Tony

Tony's not a huge fan of the training room. Oh sure he understands the importance of keeping up with training, he is a genius after all, and he'll admit he actually quite enjoys his sparring sessions with Natasha and Sam. After all the three of them aren't super soldiers, nor do they have enhanced strength, and they still get involved in fights up close and personal; there's plenty of jokes that go around the team that Tony's suit does most of the work, but he still has to punch in it and fight just like the others on occasion. So Natasha and Sam are perfect partners when he does decide to do some proper training other than working out in the gym. No matter what Steve might try and insinuate, Tony does still go and do his workout.

So although the training room isn't Tony's favourite part of the facility, it's not his least favourite either. That's definitely the medical wing.

There is one thing about the training room that Tony does love though: the opportunity to stare at a sweaty Steve Rogers.

'You going to just stand there all afternoon or you actually going to do something?' Natasha asks him during one such day that Tony has come down to the gym to get some training in. Only Steve and Bucky are already sparring and Tony may have got a bit distracted.

'Actually I'm alright for now. Maybe you should join me.'

'Join you in leaning against the wall?' Natasha asks with a raised eyebrow.

'My dear Agent Romanoff, I thought you were one of the best spies in the world. Please tell me you actually know why I'm leaning against this particular bit of wall,' he teases her.

Natasha smirks. 'Wouldn't have anything to do with the view it offers of those two idiots would it?' She japs a thumb over her shoulder at the two soldiers, who are both too busy sparring to pay much attention to their conversation.

'I don't know what you mean to imply,' he grins back. Natasha just laughs and leans against the wall next to him, drinking from her water bottle as she takes a break from her own training.

'There's more to it than just staring at Steve's ass though isn't there?'

Tony sighs. 'Must you ruin all my fun?'

'Not all of it. Just calling you out when you don't tell the whole story.'

He laughs. 'Alright, no it's not. I like watching you guys train so I can see what changes I can make to your gear that will mean they're more comfortable and of more use.'

'Knew it! Sam owes me twenty bucks.' At his questioning eyebrow she laughs and explains. 'Sam said you just watched Steve's ass and never looked away, I said there was something else to it but he didn't believe me so we made a bet.'

'What does he think I'm doing when I watch him and Rhodey box? I seriously hope he doesn't think I'm staring at his ass.'

Natasha bursts out laughing, finally catching the attention of the two soldiers on the mat.

'What are you two up to?' Steve asks, eyeing Natasha trying to get her laughter under control and Tony's innocent expression. The Captain raises an eyebrow at him. 'What are you doing now, Tony?'

'Why do you assume it's me doing something?'

'You're trying to look innocent-'

'-and you only try to look innocent when you're up to something,' Bucky cuts across Steve's response.

'I'm offended you don't think I'm just looking innocent because I am.'

'There are a lot of words we could use to describe you, Tony,' Natasha says, finally getting her sniggering under control, 'but innocent is not one of them. I mean you did manage to corrupt Captain America.'

'Oh my dear, Widow, if you think Cap was innocent before he met me-'

'Tony! Don't you dare,' Steve cuts across him, causing both Tony and Bucky to burst out laughing. 'I don't need you putting ideas into everyone's heads thank you very much.'

'What do you mean ideas?' Tony smirks, seeing the blush starting to creep up Steve's neck. 'I was only going to tell Nat the truth.'

'Tony,' Steve says warningly.

'Fine,' he mock-huffs, holding his hands up in surrender. 'You do realise she'll get to the bottom of it eventually though right?'

'Wonderful,' he hears the blond mutter, but his attention is taken away from the pair at the wall as Bucky aims a punch his way and the two start sparring again.

'You know I always meant to ask you,' Natasha says quietly after a couple of moments, 'but I'll understand if you don't want to talk about it.'

'Now you've got me intrigued,' he responds.

'I figured that Bucky had developed feelings for you before we got back,' she says, 'back when you were still trying to break his brain washing,' at his raised eyebrow she shrugs, 'I could see it on his face when he spoke about you. When we got back I realised you weren't entirely adverse to the idea, but-'

'Did you know how I felt about Steve?' he asks quietly.

'When you two first met on the Helicarrier I could see the sparks flying, I just didn't know if either of you would ever act on it,' she replies, then continues with what she had been saying before. 'You and Steve always had something, Tony. But I always wondered: did you and Bucky ever explore anything?'

