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cap_ironman2013-12-27 12:47 am
cap_ironman_fe) wrote in cap_ironman2013-12-27 12:47 am
Entry tags:
Secret Santa: The Perks of Hawaiian Pizza - part 2/3
Merry Month of December: morfic_all
Title: The Perks of Hawaiian Pizza
Rating: Teen and Up Audiences
Universe: MCU
Warnings: nothing in particular that i can think of
From: howling_commandos
Link to part 1
Tony was already leading the way, but it seemed a whole lot more obvious, now that he was walking a bit faster, yet still managing to stay at Steve's side.
They were halfway through the tour when Tony's phone rang. A loud, hard rock tune startled Steve, not enough to blare in his ears, but definitely enough to bother him.
Tony took out a phone from his pocket, modern and new much unlike Steve's own, and answered.
Steve didn't understand most of the conversation because he was only hearing one side of it – only strings of affirmation and a few curses.
"I'm sorry," Tony sighed, pocketing his phone and turning back to Steve. "There's a new routine I need to learn for tonight's performance, and if I don't get it right, Pepper's going to kill me." He gave his nose a small rub.
Steve's face fell, but he tried to hide it by shrugging. "It's alright. Go ahead. We can meet up some other time.” That was, if Steve had the wonderful luck of doing so.
Tony looked up and chewed on his bottom lip, as if going over all the options in his head. Finally, he sighed, placing his hands on his hips. “Come with me,” he said. “It´ll be fun.”
Steve furrowed his eyebrows and narrowed his eyes. “To your rehearsal?”
The other man nodded. “Sure, why not? I’m sure you won’t be a nuisance.”
He gave Tony a small smile and nodded. “I’d like that, then. I’ll be fun.”
Tony grinned, and continued walking along, though his direction had changed now – back towards the hotel, and to a dance studio, apparently, where they met with other dancers. Steve recognized them as the people who danced along with Tony last time.
“I need to go change,” Tony announced, excusing himself before leaving the room.
Steve clicked his tongue, blue eyes wandering around the large room. When his eyes met with a pretty redhead, he offered a small smile then looked away, afraid he´d be considered rude for staring. When he looked back up, the woman was already making her way towards him.
"Hi," She smiled, and stretched out her hand for Steve to shake.
He took the delicate hand into his own and shook, smiling at her as he did. "Hey, I'm Steve. I'm a..." He paused, licked his lips, considering, then said, "a friend of Tony's."
He could feel the stares of the other people that were there.
The redhead obtained an amused smile. After letting go of Steve's hand, she said, "I'm Pepper, Tony's friend, too." She snorted at her own words, then added, "Among other things."
"Oh?" Steve quirked at eyebrow. But before he could ask any further questions, Tony was back. "Were you bothering him, Pep?"
The blond tried not to notice the way the wife beater Tony was wearing clung to his skin, or how low his sweatpants were hanging on his hips.
Pepper rolled her eyes, accompanied by a small sigh. "I was just trying to make him feel welcome, Tony"
"Well thank you, sweetheart." Tony wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Steve lowered his head and pressed his lips tightly together, refusing to feel a little jealous.
"Anyways." Pepper cleared her throat and freed herself from Tony's grasp. "Time to get working, shall we?"
She clapped her hands together and turned back to the whole crowd, gathering their attention before going over to where the sound system was placed. She played with several buttons until she chose a song – a soft, slow melody filling the room and bringing a state of calm over Steve.
"You warmed up yet?" She asked, referring to Tony.
"Pep, I'm always hot." Tony winked, and Steve noticed then just how often the redhead rolled her eyes around Tony.
The other dancers began warming up their feet, and the fact that Tony followed along answered Pepper's question. Steve watched, leaning against a mirrored wall. He tried hard not to stare at the brunet for too long, but his eyes kept coming back, mesmerized by the relaxed way Tony moved, graceful and poised, even as they only warmed up. It was extra difficult when the dancer kept staring back, sending flirtatious glances and cheeky grins.
