It had been six months since the Avengers defeat over Loki and restoring peace to the world and six months since they had all gone their separate ways. There was no word from Nick Fury that their services were needed once more and for that Steve is grateful. Something is missing for him though and he can feel it niggling at the back of his mind night and day. Without the Avengers there is no Tony Stark. Their nights of stolen moments, kisses and more intimate things have passed and they had both agreed to leave it alone. They had come to a mutual agreement that they wouldn't see or speak to each other unless it was a matter of duty. At the time, Steve had thought it was the best decision to make and he knew that Tony was going back to his regular life which included Pepper. Steve hates the thought of Tony wrapped around another person and it makes his stomach churn.
He doesn't understand why he feels this way. After all, it had never been about emotional intimacy and always about sex. It had been great sex but Steve had never felt anything deeper and he is certain that Tony never had either. It wasn't until a few weeks after the Avenger disassembled that he'd began to feel a deep rooted sadness and noticed how cold his bed was at night. He had come to realize that he desperately missed Tony. Sometimes Steve had eve dreamt about him and woken with a tear or two rolling down his cheeks. He feels stupid and weak, hates himself for falling in love wit someone that could never love him back. Tony would never love him back.
Steve raises his face from his hands and looks around the small diner that he's found on the road. That's what he's been doing for the last six months, travelling and learning about this new modern world. It's been enlightening to say the least but it hasn't replaced Tony for him. He reaches into his jeans pocket and extracts the cellphone that he had picked up while still working with the Avengers. It's a strange little machine to Steve but he's always been intelligent and figured it out rather quickly. Tony may have helped him a little. He presses his thumb against the touchscreen to highlight the contacts icon and when the menu comes up, he scrolls through the numbers. There aren't many. When Tony's name is highlighted, his thumb lingers over screen before he takes the plunge. He raises the phone to his ear and listens to the other end ring. Steve is quietly praying that Tony doesn't answer.
"Hello."
That familiar voice floods throught he phone and Steve feels his heart drop to the floor. He wasn't expecting Tony to answer but now that he has, Steve doesn't know what to do. His jaw is slack and the voice comes over the phone again.
"Hello? Who is this?"
Steve doesn't say anything but quickly disconnects the call and drops the phone onto the counter. His heart is beating in triple time and his stomach is roiling. He's distracted when a waitress comes over and poors more coffee into his nearly empty cup.
"Sir, are you alright?" She asks, polite and brow knit in concern. "You look live you've just seen a ghost."
Steve is grateful for the distraction and forces his breathing to even and his heart to calm down. He offers the waitress a small smile.
"Yes. I'm fine. Thank you." He answers.
She returns the smile and sets the coffee pot down on the counter. "I don't mean to step over any boundaries but I know that look. I've been working in this diner for a long time and met a lot of people along the way. So many of the men that have stopped in here have looked just as you do."
Steve gives her a confused glance, not understanding.
The waitress smiles once more and it's gentle and kind. "Don't wait until it's too late. Go get the person you love, whoever they are."
Steve is stunned and he stares at the woman for a long moment, wondering how she could possibly have been able to read him the way she did. He realizes that she must be telling the truth about the people over the years that had stopped into this diner. He reaches into his pocket and pulls cash from the material of his jeans to pay for the coffee and he leaves a generous extra amount to tip the waitress. Her advice may have been surprising but it was accurate. Steve needs Tony. It's more than just physical.
"Thank you." He says and bolts from the restaurant.
New York City is bustling as it always is. In seventy years that is the one thing that has never changed and Steve is standing in the middle of it. He's staring up at Stark tower in the midst of a remodel. From the outside it looks as though it is liveable again and he assumes that Tony is inside. He's rooted to his spot though, terrified to go forward and even more terrified of confronting Tony. He doesn't know how this will go and he fears the worst. Steve takes a deep breath and forces one foot in front of the other until he's practically running to the tower. He doesn't notice how beautiful the lobby to the penthouse is in it's modern contemporary art and sofas. There's a receptionist at the desk and Steve practically skids to a stop, startling the poor woman.
"Is Tony Stark in?" He asks, breathless.
"He's in his penthouse." She answers. "Is he expecting you?"
Steve shakes his head. "No, no he isn't but I really need to see him. It's urgent."
"Your name, sir?"
"Steve Rogers."