Tony is quiet before he replies, eyes never leaving the two soldiers training in front of them. 'We kissed in the lab before you all came back. I'll admit, Nat, I was tempted to start something with him then, but it wouldn't have been fair on him. I felt like I was cheating on Steve, even though nothing was happening between us and I didn't know if anything ever would. I had to move on from Steve before I could see if anything could happen with Bucky. So no, nothing really happened.' Out of the corner of his eye he sees the woman start to say something a couple of times and then decide against it. 'Come on, Widow, I know there's something else you want to ask.'

'If you hadn't felt what you did for Steve, would you have gone for it with Bucky?'

'Yes,' he replies, without any hesitation.

'Tony…why didn't you try something with both of them? I mean I get you haven't really done polyamory outside of the bedroom, but why didn't you think about giving it a go?'

Tony sighs and turns to face her. 'Because it wouldn't have been fair on Bucky. Steve would always have come first, even if I tried not to, and I know Bucky would have accepted that and he shouldn't have to; he deserves someone who is going to want him and only him, not playing second fiddle to someone else. I guess, looking back, Steve's always come first for me, even before I realised it.' Natasha nods and gives him a soft smile before turning back to watch the two soldiers. 'I did wonder if you two would get together you know,' he says.

Natasha smiles. 'He has a way of making people feel good about themselves,' she says, 'but-'

'Bruce, right?'

Natasha nods. 'Just like you said, it wouldn't have been fair to him when I was thinking I was cheating on someone else.'

'Please don't tell me he's got you staring at Steve's ass as well?' a new voice enters the conversation and they turn to see Sam walking towards them.

There's a cry of outrage from the mat, and Bucky takes advantage of Steve's distraction to tackle the blond to the floor. 'Bucky, you jerk! That's not fair!'

'Shouldn't let yourself get distracted then Stevie!'

Tony, Sam and Natasha start laughing as the two soldiers tumble around the mat.

'Well, at least I now know I have to make sure the trousers on both of their suits can withstand being tackled by the other so we don't have any splits on the battlefield,' Tony muses. 'Oh and Sam you owe Nat twenty bucks.'

'Aw man,' Sam grumbles, then eyes the spy suspiciously. 'How did you work out what he was doing by the way?'

Natasha smirks. 'Tony was watching when I was having trouble practising switching the functions on my bites because I used to keep them separate in my suit, I never said anything but a couple of days later he turns up with a new set that has easy to change functions on it.'

'Can't believe you didn't just tell me you wanted some that had different functions. It's basically the same thing I did for Clint on his quiver.'

Natasha shrugs. 'I didn't know I did, I'd never used them like that before and thought I'd try it out. Now I'm wishing I had mentioned it earlier.'

'Hey is that why I got some weapon holders in my last wing pack?' Sam asks. 'Because I ran out of ammo when I was doing that assault course?'

'Give the man the prize, he's finally caught on!' Tony laughs, dodging the punch Sam aims at his shoulder.

'Finally caught on to what?' Steve asks as he and Bucky come over to grab their water bottles.

'That there's more than one reason for me coming and watching you guys train,' Tony responds, returning the quick kiss Steve presses to his mouth.

'You mean that you want to see what upgrades would be useful for our gear?' Steve asks.

'Did everyone know about this except me?' Sam demands. 'I could have sworn the only reason Tony came down here was to stare at Cap's ass.'

'Sam, I really don't think Tony would be-'

'Oh no, Steve,' Tony cuts across his partner, 'Sam's got the main reason I come down here right.'

The others laugh at Steve as he blushes bright red and buries his head into Tony's hair to hide it. 'You're impossible,' he mutters into his ear.

'Yeah, but you still love me,' Tony mutters back, grinning as Steve laughs and gives him another kiss.

As the two soldiers go back to the training mat, Sam with them this time, Tony notices a new person entering through the door and catches Natasha's eye, gesturing towards them with his head and then nodding towards Bucky. The smile and answering nod he gets tells him that she's on the same wavelength as him.

'Let's just hope they don't take as long as you and Steve to work out there's something good in front of them. For a genius you sure were pretty stupid.'

'Oh like you can talk,' he huffs.