"The routine's quite simple," Pepper said," all you need to do is keep your eyes on me and follow along."
The dancers were huddled up in a small ball as they warmed up, but as soon as the next song came on, they spread out across the wooden floor, each finding a space for them to move around comfortably. Tony picked his space right in front of Steve.
A different tune came on, still slow, yet with a different vibe. It had a faster beat guided by a ukulele, accompanied by the soft beat of a drum, and a man singing in a native language. Steve recognized it as a common Hawaiian song. He wasn't surprised, as they were going to do a hula routine.
Tony lifted his arms, one stretched out in front of him, while the other hovered over him, both hands twisted in elegance. His pace was slow, following the song with graceful movements. His dark eyes only ever left Steve's to glance at Pepper to see what would come next on the routine.
Steve had seen many dames dance, but never one as graceful as Tony, and he wasn’t even a dame. His hips moved back and forth like a crashing wave, or round and round with a sudden turn ever so often. The movements of his arms, slow and graceful, and even his hands, barely moving aside from the paced twisting, were perfect. His bare feet kept moving, different steps meeting the rhythm of the song, and taking small steps to the side every once in a while, too.
Like an old film, constantly playing and replaying, it had Steve hooked.
"You should come dance with me," Tony said during the middle of the song. A dancer shot him a look, an indication to shut up.
Steve chuckled and shook his head, but Tony only insisted, walking forward towards him – those damn hips still moving – and taking his hand.
Steve was strong enough to resist, to stay in his place without Tony even making him move at all, but he let him drag him to where all the other dancers were. Still, that didn't mean he was willing to dance. He left his feet on the ground, and when Tony let go of his hand, he crossed his arms and had a big, defiant grin.
"I don't dance," he said.
"Come on!" Tony laughed. He reached for Steve's arms to try to pull them out. This time, Steve didn't budge even when Tony tugged harder.
He thought of Peggy, who wanted to go out and dance, have a bit of fun, and the way Steve had always rejected the idea. Not to be rude, but because he didn't want to embarrass himself.
Steve sighed, and he released his hands. Pleased with himself, the brunet grinned.
“Just follow my moves,” Tony instructed. Along with the song, he began moving his hips to the side. Left, left, right, right. It seemed easy when he did it, but Steve couldn't even bring himself to try – even if everyone else had their eyes to themselves, instead of looking at them. “Come on, try.”
God, was he stiff. He was like an unoiled robot, rigid and awkward with every move he made. He laughed at himself, though, and he could tell by the way Tony was biting his lip that he was trying hard not to laugh, too.
“No, no, it's okay!” Tony said, not bothering to stifle a laugh after Steve stopped, now reluctant to continue dancing. “You’ve just got to..” He placed his hands on Steve’s waist and began guiding him, trying to move them along to the beat of the music.
Now, Steve was awkward, and he was also beet red from blushing.
"See! Not so hard, is it?" Tony asked, but he was still laughing. It made his dark brown eyes brighten, so Steve didn't care.
"I'm not even moving my feet, and there's still a chance I'll step on you." Steve was only half joking.
"If you do, it'll get me out of dancing tonight and give me more time to spend with you, so go ahead," Tony said, grinning.
His hands were soft on his hips, warm, and Steve was sure his cheeks were just as hot from all his blushing.
The song ended. Steve wasn't certain whether he was glad of it, because it meant he wouldn't have to dance any longer, or upset, because Tony's hands would no longer be on him.
But the blond didn't have to worry, because while Tony let go of his hips, he grabbed a hold of his hand, fingers entwined with his own. His own hand was sweaty, and he was hoping the other wouldn't notice.
"I think we're done here, Pepper."
"Wait, Tony you still ha-"
"Yeah, yeah, we're done, thanks." Tony pulled Steve by his hand, and he shot Tony's friend an apologetic look, but she just smiled. She must have been used to Tony leaving suddenly like this.
