Apartment Above Stark Industries, Sunday Afternoon

[imafuturist]

Tony had started the day working on some coding with the television on in the background to provide a little noise. And to make it seem less weird that he was mostly just staring at a tablet and coding with his brain. But whatever.

But that somehow turned into watching the background noise. Which turned into 'I could do that' after a few episodes.

And that would be why Tony had a fine dusting of either flour or confectioner's sugar turning his hair a bit grey as he frowned down at the collection of ingredients.

"I have a masters in chemistry, this shouldn't be so difficult," he grumbled to himself.

Stupid Great British Bake Off.

[Mostly for the housemate! GBBO owns many souls.]

Comments

[imafuturist]

Tony tossed his towel at him for that. And the alliteration. But mostly for the bad joke.

"I'm going to change, smart guy."

[heroic_jawline]

"I'm going to clean up in here," Steve said, wrinkling his nose up.

[imafuturist]

"Get rid of the microwave and I'll help with the rest," Tony called over his shoulder.

[heroic_jawline]

"Microwave to the lab or to the trash?" Steve asked.

Howard had trained him well. Not that he'd say that out loud.

[imafuturist]

"Lab!"

That was a little muffled because Tony was struggling out of a wet shirt. Sorry, Steve.

[heroic_jawline]

"You said lab?" Steve replied, following the sound of Tony's voice and peeking into the room where he was.

"Oh! Sorry."

[imafuturist]

Once the shirt was finally pulled off, his hair looked as though he'd lost a fight with some crazy stylist and he blinked a little owlishly.

"Lab. Yes," he said, hand going to cover where the scars and metal had once been on reflex.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve saw the motion and drew the wrong conclusion. "Did you get hurt in the explosion? I thought the shield covered you!"

Now you were getting guilty Steve face, Tony.

[imafuturist]

Oh god, not the guilty face.

"What? No," Tony said quickly, dropping his hand to show perfectly unmarred skin. Thanks, Extremis! "No, no. I just--"

Explaining his weird issues was more difficult than he realized. Which was why he made a strained little noise and waved his hand vaguely instead of using his words.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve's guilty look turned into a blank look. "I...don't know what that means."

[imafuturist]

"Yeah," Tony said with a little laugh, running his hand through his hair in a manner that might have been nervous. "Yeah, I can imagine. Knee-jerk reaction. No damage here."

Anymore.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve stepped forward. "You're sure you're okay?" he asked, looking worried.

[imafuturist]

"I was just in a habit of not exactly showing off my chest for the past few years," Tony said blithely, picking up a dry shirt to put on.

It was an Air Force shirt. Rhodey probably thought he lost it, but no... it was stolen from him.

[heroic_jawline]

"Why not?" Steve said, giving Tony's chest a professional once over. Because that's a thing, right? "You don't have anything to worry about."

[imafuturist]

Sure! Just like the urge to touch Steve's left boob was a thing that everyone dealt with in their own way.

"Now," Tony replied one the shirt was over his head. "Before it wasn't pretty then. Metal and scars."

He made a face thinking about it as he snagged a pair of sweatpants.

[heroic_jawline]

"It's a chest," Steve replied. "Its job is to hold in your heart and lungs and stuff. It doesn't have to be pretty."

He might have gotten this pep talk a lot, pre-serum.

[imafuturist]

"I'm a terribly vain man," Tony replied, turning away to change his pants. It didn't sound defensive, but his shoulders curled forward just a touch.

If he'd been wearing a suit jacket, it wouldn't have even been noticeable.

[heroic_jawline]

And if Steve hadn't been paying an abnormally close eye on Tony, he might have missed it, too.

"Tony," he said softly instead, "not on this you're not."

[imafuturist]

Geeze, Steve.

Tony hummed in a way that could be an agreement or a disagreement depending on what Steve wanted to hear. "I wouldn't have been Iron man without it."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve stepped closer. "More reason not to be ashamed of the scars when they existed."

[imafuturist]

Tony sighed quietly. Because he had plenty of other reasons to feel ashamed. Like, a book of reasons.

He glanced back at Steve for a moment like was checking the sincerity of that.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve was, if anything, painfully earnest. He reached out and squeezed Tony's shoulder. "Really."

[imafuturist]

"You are really something else," Tony muttered. Just ignoring the urge to move closer to him. Just gonna ignore that. "You know that?"

[heroic_jawline]

Steve blushed. "I'm just being honest."

[imafuturist]

"So am I," Tony replied, putting his hand over Steve's and giving it a squeeze.