genius-needs-no-introductio-blog

[genius-needs-no-introductio-blog]

My precious baby prince.

[genius-needs-no-introductio-blog]

Do you think you could turn on Steve, if need-be?

Steve as-wholesome-as-apple-fucking-pie Rogers? Something must have gone terribly wrong for me to “turn on” him, as you said.

[genius-needs-no-introductio-blog]

FINALLY, poster without writing in HD

[genius-needs-no-introductio-blog]

Were you in love with Pepper? Do you think you can love again?

I… was in love with Pepper, as odd as that sounds. I’m not particularly well versed in the whole concept of love…

I don’t know if I’ll ever find someone else willing to put up with me long enough for that to happen again.

[genius-needs-no-introductio-blog]

How much do you typically miss Pepper?

How much? That’s kind of hard to quantify. I mean I do still talk to her pretty damn often, she’s one of my only friends and the CEO of the company with my name on it. It’s not like we broke up and those things stopped mattering.

How much do I miss her in a relationship sense? Depends on the day, and my mood, and how much alcohol I’ve consumed, and if I’ve managed to distract myself somehow… 

Short answer? A whole hell of a lot.

[genius-needs-no-introductio-blog]

Tony listened to Steve's story, leaning in on the table a little closer to his friend. The sadness in his voice was so obvious, but he smiled, "I'm sure if he knew what you'd managed to become he'd be proud," Tony said. He'd found it easy to be proud of Steve, with all his earnestness and agressive goodness, however much it frustrated him too. Tony might not believe in an afterlife, but Steve did. Steve believed in heaven and love and hope and all those things Tony only got tiny tastes of. Steve believed, and so for Steve's sake, Tony said, "I'm sure he's proud where ever he is." He reached out and squeezed Steve's shoulder for just a moment.

When Steve said he was going to buy the Russian murder-doll makeup, Tony just shook his head. "Okay, I'm gonna stop you right there, Cap," he said, raising his hands just a bit, "believe me, you do not want to get a woman make up, it never ends well." He laughed, "tried it on Pepper, years before we were a thing, and just.. don't, never do it." Of course, Tony was also an idiot who after years of knowing the woman still forgot that she was allergic to strawberries, so maybe Steve would succeed where he failed. But he wasn't going to say that part. "Seems to me what she actually needs is to relax. A lot," he nodded, "she needs to relax a whole hell of a lot." He took his own coffee from Meg with a smile, the girl seemed to have returned to natural breathing patterns, so that was good. He really hadn't realized that she was that big of a fan of Steve or he would have probably avoided this place. He turned back to Steve and tilted his head a bit to the side, just looking at him. Stuck again in the moment.

You Make Me Feel So Young

Tony laughed when Steve suggested that he get Clint the last of the published Ice and Fire books. And he didn’t know that because he read them, no not at all. Okay, yeah, maybe a little. He made a mental note to check for signed copies for Hawkguy. He liked the archer, he could be nice to him. Perhaps the Game of Thrones people needed an archer for the background. No, Tony reminded himself that he shouldn’t go completely insane on his friends and teammates. That was, of course, Tony’s first instinct, because he wanted them to like him, and what other reason would they have to like him, his charming personality? “You know, that’s a fantastic idea, Cap,” he said with a smile, “there’s one off my list.”

When Steve agrees to take the picture for Meg, Tony watches as the girl turned an even brighter shade of red. If the man didn’t have some mercy on the poor girl, she was going to explode. Just before the picture was snapped, Tony glanced over at Steve, a fond smile on his face as he looked at the other man being so indulgent of his excited fan. Once Steve had handed Meg back her phone, Tony did something he never did, and hugged the girl, whispering “Relax, kid” as he did. Meg smiled wide at both of them and assured them that their food would be right up before scurrying back to the kitchen.

Tony laughed when Steve said she was sweet, “you have no idea.” He said, still chuckling. “That kid is part of my reason for coming here so often. I’m hoping that the tips are helping put her through art school. You see that,” he pointed to a framed painting of the Stark tower and surrounding buildings.“That’s her’s, took me five trips here to find out that it was hers.” He shrugged. “So, okay, Clint’s done. You know Natasha better than me, what’d she like, besides something terrifyingly deadly,” he rubbed the back of his neck a bit as he went back to focusing on the task that they’d decided to have on hand.

