#TSB2020 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

omg-just-peachy · 4 years

Text

i’ll keep your brittle heart warm

for the protectiveness square on my @tonystarkbingo card! (bingo details are below the cut!)

Steve and Tony divorced five years ago. Too bad they can’t seem to stay away from each other. 4.2k w.

also on AO3

****

“So,” Natasha says one night when they’re out for drinks, “I have to tell you something, but I want you to know that if it makes you mad, you can just tell me no and I’ll drop it.”

Steve swallows down the last of his beer and leans across the table, trying to hear her better. “Not off to an auspicious start here, Romanoff,” he says.

She gives him her best winning smile and continues. “I was thinking of setting Tony up with my friend from the store,” she says. “Unless you don’t want me to! But you guys seem to be in a really good place and I just… he’s alone so much these days,” she explains.

Steve knows he’s still in the same crowded bar, surrounded by just as many loud strangers as before, but he suddenly feels like he’s alone on an island somewhere, surrounded by deafening silence. He lifts his glass as if to take a sip before remembering that it’s empty, and sets it down with what is probably too much force.

“What guy?” Steve tries to sound measured.

Natasha studies him. “Um, that guy Thor, the blond?” Natasha works at a brewery, one of the more popular ones in town, and she was constantly introducing them to new friends and employees. It was great when Steve wanted a new friend, someone to introduce him to his next favorite craft beer. It’s less so when she’s introducing his ex-husband to one of them. Natasha’s employees are almost always ridiculously charming, they kind of have to be to deal with the public for so many hours a week, after all. Steve met Thor all of one time, and remembers him being all cascading blonde hair and strapping muscles as he tossed jokes and hauled drinks effortlessly.

His stomach feels sour and he immediately feels guilty. Steve’s been out on dates, of course, though nothing serious. And he hates to be petty, to keep Tony from something that might really make him happy, just because it couldn’t be Steve anymore.

“Oh, yeah, he’s… nice,” Steve says, nodding carefully.

“You remember him? He’s funny, I think they’d have fun together,” Nat explains, still clearly studying Steve’s face for signs of distress.

“Yeah, definitely,” Steve agrees. He reaches for his empty glass and shoots Nat a questioning look. “Need anything? I’m going up.”

Her answering “no,” is hardly past her lips before Steve’s throwing himself into the crowd of people and heading towards the bar.

Tony can go out with whoever he wants, seriously. They’ve been divorced for five years now. They’re totally different people now than they were when they got married. Hell, they’re different people now than they were when they divorced.

Steve orders a refill, and while he waits, he thinks about his ex-husband. It’s still weird, even after all this time, to think about Tony in those terms. Ex-husband .

They got married when they were young, just twenty-four years old, despite the arguments from their friends that they should wait, that neither of them were ready for a commitment like marriage so young. Steve distinctly remembered Sam pointing out that the male brain isn’t even fully developed until age twenty-five. But they were young and passionate, so sure they’d found their perfect person that they could overcome anything and everything life threw at them.

And it was true.

For six months.

Then Tony’s parents had died, both gone in the blink of an eye in a car accident, and Steve’s best friend was deployed to Afghanistan, all of which put immense pressure on their relationship with each other. They both needed more than they could ask for, and neither knew how to give the level of support the other required. It was a ticking time bomb in a lot of ways, and finally, when they were twenty-five, they signed divorce papers. They were broken and hurting, and they couldn’t be there for each other when it mattered most and so they had both suffered.

It still hurt Steve to think about, but it wasn’t like they’d cut all ties. They were still friends, believe it or not. Steve was a good friend, just ask Bucky or Sam or Nat.

“Sam Adams,” the bartender says, snapping Steve out of his reverie long enough to pay for his drink and make his way back to Natasha at the table.

“You should set him up with that guy,” Steve says, as if he doesn’t know Thor’s name, like he couldn’t be bothered to remember it. If only. “ They might really hit it off.”

Nat pauses, watching as Steve takes a long pull of his beer before setting it down and nodding. “You’re sure?”

“Of course. You’re right, Tony is alone a lot. He deserves to be happy,” Steve says. That he wishes they could be happy with each other goes unsaid.

“Okay,” Nat says. “I’ll think about it.”

Shortly after this conversation, though, Sam and Bucky join them, and if Steve has a few drinks more than usual, well, that’s really no one’s business but his own.

If he texts Tony hey, stranger , after his fifth beer, and ends up with a sloppy smile over his face at Tony’s responding hey yourself, well, no one reads his texts but him.

Certainly it’s between Steve and his Uber driver if he ends up out front of Stark Tower just after midnight, grinning as a familiar face lets him upstairs.

Since when do you drink so much?

I don’t, usually. We were celebrating Nat’s work thing, and one thing led to another…

I’m hardly complaining. I can’t believe it’d been so long since we’d seen each other.

I know. I kinda missed you.

Only kinda?

Tony…

Steve…

More than kinda, but I shouldn’t say that stuff anymore

You were much more confident saying that stuff last night.

Whoops?

Again, not complaining :)

“Tony?” Steve says, incredulous to find his ex-husband standing in front of him at the twenty-four hour gym he sometimes frequents late at night.

“Steve? Oh, god,” Tony says, running a hand through sweat-damp hair. He looks like he’d had a decent work out, something Steve never knew him to do in the past, certainly not late at night when he could be working in the lab or out rubbing elbows with investors.

Steve’s smile spreads slow and wide over his face of its own volition. “What are you doing here?”

“Trying to establish healthy habits, or something,” Tony groans. “Never thought I’d see you here, the Adonis himself,” he teases.

Steve feels his face flush. “Hardly,” he says, though he is glad he came today instead of putting it off, and he’s extra glad he went the extra twenty minutes with the weights.

“Apparently exercise is good for the body and the mind, and my… uh… therapist thought it might help,” Tony says quietly. “To have an outlet that isn’t work. I still have my doubts, but I figured it was worth more than one try.”

It certainly looked to Steve like Tony had been there more than once. His arms have a definite tone to them now that hadn’t been there even a few weeks ago. And as much as he wants to pretend he isn’t looking, well… Steve knows he’s letting his gaze linger over Tony’s face, and his arms, and the way his chest looks in his tight black t-shirt.

“That’s great, Tony,” Steve says, because it is. Healthy coping mechanisms hadn’t really been either of their strong suits in the past, and he’s glad to see he’s doing better now. Or at least trying to.

Tony gives a shrug, but Steve can see the pleased smile that works its way over Tony’s lips at his words.

“What about you, what are you doing here so late?” Tony asks, apparently eager to divert the attention away from himself.

“I was in the neighborhood,” Steve says, though the excuse is flimsy and he knows Tony will see right through his thin veneer.

“You’re not sleeping,” Tony says. It’s not a question, and Steve isn’t sure if he should feel relieved or indignant that Tony still knows this, still knows him well enough to know exactly what Steve would be doing at an all hours gym at something approaching midnight.

