to be a quick reconnaissance mission! It shouldn't have taken more than three--oh no!"

"What"

"It's Gilligan's island."

"There's land?" Steve looked around, trying to catch sight of any landmasses in the area.

"No, it's a sitcom from the sixties, these idiots went on a three-hour tour and were trapped on an uncharted island for years."

Steve pulled himself over the side of the raft and settled next to Tony, getting him only a little wet. He grabbed Tony’s hand and held it close.

"Tony, we have satellites that can find us and people who know approximately where we went. We’re not going to be stuck out here. You know this, so what’s really bothering you?”

“What about you? Why are you so relaxed, Skipper? Planes don’t just crash, especially my planes.”

“We know why it crashed, the Hammer drone that snuck on board exploded. We should definitely look into how it got there later, but right now you should stop avoiding the question.”

Looking away from Steve, at the bright orange of the raft, Tony remained silent for a moment.

“I don’t like the water, okay?”

Tony’s grip on Steve’s hand was tight, a lesser man might have found it painful. This was serious, whatever Tony’s issues with water were and Steve was probably making it worse by getting Tony wet. He scooched away, so he wouldn’t drip on Tony anymore.

“Don’t,” Tony pleaded. “Stay next to me.”

“But I’m wet.”

“I don’t care.”

“I’m naked?” Steve tried, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed about it.

Tony laughed. “Is that supposed to be a deterrent?”

“I guess not.” Steve slid back over to Tony, closer than he was sitting before.

Tentatively Steve put his arm around Tony, ready to pull away if it didn’t help, but Tony actually relaxed into it and even went a step further by resting his head against Steve’s shoulder. Steve had an urge to see how far he could take this, how much would Tony let him have. He tangled his legs with Tony’s; the sight of his bare skin against Tony’s pants was a little odd, but not unpleasant.

“When we met, this is the last place I expected we would end up,” Steve murmured.

“I didn’t see this coming either,” Tony replied. “I’m not complaining though, even if we end up spending the rest of our lives on an uncharted island where I have to build everything out of coconuts and bamboo.”

“It’ll be my honor to make sure you don’t starve to death while discovering previously unknown uses for driftwood and seaweed.”

“I look forward to it.”

Chapter Text

"I don't see why I have to wear this," Steve said, in a manner that might be considered grumbling if it weren't for the fact he's a national icon. "Wouldn't my regular uniform work?"

Tony looked up and down Steve's body. The tight white shirt wasn't an uncommon sight on Steve, but the blue suspenders and red flame-retardant pants were. The matching red jacket with white and blue stripes slung over Steve's shoulder completed the patriotic firefighter look.

"No, I agree with the stylists on this one, your usual look doesn't project 'fire safety' nearly as well."

"And the red, white, and blue?"

"You're still Captain America, you have to look the part."

"Can I at least put the jacket on? I feel silly just holding it."

"Trust me, keeping it off sends the message better."

"Why aren't the stylists telling me this?"

"Remember how you argued with the make up artist? And broke the armrests on your chair? You intimidate them."

"They really didn't need to put lipstick on me."

Tony rolled his eyes. Even he knew better than to try to contradict what his makeup artist said needed to be done. Cameras were unforgiving, even for people as perfect as Steve.

"Anyway you just need to look into the camera and say your lines. Try not to be too stiff."

"I know, I've been filmed before."

Tony mentally stumbled over the reminder that the Cap in the old films he watched so many times in his youth was actually Steve. It was surreal, especially since they were a formative part of his masturbation habits. What Steve didn't know, couldn't ruin their awkwardly budding friendship. It was damn lucky that Steve was as dense as a handsome brick about these sorts of things. He didn't even question why Tony had the time to hang around and watch him pose in a sexy firefighter costume. Tony cleared a very busy schedule just for this PSA.

"Then you'll do fine." Tony swatted Steve's bicep encouragingly.

"Thanks," Steve replied, and oh, shit. There was the smile, the one that made Tony feel like he was on fire in the best way possible. It never failed to melt Tony's cold iron heart.

"...So, remember: Fire Prevention Everyone, Everyday!"

"That's a wrap!" The director said. "Thanks for coming out for this."

Steve, the earnest little bunny that he was, replied, "Not at all. It was a pleasure working with you."

Tony sidled up to Steve while he was on his way out of the changing room and asked, "What do you say to some dinner? There's actually a firehouse tavern over in the Upper West side."

The firefighter costume clutched in his hands, Steve fell into step with Tony, or maybe it was the other way around. "Sounds great."

"You should keep the costume, it might come in handy sometime."

"My suit is fire proof, I don't need anything else."

"That wasn't what I had in mind, but fine. It can go in the collection."

"Then what did you-- wait, collection?" Steve's eyebrows were doing the adorable scrunchy thing they did when he got confused.

"You're highly collectable, and Dad made sure he had a bigger collection than anybody," Tony explained with a shrug, maybe if he made it sound casual then it wouldn't be such a big deal to talk about him. Or not, but he couldn't stop now. "Some of it is on loan to various museums."

"How come I'm only hearing about this now?"

"I told you back when I gave you back those sketches!" Tony said, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Tony, all you said was that you had some of my belongings hanging around!"

"That's what collections do Steve, hang around because I can't get rid of them for some damn reason!" Tony growled. "And I can't stop adding to it because it'd break the old man's heart to see something of yours in someone else's hands, so it just sits there, probably creating a fire hazard in the dusty manor I called a childhood home."

All the energy drained out of Steve. He stared at his feet, apparently not noticing or caring the way his jacket dragged against the floor. His voice had been hollow, resigned.

"Sorry. I was just surprised, I thought you never liked Captain America much. I guess I was right."

"I didn't say I was collecting it only for Dad. There was a time Captain America was my hero too."

"But, not now?"

"Now, I've got Steve Rogers."

Chapter Text

Steve felt the biting cold even through his uniform. He shivered and tried to hold on to Tony despite how the cold seemed to radiate off the armor. Untethered from reality, Steve found it hard to remember why he clung to something so cold while chills wracked his body and his breath came in heavy pants. He was burning from the inside out and so, so cold.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get us somewhere safe,” Tony promised, his voice having taken on a metallic tang through the armor’s speakers.

All Steve could manage in response was a nod. All around them as an expanse of greyish white, the ground was only distinguished from the sky by virtue of being dotted with snow covered trees and rocky outcroppings. Overcome with dizziness, Steve squeezed his eyes shut and prayed that his stomach would settle down.