Meanwhile, on Tumblr:

captain-sexmerica:

[The selfie of Meg with Tony and Steve was there, Meg was smiling, redfaced at the camera, but Tony, Tony was looking at Steve with this glowing expression on his face.]

Guys, so they agreed to take a picture with me, but like forget my ugly mug and look at Tony Stark. Look at that man. LOOK AT HIM. It’s love guys, he’s just smiling and it’s so much love and I cannot right now. Go on without me.

[genius-needs-no-introductio-blog]

Hello, Agent Romanoff. You miss me?

Part 3 of Tony and Friends

[genius-needs-no-introductio-blog]

Tony laughed when Steve suggested that he get Clint the last of the published Ice and Fire books. And he didn't know that because he read them, no not at all. Okay, yeah, maybe a little. He made a mental note to check for signed copies for Hawkguy. He liked the archer, he could be nice to him. Perhaps the Game of Thrones people needed an archer for the background. No, Tony reminded himself that he shouldn't go completely insane on his friends and teammates. That was, of course, Tony's first instinct, because he wanted them to like him, and what other reason would they have to like him, his charming personality? "You know, that's a fantastic idea, Cap," he said with a smile, "there's one off my list."

When Steve agrees to take the picture for Meg, Tony watches as the girl turned an even brighter shade of red. If the man didn't have some mercy on the poor girl, she was going to explode. Just before the picture was snapped, Tony glanced over at Steve, a fond smile on his face as he looked at the other man being so indulgent of his excited fan. Once Steve had handed Meg back her phone, Tony did something he never did, and hugged the girl, whispering "Relax, kid" as he did. Meg smiled wide at both of them and assured them that their food would be right up before scurrying back to the kitchen.

Tony laughed when Steve said she was sweet, "you have no idea." He said, still chuckling. "That kid is part of my reason for coming here so often. I'm hoping that the tips are helping put her through art school. You see that," he pointed to a framed painting of the Stark tower and surrounding buildings."That's her's, took me five trips here to find out that it was hers." He shrugged. "So, okay, Clint's done. You know Natasha better than me, what'd she like, besides something terrifyingly deadly," he rubbed the back of his neck a bit as he went back to focusing on the task that they'd decided to have on hand.

Meanwhile, on Tumblr:

captain-sexmerica:

[The selfie of Meg with Tony and Steve was there, Meg was smiling, redfaced at the camera, but Tony, Tony was looking at Steve with this glowing expression on his face.]

Guys, so they agreed to take a picture with me, but like forget my ugly mug and look at Tony Stark. Look at that man. LOOK AT HIM. It's love guys, he's just smiling and it's so much love and I cannot right now. Go on without me.

You Make Me Feel So Young

When Steve asked if he could do anything to help their poor flustered waitress, Tony just laughed, shaking his head. “Just let her have her moment,” he said shaking his head. Tony thought it was adorable how Steve just didn’t seem to understand how many people admired him and thought he was amazing. Tony, of course, could totally see why these people did, hell, he found Steve just as admirable. But they didn’t see the bashful, sweet guy who worried so hard that he was making these people uncomfortable. They didn’t see Steve like Tony did.

When Steve listed off his list of people that he needed to buy for, Tony nodded and chuckled. “And I thought I was hard to buy for,” he said, shaking his head. “I mean, at least I’m of this planet,” he clarified, still shaking his head. “I’ve got Rhodey and Pepper,” he said, “but yeah, I got nothing for Thor, or Clint, or Natasha.” He didn’t mention that he hadn’t planned on getting anything for Natasha, because he was sure Cap would give him one of those disappointed looks and Tony just wouldn’t be able to handle that.