“It’s not so bad.” Steve looks up at Tony, who hasn’t looked away from him yet, and feels tense all over at the attention. Tony always had a way of really looking at you that made you feel seen and understood and cared for in a way Steve hadn’t experienced before or since.

Tony makes a thoughtful humming sound. “Want to take a walk?” He asks, and Steve could say no, of course, he could head home, take a long hot shower and lay down and pray for sleep, but…

“Sure, why not?” Steve finds himself saying.

The night air is soothing, and it’s peaceful being outside in the dark together, like the pressure was off, somehow.

Tony must feel it too, because they only walk a few feet before he says: “So, I went on a date a few weeks ago.”

Steve feels the earth tilt just a little on its axis and struggles to continue walking normally. “Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah. Some god-looking guy named Thor that Natasha found at her brewery,” Tony says with a husk of a laugh.

“Wow, god-like,” Steve repeats, teasing.

“You know what I mean. At least, I assume you know him, or at the very least, that she asked you first, because she’s considerate like that.”

Steve feels suddenly guilty without knowing why. “She did,” he admits.

Tony’s quiet, thinking.

“So,” Steve says eventually, because even though he has no right, no claim to Tony or his personal life, he just… has to know. “How was it?”

“Oh, good,” Tony says. “He was as charming as you might think on a first date. But you know, Nat really doesn’t have to keep this up. I haven’t been out of the game so long that I forget how to get my own dates. Though you did of course ruin me for other men, Mr. Rogers,” Tony says with a sly smile that has way too much of an effect on Steve’s insides.

“I—”

But Tony keeps going. “So, why aren’t you sleeping? You have that look about you, like it’s been way too long without any real sleep.”

Steve knows how he looks, all shadow-eyed and run down, spending his nights tossing and turning and getting up with the sun for a run. It wasn’t hard to believe that Tony noticed those things about him so quickly. And again, Steve could argue with him, but he didn’t see much point in that. Tony knew him too well for platitudes and bullshit, something he’d always loved about him.

The night is warm and dry and even though they can’t see much of the stars in the city like this, Steve can still feel their presence. And maybe it’s the stars, or the chance encounter with Tony, or just the way he’s looking at him, like he really wants to help, but Steve decides to be honest.

“You went on a date,” he confesses.

Tony’s eyes seem to go liquid gold in the half light.

Morning, Sleeping Beauty

Good morning… It was really good to see you last night

Back at you. Did you manage to get some sleep? You know I worry about these things, Steven.

I did, actually. You shouldn’t worry about me, though.

I think I’m just wired to care about you at this point, so you’ll have to deal with it I guess

When a few months later it comes out that Stark Industries had lost millions of dollars at the hands of Obadiah Stane, and the company is thrown into a media frenzy of speculation and rumors and endless headlines, Steve doesn’t think twice. He follows every instinct he has to go to Stark Tower and make sure Tony is okay. He’d trusted Stane, Steve knows. He was the last thing Tony had resembling a family, and for him to be doing something like this…

Tony must be a wreck. And fuming, and hurt, and devastated, and… Steve takes a deep breath, focuses on the steady sway of the subway car, and reminds himself that he’ll be there soon.

Steve finds Tony exactly where he expects to: in the back of the lab, pouring himself a glass of scotch.

“Ah, welcome to the circus,” Tony says, pouring another glass and passing it to Steve before he could protest.

“Tony,” Steve says quietly.

“To family,” Tony says, lifting the glass and downing it in one go. Steve winces, feeling the burn as if he’d downed the drink himself.

“Tony,” Steve repeats. “How are you?” He keeps his voice low and measured and he doesn’t look away when Tony’s face twists in a maelstrom of anguish and anger and hurt.

“Fuck,” Tony says, slamming the glass down. “God damnit.”

Steve hears the way Tony’s voice breaks just a fraction on that last word, the small way Tony lets himself go just a little.

“Twenty years,” Tony says. “Twenty years! He worked with my dad, with my mother . All that bullshit about being there for me and rebuilding the company with me and he was… what, hatching some grand plan to take it from me.”

The thought of it makes Steve inexplicably angry, not because Tony would notice or even miss the money and tech Stane had taken, but because it took so much for Tony to let anyone in in the first place, and Stane had taken that modicum of trust and shattered it.

“I’m a pretty smart guy, Steve,” Tony fumes. “How did this happen? I should have—”

“You are smart, Tony. It’s not—”

Tony holds up a hand, his eyes narrowing. “If you’re about to tell me it’s not my fault, please spare me the platitudes, alright?”

“Don’t be like this,” Steve says. He knows Tony isn’t thinking clearly, though he also knows he has a tendency to shut people out when things are especially hard. Steve has that same inclination, one of their many problems.

“Like what?” There’s a challenge burning bright and fiery in Tony’s eyes, no doubt exacerbated by the alcohol, and Steve just shakes his head.

“You know what I mean.”

“Why are you here, Steve? I didn’t call you. I didn’t ask for you to come here,” Tony shouts.

“I know you didn’t. I had to hear about this on the news , Tony. That your company was almost taken from you and you were probably alone here dealing with it,” Steve nearly spits the words, his own anger taking him by surprise. God, what was Tony so fucking stubborn for, anyway? Can’t he see that Steve’s just trying to help?

But maybe he couldn’t.

“So you could, what? Be some kind of knight in shining armor? What do you know about any of this?”

Steve stops, stung. Maybe he didn’t know anything about this, the big bad business world Tony has made himself a part of. But he’s always known Tony , and that’s what brought him here: his own misguided attempts at making sure Tony Stark is okay.

Maybe it really is time for Steve to stop doing that. It certainly wasn’t getting him anywhere.

“I didn’t think,” Tony says, sounding suddenly, impossibly exhausted. Like the fight had gone out of him as quickly as it’d come. He looks around the workshop in disgust, like the whole thing was tainted now, and shakes his head. “I just reacted, I didn’t think you might want to… come by.”

“We never were good at this,” Steve says with a sigh. He takes a seat at Tony’s workbench, heaving himself into it and looking down into the glass of amber liquid still in front of him.

“Not so much,” Tony agrees.

“You just lost the last person you really trusted. The last person you considered family. Of course I wanted to make sure you were okay,” Steve says, his voice quiet but firm. “And I like to think we’ve gotten a little better. That fight would’ve kept going for ages a few years ago.”

Tony nods, his face almost giving way to a smile before he thinks the better of it. “What am I supposed to do now? He was making weapons, Steve, selling them to these war-torn countries behind my back and people were dying because of something that had my name on it.”

“I don’t know,” Steve admits. He really doesn’t know what comes next, knows that after this, the drinks and the despair and the anger, will come a stroke of genius, because that’s how Tony operates, but he knows you couldn’t rush that part, either. “But I’m pretty sure you’ll figure it out.”

Tony doesn’t apologize for getting angry, doesn’t thank him for coming over. Instead, Tony looks at him as they sit in the workshop as night falls, and says, “You’re wrong, you know. Obie wasn’t the only person I trust.”

