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cap_ironman2011-12-23 05:36 pm
cap_ironman_fe) wrote in cap_ironman2011-12-23 05:36 pm
Happy Holidays, SecretSanta!
Universe: Main Continuity/616
Author![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
espadas
Rating: PG
Warnings: none. Well, aside from insane amounts of fluff?
Beta: None, unfortunately
Title: Together We Can Heal {And Take The Road Less Traveled on}
Summary: The Avengers decide to spend Christmas together. It’s somehow different from what Tony experienced in his past.
Pairings/Characters: Steve/Tony
Word Count: 2027
A/N: For the prompt: Steve and Tony being domestic or fluffy. With additional snow, because snow = love. Title taken from Globus’ "The Promise".
Together We Can Heal {And Take The Road Less Traveled on}
Christmas was actually very weird. It was, basically, just a simple holiday: One had dinner and spent time at home, tried not to complain about snow if there was any or no snow if there was none, and generally did its best to remain as cheerful and high-spirited as possible. It usually devoured an infernal amount of money for gifts and expensive food, and it more often than not ended in tears – either if some child just didn’t get what it wished for or one suddenly got dumped by their stressed significant other. But it was still very, very famous, and one of the most anticipated holidays of the year.
Of course, with Christmas Day just one night away, Avengers Mansion was buzzing with some kind of unusual excitement. It was not as if the days of the team were any different, just because there was some kind of upcoming holiday – there were really only a few villains who actually seemed to remember human customs such as "spending Christmas Day with your family" instead of "trying to claim mayor parts of any available continent, because that’s just the best thing ever", after all, so the Avengers had to be on guard, just as usual. Still, there was undoubtedly some kind of curious anticipation lingering in the air of the house, similar to the excitement contained in the hearts of children, right before the big day was about to dawn.
Tony actually… wouldn’t know too much about it. Of course, he remembered countless Christmas Eves and Days, it was just that those memories were… nothing too special, not to him. As a boy, he’d naturally spent Christmas with his parents (if only due to the severe lack of any other options), but it has never been something he really looked forward to. They just followed the regular conventions – they went to church together and afterwards met some business partners of Howard for dinner. Sometimes, when Tony was wide awake in bed and feeling nostalgic or self-destructive enough, he remembered the soft hands of his mother, smoothing down the stupid bow tie he usually had to wear on that day with a gentle smile on her face. His father, Howard, was just a grey shadow in the background if he thought of these days. He was cool, calculating with the adults they met, and mostly emotionless in Church. Tony could also remember some presents he had been given – all of them unquestionably expensive and rare, but not…warm, not in his memory.
All that was alive in his mind were his mother’s hands and his father’s eyes, nothing more. It was nothing but business as usual between them, wrapped up in the shiny disguise of family holidays.
But now? Everything was somehow… different, and Tony wondered how it had come to this. Just exactly where in his life he had finally taken a turn into the right direction to feel this… content on a Christmas Eve.
As if to cling to their role of the unofficial children of the team Clint and Peter had talked the others into decorating at least one of the living rooms. Well, "talked into" was probably a little too soft – Peter had actually threatened all of them to call his aunt and his girlfriend, and everybody feared what would have happened when they started to decorate the mansion instead. The vivid imagery surrounding mistletoes, which the young reporter conjured, did not help a thing either. So they had all spent an afternoon together in the considerable effort to work on something so… unusually common together.
There’s seriously something to be said about teams of superheroes. They fight crime, have impossible weapons or skills and sometimes even possess absolutely inhuman skills, but they can still get tangled in chains of lights, just like everybody else, or choke on Christmas cookies because they were just a little too greedy. Which was the moment where every Avenger would shift his or hers eyes to an actually blushing God of Thunder. Everyone has a weakness - Thor’s were most likely delicious biscuits.
So, clusters of light chains had found their places to the windows and the ceiling, accompanied by ornamentation and other decoration. They had even put up a tree in a corner of the room – because Christmas was no Christmas without a tree, Hawkeye had stubbornly insisted. The fir they had chosen was huge, but somehow fit to the rest of the room almost perfectly, like it belonged here. The candles they had put up on the branches in shared efforts flickered and cast a gentle, golden light against the high, white walls.
