Archive of Our Own

It was a rather tough mission. Some kid had accidentally stumbled upon his father's magical book and wanted to try it out for himself, which led to him going a little crazy with the different spells. He had conjured up different animals in the middle of New York, monkeys, horses, and even elephants. The boy got scared when he saw the Avengers were on their way to stop him, so he tried to use different spells to get away. The team could see that the boy obviously didn't know how to use the book since he looked surprised every time he used a new spell, and it also didn't really help him get away. 

"Okay, Avengers, let's get this job done so we can eat after! Tony said through the comms.

"I feel like having shawarma, any objections?" asked Clint.

"We ate that the day before yesterday." Natasha objected.

"Come on! There are no laws when it comes to good food!" Clint proclaimed.

"Can we please focus on getting this kid away from the book? You kids can fight about what to eat later." Steve ordered.

"Sorry, Granddad." Clint joked.

Clint had been focusing on the mission though, he was just getting near where he needed to be to be able to shoot a stun arrow at the young boy. Before his arrow had the chance to hit him, the boy cast a spell that hit Steve right in his chest, knocking him down. Natasha got hold of the kid, and Thor flew down to grab the book. Tony arrived first at Steves side to see if he was okay after being hit.

"You good old man?" Tony asked Steve, half joking and half actually worried.

"Yeah, I just lost my balance." Steve reassured as he stood up.

"You don't feel any different?" Natasha asked as she and the others also went to check on Steve.

"No, why?"

"Well, he was using different spells and didn't know what they would do, so I was scared he would turn you into a frog or something."

"You don't look any more froggy than you usually do, so I think you're fine." Clint joked. Steve rolled his eyes at Clint at that comment.

"Okay, well, how about some food?" Tony exclaimed and clapped his hands together.

They started walking back to the Avengers tower as they discussed what to eat. As they walked, Steve and Tony automatically started walking next to each other if front of the team.

"You sure you're okay?" Tony asked Steve, still a little worried for him.

"Yeah, I feel the same as I always do after a fight, a little sore and tired but still happy and alive." Steve stated and smiled at Tony.

"Good, wouldn't want our captain to start turning into a frog or something." Tony joked.

"Do I really resemble a frog?" Steve asked Tony, laughing a little.

"What? Come on, you know you are handsome. Don't listen to Barton's stupid jokes." Tony answered almost too seriously.

Steve chuckled a little. "Thanks."

---

They ended up ordering shawarma anyway. They had all gone to their respective rooms and showered when Tony got a notification that the food had arrived.

"I'm just gonna go down and get the food." Tony announced to the team.

"I'll come with you!" Steve replied.

Tony and Steve headed down to the entrance together. Tony wondered why Steve wanted to come with him, he usually wouldn't care to. But Tony guessed that Steve would tell him if something was up, although he didn't on the way down. He also noticed that they were standing quite close together in the elevator. He was probably just overthinking, maybe Steve just felt like being extra nice today.

When they got to the entrance, there was a young delivery guy waiting for them. The doors opened by themselves when they approached.¨

"Oh wow, you're Tony Stark and Captain America!" the delivery guy said excitedly.

"Yup, we sure are." answered Tony, taking the bags from him. As he grabbed one of the bags, he accidentally touched the guy's hand for a few seconds. Tony could swear that he heard Steve make a small growling noise next to him. He looked at Steve as he bent forward to grab the other bag from the delivery guy. Tony doesn’t think he’s ever seen Steve wear that expression—at least not when they weren’t in the middle of a fight—especially not directed at some poor delivery guy. He looked at him as if he had thrown the food on the ground right in front of him.

"Thanks, kid." Tony said as he started walking inside again, Steve following him behind.

They got into the elevator again, and once again they were standing closer than they usually do, if not even closer this time.

"So what was that?" Tony asked as the elevator doors closed.

"What was what?" Steve asked, confused as he looked down at Tony.

"That face you were making towards him, do you know him?"

"No, I've never seen him before. What face was I making?"

"You looked like you wanted to punch his face in." Tony looked at him even more confused than Steve had been. Had Steve not felt the rage that his face had carried at that moment?

"Oh, I didn't realise, maybe I'm still stressed from the fight. It'll probably go away after we have eaten." He said as he looked forward again, as they had arrived at the right floor. Steve had actually lied to Tony just now; he wasn't proud of it, but he was embarrassed. When he saw that Tony and that guy had touched hands for what he knew was only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity, he couldn't hold back his rage, and he didn't know where it came from. He does like Tony, he realised that he liked him more than a friend a couple of months ago, and of course he could get jealous sometimes when people are being a little bit too friendly with him, but he would never show his reaction to it. He even felt himself growling a little. Yeah, he will never admit that.

