Steve returns from his morning run with a slight gleam of sweat on his skin to be met with the disgruntled figure of one Tony Stark sitting at the kitchen counter with a cup of coffee in hand.
Steve quirks a brow, “bit early for you for to be up isn’t it?” He asks, walking over to the hunched over man as he presses a quick kiss to his forehead as Tony taps continuously on his StarkPad.
“Not if I never went to bed.” Tony quips back.
Steve rolls his eyes, tugging the coffee out of Tony’s hand without a second glance back.
He hears Tony growl in distaste, “I was drinking that!”
“And which number would this be?” Steve asks, dropping the remaining coffee down the drain as he rinses and washes the cups and other leftover items in the sink.
“Today? My first.” Tony says with a huff, already walking over to the kitchen cupboards to get started in brewing a new cup.
“And in the last 12 hours?” Steve asks with his hands on his hips, giving Tony a look.
Tony barely even spares him a glance, “Sixth, where’s the new capsules I had shipped yesterday?” He answers, stretching to rifle through the back of the cupboards.
“Tony.” Steve warns.
Tony pauses, “Could we maybe the table the whole ‘coffee isn’t a viable substitute for food and other nutritional needs’ lecture to sometime later? I’ll have Pepper pen you into my calendar.” He asks, huffing as he fails to reach the back of the shelf again.
Steve rolls his eyes again, walking up behind Tony to reach to the back of the cupboard, grasping the aforementioned capsules before handing them to Tony with a frown on his face.
“I don’t lecture you,” Steve grumbles.
Tony smirks, “and I wasn’t the one who put glitter bombs in Barton’s arrows last week.”
Steve gapes, “He blamed Sam for that!”
Tony snorts, “Serves birdbrain right, he called Peter ‘Spider-Baby’.” He says in distaste
Steve makes a puzzled expression, “you call him that?”
Tony looks at Steve expectantly, “Exactly.”
Steve sighs, “I’m making you toast, you’re eating both slices before you’re allowed to go back to your lab.”
Tony starts to voice his protests, scowl already planted on his face.
“FRI, please lock the doors to Tony’s lab until after we finish breakfast.” Steve requests politely.
“FRIDAY, don’t you dare-”
“Request completed Captain Rogers.” FRIDAY’s voice filters through the room.
Tony throws his arms up in exasperation, “what happened to loyalty?”
Steve lets a smile stretch his face as he turns to pop two slices of bread into the toaster before opening the fridge to make his own breakfast.
“I can hear you trying to sneak off to your lab, if I turn around and you’re not sitting at the kitchen counter where I left you, I’m carrying you back there.” Steve says without looking back, instead examining a smoothie he finds in the fridge.
He hears Tony’s soft groan before he stomps back to his seat at the counter, Steve stifles a laugh at the begrudging thanks he receives when he places the plate of toast on the counter.
this is such a stupid 600 word something based on this prompt that i couldn’t help but write for
**
“Why is the bartender serving drinks out of a fish?”
Steve turned from where he was pouring a whiskey and frowned. “What?”
“That bartender,” Tony muttered, “down the bar. She’s pouring drinks into a fishy.”
“Okay, that’s enough for you,” Steve said with a shake of his head and a rue smile. He slid the whiskey to the patron standing at Tony’s side and took the crumpled bills offered to him. “I’m cutting you off.”
Tony turned his head, cheek still resting on the bar top as he squinted up at Steve, one eye practically closed. “Fish.”
“Definitely not fish,” Steve said, a warm smile tugging at his mouth. Finishing his own drink of water in two swallows, he turned to set the glass down on the counter behind the bar and waved to catch the other bartender’s attention, pointing to Tony. He got a fond smile and a knowing nod in return, causing him to chuckle. “Come on, you.”
“When dogs levitate, they doggy paddle.”
Steve paused halfway around the bar. “Excuse me?”
“Dogs,” Tony said, blinking slowly. “If a dog is levitating, then it’s doggy paddling. Get it?”
“Oh, sweetheart. You have definitely had enough.”
“Enough fish.”
Steve huffed a laugh, walking up behind Tony and wrapping an arm around his back. “Exactly, darlin’. No more fish for you. Taxi back to ours or crash upstairs?”
Groaning, Tony lifted his head and fell back against Steve’s chest. “Upstairs, please.”
“Wow, you really must be out of it if you’re saying please.”
“Shaddap,” Tony slurred. “I say please.”
“You say please when you’re so desperate you can’t think straight. Usually in bed.”
“Ugh, I’m too tired to think of sex. What do you put in the water here?”
Tucking his hand under Tony’s armpit, Steve helped him to stand. “I think it’s less to do with me spiking your drinks and more to do with 40 hours with too much work and not enough sleep.”
Tony groaned again, his head lolling onto Steve’s shoulder. “Can’t sleep without you. Hate when you’re on nights.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Steve murmured into Tony’s hair. “Tonight was the last one for a while, I promise.”
Really, what with it being his bar, Steve could schedule when he was on a night shift and when he worked days, but he’d had a run of staff absences and illnesses for a while and had needed to step up to the plate himself to cover the bar.
“You didn’t tell me you’d started serving fishy drinks.”