"I'm going to be presenting that later tonight," Tony said, once they were outside of the studio. "Since obviously you'll want to see it again."
He winked, and Steve gave him a playful shove.
"Hey!" Tony complained, yet he was grinning. "Didn't peg you for the type to approve of violence."
Steve rolled his eyes, but that didn't stop him from laughing. "Guess there's a lot you don't know about me." He shrugged, and stole a glance at him in an attempt to seem mysterious.
"Yeah?"Tony arched an eyebrow. "Like?" He jabbed Steve's side with his elbow, jokingly teasing him to spill.
"For one thing, I love Hawaiian pizza, but I definitely love the place even more." And apparently Steve had a high liking for all things Hawaiian, because even its people were to his liking. Steve didn't even bother ignoring the nagging voice in the back of his mind that told him it was specifically Tony whom he enjoyed.
Tony laughed. "You know that's not even Hawaiian, right?"
Steve scrunched his nose. "It isn't?"
Tony shook his head, holding an amused smile. "Putting ham and pineapple on pizza is actually a German thing."
Steve tilted his head to the side a bit, and nodded. “Interesting. But what about this Hawaiian?” He poked Tony’s side as he spoke. “Any fascinating facts I should know about you?”
There was a big grin on Tony’s face when he said, “I’m a great kisser.”
Steve laughed and playfully shoved him. Tony’s laugh followed afterwards.
“I’m actually an engineer,” He said, now with a tone of seriousness.”I like building things.”
Steve's eyes widened a bit, and he nodded. It came as a bit of a surprise to know a hula dancer would be into engineering. He felt rude, then, for thinking so.
"What do you like building?"
"A wide variety of things, really. From AI Systems, robotics... I'm working on clean energy; it's interesting, really, because..." Tony stopped. He chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry, don't want to bore you."
Steve didn't mind. He wasn't an expert on technology, but Tony obviously was, and he enjoyed talking about it. Steve enjoyed seeing him talk about it, too - the way his eyes lit up with excitement, and how he was about to go on babbling about the subject before he stopped himself.
"No, it's cool." Steve encouraged him to go with his hands. "Tell me about it."
Tony grinned, but once again, he shook his head. "I'll show you later. Seeing it is a hell lot more interesting than hearing about it."
Steve would have been disappointed, if he hadn't just gotten a promise to know more about it later.
***
The next few days were magnificent. Steve used to think Hawaii was all about gorgeous beaches and exotic jungles, but there was much more than that. Tony showed him tribe traditions and giant monuments. He showed him Pearl Harbor memorials where Steve mourned and told him about his own time at war. He introduced him to new foods and dozens of ways to dance. Tony showed Steve how to have a good time, even after a terrible break up. How to move on, too, when it seemed like an awfully hard thing to do.
And okay, Steve never wanted to be one of those guys who stopped liking someone just because they decided they liked someone else better, but it wasn't like Steve didn't like Peggy anymore. It was just that Tony made him feel happy. He made his heart race and smile just a bit brighter. Tony made him feel like a cliché character in a popular romantic comedy. Except he was a bisexual young adult, and not a coming of age teenage girl.
***
"I'm not going in." Tony crossed his arms stubbornly and made an effort to show his feet were firmly planted on the sand. It was cute, how he thought Steve wouldn't try to move him.
"Your hair is still going to look good, Tony."
Tony exaggerated his gasp. Steve laughed. "You're rude."
Steve only shrugged, grinning at him. He didn't bother saying that wet or dry, Tony would always look good.
He was already in the water, far enough that the waves didn't crash on him, but close enough that it only reached his knees. The water was cold, but the sun was warm, and Steve only had two days left; he didn't want to waste them in his hotel room.
"I just don't want sand up my trunks. It gets itchy."
Steve laughed and shook his head fondly. "You can shower afterwards."
"Oh geez, that solves everything." It wasn't hard to identify the sarcasm in Tony's voice.
