They finally moved and talked like everything was normal but even the air felt different. Its odour was different, the texture of it. Tony was almost sure that even gravity was different, was it weaker or was it just that he was in better shape than that other Tony.
His body didn't feel so agile on its feet. He didn't feel like he can put up a fight without his suit there. That felt strange, he felt naked. Here, even with his suit broken, he still feels confident enough to stand on his two feet. If Steve went bonkers on him, he would even take him on to a fight.
It seemed that is just what that other Tony did. Tony glanced at his broken suit noting that he has to send drones to clean up here later and to examine the suit. He has to see what Steve did to disable it so severely. He'll have to improve upon it.
Not that he thought Steve would do this to him but someone with his characteristics could. That wasn't a pleasant thought.
On the other hand, being carried by Captain America as a maiden had some pleasant connotations to it but Tony would rather keep some of his dignity intact.
That's why he summoned another suit but then he reconsidered it and called in Veronica. Cap did display odd behaviours and that hug lasted longer than it was necessary. If he's not mistaken, dear old Captain was shaken by the prospects of losing Tony. Sometimes being faced with defeat can alter your perception.
He instructed Cap to hug him from behind and waited to type on his console to make himself busy. He didn't need to seem nervous right now. It was just a test of sorts. To know how to proceed. Earlier, before he was abducted and pushed to another dimension, Tony was ready to let this thing with Steve go like it was a trivial game and it wasn't important if he lost. Now it seemed more than important. It seemed life-saving.
Being faced with a version of Pepper in that other universe crushed any option of them getting back together. He knew that wasn't his Pepper but he could see too much of her there. Her calculating cold persona came forward and made her frightening. It was better for her to stay busy and focused, to find someone who won't bring out the worst in her.
Just as that bratty version of him was too close for comfort. He was that person once upon a time and only a small adjustment of his life trajectory would send him down the same path.
His dark train of thoughts was derailed because Steve actually complied without arguing and hugged him. Tony held his breath for a moment as Steve adjusted his arms and his grip got firmer.
That was it. Exactly the same as that future version of Steve. Everything about it was exactly the same, even his chin ended up on Tony's shoulder pressing their cheeks together. There was an emotion within that embrace, it wasn't something neutral or cold.
The first parts of Veronica came flying in distracting Tony.
It seemed that they won't fit so Tony instructed Steve to hold him tighter.
"Breathe out a bit," Tony said and the last pieces were locked in together pressing Tony and Steve in together.
That seemed alright. They had an excuse to be like this. Their ride was missing. Tony wondered how they got here and what that other Tony did but he held his tongue. If he knew himself well and what he's like when he's drunk, there couldn't be anything Steve would approve of.
They flew and Tony found himself speeding to end this flight as soon as possible.
It wasn't a romantic flight over the city as he imagined it to be. Slow glide as they bicker and talk forced to be still for a moment. They were too closely pressed in and no words came from either of them.
Awkward silence, that's how he would describe it. Once more, he made a wrong move making the old Captain uncomfortable.
Finally, they were home and as they untangled Tony looked at Steve in the light of his room and saw his shirt was torn revealing cuts beneath them. Steve was fighting against the suit without his armour.
That was one thing he could do, he should do, he must do for Steve. At least to mend his wounds.
As he did, Tony realized that most injuries were on his chest and back. Removal of the shirt was inevitable but it seemed like too much of an intrusion.
That's why, as he sterilized cuts, Tony tried to be as professional as he could be focusing only on the injuries and trying not to gaze at the totality of Steve's physique. It was a bit easier when it was time to work on his back but there Steve squirmed and flinched like he was in pain. That worried Tony. He tried to be more careful but Steve swayed away from his touch and turned only to demand to see Tony's injuries.
Tony stared at him for a moment stupefied. He wanted the two of them to be shirtless at the same time while they were completely alone in his house. Tony might try to be a gentleman but he was a playboy who knew how to handle all sorts of intimate offers.
If this wasn't one, he knows nothing of the world.
There was no time to lose, Steve might come down from the adrenaline rush and change his mind at any moment so Tony removed his shirt and stepped in closer.
"Is like this good enough, or should I remove more?" he said in a low voice that always made panties drop all by themselves.
Steve paused, his eyes showed promise before he proved himself to be sterner than anyone once again. Like an obtuse man he was, he just proceeded with examining Tony like he was a piece of furniture.
"Really, what a man should do? I almost thought you might crack and do something less boring than an examination," Tony couldn't hold it in anymore, he tried to distance himself but this man just hangs around looking like someone that can almost be touched.
"Oh, shut up, Tony. I'm trying to see where you're injured."
Steve proceeded in examining Tony's back finding that as a neutral task without meaning but then he said a thing more.
"I don't want to squeeze you too hard and cause you pain."
