An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Characters: Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Sam Wilson (Marvel), James "Bucky" Barnes, Pepper Potts, James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Wanda Maximoff
Additional Tags: Misunderstandings, Miscommunication, Humor, Pining Steve Rogers, Oblivious Tony Stark, Embarrassed Steve Rogers, Social Media, Steve Rogers and the 21st Century, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Lingerie, Horny Steve Rogers, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Getting Together, Hijinks & Shenanigans
Summary:
Steve accidentally tells the world he's dating Tony while Tony is in France making a business deal. But they're not dating. Tony turned him down the one time he got the courage to ask.
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Creators are revealed and now I can tell you to please read my fic. It’s hilarious. Fun stuff <3
This is a fill for @bitetonysassfest!
Trope: Sharing Body Heat
Dialogue: “You look good all soaking wet.”
This is the last of Bite Tony's 🍑 Fest 2025! Featuring: bobcat shifter Tony and hare shifters Bucky and Steve! There's no way this could go wrong with cat!Tony involved. You can find this on ao3 (here). Look out for under the cut! ("No one bit Tony's ass, Reioka." He chewed on a fucking couch guys he's not that sexy right now lmao)
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“…So,” Steve began after a brief pause. He regretted it immediately, but Tony’s sharp eyes were already on him, so he continued, “I take it that you couldn’t get out of the valley.”
Somehow, despite the fact that water was dripping from his sodden hair and he was shaking slush from his feet in a very feline manner, Tony managed to give him one of his best bitch glares. “No,” he said, voice just as cold as the lengthening icicles dripping from their roof. “I could not get out of the valley.”
“You look good all soaking wet,” Bucky said, smirking, and then yelped when Tony pulled a boot from his foot and threw it at his head with all the force he could muster. He ducked, and he was grateful he did, because the boot hit the wall behind him with a thud loud enough that he jumped, and it left a black rubber mark where the sole hit the wall. He stared at it a moment, then turned back to Tony, solemnly stating, “I mean, you’re fucking ugly.”
“I am beautiful at all times,” Tony hissed, shaking his way out of his other boot. He shrugged off his coat, and it hit the the floor with a wet ‘thwap.’ “You would be lucky to bask in my glory. I am a perfect specimen.”
“Of course,” Bucky deadpanned. He went to take a step forward, but Steve grabbed him by the back of the shirt, so he took it as a warning it was not to approach Tony when he was still this irritable. “So you’re staying for dinner then?”
“Dinner,” Tony scoffed, disgusted, and pulled his visibly wet shirt over his head. Gooseflesh rose on his skin as it was exposed to the air. “Turkey’s passable. But then you went and added it to fucking beans.”
“You said you liked my chili,” Steve said, and couldn’t quite hold back the hurt in his voice.
Tony skulked in a tiny circle, irritated, then shoved his pants down around his ankles and stepped out of them. “I do. I just. It’s too close. And.” He turned to look at Steve, blinking hard, then added, “Your couch is fucking ugly.”
“You bought it for us!” Bucky exclaimed, more shocked than upset. “You said it was your housewarming gift.”
Tony scowled at the couch. “Well. It didn’t look so ugly then. It’s bad denning material.”
Steve and Bucky looked at each other in surprise, hurt and confusion quickly giving way to understanding. Tony’s abrupt desire to leave twenty minutes ago, despite the fact that he’d joked about being snowed in when he arrived that morning, suddenly made sense. Most feline shifters were very secretive about their heats, and Tony had been so closed-lipped about it that everyone on the team had sort of forgotten he had them. Steve regretted not keeping some turkey out for a burger patty. He’d known Tony was snowed in with them; he’d just thought he was being difficult because he wasn’t in total control.
“I might have some ground beef in the freezer,” he offered, even though he sincerely doubted it.
Tony ignored him, tromping further into the cabin in just his underwear, and gave the back of the couch a solid punch, scowling. Then he kicked it for good measure.
“Okay,” Bucky sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “Is this your way of threatening us? We can control ourselves, you know. We’ve been around omegas in heat before.”
“What?” Tony barked, turning his glare back on him. “I’m busy.” He turned his attention back to the couch. Considered. Then he reached out to grab the corner, hooking his claws into one of the arms. “This needs to go outside.”
“Don’t! Fucking throw out our shit!” Bucky exclaimed, rushing over to him, and pulled him away by force. Tony’s claws pulled from the couch with a loud ripping noise, but he was mostly just surprised he got him to let go at all. He gathered Tony close while he was too stunned to struggle, wrapping his arms around him tightly so he couldn’t claw at the couch again. “Tony,” he said, appalled. “You’re fucking freezing.”
Tony whipped his head around to glare at him. “I was outside in the snow.”
“Steve, get some blankets and towels,” Bucky ordered, ignoring him. “Maybe put on some thicker pants so he can put his toes under your thigh.”
“Or just take your pants off,” Tony added, suddenly agreeable.
Steve and Bucky both stopped and turned to give him suspicious looks. Steve waited an extra beat, then carefully asked, “…Why?”
“Solidarity,” Tony offered.
Steve and Bucky both looked down at Tony’s mostly naked body. Then Bucky huffed, rolling his eyes. “We could get you some extra clothes.”
“And be deprived of this? You guys are too stupid to fuck,” Tony grumbled, scowling.
“You are being really mean right now, you know?” Steve sighed, shaking his head.
Tony narrowed his eyes at them, then somehow… slithered? Out of Bucky’s grip. “Fine,” he declared, as if that meant something to them. Then he leapt on the back of the couch with his full weight, knocking it over onto its back, and began dragging it toward the door like it was the carcass of a deer or something.
“That doesn’t mean you get to be mean to the couch instead!” Bucky bellowed, rushing to grab him again.
Tony yowled, loudly, claws hooked into the fabric so deep that the couch moved with him every time Bucky tugged. “I WILL NOT BE MADE TO OBSERVE THIS UPHOLSTERED FREAK.”
Bucky shot wild eyes at Steve, and he quickly came over to help. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much he could do—Tony seemed entirely offended by the couch, somehow, growling low in his chest and lunging forward to sink sharp teeth into it. As soon as they got one hand free, he dug the claws of his other hand back in, and he was even kicking at it with his back claws. They were at a loss. Tony had never reacted to any of their stuff like that before. Ever. And he’d been the one to buy the damn thing, anyway!
“What,” Steve asked loudly, and Tony paused, turning blown pupils on him even as he chewed at a seam in the cushion. “Is the problem with this couch? Does it smell bad? Does it look like a predator? What’s wrong?”
Tony chewed on the seam for a moment longer, until a stitch audibly popped. Then he leaned back, staring Steve down with narrowed eyes. Steve twitched like he felt the desire to run, but manfully met Tony’s gaze anyway. Finally, frustration dripping from every word, Tony huffed out, “It. Smells… evil.”
“Okay, that’s. Something we can work with,” Steve answered quickly, before Tony could bite down again. “What’s evil about it? Our cleaning products? Is the fabric degrading? Like, what exactly is it about the couch that we can change?”
Tony started looking uncertain, pulling the claws of his left hand free with the sound of torn fabric to pick at the edges of a puncture he’d made. “…It smells… too many,” he finally offered, managing to sound petulant instead of guilty.
Steve looked bewildered, but luckily, Bucky had always had more success in the dating department than he had, so he picked up what Tony was saying instead. “You mean there are other scents besides mine and Steve’s,” he concluded, tipping his head. “You can’t get comfortable because there are too many strange scents you don’t recognize, and you’re on the cusp of heat.”
Tony looked uncertain for a moment, then angry again. Steve threw his hand out before he could bury his teeth back into the couch, hastily offering, “What about a room that just smells like Bucky and me? Huh? Would that be safe?”
Tony scowled up at him mulishly. “And what room would that be? Huh?”
Steve glanced up at Bucky, and Bucky raised his eyebrows. There was only one room that could reliably smell only like them, and they both knew that it was their bedroom. With Tony about to start his heat, it would absolutely be an offer to help him through it to bring him there. He might find it offensive, being invited in by two prey shifters. They watched Tony sink his teeth back into the couch and decided it probably wouldn’t be more offensive than their furniture.
“Hey, Tony,” Bucky said gently. He waited for Tony to slant a glare at him again to make sure he had his full attention, then said, “We have the perfect room. It just smells like me an’ Stevie. That’s not too many, is it?”
Tony chewed on the fabric a little longer, then let it go with a wet sound, licking his lips. “…Two,” he said quietly, eyes narrowed in thought.
Steve and Bucky took a moment to silently and secretly panic, because they hadn’t thought it would be a problem. Bobcats weren’t monogamous, and technically neither were hares, but Steve and Bucky were… solid. They kept coming back to each other. Tony, on the other hand, wasn’t known for… catting around. Sure, earlier in his life, but that had slowed down as he got older, and had stopped almost entirely after Pepper. Maybe two scents were too much.
“…Two,” Tony repeated, glancing at the couch with more fury than his body should be able to contain. He looked back at Steve and Bucky. “That’s okay.”
“Great!” Bucky exclaimed, unwilling to give him the chance to change his mind. He turned, and Tony’s claws were torn free with comical popping sounds, nearly drowned out by his squawk of offense. The couch was already pretty much ruined, anyway. He swung Tony up into his arms and fought back a wince. He was still freezing. “Steve, grab some extra blankets, will ya?”
“Sure,” Steve answered, frowning in concern, and finally moved toward the linen closet.
Tony was surprisingly calm as Bucky carried him back to the bedroom, considering how violent he’d been getting with the couch. He didn’t even struggle when Bucky juggled him into one arm to pull back the blankets on the bed. He gently set Tony in the middle, ready to reach out and smack a pillow or blanket from his hands if he decided to give it the couch treatment, but he just looked around the room and sniffed deeply, considering, before flopping onto his back with force.
“…Okay,” Bucky muttered to himself when Tony didn’t say anything. He couldn’t help a thrill of satisfaction rolling through his gut when he noticed that Tony had turned his head and was rubbing his cheek into his pillow, though. He pulled the blankets up over him. “I’m gonna get in to help warm you up, okay?”
Tony said nothing, but he did start to purr, a deep, rumbling noise that made Bucky want to pet him. He fought the urge, instead circling the bed to his side and crawling under the covers. Tony was still worryingly cold when he reached out for him, but he also made the effort to cuddle up to him, so he probably wasn’t in too much danger. They’d get him warmed up, discuss his stay now that the blizzard he’d been trying to beat had snowed him in, and not talk about his freakout with the couch at all. He was pretty sure that one day they’d come back to the cabin to find a whole new couch after Tony was finally able to skulk off, trying to pretend he wasn’t embarrassed.
“Warm,” Tony murmured, greedily pressing his back to Bucky’s chest. His purring went up a notch, and it sent a pleasant, vibrating sensation through Bucky’s core.
Steve came in with an armful of extra blankets before Bucky could tell him so. “How’s he doin’, Buck?”
“Well, he hasn’t bitten any pillows, but we know he’d be doing that for a different reason in here,” Bucky replied, smirking.
Tony let out a huff, turning to bury his face in Steve’s pillow. “As if. Bet you guys don’t even have barbs.”
“Those are real?” Steve asked, surprised, even as he began layering more blankets onto the bed.
Tony slanted an unimpressed scowl in his direction. “I’m gonna get you guys a big picture book about alpha biology. Then you’ll be sorry. I hope you see a horse shifter’s cock and faint dead away.”
“Okay,” Steve replied, unable to hide the amusement in his tone as he carefully crawled under all the blankets. “You’ll take care of me when I faint, right?”
Tony worked his jaw, purr fading as he glared up at Steve mulishly. He didn’t struggle when Steve pressed in so they were chest to chest, though, and he muttered a petulant, “O’ course.”
“Being sincere wouldn’t kill you, you know,” Bucky teased, pressing closer so that Tony was sandwiched firmly between them.
“It would,” Tony huffed, but his purring started up again, so. He was probably just being a feline about it.
Tony warmed up slowly, even with all the blankets on them. He kept putting his icy toes on their legs, alternating between them, but when his feet finally stopped feeling like ice cubes, the rest of him quickly followed suit, so. It was bearable. His purring petered off the warmer he got, which was a bummer, but having him warm and calm between them was just as nice.
Then he started squirming, and it wasn’t so nice.
“What are you doing,” Bucky sighed as he wiggled his hips, bouncing on the mattress between them.
“’m horny,” Tony muttered, and while he didn’t say it, his tone clearly added an ‘idiot’ to the end.
Steve blinked, stunned. “Already? That was fast.”
“I said it was coming on, didn’t I?” Tony groused, throwing his leg over Steve’s hip. “Why do you think I went out in that fucking storm? I didn’t realize I was so close when I got here. Fuck,” he gasped, then sighed, letting out a quiet mewl.
It took a moment, but then they realized they could hear the wet sound of something moving back and forth. Bucky carefully pushed his thigh forward and bit back a grunt when he felt Tony’s hand moving against it. “You’re fucking yourself in our bed?” he asked, wondering if he should feel scandalized or not. “You’re not even gonna ask us if that’s okay?”
“…I can go back out to the couch,” Tony grumbled, huffing. “But. It’s gonna happen regardless. I can’t—I need to—”
“Could just ask for help,” Steve teased, lifting a hand to cup his cheek. “C’mere.”
Bucky watched, enthralled, as Tony blinked up at him in confusion, though he willingly let Steve draw him in. He mewled when Steve brought their mouths together, gasping quietly when Steve immediately pressed his tongue in. He tried to take control of the kiss, but Steve didn’t let him, instead keeping up his languid, slow mapping of his mouth.