Steve realized then he really was a jerk because he sighed, showing that he had given up and said, "Your loss," before turning around and taking slow steps further into the water, then quickly turning around. With swift, fast movements, he was out of the water, lifting Tony into his arms and running back again, splashing them both as he did.
He was moving too fast, and Tony was making far too many complaints that, at first, he didn't realize that he had Tony's half naked body in his arms. When he did, he blushed, and wearing a swimsuit only helped in exposing the color that ran all the way down his neck. Thankfully, Tony was too busy kicking and yelling to notice.
"I am a grown man; I can make my own decisions, and I choose not to be carried around like a silly princess just because you're bored."
He could feel Tony's tense body in his arms – could see his annoyed expression. Steve was a real jerk for enjoying this.
"Want me to let you go, then?" he asked with a smirk.
“Yes, ple-No! Do not let me go. Take me back to shore and gently drop me."
Well, what a shame. "Guess what? I'm a grown man, too, and I choose not to listen to that."
He was gentle, but it wasn't in the sand where Steve let go. Instead, he dropped him in the water, making him splash, and getting them both soaked. Though it was Tony, who came out of the water as quickly as he went in, who was even more drenched. He tried not to notice the way small drops of water dripped from his chest.
"Asshole," The wet brunet gasped, clinging to Steve's shoulders and trying to pull him down.
Steve laughed, wrapping his arms around Tony's wet body and bringing them both down. Tony yelled right before they both hit the water. It was a good thing Steve didn't laugh again, because he would have gotten a mouthful of salt water.
It felt exhilarating, but maybe it was only because he was holding Tony in his arms, or perhaps it was the rush of excitement coursing through his veins from being this close to him. It could just be the thrill of the cool water, but Steve couldn't be bothered to try to figure it out.
The blond pulled them both back up. He blinked enough times to clear the water from his eyes to open them as wide as his grin. Judging by his pinched expression, Tony didn't seem too pleased.
But then his eyes met Steve's, and he could have sworn his lips twitched into a small smile. Steve licked his lips.
He knew that Tony was confident the first day he had seen him dancing on stage, grinning at the crowd with a cocky glint in his eyes. His theory was confirmed when they first met officially, seeing his openness and playful smiles. Even as they continued hanging out and Steve really got to know him, he realized how sure of himself Tony was.
Yet it still took him by surprise when Tony leaned forward and briefly pressed his lips to Steve's own, because they were in public and while the world accepted many things nowadays, not everyone did.
But he didn't think much about that afterwards – too distracted by the soft pressure of Tony's lips on his own. They tasted like sea water, and it was far too short, but it still left his lips tingling and his chest warm.
When Tony pulled apart, it was his turn to grin while Steve stared at him with wide eyes and a racing heart.
"That was.." Steve puffed out a sigh, lifting his eyebrows just a bit.
"Nice?" Tony tried, and Steve nodded.
"Definitely nice," he agreed.
His lips were still tingling, and he was already beginning to miss the warmth Tony had provided him for a few seconds. Maybe that's what drove him to lean forwards again, closing his eyes, and not being able to stop a smile when he kissed Tony once more. It was longer now, but just as wonderful. It left Steve with his stomach doing flips and longing more when they both pulled back for air when they could no longer hold their breath.
"Remind me again why we haven’t been doing this before?" Tony asked, cheeks flushed and lips slightly parted to catch his breath.
Steve licked his lips. "Doesn't matter. I'm sure I want to keep doing it."
"Yeah. Kissing is a good way to distract me from all the sand in my ass crack."
And oh, what a wonderful way to ruin the moment. But it wasn't spoiled, because they were both laughing, and Steve was still euphoric from the kiss.
"Let's go clean up, then." That seemed more appropriate than suggesting they kissed some more.
With a whole lot more confidence, Steve took Tony's hand and led him out of the water and to the showers to quickly rinse off – it was one the perks of having Tony's beach house nearby.
