Rating: PG

Summery: Prompt from 'shoob-a-doob' on tumblr. "Steve hates the cold because it reminds him of the ice. During the first winter since Cap came back, Tony has to coax Steve to go outside and enjoy himself in the snow."

Couple: Steve/Tony

Authors: CayCullen (Cayla)

AN: I love writing this! Thank you shoob-a-doob for sending me this amazing prompt! :)

Snow Bunny

by

CayCullen

It was snowing in New York. It was pretty early for snow, early November, that's why Tony was a little surprised to see it when he woke up and saw snow falling heavily outside.

It was a nice sight to see, regardless.

Tony looked at the clock on the glass wall JARVIS has made appear to see that it was ten in the morning, which is early for him but he forced himself out of bed anyway.

Snow and Tony weren't the best of friends, but he always attempted to go outside on the first snow of the season just because after that he tried to avoid the snow like the plague.

Tony could only tolerate snow so much and the snow must feel the same way.

It was nice and warm inside Stark Tower, though. JARVIS had bumped up the height and not even the floors we're cold. For kicks Tony told JARVIS to show a fire place on the flat screen to if Steve would react to it.

He likes to mess with Steve; it's just so incredibly entertaining.

Tony walked into the living room to see Thor infatuated with the flat screen TV.

Clint was on the couch, a small smile on his lips as he watched Thor look at the TV with wonder and confusion.

"What's up, Thor?" Tony asked with a smile, messing with Thor was almost as much fun as messing with Steve.

He walked over to Thor and stood beside him to look at the flat screen.

"A fire has taken up residence in your television box," Thor explained gravely as if this was life changing news.

"I wouldn't be alarmed yet, it's a tamed flame, but it could roar to life at any moment," Thor warned and Tony couldn't hold back his laughter anymore.

He heard Clint laugh from the couch which was really rare, so rare Tony was shocked to hear it every time.

"Why are you laughing? This is a serious problem. Your box with all the moving stories in side is destroyed," Thor said with confusion.

"Stark, if you tell him, I will throw your ass out in the snow because he's been my entertainment for two hours now," Clint warned.

He had stopped laughing but that very small smile still rested on his face.

"If I don't do something he'll try to put the fire out," Tony explained seriously and Clint smirked.

"Then you're out eighteen thousand bucks, not me," Clint said simply and Tony rolled his eyes before looking back at Thor.

"It's just a picture, Point Brake," Tony explained.

"Damn, there goes my afternoon," Clint muttered.

"A picture?" Thor asked skeptically as he looked at the screen.

"Yes, you can even touch it if you want," Tony added.

"No! Thor, don't do it! It's real! He's trying to trick you!" Clint said with urgency.

Tony looked over at him with disbelief.

"Seriously, Barton? You're that bored?"

"Yup," Clint replied.

"Are you trying to deceive me, Tony?" Thor asked with a hurt expression.

"No," Tony insisted, "Touch it, I swear, nothing will happen."

Thor gave him a very stern, judging look at he decided what to do, but it turned into a smile.

"I trust you my friend."

Without any hesitation whatsoever, Thor reached out and touched the screen with his pointed finger.

He grinned and then looked at Tony.

"This is truly amazing sorcery!"

"Thanks, the…wizard I got it from only charged me two hundred bucks more," he said with a wink and left to go to the kitchen.

As he left he heard Thor ask Clint what wizard Tony bought the television from.

Clint replied with, "Harry Potter."

When Tony walked into the lavish kitchen, the first thing he noticed is Steve.

He didn't know when it had happened but whenever Steve's in the room, he's always the first person he noticed.

He was in his white SHILD t-shirt some sweat pants, and thick white socks standing by the large window just staring out at the city covered in white with a cup of coffee in his hands.

"Morning, Tony," Bruce greeted from the table, a glowing newspaper tablet in his hands, a cup of coffee beside him.

"Hey," Tony greeted, only giving Bruce a quick glance and he went back to staring at Steve.

Something was wrong.

Steve is usually at the table, talking with the others, smiling, laughing sometimes, it's rare whenever he just broods when others are around.

Tony knows he does it whenever others aren't around, but seeing him do it now, in the morning when he's usually most chipper, sends up red flags.

"Coffee, Stark?" Natasha asked as she sat on the counter top.

"Yeah," he said and took it from her with a grateful smile.

He looks back at Steve as he sat in the seat in front of Bruce.

"Snow hasn't changed, Rogers. It's still white and falls from the sky," Tony assured him with a laugh before sitting down.

He thinks Steve will give him a, 'Don't be snarky' or 'Shut up, Stark,' or even 'To be your age you're really immature,' but no.

"Glad to hear," Steve said flatly, no emotion in his voice at all.

Tony took a sip of his coffee and almost spat it out.

"Is this black coffee?" He asked with horror and Natasha nodded as she took a sip from her cup.

He glared at her.

"You know damn well I hate black coffee," he said and she just nodded with a smug smile on her lips.

