Work Text:
Tony stirs in his sleep, dragging out a low groan while extending his arms wide. He was met with only fabric and no body heat beside him. He slowly opened his eyes and realized that he’s alone in bed, not even one of his lovers with him. He sat up while rubbing his eyes, slowly leaving the comfort of his bed. He grabbed the nearest clothing available.
Nat’s underwear and Steve’s white shirt that drops just on top of his thighs. Later feeling cold chills run down his spine, he grabbed Bruce’s button-down shirt and slipped it on himself. He considered wearing Clint’s sweatpants but he really liked the feeling of Nat’s underwear on him and it being exposed.
Although still half asleep, he tried calling out for them as he walked in the kitchen. He stopped his actions when no one answered back. He tried to go look for each one of them in their respective rooms although none of them uses it anymore, they all just sleep in Tony’s ridiculously large bed that fits all of them.
He stopped last at Thor’s bedroom, realizing none of them are present, then he spoke out,
“Friday, where are the others?”
“They were called in in an urgent meeting with Fury, sir. I have been instructed to not wake you up. They have also reminded to inform you that they will be home in 3 to 4 hours pass 10 A.M”
Tony grabbed his phone to check the time “10:30” he mumbled. His shoulders slumped and he let his body fall on Thor’s bed, inhaling the scent of the sheets. Barely slept on but still the faint smell of the God still being present. He felt tingling down his spine, touching his own body. He imagined his lovers being there with him, touching him and kissing him, he felt a slight twitch of himself down.
He opened his eyes and stood up quickly.
“Tony no” he told himself off. “Not when none of them are here”
He then just ran to living room and watched literally anything that catches his interest as he switches channels from one to another.He had been binging for a few minutes and checked his phone again.
“11:15” he read out loud and threw his head back on the couch with a loud sigh. He opened his phone again and texted on their group chat. He took a photo of his lower half, him wearing the lace underwear showing and his left hand ghosting at the hem, lightly pulling it down that shows his hipbone with a caption ‘I miss you’ and hit send.
He waited for a reply but nothing, he wasn’t even left on read, there’s just nothing. He groaned at this and just threw his phone on the couch and stood up.
—
He has been playing AC/DC on blast for a good hour, yet none of the Avengers are still home. He cooked himself lunch and dances and sang along to the music. When he checked the time, now being 12:30 PM he stopped the music and laid on the floor.His mood changed drastically, from energetic to completely close to crying. He missed everyone despite being gone for a few hours. The others knows about this, they knew how Tony needs at least to either one of them to stay with him or he must come along. It’s just today that all of them had to really leave him alone.
The Avengers are anxious throughout the whole meeting, tiny details are going into their brain for all they’ve been worrying about is Tony alone, with no one to hold him. Then all of them perked up when Fury dismissed them. Hurriedly grabbing what’s theirs and going home.
“Do you think he’s okay?” Clint asked particularly to all of them.
“I hope so” Steve replied.
“I don’t want to make you guys panic even more than now but—“ all of them stopped their movements and all their attention are now on Bruce, waiting.
“When I excused myself to the restroom, I actually checked on Tony ‘cause I really can’t calm myself down. So when I did I see him crying on the floor and—“ he didn’t even get to finish his story when all of them scurried out of the room.
--
Tony is mad and frustrated. With his lovers being gone for more than 4 hours, this jar is testing his patience.
Tony tried to get himself together for laying and crying on the floor and decided for a little snack to calm himself down. He opened the fridge with no thought in mind and his eyes landed on the green hue of a jar. Quickly grabbing it and went by the kitchen sink.
He tried opening the jar, but to his disadvantage, the jar didn’t budge. All that happened was as he twisted the cap, the body went with it. He had been doing this for a few minutes now, letting out a few quiet cusses as he did so. He tried everything, warming up the cap, wiping his hands dry with a towel and trying again. Even using a rubber band just to get that pickle inside.
He was so frustrated that he doesn’t even want the snack anymore, he really just wanted to open the jar, to at least have something happen to satisfy him today, but he has no luck.
Tony eventually got so frustrated that with a shout, he extended his right arm to his side and appears his gauntlet landing on his hand. He forgot the fact that his grip is now stronger, with frustration still present, he gripped the cap so hard that when he twisted it, it ended up shattering the whole jar. The glass still in tacked with the cap as he holds it, shards of glass fell inside the container with the pickles, it now being unable to be consumed.
