#the power of ults stevetony

[stevetonyweekly]

SteveTony Weekly - March 24 - Week 12

Happy Sunday, my friends! Check out this week’s five recs, and be sure to kudos and comment on the ones you enjoy! 

non functional requirements by lazywriter7

“Morning Tony.” Someone greets from close to the front row. Gwen, who’s waiting for her Macbook to complete its primeval, laborious booting up procedure, feels her shoulders sag even further down. God, not this shit again.

“Did your coffee machine explode again?”

“Implode, and no.” The lecturer – Tony – cracks a brief smile. The band t-shirt he’s got on is mostly just wrinkles, his hair flattened straight down the sides like it hasn’t been washed in a couple days. Really gives Gwen such an inspiring picture to look up to for her own prospective career in academia. “And just for that not-so-subtle commentary on my opening salvo today, I’m gonna teach this entire lecture using a metaphor.”

~

Gwen Stacy isn't having the greatest day, and that's before her System Designs Engineering professor starts explaining the material through the lens of his strained-sounding relationship. With his boyfriend in the audience.

arei’s thoughts: I really loved this. It’s outsider POV, and Steve is the ‘bad’ boyfriend in this, but they’re both trying--sometimes failing--to make things work. The way they lean into each other and learn from their mistakes is lovely. 

An Educational Experience (The Good Things Come To Those Who Wait Remix) by valdomarx 

Ults Tony has a nice day.

aka Tony talks Steve through sucking his cock.

arei’s thoughts: it’s no secret that I adore Ults and this one is so lovely, Steve is so grumpy and pining so damn bad if he’d get out of his own way, he could be SO HAPPY. And then it’s just hot. Check it out. 

take a long line by ShanaStoryteller

Steve knows that Tony Stark is going to be a problem from the first line in his file.

Designation: Alpha

arei’s thoughts: I love the a/b/o dynamics in this. The way that Steve kind of fumbled them on account of his coming from a different time, and the way Tony was so anxious to care for EVERYONE around him. The scene where he tries to feed Steve a sandwich is quite possibly the cutest thing I’ve read in months. 

Even the Score by Sineala 

After Tony risks his own life to save Steve from the deadly Bloodwash gas, he's in bad shape, and he needs immediate treatment. Thanks to the treatment, he doesn't quite remember what's going on, but he does remember that people have been trying to kill him and that he can't trust the government. Since the Secretary of Defense did try to murder both of them today, Steve can't exactly tell Tony he's wrong about either of those things -- but, unfortunately, Tony doesn't remember who Steve is. And, even more unfortunately, Steve taught Tony to fight.

arei’s thoughts: I love this fic. It’s a very simple plot and premise pulled from the comics but it’s just so well done, and I love seeing Tony competent and dangerous even without the suit. Sine’s characterization in this--on both Steve and Tony’s parts--is just so lovely and well done. 

pretty baited trap by Areiton

The first time Tony walks into the Trisk, he’s following Tiberius, his eyes downcast, a perfect five steps behind his Alpha. He’s wearing a suit, cut in traditional omega style, because he’s an asset, a part of the display of wealth and power as much as the car they arrived in and the expensive watch Ty is wearing, the deliberate slight of being late and the bottle of wine that hangs from three fingers, careless, like it’s not worth several thousand dollars.

It’s the same display Ty has put on a dozen and more times since they Bonded. The only thing that changes is the location, the Alpha that Ty is trying to impress.

Where Tony ends up. His role in the evening’s proceedings. Those are already determined. This is a business deal and he is the pretty baited trap.

arei’s thoughts: well, I wrote this one but. I’m adding it to the list because I kinda love it. It’s very soft, and a little dark, but the devotion that grows between Steve and Tony is…lovely. 

[resurrectedhippo]

stevetony darkfic recs

And Nowhere to Go by Nonymos

Summary: He gave a mocking, dirty smirk. “Basically, Rogers, you need to be worked hard and put away wet.”Steve’s gut did something strange when he heard those words, but he absolutely refused to acknowledge it as anything else than fury. Tony wants to find out about Steve's limits. Steve never knew how to back down from a fight.

Tags: rape/non-con, Evil Tony Stark, Hurt Steve, Fucking Machines, milking, biting, riding crops, muzzles, handcuffs, humiliation, dehumanization, body modification, forced orgasm, abuse

Universe: MCU

What You Have Tamed by tsukinofaerii

Summary: Semi mirror!verse fic. Tony gets pulled into another universe where Steve's side won Civil War, Tony died, and Steve took control of the government. By the time they get 616!Tony back, he's slightly broken and convinced that Steve owns him and can't make any decision without Steve. And gained the 'distressing' habit of offering his body to Steve and waking him up with blow jobs.

Tags: psychological torture

Universe: 616

Sins of Omission by Kiyaar

Summary: A Post-Civil War, Pre-Secret Invasion AU where Steve is dead, Tony's a mess, and everything sucks. In which Tony deals poorly with Steve's death, falls off the wagon, sees ghosts, and misses a lot. Oh, and the Skrulls are about to invade.