Vaguely aware of Tony landing, Steve attempted to let go, but his arms were frozen in position. Tony’s hands, the gauntlets of the armor, were warm as they came up to pry Steve off. Once he was free, with nothing to support him, he fell over into the snow. “Shit,” Tony gasped. “I’ll be right back.”

“Wait, no, this first,” Tony said, wrapping something silvery around Steve.

There was the crunch of snow and a series of cracking sounds. Steve was numb. He couldn’t feel anything, yet simultaneously he felt too much, hot, itchy, achy, dizzy, and so, so cold. He was cold like he’d only ever been in his dreams, where his lungs filled with frost and his bones turned to ice.

The next thing Steve knew, he was being dragged through the snow. He blindly kicked out, but even fueled by panic he didn’t have enough strength to break the grip, he was too sick.

“Steve? Are you with me again?” Steve relaxed, it was Tony. “I made us some shelter. It’s not the fine accommodations I usually provide, but it will have to do.”

Tony pulled Steve into a hollow in the snow and rested him on some pine boughs, still wrapped in that silvery blanket. The armor popped open, letting Tony out to seal up the entrance around it. Steve thought it was probably warming up, but his confused body was still wracked with chills.

Tugging at Steve’s uniform, Tony said, “Come on. We need to get you out of this so you can warm up.”

“You just …want to… see me… naked,” Steve managed to croak out.

“You got me. I’m taking advantage of the situation.”

“You …just… had to… ask.”

“Next time then,” Tony said. “You can put on a show for me.”

Steve barely felt the kiss of the cold air before Tony slipped into the blanket cocoon beside Steve. He was so warm, better than a fire. Steve curled into him a bit more and soon he was warmer than he could ever remember being.

“It’s a date,” Steve whispered as he fell asleep.

Chapter Text

Hug #1

Tony let out a soft grunt of surprise when Rhodey suddenly wrapped his arms around him. It wasn't the first time he'd been hugged, obviously, but the suddenness, how it came unprompted, surprised him. Tony wasn't sure whether to lean into it or pull away.

"What's up honey muffin? Feeling the love today or something?"

"Or something," Rhodey replied. "I just needed to do this."

Hug #2

"...and I fixed those problems you reported with the webshooters," Tony rambled. "Gave them increased functionality too. Now you can..."

Tony trailed off, slightly concerned about the extreme fidgeting Peter was doing. He either had to go to the bathroom or was literally gearing up to bounce off the walls.

"What's up, kid?"

Peter pulled Tony in for a hug, lifting him off the floor in the process. The kid didn't even seem to notice, he just buried his face in Tony's chest for a second.

"Sorry, Mr. S-stark," Peter stuttered before letting go as quickly as he grabbed Tony in the first place. "I just, whenever I, um, you know my uncle, I used to, so I wanted to, uh."

Peter shook himself and made another attempt to form a coherent sentence. "Nevermind. You don't really do that anyway. Sorry. Again."

Tony tried to breathe, he could let the kid see him fall apart because of one little hug. He wanted to brush the whole thing off, like the last time Peter hugged him, but he just couldn't.

"Who said I don't do hugs?" Tony croaked out, despite all his effort to keep it cool, and he held his arms out in invitation.

Hug #3

Natasha did it so swiftly and silently that it took Tony a second to figure out what was going on. She held him very lightly, yet not in such a way that gave the impression she was shying away from contact him.

No, she was giving him the chance to pull away if he wanted to. He was half tempted to. Even now a part of him didn’t quite trust her. Yet…there was something to be said for the gentleness of the hug. The contrast between it and Natasha’s usual air of danger was a little dizzying.

“Thank you,” Tony whispered, finally bringing his arms around to rest on Natasha’s back just as lightly as she had hers.

He didn’t know why this was happening, what she was thinking, but it was nice and he wasn’t ready for it to stop.

Hug #4

Thor’s hug was so natural and easy that Tony didn’t even hesitate to return it. Those strong and warm arms only lingered long enough to give a squeeze that was just barely on the painless side of crushing, then Thor moved on to the next person in his quest to hug the ever-loving shit out of the Avengers.

It was only later that Tony realized that he kind of wanted another hug from Thor. With Thor’s hugs there was no pressure, sense of obligation, or doubt. He was just a guy that liked hugging his friends.

Getting hugs from Thor might have been easy, but asking for them was a whole other bucket of bolts. Unfortunately for Tony he made that discovery a little late, as in right in the middle of talking to Thor.

“See…what I wanted to ask was—” Tony said before the words got stuck in his throat.

Thor waited patiently if somewhat bewilderedly for Tony to finish what he was saying.

So what if Thor liked giving hugs? That didn’t make Tony any less needy for asking for one. He couldn’t even think of a way to say it that didn’t sound pathetic. Tony made an effort to loosen all the tension he had unconsciously built up and act normal.

“Never mind, buddy. I just remembered all I needed to know.”

“I think perhaps it is not something so simple,” Thor gently rumbled, pulling Tony into his arms. “I can only hope that you may one day share with me that which troubles you.”

“Thanks. I’ll do that.” Tony said from where his face was squashed into Thor’s shoulder.

Hug #5

Harley squealed as he ran up to Tony and tackled him in delight, or rather that was what Tony pictured happening. Really he should have known better, Harley simply wasn’t the type. Like Tony, he was awkward with affection and tried to play down the things that mattered the most, even more so now that he was well into his teenage years. He wasn’t the kid from Tony’s memories anymore.

So all Tony got in greeting was a simple “hey” and a shrug. It only emphasized how much Harley had grown since Tony had last seen him. He wasn’t as tall as Tony, but he was catching up.

“Nice to see ya kid,” Tony said, pulling him in with one arm.

Harley leaned in to meet him, bringing his arms around Tony’s shoulders. It was as awkward and tentative as Tony’s own hugs, but warm nonetheless. Tony was damn glad he had his sunglasses on, he shouldn’t embarrass himself in front of the kid like this.

“You too,” Harley mumbled into Tony’s shoulder.

It wasn’t what Tony imagined, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t perfect.

Chapter Text

The Winter Soldier paced like a caged animal, somehow exuding a sense of danger despite his slim frame. As he watched from behind the one way glass, Tony had no doubt that small body was strong enough to snap his neck if the owner so chose. How could he, when that predatory glare directed towards the door made it so clear?

Tony was damn glad that Natasha had been the one to go up against the Soldier. Tony could admit that without the suit he’d have been toast. As it was Natasha barely subdued him.

After watching the Soldier pace for a few minutes more, Tony pressed the intercom. “Step away from the door.”

