Title: Not Today

Author: The Emcee

Rating: K+

Summary: Steve didn't exactly see eye to eye with Tony when they first met. Then Tony almost died and everything changed.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, actors, or the fandom.

A/N: I had the itch to write a Steve/Tony story, and, well, here it is. I got the title from Game of Thrones (from the episode where Syrio first tells Arya 'What do we say to the God of Death?'). R&R. Enjoy!

…

Steve wasn't sure what to think when he first met Tony Stark. He had known his father, Howard, prior to being frozen in ice, but his instincts screamed at him when he first laid eyes on the genius billionaire. They told him that Tony was not his father. Whether that was a good thing or bad thing, Steve didn't know, but he was hoping that it was a good thing. After all, Howard had been a pretty nifty guy, and if Tony was anything like him, then he'd be incredibly smart. More so than Steve would ever be, that was for sure. But even so, he didn't know how he would take to Tony.

After listening to him talk for about five minutes, Steve wanted to strangle him. He wouldn't lie; he had believed that Tony would be as incredible as his father had been and he was ready to be awed by his intelligence. Well, Tony had shown him that he was, indeed, intelligent. And narcissistic. And annoying. And overall an eccentric man who wanted to be nothing like Howard. Steve saw it as soon as he spoke Howard's name. Those blue eyes narrowed dangerously for a split second.

Tony straightened up, the tension in his body clearly visible, and for a moment, Steve regretted mentioning Howard. But then he felt confused. Why would Tony react in such a manner to his father's name? Had something happened between them? Steve may have been frozen for a good seventy years, but he figured that family dynamics would remain the same, even in this day and age.

Apparently, he was wrong. If anything, Tony had seemed to take it upon himself to prove to Steve just how different he was from Howard. But Steve didn't need Tony to paint him a picture of the differences between the father and the son; he could see it as plain as day. And, if he were being completely honest with himself, he was a bit disgusted by it. Howard Stark had been a genius and Steve had liked him immediately. Tony Stark was a genius alright, but he was so self-centered and self-absorbed that it wasn't even funny. It was just confirmation that Tony was nothing like his father, and Steve had been disgusted and disappointed by that.

…

Steve knew that Tony was smart, just like Howard. Underneath all of his faults was a brilliant mind that held more information than Steve could ever comprehend. So it shouldn't have surprised or bothered Steve that Tony was able to get under his skin so easily. Almost pathetically so, actually. And the man relished in that power, used it for whatever goal he had in mind, and loved seeing the results. Everyone around him had the potential to be an interesting test subject, but Tony had picked Steve and Steve fell for it.

He couldn't really help himself, though. Tony had angered him and Steve was hell bent to prove to him that physically searching for evidence was just as easy and valuable as using computers to do it for you. So he stormed out of the room that Tony and Banner had holed themselves up in and made his way into the archives. More than finding out what Fury was up to, Steve wanted to prove a point. Without his iron suit, Tony was just an average man. A man with superior intelligence than Steve, but a man nonetheless. And without that suit protecting him, Tony could very easily be taken down. Steve's power may have been given to him by a scientist, but at least he didn't need metal to give him his strength.

Which is why his discovery of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Phase Two plan to use the Tesseract to create weapons made pride bubble within him. Tony relied on the use of those damn computers of his to find out anything while all Steve had to do was snoop around the archives. It took longer for the computer to relay the information than it did for Steve to find it and he felt as though he had proven a point. However, Tony seemed to just not care, and that didn't help matters out at all. In fact, he acted as though what Steve had done was no big deal. Well, Steve thought it was a big deal, especially when Fury entered the room and they all ganged up on him. Who could blame them though? Hiding something that important from a team that was charged with keeping the Earth safe seemed incredibly hypocritical.

But that didn't distract Steve from Tony for too long. Before he knew it, they were back to their bickering again. At least, that's how it seemed to Steve. And then Natasha came into the room to tell everyone what she had learned from her interrogation with Loki. She pointed Bruce out and that was when the seemingly quiet, withdrawn doctor got involved in the huge argument that was taking place. Everyone was talking, or yelling, and it was a giant cluster of confusion and panic. Until the explosion that told them that the Helicarrier was being attacked; that was when everyone sprang into action.

