Tony was avidly working on the newest modification for the Iron Man armor's repulser system when Steve burst into his lab. He'd given Cap full clearance to all Stark properties ages ago, but Steve'd never utilized his personal override code before. He found it surprising that JARVIS hadn't bothered to relay the information. Which showed how much his faithful AI trusted the dependable superhero.
Steve's normally confident countenance was flushed with lucid apprehension. Steve wasn't the type to panic, or show outwardly when he was upset. Tony immediately knew something was wrong. Tony almost tipped his coffee across the blueprints scattered on his work station. He spun and managed to catch the mug just in the nick of time.
Steve was wearing his civilian disguise since he hadn't been on duty. Tony thought he looked absolutely delicious with those thick-rimmed black glasses and tattered baseball cap. A canvas art satchel was wrapped snugly around the soldiers enviable figure. It suited him perfectly in a nerdy way. Not that he'd ever say such aloud. But the man could dress in rags and still walk around looking like a fashion spread.
"JARVIS, cut the music." He ordered.
After clearing the remaining data holoscreens from sight, he headed over to face his friend. It was exceptionally unusual for Spangles to drop by his lab without some form of prior notice. Steve knew how Tony felt about his work, he hadn't been shy on that front. And the soldier was respectful about giving Tony his space when he was really busy and needed to focus.
Tony watched Steve fidget uncomfortably for a long moment before quirking an eyebrow to inquire with a humoring tone, "What's up? I thought you were gonna be drawing at some coffee shop today because you didn't have anything scheduled."
"Yeah, I was." Steve began, eyes flickering around the lab to look at anything but the genius. The skittishness made Tony immensely wary.
The soldier swayed, shifting his weight back and forth, "Sorry for showing up so suddenly. But, there are a couple things I really need to talk to you about. It can't wait any longer. Do you have a minute?"
Tony's fears were not unfounded as Steve continued, "It has to do with the Avengers. And what happened before the Battle of New York when I first met Freya."
"Ugh no, Steve. Not again. That fucking day." Tony's scowl was abrupt and his reply notably terse, "We've talked about this more than we ever needed to. It's really beating a dead horse, isn't it? You know I really don't-"
"I know you don't." Steve interrupted uncharacteristically.
He wrung his hands and Tony fell silent.
"Freya met up with me today." Steve pursed his lips, "Well. She just appeared from out of nowhere. You know how she is. Kind of disconcerting."
"Magic." Tony grunted and crossed his arms. "Fun times."
Steve exhaled sharply and tugged at his military standard haircut with one hand as he tried to properly articulate himself, "And Freya insisted that I tell you something. A crucial detail. It's not beating a dead horse, Tony, because you've been actively avoiding the subject."
"Okay." Tony relented. "Sure. If it means that much to you."
"It has to do with the Avenger Iron Man and Avenger Captain America."
"I'm surprised you actually say his name now. You used to only refer to him as some sort of vague 'not me.'" Tony admitted, albeit pained. "Irregardless, I still don't want to know."
"I know you don't!" Steve repeated more forcefully than he intended, trying to reign in his temper.
He'd always been bad at initiating these meaningful conversations. He was wading into this unknown territory with nothing but potentially damning information. He felt like a scrawny teenager again, trying to chat up the prettiest dame at school.
"Tony, please?" He pleaded.
Oh damn, Tony thought. The puppy dog pout. It was unfathomable to resist. The billionaire heaved a great sigh and motioned towards the sleek couches surrounding his glass table, "Okay, sit down Cap. You're doing that parade rest thing again."
Steve was awkwardly stiff as he followed Tony's lead, back ramrod straight and movements twitchy. He was practically radiating tension as they sat. Tony waited quietly for nearly thirty seconds to see if Steve would continue. When it became clear he was off in his own world, the genius cleared his throat pointedly. He thought it was more polite than snarling a sarcastic remark as he was often apt to do.
"Oh, sorry." Steve mumbled sheepishly, biting the inside of his cheek, "So. You know how the other Iron Man and Captain America are friends and teammates, right?"
"Freya said as much when I met her. And I noticed how well they worked together in the field."
"Before she came to get you, while Fury was planning the attack on the remaining stolen bots and the arrest of the Council, a few things happened first. I've tried to tell you this before, but you keep shutting down the conversation before I can."
"I wonder why," Tony muttered under his breath.
