Prompt #1072
Stephen is a famous showjumping rider, but he gets cocky during a competition and the horse takes a fall. Like in canon, Stephen wakes up in the hospital with his hands wrecked and finds out that the horse had to be put down due to its injuries.
He blames himself for the longest time and the only thing that feels like a bandage on the wound is to be out in the stable. He thinks that he’ll never be able to ride again due to the state of his hands, but then he meets Tony Stark.
They start getting to know each other through their brief meetings in the stable. Turns out Tony isn’t all that interested in the animals, but funds a lot of competitions and events for his own benefit.
Pining ensue because Stephen realizes that he’s falling for the guy, and when he gets the assurance of “of course you’ll ride again, everyone can ride” he steels himself and finally gets back up into the saddle.
It’s an agonizingly slow process, and he’s close to giving up again until he’s given the tip of trying a different branch that won’t put so much pressure on his hands. Cue Stephen trying western, quickly discovering that it’s surprisingly fun and so much easier on his hands.
Stephen unknowingly joining a competition funded by Tony and winning with flying colors. Tony finds him later on and praises him. “I told you that you could do it” he says and Stephen can’t help himself. The kiss is brief and stuns Tony enough to give Stephen time to bail.
Unbearable pining ensue but they don’t see each other for weeks until Tony shows up at the stable at the same time as Stephen is there. Something something and then Tony kisses Stephen properly rather than the brief and haphazard one they shared all those weeks ago.
And then idk, I guess they have their happy ever after, lol
Suggested by @taruyison
Ngl, this is my favorite prompt I’ve ever come up with and I wanna write it for myself for my own self-indulgence, lol
