It always started the same: the whole team would pack up in front of the giant screen, someone would grab the remote, and the game was on. It didn’t matter that JARVIS controlled whatever they wanted to watch, it was the principle of things. Or, at least, that’s what Tony claimed.
”It’s the age-old fight for dominance!” He’d declare, once more victorious, brandishing the remote in his hand like he was trying to channel the Statue of Liberty. ”The one who holds the remote has the power!”
”How about we ask Thor to place Mjölnir on the remote?” Clint asked from the floor.
”You’re just a sore loser,” Tony said airily.
”My lips are sore,” Clint grumbled. ”You’re a terrible kisser.”
”Lies and slander,” Tony said and rolled his eyes as he plopped down next to Steve. ”You’ve just never been kissed properly.”
”Excuse you—”
”Hush now,” Natasha said.
Somehow, they ended up watching what she wanted even though Tony held the remote. None of them commented on it.
Thing was, Tony didn’t play by the rules. Then again, that shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone who knew him, and yet, some of them were surprised.
If ”some” meant Steve.
On the other hand, fighting for the remote should’ve been fair play but hey, it was the Avengers and while pretty much anything was fair play, Steve hadn’t counted kissing.
Or, more precisely, he hadn’t counted kissing and Tony.
Rhodey got an affectionate peck on the nose first and on the lips second and the two huffed like they shared a joke. Perhaps they did, considering how long they’d known each other.
Thor got a theatric kiss that wouldn’t have been out of place on a grand stage and it ended with a flourishing bow and raucous laughter.
Natasha got a perfectly poised bow and a delicate kiss on her knuckles and she rewarded with an inclined head that seemed almost royal.
Bruce got a kiss on the cheek that was more sound than contact and Hulk paid Tony back after their next fight by licking the Iron Man armor from ankle to the ear. Tony didn’t try kissing Bruce again.
Clint got his lips devoured within an inch of his life and the only reason he didn’t get up from the floor was that he didn’t want to give Tony the satisfaction of getting him turned on.
Tony even kissed Agent Coulson that one time he happened to walk in when the remote launched straight at him and he caught it without even looking up from his folder. Tony swept him into a proper Hollywood kiss and only got a mild, ”Less tongue next time, if you don’t mind,” as a reaction.
Pepper and Happy got small, genuinely affectionate kisses on their cheeks.
…and the only one Tony hadn’t kissed so far, was Steve.
It didn’t take him long to realize that Tony tended to maneuver the remote so that it rarely if ever ended in Steve’s hands. When it did, he let Steve keep it or ended up with some other, elaborate plan to snatch it back. At first, Steve thought it was because Tony didn’t want to kiss him. But it only took a handful of times for Steve to catch Tony staring at his ass or his lips to realize that nope, that definitely wasn’t it.
So, there must be some other reason. Steve could’ve gotten irritated or annoyed but he decided not to.
Because two could play the kissing game.
And Steve wasn’t called a man with a plan for nothing.
”Hey, Tony?” He said the next movie night when Tony looked smug and Rhodey rolled his eyes so hard it must hurt.
”Huh?” Tony said as he turned around.
Steve cupped his neck with his hand and curled his arm around Tony to press them close and kissed him. It wasn’t a showy kiss like the ones Tony liked to share so freely but it was full of intent and determination. Tony let out a barest whimper and Steve swallowed it up and tilted his head just so, deepening the kiss into something way more intimate.
When he finally broke the kiss and raised his head a bit, Tony’s eyes were hazy with pleasure.
”I think I won,” Steve murmured, gently prying the remote from Tony’s lax grip.
Tony’s eyes went wide. ”You— you— That was devious!”
”I know,” Steve said and bent down to kiss him again.
”Um,” Tony said stopping him with a finger against his lips. ”It’s not that I’m complaining but you already won.”
”I know,” Steve said and kissed the finger.
Tony blinked several times and something vulnerable flashed in his eyes almost too fast for Steve to see. Almost.
”Oh,” Tony said.
”So, may I?” Steve nearly whispered.
Tony swallowed and opened his mouth and—
”For fuck’s sake, just leave the remote and get a fucking room!” Clint groaned from the floor and then yelped as Natasha shoved him so hard he fell over.
Fighting for remote or not, Tony no longer kissed no-one but Steve.
The whole team was rather happy with how things turned out.