Steve ignored him, "The Avengers somehow hacked from their world into the SHIELD system. They used overrides on our helicopter when we were taking him to meet you. Other Stark used a code word to tell the Avengers that he was in dire peril. Amalgam."
Steve's eyes fluttered shut as he inwardly cowered, remembering his subsequent behavior. He'd thrown Other Stark aggressively to the floor, and heard the man whisper rebelliously, 'I don't care if you don't trust me. He does.'
Tony cleared his throat again pointedly.
"In that other dimension, Captain America demanded they rescue Iron Man. That's why Thor turned up so quickly and took him away. The Asgardian feared for his life."
Steve saw Tony connecting the dots, and making the mental leap.
"Then the rest of the Avengers arrived. The Avengers sort of panicked when they realized his ominous condition. Fury tried to penetrate the arc reactor's casing to discern if it was some new form of technology. Maybe a weapon. Fury knew Stark, meaning you, was innocent. Then the blood-work proved he was, er, Other Stark. With your identity a irrefutable fact, they had you just where they wanted you."
"Gee, great." Tony snorted, hating this whole story with a burning vengeance. It made him wonder what might have happened if he'd made a mistake and been caught. What SHIELD would've done to him even while knowing he was innocent of their accusations.
"The Council ordered an examination of the device even if the attempts proved fatal. Fury had no choice but to go along with them if he was going to keep his cover. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He managed to stop the scientists before they could learn anything meaningful, but the casing of the reactor was marred with a high power laser. So not only had we harmed that Iron Man," Steve cringed with bitter resignation. "Freya's magical necklace was simultaneously draining his life energy. Her sordid curse was why he'd ended up in our world. The Avengers didn't know if they could stop the relic from killing him. They were scared. Especially the other version of myself."
"This was before Freya came to warn me, but after I'd met the Other Stark and Sparks, right." Tony said, trying to keep the timeline straight.
"Affirmative." Steve's fingers tapped nervously on the table. This was going to be the hardest part.
"When Thor went off to meet you, Freya spotted him on the news. She was curious and wanted to see why he was in our world. She arrived at SHIELD HQ, removed the spell and what have you."
"Okay." Tony rolled his eyes, getting impatient. "I knew most of this already. Your point being?"
"The reason the spell could be stopped wasn't due to Freya's magic. It was because of the close relationship the other set of us share."
Tony's eyebrows shot up as Steve continued, "The Other Captain America had the knowledge to temporarily shut down Stark's arc reactor and remove it. The Avengers were stunned. I got the impression that this was a closely guarded secret. Without removing the arc reactor beforehand, Freya wouldn't have been able to help at all."
Steve gulped, "Freya's assistance barely managed to spare him because she couldn't do it alone. She required something powerful and intimate. The Other Captain's formidable affection and memories are what saved Stark. It's where her magic would've failed."
"Relationship?" Tony echoed blankly. "Formidable affection?"
Steve flushed, the tips of his ears turning red. He forced himself to elaborate, "Other me… is, um. Well. He's…"
"Get to the damn point," Tony demanded, annoyed.
"He's deeply in love with Other you." Steve murmured against his chest, words nearly incoherent. "They're going steady. His loyalty broke the curse."
"Going steady?" Tony's voice spiked a notch, eyes wide and shocked. "Love breaking a curse. Like a goddamn Disney princess. Are you serious?"
"I don't understand that reference, but yes. I'm serious."
Tony brought his hand to roughly hide his slack-jawed expression. He tried to absorb this crazy information, voice muffled, "So you're telling me they're-"
He managed to prevent himself from blurting the word 'fucking' and instead sputtered, "Dating?"
Steve remembered the picture that mystically appeared in his sketchbook. He jerked his bag around and pulled it out. After flipping the cover open he shoved the paper into Tony's hands from across the glass table.
"I don't like to be handed things," Tony whispered quietly, brown eyes trained on the image in his lap. Steve watched him warily, saw his eyes flicker back and forth to soak up the details of the intimate portrait. He absently wished that the super soldier serum gifted him with telepathy, also.
The normally heroic and courageous man was petrified because he wasn't certain how Tony would take all this. Steve didn't know if he'd be appalled or repelled. The thought that they wouldn't be friends anymore because of this knowledge sank heavy in his stomach.