Steve felt that same feeling again when they sat down and ate, talking about their battle and all the cool moves they made. Thor was sitting a little bit too close to Tony for Steve's comfort and had his arm around his shoulders. Steve, unfortunately, also couldn't get a seat next to Tony since Thor and Bruce had already sat down next to him, which made him feel even more anxious. Apparently it also showed on his face since Natasha looked at him weirdly.

"What's up, Steve? Are you feeling okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure? You look very tense. Maybe something did happen to you when you got hit by that spell."

"Maybe...I do feel a bit agitated." Steve admitted.

"I think we should take a look at that book and see if we can find anything that would affect you in this way."

Tony had apparently heard what they said, even through all the loud conversation between Thor and Clint.

"See, I told you something was up when you looked so enraged before." Tony commented.

"What? What happened?" Bruce asked.

Tony explained what had happened by the entrance to the rest of the team.

"Yeah, that doesn't sound like you at all Cap." Bruce voiced. "Let's get a team to analyse the book and see if they can find anything from your symptoms."

They had called a team to do exactly that. During the time they were waiting, they stuck with Steve to see if there were going to be any other effects from the spell, but the whole time he was acting like normal. After a few hours, the team called them to say that they hadn't read through the whole book yet, but had found something about a werewolf spell.

"It says that it can affect the mood of the person and make them territorial and protective of the people they are close to." the woman on the speaker phone said.

"Well, that explains Steve's behaviour from when we had picked up the food," Tony remarked.

"But why was he in a bad mood when we were eating then? There was nobody else here," Natasha stated.

"It does also say that they can get a special attachment to a specific person in some cases," The woman spoke again.

"I guess something must have happened to one of us without us really noticing, but Steve saw it since he is hyperfocusing on one of us," Bruce suggested. "Do you feel any different towards one of us, Steve?"

Steve didn't know if he wanted to be honest and say Tony or act like he didn't know. It was embarrassing to admit that he felt different towards Tony than everyone else, since he also does that normally, but this was a very special circumstance, and he should be upright about what is happening if there is a chance something dangerous could occur. He guessed that the effects of the spell could give him an excuse for his feelings instead of outright outing him.

"I do feel like I have a stronger need to be close to specifically Tony." Steve admitted but couldn't help himself from blushing and being too embarrassed to look at Tony's reaction.

Tony glanced at Steve, but didn't get any contact with him. So that's why he was so close to me in the elevator, he thought.

"Ha! That's kind of comedic." Clint laughed.

"Why?" Steve asked, a little agitated.

"Nothing, just that you guys argue so much. I wouldn't think that you would get attached to him out of all people."

Steve frowned, but let it go. He wanted to defend their relationship, but he held his tongue; he didn't want to embarrass himself more than necessary. He and Tony did fight more than the others did, but it was only because they had different opinions often, not because they didn't care for each other; at least Steve cared for Tony.

"Well, the lab will have to search for a way to get rid of this spell so that we can get our Cap back." Tony said as he put a hand on Steve's shoulder and smiled at him; Steve reciprocated his smile. "Thor, do you know anything about this type of magic?"

"I don't know anything particular, but I will travel to Asgard to see if I can find an answer!" Thor answered enthusiastically. "Heimdall!" He screamed before he ran out on the balcony, and a rainbow portal came down and picked him up.

"Until we find a way to get rid of this spell, we will help you with anything you need, Steve. You just need to ask." Tony offered.

"Thanks, I'll try to control my emotions as much as possible." Steve reassured.

"Just don't overdo it." Natasha ordered. Steve answered her with a nod.

---

The day had continued like normal, everyone being busy with their own stuff. Tony had been in his workshop for what felt like an hour but was probably several. He suddenly heard the doors to his workshop open and heavy footsteps.

"What are you working on?"

Tony recognised the voice immediately.

"Just fixing some small damages in my suit."

Steve put down a tray with coffee and a sandwich, both of which were made the way Tony likes them.

"Thought you might be hungry."

"Thanks!"

Tony took a sip of the coffee and a bite of the sandwich as he continued to work.

"Is it okay if I keep you company?" Steve asked.

"Sure, but I'm not that much of an entertainment right now." Tony warned.

"That's okay, you can concentrate. I have my drawing book with me." Steve comforted as he held it up.