Then Steve glanced at him and gave him a wink, and Bucky bit back a laugh. Instead, he curled his fingers around the hem of Tony’s briefs, an ear out for complaint as he carefully slid them down his thighs. Tony wouldn’t uncurl his top leg from Steve’s hip, though, and he was too focused on trying to get his tongue into Steve’s mouth to help, so Bucky shrugged and ripped them right down the middle.
That, apparently, was enough to get Tony to jerk away from Steve’s face, immediately complaining, “Hey!”
“I’ll give you a pair of mine,” Bucky replied, amused.
Tony huffed and puffed irritably, then muttered about how they were hare-brained again. Finally, he muttered, “Fine, but you’re not getting them back.”
“Oh no, a chance to imagine you keeping my underwear on you? Say it ain’t so,” Bucky deadpanned.
Tony’s breath hitched, but he managed to mumble a petulant ‘asshole’ at him, cheeks flushed and pupils blown.
“Is this okay?” Steve asked gently. “We’re not. A species that can. Just go for a while before we come.”
“Our refractory periods are insane though,” Bucky added.
Tony leaned back and gave one very hard blink at them. “I’m a short but frequent animal too. So. That should be fine.”
“Even without the barbs?” Steve asked, brows furrowing with concern.
“I have slept with many non-cats,” Tony huffed. “I’m not picky. And there are two of you, so…”
Bucky pressed closer, pushing his pants and underwear down around his thighs even as he murmured, “‘I’m not picky.’ How romantic. Be still my beating heart.”
“I can get off without you,” Tony warned, beginning to turn his head to glare at him. Then he let out a startled yowl, back arching, as Bucky buried his length in one go. “Big,” he managed, squirming. “I thought hares were small.”
“Serum,” Steve answered, shrugging, then pulled him back into a kiss.
Bucky waited a moment, to see if Tony would voice any complaint, but then he rocked his hips back impatiently, so. He figured if Tony really didn’t want this, they’d look like the couch anyway. He took a moment to wrap his arms around Tony’s waist, holding him flush to his body as he carefully worked his cock back and forth, trying to find the right angle. He could hear Tony growling irritably against Steve’s mouth, but there were no claws or sharp teeth to go with it, so he figured that it was more frustration or impatience than actual physical discomfort.
Then Tony jerked his head back, eyes wide, and gasped, “Oh! There. Don’t fucking change anything.”
Bucky huffed out a laugh, burying his face in the back of Tony’s neck as he shifted to make himself more comfortable. Then he began rutting him in earnest, pounding into him in the exact same spot.
Tony yowled, entire body jerking, but between Steve and Bucky’s hands, he didn’t move at all. Steve drew him back into a kiss, muffling his cries. Bucky was a bit disappointed he couldn’t listen to Tony enjoying himself, but then, Tony hadn’t been yowling in his ears, so. He figured he could put up with it.
“You’re not gonna make us trudge through the snow to get you a morning after pill or anything, are you?” he teased breathlessly.
Tony pulled away from Steve’s face to slant him an unimpressed scowl, which probably would have been more humbling if his face wasn’t flushed red and little mewls escaping his swollen lips. “You don’t have barbs. I’ll be fine.”
Bucky rolled his eyes, amused, then met Steve’s gaze over Tony’s shoulder. Steve just shook his head, smiling fondly, before he carefully shifted closer, one hand on Tony’s thigh to hold his leg over his hip as he pressed up against him more fully. Tony yowled again as it pressed his groin up against Steve’s other thigh, hands reaching down to grab his cock, but Steve caught his wrists easily.
Bucky started rutting into Tony harder, so every thrust rubbed his dick up against Steve’s leg, and it only took a couple thrusts before Tony was making a sound, high and reedy, in the back of his throat. He could feel Tony clenching down on his cock and briefly regretted not having barbs for him, but Tony didn’t voice any complaint as he trembled with aftershocks, so. It was probably fine. Bucky rutted into his rippling hole five, six more times before burying himself as deep as he could with a groan of his own.
Then he pulled out, and Tony barely had time to whine in complaint before Steve was burying his cock in him.
“…Oh no,” Tony said after a brief, shocked pause. “I don’t think I’m that short and frequent.”
“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” Steve murmured, even as he started rutting into him. “We’ll take care of you.”
Tony grunted, eyes rolling back as Steve apparently found his prostate on the third stroke and started pounding over it. “My heat’s ten days long, you’ll wear yourselves out—”
“Don’t worry about us,” Bucky soothed, pressing a kiss to the back of his neck. He smirked. “‘sides. People don’t call us Energizer Bunnies for nothing.”
Tony twisted to look back at him with wide eyes. “Huh?!”
Steve chuckled. “We just keep going, and going, and—”
“Oh my god so I’m going to die,” Tony wailed, then let out a sort of ‘whuff’ as Steve yanked him closer. “If you big dumb hare-brains don’t crush me first,” he added, strangled.
Bucky ignored him, because he knew Tony was just complaining. He and Steve would never crush him, and besides, he wasn’t even trying to fight being pinned between them. He slid a hand over his stomach, gently rubbing his thumb back and forth. Their own breeding season was technically still a few weeks away, but he got the feeling that after a couple days of being cooped up with the scent of Tony’s heat, that wouldn’t matter, especially between the two of them. “I got a breeding kink that comes out after a couple hours, just so ya know,” he warned, and Tony squirmed against him irritably. “I know it’s not gonna take because of the barbs, but I’m gonna say a bunch of embarrassing breeding shit anyway.”
“What the fuck else are heats and ruts for?” Tony scoffed, then bit his bottom lip, letting out a soft ‘mew’ as Steve started rutting into him harder.
Bucky watched his mouth fall open, breaths coming out hot and wet before he let out that reedy sound again, entire body shaking this time as he panted and gasped his way through orgasm. “…I am genuinely kinda shocked that you can have attitude even though you’re literally right about to come,” he said after a brief pause.
Steve grunted, ramming forward twice more before falling still. He took a moment to suck in a deep breath, then slanted Bucky a somewhat charmed grin. “I think that’s just a cat thing. Guess we’ll have to fuck the attitude right out of him.”
“Guess so,” Bucky agreed as Steve pulled out with a quiet groan. He tugged Tony’s body back toward him, shuffling to get room to lay him out on his back. Once he was certain Tony appeared to be comfortable, he hooked his arms under Tony’s knees and pulled his legs up, effectively folding him in half so he could bury his cock in him again.
“Jesus Christ,” Tony gasped, eyes half-lidded and pupils blown. “I feel like a fleshlight.”
“Already?” Steve asked in surprise.
Tony managed a short bark of laughter, but it faded into a groan as Bucky began fucking into him again. “Fuck, how else am I supposed to feel when you guys are just ready to go at me?”
Bucky shrugged, working on the angle of his hips until—Tony yowled again, hips jerking uselessly against the grip on his legs, perfect—and began focusing his efforts on that angle. “Is it our fault you’re so sexy?”
Tony began to purr, and he looked betrayed for a moment. They assumed it was because he was going to be sassy again and his purr would undercut the sincerity of it. “Just give me breaks every couple hours or so,” he sighed, rolling his eyes, and Bucky bit back a coo at the blush crossing his cheeks.
“‘course,” Bucky grunted, and Steve crawled closer, pressing a kiss to Tony’s panting mouth the muffle his unimpressed mutterings about hare-brains and how they better at least have ointment for the chafing he’d obviously be suffering from by the time his heat was over.
Kink belongs at Pride. I will keep writing it until people stop flinching. You can find this fic on ao3 (here). Anyway it's 8K so look out for under the cut.
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Natasha stopped in her tracks as soon as she saw Tony. She’d expected him to be getting ready for movie night, slipping into well-worn sweatpants and a soft t-shirt. They hadn’t had a real sit-down with the whole team for several weeks. If it wasn’t Avengers battles keeping from them from meeting up, away missions or business trips had. Just that morning at breakfast, Tony had been chattering on about how he’d finally gotten Bruce onto his and Clint’s side and they’d be able to bully Steve and Thor into watching Escape from New York. He’d been so excited at his victory that he’d about vibrated out of his seat.
Now, though, he was standing half-in the closet, the fingers of his right hand tapping over his chest and the arc reactor. He barely glanced in Natasha’s direction before he very carefully and deliberately took a half step to turn so more of his back was to her. He was still wearing his sleek Tom Ford that he’d put on for a business meeting earlier. He was still wearing his shiny loafers.
Natasha waited a beat, just to see if he’d speak, then said, “We can skip movie night.”
Tony made a sound of genuine distress. “I don’t want to skip movie night.”
She took a careful step toward him. “Do you think you’ll be in any condition for movie night?”
“I—” Tony began, then stopped, ducking his head. He swallowed thickly, then managed to croak out a despondent, “I don’t want to miss it.”
Natasha bent over a little so she could see his face, cataloguing the dismay and resignation in his expression before he could notice and shutter it away. It had been a long time since they’d gotten to have a team movie night. But, she was beginning to realize, it had been a long time since Tony had gotten to relax at her feet, too.
“I’ll put on the lace,” Tony said after another minute, shoulders sagging, and lifted his other hand so he could begin to unbutton his vest and shirt. His hands were trembling. It could have been because it had been so long since he’d gotten to go down. It also could have been disappointment that he was missing out on movie night, though.
Natasha sucked in a deep breath, held it for three seconds, then let it back out slowly as she stood up straight again. She crossed her arms over her chest, considering, as Tony walked over and carefully laid his jacket, vest, and shirt over the back of the nearest chair. “We can… skip the lace,” she offered after a moment.
Tony hesitated for a moment before continuing with his careful undressing, mouth turning down into an uncertain frown. “Do you not like it anymore?”
She’d miscalculated. Natasha shifted her weight from one foot to the other and uncrossed her arms, so her body language wasn’t as closed off. For good measure, she reached toward her back pocket for her phone. “I love your lace,” she assured him, pulling her phone out so he could watch her flick the lock screen open. “And I love the way the pattern shows up on your skin when I spank you.” She waited until his eyes darted to her phone screen, then swiped over to the movie night group chat, which was already beginning to buzz with food suggestions. She swiped into her emoticons.
To her immense pleasure, she got to watch his eyes dilate as her thumb punched in the ‘rope’ and ‘bunny’ emojis.
“Oh,” Tony said, then cleared his throat and carefully turned his head away, as if she hadn’t just clocked how much he enjoyed the idea just from his eyes. “Well. I mean. I could still. Wear the lace.”
“The lace is for me,” Natasha informed him, voice flat. “If they want to see it, they can come up and watch me spank you.” She pointed at the antique armoire that held all of their toys and implements with her free hand. “Your briefs are nice enough for movie night.”
Tony perked up a little, but only in a way that she would notice. “I can still go?”
Natasha spared one glance at her phone, which was now blowing up with ‘PLEASE!’s, just as she expected it to, before she looked back at him. The corner of her mouth twisted up into a smirk. “I think if I didn’t bring you down, it might start a riot. Pick out a set of ropes while you’re in there,” she added as Tony swiveled toward the armoire and pulled the doors open. She walked over to sit in the chair Tony had set his clothes on, lounging back in it as she watched Tony obediently pull a rack out, fingers dancing over different colors and lengths of rope. “I’m thinking… diamonds.”
Tony’s hand pausing over a length of blue jute was the only indication that he’d heard her. She decided she didn’t need to demand a verbal answer, though. She figured that going through disappointment of missing movie night and then having it put back on the table was a lot to deal with, on top of being allowed to pivot and pick his own ropes and underwear. Normally she picked everything out. But he’d only just gotten comfortable with the fact that she thought he looked good regardless of what he was wearing; he still didn’t quite believe the rest of the team thought the same, so she wanted him to have the choice of what he wore in front of them.
She wished she could show him her phone, so he could see the texts dripping with excitement and wheedling suggestions. It wouldn’t help, though, she knew—it had taken months of her taking care of him when he was at his most vulnerable before Tony had accepted it from her, and she had more hands-on contact. Steve was next on the level of trust, she figured; he was the only one who came up to sit in on their scenes. He was never interested in playing himself, but always left a new sketch of Tony’s bound body or the welts Natasha had left on it as thanks for letting him ‘intrude.’
Still, perhaps she’d show him Clint’s inundation of ‘Me first pleeeeease’s and Bruce using the custom Hulk fist emoji to argue ‘NO ME’ in response. Just as a treat for herself.
Natasha glanced back up when she noticed Tony shimmying his hips. He was finally kicking off his slacks and carefully folding them up. She leaned back in the chair, slinging her arm over the back as she watched him push his briefs down, too. “You changing into different briefs? Not that I mind. I just think the black would make the ropes pop.”
Tony hesitated, looking down at where his briefs had gathered at his ankles. Finally, though, he looked back up at her through his eyelashes, uncertainty back in his expression. “I thought. If you were doing diamonds. Perhaps… the red thong?”
“Yeah?” Natasha tilted her head, eyes raking up and down his body as she considered whether or not she liked the idea. “…I’m not mad about it,” she finally decided, crossing her arms over her chest again and tapping her phone against her chin. “I just worry… When I do the ties, I mean, the rope’s not gonna like. Chafe your balls or anything, right?”
“…No,” Tony choked out after blinking at her for a moment. He turned back to the armoire, shoulders shaking. He managed to haltingly add, “But I’ll put on the briefs. Since you’re concerned about it.”
Natasha scowled. “Are you laughing at me?!”
“You are so intimately acquainted with my body but you still don’t know what is and isn’t gonna chafe my balls,” Tony managed between semi-hysterical giggles.