Tags: rape/non-con, secret invasion, angst, skrulls, torture, victim blaming, prolonged partner abuse, gaslighting, captivity, suicide attempt, suicidal thoughts, PTSD, apocalypse

Universe: 616

The old ways by fundamentalblue

Summary: “I want Tony Stark.”

Tags: non-con, A/B/O, Omega Tony, Alpha Steve

Universe: MCU

No Exits in Foreign Land by resurrectedhippo

Summary: He looked at the belly of the beast when it stared at him in the face. Then, when Steve saw that the beast was his own reflection, he had a choice: turn away, do better, or accept that he’s part of the swine. Steve, who’s turned away for so long, looked at the mirror and vowed to harness the beast into something productive. After the snap, Steve tasked himself with rebuilding the world. But mostly, he just wanted Tony Stark happy.

Tags: captivity, emotional manipulation, tragedy, gaslighting, psychological horror

Universe: MCU

Shock Value by Purrgatorio

Summary: “What are you doing?“ Tony said, stomach twisting with unease at the same time Tony tried to rear back and avoid Steve’s approach, but there was no escaping. Tony was strapped down tight. There was nowhere for him to go, to run, not when Steve was coming, when Tony’s neck was craning to keep Steve’s face within view.

A nervous sweat began to bead in the back of Tony’s neck, his hands to shake.

Something was wrong, something was—

“Doing something different.”

Tags: rape/non-con, Hydra Steve Rogers, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, electrocution, emotional/pyschological abuse, unreliable narrator, heavy angst

Universe: MCU

Almost Perfect by Obani

Summary: A powerful enemy invades from an alternate reality, but the only thing he really seems interested in is Steve Rogers.

Tags: rape/non-con, Evil Tony Stark, gore, blood, disturbing themes, sexual slavery, torture, mutilation

Universe: Multiverse

Eventually by Obani

Summary: Tony is godking of the wasteland. Steve is not.

Tags: rape/non-con, body horror, sexual slavery

Universe: Ults

The Cure and the Disease by Diomedes

Summary: They break Stark first. One by one the rest of them follow.

Tags: Body Horror, Captivity, Everyone is captured, Team Whump

Universe: MCU

***

If you have any dark ficrecs, please let me know! I’m always looking for more! :) 

[isocrime]

okay so this may just be me assuming - but you generally write top!tony in ults and top!steve in 616 so i was wondering how you would see the flipside come out in both those verses i.e. top!steve in ults and top!tony in 616. do you think (based on your preferences/characterisation) that the former is more natural/preferable/interesting for you to write, or is it just whatever suits the idea you have? curious because you seem a lot more lax re the top/bottom discourse that stevetony is cursed w/

I’ll write either tony and steve topping/bottoming (meaning who’s in the driver’s seat, not who’s pitching/catching) either way depending on what suits the story, but I do definitely have preferences!

For ults, I do indeed tend to write top!tony/bottom!steve I like that dynamic a lot. Steve is so stiff and repressed, desperate for human intimacy and afraid to ask for it. I want to watch him release that and let his walls down, but in a sexy way. Also, Big Buff Sub is one of my kinks, and ults Steve is the biggest and buffest. Tony knows he doesn’t have to hold back, because Steve is superhuman — he can do things he’s fantasized about that would be too unsafe to do with a normal person. Meanwhile Steve could throw Tony off so so easily, but he allows it, even when it makes him squirm with humiliation, which is some intense, sexy submission. Plus he hates himself for wanting it; it means he’s not a real man. He’s not just gay, he’s gay AND he loves to be called a slut and take it up the ass. All the tension and denial!

For top!tony in ults it’s like — he’s such a hedonist and a maximalist (I love his stupid ornate bedroom and his four-poster bed), so I can really imagine him wanting to own Steve for himself and get to do whatever he wants. He lives his social life playing games and obfuscating the truth, wearing these different personas that are all exaggerated and campy and flirty, which makes me think he’d be really good at making the theatrical parts of kink feel real and hot instead of kind of awkward and made up. Tony commits to the bit and doesn’t care if he looks silly — he’s confident he can pull it off so he does. So you have Tony, who’s incredibly deft and motivated and greedy and powerful, and pair him with Steve — clumsy and earnest and so so so needy underneath all the ways he’s denying it — and it’s just delicious.

Then there’s 616, where I like to read things a little differently. Tony is so tightly wound in 616 I want him to let go and let himself have something nice that he doesn’t have to obsess over and make all the choices perfectly or else everything will go wrong forever. Tony needs to turn off his brain and let someone else be in charge. Additionally when Steve and tony are really fucked up and bad for each other (weirdly, I don’t have dysfunctional headcanons about ults steve/tony. i write them as a mess while they’re getting together but long-term I think they do pretty well) I think Tony wants to make up for all the things he feels guilty about, and having Steve fuck him and hurt him and tell him what to do makes him feel better.