Maybe it was his imagination, but he was sure they were both still grinning from ear to ear.
***
Link to part 3
Title: The Perks of Hawaiian Pizza
Rating: Teen and Up Audiences
Universe: MCU
Warnings: nothing in particular that i can think of
From: howling_commandos
Link to part 1
Tony was already leading the way, but it seemed a whole lot more obvious, now that he was walking a bit faster, yet still managing to stay at Steve's side.
They were halfway through the tour when Tony's phone rang. A loud, hard rock tune startled Steve, not enough to blare in his ears, but definitely enough to bother him.
Tony took out a phone from his pocket, modern and new much unlike Steve's own, and answered.
Steve didn't understand most of the conversation because he was only hearing one side of it – only strings of affirmation and a few curses.
"I'm sorry," Tony sighed, pocketing his phone and turning back to Steve. "There's a new routine I need to learn for tonight's performance, and if I don't get it right, Pepper's going to kill me." He gave his nose a small rub.
Steve's face fell, but he tried to hide it by shrugging. "It's alright. Go ahead. We can meet up some other time.” That was, if Steve had the wonderful luck of doing so.
Tony looked up and chewed on his bottom lip, as if going over all the options in his head. Finally, he sighed, placing his hands on his hips. “Come with me,” he said. “It´ll be fun.”
Steve furrowed his eyebrows and narrowed his eyes. “To your rehearsal?”
The other man nodded. “Sure, why not? I’m sure you won’t be a nuisance.”
He gave Tony a small smile and nodded. “I’d like that, then. I’ll be fun.”
Tony grinned, and continued walking along, though his direction had changed now – back towards the hotel, and to a dance studio, apparently, where they met with other dancers. Steve recognized them as the people who danced along with Tony last time.
“I need to go change,” Tony announced, excusing himself before leaving the room.
Steve clicked his tongue, blue eyes wandering around the large room. When his eyes met with a pretty redhead, he offered a small smile then looked away, afraid he´d be considered rude for staring. When he looked back up, the woman was already making her way towards him.
"Hi," She smiled, and stretched out her hand for Steve to shake.
He took the delicate hand into his own and shook, smiling at her as he did. "Hey, I'm Steve. I'm a..." He paused, licked his lips, considering, then said, "a friend of Tony's."
He could feel the stares of the other people that were there.
The redhead obtained an amused smile. After letting go of Steve's hand, she said, "I'm Pepper, Tony's friend, too." She snorted at her own words, then added, "Among other things."
"Oh?" Steve quirked at eyebrow. But before he could ask any further questions, Tony was back. "Were you bothering him, Pep?"
The blond tried not to notice the way the wife beater Tony was wearing clung to his skin, or how low his sweatpants were hanging on his hips.
Pepper rolled her eyes, accompanied by a small sigh. "I was just trying to make him feel welcome, Tony"
"Well thank you, sweetheart." Tony wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Steve lowered his head and pressed his lips tightly together, refusing to feel a little jealous.
"Anyways." Pepper cleared her throat and freed herself from Tony's grasp. "Time to get working, shall we?"
She clapped her hands together and turned back to the whole crowd, gathering their attention before going over to where the sound system was placed. She played with several buttons until she chose a song – a soft, slow melody filling the room and bringing a state of calm over Steve.
"You warmed up yet?" She asked, referring to Tony.
"Pep, I'm always hot." Tony winked, and Steve noticed then just how often the redhead rolled her eyes around Tony.
The other dancers began warming up their feet, and the fact that Tony followed along answered Pepper's question. Steve watched, leaning against a mirrored wall. He tried hard not to stare at the brunet for too long, but his eyes kept coming back, mesmerized by the relaxed way Tony moved, graceful and poised, even as they only warmed up. It was extra difficult when the dancer kept staring back, sending flirtatious glances and cheeky grins.
"The routine's quite simple," Pepper said," all you need to do is keep your eyes on me and follow along."