The Soldier stilled immediately, and then settled back on the bed they provided for him, his manner non-threatening down to the last. His golden hair spilled down over his eyes as his head tilted downward, his hands were pressed against his chest, his shoulders hunched over, trembling slightly. Everything about the way he held himself said, ‘I’m scared and weak.’ Even Tony was almost fooled by the Soldier’s rabbit-like transformation.

Feeling as if he was approaching the Cave of Caerbannog, Tony stepped inside the cell. The Soldier meekly stayed on the bed while Tony came through the door, only shifting once Tony took a seat. They faced each other, the Soldier twisting towards Tony and Tony leaning over the back of the chair. Silence hung heavy in the air between them as they assessed each other.

Moments later, the act was dropped; the Soldier likely having decided he wasn’t fooling Tony. He threw a sharp smile and a slight shrug Tony’s way as if he were saying, “at least I tried.” It was more than anyone else got out of him, so Tony tried to press his luck.

“You got a name?” Tony said, smiling back despite himself.

Tony felt like he was doused in cold water when the Soldier’s expression closed off again. “A weapon needs no name.”

“Well I need to call you something. How about Fluffy, no, Hazel?”

The Soldier just grunted softly in response, like he couldn’t care less what Tony called him, and tilted back his head to reveal the white column of his throat. His supposed indifference was belied by the amusement in his eyes as he gazed at Tony through long lashes. The Soldier, Hazel, was humoring him.

Tony swallowed and tried to get back on track. “Do you know why we went through the trouble of catching you?”

“It doesn’t matter. You won’t get what you want,” Hazel replied in a rough voice.

“What I want is to know what Hydra’s next move is. They wouldn’t have shown themselves if they didn’t have something big planned.” Tony searched Hazel’s impassive face for some sort of clue. “We have other sources we can tap, but I figure, someone like you, who’s been with Hydra for years and has been involved in so many of their plans? Well, you’ve got to know the juicy details.”

“You won’t learn anything from me, no matter how I suffer.”

“No, no suffering on the agenda here.” Tony’s skin crawled at the mere thought. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re the good guys. We’re not in the business of torturing people.”

Hazel appeared to consider this for a moment with his piercing blue eyes centered on Tony. Heart thumping, Tony licked his lips and tried not to fidget. Then Hazel shook his head, dismissing whatever was going through his mind.

During the conversation the distance between them had shrunk. Tony hadn’t even noticed Hazel moving along the bed, but now that he really looked, he could see that there was only the scant distance between the bed and the chair separating them. If Tony wanted he could reach out and touch him. He really wanted to.

Tony’s fingers brushed Hazel’s hair.

The next moment, he was pressed face down on the floor, finding out why touching international assassins without their permission was a really bad idea. Hazel let him up as soon as back up burst through the door, and Tony was hauled off with nothing more than a bruised ego.

Later, Tony couldn’t stop the warm feeling that spread throughout his body when he heard that the next person that tried to touch Hazel ended up with broken bones. Tony had a history of being attracted to people he probably shouldn’t, but this one took the whole damn cake.

Chapter Text

Hug #6

The spicy scent of Caron's Poivre always reminded Tony of his mother’s hugs. It wasn’t as well-known as Chanel No. 5, another of his mother’s favorites, but it was a common enough in the circles he moved in. He just hadn’t realized how common it was until after she was gone. Men and women alike donned the scent, stirring up vivid memories, so Tony learned to ignore it.

He did an excellent job of it. As it turns out, the alcohol can drown out many things, memories, feelings, and even scents. He eventually figured out that maybe that wasn’t the best way to deal with things.

So he did what he did best: he invented something new. Binarily Augmented Retro Framing was the culmination of years of research, all the efforts of scientists across the world, brought together by him. It was dazzling, alluring, and painful, those migraines were no joke. It was like he was really there, changing history. That’s what it felt like anyway.

It only took until the second test run for Tony to notice the problem.

It was a memory of leaving for MIT for the first time. They’re all there, Jarvis, Howard, and Maria. They are right in front of him. His mother goes in for a hug, but even before Tony can wrap his arms around the hologram, he knows it isn’t right. There is no hint of the cloves, hot pepper, and carnation notes in her perfume, only the sterile smell of the lab.

Hug #7

“Sorry I said mean things to you last time. I was a real jerk.”

Tony glanced up from his phone at the man beside him, it was that weird one that could grow and shrink. Ant buddy? Giant dude? Giant ant pal? He was still hanging around with Steve? Tony thought he’d crawled back to where ever he came from. What was he even talking about?

“You did throw me in jail, which sucked, but honestly you weren’t the first person to do that and Captain America said you had your reasons.”

Tony lowered his most scathing look at him over the top of his sunglasses. “Look, I don’t know if you’ve realized this, but I—“

“No, say no more. I get it, you feel bad. Well, I forgive you,” Ant fellow interrupted, scooping Tony into a hug.

Tony was frozen in shock. Somehow Tony had gone from being apologized to, to being forgiven without even doing anything and now there was hugging. With a quick squeeze, the man let go.

“Nice chat!” He said and left to do whatever the heck he was doing before.

Hug #8

Tony flew in and landed on the tower platform where Pepper was waiting for him. He kept his pace steady as he walked over, though he wasn’t sure if he wanted to run to meet her or avoid her altogether. How could things ever be the same between them?

“Fancy seeing you here,” Tony said after popping out of the suit; he stumbled a little, his injuries took more of a toll than he thought. “I would have thought you’d have evacuated with the rest of the tower.”

Tony balked a little when Pepper started marching toward him, her mouth forming a frown and her hands clenching into fists. That was never an expression he wanted to see on her face.

Within moments, Pepper closed the distance, but instead of telling him what an idiot he was, she hugged him.

When Pepper hugged, she was a force of nature. She’d throw her arms around Tony’s shoulders and hold on to him with more strength than logically should be contained within her body. Tony could only conclude that the force of her personality made up the differential.

Before, Tony was happy to accept these hugs; he’d bury his face in her hair and hold her close like he never let himself do with anyone else. Now, he did the same, albeit with much more trepidation, and let the soft tears soak into his shirt.

Hug #9

Nick Fury was not really the hugging type, he more ascribed to the tough love sort of approach. It wasn’t that he never hugged anyone ever, more that there were only a very specific set of circumstances under which he’d do it. These were not those circumstances, yet here he was, hugging Tony Stark anyway.

