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Steve looked at Tony, sitting there in the little shawarma place, eating. He looked like he’d fall over any second. Steve knew he must be hurting all over from the beating he took going all the way into space, not to mention all the hits he took from fighting the Chitauri. He really thought Tony was dead for a moment out there in the street. Hulk had slammed him onto the pavement hard enough to break him into pieces. He’d never felt so relieved as he did when Tony’s arc reactor light came on. He’d barely known Tony for a day and yet, he already cared more about his well-being than he wanted to admit.

“You coming to the Tower to stay?” Natasha asked Steve. “Tony says there is electricity and undamaged rooms for us all.”

“I – sure, why not? Fury won’t like it but he doesn’t own me – yet.”

Natasha grinned at him. “You might ought to tell him that.”

“Not today.” Steve liked Fury but he never could really figure the man out.

Everyone finished eating, mostly in silence. Saving New York had taken all they had and then some. When they finished, the owner refused to let them pay him anything, saying he owed them for saving his restaurant, not to mention the city. They all piled out into the street and Tony finally allowed Natasha to put an arm around him and help him get back to what would thereafter be known as Avengers Tower, especially since all that was left of the word Stark was the huge A.

When they got to the Tower, Stark’s staff was everywhere. They were arranging rooms for everyone and making sure that everyone had all the things they’d all need in those rooms. Steve noticed that several of the staff seemed to know Natasha, though they called her Miss Rushman. Curious… He made a note in his head to ask Tony about it.

He went to his assigned room. His bag from the carrier was there, along with most of his personal things from the room that SHIELD had assigned him before the invasion. There were new clothes laid out on his bed – several pairs of khakis, the checkered shirts he liked in various colors, underwear, undershirts, socks and even a new pair of Converse sneakers in his size. He wondered what member of Tony’s vasty staff had found a store open to even buy clothes.

He stripped and went to the shower. The bath was stocked with all the toiletries he’d need and a big stack of fluffy white towels and bath cloths. The shower was wonderful. He grew up in a tenement in Brooklyn with one shower for the whole floor and he’d taken more than his share of ice-cold showers. Even in the Army, the military showers had been no picnic. But this, this was bliss, he thought as he stood under the rainwater spray and felt the hot water run down his body, washing away all the filth and grime from the battle, making him feel almost like a new man.

He dressed in some of his new clothes. He’d have to make sure and pay whoever was responsible as soon as he actually found exactly out who was paying him for what. He wasn’t sure if he worked for SHIELD or for Stark right now. Or even if he worked for anyone at all.

He had learned a little about computers and was turning the desktop model on the desk on when someone tapped on his door. It was Natasha.

“Hi. I thought I’d check and see how you’re doling.”

“Come in.” He held the door open for her. “Where did all this stuff come from?”

“SHIELD maybe? Agent Hill, I expect. I wouldn’t get too comfortable. Nick Fury isn’t going to let you out of his sight for too long. Nice place, though, even with half of the building gone.”

“With most of the power out here in the city, how is that we have electricity?”

“I think this building runs on Arc reactor power.”

“Like the thing in Stark’s chest?”

“Yep, but on a much larger scale. Anyway, I came to bring you to the conference room. We’ve got TV, snacks and some nice comfortable sofas.”

“Is this an order?” He thought he might like to unwind alone. He wanted to reread the dossiers on his teammates as well. Now that he’d met them all, he’d understand them, better.

“No, but everyone would like you to be there.”

“Any pizza?”

She laughed. “You hungry already?”

“I’m always hungry. A gift of the serum.”

“We can order pizza. Come on,” she said.

The conference room was not really a conference room at all, but more of a large rec room. It had two big, comfy looking sofas and a huge television. There was a kitchen on one side of the room with a table, a fridge, microwave, coffee maker and cabinets full of food. There were smaller screens for gaming, a pool table, books cases, card tables and more.

The Avengers were all sitting on the sofas, watching a really old black and white version of ‘I Love Lucy’ and eating popcorn. Tony wasn’t there. Thor was holding the popcorn.

“He’s probably in the penthouse,” Nat said before Steve could ask. “I think most of it is intact.”

Steve nodded and headed for the bank of still working elevators. It was only after the doors closed that he realized there was no button for Tony’s floor. Her remembered Nat talking to what she called an ‘AI’ and said, “Penthouse floor, please.”

“Is Sir expecting you, Captain Rogers?” the rather amused sounding British accented voice asked him. It was a little unnerving.

