✪ we walk around pretending we're all grown up ✪

[letmetakeaselfie]

They went to the beach and everything was warm and beautiful for a while. He's immensely glad Steve has found someone to appreciate him as much as he and Pepper do -- especially since Sam shows it better than he ever could. He's also grateful Steve agreed to stay at the Tower when he wasn't in D.C. It did a great deal to ease his mind now that the S.H.I.E.L.D. drama was over with. Or at least, Phase One was over.

It's late and Pepper's sleeping and he's still a little fucked up from his surgery. They told him not to strain himself, which of course he immediately had anyway. He doesn't wait for Steve to come collect him though, hitting the elevator button obediently instead of trying to mount all those stairs -- why did he have so many stairs anyway?

Tony pushes on the door of the training room, knowing the other man is up, punching bags. He's jealous; he just wants to get back to doing dumb shit with his friends. His expression is uncharacteristically wan, soft; very nearly demure. He clears his throat though he also knows Steve has noticed him.

"You missed my bedtime," he criticizes with zero bite, holding up his watch and pointing to its face while still hanging in the doorway -- as if he's afraid to step any closer. Not of Steve, but of what it may symbolize.

Comments

now i can sleep peacefully

[valuedstrength]

He stares at Tony because that's really the only appropriate answer here. Rethink your life buddy. There are important social issues going on here!!! This isn't about hearing about it first. "Am I supposed to text you relationship updates now?" He pokes Tony's forehead. "Shouldn't you be focusing on getting better and not want I tell the other people about my love life?"

There's a long pause. "Please don't ever call me squirrelfriend again. You sound like a hyperactive toddler."

yes good bc this is so important

[letmetakeaselfie]

"Well, yeah, cause we're besties." Duh. But he takes his lumps and pokes with relative grace, though he goes briefly cross-eyed from the well deserved gesture. "Alright, alright. Bigger issue: and more to my actual point..."

Tony worries his lip nervously, wondering not for the first time tonight if he should just abandon this line of questioning. Is he stepping over the best friends line? Is there one of those? He tries to compare this to his relationship with Rhodes, but there's really nothing similar about it. They don't get this personal even if there's no actual line to speak of there either. Eventually, he just decides to blurt it out because otherwise Cap is just going to tease him out of it. Maybe that's what BFF means? He'll figure it out -- someday.

"You're you, and he's him. And you don't have to have a press release, but you might want to because... well. Someone's going to sell the story to TMZ and you'll be asked for a statement and it's so much better to just spin it yourself so you can say what you want and not have someone selling video of you guys running together." That was a whole burst of words said on one breath. So maybe he's a hyperactive toddler, so what. He worries about shit like this because he knows Steve cares about how he's perceived. Not in his personal life, but as Cap. And to everyone else, the two are one in the same. "Just, think about it. Pepper can always help you guys with it if that's the way you want to fly. I'm going to shut up now," he tacks onto the end, grinning a little lopsidedly. Take it or leave it, bud, he'll continue obsessing about this in his head instead of to your face.

[valuedstrength]

"I know." It's clear from the look in the eyes he appreciates the thought. Steve is pretty self-aware. This is hardly the first time he pushed boundaries. His entire team was a boundary pusher. It's harder when it relates to his personal life. He wants to keep his business private. It's unlikely he'll get his wish. He'd rather not get cornered at the deli like he's some kind of criminal for dating who he wants.

"I'll talk to Pepper right after him. I know she has our back." More importantly, she knows how to spin. Steve's idea of telling people things is more or less telling them and then saying deal with it. He'll need something better if that's where Sam wants to go with this.

"You don't think it's kind of presumptuous? I mean what if he doesn't want all this drama?" He frowns and pointedly doesn't ask what he wants to. Steve is kind of paranoid he'll dump him. It is a lot of pressure and unwanted attention.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He opens his mouth to admonish Steve, but then it snaps shut again as he remembers what it felt like -- on that rooftop with Pepper. How long it had taken him to reach out to her again because he'd been so petrified of losing her. "It's just a question," he points out gently instead, though if he thought Sam were the kind of man to hurt Steve, well. He'd be answering to a gold-titanium fist. "And if he didn't want your drama he wouldn't be dating you, doofus."

