Laser Light
Captain America A.K.A Steve Rogers was sat at the Helipad kitchen table, munching on Krave, an early morning meal choice and a chocolaty luxury that he had strangely become extremely fond of. Black Widow/Natasha had introduced him to the cheap super store delicacy, an experience he was grateful for.
Bruce Banner, better known as Hulk and their pet Asgardian Thor walked into the room as he stared into his bowl of muddy milk. A lot had changed since his time. He missed the things he was used to, the people he had known and loved, though not all the changes were bad. He had new friends now, including the one that he wished was more than just a friend.
That, unfortunately, was a wish that was never going to come true, not matter how much he wanted it. They were taken, after all. It was never going to happen.
"How are you Steve?" Bruce asked nervously, as per usual. That was something that was never going to change, at least.
"Oh. Oh! Me? Yeah, I'm good."
"Something seems to be bothering you, my star encrusted friend." Thor offered, trying to make him speak.
Of course something was up. Steve was thinking of that one person he could never have. Thinking of what they were up to at this precise moment.
"No, it's nothing. Say, what are the others up to?" He asked, knowing that he would gain the answers he wanted, no, needed, that way.
"Well, Natasha and Clint are off on a mission, Fury insisted that the woman and the Hawk go together. I was practising my hammer throwing." Bruce nodded.
"I've been in the labs all morning, comforting a very upset Tony." Steve snapped out of his trance.
"Why, what's wrong?"
"The Pepper maiden seems to have abandoned him." Thor commented, shaking his head in silent pity.
"The poor guy really liked her. She left him for a reason he won't say. He needs to find something to do to get it off his mind, but he's got Pepper on the brain." Steve finished his bowl of cereal, dumped it into the soap-sud and bubble encrusted sink, and grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair.
"I'll go and check on him." Steve left the room.
Natasha and Clint dropped from the ceiling. Black Widow turned to Hawk Eye.
"Fifty bucks says Stevie confesses."
"Fifty says that he chickens out."
"Deal!"
...
Toni was sat tinkering at his extremely messy work-desk, pondering the break-up. Pepper had been different. She had almost confirmed that he was into...but she hadn't given it the final push, the one that he had.
When she had found out, Pepper was good about it. The break-up went fine in fact and they were still good friends. It was just having to admit that he, Tony Stark, genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist was...no, he was still too weak to even admit it. But Pepper had told him. And Pepper was right.
"Tony, are you okay? Can I get you a coffee or something?" That voice. That one voice had ruined his longest relationship, denied him of sleep for weeks and even when he had slept, that one voice and the owner of that voice had managed to infiltrate his dreams and make them oh-so-good. Too good.
"No, I'm fine Cap'n." Steve pulled out a chair and sat down next to him.
"You, refusing coffee? What next? What are you working on?" Toni put down his screwdriver.
"I'm upgrading my laser system so that the trajectory combined with the force of gravity will mean missiles can be accepted at long distance ranges..." He stopped as Steve raised an eyebrow.
"I mean, I'm making my lasers hit targets better." Steve smiled and nodded. He was so pure and innocent, not having the slightest clue about technology. He wasn't usually interested in Tony's and Bruce's projects, thinking it better that he stay out of the way of what he didn't understand. This sudden spark of interest surprised Tony.
"Come on, I'll teach you how it works if you want. I might even let you try it." Steve nodded and grinned. This stolen moments where nothing mattered and they could just chill were beatitude.
They walked into the back room where Tony tested out the Iron Man armour each time it was upgraded. In STARK Tower there was a whole floor dedicated to that, but while working with S.H.I.E.L.D, he only got one room.
Tony slipped on the glove he had been working on.
"All you have to do with this is use the force of your hand mass to ignite the trigger..." He sighed.
"Push your hand down on the switch." He aimed at the wall and stretched out his palm, moving the sudden laser around until his signature was on the wall and he was satisfied.
"The currents been thinned so it's easier to aim...as in no great big boom that you can't control, but more steady stream of energy. Here," He slipped the glove of and handed it to his friend, before walking towards the door.
