After Tony stuffed him full of rolls, and then gave him a few more on top of that, they moved into the living room. Steve slumped down on the couch, feeling more full than he could remember in a long time. His chicken breasts and whole wheat bread were good and all, but they paled in comparison to these rolls and bacon. He could get used to a little variety. Tony flopped down on his own couch, moaning as he rubbed his stomach.
"Never let me eat that much again," Tony groaned, rolling over on his side to face Steve. He let out a burp, scrunching his nose at the smell. "Got any ideas for lunch?"
"You're thinking about lunch already?" Steve asked, grimacing at the thought of more food.
"We'll play it by ear," Tony decided, closing his eyes. Steve bit his lip, hoping Tony wasn't about to fall asleep. He didn't know what he'd do then. But then he remembered keeping him up all night and he felt guilty, knowing the other man must be tired. Steve could deal on his own if Tony needed rest. He was just about to get up when the cell phone in Tony's pocket started ringing. Tony grumbled as he pulled it out, putting it to his ear without even looking at who it was.
"Yeah?" Tony answered, listening with no reaction for a few moments while whoever was on the other line was talking. "Already? That's great. I'll be there in five." Tony hung up the phone, shooting him a sly look.
"Is everything okay?" Steve asked, nervous about what Tony was up to.
"How would you feel about being my bodyguard for a few minutes?" Tony proposed.
"What? What's going on?" Steve questioned, bouncing up from his seat to be ready for action.
"Simmer down, it's nothing serious," Tony laughed, rolling off the couch and stretching. "I just need to oversee a delivery and installation. Maybe sign a few papers. You'll be there to make sure they don't take advantage of me."
"Right," Steve scoffed, as if Tony needed any help when it came to stuff like that.
"Okay, maybe I just want you to see what I bought," Tony shrugged, waving him over to the elevator. Steve followed, because even though he was suspicious, he was glad to not be left alone. They only went down a few flights, just below one of the gyms. Steve didn't think he'd been here before. There was a harried looking man waiting for them just outside the elevator, shouting commands at a team of men unloading a giant box.
"I see all is going well, Ralph," Tony said, nodding in approval.
"Only you could make something like this happen on such short notice, the day after a holiday," Ralph replied, shaking Tony's hand.
"Everyone knows I tip well," Tony smirked, going closer to the men working. Steve remained by the elevator, happy to stay out of the way. He watched Tony do his thing, moving around the room and directing everything like he was born to do it. He pretty much was, after what he'd seen of Howard back in the day. They both always seemed most comfortable in front of an audience, but after these last few days, Steve could see there was more to Tony than the showman persona. Steve wasn't the only one who put on an act for people.
"Isn't she beautiful?" Tony asked, calling over to him from across the room. Steve slowly approached, eyeing the focus of Tony's desires. It was a big, plastic bowl type thing.
"What is it?" Steve asked, running his finger along the edge.
"It's a hot tub!" Tony grinned, leaning down to rest his face on top of the side.
"Is it like a really small pool?" Steve questioned, watching as a worker was screwing something into the base.
"It's like a permanently filled bath, but better," Tony explained.
"Why is it so big? Are we supposed to all bathe together?" Steve asked. This didn't seem like the best way to ease him back into the team. That was a pretty big leap.
"With swimsuits," Tony chuckled, stepping up next to him to point out different features. "These jets here will give you the massage of your dreams. And you can turn the temperature up to as hot as you can stand. This baby is top of the line and can fit all of us at the same time, just so long as Bruce doesn't stray too far along the color wheel." Steve grabbed his arm, pulling Tony into a quiet corner where no one would be able to hear their conversation.
"Did you get this for me?" Steve whispered, furrowing his brow.
"No," Tony denied, but then sighed when he saw Steve's face. "Okay, not just for you."
"Tony," Steve moaned, running a hand through his hair. "This is too much." How could he explain that the stupid little welcome note meant more to him than a giant communal bathtub ever could? That giving him autonomy over his floor meant more than all the furniture that filled it.
"Really, it's not just for you, it's for all of us. If it was just for you, I would've put it on your floor," Tony admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "Natasha was telling the truth before, when she said we never did anything together. I figured this was a good way for all of us to spend some time together, without having to worry about doing something, you know?"
"I never thought me leaving would matter that much," Steve mumbled, staring at his feet.
"Of course you matter. We all matter. We just haven't been very good at showing that to each other," Tony insisted. "But I'm going to do anything I can to make you want to stay."
"I am staying. I don't really have anywhere else to go," Steve sighed.
"But I want you to want to stay. I don't want you to be here because there aren't any other options. I want you to sit on the couch on your floor or at the dining table on the common floor and actually be happy."
"I want that too, but I'm scared to let myself have it."
"I know. And God knows you have every right to, but I know one day that you'll have that moment, and I plan on being there to see it."
"I hope you're right," Steve whispered, hoping against hope that he would be able to just live for one minute without hurt.
"I'm always right," Tony chuckled, breaking the emotional moment in a way only he could. "Just wait until you get in this thing. If you like hot showers, you're gonna love this."
"I don't think I have a swimsuit," Steve admitted.
"Oh, I've got it handled. I have everything from board shorts to speedos," Tony laughed, wagging his eyebrows suggestively. Steve would be going for whatever was the most covered, that was for sure. "This isn't going to be ready for a few more hours at the least, so why don't we find something else to do for a while?"
"Thanks for the offer, but you really don't have to babysit me anymore," Steve said.
"I thought we were hanging out?" Tony said casually, bumping him on the elbow. "I won't stop you if you want to leave and do something else, but I've been enjoying spending time with you. This is actually the most fun I've had in a while."
