Tony wrenches back to consciousness with a hoarse yell. His everything aches and his chest feels like it’s been crushed and—
”—What the hell?” He pants, looking around with wide eyes. ”What just happened?”
The last thing he remembers is the vastness of space, millions upon millions upon millions of stars surrounding him like beady eyes watching his every move, and in the center of attention, the massive Chitauri mothership. And now, Thor stands next to him wearing a worried frown, Hulk huffs and puffs on his other side, and right next to him, keeling on the rubble and looking very tired and very, very young, is Captain Righteousness himself.
”Please tell me nobody kissed me.”
”Why?” Steve snorts. ”Not into sweaty battlefield make-outs?”
”Well, not if I’m unconscious,” Tony says. ”If you kissed me, I’d like to remember it.”
Something flickers over Steve’s face, momentarily there and then gone again, faster than Tony’s brain is able to process right now. ”You’re awake now,” he says and raises a brow.
”Mm-hm, I certainly am,” Tony muses and lets the corner of his mouth quirk a bit. This…thing between him and Steve? Yeah, he’s willing to see where it goes—
And then Steve kisses him. Once. On the lips.
”Hold on,” Tony says, stopping Steve as he’s leaning back.
”What?”
”I’m disappointed in you, Captain America,” Tony sighs, inwardly delighted when Steve’s eyes narrow and his jaw clenches. Oh, he’s so easy to rile up, isn’t he? ”You call that a kiss?”
Steve rolls his eyes and huffs. ”Oh, fuck you, Stark,” he says, yanks him up, and kisses him again. This time with tongue.
”Sooo…if you guys could stop for a moment,” Hawkeye says tersely over the comms. ”Stark, I need you. And before you throw any snark back, just—shut up. Coulson is alive.”
Just like that, the soft, warm haze evaporates. ”Say that again,” Tony says slowly.
”Yeah. Fury lied. What a fucking surprise. Coulson is alive, barely, and—”
”JARVIS,” Tony interrupts.
”On it, Sir. I have located Agent Coulson and a ’jet is on its way. The medical team is on standby.” JARVIS pauses for a moment and then asks, ”Would you like to activate the Eyepatch protocol, Sir?”
”Actually, I really would,” he says. ”Thanks, J.”
”Eyepatch protocol?” Steve asks as he hauls Tony up.
Tony shoots him a sharp grin. ”Yep. It locks his access to all and any SHIELD resources, fucks up his grocery delivery, defaults his ringtone to Dolly Parton, and makes his GPS talk in limericks.”
”Grocery delivery?” Steve asks slowly.
”Plums,” Tony says. ”No matter what he tries to order, he’ll only get plums.”
”Plums.” Steve repeats.
”Yep! And not the sweet Californian variety. Help me up.”
Steve hauls him up and straight into his arms which, nope, not complaining.
”I’m probably going to regret this but why plums?” Steve asks as he looks up, tracking the fast-approaching Quinjet with his eyes.
”The esteemed Director of Shield has a sweet tooth,” Tony says. ”Sour plums are not sweet. At. All. And that’s all he’ll be getting into the foreseeable future.”
Steve shoots a glance at him from the corner of his eye. ”You’re such an asshole, Tony,” he says fondly.
He snorts. ”Never claimed otherwise, Cap. But you like me anyway.”
”Yeah, I do.”
And that—that’s a small smile. Right there on Captain America’s face. Tony put it there.
Hm.
He likes it. A lot.
Which means he’ll just have to make sure Steve keeps smiling.
But first, to save Agent Agent!