Seriously, fuck Obadiah Stane, and anyone and everyone ever associated with Howard Stark

I take it you’re feeling better?

Getting there. I have the makings of a plan, and that’s what counts

I never doubted you

You never do

“I want to set you up with someone,” Natasha tells Steve one night in early fall. He groans in response. The last thing Steve needs is to be set up on some horrible blind date, forced to make small talk and discuss himself and his hopes and dreams.

He tells Natasha as much.

“You’re alone too much,” Nat says with a wave of her hand. “When was the last time you even went on a first date?”

Steve thinks about this. “The last time you insisted on setting me up?”

Nat rolls her eyes, her point proven. “Just trust me on this one, okay?”

“I thought Tony was the one who was alone too much,” Steve tries. He isn’t deflecting, he knows she’d said that at one point.

“You both are. Spinsters, both of you,” Nat declares. “Anyway, he was last time, it’s your turn now. I promise it’ll be good, okay? If it isn’t, you’ll never have to say yes again.”

Steve rubs a hand over his face. “Fine, but this is the last time .”

Natasha smirks.

Natasha’s setting me up

Oh, lucky you, who with?

She didn’t say, just promised it would be worth it. Tell me I shouldn’t blow this person off and go have a drink alone somewhere…

You want ME to tell you NOT to go out with some hot guy from her bar? This feels almost too easy…

Fine, but I’m sending you an SOS if it’s horrible, and you’ll have to come to my rescue.

Done and done.

The night of the date, Steve’s a bundle of nerves. It doesn’t make sense, because he doesn’t have any real expectations for how the night will end up, but he still finds himself all jittery as he gets ready.

He stands in front of the mirror in the bathroom and takes in his appearance. He knows he’s an attractive enough guy, his blond hair gelled back from his face, and the sweater he’d chosen makes his eyes look nice, but… The idea of putting himself out there, getting to know someone new, explaining that he’s thirty years old and already divorced ... it’s a process, one he feels well past burnt out on.

The last one . It’s this that keeps him going, propels him out the door and into the chilly New York night. If nothing else, he’d have a nice dinner, meet a nice guy, and that would be that.

Steve leaves himself enough time to take the subway down to the restaurant, a fancy sushi place that Nat had recommended, and enjoys the anonymity of the crowds, the hum of the people everywhere. It’s so easy to feel like no one at all on a night like this, just a person in a sea of people, and Steve kind of enjoys it.

By the time he gets to the restaurant and heaves the wooden door open, most of his nerves have dissipated.

“Hi, I have a reservation for 7:30 under Romanoff?” Steve says to the hostess at the front. She beams at him and leads him away to the table.

“Right this way, your party is already here,” she informs him.

Great, not even a moment to collect himself before he has to put on a face for…

“Steve?”

Steve looks up to find Tony in front of him, mouth agape at the situation unfolding in front of them.

“Tony?”

“I’ll leave you two to it,” the hostess says, setting two menus down and getting the hell out of dodge.

“What are you doing here?” Steve asks, gesturing for Tony to take his seat again. He tucks himself in across from him and tries not to notice how good Tony looks in his black sweater, a pair of his favorite so-called fancy sneakers and a watch Steve knows he’d had for years.

He looks perfect . He looks like home. The thought catches Steve off guard.

“I could ask you the same question. I’m supposed to be meeting Rhodey,” Tony explains.

“I’m supposed to be on my mystery date,” Steve tells him, watching as Tony’s face settles.

“I think our friends conspired against us,” Tony says with a nervous laugh. The sound settles Steve, though. At least he wasn’t the only nervous one, thrown completely off-kilter by this change of events.

“Nat was setting me up… with you? ”

Tony laughs again. “Well don’t sound so overjoyed, buttercup. I know how to show a guy a good time.”

Steve’s face heats immediately at the look Tony gives him. He knows better than anyone the kind of nice night Tony Starks could show someone. He’d spent five years trying and failing not to think of such nights.

“I didn’t mean— It’s just that we’re…”

“Divorced,” Tony finishes the sentence for him, the word hanging heavy in the air between them. It's hardly an excuse, though, and they both know it. They didn’t exactly act like exes. And Steve, for better or worse, had begun to accept the fact that he just… missed Tony .

“I’m kidding,” Tony says, he leans over across the table, looking at Steve seriously. “We have been seeing each other a lot more this year,” he points out.

“We have."

“Thank you… for coming over after everything with Obie,” Tony says quietly. “I don’t think I ever said that, but you were the first person who did, and it meant a lot. That it was you.”

“Of course, Tony,” Steve says quickly. “You know I’ll always be there, no matter what.”

And maybe that’s it, maybe that’s the crux of it. Their marriage had technically failed, but isn’t this what marriage is? Choosing to show up for someone, always? No matter what?

“Me, too. I meant it, all those times. You’ve ruined me for anyone else,” Tony says, his voice sounding dangerously thick. Steve’s heart pounds in his chest. Are they doing this, right here? In a sushi restaurant orchestrated by Natasha?

“Tony,” Steve says, giving himself one last attempt at fighting this, at being responsible, but Tony’s looking at him like he already knows it’s a lost cause.

“What if we gave it another try? A real try? I’m certainly not perfect, but I’ve never stopped loving you, Steve Rogers,” Tony says, looking at him across the table. At some point, Tony must have taken Steve’s hand in his, and Steve is only just now noticing the warm weight of it. It feels nice. Right.

“I didn’t want you to go out with Thor,” Steve says out of nowhere.

Tony smiles and Steve’s pretty sure he can feel the warmth of it all the way down to his toes. “You don’t say. The way you showed up half-drunk didn’t give it away at all.”

“Sorry,” Steve laughs. “What I mean is… I don’t think I ever really gave up on us,” he says, squeezing Tony’s hand. “I think I always knew we’d get a second chance.”

He hadn’t actually realized he thought that until he said it out loud, and the truth of it strikes him. Of course he’d never given up on Tony. Why else hadn’t he wanted to date other people, or make any real effort on these setups? Why else would he have stayed in Tony’s orbit all these years, always drifting close enough to return at any time?

“So, we’re really doing this,” Tony says, looking up at Steve. The hope in his eyes is clear, and Steve takes a deep breath, suddenly more sure of this than he’s been of anything since… maybe since he married Tony the first time.

“We’re doing this,” Steve confirms. He smooths a thumb over Tony’s hand. He knows it won’t be easy; far from it, given their track record, but he’s confident they have what it takes this time.

“I can’t believe for once I’m gonna have to tell Nat that one of these went well,” Tony says, grinning at Steve from across the table.

“Yeah,” Steve agrees. “This time she definitely got it right.”

*********************

Title of Fill: I'll keep your brittle heart warm

Collaborator: peachy

Card Number: 4017

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27196138

Square Filled: K3: Protectiveness

Ship/Main Pairing: Steve/Tony

Rating: T

Major Tags/Warnings/Triggers: Breaking up and making up, fluff, getting back together

Summary: They got married when they were young, just twenty-four years old, despite the arguments from their friends that they should wait, that neither of them were ready for a commitment like marriage so young. Steve distinctly remembered Sam pointing out that the male brain isn’t even fully developed until age twenty-five. But they were young and passionate, so sure they’d found their perfect person that they could overcome anything and everything life threw at them. And it was true. For six months.