Steve pulled up a chair on the other side of the table that Tony was working on and started drawing. They both got lost in their separate hobbies as the silence settled. A few hours went by, and suddenly Tony could feel Steve behind him. He had been so concentrated on his work that he hadn't noticed he had gotten up, but he guessed that Steve was going to get something. That was until he felt Steve even closer to him, and then felt his hand on the side of his body. Sliding from his waist down to his hip. He then felt Steve's big body against his back, and his breath against his neck. Tony felt frozen in place. This is not something that Steve usually did out of nowhere.

"Hey there, Steve, what are you doing?" Tony exclaimed, confused.

Steve didn't answer. He grabbed Tony's hips with his other hand as well, as he dipped his head down into the right side of his neck. Tony didn't know what to do; Steve was now sniffing his neck. He knew that this must have something to do with the spell, because this is so not like Steve at all. He didn't want to upset Steve, and he also wasn't that opposed to playing along, so he let it continue. If this was a way for Steve to calm down, then he would help him as much as he could. That was until it didn't stop with only sniffing.

After a minute or two, Tony could feel Steve's lips on his neck. He then heard and felt a kiss on his neck. Tony immediately turned red.

"Steve!" He yelped.

This must have woken Steve out of his trance since he immediately stopped and apologised profusely as he started hastily walking out and left Tony alone. Tony followed him with his gaze as Steve walked out and up the stairs.

"What the fuck was that?" Tony whispered as he turned back to the table and put his face into his hands.

---

Tony woke up at his desk. After last night's events, he knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep in his bed if he tried to, so he had to distract himself with work.

"JARVIS, time." Tony groaned into the room, his whole body aching from the weird sleeping position.

"It's 6 in the morning, sir." JARVIS stated.

"Uuuuugh."

Tony got up from his chair and stretched. He might as well just go get a coffee, since he probably won't be able to fall asleep again. As he went to the kitchen, he could hear someone making breakfast. Tony assumed it was Nat since she was usually awake at this hour, but when Tony made his way around the corner, it was not Natasha that he saw. He saw a big, muscular blond man standing there as they made eyecontact. Steve averted his eyes.

"Good morning." He said.

"G'morning."

If Tony knew that Steve was the one in the kitchen, he wouldn't have gone there. It was way too early to talk about embarrassing stuff with your friend and coworker. But he couldn't really just walk away since that would also make it awkward and very obvious that Tony wanted to avoid Steve at this moment, so he went and grabbed himself a mug and started brewing some coffee. They both stood there while the coffee machine was the only thing that made any noticeable noise. Steve was making his big breakfast with loads of protein. As Tony's coffee was done, he grabbed the mug and started heading back to his workshop. He stopped walking when he heard Steve start talking.

"I'm so sorry, Tony. For yesterday." Steve said apologetically. "I don't know what came over me."

"It's okay, Cap. I know it's just because of the spell." Tony reassured him. He was surprised yesterday, but he would never blame Steve for doing something that he couldn't control.

"Well, yes, but I should be strong enough to not be manipulated by something as dumb as a spell, especially one made by some kid." He said, angry at himself.

"Steve, I told you before that you can rely on us. If there is anything you need, just ask." Tony promised. "I was surprised yesterday, but I'm not mad at you, just warn me beforehand." he said bashfully, as he chuckled and smiled at Steve.

"Thank you, Tony. Really." Steve said, grateful.

"Any time!" Tony hollered as he started walking again. He was actually grateful that they were able to talk it out a little. He wants Steve to be able to talk to him and rely on him. He also knew that, of course, the great Captain America would blame himself for doing something he couldn't control.

---

2 days had gone by without much happening, and no more information on how to undo the spell.

It was late at night, and Tony had been in the workshop the whole day, working on a new suit that was going to be faster in flight and had therefore become exhausted and figured it would be time to go to bed. Tony had gone to brush his teeth and taken off his tux and was just about to get into bed when he heard a knock at the door. He opened it and found Steve standing there with a shameful look on his face. Steve immediately started blushing as he saw Tony standing there with nothing but his boxers.

"Hi, sorry that I'm interrupting. I have a request, but please feel free to say no." Steve told him.

"Okay...what is it?"

"I...Ever since I got hit by that spell, I have been very anxious when we haven't been in the same room, and I haven't been able to sleep at all. So I was wondering if I could sleep in your bed...with you?" Steve asked as he looked anywhere but at Tony.

"Sure, if it'll help you sleep, I don't mind." Tony agreed.

"Thank you."

They walked to the bed and lay down—Tony on the right side and Steve on the left. They held quite a bit of distance between each other.

"Goodnight, Tony."

