Bonding

[aggedy_ann]

Title: Bonding

Characters: Tony, Steve

Rating: PG

Fandom: Avengers

Summary: Tony has Steve take care of Stark Tower while he goes to Vegas, Things don't go as planned.

Disclaimer: not mine

Pepper was out doing a press tour, and he was leaving for a short jaunt to Vegas. He figured he’d give Rogers a chance to stay in Stark Tower while he was gone. After all, it had to be better than the man’s apartment. He even invited the man over a night early to get used to the intricacies of JARVIS.

Steve had picked up quickly on how to use Jarvis, even managing to prepare supper with little intervention from Tony. After a movie, Tony had headed off to his rooms to pack, leaving Steve to his own devices.

Tony began gathering together his clothes to put them in his suitcase. Usually, Pepper did this for him. Packing was a lot more mundane than he remembered it. Maybe it was the late hour or the dullness of the task, but he found himself growing sleepy. A quick nap, he thought, then he’d finish packing.

Steve headed to bed around 2, walking past Tony’s rooms as he did. Noticing that the lights were still on, he stopped in, planning on saying goodnight to his host. He found Tony curled up amid a pile of suits and t-shirts, snoring lightly.

Biting back a chuckle, Steve set the clothes neatly in a chair before picking Tony up and gently covering him up in bed.

Tony slept almost through the night; he awoke once with an OMG,how tired am I feeling and was quickly back asleep. He awoke the next morning to the faint smell of coffee through congested nostrils. He sat up and noticed he was tucked in bed, despite having no memory of getting in bed. “Hahhyehshhh, Yehshhahh.” He got out of bed and headed for the bathroom and the box of tissues that he kept in there. After blowing his nose, he followed the scent of coffee to the kitchen where Steve sat with a bowl of oatmeal.

“Mornindg.” He said, cringing inwardly at the congested undertone of his voice and praying Steve wouldn’t notice.

“Good morning.” Steve said, cheerily, crossing over to the stove. “Oatmeal?”

Tony poured himself a cup of coffee, ignoring the fact that his stomach flipped at the thought of food, “sure.” He took the large bowl of oatmeal that the Captain handed him and sat down. He began to slowly eat, noticing the warm oatmeal did feel good on his sore throat.

“Hhhyehshhooo, Ehhshhhooo, Hiiiyeshhhh.” A trio of sneezes exploded out of him without warning, and he barely had time to bring his arm up to block them.

“Bless you,” Steve said with a slightly amused smile on his face, pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket and offering it to Tony. “It’s clean.” He stated at Tony’s hesitation.

Tony hesitated a brief second longer before taking the proffered item, especially as he could feel more sneezes welling up in his throbbing sinuses. “Yehhshhhummphh, Ehhshhhahh, Hiiiyehhshmmm.”

“Bless you.” Steve said again.

Of course, Tony grumbled to himself, Captain America would be the model of politeness.

“Allergies?”

“Huh?” Tony asked, congestedly, distracted by blowing his nose.

“Do you have allergies?” Steve asked, sympathetically. He could recall how his had plagued him in his former life.

“Mr. Stark does not have allergies.” Jarvis informed them both. “Based on his current vital signs and symptoms, he appears to have caught the common cold.”

“Hab dot.” Tony protested.

“Blow your nose.” Steve ordered, gently, as if that were even possible.

Tony obliged. “I’m Tony Stark. Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, remember. I haven’t caught the common anything.” He protested with a cough.

Steve sipped his coffee thoughtfully. “You were pretty sound asleep last night. Didn’t even wake when I put you to bed.”

“You!” Tony spluttered. “You put me to bed!”

“I thought you’d be more comfortable.” Steve said, simply. “And I think you should go back to bed.”

“I’m going to Vegas. Heyehhshhh.” Tony protested before sneezing harshly and shivering.

“Jarvis, what is Mr. Stark’s temperature?”

“100.8, Captain Rogers.”

