[Fic] Steps to Recovery: Chapter 5 (avengers_rbb, Avengers)
Title: Steps to Recovery
Chapter Title: Somewhere Only We Know
Rating: PG-13
Overall Word Count: 14,694
Chapter Word Count: 1,314
Summary: When a loss is suffered, the steps back to normal are long. And sometimes they don't lead to normal but to something even better.
Author's Note: I do not own Avengers or any of the characters from the movie series.
Thank Yous: A big thank you for monkiainen for creating this wonderful mix! Yes, I did steal the chapter titles from her mix. :) Also, a big thank you to my beta, sirwynai, who doubles as cheerleader and flailing partner.
Tony woke up the next morning and the side next to him was empty. He sat up slowly, his head hurting a little but no more than usual after that kind of night, and felt the other side of the bed. He smiled as it was still warm and threw on some clothes that were different than the night before. He made his way down into the rest of the house where the smells of bacon was coming from. "You didn't have to cook breakfast," he said as he went over and looked over Steve's shoulder. "Eggs look really good though."
"I woke up first and was hungry," Steve said. "I was going to have Jarvis wake you up if you didn't wake up soon."
"Hrm," Tony said. "What else needs to be done?"
"Set the table and get drinks," Steve said. "Coffee's already made."
"Thank you," Tony said as he set the table and got some coffee for himself and Steve. "Want anything else?"
"Not really," Steve said. It only took a few more minutes before he plated up the food. "So."
"What?" Tony asked as he sat down at his place to eat.
"About last night," Steve said. "I just - it was sort of spur of the moment."
"Well, first, that's the best kind of sex," Tony said. "So are you worried that it is only going to happen one time or are you worried that it won't be as good as the next time?"
Steve blinked. He did wonder if Tony possibly implanted something during the night in his mind to know what he was thinking. He was quiet, munching on a piece of bacon as he went over the two questions in his mind. Yes, he was a bit worried that it was a one night thing. He had too much fun to have it just be one night. As for being as good as next time…he worried about that less. "More the first and less of the second."
"Well, as long as you're willing, I don't see it being a one time thing," Tony said with a grin. "Especially if the morning after breakfast is as good as this."
"Now I'm being used as a cook?" Steve asked.
Tony laughed. "No, not really. I just like the fact that you made breakfast. It's - well, it's sweet and very unexpected. Usually I'm gone before the person wakes up."
"So not your first time for spur of the moment stuff?" Steve asked.
"Nope," Tony said. "Again, I find it better that way. But usually Pepper comes in and cleans up afterwards. But only when I do want it to just be one night instead of - well, whatever we want to call this."
"Normal people call it a relationship," Steve countered.
"I'm not normal," Tony said. "Never have been and never going to be. It's too boring." He paused. "And for you, well, normal was completely different."
"Only with being shorter and less than what I am today," Steve said. "Some days I can barely remember what it was like. Other days I can't seem to get rid of those memories."
"So you have good days and bad days, by your definition?" Tony asked.
"I wouldn't define it as that," Steve said. "I call them ghost days and non ghost days."
"Well, that's one way to explain it," Tony said as he nommed on the food. He thought about what else to say but decided that silence was the best. He looked up from his plate as there was a beep from Jarvis. "Yes Jarvis?"
"Ms Potts is arriving, sir," Jarvis said.
"Thank you," Tony said as he got up and went to go to the door. "Oh, and don't even think of touching the mess in the kitchen. You cooked, I clean," he said over his shoulder to Steve before going to answer the door. "I thought I had the day off," he said as he let her in.
"You have a board meeting in a few hours," Pepper said.
"You're my CEO and not my assistant anymore," Tony said.
"You haven't hired an assistant yet," Pepper said.
"I'm about to. He's in the kitchen. I really just got to ask," Tony said.
"Have you slept with - wait, him?" Pepper said.
"Hi Pepper!" Steve called from the kitchen.
"Well, that's a bit different," Coulson said as he came into the house as well.
"His being more awake than me or the fact that he's here?" Tony asked. "And why are you here?"
"Spot check," Coulson said. "I left my jacket."
"Did we have more wild of a time than I remember?" Tony asked.
"And if you did, why wasn't I invited?" Pepper asked.
"It was video games and pizza," Tony said. "More of a way to unwind. Plus, you were in Denver last night."
"True, I was," Pepper said with a grin. "You still have a meeting in a few hours."
"You're CEO. Not me," Tony said before turning and going into the kitchen.
