Warning(s): Explicit sexual content, Action, Mild violence, Dub-con/Non-con, Infidelity, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Shameless puns. Pairing(s): Tony/Steve, Tony/Bruce/Steve, Clint/Steve. Note(s): This is sorta an AU since everyone stayed (except for Black Widow). The Arbiter is an original character villain I came up with for this story. There are hints of Thor/Loki thrown around in this story but nothing major. Unlike alcohol, energy drinks have an affect on Steve. Please read at your own volition. #################################################
Steve knew something was up with Tony. After everything that happened with Loki, him and Tony were together. At least that's what Steve thought. Despite their rocky start, Steve admired Tony and when Tony was passed out and playing dead, he just wanted to kiss him. That is, until Bruce or, rather, Hulk had startled him awake. He felt his heart race at the thought of Tony actually being dead.
It started out subtle enough. The playful jabs at eachother, the flirting, and touching. Steve was always flustered around Tony and out of all the people Tony could have, he had picked Steve. He had picked Steve as the receiving end of all his affection. The whole team knew about it and they all thought the two seemed a little too opposite. But opposites attract supposedly.
It was good for awhile, Steve had to admit. Him and Tony would often sneak off together and fool around in, the one of many, vacant rooms in Stark Tower. Running down hallways, skipping past doors, stopping once in awhile to kiss eachother.
When they'd get to a good enough room, Tony would casually undress as if he was in no hurry at all and Steve would claw at his own belt and fly. When they were both naked in front of eachother they'd meet halfway and kiss for a good 5 minutes, touching.
The Captain's body never ceased to amaze Tony. Tony would back Steve up to the bed and lay him down. Tony would kiss a trail down his body, stopping just above his lower body to nip at his hip bones. Steve was putty in Tony's hands and he let Tony mold him into whatever shape he wanted.
Tony teased. That was the way he played. He would tease until you gave in and surrendered, giving him everything. And Steve did. He gave every bit of his body to Tony.
But then THIS started to happen. Tony stopped his little subtleties and started hanging around Bruce more. Sure, they were both on the same page and worked a lot on similar stuff, but something didn't fit right. It seemed as though he was being replaced by Bruce.
In fact, Tony was flirting with Bruce half the time and disappearing. It was like him and Bruce switched places. Steve couldn't help but feel jealous. He tried to not think on it too much, writing it off as strictly work related. But every so often someone would bring it up.
"So what's going on? Between you and Tony?" Clint asked. He normally didn't connect with others or even give them the time of day, but Steve was the exception and, honestly, he looked drained.
"I don't know what you mean," Steve shrugged.
"Come on. I study targets from a distance," Clint pauses. "Sorry, people. I study people." He looked down at his bow and fiddled with the laser sight. He was never alone with Steve in a room and he longed to reach out and touch him, but Steve liked Tony.
"And what do you see?" Steve whispered.
"Honestly?" And when Steve nodded he continued. "I see a man trying to mask himself from the truth. He's hardly sleeping or eating and spends most of his time taking his aggression out on a punching bag. Should I continue?"
Steve looked up at Clint with stony blue eyes and a clenched jaw and said,"Do your worst."
"He knows he's a good man, but secretly hates himself for not knowing anything about sub atomic particles. This man feels distant and he's afraid of his lack of knowledge."
"So I'm naive?" Steve asked rhetorically. "Fury wasn't joking when he hired you was he?" Steve chuckled and shook his head.
Clint smiled back at Steve. "But you have a good excuse. You've been sleeping for almost 70 years."
They sat in the briefing room in silence. Steve didn't know much about Clint and didn't really take him for the touchy-feely type, but Clint certainly knew about him. He read Steve like a book and it left him wondering if he was obvious. Then again, this was Hawkeye who figured him out. Not Thor or anyone else. He didn't want Clint to be even remotely right about him. Something about Clint had changed after their first mission though. He seemed to keep a more watchful eye on Steve and he knew it. He could always feel eyes on him. Steve would get paranoid and start looking around for possible hiding places. It was strange.
"So what is the truth?" Steve asked after they had gone quiet.
"You love Tony and you can't stand losing what you have with him."
"Is there any chance you're wrong?" Steve joked with a weak laugh.
"None. Sorry, Captain." Clint got up and walked past Steve, stopping to put an affection hand on his broad shoulder, then leaving quietly. Although Clint silently pleaded to be wrong, he couldn't be more right.
They were being briefed on their next mission. Steve, Thor, and Clint all looked over when Bruce and Tony stumbled in, late, giggling like a couple of highschoolers. Steve's gut twisted a little and he reclined back into his chair a little. He was in one of his sour moods and THAT just made it worse.
Bruce sat down next to Thor and Tony took his spot by Steve, looking over and smiling at him warmly. No, cheeky. It was a cheeky grin filled with little nothings and broken promises. Steve didn't even give him a side glance.