“You’re not going to Vegas.” Steve said as a series of harsh coughs shook Tony. “Do you really feel up to it?”

“Of…Chuushhahh.” This sneeze bent him forward and he nearly faceplanted in his empty oatmeal bowl. He shivered, reaching for the warm mug of coffee. “Okay, maybe dot.”

“Come on,” Steve offered him a hand, and helped him back to his rooms. “Change into something more comfortable,” he suggested, stepping into the man’s bathroom to find him some aspirin.

He opened the medicine cabinet and began searching. No bottle marked aspirin. But an orange box caught his eye. “Day-Quil Cold and Flu.” He read. “Fever, aches, coughing, and nasal congestion.” Well, that should help Tony, he mused, even though he’d never heard of it. “You in bed?” he called to Tony.

“Yeah-Hahhrishhahh.” Came Tony’s response.

“Good.” Steve walked into the room. “I think I found something that might help. I’m not sure what this “Day-quil” is, but the description on the box seemed to fit your symptoms.”

Tony looked at the packet holding the familiar orange capsules. “You’re not familiar with cold medicine?” He asked.

“Didn’t exist when I had need for it.” Steve said simply.

“Oh.” Was Tony’s answer before he wrenched to the side and sneezed wetly. “Do you thik you could get be the tissues frob the bathroob?” He asked, swallowing the pills.

Steve fetched the box of tissues from the bathroom. “Anything else?”

“There’s a vaporizer in the bathroom closet, can you get that set up for be?” Tony blew his nose again.

“Vaporizer?”

“Oh.” Another something new for the Capsicle. Tony threw the covers aside and got out of bed, staggering slightly. He made his way into the bathroom with Steve’s support and fished the small wall vaporizer out of the closet. He inserted a vapor packet and plugged it in, crawling back into bed and pulling the covers up to his chin.

Steve wrinkled his nose as the room began to take on the aroma of vapor rub. “Oh,” he said, “It’s like Vicks, only you don’t rub it on your chest.”

Tony nodded. “Less bessy. Hehheyeetchhh.”

“Bless you.”

“You’re going to get tired of saying that.” Steve raised his eyebrows quizzically at Tony. “I sneeze a Lot, when I’m sick, so don’t feel you have to say it on every sneeze.”

“Maybe just every third.” Steve teased, handing the billionaire another tissue.

“Deal.” Tony agreed, coughing and shivering.

“Get some rest. I’ll get you some tea.”

“You’re going to have to go the store for that.” Tony told him.

Steve nodded. “Need anything else?”

“More tissues.” Tony tried to sound as pathetic as possible. “And donuts.”

Edited December 4, 2012 by brigid

[sneasons greetings]

Aww! Awesome!

This is pretty much perfection.

Please continue?

[fufufufu]

Awwww, this is wonderful! Great work!

[Ciuty80]

oh i like this very much!!!!

please more!?

[aggedy_ann]

Thanks guys. Here's more:

Steve rarely found himself confused in this century anymore. But he was as he found himself in the supercenter. He was able to gather a box of frosted donuts as well as some chicken soup and orange juice. His mother and Bucky had always sworn by chicken soup, and he remembered Natasha saying something about orange juice last time Clint had come down with the flu. He’d acclimated himself to the tea aisle shortly after his transformation and selected a box of black tea, a box of lemon tea and a box of peppermint tea for Tony as well as a bear shaped bottle of honey. He’d even managed to successfully navigate the cold and flu medicine aisle picking up two orange boxes that matched the Dayquil box in Tony’s medicine chest. He paused in front of a green box called Nyquil that promised to do the same thing as the Dayquil yet help you sleep. Deciding that sounded like a good thing for Tony, he tossed a couple boxes of that into his cart. He even found a jar of Vicks that despite Tony’s complaints that it was “messy,” he threw in the cart; it always worked on his colds.

