[ They both deserve medals. Steve can hardly hold it together, and Tony can feel tenting in his shorts just exactly how much he can't hold it together at all. ]
Good, the girls will love that. And so will we.
[ He's working on Tony's arm now, because it sees a lot of damage and Tony's always making upgrades to the other one. Steve might as well fuss with the one he's still got that's flesh. He does like the metal one, but he feels like if anyone's going to work out its kinks, it'll be in code, not brute force. ]
God Tony, I don't think you understand how much I want you. It's like everything you do just sets me off.
[ But it's a good goal to work to. Once Tony gets better, then they'll have a whole weekend to themselves to give Tony's new body an endurance test run. Steve will try to be good, but they do have to break it in. ]
We could get the full experience, rent something out.
[ But staying at home near all the medical supplies and technology is also good, if they run into an emergency. ]
[Tony sits back a little more evenly on Steve's lap, lowering a bit. This has become a bit more than a shoulder rub but he instigated so that may be a little his fault. But he's also not surprised that Steve's wandering touch seems like it has so much ground to cover. His fingers flex, arm tensing just slightly underneath the touch before relaxing.
He's careful with his other hand, as he often has to be, touching along Steve's shoulder and towards the side of his neck. His smile is very telling as he watches him.]
Might be able to claim some innocence, then. If everything I do winds you up. [His hand slips up, touching along the side of Steve's face before metal fingers disappear into the length of his hair. He rests his forehead against Steve's then, eyes going half-lidded. And then in a smaller murmur he says,] I know. I want you pretty much every hour of every day, too. [And that's really never stopped being the case. Steve could sometimes just look at him from across a room and Tony would feel not only a flutter in his heart but just a heat. And it's been that way for so long that he can't imagine living life any other way.]
A cabin, maybe. Somewhere. We'll try not to break anything. [Which is never a guarantee with them, with how they get sometimes. He exhales soft and slow.] Why are your hands so good? [ An empty question while his mind is starting to become addled.] You really could've been the world's best masseuse, I think. Definitely lucky I'm the only one who knows that. [Luckier than lucky, at this point in his life.]
Pretty sure you and innocence are covers apart in the dictionary, Tony.
[ Somehow he knew when he'd offered that they'd wind up like this, but mostly because everything they ever did led to here. Is it any wonder? Years after they've been together and they still find the need to go at it like rabbits. But Steve feels lucky in that regard, too, that they're still as infatuated with each other than ever, that they're more in love than ever.
His eyes flutter closed when Tony whispers to him, and he swallows thickly, trying not to let him escalate but nearly failing at it quite miserably. He could give in, they could make it quick, but Steve wants that reward. He wants for them to be able to take their time, for him to lazily kiss all over Tony's body and only then, for that to turn into something else as they fall back into bed for maybe the third, fourth time that day. ]
They're only good because you're the one they get to touch. I wouldn't do this for anyone else.
[ He finishes up Tony's arm by massaging his hand, this lovely hand that is both strong and gentle, that has both created empires and cradled the smallest, most precious thing that ever was. ]
[He's really not even trying to be bad and he's still being bad. Maybe it's hardwired into him. Inescapable. Maybe it's just the way they are with each other. There is no solution. No roadmap to being good when all they seem to want to do is get lost in each other. But he doesn't want to wind Steve up more than he already is and they're getting a little too close to the line.
Tony's always felt like he's been far weaker in that regard. More willing to do anything just about anywhere. Break rules. Get exactly what he wants when he wants it- and when that's Steve there almost aren't any rules at all. Not to him.
The muscles in his hand flex, fingers stretching wide while Steve works there. But soon enough he laces them with Steve's, clasping him lightly, bringing the now joined pair up to his lips. Then he presses a few kisses to the back of Steve's hand, leaving a smile there after.]
And the rest of the world suffers, surely. [Tony had said more than once that he was the luckier of the two of them. That he was lucky Steve had not really been interested in any of the women on any of those terrible dating apps. That somehow they'd fallen into it with each other and not lost sight of that (except in one instance he would probably never talk about again if he didn't have to). Anyone could have had Steve. Steve would have filled out someone else's life the way he had Tony's and Tony would have been worse off for it, he's absolutely certain.