Steve tucked Tony a little closer to his side and hid his smile in Tony’s messy hair. “An oversight on my part,” he said, whispering his thanks to colleague as they passed and pushing Tony closer to the office door where the stairs to the upstairs apartment were. It wasn’t used often as Steve had moved out of the one-bed place when he and Tony had bought a place of their own together, but Steve hadn’t gotten around to converting it into anything other than his extra storage for the bar and his old, creaky bed was still there. “Come on, troublemaker. You need sleep.”
“I need you.”
“You’ve got me,” Steve promised with a kiss to Tony’s temple. They didn’t have nearly enough time together with Tony so busy on his projects and Steve trying to sort of extensions to the bar, but it didn’t matter so much with Tony nuzzled into his neck and a ring on his finger. “You’ve always got me.”
For a few minutes, at least, before Steve had to slip back downstairs and help to close the bar. But it was better than nothing at all and at least Steve’s mind would be at rest when he knew Tony was safe and finally sleeping.
“I should think so,” Tony muttered, sliding his hand under Steve’s thick sweater. “I’d really be screwed without my pillow.”
Secretly engaged Steve and Tony take half of the Avengers on a weekend camping trip, planning to reveal their engagement to the team one person at a time.
The weekend rapidly derails, though, when they find that their sort-of son Peter is camping up the hill with his new boyfriend, nefarious super villain Loki is camping just across the water, and there might be a lake monster on the loose…
New chapter posted each Monday! ♥
Rated Teen, will be at least 30k, Established Secret Stony, Established Secret DevilSpideyPool, Eventual Hulkeye, Eventual Thorki, Clint & Hulk Friendship, Domestic Avengers, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Light Angst, Fluff And Humor, Secret Relationship, Secret Engagement, Mutual Pining Thorki, Snarky Human Disaster Clint Barton, Unscarred Wade Wilson, Teen Peter Parker, Unrequited Love, Steve and Tony Are Peter’s Parental Figures, Peter Is Eighteen, Deadpool Being Deadpool, Tired Grumpy Injured Clint, Thor and Loki In Modern Clothes
fandom: Stony (Steve x Tony), MCU, og6 Avengers appear
summary: Tony and Steve had been married for years and going steady, having a good thing going on. It wasn't until recent times when Tony found out that Steve had a sort of habit, Tony couldn't decide if it was annoying or heartwarming.
length: 2 169
a/n: I was rereading some of my fics and noticed that Steve calls Tony 'babe' a lot. Like a loooot. Granted, my headcanon since I started writing Stony is that Steve calls Tony 'babe' while Tony calls Steve 'baby', but I think I have overused it, especially when it comes to Steve calling Tony. So, this fic is me poking fun at my own habits, while writing some domestic fluff - hope you like it! as always, feedback, reblogs and likes are appreciated and needed!
——————–
Hey, babe
“Hey, guys! Sorry, I am late there was a line at the cash register.”
“Was there a line or did you let all the old ladies before you again?”
There was some laughter, and Natasha skillfully grabbed the bag of spicy takis Steve roughly threw in her direction. Clearly to repay for the teasing comment.
“Maybe I did,” Steve clipped, handing more bags of chips to his team, and carefully sliding a huge bag of cheese puffs under sleeping Thor’s arm, the god sprawled all over his favorite red armchair. Thor mumbled out a thank you, and huddled the bag closer to himself, almost like a pillow. “And then I helped some carry their groceries. What?” Steve defended himself with a laugh, lasting a critical look from his team. “They call me Captain, I couldn’t refuse!”
“We all call you Captain,” Clint pointed out, reaching hands for his pack of potato chips, Steve tossing it to him.
“That’s probably why he is always stuck on snack duty,” Natasha whispered to Clint. It became a sort of habit that each impromptu movie night, Steve was the one delegated to go shopping and supply his team with sweet and salty snacks, while the rest chose movies and ordered pizza or some other movie appropriate meals. It was a good system.
“Here is Bruce’s weird mix of spiced peanuts,” Steve took another bag out from the grocery bag and handed it to Natasha, who took one couch for herself and Bruce, Clint sitting on the floor and leaning over her legs, earlier gathering all pillows and blankets available and making something resembling a nest. “And this is for me and you,” Steve smiled, walking to the other couch, solely occupied by Tony, already waiting and curled in one corner and smiling at Steve. “Here you go, babe,” Steve said, handing Tony a pack of gummy bears and a large bag of cool ranch Doritos.
“Thanks,” Tony smiled, accepting the swift kiss on his forehead and even tipped his head up a bit for better access. It was a sweet thing they usually did, something that was so casual it went by without any comments, just this time, Tony heard some muffled laughter. Steve didn’t pay attention, but Tony swayed to the side, trying to locate the source, but, of course, everyone both Natasha and Clint looked perfectly innocent.
“Just gonna wash my hands and be right back,” Steve said, heading out of the living room, greeting Bruce on his way.
“Did I miss something?” Bruce asked, sitting next to Natasha and noticing that as soon as Steve left, Clint started to smile tauntingly, while Natasha had that sort of fondly irritated look on her face, and Tony sat curled in his corner all confused. Thor just kept sleeping, hugging his chips.
“Told you it will happen,” Clint pointed out cheerfully, opening his bag and stuffing a handful in his mouth, chips crunching nicely in his mouth.