“I am rescinding permission for movie night!” Natasha exclaimed, but Tony just planted his hands on his knees and laughed harder.
.-.
“Fuck, that’s hot,” Clint moaned when Natasha finally stepped off the elevator, holding Tony in her arms like the princess she liked to call him sometimes.
Natasha took a moment to feel endlessly smug. All of the hours she’d spent in the gym so she would be able to carry Tony around (and toss him around, in the bedroom) had led to this. Then she continued on to the loveseat she and Tony usually shared, because she couldn’t hold him that long, and she refused to look weak in front of them when the high of showing off was still pumping victoriously through her. She very carefully set Tony down on his feet, hands lingering on him as he weaved back and forth, trying to find his balance.
Steve’s hands twitched immediately, the same way that he did when he first set up his art supplies in the bedroom when he sat in on their scenes. He wanted to draw Tony on sight; in fact, she would probably be gifted a sketch to share with Tony by the end of the week.
Natasha couldn’t blame him. Tony looked good in most things—best in lace, but ropes were a close second. She’d taken the time to carefully twist a yellow ribbon into the knots at the base of his throat and the three making the diamond pattern on his chest, helping the red rope to bring out the olive of his skin. It had taken a little finagling, but she’d managed to get the ropes just tight enough and placed just so that his pecs gave a nice squish under her hands, and she knew Thor and Clint would like it, too. The matching diamond surrounding the bulge in his briefs added a cohesiveness to the ensemble. She grabbed the knot tied over his pelvis and jerked on it, and Tony wasn’t the only one who whimpered in response, but his, at least, was muffled behind his red ball gag.
“Let’s show them the star of the show,” Natasha cooed, using her grip around the knot to tug him around on stumbling feet so they could show off the back of the ropes around his hips.
“Holy shit,” Thor breathed, and Steve dropped his beer, speechless, as they took in how the ropes lovingly cupped each cheek, like each one was a particularly ripe peach that needed to be bitten into.
Natasha smacked her free hand over Tony’s left cheek, just for good measure, and Clint whimpered again as it jiggled before falling still. “I thought we could watch something a little mindless tonight,” she offered, palming the other cheek and squeezing until… someone whimpered again. It might have been Tony, but she couldn’t be sure. “Tony’s not good for much, and if he misses Escape from New York, he’s going to be sad.”
“We wouldn’t want Tony to be sad,” Thor agreed, but his gaze was more hungry than sympathetic.
Natasha fell back onto the loveseat and reached out to grab the ropes over his hips. Tony made a muffled yelping sound as she tugged, stumbling over both of their feet and pitching forward toward her. She caught him easily, maneuvering him around to ease him down onto his knees between her feet. “No fucking him tonight,” she said once she’d pulled his head to rest on her knee, blinking up at her with bleary eyes. She decided to ignore the groans of complaint she received for her order, carefully carding her fingers through Tony’s hair. “He’s in that weird place where he needs to be down but is also too keyed up not to worry about how he’s pleasing you.”
“Aw,” Steve said, frowning in concern. “I’ll reschedule some of our training plans. I had no idea he was so anxious.”
“Thanks, Steve,” Natasha purred, instead of admitting that she also hadn’t noticed. Tony was like a cat that way, hiding what he needed until he simply couldn’t anymore. She’d just have to be more careful next time. She looked back down at Tony, hands cradling his head so she could tip it back, force him to make eye contact with her. He blinked, slow and syrupy, pupils already blown wide. He was already almost out of it. “You can fondle him through the briefs,” she decided, and Tony let out a shuddering sigh around the ball gag in his mouth. “Draw straws or something. I don’t want a fight when he’s vulnerable.”
She heard them start shuffling around immediately and couldn’t help the corner of her mouth quirking up smugly when she saw Tony’s eyelids flutter. “Hear that, Умница? We’re going to take such good care of you.”
Tony leaned forward to lay his head on her lap, moaning quietly around the gag. Somehow, it sounded almost thankful. She decided to pet his head instead of check in. Even like this, tied up and gagged, he was still incredibly vulnerable. If she drew attention to things that made him embarrassed, he could end the scene early, and she really wanted him to have a night where he didn’t need to think—just to be a good little rope bunny who let his friends take care of him.
“I get him after the first half hour of the movie,” Bruce said, grinning widely as he came to sit beside Natasha on the loveseat. “I’ll sit here so we don’t have to move him until he’s… a little further down.”
Tony mewled a complaint, as if trying to urge them that he didn’t need that. Natasha only acknowledged it by gripping his hair tighter until he whimpered in defeat. It was her job to take care of him, and sometimes that meant ignoring his people pleasing nature, even if it made him feel bad for a minute. He’d be well under by the time it was Bruce’s turn to cuddle him, and then he wouldn’t feel so needy, instead just happily accepting anything that happened to him. She kept his hair in a tight grip for just a bit longer, as a reminder of that, then released it slowly, scratching her nails along his scalp while it was still tingling so she could feel him shiver against her legs.
Natasha spent the first half hour of Mission: Impossible gently massaging Tony’s head, focusing most of her effort at the base of his skull and around his temples. That was where he carried most of his tension, and she wanted him loose and content by the time she passed him over to Bruce.
Tony’s head was lolling between her palms when Bruce finally adjusted himself in the seat next to her, and she carefully tipped his head back to check his face. It was lax, eyes heavy-lidded and dark, and his lips were red and wet around the ball gag spreading them. His throat worked, Adam’s apple bobbing, wordlessly asking for something more in his mouth.
“No, Умница,” she told him firmly. “Later, when you’re more lucid.”
Tony obediently tipped his cheek into her palm and sighed quietly as he relaxed against her. He made a sound that might have been a complaint any other time, but mostly just sounded conceding, now. She felt a pang of regret. She should have been keeping a better eye on him. She’d known he hadn’t gotten down recently, that he would eventually need to, and with the way he’d finally admitted defeat and told her that he wouldn’t make it, she’d clearly missed signs, even if Tony did do his best to hide them. He’d probably give her the out of ‘too many villains attacking’ and ‘between battles and board meetings’ and whatever other excuse he could find, but she knew she would need to do better next time.
“My turn?” Bruce offered, as if she might have changed her mind after examining him.
Natasha gave Tony a fond pat on the head. “Your turn,” she agreed, letting go of Tony’s head so she could hook her arms under his and help drag him upright. She slanted him a rueful smile as she swiveled to plop Tony directly into his lap. “Do I need to set a timer on my phone?”
“Clint will know when it’s his turn,” Bruce answered, carefully situating Tony’s legs over his own and then drawing him back to rest against his chest.
Natasha was secretly glad it was Bruce, first, leaning her cheek on her hand and watching carefully for any signs of distress from either of them. She didn’t know all of Bruce’s… proclivities, but she did know that he wasn’t one for exhibitionism. If they were all in the same room, he truly seemed to just like holding Tony, feeling his weight against him. ‘It’s grounding,’ he’d explained once when Natasha had expressed concern that he felt pressured to hold him, and as she watched him tuck his face into Tony’s throat, she figured she understood, at least as much as she needed to—that Tony was basically a weighted blanket, but with the bonus of a steady and calm heartbeat. Like a cat sprawling over his chest and purring, she never said, but knew in her heart was true.
Tony seemed to melt back against Bruce, thighs spreading in the space he was given, eyes drifting shut as he turned and nuzzled against him. Bruce’s hands came to rest on his ribs, thumbs tucking under the lengths of rope there, and Tony shuddered. Bruce was holding him up, Natasha realized as Tony’s breath shuddered in his chest. Bruce was bracing Tony’s torso, so he didn’t have to sit so stiffly with the arc reactor, taking over holding his posture. Tony melted like it was better than sex and massage and being hand-fed altogether, and Bruce murmured something against his throat that made a shiver run through Tony’s body before he fell limp.
Natasha magnanimously decided not to listen in and hear what it was. That was something special from Bruce, just for Tony. She glanced over at Steve, to see if he’d been listening in, but he’d procured one of his sketchbooks while she’d been focused wholly on Tony, and she got the feeling there would be several new sketches by the next day for them to peruse.
“What’s the word on hickeys?” Clint whispered, leaning over the arm of the couch so she could hear him better.
Natasha spared a thought for checking Tony’s calendar, then decided it didn’t matter. If Pepper got mad, she’d send her an apology and a voucher to a spa day. Pepper seemed to soften up pretty quickly when Natasha was the one apologizing. “So long as he doesn’t make any objections, anything goes.”
“Yes!” Clint hissed, pumping his fist, and when Thor sat up a little straighter, clearly having eavesdropped, he gave him an air high-five across the room.
Natasha snorted in amusement, shaking her head, then turned her gaze back on Tony and Bruce. She knew that Bruce would never do anything to hurt him, but she was still feeling a little overprotective because of her missing what were probably several minute cries for help, to be taken down, to stop thinking and be taken care of.
Clint stood just as Tom Cruise decided they were going to infiltrate the CIA, making his way over carefully. Natasha watched with sharp eyes, ears already straining for any sound of distress, just in case. Clint murmured something to Bruce, like ‘you sure?’ or ‘it’s okay,’ and Bruce nodded, turning his head to press a kiss to Tony’s cheek. Clint took it as the dismissal it was, carefully wedging an arm under Tony’s knees and behind his back. Tony made a sound of distress, but it was obviously because he was comfortable and didn’t want to be moved, and he didn’t get to make that decision, so Natasha said nothing.
Clint carried Tony back to his seat on the couch with only a smug grin in Natasha’s direction, and she watched as he carefully set Tony on his legs so his knees were thrown over Clint’s thighs, pulling him back to lay over his chest much like Bruce had. He nudged his hand under Tony’s chin, and Tony tipped his head back over his shoulder obediently, eyes fluttering as he tried to decide to melt into it or tense up.
Clint murmured a clear and fond ‘good boy’ before he turned his head and bit down on Tony’s throat, making him jerk and whine against the gag between his teeth. Natasha tensed, but finally, the whine registered as a complaint rather than a desire for Clint to actually stop, so she sat back in her seat again.
Clint wasn’t one to waste time, especially when he had to share, and Natasha bit back a smirk when she watched him spread his knees apart, forcing Tony’s thighs open wide. It did a good job of showing off the diamond of the ropes around his groin, how they met between his cheeks to give them more definition. His hand slipped down, fingers trailing over the ropes reverently, following them down to where they met just below Tony’s balls. Then Clint pressed his hand down, palm rubbing over Tony’s cock, fingers expertly curling back up under his balls so his hips jerked as if to escape.
“Gonna have you humping my hand by the time I gotta pass you off to Thor,” Clint promised over the whines and squeals of complaint escaping Tony’s gag.
Natasha watched Tony’s eyes widen sightlessly, blush beginning to spread from his cheeks down to his throat, as if the idea had never occurred to him. She decided not to say anything, instead cataloguing each sound slipping past the ball gag, each movement as Clint slid an arm around his chest to hold him in place as he started rubbing his cock in earnest. He’d probably come well before it was Thor’s turn; even ignoring the fact that they hadn’t gotten to play lately, they hadn’t had the energy to have sex. She got the feeling that no one would mind, though, eyes darting over as Steve frantically turned the page in his sketchbook to a clean one and then focused back on Tony.
She got the feeling that Tony wouldn’t mind, either, watching as his hips began to shake, as if he was trying to fight the urge to hump into Clint’s grip. He’d lose to his urges eventually. He always did.
Clint trailed his fingers along the rope again, ignoring Tony’s whimper of complaint so he could hook them in the rope and pull, and Tony’s toes curled in response as it tugged the ropes between his cheeks tight. “Shame these ropes make it impossible to rub over your hole,” Clint grumbled, tugging again, then let it drop so he could put his hand back on Tony’s cock. “You’re always a sucker for your hole getting played with.”
Natasha hummed thoughtfully, then shrugged, smirking a little. “I mean. Just because it’s covered doesn’t mean you can’t play with it.” She preened in her seat as everyone turned to look at her, dumbfounded, like all the air had been sucked out of the room. “I always think about Tony’s pleasure when he’s in the ropes.”
Clint stared at her, then reached down for the ropes again, tugging them up tight, and Tony let out a muffled keen, eyes rolling back, hips jerking up to try and escape the pressure. “Is there a plug in our pretty bunny?” he asked, not letting up at all, and Tony’s thighs quivered over his knees, hips twitching uselessly as Clint spread his own so he couldn’t get leverage anymore.
Natasha shrugged again. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Clint stared at her for a moment longer, then let go of the rope, and Tony fell limp as if he was a puppet whose strings had been cut. “Since I can’t take it out to fuck him, I guess it doesn’t matter,” he muttered, turning to latch onto Tony’s throat again as he wrapped his fingers around Tony’s cock and began stroking him fast enough that Natasha genuinely feared fabric burn on him.
Tony jerked and whined in Clint’s lap, attempting to blink tears from his eyes and mostly failing as they instead rolled down his red cheeks. Natasha watched him for a moment, concerned, but he wasn’t saying anything that resembled his safe word, and his eyes weren’t blinking an SOS either. She allowed herself to relax. It appeared he was only overwhelmed. Clint had that effect on people. Or, well, he had that effect on Tony. He liked to tout that the circus had taught him more than how to shoot arrows, and no matter how much Tony wheedled or demanded, Clint never explained—only ever promised to show him.
Natasha could almost feel sorry for him, if Tony didn’t bring it upon himself every time.
“Will you move your hand a little to the left,” Steve said, and Natasha watched, astounded, as Clint obliged, twisting his wrist into what was clearly an uncomfortable position.