It was the tissue aisle that confounded him. It wasn’t that Steve didn’t have a box of tissues around his apartment; he did, but he usually just grabbed any old box of the shelf. He remembered Clint grousing about cheap tissues and telling him some brands were better than others, and of course, the billionaire Tony Stark’s nose was too good for cheap tissues.

He must have spent at least 15 minutes in the tissue aisle but finally decided on an assortment of tissues, truly surprised at the variety that was out there…antiviral tissues, tissues with aloe, tissues with vicks, cool touch tissues, whatever those were. He selected boxes of each and headed towards the checkout line.

He made his way back to Stark Tower with his supplies and found Tony still in bed, this time asleep, a thin sheen of sweat glistened across his forehead and a small trail of snot dripped down under his left nostril.

Steve left him sleeping and went to the kitchen to make the tea. He fixed Tony a cup of peppermint tea and headed for the bedroom to wake the younger man.

He helped Tony sit up, propping pillows behind him and handed him the tea. “It’s hot,” he cautioned.

Tony pushed the cup back at Steve, wrenching away. “Hhhrhiishhh, Rhhiihhshhehhh, Iihhhshhahhh, Echhhckshooo.” He fumbled for the handkerchief Steve had given him and gave his nose a hearty blow having exhausted the tissue box shortly after Steve left

“Bless you.” Steve said, taking the cup and going back out into the hall to get the shopping bags. “I bought you some more tissues and cold medicine.” He deposited the bags on Tony’s bed, leaving the bewildered man to sort through the mess.

“Jesus, Rogers! Did you get enough tissues?” Tony sifted through the half dozen boxes that littered the bed before tearing into one. “Hehh-ehhyehhhshhh.”

“There’s so many more choices than there used to be.”

“Don’t you ever buy tissues? Probably not since you’re a handkerchief guy…” He trailed of, pressing the tissue to his nose.

Steve waited a few seconds until Tony relaxed. “False alarm?” At Tony’s nod he continued. “I do buy tissues, but usually, I just grab a box of Kleenex and go. But, I didn’t know if you were used to a better quality tissue…”.

“Oh. Umm, not unless Pepper buys them. Usually I just grab and go.” Tony cuffed the palm lightly of his hand under his nose. Too lightly. “Shoot.” He said shakily. “Hehhyihshh, Yihhhshhh, Ehhhyehhshh.” He blew his nose again. “After all, Tondy Stark canndot be seend doig sombethig as bmundande as buyig tissues.”

Steve laughed as he deciphered that sentence. “Of course not.” He handed back the tea. “Ready to try this again?”

Tony nodded, taking the tea from Steve and taking a sip.

[matilda3948]

This is wonderful!! Your dialogue is perfect

[aggedy_ann]

Thanks. And the next part:

Tony nodded, taking the tea from Steve and taking a sip. “This is good tea.” He sniffed, feeling the congestion start to loosen in his face. “What kid is it?”

“Peppermint. Bucky used to suck on peppermints when he had colds, so I thought the tea would help you. Mom always had me inhale the steam from the tea when I was sick, so double effect, I guess.”

“It’s helping.” He took another tissue and blew his nose. “So are you gonna keep me in bed or am I allowed to get up and do stuff?”

“Depends on what your definition of “do stuff” is? You need to be resting.”

“So I guess get…” Tony paused and his face went slack. “Gehtheshooo, ehshoo, teshhoo…gettig id by lab is out of the questiod. Herehehhshoo.”

“Do you really think sneezing over everything in there’s a good idea?” Tony avoided eye contact. “How’s this for an idea; we move you to the couch and watch a movie.”

“Huuyuhshh.” Tony nodded. “I guess that’s as good as it’s gonna get.” He blew his nose loudly and picked up a box of tissues off the bed, noticing the other bag. “Christ, Rogers, how much stuff did you buy? As if the half dozen boxes of tissues weren’t enough.” He sorted through the day quil and ny quil, the cough drops and the vapor rub. He held up the box of vapor rub. “Isn’t this a little old fashioned?”

