Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Challenges listed at the bottom.

Word Count: 1376


Opposites Attract


"Sorry, I'm late," Tony said, closing the door behind him.

Steve smiled at him from where he was sitting on the bed, his back to the headboard, flicking through the channels on the tv. "It's fine. I haven't been waiting long."

Tony thought about calling him on his lie but decided against it. It was relatively early in the evening, and they had to spend the whole night together.

"You know, you're unlike any man I've ever known," Steve said, when Tony draped his jacket over the back of the lone chair in the room. "I know you've been at work all day, I know that you definitely snuck off to R&D for at least half of it because you always do, and yet you still manage to show up here looking flawless."

Tony snorted. The reason he looked flawless was because he always showered and changed before joining Steve at the hotel.

"Well. Would you care to share a glass of wine with a man not quite like anyone else you've met?" Tony asked, picking up the room service menu. "Because it's been a day, and wine sounds fantastic."

"How about hot chocolate instead?" Steve asked, as Tony toed his shoes off, lining them up just so again the wall. His bright yellow socks made him smile slightly; he did like a pop of colour on his person at all times.

Tony wrinkled his nose. "Really?"

Steve nodded, a hopeful smile on his face and Tony sighed because damn him and his adorableness and damn Tony himself, and his inability to tell this man no.

He joined Steve on the bed, fluffing the pillow behind him, and then pointed Steve to the phone. "You can call for it if you're making me eschew alcohol. And have them send up something utterly unhealthy too please. An obscene amount of chocolate is definitely necessary."

They had an odd set up, the two of them. As soulmates, they had to be close to each other a few times a month, and as friends, they enjoyed one another's company.

But… the feeling that Tony had heard about, the one that spoke of instant love and attraction and adoration… it seemed to be missing for them.

Or it seemed to be missing for Steve at least, and Tony hadn't been stupid enough to wear his heart on his sleeve since he was ten years old, so when Steve hadn't reacted to it, Tony had suggested this.

A night a week in a hotel where they could lie beside each other and get the contact that they needed.

When Steve had accepted it easily, Tony knew he'd made the right decision. He could only imagine how embarrassing it would have been, had he been all gushy and… tragic, and Steve had had to awkwardly tell him thanks but no thanks.

At least this way, Tony could hang onto the last threads of his dignity and pretend like it didn't bother him that Steve was perfectly happy just being friends with him, despite the many years Tony had waited for his soulmate.

The green sheet beneath them was entirely covered with candy wrappers, and though Steve had made an attempt to clean up, he'd quickly given up against the combined power of their sweet-tooth.

"Can we watch a different movie?" Tony requested, grimacing at the screen. "I feel like my brain is about to slip out of my ear if we keep watching this."

Steve chuckled. "We can't have that, can we, genius?"

He sounded so fond, and it made Tony's chest ache.

Tony leant against Steve's shoulder, his eyes closing as Steve flipped the channel.

"Is it too early for breakfast?" Tony asked, a while later, eyeing the darkness outside the window. The curtains were mostly closed, but there was a gap, because Steve had never quite got the hang of pulling them fully shut. That or he liked the slight bit of moonlight filtering through.

"It's three in the bloody morning," Steve replied, laughter in his voice as he wrapped his arm around Tony's shoulders and pulled him closer, hugging him into his side. "Go back to sleep."

"Oops," Tony muttered, closing his eyes again. He hadn't actually realised he'd fallen asleep.

The thing about him and Steve, Tony figured, was that opposites were supposed to attract. Tony was wild, Steve was steady. Tony thought with his heart too often, whereas Steve was capable of thinking with his head when he needed too. Tony was emotionally constipated, Steve was… well, Steve probably was a little bit emotionally constipated too actually, but they were still practically opposites.

And Tony was definitely attracted, but he could understand why Steve wasn't. Tony was a disaster on a good day, after all.

Steve probably wanted someone composed, someone that was the same in the morning as he was in the evening, someone that wouldn't mess up within an hour.

Someone that wasn't Tony.

The aroma of bacon was the first thing Tony noticed when he stepped out of the bathroom. There were an array of breakfast plates on a silver trolly beside the bed, and Steve was waiting for him, practically salivating.