…

Working with Tony on getting the engine up and running gave Steve insight on a couple of things. One: Tony had proved that he wasn't just all brains and iron suit. Sure, the iron suit he wore gave him immense power and his intelligence helped to repair the engine, but that wasn't all that he used to do it. Tony did what he did and he didn't complain about it. Not exactly, anyway. He may have snapped and patronized Steve on how little he knew of the modern world, but he didn't complain about the actual job itself. That told Steve that Tony had a heart and that he actually cared.

Two: It proved that Tony and Steve could work together. Very well, as a matter of fact. For the most part, they were able to put aside their differences and work together as a team. It was then that Steve realized that Tony hadn't argued and bickered with him because he it was a natural compulsion; he had done so because he wanted to. There was no need for the fighting at all; Tony just wanted to do it.

Three: Steve had realized that Tony needed him. If only for a brief second, the billionaire needed his help and that meant that Tony knew he had limitations. Tony knew he couldn't do everything by himself, and although he'd probably never admit that out loud, Steve knew it just by the fact that Tony had told him what to do. Pull the red lever. That wasn't the only thing he did, though. Steve made sure that none of Loki's men got to Tony. He had protected him as best he could and, together, they had won the day. Which gave Steve insight on the fourth and final thing.

Steve cared for Tony. Of course he did; he cared for everyone. That was his job as leader of their awkward, little team. But he wasn't as concerned for Thor or Natasha or Bruce as he was for Tony, and Tony was, perhaps, the best protected out of all of them. After all, that iron suit gave him ample protection. However, that didn't stop Steve's heart from nearly beating out of his chest when he was busy fighting off one of Loki's men. Had he been distracted for a few seconds longer, he wouldn't have been able to pull the lever and Tony would've been killed. That thought alone mad all of the color drain from his face. He didn't understand it – there wasn't much Steve did understand about this new day and age – but he didn't really care. Steve knew what he felt and he knew that he wasn't going to put Tony in more danger than he could stand.

No more close calls like that. Not if he could help it. Because may have been self-centered, obnoxious, and a loud mouth, but that was just a show he put on for his own entertainment. Underneath the suit, underneath all of the insanity and almost constant run-on sentences, there was Tony, insecure, vulnerable, and human. Just like Steve. Just like every other member of their team (because even Thor had humanity within him). And just like the other members of their team, Steve was going to protect Tony with everything he had. Because they were his responsibility, because they were his team. At least, that was what Steve told himself.

…

It amazed him. It absolutely did, the way that Tony just inserted himself into the battle, protecting the people of New York. He just dived into the war zone, so to speak, and was helping out more than Steve thought he would. Steve was positive that all of Tony's big words and attitude had just been smoke and mirrors. When put into action, Tony delivered, and that was even more proof that Tony was Howard's son. Yet he was so much more than that. And fighting Loki's army of aliens had proved to Steve just how valuable Tony was, even if he could be hard to get along with at times. Knowing that Tony had a handle on things in the air allowed Steve to focus on the ground efforts, although he kept tabs on the billionaire anyway. Just in case.

It was a good thing he had, too, because his heart practically stopped when he watched as Tony went through the portal with that nuke. His brain shut down and his heart was beating into overtime. God, that wasn't right. Tony going into that alone wasn't right. There had to have been another way? According to Tony, there was always a way out, so why hadn't he figured out another way? Steve knew that these questions were ridiculous, but he was panicking and he didn't understand why. All he knew was that the thought of Tony never coming back broke his heart. Not having Tony around would be unbearable and Steve didn't want to go through that. Not again.

Everyone he had known prior to being frozen were long gone, and just as he had finally begun to see Tony in a new light, he was going to lose him. How fair was that? Something could have been done, he knew it! Before he could conjure another frantic, senseless thought, Tony fell through the nearly closed portal, his red and gold colored suit looking too much like a rag doll for Steve's liking. He wasn't flying; oh no, he was falling. They had Tony back, but was he dead? Steve hoped that that wasn't the case. He had no idea why, but he desperately wanted to see Tony again, alive and thriving. He wanted that more than anything else in the world. That thought should have frightened him, but he had no time to be afraid for anyone other than Tony.

