Twelve days of Christmas fics! This is for @onlymorelove who loved my squirrel Tony so much that she pretty much pleaded with me to write a three part sequel. Here’s the main story, this is nuts but be a little boulder, and its sequel, this is nuts but be a little bit more boulder! Would love kudos if I made you smile <3
Unbeta’ed.
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The first snow dropped gently onto Tony’s nose, making him sneeze and shiver slightly. Amused, Steve gathered a grumbling squirrel with his paw and trapped him between his legs.
“I’m fine,” Tony griped, but he didn’t mean it, not really. Between Steve’s paws, it was warmer anyway, and he shifted closer into the body heat and tolerated the gentle press of Steve’s nose into his fur. “Remind me why I’m out here in the cold instead of snuggling back in my nest, where it’s warm.”
“You know why,” Steve reminded him, burrowing his nose into Tony’s tail and sneezing. Tony twitched, but he no longer did anything anymore because the dumb dog behind him never learned, so it was a moot point anyway. “Sam and Carol are getting married.”
“It’s dumb,” Tony grouched. “It’s so cold!”
“I, for one, don’t mind the cold,” Natasha said, padding over, Bucky and Clint following her. As usual, Peter hitched a ride atop of Bucky’s back.
“Of course not,” Tony hurriedly replied, shying away slightly as Natasha pinned her gaze upon him. “Nothing wrong with a winter wedding Natasha.”
Natasha smirked. “None at all, because if you said otherwise, I would have destroyed your stash of acorns.”
“Our acorns?” Peter whispered. “Our food?”
“She’s just joking Peter, don’t mind her,” Steve said plainly, laying his head over Tony’s body. Tony grumbled, shifted, and laid more comfortably beside Steve’s head. There were still bandages around one of Steve’s paw, and while he was healing nicely, Tony still stayed away from the injury. He eyed it, prompting a huff from Steve’s mouth. “I’m not going to break, Tony. It doesn’t even hurt.”
“You’re still limping though,” Tony pointed out.
“Leftovers from the injury, natural habit. It’ll go away, I promise.”
Tony buried his face into Steve’s muzzle, not saying anything, but they all got the meaning anyway. Steve nearly died during the latest job, and there was fear in Tony’s eyes the first night Sam brought a barely conscious Steve home. His Steve, nearly dying, and Tony would have never saw him again. It was a frightening prospect, and Tony refused to leave his side until he nearly dropped dead from hunger and Bucky dragged him to the windowsill for a Rhodey and Pepper intervention. Still, Tony barely left Steve’s side until he was stronger and out of death’s door.
But Steve’s retired now. He wouldn’t be able to go back to his job anymore with his extensive injuries. Tony was secretly glad; he was sad too because they all knew Steve loved his job and saving people.
Everyone turned away when Steve picked his head up and pressed his head against Tony’s own head. As long as they both lived, they would never leave each other.
“Oh, is this where you guys are hiding?” Heels clattered against the linoleum floor, and Carol appeared in her long, flowing white dress. “You know we want you out there, right?”
As one, the stared at her, and she grinned brilliantly in return. “We’re expecting you guys to be in the pics. Family pics, you know the drill.” With one last smile, she walked away.
“We know the drill?” Peter asked timidly. He cowered when Natasha gazed at him. “Yes, I guess we know the drill.”
“Shall we go out now then?” Steve asked.
“It’s cold,” Tony grumbled, but he got up all the same.
Steve smiled and nuzzled Tony. “I’ll be there to warm you up,” he promised.
Forever, he didn’t say. He didn’t need to; Tony knew.