“Uh, no. I thought I’d see if he’s all right.”

“The doors will open to Sir’s den.” Apparently, the AI decided to let him in.

*

Tony was in the bathroom when JARVIS spoke. “Sir, Captain Rogers is on his way to the penthouse.”

Tony wrapped a towel around his wet body and stepped out of the bathroom just as Steve stepped into the room.

“Are you, uh, okay?” Steve asked, trying not to stare and failing horribly.

If Tony actually ever blushed, he would have now, but instead, he nodded. “Stiff as hell. You?”

Steve shrugged. “The serum makes me heal quickly.”

“I can see that. The scratch on your face is already gone. I’m getting ready to pour myself a double. Want one? Best Scotch money can buy.” He gestured to bar in his bedroom.

“I can’t feel any effects from booze, but I’ll drink a bourbon if you have it.” Steve and Bucky drank their weight in rotgut bourbon back before the war, then Howard had shared some of the good stuff with him. Rotgut just wouldn’t do after that. He was sure Tony’s bourbon would be as good as Howard’s was.

“I do.” Tony let the towel drop and reached for his robe. Steve was pretty sure he was staring with his mouth open. Tony was beautiful, if one could call a man that. He was quite muscular for a small man, and his skin was an enticing olive color everywhere. He had just enough hair on his chest to look quite masculine. His penis was not quite flaccid, Steve noted with more than a little satisfaction. And the Arc reactor. It glowed blue and he wanted to touch it so badly that his fingers twitched.

Tony grinned at him as he tied the robe and headed for his minibar. He grabbed two glasses and poured them both a drink, handing the bourbon to Steve.

He tasted. “Mmm. Smooth.”

“Where did Captain America pick up a liking for pricy liquor? Aren’t you supposed to drink milk?” Tony teased him.

“Your father.”

“Ah. Well, I got my taste for fancy shit from Howard, too.”

“To the Avengers,” Steve said, holding his glass up.

“To the Avengers, whatever we are.” They clinked their glasses and drank.

After Steve finished his drink and as the two of them seemingly exhausted all their small talk, he set his glass down. “Guess I’d better go.” He turned and headed for the door.

“Stay,” Tony said as Steve put his hand on the doorknob.

Steve turned back, not sure what to expect. He wanted to stay, that was for sure.

“I don’t want to be alone tonight.”

Steve realized his mouth was hanging open. Was Tony asking him what it sounded like he was asking? He made a step toward Tony. “I – I can stay for a bit,” he finally managed to say.

Tony closed the space between quickly, pulling Steve close and raising his face toward Steve’s.

The kiss nearly took Steve’s breath away. It had been a long time, a lifetime apparently, since he’d kissed anyone. He wrapped his arms around Tony, breathing in the scent of his expensive soap and shampoo. “You smell good enough to eat,” he growled as he trailed a kiss down to Tony’s neck.

“Good enough to fuck?” was Tony’s answering growl. “Because that’s what I want. I want you to fuck me senseless, Steve Rogers.”

“I can do that.” Steve picked him up and carried him over the large overstuffed leather sofa on the other side of the room. He set him on his feet and untied the sash of his robe, pulling it back to expose Tony to his view once again. He yanked his own shirt off and tossed it aside. He unbuttoned the top button of his trousers and slid them, along with his underwear, down his hips and let them drop to the floor, where he kicked them away, not even tripping over his shoes.

Tony was fully erect now, as was Steve. Both men stared at one another for a moment then came together in another embrace, kissing breathlessly as they moved onto the sofa. As soon as they were seated, Steve wrapped his hand around Tony and loosely slid it up and down. Tony placed his hand over Steve’s. “If you do that much, I’ll be done.”

“Let’s try it this way, then.” Steve took Tony’s hand and placed it on his cock. Tony stroked slowly up and down, then dipped his head to taste the drops of fluid that welled up on the tip. Steve stretched his legs out and sighed at the pleasure.

Tony paused and looked up at him. “I don’t wanna wait. We can do foreplay later. Now I want you.”

“Fuck, yes. Get on the floor. Got anything to help here?”

Tony got up quickly, went to the bar and came out with a small tube of some sort of personal lubricant that had been tucked away somewhere. Steve was not surprised. “Handy place to keep it?”

“Never know when you need a little help, do you?” Tony laughed and tossed the tube to Steve as he returned to the floor in front of the sofa. Steve kissed him again and ran his hands down Tony’s body. He dipped his head and bit a tiny dark nipple. Tony groaned out loud. “Get on all fours,” Steve told him.