"Me too," Steve confessed, and he realized he meant it. He thought when he came back that seeing Tony would remind him of everything that had happened before, but slowly those thoughts were being replaced by other things. Like Tony holding his leg while he cried in his hospital bed. Or Tony smiling at him when he showed him the closet of clothes. Or Tony just sitting next to him saying nothing, just being there. Those moments of constant underlying agony were slowly being replaced by moments of calm, without him even realizing it.
"Great. So, have you thought anymore about lunch?" Tony asked, grinning as they walked back to the elevator. Steve groaned, feeling his stomach clench in protest. Tony didn't seem to have any ideas when it came to things to do, and Steve was used to literally staring at walls for hours, so they ended up going into Tony's lab. Tony explained the different things he was working on, and Steve was happy enough to just sit and listen. It felt nice to not be expected to do anything and perform for others, instead just letting everyone else do their own thing around him.
"Pardon the interruption Sirs, but Ms. Romanoff is requesting Captain Rogers' presence on the common floor," Jarvis announced. Steve glanced over at Tony to see his reaction, but he didn't seem to have one. He wasn't really used to getting summoned to different floors, but he was kind of curious what she might want.
"You can go on ahead," Tony said, fiddling with a small gadget. "I guess I can learn to share you."
"Do you want to come too?" Steve offered, feeling kind of rude just abandoning Tony after he stuck by him all this time.
"I mean, I can if you really want me to, but I don't want to step on any toes either," Tony shrugged, setting down his tool. "I can always be on standby."
"Okay, thanks," Steve agreed, tapping on the table before leaving the room to head to the elevators. He didn't really need an escort and it was probably a good idea to see where Natasha's head was at before he subjected Tony to her. Steve hoped his moment with her at the dinner table changed her mind on how to act, because she was really the last barrier between the team coming back together as a somewhat cohesive unit. Bruce already seemed mostly okay, and Clint never fully lost his cool, but Natasha's influence could change that if she wanted it to.
Natasha was waiting for him when the elevator doors opened, Thor standing behind her holding a ton of shopping bags. She looked ready for a battle at the drop of a hat and Thor looked exhausted. Steve couldn't remember Thor looking anymore than slightly fatigued, and that was after battle.
"Perfect timing," Natasha grinned, coaxing him out of the elevator with a finger curl. Steve reluctantly followed, eyeing Thor as he trudged along with them. There were even more boxes stacked near the couches and Steve stared at them in shock.
"What all did you buy?" Steve asked, poking at what looked like a pile of stuffed animals.
"Little of this, little of that," Natasha brushed off, smiling as she picked up a package of cars. "I almost broke a woman's arm to get this one."
"What!" Steve shouted, rearing back. He thought Bruce said this trip wasn't going to be dangerous.
"She had it coming. I saw her snatching stuff from little kids," Natasha scoffed, tossing the toy back into the pile.
"But why did you buy all these toys? What are you planning on doing with them?"
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. How would you like to help me with a toy drive to help less fortunate kids?" Natasha suggested.
"I'm going to be Santa Claus!" Thor boasted, dropping his burden of bags onto the floor.
"You want my help?" Steve asked, feeling a strange mix of levity at the thought of helping others in a way that wasn't violent and crushing sadness at the realization that Christmas was coming up soon. His first Christmas now. His first Christmas alone.
"Of course I want your help. The whole team is going to be involved if I get my way, and you know I always do," Natasha smirked, giving him a wink.
"Even Tony?" Steve questioned.
"Even Tony," Natasha agreed, only the barest hint of annoyance leaking into her words. Well, that was progress.
"Okay, just tell me what you need me to do," Steve said, picking up a creepy looking baby doll.
"Nothing yet. I can barely stand to look at these things at this point," Natasha grunted, glaring at the toy in his hand.
"Natasha has promised to feed me, but she hasn't," Thor grumbled, looming over the two of them.
"And I will, now that we're done," Natasha sighed, patting Thor on the arm. "What do you want?"
"I could demolish an entire boar!" Thor boomed, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
"Anything a bit more realistic?" Natasha asked, looking at both of them for suggestions.
"What about pizza?" Steve offered, thinking back to Tony's idea from earlier. He hadn't had pizza since he left the tower.
"Meats and cheeses on top of a flatbread? That sounds perfect!" Thor laughed, wrapping an arm around Steve's shoulders and pulling him close. Steve let out a small grunt, but didn't pull away.
"That's a bit more doable. What kind do you want?" Natasha agreed.
"Whatever is fine," Steve said casually. How did he say that he was just used to eating whatever was ordered and never developed a preference? That sounded depressing, even to him.
"One of every kind they have it is," Natasha declared, walking off to give the orders to Jarvis.
"This material is quite soft," Thor remarked, running his hand along Steve's arm.
"Cashmere," Steve commented idly, trying to surreptitiously slide from Thor's grasp. A quick moment of contact was one thing, but this was a lot. "I can see if I have one that fits you on my floor?"
"That would be delightful!" Thor rumbled, crinkling his eyes in happiness. "I have a few things to take to my floor, but I can meet you on yours in a bit?"
"Okay," Steve agreed, walking to the elevator with Thor. Only Tony had been on his floor so far since he'd been back, but it wasn't like Steve had anything to hide. And Thor wasn't the type to snoop, at least not with the intent to be nosy. It was normal to invite people into your space, right? It was sure to go better than the time the whole team came to his apartment. Compared to that, this would be nothing. But he still couldn't see having team nights on his floor.
"I'll be back at once," Thor declared as the elevator let Steve off on his floor, leaving Thor to continue on his journey. This was the first time Steve had been alone on his floor since his incident this morning, but he found it wasn't affecting him like he'd feared. Maybe it was the knowledge that Thor would be coming right back, or perhaps the day of pressureless activities had helped settle him a bit. No matter what it was, Steve found that he liked the feeling. And he wanted to keep it going.