It was strangely peaceful, and Tony had to admit that he liked it very, very much. The Mansion was finally alive; It was so very different than in his childhood, where no-one but his parents, Jarvis and several servants had moved through the long corridors, quiet like ghosts. Now, the house was entirely different, filled with curses and laughter and a strange holiday cheer he couldn’t really get enough of.
Although the spirit wasn’t the only thing that fit those criteria, he allowed himself to think with a smile. The other thing Tony couldn’t get enough of was currently sitting right next to him on the couch, one arm casually draped around his smaller shoulders and placing a steaming hot mug of cocoa into his hands: Steve.
It was by far not the first Christmas Tony spent with Captain America, his best friend – but it was indeed the first he spent with Steve Rogers, his … uhm, well. Tony took a sip of the hot chocolate to hide the slight embarrassment that followed his own thoughts – "boyfriend" was such a girlish term, sounded stupid even in his mind only. Steve was more than simple arm candy (although he would be more than perfect in this place as well, with those gorgeous muscles and this stand and, why hello there mental image, thank you very much) – he was Tony’s friend, his partner, his… his Steve.
A while ago, they had mutually decided against labeling what they were for another, because no word seemed sufficient to them. They had also decided against telling their teammates right off, although Tony suspected that some of them might know against all attempts to suppress their attraction to each other while the others were around; It wasn’t actually easy to keep something to important to yourself alone, especially if you longed to kiss the man you love every minute, no matter where you were. Tony was rather proud of himself; Until now, he had managed to keep the façade of the "generous and genius good friend" up if their friends were among them. Fortunately enough it was nothing unusual to the others that they sat close or touched each other as if by accident; They used to do it a lot. Tony didn’t forget Bruce’s earlier remarks about him being completely oblivious of the term 'personal space’ from time to time.
But now, they were alone. Alone in a room almost bursting with Christmas-y feelings, so very close to each other, feeling each other’s body heat even through several layers of clothing and sharing a cup of hot chocolate which the world outside the mansion was covered in a gentle blanket of silvery-white, fresh snow.
" 's good.", Tony remarked, nose still almost hidden in the cup. He had to admit to himself that he missed things like spiked cocoa – the soft taste of rum mixing with molten chocolate on his tongue was something he really, really enjoyed – but of course Steve would have none of that. Alcohol in any form was banned from the mansion, and Cap was very insistent about this rule – even candy containing any kind of spirit was gone by now. Tony wasn’t too sure if it was just ridiculous or more than sweet. Steve cared deeply for his health.
"Glad you like it. I … Haven’t done anything like this in a long time, so uh… Jarvis was so nice to lend me a hand." Steve smiled sheepishly, the tips of his ears going slightly pink as he admitted his defeat. Tony chuckled before his eyes roamed across the living room. It was … festive, more than just festive. It was home, finally, finally home. He smiled and shifted a little, leaning his head onto a broad shoulder, sighing as a warm, strong and capable hand combed through his hair, carefully brushing some glitter aside which Clint had "strategically" – as he had insisted – put there.
"It’s going to be one heck of a party tomorrow. I hope nobody crashes anything.", the soldier gently murmured against the slight scruff of Tony’s cheek as he leant in to plant a kiss on it. Of course, the insistent wish for decoration had carried another requests, such as presents, and then more – until it all culminated in the planning of a party on Christmas Day, not only for the Avengers, but for their families and friends as well. By then, Tony had agreed without a second thought; if he started this he could very well go all the way, right? Gift boxes were already piled up under the tree, all placed on differently colored cloths, undoubtedly by Jarvis, the good soul of Avengers Mansion. Although the butler was rarely seen these days Tony knew how much he did for them – and for him. Jarvis had always been there. He tied his past to his present, had supported him in his own, gentle, respectful way, and Tony had never heard him complain, not even once. He smiled despite himself, nuzzling closer to Steve and sighed as he felt fingers carding through his hair again, dragging him out of his thought and back into the moment. The present. A very good, very inviting present.