Steve, meanwhile, is so earnest and confident and he loves to lead well, so I headcanon that he would find it really natural and satisfying to take charge in bed. I think also all the natural strength and body control makes Steve generally hot as a top. He can really properly overpower anyone and do exactly what he wants to them if he decides to. Hot hot hot. Less healthily, I think Steve yearns to get Tony under control and topping is a way for him to live that fantasy. When Tony submits to Steve, he stops pushing back and doing manipulative shit that drives Steve up the wall. Sometimes Steve just wants to grab Tony and shake him, and kinky sex lets him take some of that frustration out on Tony.  At their most functional, Steve wants to care for Tony and help him be the best version of himself. At their most dysfunctional, Steve wants to punish Tony and force him to do what Steve thinks is the right thing to do.

So, how would I do them the opposite way around? (I am aware this is already super long, I have feelings on this subject apparnently!) For bottom!tony in ults, I think he’d love the game parts of it. There’s a reason kink is called play, and Tony’s all about pretending. Like 616 tony, he’s very tightly wound and could stand to be taken out of his head and given a space where he’s free from responsibility. There’s grief and lousy pain he wants to forget, and Steve is really hot and he wants it, he wants to indulge in something a little taboo that he can make into a joke afterwards, haha you plowed me good, being crude to cover up how much he liked it. (I’m realizing that I tend figure out the dynamic starting from the character who’s bottoming.  Huh — start with what you know I guess!)

Ults Steve as a top is sort of volatile and inexperienced, which makes being helpless around him is sort of risky, and I bet Tony would eat that up. The possibility that it could be a disaster — that he could cause his partner to lose control and get more intense than expected — is titillating.  I think ults Steve wants terribly strongly. And if Tony is the thing he wants, especially if the thing he wants to do to Tony is hurt him, which is a kinky and perverted and bad want to have, Steve would torture himself with guilt and denial and desperate, pent-up lust. Repressed yearning for DAYS. And when Steve snaps and fucks tony the way he wants to, it’s hot and perfect and Steve hates himself for loving it and the more he hates himself the more he’s fucking desperate for it, this thing that’s wrong, he’s not supposed to want to hurt anyone, he’s a good man but he looks at Tony and he wants to take him and leave him wrecked and gorgeous and bleeding.

I actually have an ults sub!tony one-shot on the to-write list, so this is useful brainstorming!  For 616 I don’t have anything planned, but it’s fun to think about how top!tony/bottom!steve would work.

Healthy bottom!steve in 616 is full of love and adoration. He’s given his life to helping people, and I think he’d bring that into the bedroom, this intense desire to serve and give the person he’s in love with all of their favorite things. When everything’s not filled with angst, Steve is a super super sweet sub, eager and earnest and pretty good at communicating what he likes once he gets the hang of it. Also, serum-enhanced cock: Tony can order him to come over and over again, or he can edge him forever and torture him with overstimulation and all of that is hot. Dysfunctional bottom!steve is more like “you betrayed me, you used me, I hate you — do it again.”

Top!tony in 616 has taken his control issues and turned them outward, so instead of wanting to let go instead he loves to orchestrate sex just like he likes to orchestrate solutions to world problems. Plus he’s got the same generosity that Steve has, so he likes being able to give his partner what they want in bed and set things up perfectly so they can feel nice. He brings his natural suave composure to topping, but it’s cut with a sort of soft wonder that Steve’s trusting him with this because his self-esteem is garbage and he can’t possibly deserve someone as good as Steve submitting to him. Then when things are not so pleasant between them, tony uses sex to punish both Steve and himself, taking the thing he wants and beating himself up with it afterwards. He’s addicted to Steve and doesn’t care what’s good for them, he’s going to actively ruin it all.

Obviously some of these elements can be applied to both universes (Steve is always big and buff, yum). There’s a lot of juicy stuff to explore with either top!tony or top!steve, which is why I like both types of fic! The thing that really decides if I like a fic or not is how well the characterization is done and how well it explores a facet of Steve and Tony’s personalities.

I do get a bit bristly about a certain type bottom!tony fic, and about some bottom!pre-serum Steve fic (though the latter isn’t very common in comics universes), but that’s mostly because I find it really infuriating when a fic takes all the agency away from the bottom and replaces their personality with “eager-to-please horny bimbo who’s all weak and fragile.” I’m a contrarian, too, and since there’s more top!steve than top!tony (a quick ao3 tag search gives about a 2:1 ratio for top!steve:top!tony), I like writing the latter. Otherwise, I aspire to be cool, even though I have my favorite dynamics. I love me a wide variety of kinky smut -- the discourse is exhausting and i have bascially infinite salt about how dumb it is.

[cap-ironman]

Cap-IM Big Bang 2019: Obscure Canons

There are 3 months left before the 2019 Cap-Iron Man Big Bang claims happen - plenty of time to start drafting your submission!

You're probably familiar with the main universes for Stevetony - the comics continuity of Earth-616; the Marvel Cinematic Universe; the grittier, darker Ults comics; the more lighthearted animated series Avengers Assemble…

You might also love some of the smaller universes or versions that you've seen of Captain America and Iron Man, like Gladiator Steve, Sorcerer Supreme Tony Stark or the Avenger Babies!