During the de-brief, Tony would snake a hand over to Steve's thigh and rub it, tracing the muscle there with his grasping fingers. Steve shifted away sometimes, obviously not in the mood for any of Tony's games.
"Stop!" Steve snapped in a whisper, but it didn't stop Tony.
Tony trailed his hand up higher and brought it to Steve's crotch. Steve gasped and Tony smirked arrogantly, thoroughly satisfied with himself. He loved making Steve squirm in his seat.
"How can I when you're wearing that?" He murmured, reffering to Steve's suit.
"Control yourself, Stark," Steve gritted when Tony squeezed lightly.
"Stark?" Tony furrowed his brows.
"Ahem. Gentlemen, are you finished chatting it up like schoolgirls in a mall?" Fury commented in a loud and neutral voice.
Tony pulled his hand away and Steve sighed with relief. It hadn't been the first time they were caught and it wasn't always by Nick Fury. They'd even been caught making out once, well, a few times actually.
"Yes, sir," Steve said as he lowered his head. "Sorry."
"Are you avoiding me?" Ironman asked as he approached Captain America with rubble in the streets and people running frantically.
Right now they weren't Tony and Steve, they were playing dress up and fighting the bad guys, but Ironman could care less of their situation. He was determined to talk with Captain America.
"What?!" Captain America asked as he chucked his shield at an oncoming foe and then coming back to him like a boomerang. The Captain was swinging his shield around, knocking out hostiles left and right. Hulk was jumping around like a wild green ape with Thor in tow, flying around and striking people down with lightning. And last, but not least, Hawkeye was posted up on top of City Hall, covering everyone. "Why did you call me Stark earlier? You only call me that when you're mad," Ironman pointed out.
"Do you really wanna talk about this now?"
Ironman shot off a repulsor ray in a random direction, hitting someone by chance. He marched up to the Captain nonchalantly, punching enemies out of the way. Hawkeye caught a guy who tried sneaking up on the Captain and when the Captain turned around he flinched at the man who fell to his feet. He looked toward the roof and saluted Hawkeye.
"They can wait," Ironman said as if these criminals they were fighting were mere bunnies. (Which they kind of were). "You come first, Cap."
Captain America stopped fighting for a second, looking at the man in front of him with a disbelieving look. He may have been frozen for almost 70 years, but he wasn't born yesterday. He could see right through all of this man's lies.
"Is that so, Ironman? How come Tony can't say that?"
Thor swooped in and knocked a guy out of the way who was about to attack Ironman. In a far off place Hulk could be heard roaring and wailing and smashing. The two inactive men caught Hawkeye's attention and he watched both Ironman and Captain America exchange words. Hawkeye selfishly hoped they were breaking up.
"What are you on about?" Ironman inquired. "Is this about earlier?"
"Just forget about it," Captain America bit out. "It's not important, just like everything that's not about you."
"I don't mean to interrupt," Thor boomed with his accented voice,"but we have not won yet."
Captain America glanced over at Thor's imposing presence and looked back at Ironman. "He's all yours." He simply walked away from their battle, not turning around once.
The Avengers all stopped momentarily, dumbfounded, and tried to wrap their head around what just happened. Thor called out after him and Hulk even roared, but it was no use. Captain America was pissed and when he was he was an unstoppable force. Kind of like the Hulk, just not green.
He never walked away from a battle. He never ran away. That's what his foes did. That's what weak people did. But this time it was Steve who was running away like a coward.
"Can you mind telling me what the hell happened out there?" Fury snapped at Steve.
Steve was sat in a chair in Fury's main office getting thoroughly chewed out for his actions. Fury hadn't the slightest clue about the team's more personal and intimate connections and he couldn't careless. What he DID care about was organization and getting the job done without back talk and disobedient maneuvers, like the one Steve had pulled.
"Personal matters, sir," Steve admitted lowly.
"You think I care about personal matters? You think I'll care if you die for throwing a tantrum?" Fury was yelling now. He meant business and he wasn't a force to be reckoned with.
"No, sir," he uttered, defeated.
"Because I can replace you just as easily," Fury continued as if Steve never responded to his last questions.
"Sir, please. I wo-"
"But I won't."
Fury walked to the other side of the room and stared out the window for dramatic effect. Steve turned his attention to where Fury was and swallowed past the swell in his throat. Steve licked his lips in anticipation for what Fury said next.
"You maybe be a super-human, but you're still HUMAN. I understand what it must be like having to kick ass and take names. To be more intimidating than the rest. To fight with eachother just to be in agreement."
Steve had to admit, Fury was making a moving speech right not, but the team had moved past all that petty squabbling after their battle with Loki and the Chitauri. This was about something entirely different, but Steve had no intention of correcting Fury.