“What will happen?” Tony asked, feeling alarmed when most of the people gathered in the room started to send him some looks. As if knowing something he didn’t, and Tony hated not knowing things. “Whaat?”
“Nothing, don’t worry about it,” Bruce smiled kindly, taking his bag of peanuts.
“You really don’t notice it, huh?” Natasha asked, sounding baffled. As for someone who claimed to be a genius, Tony could be somehow slow when it came to the simplest things.
“Notice what?”
Tony didn’t find out, as Steve entered the living room and Clint shushed everyone, as the whole room waited for it to happen again. Tony narrowed his eyes, not appreciating being dissed like that. Before he could complain to Steve about their teammates being a bunch of assholes, it happened again.
“Babe, scooch a little.”
And there it was again. Clint burst out a triumphant ‘HAH’, Natasha and Bruce smiled at each other in a soft way, and Tony scoffed not knowing what was happening.
“What?” Steve asked, sitting in the corner instead of Tony so his husband could lean into him. Just the way they liked.
“Nothing!” Clint repeated.
“It is just sweet how you two behave like a newly married couple even after years of marriage,” Natasha said gently.
“Yeah, sweet,” Clint chuckled, and Tony narrowed his eyes again. If it was sweet, why he felt like being mocked? “Do you even remember his name?”
And the secret was out. Tony blinked, somehow always being aware of it, but just realizing it. Practically from when they started to date, Steve barely called him by his name. It was always some sort of pet name, 'babe’ being the most common one. Tony didn’t mind. Usually, he was the one giving everyone nicknames, most of them having some mean, yet hilarious twist, but in Steve’s case it was all love and tenderness. Tony felt really good about being Steve’s 'babe’, year after year. Not that he would willingly admit to it.
“Sure I do,” Steve beamed, arraigning his hands around Tony’s waist and pulling him in closer. “It’s - ” and his voice dropped, just like Tony’s heart did when he heard the hesitation in his husband’s voice. He whipped his head around in panic, just to see that characteristic way Steve pulled his eyebrows together, faking thought or when he was joking, something Tony learned to recognize after all those years spent together. “ - it’s To-ny, right?” Steve asked slowly as if putting it all together cost him effort.
There was some laughter and the happy atmosphere was back, so the movie could finally start. Only Tony couldn’t focus, grounded in a warm embrace of his husband, his thoughts traveling elsewhere.
Mostly around the shared years with his husband, digging up memories from the past, and analyzing them.
It was time to do some research.
Tomorrow. Tony leaned his head back, Steve put his chin on top of his head, further locking them together, and Tony's eyes slid close. There was a limited number of times a person could watch 'Harry Potter’, but being in his husband's embrace never got old.
***
“Morning, babe.”
First one. Just like every morning, just seconds after Tony had stirred in his sleep, slowly wakening up, before he could even open his eyes, there was a soft voice in his ear and a kiss, sometimes on his forehead, sometimes on his cheek, sometimes on his nose. The nose kisses were extra funny and Tony’s nose always scrunched cutely and maybe it was the reason why soft morning nose kisses were one of Steve’s favorite. Not that Tony complained.
“Morning, yourself,” Tony replied, like on most of the mornings, voice still a bit hoarse from sleep. Lazily, he opened his eyes and looked at Steve’s bright blue ones. Just like the early morning sky. That was a sight that never got old. And then, Steve leaned down and they shared a proper, good morning kiss, before starting their day.
***
“Here is your coffee, babe.”
Second one.
“Thanks!” Tony beamed a smile, waiting for Steve to smooch his cheek, and after getting his kiss, he quickly sucked the hot liquid in.
“Hey, what’s your hurry? Slow down, babe!” Steve laughed, observing his husband and flipping pancakes at the same time in the pan, with a single flick of the wrist. Seemed that years of throwing a vibranium frisbee were finally paying off.
Thanks to the sip of coffee fueling his sleepy mind, Tony noticed that it happened for the third time and it was less than an hour from when they woke up. Tony slowly sipped his coffee, waiting for pancakes and wondering what would be the 'babe count’ at the end of the day.
***
“Baaabe! Did you see my sketchbook?”
“Babe, please pass the salt.”
“Babe! Feet off the table!”
Tony grunted and obediently lowered his feet and put them on the carpet, Steve smooching his head on his way out to a SHIELD meeting. Tony glanced at the watch on his wrist. It was 2 pm and it was thirty-two 'babe’ and still counting.
***
“Goodnight, babe.”
Ah, the last one.
“Babe! Don’t hog the covers!”
Okay, almost the last one. When Steve settled, Tony curled with his head resting on his husband's chest and when he felt the steady breathing and heard first rumbling snores coming out from Steve’s mouth the count was over.
Seventy-two 'babe’.
Zero Tony.
Huh.
***
Of course, Tony didn’t mind being called 'babe’ on a daily basis by Steve. It was nice and made him feel all happy inside and somehow giddy, just like during their first years of dating. Maybe it wasn’t the most creative pet name and Steve did overuse it, but Tony felt good with it. It was like a reminder of how much love Steve had for him and it was a really good feeling.
Sure, their team taunted them both from time to time about it, but Tony didn’t care. He was happy with Steve, and he knew that their team was happy for them too.
Just sometimes it was too much.