But what if you're after a more obscure canon to inspire you? There are dozens of alternate universes in the Marvel Multiverse Listing, but that's a little overwhelming, so we've pulled some out so you can get excited about a different take on Steve and Tony and their relationship!

They've had plenty of inspiring and dramatic moments over the years for you can draw from. Perhaps one of these will prompt you to write you Big Bang fic this year!

Some of us are still not over Civil War, and could use a little more suffering and angst in our lives...

...why not pick up What If? Civil War #1 (2008), where Tony dies from the Extremis virus and Cap's anti-SHRA rebellion is a failure? Diverging from Earth-616, this What if can start you off exploring a Steve who's lost his Tony. Whether there'll be a happy ending or not is up to you!

Maybe you want to imagine a happier end for Steve and Tony, where they get over their differences and both survive...

…What If? Civil War #1 has your back for that, too! Bill Foster gets saved by Iron Man, changing the course of events so that Captain America joins Iron Man to successfully compromise on the Registration Act - leading their colleagues into an era of amicably registered heroes. Peace all round!

Or you're after something that screams domestic fluff from the outset?

Try Earth-65, where in Spider-women Alpha #1 (2016), we find out that business mogul Tony Stark is the owner of coffee chain Starkbucks. The Avengers don't currently exist in this 'verse, so it'd be up to you to figure out if you want to write non-power AU or not. It's a veritable feast of potential tropes!

Maybe you like your tropes a little more on the wild side? How about the Undead Avengers…

…In which Cap's a werewolf, Hawkeye's a "were-hawk", Thor is a mummy, the Black Widow has a spider's face, Tony is [insert cool supernatural beast here],  and together with the rest of the Avengers, they've united to protect the world! [Secret Avengers #33 (2012)]

Or maybe you can re-imagine a dystopian future after the Avengers have been defeated by Ultron… 

...and Tony Stark raises the next generation of superheroes in secret. The Avengers' children grow up on tales of valor about their parents in Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow animated film, and those can be revealing!

You could conduct a thought experiment about what defines Captain America from the rest of the Avengers…

…In a world of supersoldiers! One alternate dimension, glimpsed by Reed Richards in Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #2 (2009), had a serum that granted superhuman abilities to anyone who wanted them, populating the world with enhanced meta-humans. What kind of life would Tony Stark and Steve Rogers lead there, where Captain America's superior strength and senses are the norm?

Perhaps you're interested in a very different sort of fundamental transformation…

(image credit to @wingheadshellhead)

…The classic genderswap AU, for example? In Marvel Adventures: Fantastic Four #25 (2007), the famous space flight which turned the Fantastic Four into their mutated, heroic selves instead ... brought back a bacteria that killed all of Earth's men. It's a great set-up universe for an all-female Avengers team, as well as some dystopian feels!

Or something more sci-fi and high-stakes?

In Mighty Avengers #1-7 (2008), Tony's armor goes nuts and then Tony emerges female, naked, evil, and in love with Jan Van Dyne... It turns out Ultron, the sentient robot/A.I. that Jan's ex-husband Hank Pym invented, has possessed Tony's body! The perfect scenario for fairytale love for Steve conquering all.

Tony's not the only one that unexpected things happen to! Steve has hidden depths, too!

What If? #26 (1981) casts Steve Rogers as President America, which can lead to all sorts of questions - importantly to us though, is which position Iron Man would be appointed to? And what about Tony Stark?

There are plenty of canons to choose from, and we'll only know the full story if you decide to tell it! So sit down and get writing!

Running since 2011, the Cap-Iron Man Big Bang challenges the community's writers to create Steve/Tony-focused fic with a minimum of 25,000 words. Artists are then invited to claim a fic and create accompanying art! To sign up as a writer you need to send us your 20,000 word draft and summary by September 25th.

For the full 2019 BB Event Guidelines and information for writers and artists, click here!

[clericbyers]

PEOPLE ARENT GETTING HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT THE LITERAL WRITERS OF THE SHOW THINK OF BYLER AS STEVETONY

!! it is saying: a lot whether they (the writers) realize it or not!! bc captain america and iron man have a really impactful and important relationship no matter which universe you’re looking at. mcu, ults, 616, aa, emh, etc . hell there’s a universe where they got MARRIED (granted iron man / tony was a girl but still). those two superheroes have a very unique friendship that constantly borders more (mcu aside but in my mind endgame was basically one-sided stevetony on Steve’s side rip) but firstly they trust and love each other as colleagues and tho marvel loves to divide them with civil war and its reboots, the fact of the matter is: stevetony is powerful and meaningful to both parties, and tho I don’t like mcu steve v much, I understand tho that Tony still is important to him in a way even if his selfishness doesn’t allow him to see that until it’s too late . But anyway, comparing Mike and Will to that relationship speaks volumes and really hammers in what Mike and Will are to each other (bc Will could be the winter soldier imo , what with him also being brainwashed in a way to commit evil crimes, which would make it stevebucky which is again a popular and practically established ship but , and I say this cautiously...going with the mcu , the most popular iteration of the superheroes, capameri and iron man are the center of the mcu’s storylines, and their relationship is what makes or breaks the UNIVERSE, bc listen as much as st doesn’t happen unless will says yes to mike, the mcu can’t happen without iron man which means tonys parents had to die which means the winter soldier had to be a thing which means steve had to become cap and cap happened under watch of howard stark who was obsessed with finding cap after he disappeared and thus he neglected tony which lead to obidah having more hands on in the family and well...yeah . YES YOU SEE???? it’s just all connected, as much as will and mike are ..it’s PERFECT don’t touch meeee

[thatgoddamnflipphone]

FicRec Friday: 9/6/19

SO! In order to better keep up with my reclist I’m going to try and rec the fics I read in the past week every Friday. Or at least every other Friday! So here we goooooo....

