together ⌁ stony oneshots [complete]

𝘌𝘯𝘥𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘈𝘜 [019]

[ basically tony survived the snap, enjoy! x ]

"Hey, I made some oatmeal," Steve murmured as he entered the bedroom, and Tony cracked his eyes open to see bright light streaming in the window and Steve's gentle smile. Tony groaned and shifted more upright in the bed with a wince.

"Did I really sleep that late?" he asked in a hoarse voice, and Steve chuckled, sitting on the bed beside him.

"All things considered, I'm glad to see you making up for, oh, I don't know... forty years of sleep?" Steve said, reaching out to brush Tony's hair out of his eyes. Tony leaned into the touch, and Steve cupped his cheek.

"C'mere. The oatmeal can wait," Tony said softly, pulling back the covers. Ever since the snap, his stomach still couldn't handle much more than oatmeal and broth, and yet another meal of mush wasn't all that appetising. Steve thankfully indulged Tony, crawling back into bed with him. "Careful..." Tony murmured, shifting so that Steve nestled against his left side, not his right.

Steve laced their fingers together, stroking the knuckles of Tony's armored right hand.

"It's gonna take me awhile to get used to this," he said softly, and Tony pillowed his cheek against Steve's temple.

"Me too. It's hard to imagine that I won't be able to take it off. At least I can still feel your touch." Tony brought Steve's hand to his lips and kissed his palm, and his armoured hand was as warm as his skin. He would never have use of his right arm again, after the snap. He was lucky that between extremis and the nanotech, he could use the armour as a prosthetic arm on that side. The burns on his neck and face were still healing, he had permanently lost hearing in his right ear, and the vision in his right eye was a little fuzzy and probably always would be.

But he'd lived.

And he could live with this, too.

When Tony lowered their hands, Steve rested his on Tony's arc reactor. It was protective, the way he covered the light, tracing the edges with his fingertips, his body pressed close.

"Something on your mind?" Tony asked quietly. Steve didn't say anything, but shifted so that they were nearly chest to chest, the blue light glowing between them, illuminating their small world.

"I just can't believe it's over. We're safe," Steve whispered, touching his forehead to Tony's. "You saved us. You saved everything."

Tony wrapped his arms around Steve, nuzzling at him until he could catch Steve's lips in a tender kiss.

"We saved everything. All of us, together," Tony amended, still averse to taking credit, despite the parades in his honor that he was still too weak to attend. Steve just smiled against his lips.

"Tony. My darling. My stubborn, heroic darling," Steve said, squeezing Tony's armored hand. "Don't sweep this under the rug. Breathe into it. Let it be real. You-" Steve cut off, taking a breath. "You're alive, I can't... I can't imagine if you'd..."

"Hey. None of that now," Tony said, his usual quips about getting emotional not feeling quite right anymore. He smiled, tipping Steve's chin up, kissing him again, forever grateful that he would have the rest of his life to do so. "We're retired now. A couple of old men, playing chess in the park every morning over coffee and cronuts. I'm gonna be all better soon, and then you'd better watch out. You'll get tired of me. Might even call me clingy," he said with a playful grin. Steve scoffed.

"Impossible."

"Isn't it?"

"Nope."

Tony laughed quietly, dissolving into another groan when it put pressure on his ribs. The nanites were working; every day he felt better, could think more clearly, was in less pain, but at this point, he was getting impatient. He tapped his arc reactor, his metal fingertips making a delicate clink on the glass of the reactor.

"Hurry up in there, I have things to do," Tony said to the nanites, and Steve shushed him, swatting his hand away.

"They're working hard, leave them alone," he said, kissing the reactor casing. "Don't listen to him, you're doing fine."

Tony laughed again, turning in bed so that he and Steve could curl into each other, that blue glow seemingly brighter than the late morning sun. Tony brushed a thumb over Steve's cheekbone, and they were quiet, just savouring each moment that they were together, each moment that they almost lost.

"I love you, Tony," Steve finally whispered, leaning in to kiss Tony. Tony closed his eyes, breathing him in, treasuring each warm touch.

"I love you too, Steve."

They really had won.