Word Count: 4,223

#stevetony #stony #super husbands #steve/tony #steve rogers #my fic #tsb2020

297 notes · View notes

hereandnowwearealive · 4 years

Photo

Click for better quality!

Created for @tonystarkbingo, fill description under the cut

Title: Stars Collaborator Name: hereandnowwearealive Card Number: 3052 Square Filled: R4 - art format: complementary colors Ship/Main Pairing: n/a Rating: G Major Tags: art fill Summary: Image of Tony looking up at the stars

#tsb2020 #tonystarkbingo2020 #tony stark #marvel #my art #kinda fudged the complementary color thing but close enough #tonystarkbingo

640 notes · View notes

journeythroughtherain · 4 years

Text

A crocheted little DUM-E, perfect for hugging!

For my @tonystarkbingo square A3 - Artificial Intelligence (card 3058).

#tonystarkbingo2020 #tsb2020 #my stuff #dum-e

690 notes · View notes

zainniko · 4 years

Photo

Happy late Birthday @tisfan !!!

I don’t usually draw Mer AUs ‘cause I ain’t a fan of them; but I drew this for you! I hope ya had a great day and enjoy this little OcTony! :V

Please don’t use, redistribute, or repost my artwork // Reblogs are okay! ♥

[Also gonna use for a bingo square, info under the cut]

Title: N/A Collaborator Name: Trashcanakin Card Number: 3031 Square Filled: T3 - Detailed Background Ship/Main Pairing: Winteriron if ya squint Rating: Gen Major Tags: N/A Summary: [Fanart] Octopus!Tony with a little winter soldier shark plush. Word Count: N/A @tonystarkbingo

Here’s a no background version just ‘cause :P

198 notes · View notes

newnewyorker93 · 4 years

Photo

Rocky Rhodes

Chocolate ice cream with War Mach-mallows & Armored* Almonds

*candy-coated

Because our favorite platypus deserves his own Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor too!

•

for Art Day of @rhodeyappreciationweek and for @tonystarkbingo

Title: Rocky Rhodes

Collaborator Name: newnewyorker93

Card Number: 3081

Square Filled: K1 - convenience store

Ship/Main Pairing: none

Rating: Gen

Major Tags: art, Rhodey, ice cream

Summary: Colored pencil drawing of a carton of Rocky Rhodes ice cream (with a bonus platypus enjoying a scoop!)

#rhodeyweek2020 #tsb2020 #art #my art #rhodey #platypus #ice cream #i've wanted to do an ice cream design ever since infinity war came out lol #someday i'll do a pepper one too

151 notes · View notes

lbibliophile-mcu · 4 years

Photo

DUM-E plays dress-ups

The Avengers are some of DUM-E’s favourite people, so he tries to copy them. With varying degrees of success.

For @tonystarkbingo - 3096 - adopted (June): role-playing [fill details below the cut]

Title of Piece: DUM-E plays dress-ups Card Number: 3096 Collaborator(s): LBibliophile Square Filled: adopted (June): KINK:role-playing Ship/Main Pairing: DUM-E & Avengers team Rating Gen Major Tags/Warnings: disaster-bot DUM-E, fluff Summary: The Avengers are some of DUM-E’s favourite people, so he tries to copy them. With varying degrees of success.

#tsb2020 #and that's a blackout!#dum-e #dum-e is a disaster bot #dress-ups #do not try this at home #fanart #bingo fill

117 notes · View notes

starker-stories · 4 years

Text

Back Rub

@tonystarkbingo Von_Gelmini, card # - 3139

Title: Back Rub

Square Filled: A2 - Backrubs/Massages

Ship: Starker, Tony Stark/Peter Parker

Rating: M

Major Tags: College Student Peter Parker

Card below the cut

“Pete, will you, for the love of god, lie still?”

Peter chuckled softly. “I heal, you know.”

“Yes. And you’re not wounded. You’re just tense as all fuck.”

“I should be the one giving you a backrub. You don’t know the meaning of the words ‘self care’.”

“Sure I do. Self care is a steak dinner, a ’46 Macallan, and this fine ass right here for dessert.” Tony reached behind him from where he was straddling Peter’s waist and gave said ass a smack. “Now shut up and lie still while I give you a back rub.”

“Yes sir, Mr. Stark,” Peter said, pitching his voice high like it used to be.

“Don’t you start with me, Parker,” Tony warned. He kneaded Peter’s shoulders, working his thumbs deep into the knotted muscles. The combination of exam week, taking a hard hit by a gang of thugs, and then following that up with a twenty story drop when his webs slipped, had taken its toll. Tony worked his fingers down Peter’s back, first stimulating the skin before starting to work each muscle group.

Peter hated to admit it, but it was working. To get better leverage, Tony slid down to straddle his thighs instead of his waist, leaning over his ass to reach his shoulders again, putting his weight into it.

“I see your nefarious plan, Tony,” he teased.

“My only nefarious plan is to get you so relaxed you fall asleep in my bed and don’t try to make it back to your dorm room.”

“So I was right, you do want to sleep with me.” Peter’s laugh was soft and came with a sigh when Tony started to rub in tight little circles.

“Yes, baby. Sleep. As in eyes closed, doing that cute little snore you have, and drooling all over my pillowcase.” He started doing lobster pinches up from Peter’s waist.

“I do not drool,” Peter argued, his voice thick with exhaustion.

“Yeah you do, beautiful.” He felt Peter sinking softly into the pillowtop and his touch lightened.

“Don’t snore either.”

“Um hmm. Whatever you say, baby.”

“You snore,” Peter said after a very long pause.

Tony leaned over Peter’s back and kissed the nape of his neck and ran his hands lightly down the boy’s arms. “Yep. I know. I’ve had the leg bruises to prove it from when you kick me awake.” His words went unheard. Peter was doing that soft snoring that he’d sworn he didn’t do. Probably drooling too. Tony moved Peter’s arm into a more comfortable position and curled up against his side, arm draped over the boy’s waist. He put a light kiss on Peter’s now very relaxed shoulder. “I love you,” he whispered, knowing that Peter was sleeping.

“I love you too,” he heard a few minutes later, when Tony himself was starting to drift off. Maybe he was dreaming already. Yeah, that was it.

#Starker #Tony Stark #tsb2020 #tonystarkbingo2020 #Von writes stuff #Von's Moodboards

134 notes · View notes

trashcanakin · 4 years

Text

"Please! Don't do this!" Tony shrieked from the floor of the helicopter; wings pinned.

It was useless, HYDRA didn't care; they only wanted to hurt Steve, and what better way than killing his best friend.

Tony's blood went cold when his eyes locked with Bucky's. He couldn't hear anything, but he knew he was yelling, struggling in their hold.

