Hey there! So I honestly love one-sided crushes which probably prompted this idea in my head. But fear not, hardcore Stony shippers, it may not be one-sided forever, but I haven't decided yet. There will be lots of bromance though, and moments that can definitely be seen as pre-slash. Aw Steve and I agree that Tony is just so lovable!

xxx

Steve felt his heart beating faster as Tony leaned near him, talking about his newest invention. It was just another day in Avengers Tower, and Steve and the rest of the Avengers were in the lab, wasting time as another day went by without any otherworldly danger on Earth.

"So here I placed the magnet to this service receptor, which will help it maintain a constant rate of reliability. The point is to make it easier for my suit to hold charge, which is why I connected these wires around the input device…" Tony's tech talk soon became background noise to Steve, and he ended up staring intently at Tony's lips as he spoke.

Luckily, Tony didn't notice. He never did.

Steve relished the way Tony's eyes lit up when he talked about science and his inventions, even if Steve didn't understand any of it. In Cap's opinion, it made Tony look adorable and more carefree. Steve loved it when Tony was happy.

Steve was also distinctly aware of how close Tony was sitting next to him on the bench. As Tony explained his creation, he would gesture at various parts of it, not realizing he was leaning in very close to Steve as he inspected the machine. Steve noticed every time their knees brushed, and how good the tight black shirt Tony was wearing looked on him.

Tony suddenly reached around Steve to grab his glass of water, and Steve fought to keep his face neutral. However, that was proved even harder to do when he felt Tony leave his arm wrapped around Steve' shoulders after he put his glass back.

He looked at Tony, who looked frustrated as he prodded the machine with his other hand. Tony's arm was around Steve in such a casual and careless manner that Steve wondered if Tony would ever realize how much it affected him.

Steve had a sudden desire to lean in against the warmth of Tony's body, but quickly expunged the thought from his mind. That would be just asking for embarrassment, especially since the rest of the Avengers were there too.

Speaking of his teammates, Steve suddenly noticed Natasha elbowing Clint, and saw Thor watching them with a small smile. Steve suddenly felt self-conscious, and he tried to tell himself that there was no way they suspected anything.

"So what do you think?" Steve suddenly realized Tony was addressing him. Since he hadn't been listening, he didn't have an adequate response, making him feel like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Umm.." Tony grinned, and Steve realized that Tony had already known he wasn't listening. Steve allowed himself a small smile and shrugged his shoulders.

"Sorry, I just don't really get any of that stuff. I mean, I can barely work the phone you gave me." Steve chuckled, looking slightly abashed.

"I can help you with that sometime, if you want." Tony said as he stood up and began cleaning up the mess on the table he had been working on. Steve immediately missed Tony's arm around him, but nonetheless stood up as well.

"Yeah. That'd be great." Steve replied. Tony smiled at him and Steve felt his heart flutter.

Steve was embarrassed to realize that the feelings he had for Tony had gradually escalated to the point where even a smile from Tony Stark left butterflies in his stomach. Steve finally admitted to himself that he was completely infatuated with the genius billionaire.

xxx

Steve watched as Tony walked out of the lab, wishing he didn't feel so helpless in the daily struggle of just being around Stark and having to conceal his feelings. He had completely forgotten about the rest of the Avengers behind him, until he felt a tap on his back from Natasha.

"Hey," She said, a hint of a smile on her lips. Steve wasn't sure why they were all looking at him like they knew something he didn't, or why Clint seemed about ready to burst out laughing.

"Hi…? Do you need something?" Steve said, thoroughly confused.

"Oh just come out with it already!" Clint said, grinning. "It's so obvious, even Thor noticed!"

Steve was still perplexed on what he was talking about, and he noticed Thor trying to decide if what Clint said was an insult or not. Natasha nudged Clint, threateningly gesturing for him to shut up.

"Uh.." Steve oh so eloquently responded. He felt like a moron since he didn't have the faintest idea what they were so excited about.

"Well, we were wondering..." Natasha began, "if maybe you have a crush on Tony?" She finished, looking him with teasing sparkles in her eyes.

Steve eyes widened and he felt himself turning red, hating himself for it as his teammates starting laughing and whooping.

"Aww look at that, Steve is blushing!" Clint said, the grin never leaving his face.