Tony held his breath waiting for the examination to continue. For Steve to prove Tony wrong once again adding dirty meanings to things he said innocently in his outdated dictionary. But as he held his breath he could hear Steve wasn't breathing either. Tony turned carefully so his prey wouldn't be startled by his sudden moves. As he did, he finally saw Steve without his indifferent polite mask. He looked flustered, guilty and caught. More importantly, he wasn't withdrawing or denying the facts.
"I won't hold it against you if there is a bit of pain," Tony said playfully lifting his chin and offering Steve the first move.
It felt important that he lets Steve has that. His pride will handle things better if he attacks first. He has already proven that he can.
Tony didn't have to wait for long. As the strong alpha he was, Steve moved in for a kiss but as a trained fighter he didn't just politely stop at that. His hands invaded Tony's exposed flesh. Tony wasn't really sure that there was anything calculated or planned in his moves but even if Tony countered the pressure and took some manoeuvres himself it didn't take long for him to be pressed against the wall.
There was no way Tony could counter Steve's strength but even in the heat of passion, Tony noted that Steve was controlling his hands never grabbing too hard and avoiding bruises. Still, Steve's grip, which was bone breaking when used in full, was strong even when used mildly. It didn't take long for Steve to touch one of Tony's bruises. Sadly, that made Tony whimper which broke the spell.
At the first sign of pain, Steve disengaged looking sober.
"Are you alright?" he was quick to ask trying to move away but Tony didn't let him holding him tightly.
"I guess I should have removed my pants right off so you can map my bruises below the waist too," Tony said with a smile.
"I'm sorry," Steve was now completely red from embarrassment.
It was an adorable sight and it made Tony laugh out loud.
"There's nothing to be sorry about. We're two grown men. I can handle a bit of pain. What do you say, will you now withdraw in your room to wallow in regret or will we continue to act like we know how to use our bodies for other things than fighting?"
"I never wallow, I stand by my decisions," Steve said sternly pressing his body a bit tighter to Tony. "Your room, or mine?"
"My bed is bigger," Tony said reasonably and was lifted like he was an easily manageable toy.
Instinctively Tony secured his legs around Steve's waist. With his arms around Steve's neck, he was carried through the darkened corridors.
"I should have known. I offer you two styles of carrying and you find another option."
"There are always more than two options of anything," Steve said quietly.
"I suppose there are," Tony tested the waters by placing a kiss on Steve's neck.
He got a little growl in return so he moved his head and place a kiss on his cheek instead.
"I quite like this," he said as they entered his room. "It's cosy but now I fear you'll only put me to bed and leave to keep your chastity intact."
"I think we're past that point now," Steve said as he let them fall to the bed landing on top of Tony. "Still, I would dare to suggest that you're a more skilled one for this part of our operations than I am. Would you care to take charge?"
"Would I?" Tony smirked. "In any other situation, I already would but I think you couldn't relax enough to be led even if you tried," Tony pushed his shoulder but it didn't budge one bit. "To be lead, you must relax and trust. In this situation, I guess I'm the trusting one here."
"I'll relax, give me a second."
"No, you won't, there's nothing relaxing for you in this situation. For me, on the other hand, you don't have to worry. I already won. Patience is the least I can give."
"I don't want patience," Steve growled resting his forehead against Tony's. "All I do is patient. If you let me, I can play the waiting game without end."
"Say no more," Tony wiggled to gain some manoeuvring room pushing Steve to his side.
When he gained some room, he proceeded to remove his pants.
"There's no need for me to play it coy like I'm shy in any sense of the word," with that, he lied back down tracing playful patterns on Steve's chest. "You, on contrary, we must have a bit of a build-up before the grand reveal. I might say even an opening ceremony," he traced his way to the edge of Steve's pants and back.
Each time, Steve's abs tensed showing his inner turmoil.
"There's no need for anything of sorts," Steve growled. "One might argue that most things are better to be done quickly. Build up only rises expectations when there's nothing extraordinary to reveal."
"I would beg to differ," Tony dared to venture downwards just brushing his fingers against the hidden length. "I might argue that most men would be comprehensive to measure against any feature you possess."
"Even if that is true, I don't think you have anything to worry about," Steve made a counter-manoeuvre touching Tony's exposed member.
"That's true," Tony smirked satisfied. "I am extraordinary in any sense of the world. Nature was quite kind towards me. Shall we take a peak? I think that the suspense is killing us."
Steve nodded nervously and Tony lifted the edge of his pants just to release him from constraints. He could feel how Steve is holding his breath.
"Hello there, big guy, we'll expose you now if you don't mind," Tony joked and pulled Steve's pants down releasing the heated length of his pulsing member.
Like anything on Steve, his penis too showed vitality and beauty. Tony expected nothing less so he proceeded in freeing Steve from his pants to make them begin with the next stage of their entanglement.
When he looked back up the length of Steve's muscular body he found that Steve covered his face with a pillow.
