The Core (page 5)
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Thor
Art by enkanowen
The morning after his and Steve’s sparring - and the things that followed - Tony just lay in bed, blinking, savoring every ache and bruise. He didn’t remember getting back to his bed but wasn’t surprised to find himself there either. He might have to tell both Brue and Steve that the service around here was very good…
With a slight smile he finally dragged himself out of bed and went to the bathroom. As he stood taking a leak he noted a dark mark on his neck when he glanced at himself in the mirror. No teeth marks were visible anymore but he could recall the exact feeling as Steve let go…
Closing his eyes he finished, unsurprised that his cock didn’t grow interested in the memory of the previous day; his sex drive would take at least a few days to catch up.
He slid into the shower, emerged feeling refreshed and fetched the coffee and breakfast someone had prepared. Heading down to his workshop, he didn’t see anyone until later that day when J.A.R.V.I.S. informed him there was supper available and he migrated up to the kitchen to find pizza boxes being opened by Bruce and Steve next to some Indian food Bruce was partial to, regardless of his complaints that it wasn’t the same as the local cuisine.
Both of them looked at him and smiled in greeting, but nothing else. It was almost strange but Tony wasn’t going to act out of character if both of them insisted on pretending nothing had happened. Well, it wasn’t pretence, really, by not acting on it. They sat and ate, Steve finishing everything he and Bruce couldn’t eat. Tony felt bloated and tired and rolled over, stirring hours later to find himself covered with a blanket and still in the living room where they had ended up after eating. The lights were on low and it was quiet - and late - so he returned to his bedroom for a proper night of sleep. He hadn’t had any in a while - not before this strange sexual revolution began anyway.
He guessed he could just enjoy it and get some proper shut-eye, seeing as it was only a matter of time before that changed…
- - -
Nothing astonishing or out of the ordinary happened during the next few days. Steve trained, Bruce stayed in his lab and Tony wondered if it had all been some kind of intense hallucination. But no, the signs were there; the small looks from Bruce and the proximity of Steve’s body where he had been careful to stay away from Tony before. They moved more easily around each other and part of Tony was expecting one of them to make their move eventually.
It was three days after Steve came out of his shell - that’s what Tony called it, or the ‘Steve Event’, which always made him chuckle and think almost fondly back to those few lust-hazed hours. He was just emerging from his workshop in search of more coffee, having spent four-and-a-half hours there improving Iron Man’s neck area for better protection and apparently draining every last bit of coffee available down there - at least according to J.A.R.V.I.S. - when he almost ran into Thor who appeared out of nowhere.
“Hey,” Tony greeted, “you’re back. How is Jane?” He knew Thor had gone to see Jane Foster and perhaps spend some quality time with her, seeing as their relationship was beginning to look like Tony and Pepper’s last stages.
“She is well,” Thor replied, standing there, almost completely blocking the hallway and forcing Tony to stop walking. “Busy, however. I think she might be upset with me.”
Tony nodded, shifting the empty mug in his fingers. “Maybe you should have stayed there, then. Try and work things out.”
“She insisted she needed time to herself and her work and that I was being in the way,” the Asgardian shrugged.
Tony considered that and thought it sounded a lot like himself in the middle of a project. There were times when Pepper had been most unwilling to accept that he needed to work. He thought about giving Thor a few hints, none of which might actually work. He could sense the Asgardian knew his relationship was going through a rough patch. Then again, did Asgardians even perceive their relationships the same way? Plus, Jane was a mortal while Thor was not. That was definitely a bigger wrench in a relationship than one partner playing superhero in a high-tech suit of armor.
“Well, you’re always welcome to stay here,” Tony said then, guessing that was rather obvious but he was in a good mood and sometimes being polite paid off.
“I thank you,” Thor nodded, then stepped forward. He didn’t move sideways to indicate Tony should pass him - or he simply didn’t realize his bulk filled the space quite effectively.
“You’re welcome,” Tony replied a bit awkwardly, leaning to the side in order to imply he wanted to get past the other man. “I was going -”
“I believe the others have already enjoyed your company,” Thor spoke up, freezing Tony on the spot. Well, it was either that or Thor’s hand on his skin, his digits caressing the side of his face in unmistakable suggestion.
“Uh…” That was the most intelligent answer Tony could provide at this very instant although he might have to get back to him about it later.