“Do you really have to call Tony that during battle?” Clint hissed at Steve, sporting a bloody cut on his cheek, while Natasha was busying over him and cleaning a cut on archer’s forearm. She didn’t say anything, just made a grunt of agreement.
Hulk. Black Widow. Thor. Hawkeye. Babe. Captain America.
All members of Avenger’s team.
Steve laughed the complaint off, which wasn’t a great idea when you have bruised ribs and grimaced in pain, while Clint went on a rant how distractive it was, and Tony listened, feeling something tight in his heart. Sometimes it did happen, that out of habit and in the midst of fighting instead of 'Iron Man’, Steve called him 'babe’.
“Babe, on your left!”
“They are coming towards you, babe!”
“Babe, I need a lift!”
Tony sighed, messaging his hurt shoulder with some arnica cream from the Iron Man to building collision he had earlier, thinking that maybe, he should find a way to lessen the frequency of Steve calling him 'babe’.
***
“Morning, babe!”
Tony grunted, rolling away and taking the covers with himself. His body still hurt from the last battle and it was way too early for that chipper mood.
“Aw, my babe is tired?”
Tony grunted again, sounding more miserable this time, agreeing.
“Okay, I will leave you alone for a bit. Don’t want you to be grumpy for the whole day.”
And a kiss. And Tony grunted again. And then he opened his eyes, hearing Steve leave their marital bed, and thinking that he found a way.
***
“Babe, come eat!”
Grunt.
“Babe, I am leaving your laundry on the bed!”
Grunt.
“I need you to sign this, babe, it is debriefing from yesterday’s fight.”
Tony grunted, leaving his scribble at the dotted line. And then allowing himself to be kissed on the jawline.
He tried to pretend that it wasn’t nice, but it was so nice, it was melting his mind.
***
It happened late evening. Tony was working on his tablet, comfortably sitting on the couch, when he heard Steve walking behind him. Time to repeat everything all over again. Tony even paused his work and puffed out his cheek, awaiting to hear familiar, happy voice and get a kiss, when the footsteps got quieter and Steve just passed by him.
Without a word.
Without even a look.
Oh.
Well, it was fine. It was something Tony had been working on for the whole day and it was finally paying off. No more irritating pet names, kisses distracting him from work. Just this familiar, a bit of cold atmosphere he had plenty of while growing up when his parents barely acknowledged him.
Great.
It was what he wanted, right?
Right.
Then why it felt so incredibly sad?
It wasn’t even a big deal. It was just some comfortable routine, Tony didn’t even notice before it was pointed out in a joke and didn’t think he would miss until he was deprived of it.
Tony didn’t like it. Somehow it became a lot darker and colder around him, some depressing feeling smothering and dark clouds gathering over his head.
“Oh! Hi, babe, didn’t see you there!”
And the sun was out again when sweet words and a quick peck fell on the top of his head. It made his heart raise, his whole body warmed up with a pleasurable tingle and it was good that he was already sitting down because his spine felt like melting -
- and Tony grunted. Like if he didn’t have any control of it. The next second he covered his face with both hands, because dammit, why are you like that, Stark, and Steve walked away with a smile, noticing that Tony’s ear tips became almost glowing red, probably just like his face, just from the pure affection Steve had towards him while Tony tried to show so hard that he didn’t enjoy it.
Luckily, after years of marriage and shared life, Steve knew his husband better.
How Stony Turns Into Stuckony--because sometimes three idiots can not be trusted to figure shit out for themselves. Or something like that.
“The fuck are you doing, Stark?” Bucky hisses behind clenched teeth.
Tony, manipulative little bastard that he is, just blinks up at him, looking so fucking innocent Bucky knows for sure it can’t be anything but a scam and still can’t help but feel guilty about snapping at him.
You’re going soft, Barnes, he thinks for the fifth time in the last hour. Let’s hope it doesn’t get you killed today.
“What does it look like I’m doing?” Tony asks, all wide brown eyes and pouty lips as he presses his body closer. Bucky is this close to shooting the pitiful moral left-overs he’s got to hell and lean that last inch in to fucking devour him.
Honest as Bucky usually is with himself he has to admit he’s not sure he’ll make it through this night without doing something he won’t regret as much as he probably should in the morning. Like fucking his best friend’s very hot boyfriend. It probably wouldn’t end their friendship, but Steve would definitely want revenge, and the whole trying to kill each other without actually killing each other, just to work together at the last possible second to turn a job around is really starting to get old.
“No, seriously, what are you doing?” Bucky asks again when Tony keeps wiggling restlessly and presses himself even closer, like he wants to crawl into Bucky’s skin or something. And seriously, they’re stuck in an air vent, there wasn’t exactly a lot of room to begin with.
“Oh, I’m sorry, did you miss the part where I told you I’m freezing my ass off because this is an air vent with moving air in it and some people don’t have the body temperature of a god damn furnace?” Tony snipes, indicating that he has been complaining about the temperature--he’s right, it is a little chilly, especially with the sweat of being chased through the building twice still clinging to them, and that will never be sexy--for a while now.
Maybe he needs to try this listening thing that Natasha keeps commenting on.
“Whatever,” he grumbles distractedly. Puts an arm around Tony’s shoulders and another below his head, because dislodging the human limpet is impossible and his muscles are starting to ache. Besides it’s not like it’s a hardship to cuddle with cute, snarky Tony who’s got far too much talent breezing through security systems like they’re nothing, looking damn good while he does it.
