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[gotup]

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[myheartglows]

The t-shirt pops off over Tony's head like a cork from a wine bottle, as tight as he likes to wear them. He chucks it onto Steve's lap with a lazy smile. "And let you miss out on me strippin'? Nah," he says and steps past to one of the shower stalls. No where near shy of his body, he slips off his jeans and briefs. Steve only gets the view of his bare ass before Tony enters the stall and the fluted obscure glass blurs him into a peach blob with a dark patch for his hair.

[gotup]

Steve picks up the rest of Tony's discarded clothes, and, for lack of anything better to do, folds them neatly before he fetches one of the towels nearby, and a spare toothbrush and toothpaste from the extras in the closet. If anyone comes in, he's going to have a hard time explaining the situation.

"Can't imagine sleeping in your jeans would be comfortable, anyway," he comments idly, voice raised slightly so Tony can hear him over the running water. "Not with how tight they are."

Not that he's noticed or anything.

[myheartglows]

Tony's form through the glass remains still as he lets the warm water beat on his shoulders and back. Only reluctantly he begins scrubbing his hair and body, thoughts and actions slowed; not happy, but calmed. "So glad you noticed," he calls back. The splattering of the water varies in sound as Tony washes himself under it.

[gotup]

"I plead the fifth." Though Tony can't see it, Steve's smiling a little. He might have problems talking about his feelings (an understatement), but it's slightly easier to mention that he finds Tony attractive. That much is probably a given, considering what they've done. Besides, Tony's vain, and he knows damn well other people think he's good-looking. There's the whole Sexiest Man Alive thing, after all. So surely this can't come as a surprise.

[myheartglows]

Tony chuckles quietly. "S'as good as admittance, Rogers." He's figured Steve is attracted to him, but that's as far as it goes: sexual attraction and wanting to help someone who's hurting, no matter who it is. Any deeper feelings Steve might develop will be displaced by Steve's own loneliness and maybe a shotgun-wedding-like effect, where he feels pressure to build a relationship after engaging long enough in the innate intimacy of dominance and submission.

[gotup]

"I think we probably established that the first time you swallowed my dick." The words echo louder than he means them to in the acoustics of the bathroom, and Steve blushes, his ears tinted pink. "It's- it's kinda a thing, you looking a little greasy and dirty from working in the shop. And the clothes you wear while you're doing it."

[myheartglows]

"Could be one of your kinks." The blur in the shower pane doubles over as Tony washes his legs. "So you like a lil' mess. M'pretty much the dictionary definition."

[gotup]

I think it's just you, he doesn't say, nor does he try to delve into Tony's psyche. Instead, he offers up, "I wanna try body painting sometime. See how long you can hold still for that. I've never been much of a painter - I prefer pen or pencil - but I've done a bit. And you could be a good canvas."

Not that he's been carefully doing some research on kinks or anything. Definitely not.

[myheartglows]

A tiny shiver travels up the length of Tony's body despite the steam-thickened air. He pauses to remind himself of Pepper and then resumes rinsing. The thought runs away like the water streaking his skin and hair, back behind the barrier. "Y'got it, Pablo," he says and after a final swipe with the cloth he twists the shower knob off.

[gotup]

"I'm more of a realist," Steve admits. He drapes the towel over the top of the door for Tony when the water stops running. "And not much of an artistic genius, for that matter." He's good, maybe good enough that he might've been able to scrape together a living doing illustrations, but Steve knows his talent is nothing special. These days, it's just a relaxing hobby. "But it seems like it could be interesting."

[myheartglows]

Tony only uses the towel enough to stop dripping and then wraps it around his waist. He steps out with a noncommittal "uh-huh" and wanders over to the other towels, one of which he shoves in Steve's direction.

[gotup]

Steve takes the towel from him with a hint of a smile and starts rubbing him dry. He's not too surprised that talking about future scenes tugs Tony back under again; it's a pattern even he can notice after the first few times. And if he expects to be cared for in this state, then Steve is perfectly happy to oblige. Once he's sufficiently dry, Steve puts the toothbrush and toothpaste in his hand. "I'm not doing that for you," he quips dryly.