But there they are together. And he's grateful. Which is why the next words out of him are,] I love you. [Just a few more kisses to Steve's skin before he takes pity on the both of them, and actually does the right thing for once.] We should turn in. Before we both let this go where it's going.
[Because it is. Steve's turned on. So is he. It's just the way they are. Their very nature with one another. If they linger any longer it'll just happen, even if they don't mean for it to. And there's something wonderful about that, too. The way they crash and collide with each other. Unstoppable forces.]
[ Tony may think he's the lucky one, but Steve would disagree. Long ago they'd definitely had this discussion and came to a truce that they were both going to disagree because they were so in love that they were of course going to think the other had more options. And in the end, both of them knew that it was ever going to be the other one. There was no one else for Tony, and there was equally no one else for Steve.
They came together by either cosmic accident or divine intervention and Steve's still not sure which, but he still prays just in case it's the latter. They're still together because of a lot of hard work and compromise, and love. So, so much love that they took it and made a beautiful little girl who lights up their whole world. ]
I love you.
[ He feels like this might start taking a detour where it shouldn't, and then Tony actually stops them. ]
Hm. Well, I think you'll have to get dressed then, because you know I can't resist.
[ That's not even a joke or an exaggeration. Steve lifts Tony up so he's still kneeling but not sitting on his lap, and before he extricates himself to go get his clothes, he kisses Tony over the scars he'd originally had on his chest, the place where he keeps the keys to Steve's heart.
And then he goes to their dresser to pick out a cute pair of shorts for Tony, and comes back with them and more kisses, light and fleeting in nature. ]
Not the worst problem I've ever had. [Or a problem at all. That Steve has only ever shown the exact same level of deep desire has really been one of the highlights of his life. He wouldn't want either of them any other way. Wouldn't want this relationship any other way.
Though he does still, gently inhaling while Steve's lips are at his chest, runs his hands through Steve's hair. At this point, he can safely say he's never been loved by anyone the way Steve loves him. There's something mesmerizing about it. Something that always seems to settle the chaos in him just a little.
He'll put on anything Steve comes back with and attempts to do so but those little kisses are distracting. A few he grins through, a small bout of laughter, but finally he abandons his towel and gets that approximation of dressed. And even though he's soaked in a hot tub and been rubbed down, he already knows it might take him a bit to get his mind to quiet down enough for him to go to sleep. Not something he wants to bother Steve with. But there will be absolutely no slipping off to work without alerting him. Or Alice. Who always just seems to know when that's happening.
Pulling the covers back he gets underneath them, in his spot, and pats the one next to him in invitation.] At this rate, this early, I'll probably get up with you tomorrow morning. [What he actually is requesting here is that if he's still asleep when Steve's internal clock goes off at the same exact time it always has that Steve wake him up. He's not sure if it'll be honored.]
[ Steve tries to quiet down his body, who's indeed, just a little upset that it's not getting any tonight, but it'll play nice. He warms up Tony's side of the bed and then shifts over, holding him close, loosely at first. ]
We can make breakfast together, then. I won't make you run.
[ He might make Tony get Alice ready though. And Steve will wait for everyone to start working to do his workouts, and focus on hosting their guests and getting them anything they might need to get this working. He does feel a little useless still, but he knows what Tony will say and so he doesn't voice that concern of his.
And then he remembers Tony's other request, so he gets his arms wound around Tony and gives him a big bear hug, careful not to crush his windpipe on that ridiculously large chest of his. He's all too aware of how easily things could turn out for the worse. He was so afraid at first, of being too rough with Alice. When she was born, she was tiny, and fragile. Her bones hadn't even set yet. She'd reached out to hold Steve's finger as he sat in a chair searching the stars for her father, and he'd cried himself to sleep by her crib, attached to the bed but with the wall up, terrified that he'd roll over on her and not notice.
