That's how they started. What exactly, they didn't know. Despite their previous experiences, both were a bit unsure how to handle this union, now that they knew of each other's feelings. But Cap picked up the pace a little, and Stark held back a bit, and so they managed to get into sync. Meeting up after hours to make out and talk. Hug. Hold hands. And tell the others, once Clint caught them doing it. Not that they tried to keep it secret. Steve never wanted to hide that part of himself again. But Tony did nothing to announce the relationship, as not to spoil everything this time. So it was a bit awkward for both to come out to the team, but everyone was very supportive. Even Fury made no remark, despite his obvious worry how a love affair might affect the dynamics of the Avengers. But it didn't handicap them at all, on the contrary. Though the others teased them for having domestics when they had arguments, they were able to 'kiss and make up' much quicker, and often quite literally.

And oh, the sex they were having: Make-up-sex, rescue-sex, post-disaster-sex, after training, after fighting, after a boring day on the couch, out of lust, out of comfort, out of love... They made love. Tony was somewhat overwhelmed by Steve's skills and experience, sometimes outmatching his own. And his curiosity for new things did certainly catch him off guard. Maybe he was able to guess that Steve was still trying to forget. Forget the love of his life. The one who started it all. The one who had promised to finish it, too. Till the end of the line.

Sometimes, after making love, silent tears would still creep into his blue eyes, when a gesture triggered him. The way Tony's hair would stick to his forehead. How he nibbled on his ear to whisper 'I love you'. When his grip was firm and steady, to hold onto him. Or when Steve sat on his lap, looking down on that dark scalp. Tony had his own way of defeating these demons: Whenever he found Steve too deep in thought, he'd talk dirty to him. Mostly teasing him with profanities. Not that Bucky had shied away from those. But the detail, explicit and intimate, would take the Captain by surprise, lifting him up again. In more than one way.

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Of course Steve could never truly forget. But slowly, he did manage to move on. Holding hands with Tony became 'just holding hands with Tony' and not 'holding on to his lover as not to let him fall again'. He often questioned how his new partner was able to take it all. Why he didn't feel like he was just filling in for someone else. Steve obviously never wanted that, but he still wondered. Yet Tony seemed to open up too. He started to get more sleep. Drank less. Much less. Cap even got him to eat healthy meals with him. Even cooking with him. Just domestic, boring stuff. A normal life. As normal as it gets for an Avenger anyways.

Both of them grew on each other. Learned from one another. Conquered the shadows of their souls. An unstoppable force. One team with two captains, working hand in hand, taking in new recruits: The Maximoff twins, the Vision, Falcon, Ant-Man and the Wasp. They had some big fights, like when Tony and Bruce were experimenting with the scepter, creating Ultron. Or when he assisted S.H.I.E.L.D. in Project Insight, despite Steve begging him not to take part in hunting people, who have not yet done wrong. It did put a strain on their relationship, and Steve spend more then a few nights at Sam's place, and even at Clint's, but the flying metal man wouldn't give up trying to make good with his honey, and eventually they pulled through. And then the Winter Soldier came...

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