There’s a moment of silence as they both get comfortable, nothing but the sound of their breathing, even but a little too heavy for Bucky’s paranoia, before.
“You’ve got a reason for keeping both your hands on my ass too?” Bucky raises a questioning eyebrow, hopes Tony can see it in the dim light. He could have just ignored it or pushed him off of course, but come on.
Tony, unapologetic as always, simply tightens his grip. “It’s a very nice ass.”
Bucky, clinging to all the maturity and self-control he’s got, keeps his hands where they are instead of getting back at Tony with some very inappropriate fondling--because one, that’s fucking childish and can only lead to bad decisions, and two, you think sex in a car is overrated and uncomfortable? Try having it in an air vent. Or, you know, don’t try it. Seriously, man. Don’t.
“And what does your boyfriend think about you appreciating other people’s butt like this?” Bucky shoots back. It’s supposed to remind the both of them of the fact that all mutual attraction aside, one of them is not on the market, but instead it comes out sounding far more teasing than Bucky intended. Which does absolutely nothing to break the mood.
Steve’s thoughtful hum in his ear on the other hand does the job just fine. Until he follows it up with a, “His boyfriend agrees, you do have a fantastic ass,” that is.
Bucky inwardly groans. Right. The earbud. He still isn’t used to the earbud. He still isn’t used to working in a team. But also, what?
“You really do,” Tony nods, serious like he usually is when he stares at laser beams or locks, trying to figure out the easiest way to cheat his way through the system. “And it feels even better than it looks!” he adds happily.
Bucky feels something between flattery, a faint sense of embarrassment, and exasperation. Why did he think working with a team would keep his admittedly very attractive ass out of trouble again?
Speaking of the team.
“Not to cut through the audio porn or anything,” Clint cuts through Tony’s continued analysis of Bucky’s posterior, “But I’m trying to con a paranoid ex-CIA bodyguard into not killing my sorry ass, so could you please shut the fuck up?”
"Yes, well, if you’d done your job right we wouldn’t be stuck in this fucking vent in the first place!” Bucky growls, because how the hell can you miss the second guard route when you’re casing this place?
“Oh sure, blame me why don’t you--”
“It’s your fault, Clint!”
“Show time,” Natasha mutters, all business “Tony, Bucky, stay put until Clint gives you the all clear, keep yourselves busy. Steve, I need those codes yesterday,” which ends the erupting argument immediately.
They can be professional, occasionally.
Ah, whom is he kidding?
“How are we supposed to keep ourselves busy?” Tony asks incredulously. “We’re in an air vent.”
“Make out for all I care, just be quiet!” Natasha snarls back. Bucky still has that instinctive twitch towards his gun when she starts talking in that voice. It’s annoying but also understandable.
What’s less understandable is that Tony apparently decides to take Natasha’s advice, because suddenly there are a pair of lips on Bucky’s that have no business being where they are, nor are they supposed to feel so good, or move so perfectly or--
“Are they doing what they think I’m doing?” Clint asks with audible disbelief.
“It’s cute how you have to ask that,” Steve responds with an equally audible grin.
Steve. Shit.
Bucky jerks back.
“What the fuck, Stark?”
“Tony,” Steve sighs on the comms, the sort of affectionate exasperation that makes Bucky feel honest to god ashamed. Like he’s going to hell for this, rather than all the other, bloodier shit he’s done.
“What?” Tony says defensively. “He kissed me back!”
Which is not the part Bucky thinks Tony needs to be defensive about--but then what does he know about relationships?
“Tony, we’ve talked about this,” Steve laughs. He sounds so amused Bucky wants to punch him in the face. “You need to use your words.”
Really, Steve is worryingly unconcerned by his boyfriend’s actions. Bucky narrows his eyes. There are plenty of stunts he’s pulled Steve must still want to get him back for, and this is beginning to look suspiciously like some twisted sort of payback. He hasn’t figured out Tony’s angle yet, but he’s undoubtedly got one as well.
“Okay, okay,” Tony breathes. He’s tensing up now, though, and Bucky isn’t surprised when a minute passes without either of them saying anything. Eventually though, his patience is rewarded.
“So the thing is,” Tony starts, then suddenly seems unable to stop, the words pouring out of him faster and faster, until the mesh into each other, become almost impossible to understand, “I’ve had a crush on you for a while now, but that’s okay, I talked it over with Steve and looked it up on the internet and there’s this thing some people are where they’re kind of a little in love with more than one person at the same time and Steve and I have been talking about what’s fine and what isn’t and I really should’ve started by asking what’s fine for you but I got distracted and I wanted to kiss you for so long and I’m not gonna apologise for that but I’m sorry I did it instead of checking with you first. But I like you and I want to do it again if you don’t mind and you and Steve can figure out whatever you want whenever but I’d really like to date you both.”
Bucky...blinks. Tries to take in the mess of an explanation that’s just been thrown at him--kind of feels like it’s burying him, with the way his thoughts are swimming, if he’s entirely honest.
“Holy shit,” Clint whispers in genuine terror. “I can’t believe Tony is the mature, let’s talk about feelings guy in this crew.”
“I can’t believe I still don’t have those codes,” Natasha snaps. “Steve!”
Bucky ignores them both.