“What the fuck,” she began, more air than word.
Bruce nudged her, and she looked at him to see his smile had gone wry and amused. “Oh, Steve gives us copies of his sketches if we do him favors. He makes listening to his requests really easy.”
Natasha tipped her head, considering. Steve had never asked her if that was okay, but then, she figured he didn’t really need to. It was his art, even if the subject technically belonged to her.
Tony made a sound, high and reedy, and Natasha turned her gaze back to him just in time to watch Tony throw his head back over Clint’s shoulder. His hips jerked up, pressing his cock more insistently into Clint’s hand, and Clint helpfully tightened his grip around him.
“You really did get him to start humping your hand,” Natasha observed, raising her eyebrows as she watched Tony’s muscles strain, hips rutting forward without shame. “Poor Умница. So needy.” She tipped her head as Tony made another reedy noise, drool beginning to drip out from around his gag, the corners of his lips. She’d have to make sure to get some water into him soon. It would probably be better to take the gag out, anyway. It wasn’t like his begging did much—everyone already knew to ask her permission.
Clint finally reached down with his other hand to tug at the ropes again, and Tony made a choked sound, then keened, hips stuttering as if he didn’t know which way to move, up into Clint’s hand or down against the rope. As quickly as every one of his muscles clenched, though, he sagged, twitching with aftershocks as Clint gave his cock a few more strokes, just for good measure.
Natasha let Clint paw at his softening cock until Tony’s noises turned plaintive, then stood, slanting him a sharp look. “Enough.”
“Fine,” Clint grumbled, sliding his hand up over Tony’s quivering abs. Belatedly, he allowed the rope to slip from his fingers. Tony’s head flopped back over Clint’s shoulder, chest heaving, and Clint wasted no time sucking another hickey into his throat while he had the chance.
“Mouth only now,” Natasha added, pointing at Clint sternly, and waited until she got a reluctant eye roll before she turned to head toward the kitchen. She lingered by the cabinets for a moment, then decided against a snack. She could feed him once he was tucked securely in bed and didn’t have sharp eyes watching him at his most vulnerable. She grabbed two water bottles from the fridge, even though he’d probably only be able to finish one, then grabbed a fistful of napkins from the table as an afterthought. Once properly armed, she returned to the common room.
Clint had licked his way up to Tony’s jaw, where he was leaving a spectacular bruise. Natasha couldn’t help a sigh. Pepper would be less understanding about that one. Maybe she’d make sure a new pair of shoes were waiting for her after the spa treatment.
Natasha grabbed Clint’s hair and tugged, a warning that she wasn’t afraid to wrench his head aside. Luckily, Clint seemed as reluctant to upset Tony as she was, and he pulled his mouth away with sigh. “Keep your hands still,” she warned, dumping the water bottles beside him on the couch so she could cradle Tony’s head between her hands.
“Fine,” Clint agreed easily, placing one hand on Tony’s stomach and the other on the inside of a still-trembling thigh.
Natasha scratched her nails over Tony’s scalp until his breath steadied and his eyes fluttered shut. Once she was certain he was relaxed again, she slid her hands back, fingers tracing the leather of the belts keeping the ball gag in place until they came to the clasp. “Here we go, Умница. Let’s get some water in you.” The gag slipped from Tony’s lips with a slick, wet sound, followed by a long, shuddering breath. Natasha let him take a few deep breaths, dabbing the drool from his trembling mouth as his chest heaved, before she turned and cracked open one of the bottles.
“Is he gonna choke like this?” Clint asked quietly.
“Not if you hold his head up properly,” Natasha scoffed, and Clint rolled his eyes but obediently lifted his hands to cradle either side of Tony’s head. She pressed the backs of her fingers to Tony’s chin, eyes softening. “Умница, open up for me.”
Tony blinked, a slow up-and-down of clumped-together eyelashes that sent two more tears rolling down his cheeks. Then the order registered, and his swollen lips parted. Natasha carefully tipped the water bottle to his mouth, only allowing little sips to pass into it. Tony was so out of it, she sincerely worried he might choke accidentally. Even the coldness from the fridge couldn’t shock him from where he was clearly floating, a perfect little doll for her to use as she saw fit.
Tony twitched his head away uselessly once he’d sipped half the bottle, but Natasha took it as the ‘no more’ he meant it to be, twisting the lid back on easily and setting both bottles on the coffee table. Mission: Impossible was rolling its credits behind her, and she considered whether two hours should be the limit. She had him lean forward so she could check the ropes binding his wrists, but his hands were still warm, and he flexed his fingers when she tapped on them. He even managed to puff out a voiceless ‘please’ against the side of her face, eyes wide and pleading.
Natasha sighed, unable to help the corner of her mouth curving up. “Fine. But we’re going upstairs after Thor gets his turn.” He smiled, wide and mindless, and she leaned in to press a kiss to his lips before she carefully scooped him up out of Clint’s lap. She turned on one heel and took a step towards the other loveseat that Steve and Thor were sharing, then deposited Tony onto Thor’s lap before she could accidentally drop him.
Thor’s hand immediately came up to squeeze one of Tony’s pecs, massaging the flesh slow and considering. Finally, he trapped Tony’s nipple between two fingers and tugged until Tony arched his back and whined. “I want to fuck his thighs,” he said simply as Tony twitched and mewled under his hand.
‘I said no fucking’ was on the tip of Natasha’s tongue, but then she watched Thor’s other hand stroke the soft, pale inside of Tony’s left thigh, and she took a moment to think about it. She’d already informed Tony that she wasn’t letting his holes get used tonight, that she could sit on his face or peg him the next day, and while he’d been disappointed, he understood. But using his thighs as a makeshift fleshlight wasn’t using his holes. And Tony was already sunk into the headspace of ‘pleasure object’ rather than ‘needy sub.’ She crossed her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow. “And you just happened to bring lube down with you to team movie night?”
“Natasha,” Thor scoffed, but there was an edge of amusement in the twinkle of his eye. “I always have lube. The oil I use on the leather of my hammer has many uses.”
Natasha didn’t choke on the arousal that filled her at his lascivious smirk, but barely. “Fine, but I’m taking him back to the penthouse after,” she repeated gruffly. If she’d had a moment, she probably could have come up with a more biting retort, but sometimes she had to admit that Thor had the upper hand after a thousand years of living.
Steve bolted from his seat beside Thor to sit next to Clint on the couch so he could get a better view, hands shaking as he flipped to a clean sheet of paper. Natasha almost felt sorry for him—his erection looked painful where it was pressing up against the seam of his jeans. Perhaps she’d ask Tony if he wanted Steve to fuck him tomorrow. He’d mentioned that he enjoyed being pegged by her, but sometimes he missed the sensation of cum filling his belly and dripping out of his hole throughout the day.
But that was a question for later, when Tony was lucid and could accept whether or not Steve was comfortable with it. She dropped into the seat Steve had vacated, eyes sharp as she watched Thor grab the flask of oil he used on Mjolnir’s leather handle and pour a healthy amount into his other palm. As he smoothed it over the inside of Tony’s left thigh, his skin began to glisten, almost glowing in the dimmed lights of the living room. Tony let out a quiet huff, tipping his head back against Thor’s shoulder with a quiet moan as he massaged the muscle of his thigh in time with the other hand squeezing his pec. Natasha couldn’t help but feel pleased that her art was being appreciated; she’d had to place the ropes just so to get a little give to his chest with the way the ropes sat around the reactor, and Tony was in just the right headspace that her blasé ‘so they can play with your tits’ had made him blush in arousal instead of shame.
Thor switched hands, rubbing oil onto the inside of Tony’s right thigh as his other hand reached up, massaging his other pec for a moment before very deliberately rubbing his thumb over his nipple. “Would have looked better with clamps,” he said, and Tony shuddered.
Natasha swallowed thickly. She’d thought about it, but she hadn’t wanted to have to take them off and ruin the headspace Tony was in. His chest had been her biggest obstacle to overcome as they learned each other’s limits—parts of it had little to no sensation with the damage that had been done to it by the shrapnel and reactor. Conversely, while he didn’t have a lot of feeling, if she kept his nipples clamped too long, it could make his entire chest hurt for days, and not in a fun ‘I’m reminded of the deliciously kinky sex we had’ way. At this point, fifteen minutes was as long as she dared to leave them, and that would have disrupted Tony with whoever’s lap he sat on. She’d just wanted him to relax, comfortable and warm, without having to worry if he’d have to take muscle relaxers to stop his chest spasming in the coming week.
Thor seemed to notice how uncomfortable she was, because he offered her a kind smile. Somehow, though, his voice still dripped with sex as he added, “Another time, maybe.” He pressed his lips to Tony’s ear. “Are you ready, Anthony?”
Tony’s lips shaped another breathless ‘please,’ rubbing his slick thighs together. Thor lifted him easily so he could shove his sweatpants down, then settled Tony back in his lap. Tony made a soft sound in the back of his throat, and Natasha would bet it was from how casually Thor hefted his weight rather than from feeling Thor’s thick cock pushing up between his thighs.
Natasha spared a glance to the others as Thor gripped Tony’s thighs to keep the grip around his cock tight and began bouncing him on his lap. Bruce was scrolling through movie options, though she’d expected as much; he’d mentioned that ever since he’d gotten the other guy, his libido was thoroughly tanked. It was why no one really argued when he wanted to take his turn first. Clint was watching them with rapt attention, elbows on his knees so he could lean forward without falling off the couch. Steve looked completely overwhelmed, mouth gaping open and his pencil having fallen from his lax fingers. She considered reaching out and closing his mouth for him, but as she looked back at Thor, watching as he bounced Tony easily on his lap, she couldn’t really blame him.
“Can he come again?” Thor murmured, slanting her a considering look.
Natasha hummed, watching as drool began to drip from the corner of Tony’s mouth, eyes half-open and sightless. “Probably not. He was really keyed up when we were changing clothes for movie night. Almost didn’t wanna let him come down.”
“Poor thing,” Thor cooed, and any other time, Tony probably would have bristled at the tone. Instead, he just let out a little hiccup, stomach spasming with the effort of holding himself upright. Thor gamely lifted one hand to his chest, taking his weight and pressing a kiss to the side of his neck when he sighed in relief.
Natasha got up to grab the half-empty water bottle again. Tony was reaching his limit, and she wanted him to finish the bottle at least before she took him back upstairs. It would be easier to do it with Thor cradling him up for her like Clint had. She turned back to them and bit back an offended squawk when she found that in the ten seconds her back had been turned, Thor had apparently fucked himself to completion, cum splattered up against Tony’s belly and across his thighs. Somehow his cock still looked impressive even as it slowly went flaccid between Tony’s trembling thighs. “What the fuck. You didn’t even make a sound.”
Thor blinked at her placidly even as he scratched over Tony’s scalp like he was a particularly needy cat. “Sometimes when you’re being tracked by the enemy, your pleasure has to be quick and quiet.”
“I can’t fucking stand you,” Natasha hissed, because she was not going to think about Thor and some faceless person getting off while their enemies advanced on them without Tony there to howl questions at him. Watching him get worked up was part of the fun, but he also felt incredibly left out when he realized he didn’t know something the others did. While interesting, she now had the task of making sure Tony knew that Thor apparently fucked while enemies chased him, which wasn’t difficult, but she’d have to field questions and his realization that she didn’t chase after answers because he’d been vulnerable.
Well. That was all part of caring for Tony, she figured, sighing.
Tony drank most of the bottle before he started letting the water just run out of his mouth, and at least Natasha got the pleasure of hearing Thor yelp in surprise as it splattered onto his dick still nestled between Tony’s thighs. She put the cap back on the water bottle and tossed it aside. She could get more water in him after he was cleaned up and settled. Carefully, ignoring Thor’s grumbling, she slid her arms under Tony’s knees and just under his shoulder blades and delicately heaved him up into her arms.
“God, that’s so hot,” Clint moaned again, sagging in his seat.
Natasha took a moment to preen, because it was hot that she could pick Tony up, and she worked hard to be able to. Then she turned and headed to the elevator, because she wasn’t going to let them know that it was effort and carefully planned weight distribution that got her this far.
“Do you need any help?” Bruce called after her. He would, sometimes, when Tony was especially floppy and she needed help getting him clean.
Natasha hummed as she stepped into the waiting elevator, glancing down at Tony. His eyes were heavy-lidded and vacant, swollen lips parted to let out soft panting sounds as he worked to center himself and catch his breath. He’d probably be a little too floppy, but he also looked so out of it that she didn’t want too many people looking at him while he was. “No. Not tonight.”
“I’ll bring by breakfast tomorrow,” Steve offered, leaning over the back of the couch, a questioning lilt to his voice as his eyes raked over Tony’s limp form.
‘Breakfast’ usually meant donuts, coffee, and whatever sketches he’d finished for Tony to peruse. Natasha considered this, then offered, “Perhaps brunch,” which meant ‘later, with actual eggs and bacon, or at least a slathered bagel.’
Steve offered her a thumbs up, and the doors slid closed. Natasha turned her attention to Tony, watching him blink and breathe and simply exist in her arms. She took a moment to feel guilty that it had gotten to this point, then quickly brushed it off. Tony wouldn’t want her to feel guilty when he’d been actively hiding his needs, and quite frankly, she couldn’t do her best to help him if she felt bad. She’d just have to be more cognizant of how much downtime he got. The guilt would turn to determination by morning.