He stared at it for a moment, then laughing at himself for what happened. Eventually the laughter turned into loud crying. He threw the jar on the sink and ran to his bed, grabbing the blanket and covered his folded body, crying.
Not even a few minutes later, he heard fast feet getting closer to him. Next thing he knew, his lovers are now surrounding him, either on the bed with him caressing his back or on the floor by the bed.
They can still hear faint sounds of sniffles that worried them.
Nat spoke first.
“Tony, what happened sweetheart?” No response, only whines escaped his mouth. They saw how the blanket moved, then realizing that he’s twisting his body in order to hug the person that laid beside them, that being Thor. He felt how Thor wrapped his arms around the tiny figure now soaking his shirt wet, but he didn’t mind. He just want him to stop crying for it hurts his heart, all of their hearts.
“Doll, you gotta tell is what happened okay? Why are you crying?” Clint’s voice, Thor’s embrace and Bruce’s caress on his legs made Tony to quite down his cries and reduced to sniffles.
He used his arm to lower the blanket from his head, but only showing his eyes, the blanket still covering his nose down to his toes.
“I just— missed you guys” he confessed, but he knows that’s not enough for an answer.
Although with his answer and the way he looked right now melted everyone’s hearts, they still want to know what really made him this upset to the point that his eyes are so red and swelling from crying so much.
“Tony, come here” Steve ordered as he sat by the end of the bed. They all watched as Tony detached himself from Thor and cradled Steve’s waist with his arms wrapped around his neck and nuzzles his face on the soldier’s neck.
They processed how he’s wearing their clothes. From Steve’s shirt, Bruce’s buttoned one, and holy shit that underwear that compliments his ass so much now that he’s crawling.
“We miss you too, Tony” Steve mumbled, enough for everyone to hear, everyone coming back to their senses.
“You have got to tell us what made you upset, it’s not just for the reason of missing us, is it?” Thor exclaimed.
They then saw how Tony shook his head no.
“Then what is it sweetie?” Nat, now worried even more now that the other confessed that there’s a different reason.
Tony lifted his head from Steve’s neck, his arms now crossed over his chest that are puffed “I can’t say, it’s stupid and you’ll laugh at me” he said with a pout.
They smiled at this.
“Want us to guess baby?” Bruce suggested which earned a nod from the other.
“Okay uhm— did someone die?” Thor asked and Tony shook his head.
“Someone said bad stuff about you?” Another no for Natasha.
“Did you watch something sad?” Clint’s answer is good, others agreed on but still a no from Tony.
“Your experiment failed?” A big no for Steve.
They all kept guessing and are close to giving up, until Clint came back from the kitchen after he said he gave up after guessing once.
Clint came back in the room, a smirk on his face and his hand behind his back. They all looked at him, but Tony only glanced once and he already caught on so he avoided gazes with the man by the door. Clint however, held his gaze on Tony, smile now growing wider for finding the other adorable.
He noticed his hand wearing his suit gauntlet and came to a conclusion.
“Tony honey, want to explain why the jar of pickles is shattered?” Clint asked while showing the jar on his hands to the others. They were confused at first but quickly caught on when their eyes caught the red gauntlet even though he’s trying to cover it up.
Tony eventually felt their eyes on him so he removed himself from Steves lap and went back on his bed to cover himself again, but Natasha caught his hands quickly and prevented him from doing so. Natasha quickly went on the bed with the other and cuddled with the embarrassed man.
“You’re so adorable” she commented and kisses his face everywhere repeatedly. The others found the two cute and watched them.
“I’m still wondering as to why the jar of pickles have been shattered” Thor interrupted.
They all looked at Tony expectantly, with curiosity obvious on their faces. Tony’s face flushed obvious red and just confessed once and for all.
“I just— missed you guys so much and— and I have nothing to do. I was so bored and so I decided to get myself a snack so I grabbed the jar of— of pickles. But I couldn’t open the shit of a jar so I got so frustrated that I—“ he lifted his right hand and showed his gauntlet “I used this but I forgot that I have a stronger grip now that I’m wearing it. I’m still so mad that when I twisted the cap I—“ he then covered his face with his hands when he saw how everyone is now smiling so widely at him. “I shattered it”
He heard a few chuckles from the others that made him flush a deeper red.
“Stop laughing!” He exclaimed loudly, which only earned him dragged out laughter, slowly feeling weights on top of him. He removed his hands from his face and saw how everyone is cuddled on top and around him, with their eyes closed and even breathes.
Tony doesn’t mind missing them so much now that they will come back with much more love to give him.