heroic_jawline | Steve & Tony's Apartment, Stark Tower But 50 Percent Scale, Thursday Morning

Steve & Tony's Apartment, Stark Tower But 50 Percent Scale, Thursday Morning

Steve was trying to get out the door for his classes today, truly he was. Every time he turned around, though, he was blocked by duffel bags labeled "HOWLING COMMANDOS" or neat, compact and heavy hatboxes with "PEGGY" and "SHARON" on them. The suitcases labeled "BUCKY", "BUCKY (OTHER)," and "BUCKY (OTHER OTHER)" had already been shoved against the wall with some super-strength and he honestly wasn't sure if the giant safe labeled "NEVER ENOUGH" that was blocking the elevator belonged to him or to Tony, but either way, it wasn't moving.

So he'd retreated to the kitchen and the comfort of reheated bagels from New York and ignoring the "FOOD INSECURITY" box blocking his way to the pantry.

It was gonna be a day. He could tell.

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"I'm not going out today," Tony called, stepping around a dusty looking box labeled AFGHANISTAN.

"I think Liliana will understand," Steve said.

There was a series of bags that related to his own Steve Rogers that appeared the moment Tony saw his husband. It was super helpful and fine.

"I'll owe her drinks," Tony decided.

Steve would kick his new "not fulfilling obligations" bag over to hang out with them!

"Something swirly and purple," he decided.

"Edible glitter," Tony agreed, maintaining eye contact and not looking at the "fixes everything but himself" bag.

Steve stepped closer, over-protective to a fault (which the thud behind him also said) and smiled at Tony. "Nothing here that I don't already know about."

That was worse, Steve! That was so much worse!

"So maybe we just spend the day in," Tony suggested, eye twitching at 'emotional repression' over there.

"Blindfolded?" Steve asked, only slightly teasing. "They might land on us, though."

"Well, we could try seeing if they stop once we leave the island," Tony suggested. Which would end tears only.

"We'd have to move that thing away from the doors," Steve said, pointing to the giant "NEVER ENOUGH" which now had a new, equally giant friend that said "CAN'T SAVE EVERYONE."

Fun day.

Tony reached out to grab hold of Steve because, hey, those could be his too!

There was a fun, additional 'LIABILITY'.

Steve glared at bag. "That's just rude."

You were being found wanting by Captain America, bag.

"So, coffee and not looking at them is also a plan," Tony suggested.

"I love your plan," Steve said. "Especially the not looking at them."

The Bucky bags had started following him.

"Maybe in bed."

'USES SEX AS A DISTRACTION' bag entered the chat.

"I like the sex," Steve said, talking to Tony but taking cues from the bag.

Tony snorted, tugging him over to put an arm around. "Well, that's good."

"Semi-related, I'm never flying again," Steve said while "REPRESSED" landed on the floor with a thump.

"You're not repressed, you're just from a different place in time," Tony said with a frown.

"I'm a little repressed," Steve said.

"You are comparing yourself to me," Tony pointed out, sort of surprised there wasn't a big with 'big ol' slut' out there.

"Not entirely," Steve said. "I also knew Bucky in the '40s. Pretty sure he dated half the neighborhood."

"He did?" Oh, that was still weird to think about.

Steve nodded. "He was very friendly."

Again. Weird.

"Maybe that's another difference from home," Tony ventured.

"He's a lot quieter now," Steve understated.

"Yes. Yes, he is," Tony agreed. And no bags could call him a liar!

Steve almost got crushed by the giant steamer trunk with "SURVIVOR'S GUILT" on it as it crashed down onto him.

"Whoa there," Tony said, pulling him out of the way. His own of that variety were infinitely more modern looking and shoved under the bed upstairs.

"Thank you," Steve said, frowning. "That was close."

"So, bed is sounding more and more like the right plan here," Tony ventured.

"Hiding from our baggage?" Steve asked.

"It's a strategic retreat."

Tony was just going to ignore the 'COWARD' bag over there.

"Well, that bag is horribly wrong," Steve said, marching over and stuffing COWARD into a closet.

"It depends on the subject," Tony said with a sigh.

Steve leaned in to give Tony a long kiss. "I love you."

"Love you too," Tony said, confused but going with it.

"You looked like you needed one," Steve said.

Tony kissed him for that.

"We're going to be fine, right?"

"Of course we are," Steve said.

Hey, as long as there wasn't a 'impending death' or 'staying in the past with an ex' they couldn't get too bad!

"And, if it comes down to it, we use the repulsor on some of them."

"Would that even work?" Steve wondered.

"We won't know unless we try," Tony suggested brightly.

Did that box say 'DESTRUCTIVE TENDENCIES'?

It went well with the gym bag that said 'PUNCH FIRST'!

"Should we move all of this into the elevator?" Steve asked.

Edited 2025-05-31 23:46 (UTC)

"I'm sure more will show up," Tony said dryly.

