A/N: So much drama.
Chapter 3: Stress Induced.
"So what are you up too?" Tony asked, lounging back on his couch, there was a brief sound of rustling papers, "nothing really" Steve answered, the sound of his mattress creaking as he sat on it, he really needed to get a new bed, Tony mused, Steve's mattress made a hell of a lot of noise.
Tony couldn't stop the swift burst of arousal caused by the memories of how much noise Steve's bed really made. "I just got home from work and I have a composition to finish before Wednesday" well that certainly was a mood killer.
Tony laughed, "sorry" he muttered at the confused silence on Steve's end, "I just had a dirty thought about your bed and the amount of squeaking noises it makes and then you said that and it made me laugh."
Steve chuckled, "Tony, I'm sorry" Tony blinked, surprised at the apology, "I got a little worked up Friday and I took it out on you."
Tony shook his head, and then realized Steve couldn't see it, "no, you had every right to be angry, I'm aware of how it sounded to you, Fridays aren't really a good day for me either."
Tony took a deep breath, "I'm the one that should be apologizing Steve, I love you and I haven't been doing anything to really show that recently, I'm just so caught up in school and wanting to graduate early, and I sometimes forget what else is important. You're important Steve, so important to me and I don't want to jeopardize that with my stupidity."
Steve laughed a shaking sound, "you're not stupid Tony, far from it" Tony shrugged to himself, "well I certainly feel stupid, it took Rhodey to make me see your point of view, I should've been able to tell for myself what the problem was."
Steve frowned, "you spoke to Rhodey about us?" Tony halted; a little surprised at the displeased tone in Steve's voice, "well yea, the guy's my best friend," he began slowly, feeling like he was treading into shark infested waters.
"You didn't vent to anyone about this?" Tony asked surprised, Steve huffed out an irritated breath, "of course not, it's our relationship, not anybody else's. I don't see why I should concern people with things that aren't any of their business."
Tony frowned hard, "and venting? Is that what you did, you vented?" Tony gaped a little, "not exactly, he asked what was wrong and I told him that we got into a fight and that you felt I was neglecting you, he gave me some advice, that's all."
Steve laughed sardonically, "so now you need to get advice from someone else than talking to me about our issues" Tony sucked in a deep breath, feeling another fight coming on.
"Steve, everybody needs a little advice from time to time, and it's not like I told him heavily detailed things, it's not like I describe our bedroom lives to him."
Steve snorted, "it honestly wouldn't have surprise me if you did" Tony paused, mouth opening and closing a few times, "I have no idea what that is supposed to mean, what are you trying to say there?"
"I'm saying that you're not exactly subtle about our… sex life, sometimes you have no filter between your brain and your mouth and you say whatever you think and it's not always a good thing."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up a moment there," Tony sat up straight, "I wasn't even the one who gave away when we first started sleeping together, that was you!"
"Granted, but that doesn't change the fact that you say things you shouldn't say" Steve countered, "oh my... how did we go from apologies, to this?!" Tony demanded, throwing a hand in the air.
"Look, it's just bothering me that you can talk to Rhodey about us, but you can't talk to me about us" Steve responded, he was pacing now; Tony recognized the creak in a certain floor board as Steve passed over it several times.
"What am I doing right now?" Tony asked, "I'm talking too you, about us, and now you've gone and turned it into a fucking argument!"
"Don't pin this on me" Steve's voice was low and harsh, "why not? It's your fault, we were fine until you got your stars and stripes underwear into a twist because I got some very mild relationship advice from my best friend, who I've known and trusted a lot longer than you!"
Tony winced as soon as the words left his mouth, a part of him knowing that wasn't the right thing to say, "So what, you can't trust me?" Steve asked voice void of emotion.
"I didn't mean it like that, and you know I didn't, but you also can't deny that we did not get off on the right track, we had to work our way up to where we are." Tony responded tiredly, "where are we?" Tony groaned at the question, "what do you mean where are we Steve? We're in love and in a relationship, and I don't understand why my talking to Rhodey is such a problem for you."
"Because he doesn't need to know what goes on between us! Tony, this is me and you, not me, you, everyone else and their grandmother!"
"This is a problem Steve; you don't know when to accept outside help when it's offered!"
Steve laughed harshly, "Me, having a problem accepting outside help? That is so rich coming from the guy who punched me in the face and gave me a black eye because I tried to help him when he was getting attacked in a hallway!"
"Hey!" Tony yelled, "I got over my issues about that, and bad form of you to bring it up over two years later!"
"Well bad form of you to accuse me of things we both now aren't true!" Steve yelled back, "Tony, you shouldn't be discussing our relationship with other people when I'm sitting here waiting for you to call."
"He offered insight Steve, for fuck's sake I'm not exactly a master of dating here, I've fucked three people including you and half ass dated one of them prior to us, Rhodey has more experience than me and helped me out, why is that such a problem?!"
"There you go, bringing up the sex!" Tony nearly threw his phone, "why is that what you're focusing on?!"
"Because that's all I seem to be good for" everything seemed to stop at once, "excuse me?" Tony asked lowly, "Tony anytime we get together immediately starts and ends in sleeping together, we don't do anything, we don't go out anymore, we barely talk all we do is roll around in the sheets, I'm not Mike."
The tears came hard and fast, and Tony took a few calming breaths, but couldn't hide the hitch that gave away his current state.
Steve sighed, "Shit" he muttered, "Tony I'm so-" "Don't" Tony cut him off, "don't you dare say you're sorry, it's obviously how you really feel."
Tony wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, attempting to erase the tears, "Mike and I had a very different situation than we do, I was never into Mike beyond the physical. You're different, I have loved you since meeting you in middle school, and not Steve Rogers, tall and rippling pecs, captain of the football team, but Steve Rogers, that dumb skinny frail kid that got his ass kicked more times than he did the ass kicking. You mean something to me Steve, it's not about the sex, it's the way you make me feel when you smile that half smile or leave me pictures that you drew, and it hurts that you think all you're good to me for is just sex."
Tony sniffled derisively, "I'm hot Steve, I know I am, if I wanted a booty call, I can get a booty call, doesn't matter if it's a guy or a girl, if I wanted to fuck, I can go out there and have them lining up for it. Clearly, that's what you think I should be doing, since you're so convinced that's what I want you for, makes no difference that I honestly, on everything I believe in, love you."
Tony exhaled a large puff of air, "this was me, making an effort to spend some time with you, and this was us back firing on each other, I'm done talking now, call me when you think we're worth more than just an orgasm."
Steve collapsed heavily on his bed as the dial tone persisted in his ears, he got carried away again, it was just so aggravating not being able to see the guy he loved dearly when he wanted too.