When Hulk caught him and guided him to the ground, Steve was quick to reach them. Hulk ripped the faceplate off and there was Tony, eyes closes, face purple, looking more dead than alive. Steve's heart stopped for the second time in what was probably no more than five, ten minutes tops. But when Hulk roared and Tony's eyes snapped open, Steve couldn't help but finally breathe. It was as if a heavy weight had been lifted off of his shoulders and he could help but smile and laugh as Tony started spewing nonsense out of his mouth. It was too much for Steve's brain to handle actively. Without thinking (because he really couldn't think anymore), he kissed Tony.

Sudden, short, and to the point. There were some gasps, but Steve didn't care because Tony was kissing him back and that was all that mattered. Pulling away was one of the hardest things Steve ever had to do because it meant that his brain was up and running again. But Tony was smiling, genuinely smiling, and although he looked exhausted, he never looked more alive. Hulk helped Tony to his very unsteady feet and Steve looked around their strange team.

Thor was grinning, genuinely amused yet happy for them. Natasha was trying, and failing, to stifle a grin of her own while Clint tried to look unimpressed. Steve felt himself blush just a little and he knew that he'd have to think long and hard about what he had just done, but Tony was all he cared about at the moment.

"About damn time you two kissed and made up." Clint's comment was sarcastic, but his eyes told Steve that he was happy for them nonetheless. Hulk grunted, but not much else was said as they surveyed the damage around them.

All in all, they had done a pretty good job. New York was safe from the alien invasion, Loki was about to get a very rude awakening from the Avengers, and the Tesseract was going to be dealt with in one way or another. Their mission was almost complete and, as they made their way into what remained of Stark Tower, Steve couldn't help but feel that he had been very wrong about Tony. No matter how much Steve had liked Howard, Tony was every bit the man he had been and more. His feelings of disgust and disappointment from their first encounter had long since been washed away. And while Steve had a lot of things to sort through, he didn't have to do that just yet.

Their mission was just about done, Loki would be captured, and, more importantly, Tony was alive. And that was all that mattered to Steve.

…

A/N: The end! Or is it…?

…

"You almost died, Tony." Tony looked up at Steve, who had just walked into his bedroom.

It had been a few days since Thor and Loki had left with the Tesseract in hand. Their mission had been completed and the Avengers were taking some well deserved time off. Well, Tony was, at least. He was still bruised and sore from the great, big mission and he had been resting. Of course, it was kind of hard to do so when there was an enormous, green, rage monster, a deadly assassin, an archer, and Captain America himself living with him. But Tony would trade any of them for the world. A bottle of JD, maybe, but not the world.

Pepper would have something to say about that, though. She had grown attached to Natasha rather quickly and Tony highly doubted that he'd be able to trade the Black Widow for JD. And Bruce, well, he got along just fine with Bruce. They were science bros after all, and he was just too damn interesting to let go. Clint was waiting patiently for Coulson to get better (which meant that he was being incredibly impatient about it, but Tony was just glad that the agent was still alive and kicking). And Steve, well, Steve was Steve. Ever since their little kiss, which Tony thought about almost constantly considering that he man he had had a huge teenage-girl crush on was living under his roof, Tony had wanted more.

Maybe not sex right away. After all, it'd take a week or so for the nastier bruises to clear up and he was still sore as hell, but more kissing would have been welcomed. But Tony wasn't an idiot; he knew that Steve had some things to work out. He was from the 1940's for Christ's sake, and homosexuality had not been treated the same way as he was being treated today. Back then, a gay man would be killed if he ever came out. Today, he'd be glomped by teeny boppers. That's hard stuff to get one's mind wrapped around, especially if they're a Capsicle. So Tony had allotted Steve a day or two for him to think things through before he started getting restless. Where they together or weren't they? That's all Tony wanted to know at the time being. Was that too much to ask?