Stark was tired and thin, not to mention reluctant to lean into Fury’s arms, but Fury could understand that. He knew what kind of life Stark had led and it wasn’t one that lent itself to this kind of affection, but that didn’t mean he didn’t need it. Someone besides Fury might have been a better choice to provide it, but these were hard times and Fury could damn well man up and give the boy a hug, as awkward as it was.

Unsatisfied that the hug was sufficiently comforting, Fury added a few soft pats to Stark’s back, before letting go. With a smile, Fury noticed that Stark looked rather befuddled, but lighter all the same. It was the best that Fury could have hoped for, really.

Hug #10

Bruce hadn’t quite realized how much Tony cared until he rejoined the team. Bruce had needed the space and didn’t regret doing what he had to to get it, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel guilty for leaving people behind, especially faced with the evidence of how much they were hurt by it.

The first sign was the way Tony hovered off to the side, while Natasha, Steve, and Clint welcomed Bruce back. He was clearly trying not to seem too invested in the proceedings, but Bruce could tell Tony wanted nothing more than to jump into it with Bruce, whether it was about science or the way Bruce left. Only Tony could wear a mask so well and still be so transparent.

Execrating himself from his teammates’ warm greetings as politely as he could, Bruce strode over to Tony and got a brittle smile in return. Tony’s sunglasses prevented Bruce from seeing the hurt in his eyes, but the fact he was wearing them was more than evidence enough it was there.

“Glad to have you back, Big guy.” Tony stuck out his hand, like he was trying to show all was forgiven.

Once Bruce would have shook that hand and been happy to be on civil terms, but that wouldn’t be enough, not with Tony, the first person to be a true friend to him after—Anyway, Tony deserved more than a handshake and a hastily taped together friendship.

Scooping Tony into a hug, Bruce whispered, “Sorry I was gone so long,” knowing Tony would know what he really meant was, ‘Sorry I didn’t say goodbye,’ ‘Sorry I didn’t stay in touch,’ and ‘Sorry I wasn’t there for you.’

Chapter Text

“Ugggh,” Tony groaned as he dragged himself from the couch he fell asleep on to the coffee machine.

By some miracle, the machine was already on and someone pushed a mug filled to the brim with piping hot bliss into Tony’s hands, just as well because he might have tried to drink it direct from the pot otherwise. He grunted his thanks and started pouring the stuff down his throat. It was gone all too soon, causing Tony to whine sadly. Accompanied by a soft chuckling sound, gentle hands held the mug steady in Tony's grip and refilled it. Tony sighed in relief before his brain caught up to what was going on.

Finally Tony blinked awake enough to realize it was Steve, beautiful Steve, who was making sure Tony was caffeinated for the day. Also he was saying something, in fact Tony had a faint suspicion that Steve had been talking to him this whole time.

“I’m cutting you off after this one, Tony. You know it isn’t good for you.”

“Wha—?” Tony spluttered, because that didn’t make sense, he needed coffee, he'd die without coffee. Only he didn’t get to tell Steve that because Steve fucking smiled.

Not just any smile, it was that one smile that made Tony melt, no matter what. Tony thanked the multiverse that Steve didn’t know and couldn’t use it against him, because damn was that smile was dangerous, especially to a man with a heart condition. It was like every inch of Steve lit up and came alive, looking so inherently kissable that Tony had to stop himself from burying his hands in Steve’s hair and having his way with him.

No, that smile was unfair, like bringing tactical missiles to a fist fight, completely underhanded; Tony wanted to see it every day.

“No more coffee, Tony,” Steve repeated softly.

“Okay,” Tony replied dazedly and he was rewarded with another one of those smiles.

Chapter Text

Hug #11

“What the hell!?”

Burgundy fabric twisted around Tony, pulling him up against a warm body. He tried to wiggle loose, but it was to no avail.

“We appear to be in a bind,” rumbled an unfortunately familiar voice.

“Yeah,” Tony deadpanned with as much distain as he could manage. “Strange, why is your cape trying to turn us into a very large, red burrito?”

“The Cloak of Levitation has a mind of its own.”

“So you don’t know.”

 “Unfortunately.”

Tony once more strained to get free, with Strange throwing in his efforts as well. All they succeeded in doing was getting further entangled in a parody of a hug. Tony had no choice but to rest his chin in the crook of Strange’s neck and lean into his warm embrace.

“Can’t you just do your thing?” Tony pleaded. “Don’t tell me getting out of your own clothes is too difficult for you.”

“The Cloak is a priceless artifact and a valuable ally. I refuse to harm it.”

“Well where does that leave us then?”

Strange’s silence told Tony all he needed to know and he wasn’t impressed. What kind of hero got taken out by his own wardrobe? (The armor didn’t count and only left a few bruises anyway.)

Tony huffed and relaxed, prepared to wait it out, but moments later folds of cloth slowly came loose, freeing the two men.

Hug #12

“Thanks for visiting,” Clint said, pulling Tony into a hug. “It really meant a lot to us and the kids loved having someone new to play with.”

Tony’s thoughts stuttered as the mental equivalent of error notifications popped up. A few long seconds later Tony rebooted. “…Why am I in your warm and muscly embrace?”

“I thought we were having a moment,” Clint grumbled, pulling away.

“A moment? You’re married!”

“Not that kind of moment! Just you know, a manly hug between friends.” Clint shrugged awkwardly.

Tony considered it. Were they friends? He didn’t think they were before, but he supposed that after the past few days of playing with the kids, eating dinner with the family, and setting up an advanced security system around the farm, things might have changed.

“Oh, well, you have very nice biceps, very manly and good …for hugs.”

“If you don’t want to be hugged, you don’t have to make it weird, just say so.”

“No…I don’t mind. I just didn’t expect it,” Tony said slowly. “Hug away.”

Once more, Clint wrapped his arms around Tony and a touch hesitantly, Tony returned the gesture. “Come by anytime. We have plenty of chores to help out with,” Clint joked warmly.

Hug#13

“You weren’t at the party.” Bucky melted out of the shadows in front of Tony, who was only spared from a heart attack by a ten second warning from Friday.

“I figured it’d stir up bad memories.” Tony shrugged and continued walking down the corridor. Surprisingly, or maybe not, Bucky came up and walked alongside Tony.

“For you or me?”

“Both, I guess. Though I’m the one that really tried to kill you.”

“And I’m the one that killed your parents,” Bucky stated, his eyes never leaving Tony’s face.

“You didn’t want to,” Tony replied solemnly and shrugged again. “Anyway, I didn’t want to ruin your birthday.”

