Title: Another Sleepless Night
Author:whisty09
Summary: Tony finds Captain America in his bed.
Pairings/Characters: Tony/Steve
Warnings: None
Beta: Self-betaed, be warned.
Word Count:1300
A/N: Greetings fellow Midgarians! This newcomer comes bearing a gift/fic. May it be to your tastes!




It’s almost sunrise by the time Tony finally stumbles out of his workshop, hands still twitching as if he’s still working on the new Mark XV since Mark XIV was now a heap of scrap thanks to the latest battle with Doom’s new robots. Plasma beams. Fucking plasma beams. One of these days the supervillian was going to get a repulsor direct in the face.

Tony mumbles to Jarvis to set the alarm as makes his way up the stairs to his bedroom for some well-deserved rest only to find Captain America sprawled out over his bedcovers. The supersoldier was still clad in his red, white, and blue flag of a uniform, still slightly singed from their latest battle and with one arm hugging his shield close to his chest like it was his fucking teddy bear.

Tony sort of looms above the other man for several minutes, finding the whole situation amusing for some reason that probably had to do with three days of board meetings and supervillians and no sleep. The supersoldier shifts as Tony continues to stand by the bed, playing Edward to the Steve’s Bella.

A lock of hair falls over his eyes and Tony finds himself reaching out to brush back the strands blocking his view. Before he makes contact and probably waking Steve up though, he catches himself and pulls back. He shoves the now shaking hands into the pockets of his pants and tells himself that it’s exhaustion, or maybe the all the coffee that he’d been trying to replace his bloodstream with.

Tony sways a little in place, trying to decide what to do. He supposes he could try waking the other man up and kicking him out so Tony can finally get some shuteye before Pepper comes storming in and drags out him by the ear to take of business and all that other crap she insists is necessary.

Tony looks down at the supersoldier cuddling his shield. Or maybe he could find another room to collapse in. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. Tony should probably get on it. Get some rest instead of watching moonlight and shadows chase each other across the planes of Steve's sleep slack face.

There’s a nice guest room just down the hall after all that had not been yet been claimed by the random Avengers that kept showing up at his mansion and somehow end up moving in. Tony’s going to walk over there anytime now and getting the rest that his body so desperately craves. Yep, right about…now.

He doesn’t move.

Standing there and still tilting to the side a little, Tony wonders if maybe he should throw a blanket over the other man. It’s only August but the draft from the open balcony window was decidedly chilly. Then again, the Captain was still wearing his uniform.

Not to mention, the guy gave of heat like freaking radiator as Tony could attest to personally thanks to those sparring sessions outside armor that Steve kept insisting on. Seriously, the other man was like a fucking hot water bottle. Tony smiled a little to himself as he tilted his head, imagining a hot water bottle in place of the sleeping man in front of him.

A super tacky red, white and blue striped monstrosity full of hot water that Tony could hug close and let the warmth sooth all his aches and pains. He closed his eyes briefly, imagining wrapping himself around the warmth, letting it seep into his very bones, warding off the cold aching of his heart.

Man of Iron, Heart of Steel.

Tony shakes his head lightly. He wasn’t really, but sometimes…sometimes he wished he was. Maybe then he wouldn’t feel cold anymore. Or at least, he wouldn’t mind it anymore.

Tony opens his eyes and blinks. And then blinks again because somehow the room is suddenly a lot brighter and there’s something that looks suspiciously like pale sunshine streaming in from the balcony window. He straightens from his slouch and bites back a groan at the all the sore muscles screaming abuse at him. He takes a quick glance at the clock on the wall.

7:21.

Wasn’t that board meeting that Pepper kept hounding him about supposed to start right about now?

Tony catches movement out of the corner of his eyes and looks back at the bed where Steve’s sitting up, watching as the man shakes off the haze of sleep and startling a bit when he realizes that Tony’s standing right in front of him. Staring at him. Like a stalker. A very creepy stalker.

Tony should probably stop staring.

Steve blinks again at him and they continue to stare at each other awkwardly for several moments. Just as Tony’s finally opening his mouth to blurt something out, there’s a sudden loud pounding at the door. Tony squawks and ends up tripping over his own feet and falling forward into the lap of one supersoldier extraordinaire.

Faces only centimeters apart, they stare into each other’s eyes, both of them holding their breath as if waiting for something to happen…

And then the moment’s broken by furious threats being shouted through the door. Tony looks back down at the man below him and gives him a bemused smile. Steve smiles back and then proceeds to lean forward, closing those last few centimeters, and pressing his lips briefly against Tony’s in a chaste kiss.

Tony freezes in shock, staring down at the tomato red but still smiling Steve Rogers.

“Tony, I—”

Thankfully, that’s exactly when door beeps and Tony practically throws himself away from Steve, right before the lovely (and furious, but she’s lovely when she’s furious as well, possibly more so) Pepper Potts bursts into the room right on cue.

For a brief second, she’s taken back when she notices Captain America sitting on Tony’s bed but just as quickly brushes it off as something to worry about later because damnit Tony! The board meeting’s in less than ten minutes and you’re still covered in grease and dirt and god knows what else and, and is that blood?! Tony!

Next thing Tony knows, she’s manhandling him towards the shower while rattling off the agenda for the day and making all kinds of threats if Tony isn’t clean and ready by the time she finishes picking out his outfit for the day. As she finally shoves him through the bathroom door, Tony turns his head to catch a glimpse of Captain America sitting on his bed, shield in hand, still flushed cherry red and smiling at Tony.

As he stands under the hot water, he wonders if the Captain will still be there when he’s goes back out.

There is no supersoldier wrapped in an American flag on his bed anymore when Tony emerges from the bathroom, toweling off his hair. Only an impatient Pepper tossing a pair of pants at him, the rest of the outfit spread out on the Steve-less bed and scolding him for obviously not getting any rest. As usual.

Tony waves off her motherhenning and makes some vague excuses and promises to which Pepper just rolls her eyes because she’s heard them all already millions of times over.

Then she asks, in a rather obviously fake nonchalant tone, why Captain America had been in Tony’s bedroom. Her gaze is wary, as if afraid that Tony’s going to say something like he’d spent the night corrupting a national icon or something like that and Tony opens his mouth to reply that for once it wasn’t him, that Steve had been the one to kiss him because— because—

Tony bites his lip and turns away. Instead he asks Pepper what time it is.

A look down at the Stark phone in her hand makes Pepper jump and curse. Then she’s dragging him out the door and shoving him into the car parked out front. He can still see the question in her eyes though as she sits across from him, briefing him on the expected topics for the meeting but he keeps his silence.

Tony stares out the darkened windows and runs the tip of his tongue over his lips, imagining that he can still taste the warmth of Steve’s kiss.