Steve desperately wanted to say something, but felt overwhelmed by all of them crowding around him at once. Bruce smiled and looked at Steve reassuringly, while Natasha's lips twitched at Steve's embarrassment and discomfort.

"You wish to court the Man of Iron?" Thor asked enthusiastically. He looked about to continue when Steve interjected.

"N-no. No. I don't know what you're talking about." Steve said, shakily at first, and then more resolutely.

"Whatever, Cap. It's so obvious you might as well wear a neon sign on your forehead proclaiming your undying love for him." Clint said matter-of-factly, smirking.

Steve's gut tightened at Barton's statement, and he felt his jaw slacken in shock. Was he really that obvious?

"Don't worry, Tony doesn't know. For a genius, he's the most oblivious person I know. He probably wouldn't suspect a thing unless you straight up told him, and even then, maybe not." Bruce said kindly, sensing Steve's inner turmoil and distress.

"Probably because he's so self-absorbed." Natasha commented, chuckling. "But it's okay, Steve, your secret's safe with us."

Steve looked at his friends warily; he still had fear in his mind that Tony would find out and hate him because of it.

He would fully entrust his life in the Avengers' hands during a battle, but with a secret? Not so much. How long until one of them accidentally tells Tony about Steve's not-so-little crush on him?

xxx

Later that same day, Director Fury called the Avengers for an unexpected debriefing. It wasn't too unusual of an occurrence because he often held meetings to inform them of new happenings or just to make sure everything was still in order in the Tower.

Steve was usually the most punctual of the Avengers, so he was surprised when there were only two empty chairs remaining at the conference table when he arrived. He was rightfully suspicious, his wariness solidifying as he saw hands covering the smiles and smirks of his teammates.

It was 10 minutes after the debriefing was supposed to start, and Tony Stark was still not there. Not that it surprised anyone, after all, Tony gave a new meaning to 'fashionably late'. He was late even when there was no need to be fashionable, such as this very instance.

Finally Tony Stark sauntered in, glancing at everyone around the room and then directing his gaze to his watch.

"I would say I'm sorry to be late, but honestly, I'm not sorry." He said. Steve felt a flicker of a smile appear on his face at the comment, but he immediately dispelled it in case someone was watching.

Fury looked irritated and annoyed, which is pretty much the same way he always looks when Tony is around. "Sit down, Stark. One of these days there is going to be a consequence for you always being late."

Tony shrugged and spread his hands like it wasn't his fault, and then sat down at the only available seat, which happened to be right next to Steve.

Steve futilely tried to ignore Clint's smirk from across the table. Now he understood why they had come early; it was so Tony and Steve would be forced to sit next to each other. Otherwise, they had to have known Steve would've purposely sat as far away from Stark as possible, in order to avoid these awkward teasing glances from his teammates.

Fury soon began the meeting, and it was indeed as boring as was expected. Steve made many attempts to listen, but it was so easy to zone out and just watch Tony as he worked out equations for a new program he was creating instead.

Steve admired the way he would close his eyes for a moment when he did complicated mental calculations, and how he would bite his lip in irritation when the equation wasn't solved perfectly. Steve also took interest in Tony's slanted and rushed handwriting, making what he was writing look like a blur of letters, numbers, and various mathematical signs.

"Tony! Are you even listening?" Fury suddenly asked angrily. Steve immediately stopped staring at Stark, sitting up and hoping he looked like he was paying attention.

"Nope." Tony replied, popping the P. He barely glanced up from the equation he was solving, making it evident he wasn't interested in the meeting at all.

"Steve, tell Tony what I've been talking about." Fury sighed, thinking he could trust that the goody two-shoes would have been listening.

For the second time that day, Steve was left with nothing to respond with. "Uh..." Steve tried to think back to the last thing he heard, but he couldn't remember any of it. "I don't know, sir. Sorry."

Fury looked momentarily surprised. "Not you too? I thought I could count on you, of all people."

Steve felt kind of guilty for not living up to his expectations, but he didn't know what to say, so he stayed silent.

Clint chuckled, and Steve looked up, wondering what was funny. "Well you know, he's kind of distracted, if you know what I mean." The other Avengers snickered, immediately realizing what he was implying.