Tony looked over at Bruce who is smiling a little.

"Living with her is dangerous," he said before standing to dump the coffee out in the sink.

He walked over to Steve by the window and stared at him curiously.

"You okay, Cap? You don't usually…brood in public," Tony said and Steve rolled his eyes before looking at him.

"I'm not brooding, I'm just-

"Staring into the abyss like a hundred year old teen vampire?"

"What?

"Nothing- are you okay? You seem glum."

"Glum?" Steve asked with amusement before looking back at the window.

"It's a word," Tony argued.

"I know, older one, though," Steve explained.

"You still haven't answered my question," Tony noted and Steve sighed before taking a sip of his coffee.

"I'm fine," Steve said after he stopped drinking.

Tony took that as, "Something's wrong Tony, I'm just too nice to say anything, be my knight in red and gold armor and save me!"

Tony looked out the window and stared down at the streets below, covered in white.

"You want to come to the park with me? I make an attempt to go out on the first snow day of winter."

Steve laughed a little which made Tony feel warm inside. He looked at Tony with a smile.

"You and snow? I can't picture you in the snow without you complaining about being cold."

"Oh I complain constantly, but I think I should go out for the sake of it all…because after that I avoid the snow like I avoid that Bieber kid."

Steve laughed again before taking another sip of his coffee.

"Do I take that as a yes or no?" Tony asked with a hopeful smile, Steve stayed quite for a moment.

"Will bring the guys with us, and after words we'll go get hot chocolate from Starbucks," Tony offered.

Again Steve just stayed quite.

Now Tony realized that whatever Steve's problem was it had to deal with snow.

"Okay, just tell me what's bugging you so we can at least talk about it," Tony pleaded.

Steve looked over at him with confusion.

"Since when did you start caring about what bugged me?"

Tony thought for the answer, it felt like he had always cared, but he knows that's not the truth.

"I don't know, last week?"

Steve smiled softly before turning away from him to walk over to the table.

Natasha and Bruce we're gone and Tony wondered where they had went.

He follows Steve.

"You can talk to me; you know I won't judge-

"Not only will you judge, you'll poke fun," Steve scoffed.

Tony opened his mouth to argue but then quickly closed it because he had no argument.

"What if I promise an open, honest, no funny joke, environment?" Tony asked as he set down in the seat in front of Steve.

"Impossible."

"Nothings impossible," Tony argued with a smile.

Steve looked down and sighed.

"If I tell you…you can't tell anyone else," he warned firmly.

Tony nodded.

"Your secret's safe with me."

Steve looked at him skeptically.

"Cross my heart," Tony offered and crossed an 'x' over his arc reactor.

Steve's face softened and he set his coffee mug down on the table.

"I know this is going to sound ridiculous, I mean…I used to love snow, but…I don't want to out into the snow right now."

"Well, damn Steve. Neither do I, but you're going to have to eventually."

Tony was taking this the wrong way, he simply thought Steve didn't like the snow and wanted to avoid it because he just wasn't a snowy weather type of person.

"No I won't," Steve argued, a bit more harshly then called for.

"I can stay in here until it stops snowing; it doesn't snow every day in New York," Steve added.

Tony could tell that Steve was being pretty touchy about this whole thing, which made his gears start to turn.

"Steve…does the snow freak you out now?" Tony asked, assuming that this was why Steve was being so snippy.

Steve shook his head a little bit too soon.

"No, I just," Steve sighed mid-sentence, giving up on lying.

"It doesn't…freak me out, I just don't like it anymore because of…what happened."

Tony nodded understandingly.

"I can see why, if I was turned into a Capsicle I would avoid any and all things cold."

Steve looked at him curiously.

"Then you understand why I can't go outside?"

Tony nodded and smiled.

"Of course…that doesn't mean I won't make you go outside, though."

"Tony-

"Don't 'Tony' me. You have to face your fears or they'll turn you into a shut in."

Steve played with his thumbs for moment.

"Maybe I don't mind being a shut it," he said softly.

Tony scoffed.

"The man who insists on going outside every day, rain, or blistering heat becoming a shut in…because of some soft frozen rain? I don't think so," Tony said and stood.

"Tony, it scares me okay! I don't want to go," Steve snapped as Tony tried to grab his hand to pull him up.

Tony froze for a moment. He didn't want to scare Steve, but…if he didn't do something Steve would be scared of snow for the rest of his life.

"Steve did the snow hurt you before you were frozen?"

"No! But-

"But nothing. The snow didn't hurt you then, it won't hurt you now," Tony had got Steve to his feet now.

"Tony I don't want to feel cold, feeling cold reminds me of-

"You'll love it, Steve! You told me yourself that you loved snow before you were frozen. We just need to refresh your memory," Tony said as he pushed Steve out of the kitchen and into the living.

"Put some warm clothes on everyone! We're going to the park!"

Everyone (expect Thor) groaned at the news.

oOo

"We're taking a limo to the park!?" Steve gasped with utter horror and disgust as they got down to the lobby.

