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Finally, finally, finally, Tony had seen fit to show his latest boyfriend the door.
One date with that self-righteous, musclebound prick had seen the whole team certain there wouldn't possibly be another, and confused, increasingly so, when one date became two, a weekend became a week, and then a month, and then five.
Kyle was rude. He was possessive. He talked to Tony like he was a disappointing, errant child, not an adult partner, never mind one with Tony's towering intellect. Kyle had a laugh like a braying donkey, coupled with the incredibly abrasive habit of expelling a chuckle every time he stopped speaking, as if to extol his own extreme cleverness.
Steve was thrilled that Tony felt confident enough to bring a date to team dinners and movie nights, but the thrill was gone -- rather, had never been to begin with -- when it came to this particular all-too-significant other.
He thanked God for whatever had shown Tony the light, because several instances of carefully broached to increasingly bald-faced advice from his fellow Avengers had gone right out the other ear if they had ever gone in the first.
He thanked God for whatever had shown Tony the light, because now, maybe Steve finally had a chance himself. A chance he'd never had the courage to take, but this time, he wasn't going to let it go until it was too late. Until Tony's heart, or at least his attention and his body, were once again bestowed upon someone who didn't value or respect or appreciate Tony the way he deserved to be.
Steve waited a few days, till he could catch Tony just getting started in his lab, before he could become completely immersed in his inventing for hours or days with hardly a break.
"Hey, Tony. I know you'll be busy for a while here, but when you're done, how about we go out for a bite? Breakfast or dinner, or whatever meal is up next?"
Tony looked mildly taken aback, but recovered quickly. "You're... you're not. You are!" he exclaimed, quick and stop-motion animated in that singular Tony way. "You're flirting. I can't believe it. You just asked me out on a date, Captain Planner, didn't you!"
Frenetic. Never mind that it was supposed to be impossible, Tony was a perpetual motion machine, at least till he dropped like a rock before starting it all over again.
Steve nodded and smiled, feeling his face heat, delighted. "Yep, I did. So how about it, handsome, you and me, now that you're single and free?"
"And you're a poet, and I'm about to--" Tony's face fell, all the enthusiasm running out of him like someone had unstoppered a drain. "--blow it. And not in the sexy way."
"I-- What do you mean?" The innuendo barely registered past the roll of anxiety that twisted up Steve's spine and spun in his stomach.
Tony patted him on the shoulder, leaving off with a firm squeeze that settled some of Steve's nerves and set others to jangling. "It means a lot to me, Steve. You, and... the fact that you'd ask. Maybe a little too much. I just had a breakup, you know? And honestly, my head's still a little mired in that."
Steve started to speak, but Tony held up a forestalling hand. "No, no, I'm over him, for sure. You all were right. Guy was a douche. Just took me a while to see it. Good lesson, I should listen to my team more often. You guys got my back, not just as Avengers, but as friends, and I can't even tell you how grateful I am to have that kind of support. But to make it -- you and me, to make it more? I need some time, Steve. I can't do casual with you, and I don't want the, the ghost of relationships past, as a third wheel when we make a go of this."
Elated. Heartbroken. Freefall with the ground coming up fast, and even with the parachute open, that landing was gonna hurt. Steve could only nod mechanically and try to freeze his smile across his cheeks. "I understand, Tony. And I appreciate your honesty. I want that too, all of it. To have something real."
He did. He understood, he appreciated, he wanted the same thing Tony did. He wanted to sink into the ground. He wanted to punch something through the crust of the earth. Himself, maybe. "I, uh... I should let you get back to your work. And you, I'll... I'll wait, won't bring it up till you tell me you're ready. No pressure."
"You're the best, Steve. I mean that." And Steve could tell Tony did. He held that conviction tight, and took himself away from the person he wanted more than anything to be closer to.
True to his word, Steve waited. A weekend became a week, became a month. No one was seeing much of Tony; he was pulling a lot of all-nighters. Not the best time to start a new relationship, Steve consoled himself. Not till they had some time to spend getting to know one another. Well, better. Different. As something more.
Five weeks, and Steve was having a sleepless night himself. He wandered out of his room to the communal kitchen for a midnight snack, maybe some tea, maybe some late night TV or a movie to try to doze to. He stopped, hearing voices. One was Tony's. The other...
He peered around the corner. Tony was standing at the stove, a soft smile curving his lips, stirring... Steve breathed in. Hot cocoa. With the real chocolate, like Steve had showed him. And he wasn't alone. A tall, fit blond man was draped around Tony's shoulders like a well worn-in bathrobe, both of them in soft-looking pajama pants and nothing on top but the scattering of sucked-in marks purpling their skin.
Steve aborted mission and turned for the gym instead. A nice, long workout, that was what he needed. As long as he wanted. He could give it all the time in the world.