Thor smiled yet his eyes seemed… fiery. Tony knew passion when he saw it, and the blue depths were filled with it. Not that unlike Steve’s when the other man let go, yet he deemed it inappropriate to think of his other blond teammate right now. “I would have my turn now, Tony Stark.”
“Your turn,” Tony repeated, blinking. “Did you draw straws?” he asked, taken aback at the casual way Thor said it.
“Nay,” the Asgardian shook his head, his hand falling to Tony’s neck, not squeezing but he felt like he had been collared to the spot by the light grasp alone. “Banner wanted to go first, and we agreed he should. I thought it polite to let the Captain have his turn next, seeing as he is our leader.”
“So you get sloppy thirds?” Tony arched an eyebrow.
“It has been days since Steve lay with you,” Thor smiled knowingly. “I do believe there are very few sloppy qualities about you, as you put it.”
Tony swallowed, feeling his Adam’s apple move against Thor’s thumb. This was a side of Thor he had never seen; he seemed to know his business, very much at ease with the whole thing. His fingers tightened on Tony’s throat, just slightly, and he moved forward, pinning Tony against the wall behind him.
“Shall we go to my room?” the God of Thunder asked.
“Sure,” Tony managed. The logical part of his brain was abandoning ship in favor of an intense hard-on and as Thor’s hand fell from his neck to the small of his back, guiding Tony down the hall, he guessed going along with it was the only reasonable thing to do. He abandoned his coffee mug on the first flat surface he passed and allowed Thor to take them to the elevator.
It was a short ride to Thor’s floor and Tony took the time to observe the other man in the elevator’s gleaming doors. He wore his usual attire, cape and all, Mjolnir dangling from his free hand as if it wasn’t a weapon capable of leveling buildings. The hand still resting at the small of his back shifted slightly, tracing his spine through his shirt, and maybe Tony was imagining things, but he could have sworn he felt a slight prickling sensation, as if from static electricity.
Once the doors opened they walked down the hall to Thor’s door and Tony opened it, knowing J.A.R.V.I.S. would unlock it for him. They entered and Tony took a quick look around. Not much had changed from how he had designed the place, but then, Thor spent perhaps the least amount of time at the Tower.
The hand left his back and Tony looked at Thor as the Asgardian placed Mjolnir carefully on the floor then began to undo his cape and armor. “There are many things I don’t understand about Midgardians…” he mused as he undressed, “but this I understand very well.” The armor came undone and was cast aside; he looked naked just in the shirt that lay beneath. Tony watched as he undid his boots, the vambraces, then finally lifted his shirt over his head and settled his hands on the laces of his pants.
“What exactly is ‘this’?” Tony asked, unable to resist although his eyes were very much glued to every inch of skin he hadn’t seen before. If he had felt inferior next to Steve, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to even start something with Thor.
“A need for intimacy and closeness with your shield brothers,” Thor explained. “A yearning for the pleasures of the body and the clarity that comes afterwards.” The laces were undone and he pushed off the clothing, very matter-of-factly, revealing himself in all his godly might and Tony decided there was no danger of Thor not enjoying sloppy thirds with the equipment hanging between his legs; his cock wasn’t enormous, possibly not even the biggest Tony had seen in his life, real or digital, but it wasn’t put to shame by the rest of Thor’s physique, either.
A smile was etched onto Thor’s face when he kicked off his pants and stepped towards Tony. “I understand that you’re well-versed in this,” he began).
“Yeah, you could say that,” Tony replied and felt instantly like a stammering fool. He cleared his throat and put on his best seductive look. “Been around the block and tried every trick at least once,” he boasted.
“But you have not been with an Asgardian,” Thor stopped before him, “nor have you been taken to bed by Thor.”
Tony guessed he wasn’t the only self-involved person here. “I assume I can soon scratch that off my list of never-have-I-ever. Or are we just going to talk about it?”
The smile turned into a grin as Thor leaned in, putting their mouths together and he was right there with Tony, opening his lips, giving as good as he got and pretty soon Tony realized he might well be bested tonight. Thor knew what he was doing, making Tony shiver as his tongue dragged across the roof of his mouth and then captured Tony’s tongue. His hands weren’t idle either, dragging along his sides to his ass and squeezing while one thigh pushed between his legs and pressed against Tony’s rapidly hardening cock.