"Goodnight, Steve."

Tony fell asleep surprisingly fast; he usually had to turn around a lot for about an hour before he fell asleep, but now it only took about 20 minutes. It really does help to have a super soldier right beside you to feel safe.

---

Tony woke up at the sunlight hitting his face through the curtains. He must have slept the whole night, since he usually woke up in complete darkness, not being able to fall asleep again. Another thing he didn't expect was the heat he felt on his back and the feeling of being stuck. He looked down and could see arms around his hips, and saw Steve pressed against his back. Steve had cuddled up to him in his sleep. He tried to get out of his grip to get up, but when he did, Steve just hugged him tighter. Tony really needed to pee, so he couldn't really just lie there, and he also wanted to spare Steve the embarrassment.

"I'll be right back, Steve." He whispered so as not to wake Steve, but maybe settle down his unconsciousness. Which must have worked, since Steve relaxed and Tony could slip out of his grip.

Steve woke up a few minutes after and right away looked around to see where Tony was, but he calmed down when he could hear the shower running. The water stopped running, and a few minutes later, Tony walked out with just a towel around his waist. He walked to his wardrobe to get some clothes. Steve tried to turn his attention elsewhere to quiet his impure thoughts, yet he couldn’t help stealing another glance at him.

Steve cleared his throat as he felt like he would voice-crack if he didn't. "I'm gonna go to my room and take a shower." He informed us as he got up from the bed.

"Yeah, see you later." Tony replied.

Steve was just about to grab the door handle as he took a sneak peek at Tony once again. Looking at his wet hair and the towel that was oh so low. He couldn't contain himself anymore as the sight was too much to bear. He took some fast and heavy steps toward Tony as he hugged him from behind, his mouth very close to Tony's ear. He could feel Tony stiffen in his hold.

"You really need to be more careful around me, Tony." He said unsteadily. Tony didn't answer; he didn't know what to say. Steve once again started sniffing Tony's neck, which then turned into kissing. This time, Tony wasn't startled since he now knew that the sniffing went over to kissing, but he still couldn't relax since he didn't know how far Steve's new instincts were gonna go.

Steve's kisses started gently but quickly turned more hungry. Steve could feel how wrong this was, but the sensation of satisfaction of being able to touch his beloved overtook his will to stop. The kisses turned into Steve marking Tony's neck, and after every single one, admiring them and licking over them. Soon, Steve's hands got more explorative, touching Tony's chest and waist. Finally, Tony could feel one of Steve's thumbs going under his towel, trying to pull it down, and that's where Tony's limit hit.

He brought his hand up to Steve's arm and squeezed. "Steve..." Tony said meekly and shakily. This snapped Steve out of his daze. Tony sounded scared, and knowing that he was scaring his beloved took over any other type of desire or feeling. He quickly let go of Tony and walked out, quietly saying "I'm sorry" before closing the door.

---

Steve doesn’t think he has ever felt worse about himself. What he had done went far beyond what was acceptable, and he never wanted anything like it to happen again. So he kept his distance from Tony for 3 days, even though it hurt. He had a feeling Tony didn’t want to talk about it either, since he seemed to be avoiding him as well. All Steve could do was try to make things right by staying away and not hurting him further. He tried to distract himself by going to the gym, painting, and reading, but nothing helped. The anxiety still clung to him. It seemed like the rest of the team had noticed the difference, since they had gone from being inseparable to not sitting as far from each other as possible when the team ate together and also not talking at all.

After one of their dinners, Natasha followed Steve to his room.

"Can I come in?" she asked Steve.

"Sure."

They sat down on the bed.

"Did something happen between you and Tony?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"Well, yes, just a few days ago you were all over each other, and now you're not even talking."

"I screwed up real bad, Nat." Steve sighed as he put his face into his hands.

Steve continued to explain what happened to Natasha. She was well-deservedly shocked.

"Wow, Steve, that is so very messed up."

"I know...And that's why I've been trying to avoid him. I don't want him to be even more scared of me, and I don't like the way that I think when I'm close to him."

"Yeah, I get that, but I think you should try to talk it out. Just leaving this tension between you is not good for anyone. And you can continue to keep your distance from him, but you need to give him a proper apology." Natasha directed.

"You're probably right."

"Of course, I'm always right."

"Okay, I'll text him to meet me in the living room. He's likely not going to want to be in a smaller room alone with me."

---

Steve waited for Tony on the couch. He has probably never been so nervous in his entire life. The goal was for Tony to be able to forgive him, but he figured that that was a very ambitious goal. He heard footsteps approaching and immediately straightened himself. He and Tony locked eyes as Tony walked towards him.