“You want to date me?” he repeats slowly, and no, it doesn’t sound any less far-fetched the second time.
“And have very hot threesome sex,” Tony agrees with a nod.
“Do you guys have to do this now?” Clint whines. “There are reality TV shows for this shit, you know.”
“Shut up, Barton!” Bucky growls. Then, a little softer--but only a little--to Tony, “Why are we doing this now?”
Tony shrugs, a fluid motion that Bucky feels with his entire upper body. The reminder of just how close they’re pressed together does little to help his focus.
“There just never seems to be a good time to bring up crazy, wild three-ways in polite conversation, you know?” he asks, in that way of his that sounds completely serious and utterly ridiculous at the same time.
“So you thought cozying me up in an air vent with our entire team listening in on us would be the right time?” Bucky can’t not roll his eyes because Tony.
“Well,” Tony tilts his head in consideration, “it didn’t seem to be the worst time.”
The saddest part is that he’s right.
[An hour later after they narrowly escape yet another security team--those fuckers are everywhere, damn it--Bucky slams Tony’s back against the nearest wall and kisses him breathless.
“Not again!” Clint groans in exasperation.
He’s still not convinced of Steve’s motivation but Tony is too damn readable for his own good, and Bucky has got time to figure his and Rogers’ shit out. Besides, the team is starting to grow on him.]
I have no clue what happened to this. It was supposed to be MCU, then morphed into a sort-of Leverage AU? Also banter. *shrugs* I hope the ridiculousness makes up for my inactivity these past (and future) few days :)
childhood friends au, stony established relationship, fluff and (attempt at) humour, 700w
**
“Isn’t it weird?”
Steve smiled. He’d heard that question countless times in every variation and always had the same answer. “No.”
Darcy crinkled her nose. “Really?”
“Really.”
“But you’ve known each other forever.”
Steve laughed as he reached out to take the colour swatch hanging loosely between Darcy’s fingers. “We have. I think it’s quite romantic.”
“You’ve seen everything, though, haven’t you?”
“We have.” Steve was used to the weird glances and the disbelieving questions so it was easy to brush it away with an amused grin. “My Ma was his parents’ housekeeper. We had a house in their gardens, so Tony and I grew up together.”
“That’s quite cute, actually,” Darcy said, a smile matching Steve’s.
“I think so.” Steve shook his head as he handed the blue material back. It wasn’t right. “He was my first kiss. I was nine and he wiped his mouth after and said I tasted like vanilla pudding. He only likes the chocolate kind.”
“And now it’s back to weird!”
Steve laughed loudly as Darcy shook herself in faux disgust. He leant over and grabbed a few more colour samples, leaving Darcy to compose herself in her own time.
They hadn’t booked a wedding planner, but Steve was welcoming lots of extra hands to help choose colour schemes and look at venues. Darcy worked for the venue they’d chosen and Steve was more than happy to have her sit in with him to pick through swatches to try and find a theme for his wedding. He’d wanted brown – a nice brown, of course, to match Tony’s eyes – but nearly everyone he’d spoken to had thrown that idea out.
“Did you date anyone else?”
“We did,” Steve answered as he squinted between a champagne and a very pale green. A too pale green, he decided, putting it back and reaching for a purple one instead. “Tony went to college first and just never came back. Eventually I got tired of waiting for him to come home and almost to the day that I found someone else he turned up and took me out.” Steve shrugged as he turned the lavender swatch left then then right, “that was that. Neither of us looked away again.”
There was a beat of silence. As Steve held out his hand to give the lavender swatch to Darcy, she smacked it out of his hand.
“Nope. No purple for you. Doesn’t suit your colouring. Have you really fallen for the boy you used to make mud pies with?”
She said it all in one breath, but all Steve could focus on were the two new samples she thrust in his direction. The saffron was far too bright, but he could make peace with the crimson if he had to.
“He has, actually.” Steve looked up at the sound of Tony’s voice close to their table. Sliding his phone into his pocket, Tony joined them, resting his hand on Steve’s thigh. “Twice over, even.”
“Oh, there were plenty of those, gorgeous,” Tony beamed, eyes sparkling. “Steve tried to rescue a cat that got stuck in a tall tree at the edge of our land and fell spectacularly. Broke his arm in two places and cried for a week. It swelled up like a balloon.”
“Tony ate so many lemon squares at my Ma’s birthday dinner that he made himself sick. All over his own shoes and mine.” Steve replied, shoving the swatches at Tony. “I still like the browns more than the bold colours.”
“I’m not having brown,” Tony said with a grimace. “Where’s all the blue?”
“You two are hopeless,” Darcy said around a groan. “Where are my stereotypical gay guys who know colours?”
“Offensive,” Tony said, but the smiles they gave each other showed nothing but teasing. “Steve was my first wank, too, if you wanted to know.”
“I don’t think she did,” Steve muttered as Darcy spluttered loudly.
She pointed between the two of them. “Come on! It’s weird. You know everything about each other. Are there no surprises?”
Steve smiled. “We do know everything. Through thick and thin. There’s nothing he could ever do that would put me off him. Not now.”
Matching his smile, Tony squeezed his leg. “And that’s saying something, because I once broke his favourite GI Joe for a science experiment and we ended up with its broken arm shoved up Steve’s nose. It bled. We had to go to the emergency room.”