MCU

that’s the gift that holds me by @theappleppielifestyle One of my absolute favorite stevetony-specific tropes is Steve getting thawed out earlier in the canon timeline. There is so much potential by inserting him into IM2 or in this case, IM1! They aren’t immediately thrown into battle together, they don’t automatically fall into an adversarial dynamic, they have both very recently experienced the most traumatic moment in their lives and are trying to figure out who they are on the other side of it. I love how easily they relate to each other in this, and how quickly protective they both are. Really beautifully done! 13k https://archiveofourown.org/works/20419721

Deep End by @festiveferret A really interesting take on a BDSM universe, which starts as kind of a “dudes helping each other out” non-sexual d/s relationship and then of course FEELINGS HAPPEN. Lots of pining, especially because they each think they can’t give the other what they truly want. Canon-ish, although Steve is given the serum in present day instead. 61k https://archiveofourown.org/works/17468534

All the Love You Hold and Hide by @mireille719 Fuck-Or-Die sex pollen with feeeeeeeeelings! And as good with consent as sex pollen can be. 17k https://archiveofourown.org/works/14402436

ULTS

(I am on a huge ULTS kick right now so I’m going through basically the whole tag...)

Holding Out for a Hero by mariana_oconnor  Steve’s relationship with Jan falls apart because he’s too... sensitive... in bed. Tony, bro that he is, offers to help him increase his staying power. Just bro stuff. No feelings here! (*cough cough*) 36k https://archiveofourown.org/works/20461193

Bros Before by tsukinofaerii Steve and Tony have become bestest buds, but then Tony starts dating someone. Is that... jealousy? Nahhhhh. 8k https://archiveofourown.org/works/200708

Exposed by @festiveferret, @sirsapling​ I... might have read a lot of sex pollen fic this week too? ULTS is perfect for it because Steve is SO GRUMPY ABOUT IT but then OOPS LOVES IT SO MUCH. This one also handles the consent issues well.  ~6k https://archiveofourown.org/works/13172751