____________________________________
Username: wynnesome, steward of subversion
Work Type: Fic
Bingo Prompt: Break Up
Content Warning: Heartbreak
Extra Prompts: 2012 - Everyone Lives in the Tower
Main Universe: MCU
One date with that self-righteous, musclebound prick had seen the whole team certain there wouldn't possibly be another, and confused, increasingly so, when one date became two, a weekend became a week, and then a month, and then five.
Kyle was rude. He was possessive. He talked to Tony like he was a disappointing, errant child, not an adult partner, never mind one with Tony's towering intellect. Kyle had a laugh like a braying donkey, coupled with the incredibly abrasive habit of expelling a chuckle every time he stopped speaking, as if to extol his own extreme cleverness.
Steve was thrilled that Tony felt confident enough to bring a date to team dinners and movie nights, but the thrill was gone -- rather, had never been to begin with -- when it came to this particular all-too-significant other.
He thanked God for whatever had shown Tony the light, because several instances of carefully broached to increasingly bald-faced advice from his fellow Avengers had gone right out the other ear if they had ever gone in the first.
He thanked God for whatever had shown Tony the light, because now, maybe Steve finally had a chance himself. A chance he'd never had the courage to take, but this time, he wasn't going to let it go until it was too late. Until Tony's heart, or at least his attention and his body, were once again bestowed upon someone who didn't value or respect or appreciate Tony the way he deserved to be.
Steve waited a few days, till he could catch Tony just getting started in his lab, before he could become completely immersed in his inventing for hours or days with hardly a break.
"Hey, Tony. I know you'll be busy for a while here, but when you're done, how about we go out for a bite? Breakfast or dinner, or whatever meal is up next?"
Tony looked mildly taken aback, but recovered quickly. "You're... you're not. You are!" he exclaimed, quick and stop-motion animated in that singular Tony way. "You're flirting. I can't believe it. You just asked me out on a date, Captain Planner, didn't you!"
Frenetic. Never mind that it was supposed to be impossible, Tony was a perpetual motion machine, at least till he dropped like a rock before starting it all over again.
Steve nodded and smiled, feeling his face heat, delighted. "Yep, I did. So how about it, handsome, you and me, now that you're single and free?"
"And you're a poet, and I'm about to--" Tony's face fell, all the enthusiasm running out of him like someone had unstoppered a drain. "--blow it. And not in the sexy way."
"I-- What do you mean?" The innuendo barely registered past the roll of anxiety that twisted up Steve's spine and spun in his stomach.
Tony patted him on the shoulder, leaving off with a firm squeeze that settled some of Steve's nerves and set others to jangling. "It means a lot to me, Steve. You, and... the fact that you'd ask. Maybe a little too much. I just had a breakup, you know? And honestly, my head's still a little mired in that."
Steve started to speak, but Tony held up a forestalling hand. "No, no, I'm over him, for sure. You all were right. Guy was a douche. Just took me a while to see it. Good lesson, I should listen to my team more often. You guys got my back, not just as Avengers, but as friends, and I can't even tell you how grateful I am to have that kind of support. But to make it -- you and me, to make it more? I need some time, Steve. I can't do casual with you, and I don't want the, the ghost of relationships past, as a third wheel when we make a go of this."
Elated. Heartbroken. Freefall with the ground coming up fast, and even with the parachute open, that landing was gonna hurt. Steve could only nod mechanically and try to freeze his smile across his cheeks. "I understand, Tony. And I appreciate your honesty. I want that too, all of it. To have something real."
He did. He understood, he appreciated, he wanted the same thing Tony did. He wanted to sink into the ground. He wanted to punch something through the crust of the earth. Himself, maybe. "I, uh... I should let you get back to your work. And you, I'll... I'll wait, won't bring it up till you tell me you're ready. No pressure."
"You're the best, Steve. I mean that." And Steve could tell Tony did. He held that conviction tight, and took himself away from the person he wanted more than anything to be closer to.
True to his word, Steve waited. A weekend became a week, became a month. No one was seeing much of Tony; he was pulling a lot of all-nighters. Not the best time to start a new relationship, Steve consoled himself. Not till they had some time to spend getting to know one another. Well, better. Different. As something more.
Five weeks, and Steve was having a sleepless night himself. He wandered out of his room to the communal kitchen for a midnight snack, maybe some tea, maybe some late night TV or a movie to try to doze to. He stopped, hearing voices. One was Tony's. The other...
He peered around the corner. Tony was standing at the stove, a soft smile curving his lips, stirring... Steve breathed in. Hot cocoa. With the real chocolate, like Steve had showed him. And he wasn't alone. A tall, fit blond man was draped around Tony's shoulders like a well worn-in bathrobe, both of them in soft-looking pajama pants and nothing on top but the scattering of sucked-in marks purpling their skin.
Steve aborted mission and turned for the gym instead. A nice, long workout, that was what he needed. As long as he wanted. He could give it all the time in the world.
____________________________________
Username: wynnesome, steward of subversion
Work Type: Fic
Bingo Prompt: Break Up
Content Warning: Heartbreak
Extra Prompts: 2012 - Everyone Lives in the Tower
Main Universe: MCU