The dancers were huddled up in a small ball as they warmed up, but as soon as the next song came on, they spread out across the wooden floor, each finding a space for them to move around comfortably. Tony picked his space right in front of Steve.
A different tune came on, still slow, yet with a different vibe. It had a faster beat guided by a ukulele, accompanied by the soft beat of a drum, and a man singing in a native language. Steve recognized it as a common Hawaiian song. He wasn't surprised, as they were going to do a hula routine.
Tony lifted his arms, one stretched out in front of him, while the other hovered over him, both hands twisted in elegance. His pace was slow, following the song with graceful movements. His dark eyes only ever left Steve's to glance at Pepper to see what would come next on the routine.
Steve had seen many dames dance, but never one as graceful as Tony, and he wasn’t even a dame. His hips moved back and forth like a crashing wave, or round and round with a sudden turn ever so often. The movements of his arms, slow and graceful, and even his hands, barely moving aside from the paced twisting, were perfect. His bare feet kept moving, different steps meeting the rhythm of the song, and taking small steps to the side every once in a while, too.
Like an old film, constantly playing and replaying, it had Steve hooked.
"You should come dance with me," Tony said during the middle of the song. A dancer shot him a look, an indication to shut up.
Steve chuckled and shook his head, but Tony only insisted, walking forward towards him – those damn hips still moving – and taking his hand.
Steve was strong enough to resist, to stay in his place without Tony even making him move at all, but he let him drag him to where all the other dancers were. Still, that didn't mean he was willing to dance. He left his feet on the ground, and when Tony let go of his hand, he crossed his arms and had a big, defiant grin.
"I don't dance," he said.
"Come on!" Tony laughed. He reached for Steve's arms to try to pull them out. This time, Steve didn't budge even when Tony tugged harder.
He thought of Peggy, who wanted to go out and dance, have a bit of fun, and the way Steve had always rejected the idea. Not to be rude, but because he didn't want to embarrass himself.
Steve sighed, and he released his hands. Pleased with himself, the brunet grinned.
“Just follow my moves,” Tony instructed. Along with the song, he began moving his hips to the side. Left, left, right, right. It seemed easy when he did it, but Steve couldn't even bring himself to try – even if everyone else had their eyes to themselves, instead of looking at them. “Come on, try.”
God, was he stiff. He was like an unoiled robot, rigid and awkward with every move he made. He laughed at himself, though, and he could tell by the way Tony was biting his lip that he was trying hard not to laugh, too.
“No, no, it's okay!” Tony said, not bothering to stifle a laugh after Steve stopped, now reluctant to continue dancing. “You’ve just got to..” He placed his hands on Steve’s waist and began guiding him, trying to move them along to the beat of the music.
Now, Steve was awkward, and he was also beet red from blushing.
"See! Not so hard, is it?" Tony asked, but he was still laughing. It made his dark brown eyes brighten, so Steve didn't care.
"I'm not even moving my feet, and there's still a chance I'll step on you." Steve was only half joking.
"If you do, it'll get me out of dancing tonight and give me more time to spend with you, so go ahead," Tony said, grinning.
His hands were soft on his hips, warm, and Steve was sure his cheeks were just as hot from all his blushing.
The song ended. Steve wasn't certain whether he was glad of it, because it meant he wouldn't have to dance any longer, or upset, because Tony's hands would no longer be on him.
But the blond didn't have to worry, because while Tony let go of his hips, he grabbed a hold of his hand, fingers entwined with his own. His own hand was sweaty, and he was hoping the other wouldn't notice.
"I think we're done here, Pepper."
"Wait, Tony you still ha-"
"Yeah, yeah, we're done, thanks." Tony pulled Steve by his hand, and he shot Tony's friend an apologetic look, but she just smiled. She must have been used to Tony leaving suddenly like this.
"I'm going to be presenting that later tonight," Tony said, once they were outside of the studio. "Since obviously you'll want to see it again."