"It’s snowing again.", Steve suddenly whispered, his lips so close to Tony’s ear that the man could feel himself shiver. He looked up; Steve’s eyes were set on the window, watching enthralled, like a boy who was experiencing his first white Christmas ever. Those azure orbs were wide open, shone like perfect pools of happiness, of joy. There was nothing but love and gentleness written in them, and Tony felt his heart growing twice its actual size while he savored this look. He had already known that Steve liked Christmas, but last year – and the years before – he hadn’t looked like this. Maybe with Sharon, Tony didn’t know; But not with him.
Now he was very convinced that he’d never want to experience another Christmas without this look of utter glee. Unable to help himself he allowed a small, breathy laughter to escape his lips and captured Steve’s as the man tilted his head to look at him in wonder.
"Let’s head out, then. Time for a Christmas stroll through the park. And more of this, preferably with some added espresso.", he added, lightly shaking the dark red porcelain in his hands.
Steve couldn’t hide his growing smile as well. He ruffled Tony’s hair affectionately as he got up, carefully taking the now empty mug back into his hands. Somewhere upstairs echoed the laughter of the other Avengers; the streets in front of the windows hid the countless, muffled voices and sounds of a city hidden under a fine blanket of white magic. For one moment everything in life seemed perfect and peaceful, And Tony – sad, unhappy Tony, who had preferred to spend Christmas in a workshop with robots instead of at home with his family only a year ago – was absolutely sure that life could barely get better than this.
He took Steve’s hand and allowed him to drag him back onto his feet; For a second he hid his face on the broad chest of the super soldier, inhaled the familiar scent of shower gel and tumble-dried fabrics and musk and Steve, all Steve. Then he dragged himself half a step back, took the free hand of his partner and almost tugged him over to the door, leading them out into the streets.
Christmas was wonderful when you had a special somebody to spend it with.
Author
espadasRating: PG
Warnings: none. Well, aside from insane amounts of fluff?
Beta: None, unfortunately
Title: Together We Can Heal {And Take The Road Less Traveled on}
Summary: The Avengers decide to spend Christmas together. It’s somehow different from what Tony experienced in his past.
Pairings/Characters: Steve/Tony
Word Count: 2027
A/N: For the prompt: Steve and Tony being domestic or fluffy. With additional snow, because snow = love. Title taken from Globus’ "The Promise".
Together We Can Heal {And Take The Road Less Traveled on}
Christmas was actually very weird. It was, basically, just a simple holiday: One had dinner and spent time at home, tried not to complain about snow if there was any or no snow if there was none, and generally did its best to remain as cheerful and high-spirited as possible. It usually devoured an infernal amount of money for gifts and expensive food, and it more often than not ended in tears – either if some child just didn’t get what it wished for or one suddenly got dumped by their stressed significant other. But it was still very, very famous, and one of the most anticipated holidays of the year.
Of course, with Christmas Day just one night away, Avengers Mansion was buzzing with some kind of unusual excitement. It was not as if the days of the team were any different, just because there was some kind of upcoming holiday – there were really only a few villains who actually seemed to remember human customs such as "spending Christmas Day with your family" instead of "trying to claim mayor parts of any available continent, because that’s just the best thing ever", after all, so the Avengers had to be on guard, just as usual. Still, there was undoubtedly some kind of curious anticipation lingering in the air of the house, similar to the excitement contained in the hearts of children, right before the big day was about to dawn.
Tony actually… wouldn’t know too much about it. Of course, he remembered countless Christmas Eves and Days, it was just that those memories were… nothing too special, not to him. As a boy, he’d naturally spent Christmas with his parents (if only due to the severe lack of any other options), but it has never been something he really looked forward to. They just followed the regular conventions – they went to church together and afterwards met some business partners of Howard for dinner. Sometimes, when Tony was wide awake in bed and feeling nostalgic or self-destructive enough, he remembered the soft hands of his mother, smoothing down the stupid bow tie he usually had to wear on that day with a gentle smile on her face. His father, Howard, was just a grey shadow in the background if he thought of these days. He was cool, calculating with the adults they met, and mostly emotionless in Church. Tony could also remember some presents he had been given – all of them unquestionably expensive and rare, but not…warm, not in his memory.
All that was alive in his mind were his mother’s hands and his father’s eyes, nothing more. It was nothing but business as usual between them, wrapped up in the shiny disguise of family holidays.