"I'll let it slip this one time, Rogers, but mark my words if it happens again I won't be pretty, next time," Fury informed firmly. "Now get lost."
"Yes, sir."
Steve scrambled to his feet and left Fury's office hastily. He sped down the hallway, not wanting to dare a last glance towards the door.
Steve found himself in front of Tony's door later that night. He was reluctant, but it was all too routine. Steve should just leave and go to his room, but he found himself entering anyway. Tony was in the bathroom, shirtless, and messing with his artificial heart regulator in the mirror.
Steve walked up behind him and leaned in the doorway until Tony noticed him and turned to face him. Steve was looking away as if surrendering.
"Didn't think you'd come here tonight," Tony stated.
"Me neither."
"Are you alright, Steve?" Tony didn't seem to show true concern, but in his own way Steve thought he probably did care a little.
"I'm fine. Just jealous, I guess," Steve mumbled.
"Jealous?" Tony repeated. He walked up to Steve and cupped his face, looking up into Steve's cold blue eyes. "Of what?"
"More like who," Steve added stubbornly. He was going to make Tony play 20 questions. It's the least he should be entitled to.
"Who?"
"Bruce."
"Banner?"
"No, Bruce Wayne," Steve remarked sarcastically.
"Careful, you don't wanna get sued. That's a whole other universe my friend," Tony joked. "You're getting better at your references though," he mused. He saw the face Steve made and stopped grinning. "Sorry."
Tony led Steve over to his bed and sat down with him. This was serious time.
"Why are you jealous of the big guy?"
"I don't know,"Steve shrugged. "You spend more time with him and you two are always sneaking off somewhere." Steve was having a hard time admitting everything to Tony. He felt vulnerable. Like he lost his shield. "Kinda like how we used to be."
"Shhh..." Tony hushed. He leant forward and kissed Steve on the lips.
Tony pushed Steve flat on his back and crawled up between his legs. Steve was still in uniform and Tony couldn't be more turned on. Steve moaned around Tony's tongue as it claimed and swirled his. Tony was obviously hard, wearing only a pair of thin pajama bottoms.
Steve broke away and panted,"Tony, this is important. We need to talk."
"And we will. Later." Tony went in for another kiss, but Steve's came up to push against Tony's chest. One of his hands brushing the glowing life source that was apart of Tony Stark.
"I don't wanna do this right now, Tony. I'm not in the mood."
"Tony smirked and whispered into Steve's ear. "Said the liar." Tony's hand went down and groped at Steve's hard on. "Something tells me you are," Tony chuckled smugly.
The material of his suit rubbed harshly against that sensitive and hot place between his legs. He groaned and his hips lifted up into the friction hesitantly. Steve was feeling too many things right now and he just wanted it all to stop. He wanted Tony to stop.
"Please," Steve pleaded.
"You want me inside you?" Tony breathed into Steve's neck as he licked and sucked marks into him.
Steve only shivered and whimpered like a hurt animal. He couldn't say anything, he was literally paralyzed. He felt Tony taking off all of his gear, as well as his pajama bottoms, and heard him grab something from his drawer.
Tony returned to the hot and flustered Steve Rogers, and started coating his finger with lube. Steve heard the cap snap shut and closed his eyes, waiting to feel those fingers breach him. Two were driven in fluidly and Steve arched off the bed in suprise. Steve yelped and Tony grinned.
After he worked three fingers inside of Steve he withdrew them and slicked up his cock. Steve was spread across the bed and beautiful. He looked up and watched Tony as he lined up and drove every inch into him. Tony made a satisfied sound, but Steve sounded strained and muffled. Not because it hurts, but because he was uncomfortable.
Tony just started pounding away at Steve's ass relentlessly. Cursing and and grunting compliments about Steve's body and how tight he felt around his cock. Steve was hard and moaning uncontrollably at Tony's cock repeatedly hitting his prostate.
"Fuck, Cap,"Tony grunted as he drove in harder, making the bed and ground below shake like there was an earthquake.
It was the hardest Tony even went on Steve. Steve thought he might pass out and then he came, in a choked out sob. His vision went fuzzy, but he could still make out the light on Tony's chest in vague detail. Steve reached out and Tony took his hands to pin them above his head. Steve was only half conscious by the time Tony started showing telltale signs of an orgasm.
Tony slammed into Steve harshly a few more times and came so hard that Steve could feel it hit the back of his throat. Steve was clenching around Tony's still half hard cock and panting.
"Damn," Tony said exhausted and collapsed onto Steve's sticky front.
Steve doesn't exactly remember when he passed out, but the last thing that was on his mind was: if Tony had done this to Bruce, or if Bruce had done this to Tony. In this bed. The place that was meant for ONLY him and Tony.
But then again, it was just a Tony thing.
"Are you alright?" Thor asked as Steve gimped into the kitchen to get some juice.