"Have a play with it for five minutes. If you can figure it out, I may even teach you about other stuff." The door slid shut automatically behind the goatee-bearing scientist.
Steve put on the glove, feeling around for the switch. It was actually quite a simple system. He only had to straighten his hand out and oh look a smiley face. Easy. He smirked, nodded to himself in congratulations. Hah. That showed Tony. He could use brand new technology after all. After being given a crash course, of course.
His mind drifted as his hand moved. Tony seemed to be happy that Steve was interested. He had managed to distract him and make him happy, if only for a little while. Not only that, Tony had taught him a lot in the past ten minutes. Sure, most of it he would never really need, but it was good to know nevertheless.
Tony. Tony had taught him so much since he met the man. They had laughed, fought, gotten drunk and Steve didn't feel like he could ever repay him. Yet, he needed more.
Steve woke up from yet another Tony induced trance to find a huge heart on the far wall. Tony's signature had been caught inside of it, and above it were Steve's own signature and a plus symbol. Oh God. Tony was meant to be coming back any second now. Did he have time to scribble it out? He raised a hand to blast it away...
...When another hand grasped his arm.
"Quite the artist, aren't we Capsicle?" Steve froze, looked down at the floor in the opposite direction, and blushed. Damn. Busted!
"I...uh...well..." He couldn't think of what to say. How could he even start?
...
Toni was also shocked to high heaven, but in a good way. The heart on the wall, his blush, his stutter, his eyes searching for any hint of hatred, all were so cute. He would have thought it was impossible for a ninety year old to be so cute.
Well, apparently not this one.
He loosened his grip on Steve's arm and nodded at the wall.
"Activate the laser." Steve wasn't in the right position to protest, so did as told. A message was forming in front of his eyes, one so brilliant, he couldn't believe it. Just a quick E.V.A later and the message was complete.
'Iron Man loves Captain America 4 eva.'
Steve's arm dropped as he stared at the message, trying to wrap his out-dated brain around the scenario. He could only whisper four words to Tony, four words that made Tony want to hug and kiss and cuddle with him forever.
"You...like me back?" It was so quiet yet so powerful that it didn't logically make sense. Tony slipped inbetween the soldier's arms and hugged the taller man, before standing on his tip-toes to be just under eye-to-eye level.
"Yes, yes I do, have for a while. The whole break up? Your fault." Steve blushed again.
"I'm sorry..."
"Don't be. Pepper thought it was adorable. I haven't told the others yet." Steve stared at him in a funny fashion that made Toni feel self-conscious. He didn't like that. He never felt self conscious.
"What are you looking at me like that for?" He asked. Steve nudged his knee, making him fall back on to his feet.
"You looked uncomfortable on tip-toe like that." It was true, his feet, even in that short moment, had started to ache.
"But now I have to look up. People are meant to look up at me." Steve suddenly got onto his knees, a gesture that made Tony stop and grin.
"Better?"
"Much better Cap'n. Now, I'm in charge." Tony leant down and planted a kiss on the soldier's lips, much sweeter, romantic and tender than Steve was going to give him credit for. They quickly broke apart.
"Oh." He sounded disappointed. Tony knew why. Yet again, lips struck, this time harsher and more passionate, tongues battling as hard as the two men could. Steve was satisfied that time.
"But how are we going to tell the others?" Steve mumbled. Tony grinned.
"Pyrotechnics! Calligraphy for world-wide observational purposes!" Steve waited.
"Oops, I mean, I'm going to write it in fireworks."
"Okay...what are fireworks?"
...
"Steve didn't confess!"
"But he didn't chicken out either! I should get the money because they got together!"
"Fine, foul play, bet off." The whispered argument in the air vent was drawing to a close. They were fond of their bets.
Natasha nudged Clint.
"Fifty dollars says the fireworks are blue, red and white." Clint rolled his eyes.
"Fifty says their red and yellow."
"Deal!
Black Widow was fifty dollars richer that night.
...
OHMYGOSH That turned out a heck of a lot better than I thought it would. I love writing Thor. I might do some ThunderFrost or some Stark Spangled Banner at some point.