After their menus had both been down for a while, Meg reappeared, she seemed to have taken at least a few deep breaths. He looked up at her and tried to give her a reassuring smile as she took down their orders and assured them that she’d get them back to the kitchen right away. Before she left thought, she took yet another deep breath before saying, “um, I was wondering, yanno, if it isn’t too much trouble… could I get a picture of you two? I mean, I’ll go put in your order first, of course, and I mean, if it’d be a bother…” Tony just smiled at her. “Hey if you want a selfie, Meg, I’m okay with it. You in Cap,” he asked, turning back to Steve.

[genius-needs-no-introductio-blog]

When Steve asked if he could do anything to help their poor flustered waitress, Tony just laughed, shaking his head. "Just let her have her moment," he said shaking his head. Tony thought it was adorable how Steve just didn't seem to understand how many people admired him and thought he was amazing. Tony, of course, could totally see why these people did, hell, he found Steve just as admirable. But they didn't see the bashful, sweet guy who worried so hard that he was making these people uncomfortable. They didn't see Steve like Tony did.

When Steve listed off his list of people that he needed to buy for, Tony nodded and chuckled. "And I thought I was hard to buy for," he said, shaking his head. "I mean, at least I'm of this planet," he clarified, still shaking his head. "I've got Rhodey and Pepper," he said, "but yeah, I got nothing for Thor, or Clint, or Natasha." He didn't mention that he hadn't planned on getting anything for Natasha, because he was sure Cap would give him one of those disappointed looks and Tony just wouldn't be able to handle that.

After their menus had both been down for a while, Meg reappeared, she seemed to have taken at least a few deep breaths. He looked up at her and tried to give her a reassuring smile as she took down their orders and assured them that she'd get them back to the kitchen right away. Before she left thought, she took yet another deep breath before saying, "um, I was wondering, yanno, if it isn't too much trouble... could I get a picture of you two? I mean, I'll go put in your order first, of course, and I mean, if it'd be a bother..." Tony just smiled at her. "Hey if you want a selfie, Meg, I'm okay with it. You in Cap," he asked, turning back to Steve.

You Make Me Feel So Young

Tony chuckled a little, even as he shivered from the cold, when Steve asked about his vocabulary. “No, Cap, you’re fine, don’t worry about it,” he said, giving Steve an affectionate pat on the back, letting his hand linger between his shoulder blades just a moment longer than he really needed to, “I’m just saying you’re much more personable with your fans than I am.” He really didn’t like how Steve seemed to question every little thing about himself when Tony thought that he was one of the most amazing people he knew. Tony loved the way Steve smiled at his younger fans and called them cute little nicknames.

In the bistro, Tony watched as Steve only made it worse for poor Meg. She really was a good kid, and Steve genuinely didn’t seem to realize that his polite, disarming smile probably stopped the girl’s heart. She glanced over at Tony when Steve looked towards the menu and gave him a thumbs up. What the hell was that even supposed to mean? He just raised his eyebrows at the girl as she scurried back to the kitchen, reaching into her pocket and producing a phone before she was even out of the dining room. Tony turned his attention back to Steve and his baffled reaction to their waitress having a full-fledged meltdown. “You really don’t realize the effect you have on people, do you Steve,” he asked, genuinely amazed at how without pretense the other man was. When Steve asked for a suggestion, “they make really amazing tomato bisque. Days like this I usually get that and their three cheese grilled cheese.” Comfort food, the kind of food that a lot of others would associate with home, Tony went out for it. “They also make this cake that I’m pretty sure would be worth millions if they mass produced it,” he said as he put down his menu and just gazed at Steve for a moment before realizing that was probably a little nuts. “So who all do you still need to shop for,” he asked, just to have something to ask so he didn’t sit there, gazing longingly at Steve.

Meanwhile, on Tumblr:

captain-sexmerica

GUYS CODE RED CODE RED CAPTAIN AMERICA IS AT MY JOB AND HE SMILED AT ME AND SAID MY NAME AND TONY STARK IS HERE TOO BUT HE’S HERE A LOT BUT NOW HE’S GIVING CAPTAIN AMERICA LIKE SEX EYES ACROSS THE TABLE AND SMILING. I’M NOT KIDDING! THIS IS NOT A DRILL THIS IS NOT A DRILL. GO ON WITHOUT ME I CANNOT RIGHT NOW!