Tony obeyed without comment.

“You do this a lot?” Steve asked as he poured the slick fluid ono Tony’s ass, letting it drip down the crack.

“Fuck Captain America? Not yet but I’m about to.” He noticed, with satisfaction, that Tony was trembling ever so slightly. This was bigger deal than either of them could admit to one another.

Steve laughed and gave Tony a soft slap on his butt cheek. He oiled himself and took his cock in hand, pressing against Tony’s slick little opening. He slowly and deliberately pressed all the way in as he murmured soft endearments and encouragement. One he was all the way inside Tony, Steve leaned down so he could kiss Tony’s neck and shoulders as he put his put his arms around him as he began to slowly fuck him.

~~~

Unknown to Tony and Steve, the battle had damaged the electrical system in the tower. The cams usually recorded most everything all over the building, but only showed it if need be. The malfunction was the cam in Tony’s penthouse was broadcasting live to the large screen in the rec room.

Clint Barton just happened to be the only Avenger in the television room at the moment. The others had gone back to their rooms to freshen up and would be back soon for a movie, probably one of Nat’s action movies. Clint couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He sent a text to everyone else – Bruce, Natasha, Thor.

Hurry to rec room. Cap and IM banging live Eloquence was certainly not Hawkeye’s strong suit.

“Sran' gospodnya (“god’s shit”), ” Nat said as she came into the room and saw the screen. “Why are we seeing this?” She was staring at the figures on the screen without even looking at Clint while she talked.

Clint shrugged. “Fuck if I know.”

Bruce and Thor came into the room together.

“By OIdin’s beard!” Thor sat down on the sofa, not taking his eyes from the screen, just like Nat. “Why, they’re – having amorous congress!”

Nat chokes back a giggle at Thor’s antiquated terminology

“This is real?” Bruce asked as he sat beside Thor, never taking his eyes from the screen, just like everyone else.

“It is and I think it’s a live feed,” Clint answered, grinning.

“Shouldn’t we tell them?” Bruce asked.

Natasha looked at him and tilted her head. “How? We knock on Tony’s door and yell, ‘We’ve been watching you fuck like two wild dogs’?”

Clint cackled and slapped his knee. Thor was still staring intently at the screen, a happy expression on his face.

“Maybe we should turn off the TV?” Bruce suggested.

“Not yet.” Thor put a huge hand on Banner’s arm. “I want to see this. It is quite stimulating.”

On the screen, Steve and Tony were naked, with Steve mounting Tony from behind. Tony cried out Steve’s name over and over as he stroked himself. No one said anything for several minutes, while the two men on the screen finished what they were doling and collapsed on the floor, still holding onto one another.

Clint hit the ‘off’ button. “This part ain’t our business.”

Nat laughed at him. “And the rest was?”

“Well, maybe not but it was on and I’m pleading innocent if anyone asks,” Clint answered.

~~~

“Sir. I’m sorry but something has come to my attention that you need to know.” JARVIS’ voice jarred Tony from a light doze as he lay in Steve’s arms, both of them still on the floor.

“What is it now?” Tony asked, more than a little annoyed. Steve watched him as he sat up and shook his head as if to clear it.

“It seems that our security cams were damaged and the feed from the penthouse was sent live to the large screen in the Rec Room.”

“Live feed? Of?”

“Of you and Captain Rogers, sir.”

“No one was there?” Tony asked, hopefully.

“Mr. Barton was there and he texted the others, Miss Romanov, Dr. Banner and Thor.”

“Shit,” Steve swore as the color drained from Tony’s face.

“How the hell are we going to face them?” Tony looked terrified.

“Pretend we don’t know?” Steve suggested. It was all he could think of. Surely, after all the crazy things Tony had done, this one wasn’t the worst. He had read Tony’s SHIELD file. He was Captain America, though. How the hell was he going to explain himself to fucking Fury? Or Hill? Shit! Fury would never let it go.

“Go to your quarters. I’ll figure something out.” Tony stood and dashed for the bedroom, not looking back at Steve. Had he spared Steve at least a glance back, things may have gone differently, but he didn’t.

Steve heard the shower turn on and he grabbed his clothes and dressed hastily while Tony was in the shower. He practically ran all the way to his quarters without even saying good-bye. As soon as he shut the door, he called Maria Hill.

“Can I move to DC? Fury said something about working for SHIELD.”

“I – sure – I’ll let him know. We can send a chopper.”

“No. I’ll come on my bike. Just give me directions.”