How would he manage in this fast-paced world without Tony Stark as his buffer? He'd escaped just fine back when they were enemies, he supposed, but Steve wasn't sure he could live like that again. Before Tony, he'd been dying by an inch just to prove he could, and far too oblivious to even realize it.
"This wasn't what I was sketching earlier." The words left his mouth without his realizing. Steve ducked his head. "I was drawing the city and accidentally spilled my coffee when Freya arrived. She used her powers, and this picture was there instead. It is, ah. It's my style. I presume Other me is the artist."
"Why did Freya think I needed to see this?" Tony asked, voice hushed and slightly rasped. He hadn't glanced from the sketch since he'd clapped sight on it.
"I don't know." Steve replied honestly.
Tony finally looked up, their eyes meeting for the first time since the overwhelming conversation began. They stared at each other, wordlessly trying to gauge for a visible reaction.
Tony saw Captain America as an open book, even back when they'd been trying to kill each other. Steve was clearly both embarrassed and chagrined, but he wasn't disgusted by the notion that another version of himself was apparently homosexual. For another version of Tony Stark. Who was still Howard Stark's freaking son.
Steve allowed Tony's gaze to pierce through him. Brown eyes fixated with that inimitably steadfast determination and focus that he rarely afforded to anything not technology related. Steve thought Tony looked tired, but the genius was always exhausted. He lived on coffee and insomnia and his addiction to work.
The battle-hardened man nearly bolted as he watched Tony single-mindedly and unwaveringly size him up.
Despite the fact that the super-soldier understood this billionaire's eclectic personality a lot better now, he was often impossible to read. The mask he'd molded to protect himself from years of relentless media exposure and scrutiny was firm and untouchable. Steve noticed it was like Tony Stark had two different personalities. The narcissistic and arrogant asshole or the dedicated and innovative genius. Steve knew he preferred the latter. And that he was privileged to know the person behind the facade.
'Make 'em think you like what you hate and hate what you like,' Tony told him once after a few too many drinks. 'Always keeps 'em guessing. Then they won't ever find your weakness.'
"Okay." Tony eventually managed, tone strained but not angry. "Okay."
Steve let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding as Tony continued, "Thanks for telling me, I guess. I know that must've been difficult for you to learn-"
"Tony, I would never presume," Steve burst in dramatically, then hesitated. He started over thoughtlessly, "I'm not going to force you to-"
His mouth promptly snapped shut with an audible click.
Tony gaped, incredulous, "What?"
"No! That's not what I mean!" Steve cringed.
Then the poor guy opened his mouth once more to ramble incoherently, "I mean to say… You're very admirable, Tony, and I don't take that for granted. Iron Man is a hero, even if everyone thought you were a villain. Even when I thought you were one. You're so brave. It's equally mind-boggling and frustrating. You have been such an amazing friend, helped me adjust to this new time and been so darn patient. You're the smartest person I've ever met. Hands down. The Iron Man armor is a work of art, and it's something to be proud of. What I'm trying to say is. Well."
Steve curled his chin towards his chest and murmured quietly, "So, this doesn't mean, um, that we have to change anything. At all. I want us to be friends. Good friends. And teammates, of course. I don't want this to ruin…"
Steve trailed off, face petrified and obviously tongue-tied, "Tony, it doesn't put any expectations that we-"
"That you and I are star-crossed lovers, fated to have an explosive and potentially dangerous romance?" Tony finished for him wryly. A tinge of amusement unwittingly crept into his tone as he watched Steve freak out.
"Yes. Exactly. That." Steve nodded rapidly, wiping his sweaty palms on his blue jeans.
He then stood up like a shot gun, motioning to the door. He sounded weirdly formal and very Brooklyn, "I ought to go. Good day."
Tony barked a startled laugh, "So much for the not changing anything. Running away, then?"
"No!" Steve sputtered, visibly upset as he belatedly covered his face with his forearm, other hand waving uselessly. "I'm not trying to… Please, don't think that!"
Tony got to his feet and casually tutted, "Calm down, Captain Panic Attack. It's seriously fine. You're fine. I know that just because another set of us from some random dimension might be together intimately, you're not gay. I'm probably the antithesis of your type, gender notwithstanding."
The genius gave his best bullshitting PR grin, acting like Steve was a total stranger, "It sucks Freya put you on the spot like that, Cap. Let's forget about this conversation, ok? It never happened."