[genius-needs-no-introductio-blog]

Tony chuckled a little, even as he shivered from the cold, when Steve asked about his vocabulary. "No, Cap, you're fine, don't worry about it," he said, giving Steve an affectionate pat on the back, letting his hand linger between his shoulder blades just a moment longer than he really needed to, "I'm just saying you're much more personable with your fans than I am." He really didn't like how Steve seemed to question every little thing about himself when Tony thought that he was one of the most amazing people he knew. Tony loved the way Steve smiled at his younger fans and called them cute little nicknames.

In the bistro, Tony watched as Steve only made it worse for poor Meg. She really was a good kid, and Steve genuinely didn't seem to realize that his polite, disarming smile probably stopped the girl's heart. She glanced over at Tony when Steve looked towards the menu and gave him a thumbs up. What the hell was that even supposed to mean? He just raised his eyebrows at the girl as she scurried back to the kitchen, reaching into her pocket and producing a phone before she was even out of the dining room. Tony turned his attention back to Steve and his baffled reaction to their waitress having a full-fledged meltdown. "You really don't realize the effect you have on people, do you Steve," he asked, genuinely amazed at how without pretense the other man was. When Steve asked for a suggestion, "they make really amazing tomato bisque. Days like this I usually get that and their three cheese grilled cheese." Comfort food, the kind of food that a lot of others would associate with home, Tony went out for it. "They also make this cake that I'm pretty sure would be worth millions if they mass produced it," he said as he put down his menu and just gazed at Steve for a moment before realizing that was probably a little nuts. "So who all do you still need to shop for," he asked, just to have something to ask so he didn't sit there, gazing longingly at Steve.

Meanwhile, on Tumblr:

captain-sexmerica

GUYS CODE RED CODE RED CAPTAIN AMERICA IS AT MY JOB AND HE SMILED AT ME AND SAID MY NAME AND TONY STARK IS HERE TOO BUT HE'S HERE A LOT BUT NOW HE'S GIVING CAPTAIN AMERICA LIKE SEX EYES ACROSS THE TABLE AND SMILING. I'M NOT KIDDING! THIS IS NOT A DRILL THIS IS NOT A DRILL. GO ON WITHOUT ME I CANNOT RIGHT NOW!

You Make Me Feel So Young

Tony grinned widely at Steve when he said he’d be willing to watch more Firefly. There was no reason why he should be so happy to see the man willing to watch the show, he may just be humoring Tony and his obvious fanboy boner for the show. “That can be arranged, Cap,” he said, his grin perhaps a little too wide. He couldn’t help it! He liked the show, he liked his friend, he wanted his friend to experience the amazingness of the show. And if the next viewing also ended with Tony curled against Steve’s side, well, Tony wouldn’t complain. No matter how much his neck would hurt the next day.

He could tell the moment when the switch flipped and Tony had gotten on Cap’s nerves. He wasn’t dumb and had spent enough time arguing with Steve when they first met to know that he’d poked something soft and vulnerable in his friend. Tony kept his eyes level on Steve’s, not looking away in some kind of strange, dog-like dominance game. He opened his mouth to shoot something back at Steve but… he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to piss Cap off, and Tony always wanted to piss him off. There was something in the way Steve reacted, the intensity of his eyes in those moments, that Tony enjoyed far too much. Instead, though, Tony looked away, being the first to break eye contact. “Fine,” he said, shrugging, “your call Cap, but the invite is always open.”

Tony laughed when, while in the elevator, Steve invited him along for sushi. He was glad the moment was over. They’d been able to bounce back from disagreements much faster lately (unless Tony did something utterly dumb, which was often). He shook his head, “thanks for the offer, Capsicle, but I’m actually not a fan.” He really wasn’t lying. Tony would eat sushi, of course he would. He’d been to enough investor meetings at upscale sushi bars for him to have learned to hide his distaste. As they were walking out and Steve asked how Tony avoided fans, he just shrugged, “I don’t have quite the same reputation as you, Cap,” he said simply. Captain America never had news stories about using his superpowers to drunkenly trash is own home. Or mouthing off to his fans in a way that only he found funny. Sometimes the fans, but mostly just him. “I’m not exactly the smile-and-wave and ‘oh gee, you sure you want my autograph, champ’ kinda guy,” he said simply.

