"Put on the suit, Tony. Let's go a few rounds." Steve said harshly.

All of the other Avengers suddenly turned their attention to the argument between the two, and waited in silence for Tony's response. They wondered silently which way Steve had meant it, but not even the imposing Natasha Romanov had the balls to ask.

Tony smirked lightly, and nodded. "Not here, Steve. But let's go for a walk, talk about it."

All of the others gaped as they watched the two men walk away. They could be so close to a crisis, and all anyone could wonder was what those two were up to now. They had been clawing at each other's throats, arguing, play-fighting, and…sometimes there was the obvious flirting. Nobody could have the courage to follow. Now it truly was just up to the two of them.

They walked to Tony's lab quickly, and Tony gestured to his suit. "Shall I actually put on the suit?"

Steve watched Tony carefully, unsure now what he had wanted. Sure, there had been the ever-present urge to kick the billionaire's obnoxious ass. But, right now, as he watched the mix of compliance and playfulness, he couldn't figure out what he wanted at all. He couldn't describe how he was feeling, though on some strange impulse, he shoved Tony against a wall.

Tony's eyes, impossibly, seemed to darken more. He watched Steve carefully, with an eyebrow raised high. "What are you going to do now? How long are you going to have to stare at me, or fight with me, or have I around before you realize it?" Steve bit his lip hesitantly as he was unsure he wanted to hear Tony's answer. "You want me, Steve Rogers. You want everything about me. I am who you take everything out on, who you come to, who you watch when you think nobody knows. I do! And, I am just waiting for the day you admit it to yourself, let alone to me."

Tony went to move away, almost certain that today was not the day that Steve would admit anything. Truthfully, he thought that Steve really was just looking for a fight. He, like almost every other person on this ship, needed a way to vent. To let go of the miserable way they had been getting along. With that thought, Tony looked back with a grin. "I doubt it's still on your mind, but the suit is always still an option."

Steve nodded. "Okay, Tony, put on the suit."

Steve Rogers didn't know much. He didn't understand half the crap he saw when he looked around Tony's work area, he didn't understand how Tony's words had made him feel, he didn't understand how he felt. All he could contemplate is that, no matter what place or time, Steve felt out of place. There was always something that set him out of the circles that he was made to be part of. He was too stupid, or too built, or too old-fashioned. Nothing seemed to be deemed normal with him, ever.

One thing he did know is how to fight. Even being a pacifist, and hating the very idea of hurting other good people, he knew the stress release that could come from a batch of fists. On some level, he hated himself for wanting to fight right now. At least, with the suit, he felt as if he couldn't hurt anybody by letting himself fall apart.

When Tony walked out, clad in one of his older edition suits, Steve moved forward quickly. There was something of an apology in his eyes as he threw the first punch. Tony didn't feel a thing, and hit back. Both were overwhelmed with the adrenaline of the fight, and got into it too much. It wasn't until Steve punched Tony's one arm so hard, about a dozen times in a row before that the metal dented and the first bruise was made.

With that final bruising punch, Steve sank to his knees in front of Tony. He looked like he was the one whom had been broken. Tony walked away, and Steve sank further down. His face was in his hands. What had he done? He'd hurt the only true friend he had in the world.

Tony walked back out, having had taken off the suit. He replaced his old outfit with sweatpants and a tank top, and sat in front of Steve carefully. He grabbed Steve's hands, and with a fair amount of difficulty, pried them away from his eyes. "It's just a small bruise."

Steve looked completely lost. He thought Tony was going to come back, just so he could tell Steve to get the hell out of there. And here Tony was, standing back up, and pulling Steve along with him. It was then that he realized more than ever the truth in Tony's earlier words. He pulled Tony into a bone-crushing hug, and laid his head on his shoulder.

He wouldn't cry. Steve Rogers was known once as weak and frail, but he never wished anyone to see him that way again. Not even his only friend.

When they pulled away, Tony saw the sad look in Steve's eyes. "What's wrong, soldier boy?"

Steve winced, begging the tears not to flow. "I don't…know who I am anymore."

Tony laughed, coming forward again, and putting a hand on Steve's shoulder. "You are beautiful, Steve. Even when you were that scrawny little boy that grew up on the rough streets of Brooklyn, you were beautiful. I don't just mean beautiful on the outside, Steve. You are beautiful inside and out. You have a true heart, and you are selfless, and creative, and caring. Even though I poke fun at your differences, I truly think they are what make you special. Sure, you have to get used to the new time. And, I don't care if everyone else finds flaws in your lack of finesse in the new world order. That's either in good humor, or they are assholes like Loki that want to manipulate you into believing you are alone."

Tony's voice softened as he said the last part. "Whoever you let into your heart will be luckiest person alive. Don't be scared of what you want, no matter what."

Steve moved forward, so their bodies were millimeters away from touching, and he slowly tangled his hand in Tony's hair. "Are you sure?"

Tony nodded softly, and Steve leaned down and claimed Tony's lips. The reaction wasn't just the pure pleasure that came along with it. It was passionate, violent, and fast. Steve walked Tony backwards as they kissed, slamming him against another wall. Their tongues fought perfectly, as Steve's arms curved around Tony and lifted him up. Tony moaned as he wrapped his legs around Steve, creating a perfectly delicious friction.