That seems like so very long ago, now. And those worries as far away from them as Tony was, now clutched to Steve's heart, where he belongs. ]
How's that?
[ He might've just survived the ice because he's so warm, and Tony will surely overheat like this, but as long as he's happy, Steve's happy. ]
[Steve lying down beside him would have been enough, he would've snuggled up right to him. Especially after what a day this has been, there would have been nothing he'd like to have done more- except maybe burn off some frustrations while lovingly fucking one another but they'll save it. Save it for when he can fully commit and the both of them have time to just lose themselves to one another.
But when Steve slots in and then pulls him in and then tight, Tony exhales slowly. Tips his head up into the hollow of Steve's throat, leaves one hand trapped between them, his other arm winding back around Steve over his hips. Just hanging on. It's grounding. Being held just a little too tight. In a way that he'll probably never be able to fully explain. There's just something about being weighted down by strong arms. Yet the ones that belong to one of the kindest, gentlest people he knows. And the only person he loves in the way that he loves Steve.
There's a protectiveness in it. Safety. Something that brings him back down from all the haze and anchors him to earth. Where he belongs. With his husband. And Steve is warm, always has been so warm. Sometimes the best person to cuddle up with when it's cold outside. There's been an ache and a chill in his bones lately that just dissipates when he's in Steve's arms like this.]
Perfect. [The small, honest answer comes while he's still soaking it all in. But then his lips shape into a lazy grin against Steve's neck.] You've definitely cornered the market on bear hugs.
[And Tony, forever lucky, that he owns the monopoly on them. ...okay well he shares with Alice but still. He's even happier for that.] I love you. [They probably won't keep like this all night and he feels tired but that's more a symptom of life at this point than anything else. He tries to quiet down and still, so that Steve at least can drift off. He's still expecting it to take him a little bit. Mind going just a little. Thinking. Of all the things he'd like to accomplish tomorrow. All the formulas and processes.]
[ He feels that exhale in his bones. Tony's had a long day, and he's had a long few months or however of keeping all these secrets to himself in an effort to not scare Steve, but he hadn't been successful at that. Still, it must have been stressful for him, and so Steve holds him tightly to himself. In a way, it's like he's telling both of them that he refuses to let go, he refuses to give up. He'll knock down all the doors to the Sanctum if he needs more time, he'll beg Hank for more Pym particles now that he's returned. He'll do anything to keep Tony, who has so much more living to do.
One time, when Alice was very young, she'd asked for a sibling. A big brother, she had requested. And Steve laughed it off and told her that might not be possible, but a younger brother wasn't out of the cards. It was so long ago, but he's reminded now. And once Tony's better, maybe they can be reminded again, but for now he focuses on the present, not the future. ]
I've been practicing. Have you been at the receiving end of Alice's hugs? Sometimes I'd wonder if it's not physically possible we're both her fathers.
[ Yes, definitely physically impossible, and it doesn't matter, anyway, because Steve will always be her father regardless, but it would be nice if they could have a child who they never needed to worry about getting sick, or breaking her bones.
Steve settles in to sleep, and though it'll take him longer than usual, he'll probably be out before Tony is, deep breaths and loud heartbeat steady there to guide him into a restful slumber. ]
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no subject
Good, the girls will love that. And so will we.
[ He's working on Tony's arm now, because it sees a lot of damage and Tony's always making upgrades to the other one. Steve might as well fuss with the one he's still got that's flesh. He does like the metal one, but he feels like if anyone's going to work out its kinks, it'll be in code, not brute force. ]
God Tony, I don't think you understand how much I want you. It's like everything you do just sets me off.
[ But it's a good goal to work to. Once Tony gets better, then they'll have a whole weekend to themselves to give Tony's new body an endurance test run. Steve will try to be good, but they do have to break it in. ]
We could get the full experience, rent something out.
[ But staying at home near all the medical supplies and technology is also good, if they run into an emergency. ]
no subject
He's careful with his other hand, as he often has to be, touching along Steve's shoulder and towards the side of his neck. His smile is very telling as he watches him.]