“It works.” Steve protested as Tony ripped into one of the bags of cough drops and slipped on into his mouth.

He picked up a box of tissues again and got out of bed. He set his tea and tissues in the media room and headed back to his rooms, going to the one where his clothes were kept. He removed a blanket and pillow from a closet, then headed back to the couch to make a makeshift bed.

He made one more stop at a hall closet near the kitchen and pulled out another contraption that Steve wasn’t familiar with. He filled a basin with water in the kitchen and poured something from a bottle into a compartment. “Cad you carry this? I dod’t wandt to sneeze and spill it?” Tony sniffled to Steve.

Steve obliged, taking the contraption from Tony. “What is it?”

“It’s a vaporizer.”

“It doesn’t look like the one in your room.”

“This one emits steam. Some use water, some don’t.” Tony explained. “I’m not comfortable having the hot water in my room while I’m sleeping at night so I use the waterless one in there, but I use this one everywhere else. They help keep the congestion from taking root.”

Steve nodded, recalling how his mother and Bucky used to make him lean over a bowl of steaming water to help clear his congested sinuses when his colds would turn to sinus infections and he wondered if Tony had the same problem. “You get sinus infections?” he asked.

“Or bronchitis.” Tony paused. “Hehhhritschh.”

“Bless you.” He followed Tony back to the media room.

Tony showed Steve where to plug in the vaporizer and sat beside him on the couch while Tony flipped through Netflix. Tony selected a movie he thought Steve would enjoy and snuggled under the blanket, placing his legs on Steve’s lap.

Still more to come...

[ID2006]

yay... yum

[Coffee Chicken Barista]

This is adorable! I can't wait to read more. I love Steve trying to figure out all these new things like what kind of tissues to buy. So sweet.

[Ciuty80]

ohhh yes PLEASE much much more!!!!

[Naraya]

Gaaaahhhh don't stop!! This is just fabulous.

Loved Tony's snark about Steve being a handkerchief kind of guy - I can hear him saying it

Keep up the extremely good work!

[aggedy_ann]

Thanks everyone.

Here's a short update. Sorry it took so long. The dialogue was agonizing in this section for some reason, Hope you like it.

“Comfortable?” Steve asked, wryly as Tony had Jarvis dim the lights for optimum movie viewing.

“Very.” Tony responded, blowing his nose into a tissue.

“How are you feeling?” Steve asked.

“Hot, cold, congested, achy, sneezy. You know, a typical cold. Oh, right, you probably don’t know.”

“I’m no stranger to colds.” Steve laughed. “I was rather prone to them before my transformation.”

Tony realized he actually knew very little of the man besides his Captain America persona. “Oh.” He broke off to sneeze. “Heh-itschh, Herehheschhh, Ehhschhoo. I guess my dad only really talked about you after the experiment. I don’t know anything about you before.” He admitted. “Uhhhkuhhshoo.”

“Bless you.” Steve chuckled again. “There’s not much to tell. I was skinny and small. I was sick a lot…colds, and flus, and sinus infections. I had asthma, and high blood pressure and heart palpitations. I had my tonsils out. I had hay fever and was allergic to dogs and cat and dust.”

“What triggered your hayfever?” Tony asked.

“I don’t know. They didn’t test back then. Probably some combination of grass and tree and weed pollens if I had to guess now.”

Right. Tony had forgotten that Steve was from an era when testing was based on exposure rather than any scratch or blood testing. “I wonder if we scratch tested you now, if anything would show up, or if the serum took care of all that.”

“I’m not here to be an experiment, Tony.”

“Right, right.” Said Tony, making a mental note to discuss this with Bruce when the other man returned, and he was no longer contagious. “So, why do you still carry a handkerchief around with you, if you don’t need it anymore?”

Steve laughed again. “I still sneeze, Tony. So I still have need for it.” He paused while Tony sneezed.