When Steve offered Tony his coat, Tony just looked at him like he’d grown a second head. Sure, Tony liked the gesture, even if he didn’t want to admit it because it was kind of emasculating, but Steve was standing there in just a jacket far too thin to really protect him from the biting cold. “Cap, you’re gonna freeze your ass off in just that jacket,” he said shrugging off the coat and putting it back on Steve’s insanely broad, masculine shoulders. “I’m just complaining because it’s what I do. Seriously, I got it. If it was really terrible I’d have scurried back into the tower and dragged you with me so I could teach you all the wonders of online shopping,” he said. Instead, in a bid to get out of the cold faster, Tony grabbed Steve’s wrist and half dragged him towards the bistro, bobbing and weaving through foot traffic with practiced ease. “We’ll get lunch and if I still feel like the cold will kill me then we’ll go back to the tower and take one of the cars,” he said, though he didn’t think he’d actually do it. Tony liked walking in the city. Sometimes, rarely but sometimes, he even took the subway.

The bistro was a small place with warm lighting and a carefully constructed air of casualness. It was definitely the kind of place that catered to the lunch hour crowd in the office high rises in the area. They were met by a young blond woman, probably in her late teens, who smiled at Tony with a bit of familiarity. She greeted him and then looked up up at Steve, and you could see the moment realization dawned on her, since her face turned bright tomato red about ten seconds after and suddenly her easy smile at Tony was replaced with stammering for them to follow her to the back of the little resturant, to a corner where for the most part they’d be secluded. Tony wondered if they’d be able to get out of there before she fainted or asked Steve for his autograph. When she left them with menus detailng all kinds of pitas and sandwiches, soups and salads, Tony laughed. “I’m almost jealous Cap, she didn’t get even half that moony eyed when first came here,” he sighed, “I think she’s a fan.”

[genius-needs-no-introductio-blog]

Tony grinned widely at Steve when he said he'd be willing to watch more Firefly. There was no reason why he should be so happy to see the man willing to watch the show, he may just be humoring Tony and his obvious fanboy boner for the show. "That can be arranged, Cap," he said, his grin perhaps a little too wide. He couldn't help it! He liked the show, he liked his friend, he wanted his friend to experience the amazingness of the show. And if the next viewing also ended with Tony curled against Steve's side, well, Tony wouldn't complain. No matter how much his neck would hurt the next day.

He could tell the moment when the switch flipped and Tony had gotten on Cap's nerves. He wasn't dumb and had spent enough time arguing with Steve when they first met to know that he'd poked something soft and vulnerable in his friend. Tony kept his eyes level on Steve's, not looking away in some kind of strange, dog-like dominance game. He opened his mouth to shoot something back at Steve but... he didn't want to. He didn't want to piss Cap off, and Tony always wanted to piss him off. There was something in the way Steve reacted, the intensity of his eyes in those moments, that Tony enjoyed far too much. Instead, though, Tony looked away, being the first to break eye contact. "Fine," he said, shrugging, "your call Cap, but the invite is always open."

Tony laughed when, while in the elevator, Steve invited him along for sushi. He was glad the moment was over. They'd been able to bounce back from disagreements much faster lately (unless Tony did something utterly dumb, which was often). He shook his head, "thanks for the offer, Capsicle, but I'm actually not a fan." He really wasn't lying. Tony would eat sushi, of course he would. He'd been to enough investor meetings at upscale sushi bars for him to have learned to hide his distaste. As they were walking out and Steve asked how Tony avoided fans, he just shrugged, "I don't have quite the same reputation as you, Cap," he said simply. Captain America never had news stories about using his superpowers to drunkenly trash is own home. Or mouthing off to his fans in a way that only he found funny. Sometimes the fans, but mostly just him. "I'm not exactly the smile-and-wave and 'oh gee, you sure you want my autograph, champ' kinda guy," he said simply.

