Apartment Above Stark Industries, Thursday Evening

[imafuturist]

JARVIS and the Mouse overlord had pushed some older movies up into Steve's List of Things to Watch to Understand Tony's References. Though some of them may have just been added because healthy levels of strife were good for the soul.

"Couldn't we watch that new Space Battles show?" Tony asked, concerned for Steve's taste levels here.

[for the guy!]

Comments

[imafuturist]

It very much was!

"I'm only upset that I can't see it," Tony replied with a lazy grin.

[heroic_jawline]

"Mmm, good thing JARVIS has it recorded, then," Steve murmured, resting his head on Tony's shoulder again to sort of hide his blushing.

He took a deep breath to inhale the smell of the bubble bath: sandlewood and bamboo, something he'd gotten for Tony to make the water feel a million miles from Afghanistan.

[imafuturist]

Tony smiled to himself, relaxing fully against him. "I hope you enjoy watching it," he teased.

[heroic_jawline]

"I'm thinking maybe not as much as you will," Steve teased back.

[imafuturist]

Tony smacked his shoulder gently. "I'm allowed to enjoy watching you. We've established this."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve smiled at him and kissed his nose. "Sorry."

[imafuturist]

He hummed in response, kissing Steve properly. "It'll be nice for when you're globetrotting."

[heroic_jawline]

"You miss me that much?" Steve replied softly.

[imafuturist]

"I always miss you," Tony murmured, kissing him again lazily. "Bed's less warm. House is quieter."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve kissed him back but kept his hands well away from Tony's chest and face, trying not to accidentally trigger anything. "I miss you, too. Even when I'm with the other Tony. Maybe especially then."

[imafuturist]

Which Tony would insist wasn't necessary. But he'd be wrong.

"Little too close to home, huh?"

[heroic_jawline]

Steve nodded, biting his lower lip. "It's like missing a step going up the stairs. I think I've got it but then it's just enough off and it gets awkward."

[imafuturist]

Tony kissed his chin before slumping back to rest against Steve's chest. "I was like that with you in the beginning. Took a while to differentiate."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve nodded. "I keep feeling like I'm accidentally hurting him," he murmured, "and I don't want to do that."

[imafuturist]

"Why do you think that?" Tony asked.

[heroic_jawline]

"When I talk about you too long, he gets that pinched look around his eyes that you get when you're pretending to be fine," Steve said.

[imafuturist]

Tony ran his hand over Steve's, sighing as he thought it over. "I think I can see that."

[heroic_jawline]

"Like I'm confirming something by not loving him best," Steve murmured, looking a little miserable.

[imafuturist]

"Howard seems to be a sort of universal thing," Tony replied softly. Which lead to SO MANY issues.

[heroic_jawline]

"I would love to meet each version and give them a piece of my mind," Steve said vehemently.

[imafuturist]

Tony hummed, rubbing Steve's thigh soothingly. "I thought things were going better."

[heroic_jawline]

"They're so much better than they were," Steve said, "but I think we've hit a wall that I can't figure my way around."

[imafuturist]

"Have you asked him?" Tony suggested. Because straight up asking was the most confusing tactic used on Tony and one Rhodey used often.

[heroic_jawline]

The extremely long, awkward pause probably answered that before Steve actually did. "No?"

[imafuturist]

"Well..." Tony said with a quiet laugh.