Even with Bucky's super strength, he wouldn't survive a fall from this height.

They felt the bond click into place right as Bucky was tossed out. It was both shocking and a relief.

Wings sprouted from Bucky's back.

He was safe.

-----

Made for @tonystarkbingo 🖤

Title: Wings of Change

Collaborator Name: Trashcanakin

Card Number: 3031

Link: Here

Square Filled: R3 - Forced Soulbonding

Ship/Main Pairing: Winteriron

Rating: Teen

Major Tags: Violence, Consent issues

Summary: AU where people are born with a superpower, and bonded pairs share each other's powers.

Word Count: 100 [Drabble]

Will probably do more with this, when I have the time sjsjsj

#winteriron #tonystarkbingo2020 #tonystarkbingo #tsb2020 #my tsb #zain drabbles #zain writes #forced soulbonding #consent issues #i planned somethin' bigger for this but ran outta time rip

64 notes · View notes

rise-up-ting-ting-like-glitter · 4 years

Text

Title: Nanites and Negotiation Collaborator Name: Wiggle/Rise-Up-Ting-Ting-Like-Glitter Card Number: 3086 Square Filled: R5 Tentacles Ship/Main Pairing: WinterIron Rating: M Major Tags: suggestion of kink Summary: The nanite armour had never been intended for sex. Tony wanted that on the record. Word Count: 371

The nanite armour had never been intended for sex.

He wanted that on the record.

Tony flicked the small demonstration of nanites into the shape of a fist. He used them to pick a bolt up, throw it in the air and catch it. James was pressed against him, arms around his middle, chin hooked over Tony’s shoulder to watch. Tony was reluctant to break the hold, so when he called the nanites over he only covered his hand and forearm.

The nanites danced against his palm in a wave, then Tony turned them into a perfect cube, a repulsor, a flower.

James ducked his head into Tony’s neck when he offered it. Alien invasions, heavy artillery, facing down a senate committee; none of these things fazed James. A flower from his boyfriend and suddenly he was shy.

“No, thank you.” James said firmly.

Tony let the flower go. He flared the nanites out a little, showing off. The stem thickened, split, danced for a minute, spinning in Tony’s palm like the coordinated limbs of an octopus—

The interest behind him changed suddenly.

“What have you got there?” The tone was distinctly different, Bucky now, talking silky and low, his lips dragging over the skin where Tony’s shoulder met his neck. He pressed more firmly into Tony, reaching for the spinning tentacles with his metal arm.

“That was sudden.” Tony let the metal appendages grow, eliminating the gap between Bucky’s hand and the nanites. He made them as smooth as possible. They should almost feel like liquid.

“It could have scared him.” Bucky pressed his hips more solidly into Tony’s. Hello, Tony was the only one growing something. “Think he might just’a known how much I’d want to see. How strong are they?”

Bucky tried to pull the arm back, Tony wrapped one nanite tentacle around his wrist thick and heavy and held it in place. The other ones flitted in and out, petting and caressing, making a show out of it.

“Fuck,” Bucky said, all the silk in his voice turned husky. He pressed into Tony’s backside again, “Think you could hold me down?”

#winteriron #tsb #Tony Stark Bingo #wee teaser fills #tentacle flirting?#ASK NOT ABOUT THE EDITING #we are kinda in a hurry over here #suggests lemon #we are on the lemon scale #pre-lemon?#Tonystarkbingo2020 #tsb2020

61 notes · View notes

ceealaina · 4 years

Text

Title: Five Times Tony Wanted to Fall Into Rhodey's Arms and the One Time He Did Collaborator Name: ceealaina Card Number: 3088 Link: AO3 Square Filled: R1 - Image: Drinking Ship: IronHusbands/IronBros Rating: Teen Major Tags: Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Angst with a Happy Ending Summary: A series of bittersweet (or completely sweet) moments from Tony and Rhodey's long relationship together, spanning from MIT to the end of Avengers 1. (Written for a fic swap with @rebelmeg! You can find her version here and should definitely read it IMMEDIATELY.) Word Count: 3399

January 3, 1985

Tony closed the door of the cab behind him, stifling a weary yawn. There was an icy cold wind blowing and he shivered in his thin sweatshirt, slinging his bag off his shoulder and digging through for his dorm keys. He sniffled as he pawed through the few things he’d collected, telling himself it was from the cold air and not for any other reason.

Christmas had been a nightmare this year. Howard had apparently saved up three months worth of Taking Shit Out On Tony and hadn’t laid off him the entire time. His arm still ached if he tried to raise it above his shoulder.

It had gotten bad enough that Tony had snuck out two days before he was originally due to go back, shoveling clothes and textbooks into his bag and apparently forgetting his jacket entirely. He had stopped only long enough to say goodbye to Jarvis before heading out and catching the last train of the night back to Boston. Where he was now freezing his balls off, growing more and more concerned that he’d left his keys back in New York.

He finally found them in the very bottom of his bag. With a half hearted attempt to shove everything back in his bag he trudged inside and upstairs. He’d been planning to wallow for the next few days, and nearly had a heart attack when he walked in to find the room lit up and Rhodey unpacking a suitcase. Rhodey startled when the door opened, which normally Tony would have found hilarious, but he wasn’t in the mood tonight, half-heartedly returning the grin Rhodey gave him when he realized who it was.

“Hey man, what are you doing here?”

“Uhh.” Tony forced a smile to his face, rubbing at the bruise on his arm and remembering at the last minute not to wince. “Caught an earlier train out.”

Rhodey nodded sagely, turning back to unfolding his underwear or whatever. “Your parents freaking out about the massive storm that’s supposed to be coming too?”

“Something like that,” Tony mumbled. He dropped his bag with a clunk and sat down heavily on the side of his bed. He knew he should be unpacking too, or maybe just get some sleep -- he hadn’t had much of that in the past few days -- but he couldn’t seem to muster the energy to even lie down flat.

“Hey.”

Tony blinked his eyes back open to find Rhodey watching him now, the full weight of his gaze on Tony.

“You alright?”

His eyes were warm, eyebrows knit slightly in concern. He was looking at Tony in that way he had, like he already knew everything about him. He was wearing a t-shirt and Tony’s eyes caught on his biceps, pressing against the sleeves. He knew from experience that Rhodey gave the best hugs, and for a minute he wanted nothing more than to tell Rhodey everything, about his parents, about his dad, about just how terrible his Christmas had been. Wanted Rhodey to give him a hug and tell him it wasn’t his fault, and to know, just once, that he had somebody completely in his corner.

But in the back of his head he could hear Howard’s voice, calling him weak, telling him to be a man. So instead he just forced another smile on his face, doing his best to make it look real, even while he hoped that Rhodey would see through it and call him on it.

“I’m good, man. Just tired.”

December 27, 1991

Tony had never really thought about his brain that much. Everyone told him he was a genius, but for a long time Tony hadn’t even realized that he didn’t put things together the normal way, that he could do things in his head that most people could barely manage on paper. It was just the way his brain worked.