“Heyehshoo.”

“I sneeze when I get really cold, and bright lights and the sun make me sneeze. If I get something up my nose, I sneeze. I still use the handkerchief.”

“Oh. Didn’t think of that. I just figured you were immune to everything now.” Tony fumbled for tissues again, clasping them to his nose. “Yehshoo.”

Steve frowned. “That medicine doesn’t really seem to be helping.”

“It is. I’m less stuffed up and achy. I’m not coughing as much. Jarvis, what is my temperature?”

“99.9, sir.”

“See, my temperature’s gone down.”

“But you’re still rather sneezy.”

Tony shrugged. “I always sneeze a lot when I have a cold. Trust me, the medication is working.”

“They had nasal sprays at the store. That might help with the sneezing. I could go back.”

“No, no, no.” Tony hastened. “I’m fine, really. And nasal spray…Hehhehshoo…makes me sneeze my face off.”

“I see.”

“I just happen to have a really touchy nose.” Tony said, defensively before excusing himself to use the restroom.

[jezebel215]

I am so hoping that *perhaps* Steve's transformation hasn't left him entirely impervious to modern germs....

[aggedy_ann]

Unfotunately, not in this fic (as far as I have planned...that could change.) But if you go to my drabble thread, I have sick!post serum Steve in a couple drabbles. http://www.sneezefetishforum.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=48772&hl=

[Naraya]

Really.... Right I'm on it ;-)

[aggedy_ann]

“Jarvis, Max lights.” Tony whispered, coming back from the bathroom, standing in the doorway to the room. The room was flooded with brilliant light as he walked in the room, just in time to see the Capsicle launch himself towards the tissues.

“Huh-huhCHushh…Chuhshhoo………Hehh-CHehhshahh. Tony! That was totally uncalled for.”

“Just an experiment.” Tony shrugged, sitting back down as Steve deposited his tissue in Tony’s trashcan. “Bless you, by the way.”

“Thanks.” Steve grumbled. “I told you, I wasn’t here to be an experiment.”

“I won’t do it again.” Tony promised.

“Of course not. You’ve already got your results.”

Tony fell silent, not wanting to admit that Steve was right. Fortunately, his nose started twitching and he managed to get a tissue to it just in time. “Heh-eckshoo” He sneezed messily. “Ugh.”

“That sounded wet.” Steve commented.

“It was.” Tony blew his nose several times and groaned. “Have I mentioned I hate being sick, Rogers?”

“I think I picked up on that, yeah.” He said as Tony yawned. “Why don’t you get some sleep while I make some soup?”

Tony yawned again and coughed. “That sounds like a plan. I’m starting to get hungry.” He pulled the blanket up to his chin and curled up on the couch after Steve got up.

Steve made his way to the kitchen where he pulled chicken out of the refrigerator and began chopping it up. “Jarvis, can you find me a chicken soup recipe?” he requested of the AI.

“If I may, Captain Rogers, this is a recipe Ms. Potts uses when Tony is ill.” The AI flashed a recipe up on a screen, startling Steve. Just when he thought he was used to things.

Steve began following the recipe, noting the number of spices. “Do we have all these things?” he wondered aloud.

“Of course, Captain. Second cabinet on the left.”

Steve found the spices and began making the soup. An hour later, it was simmering on the stove, and he went to go get Tony. He could hear the snoring as he approached the media room as Tony tried to force air through his congested sinuses. “Tony?” He called, shaking him lightly.”

Tony awoke instantly. “What?” he mumbled.

“Soup’s ready. Wanna come into the kitchen?”

“Sure.” Tony coughed, getting off the couch. He followed Steve down the hallway to the kitchen and sat down at the counter while Steve dished up soup for the two of them. Tony took a few bites. “Pepper’s recipe?”

“Yeah. Jarvis got it for me. Did I do it alright?”

“Perfectly.” He picked up a napkin from the table and blew his nose. “Makes my nose run, though.”

