Alannaa rightly pointed out that this needed some much-needed FLUFF. Where nothing bad happens and Tony is just happy. So I happily obliged. :D It's not really that long, but does it HAVE to be? It's just happy times!

Also, we're back to past tense, since that worked best for this particular addition.

Underlines are strike-throughs, but FF still doesn't offer that as a stylistic option.

Also, we're back to past tense, since that worked best for this particular addition.

"So, flying…" Clint leaned on the back of the couch, a safe distance away from Tony's wings. "That's a thing, right? You do that?"

Tony glanced at him, wary. Clint's wings fluttered slightly in curiosity, but there was no other sign of what he was plotting thinking. "Why do you want to know?"

"Since you said that's a thing you do. And…" Clint looked away sheepishly, wings drooping shamefully. "You stopped me from going splat. Without a suit."

"Well…" Tony shifted uncomfortably, looking back down at his tablet pushing away the sensation of wrong, wrong, wrong. "Not like I could've let it happen."

"Thor would've gotten me," Clint said. "You didn't have to do that." He sounded chagrined as he continued, "I shouldn't have done that."

As this was entirely true, Tony said nothing, returning to tapping at his project.

"Can you?" Clint asked, leaning forward. His wings flapped out with the movement; Tony shifted his out of the way.

With an irritated sigh, Tony turned his attention back to Clint. "Is there a reason you're asking this beyond satisfying your curiosity?"

"Because flying," Clint said unhelpfully. "If you can do it without the suit, why don't you?"

"I do." Tony couldn't resist a glance outside, longing curling in his chest and the feeling of the wind against his wings stark in his memory. "But it'd raise more questions than I can answer to do it here." He'd done it before, taking headers off the tower and flying through the sky. But with the increased fame of the tower being home to the Avengers, such luxuries weren't possible anymore, even at night.

Clint was quiet for a moment. "You miss it, don't you?" There was something hidden in his tone.

Tony eyed him suspiciously, but for once Clint showed nothing. Even his wings were still. "Yeah," he admitted finally. "Flying with the suit…it's not the same."

With a nod, Clint flicked his fingers in a vague goodbye and wandered off. Tony was left staring after him, trying to figure out what Clint was up to and failing.

He was still trying to figure it out when Steve came up to him, fingers trailing through Tony's feathers spreading warmth and light and love. "Tony?"

It took Tony a moment to come back from the buzzing warmth in his body. "Hm?"

Shaking his head, Steve gave him a warm smile. "Nothing." He pressed a kiss to the top of Tony's head, wings coming around Tony protectively.

Tony arched back, eyes falling shut with the sensation of love spreading through him, unspooling the tension in his muscles. For once there was nothing to worry about.

There was nothing particularly odd about being asked to go to the Helicarrier other than the fact that Tony knew there was nothing pressing Fury needed done and that there seemed to be absolutely no one on deck. No one aside from the Avengers, all of whom seemed rather shifty.

Except Thor. Thor was grinning like there was no tomorrow and beaming just a bit too brightly at Tony like he was a star.

"Okay." Tony folded his arms across his chest, narrowing his eyes at his family the others. "Spill it. What's the deal?"

All of their wings puffed rather smugly, although Steve at least made an effort at hiding it but there was no hiding how he stretched out to brush reassuringly against the edge of Tony's wings. Bruce just looked rather shifty, not meeting Tony's eyes.

Natasha nudged Clint, giving him a meaningful look.

Clint's grin was just a tad too manic as he said, "You know what a Helicarrier has? Privacy!"

Tony stared. "This Helicarrier is populated by spies."

"Who aren't here. And JARVIS has a lockdown on the cameras." Clint made jazz hands. "So, no one's here. Just us!"

"Which means what?" Tony kept a handle on the way his wings wanted to flutter excitedly, keeping his tone neutral.

"Flying, man!" Clint bounced excitedly, wings flaring proudly. "C'mon!"