Darcy blinked as Steve hid a smile, looking back down at some of the colour samples on the table, desperate to find something they could agree on. “Right. Just a note? I wouldn’t put that in your vows.”
how about b25 w stevetony? (+baby peter if youre up for it?)
honestly, I’m always up to write baby Peter. I also wrote SteveTony getting together and adult Peter, just to round it all off. 1300 words of superfamily, getting together, goats, and general softness...
Hold my hand
Tony didn’t get nervous. He’d given enough speeches and headed enough conferences for nerves to be a thing of the past. However, the rapid beating of his heart and the sweat on his palms told a different story.
Although he tried to tell himself that there really wasn’t anything to be nervous about, it was useless.
In his defence, he was sitting opposite the World’s First SuperheroTM in what was unmistakably a romantic restaurant. He hadn’t expected it to be overt, with the low lighting and a bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket at the end of their candle-lit table.
“Not enjoying the steak?”
Tony looked down at the plate in front of him. If he’d have been asked before Steve had spoken, he doubted he’d have been able to recall what he’d ordered.
“Yeah,” he said belatedly. It looked nice enough. “I mean no. I am enjoying. How’s, how’s yours? Mussels, was it?”
Steve grinned. “Pea and mushroom risotto, but close enough. It’s good. At least I’ve eaten mine.”
Tony groaned and reached for his wine glass, stopping when he saw that it was empty. He groaned again. “Where is that waiter?” He looked around the restaurant, feeling an uncomfortable flush rising up his neck. “I’ll get the bill and we can go.”
“I don’t want to go.”
Tony’s head snapped round to look at Steve quickly. “What?”
“I don’t,” Steve said again. He lifted a forkful of risotto to his mouth and ate it, looking at Tony the whole time. “Why would I want to go?”
“Because this looks like a,” Tony dropped his voice and leant forward, “a date.”
“Well, of course. That’s what I’d hoped when I asked you out.”
He said it so simply, so carefree that Tony’s mouth dropped open. “You didn’t ask me out.”
“Yes, I did.” Steve took another bite of his meal, looking completely at ease.
“You asked me to go for dinner. To celebrate the battle.”
“Exactly.” Steve frowned. “Wow. You really are oblivious.”
“Rude,” Tony snapped back immediately, even though his heart wasn’t really in it with his attention focused on thinking back to when Steve had asked him. “Oh. Huh. Look at that.”
“Yup,” Steve said happily, “so, you want to eat your steak now?”
Tony smiled. “I think I might.”
They finished their meals in silence, sharing small smiles and soft glances. When their plates had been cleared and dessert ordered, Steve placed his hand on the table, palm facing upwards.
Tony stared at it for a moment and Steve chuckled gently.
“Hold my hand,” he said, smile wide and impossibly soft. “Make it a real date.”
And that sounded good to Tony.
////
“You’re late.”
Tony grinned as he stepped onto the slight platform. “Traffic.”
Steve lifted an unimpressed eyebrow. “Traffic from the suite upstairs you stayed in last night?”
“Yup. Busy commute, I’m afraid.”
“You are the worst.”
“That’s me,” Tony said cheerfully, grin still wide, “but you’re the one standing at the altar waiting for him.”
“You’re in luck,” Steve answered with a straight face, “I was only going to give you five more minutes.”
“Liar. You’d wait for me forever.”
Steve sighed loudly, but a smile started to tug at the corner of his mouth. “Shut up and hold my hand.”
Laughing, Tony took Steve’s hand in his and linked their fingers together. “Always.”
////
“Goats!”
Steve laughed loudly. “Yeah, kid. Goats. You excited?”
“Goats!” Peter squealed again, clapping his hands together and stamping his rain boot-clad feet on the floor. “Goats, goats, goats!”
“Alright, alright,” Tony said, slamming the car door shut and walking round to the trunk, laughing at Peter’s dance. “We get it, bud, we’re going to see the goats, I promise.”
“Wanna feed.”
“You’ll get to feed them,” Steve said, taking his coat from Tony with a quiet thanks and checking the lock on the trunk. “We just have to talk to the nice man on the desk and get some food.”
“Then feed?”
“Yeah, Petey, we’ll get to feed them soon.”
Obviously happy with that, Peter fell quiet, still bouncing on the spot.
“Come on, then. Goat time.”
Tony laughed, heaving their rucksack up onto his shoulder. “There’s a sentence I never expected from you.”
“One I never expected to say, either. But that’s what you do when you have a son who’s obsessed with goats.”
*
“Goats!”
“Yeah, babe, there’s the goats.”
Tony snorted and stepped forward, running his hand over Peter’s shoulder. “You excited, then, bud?”
“Scared, Papa.”
“You’re scared?” Steve knelt down until he was near enough level with Peter. “What’s the matter?”
Peter shrugged, shuffling back until he was leaning against Tony’s legs. “Just scared.”
“You don’t need to be scared, buddy,” Steve said, voice soft. He shook the small bag of goat food towards Peter. “They’re not going to hurt you. They just want a snacky-snack.”
“I like snackies,” Peter muttered, still pressed against Tony’s legs.
“Don’t we know it,” Tony said, smirking when Steve glared at him. Grimacing a little at the mud on the floor, Tony knelt down next to his husband. “Okay, okay. What’s up?”