"You could have started eating," Tony murmured, as he rejoined his soulmate. "I wouldn't have minded."

"That would be rude," Steve replied softly, even as he cut into his first pancake. "The food is always great here though, right?"

Tony's lips tilted up as he nodded. He'd be surprised if the food wasn't good, given how much he paid for the room, but Steve didn't need to know that.

Tony picked at the bacon before he pulled the waffles towards him.

"I'm heading out of town on Thursday. Should only be gone until Tuesday but we'll have to shift our usual Monday night to Tuesday."

"Oh," Steve said, and his dismay was evident, much to Tony's confusion. "Okay, that's fine."

"Steve?"

Steve sighed, dropping his fork onto the plate with a clang. "I just… whenever you go out of town, the media goes wild about who you're going to be meeting and sleeping with and I just… I don't like it, okay? It's fine, Tony, this is my problem. Don't worry about it."

Tony frowned. "Okay, putting aside that the media are a trainwreck, why does that bother you, Steve?"

Steve blinked at him. "Why would it not? You're my soulmate, Tony. I know you wanted to keep it simple but," he shook his head. "I can't just switch it off like that. Trying to not want you isn't natural."

"Wait, wait," Tony said, putting his hand up. "Rewind and pause. Steve, I only suggested this because you didn't seem exactly enthused when you found out I was your soulmate. I thought this was what you wanted!"

Steve shook his head. "I was surprised that someone like you could be meant for someone like me, but in the best way possible, Tony. You're so smart, and so kind and generous, and let's be honest here, you're absolutely gorgeous. I was just… surprised. But then you were saying we should just keep it secret and meet up on Monday nights to get the required closeness and I didn't want to pressure you so I just… didn't say anything."

"Jesus," Tony muttered, rubbing his hand across his face. "This is a mess."

Steve reached out and squeezed his hand hesitantly. "Doesn't have to be. Seems to me that we both want the same thing, hmm?"

Tony looked at him, and nodded slightly. "Maybe. I, uh. You should come with me."

"Hmm?"

"On my trip. You should come with me."

"You—really?"

Tony nodded. "Yeah. You should come. It'll be, uh, groovy."

Steve blinked. "Did you just say groovy?"

Tony shook his head vigorously. "No. No I did not, you're delirious."

Laughing, Steve leant forward and pressed his lips to Tony's in a soft, chaste kiss. "You think we can do this?"

Tony nodded. "I think we can give it a damn good try. You'll come with me?"

"Yeah… yeah, I'd really like that."

Tony—as much as he tried—couldn't predict the future, but he had a feeling he and Steve didn't have much to worry about.

Opposites attract, after all.


Written for:

Character Appreciation: 8. "Well. Would you care to share a glass of wine with a man not quite like anyone else you've met?"

Showtime: 16. A Christmas Story - (item) Socks

Elizabeth's Empire: 30. (action) hugging someone

Sophie's Shelf: 2. Aroma

Scamander's Case: 6. Green

Christmas Eve Boxes: Festive Film: The Muppet Christmas Carol: (dialogue) "Is it too early for breakfast?"

Snow Globe Maker: 11. Deluminator: (word) Darkness

Ugly Sweaters: Design: Fairisle - (AU) Soulmates

Advent Calendar: Restriction: Only male characters

Nativity: The Wise Men: "Sorry I'm late."

Holiday Crackers: Trinkets: Candy Wrappers

Fill A Christmas Stocking: 8. Warm Socks: (drink) hot chocolate

Write Letter's To Santa: Prompt 6: 4. Seriously, how do you visit every house in one night?: (dialogue) "It's three in the bloody morning."

Big Dinner Bash: Peas: "I feel like my brain is about to slip out of my ear."

Toy Making: Toy Train: 5. Hotel Room

Christmas Party: 10. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Pentatonix: (word) dismay

Pop Figures: Pop!Rocks: 27. John Lennon: (word) Groovy

Stickers: Dragon - Shrek: 2. Trope: Opposites attract

Insane: 67. Natural