Steve couldn't believe what he was hearing. Tony was right there! And here Clint was, making suggestive comments about his biggest secret like it was nothing.

With his heart beating fast, Steve quickly stole a glance at Tony. He was still completely absorbed in the task he was working on, so chances are he didn't hear any of what Barton said. Relief washed over Steve, but he couldn't help glaring at Clint just a little bit.

Clint grinned widely in return, and Steve was forced to turn back to Fury and listen to the rest of the debriefing, thoroughly ignoring Clint and trying to not pay attention to Tony.

Trying and failing, of course.

xxx

After the debriefing was over, everyone quickly went their separate ways, glad to escape from the torturous meeting. Steve walked into his bedroom, not sure what he wanted to do, but positive he didn't want to be around any of the other Avengers.

He wasn't sure if he could handle their knowing smirks right now.

So, he did the first thing that came to mind, the thing he often did when he was feeling restless or bored. Grabbing his sketch book, he sat down on his bed, and began to draw.

He wasn't actually sure what he was drawing, but he let the pencil take itself where it wanted to go, making crude lines and graceful curves. He watched the smooth flowing of the pencil on paper, and felt his mind relax.

That is, until he heard the knock on the door.

"Yeah? Come in," Steve answered politely, even though on the inside he was really hoping it wasn't Clint or someone coming to tease him. However, as much as Steve wanted to be rude, manners always came first to him.

He was surprised when the door opened to reveal Tony, who walked in holding up what looked like Steve's cell phone. Cap quickly shut his sketchbook, thinking about the numerous pictures of Tony inside of it, and then sat up in a more dignified position, haphazardly shoving the book underneath his pillow.

Tony didn't notice Steve's moment of panic. He had come because he had something important to ask Steve.

"Is there a reason I found the phone I so thoughtfully gave you in the fridge?" Tony's tone sounded like it was meant be reprimanding, but the amused look on Tony's face proved he wasn't serious.

"What?" Steve honestly hadn't used that cell phone in months, not after the first incident with it when he accidentally deleted all the contacts and apps Tony had installed on it for him. He still hadn't told Tony about that, he conveniently remembered.

"Phone. In the fridge. That's a no-no, Capsicle." Tony talked slowly, as if talking to a child.

"I- uh, that wasn't me. I didn't put it there. It was probably Barton as a prank or something," He said hurriedly, not wanting Tony to think he was stupid.

As the words left Steve's mouth, he realized how likely it was that it actually was Clint, in another attempt to make them talk by having Tony deliver his phone back to him. Surprisingly, Steve felt kind of thankful for Clint's scheme. He wouldn't ever pass up a chance to be with Tony.

"Makes sense," Tony nodded, giving the phone a once-over, and then said, "Lucky for you, it wasn't in the fridge long enough to damage it. Here you go," He handed the phone back to Steve, who's fingers tingled as their hands brushed.

"Thanks," Steve said. Tony looked like he was about to leave, when he suddenly stopped as if he had an idea.

"Hey, do you want me to teach you some of the basics of your phone now? Good a time as ever," Tony offered, remembering that he had told Steve he would earlier.

Steve felt warmness in his chest and he was secretly glad Tony wasn't leaving so soon. "Sure. I definitely need some help with it," Steve laughed softly at his own shortcomings, and then felt himself flush slightly when Tony came and sat down next to him on the bed.

Tony put his hand underneath Steve's that was holding the phone, turning the cellular device towards him so he could see it better. Steve forced the blush down, even as he memorized the feeling of Tony's hand against his, along with the constant brushing of Tony's thigh against Steve's leg.

Steve was so caught up in the moment that he almost missed the sound of soft humming coming from above him. He concentrated for a moment, and then realized it was the distinct sound of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" coming from the vent.

He was going to kill Hawkeye.

"Okay, so let's start simple…" Tony began and then paused, stopping to glance at Steve. "Wait, do you hear something?"

Steve had an involuntary rush of panic, but he managed to keep his voice collected and seemingly confused when he answered Tony. "I don't hear anything… Who knows, maybe it's just the wind drafting through the window."

Tony looked unsure of the explanation, but shrugged anyway. "Maybe I'm just going crazy. Always knew it would happen."