Tony whined loudly when she laid him over the arm of the comfy chair in his room, wiggling uselessly, and she gave him a firm pat on the ass, just a hint of sting, to warn him. Once he fell still again, she reached out and nimbly picked the ropes free from around his arms, massaging from elbow to finger tip before she carefully stretched his arms forward, so he was reaching to the other arm rest. Tony whined again, back spasming as the muscles that had been locked in place for the tie finally got relief, relaxing and stretching. She rubbed his shoulders and back briefly, just to get the circulation going again, then hooked her hands under his arms so she could manhandle him into a sitting position.
This was her favorite part, she thought, carefully unwinding lengths of rope from around Tony’s limp body. He always managed to peel his eyes open and watch her hands, even as his body twitched and jerked in relief as it finally got to relax. It was the most vulnerable he ever was, unable to even move without help, having to let her take care of him. Being tied was a choice he made and allowed. At this point, he barely had the strength to blink, and Natasha always made sure she took the best care of him then.
“Look pretty good, all slick and sticky,” Natasha offered before she grabbed the knots over his hips and tugged him down in the seat so she could unwind his lower ropes. Tony barely made a sound, more a burst of air being knocked out of him than actual complaint, so she continued, “Maybe we can try out free use. Just for the team, of course. What do you think? Kneeling at my feet until one of the team comes over and asks me for use of your mouth or ass?”
Tony might a soft groaning sound, but that could have been from her dropping the ropes to the floor and grabbing his briefs to try and pull them down. Pivoting quickly, she pulled a knife from her thigh and simply slit his briefs down the sides, so she could pull the front piece off while the bottom stayed on the seat. She grabbed the pack of cleaning wipes from the table next to the chair and carefully cleaned his sticky groin, then used another handful to clean the oil and Thor’s cum from his lightly-chafed thighs. A shower or bath would probably be easier, but she didn’t want to risk a flashback while he was so far under, so this would have to do until she could coax him into the shower tomorrow by promising a quickie in the bathroom.
“Are you ready for this plug to come out, Умница?” she asked gently, placing her hands firmly on his hips.
Tony blinked at her slowly, a smidge of awareness entering his gaze. She waited patiently. She knew he could easily keep it in for hours longer, especially if he was sleeping, but she didn’t want him to feel overwhelmed. She pressed her thumbs in over his hip bones, hoping to ground him further. If he couldn’t answer, she’d take it out and explain it was for safety reasons tomorrow. If he could answer her, though, she’d feel better about just getting him into bed and feeding him some cheese crackers between sips of water until he fell asleep.
“…In,” Tony managed roughly.
Natasha relaxed a little. It wasn’t the answer she’d been hoping for, but Tony knew his limits better than anyone. “Okay,” she answered simply, and then, “I’m moving you to the bed.”
“Mmh,” Tony managed before she carefully pulled him up into her arms again. She stumbled a bit next to the bed, and she cursed herself for not accepting her help, but only for a moment—Tony made no noise of fright, and he blinked up at her placidly as she set him down on the bed a little harder than she meant. “Hi.”
Natasha couldn’t help the wide smile it brought to her lips. “Hi, Умница. You were such a good boy for me.” Tony smiled back wordlessly, and she carefully ran her hand through his hair, pushing it back out of his eyes. She cleared her throat and raised her eyebrows at him. “Are you sure about the plug staying in overnight, Tony?”
Tony blinked at her again, just as sated and quiet as he had before. “Maybe Steve can take it out at ‘brunch.’”
Natasha let out a bark of laughter before she could stop herself. “Ha! Tony,” she rallied sternly. “That’s something to discuss in private first instead of just asking him.”
“We’ll have time,” Tony grumbled, even as he wiggled down upward so his head was on his pillow at the angle he preferred for eating and drinking. “He always takes time to make breakfast in bed for me after nights like this. He hand-squeezes the orange juice.”
“He never gives me hand-squeezed orange juice,” Natasha grumbled, taking a moment to shed her own clothes. She grabbed a box of cheese crackers and a water bottle and walked around to clamber onto the other side of the bed.
Tony opened his mouth, and kept it open until Natasha rolled her eyes and delicately placed a cracker onto his tongue. He chewed carefully and swallowed, then answered, “Maybe if you got worked over by a mean Domme, he’d let you have some.”
“Oh, so I’m mean?” Natasha asked, raising an eyebrow at him, but kept anything that could be even vaguely considered negative out of her tone.
“Didn’t even let me come twice,” Tony mumbled before she pushed another cracker into his mouth.
Natasha scoffed. “You couldn’t come again tonight if your life depended on it, brat. Eat your fucking cracker.”
“I could,” Tony muttered, mostly to himself, but let her follow the cracker with a sip of water without struggle. “Can I at least use your boobs as pillows?”
“If that’ll make you stop whining like a child,” Natasha answered magnanimously. “Cracker.”
Tony ate another cracker. “You could at least have gotten donuts.”
“I felt like we had powdered sugar in the bed for weeks even after changing the sheets, so no, that’s not happening,” Natasha said. She shoved another cracker in his mouth. “If you’re good and finish this bottle of water, I’ll tell Steve to bring exactly one of your favorite donuts for brunch.”
Tony sighed the sigh of the truly put upon but took a larger sip of water on the next go.
I had no idea it had been two years since I updated omgggg anyway look out for under the cut.
--
Steve had a black eye forming when he finally came up to open the door, yellows and greens swelling into blues. Tony opened his mouth, then closed it again, wondering if he should mention it. He ultimately decided not to. Instead, he held up his notebook. “Are Thor and Loki still here? I sketched out a growing plan for the garden.”
Gratifyingly, Steve appeared impressed as he looked the sketch over. He even let out a low whistle. “That’s gorgeous, Tony.”
Tony couldn’t help the way his cheeks heated up at the compliment. He wanted to say it was because Steve was the real artist between the two of them and was just trying to be modest, but he looked like he genuinely meant it. Tony hadn’t realized how starved of appreciation he’d been. Jarvis, Ana, and Jan had praised him all the time, but it was always in private, and Obadiah had actively discouraged him from any of the hobbies he’d endeavored to occupy his time with. He couldn’t remember the last time an alpha in his life had complimented something he’d done with sincerity, he realized, heart in his throat. Almost against his will, he asked, “It is?”
“Yeah,” Steve answered, leaning forward to give it a closer look. “This looks really technical, actually. I think if we got you some more books on gardening, you could plan out really beautiful plots.” He smiled a little. “Or even offer your services to others. Might finally give Mrs. McAvoy and Mrs. Langdon runs for their money.”
“…That… sounds fun,” Tony offered carefully. He didn’t actually believe he was that good, but Steve had also watched him break down in the barn, so maybe he was just trying to get Tony’s confidence up. The idea made him feel kind of squirmy inside, and he didn’t know if it was good or bad, so he ignored it to examine later. “Do you think we could get started on making the poles for the vegetables tomorrow so that they’re ready when Loki comes back?”
“Absolutely,” Steve agreed immediately, then turned, holding the door open wider for him. “Let’s go show Thor and Loki now. They wanted to say goodbye to you before they headed home anyway.”
The sun was getting low in the sky, Tony realized, and darkness would soon follow. He didn’t know how far away the Odinsons lived, but he didn’t want them traveling in the dark too long, so he hurried out in front of Steve. He slowed to a more respectable walk as he reached the staircase, and he made it halfway down the stairs before he looked up to where Thor and Loki were lingering by the front door. His footsteps slowed to a stop.
“Ah, Tony, sorry for making a mess of the kitchen! Don’t worry. We cleaned everything up properly,” Thor called out, smiling. It stretched his lips so the swollen cut on his bottom lip opened again, blood welling up shiny and wet.
Tony stared at him wordlessly, curling his notebook up against his chest. His eyes narrowed as they slid over to Loki, who looked uninjured, although his front pocket had been ripped off—along with the fabric it had been attached to, leaving a giant hole in his shirt. “…Hmm,” he finally responded, trying to affect his best impression of Disappointed Jarvis.
“…Ha,” Steve coughed out nervously. “Tony has something he wants to show you before you leave!”
“If it gets him to stop looking at me like Mother does after Loki and I get into a fight, gladly,” Thor answered, shuffling on his feet. Loki remained silent, but Tony could tell from the sudden stiffness of his posture that he apparently still feared their mother, too.
Tony wordlessly lifted his notebook up for them to examine, just to let his disapproval linger at them. They quickly turned the attention to the pictures he’d drawn in an effort to avoid his gaze. Thor lifted his hand to his chin, considering, eyes darting back and forth. Loki simply leaned forward, face giving away nothing. It made him a little nervous, because Steve had been immediately impressed. But then, he’d also said he couldn’t make a plant grow, Tony figured. Steve probably had been looking at it with an artist’s eye, not whether it was actually a good way to set up a garden plot.
“I wouldn’t plant the eggplants with the tomatoes, at least for your first growing season,” Loki finally said, crossing his arms over his chest. “They’re both nightshades, so they’ll compete. Once you’ve got more experience with them, maybe.”
“Okay,” Tony answered, settling his notebook back in his arms so that he could note it down. He definitely didn’t think about how easily Loki had corrected him without calling him stupid.
“I’ve never seen Mother plant pole beans with tomatoes, either,” Thor said after some thought. Then he shrugged, glancing at Loki questioningly. “Just bush beans. I think the pole beans can choke them.”
“I’ll bring you some bush beans,” Loki added magnanimously.
Tony frowned. “I don’t want to put you out.”
Thor stepped forward before he could say anymore, reaching out to gently place his giant hand on Tony’s shoulder. “Tony,” he said kindly. “You will never put anyone out over beans.”
“What?” Tony asked, bewildered, as Steve began to laugh behind him. Thor was no help though, because he also began to laugh. It still didn’t feel like they were laughing at his expense, though. It almost felt more like they were laughing at an inside joke between themselves, and he’d one day learn what they were talking about.
“They’re prolific,” Loki offered when it became clear Thor wouldn’t be able to control himself to answer, shrugging his shoulders in a delicate motion. “You can keep harvesting them all through the summer. Your planter boxes are small compared to what our mother keeps. She’d never notice half a dozen plants missing if I took them, and when I ask her for them, she’ll probably send me along with a dozen.”
“That’s very kind,” Tony said after a brief stare at Steve and Thor. He looked back up at Loki, brows furrowing together in confusion. “I don’t think it was that funny.”
“Thor and Steve are stupid,” Loki replied, long-suffering, and Tony laughed when they both turned on him with a squawked ‘hey!’
.-.
Steve saw Thor and Loki off. Tony gave them some privacy after Loki and Thor had looked meaningfully at him (not that he understood whatever their meaning was). Instead, he’d gone to poke around at the garden beds that Thor and Steve had put together for him. They were larger than he’d thought, which seemed sort of daunting, but Steve had said he didn’t have a lot to do until the others got back from market, so he’d probably be willing to help Tony get everything set up and planted. It was a little further from the water pump and the creek than he would have liked, but he figured he could set up a rain barrel nearby maybe.
Tony paused, standing on the wooden edge of one of the planters. He glanced between the soil that had been piled in and his sketches. He remembered a conversation he’d been having with one of his other suitors, talking about drip irrigation research that had come over from Germany and how some farms out west were experimenting with it. If he kept his rows neat and tidy, he could probably use rubber hoses with holes poked through to drip water throughout the garden without having to work too hard. If it didn’t rain much, hauling buckets of water to fill a rain barrel would be easier than walking back and forth, constantly refilling a watering can. If he put one on the far ends of the planter box and attached a spigot to each one, by turning them both on, he could keep the water pressure even, instead of it being stronger at the end closer to the barrel. He’d also be able to control the moisture of the soil better.
With the watering taken care of, he could focus on the general care of the plants themselves, from weeding around them to making sure they were healthy and picking off weak stems and flowers. It would also be helpful as the plants grew bigger, so the water would stay close to the soil instead of bouncing off of the stems and leaves, falling around the roots instead of on them. He could do research of his own, maybe work up to a larger scale on one of the farms they’d seen on the way to Steve’s ranch.
“Big thoughts going on in there,” Steve offered carefully from behind him, reaching out to cradle an elbow so he didn’t teeter off the planter box as he approached. “I don’t s’pose you wanna tell me about ‘em?”
Tony blinked down at the dirt slowly, then turned, reaching the arm Steve was holding out to brace his hand against his shoulder. “Would it be too expensive to buy rubber hoses, rain barrels, and spigots?”
Steve blew some air out from between his lips and turned his eyes skyward as he thought about it. “Uh? I mean, I have some rain barrels already, just need to patch ‘em up. Before I put the pumps in, it was always smart to have extra rain barrels for the odd summer shower. Hoses, well… I’ve never priced ‘em out, but…” He lowered his gaze back to Tony’s face, considering. “Why?”
Tony bit back the immediate urge to tell him to forget it. Steve didn’t sound upset, just curious, and he figured if Steve was going to put the money out, he deserved to know what it was for. He thought, even if Steve told him no, it would still feel a lot better than Obadiah shutting him down without hearing him out. It still made him steam a little, remembering the one time he’d tried to explain anyway, and Obadiah had lifted his hand to wordlessly tell him to stop, like he was a dog or something. Hell, maybe Steve might even explain why he was saying no if he didn’t like the idea.
“When I was… corresponding with other prospective beaus,” Tony began carefully, watching him for any signs of annoyance. Steve didn’t balk at the reminder that he’d been one of many suitors, though—just tipped his head and raised his eyebrows in a wordless ‘go on.’ It bolstered Tony a little, so he waved his free hand at the planter boxes. “He said that there had been some watering experiments out of Germany that some of the farms in California were experimenting with. It’s called ‘drip irrigation.’ I thought, if I got some lengths of rubber hose and attached it to some rain barrels, I could replicate some of those experiments and see if it worked for our little garden.”