He winked, and Steve gave him a playful shove.
"Hey!" Tony complained, yet he was grinning. "Didn't peg you for the type to approve of violence."
Steve rolled his eyes, but that didn't stop him from laughing. "Guess there's a lot you don't know about me." He shrugged, and stole a glance at him in an attempt to seem mysterious.
"Yeah?"Tony arched an eyebrow. "Like?" He jabbed Steve's side with his elbow, jokingly teasing him to spill.
"For one thing, I love Hawaiian pizza, but I definitely love the place even more." And apparently Steve had a high liking for all things Hawaiian, because even its people were to his liking. Steve didn't even bother ignoring the nagging voice in the back of his mind that told him it was specifically Tony whom he enjoyed.
Tony laughed. "You know that's not even Hawaiian, right?"
Steve scrunched his nose. "It isn't?"
Tony shook his head, holding an amused smile. "Putting ham and pineapple on pizza is actually a German thing."
Steve tilted his head to the side a bit, and nodded. “Interesting. But what about this Hawaiian?” He poked Tony’s side as he spoke. “Any fascinating facts I should know about you?”
There was a big grin on Tony’s face when he said, “I’m a great kisser.”
Steve laughed and playfully shoved him. Tony’s laugh followed afterwards.
“I’m actually an engineer,” He said, now with a tone of seriousness.”I like building things.”
Steve's eyes widened a bit, and he nodded. It came as a bit of a surprise to know a hula dancer would be into engineering. He felt rude, then, for thinking so.
"What do you like building?"
"A wide variety of things, really. From AI Systems, robotics... I'm working on clean energy; it's interesting, really, because..." Tony stopped. He chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry, don't want to bore you."
Steve didn't mind. He wasn't an expert on technology, but Tony obviously was, and he enjoyed talking about it. Steve enjoyed seeing him talk about it, too - the way his eyes lit up with excitement, and how he was about to go on babbling about the subject before he stopped himself.
"No, it's cool." Steve encouraged him to go with his hands. "Tell me about it."
Tony grinned, but once again, he shook his head. "I'll show you later. Seeing it is a hell lot more interesting than hearing about it."
Steve would have been disappointed, if he hadn't just gotten a promise to know more about it later.
***
The next few days were magnificent. Steve used to think Hawaii was all about gorgeous beaches and exotic jungles, but there was much more than that. Tony showed him tribe traditions and giant monuments. He showed him Pearl Harbor memorials where Steve mourned and told him about his own time at war. He introduced him to new foods and dozens of ways to dance. Tony showed Steve how to have a good time, even after a terrible break up. How to move on, too, when it seemed like an awfully hard thing to do.
And okay, Steve never wanted to be one of those guys who stopped liking someone just because they decided they liked someone else better, but it wasn't like Steve didn't like Peggy anymore. It was just that Tony made him feel happy. He made his heart race and smile just a bit brighter. Tony made him feel like a cliché character in a popular romantic comedy. Except he was a bisexual young adult, and not a coming of age teenage girl.
***
"I'm not going in." Tony crossed his arms stubbornly and made an effort to show his feet were firmly planted on the sand. It was cute, how he thought Steve wouldn't try to move him.
"Your hair is still going to look good, Tony."
Tony exaggerated his gasp. Steve laughed. "You're rude."
Steve only shrugged, grinning at him. He didn't bother saying that wet or dry, Tony would always look good.
He was already in the water, far enough that the waves didn't crash on him, but close enough that it only reached his knees. The water was cold, but the sun was warm, and Steve only had two days left; he didn't want to waste them in his hotel room.
"I just don't want sand up my trunks. It gets itchy."
Steve laughed and shook his head fondly. "You can shower afterwards."
"Oh geez, that solves everything." It wasn't hard to identify the sarcasm in Tony's voice.
