Tony was tired. He just ended another Stark Industries board meeting. Although, Pepper was in charge of the company now, he still had to show on them from time to time. The elevator stopped on his floor in the Avengers Tower. He got out, loosing his tie. Man, his head hurt. All he wanted to do now was to find Steve and get some comfort from him. As he was going further he heard some noises. Some barking, meowing. Steve was probably watching an animal documentary. He still didn't like modern TV programs so, if he wasn't watching History channel it was Animal Planet. He went into the lounge, opening his mouth to tell Steve to make the volume lower when something caught his eye. Something furry ran right in from of him. The furry thing was chased by another furry thing. He looked around. There were kittens climbing his furniture. Cats sleeping on every surface. Dogs playing with his stuff. Puppies rolling around, barking in happy voices. Tony froze. He thought that he was just very tired and shut his eyes, hoping that when he will open them the image will disappear. It didn't.
"Oh, you're back!" he heard a cheerful voice. Steve approached him caring in his arms two kittens, which seemed delighted by that. "How was it?" he kissed Tony's cheek. Tony was looking at him dumbfounded. He put his finger on one of the kittens' head as to test if it was real. The kitten protested with a high-pitched "meow" and shook it's head. Tony shut his eyes. It was real.
"Honey?"
"What is it, Tony?"
"Why there are pets everywhere?"
"A.. you noticed.." Steve said with a small laugh.
"Of course I noticed!" Tony snapped, "Why are they here?!"
"Tony, don't scream, you're scaring them," Steve answered in a soft voice, putting both kittens on the floor. They didn't mind Tony's outburst and just started to happily wrestle with each other. Steve's eyes got softer as he was looking at them. Tony's didn't.
"Hey, I'm talking to you!" he snapped impatiently. Steve looked at him with big blue eyes.
"They closed the animal shelter, Tony! They wanted to put all of them to sleep, I couldn't let them!" he whined.
"Steeeveee, you should have called me!" Tony grunted, squeezing the bridge of his nose.
"I knew you wouldn't let me take them so why.." Tony interrupted him.
"I could have bought that damned shelter for you!" he said irritated.
"Oohh.." Steve made a dumb expression. "I.. I didn't thought of that.."
"Well, obviously you didn't!" Tony looked angrily at him. Why Steve had to be so damn nice to everyone? Tony already told him numerous times, that he can't save the whole world, but it still didn't stop him from trying. In the next second his mouth contorted with pain as one of the kittens decided it would by fun to climb up Tony's leg using it little claws. The little creature was doing a good job, but still was too week and after a while slid down, ripping the fabric.
"Cute, veeery cute" Tony growled at the kitten. The kitten didn't care and just looked up at him with it's big eyes and squeaked in delight.
"Don't be like that, it is just a baby," Steve said sounding hurt, kneeling down to the kitten. "Go play with your sisters and brothers, daddy has to talk with mommy," he said, giving the kitten a gentle shove. Tony's eye twitched. Since when he became a "mommy"?
"Hey, Tony.."
"Hm?"
"So.. can we keep them?"
"GAH!" Tony jolted in his bed, sitting up. He was clenching the covers with his fists. It was dark, the only source of light was his arc reactor. He looked frantically around making sure that there are no pets in the room.
"Tony, what's wrong?" Steve mumbled. Tony jumped again.
"Tony?" Steve repeated sitting up, looking at the frantic movements of the arc reactor.
"Steve, quick! Tell me one of your flaws!"
"W-what?"
"Do it!"
"I-I.." he stuttered, "I don't know how a DVD player works?" he blurted, knowing that this is certainly something Tony considers a flaw.
Tony was silent for a moment. Then he snorted.
"That will do" he said, lying back in the bed.
"Tony, what was.." Tony didn't let him finish.
"Shh, I wanna sleep" he mumbled into his pillow.
Steve was looking at the brunet for a while. Then he also lied down, looking at Tony's back.
"You're weird, Tony" he said, sounding offended. Tony snorted again and turned around to face Steve. He could see in the light of arc reactor that Steve was pouting.
"You love me being weird," he said, drawing the blonde closer to him, kissing his hair.
"Unfortunately..." Steve sighed.
I was thinking recently why do I always pick on Tony. Obviously, Tony is my fav., but I also love Steve. And then it occurred to me. Steve is too goddam nice! and it is not easy to pick up on people who are nice! and, let's face it, Tony sometimes deserves to be pick up on, and sometimes he even ask himself for that! So I started intensively thinking about Steve's flaws. And nothing came too me, because he is too nice. And bingo - being too nice is also a flaw..
oh, and I strongly encourage adopting pets from the pounds! I never adopted a one, because all of my pets were kicked out by their previous owners on the street (those lousy, good for nothing bastard..) and we took care of them. just remember people, adopt, not buy!