Steve turned his gaze on the planter boxes, lifting his other hand to rub the back of his head. “So I guess you’d. Just keep the barrels filled, then… I suppose you’d use the spigots to control the water. I mean,” he said, letting out a puff of air as he craned his head back to look up at him again. “I’m game. If it works, that’s less work for you, isn’t it? And if it doesn’t, well. We could probably use the hoses for something else. Tying Peggy up so I could milk her, maybe,” he added to himself bitterly.
It shocked a laugh out of Tony, part honest amusement and part relief. “I think she’d just chew through them just to spite you.”
“Yeah,” Steve complained, hands reaching out to grab Tony’s waist.
Tony bit back a surprised yelp as Steve easily picked him up and swung him around so he was on flat ground again. “Oh!”
“Loki is coming back with plants tomorrow, because they want to make sure you don’t miss any of the growing season,” Steve added thoughtfully, offering Tony his arm. “He’ll probably help you plant some, but he’ll say it’s so he’ll know you won’t fuck it up, even though we’ll both know he’s just tryin’a be nice. The town’s all sort of decided he’s allergic to feelings.”
Tony blinked up at him, surprised. “You really were holding back, weren’t you?”
“Huh?” Steve asked, looking down at him with furrowed brows.
“I think I’d prefer it if you could keep your swears to ‘damn’s and ‘shit’s, though,” Tony continued.
“…Oh my god. Did I—” Steve choked out, face immediately flushing dark red.
Tony offered him a mischievous smile. “Don’t worry, Steve. I won’t let Loki think I’d fuck up the garden.”
“NO,” Steve bellowed, and Tony covered his mouth to smother his laughter as Steve crumpled to the ground, head bowed in shame. He thought he heard Steve mutter about a spectral wooden spoon. Tony didn’t think it was too presumptuous of him to assume that Sarah Rogers wouldn’t have smacked him, at least this time, because Steve’s reaction was simply too funny.
.-.
Steve had breakfast ready again by the time Tony stumbled downstairs, and he grumbled about not getting up in time to at least practice under Steve’s watchful eye as he jabbed a soft yolk with the corner of his bread. Steve didn’t even have the decency to pretend he was upset about it.
“I think, once we get the garden squared away today,” Steve began over Tony’s mutters. He waited a beat, until Tony reluctantly turned a mulish scowl on him, before he continued, “I’ll help you draw a bath. It’s got a pump, but the water’s cold, so I’ll dump a few buckets of boiling water in the tub, and then you can wash.”
Tony frowned in concern. “I can wash in the stream if it’ll be easier.”
“No,” Steve told him flatly. Tony bristled, but Steve just turned back to his plate of food. Before he could think up a blistering reply, Steve added, “I fear if someone came across you while you were naked, you’d simply evaporate from being. ‘sides, you haven’t had a real bath since you got here.” He pointed at Tony’s plate with his fork, and Tony slowly put a fork of fried potatoes in his mouth. “…It’s probably some misplaced alpha pride,” he offered after a moment.
Tony looked up at him from under his lashes, frowning. “Me taking a bath?”
“In the privacy of your own room, yeah,” Steve answered with a bashful little shrug. “Ma an’ I had a shared bathroom in our tenement, and if you missed your turn, you had to wait until everyone else was done. I remember my ma having to wait until midnight to get a turn at the bath because she missed her turn takin’ care of me while I was sick. I… kinda got the bathtub for her. Figured she deserved it, after all those missed baths.”
Tony looked back down at his plate, turning his fork in his hand awkwardly. He imagined Steve’s mother in the bath upstairs, relaxing, never worrying that she was keeping someone from their turn, knowing she’d never have to watch the clock to get clean again. There was a lot he’d taken for granted back in his mansion in New York, even if Obadiah had kept the purse strings tight. It would be… almost cruel of him to decline the comforts that Steve wanted to make sure he had. After he’d worked so hard to make sure his mother had them after going without his entire life.
“I want to be a lobster when I get out,” Tony said, spearing another piece of potato on his fork.
“God, omegas,” Steve huffed, humor in his tone. “I’ll never understand why the water has to be so hot. Do you secretly want to be soup, or something?”
“You got me, Steve,” Tony deadpanned. “I’m gonna drop carrots and potatoes into the water with me as soon as you leave. Make a nice little Tony Stew. It’s how I keep my beautiful complexion.”
“Tony,” Steve coughed, shocked, and then threw his head back and laughed.
.-.
Loki approved of Tony’s final layout for the plants, although he didn’t have much to say about Tony’s drip-irrigation idea. “The garden is Mother’s domain,” he’d said, and Tony would have thought he was dismissive, except there was a real thread of fear in his voice as he patted dirt around the roots of a bush bean sprout. “Planting is the only part I ever help her with.”
Tony watched him carefully so he could follow what he was doing with his own plant. The garden in New York had mostly been his mother’s, but she’d allowed the servants to help care for it. She’d even allowed them to take some of the vegetables if they found they had too many for themselves. He’d been too young to truly help at the time, and had been playfully banned the first time he picked a green tomato and attempted to eat it, banished to watch from the windows and hope someone brought something yummy in to him. She’d been very protective of her other hobbies though, he remembered; she’d firmly shooed him away from her sewing baskets and bookcases with rare books with the promise that she’d allow him to touch when he was older. He wondered how old he really would have had to be before she offered him an embroidery hoop.
“Do you know how to can vegetables?” Loki asked after a brief pause, glancing up at him.
“Um,” Tony said, and then nothing else, because it occurred to him that they had had canned vegetables at the mansion, but it had been things Ana had bought. Jarvis might have canned some, but so much of their budget went to running the mansion that they ate most of their vegetables as soon as they ripened.
“Winifred will probably teach him,” Steve answered for him before he could get too embarrassed. He and Thor were setting up a third planter bed to put squash in (at Frigga’s stern direction, apparently). “She and the girls will come pick berries and make jam. I’m sure that she’ll help him with canned beans.”
Tony was so bolstered by the idea that it took him a moment to realize that both Thor and Loki had stopped what they were doing to stare at Steve. He lifted a hand to wipe a drop of sweat from his temple, blinking in confusion. “Is something wrong?”
At that, Steve looked up from where he’d been carefully wedging a corner together. He balked when he saw the way he was being stared at. “What?!”
“…The Barnes girls are coming here,” Thor repeated slowly.
“Yeah? They always do?” Steve answered defensively. “They love jam.”
Loki turned to Tony and gave him an almost sympathetic frown. “I’m so sorry that you’re married to an idiot, Tony.”
“Huh?” Tony asked, genuinely confused.
Loki stared at him for a moment, then huffed out a shocked laugh. “Perhaps Steven is in good company, though.”
“Hey!” Tony exclaimed, scowling at him, even though he still wasn’t certain what they were talking about. It wasn’t his fault he didn’t understand social norms out here.
“Why would Winifred Barnes bring her daughters here when you are just married?” Thor finally spat when it was clear neither of them were going to understand. “Newlyweds are not meant to be disturbed. The only reason Loki and I came yesterday was because Mother thought we could just dump the lumber and leave without talking to you. Being pulled into helping set up the plots was not the plan!”
“…Ah,” Tony said, face flushing for reasons other than the warm sun.
Steve was also turning red as a tomato, spluttering uselessly until he finally managed, “You mean they think we’re-? We literally just met in person a few days ago!”
Loki slanted him a look that clearly stated ‘and?’ before turning his attention back to the bean plant between his hands.
“Oh my god,” Steve said faintly.
Thor seemed to take pity on them at that. “Obviously, having met Tony, Loki and I understand that you two are taking things one step at a time. However, when Loki and I were in town, everyone was gossiping about how… cozy you two were already. So leaving you alone was probably the logical next step.”
“‘Cozy,’ huh,” Tony repeated quietly, mortified. Apparently, the meaning was the same here as in New York, if spoken in whispers behind hands: too familiar out in public for an alpha and omega.
Steve looked like he was about to throw up, angry and embarrassed all at once. “They shouldn’t be talking about Tony like that. He’s new here and has to learn so much, of course we’re taking the time to get to know each other!”
Loki sighed, but his expression actually held what looked like a bit of regret as he glanced up at him. “Most of the alphas at the saloon were making jokes about you being unable to help yourself since your intended had turned out to be so pretty.”
“Thanks a lot!” Steve exclaimed, embarrassment quickly turning to anger.
Tony didn’t blame him, even as he turned back to his planting to avoid making eye contact with any of them. Steve had been nothing but polite and kind, and it hurt him a little that people would ever insinuate that Steve could force himself on somebody. Steve had gone out of his way to make sure Tony couldn’t ever imagine it, hands always careful when he reached out to him, words chosen with precision to soothe any raised hackles. He wasn’t sure of much in his life, but he did believe that Steve was one hundred percent constitutionally incapable of hurting an omega that way. He’d even looked angry at the few times Tony had mentioned when the alphas back in New York had been… less than kind. Even though Tony had long gotten used to ‘well, alphas will be alphas!’ as an excuse for their behavior, Steve had made it clear that it wasn’t right.
“Everyone who knows you knows that isn’t true, Steve,” Thor told him firmly. “But like it or not, everyone is respecting your recently married status. You’re going to have to invite people over if you want to see them.”
“Yeah,” Steve said, voice gruff, and stood up. “I gotta. Go do something. Throw some rocks in the creek, maybe.”
Tony watched him stomp away, kneading a handful of dirt as he considered going after him. “Um, do you think—”
“I think it would be best if we let him alone for a bit,” Thor answered, firm but not unkind.
Tony swallowed and nodded his head, turning back to the garden plot so he could plant his next seedling. “Okay.”
“The only reason we said anything was because we figured it was better he heard it from us than have to react to a bad joke in town,” Thor continued, and Loki gave a soft huff of agreement. He stooped to scoop a cup of water from the bucket Steve had brought over so they wouldn’t have to keep traipsing back to the pump, then offered it to them.
Loki waved him off, but Tony turned, wiping as much dirt from his hands as he could before he reached out to take it. “I just. I thought everyone liked Steve,” he said after a moment, frowning, before he took a sip. He remembered how everyone had gathered to look and see who it was that Steve had been corresponding with, who he was planning to marry. They’d all seemed so excited for him, and Steve hadn’t been angry when he’d shooed them away, just exasperated.
“They do,” Thor assured him. “This is just… a country thing that I don’t think Steve will ever come to terms with, even after living here so long. So little happens around here that gossiping about your neighbor is the only pastime some of the people in town have. They know that Steve would never be pushy. That’s why they think it’s okay to joke about—he’d never actually do such a thing.”
Tony tried to reconcile it with the gossip back in society circles. People talked about others, and sometimes the words were couched in jovial terms, but there was always some truth to it. If someone back in New York had mentioned that Steve was probably taking what he wanted after waiting so long, they believed he would, even if their tones and words could call it a joke. Apparently, that was the opposite here. The people in town had joked about Steve losing control of himself, but only because they were certain it would never happen.
“I don’t think it’s funny,” he finally said, staring into the empty cup. “Back home, even if they said it the same way, even if they laughed… they’d mean it. It would be a warning.”
Loki looked up from his digging, lifting a hand to brush some hair out of his face as he solemnly took the words in. Thor shifted awkwardly on his feet in front of him, then held his hand out for the cup, at a loss for anything else to do. Tony let him take it. There wasn’t much he could have said to soften the blow, and quite honestly, after seeing how hurt Steve was, he didn’t really want to.
“I’ll tell Ms. Romanova,” Loki finally said, glancing up at Thor.
Thor nodded back grimly. “Aye, she’ll make the jokes stop for sure.” He reached out, putting his hand on Tony’s shoulder, and Tony looked up at him reluctantly. “I’m sorry, Tony. And I’ll apologize to Steve too. He just mentioned going into town to get you some proper clothes yesterday, and it occurred to me that he should know what people have been saying. I didn’t realize there was more than one way to hurt someone with it. I should have just told Steve. I shouldn’t have burdened you with this.”
“Maybe it’s better you did,” Loki said with a snort, turning to carefully lift up a tomato plant from the ground. “He looked ready to scratch your eyes out.”
“I did not!” Tony scoffed, scowling at him.
Thor gave him a pitying look. “You did. I was grateful that Steve reacted first.”
“I’m not gonna scratch anyone’s eyes out,” Tony huffed. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave Thor another glare. “But maybe I would cover my eyes so Steve felt comfortable punching them in front of me.”
Loki raised an eyebrow, unimpressed, before he turned back to patting dirt around the tomato plant. “Tony, you were going to launch yourself at Thor from the ground when you realized what he was talking about.”
Tony narrowed his eyes at him, jaw working, and dug his hands into the dirt so he could feel it squish between his fingers, because he didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of making a fist. Then he paused, considering. The soil was still moist from watering it to make sure the plants wouldn’t go into shock. He squeezed another handful, bringing it up to stare at the dirt. He considered the weight of it, glancing at the back of Loki’s head. Then he drew his hand back, taking a moment to aim, and threw the handful of soil with force, before Thor could realize what he was doing and stop him.
Loki made a high-pitched noise of dismay, flinching as the wet dirt thwapped against his face. “Cold-! What the—” He lifted a hand to wipe the dirt away, then scowled, lifting his gaze to Tony. “You.”
“Hmm,” Tony hummed, realizing that throwing dirt at someone without Steve there to defend him had probably been a bad idea as Loki began to stand. He could think of nothing else to do but throw another handful of dirt at him.