“Oh, fuck,” Tony gasped and felt the smile against his lips, the sensation of their facial hair dragging together strange yet almost addictive. He turned his face, kissing and licking the corner of Thor’s mouth then moving to the side, biting his cheek and trying to suck a mark at the curve of the cheekbone.
“My friend, your clothes need to be removed,” Thor noted.
While Tony was all for his clothes being torn from his body - something he knew was an option should he not cooperate, he took pity on them and drew back to hastily undress. At least that was something he still knew how to do in record time and Thor was on him as soon as pants, underwear and socks had been removed, naked flesh meeting naked flesh and Tony knew he wasn’t just imagining the sensation of a current running across his skin this time.
They kissed again, deep and wet yet not sloppy. It left Tony’s lips throbbing and beard burn on his face. He slid one hand to Thor’s wild mane of hair, squeezing hard when Thor found his ear and proceeded to mark it as a new erogenous zone. Tony’s other hand headed south, briefly touching his own aching cock before grasping for Thor’s impressive erection, grinding them together.
Thor unexpectedly hoisted him up yet never released his earlobe, not even really tugging at it. Tony had no idea where the bed was so maybe it was good he only needed to wrap his legs around the firm waist and handle their dicks while Thor navigated.
Tony hit the bed hard as he was released, Thor falling on top of him. The mouth dragged down from his ear to his neck, finding a lingering bruise left by Steve with his teeth. Clearly Thor didn’t miss the faint mark, proceeding to bring it back to full color and Tony jerked them a bit harder, Thor’s hips grinding down at him in a helpful manner.
When it hurt more than he was comfortable with, Tony jerked on Thor’s hair, still having a firm hold on it, signaling for him to move on. He did, beard dragging against Tony’s skin which now seemed sensitive to any touch. Those devilish lips moved on to his collarbone, sucking and tugging at the skin as he moved to the center then up to the base of Tony’s throat. The slight pressure against his windpipe was different and Tony groaned, twisting his hand.
“Do not come yet,” Thor ordered.
“Not you, too,” Tony complained. “Is this a thing? Did you all agree on giving me blue balls?”
Thor lifted his head, a slight frown on his face as if he were trying to decipher a code. “Blue suits you well,” he decided then. He used his left arm to brace himself above Tony while the right trailed down his shoulder to the arc reactor, then further down his chest and past their cocks to Tony’s balls, expert fingers tugging on his flesh and almost making Tony cream himself on the spot. “Your balls seem well,” Thor noted and he had to be teasing with that small grin on his face.
“Why can’t I come?” Tony asked, wanting to know what Thor’s reason was. For Bruce it was power, and perhaps an illusion of something he didn’t allow himself to physically partake in. For Steve it had been calling his name, which may or may not have been a one-time thing. Maybe it was punishment for all the times Tony didn’t call him ‘Steve’ - which was always, to be precise.
“All in good time,” Thor promised him, then lowered his face again and Tony kissed him happily, pushing into his mouth, tracing every single surface before moving away, tugging on his upper lip, his nose - at which Thor chuckled - and then returned back to his jaw, dragging his tongue across the coarse hairs of his beard.
Tony had never considered himself to have an oral fixation but with Thor, it seemed it went both ways. The Asgardian migrated southwards, moving his face out of Tony’s reach, beard dragging across his chest until his mouth found Tony’s nipple and licked it to hardness then bit and tugged on it, making Tony groan - a sound which turned into a mewl when the other man sucked on the sensitive flesh and then proceeded to mark the immediate area around the areola.
Frankly, Tony had a hard time remembering that he wasn’t supposed to come but Thor reminded him by pulling his hand away from their cocks, pressing it against the bed in a clear signal that he had done enough of that. Tony shifted, trying to get some friction at least.
“You are very persistent,” Thor chuckled against his chest and raised his face to look at him.
“I’m aching to come, literally,” Tony told him.
“I’m not done with you yet.”
“Funny, you’re not the first guy to say that recently…”
Thor smiled again, not in the least bit offended. His hand had crept up, leaving Tony’s wrist where it was. Rough fingers found his currently un-abused nipple and flicked it roughly, then soon enough his lips followed, with plenty of teeth, making Tony squirm and grab his shoulder firmly for something to hold onto.