Right now though, he really, really hated his genius mind. Hated that he knew immediately, without even having to think about it, that it had been ten days, 11 hours and 47 minutes since his parents had died. He couldn’t stop himself from making the calculation if he tried -- and he had tried. Not even three bottles of his father’s best scotch had been enough to stop him counting.

From far away, Tony heard the doorbell ring, almost immediately classifying the sound as ‘not my problem.’ But then it rang again, and then a third time for even longer, like the person ringing it was holding down on the button, and abruptly Tony remembered that in a fit of irritation he’d sent all the staff home early, just wanting to be alone. It didn’t sound like the ringer was giving up any time soon, and so Tony slid off his bed, where he’d been staring aimlessly up at the ceiling, and started on the fucking journey for the front door, bracing himself for another round of his father’s business associates coming by with their condolences, people he’d have to smile at and play nice with.

Reaching the ornate wooden doors, Tony took a deep breath and pulled them open, blinking at the figure on the other side and feeling his heart climb up into his throat. “Rhodey?” he whispered.

Rhodey looked exhausted, a couple days worth of stubble on his face, but he offered Tony a crooked grin. “Hey Tones. How are you holding up?”

“What…” Abruptly Tony felt his lower lip tremble and scrubbed a hand over his mouth to hide it. “I don’t… How are you here?”

Rhodey shrugged, like it was no big deal that he was here and not thousands of miles away with his shiny new Air Force promotion. “Took some doing, but I managed to get a few days off. Sorry it took me so long to get here.” He arched an eyebrow at Tony. “Gonna invite me in?”

Tony nodded distractedly and took a step back from the door to let him in, feeling his throat catch. “I’m so glad you’re here,” he whispered, afraid if he spoke any louder, his voice would break entirely. Rhodey dropped his bag on the foyer floor and looked at him again, eyes soft and comforting.

“It’s gonna be okay, Tones,” he told him, voice pitched low to match. “I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but it’s gonna be okay.”

He held his arms open for a hug, and Tony was ready to grab on and possibly never let go when there was the sound of a throat clearing behind him.

“Tony, m’boy!” Obie exclaimed, and Tony let his eyes slide shut. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?”

Tony took a step back from Rhodey, offering a tight smile up at Obie as he made his way down the massive main staircase. He’d always loved his godfather, always appreciated the way he seemed to actually see Tony, didn’t just push him aside. But he’d all but moved in after his parents’ deaths, kept talking about being a man, and how he knew it was hard but the best thing for Tony right now would be to jump into the business, to start making weapons. He seemed to think grieving was unmasculine, somehow, and he wouldn’t stop, wouldn’t leave him alone.

Tony couldn’t imagine what his reaction would be if he found Tony hugging a man in the foyer of Stark Mansion.

Offering Rhodey a wince that only he would see, Tony turned away from him completely. “Obie, this is James Rhodes. My roommate from university.”

***

April 7, 1996

Tony blinked up at the sky, watching the stars spin above him. There’d been people here before, warm bodies against him, everything feeling good. But they were gone now, he didn’t know when or where. It was quiet now, too quiet, the sound of his own breaths thundering in his ears as he floated.

Abruptly he realized that he really was floating, lying in a pool of water, and he flailed, splashing and choking and getting water up his nose as he struggled to find a way out.

“Jesus Christ, Tony!”

There were suddenly strong hands wrapped around his forearms, lifting him bodily out of the water and onto the patio around it. “I’m fine! I got it!” he protested, even though a minute ago he very much had not got it. He stayed on his hands and knees, coughing a few times until he was steady enough to roll over and stare up at Rhodey, who was looking down at him with an unsmiling face. “I’m fine,” he said again, more subdued this time.

“Right,” Rhodey drawled. “Says the guy who decided to go swimming in 54 degree weather in his pajamas.”

Tony blinked down at himself, wondering when he’d gotten dressed, and Rhodey gave a long-suffering sigh.

“Christ, you’re shivering,” he muttered. He reached down, hauling Tony easily to his feet, and this time Tony didn’t struggle against him. He loved how deceptively strong Rhodey was. He thought about telling him this, but Rhodey was already manhandling him toward the open doors. “Fuck, what did you even take?” he asked, half to himself. “No, don’t answer, I don’t want to know,” he added. “Let’s just… Get you inside and dried off and warmed up.”

Normally Rhodey taking care of him made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but he could hear the exasperation in his voice, felt hyper aware of how Rhodey’s hands were just a little too rough on his skin. It made something shrivel up inside his stomach, the last of his buzz disappearing entirely. He shivered in ways that had nothing to do with the cold water drying on his skin, going along mutely as Rhodey led him into the bathroom, stripped him methodically out of his dripping clothes and pushing him into a steaming hot shower.

Rhodey was a little gentler when he called Tony back out of the shower, drying him off with a fluffy white towel, quiet and contemplative as he helped him into sweatpants and a t-shirt.

“I’m sorry,” Tony told him when Rhodey handed him a warm mug of tea, and he hated tea, but he still took it without complaint.

Rhodey didn’t answer at first, giving him a wry look and an extra ruffle of his hair that made Tony lean into his touch. “I just… I don’t know why you do this to yourself, Tones,” he told him, and he sounded so disappointed, so sad that Tony wanted to cry.

He didn’t know how to tell him that he had to do it, how to explain that it was the only way he could make his brain just stop, to give him some quiet for just a few minutes. He didn’t know how to admit that he hated this version of himself too, that he wanted to quit this, stop being this person, but didn’t know where to start. He didn’t know how to say that he needed help.

He stared at Rhodey’s arms, wishing he’d wrap him in a hug, tell him it was okay and that they would figure it out. Thought about how nice it would be to have someone in his corner again, someone on his side. Then he lifted his gaze to meet Rhodey’s. “I’m sorry,” he offered again, scratching at the side of his neck.

There was no hug, no warm, comforting hold, just a quick pat on his shoulder.

“Come on, Tony. Let’s get you into bed.”

****

February 13, 2009

Tony shifted uncomfortably, fighting back the urge to grimace as he felt his dress shirt stick to his armpits, the expensive fabric wet with sweat. It was ninety million degrees out here, the sun blazing down on them, and he was stuck wearing a three piece suit, talking up his dad, and knowing Rhodey was mad at him.

He fought the urge to sigh in relief as the cooler opened and he picked up the glass of scotch, icy cold in his hand. Still talking, he caught Rhodey’s eye, holding the glass up to him in a vague approximation of a toast. Rhodey looked away.

The truth was, Tony hated everything about this. All the glad-handing and ass-kissing just made him feel gross. It reminded him of his father and the ‘business meetings’ he used to listen in on as a kid, a bunch of men smoking cigars and drinking too much and making comments about his mother that had made Tony feel all squirmy and sick to his stomach. He hated having to do the same thing now, and hated that a presentation without reference to Howard Stark wasn’t considered a success. He knew he made a good show of it, that he hid the stress that knotted his stomach perfectly. But if he had his way, all of this would be left up to Obie, and Tony would be free to just hide away in his lab and build things.