“Jeez,” Thor sighed as Loki lunged at Tony to try and shove his face down into the garden bed. “Really? I’m going to finish the other garden plot.”
“Help me!” Tony sputtered indignantly as he tried to slap Loki’s hands away.
“No, he’ll stab me,” Thor grumped, and Tony couldn’t help the terrified yelp it scared out of him.
On the bright side, it brought Steve back from wherever he’d been sulking to help him, even though he didn’t get there soon enough to keep Loki from shoving a handful of dirt down the back of his shirt.
.-.
Thor and Loki left as soon as the last garden plot was finished, and Loki was certain that Tony knew what he was doing. He got the feeling they would have stayed longer, except Steve was still being short with them despite his anger cooling to a low simmer.
Tony wanted to say something, but he couldn’t think of anything that would help ease Steve’s hurt. Steve had been nothing but kind and patient since the moment Tony had arrived. He genuinely felt the safest he ever had in his life. Steve was better than all the alphas back home—even the ones who had helped him, Tony had come to realize. He had suffered under Obadiah’s hand for years before he’d managed to find a safe place to land, and no one had helped him. There were absolutely some comforts of New York he missed out here, but he’d given them all up a thousand times for how safe he felt in Steve’s company.
Steve was the kind of alpha who had gotten Tony’s emergency telegram and immediately moved himself to the guest bedroom so that Tony could have the master bedroom. Even if Tony hadn’t known that when he stepped off the train, he knew that Steve wouldn’t push him into anything, and Steve had proved that over and over with everything he taught him about life in the country.
“Well,” Tony finally said, wiping the dirt off of his hands as well as he could. He’d gotten all the tomatoes, beans, eggplants, and squash well-planted, and Steve had dutifully poured water over them once he’d finished. It was probably time for a late lunch. Maybe an early dinner, even. He glanced at Steve, trying to estimate his mood now that he’d had most of the day to stew on it himself. “Are you hungry?”
“I don’t want you to think that’s what everyone’s like,” Steve burst out, frustration apparently getting the better of him.
Tony turned to give him the benefit of seeing his confused expression in its entirety, brows furrowing together as he tried to parse what he’d meant. “Huh?” Of all the things he’d expected Steve to say, that hadn’t been it, and he didn’t really know what to do with the sentiment.
“I told you Timely is a nice town with nice people,” Steve continued, crossing his arms over his chest. “That there were parties and people to celebrate with. I want you to make friends here. I don’t want you to think that everyone is making… those kinds of jokes, even if everyone knows they’re not true.”
Tony blinked up at him, stunned silent. He’d thought Steve was trying to think up a way to assure him that he would never in a million years force himself on him. He hadn’t realized Steve was worrying about something else entirely. “…Oh,” he finally responded, at a loss for what else he could say.
“There are people in town who’re really nice and I think you’ll be great friends with,” Steve added. There was an edge of desperation in his voice, though, and in the way his brows twitched together as if he was just barely keeping himself calm. “I don’t want you to be isolated out here. It’s important to have friends, especially if I’m gonna be gone next year taking care of the cattle drive. They’re not all making gross jokes.”
Tony found himself reaching out to take one of Steve’s hands before he could even really think about it. “I know.”
Steve seemed to deflate as soon as their hands made contact. “I just. It’s a bad joke. But that doesn’t. Make them bad people? I’ll talk to them.”
“It’s okay, Steve. If you’re not bothered about the subject of the joke, I’m not bothered about the people who said it,” Tony assured him, and was only slightly surprised to find that he meant it. When Steve shot him a dubious look, he offered him a somewhat amused smile. “One bad joke isn’t my first impression of the people of Timely.”
Steve raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you sure? I can box some ears while you’re not looking.”
Tony remembered how it seemed like the entire town had gathered at the train depot to see who it was that Steve had been corresponding with. How they’d all looked deliriously happy that Steve had found a prospective beau. How Steve had casually told them off with a hissed ‘you’re embarrassing me’ and no one had looked upset, only amused. How, at a loss, Tony had said ‘how do you do’ and had been given genuinely delighted responses.
“Yeah,” he finally answered, smiling up at him. “I’ll chalk it up to growing pains. I’ll get used to them, and they’ll get used to me, and they’ll realize they shouldn’t make jokes like that. At least, not when you’re not around to defend yourself.”
“…Well, if you say so,” Steve grumbled, as if he still wanted to bash some heads together but was choosing to defer to him. He twisted his hand so he could hold Tony’s properly and motioned toward the house. “Let’s eat, and I’ll boil some water for the bath. You’re… hmm,” he added, narrowing his eyes at him skeptically. “Well.”
Tony could still feel the grit of dirt down his back from when Loki had shoved a handful of soil down his shirt, so he allowed Steve’s ‘well’ to hang there as a proper description. “Thank you. What sounds good for dinner?”
“Well, I’ve got some ham we could fry up, then cook some potatoes in the fat,” Steve offered. “Or some beet root. I can check the cellar. Oh, and Thor left a basket of stuff his parents sent over as a wedding present? It looks like fabric, but I haven’t really checked it out.”
“If we can save up for a sewing machine, I could make something with it,” Tony offered, looking up at him. “Or at least hem the edges for blankets.”
Steve nodded thoughtfully. “I don’t know about buying one right off, but maybe someone in town—” He couldn’t quite hide his face twitching into a scowl. “—would be willing to let you borrow theirs. It wouldn’t be electric, but you’re a quick study.”
Tony couldn’t help the pleased grin that grew on his face if he tried, so he didn’t, instead turning his attention to washing up in the sink so their entire dinner didn’t taste like dirt.
.-.
Steve had to walk up and down the stairs with the heavy buckets of boiling water to fill the tub, which he did during dinner. Tony had wanted to help, but Steve had still been a little surly about earlier, so he figured now wasn’t the time to push him. Instead, he’d focused on frying up dinner, which he’d proudly decided was perfectly passable (and Steve had wolfed it down between trips to the bathroom, which was equally flattering). Watching Steve tote buckets up and down the stairs, while a very nice showing of strength that Tony privately appreciated, did make him worry about tripping and getting hurt on the stairs, though. Tony had already started to devise a pulley system, so he didn’t have trek so far and make less work overall.
He considered how to bring it up with Steve without seeming too pushy or like he was trying too hard to be useful. Steve had already made it clear that as gung-ho as he was to help, he needed to take it one step at a time. He started pumping cold water into the tub to fill it up the rest of the way, deciding he could bring up his idea in the morning, so long as he made it seem like an improvement for his own benefit while Steve was gone, rather than trying to take the job out from under him. Steve seemed to really like showing he cared through actions. And Steve must have been well-practiced filling the tub, he realized, if it was one of the few comforts he made sure his mother got to have. He dipped his hand into the water once it was filled a respectable amount; it was still bordering on the edge of too-hot when he tested it, just the way he liked.
Tony was turning to throw his clothes in the basket in the corner when he spotted something on the bed. He nearly tripped over his pants in his rush toward it when he realized it was a letter. Steve must have put it there when he’d been bringing up the buckets of hot water. He had no idea when Steve had written it. They’d been together for most of the day, except for when he’d stomped off for a bit to cool down, and when he’d been back and forth filling the tub. He glanced at the tub, then decided the water would keep for a few minutes, turning back to tear into the letter.
Dear Tony,
I don’t know what to say. The last letter you gave me was so kind. I felt like I was on top of the world reading it. Then Thor told us the jokes they were making in town, and I know you know I would never do anything, but I can’t imagine how shocking that was to hear. I’m glad you’re brushing the jokes off and are willing to give the people in town another chance, but I think I’m still going to be embarrassed about this for a while. I know you’d tell me not to worry about it, but I can’t help thinking about the things you told me, about how the alphas back home were “pushy” and no one stopped them. I’d thought the people of Timely were better than that. If I heard someone was getting pushy with their omega, I wouldn’t laugh. I’d go by to make sure they were okay. And I wanted you to think that’s what everyone here in Timely would do.
You’ve been so brave coming here. I know I keep saying it, and you’re probably tired of hearing it. But it didn’t really register just how dangerous it was for you, not just to leave the only home you’d ever known, but to travel without an escort, and to meet me, sight-unseen, ready to marry me when you only knew a little about me. I could have been lying. I could have been a horrible person, and you wouldn’t have known for sure until it was too late. You gambled that I was better, and realizing the stakes, I’m incredibly humbled.
I know you probably don’t want to talk about it anymore. You said you wanted to give the town a clean slate. Said something incredibly kind about ‘growing pains.’ So I’ll defer to you on that. But just know, if anyone decides to make a bad joke in front of me, I’ll deal with them. And I guess I’ll tell Mrs. Barnes and the girls that we’re not doing unmentionable things all over the house when we go into town tomorrow so that someone can help you figure out how to can beans.
Sincerely,
Steve
Tony hummed, the corners of his mouth curling up against his will at the last line. He hadn’t really thought about how the joke and his reaction to it would have made Steve think of things differently. They still had a lot to learn about each other, obviously. He bit his bottom lip as he thought about asking Steve to stop pointing out his bravery, running his thumb over Steve’s signature. He decided not to, though. As embarrassed and awkward as it made him feel, he also liked the warmth it brought to his chest. He liked impressing Steve, even if he didn’t really know why Steve was impressed. He didn’t think he was anything special.
Then again, maybe he was to Steve. Thirty-one, and unmarried despite the town’s best efforts, to the point that he’d had to put an ad in the marriage papers. And there had been something about Tony that had made him choose him out of the others who had written back to him, even though there were others who were probably used to life on the range, or at least were more familiar with what it entailed. Maybe he was special. Or maybe he could just… be special to Steve. He smiled a little, folding the letter up to put back in the envelope, and only then spotted the post script on the back. He unfolded it to read it properly, cheeks flushing a little when he remembered the last time, when Steve had said he’d take care of any spiders, not knowing that Tony had been reacting to Jan’s… gift.
P.S. –Tony, if you’re reading this before your bath, don’t let your water go too cold. If you’re reading this after your bath, I hope you’re red as a cherry, I guess.
Tony blinked at the words for a moment, then let out a bark of laughter that shook loose from deep in his belly. Steve didn’t understand why he wanted the water so hot, but he was at least supportive. He remembered Jarvis wrinkling his nose at his steaming water once, too, and overheard Vernon scolding Jan for using all the hot water again. Maybe it really was just an omega thing. He figured that was okay, so long as no one got on his case about it. At least he knew that Steve would never have to scold him for using all the hot water, if he was boiling it himself.
I made a post in 2022 for WinterIron month, spectacularly misunderstanding the difference between a trope and AU. You can read it along with this addition on ao3 (here). Watch out for under the cut!
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“You didn’t even let me show off,” Tony grumbled, scowling, as he worked his cuff links free of his sleeves. “What’s the point of getting dolled up if I can’t flaunt it?”
Bucky ran a hand over his face tiredly. “Doll, as much as I like showin’ you off, there’s something just a little off-putting about getting you naked when Hammer’s sittin’ next to me and pantin’ after you like a dog.”
Tony paused, fingers lingering on the sleeve of his jacket. He had to work past the rush of heat that filled him at the hint of Bucky’s Brooklyn drawl coming forward in his annoyance, focusing carefully on the words he’d said instead of how he’d said them. It was a struggle. Finally, he managed to ask, “…Justin Hammer was there? I thought Jan had banned him.”
“Invited himself along with someone else Jan wanted to impress, apparently,” Bucky answered, smiling reluctantly as Tony tipped his head, clearly considering whether it made him feel better or worse. He waited a beat, then added, “If it helps, when Jan realized I stopped folding my hands, she visibly started plotting his death.”
Tony thought about it a moment longer, then turned, smiling widely. “Well, if that’s the only reason you didn’t get me naked on stage—”
“Tony. Everyone wants you naked as soon as you step on stage,” Bucky deadpanned. “Especially since that one time you were wearing that red lace under your suit and the newbie next to me dropped his beer in his lap.” He crossed his arms over his chest, raising his eyebrows at him. “Did I deprive the world at large of something beautiful again? Is that why you’re mad?”
Tony rolled his eyes with a fond shake of his head. “I’ve got some panties on, but that’s it. It was just going to be a nice surprise once I was almost naked.” He leaned back against the edge of the bed, eyelids falling to half mast as he looked up at him. “I could put something else on, if you wanted me to.”
It was tempting, but Bucky wasn’t someone who was unable to appreciate the finer points of Tony’s body. And he hadn’t gotten to strip him for the crowd like he wanted to, the disappointment and anger still simmering in his belly as he remembered Hammer sighing to his companions as if he knew Tony intimately. He’d had been about to fold a full house. Tony was about to lose his shirt. And then Hammer had groaned about how much he wanted to see Tony’s skin, and he’d slapped down his winning hand immediately. On the bright side, it seemed like Jan would clothesline Hammer the next time she saw him.
“Nah,” he finally said, eyes lingering as they roamed up and down Tony’s body. “But if you really want a show, far be it from me to tell you no.”
Tony blinked up at him, confused, then smirked. “Oh? So you’re relegating me to common stripper?”
“There’s not a single thing common about you,” Bucky scoffed. He started to approach the bed, then thought better of it, instead changing his direction to go sit in Tony’s comfy armchair. He waved at Tony once he was comfortable, motioning at his suit. “Well, show me what you were going to make the other guys watch. Take it off. Slowly,” he added when he saw Tony carelessly reaching for the collar of his shirt, as if he had no idea how hot him taking his clothes off actually was now that the only audience he had was Bucky.