He wrote down her instructions and packed what little he owned and headed to the undamaged section of the parking garage. He stuffed it into his bike and headed south to Washinton, DC, running away like a thief in the night.

~~~

Tony’s reaction was not that different. He told everyone for years after that it was the trauma of the Battle for New York that made him act so rashly, but that was only part of the truth. He fled to California with Pepper and his Iron Man suits as quickly as he could. He told Pepper he simply could not look at New York any more.

They were in the Malibu mansion in less than a week. Pepper went back to running SI while Tony made suit after suit, new armor to protect him from, well, everything. Even Steve. Particularly Steve.

“Sir, Miss Potts wishes to talk to you,” JARVIS informed him late one night a few months after they’d moved and gotten settled in. It was 4:30 am and Tony hadn’t slept in two days. This was not unusual. That it was normal for Tony didn’t stop Pepper from trying to change it.

“Tell her to come on down here.” He was in the middle of trying to make the suit more responsive to his commands. He hadn’t told anyone that he put Tiny computer chips under his skin to help with control of the suits.

“She wishes you to come upstairs, Sir,” JARVIS told him.

“Her wish is my commend.” He washed his hands, smoothed his messy hair, and headed up to talk to her.

“What’s up, Miss Potts?” he said, lightly, though he suspected he was in some sort of trouble with her. He almost always was.

“Why did we really come out here from New York? I understand there is some trauma from what you went through, but I’m thinking that there is much more to it than you’re telling me.”

“Nope. That’s it.” He knew as soon as he said that she’d know it was a lie.

“Tony, we left without a so much as good-bye to the others and Steve left before we did. He moved to DC. Does this have something to do with him?”

“Why would you think that?”

“Why would I not? You talked nonstop about him after he was thawed and now, you don’t even tell him good-bye?” She was speaking in her no-nonsense voice.

“I don’t really want to talk about it.”

“Tell me.”

“I’m surprised you don’t know. Steve and I had a – thing and there was a glitch in the security cams at Stark Tower and the video was broadcast of our – ‘thing’.” He made quotation marks with his fingers.

“Broadcast where?”

“To the rec room and all the others were there.:”

“What does Steve say?”

“I don’t know. We haven’t spoken since that evening. I got up and went to the bathroom for a shower and he was gone when I got back. I found out after we got here that he moved back to DC that night.”

“Tony! Did you ever think the two of you might need to talk? What happened wasn’t his fault.”

“Well, it wasn’t mine.”

“I suspect the sex was both of you, but the video sounds like an accident.”

“They all saw it, Pep. Everyone.”

“Tony, I’ve never known you to be embarrassed by much of anything. Why this?”

“I felt, I don’t know what, Pepper, but I simply couldn’t face any of them and especially not Steve.”

“Call him. Talk to him. I expect he was simply as embarrassed as you were.”

“I’ll think about it,” was all he said.

Instead of calling Steve as Pepper asked, he began work on his Iron Legion, an army of robots built to make the world safe. And maybe to stand between him and Steve Rogers.

~~~

Nearly a year had passed with no word from Stark when Steve saw the story on the news. Tony Stark was missing and presumed dead after the terrorist, The Mandarin, bombed Tony’s Malibu mansion and completely destroyed it. His heart was pounding as he called Maria Hill.

“What do you know?” he asked, not able to keep the panic from his voice.

“No body has been found. He went into the ocean, but no one has seen him. They’ve searched and not found anything.”

“Should I go out there?” Steve’s heart was pounding. No body, just like Bucky. Damn it! “Maybe I can help.”

“No. Just hang tight and I’ll let you know when there’s news.”

He was on pins and needles until a few weeks later, when he saw that Aldrich Killian had tried to take over the government by replacing the president with the traitorous VP, who was under his control. Tony came out of hiding and saved the day, with some help from Rhodes. It was only much, much later that he found out about Extremis and all that really happened.

Steve thought about calling, but the tabloids were all talking about Tony and Pepper Potts being an item now, even calling them the new IT couple. He knew that he couldn’t do anything then. He’d never want to come between Tony and Pepper.

He poured himself into his work at SJHIELD, partnering with Natasha Romanov, who had moved back to DC when he did. He knew she and Barton had worked for SHIELD before the Battle for New York. No one seemed to know where Barton was, though Steve figured Natasha knew and simply wasn’t saying. Barton would most likely show up if he was needed. He usually did.

One day, Natasha was driving them to a meeting with Fury and Hill. Steve loved the Stingray and also the fact that she drove it like a maniac.