Clearly Tony wasn’t the only one aching, though, because Thor soon changed his stance, his erect cock pushing against Tony’s skin in a familiar search for relief. Guessing he could at least touch the other guy, Tony reached for it, tugging at the shaft. A growl rose from Thor’s chest and he sat back suddenly, reaching down for Tony’s hand and pulling it from his cock. Tony blinked, not expecting that, then watched in odd fascination as Thor licked his palm up to his fingers, proceeding to suck on each of them - making Tony’s nerves dance just a little at the sensation that bordered on ticklish - before thrusting Tony’s hand back between his legs and to his throbbing flesh. It was easier with the extra wetness and Thor leaned over again, proceeding to mark the side of Tony’s neck he hadn’t yet explored, slowly moving down from his hairline to his chest and topmost rib.
Tony squirmed at the sensation of the tongue following the area between two ribs and raised a hand to tug on the golden hair again. “You could do something useful with that mouth,” he offered.
Thor’s blue eyes moved to his face. “As long as you do not spill your seed.”
“I’ll tell you when to stop,” Tony promised.
Thor moved down, taking his cock beyond the reach of Tony’s hand. “Do not presume to trick me, human,” Thor warned. “I have had millennia to learn the signs of passion and will know when you are going to come.”
“Then get to it,” Tony noted, spreading his legs invitingly.
Thor did, lips rough against the underside of his cock, making Tony twist and moan. It was going to bring him off in a matter of seconds, he was sure, but then Thor’s firm grasp found its way to his balls and pressed, taking him a step away from orgasm. Those lips continued their rough worship, finding the head and sucking on it before taking Tony in, all without actually assisting with the hand that still held his balls in a vice-like grip.
“God,” Tony sighed, trying not to thrust up in fear of the pain that would result. Thor took him in all the way in one smooth move and swallowed. Tony decided he had used those millennia very well.
Thor drew back all too soon, releasing his balls and giving them a parting kiss before moving up once more. Tony curled his fingers back around Thor’s cock once it was within his reach but the other man moved further up, settling beside Tony’s head. He didn’t need to be given a written note on how to proceed; Tony rolled over to his side and felt Thor’s fingers in his hair as he moved to pleasure his cock.
Tony was a realist and knew he wasn’t going to do any fancy moves without fear of dislocating his jaw, so he proceeded to suck in the head, giving the base a bit of a twist with the fingers that were still there. Thor cradled his head, not moving, smoothing back his hair and then tracing some of the spots on Tony’s neck where some very prominent marks were going to exist come morning. When he pressed particularly hard, Tony gave him a bit of teeth and was met with a hiss, Thor’s hips shooting forward instead of backing away. Tony tried not to grin and proceeded to nip his way down the column before coming back up and teasing him with his tongue.
“Enough,” Thor murmured soon and drew Tony’s head back by his hair. He also removed Tony’s hand, palming his own flesh and then briefly rubbed it across Tony’s face, seeking friction, before moving back. “Turn to your stomach,” he said, stroking himself absently a few times as Tony did as he was told.
“Are we finally getting to the main event?” Tony asked.
Thor chuckled. “You are so eager.”
“That’s us, mortals; every second counts.”
Thor moved behind him and took Tony’s thighs in his hands, spreading them wide, leaving Tony’s ass in the air and his joints feeling like he might have just pulled something. Other than that, it was an awesome stretch and he wondered what was coming next.
‘Next’ was the sensation of Thor’s face pressed against his ass, beard and all, rubbing against his sensitive crack. Tony may have made a sound and when he felt a hint of breath at his entrance he quickly reached out for a pillow, knowing he would be needing it; Thor had been quite apt at bringing him pleasure so far and if he wasn’t completely half-assed at this, Tony was going to be a moaning wreck in a few minutes.
The first press of tongue against his ass was delicious. Thor went straight for the center, pushing inside slightly, then those hands parted his cheeks further, effectively locking his legs in place as well. Tony may have mewled when the next lap came, barely going a full round before sinking in again. His sphincter squeezed around the wonderful sensation of intrusion and Thor’s facial hair rubbed him in all the right places. He was going to have beard burn all over his ass but that was the least of Tony’s concerns.
His neglected cock was jerking and Tony yearned to touch it, to complete the circle. Thor kept licking his ass then sucked at the sensitive skin, making Tony bite into the pillow he had previously been hugging close to his face. He wanted to scream, to ask for more, to just fucking come - then decided he could do at least some of the above.