Tony blinked again, lips parting in genuine surprise as his fingers curled into a fist at his chest. He took a moment to steady himself against the bed, then offered Bucky the winning smile he’d given the crowd as he’d stepped onto the stage. “You’re being bossy. I like when you’re bossy.”
“I’ll remember that,” Bucky promised, and Tony reached up to casually unknot his tie, as if he had all the time in the world. He slid it from his collar, then very deliberately dropped it on the ground. Bucky shifted in his chair. He’d never admit it (and Tony apparently already knew), but he loved how careless Tony got with his clothes when sex was promised, especially when he was wearing his expensive stuff. Like Bucky’s pleasure mattered more than the care of his clothes. It sent a warm thrum through him that was only partially arousal.
Tony shrugged off his jacket easily, dropping it to the floor with his tie. He reached up for the top button of his shirt, flicking it open and pulling the fabric so Bucky finally got to see his chest. “So, what were we stealing this time?”
“It’s better if you don’t know,” Bucky answered, watching Tony’s expert fingers work button after button until he reached his slacks. He waited for Tony to pull his shirt free, maybe even unbutton his pants, but then he realized that Tony’s hands had very deliberately fallen lax at his sides. He shook his head, amused, and finally lifted his gaze to meet Tony’s unimpressed stare. “Recovering some compromising pictures from Doom.”
Tony frowned, even as he lifted his hands to tug his shirt free of his pants. “Oh. Victor isn’t usually one to… for whom?”
“Susan Storm,” Bucky answered easily. Tony would just worm it out of him later if he didn’t.
“…Hmm,” Tony hummed, beginning to shoulder out of his shirt.
“Leave the shirt on. I wanna fuck you in it,” Bucky cut in. “Also why hmm? I always get nervous when you hmm. What do you know?”
Tony pulled his shirt back on agreeably and instead made his way over to where Bucky was sat, putting his foot on his lap. “Be useful and untie my shoes. My stab wound’s still healing.”
Bucky moved to untie his shoe, frowning up at him. “What stab wound? Were you attacked? You’re dropping a lot of information here, pal—”
“Dum-E accidentally ran into me full-force with a screwdriver,” Tony scoffed, reaching out to cup his cheek. “I’m fine. It’s more of a bruise than an actual stab wound and just makes bending over hurt at the end of a day.” He watched Bucky slide his shoe off gratefully and waited a beat to see if he’d help with his sock. Then he rolled his eyes when Bucky simply snapped his sock garter and gave him a lecherous smile. “Such a horndog.”
“What was that hmm for, sugar lips?” Bucky deadpanned as Tony shifted so his other foot was in his lap, picking the shoelaces loose slowly as he waited for his answer.
“Well, I mean, Victor isn’t really the type to blackmail. Okay,” he sighed when Bucky raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “So he is. But not Susan. She’d kill him the minute he tried. And she doesn’t really have anything he wants besides her. I’m gonna call her and ask.”
Sometimes the realities of Tony being among the rich that they’d steal from really came back to bite them in the ass. Bucky still remembered when Natasha had infiltrated the company to steal something, Tony had realized, and he’d just blinked at her and said, ‘you could have just asked.’ He probably thought he could have just asked Victor von Doom for the pictures, too.
“Don’t call her,” Bucky ordered firmly, reaching for the button on Tony’s pants.
Tony slapped his hand away and took a few steps back. “No, you’ll ruin the surprise. Also, I’ll call whoever I want. We’re friends,” he added sternly. He flicked the button on his slacks open and slid his zipper down. “Besides, she’s been to the Doll parties so she knows we’re an item. It won’t be weird that I know.”
“We would all like it if you didn’t know things for plausible deniability reasons,” Bucky reminded him, but he also allowed himself to be distracted by the peek of lace he got as Tony reached inside his pants to work the inside button free. “Also Susan Storm scares Steve. So.”
“All women scare Steve,” Tony scoffed, then made a soft sound of victory as he got the button undone and the fabric spread to show off some obviously expensive white lace. “He gets real nervous whenever Pepper visits. If you keep scolding me, I’ll call Victor instead. Our on-off friendship is currently ‘on’ again.”
“Pepper scares everyone,” Bucky grumbled, mostly to himself, because Tony would just give him that really skeptical squint that he kept locked and loaded for when he fundamentally could not understand where they were coming from. Even Natasha had been nervous when Tony had first started working with them and Pepper had slanted them a cold, calculating look over her shoulder as Tony extolled their virtues.
Luckily, Tony didn’t notice, and then he shimmied his hips side-to-side so that his pants fell to his knees. “Well?” he asked smugly, shuffling in an inelegant circle. Somehow, it was still one of the sexiest things Bucky had ever seen. “What do you think?”
“Cheeky,” Bucky managed, eyes locked onto the scalloped edges. ‘Cheeky’ might have been an understatement. The scalloped edge went halfway up his ass. It was like a thong parading as cheeky lingerie. Not that he minded, of course—Tony’s ass was like a peach, and it filled out the panties nicely. “Take your pants off.”
“Well, that was always the plan,” Tony answered, shimmying his hips again, and his slacks fell around his ankles. He turned to look at Bucky, spreading his arms out in a vague ‘ta-da.’ He looked like pure sex, wearing nothing but his open shirt, panties, and socks with garters. And he’d only look sexier once Bucky got to have his way with him. It was a shame no one else would see him.
Well. That was an idea. Bucky stood and approached him in three long steps, curling his hand around Tony’s bicep. “C’mere.”
“Ope,” Tony yelped as his pants tripped him up. He caught himself a few steps later, though, and he blinked up at Bucky with his best doe eyes. “Where are we going?”
“’s a shame I couldn’t show you off,” Bucky answered. He paused, then stopped walking, instead dropping to his knees. He grasped Tony’s hips before he could turn, forcing him to face away. “Actually, lemme give it a little extra.”
Tony didn’t struggle at all, even as he asked, “What does that mean, give it a little extra? That sounds ominous—”
Bucky leaned in and buried his teeth in Tony’s right cheek, the scalloped edge of his panties just skimming his top lip. Tony let out a shocked yelp, but Bucky pulled away before his instinctive swipe backward could connect with his skull. “Just so they know they shouldn’t bother us for a while,” he offered when Tony gave him an incredulous glare.
“They’ve known not to bother us after Doll parties ever since Bruce walked in and I was sitting on your face,” Tony scoffed, offended. His hand reached back to cover the bite mark. “Now I don’t know if I wanna show off.”
Bucky considered one last nip, but Tony might actually thump him, so he simply got to his feet instead. “You always wanna show off,” he retorted. He took a moment to adjust the way the hem of Tony's shirt fell over his panties, then gave his ass a fond pat. “And honestly with an ass like that, you should get to.”
Tony glanced back at his rear, frowning, even as Bucky led him to the door again. “Put a teeth mark on me… So fucking mean, no one is even going to appreciate it so I don’t understand why you did it anyway…”
“Because I’m so fucking mean,” Bucky replied cheerfully, then shoved the bedroom door open and led the way to the common area, where everyone else was still celebrating getting past Doom’s security with pizza and beer. He clapped his hands together. “Everyone, Tony is sad he didn’t get to show off.”
“I really hate when you guys do this when I’m eating,” Steve began, closing his eyes tiredly.
Natasha grabbed him by the shirt and leaned in, growling, “Don’t fucking blow this for us.” Then she released him, turning with a kind smile, which would have been terrifying, if Bucky wasn’t so sure that Tony couldn’t be seduced away from him. He kept him pretty well satisfied, and also Tony was... sort of stupid when it came to people who liked him flirting earnestly. “Well, he should get to show off. He’s like a fairy. If he doesn’t get enough attention, he’ll die.”
“Huh,” Tony asked, bewildered. “What the hell does that mean? I feel like I would have preferred to be called a slur.”
Bucky was not going to explain Peter Pan to him when he was halfway naked. He put a hand to his lower back and launched him forward. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m concerned,” Tony continued, arms pinwheeling so he wouldn't fall, but he also caught himself on the next step and took a moment to preen before he began a very smug strut around the room.
“It’s weird that you can have questions and walk around like you don’t,” Bruce admitted, even as he obediently turned to watch him and clapped when Tony turned and strutted back past him.
Clint pointed at Tony with a breadstick. “I think that’s just rich people shit. They all walk like that at galas and stuff.”
“Those panties are very becoming on you, Tony,” Thor offered, taking his hand so Tony could do a spin in place. “The lace is obviously handmade.”
“Huh?” Sam yelped, then moaned and covered his face. “Don’t tell me how much they were.”
“That would be gauche,” Tony scoffed, even as he turned on one heel and went strutting the other way. Bucky waved a hand at him, and he obediently pulled the hem of his shirt up to show off the panties more. “If you guys ever want to test your card-counting ability against Bucky’s, just say the word, and I’m ready to strip.”
“You’re so fucking weird,” Natasha informed him, but she couldn’t quite temper all the fondness from it. She reached out to run her thumb over the top hem of his panties and gave a surprised but pleased hum at the quality. Distracted, she added, “Only if I can get Sam to be my Doll.”
Sam glanced at her sourly, still sulking about nearly being eaten by a Doberman to distract the guards so she could get in. “I’m gonna wear my ugliest underwear if you make me do that.”
“Boo, you have beautiful muscles, Sam,” Tony informed him, stepping away from Natasha so he could do another loop around the couches. “We could kiss a little. Make everyone jealous.”
Sam scowled at him, but it quickly faded into a thoughtful squint. “…Well, if it would make everyone jealous.”
Steve said nothing, eyes glued to Tony's ass. Bucky was torn between thumping him and joking that if he wanted to sketch Tony, all he had to do was ask. There was something in his blank expression that filled him with dread, though. Bucky took a step toward Tony, suddenly feeling hunted. Before he could say anything though, Steve stood, eyes on Bucky, face stony. The muscle that wordlessly signified his annoyance was ticking in his jaw. His hands curled into fists. Bucky shifted his weight back and forth nervously.
“Do you remember when we were roommates right out of the army,” Steve began, taking one very deliberate step toward him.
Bucky did, and he suddenly remembered why he’d happily agreed to Sam living with them even though he’d had his reservations about him at the time. He held his hands up in supplication. “Listen, this is different. Tony’s different. Steve please don’t kill me in front of him—”
“Remember how I told you I’d kill you if I had to watch one more person come out of your room with a teeth-shaped bruise on their ass?” Steve continued, rolling up his sleeves.
Bucky barely had time to scream before Steve lunged at him, trying to dodge out of the way. Steve got him in a choke-hold though, and he scrabbled uselessly at his arm.
“Huh, so he’s just always been like this,” Tony mused thoughtfully, coming to a stop by Thor as he watched them.
Thor tipped his head back to frown up at him as Bucky finally twisted, bringing Steve onto the ground with him so they could scuffle properly. “Are you going to help him, or…”
Tony scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “No, my job is to look pretty and pay for things. If they break any furniture, though, I am going to be very upset.”
They were getting rather close to the coffee table, and it scared Bucky enough that he finally twisted, flipping Steve onto his back. He dropped elbow-first into his gut just for good measure.
Natasha watched, looking vaguely interested, then turned back to Tony. “What do you see in this guy, anyway?”
Tony shrugged. “When you guys told him to flirt with me, he came in hot with ‘sit on my face and break my neck so I die happy,’ and I’m easy.”
“Tony no,” Bucky gasped, horrified, but it was too late.
Steve sat up as if he wasn't even holding him down, expression thunderous, and Bucky barely had time to yelp before he was pinned to the ground again. “He was not supposed to flirt with you. In fact, he wasn’t supposed to be there at all.”
“I was backing up Natasha,” Bucky choked out, even though it was a lie. Natasha had had everything well in hand, and Bucky had simply been mesmerized by Tony's amused smile as he handed over a USB to her when he realized she was trying to steal files about Obadiah Stane for someone’s lawsuit against him.
“I didn’t need backing up,” Natasha told him sternly, then sighed and rolled her eyes at Tony, unimpressed. “Will you do something before Steve kills him and feels bad?”
“I won’t,” Steve barked as Bucky began slapping along his arms and shoulders. “I hope he dies. I deserve this.”
Tony tsked and rolled his eyes again. “Fine. But I expect a garlic knot and a piece of veggie pizza when I get up for breakfast in the morning.”
Clint reached forward and obediently shut the box with the veggie pizza in it. “Done.”
“You guys are so obedient when you’re not breaking laws,” Tony huffed fondly, shaking his head, but then Steve got Bucky in a position to choke him again. Bucky made a very dramatic and genuinely frightened noise, because he was only ninety-percent sure Steve wouldn’t actually kill him, and that ten percent uncertainty was scaring him. Tony stared at him for a moment, then sighed and began toward the bedroom again. “I’ll let you put a bite mark on the other side.”
Bucky paused as the words registered. Luckily, Steve had paused as well, apparently so shocked that he had to figure out his next move. Bucky took the chance to wedge his arm under Steve's hip and throw with all his might. Once he was free, he didn't look back, rushing up behind Tony to the comical sound of Steve yelping and two hundred pounds of beefcake hitting the floor six feet away from where they’d originally been sitting. Tony didn’t yelp as Bucky scooped him up into his arms, but he figured that that was because Tony had been expecting it. It had probably taken him a few seconds longer than Tony had expected. But then, Steve had had him pretty successfully pinned.
“Don’t bother us until tomorrow,” Bucky tossed over his shoulder, harried.
“If you kill Bucky, I’ll be very upset,” Tony added, mostly to Steve, but also in general. “Also I’m still calling Doom. You can’t stop me.”
“God, things used to be so simple,” Steve sighed, just before Bucky slammed the door behind them.