Author's Note: Whoops! The week was more eventful than I planned, but updates are back up in full swing!
"Track back to time stamp 3:12," Tony said quietly, toothbrush forgotten in the sink bowl as the video rewinded and continued moving after Steve set the newly discarded dress shirts on Tony's bedroom floor.
The blond still had one knee on the bed to balance himself and pulled the blankets up around Tony's passed out form. It was hard to miss this time, that look on Steve's face as he paused over Tony. The bob of the man's Adam's apple before he bent down and pressed his lips to Tony's forehead, eyes closed and lingering far longer than any friend or associate really should.
Had they had the kind of friendship that was physically affectionate this might not have thrown Tony for a loop. Hell, he might have brushed it aside as some weird side effect of thinking each other had died before seeing each other on the battlefield during the last fight with Thanos.
Steve combing Tony's hair back from his face gently with a sad smile really blew that theory out of the water though.
Tony copied the motion with his own hand through his hair. A shiver ran down Tony's spine at the touch he hadn't even been awake to feel. Would he have enjoyed it? Hell, in his state last night would he have slugged Steve or pulled him into bed?
Tony remembered to breath when he saw Steve pull away on the video, and very quickly, the soldier left the room.
"Friday, does that happen again?"
"No, boss. The Cap'n spends the rest of the time cleaning and working out. Then he moves the chair into your room to sleep," Friday reported.
In a tower full of bedrooms, including Steve's old rooms on the same floor, why the hell had he done that?
Sure enough, as the video sped up, Steve came back carrying the chair like it was nothing and set it down by the door and sleep.
Tony wiped the video away and stared at his own reflection in the mirror. He really did look like hell. Even after the shower and food, the last few weeks of drinking and refusing to sleep unless his body shut down for a few hours had taken their toll. He was sure the black eyes and cuts would have at least healed better if he'd done more of the whole sleeping thing at least.
That was all something Tony could take care of later. The real question now was...what the hell did he do with Steve Rogers?
Steve woke up abruptly when the chair he'd been sleeping in was kicked from the side.
"Rise and shine, Captain Fugitive."
Grunting, blinked blurrily up at Tony for a few seconds before scrubbing his eyes clear of grit and sitting up.
"That'd be clever if I was still a fugitive," Steve reasoned, voice thick from sleep.
He heard Tony make an odd noise and his eyes focused on the genius then, remembering all too clearly the man collapsing earlier.
"Feeling any better?" He asked. "Kinda scared me there for a second when you passed out."
Tony snorted, the man wasn't meeting his eyes. "Yeah, well it wasn't your charms that made me faint away. Lack of sleep and nutrients will do that though."
Back to this, okay. Steve was hoping at least the sarcasm might have faded. But the hard edge to Tony's voice was still present.
Steve stood, eyeing the man who at least looked clean and dressed in one of his normal band t-shirts. Steve slipped on his jacket and at least attempted to comb his own hair back into some kind of order. Slipping his hands into his jean pockets, Steve shrugged his shoulders.
"Should I make dinner, then?"
Author's Note: Whoops! Week was more eventful than I intended, but updates will be back in full swing!
Tony narrowed his eyes at Steve, arms folded firmly over the glow of his arc reactor. "Is getting rid of you anytime soon an option instead?" The genius quipped.
Steve felt one side of his mouth quirk up and felt warmer than he should have under that suspicious glare. "Nope."
He watched the genius let out a frustrated sigh, but it lacked the vicious bite from the previous night. "Fine," the genius muttered and walked past him out the bedroom door before shooting, "By the way, Rogers, consent is sexy. If you're gonna get all handsy and go kissing people have the balls to do it when I'm awake."
Steve froze and felt his stomach clench.