Hello there, can we please have a shoutout? We're a brand new roleplay about a cult of killers living in the heart of New York. Can you survive or will you find yourself joining the Faceless? Bios are going to start posting shortly and we also accept OCs. Thank you in advance!
Description: Tony Stark did not deserve Steve Rogers, and that was that.
"Sir, you've got a call on the line."
"If it's Phil, tell him to go away," Tony said, sliding out from under yet another of his infamous projects. "He's been harassing me for long enough, and frankly, I just don't give a shit that Congress wants to talk to me. I'm Tony Stark, and if he thinks he can make me, -"
"Actually, sir, it's Captain Rogers."
"Oh." At this, Tony slid out again and got up, and in a single fluid motion, retrieved his phone that was sitting nearby on one of the lab tables.
"Yo, what's up, Capsicle?"
He was not prepared for the series of sobs that he heard next.
"Whoa there, buddy. Is everything okay?"
Many sniffles followed, then a clearing of a throat.
Tony listened, and around a half hour later, Steve Rogers came through his front door, with slightly red rimmed eyes, but a smile on his face nonetheless.
"You know, I usually take people drinking after a bad breakup happens, but, I figured that might not work out with you."
"It really wouldn't," Steve laughed, softly, but it was still there. "I've had breakups before, but I don't know," Steve shrugged. "I guess this one just got to me."
"I feel you, buddy," Tony replied, stepping behind him and closing the door. "But, what do you say about just a little friend date? Movies, pizza, shit-talking?"
Steve laughs again, more fully this time, which allows Tony to admire the little wrinkles behind his eyes, and then makes himself tear his eyes away. Now is definitely not the time.
Then again, never would be the time, but whatever.
He brushed the thought off like it was an irritating bug, and moved on.
"Okay, you pick the movie, but anything borderline romantic is out. I don't want you crying on my shoulder, Rogers. I'm going to order the pizza."
"Got it," Steve said, rolling his eyes. He really needed to stop hanging out with Natasha and Clint; they were getting to be a bad influence, Tony mused, as he grabbed his phone and dialed the familar number to his favorite pizza place, just off the corner of 52nd. He ordered five pies and a meatball specialty sub, whatever the fuck that was. (He'd had pizza night with Steve before, he knew how this worked.) It really was remarkable, Tony mused again, how he and Cap had gotten so close after practically hating each other when they first met. They had gone from, "Big man in a suit of armor, take that away, what are you?" to Steve rummaging through his movie collection, coming here after a bad breakup. It was remarkable.
It also was remarkable that Tony had suddenly developed feelings for the super soldier after the months that they had become close, and boy, wasn't that a pain in the ass, no pun intended. Howard had always said that he had a perpetual habit of burning everything he touched, and Tony was determinded to not burn Steve. He deserved to be burned by a much worthier person than by Tony Stark. He deserved to feel like getting his heart broken was a privilege, awarded to only the finest of men, and Tony certainly wasn't that.
Tony did not deserve Steve Rogers, and that was that.
"Hey, Tony," Steve's voice called out, rashing his train of thought so hard, Tony was pretty sure the conductor exploded. "I can't decide between The Empire Strikes Back, or The Matrix."
"Empire, for sure. The Matrix pisses me off," Tony replied, turning, as the doorbell had just rang.
"Sir, the door, -"
"I'm aware, Jarvis."
Two and a half hours later found Tony and Steve sitting side by side on Tony's sofa, surrounded by pizza boxes and about five remote controls. Tony glanced his watch. 10:25 PM. "It's getting late," he said in an observing tone. "You gonna head back, or do you want to crash?"
Steve yawned. "Do you mind if I just crash?"
"Not at all, Cap. You know that," Tony said, standing up and began to clean up the living room, discarding of the never ending empty pizza boxes, and soda bottles.
"Hey, Tony?"
"Yeah, Cap?"
"You're the most important person I have, you know that?"
Tony very nearly missed the trash can.
He quickly got rid of the trash and resumed his place sitting by Steve.
He didn't mean to whisper when he said, "What'dya mean by that?"
"Well, you're my best friend and you're here for me through everything and you're such a good addition to the Avengers, even Nat thinks so, and you know how hard it is to make her think like that. "
"Well, I haven't been so good lately. I haven't been on the last three missions."
"Yeah, I missed you then."
Tony shot him an amused look. "Did you now?"
Steve looked at him with fond, bleary eyes. "Yeah, of course, I did! I mean, "
Steve sighed and ran a hand through his hair, making it appear more like duckling fluff than usual.
"You're important to the team, and important to me, and I just want you to stay with me, you know?"
Steve reached over and grabbed Tony's hand, and wrapped it within both of his own.
"I just want you to stay."
Tony had gotten his share of heartfelt messages in the middle of the night, none of them had made his heart stutter and falter in his chest. He repeatedly kept reminding himself to breathe.
This means nothing, Don't you dare think otherwise.
Tony knew this wasn't an 'I love you', but it was close. So he let Steve circle his arms around his waist, and gather him into his lap.
He was burning Steve.
But, in that moment, he lost all sense of caring.
He told himself to breathe once again as Steve's warm lips traveled up and down his face, and he tried not to float away with the feeling of euphoria, because he knew he would need to remember this night forever, because this show was going to be a one night only kind of thing. No one stuck around with Tony for too long, especially after a rebound like Steve's. Perpetual rebound, always and forever.
"Stay with me," Steve murmured against his throat, accenting each word with a small, close-mouthed kiss. "Please."