But now? Everything was somehow… different, and Tony wondered how it had come to this. Just exactly where in his life he had finally taken a turn into the right direction to feel this… content on a Christmas Eve.
As if to cling to their role of the unofficial children of the team Clint and Peter had talked the others into decorating at least one of the living rooms. Well, "talked into" was probably a little too soft – Peter had actually threatened all of them to call his aunt and his girlfriend, and everybody feared what would have happened when they started to decorate the mansion instead. The vivid imagery surrounding mistletoes, which the young reporter conjured, did not help a thing either. So they had all spent an afternoon together in the considerable effort to work on something so… unusually common together.
There’s seriously something to be said about teams of superheroes. They fight crime, have impossible weapons or skills and sometimes even possess absolutely inhuman skills, but they can still get tangled in chains of lights, just like everybody else, or choke on Christmas cookies because they were just a little too greedy. Which was the moment where every Avenger would shift his or hers eyes to an actually blushing God of Thunder. Everyone has a weakness - Thor’s were most likely delicious biscuits.
So, clusters of light chains had found their places to the windows and the ceiling, accompanied by ornamentation and other decoration. They had even put up a tree in a corner of the room – because Christmas was no Christmas without a tree, Hawkeye had stubbornly insisted. The fir they had chosen was huge, but somehow fit to the rest of the room almost perfectly, like it belonged here. The candles they had put up on the branches in shared efforts flickered and cast a gentle, golden light against the high, white walls.
It was strangely peaceful, and Tony had to admit that he liked it very, very much. The Mansion was finally alive; It was so very different than in his childhood, where no-one but his parents, Jarvis and several servants had moved through the long corridors, quiet like ghosts. Now, the house was entirely different, filled with curses and laughter and a strange holiday cheer he couldn’t really get enough of.
Although the spirit wasn’t the only thing that fit those criteria, he allowed himself to think with a smile. The other thing Tony couldn’t get enough of was currently sitting right next to him on the couch, one arm casually draped around his smaller shoulders and placing a steaming hot mug of cocoa into his hands: Steve.
It was by far not the first Christmas Tony spent with Captain America, his best friend – but it was indeed the first he spent with Steve Rogers, his … uhm, well. Tony took a sip of the hot chocolate to hide the slight embarrassment that followed his own thoughts – "boyfriend" was such a girlish term, sounded stupid even in his mind only. Steve was more than simple arm candy (although he would be more than perfect in this place as well, with those gorgeous muscles and this stand and, why hello there mental image, thank you very much) – he was Tony’s friend, his partner, his… his Steve.
A while ago, they had mutually decided against labeling what they were for another, because no word seemed sufficient to them. They had also decided against telling their teammates right off, although Tony suspected that some of them might know against all attempts to suppress their attraction to each other while the others were around; It wasn’t actually easy to keep something to important to yourself alone, especially if you longed to kiss the man you love every minute, no matter where you were. Tony was rather proud of himself; Until now, he had managed to keep the façade of the "generous and genius good friend" up if their friends were among them. Fortunately enough it was nothing unusual to the others that they sat close or touched each other as if by accident; They used to do it a lot. Tony didn’t forget Bruce’s earlier remarks about him being completely oblivious of the term 'personal space’ from time to time.
But now, they were alone. Alone in a room almost bursting with Christmas-y feelings, so very close to each other, feeling each other’s body heat even through several layers of clothing and sharing a cup of hot chocolate which the world outside the mansion was covered in a gentle blanket of silvery-white, fresh snow.
" 's good.", Tony remarked, nose still almost hidden in the cup. He had to admit to himself that he missed things like spiked cocoa – the soft taste of rum mixing with molten chocolate on his tongue was something he really, really enjoyed – but of course Steve would have none of that. Alcohol in any form was banned from the mansion, and Cap was very insistent about this rule – even candy containing any kind of spirit was gone by now. Tony wasn’t too sure if it was just ridiculous or more than sweet. Steve cared deeply for his health.