"I'm fine," Steve whispered without even realizing.
"Then why does your step falter?"
"Must've twisted it fighting yesterday," Steve lied. He took a seat at the counter, lowering himself down slowly. He hissed when he finally settled fully.
"Should probably get that checked out," Bruce interjected.
"Nothing I can't handle."
He sipped his orange juice and stared Bruce down intently. Making eye contact and telepathically telling him, 'I know about you and Tony. I may not have proof, but I can see it.'
"Words of a true warrior, my friend," Thor bolstered merrily. The Asgardian made Steve feel little better. His happy-go-lucky attitude as charming as his youthful face.
Bruce got some coffee and fixated on the newspaper. He seemed rather calm and Steve wondered if something or someone had intervened.
Steve was in a sour mood again and decided to leave and go to the gym. He finished his juice and exited the dining area of the kitchen without a word.
Steve knew this place. This was his sanctuary. His home. He lined up punching bags on the ground, in case he needed a replacement, which he would. Steve started out with slow focused jabs and then when he loosened up a bit, he went harder and faster. All the worry and aggression came out in each strike to the punching bag.
He was moderating his breathing and keeping up his momentum, but he could feel eyes. Steve tried to ignore it and brush it off, but it was making it hard to concentrate. He stopped with an exhale of hot breath.
"I see you're taking out your aggression out on the punching bag again."
It was Clint. Steve turned around and he was right there. Steve jumped. Damn he was quiet, Steve thought.
"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," Clint apologized.
"No sweat."
Clint reached forward and ran a finger down Steve's bicep, collecting little salty droplets. Steve watched Clint bring the finger to his mouth and suck on it suggestively.
"Well, maybe a little sweat," Clint smirked devilishly.
He walked past Steve and bent down to retrieve some boxing tape. "You wanna go a round?" Clint asked over his shoulder as he taped up his hands. "Saw you coming down here and thought since you wanted to abuse yourself, that maybe you'd give someone else a shot to do it for you."
Steve grinned. "Is that a threat or a promise?"
Clint chuckled and walked up to Steve. They were face to face and their gaze was intense. Somehow, this made Steve forget about all the bullshit he was currently dealing with.
"That's a promise," Clint whispered as if it was top secret.
"Prove it then."
Steve and Clint were now closer than before, but none of them showed any hesitation. Clint was the first to step away and he made his way over to the boxing ring with Steve following close behind. They ducked under the ropes and gave eachother the best of luck. They parted and circled around one another like predators to their prey.
"I have to warn you, Captain. I don't go easy. And I'm not afraid to hit an old man," Clint smiled viciously at his opponent.
"Give me all you got, Hawk."
Clint advanced on Steve and connected his fist to his jaw. Steve recovered almost like it was nothing, and maybe it wasn't. Steve performed two quick jabs to Clint's ribcage that seemed to wind him a little. Back and forth they exchanged blows to the face, gut, chest, and anywhere else they could manage.
By the end of their session, they had done 8 rounds with eachother. It was supposed to be 9, for a tie breaker, but both men were exhausted and dehydrated. They collapsed against the ropes of the ring side by side and passed a water bottle back and forth.
"You weren't kidding," Steve huffed out weakly. His cheeks were rosy and his body was on fire. He couldn't wait to see the damage Clint had inflicted.
"I never do. I'm a serious person, Mr. Rogers."
They sat there for a good 30 minutes, just cooling down their adrenaline rush and high heart rates.
"Can I ask you something personal, Cap?" Steve nodded. "Why were you staggering when we first started?"
Steve flushed bodily and a shiver went through him. He didn't know whether to tell the truth or not, but Clint seemed nice and reliable. So, what the hell right?
"I got it from Tony last night," Steve admitted, just a tad ashamed.
Clint's eyes grew and anger dared to boil up inside him. "Did he hurt you? What did he do?" Clint asked protectively.
"Well," Steve swallowed,"he fucked into next week is what he did."
"Did you want him to?" Clint couldn't help but ask, he needed to know.
Steve shook his head, then shrugged uncertainly. "I told him I wasn't in the mood."
"He raped you." It wasn't a question, it was an accusation.
"I honestly didn't mind. It didn't hurt," Steve brushed off nonchalantly.
"That doesn't make it okay, Steven."
The use of his full name caught his attention and he looked over to Clint. Clint was actually concerned for his well-being. Something in Steve lit up with joy. Like butterflies just clouded his stomach in that instant.
"I have to do something," Clint said as he made to get up, but Steve caught his arm.
"No," Steve whispered. "Please, just stay."
Clint sat back down and for the longest time they just sat there in silence, watching eachother. Clint would run a hand up the side of Steve's face, once in awhile, affectionately. Steve stared into Clint's eyes and he knew he had found a friend in all this bullshit.