His Best Suit by @ashes0909, @festiveferret, @sirsapling​ Short and sweet fic following Steve noticing Tony in all his different “suits” -- bathing, birthday, suit & tie, etc. V cute. Grumpy ULTS Steve blushes are the best. ~2k https://archiveofourown.org/works/15520116

~~~~~

Aaaaaand that’s it for this week! Find my 300+ fic recs organized by verse HERE!

[a-salty-alto]

ults tony sees how AA steve treats his tony and starts crying

Nah, the way I see it, while AA SteveTony are happy enough being a power couple of mutual support, Ults!Tony likes his angry, horny Steve just fine

[valdomarx]

the last best hope of earth

ults stevetony, for the “last chance” square on my stony bingo. warning for internalized homophobia and shame issues

When he first meets Tony Stark, Steve thinks that he is everything that is wrong with the modern world. Tony is loud, and crass, and has no respect for authority or for anything else.

He drinks too much. His personal life is a mess. He lounges around wearing the kind of silk robes that would be indecent on a woman, let alone a man. He constantly smells of vodka, or sex, or both, and Steve has to swallow down a feeling of disgust whenever he gets close enough to pick up on his scent.

Steve is unsurprised when he hears rumors that Tony is a queer. Any man who flaunts himself like that is clearly some kind of sexual deviant.

Despite his disdain for Tony’s personal life, Steve has to admit that he is a boon to the Ultimates. Tony has a quick mind and good instincts which still seem to operate under the blanket of booze that he covers himself with. After a while they even develop a rapport on the battlefield, Tony knowing where to be to support Steve, or give him a lift, or to protect his back.

They’d been sparring together this morning, and Tony had pulled a few maneuvers which genuinely impressed Steve. Even in the armor, he’s not as strong as Steve is, but he’s fast and creative and unpredictable. It makes him a fun sparring partner, and there had been a moment when Tony had landed a solid blow to his sternum and he’d had to take Tony’s wrists in one hand and pin him bodily to the floor.

Tony had slid the faceplate up and winked at him as he left, telling Steve that he’d enjoyed his moves. Steve had no idea what to make of that. It was probably just some modern sarcasm that Tony was using to make him feel stupid.

Steve is feeling on edge. He has been getting persistently getting hard all day, and it’s an irritation. He has bigger problems to think about right now, and he doesn’t need to be distracted by his damn libido. He stalks off towards the shower, hoping to wash away the filth of the day.

When he steps under the spray of the shower, he feels some of the tension ease off. His shoulders come down from around his ears, the steady thrum of the water on his skin bleeding some of the anger out of him.

He takes himself in hand, a feeling of relief spreading through his body. For a moment, Gail’s face flashes before him, smiling at him with her pretty red hair and her ample bosom. But thinking of Gail makes him sad, and then lost, and then resentful. He pushes the thought of her aside.

He thinks about Jan, her hip cocked in her tight uniform. He strokes himself, thinking about her short dark hair, clever eyes, confident smile. The way she would move against him, so comfortable in her body. But that memory is tainted now too, a burst of anger rippling through him when he recalls how things ended between them.

Unbidden, a different image enters his mind: Tony, on his knees before him. That infuriating mouth wrapping around his cock, sucking him down hungrily. Steve imagines pulling back, splattering his release across Tony’s face, the streaks of white dripping down his cheek and through his goatee like a brand of ownership.

Steve gasps and grabs at the wall of the shower as he comes, self-disgust coursing through him. The shame stays with him long after the pleasure has worn off.

After the tsunami hits New York, after they have have held back the chaos for another day and saved as many as they can, it is time to count their dead. Jan and Thor and Peter, Stephen Strange, so many of the X-Men, even Hank Pym, damn the sneaky little bastard. All dead. All gone.

Steve has seen plenty of death before, but he has never felt so powerless. His impotence in the face of disaster feeds his fury. He remembers the first moments of the attack, when the water closed in over his head and he was sinking into the depths. He remembers thinking that this was a pathetic way to die, but now at least he could be free.

And then he remembers seeing a flash of red and silver, and strong metal fingers closing around his wrist. He is shocked that, of all people, Tony is the one who saves him, who pulls him close and drags him back into the light.

Now the fighting is over, and only the emptiness remains. He’s been running on adrenaline since the attack, his anger condensing into a solid lump in the pit of his stomach. Tony has found him once again.

Tony’s hand is on his leg, stroking at the inside of his thigh. “You want to relax, is that it?” he asks, voice sultry and smooth. “I can help you with that.”

Steve grunts and balls his hands into fists.

On the next stroke, Tony’s finger brushes up against his cock, and Steve can’t suppress the full-body shiver that goes through him.

Tony grins lasciviously, as if this were fun. As if it were some kind of damn game. “You’re real sensitive, huh darling?” he purrs. “That’s nice.”

“Will you shut up, Stark,” Steve snaps.

Tony jerks back like he’s been shocked and pulls his hand away.

Steve grits his teeth. “I didn’t say you should stop,” he says carefully. “I said to not to talk so damn much.”

Tony’s eyes narrow, like he’s considering him, and Steve tries not to squirm under the observation. Steve takes Tony’s hand and places it back on his thigh without meeting his eye.

“We’re going army-style, is that it? A quick hand in the dark and no looking at each other’s faces?” Tony’s lips curl into something that could have been a mocking smile.

Steve is about to launch into a defense of the brave men who fight for this country and deserve more respect than Tony is showing them, when Tony cups him through his uniform and Steve’s breath catches in his throat.

Steve leans back and lets Tony unzip his pants. He closes his eyes while Tony jerks him off, slow and leisurely like they have all the time in the world.

He scrunches his eyes tight when he comes, Tony’s fingers playing along his cock and squeezing out the last of his orgasm.

He doesn’t look at Tony as he cleans himself up and walks out.