Lightning fast, two arms, one metal, one flesh, wrapped around Tony, pulling him into a broad chest. Long brown hair smelling of gun oil tickled Tony’s nose and neck, but only for an instant. Bucky let go before Tony could react.

“You owed me a birthday hug,” Bucky said, as he caught Tony’s stunned look and disappeared into the darkness once more.

Hug #14

Tony sniffled into Jarvis’ finely pressed suit and Jarvis gently rubbed his back, not minding the way the tears and snot soaked into the fabric. One of Tony’s hands was clutched to his chest, but the other was grasping Jarvis with all the strength those tiny fingers had.

“Please let me see young master,” Jarvis requested, gently pulling the injured hand closer.

The hot skin was red and swollen. Jarvis immediately took Tony over to the sink to run it under cold water. Tony squirmed a little, but didn’t protest.

“What have I told you about using the soldering iron?”

“To make sure someone is with me.” Tony whined, “But you were busy! And Dad will be home tomorrow!”

“Your safety is more important than impressing your father.”

“Okay…,” Tony lied, eyes once more welling up with tears.

“Now, how did the circuit board turnout?” Jarvis asked in a bid to distract the boy.

“Great!” Tony chirped. “It’s just like the one in the book! I hope it works okay.”

“Perhaps later we shall test it. Though knowing you, it will work brilliantly.” Jarvis smiled down at Tony and ruffled his hair.

After judging that the burn had been under the cold water long enough, Jarvis let Tony remove his hand from the sink and started applying medicine. It undoubtedly stung, but Tony put on his brave face and bore it without complaint, something Jarvis saw more and more as the boy grew.

Bandages applied and treatment finished, Jarvis once more scooped Tony up into a hug. He hoped Tony would always remember that Jarvis was there for him.

Chapter Text

No one honestly seemed to notice was the thing that really threw Steve for a loop. A generic tablet computer suddenly weighing three times lighter and spitting out holograms was disconcerting enough, but the person next to you not even seeing a difference was worrying. Steve’s careful questions about the matter never seemed to result in any answers and since he was rarely around any tech old enough to receive instantaneous and unexplained upgrades, he was content to let it remain a mystery for a while longer.

It was only a few weeks after he first saw it happened that some of the pieces of the puzzle finally came together. It was during a long meeting, following an even longer mission. Tony waited not-so-patiently in front of the coffee maker in one of SHIELD’s conference rooms, a boxy thing with MR. COFFEE emblazoned on its brown and white casing. Steve blinked and it had transformed into something sleek and chrome under Tony’s personally offended glare. Seconds later the coffee was done and Tony poured as much of it was would fit into his cup as he could, like everything was normal.

“Does that happen a lot?” Steve asked, looking between Tony and the coffee maker.

“Literally no one in this place would survive without coffee, so what do you think?” Tony said before he took a huge gulp from his cup.

Chapter Text

It was said that if you looked at a mirror just the right way, out of the corner of your eye, you could see your soulmate. All the girls, and some of the boys, cooed about how romantic it was and how they wished they had soulmates, like just having one meant you were going to meet them and your life would be perfect. Tony just thought it was creepy and he was the one that had to actually deal with the reality it.

While it was true Tony could see someone with him in the mirror, he could never get a good look, the image always slipped away when he focused on it, leaving behind a slight chill to the air. Everything he ever heard about soulmates told him that wasn’t normal. He was pretty sure his soulmate wasn’t supposed to be that big either, Tony was only eight after all. His soulmate should be a kid like him.

Tony knew what happened to kids that weren’t normal. So, he put it aside, made sure to only look at mirrors straight on, and didn’t think about it (mostly) for about thirty years.

Steve never saw anyone in the mirror with him. He wasn’t surprised, most people didn’t. Still, he thought of the possibility wistfully, trying to picture his perfect match, his soulmate. Nothing came of it of course. It was probably better that way, between his wallet and his health he wasn’t exactly a catch. But what he got up to in the privacy of his own head never hurt anyone, right?

On the battlefield not having a soulmate almost seemed like a blessing. He could have easily never made it back from some of those missions, there were several occasions he almost didn’t. It was rough just knowing he might never get a chance to tell Peggy how he really felt, never mind missing out on a future with his soulmate.

Then there was the mission he didn’t come back from, not for 70 years at least. Stepping out into that strange and oversaturated future, he’d never been more glad he didn’t have a soulmate. Then he caught sight of it, as a SHIELD agent ushered him into one of their black cars. In the mirror on the car door, there was a glint of red and gold beside Steve. 

Chapter Text

“We’ve fought aliens and people claiming to be gods, but this is the strangest thing to ever happen to one of us,” Steve said while staring at the plant he had placed on the kitchen table. It wasn’t very large, mostly consisting of a thorny stem that made Steve glad of his thick gloves and a few battered leaves. With a frown Steve nudged the improvised pot over so the plant could catch a bit more of the afternoon sunlight.

“No arguments here, I’m just glad it wasn’t me.” Clint shrugged sheepishly, but his easy demeanor didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“We must rectify this situation at once!” Thor said.

“Do you have any idea how to fix it?” Steve asked, tearing his eyes from the plant to look over at Thor. “Loki’s your brother; you must know something about magic.”

“I’m afraid not, Captain. Though mayhap I know a way to find out.”

“I’ve got a few ideas myself,” Natasha said. “I’m gonna make some calls.”

🌱 🌱 

Steve crossed his arms and resisted the urge to push the man, who wore what looked like pajamas and a cape, carefully examining the plant away. Despite the sunlight and the bit of water Steve gave it, the plant looked worryingly droopy.

“I suggest you read up on horticulture, because this spell won’t come undone until it is ready,” the man said, straightening.

“But you haven’t done anything.”

“I don’t need to,” he replied. “I know when I’m needed.”

Steve hoped that Thor was having better luck.

🌱 🌱

The bookstore overflowed with books, with the tall shelves stacked high above even Steve’s head. He roamed the aisles looking for the correct section and found it fairly quickly. He paged through several books with big glossy pictures before settling on a colorful tome titled: The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual. 

On his way back to the tower Steve stopped by the gardening supply store. He grabbed everything he thought he might need, a watering can, gloves, liquid fertilizer, and after a bit of deliberation he added a decent-sized planter and potting soil to his purchases. It was more expensive, but the red and gold glaze reminded him of Tony’s armor. 

That night, after Thor returned with slumped shoulders and a look of defeat, Steve had Col. Rhodes help him transfer the plant to the new pot. Steve could have done it by himself, but he thought it might help.