Few moments after lifting Tony up, Steve pulled his lips away, for air. Tony smiled brightly, laughing. "I am glad you aren't in denial anymore, at least."

Steve looked at Tony, suddenly alarmed. "Is this going too fast for you?"

Tony laughed brilliantly, sending tremors through both of them as the laughter shook him. "On the contrary, not fast enough." Steve didn't need any more encouragement than that now, as he began kissing along Tony's neck and fumbling with Tony's shirt. "I think we've waited long enough."

Tony looked up into Steve's eyes, and Tony couldn't help but revel in how dark with lust his eyes were. Steve claimed Tony's lips again, and carried him away from the wall, over to the couch. Once Steve had Tony lay down on the couch underneath him, he yanked away at Tony's clothes. It took a few seconds for Tony's brain to catch up, to which time he began undressing Steve as well.

Steve easily had ripped away at Tony's clothes. But, when it was Tony's turn to rip away at Steve's, he had the odd revelation that Steve was still wearing his uniform. Tony motioned for them both to stand back up, and Tony walked behind Steve. He nipped fiercely at Steve's neck as he unzipped the suit slowly, making sure that Steve could feel his hands explore. He peeled the suit away torturously slowly, and then he turned Steve to face him.

Steve didn't recognize the look on Tony's face, so he again became paranoid. "What's wrong?"

Tony's eyes looked Steve up and down, again and again, reveling in one thing. "God, Steve…like I said, you're beautiful."

Steve then smiled, once again wrapping Tony into his arms, and whispering sweetly into his ear: "Tony, I don't know if you know this, but you are too."

Tony looked away, not daring to meet Steve's gaze. "That's where you are wrong."

"Tony, have you seen yourself? You are the most overconfident man in the world, and you don't look in the mirror and see how gorgeous you are?" Steve laughed, feeling oddly like he was floating this whole new world into reality. "Tony, no matter what you've been put through or what you've done, you are beautiful. You are unique, and heroic in your own way, and know how to be there for the people that need you most. You don't let people in often, but when you do… they get to ride along the most amazing adventures with you. If you even start with me about this," Steve points to Tony's arc reactor, "being ugly I will have to cry. It's unique, and beautiful, and every day it saves you. Tony, you are intelligent and rich by good cause and…I don't care if you believe me or not, but you're beautiful."

It was Tony's turn now to make a move, and he tangled both his hands in Steve's hair, pulling him down for a kiss. Steve used his grip on Tony to lift him back into his arms, and Tony again wrapped his legs around Steve. The naked friction was all the better and the kissing was growing more and more messy and passionate. Steve again walked Tony to be pressed against a wall, and his eyes begged with Tony for what he wanted.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew this is never how he imagined it. He always had envisioned his first time with a person he'd been seeing for a long time, after they said the magic three words, and laying them back gently on a bed for this. This wasn't fantasy though. This was reality. And, Steve had to admit, this was so much better.

Tony nodded impatiently, and impaled himself on Steve's member. Steve groaned loudly, and put one of his hands on the wall, fearing he'd lose balance. The sensation was so intense, and so brilliant, that he could barely stand straight. But looking up at Tony, who was too writhing in pleasure, put all the petty fear behind him.

Steve started thrusting into Tony hard and fast, making Tony so incoherent that all he could do was moan loudly, and occasionally scream Tony's name. There was a brief wondering if this workroom was soundproof, but even if not, Steve doubted that the others upstairs had shut down their arguing long enough to hear anything. Even if they both were being very vocal, in the way that made the situation obvious to any outsider who might have heard.

Tony climaxed first, screaming out Steve's name at his peak. Steve followed almost immediately, responding aptly to the tightening of the muscles around his member. "Fuck, Tony."

Tony smiled as they were finished. "I thought 'Captain America' didn't curse."

Steve let down Tony slowly, rolling his eyes at Tony's comment. "Well, 'Captain America' may not, but, the difference is that Steve Rogers can swear when he sees fit."

"Is there much of a difference, darling boy?" Tony said as he gathered his clothes. "Either way, both sides seem to have a wild side that is sensitive only to my touch."

"Wild side, you say?" Steve asked quickly. "How does that characterized as a 'wild side', Tony?"

"Just in account that within our first kiss, you had me hoisted up against the wall in your grip. Nothing wildly fun about that, huh Steve?" Tony said with a glimmer in his eye. "As long as that side is just for me, I couldn't be happier about it."

"You are mine now, Stark. Now, put on the suit. I think things might take a turn for the worst soon upstairs." Steve said, with a bright smile. "We'll get back to this part later."

Tony quickly changed into the suit, as Steve pulled on his spandex. "Back into the battle mode we go. When this is all finished, though, the only thing everyone will be thinking of is that you are mine now."

"Let's hurry through it then," Steve said, proceeding to running back upstairs.

Tony smirked to himself. This sparked the perfect new beginning. Everything zoomed back to that moment that Tony thanked heavens for, when Steve had simply told him: "Put on the suit."

Fin.