Lab Beneath Stark Industries, Tuesday Afternoon

[imafuturist]

It had only been a few days and Tony already hated this whole thing. His focus was completely shot and he was forced to farm out work in hopes of getting somewhere.

"Anything so far?"

Only half of Reed's body was in frame of the holographic projection. Not because it cut him off for a small area to be shown, but because half of him was stretched off to another part of his lab back in the Baxter Building. It would have been unnerving if you didn't know the man. "Tony, this isn't the only project I'm working on. If you wanted faster results, we both know Hank is the expert on biochemical reactions--"

"--and Hank is currently unavailable," Tony said firmly. And a bit sad for good measure.

"Yes," Reed said, looking awkward for a moment before something else caught his attention. "I'll get back to you as soon as I can synthesize an antidote."

Tony sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay, okay. Keep me updated," he said before cutting off the feed.

He sat back onto his workbench and gave the suit a foul look for failing him on this.

[open! I amuse myself]

Comments

[heroic_jawline]

"You were in college---of course you were fourteen," Steve said. "You're brilliant."

And funny, and had great hair and nice eyes and what. Brain, stop that.

[imafuturist]

Well, if his goal was to get Tony Stark to blush like a dainty maiden, he succeeded.

"Not the reaction I got then," he replied awkwardly. Steve, why were you so close? Look, Tony could probably count eyelashes. Which he wouldn't because that was incredibly weird.

He hated his brain.

[heroic_jawline]

Well, Steve's eyelashes were ridiculous, even on weeks not meant to call attention to them.

"Sounds lonely," Steve said softly.

And Steve knew lonely.

[imafuturist]

He was like a Maybelline ad. Captain America sponsored mascara would make a killing.

And it was so uncool to bring emotions up here, Steve. "Wasn't so bad after I met Rhodey. You like--you will like him. When you meet him."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve pulled a little notebook from his front pocket along with a pen. "Rhodey?" he checked, preparing to write the name down.

[imafuturist]

"Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes," Tony supplied, peering at the sheet again. Seriously, guys. A step back. "Best friend. Other than, well, you. The other you."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve's face went pink to his ears. "Yeah, it'd be a little presumptive to be friends this quick."

[imafuturist]

"You're my friend too," Tony said like that was just a given. "I'm easy like that."

Maybe rethink the phrasing this week, Tony.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve went even redder. "Maybe rethink that phrasing this week," he mumbled, agreeing with the narrative.

[imafuturist]

Tony had to pause and think on it for a moment to get why it was suggestive.

"I'm an easy friend," he attempted to correct. Attempted. A blushing Steve was weirdly distracting, okay? He was forced to rub the bridge of his nose for a distraction. "Jesus. JARVIS, just kill me in my sleep tonight."

[heroic_jawline]

"Please don't," Steve said over him. "It'd be awkward to explain."

[imafuturist]

"More awkward than this very moment?"

[heroic_jawline]

"...there's not a lot more awkward than this very moment," Steve admitted.

[imafuturist]

That's what he thought, yes.

After a moment Tony bit his lip to attempt not to grin. That failed miserably and he turned away, shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. Because of course this was his life.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve burst out laughing as well, letting himself really laugh for the first time since waking up from the ice.

"This ridiculous place."

[imafuturist]

"It sort of grows on you. Like a mold," Tony managed to get out between snickers.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve reached up to clutch his own chest. "Just what I look for in a town," he gasped. "And not one word about Brooklyn."

[imafuturist]

"But it's Brooklyn!" And Tony was a giant snob about his neighborhood.

And Steve was laughing without it being that hesitant thing he had going before.

Tony sighed like he was doing Steve a favor by not saying more than that and bumped his shoulder against Steve's.

"If you have to report on this to Fury, you have to promise to film his reaction. Do it for me, Steve."

[heroic_jawline]

That set Steve off on another gale of laughter. "How far do you think I could string him along before he got suspicious?"

[imafuturist]

"I don't know, you might want to start with an underling first," Tony suggested. Because he was an evil genius. The whole Iron Man thing was just a cover up for his evil plans to fuck with Nick Fury. "Really work up a story about all these strange, new feelings."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve nodded. "Because sex was invented in the 1960s," he said. "Before then, everyone was brought by stork."

Steve shouldn't be using his super-earnest face for such trolling, right?

[imafuturist]

"See? Now you've got it," Tony replied, throwing his hands up for a eureka moment. "I wonder if you could get away with saying a song lyric like that."

Do not suggest anything by Kesha, Tony.

[heroic_jawline]

"I think it would depend on how well known the song is," Steve mused, absent-mindedly tapping his fingers on Tony's knee.

[imafuturist]

Because they couldn't break the tension that well, after all. Thanks, Fandom.

Tony grinned at him, the kind that probably ended with explosions and moderate property damage. "Oh, we'll have to fix that. JARVIS, put down a beat."

The first song to come on was undoubtedly the fault of Fox and a mercenary.

[heroic_jawline]

[*dying*]

Steve frowned. "This is awfully...loud."

Sound less 90, Steve.