[myheartglows]

Hair tousled, Tony stares dumbly at the objects in his hands before Steve's words register. He rolls his eyes. "Shoo. You don't get to learn any of my secrets," he says good-naturedly, words still soft around their edges, and approaches the sink. He lathers the toothbrush up and from there, while brushing, will only bat at Steve.

[gotup]

"How will I ever keep my teeth pearly white?" Steve retorts with a roll of his eyes. For a guy who hadn't seen a dentist before the twenty-first century, his teeth are alarmingly perfect (spoiler: it's the serum, just like everything else). He fetches his own toothbrush from the closet and takes over the second sink in the bathroom, brushing and spitting minty foam into the sink.

He still doesn't take as long as Tony, but they finish around the same time. Steve snags Tony's clothes from where he left them, tucking them under his arm. Yeah, this is gonna look weird if they run into anyone in the hall. "You good?"

[myheartglows]

After dismissing the jars of product that the male portion of the Avengers leave out, Tony rifles through the closet shelf by shelf. He finds face wash that's not just bar soap, at least. When he reappears from behind the closet door he's frowning. "That's all you do? Brush your teeth and you're done?" he asks, incredulous.

[gotup]

"Yeah?" Steve looks a little puzzled. He's at least aware of face wash, but he's not the sort of guy who requires a lot of maintenance (again, the serum). Getting ready for bed isn't a drawn-out production on his part, as opposed to what Tony apparently requires. "How much more do you need to do?" He almost thinks about leaving and waiting in his bedroom, but thinks better of it. Tony obviously wants him close, and he's willing to oblige.

[myheartglows]

Tony looses a long-suffering sigh. "Enough to bore you, if I can find a secret stash somewhere. This is just sad," he says, waving at the products. "More for me than you."

[gotup]

He grins at Tony. "Maybe you oughta raid the girls' bathroom. I'm sure they'd appreciate that." Surely Nat and Wanda have whatever he might need. On the other hand, they'd never let him live it down, either.

[myheartglows]

Tony just snorts and falls silent. Proceeding through as much of his regimen as he can scrounge together (alas, no flat iron), he finishes up after a pee ("do yourself a favor 'n never search for watersports," he mumbles) and plucks his t-shirt from Steve's arms. He's not overly fond of parading that round scar around.

[gotup]

"That's the kinda thing you accidentally stumble across when you're looking for normal stuff," Steve grumbles, a little disgruntled, and it's clear that he has seen enough to have an idea of what it is, and that he regrets his life. Once Tony's got his shirt on, Steve peers out into the hall to make sure the coast is clear. Thankfully, none of the other Avengers are anywhere in sight, and the trip back to his room is uneventful.

Steve gestures to the dresser. "Help yourself." He's already tugging his jeans off, and once they're in the hamper, he nabs a pair of shorts from a drawer and tugs them on.

[myheartglows]

Tony hesitates a step in the doorway, but he turns his head in the opposite direction of the bed, like someone ashamed, and beelines to the dresser. He rummages through until he pulls out pajama pants, which he secures around his waist by the time he throws the towel aside. "Right side's mine," he declares and clambers across the bed and over Steve if he has to. Shortest distance between points is a straight line and all, technicalities aside.

[gotup]

Steve just watches the entire display with raised eyebrows. Odds are they'll end up tangled together by morning, unless Tony pushes him away; Steve, from past experience (all of once) cuddles a lot like an octopus. "You wanna get bunk beds so you can call dibs on top bunk?" he asks dryly. He's absolutely leaving that open for innuendo on purpose; even Steve Rogers isn't that naive.

[myheartglows]

"Oh, I'd prefer bottom," Tony retorts without so much as a glance or missing a beat, completely innocent and blasé. Preoccupied with adjusting the blankets and pillows, he leaves Steve to determine the meaning.

[gotup]

In lieu of being able to smack him directly on the ass, Steve swats the aforementioned body part with a pillow after he climbs into bed. "I'll-" Steve rethinks what he's about to say - technically not a lie, but probably more innuendo than is strictly necessary. "Just hurry up, Stark."

[myheartglows]

After a tired smirk tossed over his shoulder, Tony curls up on his side, facing and right on the edge of the bed, with a healthy distance between his body and Steve's. "Night, Rogers," he says softly.