However, it appeared that Steve had been thinking about more things than their relationship. Like, Tony almost dying. In all honesty, sending that nuke into the alien's mothership hadn't been the most life threatening thing Tony had ever done. Surely, Steve knew that. Right?

"It's nothing, Cap'n. Happens more times than you know, believe me." Steve sighed and sat down beside Tony on the bed. Tony watched him as Steve stared at the ground. He looked so forlorn that it made Tony feel sad. And Tony hated feeling sad. So, he crawled so to the larger man and rest his chin on his shoulder. When Steve didn't tense up or flinch like Tony expected him too, Tony himself relaxed and waited for Stars and Stripes to say something.

"You almost died." Now it was Tony's turn to sigh, and he did. Loud and dramatically.

"Yes, you've already said that, Capsicle. Is that all you have to say or is there more left in that frost bitten brain of yours?" Despite his words, Tony turned his face and buried it in Steve's shirt. He inhaled the other's scent and finally felt at peace. Maybe if Steve stayed, he'd get some rest or something.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack when I saw you falling from the sky. And then when Hulk caught you and you still didn't wake up… I thought we had lost you…I thought I had lost you." Oh. Oh. So, that's what this was about.

"Well, I'm alive and well thanks to our big buddy Hulk." Steve finally looked at him and the pain and guilt he felt was plain as day. Tony felt bad. He didn't like feeling bad, but more importantly, he didn't like that Steve felt bad.

"I treated you poorly. Like I thought you should've been a carbon copy of Howard. I was disgusted and disappointed when I realized that you weren't like him." Yeah, Tony had known that right from the start. It was hard to miss when Steve told him that he knew his father. That is what started Tony's little game of I'm-going-to-prove-you-wrong-at-everything-because-I'm-not-my-father.

"But then you fixed the engine. And you fought bravely. Contributed more than I thought you would. Risked your life for the lives of innocent civilians…and I couldn't even tell you how sorry I was that I treated you horribly." Tony shrugged it off. Steve really hadn't treated him that badly. He probably wouldn't have said half of the things he had were it not for Tony and his mouth, yet here he was, apologizing for it. And people called him a diva. Honestly…

"Steve, you have nothing to apologize for. I admit that I'm a problem child. Always have been, always will be, and I purposefully baited you until you lost your cool, pun intended. So don't feel bad. Besides, that kiss of yours made up for everything." Tony could feel the tension and remorse melt away from the super soldier's body. He could help but grin, knowing that he had finally loosened the Captain up just a little bit.

"I've thought about that, too." Tony's grin widened.

"And?"

Before anything else was said, Steve's lips were on his own. Soft and warm, yet demanding and Tony absolutely loved it. Finally, he was getting what he had wanted from the start. Even with his arms still stiff and sore, Tony pulled Steve down on top of him, needing the close contact like he needed air. Unfortunately, it turned out that he needed air pretty badly because his lungs felt as though they were about to explode. They broke the kiss and Tony smiled up at Steve, his fingers playing with his hair.

"So? Don't leave me hangin' here, Cap'n." Steve smiled and gave Tony's lip a soft, chaste kiss.

"I decided that it's not what you are, but who you are. And I like who you are, Tony. A lot. We may be damned for this, but I'm too stubborn to let you go." Tony smiled up at him, not knowing what he did to deserve this wonderful man above him. But he'd think about that some other time. Right now, all he wanted to do was curl up next to Steve and sleep.

"Good. Glad we see things eye to eye on this one, Steve, because I'm tired and would love nothing more than to curl up beside you and sleep." Tony gave him a pouty, expectant look. One that made Steve laugh, and dear, sweet Lord did he look handsome when he laughed.

''I think I can manage that."

Steve laid down beside Tony on the bed. Tony, finally feeling as though he'd be able to get some decent shut eye, curled up against Steve's side. One of the super soldier's arms wrapped around him gently, mindful of the bruises, and pulled Tony closer. In a matter of minutes, Tony was asleep and sleeping more soundly than he had been in a long time.

…

A/N: Okay, now it's the end. XD Love it? Hate it? Think it's okay? Let me know! Thank you! :D