 🌱 🌱  

“Who’s on watering duty?” Steve looked around the common room from where he was crouched next to the planter. Col. Rhodes chose a nice sunny spot for it, close to where everyone gathered to watch movies.

“That’d be me,” Clint said, raising one hand lazily. “I took care of it.”

“The stem and leaves are damp. You need to be more careful, they could rot.” Steve carefully looked the plant over, and though the leaves were still droopy, thankfully he couldn’t find any evidence of rot.

“You got it, Cap,” Clint said. His eyes hadn’t left the TV once.

“Can you take this seriously?” Steve growled.

“It’ll be fine. You’re constantly checking in, like you are right now, and will catch anything before it gets to that point.” Clint looked at Steve forcefully, he was just as forcefully not looking at the planter next to Steve.

Steve sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Never mind, I’m the one that’s around the tower the most, I’ll handle it from now on.”

 🌿 🌿  

Bright sunlight warmed Steve’s back as he finished reading a passage aloud. He glanced to his left to see the plant just as it always was, though now with healthier, fuller leaves. Steve closed the book and let it fall into his lap.

 🌿 🌿  

Sleep seemed as distant as the world Steve grew up in. Without turning on the lights, Steve navigated the common room floor to settle in his usual spot.

“I miss you,” he admitted to the long and strange shadows the city lights cast on the ceiling.

 🌹 

Small red flowers dotted ends of the plant where the branches bent towards Steve. It was a good sign, it had to be, Steve thought as he brushed the tiny blossoms with his finger.

 🌹 

A trail of muddy footprints led to the kitchen where Tony was eating everything in sight, his mouth currently stuffed with leftover lo mein. Tension Steve had been carrying who knows how long (63 days, 18 hours and approximately 20 minutes) drained from his shoulders.

Swallowing his mouthful of noodles, Tony said, “You wouldn’t believe—”

Steve cut him off with a searing kiss, his hands cupping Tony’s hips, every fiber of his being, every cell, every corner of his soul alight with emotion.  Gently biting Steve’s lip, Tony threaded his arms through Steve’s and held on tight.

Chapter Text

When Steve had left, Tony had seemed just a little tired, tried to pass it off as nothing, but Steve knew something had happened in that last battle. Now he shivered limply on the couch with his eyes glazed over.

“Steve?”

“You should have called someone if it was this bad.”

“’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. The spell is killing you.” Steve clenched his fists. The spell had been meant for him, not Tony.

“It was worth it.”

“There was something Witchfire said before we handed her over,” Steve said, ripping off his glove and reaching over to where Tony was sitting. “I have an idea of what might help.”

Steve placed his hand over Tony’s, spreading his palm over the clammy skin. “Is this okay?”

Tony nodded, staring at where their skin made contact. Soon enough Tony’s labored breathing eased a bit and Steve’s suspicions were confirmed. He waited, holding Tony’s hand like that, but Tony didn’t get any better.

“I think you need more.”

“More?” Tony asked, wide-eyed.

Steve peeled off the top part of his uniform, then after some debate, shucked his pants too, leaving him in only his boxers.

“Oh.” Tony breathed, openly staring at Steve.

Steve tried not to be self-conscious, Tony had seen him like this before, what with some of the quick changes he had to do before missions, but this felt too much like something else. No matter what he looked like now, Steve was still the skinny kid that one looked twice at unless it was to make fun of him.

Swallowing nervously and probably blushing from head to toe, Steve settled on the couch next to Tony. It was only the unhealthy pallor of Tony’s skin that gave Steve the courage to slide closer so that their skin was touching, which was when Steve noticed the slight logistical problem to his plan. He’d been so flustered that he completely forgot that Tony’s clothes would need to come off too.

“Can I?” Steve asked, tugging on the hem of Tony’s shirt.

“Yeah,” Tony said, looking away. His voice was weak and perhaps a little shell shocked.

Steve carefully removed the shirt, but paused at the band of Tony’s jeans. “These too?”

In lieu of an answer, Tony began taking them off himself. Steve helped, sliding them down Tony’s legs with ease. Once Tony was down to his underwear, Steve settled him in his lap.

Several minutes passed like that, and then Tony started wiggling around. “You don’t need to do this, you know.”

“Please just let me save your life,” Steve mumbled into the back of Tony’s head, wrapping his arms tightly around Tony’s middle. “Just stay like this until the others get back and tell us the spell is broken.”

Tony sighed dramatically, but stopped trying to leave. “This is not how I pictured ending up in your lap.”

Comfortable and still exhausted from the day’s battle, Steve began drifting off, only to awaken to the sound of Clint snickering, a while later. He looked around to find that everyone had joined them in the living room. Clint wasn’t the only one finding the situation amusing, as they were soon treated to Thor’s boisterous laugh and even Bruce and Natasha were silently laughing. 

“Why are you giggling? This is a lifesaving procedure here!” Tony said as he snuggled closer to Steve.

Chapter Text

Tony gasped awake. Sweat poured off of him, as he peeled back his ratty blanket and levered himself off the oil stained couch. The memory of the dream was sharp in his mind even as everything around him was lost in a haze. 

His hands trembled as they found the bottle half hidden under the couch and twisted off the cap. The golden liquid inside looked muddy in the dim light of the workshop.

He stared at it, like he was looking at the barrel of a gun, but didn't take a drink. A rush of air escaped from his lips.

"Friday, any updates on the outlaw formerly known as Captain America?" Tony said, replacing the bottle cap.

[According to the most recent data, Steve Rogers is still in Wakanda, Boss.]

Tony nodded to himself and rolled back onto the couch, settling the blanket around him. He closed his eyes.

Chapter Text

Tony marveled at the soft weight in his lap. His hand cradled Steve's cheek, his thumb rhythmically brushing over the back of Steve's ear. Tony's leg was falling asleep, but he'd be damned if he was going to move it, not with the way Steve's breathing had evened out and a small smile played across his lips. Sleep like that was hard to come by in this tower, Tony could attest to that. 

Natasha entered the lounge and Tony looked up. She appeared ready for a mission, fitted into her catsuit. She was probably there to report in before heading out. Preemptively, Tony held a finger up to his lips to silence her; Steve could hear about it later. She took in the scene, her face a marble mask as her eyes flitted over the way Steve cuddled up to Tony, his hand clutching Tony's knee. A second later Natasha simply smiled and left the room with a knowing twinkle in her eye.

Chapter Text

“Oh no.” Tony stared at the tiny little paws wrapped around his fingers. “JARVIS!”