When Steve offered Tony his coat, Tony just looked at him like he'd grown a second head. Sure, Tony liked the gesture, even if he didn't want to admit it because it was kind of emasculating, but Steve was standing there in just a jacket far too thin to really protect him from the biting cold. "Cap, you're gonna freeze your ass off in just that jacket," he said shrugging off the coat and putting it back on Steve's insanely broad, masculine shoulders. "I'm just complaining because it's what I do. Seriously, I got it. If it was really terrible I'd have scurried back into the tower and dragged you with me so I could teach you all the wonders of online shopping," he said. Instead, in a bid to get out of the cold faster, Tony grabbed Steve's wrist and half dragged him towards the bistro, bobbing and weaving through foot traffic with practiced ease. "We'll get lunch and if I still feel like the cold will kill me then we'll go back to the tower and take one of the cars," he said, though he didn't think he'd actually do it. Tony liked walking in the city. Sometimes, rarely but sometimes, he even took the subway.

The bistro was a small place with warm lighting and a carefully constructed air of casualness. It was definitely the kind of place that catered to the lunch hour crowd in the office high rises in the area. They were met by a young blond woman, probably in her late teens, who smiled at Tony with a bit of familiarity. She greeted him and then looked up up at Steve, and you could see the moment realization dawned on her, since her face turned bright tomato red about ten seconds after and suddenly her easy smile at Tony was replaced with stammering for them to follow her to the back of the little resturant, to a corner where for the most part they'd be secluded. Tony wondered if they'd be able to get out of there before she fainted or asked Steve for his autograph. When she left them with menus detailng all kinds of pitas and sandwiches, soups and salads, Tony laughed. "I'm almost jealous Cap, she didn't get even half that moony eyed when first came here," he sighed, "I think she's a fan."

You Make Me Feel So Young

Tony nodded at Steve’s excuse for being so stiff, though he didn’t believe him. He let the issue drop, not even jumping on the chance to offer Steve a sexy backrub. See, he thought, I have some restraint. When Steve said he needed to apologize for the other night, Tony sighed. He didn’t want Steve to apologize. He wanted to wake up next to Steve again. No he didn’t, he totally didn’t, because he and Steve were friends and Tony didn’t have some stupid schoolgirl crush on him. He walked over to where Steve was sitting and placed a hand on the other man’s shoulder, resisting the urge for the ten millionth time to muss up his perfect, ruler-parted hair. “Seriously, Cap,” he said, “believe me when I say that I needed the company. I was gutting household appliances. I took apart my expresso machine!” He was still regretting that particular idea. Not that much, he ordered a new one the next morning no problem, but still, it was a waste of a good coffee making apparatus.

Upon Steve once again insisting on paying Tony rent, Tony just rolled his eyes. “Cap, we’ve been over this,” he said, his tone exhasperated, “none of the others pay rent either. I don’t need the rent money. Sort of still the most major stock holder in a Fortune 500 company here.” They’d had this conversation what felt like a million times since the tower had been rebuilt to include living spaces for all the Avengers. Tony thinks that maybe the other members of the team understood better than Steve did. Tony wasn’t doing this to have clout over them, or to have some kind of underhanded power over them. He was doing it because the tower felt empty. Because he liked when Bruce was in the lab and they could science together, or when Clint would drop out of some vent somewhere just to fuck with Tony’s already weak heart. Hell, he even liked Natasha’s quiet presence in the tower, the way she seemed to slip into and out of rooms like a ghost, but never directly snuck up on him. They weren’t there anywhere near full time, but when they were, for once, Tony didn’t feel lonely. “Seriously, Steve, does it wound your pride so much,” he asked, trying to mask the hurt in his voice with the very real irritation of having to have this conversation once again.