Blue eyes widened, a disbelieving groan escaping him as Tony continued, "I understand how things have to be, and, no hard feelings-"
"No." Steve insisted vehemently. He dropped his arm and gracefully intruded upon Tony's personal space, unconsciously licking his lips as he admitted, "It's just. Tony, I can't lose you-"
Tony debated for a fraction of a second, then figured what the fuck. He pressed his mouth directly against Steve's slightly gaping one. The contact was awkward for all of a second as their teeth bumped. Then Steve animated, bringing both of his large hands to wrap around the back of a slender neck as he aggressively meshed his lips against Tony's.
The genius's stubble prickled his jaw but Tony's warm tongue was in his mouth and Steve breathed through his nose and continued kissing deeply. The blond emitted a sound very close to a moan and used his formidable strength to meld their bodies together. Tony was most certainly not complaining. They kissed and kissed and kissed, heads tipping and hands groping like a pair of randy could hear his own pulse thrumming, could feel Steve's heart racing. It was the best thing, ever.
Tony could barely think, let alone keep up. Having 100% of Steve's attention focused exclusively on him was so astonishing it was nearly too much. It wasn't something he'd really let himself daydream about often, let alone hope might actually happen.
This man in his arms could halt a rampaging army in their tracks with his bare hands, but right now said hands were tenderly stroking Tony's cheek and sliding across clothed shoulder blades. The gentle and needy manner with which Steve touched him was almost too much. The engineer wasn't used to making out with someone taller than himself, but damn Steve's body was taunt and flawless and so earnest. He was clearly an inexperienced kisser, his enthusiasm sloppy and arousing. Tony finally pulled back, just an bit, so he could pant and share hot puffs of air between them.
Steve's lips were swollen and bruised. His cheeks were stained red from bristly stubble. He was staring at Tony with this incandescent wonder. It was as if Steve thought he was the only thing in the whole damn world worth seeing.
Tony's mouth split into a helpless grin, and his subsequent laugher was totally not a giggle. Okay, maybe a little, but in these circumstances it felt justifiable. Steve's face mirrored his dorky and besotted happiness. He deftly bent for a chaste peck, eyelashes tickling Tony's cheeks.
"So," The words came as a husk against Steve's warm lips. "A star-crossed technically multi-dimensional relationship, then. We can work with that. Right?"
Steve chuckled, smitten, pressing his lips on the irresistible smiling mouth.
He pulled away to murmur, nose tracing Tony's cheekbone, "Sure. Whatever you say."
Just as they began kissing heavily again, they heard a pointedly loud cough. Tony scowled viciously at the cheerful Miss Pepper Potts. She was beaming at them like a crazy person with a heavy stack of papers clutched in her slender arms.
"Now is not a good time, Pep." Tony berated.
"I can see that." She replied smugly.
"Hello Miss Potts." Steve squeaked as he tried to hide behind Tony's shoulder. The attempt frankly didn't work because he was nearly twice Tony's size.
"Hello, Captain Rogers." She chirped before clearing her throat, "I'll just leave these here, then. It's paperwork for the upcoming Stark expo. Get these done by tomorrow afternoon, Tony."
Tony scoffed, "Nope. Not gonna happen."
She chucked and held her cell phone out, screen facing them. "I think you will, Mr. Stark. Or I swear to god that I'll send the photo I just snuck on my phone to Director Fury and Agent Coulson. And probably Agent Romanoff, too."
"Pepper!" Tony shrieked and glared at her with disbelief, hand still holding Steve's forearms. He whined like a petulant child, head falling back, "This is truly uncalled for, Pep. Blackmail is unnecessary and kinda sorta all kinds of mean."
He met her amused gaze, "I could fire you, you know."
"Captain, can you make sure he finishes his work?" Pepper addressed, promptly ignoring her friend.
Steve gave his all-American trademark grin and effortlessly promised, "Of course, Ma'am. I'll do my best."
"Hey now," Tony pouted despondently, punching Steve's firm torso with half-hearted resignation. It really wasn't fair. He got blamed for everything.
"Why does everyone always gotta gang up on me?"
"Have an excellent evening, you two." Miss Potts quipped, eminently satisfied. She winked at Steve and spun gracefully.
"Send me a copy of that photo!" Tony shouted before he forgot.