Steve realized then he really was a jerk because he sighed, showing that he had given up and said, "Your loss," before turning around and taking slow steps further into the water, then quickly turning around. With swift, fast movements, he was out of the water, lifting Tony into his arms and running back again, splashing them both as he did.
He was moving too fast, and Tony was making far too many complaints that, at first, he didn't realize that he had Tony's half naked body in his arms. When he did, he blushed, and wearing a swimsuit only helped in exposing the color that ran all the way down his neck. Thankfully, Tony was too busy kicking and yelling to notice.
"I am a grown man; I can make my own decisions, and I choose not to be carried around like a silly princess just because you're bored."
He could feel Tony's tense body in his arms – could see his annoyed expression. Steve was a real jerk for enjoying this.
"Want me to let you go, then?" he asked with a smirk.
“Yes, ple-No! Do not let me go. Take me back to shore and gently drop me."
Well, what a shame. "Guess what? I'm a grown man, too, and I choose not to listen to that."
He was gentle, but it wasn't in the sand where Steve let go. Instead, he dropped him in the water, making him splash, and getting them both soaked. Though it was Tony, who came out of the water as quickly as he went in, who was even more drenched. He tried not to notice the way small drops of water dripped from his chest.
"Asshole," The wet brunet gasped, clinging to Steve's shoulders and trying to pull him down.
Steve laughed, wrapping his arms around Tony's wet body and bringing them both down. Tony yelled right before they both hit the water. It was a good thing Steve didn't laugh again, because he would have gotten a mouthful of salt water.
It felt exhilarating, but maybe it was only because he was holding Tony in his arms, or perhaps it was the rush of excitement coursing through his veins from being this close to him. It could just be the thrill of the cool water, but Steve couldn't be bothered to try to figure it out.
The blond pulled them both back up. He blinked enough times to clear the water from his eyes to open them as wide as his grin. Judging by his pinched expression, Tony didn't seem too pleased.
But then his eyes met Steve's, and he could have sworn his lips twitched into a small smile. Steve licked his lips.
He knew that Tony was confident the first day he had seen him dancing on stage, grinning at the crowd with a cocky glint in his eyes. His theory was confirmed when they first met officially, seeing his openness and playful smiles. Even as they continued hanging out and Steve really got to know him, he realized how sure of himself Tony was.
Yet it still took him by surprise when Tony leaned forward and briefly pressed his lips to Steve's own, because they were in public and while the world accepted many things nowadays, not everyone did.
But he didn't think much about that afterwards – too distracted by the soft pressure of Tony's lips on his own. They tasted like sea water, and it was far too short, but it still left his lips tingling and his chest warm.
When Tony pulled apart, it was his turn to grin while Steve stared at him with wide eyes and a racing heart.
"That was.." Steve puffed out a sigh, lifting his eyebrows just a bit.
"Nice?" Tony tried, and Steve nodded.
"Definitely nice," he agreed.
His lips were still tingling, and he was already beginning to miss the warmth Tony had provided him for a few seconds. Maybe that's what drove him to lean forwards again, closing his eyes, and not being able to stop a smile when he kissed Tony once more. It was longer now, but just as wonderful. It left Steve with his stomach doing flips and longing more when they both pulled back for air when they could no longer hold their breath.
"Remind me again why we haven’t been doing this before?" Tony asked, cheeks flushed and lips slightly parted to catch his breath.
Steve licked his lips. "Doesn't matter. I'm sure I want to keep doing it."
"Yeah. Kissing is a good way to distract me from all the sand in my ass crack."
And oh, what a wonderful way to ruin the moment. But it wasn't spoiled, because they were both laughing, and Steve was still euphoric from the kiss.
"Let's go clean up, then." That seemed more appropriate than suggesting they kissed some more.
With a whole lot more confidence, Steve took Tony's hand and led him out of the water and to the showers to quickly rinse off – it was one the perks of having Tony's beach house nearby.
Maybe it was his imagination, but he was sure they were both still grinning from ear to ear.
***
Link to part 3