#tonyxsam

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When everyone had dispersed to their rooms in the compound – either returning to old rooms or finding new ones – Sam quietly snuck his way to Tony’s. The door was unlocked, and he gave the usual two quick knocks and waited a few seconds before stepping inside.

Tony was undoing his cuffs, sparing Sam only a brief glance before focusing his gaze back downwards.

Sam walked up to him, hesitating only a moment before gently brushing Tony’s hands aside and taking over the shirt buttons. Tony let him, letting out a deep and slow breath, head tilting back and eyes closing.

(Watch out for the cut)

“So you don’thave actual plans for Thanksgiving,right?”

Tony glanced upas Sam sat down next to him, fingers already tapping nervously over thetextbooks for their shared lit class.

“Actual plans?”he echoed, and Sam nodded. “You mean like, actual plans besides the ‘annoy theshit out of Howard until Mom asks me to stop’ plans I already mentioned?”

Sam noddedagain.

“No,” Tony saidslowly. “No actual plans.”

“Good, good. Souh, I have a situation.”

Tony’s eyesnarrowed, suspicious and wary. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this….”

“Stop quotingStar Wars at me,” Sam said, then blurted, “Nana thinks you’re my boyfriend anddemanded I bring you to Thanksgiving dinner so she can finally meet you.”

“She… what?How’d she get that idea?” Tony yelped, eyes going wide and panicked.

“I don’t know!”Sam said back desperately. “She just did, okay, and she’s so happy aboutmeeting you and I am pretty sure if I show up without you that she’s going tohate me forever! Tony!” Sam whined. “I can’t have my nana hating me forever,she makes the best pies and she’ll not make my favorite for me if she’sdespairing that we’re not actually dating!”

Tony made arough noise, like a scoff. “She’ll hate us both if you lie to her!”

“Only a littlebit!”

“This is a bad idea,” Tony insisted.

“It’s just forThanksgiving! You’ll get free food out of it! I’ll buy you all the coffee youwant for the rest of the semester!”

Tony paused,giving him an incredulous look. “Finals are coming up. That’s a horriblepromise to make, Sam.”

“I am that desperate,” Sam said seriously.“Please?”

After a moment,Tony sighed, caving. “Alright, alright,” he muttered. “I’ll pretend to be yourdamn boyfriend, even though I think this is a horrible idea.”

“Thank you,”Sam gushed, hugging Tony for a moment before sitting back and opening histextbook. “Okay. Now that that crisis is over, on to this one.”

Tony grumbled,but opened his book as well.

~*~*~

“Mom,” Tonytried, and sighed when she interrupted him again. He turned, leaning againstthe doorframe, putting his back to Rhodey who was watching him closely thoughpretending not to. Quieter, Tony repeated, “Mom, please. It’s justThanksgiving. I’ll come home for Christmas.” That seemed to, finally, appeaseher, though she made him repeat his promise before she let him go.

Tony hung upand went to plop into his desk chair, spinning it in circles. Thanksgiving wasin two days. He should probably back.

“So you’rereally going to do this?” Rhodey asked, scribbling notes for one of his physicstextbooks.

“I told Sam Iwould,” Tony reminded him.

Rhodey lookedat him, brows furrowed. “Yeah, but won’t it be awkward?”

“Nah, notreally.” Tony spun around again. “I mean, a little bit. Sam’s like, my secondbest friend.” Tony shot Rhodey a grin. “But it’s just for a few days.”

“You describedthis whole thing to me as ‘the worst idea you’d ever agreed to’.”

Tony waved hishand dismissively.

Rhodey shookhis head after a moment, muttering to himself about idiots and how he hoped Godreally did protect fools – or something to that effect. Tony stopped reallypaying attention, instead debating if, as the “boyfriend”, he should bring somekind of gift. He was pretty sure that was the kind of good manners his momwould want him to have.

“What kind ofgifts do you bring to your pretend boyfriend’s family for Thanksgiving?” Tonyasked aloud.

Rhodey groanedand thunked his head down onto his textbook.

~*~*~

“We shouldprobably hold hands,” Sam muttered as they walked up the porch steps.

“Good idea,”Tony said, and linked their fingers just in time for the door to be yankedopen.

“Mom, Sam’s finally here!” yelled the kidon the other side of the door. He looked back at them, eyes locking on theirhands, and made a face. “Oh god, are you going to be as gross as Sarah now?”

“Shut up, Gid,”Sam said, pushing open the screen door to get inside.

Tony bit back asnicker when the kid – Sam’s brother, Gideon – grumbled, “That means yes. Ugh.”