"What? Did you catch a case of shame? Shall we postpone this for a later date?"
"No, just don't say something weird like you want to lick my abs or stuff like that."
Tony looked at his tensed abs thinking how that wasn't such a bad idea.
"Why would you think I would say something vulgar like that and put off the mood?"
"That other you even tried," Steve explained a thing or two.
Alright, he cock-blocked himself, things like that for some later occasion if he's lucky enough to have them. Instead of finding his way back up by kissing exposed flesh, Tony just pulled the covers and lay by Steve's side covering them up.
"I can't lie, I understand him. I think a version of me who wouldn't want to do that faced with beauty, would be too far away removed from me to overlap."
That made Steve peek out from his cover. He was all flustered and red. Taking it slow was a good call.
"What do we do now?" Steve whispered and made Tony smile.
"Whatever you want," Tony placed his palm on Steve's cheek caressing him with his thumb. "If this is enough, we can even just lie like this for a while before you adjust to such an intimate contact."
"You would be alright with that?" Steve relaxed enough to turn to hug Tony which brought their pulsing members to alignment causing Tony to skip a beat or two. "Isn't there something you want to do?"
"Don't mind me. I can find pleasure even in waiting. The anticipation just enriches the experience. Besides, you must keep in mind that I'm not so pure like you are. I was young and rebellious. You might take into account that I tried everything there was to try. There's no way to overstep my boundaries since I barely have them. Except for your strength, that is a factor that is new. Still, I wouldn't hide if you hurt me. You would know and we saw how you disengage at the slight sign of pain so I can trust you."
"You tried everything?" Steve said darkly.
"I know that's not the best line you can hear in bed but…" Tony was cut off by a kiss.
"It is the best line you can hear," Steve said caressing his hair. "I know who you are. An experimenter who tests every theory. I know who I'm up against. It's comforting to know I can relax as much as I'm allowed to. I always must control my strength."
"That you do excellently," Tony drew patterns on his strong chest. "I would trust you to the ends of the Earth and beyond."
"I trust that you'll say stop if I do something totally wrong," Steve said gently.
"You know me, I'm that kind of a guy to always complain when things aren't up to specs," that made Steve chuckle and he seemed finally relaxed.
That lasted for a second before he attacked Tony like the unleashed beast he was. There was no need for Tony to say stop at any moment. Like in any other thing, Steve excelled without needing a lot of instructions. It didn't take long for Tony to sigh, moan and groan.
"Do your worst," Tony panted turning his back to Steve.
"You mean my best," Steve paused confused.
"Whatever you like to call it, just release this pressure."
"Yes, sir," Steve said sternly but he was anything but stern.
After the beast-like attack, when it came to the final engagement he was endlessly careful and gentle. It suited Tony for a while but then it got irritating, it lasted for too long and he started to feel exhausted so he changed the pace. Steve's beast-likeness returned and they rode it till the finish line.
"Finally," Tony lay on his back sweaty and exhausted after they separated.
"Was it bad? Did I overdo it? Are you hurt?" Steve leaned above him worried and irritatingly fresh-looking like they didn't do aerobics for hours it seemed.
"You did everything excellently," Tony patted his face. "I'm just tired old human. If you like, we can repeat it better on a day I'm well-rested."
"You're not old," Steve frowned supporting his head with his hand. "I'm sorry. I should have calculated in that you haven't slept for a while."
"Calculated in… there was nothing calculated in what you just did. It was all pure instincts, you would continue till the dawn."
"Well, I could do this all day," Steve smiled smugly. "You have to state where your limit is. We'll go by that."
"It seems to me that I'm not the one here that's without bounds," Tony grumbled and turned to snuggle against Steve's chest. "Now lay here while I sleep. I don't care if you stare at the ceiling and count weapons to ease boredom but I'm not waking up after this alone in my bed. That would be too humiliating. I kicked too many people out of my bed by a proxy not to feel rejected by that. I would expect for Pepper to come in to escort me out with her snarky remarks of how you're too important to deal with me."
Steve adjusted to his demands hugging him back.
"What if there's an alarm and I have to go?"
"Then I have to go too. If you can't wake me up, curl me into sheets and carry me with you," Tony already closed his eyes drifting into dreams. "Just don't let me wake up alone. It was so nice to hear your voice when I came back from that other place. If you weren't there, I would just keep on lying in the darkness thinking I died without returning to you. I hope my dreams won't lead me away from this. She's probably too distracted to govern my dreams, isn't she?"
"She must be," Steve caressed his hair not objecting to the usurpation.
Soon, Tony was drifting off to dreams. In them, their pleasant connection continued. That worried him a bit. Were they entangled like this in other universes too? He wasn't sure what he feels about that but somehow he wanted for his Steve to be just his. For them to succeed to keep each other in this endless loop of constant battles and losses. Having Steve by his side made their reality a bit less cruel and cold.