"We don't have that much baggage," Steve said loyally.

"...Steve. Sweetheart."

Look, Tony was aware of how much of a hot mess he was!

"We don't have much new baggage?" Steve amended.

'THEY MADE ME A FUGITIVE' slammed down next to him.

"Uh..."

Yeah, that one was followed by 'FAILED ANOTHER TEAM'.

"So, lab."

"Lab," Steve agreed. "We should probably take the stairs."

"And trip down them?" Look at him thinking ahead!

"Then you're going to have to help me shift that one," Steve said, pointing to the 'NEVER ENOUGH.'

"...hold on."

Was he just calling the armor here? Yes. Yes, he was.

"What are you thinking of trying?" Steve asked.

Tony kept his head tilted to the side as armor flew up the stairs to join them. "It's getting shot."

With a small missile.

Steve smiled. "I love you."

Oh, and the 'DESPERATE FOR LOVE AND AFFECTION' bag styled after some very expensive suitcase was next to be shot.

Steve glared at the bag. "You're not desperate."

Tony leaned in to kiss him for that. "Thank you."

"I'm here to tell all of your bags they're wrong," Steve said.

"The feeling is mutual."

Steve smiled. "And that's how we get through today."

"It's a plan," Tony said, offering over the gauntlet for him.

Steve aimed straight at 'NEVER ENOUGH' and fired, eyes narrowing.

"Feeling better?" Tony asked brightly.

"This is pretty cathartic," he admitted.

"You," Tony said, leaning in for a kiss. "Are more than enough. Got it?"

"So are you," Steve murmured.

Tony let out a little sigh, leaning into him at that. "Shooting so many of these things."

Steve kissed him between the eyes. "Love you."

"Love you too, sweetheart."

"Let's blast that thing until we can use the elevator," he said.

"Yes," Tony said, beaming at him like Steve had hung the moon.

Steve laughed. "You really enjoy knowing that."

"I love knowing that."

"Is it because I'm using your tech?" Steve asked.

"Maybe seventy percent that." Oh, a percentage. How scientific.

Steve grinned. "What's the other thirty?" he asked.

"Just you being here," Tony said like a sap. Ignoring the 'DESPERATELY NEEDY' bag.

Steve leaned in for another kiss. "You're not desperately anything," he said fiercely.

"I'm a little needy sometimes." And also weirdly stand-offish.

Like a cat.

"That's different than desperately needy," Steve said. "Everyone wants to be noticed."

Oh, and there was that 'NARCISSIST' bag.

"Well."

Steve kissed him again. "A little of that, too. Maybe."

Tony's shoulders slumped for a moment before he took a deep breath and nodded. "We've got other things to shoot, don't we?"

Steve kissed him again. "We have other things to shoot."

"Roof?" Tony suggested, pulling away.

"As long as nothing falls off," Steve said. "I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Right," Tony said, wincing because he hadn't thought of that. Which was probably just another instance of it. "Lab. I'll meet you down there."

"What's the face for?" Steve asked gently.

"Don't worry about it," Tony said quickly. "We have some luggage of yours to destroy. Safely."

Including the 'INCAPABLE OF LETTING THINGS GO' bag that just dropped?

"Not just mine," Steve said.

"Right," Tony agreed. Vaguely.

"Anthony," Steve said quietly. "Look at me, please."

"I'm looking at you," Tony insisted, looking... around Steve. Helpfully. "C'mon. It'll make you feel better."

Steve reached out to squeeze Tony's hand, hopefully reassuringly. "Feeling a little exposed?" he asked.

Tony went quiet for a moment, looking at the bags still around them. "Do you really think I'm a narcissist?"

"I think that there are parts of your personality that you play up to get a certain reaction," Steve said, "but I don't think you disregard other people's feelings, and I have a pretty good idea why you seek approval."

There was a Howard bag around here somewhere, right? "I think you put on a show," he said softly, "and depending on the audience, you don't take it off."

There were several Howard based bags around the apartment, shoved into places where Steve wouldn't see them. Healthy!

"Well, I guess I was always a bit of a fixer upper," he joked, proving Steve's point as he shoved things down, down deep.

Steve knew that little smile and kind of hated it. "That's not what I said."

"It's fine," Tony insisted, relaxing into it because boy was it easier than processing things in the moment. "Forget I asked."

"I won't," Steve said, "but I won't follow up today."

He would follow up never if Tony had any say in the matter. He did not need to hear more, thank you. Let him live in his delusion.

"Lab. Right?"

"Right," Steve said. "With both of our baggage."

"I'll race you down there," Tony said, making for the elevator.

Steve headed for the stairs, giving Tony some space to recover a bit. "You're on."

It was just a quiet moment to reset! Come back with the wry humor expected of him!

It was hardly the first time someone had called him that. Granted, it was usually as an insult. But it was Steve, so... it must be true then. And maybe that was what hurt about it.