Might be able to claim some innocence, then. If everything I do winds you up. [His hand slips up, touching along the side of Steve's face before metal fingers disappear into the length of his hair. He rests his forehead against Steve's then, eyes going half-lidded. And then in a smaller murmur he says,] I know. I want you pretty much every hour of every day, too. [And that's really never stopped being the case. Steve could sometimes just look at him from across a room and Tony would feel not only a flutter in his heart but just a heat. And it's been that way for so long that he can't imagine living life any other way.]
A cabin, maybe. Somewhere. We'll try not to break anything. [Which is never a guarantee with them, with how they get sometimes. He exhales soft and slow.] Why are your hands so good? [ An empty question while his mind is starting to become addled.] You really could've been the world's best masseuse, I think. Definitely lucky I'm the only one who knows that. [Luckier than lucky, at this point in his life.]
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[ Somehow he knew when he'd offered that they'd wind up like this, but mostly because everything they ever did led to here. Is it any wonder? Years after they've been together and they still find the need to go at it like rabbits. But Steve feels lucky in that regard, too, that they're still as infatuated with each other than ever, that they're more in love than ever.
His eyes flutter closed when Tony whispers to him, and he swallows thickly, trying not to let him escalate but nearly failing at it quite miserably. He could give in, they could make it quick, but Steve wants that reward. He wants for them to be able to take their time, for him to lazily kiss all over Tony's body and only then, for that to turn into something else as they fall back into bed for maybe the third, fourth time that day. ]
They're only good because you're the one they get to touch. I wouldn't do this for anyone else.
[ He finishes up Tony's arm by massaging his hand, this lovely hand that is both strong and gentle, that has both created empires and cradled the smallest, most precious thing that ever was. ]
no subject
Tony's always felt like he's been far weaker in that regard. More willing to do anything just about anywhere. Break rules. Get exactly what he wants when he wants it- and when that's Steve there almost aren't any rules at all. Not to him.
The muscles in his hand flex, fingers stretching wide while Steve works there. But soon enough he laces them with Steve's, clasping him lightly, bringing the now joined pair up to his lips. Then he presses a few kisses to the back of Steve's hand, leaving a smile there after.]
And the rest of the world suffers, surely. [Tony had said more than once that he was the luckier of the two of them. That he was lucky Steve had not really been interested in any of the women on any of those terrible dating apps. That somehow they'd fallen into it with each other and not lost sight of that (except in one instance he would probably never talk about again if he didn't have to). Anyone could have had Steve. Steve would have filled out someone else's life the way he had Tony's and Tony would have been worse off for it, he's absolutely certain.
But there they are together. And he's grateful. Which is why the next words out of him are,] I love you. [Just a few more kisses to Steve's skin before he takes pity on the both of them, and actually does the right thing for once.] We should turn in. Before we both let this go where it's going.
[Because it is. Steve's turned on. So is he. It's just the way they are. Their very nature with one another. If they linger any longer it'll just happen, even if they don't mean for it to. And there's something wonderful about that, too. The way they crash and collide with each other. Unstoppable forces.]
no subject
They came together by either cosmic accident or divine intervention and Steve's still not sure which, but he still prays just in case it's the latter. They're still together because of a lot of hard work and compromise, and love. So, so much love that they took it and made a beautiful little girl who lights up their whole world. ]
I love you.
[ He feels like this might start taking a detour where it shouldn't, and then Tony actually stops them. ]
Hm. Well, I think you'll have to get dressed then, because you know I can't resist.
[ That's not even a joke or an exaggeration. Steve lifts Tony up so he's still kneeling but not sitting on his lap, and before he extricates himself to go get his clothes, he kisses Tony over the scars he'd originally had on his chest, the place where he keeps the keys to Steve's heart.
And then he goes to their dresser to pick out a cute pair of shorts for Tony, and comes back with them and more kisses, light and fleeting in nature. ]
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Though he does still, gently inhaling while Steve's lips are at his chest, runs his hands through Steve's hair. At this point, he can safely say he's never been loved by anyone the way Steve loves him. There's something mesmerizing about it. Something that always seems to settle the chaos in him just a little.