"Hi."

"Hi."

He sat down on the couch, but a little too close, so Steve hopped back a little. He didn't want to sit so close to Tony as he thought it would make him uncomfortable, and also Steve got to embarrased sitting so close to him after such a long time. But it did feel reassuring to see that Tony wasn't opposed to sitting so close to him.

"Thank you for coming to talk to me. I would have understood if you had said no." Steve started.

Tony responded with a small nod.

"I want to apologise for what I did. The spell is no excuse for what I did, and I hope you know that I feel so awful about it, and I would never want to scare you like that. I promise that I will keep my distance from you until we find a way to get me back to normal."

"I don't want you to keep away from me." Tony confessed. "Don't get me wrong, I was a bit scared when that happened, and I don't want it to happen that way again."

Steve looked at him apologetically.

"I want you to be more honest with me about what you are feeling. I know you have already been very open to me about how you feel during certain times, but I feel like there is something more that you aren't telling me. It would make it less scary when stuff like that happens if I know what's going through your mind." Tony informed him.

"You're right..." Steve shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "I'll tell you. The reason why I have this special craving to be near you all the time is that I have these instincts that tell me that you are supposed to be there. And not as my friends but as a mate, and therefore I can't help myself when I see other people touching you or feel like I have to touch you when you show more skin..." Steve admitted.

"Okay, so it's basically an alpha male thing. Kinda weird that it's directed towards me, feels like it should have been more logical if it were Natasha, since she could actually get pregnant."

Steve kept quiet. He guessed that the desire was towards Tony because he himself actually did have that desire, but he wasn't quite ready to reveal that yet.

"Well, now that I know what the reason for all this weird behaviour is, I can help you more with what you need." Tony declared.

"You really don't have to. I don't wanna make you uncomfortable." Steve tried to give him a way out.

"Steve, it's not the first time I've had a guy feeling me up. I'm very much open to sleeping with different people."

"You've slept with guys before?"

"Yes! Several times." Steve involuntarily made a low growling noise.

"Wow, I didn't know that." Steve could feel the jealousy stirring up in him, but there was also good news, since this meant that he might have a chance with Tony.

"Calm down, alpha, I'm not sleeping with anyone right now. At least not until you get cured, I figure you would kill that person if I were to bring them to the tower." Tony informed.

That didn't really help, though, since Steve never wanted Tony to sleep with someone other than him.

They continued talking for a while about other stuff to try to get back on track with everything they didn't talk to each other about in the past few days. After that, they went their separate ways to get ready for tonight, as the whole team was gonna attend a gala. One of those "meeting the higher-ups in S.H.E.I.L.D and the military" type of events. They were mostly boring, but it was good to have actual conversations with the people you indirectly work with. They had all dressed up nice in their suits and Natasha in a beautiful dress. They took a limo to the party, and Steve, out of instinct, made sure that everyone got into the car before him. He had noticed that not only had he become possessive of Tony, but also more protective of the whole team, always making sure that they were safe.
To his dismay, Clint had already taken the only seat next to Tony, but Clint must have realised by the way Steve was looking at them both that he wanted to sit next to Tony. Clint gave Steve a smug smile and moved to sit next to Thor instead. Steve rolled his eyes at him but didn't complain since he indeed wanted to sit next to Tony, so of course, he happily did.

"Did you find anything about curing the spell in Asgard, Thor?" Tony asked as the car started driving.

"Sadly, not. I'm sorry, my friend." Thor said, looking at Steve apologetically.

"It's okay, Thor. Thank you for trying." Steve reassured. He actually didn't think that the spell was that annoying. He was his normal self for most of the time; the only hardship was being away from Tony for too long. He felt restless and like someone would steal him away from him. He would probably have been a bit annoyed if Clint hadn't let him sit next to Tony right now; he wouldn't have gotten angry since Clint is his friend, but he would have been jealous seeing them sitting so close together. Steve had this strange feeling that if only Tony were actually his, then that anxious feeling would decrease, but Tony wasn't his and probably would never be, so he would just have to endure it.

They arrived at the party and started socialising. Eventually separating from each other as they talked with different people. Steve still kept close to Tony, though, until Tony got grabbed by one of the military chiefs, and Steve couldn't get away from a conversation another man had started with him. Steve could feel the anxiousness start building up in him, but he could endure it since he still had eyes on Tony and could still make sure he was safe. The man kept blabbering on about how Steve had done such a good job at protecting the world, which was probably just him trying to butter him up. He was tuning out what the man was saying, though, because in the background he could see how close the people talking to Tony were getting. Touching his back and arms, without Steve's permission.