“Nat, did you see the feed that night in Stark Tower?”

“I did.” She glanced over at him then, looked back at the road. “Maybe I should have warned you about him.”

“It wasn’t – he didn’t – it was as much my idea as his.”

She laughed. “I’d have been surprised if you hadn’t done it. Sparks flew between the two of you from the moment you met. There were a couple of times on the helicarrier that I thought you were going to kiss him right then and there.”

“I haven’t talked to him since I left.”

“Do you want to?”

“I didn’t at first. I was furious that he’d just walked off and left me sitting on the floor. Now, though, I do want to talk to him, but he’s with Miss Potts.”

“That’ll never last. She can never get him to behave like she wants him to and he’s, well, he’s Tony.”

“How do you know them both so well?”

“I was undercover as an employee of his several years ago. He was a pain in the ass, but overall, Tony’s a good man. He wouldn’t have anything if Pepper didn’t manage his business and him, though.”

~~~

The fall of SHIELD turned Steve’s world upside down. Bucky had died to free the world from HYDRA and the fascists, and now he found out that they’d never gone anywhere. They’d been in the heart of SHIELD all along. He had nowhere to live and no job, and everything he’d worked for was a lie as well.

He was shocked when Tony called him.

“Are you interested in being part of the Avengers again?” Tony said instead of saying hello.

“Uh, why not? I kind of blew up my last employers. You sure want me around?”

“Yep. We’re going to Sokovia after Von Strucker. We need to recover the scepter. Intelligence says they’re holed up in an old castle outside Novi Grad.”

“When and where do I meet you?” Steve asked.

“Nat’s on her way to get you now.”

The mission went fine. They raided the castle and got the scepter. Easy-ish. It wasn’t until afterward that everything went south..

Steve had moved back into the Tower for the time being. He was hoping that after the party that Tony threw to celebrate their victory, he’d have some time to talk to Tony and settle things between them. So far, Tony had acted like that night had never happened at all. He could live with that, if it was what Tony wanted, but being in limbo as he’d been for the last few years was painful.

The party was fun. They all told war stories and drank too much, ending up with them all trying to lift Thor’s hammer. Then Ultron struck and Steve had bigger worries than Tony. They were off saving the world again, but this time, they were outmatched by their foe. They’d had to escape Sokovia, where Ultron had made his stand.

He and Tony were barely speaking by the time they all wound up at Clint’s farmhouse to lick their wounds and regroup. If Fury hadn’t shown up and Laura Barton hadn’t sent Tony to the barn, Steve was pretty sure he’d have punched Tony in the face.

After dinner, everyone sort of disappeared when he and Tony began to wash the dishes.

“What did the Maximoff girl show you?” Tony asked, sort of offhandedly.

“We were dancing in this big dancehall – me and Peggy – and people were fighting and dancing all around us and there was blood, then the room was empty, then Peggy said we could go home. I – There is no home for me. When I let them put the serum in me, I became what Ultron said, a soldier and that was all I ever was. What did you see?”

“The others were all dead and you said I could have saved you all, then you died.”

“You know she was just fucking with us?”

“Was she though?”

“Tony, we’re all here because we want to be. We’ll do okay.”

“Do you have a dark side?” Tony asked him, drying the last plate and putting it in the cabinet. Steve had hinted that he had a dark like everyone else while they argued earlier in the front yard.

“I’ve seen and done things – things I can’t even begin to tell anyone. The war was bad, worse than I ever imagined. There are things I can’t unsee.” Steve stared out the kitchen window as if he were seeing them again.

Tony, in his usual style, changed the subject. “Come on. Let’s see where we’re bunking. I’m too old for sleepovers,” Tony said, as he turned the kitchen light off. They left the room.

“Buck and I used to have sleepovers. They were great when the heat wasn’t working.”

“Rhodey and I still do now and then.”

Everyone was still in the den when they walked in. “Where are we bunking, Mrs. Barton?” Steve asked.

“Please. Laura. Call me Laura. There’s a spare bedroom over the garage. Would that be all right? It has twin beds.”

“Perfect,” Tony told her. “I think I’m ready to turn in. Joining me, Steve?”

“I’ll be out in a few minutes. I need some water.”

Tony was already in the bed when Steve opened the door to the small room. It was built just under the roof of the garage so the ceiling was sloped on both sides and it was hard for him to stand up.

“I picked this bed. They’re pretty much the same,” Tony told him.