He'll put on anything Steve comes back with and attempts to do so but those little kisses are distracting. A few he grins through, a small bout of laughter, but finally he abandons his towel and gets that approximation of dressed. And even though he's soaked in a hot tub and been rubbed down, he already knows it might take him a bit to get his mind to quiet down enough for him to go to sleep. Not something he wants to bother Steve with. But there will be absolutely no slipping off to work without alerting him. Or Alice. Who always just seems to know when that's happening.
Pulling the covers back he gets underneath them, in his spot, and pats the one next to him in invitation.] At this rate, this early, I'll probably get up with you tomorrow morning. [What he actually is requesting here is that if he's still asleep when Steve's internal clock goes off at the same exact time it always has that Steve wake him up. He's not sure if it'll be honored.]
no subject
We can make breakfast together, then. I won't make you run.
[ He might make Tony get Alice ready though. And Steve will wait for everyone to start working to do his workouts, and focus on hosting their guests and getting them anything they might need to get this working. He does feel a little useless still, but he knows what Tony will say and so he doesn't voice that concern of his.
And then he remembers Tony's other request, so he gets his arms wound around Tony and gives him a big bear hug, careful not to crush his windpipe on that ridiculously large chest of his. He's all too aware of how easily things could turn out for the worse. He was so afraid at first, of being too rough with Alice. When she was born, she was tiny, and fragile. Her bones hadn't even set yet. She'd reached out to hold Steve's finger as he sat in a chair searching the stars for her father, and he'd cried himself to sleep by her crib, attached to the bed but with the wall up, terrified that he'd roll over on her and not notice.
That seems like so very long ago, now. And those worries as far away from them as Tony was, now clutched to Steve's heart, where he belongs. ]
How's that?
[ He might've just survived the ice because he's so warm, and Tony will surely overheat like this, but as long as he's happy, Steve's happy. ]
no subject
But when Steve slots in and then pulls him in and then tight, Tony exhales slowly. Tips his head up into the hollow of Steve's throat, leaves one hand trapped between them, his other arm winding back around Steve over his hips. Just hanging on. It's grounding. Being held just a little too tight. In a way that he'll probably never be able to fully explain. There's just something about being weighted down by strong arms. Yet the ones that belong to one of the kindest, gentlest people he knows. And the only person he loves in the way that he loves Steve.
There's a protectiveness in it. Safety. Something that brings him back down from all the haze and anchors him to earth. Where he belongs. With his husband. And Steve is warm, always has been so warm. Sometimes the best person to cuddle up with when it's cold outside. There's been an ache and a chill in his bones lately that just dissipates when he's in Steve's arms like this.]
Perfect. [The small, honest answer comes while he's still soaking it all in. But then his lips shape into a lazy grin against Steve's neck.] You've definitely cornered the market on bear hugs.
[And Tony, forever lucky, that he owns the monopoly on them. ...okay well he shares with Alice but still. He's even happier for that.] I love you. [They probably won't keep like this all night and he feels tired but that's more a symptom of life at this point than anything else. He tries to quiet down and still, so that Steve at least can drift off. He's still expecting it to take him a little bit. Mind going just a little. Thinking. Of all the things he'd like to accomplish tomorrow. All the formulas and processes.]
no subject
One time, when Alice was very young, she'd asked for a sibling. A big brother, she had requested. And Steve laughed it off and told her that might not be possible, but a younger brother wasn't out of the cards. It was so long ago, but he's reminded now. And once Tony's better, maybe they can be reminded again, but for now he focuses on the present, not the future. ]
I've been practicing. Have you been at the receiving end of Alice's hugs? Sometimes I'd wonder if it's not physically possible we're both her fathers.
[ Yes, definitely physically impossible, and it doesn't matter, anyway, because Steve will always be her father regardless, but it would be nice if they could have a child who they never needed to worry about getting sick, or breaking her bones.
Steve settles in to sleep, and though it'll take him longer than usual, he'll probably be out before Tony is, deep breaths and loud heartbeat steady there to guide him into a restful slumber. ]