He inhaled shaply, pulling focus back to the task at hand once the elevator chimed at the lab.

Steve was waiting for him because of course he was. He was surrounded by a tiny, anxious mountain of bags that said 'SPEAKS BEFORE HE THINKS'.

Tony immediately put on a smile and offered him the gauntlet. "I'll get scans going so we can see about maybe a bag free force field."

Aw yeah. Science. The best distraction.

"That sounds like a good plan," Steve said, smiling. "Lead the way."

Tony maneuvered his way around boxes, not looking at them because he did not need to know. "Maybe we'll figure out where they come from."

"So they can't return?" Steve asked a little eagerly.

"Hopefully," Tony muttered, focused on the readings as what looked like a very stylish Hermés bag dropped with 'EMOTIONAL REPRESSION' on it that he just kicked to the side and kept at it.

Steve didn't need a bag to tell him that was happening. He rested his hand on Tony's shoulder, trying to apologize with his presence.

"What are you waiting for? Get to shooting," Tony suggested.

Because this was a Tony issue. Like so many things were. Meant to be dissected alone at 2 am while working on a new armor that could totally... patch things.

"Do you have a prototype you want me to try out?" he asked.

Tony's eyes darted around for something that was deemed safe for people who weren't Tony to test out.

"It's just sonic waves," he hedged.

Steve nodded. "Show me how it works?"

"I'm working on it for Rhodey. It's a non-lethal blast of concentrated sonic energy. Should incapacitate someone. Higher levels than that are... too damaging."

Hello, Blackbolt.

Steve nodded. "So it should just knock the baggage around?" he asked.

"Pretty much. Works on enhanced people better than most things."

Somewhere, Daredevil was so annoyed.

"You trying to shoot me?" Steve teased.

"No." Okay, explaining things was clearly a bad idea. "How--how about a different thing," Tony suggested, searching for something better.

"Sweetheart," Steve said, eyes wide and very earnest. "It's okay."

"Here, the repulsor from the stealth suit," Tony said, holding it out to him. "It's just quieter."

Because the noise was sort of an aesthetic choice. It had seemed cool.

Maybe Steve should start with the giant 'MOTHERHENNING' bag that dropped between them?

Maybe the 'SELF DESTRUCTIVE' one that plopped down next to it!

"I'm taking notes," he decided, going back to his work station.

Steve strapped on the repulsor and aimed right at both of them.

This was strangely cathartic, actually.

"Good?" Tony asked, ignoring the tool box of 'NEEDY',

"Very good," Steve said. "You should try it."

Tony smiled at that, pleased to accomplish it. "I'm fine. Taking readings."

The shooting was for Steve.

Steve was definitely looking for a Howard bag to destroy with prejudice.

What, the very old looking trunk labeled 'TERRIBLE SON' that Tony had thought was well hidden?

Tony was focusing real hard on those readings. He could totally make this barrier... if he asked Reed to help.

"Oh, absolutely not," Steve told that trunk, firing on it until it was starting to smoke.

"You don't need to--you know what. Nevermind." He wasn't going to be telling Steve what to do here.

Dodge that 'WOULD BURN THE WORLD DOWN FOR PEOPLE HE LOVED' bowling bag, would you, Tony?

"I absolutely need to," Steve replied.

Hey, remember how Tony really believed that Steve could do better than him? One of those moments.

Which was why he didn't really have anything to say at that, just looked at Steve like he was a puzzle to be figured out.

"What's the face?" Steve asked.

"You're a complicated guy," Tony replied with a little chuckle as he whole extradimensional nature of the bags.

Steve smiled. "I don't hear that a lot."

"Maybe it's just me," Tony suggested.

Steve ambled over. "You find me complicated?"

Tony's fingers stilled on the keyboard for a moment before he went back at it. "The weird days do that."

"They discombobulate you?" Steve asked.

"Shouldn't you be shooting things?" he teased, changing the subject the best way he knew how that wasn't, you know, sex.

"I can multitask," Steve said.

Hey, maybe shoot the other Howard box labeled 'BAD AT ACCEPTING SINCERITY'

"Well, maybe doing this together was a bad idea," he joked. Because wow did he not want to have all this out there for more reasons why Steve super picked the wrong person to marry.

"I don't think so," Steve said.

'WORRYWART' slammed down next to him, and he shot it quickly.

"Things just get mixed up," Tony suggested.

Steve nodded. "I can see that."

"And today is a wash anyway," Tony continued. Still better than truth day. "Maybe we'll get some nice quiet time after all this."

"I'd love that," Steve said with a sincere smile.

Oh, Steve. That was unfair.

"Lab work now," he suggested.

"I'll go back to shooting," Steve offered.

Tony's relieved smile sure was something, wasn't it, Steve?

Something a little soul-crushing!

"Make sure to take plenty of notes," Steve said.

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Steve & Tony's Apartment, Stark Tower But 50 Percent Scale, Thursday Morning

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