The team, aside from Steve who was off hiding elsewhere, were getting drunk again. The last mission took it out of them and they'd all agreed that they needed some time off to relax and they'd self administered shots of vodka and tequila as their first relaxation treatment. The topic strayed, as it often did when alcohol was involved, to love. One of them asked a question about kissing other teammates and Tony declared boldly,
"Within a month of meeting Steve we kissed." He slurred.
"Bullshit!" Natasha and Clint both cried in unison. They'd known Steve for over a year and they could avidly recall the fierce rivalry between the two men. Captain America was not exactly fond of Tony's attitude, ego or approach to their missions. Natasha roared, "Steve wouldn't even touch you with a 10 foot barge pole!"
Not expecting the sudden argument, Tony blanched, "We did!"
The whole team shot each other sceptical looks and Tony watched them share their disbelief. He slapped his palm down on the table making the glasses judder and clink.
"Ask him yourself! It happened!" His face was flushing red. After all this time of working with these people they still didn't trust him!
"As if!" Clint laughed.
The team moved on quickly, leaving Tony silently steaming. It wasn't very often that a billionaire, genius like himself was told he was wrong. The moment he had kissed Steve was the greatest minute of his life, how could they just reject that.
-Memory - One year earlier-
The men were breathing hard as they leant against the wall of an alley. Sounds were still radiating from above where the rest of the team were still fighting the aliens. Steve had been tasked with getting Tony to a spot where he could retrieve the suit and get involved in the fighting but it was taking longer than expected to get through the city.
Steve had a slash on his bicep, where they'd been attacked minutes before, which was oozing blood. The moment Tony noticed it he turned and ripped a strip of his t-shirt off to tie around the wound. Steve's large hand assisted his wrapping but they avoided eye contact as they worked. Their hands bumped slightly.
Once it was complete they both stood with their hands close, resting against Steve's bicep. Their breathing mingled as both tried to consider whether the underlying tension between them was worth acting on. However, neither knew that the other had felt the same since the moment they first met.
Tony lifted his head slightly, not making the first move but making it clear that Steve could. With a clear path to his lips, Steve bent his head lower until their mouths were hovering mere centimetres away. The temptation became too much so the genius closed the space, pressing their lips together. It took them a moment to find their rhythm and overcome the past build up of tension and aggression that hung between them. Once it had dissipated they moved in closer and deepened the kiss.
Steve raised his hand to cup the back to Tony's head and the other man moved to grasp the hero's broad shoulders. It only lasted a moment before a scream sounded out from above, triggering them out of the dream-like state.
Their eyes shot around the alley to make sure they didn't get caught before hurrying off to save the day.
It was never mentioned again.
-Present Day-
The next morning, the team were huddled over the cups of coffee in silence in a feeble attempt to soothe their raging hangovers. As a result, it was silent when Steve same in sweaty and panting from his usual morning run. He immediately picked up on the atmosphere and stopped walking when everyone raised their heads. He felt like a deer in the headlights as he suddenly became the centre of the intense gaze.
Natasha spoke first, "Stark told us you kissed."
Steve hoped the hurt didn't flash across his face. He had always believed that the kiss hadn't meant the same to Tony as it did for him but he had believed the man wouldn't be so cruel as to rub that in his face.
He forced a chuckle, "When I first met Stark, I could hardly look at him without getting extremely angry. I can't imagine what would happen if we actually kissed." He smiled gently and walked out.
The team peered back to Tony with a look that said 'See, proved you're a liar'.
Stark growled under his breath and retreated back to his coffee and hangover while glaring at the door Steve had just left via.
Steve was fresh out the shower with his towel draped around his waist when his bedroom door slammed open allowing for Stark to march in. The soldier just sighed as the military had given him much experience with his privacy being invaded.
"Why the hell did you lie? Now they all think I'm a liar!" He stormed so close to the other man that he could count the droplets of water sprinkled across his chest.
"Why did you feel the need to share that information in the first place?!" Steve demanded. The other man went to answer but the soldier didn't let him, "I know it didn't mean anything to you but, for some of us, it was important!"
Stark blinked slowly, "I didn't think you cared?"
"Didn't care! You were the first man I ever kissed and I liked you!" He cried, indignant.
"Wait, you liked me back?" Tony gasped. He blinked up at him speechlessly.
"Of course I did!" Steve barked, Tony's obliviousness had always been what frustrated Steve most. He had liked him for months with absolutely no signal that Tony felt anything similar.
Without another word, Tony leapt up and claimed Steve's lips in his own. Steve's arms immediately wrapped around the smaller man and pulled him closer. Tony ran his fingers through the damp tips of Steve's wet hair, the droplets fell down onto his arms. They deepened the kiss further, revelling in their closeness.
They broke apart minutes later when they were both desperate for breath and feeling like they needed to talk through what had just happened.
"You still…?" Steve raised uncertainly, "After all this time?"
Tony nodded, "More than ever."
They gazed into each other eyes before closing back in together. Steve may have hidden the last kiss for a year but this was the beginning of something he never wanted to hide.