[It appears to have ‘gotten’ you, Sir,] JARVIS replied. [Shall I call the other Avengers?]

The tiny little stripped kitten began gnawing on Tony’s knuckles with surprisingly sharp teeth, while one of its siblings, wandered over to Tony’s elbow on wobbly paws. Yet another still was attempting to claw up Tony’s shirt on to his head. Tony wasn’t quite sure where the fourth had wandered off to.

Soon they’d need wrangling for feeding and bathing, which Tony hadn’t the least idea how to do. He should probably call for back up. “Nix that. I don’t need them knowing about this.”

It was hard enough smuggling the battered and soggy box into the car without anyone seeing it, if any of the Avengers, especially Thor, saw he’d rescued some kittens, it’d be all over social media. Maybe when it became time to find them new homes…

[Of course, what was I thinking? This is a matter of the utmost secrecy.]  

“Damn right it is. I can’t let them get any ideas about bringing home strays; the tower will turn into a zoo.”

The kitten climbing Tony’s shoulder reached its destination and planted its two front paws in Tony’s hair, its furry little stomach brushing against Tony’s ear. Meanwhile the little knuckle biter decided to get a few kicks in, just in case it hadn’t killed Tony’s hand dead enough. 

“What’s the status on the vet I ordered?”

[Dr. Lyn should be arriving within the hour. It appears the delay is due to an accident on 23^rd.]

“It’s always something,” Tony sighed and untangled his hand from the kitten’s grasp. He grabbed the other two and put them in the center of the bed, hoping like hell they’d stay there.

[Indeed.]

Tony crouched down to look beneath his bed, but there wasn’t so much as a dust bunny. Rising to his feet with a groan, and damn did that make him feel his age, Tony began systematically searching around every piece of furniture in the room.

[Sir, if I may, perhaps you should check the shoes you left sitting in the southwest corner of the room.]

Sure enough, when Tony looked in his Ferragamos, two little blue eyes blinked back at him. “Thanks, J,” Tony said, scooping up the little ball of fuzz.

[It is my pleasure.]

Turning back to the bed, Tony was relieved to find the remaining three kittens snuggled together in a pile. One of them yawned sleepily as Tony placed its sibling in the pile. Tony looked down at the dirty and too thin kittens as he stroked their fur.

“I’m going to keep you safe,” Tony promised.

Chapter Text

Steve cupped the mug close to his chest, letting the warmth from the cider seep into his skin. Taking a deep breath, he breathed in the fragrant steam and snuggled deeper into his blankets. It was about as quiet as it ever got in the city. Rain pattered rhythmically against the window pane, harsh and cold, and Steve could hear the sounds of passing cars and distant music. 

Tony mummered in his sleep and curled closer to Steve, one hand holding on to Steve's sweater with an iron grip. Smiling, Steve brushed the hair out of Tony's eyes and re-tucked the blankets around him. He loved the fall.

Chapter Text

Tony sighed sleepily in the warm sunlight as Steve groomed in between Tony’s ears. Steve’s rumbling purr and the gentle rasp of his tongue against Tony’s fur brought Tony back to his days as a kitten, when his mother lavished her attention on him. Tony didn’t miss living indoors, that was long behind him, but he still dreamed of the padded basket in the piano room that he shared with his mother.

A butterfly landed on a nearby flower, sipping at its sweet nectar before taking off in the breeze. Steve stopped grooming Tony to watch it, his fluffy tail lashing.

Tony yawned and headbutted Steve affectionately. “Are you going to catch it?”

“Nah. I’ve got all I could want here.”

Chapter Text

As he pulled up, his motorcycle rumbling beneath him and all his belongings packed into a duffle bag, Steve recalled the first time he saw the tower.

How he had tilted his head back, trying to get a good view of where it rose up behind Grand Central. The way it stood out like a sore thumb in the semi-familiar skyline with its strange curves and jutting platform, perfectly exemplifying the future in his mind. Though it had been rather ugly to his eye, he hadn't been able to resist taking up his pen and sketching it.

He shook his head and turned into the garage where Tony was waiting. He couldn't deny that the building looked odd, but his new home was already growing on him.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

The streets were slick with ice and slush. Steve walked carefully through them, his hands tucked in his coat pockets, remembering. It was cold in a half-baked way, like winter’s fingers had come to grasp the city, but were held at bay by the billowing clouds of steam rising off of it. Steve wasn’t sure if it had been colder back in his day, or if his body had been less resistant to it, too thin to maintain a warm core with only a shabby coat. Or maybe he knew real cold now, bone-deep and all consuming. He wasn’t sure.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Tony woke with a yawn and stretched his paws out in front of him, nearly tipping his tulip bed over, but the flower swayed back into place. A dusting of pollen, leftover from his snack, coated his face. It had been a nice nap, but Tony was getting hungry again. He poked his head out from the petals to check if the coast was clear before jumping down to search for more snacks. Perhaps if he was lucky, there would be more seeds scattered near the old house.

There were more seeds, but unsurprisingly the birds had found them and were stuffing them into their beaks. Every single one Tony could see from the shelter of the tall grass was snapped up before he dared to dart out and get it. Finally he found a pile of them closer to the house that the birds hadn’t even touched.

He scampered out to grab one before running back to safety to eat it. He finished it and went back out for another, and another, until he decided it was safe enough to just stay there to eat them.

But just as he settled in he heard a strange scritch-scratch and froze. Sitting on the steps leading up to the house was a human! His hair shone in the sun as he moved his pencil furiously, eyes dancing between his paper and Tony. As if some sort of spell were cast over him, Tony couldn’t move. His heart pounded.

A bird, just discovering this catch of seeds, virtually untouched, came in for a landing beside Tony. Just like that, whatever was holding Tony there was broken and he fled into the tall grass.

Much later Tony watched the human go back into the house from in between the long stalks of grass.

Chapter Text

Steve stopped, white breath clouding the air around him, to look at the little shoots of green and purple peeking out from the scant layer of snow left on the ground. Winter at the compound stretched languidly through the months. By October frost had begun to creep up the windows and no sooner had December hit than snow had started falling in great drifts. Even now, deep into March, the cold lingered in the air.

Even the most bitterly cold winter in Steve’s memory (1930, Brooklyn, in that ramshackle tenement they had moved to earlier that year) couldn’t match up to this long, frosty sprawl, but Sam never missed their morning run, so Steve didn’t either. Yet just when Steve had begun to think the winter would never end–

“You run out of steam?” Sam panted as he jogged up from behind Steve.