The threat of burning was imminent, and ever-looming.
And in that moment, Tony contented in the fact that he would rather just be Steve Rogers' rebound, than pathetically pining his entire life. He had once chance, a chance that be thought he would never have. And he knew, that the words Steve was whispering in his ear, words of love and affirmation that he was beautiful and perfect meant nothing, because nighttime made people crazy, and loosened their tongues. Steve would be gone, come morning. And there was nothing Tony could do to prevent it.
I know that better than anyone.
Better burn wisely, Stark.
"How about," Tony breathed in Steve's ear. "You stop telling me to stay, and show me exactly what I'm staying for."
Steve growled, bowled Tony over, and Tony let himself float away.
Tony awoke to an empty bed.
He sat up, and let the cold fear wash over him. Stupid, stupid, stupid, he was so goddamn stupid. He knew Steve would have run away, why didn't he just let it go?
Dad was right. I do burn everything I touch. Can't be trusted. I just burn -
"I made pancakes. Well, I did, I promise, but Thor came and ate literally all of them except like, two, and I saved them for you."
Tony took in the sight of Steve, hair mussed, wearing his own plaid pajama pants and a white t-shirt, and laughed out of pure relief. It must have been evident, because Steve looked at him and frowned.
"You really thought I was going to use the most important person in the world to me as a rebound?" Steve demanded.
"Well, um, yeah, because."
"You're not used to trusting your partners," Steve said. "And you're afraid you hurt anything you try to love. I know, Tony. I know."
Tony tried to open his mouth, to explain, but instead he just burst into tears.
Steve had him in his arms in a millisecond.
"Shh, Tony, love, it's alright. I'm never going to leave you. Not tonight, not tomorrow morning, not ever. I know it happened very...unideally last night, but all I want...all I've ever wanted is you, Tony, and I'm sorry you thought I was just using you. I would never, Tony, not in a million years. I love you, and I'm going to stay, no matter what. Through everything. I promise."
"But," Tony choked out, holding onto Steve as if he were a life preserver.
"But what, love?" Steve whispered, taking a hand and gently wiping away Tony's tears.
"...I'll burn you," Tony choked out. "You're too beautiful to be burned."
"I was frozen for seventy years, I think I need it." Steve murmured, pressing a kiss to the side of Tony's mouth. "It'd be a honor."
Tony looked up, and into Steve's eyes.
Here in Manhattan, 2,831.1 miles away from his home, Tony found his heart, and he proved that to Steve with the love-filled kiss he pressed to his mouth.
And he had never been more content with his burning.
Send a ♚. Your character falls asleep on mine, I’ll reply with what mine does.
{♔ } After a long trip to visit Tifa, Garnet was proud to know that the business of 7th Heaven, Tifa’s bar, were taking off. Want to watch live this success with their own eyes. When she arrived it was dark, and the bar seemed to be empty, maybe was closing and that was it. The brunette knocked on the side door with the bent bone of your index finger with a smile on her lips.
Tifa smiled wearily, should have cleaned the whole bar alone and appeared to be brand new, splendid. The petite girl sat on the bench beside her patting her back
“— I’m proud…” she said looking around with her eyes flashing the magnificent. Until she felt something heavy on her shoulder and a umid air that could tickle your neck. Tifa was sleeping, Garnet just smiled and stroked her cheek.
I kept my pace as I decide to hike up what looked like a rocky mountain. There may or may not have been any other tributes traveling in my wake farther back, I didn’t check much; if another tributes was planning to get my life over right now I’d prefer I didn’t know who was coming, I could of heard them anyway if I had any predators. My mind needed to be blank.
My cares only wondered for three peoples’ health and survival: Gabriel, Isobel, and Oberon. Surely enough Gabriel and Isobel were side by side with a pack of careers at their service and Oberon had his own little clique with others. Gabriel was surely alive, and Isobel wouldn’t get touched by anyone other than a fly with him by her side. Oberon was who I worried most about even when I told myself he would be doing fine without my presence, he was small and vulnerable but fast and knowledgeable.
All my life I’ve survived on my own, supporting and teaching myself but in this very moment I never felt more alone.
I sigh and plop down on a near by boulder, studying the only two objects that would have to keep me alive. Nuribaris were rarely used weapons in academies and were never in Capitol training. Luckily I knew the basics of the light weapon, there wasn't much to it: a flick of the wrist, like a throwing knife and leather whip. The needle-like tip could be thrown, flicked, or swung.
As I took a few moments to catch my breath, two canons boomed, one following shortly after the other. My heart slammed against the inside of my chest as I whipped my head around where I rested and pulled one knee up to my chest. A new kind of worry started to blossom in the pit of my stomach. Then as I tried to relax my tensed muscles, another canon boomed through the soundless arena.
One hand gripped onto the Nuribari tighter while the other clenched on the boulder beneath my sitting spot. I started to get more nervous as I would dwell on the canons, who they belonged to, how close the murders were, and how close the nearest pack of an alliance was.
I tucked my three unused throwing knifes into my arena belt, and straightened out my shaking legs before trekking higher up the mountain where there was hopefully safe breathing air and not as many dangers to attack me. The night was getting chillier, I had no blankets or packs, and eventually I stopped when the sun sat on the horizon, curling up behind a slim, lengthy rock as I shivered. Personally, I should have known better; I'd been doing a lot of quick thinking in the Capitol that didn't involve much logic or strategy but I would be escaping tributes who haven't traveled so high.