There. He feels good about that, reaching out to tap Steve's shoulder in a mirror to the one he'd gotten. Tony would let Pepper handle this from here on out. His press conferences were pretty much like Steve's would be so that's a no-go.

"But if he ever hurts you..." His face creases in worry. Not because he thinks Sam ever would, but just because he's become so fiercely protective -- even possessive -- of what he has that he can't let it go. Tony doesn't finish the sentence, looking away. The meaning is clear enough without the rest of the words.

[valuedstrength]

Steve smiles at first. That's reasonably reassuring. Maybe he is just being a moron about this. Sam didn't go into this blind. Then that follow up makes him openly pause because wow. Sort of terrifying there, Tony.

"Well now it has to work out." He laughs nervously. "I hope you're not going to beat up every person who ever hurts me. I mean you'd never get out of that suit." He gets punched all the time especially in the heart. :(

[letmetakeaselfie]

Slowly, with some hesitance, he reaches out for Steve again, winding his arm around his middle and pressing his forehead to his chest. "I hope it does work out," he says sincerely, voice bald and tone plainly honest. "I like seeing you happy."

[valuedstrength]

"Yeah." Steve wraps his hand back around, resting it on Tony. Yes, he's getting his back rub again. He earned it. "I like being happy too. Not that I wasn't, but he helps. A lot." Sam was what was missing in his life before. Steve knows that now.

[letmetakeaselfie]

"Good," he says firmly on a little sigh at earning his backrubs back. "What does Sam think of me?" He's trying to bring a little humor back, but he does wonder if Sam and Steve talk about himself and Pepper even a fraction of the amount they do them.

[valuedstrength]

Steve pauses awkwardly. Welp. "You know we haven't talked about you all that much." Is this a good thing or bad thing in Tony language? He can't be sure.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He actually laughs, taken in by how uncertain Steve is about his answer. "Not a lot of talking going on, huh?"

[valuedstrength]

"Not a lot of talking about you." Steve stresses. Look he's not talking about that with Tony ever.

[letmetakeaselfie]

That only makes him laugh harder, though it's just as brief, turning his head to pillow against Steve's chest properly. "I didn't ask for deets, Cap. Chill." And he wouldn't. That's crossing a line even for him. "Though I've always wondered..." He's totally messing with you.

[valuedstrength]

He's apparently a comedian tonight. Steve frowns deeply. "How hard I can hit you in the head from this angle? Because I'm willing to find out if you are." Of course he doesn't mean it. Mostly. (Jerk.)

[letmetakeaselfie]

"I'll google it," he concedes easily, stealing Cap's line for once and actually closing his eyes. Not to sleep ofc not he's just comfy.

[valuedstrength]

Steve aggressively ruffles Tony's hair in revenge. He's the line stealer around here. "Get some sleep already. I'm not going to be happy until you're all healed up." Never mind what he did just made it harder.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He makes an undignified noise at that, but manages not to let it displace him, smiling a little despite himself, eyes still closed. "Are you going to sit on me til I'm better? Because I think I know a certain boyfriend who might have something to say about that." He can keep going all night, Cap.

[valuedstrength]

"You're never letting that go, are you?" Steve is too pleased with his continued picking on Tony that he can't bring himself to care. "Keep it up and I really will become your worst nightmare. Do you really want me jumping out of corners asking if you've rested today? Because I can make that happen."

[letmetakeaselfie]

"You told me I could tease you for being adorable so I am. No takebacksies, dude." Tony is starting to curl in on himself in minute ways that Cap will know means the end is near. Even he can't bicker forever after days with no sleep. "So stay out of my corners. I need those to remain... un-terrifying." It's punctuated by a huge yawn against Steve's shirt, never once opening his eyes.

[valuedstrength]

"Fair enough." Steve's eyes finally slide shut. Tony will be out soon so he's free to fall asleep right after as per usual. "Goodnight, Tony."

[letmetakeaselfie]

"Night, Cap," he murmurs, laughing to himself. "Get it? Nightcap...." He's out motherfucker.