When he’s elected president, there is a moment when Steve thinks that this could be his chance. To prove himself, to make the world how it should be - in spite of all the chaos and the fear, and the broken mess that is their country. The people have called on him to serve, and he will do his best to protect them.

There is a moment when he thinks that he may have found a place in the future after all.

After his inauguration and pulling together a tentative peace with his bare hands, he returns to the ugly underground bunker which is serving as his temporary headquarters. There is, as always, paperwork to do.

He pushes open the door to his private office to find Tony sitting in his chair, feet propped up on the desk.

“What is it, Tony?” he asks, not quite able to keep the weariness out of his voice. The last thing he wants right now is another crisis to deal with.

“Nothing bad,” Tony reassures him, and Steve hates that he sees his weakness. “I thought we could celebrate your recent success.”

Tony waves a bottle of what he is sure is both very expensive and very rare liquor at him.

“I don’t want a drink,” Steve says, feeling more tired than ever.

Tony puts the bottle down and regards him quizzically. “What is it that you do want, then?”

Steve looks at Tony, the amused glint in his eye, the slight part of his lips. A kind of restless anger burns under his skin at the thought that he is now probably the most powerful man in the world, and yet Tony sees straight through him and can disarm his with a handful of words. He says nothing.

Tony kicks his feet off the desk and stands up, stretching the long lines of his limbs provocatively. He rounds the desk and moves towards Steve, placing a hand on his chest. Steve’s breath quickens.

“I’m here to… what’s the phrase? Serve at the pleasure of the president,” Tony says, running his hand down Steve’s chest. “Does that sound good to you?” he asks, very close to Steve’s ear.

Steve doesn’t trust his voice not to betray him. He gives a jerky nod.

Tony smiles and drops to his knees, unzipping Steve’s uniform pants with what seems to be practiced efficiency. Steve wonders how many men Tony has offered himself to in this way, whether he has any standards at all, whether he will get down on his knees for any man walking by.

He wonders whether the other men Tony has been with were comfortable with themselves, and kind, and if they treated Tony better than he has.

When Tony bends forward and takes Steve’s cock into his mouth, Steve stops thinking altogether.

They know that Galactus is coming. The world eater. A force as ancient and powerful as the universe itself. Some people have called it a god, but Steve won’t stand for that kind of talk. There is only one God, and this beast is certainly not him.

Still, it is a danger utterly unlike anything they have faced before. The sheer scale of the threat makes Steve feel tiny and insignificant. It occurs to him, perhaps for the first time, that there might not be a way to win this fight. That they might all die, here and now.

The thought is less distressing than he would have imagined. If this is to be his last week on earth, he can accept that. But there is something he must do first.

He walks calmly down the corridor and knocks on Tony’s door. Tony opens it, bags under his eyes, hair in uncharacteristic disarray. Still, he smiles when he sees Steve.

“To what do I owe the pleasure, Cap?” he asks.

Steve opens his mouth, tries to find a way to say what he means, and fails. He has never been one for speeches - always better as a man of action. He reaches out, cradles the back of Tony’s head, running his fingers ever so gently over the scar tissue there. He thinks about how close he came to losing Tony, and of how hollow and terrified that made him feel.

He leans forward, not caring that they are standing in a corridor where anyone could walk by. Softly, delicately, he kisses him.

Tony freezes, pulling back and regarding Steve with eyes wide with shock. “Not that I’m complaining,” he says, “But what brought this on?”

“Didn’t you hear?” Steve says with a lopsided smile. “It’s the end of the world.”

He doesn’t have the words to say more. Instead, he wraps his arms around Tony’s waist, pulls him close, and kisses him like it’s his last chance. It may well be.

As they fall into bed together, Steve doesn’t feel guilt, or disgust, or anger. He feels like he has finally arrived to where he was always supposed to be.

On the Helicarrier, the Ultimates scramble to defend the planet as Galactus appears overhead. They’ve pulled in every reserve they have, and every favor, called on every hero and even a few villains to mount their last line of defense.

“We need more time,” Tony says, and his face is grim. Steve doesn’t stop to think, running to one of the SHIELD planes and launching himself into the stratosphere. His team, his people, his planet - they need his help. Tony needs his help. There is no question of what he should do.

His plane rounds on Galactus, the impossibly large monster looming over the city. Steve knows that he cannot create the technology needed to fight this beast, that the powers of a soldier out of time are useless in the face of something so vast.

What was it Lincoln said? “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present.” He is inadequate, but the others will find a way. He just needs to buy them a few minutes.

He zips around Galactus, aiming weapons at the eyes and ears, which he assumes to be weak spots. The beast seems to barely notice him. He rounds the plane for a final attack run, throwing everything he has into the fore weapons array.

The monster flinches back and roars in pain. Fire ignites the atmosphere as the weapons hit their target.

“Steve-” a voice crackles over the comms.

“Tony,” Steve says, a swell of warmth and gratitude bubbling through him. “You’ve got this, Tony. You’re going to save the world.” He doesn’t know how he is so certain, but he knows this is true.

“I can’t do this without you.”

“You can,” Steve says with surety. “There’s no one I trust more than you.”

Steve hears something that could have been a sob over the line.

“Be good to yourself, Tony,” he says. “You deserve to be happy.”

Steve feels an explosion rip through his plane, and the air around him bursts into flame. For a moment, there is pain, and then the light fades and everything seems distant. As his life drifts away, Steve's last thought is that he is glad he got to speak with Tony one last time.

[machi-kun]

How would you describe each marvel universe stevetony dynamic, and which is your fav (I’m guessing mcu??) plus which do you think has Steve and tony as most power couple-y and which the least? Which universe is MCU stevetonys relationship most like + which does it have the potential to be like?