"Glad you like it. I … Haven’t done anything like this in a long time, so uh… Jarvis was so nice to lend me a hand." Steve smiled sheepishly, the tips of his ears going slightly pink as he admitted his defeat. Tony chuckled before his eyes roamed across the living room. It was … festive, more than just festive. It was home, finally, finally home. He smiled and shifted a little, leaning his head onto a broad shoulder, sighing as a warm, strong and capable hand combed through his hair, carefully brushing some glitter aside which Clint had "strategically" – as he had insisted – put there.
"It’s going to be one heck of a party tomorrow. I hope nobody crashes anything.", the soldier gently murmured against the slight scruff of Tony’s cheek as he leant in to plant a kiss on it. Of course, the insistent wish for decoration had carried another requests, such as presents, and then more – until it all culminated in the planning of a party on Christmas Day, not only for the Avengers, but for their families and friends as well. By then, Tony had agreed without a second thought; if he started this he could very well go all the way, right? Gift boxes were already piled up under the tree, all placed on differently colored cloths, undoubtedly by Jarvis, the good soul of Avengers Mansion. Although the butler was rarely seen these days Tony knew how much he did for them – and for him. Jarvis had always been there. He tied his past to his present, had supported him in his own, gentle, respectful way, and Tony had never heard him complain, not even once. He smiled despite himself, nuzzling closer to Steve and sighed as he felt fingers carding through his hair again, dragging him out of his thought and back into the moment. The present. A very good, very inviting present.
"It’s snowing again.", Steve suddenly whispered, his lips so close to Tony’s ear that the man could feel himself shiver. He looked up; Steve’s eyes were set on the window, watching enthralled, like a boy who was experiencing his first white Christmas ever. Those azure orbs were wide open, shone like perfect pools of happiness, of joy. There was nothing but love and gentleness written in them, and Tony felt his heart growing twice its actual size while he savored this look. He had already known that Steve liked Christmas, but last year – and the years before – he hadn’t looked like this. Maybe with Sharon, Tony didn’t know; But not with him.
Now he was very convinced that he’d never want to experience another Christmas without this look of utter glee. Unable to help himself he allowed a small, breathy laughter to escape his lips and captured Steve’s as the man tilted his head to look at him in wonder.
"Let’s head out, then. Time for a Christmas stroll through the park. And more of this, preferably with some added espresso.", he added, lightly shaking the dark red porcelain in his hands.
Steve couldn’t hide his growing smile as well. He ruffled Tony’s hair affectionately as he got up, carefully taking the now empty mug back into his hands. Somewhere upstairs echoed the laughter of the other Avengers; the streets in front of the windows hid the countless, muffled voices and sounds of a city hidden under a fine blanket of white magic. For one moment everything in life seemed perfect and peaceful, And Tony – sad, unhappy Tony, who had preferred to spend Christmas in a workshop with robots instead of at home with his family only a year ago – was absolutely sure that life could barely get better than this.
He took Steve’s hand and allowed him to drag him back onto his feet; For a second he hid his face on the broad chest of the super soldier, inhaled the familiar scent of shower gel and tumble-dried fabrics and musk and Steve, all Steve. Then he dragged himself half a step back, took the free hand of his partner and almost tugged him over to the door, leading them out into the streets.
Christmas was wonderful when you had a special somebody to spend it with.
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Over the course of this Secret Santa exchange, I’ve been quite agonizing over what I would receive and kept worrying that you would choose to write that Civil War prompt which I might not be able to read during this festive season.
In the end, I’m glad that you wrote this instead. I was asking for something quite vague because I wasn’t quite sure of what I wanted but alas, miracle happened and you wrote exactly what I wanted!!! I was grinning like a loon when I was reading it the whole time and the scenes appeared in my head like lovely images from an album, giving me these fuzzy feelings and making me want to hug my pillow and send you a big great hug through the monitor.
The serious lack of 616 stories around lately makes your story very delightful to me. I think you capture both characters very well. The mood feels light and quiet but comfortable. With so little words, you manage to convince me of the progression of their relationship. Steve is so nice and sweet to Tony while still being himself and Tony is wholly adorable and I want to cuddle them both.
I’m spending my Christmas alone this year so this really brightens up my day tremendously. I don’t know what else I can say to express my gratitude to you for writing it and I wish I could have done something for you in return. Anyway, I just want to say thank you again and happy holidays to you.
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