“No problem.” Steve stripoed down to his underwear and turned the quilt down on the bed. It had Iron Man sheets. He laughed out loud.

“Mine has Captain America sheets,” Tony told him with a chuckle.

Both men got into their little beds and turned out the lamp on the nightstand between their beds. Steve lay on his back and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to fight any more with anyone tonight and he figured if he and Tony talked for long, they’d argue.

“G’night,” Steve whispered.

After several minutes of silence, Steve spoke. “Why did you get up and run that night?”

“I was embarrassed. I thought you’d think I did it on purpose.”

“What? Show the video? Did you?”

“No. I was so tired, I didn’t even think to check the systems. I just wanted – to forget for a few minutes. You certainly made me forget.”

“Me, too. I wanted someone warm to hold, to lose myself in.”

“Why did you run? You were gone from the Tower and back in DC before dawn.”

“Same reasons. And I didn’t want you to make a joke of me.”

“Wow. I do shit like that, don’t I?” Tony said, voice low.

“Sometimes. I guess I wanted to hurt you before you could hurt me.”

Tony turned the light on and looked at Steve over in the other bed. “I was crazy about you from the time I was a small kid. Howard talked about you all the time and when Aunt Peggy visited, she talked about you, too. I wore Cap Underroos and pretended I was you. I begged Howard to let me see some photos he had of you. Meeting you for real was a little overwhelming, so I did what I always do when something matters too much. I acted like a jackass.”

“I actually get it. I can’t seem to live up to who I am. It’s hard not to be able to fuck up.”

Tony laughed. “I’m pretty good at that.”

“I’m sorry I left. I’ve been sorry about it every day since it happened,” Steve said, deciding to go for broke and confess that he had feelings for Tony.

Tony didn’t say anything for what seemed like forever to Steve. Finally, he spoke. “I’m not sure that a day passed that I didn’t think about you, too. Pepper tried several times to get me to call, but I was afraid you’d tell me to go fuck myself.”

“I’d never do that.”

Tony laughed. He threw the covers off and crossed the small space to Steve’s bed. “But you’d still fuck me?”

Steve reached for Tony and pulled him down on top of him. “Any time and any place.” He kissed Tony, pouring all of his longing into the kiss.

Getting naked only took a moment and they stretched out in Steve’s tiny bed, Tony mostly still on top of Steve. After several long, wet kisses, Tony looked down at Steve in the soft light of the moon. “Do you know how many times I wanted to do this?” Tony whispered just before they kissed again.

“As many as I have.”

They stopped talking as Tony explored Steve with his hands, then his mouth. Steve groaned and growled with both pleasure and need.

“Oh, by the way,” Steve said as Tony moved onto all fours, “I fell in love with you somewhere along the way.”

“I know,” Tony answered.

“I know that one! Princess Leia to Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back!”

“Hush and make love to me,” Tony told him and dipped his head to taker Steve into his mouth.

“I’m fine with what you’re doing. ”

Tony kept doing it for several more minutes until Steve felt the tension rising in his body and knew he was going to come soon. He tangled his hands in Tony’s hair and arched his back, thrusting into Tony’s mouth.

“Tony!” he cried out as Tony kept going until Steve was utterly spent. He raised his head and grinned up at Steve. “Having fun?’

“I know how to get you to stop talking now.”

Only a few minutes passed until Steve was ready again. They found something to help the glide work a bit better in the tiny bathroom. This Time, they stayed on the bed.

“Wonder if there are any cameras in here,” Steve mused as he pressed into Tony.

“I don’t even care anymore,” was Tony’s breathless reply.

~~~

2025.

Steve was sitting on the front porch, watching Gerald eat Tony’s berries. He never had the heart to shoo the goat away. He heard Tony’s car drive up and smiled. The quiet was over as Tony stepped onto the porch.

“Are you letting that goat eat my berries again?”

“He’s your pet. You tell him to stop.”

“I brought some of Howard’s photos from storage. Wanna look at them?” Tony had a large plastic bin and it looked to be full.

Steve opened the door and Tony went inside. Steve paused a moment and looked out at the lake. It was still but for a few ripples. Life was like that, he thought. Though it might look still and calm, there were always ripples that took you places you never expected to go.

“You coming or not? I think there are some photos of you in here. “

Steve stepped into the house, letting the door close.

“I’m coming,” he called to Tony with a smile. “At least we’re not the feature attraction anywhere else these days.”

“Thank goodness for that.”

They sat on the sofa and dove into the old box of photos, happier than either of them had ever been.

~ end ~