Tony blinked. "Guys—"

"I know you miss it," Steve interrupted. "It's safe here; JARVIS promised no one would see anything, and Coulson's forbidden access to the deck."

Even Coulson was in on this? Tony glanced off to the side, where the drop and freedom was.

"Come, Anthony!" Thor came to his side, carefully avoiding his wings to clap him on the shoulder. "It is a glorious day for a flight." He hefted his hammer up, grinning brightly. "I have long wanted to share the skies with you in such a fashion."

Tony started. "What – really? Can you even fly with lightning?"

Thor's grinned broadened, spinning his hammer around in circles. "Shall we?" He lifted off with a boisterous laugh, lightning flaring out from his shoulders in broad wings.

"Holy shit," Bruce said, eyes wide.

"Go on," Steve told Tony, excitement radiating off him. His wings were practically vibrating.

With one last look at his family friends, Tony turned to face the edge. Heart pounding in his chest, Tony scuffed his shoes against the deck briefly before breaking into a run and jumping off, an involuntary whoop escaping him as he was suddenly airborne.

He didn't let loose immediately, tucking his wings close to his body as he dove, piercing through the clouds. Water dampened his clothes, and it wasn't until he broke through the foggy mass that he let his wings snap open, catching the air.

And then he was flying. There were no buildings to worry about, no sudden blasts of wind to account for; he was just…soaring.

He angled upwards, wings beating powerfully as he came back into sight of the Helicarrier deck. His friends were all at the edge, leaning over to get a glimpse.

Tony waved, unable to resist a broad grin as the adrenaline coursed through him.

"Looking really weird!" Clint shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth.

In a completely mature display, Tony stuck out his tongue, then let a gust of wind catch his wings and push him upwards until he was above their heads.

Thor met him now, cape fluttering behind him. His wings were spread across the skies, crackling lightning. "You look most joyous, Anthony!"

There was no hiding in the air, where everything had to go into keeping himself aloft. Not that Tony wanted to hide here in the air where he was at home. "Guess I am!"

Thor gave him a beaming grin. "Shall we race?"

Any race that included Thor with a hammer and a god who didn't get injured like humans wouldn't end well for Tony. He said as much. "Not much of a race, Thor."

Thor smirked at him, winking. "I will go easy on you."

And since Tony's protest had been more for show than anything, he shrugged, giving a few more beats of his wings to boost himself over Thor's head. "You're on."

It wasn't really a race per se. More like two friends having the time of their life in their air. Thor kept his wings of lightning tucked out of the way except for brief instances where they flared into view, and Tony took a lot of steep dives that probably gave the others heart attacks.

Every time he came back into view of the Helicarrier, he saw them. Bruce and Steve were watching with fondness and awe and faint traces of jealousy, while Natasha and Clint were visibly gaping with disbelief. Still, all of them looked so utterly happy which was bizarre because they weren't in the air and flying.

Tony wasn't sure how much time he spent in the air just being like he usually never could be, only that his shoulders were aching and his legs shaky by the time he landed. He stumbled, taking several wobbly steps with his wings spread for balance before Steve was there and propping him up.

His wings white brushing against dark navy blue pushed against Tony's, radiating sheer joy and heat and utter love, everything that Steve couldn't quite express in words touching Tony's soul. "Had fun?" he asked.

In lieu of a verbal answer, Tony grinned breathlessly, trying to catch his breath, and pulled Steve into a kiss. Steve cupped Tony's neck as he eagerly reciprocated, his other hand dropping to Tony's hip.

And, for once, he didn't care that he was in public in front of people who could see everything Steve did to him. The joy, the warmth, the sense of belonging, the love. All of it was too much.

Tony's wings arched up against Steve's in a beautiful display that only two could see, their shared colors at the tips joining to become one.

Steve and Tony aren't quite able to see the display, so it's just Bruce and Thor who are privy to it. Also, this is such a striking image in my head that I really wish I could draw it...with colors...

Also, FLUFF. Nothing but happy times. :D

Please let me know what you thought! :)