Tony met Sam’s parents,Darlene and Paul, and his sister Sarah. It was a whirlwhind of hugs andhandshakes and loud voices all talking over each other catching up and greetingand Tony grinned the whole time.

He didn’t meetthe infamous Nana until they stepped into the kitchen, after they’d storedtheir stuff in Sam’s old room. Tony had been aiming for coffee; he wasintercepted and appraised by keen eyes in a lined face.

He froze. “Um…hi?”

“You’re Sammy’sboyfriend he’s been hiding from us?”

“…Yes?”

Her eyesnarrowed. “He tried to tell me he didn’t have a boyfriend. But I told him,there’s no way something put that kind of light and happiness on your facewhile talking about studying of allthings unless it’s a boy.”

Tony scratchedat his hair, down to his neck, and grinned sheepishly. “My best friend Rhodeycalled us fools, if that helps?”

She cracked asmile, the crinkles at her eyes thickening, and reached up to pat Tony’s cheek.“Does explain some things, yes.” She shook her head, turning to stir somethingon the stove – it smelled delicious, Tony wondered if Nana would be as sharp atprotecting food from tasting fingers as Jarvis was. “Sammy never could tellwhen someone was flirting with him.”

Tony snorted. “Herecognizes flirting just fine,” Tony said, as he noticed Sam walking into theroom. He grinned slyly. “Just so long as it’s completely cheesy.”

Sam rolled hiseyes, not missing a beat as he added, “Thankfully for me that’s the only kindof flirting Tony knows how to do.”

“Excuse you, Ican flirt just fine, you just never notice it when I’m being smooth!”

“Uh huh,” Samsaid, in a voice that completely conveyed ‘I’m just saying this to pacify you’.“Sure you can.”

Tony cast aquick look to be sure Nana wasn’t looking before flipping the bird.

Sam stuck histongue out.

~*~*~

Sharing the bedwasn’t a problem. Sam warned Tony that he snored, and Tony told him veryseriously that he would probably cling to Sam in his sleep worse than anoctopus, and they climbed under the sheets.

In the morningthey woke up with Tony using Sam as a pillow, arms and legs tangled together,and Sam snoring in Tony’s ear. They stretched and climbed out of bed and gotready, moving around each other easily.

Sam made Tonysome coffee, while Tony plopped across the entire couch in front of thefireplace. Gideon came in a few minutes later and whined for Tony to move hisfeet, but Tony just stared at him with a smile and raised brow until Sam camein with two cups.

Tony lifted hislegs for Sam to sit, and then put them in Sam’s lap. Sam passed over Tony’scoffee, just how he liked it.

Gideon groanedin despair and went to sit in one of the armchairs.

The daycontinued smoothly. No one seemed to pick up that they were only pretending tobe boyfriends.

To be fair, Samand Tony didn’t have to change their behaviors too much. No one seemed toexpect them to kiss or anything. They held hands a bit more, but the sittingclose and hugging and snuggling wasn’t that unusual. Tony was physically affectionatewith his friends, and Sam liked to reciprocate.

They banteredlike usual. Talked with Sam’s family. Sent Rhodey and Steve some snapchats ofthem, because their plan was gong perfectly despite best friend disapproval,and they both wanted to rub that in their faces.

They atedinner, played some games with Sam’s family, and went to bed again.

Tony stretchedthe next morning when he woke up before Sam, and rested his chin on his hands,over the top of Sam’s chest.

Sam keptsnoring.

Smiling, Tonywatched Sam for a few moments, before rolling out of bed and going to makehimself some coffee. Nana and Paul were already awake, sitting at the smallkitchen table in the corner, next to a sunny window. Tony joined them; none ofthem spoke, just sat and enjoyed the quiet and sunlight and coffee together.

When Sam cameout, pajama pants with little Superman symbols all over them low on his hips,covering his feet because they were too long, Tony smiled. He held out hiscoffee, and Sam sipped at it, before nudging Tony over so they were sharing thesame chair. It was far from comfortable.

Tony stole hiscoffee back before Sam could drink all of it, the thief.

~*~*~

“You know, thatwent… shockingly well,” Tony said onthe ride back.

“You’re thatsurprised?” Sam asked, glancing over his shoulder as he merged.

Tony shrugged,flipping through his music to find something good. “A bit? I mean I didn’texpect it to go epically wrong like some after school special or anything,” hesaid. “But I didn’t expect it to go that smoothly either. Like, seriously Sam.That was easy. It shouldn’t have been that easy to pretend to be dating.”

Sam was quietfor a little while, then said, “Yeah, probably not.”

