Avengers Texts 2

The Kitchen

Tony came up from the lab a couple minutes after his call with Bucky. He definitely needed coffee to keep awake. He turned on the pot and leaned against the counter waiting for it to brew. Next thing he knew he was halfway to the floor, and the coffee had been done for a while.

"Tony," Steve said with concern, and Tony turned his head. Oh, Steve, so that was why he hadn't hit the floor. "You okay?"

"I'm great, big guy," Tony regained his footing and patted Steve's arm. "Just blanked for a second."

"You fell asleep," Steve said warily, hesitantly letting go of Tony. "Standing up."

"Horses do it," Tony shrugged and grabbed the coffee pot, not bothering with a mug. "I was just talking to Bucky."

"Bucky told me he talked to you an hour ago."

"Really? Jesus. You were right. I should invest in a watch."

"Yeah. And some sleep, maybe. Since you're falling over."

"It'll pass."

"That still doesn't seem healthy."

"We got any food?" Tony asked, trying for a conversation change.

"What do you want?" Steve asked, momentarily turning his attention to the fridge but giving Tony a look like he would bring up sleep again later.

"More coffee," Tony sighed, setting down the empty pot.

"I know that's not healthy," Steve eyed the empty pot and glanced at Tony. "What's your blood pressure?"

"I don't know, ask Bruce. He does the health stuff. I do the cool stuff. Like jet packs," Tony's eyes shone. "Which, by the way, I almost finished your-"

"I do not need a jet pack. I have you."

"But what if-" Tony stopped. Go a different way. Don't ask what if he doesn't have you, that's not a conversation you wanna have again. "Jet packs are cooler."

"Cooler than Iron Man? No."

"Yeah, nothing's cooler than I am. Food?"

"There's enough pizza to feed an army, and I should know-" Steve started, looking back in the fridge.

"Great," Tony reached behind him and grabbed a carboard box. When he opened it he discovered that it was two layers of pizza deep, stuffed with mismatched halves and pieces from various pizzas that had been ordered over the week. "We eat too much pizza."

"They eat too much pizza. You don't eat too much anything."

"Fair enough."

"You're just gonna eat cold pizza?" Steve asked as Tony stuffed half a slice in his mouth. Tony shrugged. "Of course you are."

"So, Bucky told you we talked?" Tony asked after a minute.

"Yeah. But just that you talked."

"He's a good guy."

"Yeah."

"I feel bad that we were mean to him."

"He's tough."

Tony nodded and put on another pot of coffee. Steve was about to say something.

"You like me, right?" Tony asked, looking down.

All the words flew right out of his head when Tony said that, so casually, like he didn't care, like he was used to getting no. Tony was already hearing no in his head. Thinking of how to deal with it.

"Of course I like you."

"Okay."

Silence. The coffee dripped.

"Because sometimes I can't tell."

"Tony, of course I like you, I love you."

"Yeah. I know."

He said that like he didn't think so. Unconvinced. Dejected.

The coffee dripped.

"I won't blame you, if you say you don't, you know."

"I like you. Can you take me at my word?"

Silence.

Because he couldn't.

"How do I prove I like you?"

"I don't know," Tony stared sideways at the coffee maker. "You can't. Or. I don't know. I'm not being coherent right now."

"You need sleep."

"I can't sleep. I have lives to save."

"Well, your life, for one."

"Eh."

"Can you really save lives when you're this sleep deprived?"

"Yep. Could do it in my sleep," Tony paused and thought about those words. "Wait."

"You need to sleep."

"People need to stop telling me what I need."

"Then tell me when you need."

Tony removed his eyes from the coffeepot to look at Steve, who was looking earnest and a little desperate. A lot desperate. Tony felt bad for yanking Steve through all his emotional drama, but he had warned Steve when they started dating that he was a mess and-

Focus.

Conversation in the kitchen.

"I..." Tony started and stopped. The coffee finished pouring. "I need coffee." He grabbed the pot by the handle and drank. It scalded his mouth.

"I'm sorry," Steve said. "For- Yelling and being immature. And saying you were hard to deal with. You're- Not- I don't deal with you. That's not what I meant."

"Bucky mentioned something like that."

"And I don't want to leave. I swear. I wasn't trying to take off. You just seem really unhappy lately and I'm not helping you get what you need so I thought it would be good for you if I gave you space. Is what I meant."

"I just want you to like me."

And it sounded so sad and pathetic and familiar coming from Tony's mouth that Steve had to go over and wrap his arms around him.

"I like you plenty."

"Kay."

"I like the way you ramble and get excited. And the way you multitask. Your brain is on a whole different plane."

Tony just looked at him.

"You're easy to like. Easy to love. Hard to get along with sometimes. But. Liking you makes it easier."

Tony half smiled, opening his mouth. He was leaning back into Steve.

"I'm convinced."

"For now."

"Mhm."

"You're tired."

"Yeah."

"Ha!"

"Oh, fuck you."

Steve leaned down and kissed him. Softly.

"You need sleep."

"Yeah. I'm gonna be honest with you, I'm half asleep right now."

"Let's go," Steve hefted Tony up bridal style and carried him to his room.

"You should also sleep, also."

"Maybe."

"Good man."

Ten minutes later Tony and Steve were passed out on Tony's bed, messily intertwined. Turns out they were both tired. It's exhausting to fight with someone you love for so long.