Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.
Challenges listed at the bottom.
Word Count - 451
Playing Favourites
"It's fate," the woman simpered in Tony's arms. "Fate has brought us together for you to save me."
"Fate's got a twisted sense of humour," Tony muttered, depositing the woman with the other survivors.
He could hear Clint and Bucky chortling through the comms, and growled lowly, rolling his eyes.
"Why do I always get the loonies?" he asked, as he took off from the ground again, his repulsors firing him up into the air.
"You're the more classic superhero," Clint replied sagely. "They pay more attention to you because you're shiny."
"I'm going to let you drop in the next battle," Tony warned. "Just you wait. You're going to be waiting for my shiny suit to fly in and save you, Merida, and it won't."
Clint scoffed in disbelief, which… fair, because Tony wouldn't actually let him fall.
"Cap, the kids are picking on me again," he complained instead, smiling to himself when he heard Steve chuckle.
"I think we're done here, aren't we?" Natasha asked. "Shield can handle the clear up from here."
"This is why you're my favourite," Tony replied. "You have the best ideas."
"We all know who your real favourite is," Bucky replied cheekily, and Tony could only imagine how flushed Steve was at the salacious tone.
"You caught me. Obviously it's Thor."
"Tony, are you flying back with us, or meeting us at the tower?" Steve asked, interrupting the chatter.
"I'll fly back with you," Tony confirmed. "Suit took a bit of a bashing today. I'm a minute out from the Quinjet."
"Got it."
…
Tony landed on the ramp to the Quinjet 56 seconds later, and Steve pressed the release catch for him, grinning at the genius when he stepped out of the suit as Clint took off.
"So, I hear Thor's your favourite," Steve murmured, when Tony flopped into his lap, not even pretending to be interested in taking his own seat.
"Hmm, buff, blonde… absolutely gorgeous, what's not to like?" Tony asked, smiling back at him cheekily.
"You know, I think you might have got your superheroes confused," Steve replied, nosing at Tony's cheek. "Because Thor isn't the one that brings you breakfast in bed, or spends hours massaging the kinks out of your back."
Tony pressed a soft kiss to Steve's lips. "You might be right about that. Thor is the one that carries the shiny round shield, right? Wears red, white, and star-spangled?"
Steve shook his head. "You're okay, right? No injuries?"
"Nothing that a good massage won't fix, sweetheart, I promise. I'm good. You're good?"
"I'm good."
"Hmm. I love you. You know you're definitely my favourite, right?"
"Of course I do… it doesn't hurt to hear it though."
Written for:
North Funfair: Sing Along, 5. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas: 1. Fate
East Funfair: Cookies For Santa: 8. Chocolate Chip Cookies: Classic
365: 327. Twisted