Tony & Steve's apartment in the Stark Tiny Tower, Wednesday mid-morning

[heroic_jawline]

Steve and Tony had returned from Steve's dimension at an ungodly time that morning and had almost immediately collapsed into bed. (Patriot had been ecstatic to see them home and so Steve'd had to take him for a long walk to get those wiggles out. At three in the morning. Patriot owed him. So did Tony.) Steve had, for once, forgone his pre-dawn run and was still in bed as the clock's numbers read 10:00.

He finally opened his eyes with a tiny groan. His stomach let out a much less tiny rumble in reply. Time to get up.

[OOC: For the husband!]

Comments

[heroic_jawline]

It was closer to twenty minutes when Steve returned with food, coffee, and a corgi dancing around his legs in a vain hope to make Steve trip and rain breakfast food onto Patriot's head.

"Tony?"

[imafuturist]

Patty was living his best liiiiife.

"'m awake."

[heroic_jawline]

"I can tell," Steve teased softly, setting the coffee cup on the table near Tony's head.

[imafuturist]

"Got the blankets," Tony said, stirring at the smell of coffee. Nectar of the gods.

[heroic_jawline]

"I'm glad," Steve said with another smile as he snuggled down into bed before getting the breakfast boxes opened. "It's gotten chilly in here."

[imafuturist]

"That is so you don't get overheated when I do this," Tony said, immediately pressing close to drape himself over Steve's side.

[heroic_jawline]

"Hi, love," Steve said, smiling down at him and holding on just as tightly.

[imafuturist]

"We're not moving unless we have to, so enjoy this," Tony said, kissing him on the shoulder.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve smiled again. "I'm really okay, Tony," he murmured. "Are you all right?"

[imafuturist]

"I'm okay," Tony replied. "Worried about you."

It was his world and his team, after all.

[heroic_jawline]

"It's a lot," Steve murmured. "Still murky and ongoing. I'm realizing that the Skrulls aren't something to be repelled like the Chitauri and that's...taking some time to reconcile."

[imafuturist]

"It was easier back home for us," Tony said, definitely grabbing the coffee so he could get back to leaning into Steve's side. "They were zealots, convinced this planet was theirs after losing their original one."

Much less nuance.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve kissed the top of Tony's head as then stared off into space for a minute, trying to collect his thoughts. "I'm still worried about the splinter group, even more so now that Talos' kid is wrapped up in it. That seems like a much larger, inter-Skrull problem."

[imafuturist]

"That might not be something we can just fix," Tony replied. "Not any more than we can with our own folks."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve nodded. "We'll only know by the fallout," he said. "Like Mt. Rushmore."

[imafuturist]

Tony sighed and leaned further into him like it would help. "At least we know to look about for it now."

[heroic_jawline]

"We do," Steve said, reaching for his emotional support hashbrowns. "Nat and Tony are going to be backstopping whatever Fury tells us, too."

[imafuturist]

"Smart to do with almost any information these days," he said, maybe stealing a slice of bacon.

[heroic_jawline]

"I hate how underhanded it all feels," Steve admitted quietly.

[imafuturist]

"Things are so infrequently so clear anymore." We're thry ever really clear?

[heroic_jawline]

"I miss punching Nazis," Steve agreed. "There wasn't nuance there."

[imafuturist]

"Is it better or worst if I say you can still punch them?"

Worse.

[heroic_jawline]

"I think that's worse," Steve said. "Why are they still here?"

[imafuturist]

"People are stupid," Tony ventured. That was a perfectly valid explanation to him.

[heroic_jawline]

"I do not understand the comfort authoritarianism gives some," Steve admitted quietly.