Shoving the pillow away from his face, Tony panted for air. “Come on, just fuck me already. Stop playing around -”
Thor didn’t reply but the way he just rubbed his chin against his sensitive hole was criminal and made Tony jerk and reach for his cock, regardless of what he had been told not to do. He was getting off now and he could lament the repercussions later.
He barely got his fingers around his flesh before Thor was moving, restraining both his arms by wrenching them above his head. “Will you stay still?” he thundered.
Tony wriggled his ass, feeling Thor’s cock pushing against him. “Do I look like I’m planning on staying still?”
There was a huff which may have been annoyance, then Tony felt himself being dragged backwards on the bed and he fell flat on his front. Thor leaned over, reaching for something, unaffected by Tony’s attempts to get his hands free. Tony saw something move in the corner of his eye and then felt an immense weight land on his back, pushing him into the mattress. A sensation of cool metal pressed into him and he knew Thor had just placed Mjolnir on top of him.
“Okay, big guy, that’s not fair,” Tony protested. Thor moved back, leaving Tony to struggle, trying to reach for the handle although he knew he couldn’t move it, his cock pressed painfully into the sheets; Tony couldn’t get a good hold of it like this.
A chuckle caressed his skin as Thor moved back to his ass, biting the skin and then his fingers were taking residence where his tongue had been, twisting into him, almost too dry. Thor must have realized this and drew them back almost at once. The bed shifted and Tony craned his neck to see what was going on. Thor was returning by then, a bottle of lubricant with him. It was the same stuff Steve’d had in his locker. Tony had a strange suspicion they had gotten it from the same person - a person who was either Bruce, or possibly J.A.R.V.I.S. because that was a brand Tony would have chosen and had used in the past. In fact, he might have had some of it lying around right now.
His contemplations were interrupted as Thor moved behind him, thrusting his fingers back into him, urging Tony’s legs further apart to accommodate the delightful intrusion. It was very similar to Steve, the strength of just a few digits, only Thor knew exactly what he was doing.
“Are you close?” he asked Tony after a moment. Three of his fingers were currently pressing at Tony’s prostate and he was fairly certain he would explode soon, with or without touching his cock.
“Yeah, please,” Tony begged, not above pleading at this point.
With one hand, Thor reached for his hammer while still keeping his fingers inside Tony’s ass. Mjolnir was lowered to the floor and the fingers speeded up as Tony raised his hips to counter their movements. He thought of trying to move one of his hands, to touch himself, to finally be able to come. He was so close he could taste it, the pleasure thrumming through him and coiling in his stomach.
Thor’s fingers withdrew, pressing across the entrance as it closed, almost slipping in again, making Tony moan. What happened next was extraordinary in every sense: Thor shifted and pushed his cock inside Tony in one smooth slide, and Tony came from that sensation alone, jerking against the bed and shooting his seed beneath his body. He gasped for air, feeling Thor throb inside him, then the Asgardian began to thrust and it was almost more than Tony could take, his body going into sensation overload.
He may have pleaded for him to stop, but eventually those demands died down and he began to enjoy it, Thor’s thrust steady and hard as if he could do this all day and not break a sweat. His breaths were hard above Tony as he leaned in and began to trace his back with his lips, up and down his spine, across his shoulder blades, sucking and biting marks as he went, making Tony twitch and shake while his cock continued to split him apart.
Once Thor reached Tony’s neck again, he shifted his hips and slid out of his body. Tony turned his head, blinking, uncertain what was going on, then found his body being flipped around, his legs spread again, Thor’s cock nudging Tony’s spent one before being guided back inside him. The re-entry made Tony throw back his head and Thor set up a ruthless pace. Had Tony been any younger, he would have been ready to spill his seed again.
Thor reached down with one hand, touching Tony’s spent cock, caressing and pulling at it. Tony felt like telling him that it wasn’t going to happen but then he felt a sharp stab of electricity, his hips jerking at the sensation and making Thor drive in a bit harder the next time.
A God of Thunder indeed…
Thor adjusted his grip, gathering Tony’s balls in his palm along with his cock and the sensation was unmistakable. Tony had electrocuted himself enough times to not be spooked by it and the current seemed low and steady, spiking only occasionally to make him jerk and clench around the other’s cock.