"I'm sorry, sir. I think I have to assist my teammate over there. We can continue our conversation later." Steve said as he excused himself.

Steve walked up to where Tony was and purposefully stood between Tony and the chief to shake the chief's hand to maneuver his hands away from Tony.

"Hello, Chief. I don't think we've formally met yet." Steve said as he gave him a very fake smile.

"Captain Rogers. Yes, it's nice to finally meet you." the chief replied happily.

Tony could tell that once again, Steve was a bit off. He knew that he usually wasn't particularly fond of these galas, but he would never show such a blatantly fake smile.

"Steve, could I speak with you for a moment?" Tony interrupted their conversation. "Sorry, Chief, we will be back soon."

Tony walked towards the corner of the room as Steve followed. He made sure that no one could hear them or be enclined to interrupt unless they wanted to be rude.

"Are you feeling uneasy again?" Tony asked Steve when they had settled into the corner.

"Not anymore." Steve replied honestly.

"But you were?"

"Yes, before when we got separated."

"I was just standing a couple of meters away from you, though."

"I know, and it was okay at first, since I could see you, but I couldn't handle it anymore when people got so close and touchy around you. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." Steve said shamefully.

"It's okay. I'll make sure to stick beside you the rest of the night."

"Thank you, I don't want to be selfish, but it would make it easier for me."

"No problem!" Tony said as he turned around to get back to the chief. Steve grabbed his hand before he had turned fully around again.

"Can I ask you for one more thing?"

"Of course."

"I feel like I need to touch you." Steve said as he lowered his voice.

"Excuse me?" Tony questioned.

"Okaaay, I worded that wrong. I just feel like I need to be closer to you for a second."

Tony looked at him questioningly.

"You know the thing I did last night? I just need to hug you and smell you. I promise I won't go as far as I did last time."

Tony sighed. "If you go further than sniffing, I'm gonna get very mad, just so you know."

Steve was beaming at Tony; he was very worried that Tony would say no.

"Let's find somewhere quiet." Tony mandated.

They had found a smaller room in the building that was far away from where all the guests were circling.

"Okay, what do you want me to do?" Tony asked, waiting for instructions.

"Nothing, you can just stand there, and tell me if it gets too much." Steve instructed, looking for any indication that Tony regretted saying yes to this.

Slowly, Steve moved closer to Tony. Tony didn't know where to look, so he just looked anywhere but at Steve's face. It started as just a normal hug. Tony hugged him back as it felt natural. Steve then let go a little of the control he was trying to keep, as he started sniffing Tony. First on top of his head and slowly moved his way down to his ear. Tony could feel Steve's breath on him; it made him shiver, but he didn't want him to stop. Steve then moved even further down to Tony's neck, where he had been last time. This time, he was focusing on being contempt with only sniffing him. He felt like he needed the entire strength from the super soldier serum to not make the mistake he did last night. Tony felt himself give in to the behaviour, tilting his head to give Steve more access. They stood like that for at least a minute. Steve felt that he was on the verge of his restrictions and therefore slowly let go of Tony. Their eyes met as they drifted apart, and their hands didn't let go of each other until they stood at a normal distance from one another again.

"Thank you, Tony, I really needed that, and I know it must be uncomfortable for you, so I am so thankful that you are willing to help me." Steve said gratefully.

"Well, it wasn't so bad. I told you it's okay if you only warn me beforehand. I want to be able to help you." Tony spotlighted once again.

They returned to the party and once again started talking to the chief. Steve, of course, kept by Tony's side, but this time he was a lot calmer, although he still didn't want anyone to touch Tony, so this time he put himself between them to keep them separate, and he hoped that Tony wouldn't think about it.

---

The team had arrived back at the tower at 2 in the night, all of them exhausted from all the socialising. Tony went up to Steve as they entered the building.

"You can sleep in my bed if you want." He proposed.

"Really? Are you sure?" Steve asked, trying and failing to mask the excitement.

"Yeah, I want you to be able to sleep well, especially after this type of night."

"Thank you, Tony. You've been so accommodating these past days, I'm really grateful."

"Eh, don't mention it."

They went their separate ways to get ready for bed. After half an hour, Tony heard a knock on his door.

"Come in!"