“There’s something growing under the snow.”

Sam glanced at the little shoots. “Crocuses. Hardy little things, always seem to pop out before everything else. I guess Spring is right around the corner.”

Steve accepted this, nodding. It must be true. No winter lasted forever, no matter how harsh. He took off running.

“Hey!” Sam shouted, sprinting to catch up.

On Steve’s third lap around the compound, a sleek car pulled up to the main building. Steve kept running as Tony emerged from the car, wearing an equally sleek three-piece suit. Tony whistled at him and Steve he tried to ignore the heat that rose to his cheeks.

Chapter Text

They stop beneath one of the trees shading the lake’s edge and listen to the birds trilling in the treetops, the wind dancing through the leaves, the water lapping softly at the tree’s roots. It’s peaceful there, idyllic. 

 Tony sighs, closing his eyes. “I never really believed in this sort of place, but you’re not who I expected to find here." 

“Can’t say I expected you either,” Steve responds, though something about his voice makes Tony’s eyes snap open. Tony searches Steve’s face for some sign of the emotion straining his voice. It almost looked like hope. “But I’m glad. I missed you.” 

“Me too.” Tony reaches for Steve’s hand, lacing his fingers through Steve’s

Chapter Text

Steve blinked and blinked again as his eyes were filled with a thousand glittering lights. He twisted around, taking in the fountain and cars, the gleaming white statues and building. This – was not where he had been a moment ago.

Suddenly a woman shouted, “Mr. Stark!”

“Tony?” Steve’s eyes widened as he turned to look and there Tony was. He smiled.

“Excuse me, Mr. Stark!” The woman shouted again, just as she was stopped by a bodyguard. “Christine Everhart, Vanity Fair Magazine. Can I –”

Steve set his shield on his back and jogged over. “Tony! – Sorry, Ma'am, your interview will have to wait. – Tony, what happened out there? What was that green light? Where are we?”

Tony didn’t answer, only shot – Happy? Why was he so young – a meaningful look before ducking into his car. Steve caught the car door before it closed. His mind was reeling, but he knew he couldn’t just let Tony leave. 

Happy didn’t like this, putting his hand on Steve’s arm to pull him away from the car, but Steve would not budge. “Tony, please, I don’t know what’s going on, but I need your help.”

“I don’t know who you are, or why you’re impersonating Captain America, the costume is totally inaccurate by the way, but I’m not interested in whatever you’re selling.”

“Tony, I’m not – I know you – You used to be afraid of Howard’s flamingo,” Steve babbled, throwing out the first thing that came to mind. Seeing that he was getting a reaction out of Tony, he continued, “You love reading about King Arthur, you hate olives, but love cheese, you sometimes threaten to get rid of Dum-E, but you’d never –”

“I’ve had enough. My bodyguard has already called the cops, I suggest you get out of here before they show.”

Steve let go of the car door.

Chapter Text

The dock creaks as Steve lowers himself, pulling off his socks and shoes to dip his feet in the water. It’s cold, something Steve probably should have expected in late October. He doesn’t mind though. Most of the other guests have left at this point, but Steve can’t bring himself to and rather than crowd Pepper and everyone, well, sitting out here seems like a good way to be close to him. It’ll probably be the last chance he has to say his goodbyes. 

Tony built a life out on this lake that Steve never had a chance to touch. Or, thinking of that invitation to lunch, maybe Steve did have the chance, he was just too—something to take it. All those years, spent thinking both of them had moved on, when it couldn’t be further from the truth. 

Steve sighs and looks up at a line of wild geese heading south for the winter. A gust of wind blows through the pine trees surrounding the lake. Tony is gone.

Chapter Text

“Steve?” Tony asked the cold night air. “Please tell me you’re out here.”

Wind whistled through the trees, bringing with it the smell of frost and decay. Tony shivered and turned his makeshift light to the animal path ahead of him. It was the only way forward.

“Steve?” Tony called again, allowing his voice to carry.

The rustle of something moving through dead leaves answered Tony. He tensed, ready for the worst. Suddenly a towering shape, taller than Steve, stood over him. Glowing eyes peered out of a semi-lupine face and stream rose from its maw.

“Shit!”

Tony jerked back, his light raking across the tattered remains of blue fabric hanging from the creature’s body. No. Tony’s hands shook as he refocused it to get a better look at the white star emblazoned on the chest. It was wearing Steve’s uniform.

The creature leaned in close to Tony, nose working to take in his scent. Sniff sniff. A tongue darts out to lick Tony’s cheek. Whine. The eyes are blue and almost mournful in the light. “Steve?”

Tony was nearly bowled over by the large furry head butting up against his chest. Maybe-Steve gave Tony’s face a few more licks. A wagging tail completed the impression of a rather large, overexcited dog.

“Down, boy?” Tony tried, earning him an unamused look that lasted all of five seconds before it dissolved back into tail wags. Tony grabbed a big furry arm. “Let’s get out of here, huh?”

Chapter Text

Steve thumbed the buckle on his helmet and lifted it clear. He sighed into the cool rush of air across his sweat-slicked hair and began loosening the other parts of the uniform as he waited for the rest of the team to board the jet. The showers back at the tower came wistfully to mind, but those were an hour out.

“You could buy a guy dinner first,” Tony said, swiveling around in the pilot’s chair. The light coming through the glass hit him at an angle, painting him in warm and soft tones. He smiled at Steve, eyes full of intent.

Heart galloping, Steve struggled to respond. One minute Tony was Tony, the next Steve’s heart was hellbent at scrambling after him.

Crashing down just outside like a bolt from the blue, Thor arrived. “Well-fought, Captain, Stark. I will tell tales of this battle for many years to come.”

Tony laughed as Steve handed Thor a towel. “You say that about all our missions,” Tony said.

“Not that venture with the squirrels.” Thor wiped the sweat from his face.

Tony gave an exaggerated grimace. “I guess not.”

“Dinner!” Steve blurted, unable voice the question he wasn’t sure he was really going to ask.

“Dinner?” Tony echoed back questioningly.

Thor grinned and slapped Steve on the back. “We shall feast tonight!”

“Don’t count on me to cook anything. I’m wiped,” Bruce said, stumbling up the jet’s ramp with Natasha and Clint trailing behind.

“I’ve got it covered,” Tony said pulling out his phone.

Steve’s heart fell, half-formed hopes disappearing from beneath it. But despite its newness, this feeling wasn’t such a fragile thing that this would slow it down. He didn’t know before that love could just come out fully formed, ready to run.