“Don’t wanna bite me.”
“They’re not going to bite you,” Tony said, poking Peter in the stomach to coax a very small smile from him. “And even if they tried, Papa’s here. He’ll chase them away before they could get a good nibble in.”
A tiny giggle left Peter. “Okay. Goats now?”
Steve laughed and Tony grinned. “That’s my boy. Fearless. Come on, then, let’s follow Papa.”
“Don’t let them get me,” Peter said seriously as Steve and Tony stood up, his eyes following their movements.
“Never,” Steve vowed, smiling widely and stretching out his arm, wiggling his fingers in Peter’s face. “Hold my hand. I’ll protect you.”
////
“I can’t do this.”
Steve laughed and Tony reached forward to smack him on the arm.
“I’m being serious! I can’t do this.”
“You don’t have to do anything,” Steve said, a smile still on his face as Tony glared at him. “You have to sit here and do nothing.”
“Which you know it impossible for me,” Tony snapped immediately, following Steve down the aisle between rows of seats, “but I was talking about the emotional side of things, Steve. It’s taking a toll on me.”
Chuckling, Steve drew to a halt and directed Tony to their seats. “It’s not like he’s going anywhere. He’s moving back in with us for the summer.”
“But he’s graduating,” Tony said, pouting far too much for a man of his age. He looked down at the program someone had pushed into his hands and tried not to think about when Peter was nothing but a baby in his arms. “He’s old.”
“He’s 22.”
“And that makes me old.”
“Well, that I can’t argue with.”
“Hey!” Tony smacked Steve again and Steve laughed loudly.
“Come on, sweetheart. Today’s a good day.”
“I know,” Tony said on a sigh. “I just don’t think I’m ready to have a child that’s graduated college.”
“I’m not sure I am, either,” Steve admitted with a grin. “But I don’t think we have much of a choice, do we?”
“Could interrupt the ceremony,” Tony mused, flicking through the program absentmindedly. There were an awful lot of names in it and Tony was hoping that Steve would agree to interrupting the ceremony if it would save him from boredom.
“Pretty sure Pete will still be an adult even if he doesn’t get to shake hands with the Dean.”
Tony huffed, but he couldn’t deny it. “I want to go home.”
As he let out another soft laugh, Steve rested his hand on Tony’s thigh. “I’m still here. Not going anywhere.”
Softening a little bit, Tony turned to look at him with a smile. “You just have a thing for older men.”
“You got me,” Steve said, leaning in and pressing a kiss to Tony’s lips. Turning his palm upwards in Tony’s lap, he tilted his head to the stage. “They’re starting. Hold my hand and please don’t cry.”
“No promises,” Tony said as he slid his hand into Steve’s and gripped it tight. Too tight, probably, but Steve didn’t complain. “Okay, let’s watch my baby make me old.”
for @alexrogersstark. I’m so happy I’ve got you, you lil weirdo 💞
**
“No.”
“You can’t say no. It’s not a discussion.”
“You’re right. It’s not a discussion because it’s a straight no.”
Tony laughed, not caring about Steve’s dark glare or the way he crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re cute.”
“Tony, come on–”
“I’ve got shit to do, Steve. I’m sorry, but I have to go to the labs. It’s not a choice.”
Steve’s frown only grew more pronounced. “You haven’t slept in days. When was the last time you went to bed?”
“I’m pretty sure I went to bed three days ago,” Tony said, pointing at Steve triumphantly. “I definitely fell asleep, anyway. Rest was had by me.”
“Obviously not enough,” Steve said, words clipped.
“It’s very sweet that you care about me, but I’m swamped.” Tony stepped closer and let his tense posture fall, relaxing a little in the vain hope that it would make Steve copy him. “I really can’t stop.”
“You’ll work yourself to an early grave,” Steve said, shoulders even tighter than before as he drew himself up to his full height. “Is it so wrong of me to want to sleep next to you for one night?”
Tony sighed. Reaching out, he rubbed at Steve’s arm, curling his fingers over Steve’s hand. “Of course it’s not. I miss you, too, believe it or not.”
“One night,” Steve said, bottom lip sticking out into something of a pout. “Let me make you breakfast.”
Tony’s eyes lit up. “Now, that is an offer I might just take you up on.”
“It’s conditional,” Steve said, dropping his arms from his chest to curve over Tony’s hips. “Only redeemable if you spend the whole night in bed with your husband.”
“Damn it. I can’t sleep tonight, sugarplum. So much to do, so little time.”
Shaking his head in defeat, Steve’s mouth curved into a soft smile. “So close. I really thought I had you with that. See you when I next see you then, sweetheart.”
Stretching up, Tony took Steve’s face in his hands as he hopped up on his tip-toes and pressed a kiss to Steve’s forehead.
“Breakfast,” Tony said, hand resting on Steve’s chest as he dropped back onto the floor and took a step backwards out of Steve’s loose embrace. “I promise. Tomorrow morning. I’ll even leave my phone downstairs.”
“Wow. Big words.” Cocking an eyebrow, Steve tilted his head. “You sure you can live up to expectations?”
Throwing a wink at Steve before he left the room, Tony grinned. “I’ll exceed them, even. We might just find ourselves in that bed – and I don’t think we’ll be doing much sleeping.”