Tony wasn’t sure how long it took for Thor to finally come; it could have been twenty minutes or two hours, his internal clock completely fucked up. When Thor finally neared his peak, his thumb caressed the head of Tony’s cock and it felt like tiny tongues of electricity licking down the inside of his shaft, making Tony jump. The other man leaned over him, his thrusts clearly seeking his own release, and as his lips met the top of Tony’s arc reactor, it felt like a current ran through his entire body, from Thor’s lips to his hand to his cock and Tony came so hard he probably blacked out, missing the moment when Thor shot inside him and pulled out.
When he finally came to, Thor was still fondling his cock softly, leaning up on one arm at Tony’s side, smiling softly. There was no sign of a second burst of ejaculate and Tony guessed this was his first dry climax.
“You enjoyed it,” Thor stated.
“What gave me away?” Tony teased back, tongue sluggish in his mouth.
Thor leaned forward to kiss him again, gentle and slow this time, then traveled briefly to his neck before his hand let Tony’s genitals go. With the afterglow leaving his body, Tony felt heavy and blinked slowly at the man beside him.
“Sleep,” Thor urged, and Tony took him at his word because there was no way he would stay awake for anything.
- - -
Thor smiled to himself when Tony succumbed to the need to rest and drifted off beside him. It was tempting to just leave him there but he supposed the man would be more comfortable waking in his own bed.
He cleaned his lover’s body gently, caressing marks he had left behind, feeling a few on his own skin.
After pulling on a pair of pants, Thor carefully gathered Tony’s body in his arms. He would return his clothes to him later. For now, it was enough that he would take Tony back to his room and so he maneuvered the door open and walked out to the hallway, the elevator doors opening automatically. The floor selected itself and the elevator moved smoothly upwards. Thor smiled, trying to find one of the tiny lens eyes that belonged to the entity called J.A.R.V.I.S.
When he stepped out, heading towards Tony’s door, Steve rounded a corner and stopped at the sight of them. A small smile played on his lips at the sight. “I see you two got together,” he commented.
“Aye,” Thor smiled, stopping in front of the other man. He saw Steve’s eyes trace the marks on their mutual lover’s skin. “He is a most satisfying companion.”
Steve let out a sound of agreement. Thor knew he was slightly uncomfortable with their arrangement but seemed to be taking it better now that he and Tony had shared each other.
“I trust you were careful,” Bruce’s voice carried out from down the hall as he approached them from the same direction in which Steve had come.
“Yes,” Thor nodded. The device in Tony’s chest should not be tampered with so he had been careful. He had no desire to harm his teammate.
“Get him to bed,” Bruce stated; it wasn’t an order but should be perceived as one.
Thor nodded and the others stepped aside. Tony’s door opened for him and he placed the man in his bed, carefully tucking him in and giving him one more kiss before leaving him alone. The lights dimmed as he closed the door and he knew the strange ethereal voice would look after Tony through the night.
Bruce and Steve had disappeared by the time Thor returned and he headed back to his own room, knowing his dreams would be pleasant tonight.
And tomorrow… It would be the first day for them all, in a sense, as a team.
The Core
The dream ended, too vague to be remembered in detail but Tony could almost feel another’s skin brushing his own; a lover’s touch, his heart aching for it. He turned over on the bed and pretended to fall back to sleep but he was awake and the dream was out of his reach anyway.
His body ached, reminding him of what had passed just hours ago. When he finally rose, bruises marred his skin in a pattern he didn’t yet recognize. Maybe after he got some coffee into his system, it would make sense.
He pulled on some clothes and slowly padded out of his bedroom, bare feet creating a soft sound. Every small movement made him feel like he had been pounded for hours - which was possibly true, given that he had spaced out just a little while Thor was bent over him - but part of him cherished the pain so it wasn’t something to really complain about. Just like after a good work-out, or a test flight with the suit, or a hard-earned win in a battle…
J.A.R.V.I.S. had started the coffee and Tony grabbed a cup as well a sandwich someone had left on the counter quite conveniently. He ate the bread and sipped his coffee, then once both were gone he poured himself more of the elixir of life and stepped over to the windows, looking at Manhattan spreading out before his eyes. It was a peaceful morning up in the heights and he took a deep breath, almost able to ignore the several twinges of pain that created.
“You found the sandwich, I see,” Bruce’s voice carried over and Tony turned his head in time to see him padding in, tablet in hand, glasses on his nose. He put the tablet on a table, clearly finished with whatever he had been doing and walked over to Tony, stopping at his left side, looking out as well.
