Dancing

Tony was sitting in his workshop, working on a flaw in one of his gauntlet repulsors. It had a tendency to overload and lean towards exploding when used too much. Tony, however, loved his hands, needed them really, and didn't want that to happen. He was so involved in trying to fix the gauntlet that he had completely missed the fact that Steve had used his access code to get in and was currently sketching him.

Tony finally found the problem, a fierce grin on his face. With a deft twist of his hands, he repaired the gauntlet and sighed. Putting it down, he looked up and stretched, freezing when he saw Steve sitting across from him. A cool breeze on the few inches of skin left bared by his t-shirt caused Tony to lower his arms slowly, studying the other man. Was that a slight blush he could see on Steve's face?

"Capsicle," Tony greeted idly, nodding at the blonde man. "Whatcha doing down here?"

"I came down here to ask you a question," Steve said softly, the blush highlighting his cheeks again. "But you were so engrossed in what you were doing, I didn't want to interrupt you."

"So you decided to sketch me?" Tony asked, nodding at the sketchbook with a grin on his face. The grin only grew wider when Steve jumped and hastily closed the sketchbook. For a second or two, Tony really wanted to know what was in that book.

"I've sketched all of the Avengers," Steve said, his tone slightly defensive. "You all give me a lot of practice."

"As long as I can contribute to the cause," Tony replied airily, waving a hand towards the sketchbook. "What did you want to ask, Cap?"

"You know the charity thing we have to go to tonight?" Steve started, tapping his pencil on the sketchbook. "Are we going to be required to dance?"

"Required?" Tony repeated, one eyebrow quirking up. "I don't think required is quite the right word. Though, Bruce probably won't dance. Why?"

Steve looked away again, the embarrassment clear on his features. Tony crossed his arms over his chest, determined to wait out the other man. This was proving to be interesting and he wanted to see where Steve was going with it. Then, a random thought sparked by a memory of his father talking about Steve caused Tony to put it all together.

"You can't dance, can you?" Tony asked, struggling to keep the laughter out of his voice.

"No, I can't," Steve replied softly, turning his head back to meet Tony's eyes. "Before the serum, no one wanted to go with me. And after, I was busy. Then.... the ice."

Steve's eyes darkened with the memory, a shudder rolling down his spine. Tony stood up suddenly, determined to wipe the fear and sorrow off of Steve's face. He marched up to the other man, tugging on one arm when Steve just stared at him in surprise.

"Come on, up, Capsicle," Tony ordered, tugging on Steve's arm again.

"Why, Tony?" Steve asked seriously and Tony had to take a deep breath to ignore how much of a caress went into his name when Steve said it. Seriously, what was going on in his brain? Steve liking him? Tony snorted at himself and waited until Steve stood.

"I'm going to teach you how to dance," Tony replied, taking Steve's arm and leading him to an open area of the workshop. Tony looked around it quickly, determining there was enough space for a few simple dances.

"Wh... what? Tony, really," Steve stammered, the blush rising on his face again. "You don't have to. I can just stand with Bruce or something."

"It's not that hard, Cap, just shut up," Tony said, lifting Steve's arms and putting one over the arm he placed on Steve's waist and the other in his hand. "Now just follow me."

Tony stepped forward, using his weight to have Steve step backward. He smiled when the other man did, then swept his right foot to the right. Steve looked down, confusion etched on his face but he followed Tony. Tony brought his feet together then stepped back with his right foot. Steve followed, a tentative grin breaking out on his face. Tony swept his left foot to the left, then brought his right foot to meet it, completing the waltz step.

Steve looked up, a wider grin on his face. Tony smiled back and started the steps all over again, Steve following easier this time. They danced in place, Tony deciding not to add the turns just yet. Finally, when Steve was moving just as gracefully through the steps as Tony himself, Tony stopped them and switched their arm positions.

"Tony?" Steve asked, confused as he took in their new position.

"Time for you to learn to lead," Tony said, nodding decisively. "What you want to do is take the steps you just learned and then mirror them."

It took a few false starts but Tony was uncharacteristically patient, letting Steve learn from each mistake that he gently corrected. Finally, Steve led them both through the steps without a mistake, though haltingly. Tony nodded encouragement and they went through each step over and over again.

As they danced, Tony let his mind wander. He'd known these steps since before he was 10 and could dance a waltz in his sleep. The look of concentration on Steve's face caught his fancy and Tony found himself studying the blonde man's face. Steve was looking down at their feet again, placing his own carefully so that he didn't step on Tony. His hand was large and warm on Tony's waist while his other hand held Tony's securely but without crushing him. Overall, Steve was the picture of a considerate man taking care of his partner.

Tony felt something shift inside him and felt like cursing. There was no way he was falling for Steve Rogers. The crush he'd had on Captain America as a teenager notwithstanding, Steve Rogers was off-limits to someone like Tony. All he'd be able to do was corrupt the innocent and slightly naive personality that was Steve Rogers.

"Tony?" Steve asked, feeling the brunette stiffen suddenly. He stopped in the middle of the steps, studying Tony closely. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Capsicle," Tony lied smoothly, pulling away from Steve and fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. "I think you've learned how to lead and follow very well in a waltz. That should be all you need to know for most of the dancing tonight. Though, you should probably learn how to throw some turns into the steps."

"Turns?" Steve repeated, his head tilting slightly to the side. "I've seen others dance the waltz. I think I might already know how to add the turns."

Tony took another deep breath, something he found himself doing all too often around Steve, and shook his head. He stepped forward again, taking Steve's hands and placing one on his waist again, saying, "Seeing and doing are two different things. Why don't we practice a bit. I'll lead again until you get the hang of it."

Tony flowed through the steps again, adding a turn on the second and fourth moves. He and Steve turned in a graceful circle around the empty space in the workshop, their eyes locked on each other. Tony was glad, then, that he'd learned how to hide his blushes a long time ago. The sheer intensity of Steve's eyes on his was amazing.

"I think you got it," Tony finally murmured, breaking their eye contact. "Why don't we switch?"

Steve nodded and repositioned their arms. Tony tried to ignore what he thought was a look of satisfaction on the other's face when Steve's hand landed on his waist. He couldn't be seeing what he thought he was seeing. Steve swept him through the waltz, his confidence growing with each step. The soldier was a quick learner and Tony found himself sad that the impromptu lesson was going to come to an end soon.

"I understand now, Tony," Steve said, his eyes crinkling at the brunette. "Thanks." With exaggerated formality, the soldier took Tony's hand and bowed over it. Tony was about to reply with a scathing remark but Steve brushed his lips over the back of Tony's knuckles, his bright blue eyes looking up through his lashes at the brunette. Tony was shocked speechless and could only stare as Steve stood up, grabbed his sketchbook, and made a dignified exit from the workshop.

"Well, damn," was Tony's only comment when he could catch his voice again.