God, it’s so difficult to not simply say they’re so in love in every single universe because they are. I think the important thing is that even in those universes where they’re not so kind to each other, namely Ults, MCU, 616 at some points, even when they’re fighting they can’t help but be drawn to one another. That’s what makes them, them, I believe. Their dynamic is always one of: I have strong morals and I will do anything to enforce them, but I can’t help but to seek yours too, to bend to your ideas and your will, to trust you even when I don’t trust you.  Then you can scale them based on how done with each other’s bullshit they are - 3490 being “never will be done, I love you forever” and Ults being “GOD, SHUT UP, I love you but SHUT UP.”

It varies from moment to moment, poor idiots.

My favorite is a toss between MCU, AvAc, and AA. I love them all equally, but AvAc and AA are definitely more... soft and sweet than MCU, and you know me, I live for angst, so MCU gives me a lot to work with. In matter of being more couple-y, AA wins the prize, no doubt, but I’m not sure which one I’d say is the least favorable for it - my instinct is to say 1872, not because they are bad or not totally in love, but because it is meant to be a tragedy, so... It’s kind of the appeal of the story, to know it’s not meant to be. 

MCU is most definitely a toned-down (sometimes tone-deaf but hey, you didn’t hear that from me) version of 616, so I could only possibly compare the two, seeing as Ults is far too antagonistic, 1872 is, again, too tragic, and the others are far more lighthearted and also don’t fit the comparison well, but the MCU could have been like that too! If you’ve seen AA, you know what I’m talking about! We could have had that! It’s such a goddamn shame we didn't.

[resurrectedhippo]

so this is the 3rd time ive started composing this ask (hope i dont delete it this time too, im shy sorry) just wanted to say that ur my favourite most fic writer and i love love love ur work. also could u pretty pls let me know ur fave stevetony fics? tysm in advance. sorry abt my english if theres any mistakes, not my first language.

IDK why I am crying, but that feels really good to hear. My heart just grew ten times over. Thank you so much. I am glad my words do something in this world and that you like them. I’ll always reply to asks if you ever just wanna talk :)

I really like angst and dark fic. I find that those are the ones that stick with me the most and I just need to get all my tears out. These are my favorite works, I hope you enjoy them, but heed the tags and warnings! 

Let me start with some ANGST:

Are we satellites? by starvels 

Summary: In between sunrises on the road, Steve is speaking, eating, stepping into diners to save people like coming back to his childhood home.

And Tony, Tony is watching him. Tony is relearning being awake.

A cross country roadtrip where Steve and Tony find the typical American town, a fuckton of trees and finally, finally, find the right questions to ask each other.

Universe: 616

Concatenation (series) by Cazio

Summary: Superfamily. This series begins four years after the divorce of Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, and continues through the trials and devastations that continue to arrive in the aftermath.

Tags: post-divorce, depression, suicidal thoughts, blood gore, self-harm, PTSD, anxiety attacks, drug use, death

Universe: MCU

Something More Than What They Are (series) by Sapphic_Futurist

Summary: An exploration of love, denial and propensity for change.

"I promise to trust you, always. To give you everything I have and everything I am. To never hide from you and to never let you hide yourself from me."

Did Steve even consider what those vows meant when he’d made them? They’re only pretty words now, scattered like rose petals in the frozen waste of Siberia.

Tags: Post-Civil War Fix-it, Grief/Mourning, Marriage Breakdown, Partner Betrayal, Reconciliation

Universe: MCU

All-Time Low by Sineala 

Summary: Tony's lost his company to Obadiah Stane. He's lost it all: his money, his friends, his Avengers team... and his sobriety. Drunk, homeless, Tony is living on the streets, and when he runs out of liquor money, he sells the only thing he has left: his body. And one day, he has the exact wrong customer.

Tags: alcohol abuse, angst, bittersweet ending

Universe: 616  like history erasing itself by WhenasInSilks

Summary: “Don’t worry,” Steve says. 

“I’m not buying anything you’re not selling.” Tony folds his arms, tugs the too-thin body of his jacket tighter around him. “You don’t know what I’m selling.”

“I know what you’ve sold already. Next to that, this should be nothing.”

“Get fucked,” Tony says, but Steve only laughs, an ugly, empty sound. 

Bloodless. False. 

“That’s the plan."

Tags: alcohol abuse, extremely dubious consent, power imbalance, bondage, humiliation, under-negotiated kink, bottom Tony, Not-A-Fix-It, Hurt No Comfort

Universe: 616  DARK

Sins of Omission by Kiyaar

Summary: A Post-Civil War, Pre-Secret Invasion AU where Steve is dead, Tony's a mess, and everything sucks. In which Tony deals poorly with Steve's death, falls off the wagon, sees ghosts, and misses a lot. Oh, and the Skrulls are about to invade.

Tags: rape/non-con, secret invasion, angst, skrulls, torture, victim blaming, prolonged partner abuse, gaslighting, captivity, suicide attempt, suicidal thoughts, PTSD, apocalypse

Universe: 616

Almost Perfect by Obani

Summary: A powerful enemy invades from an alternate reality, but the only thing he really seems interested in is Steve Rogers.

Tags: rape/non-con, Evil Tony Stark, gore, blood, disturbing themes, sexual slavery, torture, mutilation

Universe: Multiverse

Eventually by Obani

Summary: Tony is godking of the wasteland. Steve is not.

Tags: rape/non-con, body horror, sexual slavery

Universe: Ults

The Cure and the Disease by Diomedes

Summary: They break Stark first. One by one the rest of them follow.

Tags: Body Horror, Captivity, Everyone is captured, Team Whump

Universe: MCU

Coming Up Roses by NobodysBloodyPrincess

Summary: Those with a death wish referred to the High Commander’s infatuation with the late Tony Stark as an ‘obsession.’ They were wrong. It had to be more than that, after all there was no word for what the High Commander was about do in the name of making things right.No one gets a redo of life… no one except High Commander Rogers that is. Everything is coming up Roses and Sunshine for him. After all, he has a dream and it’s going to come true.

Tags: Underage Sex, Time-Travel

Universe: MCU