The sound of Pepper's heels echoed as she departed into the elevator. Steve immediately tugged Tony by the loop of his jeans back into his embrace. Tony felt like a freaking teenage girl as he nuzzled and buried his nose into the muscular hero's chest, inhaling deeply.
Jeeze, he thought, with a silly hiccup to himself.
He just made out with Steve Rogers. He wasn't a villain anymore, nobody had tried to steal his shit recently, and he'd just made out with Captain America. At least for once things were finally looking up for him. It was child's play to delete the incriminating photos from Pep's mobile. He was certain JARVIS was already doing so.
"What else did you and Freya talk about?" Tony finally inquired, eyes closed as they swayed to and fro in a mockery of dance. He didn't particularly want to know, but felt like he ought to show Steve that he cared.
Yeah, he sucked at this whole emotional and affectionate communication jazz. He'd been told such on multiple occasions. But for Steve he would try. He didn't want to ruin things before they'd even started.
"I explained my side of the story about what happened that day." Steve replied, frowning as he rubbed absent circles across Tony's shoulder blades.
"Why SHIELD let me harm the Other Iron Man, and why I fought alongside the council. I told her about the Council's plans for me, and for you. It's a hard story to explain, especially to an Asgardian deity. She was betrayed by her own people, and the necklace given to her to make her barren and unable to see the man she loved. Freya's life is the stuff myths are made on."
"That fucking day." Tony muttered belatedly. "You should use the swear word, Steve. It really is justifiable in this instance."
"Hmmm, no." Steve pressed his lips to the forehead resting against his shoulder.
"I don't curse, Tony. You know that. It's impolite. I also gave Freya my cell phone number just in case."
"Oh, really?" The genius snorted, as he rhetorically asked, "Should I be jealous?"
"Oh, yes. Of course you should." He teased back, tipping his chin up to sweep his tongue across the seam of Tony's lips.
Tony's mouth parted instantly, and every ounce of tension left his body as they kissed. A sharp pang of arousal pooled in Tony's stomach, he felt himself get hard as Steve's hand cupped his ass and squeezed. Tony moaned loudly as his fingers trailed up Steve's tight shirt, feeling the tense muscles quiver under his touch.
Steve pulled back to emit a shaky huff. He shyly admitted, "I've, um, never really done this before."
"That's fine," Tony said instantly, very much meaning it. "We can take this at your pace."
Tony's expression morphed to a leer, as he suggestively imitated Steve's earlier, "I'm not going to force you. Promise."
Steve flushed, and pinched Tony's ass. The genius chuckled and shoved Steve over onto the couch nearby. The soldier could have obviously prevented it, but he allowed himself to be man-handled as Tony made himself comfortable in Steve's lap and resumed kissing him. Steve's body felt hypersensitive as the smaller man squirmed pleasurably in his lap. A deft thumb rolled across his nipple, catching him off guard. Tony hummed into his mouth, molding their bodies as they began rocking.
Tony sat back enough to pull his band t-shirt off casually. Steve's hands automatically moved to memorize the exposed skin. Steve's bright blue eyes ate Tony's sleek and powerful body in. The genius thrummed with an profound devastating lust at the appreciation he found in that cerulean gaze. Tony dipped his head to pry the pliant soldier's mouth, playing with his mouth as if was second nature. They explored tongues with a wanton abandon. Steve's large hands clenched against trim hips. He ground their lower bodies together in an exquisite friction. Steve panted as they began to rock in unison. It was fantastic, yet not enough.
"Oh god, Steve," Tony panted into his mouth. "Please, please, please take your shirt off. Right. Now. Is this too fast? Please tell me this isn't too much-"
Steve held Tony aloft with one hand and effortlessly stripped his cotton t-shirt away with the other.
Tony swooned, his erection throbbing against the hard muscle of Steve's thigh. The sheer strength the super-soldier often forgot about made Tony dizzy with explicit possibilities. Before he could keep that train of thought, Steve was nipping and sucking on his lower lip.
They smeared their tongues against one another as calloused fingers dipped around chiseled muscle.
Tony's eyes cracked open and he sobered up momentarily to gaze down at Steve with something akin to stupefaction. He wanted to say something foolish, crack an inappropriate joke, but he refused to let himself do that. Because this was Steve Rogers, the man who he grew up admiring and hating in equal respects. And now he felt idiotic for all those thoughts, because this man in his arms was almost too bright to behold. He was pure, and honest, and so damn dedicated and devoted that it scared him a little to have all that attention aimed right at him.