Luckily, Clint had stopped humming before Tony could realize that he was in fact not losing his mind. Steve heard Barton's muffled snickers and he suddenly had an overwhelming desire to flip him off, but he knew that wouldn't be very Captain America like, so he refrained.

"Anyway. The first and foremost thing you must know when using a phone is how to turn it on." Tony's mouth quirked up into a half smile. "Are you able to do that much at least?" Tony asked, moving his hand away from Steve's to let Steve demonstrate. He wasn't sure if Tony was joking or not, but nonetheless obediently clicked the button to turn the phone on, bringing the screen to life. How tech savvy of him.

Tony laughed, and Steve felt like if that was the only sound he could hear for the rest of his life, he would be fine with it. It was perfect and contagious, and Steve felt a genuine smile forming on his face.

"Good boy," Tony said jokingly, patting Steve on the back. Steve half wondered if Clint was still up in the vents watching the scene below in amusement, but then realized he didn't really care if Clint was watching, because he was with Tony and that was all that mattered.

"Now I'll show you to use some of the apps on here," Tony said, taking the phone back from Steve. He flicked through the phone and then looked up at Steve in confusion.

"Rogers, where are all the apps I put on here?"

Steve felt dread pooling in his stomach, and he hoped Tony wouldn't be mad at him. "About that… Well I think I accidentally deleted them." At Tony's disbelieving face, he rushed to add, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

"It's fine. I'm not even gonna ask how you managed to delete everything, because I'm fairly certain that's something only you would be capable of doing."

Steve was glad that he still heard humor and sarcasm in Tony's voice, portraying that he wasn't that mad about Steve's mishap.

"You sure are something else…" Tony muttered as he pressed various buttons on the phone, and Steve watched over his shoulder as the phone shifted from one program to another.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Steve responded, feeling less stiff and not as much of a nervous wreck like he was when Tony first came in.

Tony glanced up and smirked. "Take it as you'd like." Steve felt a slight heat on the back of his neck, but he ignored it and veered the conversation back to his phone.

"So, can the apps and stuff come back?" He asked.

"Of course. Right now I'm reinstalling a program that can restore everything that you originally had on your phone."

"Oh cool." Technology these days was pretty complicated, not to mention very confusing for someone who grew up in the 40's. But Steve had to admit, it could be very helpful at times.

After a few minutes, the phone dinged, apparently alerting them that everything was back in order. Tony then spent the next couple hours teaching Steve everything he needed to know about his phone, including how to use the camera and how to create a text message to send someone.

Tony even helped Steve create his own email, which was neat. He practiced texting back and forth with Tony for awhile, even though they were still in the same room.

Steve loved sending him funny texts to hear Tony's beautiful laugh, or asking for help just to see Tony's eyes light up when he saw that he was needed. It helped that Steve could listen to Tony talk about technology in that adorably smart way of his all day and never get bored.

It was the most fun Steve had in a long time, and when Tony finally got up to leave, saying he had work to do, Steve didn't want him to go. He wanted Tony to stay with him and sleep with arms wrapped around him and his body pressed against his own; he wanted to feel the taste of Tony's lips and tell him that he loved him.

But he knew he couldn't have any of that, so he let Tony go, hiding his sad smile as he watched him leave. Steve had made the mistake of putting Tony on a pedestal so high up, of caring about him so much, that it made it nearly impossible for Steve to reach him.

xxx

Steve lay in bed that night for a long time, but sleep would not come. Every time he closed his eyes, an image of Tony Stark floated into his mind and wouldn't go away. He thought of all of Tony's quirks and flaws, like his lame jokes that Steve found so endearing, or his disarming confidence that made him seem narcissistic to some, but made Steve idolize him.

Hundreds of moments with Tony replayed like a movie in his mind, from normal conversations to accidental brushing of their hands, to when they were fighting side by side or when they were arguing about insignificant matters.

They were memories that would be trivial to Tony, but meant the world to Steve. Steve, who was stuck in this endless one-sided love for a man who would, incidentally, never love him back.

xxx

Whoa that ended a little sadder than I intended… oh well! Lots of Steve ogling at an oblivious Tony to come! Please review and tell me what you think, and if you have any suggestions on awkward moments between the two of them, please share! Thanks!