Types of rhodeytony first kisses
Meeting the family: holiday season, Rhodey getting teased for liking Tony, Tony being adored by the Rhodes family, the approval from everyone making Rhodey want to make a move. Sneaking up to the roof or having a quiet evening in Rhodey's room, stars twinkling above them, stars that are made of gas or stick to the ceiling. Soft and hesitant kisses are shared.
First date: having an awkward dinner and movie, trying to figure out how to go from friends to more than that, shyly holding hands, the pining from all the years being stuffed into this one first date. A first kiss that suddenly makes it clear that they're going to work.
Creating DUM-E: making the project together, brainstorming ideas, holing up in the lab, running high on adrenaline when the project is done. All those hours working together and finally having their project work morphing into one kiss. Suddenly, the project isn't the biggest news that evening.
Graduation kiss: they might be finishing together, they might not, but they're happy and nervous and so terrified of losing each other. The time is summer, they take deep breathes to gather courage and - they're finally kissing, after all those years.
Leave kisses: new lives, new paths. They've been separated for too long. One of them living the dream, the other carrying a legacy. They missed each other. They talk about their new lives, show each other new places to hang out, and they easily find a way to get back to who they are, even if as new people. This isn't worth losing, they realize. Not when they could be kissing, they realize.
Reunion kiss: they've lost touch after MIT. They had a fight, they stopped talking, they haven't seen each other in years. They still miss each other. They're still pining, even from afar, even without speaking. Work brings them back together. It takes a while for the ice to defrost. But they can't stand the distance - they pull each other close. Closer than they used to, close enough for their lips to touch.
Hospital kiss: Tony doesn't know what happened, but Rhodey is hurt. Rhodey is hurt, and he can't lose Rhodey. Sleeping near Rhodey's bed, throwing money to make sure Rhodey has the best care, talking to the family that are begging him to sleep. Rhodey wakes up. He's okay. Tony nearly lost him. So he kisses him, because he has to. Tears are running down his face, and he's desperately clutching at his honeybear, and Rhodey is kissing back.
Airplane kisses: drunken mistakes, slurred confessions, waking up in the morning with questions and regrets. Making out sloppily, laying on the seats of the private airplane, kisses not desperate but with so much pining behind them. They taste like alcohol and candy. They're supposed to be working, but they're kissing. It's fun in the moment, but it won't be in the morning.
Post Afghanistan kisses: sand on sand on sand, the pressure of losing his job, searching for the love of his life, thinking, "he has to be alive, he has to be alive." Rhodey makes a stupid joke and then sinks to the searing hot ground; hugging him to make sure he's really there. Kisses in the field hospital, in the private room. Fingers trace along his chest, along the rim of the reactor, looking at each other a little brokenly. They both kiss gently, both of them dirty and traumatised and so happy to see the other is alive.
Make up kiss: kisses after the fight. Rhodey finding out Tony was dying and telling him "that was a stupid fucking plan and I hate that it worked." Tony telling him "of course it worked, you'd always save people, no matter how much you love me." Rhodey thinks about his best friend and about losing his love, and how pissed he is at his plan and how Tony wanted him to be Iron Man after he died, and how much he is in love. He just leans forward and kisses him because they've waited too long.
Making the armors kiss: workshop kiss, designing the armor together, Rhodey learning all the secrets behind the suits, Tony teasing Rhodey about going to Hammer, Rhodey telling Tony that 'hot red' is not his style (or a good style). Their tension from the fight slowly coming apart as all they feel is how much they hate fighting. So, almost causally, they kiss. And as their lips touch, and they sigh into each other's mouthes, all the pieces of the puzzle click.
Shawarma kiss: Tony falls from the sky, like an angel, like a martyr, and the breath leaves Rhodey's lungs. He makes it there in a rush, because how dare Tony call him like that. How dare he say he loves him when he's drifting in space, it's so unfair. How dare he almost die on him, slipping between his fingers, the call disconnecting before Rhodey can say it back. Rhodey rushing into the restaurant, Tony being pulled up for a kiss, being clutched at desperately. Tony sinks into the kiss. All the Avengers are there, and it's awkward for them, but they don't care. It's their first kiss and only they exist in the world.
Avengers party kiss: the Avengers nudging them together, drinking a little to have warm cheeks, staring at each other while the other isn't watching. Maybe Tony likes how Rhodey gets along with his friends, maybe Tony finds Rhodey's stories adorable. Maybe they go into a private room for a moment and decide to just be together, to just, finally, kiss.
Post Civil War kiss: kisses in the hospital, kisses over newly designed braces, kisses to distract Tony from phones, kisses to show Rhodey that he deserves love even with his disability, kisses to show each other that they're still here for one another and they're not going anywhere. Kisses after bad times to start a better phase of their lives.