Pepper muttered something under her breath before following Tony and Coulson followed her. "The board wants to see that you're alive and that you're doing well. I tried to reschedule the thing, citing a death in the family, but they're not moving. So, yes, you do have to show up. So you can either go and get into a suit so we can make the drive or I can twist your ear and make you do it."
Tony blinked. "I had a full day planned. I was going to show Steve the lab."
"It can wait," Steve said and kissed Tony's cheek. "Go get dressed. The lab is going to still be here when you get back from your meeting."
"The two of you double teaming me should be illegal," Tony said before leaving the kitchen. "Jarvis! Start kitchen cleaning, please."
"What is - " Steve asked before Pepper moved him out of the way of the sink and stove. "Oh. That's cool."
"No, it's Tony being lazy," Pepper said. "I'm sorry to break up the day."
"The lab will be there when we get back. I hope," Steve said.
"He doesn't fully get it," Coulson said to Pepper.
"He only shows the lab to people he really cares about," Pepper said. "So, really best friends, like me and Doctor Banner. Or people who kind of force their way into people he cares about," she said and gave a look to Coulson.
"Our relationship is a special one," Coulson said.
"I should go make sure he actually got in the shower instead of doing something else," Pepper said.
"I'll go," Steve said. "There's coffee, if you can get to it."
"Thanks," Coulson said.
Steve grinned and made his way up to Tony's room. He knocked before he went in. "Tony?"
"I'm getting in. Jeez," Tony said from the bathroom area. "You're free to join me."
"I'm not about to help distract you," Steve said. "Just get ready."
"Yes Captain," Tony said and got ready in about fifteen minutes. He kissed Steve's cheek on the way out of the bedroom. "Are you going to stay here or are we just meeting for dinner later?"
"Let's meet for dinner later," Steve said.
"Do you like sushi?" Tony asked.
"I'll try anything once," Steve replied.
"I'll meet you at Ninja at eight." Tony grinned at Steve's confusion. "Get in a cab and ask to go there. Or if you want to meet here at seven and I'll drive."
"Tony!" Pepper yelled.
"And work calls," Tony said.
Steve pulled Tony in for a kiss. "I'll see you here at seven. Don't be late."
"I think you should know by now that I'm not late when it matters," Tony said with a wink before they all left for the different things they needed to do for the day.
Chapter Title: Somewhere Only We Know
Rating: PG-13
Overall Word Count: 14,694
Chapter Word Count: 1,314
Summary: When a loss is suffered, the steps back to normal are long. And sometimes they don't lead to normal but to something even better.
Author's Note: I do not own Avengers or any of the characters from the movie series.
Thank Yous: A big thank you for monkiainen for creating this wonderful mix! Yes, I did steal the chapter titles from her mix. :) Also, a big thank you to my beta, sirwynai, who doubles as cheerleader and flailing partner.
Tony woke up the next morning and the side next to him was empty. He sat up slowly, his head hurting a little but no more than usual after that kind of night, and felt the other side of the bed. He smiled as it was still warm and threw on some clothes that were different than the night before. He made his way down into the rest of the house where the smells of bacon was coming from. "You didn't have to cook breakfast," he said as he went over and looked over Steve's shoulder. "Eggs look really good though."
"I woke up first and was hungry," Steve said. "I was going to have Jarvis wake you up if you didn't wake up soon."
"Hrm," Tony said. "What else needs to be done?"
"Set the table and get drinks," Steve said. "Coffee's already made."
"Thank you," Tony said as he set the table and got some coffee for himself and Steve. "Want anything else?"
"Not really," Steve said. It only took a few more minutes before he plated up the food. "So."
"What?" Tony asked as he sat down at his place to eat.
"About last night," Steve said. "I just - it was sort of spur of the moment."
"Well, first, that's the best kind of sex," Tony said. "So are you worried that it is only going to happen one time or are you worried that it won't be as good as the next time?"
Steve blinked. He did wonder if Tony possibly implanted something during the night in his mind to know what he was thinking. He was quiet, munching on a piece of bacon as he went over the two questions in his mind. Yes, he was a bit worried that it was a one night thing. He had too much fun to have it just be one night. As for being as good as next time…he worried about that less. "More the first and less of the second."
"Well, as long as you're willing, I don't see it being a one time thing," Tony said with a grin. "Especially if the morning after breakfast is as good as this."
"Now I'm being used as a cook?" Steve asked.
