Chapter Text
“Move closer to me,” Steve says out of the blue.
Tony is huddled between Steve’s front legs, not cuddling him at all (he's not) as they watch Peter and MJ ride upon Bucky’s back. Peter is excitedly directing Bucky to go this way and that while MJ sits behind Peter, feigning disinterest. Slightly further away, Clint is barking up a tree where a cat is settled upon its lowest branch, and the cat is looking down at the dog with haughtily amused eyes.
“Nat, you can’t stay up there forever!” Clint exclaims, putting his front paws upon the rugged bark before he bounces on his hind legs in a poor attempt to reach her.
She licks a paw. “I can’t?” she challenges, before she extends her front legs and arches her back.
“I’m going to get you back for bopping me on the nose!”
“And I have Tony’s stash of rocks.”
“What?” Tony yells out. He isn’t sure if his outburst is for Steve’s comment or for Nat’s, but he’s feeling a bit flabbergasted, infuriated, and surprised. He looks between Steve and Natasha, moving his head side to side until it feels as if his head is about to fall off. Finally, he says, “Nat! Leave my stash alone!” before he turns to Steve again. “What did you just say?”
Steve moves his head closer to Tony, then stops short when Tony moves back out between Steve’s paws and hisses. “I said, ‘Move closer to me,’” Steve repeats gently. “I can’t always protect you when you’re out here, so move to the tree that’s closer to Sam’s place.”
Tony sits on his haunches. “I don’t need protection Steve. I can protect myself. Besides, I like it here because I can toss rocks at stupid dogs."
“I know, but remember Hammer?”
Tony remembers the incident well enough, and the scars from that ordeal sends phantom pains down his body. Luckily, Steve’s right there to drag Tony back into his embrace, holding him gently between his paws until Tony’s body stops shivering.
“You have a point,” Tony finally admits. “But are there nuts by Sam’s place?”
Steve promises, “Lots of it. I’ll even collect them with you.” Steve looks down at Tony with bright blue eyes, tongue lolling out in hope and eagerness. "Will you come home with me?"
Before Tony can open his mouth, their sweet moment is interrupted by a shrill yell of Clint, and they look over to see Clint’s nose buried between his paws and Natasha walking away back towards her human who is standing at the edge of the field. Besides her human stood Sam and Clint's human, all calling them by name.
Clint grumbles between his paws, “I can’t believe she bopped me on the nose again!”
“It’s probably your own fault,” Bucky replies as he walks past him, padding after Natasha. Peter and MJ has not slipped down like before when the dogs (and cat) prepared to leave, and they don't seem inclined to leave their positions either.
“It’s not!” Clint retorts, chasing after Bucky. “Nat tossed a rock at me with extreme prejudice!”
Steve huffs in amusement at their antics before he settles down and nuzzles Tony again. As Steve stands up, he says with a happy smile, “If anything, your friends are already packed up and ready to go." He gently nudges Tony to look at Rhodey, Pepper, and Happy crawling down the tree, cheeks bulging with what is most likely nuts.
“You guys already knew?” Tony asks, dismayed and feeling slightly betrayed. As one, they shrug, and they crawl up Steve's fur to settle on his back. Tony humphs and glares at them.
(But really, he’s not that torn up about it – he gets to see Steve more often now.)