A look of recognition flashes across her face and her mouth forms in a silent "oh". This confuses Steve but he can't be bothered to figure out what the reaction mean. He waits, somewhat impatiently, as the receptionist picks up the phone at her desk and presses a single button. She tells the person on the other end that she has a Steve Rogers at the desk and she doesn't finish the sentence before she's cut off.
"Yes, sir. Right away." She places the receiver back onto the cradle and looks up to Steve. "You may go up, Mr. Rogers. I'll buzz you in."
"Thank you." Steve's whole face splits into a huge grin and he has to stop himself from running to the elevator.
The ride up to the top of Stark tower is nerve wracking and Steve is chewing on the inside of hsi cheek in nervousness. He doesn't know how Tony will react to seeing him and vice versa. He can only think that Tony will reject him, turn him away and pretend that nothing had happened between them. Though that doesn't make much sense because Steve knows Tony didn't have to let him come up. Of course, maybe he was actually going to be a man and tell Steve off on his own. Either way, Steve is a wreck and he can't wait for this to be over. The familiar ding of the elevator sounds and the door slide open. It's the moment of truth and standing there in front of him, waiting, is Tony Stark.
Steve's breath catches in his throat. Tony is still beautiful and Steve has to keep from shoving the man against the wall and taking him.
Tony stares at Steve for a moment and then his mouth splits into a grin. "What are you doing here? Couldn't stay away, huh? You're not the first to find me irresistable."
This irritates Steve more than he can explain and for a moment he thinks it would be better to turn around and leave but he knows better. He knows Tony. The snark, the faked confidence is all a ruse. Something to hide the fact that beneath it all Tony is a person with real emotions and just as much bullshit to deal with as the next person. Tony is no stranger to near death experiences and the shrapnel buried in his heart is a constant reminder of that. Steve often found that the time after their midnight romps was the only time Tony would talk and open up. The second dawn came Tony would clam up again, making his feelings unreachable to Steve.
"Shut up, Tony." Steve spats. "You have no idea what it's been like the last six months."
Tony looks uncomfortable and his eyes look from one side to the other to see if anyone is around before ushering Steve into his penthouse. When the door is closed, he turns on Steve, eyes betraying him. They flash with confusion, anger, excitement and just maybe...a little bit of love.
"We agreed." Tony retorts. "We agreed to stop the charade, Steve. It was a mutual decision that the only relationship we would have is a business one. What happened to that?"
Steve shakes his head. "I can't live like that. I know it was just supposed to be physical but it turned into something more, something deeper."
Tony's shoulders slump and he frowns faintly. "Steve...I just..."
When he doesn't finish his sentence, Steve jumps at the opportunity. He takes hold of Tony and kisses him, smashing his lips against the other man's and his hands are tight on Tony's arms. Tony's body immediately goes lax against his own and Steve's tongue is prying past his lips, groaning faintly.
It's all familiar. Tony's taste, the way his body feels curled against his own, the heat between them. In a blur of motion and shedding clothes, Steve's back is pressed to the bed and Tony is hovering over him. In the time that they had spent on the aircraft, Steve sneaking into Tony's room at night he had always taken control. Now it was Tony who had the upper hand and Steve is watching in awe of this man. There's a new gentleness to the way Tony is touching him, kissing him and steve somehow knows that this time is different. It's not just sex out of boredom or lust but there's love behind it.
Steve is leaning on his elbows, teeth worrying at his lip as Tony's is pressing against him. He's always been the one on top and this new sensation is scary but Tony is gentle. Tony eases into him and Steve's eyes flutter closed. The way Tony is thrusting into him, slowly at first and then picking up the pace is different but it feels so, so good. Steve relaxes onto his back, moaning and when Tony's lips are against his own, electricity lights through him. His fingers entangle in Tony's hair and his hips rise to meet Tony's rhythm. The sensations running through him are overwhelming and it's over too soon.
His back arches as Tony's comes inside of him and a hot stickiness spreads over his belly. Tony collapses on top of him, slick with sweat and exhausted but Steve doesn't want to let him go. His fingers are playing in Tony's hair and he can't wipe the smile from his face. When Tony rolls off of him, Steve turns to his side to look at the man.
"Tony..." He mumurs.
"Hm?"
"I..." He can't finish the sentence, the words lodge in his throat.
"Don't, Steve. Not now." Tony mutters.
It isn't the response that Steve had been hoping for and he feels his heart cracking like glass but it doesn't break. Not yet. He has to remember that Tony has many of his own demons to deal with and that he needs to be patient. He is willing to wait for as long as it takes for Tony to love him back.