As he entered the elevator with his friend going on about sushi, though, Tony smiled wholeheartedly. He loved how Steve could get so excited about the new things in the world since his time in the ice. He loved it because it meant that, at that moment, his friend wasn’t focused on what he’d lost. He chuckled, “well if you and Agent McNeckstabby are planning to go together, well, I wouldn’t dare impose on that date.” He smirked at Steve with a bit of a sideways glance. He’d been kind of wondering, honestly, if Steve was going to end up with Natasha. She and Steve seemed to get along so well. It wouldn’t be a terrible match, except that it completely would be. And Tony didn’t like it. He hated it, actually. He was shocked out of his little jealousy moment when Steve started straightening Tony’s scarf. Tony looked up at him with slightly wide eyes. They were entirely too close for his sanity. Nearly touching but not. Tony was thunderstruck for the moment it took for his scarf to be fixed and blinked just a bit when the doors dinged open and he walked out, turning for a moment towards Steve. “Lets just stick with the bistro, they make pretty amazing soup, people don’t bother me in there, so we won’t have to sign any autographs, probably,” he said before turning and heading out of the tower’s lobby, waiting just a moment outside for Steve to follow before walking at New York City street speed, which was basically somewhere between a walk and a jog, towards the small place at the next corner. He ducked his head down a little, looking as if he wanted to burrow into his fine woven scarf and wool jacket. “Fuck, Rogers, you didn’t warn me it was colder than a witch’s tit out here,” he exclaimed at his friend as he jammed his hands into his pockets and let out a shiver. Malibu had spoiled him. He wasn’t used to the bitter cold of New York winters anymore.

[genius-needs-no-introductio-blog]

Better clench up, Legolas.

[genius-needs-no-introductio-blog]

Tony nodded at Steve's excuse for being so stiff, though he didn't believe him. He let the issue drop, not even jumping on the chance to offer Steve a sexy backrub. See, he thought, I have some restraint. When Steve said he needed to apologize for the other night, Tony sighed. He didn't want Steve to apologize. He wanted to wake up next to Steve again. No he didn't, he totally didn't, because he and Steve were friends and Tony didn't have some stupid schoolgirl crush on him. He walked over to where Steve was sitting and placed a hand on the other man's shoulder, resisting the urge for the ten millionth time to muss up his perfect, ruler-parted hair. "Seriously, Cap," he said, "believe me when I say that I needed the company. I was gutting household appliances. I took apart my expresso machine!" He was still regretting that particular idea. Not that much, he ordered a new one the next morning no problem, but still, it was a waste of a good coffee making apparatus.

Upon Steve once again insisting on paying Tony rent, Tony just rolled his eyes. "Cap, we've been over this," he said, his tone exhasperated, "none of the others pay rent either. I don't need the rent money. Sort of still the most major stock holder in a Fortune 500 company here." They'd had this conversation what felt like a million times since the tower had been rebuilt to include living spaces for all the Avengers. Tony thinks that maybe the other members of the team understood better than Steve did. Tony wasn't doing this to have clout over them, or to have some kind of underhanded power over them. He was doing it because the tower felt empty. Because he liked when Bruce was in the lab and they could science together, or when Clint would drop out of some vent somewhere just to fuck with Tony's already weak heart. Hell, he even liked Natasha's quiet presence in the tower, the way she seemed to slip into and out of rooms like a ghost, but never directly snuck up on him. They weren't there anywhere near full time, but when they were, for once, Tony didn't feel lonely. "Seriously, Steve, does it wound your pride so much," he asked, trying to mask the hurt in his voice with the very real irritation of having to have this conversation once again.

As he entered the elevator with his friend going on about sushi, though, Tony smiled wholeheartedly. He loved how Steve could get so excited about the new things in the world since his time in the ice. He loved it because it meant that, at that moment, his friend wasn't focused on what he'd lost. He chuckled, "well if you and Agent McNeckstabby are planning to go together, well, I wouldn't dare impose on that date." He smirked at Steve with a bit of a sideways glance. He'd been kind of wondering, honestly, if Steve was going to end up with Natasha. She and Steve seemed to get along so well. It wouldn't be a terrible match, except that it completely would be. And Tony didn't like it. He hated it, actually. He was shocked out of his little jealousy moment when Steve started straightening Tony's scarf. Tony looked up at him with slightly wide eyes. They were entirely too close for his sanity. Nearly touching but not. Tony was thunderstruck for the moment it took for his scarf to be fixed and blinked just a bit when the doors dinged open and he walked out, turning for a moment towards Steve. "Lets just stick with the bistro, they make pretty amazing soup, people don't bother me in there, so we won't have to sign any autographs, probably," he said before turning and heading out of the tower's lobby, waiting just a moment outside for Steve to follow before walking at New York City street speed, which was basically somewhere between a walk and a jog, towards the small place at the next corner. He ducked his head down a little, looking as if he wanted to burrow into his fine woven scarf and wool jacket. "Fuck, Rogers, you didn't warn me it was colder than a witch's tit out here," he exclaimed at his friend as he jammed his hands into his pockets and let out a shiver. Malibu had spoiled him. He wasn't used to the bitter cold of New York winters anymore.