But he was Tony Stark, and apparently that wasn’t an option.

He was just sliding into the back of the humvee when Rhodey came up, calling his name.

“I’m sorry,” Tony told him, and it was childish, and retaliatory, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. “This is the fun-vee. The hum-drum vee is back there.”

He knew Rhodey as well as he knew himself, so he didn’t miss the way Rhodey faltered for just an instant before he told him ‘nice job,’ his face falling as his attempt to make nice was shoved back at him. Tony didn’t know why he was like this, why he constantly had to lash out and hurt the people that he loved the most. Rhodey wasn’t quite looking at him, and for a moment Tony wanted to tell him how sorry he was, to grab his arm and pull him close and hug him tight, and tell him he didn’t mean it, it was this place, and these presentations, and to please just take him home.

But they were in the middle of a military installation, surrounded by high-ranking officers, and Tony could just imagine how well that would go over for both of them. Bye-bye business deal. The apology would have to wait a couple more hours, until they were back at the base and could steal a moment of privacy.

(When the humvee exploded, and Tony was panicking and reached for his phone to text Rhodey, it wasn’t to ask for help, or back up, or a way out. All he could think about was telling him he was sorry.)

*****

May 29, 2010

Tony wasn’t drunk.

He knew he looked like it. He was acting like an absolute asshole, the kind of raging party drunk that he hadn’t been in a very long time, but he was fucking dying, and between the poison slowly seeping through his entire body, and the knowledge that this would be his last birthday ever, it was so easy to let himself fall into the Tony Stark Playboy role, to do what everyone was expecting him. Was it so wrong to want to have a little goddamn fun before he died?

Except that he wasn’t having any fun at all. This wasn’t even how he’d wanted to spend his birthday. He’d wanted to sneak away, find somewhere quiet, just the people he loved around him. If he’d gotten Pepper on board he knew he would have been able to convince Rhodey too. But Pepper had quite reasonably said no, and so a huge birthday blow out it was.

It was probably for the best anyway. If they’d all been together like that, if it was the last time he’d get to just be with them, Tony didn’t know if he would have been able to keep himself from admitting to everything. Of course, now Pepper was absolutely livid with him, but that was probably for the best too.

If he kept pushing them away, kept pissing them off, maybe they’d be less mad at him when he went and died on them.

And then Rhodey was there, in the stolen War Machine armor, furious and gorgeous, and maybe it was the palladium poisoning, or maybe Tony was more drunk than he realized, but he didn’t even notice the room clearing out around them. Something in him softened at the sight of Rhodey, even as angry as he was, and he had to bite his tongue to keep from confessing everything. It would be so easy to just blurt it all out, and then maybe this terrible weight on his chest would go away. Rhodey would understand why he’d been so impossible lately, he’d forgive him, hug him, tell him everything would be okay. And maybe, with help, it actually would be okay. Maybe he didn’t have to die.

And he was definitely more drunk than he’d realized, because then he snorted as his brain caught on the image of Rhodey trying to hug him in the suit, the sound the metal would make as they clanged together, and just like that, the moment was gone.

May 4, 2012

They’d made it back to the tower, they’d apprehended Loki and collected the tesseract, and even handled the whole snafu with Alexander Pierce and his wealth of control issues. Tony was on his way to finally try shawarma with his shiny new team -- the term ‘team’ still making him shudder a little -- when there was a loud whine from the sky.

“Oh,” Tony said, immediately recognizing the noise and stopping dead in his tracks. “Oh, no.”

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Rogers -- Steve -- throw him a concerned look, immediately shifting into a defensive mode, but he didn’t have time to explain before War Machine was slamming into the slightly crumpled sidewalk in front of them. Tony pasted on his most reassuring smile as Rhodey straightened back up.

“Hey Honeybear.”

The faceplate snapped open, and wow, Rhodey was pissed.

“Hey Honeybear?” he repeated. “Hey Honeybear? That’s all you’ve got to say to me? Are you fucking kidding me, Tones?”

“I love you?” Tony offered, wincing when Rhodey’s nostrils flared.

“What. The. Fuck. No call, no text, no, ‘Hey Rhodes, I know I promised I wouldn’t do this anymore but I’m gonna go fight some goddamn aliens.’ I had to find out on the goddamn news while I was on the other side of the planet.” His fists clenched in the armour. “That was the longest flight of my goddamn life. I had no idea if I was gonna get here in time, no idea if you’d be okay. And then I had to watch you fly through a black hole holding a nuke, and then watch you fall back to the ground, and I didn’t know if I’d get to see you again.” His voice cracked and he looked away a moment, blinking rapidly. “You can’t do this to me, Tones. You promised me you wouldn’t do this anymore. Stop trying to kill get yourself killed! Or at least stop trying to get yourself killed when I’m not there to watch your back. You pull some shit like this again, and I swear to god, I’ll kill you myself. Then I’ll bring you back to life just so I can kick your ass!”

He stopped then, breathing heavy, and Tony felt his throat thicken as they just stared at each other for a long moment. Then Rhodey reached up and actually pulled the emergency release on the armor, letting it fall to pieces around him before he strode the two steps necessary to close the distance between them and wrapped thick arms around Tony’s back, pulling him in for a hug so tight that Tony’s bruised ribs protested. He made a stifled noise that was almost a sob as he let himself go limp in Rhodey’s arms, feeling like he could breathe freely for the first time in days. His arms wrapped hard around Rhodey in return as he finally let go of all the stress, of the fact that he’d gotten closer to death than ever before, and let someone else take the weight for a minute.

“It’s okay, Tones,” Rhodey whispered in his ear, softer now, for only Tony to hear. “It’s okay, I’ve got you, I’m here. We’re gonna be okay.”

@tonystarkbingo

#tonystarkbingo2020 #ironhusbands #iron bros #tony stark #james rhodes #fic #my fic #tsb2020 #tony stark needs a hug #5 + 1 things #angst with a happy ending

107 notes · View notes

darthbloodorange · 4 years

Photo

Tony does NOT appreciate Clint's comments.

For the: ✦ @tonystarkbingo prompt “Damsels (and others) in Distress” - [R2] Card: 3085

Word count: N/a - Art Title: Jealous Rating: Gen Universe: Marvel Cinematic Universe Pairings: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark Characters: Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Clint Barton Warnings: None Major Tags: Attempt at Humour, Jealous Tony Stark, Shy Steve Rogers, Pining Tony Stark ~ Summery: Tony does NOT appreciate Clint's comments.

#TSB2020 #tonystarkbingo2020 #Stony #Steve Rogers #Captain America #Iron Man #Clint Barton #Hawkeye #Jealous Tony Stark #Humor #Pining Tony Stark #Shy Steve Rogers #DarthBloodOrange #Marvel Cinematic Universe #Marvel #DarthBloodOranges Art

60 notes · View notes

omg-just-peachy · 3 years

Text

you and islands

for the desert island square on my @tonystarkbingo card! (bingo details are below the cut!)

