It had been a significant amount of time since Stark had last completed an on-foot criminal chase as detectives were usually limited to the post-crime stuff; he could definitely feel this fact as his lungs began to burn and muscles throbbed at the unexpected sprint down the alley. The perp was gaining distance away from him and Tony was almost certain this guy was going to get away when suddenly a car pulled, full speed, onto the alley through a thin entrance. The brakes squealed and smoke poured off as the car skidded to a halt slap-bang in the centre of the path.
Unprepared for this sudden intrusion, the criminal ran straight into the side of the car with a large banging sound, sending them cascading to the ground in a groaning heap. Technically, he couldn't sue them as he had run full speed into a parked car by his own volition. Tony peered down at the criminal when the car window buzzed down.
Steve grinned out the window at his colleague, "Now, that was a take down."
Tony blanched, "Steve?!" for some reason, he had never expected Detective Rogers to be the type of man to be proficient in evasive driving like that. He began to argue again the man but Steve raised a hand to silence him.
"I technically am still in the vehicle." He said seriously before his straight lips began to curl into a guilty, adrenaline fuelled grin. He couldn't believe just how good it felt to actually get out of the apartment and do some actual police work!
His laugh came out in a huff, "That, I can't deny." They chuckled together for a couple of seconds before they were interrupted.
The voice from the floor commented bitterly, "I don't know what's worse. Being arrested or having to watch you two flirt while it happens."
Tony scowled down at him, "We're not flirting." Swiftly, he pulled up the unhurt man and tightened a pair of cuffs around his wrists. He didn't want to stop and consider whether they really were flirting because that would be the second time in an hour he noticed he liked Steve more than he did before.
Mere moments later, Natasha rolled up in her car and immediately noticed her friend behind the wheel of Tony's car. Her eyes were focused solely on Stark as she took the perp from his hands and delivered him into the back of her car. Her eyes gave off a warning that Tony didn't know how to interpret; it felt like a death threat somehow. He swallowed the lump in his throat as she climbed back into her car and rolled down the window. The engine was rumbling still and she spoke as she began to pull away.
"If he gets hurt because of you I will not hesitate to kill you." She murmured as the car pulled away.
With Natasha's threat ringing in his ears, he gulped and turned to face the car to see Steve pulling himself out of the door slowly. Tony winced, knowing that this couldn't be a good sign. As the taller man turned to face him, the flower of red was starting to bloom across his side as though the crimson floodgates had been opened. Steve followed the dark haired man's eyes and let out the mildest, softest curse.
"D'you mind a slight detour to the hospital on the way home?" He tried to smile but the ache of his ripped stitches was beginning to wear through the hum of the feel good adrenaline. He internally cringed knowing that his doctor would be less than pleased to find he'd ripped his stitches for the second time in a week and a half. In his defence, what was he supposed to do while at home? A workout only seemed reasonable at the time.
A sensation of dread washed over the shorter detective as he watched the blood soak right through the bandage under the white shirt.
"Natasha is going to kill me. I'm dead. Just dead."
It was a week after Steve had returned from his recovery time and was eager to get stuck back into real police work. However, as usual, the day started with admin as they got called straight into the Monday morning meeting.
Fury was waiting for them by the time everyone had settled down, "First let's welcome Detective Rogers back" Natasha clapped the loudest despite her face reflecting no emotion. Steve blushed from where he was sat in the seat beside her, "Okay, now. First things first, Stark and Rogers, you two have a case this week that'll need some undercover work." He paused to make time for both men to protest but none came. He pretended not to be surprised as he continued. There had be rumours circulating the office that there had been a 180 in Tony and Steve's relationship but this was the first instance he had seen that confirmed that.
It was after the meeting when they collected the details of the case.
"Usual case of just intel gathering, detectives." Deputy Coulson informed them, "We need to keep an eye on a building in Brooklyn for possible large scale illegal arms dealing."
The two detectives nodded eagerly. Steve was raring to go but Tony was excited to get back out there with the man considering how well the last chase ended. Within a couple of days they were all set up and ready to move into the hide out.
-soon after-
They were both staring at it in an awkward silence and both pretending that their hearts weren't pounding at 100mph whilst resisting the urge to peer across at their colleague. A single bed was shoved into the corner of the tiny box room with a single blanket and pillow. The house was on its way to being derelict and the sound of rats in between the floorboards was less than comforting. Their eyes traced the object in uncertain anxiety. When they'd accepted the undercover case they hadn't exactly been given details about their accommodation; all Fury had done was apologise for it as the options were limited with such short notice. They didn't realise just how bad he actually meant.
"I mean… At least there is one." Steve suggested with what was left of his optimism.
Detective Stark opened his mouth to comment but snapped it shut upon Steve's glare. This undercover work was going to be hard enough as it was without Starks's sass tripping them up.
Steve spoke as he dropped in bag onto the damp, wooden floor, "I guess you'd better take the bed since you'd have to chase the perp if they make a dash." He had been okayed for basic detective work but the doctors had advised him at least a few more weeks until he could return to peak physical exertion, "You'll need to be on peak form." He began to push his bag across the room to where he'd use it as a pillow.
Stark grabbed his arm to stop him, "You're the one recovering from a freaking gunshot wound. I don't need my beauty sleep in order to run well!"
"And I do?!" He stood up to his full height and peered down at the other man.
"No! You know exactly what I mean!" There didn't seem any reasonable justification, in Tony's mind, to why a wounded detective should sleep on the rat infested, kinda damp and rock hard floorboards.
"Seems we're at an impasse. What are we going to do about it?" Steve squared up.
