Place to discuss, rec, and generally squee over fan fiction about Steve Rogers and Tony Stark
One Word Prompt 3: Gas
I thought this would be a fun one! So many things you could do with it: Did Tony run out of gas on a cross-country trip? Is there poison gas and Tony's suit filters it, but Steve's gonna die? Is there sex pollen gas? Did Steve eat too many burritos? You decide!
You can post pretty much anything you want: headcanon, drabble, story, poem, art, meta, video, joke, song, your general thoughts, whatever you were inspired to create. It is just a chance to have fun. No pressure. Open to anyone who wants to participate.




Steve's just barely rights himself from a dodge roll when the strange device a few meters in front of him starts releasing a strange coloured gas. He's quickly contemplating the merits and drawbacks of simply smashing the device with his shield, when he finds himself unexpectedly air born.
"Iron Man, put me down."
"Nope. Don't think I will," comes Iron Man's clipped reply.
It's not the first time Steve's seen Iron Man since he came back to the states. Steve had only lasted two weeks after returning before he put a costume on--crude and nothing like his old one--and helped when disaster had shown up in town.
Now, it's just what he does. What he, Sam, and the rest of them do, even if it means relocating whenever Ross' men get a bead on them. The Underground Avengers, they call themselves.
At first, he'd worried--even expected--that Iron Man would show up to stop him. He didn't. Steve never even caught a glimpse of the familiar armor until he'd found himself pinned down by a doombot in Central Park with no back up. Seconds later, Iron Man had blasted the thing to pieces, scooped him up, and dropped him off where the rest of his team were, and left without saying a word.
It wasn't until Iron Man swooped into help the fourth time that he even said anything to Steve. And then, it was only to say, "Nomad, really?"
The fifth time, Steve wasn't even in trouble. Iron Man simply flew by, dropping a newly painted shield into his lap. The familiar colours and scratches both gone in favour of more sedate tones. He didn't even have time to say thank you or ask why.
The sixth time didn't even really count as a sixth time. When he went back to the place he'd been staying, he'd found a package on his bed. Inside, was a version of his new costume. Tougher, better. Steve sat down on his mattress, and held it in his hands and wondered why... Iron Man, as far as he knew, still hated him, still hadn't forgiven him for what went down with the Accords, with Bucky, with Siberia. So why help him. Why give back the shield. Why make him armor. They'd barely exchanged words.
Which all brings Steve back to this moment. Iron Man, once again, swooping in to help him, to save him.
"I need to--" Steve starts, twisting in Iron Man's grip enough to keep an eye on the battle, but not enough to dislodge himself mid-air
Iron Man snorts. "No, you don't. You need to wait for the gas to dissipate. Unless you want to figure out first hand what it does to you on contact. I've already neutralised the device itself."
"Good job," Steve says, then winces. He's not Tony's team leader anymore. "Iron Man, we should talk."
Iron Man turns to look at him a moment. "Not really feeling that, Cap."
"Why are you doing this?" Steve asks, because he wants to know, needs to know.
"Don't really have to explain myself to you, not anymore."
It hurts, even if it's true. For all that they fought and clashed, he never wanted them to end up like this. "I know," he says, because Tony's right, even if Steve wishes he weren't.
"Do you get in trouble for this?" Steve asks. He's wondered, before, what Ross thinks of all this. It's not like Iron Man showing up in the city is exactly a secret.
Iron Man chuckles. "He's always disappointed when my attempts to apprehend the ~Underground Avengers~ fails."
Steve wants to ask why Tony doesn't apprehend them, or at least attempt it, but he knows that it'd go over poorly. He doesn't want to go back to when they didn't speak at all.
"Are you ever going to forgive me?" Steve asks without meaning to. He doesn't ask if Tony's going to apologise to him. Everything he's done for Steve so far--the shield, he gave Steve back his shield--is more than any apology Tony would ever let himself verbalise. More than anything, Steve wants Tony to take off the helmet, to let Steve see his face again.
"Why does it matter?" Iron Man asks and even through the filtered, flat one, Steve can hear the pained desperation behind the words. Despite the words, Steve knows that it does matter. They've been flying around the city for no other reason but to prolong the contact for at least twenty minutes. Tony doesn't want to let him go anymore than Steve wants to be let go.
Steve shifts in Iron Man's grasp again, and Iron Man readjusts his hold in tandem with him. He places his hand on the side of Tony's helmet, and gives one ardent kiss to his faceplate. "It just does," he says."
When the faceplate retracts, Steve kisses Tony again, deep and longing. He doesn't close his eyes. Neither does Tony.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! This is great! I love Tony constantly being really, truly terrible at apprehending Steve and the Underground Avengers, lol. That's fantastic. What a great way to set up a fix-it. Yay!!!
this is sort of a little au-ish version of the story I am working on. A Tony/Steve post-CW fix it. In which Steve founds the Underground Avengers after coming to the states and Tony helps facilitate it for reasons Steve doesn't understand.
Thank you. I'm glad you liked it. I've been wanting to finally dip my toes in writing this pairing for a while. Life hasn't cooperated.
ooh, that sounds wonderful, I can't wait to read the finished product!
Ohhhh, I really liked it! Tony would always help Steve, wouldn't he, my baby. hugs him And Nomad! Really, it was great, thank you for writing it :D
Oh god, those nitwits. "Are you ever going to forgive me?" Steve asked plaintively, even though he had never apologized and had no intention of doing so. This is so cute, I wish they really would communicate at this... really substandard, but let's be honest, better than usual for them, level. Well done!
does propane count?
That's brilliant! What a creative idea! I love how tentative they are with each other. The part about Tony never flying Steve anywhere when it wasn't an emergency, and then thinking up this elaborate thing for them to do together is such a sweet thing for Tony to do. Great job!
thank you!! there are probably a bunch of steps to landing a hot air balloon that I do not know about but OH WELL. :p
So sweet, I'm smiling like an idiot right nowwwww! :D
YAYY THANK YOU
squeals OH MY FUCKING GOD! I love this! Especially at the beginning, with the unrequited pining oh my god!
cannot resist a good pine :D :D
Isn't that the plot of Red Zone?
I have no idea what Red Zone is, but I'm sure, at some point, this has probably been done in the comics! I'm sure I've read it in a fic or twelve, lol.
I'm sure you saw the panels--it's the storyline where Red Skull releases some kind of a virus. Tony is safe, inside his armour, but Steve may die. So Tony takes off his helmet and gives Steve mouth-to-mouth while thinking that Steve's life is more important than his.
Awww, how sweet! He totally would.