“No one even suspected, did they?” Tony continuedwonderingly. “We were apparently like, super fucking awesome boyfriends.”

“Hell yeah wewere,” Sam said with a proud grin.

Tony laughed.He tilted his head back against the headrest, then turned it until he wasstaring right at Sam, thinking.

“You know, Iwouldn’t mind dating you for real.”

“Oh yeah?”

Tony nodded. “Sure.You’re smart. Funny. Caring. Damn fine. You laugh at my corny jokes.”

Sam snorted.

“You actuallylike me for me,” Tony continued, quieter. “You listen when I’m upset, and tryto make me feel better.”

“That’s whatfriends are supposed to do.”

“Yeah,” Tonysaid softly. “I don’t have many of those. Would hate to lose one. But if thepayoff was a super awesome boyfriend….”

Sam glanced athim, quick, before focusing back on the road.

“You want togive it a shot? For reals?”

“If you wantto,” Tony said. “I’m happy being friends. I think I could be happy beingboyfriends, too. So whatever would make you happy….”

He waited whileSam thought it over. He glanced at Tony some more, a few times.

“I wouldn’tmind dating you either,” he said. “All that stuff you said about me, I think it’strue for you too. Smart, obviously. And funny, with those corny jokes,” heteased. “Caring, despite how other people take advantage of it or misinterpretit. Always trying to help people.”

Smilingslightly, Tony slid his fingers slowly over the console. Sam dropped one handfrom the wheel and linked fingers with Tony at the edge of his seat.

“Rhodey andSteve are going to be so exasperated,” Tony chuckled quietly.

“Just an addedbonus,” Sam said, grinning cheerfully.

~*~*~

Tony leanedover and whispered to Sam, “I bet only dogs can hear the noises they’re making,”when they told their best friends they were now boyfriends during lunch the dayafter returning to campus.

“Like you haven’t been dead asleep for the past half hour.”

(Watch out for the cut)

Sam wasn’t on the football team – he was on the trackteam, actually – but that didn’t seem to affect his popularity. Bucky said itwas because Sam was friendly and legitimately nice. Steve said it was becauseSam was hot and smart, so all the different cliques had something to like abouthim. (That usually led to Peggy making a muffled laugh type of noise, and Steveturning a bright grin on her and adding, “Not as hot and smart as Peg, though.”Then Bucky and Sam would both roll their eyes as the two made googly-eyes ateach other.)

Point was, Sam was pretty popular in high school,which was a big change from middle school where he’d been the too sensitive,too smart, too different. An outcast. So he liked to think he used said powersof popularity for good when the chances arose.

A/N: This is my first attempt at IronFalcon, and I hope you enjoy it!  -Dreamy

(Watch out for the read more)

Tony lay on the couch with his head pillowed on Bucky's stomach and his legs draped over Rhodey's thighs. It had been a particularly rough day for Tony.

Tony since he was little had been nervous about meeting his soulmates. He'd grown up knowing there was the possibility of disappointing three more people in his life.

He'd already disappointed his parents and he wasn't sure how he was going to deal with disappointing his soulmates. Everyone was born with a least three. You wouldn't know until meeting you soulmates if your marks meant they were your Platonic or Romantic ones.

Tony had three soulmarks. He knew all three could be platonic or romantic, or he could have two romantic soulmates or two platonic soulmates. He'd always thought it was such a stupid concept. Because the stories all said no matter what kind of soulmate you had they would love you forever.

But they also said your parents were suppose to love you forever too and he'd seen first hand how that had turned out.

But then further down the line he'd gotten lucky and met his first platonic soulmate Rhodey. Whose DNA mark had turned red the instant they had shaken each others hands.

That had been when Tony had turned fourteen and was accepted as the youngest MIT student. It had been one of the best days of Tony's life and honestly it turned out that having a soulmate didn't suck so much after all. His Honey-bear loved him with all his heart and he loved his honey-bear right back in return.

Then Rhodey (who had four soul marks) had met his romantic soulmate on a mission and Tony was a ball of horrible awful nerves. Because what if Rhodey didn't love him anymore. Or he still loved him, but didn't want to be as close, because his Romantic Soulmate didn't like him.

For four months until, the Romantic pair could be put on leave, Tony fretted over Rhodey running off into the sunset and leaving him behind.

Which turned out to be four very wasted months, because the instant Sergeant Barnes had spotted the man Rhodey hadn't been able to stop talking about, he'd wrapped Tony up in the biggest bear hug of all time.

Which was how Tony had gained his Bucky-Bear and the platonic soulmate that lit up the star on his arm (for their shared love of stars) a dark red and Tony let out a relieved breath.