They stood like that for a moment until Tony could hardly contain himself anymore. He looked at Bruce, knowing fully well the man was aware of what had happened last night; the signs were a bit too obvious to hide this early in the morning. Bruce took his time, pretending he didn’t feel Tony’s gaze, but eventually he turned his head to acknowledge it. Tony expected him to say something because he certainly had no idea where to begin.
Before either of them could speak, Steve and Thor arrived. It looked like they had already hit the gym and sparred, both appearing freshly showered. They both made a beeline for the fridge, to hunt for something to eat, then seemed to notice Bruce and Tony at the window. Steve smiled a bit shyly and Thor grinned.
“We were concerned you would not get out of bed,” the God of Thunder announced and Steve shook his head.
“Breakfast in bed would have been nice,” Tony noted, uncertain how to navigate the situation.
Thor stopped at his right side, admiring the view for the few seconds it took Steve to reach them, and Tony didn’t anticipate it at all when Steve wrapped his arms around him, pulling him back against his body. It was a gentle hold, catching Tony’s breath a bit. He felt Steve’s breaths against his neck as the man pressed his face to his hair.
Bruce smiled at the two of them then reached out, touching Tony’s cheek to catch his attention and leaned over to kiss him briefly on the lips. At the same time Tony felt fingers touching his and automatically entwined them with Bruce’s.
“Beautiful,” Thor murmured then leaned over and the kiss was just as intense as Tony recalled from last night. There was nothing simple about it, or shallow, but eventually Thor broke it off and stood there smiling, so close Tony could almost feel the static of his skin.
“So…” Tony started. “Is this what you guys agreed on behind my back?”
Thor and Steve looked at Bruce, Tony was certain of that, and the scientist seemed to consider it for a moment. “It seems to be working. You’re feeling better - we all are - and everyone’s still alive. We’ll see how it goes from here, I suppose, but the preliminary results look promising,” Bruce finished with a slight smile.
“I love it when you incorporate scientific terms into unscientific topics,” Tony grinned then considered the situation. “I’m not sure I understand what you’re getting out of this. I’m not complaining about the sex, which was awesome, but does this really make us more into a team?”
He felt Steve’s lips on the back of his neck, kissing him there, just as tender and intimate as if he had kissed his lips instead. “This has already brought us closer so it stands to reason it’s going to be good for the team, too.”
Tony guessed so. He could admit he didn’t want to get on Steve’s nerves nearly as much as he used to. It wasn’t that he had new-found respect for the man, although maybe he did…
“Just so we’re clear,” Tony spoke up after a while, “was the sex a one-time thing, or can I look forward to it in the future?”
“Ours wasn’t a one-time thing,” Bruce reminded him.
“Indeed, Bruce is one time ahead of Steve and myself,” Thor agreed, his smile turning a bit feral. “We must remedy this soon.”
“Not too soon,” Steve said before Tony could actually consider the possibilities. “In case we need to assemble, I think he needs to be able to stand.”
“I have the suit and J.A.R.V.I.S. for that,” Tony argued. “I don’t actually need to be physically able to stand.”
“I’m glad to have your confidence, sir,” the AI replied dryly. “However, since my remote control rarely meets your standards, I believe we should at least rehearse before I take Iron Man’s place in battle.”
“No one said anything about taking my place,” Tony frowned.
“If I’m going to be your legs, I might as well do it all myself,” J.A.R.V.I.S. explained.
“You’re sounding way too cranky,” Tony observed. “We should get you laid as well.”
“I finished an upgrade on the fucking machine in Dr. Banner’s secondary lab just last night. You’re free to come help me re-calibrate it, sir.”
Tony cringed. “Another time, J.”
“As you wish.”
“This is all your fault,” Tony told Bruce, in case the man didn’t know it yet. “You’ve corrupted a perfectly good AI.”
“I haven’t heard you honestly complain about it,” Bruce countered.
“What is this fucking machine the disembodied voice spoke of?” Thor asked.
Steve actually dared to laugh, arms squeezing a bit tighter around Tony for a moment.
Tony guessed that his life could be worse than what it was right now, with Bruce explaining the functions of a fucking machine to a very interested Thor and Steve smiling gently against his neck. For the first time it felt like they actually had something in common, and Tony had no problem being that thing.
No problem at all.
The End
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