Stark Industries, Saturday afternoon

[heroic_jawline]

Steve came into the shop and let his shield drop to the ground with a muted clang. He wiped at the dust on his face, then squared his shoulders with visible effort and called out, "Tony? You around?"

Another lead, another fruitless Bucky search, this time in stupidly muggy Singapore. Steve needed a shower, a pizza or three, and a nap.

And a hug, but he was kind of hoping he wouldn't need to ask for one of those.

"I'm back!" he added a little needlessly.

Comments

[imafuturist]

"And I really like doing that for you," he replied, digging through a green curry like he was starved. "But something that tells me to stop or slow down where you don't feel guilty or like you're disappointing me..."

He was doing this wrong. He just knew he was doing this wrong.

"Or if you're like me and enjoy the, uh, occasional evening where the word 'stop' is part of the game."

Yeah, this was awkward and terrible. He should have shoved the books at him and fled.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve's first instinct was always to protect, and that had grown to include Tony against whatever was rattling around in his brain to give him that look on his face. He reached back out to squeeze Tony's shoulder. "Breathe, Tony," he said softly. "You're doing fine. Better than fine."

[imafuturist]

"I don't want to make you feel obligated to do something you're not comfortable with because of me," he said, letting out a breath and trying to let his shoulders relax. Mostly failing. "You're so sweet and I love that. I really love that."

[heroic_jawline]

This meal was just doomed to never be appreciated properly. Steve slid his arm around Tony's waist and pulled in closer. "Hey," he said, running his thumb along Tony's cheek. "When have you ever known me not to argue against something I don't want to do?"

[imafuturist]

"You might be in a better place not having past experiences here," Tony admitted, leaning against him like he needed that.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve tightened his grip, suddenly understanding why this conversation needed to be one that they did while wearing clothing. There was enough vulnerability being exposed without also being naked.

"Why do you think that?" he asked softly, still meeting Tony's eyes.

[imafuturist]

"Blank slate. No preconceived notions?" Tony offered, slowly making himself relax--or at least just physically relax--against him.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve kept holding on, sliding one hand up and down along Tony's back. "Other people would judge you for what you like?"

[imafuturist]

Tony hummed, noncommittal. "It's been known to happen."

[heroic_jawline]

"And you're worried that I will, too?" Steve asked, no judgment in his tone.

[imafuturist]

"Steve, I've been with people who I willingly let degrade me," he replied dryly, glancing over at him. "Because I liked parts of it "

[heroic_jawline]

Steve nodded, filing that away. "Which parts?" he asked.

[imafuturist]

Tony just watched him cautiously for a moment. "I like what we do too."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve gave him a small, shy smile. "I'm learnin' that," he said. "But as you said, I don't have notions about...what else we might be doing, too." He bit his lower lip, then asked, "Are there any...dealbreakers...about things you need if I don't like 'em?"

[imafuturist]

"Dealbreakers?" Tony asked because all of that--that face was cheating against him. He was sort of helpless against that. "You can say no to anything, Steve. I wouldn't stake our relationship on some stupid kink."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve relaxed a bit himself to hear that. "Okay," he said, smiling more broadly. "Sex is just such a...bigger part of the conversation than it ever was back then. We talked around it. Or not at all."

Steve had been a fan of the not-at-all approach, then.

[imafuturist]

Weird, that!

Tony sighed, reaching up to touch his cheek because the smiling was awful and terrible and perfect and made something unclench in his chest.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve leaned into Tony's hand. "Feeling better?" he asked softly.

[imafuturist]

"A little," Tony said, leaning in to rest his forehead against Steve's. "You can read those books and decide what you want to do then."

[heroic_jawline]

"Do I have to start right now?" Steve teased gently.

[imafuturist]

"What?" Tony asked, starting away from him. "No. Whenever you want to. Or never if you're not comfortable with it."

[heroic_jawline]

They were both just twitchy disasters when it came to conversations about feelings, huh.

"Tony," Steve said, squeezing his hand, "If it's gonna explain some of the reactions I have to you and tell me more about things that make you happy, of course I want to learn."

[imafuturist]

They really were!

Tony leaned forward and kissed him for that. Because he needed to do something with all those nerves.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve cupped Tony's head between his hands and kissed him back like he was something incredibly precious because, well, yeah.

"But I'd rather do more of this and less reading right this second," he said when he came up for air. "And we really should eat."

[imafuturist]

"I also promised you ice cream and cartoons," Tony said, not quite pulling away yet. But not for the same reasons as before, now it was just about being close to Steve.

It was probably disgustingly sentimental.