1.1k, Bruce Banner POV + Steve pining + domestic avengers

also on AO3

***

It starts with a suggestion from Colonel Rhodes.

Bruce had been deep in a discussion about motorcycle restoration with Steve when they noticed everyone gathering toward the center of the room, chattering as a group.

“Okay, let’s play a game,” Rhodey says suddenly, grinning as he downs the last of his beer and reaches for another.

Tony laughs, apparently pleased to see his best friend and his team so at ease with each other. Sure, the steady flow of alcohol probably helped, but still. Rhodey being home on leave combined with a rare lapse in missions and crises had inspired Tony to get everyone together at the penthouse; dinner and drinks with only one rule: no work talk.

That was easier for some than others, but that’s how these things go. Bruce isn’t exactly good at small talk, but so far he’s faring just fine, flanked by Steve and Natasha for most of the night. Tony, for his part, never seemed too far from Rhodey’s side, while still somehow managing to make sure everyone else was having a good time.

“Let’s play desert island,” Tony says, going along with Rhodey.

Rhodey groans. “Like every retreat in corporate America?”

Tony wraps an arm around his shoulders, smiling. “Have you so little faith in me, Sour Patch? It’ll be fun.”

Amid their good-natured arguing, Steve had gone quiet, Bruce realizes. He’s picking at the label on his beer bottle and doing a terrible job pretending he isn’t gazing forlornly at Tony and Rhodey.

“They’ve been friends for so long,” Bruce says now, following Steve’s gaze. He’s quiet enough that only Steve hears him, and he feels him inhale sharply.

“Hm? Oh, yeah, it’s nice,” Steve replies with a nod. He takes a sip of his beer, though they both know it won’t have the desired effect.

“Tony basically grew up with him, you know?” Bruce continues. “He was so young when they met. If anything was going to happen, you know, romantically, it probably would have by now.” It’s forward, probably, but that’s really the only way Bruce knows how to be.

Steve’s cheeks flush and he continues watching Rhodey and Tony argue about their game. “Oh. I mean, yeah, probably,” he says, eyebrows knitting together in affected confusion.

Poor guy. He’s got it bad, and what’s worse, he thinks no one notices.

“Brucie, Cap, come over here, we’re playing Desert Island!” Tony calls, interrupting them.

“They have such an ease about them,” Steve says, sighing as they make their way over to the rest of the group.

“Tony has that way about him. I mean, he never once made me feel bad about... the other guy, even in the early days.”

“Yeah, he does,” Steve says, something wistful slipping into his voice.

“You know, you could talk to him... tell him,” Bruce finds himself saying. Maybe it was the uncertainty on the otherwise confident Captain’s face, or the way his eyes always, always found their way to Tony, but Bruce wants to help.

Steve’s cheeks are definitely more red than pink now, and if Tony wasn’t so wrapped up in the logistics of their game, even he might notice the change. “Um. I have. Talked to him tonight, I mean,” Steve says.

Bruce chuckles. “That’s not what I meant,” he tells him pointedly. “Tell him,” he tries again.

Steve doesn’t have a chance to respond before Tony’s talking again.

“Okay, we’re playing the not at all boring game Desert Island, thank you Rhodey Bear for suggesting it.” He blows him a theatrical kiss and Bruce swears he can feel Steve tense beside him.

“We’ll go over the rules since there are some Asgardians and centenarians here who’ve probably never played before,” Tony continues. This time Thor gets a wink and a smile and poor Steve just stares down at the floor.

“It’s simple. We just pick a category and you tell us what you’d bring with you to a desert island. Your absolute, can’t live without favorite things. We can start with an easy one: books.”

They go around painlessly, picking three books each, laughing and teasing each other at some of the choices.

Things get a little louder when they switch to movies, laughing at Clint, who mentions Weekend at Bernie’s and Tony, who picks Ferris Bueller’s Day Off as one of his.

“You guys have terrible taste,” Natasha says with a raised eyebrow.

“I’ll have you know that Ferris Bueller is a classic,” Tony argues. “Platypus, back me up here.”

Rhodey raises his hands. “No can do, Tones.” He turns to the group. “He made us go see that movie so many times in college that I can recite it, even now.”

“You loved it,” Tony insists.

“Alright, let’s make this a little more interesting,” Nat says, with a smirk that makes Bruce nervous. “You can only have one person here tonight on the island with you. Who is it?”

Next to him, Steve swallows loudly.

“Steve, you’re too quiet, you go first,” Nat encourages.

Steve freezes but recovers quickly. “Your idea, you go first,” he says smoothly.

“Fine,” she huffs. “Clint.” They high five, as if this choice is surprising to anyone. “Now you.”

“Tony.” Steve blurts out his answer so quickly that Bruce turns to the side to look at him. Judging by the mortified look on his face, though, Steve’s already regretting it.

It’s quiet for a beat, then Tony grins. “Alone on an island with Captain Beefcake? I can get on board with that,” he says, but Bruce notices a definite tint to his cheeks that hadn’t been there moments ago.

“Smooth,” Bruce says, turning to Steve with a smile. “Not quite what I meant, but...”

“I can’t believe I said that. Now he’ll think it’s just part of some stupid game,” Steve mutters in a hushed whisper.

Around them, Rhodey picks Tony, Thor says Steve, and Bruce and Clint both pick Natasha.

“Tony?” Nat says expectantly. “You’re up.”

“Uh...” Tony stammers uncharacteristically, eyes scanning the room. Bruce wonders if Steve notices how clearly nervous he is.

“Steve,” Tony says with a sense of finality.

Not Cap or Capsicle or Captain Handsom or even Rogers, Bruce can’t help but notice. Just Steve. There’s no fanfare, no winking or kisses blown, but Tony looks pleased to have said it aloud.

Bruce isn’t sure who looks more surprised, Steve or Rhodey, actually. Though Colonel Rhodes looks more offended than anything.

“Thirty years man, I see how it is,” Rhodey teases, but Tony just laughs, his eyes shining.

Beside him, Steve’s eyes snap forward to find Tony’s, meeting him with a tentative smile as Tony makes his way across the room.

“I think that’s my cue,” Bruce murmurs. He turns to remind Steve of his earlier advice, but Tony’s in front of them now, and Steve’s cheeks are pink once again. Bruce smiles and turns away. From the looks of it, they’d be just fine taking it from here.

Title of Fill: you and islands

Collaborator: peachy

Card Number: 4017

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27525199

Square Filled: T5: desert island

Ship/Main Pairing: Steve/Tony

Rating: G

Major Tags/Warnings/Triggers: Pining, getting together, fluff, idiots in love

Summary: “Alright, let’s make this a little more interesting,” Nat says, with a smirk that makes Bruce nervous. “You can only have one person here tonight on the island with you. Who is it?”Next to him, Steve swallows loudly.

Word Count: 1,162

#stevetony #stony #super husbands #steve/tony #tony stark #bruce banner #my fic #tsb2020

153 notes · View notes