He was so pleased.

“Wait, you knew about this?” Steve demanded.

Thorshrugged. Loki rolled his eyes, looking somehow bored and unaffected by thehandcuffs around his wrists – Steve wondered if this worked as some type ofcommunity service for him.

“It wasn’tthat hard to figure out.”

“Hard enoughthat you tried to kill me the first time we met,” Tony muttered.

Sam’s eyesnarrowed at Loki, who smiled charmingly and held up his hands. “A simplemistake – and no harm came of it.”

“Better staythat way,” Sam grumbled. Tony grinned at him, tender and amused and fond.

Loki sighedloudly and rolled his eyes. “How you remain so disgustingly besotted after allthis time is incomprehensible to me.”

“I’mshocked,” Sam said flatly.

Thor clearedhis throat, shifting so he was slightly blocking the view between Loki and Sam,and gave Steve a sheepish grin. “I had not realized that it wasn’t hidden. If Ihad, I would have….”

Steve sighed,pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’d have kept it a secret? I hate secrets,”he added, in a quieter, personal mutter.

“Right,” Tonysaid, examining his nails. “Because you’re not keeping any secrets about visitorsthat show up on your floor every few nights.”

Steve’s eyeswidened, while Sam just smirked at him.

“Tony may notrule over the Underworld anymore, but he’s still got guards for his territory.”He paused, then added, “Still gives them the most ridiculous names though.”

“JARVIS is afantastic name.”

“DUM-E isn’teven the worst,” Sam said to Steve in a staged whisper, teasing grin stretchinghigh up his cheeks even as he watched Tony from the corner of his eyes. “Henamed his three headed dog fucking Spot. It didn’t even have any spots.”

“Sam,” Tonywhined.

“I… stilldon’t get how?” Clint asked, raising his hand.

Tony openedhis mouth, but Sam dug an elbow into his side and his mouth shut again quickly.He smiled, bright and press-charming. “Sorry Artemis. Secret.”

“….Youcalling me Artemis is so much stranger now….”

“You shouldconsider it a compliment – she’s a better shot than you,” Tony said with ashrug.

Clint rolledhis eyes, then paused and looked at Tony thoughtfully. “When you say ‘she’s’,you mean ‘she was’ or…?”

Tony’s grinwas sly, but it was Sam that said, “You can’t think we’re the only ones stillaround, can you?”

“Jesus fuck,”Steve muttered.

“Language!”Tony piped up cheerfully. Steve flipped him off.

“So… thatmeans we can just leave these things to you, right?” Clint said, glancing atthe minotaurs struggling to escape Loki’s magical containment field.

“I deal withsouls,” Tony said flatly.

Sam justshrugged and said, “Not my field of expertise.”

“But you knowsomeone?” Natasha finally spoke, shrewd.

Tonygrimaced. “I don’t want to talk tohim though….” He looked at Sam, pleading, and Sam heaved a sigh and rolled hiseyes, already pulling out his cell.

“You owe me,you know that? This is at least a hundred-year debt of all my favorite foods,no making me drink your nasty green smoothies, and I get to name the next pet.”

Tony rolledhis eyes. “I got it, only delicious berry flavored smoothies for you, I losenaming privileges, a century of me doting on you – oh wait, I already do that.”

“This is justtoo weird,” Clint muttered, watching them with resigned expression.

Steve gruntedin agreement.

“…Do youthink Pepper is one too? Or Rhodes? Oh god, what about Happy? What-“

“I don’tthink everyone they know is also a… one of them,” Steve said, a bit quick anduncomfortable. There was no way he could make himself say ‘Greek deity’ yet.

“Actually,Pepper’s the Eumenides,” Tony said, without looking at them, before going backinto playfully bickering with Sam.

Clint paled. “Likeshe wasn’t terrifying enough.”

Steve startedgiggling, a bit hysterically.

Sam eyed him,as did Tony, and then they glanced at each other and sighed, rolling theireyes.

“It really isn’t that big of a deal. Nothingchanges,” Tony said, walking up and clapping a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Just…forget it, if it makes you feel better.”

“Dude, no,”Clint said indignantly. “I am asking you allthe questions now. Starting with, where is Artemis because I have to either gofight her or be in awe of her.”

“Now you’vedone it,” Sam whispered to Tony, before announcing, “Minotaurs will be takencare of. Thor and Loki have volunteered to wait here until they arrive, so ifeveryone wants to go get something to eat…?”

“I’m starving,” Tony declared, hand still onSteve’s shoulder, leading him away with that surprising strength that suddenlymade a lot more sense.