You Make Me Feel So Young

Tony saw the way Steve held himself, still so rigid. He always seemed to stand at attention for the first few minutes after coming into his place. Tony could never figure out why. Was it the impersonal, modern furnishings? Was it the tech that was pretty much everywhere all over the place? Tony really wanted to see Steve not on his guard the moment he walked into the room. “Hey, relax, Cap, take a load off,” he said, forcing casualness into his tone to counteract just how stiff Steve seemed.

He moved into the kitchen and grabbed himself a glass of water as Steve explained his idea to him. He thought for a moment back to the StarkTab, waiting for him to finally solve the damned battery problem, but he knew when he’d hit a wall and needed to let it stew a bit in his mind. He raised an eyebrow at his friend when he apologized for suddenly appearing, “Steve,” he said with a chuckle, “you showed up at my place at 3AM and we proceeded to fall asleep on top of each other, believe me showing up during normal people hours unannounced is perfectly fine.” He paused for a moment before pouring himself a cup of coffee into a travel mug. Just because he didn’t like Starbucks didn’t mean he didn’t need to caffinate right now. “Not to say that showing up at 3AM isn’t perfectly fine either, because it is. Mi casa es su casa,” he said, “I mean, you have your own designated space here and everything. Do you want a studio? I could make one of the rooms a studio.” Would that make you want to take my offer of staying here when you’re in town, Tony thought rather than said. 

The other Avengers all had their own spaces in the tower too, and some of them even used them. Natasha and Clint had taken to staying there if they ever were in town, which was rare, and so had Bruce, but Tony was sure he only did it for the labs. There were times when his big lonely tower was actually filled with people, this wasn’t one of those times. “Getting started on the Christmas shopping, huh Cap? Sure, I’m good with killing some time,” he smiled and grabbed his own heavy wool coat from one of the closets. “We should stop somewhere for food, too, I haven’t eaten anything that isn’t toast made by a robot in a while,” he smiled, “there’s a little bistro across the street, I go there once in a while, the people there don’t bother me.” He wrapped a thick scarf around his neck, pulled on a hat and gloves and then smiled wide at his friend. Wow, he must have really been starved for human company if the idea of going shopping in the middle of Christmas season didn’t make him crazy. He guessed it was the effect of not yet actually being reacclimated to living completely alone.

[genius-needs-no-introductio-blog]

What do you think about Steve talking about taking you out on a date?

I think that some people are pushing hypotheticals he doesn’t really want to answer on him. I’m pretty sure Steve is just playing along with them.

Also, just for the record, if we were to go on a date, I’d be the one paying. It’s adorable that Steve thinks I’d let him pay for me when I have far more money than him. If anyone’s gonna be doing the wining and dining, it’ll be me.

[genius-needs-no-introductio-blog]

[genius-needs-no-introductio-blog]

Funniest drunk story?

Well there was the one time at MIT where I got drunk and spent the whole night awkwardly hitting on Rhodey… that was pretty funny.

Or the time I mooned a crowd during a charity dinner…

Or the time that I brought home a competitor’s daughter and didn’t know until the next morning because I never got her last name.

There was also that time that I woke up the next morning still naked and tied to the bed and completely alone. That was before fully integrating JARVIS into the house systems, and it was Pepper’s first week as my assistant. She got an eye full that morning…

[genius-needs-no-introductio-blog]

Have you played Cards Against Humanity?

Yes! I have! Rhodey convinced me, Pepper, and Happy to play once.

Pepper wasn’t amused, but I was. My favorite card is “Being a motherfucking sorcerer.”