Tony laughed. "No, not really. I just like the fact that you made breakfast. It's - well, it's sweet and very unexpected. Usually I'm gone before the person wakes up."
"So not your first time for spur of the moment stuff?" Steve asked.
"Nope," Tony said. "Again, I find it better that way. But usually Pepper comes in and cleans up afterwards. But only when I do want it to just be one night instead of - well, whatever we want to call this."
"Normal people call it a relationship," Steve countered.
"I'm not normal," Tony said. "Never have been and never going to be. It's too boring." He paused. "And for you, well, normal was completely different."
"Only with being shorter and less than what I am today," Steve said. "Some days I can barely remember what it was like. Other days I can't seem to get rid of those memories."
"So you have good days and bad days, by your definition?" Tony asked.
"I wouldn't define it as that," Steve said. "I call them ghost days and non ghost days."
"Well, that's one way to explain it," Tony said as he nommed on the food. He thought about what else to say but decided that silence was the best. He looked up from his plate as there was a beep from Jarvis. "Yes Jarvis?"
"Ms Potts is arriving, sir," Jarvis said.
"Thank you," Tony said as he got up and went to go to the door. "Oh, and don't even think of touching the mess in the kitchen. You cooked, I clean," he said over his shoulder to Steve before going to answer the door. "I thought I had the day off," he said as he let her in.
"You have a board meeting in a few hours," Pepper said.
"You're my CEO and not my assistant anymore," Tony said.
"You haven't hired an assistant yet," Pepper said.
"I'm about to. He's in the kitchen. I really just got to ask," Tony said.
"Have you slept with - wait, him?" Pepper said.
"Hi Pepper!" Steve called from the kitchen.
"Well, that's a bit different," Coulson said as he came into the house as well.
"His being more awake than me or the fact that he's here?" Tony asked. "And why are you here?"
"Spot check," Coulson said. "I left my jacket."
"Did we have more wild of a time than I remember?" Tony asked.
"And if you did, why wasn't I invited?" Pepper asked.
"It was video games and pizza," Tony said. "More of a way to unwind. Plus, you were in Denver last night."
"True, I was," Pepper said with a grin. "You still have a meeting in a few hours."
"You're CEO. Not me," Tony said before turning and going into the kitchen.
Pepper muttered something under her breath before following Tony and Coulson followed her. "The board wants to see that you're alive and that you're doing well. I tried to reschedule the thing, citing a death in the family, but they're not moving. So, yes, you do have to show up. So you can either go and get into a suit so we can make the drive or I can twist your ear and make you do it."
Tony blinked. "I had a full day planned. I was going to show Steve the lab."
"It can wait," Steve said and kissed Tony's cheek. "Go get dressed. The lab is going to still be here when you get back from your meeting."
"The two of you double teaming me should be illegal," Tony said before leaving the kitchen. "Jarvis! Start kitchen cleaning, please."
"What is - " Steve asked before Pepper moved him out of the way of the sink and stove. "Oh. That's cool."
"No, it's Tony being lazy," Pepper said. "I'm sorry to break up the day."
"The lab will be there when we get back. I hope," Steve said.
"He doesn't fully get it," Coulson said to Pepper.
"He only shows the lab to people he really cares about," Pepper said. "So, really best friends, like me and Doctor Banner. Or people who kind of force their way into people he cares about," she said and gave a look to Coulson.
"Our relationship is a special one," Coulson said.
"I should go make sure he actually got in the shower instead of doing something else," Pepper said.
"I'll go," Steve said. "There's coffee, if you can get to it."
"Thanks," Coulson said.
Steve grinned and made his way up to Tony's room. He knocked before he went in. "Tony?"
"I'm getting in. Jeez," Tony said from the bathroom area. "You're free to join me."
"I'm not about to help distract you," Steve said. "Just get ready."
"Yes Captain," Tony said and got ready in about fifteen minutes. He kissed Steve's cheek on the way out of the bedroom. "Are you going to stay here or are we just meeting for dinner later?"
"Let's meet for dinner later," Steve said.
"Do you like sushi?" Tony asked.
"I'll try anything once," Steve replied.
"I'll meet you at Ninja at eight." Tony grinned at Steve's confusion. "Get in a cab and ask to go there. Or if you want to meet here at seven and I'll drive."
"Tony!" Pepper yelled.
"And work calls," Tony said.
Steve pulled Tony in for a kiss. "I'll see you here at seven. Don't be late."
"I think you should know by now that I'm not late when it matters," Tony said with a wink before they all left for the different things they needed to do for the day.