Steve walked in and closed the door. He could smell that Tony had just showered because his natural musk was gone. The spell had made his smell more sensitive, and Tony's natural scent had become his favourite, so he was a little disappointed that he couldn't sense it. Tony was standing with a tablet in his hand, probably working on something even now. Steve went to lie down on the bed, and there he could finally smell it; he couldn't help but bury his face in the pillow and inhale it.

"Are your pillows not nice?" Tony asked him as he chuckled.

Steve chuckled back. "They are, but they don't smell like you."

"Maybe I shouldn't have showered then"

Steve didn't answer because he would have agreed with him, but it is a weird thing to agree with. Tony put down his tablet and lay down on the bed as well.

"I promise that I will not do the same as I did last time." Steve brought up again to ensure Tony.

"I know, but you can if you ask nicely."

"You mean smell you?"

"Yeah, and more if you want?"

"More?! You mean like touching?"

"Yup!"

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Only if you are okay with it even outside of the spell. You know I used to sleep around a lot, and I did not stop at women."

"Wow, well, yes, it would help me feel more secure."

"Okay, well then, you can touch all you want tonight."

"Okay, I'll be slow and gentle."

They sat up in the bed, scooting closer together. Steve leaned into Tony and put his head in the crook of his neck once again. It felt more intimate this time, since Tony was the one who suggested it. It was also a lot calmer this time since he hadn't been anxious or overly excited about Tony beforehand. His hands started caressing Tony on his chest, moving slowly but deliberately. He could feel Tony stiffen a little, but he was still calm. Now that Steve could finally be close to Tony again, he could start smelling his natural scent again. He took long, deep breaths, savouring the moment.

"Does it feel okay?" Steve wanted to reassure.

"Yeah, you can keep going," Tony answered, sounding a little out of breath.

Steve's hands started moving down, feeling Tony's hips. Tony moved his hips into Steve's touch. Steve was relishing the fact that Tony was not against being touched by him. Steve moved his head back to look at Tony as his fingers crawled toward the seam of his pants, silently asking for permission. Tony nodded as a response. Steve moved his hand down Tony's pants, touching him over his boxers. Tony must have liked it, since he inhaled sharply. Steve looked down at Tony's lips as he moved closer, and moved his left hand up to cup his face. Their eyes met as their lips were just an inch from touching.

"Can I kiss you?" Steve asked.

"Do whatever you want," Tony whispered.

"Do you want to?"

Tony made a small nodding gesture before Steve clashed their lips together. He couldn't help but smile when Tony showed the same amount of passion in the kiss as he did. Steve continued touching Tony, making him whimper into the kiss. Steve shifted so that he was half on top of Tony.

"Take off your shirt." Steve demanded, growing more eager to see more of him. Tony did as he was told, and Steve also took off his shirt. He caught Tony catching glimpses of him, which he couldn't blame him for, since he was doing the same. They started kissing again, hungrier this time as Steve completely overtook Tony with his legs under his. It added more to the pleasure when they could feel each other through their pants. Steve started peppering kisses all over Tony, starting from his ears and neck down to the seam of his pants. Tony's hands were in his face and clenched when Steve kissed a particularly sensitive spot. He dragged down Tony's pants and then his boxers as he continued kissing all over except for where Tony wanted him most, which was very evident.

"Please..." Steve heard quietly from Tony.

"Please, what?" He answered as he continued the kisses, teasing him.

"Please...touch me..."

"I am touching you." Steve couldn't believe that the man he loved was now begging for him to touch him.

"Come on, Rogers, you know what I mean!"

"Oh! You mean like here?" Steve teased as he stroked with his finger at the tip. Tony's hips jerked up at the touch, showing very clearly that that was exactly what he meant.

"Mmmh...yes there..."

Steve started pressing kisses all the way up his length and then sank down on it when he reached the top, making Tony grab tightly at his hair.

"Auuugh...don't stop Steve...so good..."

Steve continued going up and down, sucking extra hard at certain points. He didn't think that sucking another man off could bring so much pleasure to himself. Hearing Tony's voice praising him and being just as excited as he is was the best feeling he has ever felt. He then heard a drawer being opened and Tony taking something out.

"Here." Tony said as he handed him a bottle. He paused and looked at it. It was lube.

"Are you sure you wanna go that far? You know, we can still stop at this point?"

"Yes, I'm sure! How many times do I have to say it?"

"I want to make sure that you are not just going along with it because you are a good friend!"

"Have you seen yourself? Of course, I would want to have sex with you; you're a very good-looking man."

"But I don't just want sex, Tony! I want to be with you, and not just because of the spell. I have been in love with you for a very long time." Steve admitted, finally getting it off his chest, but worried about Tony's reaction.