Steve nodded. “It is spicy.”

“Yeah.” Tony continued eating, periodically blowing his nose and sniffling, hoping he could stave off the eventual sneezing until he was done eating. No such luck. He was three fourths of the way done with his soup when the sneezes hit. “Hehh-ehghshoo.” He cupped his hands over his nose quickly, then took the napkins that Steve handed him. “Hehckshoo, Heyeghshoo, ehghshoo.” A series of thick wet sneezes, followed by several noseblows ensued.

“Bless you.” Steve said, taking the used napkins from Tony and replacing them with fresh ones. Tony looked up gratefully before blowing his nose again and sighing, pushing the soup away.

“Okay, I’b dode eatig.” He sniffed, blowing his nose a few more times.

Steve nodded, taking the bowls to the sink, dumping out Tony’s and putting them in the dishwasher. “Another movie?” he suggested.

“I mighd sleep.” Tony admitted.

“That’s okay too. I remember how being sick makes you tired.” Steve empathized.

He and Tony stood up and headed back to the media room.

[aggedy_ann]

And the ending:

Steve and Tony passed the better part of the next three days watching movies, talking and sleeping and eating soup Steve made. If Tony had been more alert, he would have noticed how Steve was sleeping more and more, and his voice was starting to have a rougher quality to it. But Tony was self centered at the best of times, and even more-so when he was sick. And Steve was doting on him, which he enjoyed immensely. After all, it was only with TLC, that you got better.

“Huh-Chushhoo.” It was a sudden sneeze from Steve that caught his attention.

“I didn’t do anything.” Tony said, raising his hands innocently.

“I know,” said Steve. “I don’t know what triggered that. Nor do I know why I’m going to….Heh-Chushhh…sneeze again. Heh-Chhnggtt.” He blew his nose several times, noting that it did nothing to alleviate the congestion that had settled in.

Tony noticed too. “Bless you. You, uh, sound pretty stuffed up.”

Steve nodded. “I amb.” He winced at the sound of his voice.

“Did you? But I thought the serum? But you were in pretty close contact….Jarvis, what is Captain Roger’s temperature?”

“100.1, sir.”

“I think you caught my cold.” Tony paused and sneezed. “Heeyehshoo. Unfortunately, that means I still have it.”

“But I thought I couldn’t get sick.” Steve protested, coughing.

“Welcome to 21^st century germs?” Tony guessed. “And you were in awfully close contact with me.”

Steve nodded. It certainly seemed plausible, given the way he felt.

“Let me get you some cold medicine.”

“Wond’t work.” At Tony’s confused look, he continued. “Medicine’s useless for me. My metabolism’s sped up because of the serum. It’ll wear right off.”

“So we’re stuck with vaporizers, and tea, and what else?

“I…Ihh-CHuhh…I bought some vapor rub in case you needed it. We can try that.”

Tony nodded, heading back to his room to get the vapor rub and a box of tissues for Steve. He came back and handed them to his friend. “I brought you the vapo-rub scented tissues and regular ones.” He offered as Steve began smearing vapor rub on his chest.

“Thank.” Steve sniffled, already starting to sniffle as his sinuses began to clear.

Tony got him a blanket and a pillow out of a closet and the two men curled up on the couch together, watching movies and sleeping. And this was how Bruce found them when he returned from his conference later that afternoon.

[Dye]

Oh lord. Just read it all in one go.

yUP IT KILLED ME THAT'S HOW AMAZING IT IS

[42686]

i did NOT see that coming. i should have, but....awwwww!

[Always-a-Ginger]

totally love this!

[LovelyLinda]

Why did it take me so long to find this??? I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!

It's sheer perfection! I read it all in one go <3

I love how you nailed the characters down perfectly!

Your dialogues are so goood!

And all the yummy sneeziness...mmmmmm *_*

Please write more sneezy Tony, you got me addicted!!!

Thank you so much fot writing this!!