"No! No! Now this is just too insane, I'm going back in!" Steve insisted as he turned around, Tony caught him by his coat sleeve and pulled him back.

"Come on! You'll have fun."

"Cap, he's forcing us all to go, you have to too." Natasha said with a sigh as she walked past them and outside into the limo.

"Natasha's right, you have to, come on, for me," Tony pleaded.

Steve looked at Tony, dressed in a thick red coat and a silly gold toboggan with a black pair of ear muffs and gloves.

"You look hideous," he laughed.

Tony smiled.

"All the more reason to go, you can watch children laugh at me," Tony said and grabbed his hand to pull Steve to the car.

There was only a small moment of coldness as he got in the limo with Tony.

"To the park to hunt the mighty geese!" Thor cheered.

Clint groaned.

"Two things, One, the birds have flew south for the winter, two…STOP TRYING TO KILL THE DAMN BRIDS THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO YOU!"

Everyone laughed, even Steve, which made him think things might be okay.

oOo

When they got to the park, Thor all but jumped out of the car and ran towards the lake to look for the geese despite everything Clint had said.

With a sigh, Clint and Bruce followed him.

"You going to be okay, Captain?" Natasha asked, Tony hadn't told her anything but somehow Natasha already knew Steve mustn't be a big fan of snow at the moment.

He smiled at her, kindly.

"I'll be fine," he assured her; he didn't know if it was the truth, but he thinks with Tony here he'll be okay.

She smiled back a little and got out of the car.

Tony got out of the car and held out his hand for Steve.

Steve could already feel how cold it was just by sitting in the car, he took a deep breath before taking Tony's hand and getting out of the limo.

"See! You're not frozen!" Tony exclaimed happy, Steve gave him glare.

"What!? You're not."

Steve laughed.

"That's not what I'm scared of-

"What then?"

Steve let out a breath; he could see it in this freezing weather, as they walked a little further into the snow.

He hadn't even realized he and Tony were still holding hands.

"I was scared of feeling like I was frozen again, it's a horrible feeling," he confessed.

"I thought you didn't feel-

"I did, and it's awful," Steve insisted as they walked toward the others who were at the playground now.

"I remember. It feels like a million pins and needles in your body, constantly poking and prodding at you until you become numb."

Tony held Steve's hand a little tighter, trying to let him know he was here.

"That won't happen again," Tony said promised.

Steve looked over at him and smiled.

"I know it won't, I was just afraid if I got out in the snow it would feel like that," he looked around them at the snow and smiled brightly, "It doesn't feel the same at all."

Tony grinned.

"I told you it wouldn't," Tony said smugly.

"Don't get cocky on me, Stark. I may just have to throw snow ball at you," Steve threatened.

"…You wouldn't," Tony said, he hated snow balls.

Steve smirked before letting go of Tony's hand to bend down to make a snow ball.

"Steve! I swear if you do that I'll be forced-

Tony was cut off with a snow ball straight to the face.

"Retaliate," he finished a mouth full of snow.

Steve was laughing like this was the funniest thing in the world while Tony smiled angrily.

"You're going to pay for this, Rogers," Tony warned as he wiped the freezing snow off his face.

"Oh I am?" Steve asked challengingly.

"You are, severely," Tony said as he bent over to make a snow ball.

"You won't be able to catch or hit me," Steve said smugly as Tony stood back up.

"I sure as hell can try," Tony said before throwing the snow ball but Steve dogged it and took off running.

"ROGERS!" Tony yelled and took off after him.

oOo

After the snow ball war, (yes it was a war, Thor declared it so, Children were involved, mothers scolded them but that's beside the point) they all set in Starbucks, red faced, tired and eager to get warm.

Tony and Steve set at their own table. Tony set beside Steve, so tired he rested his head on his shoulder.

"I'm going to be sick, I can feel it, I'm going to have a cold and I'm forcing you to take care of me," Tony warned and Steve smiled softly before taking a sip of his hot chocolate.

Steve put an arm around Tony, trying to warm him up (at least that's what he'd tell Tony if he asked).

"Tony...thank you," Steve said and Tony lifted his head to look up at him.

"For what? Letting you join my team during the snow ball war?" Tony asked and Steve laughed.

"No, but thanks for that too, Clint and Natasha we're killing me," Steve said with amusement.

"What I'm thanking you for…is making me face my fears," Steve said and Tony smiled.

"No problem, Cap," Tony assured him and grabbed his cup to take a sip.

He had an urge to do something, and he didn't care if it was too risky, it was rare he ever had the courage to do something like this.

When Tony put his cup down, he leaned forward quickly and kissed him on the cheek.

"Really, thank you," he said sincerely before standing up to go sit with the others as if he hadn't done a thing.

Tony sat there for a moment, heart hammering in his chest, cheeks a little redder then before.

This day went a lot better than he planned.

He stood up quickly to follow Steve, "Wait for me, Snow Bunny."

The End.