"Seriously? You're in love with me?"

"Yes, that's probably why the spell makes me jealous when people touch you and that I can't sleep without you because I'm worried about you not being safe," Steve said cowardly as he started to crawl away from Tony, but was stopped in his movement as Tony locked his legs around him.

"I like you too. You know, in a more than a friend kind of way." Tony admitted back, shocking Steve in the process.

"What? Since when?"

"I don't know. A couple of months ago? Before the spell at least." Tony guessed as he shrugged his shoulders. "Why haven't you said anything?"

"I didn't know you were interested in men, and I didn't want to make it awkward between us if you didn't feel the same. Why haven't you said anything?"

"Oh boy, have I tried. I've flirted with you so much, especially when I first realised I was interested in you, but you never made a move. I thought that maybe you thought I was too old for you or something..." Tony said as he looked down.

"Too old? Tony, I am over a hundred years old. I don't think anyone is too old for me. I also didn't pick up on your flirting because you always tease people and flirt with everyone."

"Okay, that might be my fault. I should have made it more obvious, but like you said, I didn't want to make it weird between us, so I kept it low-key."

"Well, now that I know that you like me back, let me show you how much this 'old' body of yours turns me on." Steve teased as he started kissing Tony again. He couldn't believe that Tony had liked him back even before the spell.

They started kissing again, and Steve took off Tony's pants and boxers in one swift move. He then took hold of the bottle of lube again and opened it, pouring some out and warming it up in his hand. With his clean hand, he started rubbing Tony up and down where he was most sensitive, Tony giving out small noises. With his other hand, he reached between Tony's legs and proceeded to rub his hole, slowly pressing in and out, going further every time. He broke up their kiss.

"Does it feel good?"

"Mmmh...guess three times..." Tony moaned.

"You're always up for jokes, aren't you?" Steve said as he chuckled.

"Take off your pants, I don't wanna be the only one naked."

"You look so good naked, though, you should always be when we are alone together," Steve whispered into Tony's ear before he leaned away to take off his pants and boxers. Tony stared at him the whole time, blushing, admiring his body, which was supposedly his now.

"Okaaay, I knew the super serum made you more muscular, but there is no way that that big snake is gonna fit inside me." Steve wasn't even fully erect, but Tony felt as if he would split in two if Steve was not careful enough.

"It's not that big. I'll prep you beforehand, of course." Tony gave him an unsure look. "And I'll go really slow, I promise."

"Okay, we can try."

Steve leaned in to whisper into Tony's ear again. "Good boy." Tony quickly put his hand over his ear.

"You need to stop doing that." Tony blushed as he looked up at Steve with a sulking face.

Steve chuckled as he went back to prepping him. He put his face in the crook of Tony's neck and started kissing and biting and marking him. Now that he knew that Tony liked him back, he could give in to these instincts that he had been trying to repress. The finger that he had had inside Tony had turned into two fingers and then three. He could feel Tony loosening up for him. It had been hard for him not just to take whatever he had wanted, but the feeling of Tony feeling as much pleasure as he would made it worth it.

"I'm gonna try now, tell me if it hurts." Tony nodded as a response.

Steve started to enter slowly; it was surprisingly quite easy to get in. He stopped every few inches to let Tony get used to the stretch. He could see that he was struggling, but that he could relax after a few seconds when he was still. Finally, he was all the way in and stopped until Tony gave him the okay to start moving. Tony waited a few seconds to get used to the feeling and then gave Steve a nod to start to move. Steve started very slowly but soon picked up a pace that was not too fast and not too slow. Their foreheads were pressed together as they were breathing in and out.

"You feel so good." Steve praised, Tony answered with a moan. They found a faster pace that felt amazing for them both, evident from all the moaning and grunting. Steve felt himself coming closer to finishing. He started pumping Tony to try to make them match.

"Cumming." He grunted out, warning Tony.

"Inside..." Tony quietly answered. And so Steve did, as they both came at the same time. Steve slumped down on top of Tony, Tony hugging him with one arm. They laid there panting for a few seconds before Steve pushed himself up and pulled out to lie beside Tony instead.

"I win," Steve said then as he smiled at Tony.

"Win what?

"I liked you first. So now that you also like me, it's like I won you."

"You're so cheesy."

"But you like it, right?"

"I do," Tony admitted as he took hold of Steve's hand.

They then fell asleep cuddling.

---

The scientists who had worked on the book found a counterspell a week later and got Steve back to his normal self. Steve and Tony started officially dating and told the whole team about it, which the members had apparently gambled on, so Natasha became rich that night.