"This might be a bad time to mention that I'm fucking stupid with love for you. Just thinking about you makes me lose brain cells, all teenage-girl. Dream-like. It's scary and intense and perfect. You know what I mean?"
"Thanks." Steve snorted and rolled his eyes, kissing him soundly before retorting. "I'm so pleased you managed to tell me that and demean yourself simultaneously."
Tony chuckled, amazed by the random emergence of Steve's quirky sense of humor, "What can I say? Hopeless romantic."
"I suppose this is when I tell you that I'm also stupidly and teenage-girl… ily, madly, in love with you." Steve mused, attempting to sound nonchalant. "It's probably unhealthy how much I think about you."
The genius smiled carelessly, feeling like he'd just conquered the world. None of the extraneous stuff mattered. How could it when this wonderful gentle man was by his side?
Tony glowed and couldn't stop grinning as he admitted breathlessly, "Good. I'm glad you feel that way."
Steve nipped at his chin, knuckles skimming his cheek as an arm clamped tightly around his waist. Tony's bare skin on his own was like a drug. He felt like he'd never get enough of it and even if it ruined him he'd always come back for more. Steve couldn't help himself. He was too far gone.
"Yeah, has this been a sufficient amount of talking, yet?" Steve hummed as he rolled his hips, jeans too tight and suffocating.
Tony's eyes clenched shut, his teeth gnawing on his lower lip. The pleasurable friction was the only thing his brilliant mind could seem to focus on.
"Because seriously, Tony." Then Steve cussed, nipping the shell of his ear as he whispered, "Sometimes you talk way too fucking much."
Tony shivered with a spike of pure arousal rendering him defenseless. For once he completely agreed. He arched his back, rolling his hips as he collided with Steve's mouth again, effectively shutting them both up for the time being.
Tony's whole body was burning. He fumbled with Steve's fly, hand trembling as he wrapped his firm grip around his thick member. Steve's cock was equally as pretty and perfect as the rest of him, Tony mused.
Steve whimpered, head thrashing as Tony pumped him and sucked at his neck. The soldier regained himself, forcing his own hand to move despite the shockwaves of pleasure he was tempted to succumb to. Steve's body felt like a taunt arrow, ready to snap, and that friction was sinful and so very pleasurable. He somehow managed to push Tony's jeans away from his hips, and press himself against the other man's erection. It was the first time Steve had ever known such wild indecent splendor. It felt wicked and wonderful. Tony discretely spit into his palm and wrapped it around the pair of them. Steve trembled helplessly as he watched that grip pull.
Tony's eyes were trapped upon the carelessly lustful visage of his lover, and when Steve's vulnerable blue eyes met his, their hips jerked in unison.
He was coming before he knew it, so hard and fast it was inescapable. Steve felt the thick cream coat his belly, and squirmed when cum-soaked hands resumed pumping him. He wasn't long after, a roar tearing itself from his throat so loudly he was certain the entire island of Manhattan heard it.
Tony crashed his face against Steve's bare rapidly heaving chest, his whole body tingling. Their sweat soaked limbs began relaxing, hands treasuring the other. Tony's half-lidded eyes met cerulean, it was as if he'd bared his soul in that moment. Irreversible and unmatched. It was rather disconcerting to trust someone that much, but also liberating.
"Wow." Steve's voice was an octave deeper than usual. Tony nodded and made a vague grunt of affirmation.
"That was… pretty good," Tony demurred.
Steve snorted, heart still hammering in his chest as he tenderly kissed the side of Tony's nose. "Stop being so stubborn, Shellhead. It was amazing."
"Shellhead?" Tony whispered, words slurring because he was drunk with this scarily overwhelming happiness. "I've never had a nickname before. Well, one that wasn't like, the fuckin' merchant of death. Or something equally depressing."
Tony pressed a dry kiss against a pronounced brow and mentioned, "You ought to know that you're pretty much stuck with me from this point on."
Steve heard him but the words took a few seconds to register because he was already dozing, "I think we can live with that."
They shared a companionable silence before Steve said, "Can you imagine Fury's face when we tell him?"
Tony's jaw dropped with sheer delight as Steve added seriously, "Tony, you deflowered a national icon. This might make or break your truce with SHIELD."
Tony's vibrant and charming laughter echoed across the lab, just as Steve knew it would.
FIN.