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Steve was floating. His mind was pleasantly blank, barely registering the people that walked around him, admiring the piece of art that Tony had turned him into. He'd seen the plans for what Tony had wanted the final piece to look like, him wrapped around a large rock to form the trunk of a beautiful tree, his left arm behind his back and the right one in front to display his muscles. Giving the human body back to nature, Tony had said, and Steve had looked at his sketches in awe, tracing the lines of white rope that would suspend him in Tony's enchanted forest. He couldn't wait to see the pictures later.
The initial rush of being seen like this, bound and held and suspended, had faded with every hour that passed, until he was lost entirely in the sensation of it. He got like this sometimes, sinking down into a headspace where the world around him blurred into shapes and colors with no particular meaning. Where all of his focus was pulled inwards, his heartbeat pulsing in his ears and his skin prickling with sensitivity. It was nice to just be like that, nothing more than a body that existed for no higher purpose than the fact that it did.
The admiring words from the crowd washed over him like the soothing sound of rain, a white background noise that was both comforting and calming. Steve took a deep breath, feeling the rope strain across his body when his lungs expanded. Then he breathed out, sinking back into position and reveling in the firm grip of the strong, white lines settling into his skin. The deep-seated satisfaction of giving himself over like this was almost the same feeling he got whenever he fell asleep in Tony's arms. Safe and sound. Protected.
He had no idea how long it had been when the voices started to dwindle around him, the sound of a closing door faintly registering in a corner of his mind. Steve was so relaxed that he didn't startle at all when he felt a soft touch on his shoulder.
“Hey,” Tony said quietly, and Steve smiled, turning his head towards the sound without opening his eyes. “How are you feeling, honey?”
Steve sighed deeply, and Tony chuckled, running his hand feather-light through Steve's hair.
“Falling asleep?”
“No,” Steve slurred, dropping his head forward when Tony kept scratching at his scalp. Tony obliged him, moving his hand down to knead at Steve's neck, and Steve groaned, practically melting into the ropes.
“You're so sweet like this. I almost don't want to get you down.”
“Don' have to,” Steve mumbled, and Tony shushed him, his fingers sliding under some of the knots decorating Steve's skin, probably checking for damage. Tony got worried sometimes, when his exhibitions dragged on longer than expected, but Steve didn't mind a couple of bruises if it meant being suspended just a little bit longer. “Please. Bit more?”
“It's been almost three hours, honey.” Tony sounded a little apologetic when he said it. “I know it feels good right now, but we have to be careful, okay? I don't want to hurt you.”
“C'n take it,” Steve slurred, and Tony stroked his shoulder, making Steve's breathing hitch when the motion tugged on the ropes nestled there.
“I'll start slow, okay? We can take our time.”
“Okay,” Steve agreed, relaxing against the rock he was tied to. Tony's hands slid down his back, tracing the path of the ropes with such a gentle touch that it made warmth bloom all over Steve's body, sinking into his skin and pulling him deeper.
“You’re so perfect for me, baby,” Tony murmured in his ear as he loosened the first knot near Steve’s hip. “God, just look at you. So beautiful. I knew you would be.”
“Mhm,” Steve hummed, smacking his lips together and returning Tony's smile with one of his own. “Thank you,” he slurred, and Tony laughed softly as he pulled at one of the ropes, untangling it from the rest. Steve shivered as it slid across his skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake.
“Oh, sweetheart. You're down deep, aren't you?”
“So deep,” Steve sighed, laying his forehead back on the rock as Tony undid another knot. His fingers brushed Steve's stomach, pausing when Steve couldn't suppress a needy little noise. He hadn't even noticed when the comforting warmth in his body had shifted into another kind of heat entirely, but he wasn't surprised. Steve turned his head to smile at Tony, who looked at him with such fondness that it warmed Steve all the way to his toes.
“Looks like you're enjoying yourself, huh?”
“Always do,” Steve mumbled, breath hitching when Tony's hand slid lower, trailing over where his hard cock was hidden from view by the rock he was tethered to.
“Yeah, but you really enjoyed that,” Tony said with a grin as Steve gasped, suddenly overwhelmed by the possibility that Tony could – while he was like this –
“Would you?” he asked breathlessly, and Tony's eyes went soft as he moved closer, pressing himself against Steve's side as he grabbed his neck and tilted him into a kiss. Steve moaned into it, leaning helplessly into the warmth of Tony's body as Tony wrapped his arm around Steve's bound thigh to gain better access. The moment his hand found Steve's cock again, Steve felt his body come to life, heat rushing through him so fast he thought he might get dizzy.
“Oh,” he breathed, and Tony chuckled, moving down to kiss his neck as he stroked Steve slowly, almost reverently. Usually Steve preferred a faster pace, mostly because then he could go several times in a row, but right now the gentle push and pull, slow but insistent like the motion of the tides, was exactly what he needed. His vision turned a little blurry at the edges, so he closed his eyes, tilting his head so Tony could keep doing that wonderful thing with his tongue while his hand coaxed more and more pleasure into Steve, rolling through his body in gentle waves.
“When we get home, I'll draw you a bath,” Tony murmured in Steve's ear, sending shivers down his spine. “Probably give you a massage. Rub out all the sore spots.” Steve groaned when Tony squeezed his cock, still not picking up the pace. “I'll kiss every single welt on your body. And when I'm done, I'll lay you out on the bed and fuck you, nice and easy.”
“Please,” Steve whimpered, and Tony kissed him, gripping the back of Steve's neck to hold him in place. Tony started twisting his hand on the upstroke, palm catching on the tip of Steve's cock in a way that made his toes curl with pleasure. “Oh god, please –“
“Yeah,” Tony breathed against Steve's cheek. “You're so relaxed right now, I could just slide right in, huh? Maybe I'll tie your cock up too next time, let you rub off against the rope if you can. Or I'll fuck you right here in the studio, where anyone could walk in –“
“Tony,” Steve whined, and Tony captured his mouth in another kiss, licking into his mouth as he finally – finally – picked up the pace. Steve squirmed in his bonds, the sudden tension in his gut making him restless to the point where he couldn't stop the motion of his hips, rocking him forward and back until the rope creaked.
Tony was relentless, gripping Steve so tightly now that every stroke felt like it was trying to pull the orgasm right out of him, and Steve groaned loud and long as his thighs started shaking, his balls contracting so hard it almost hurt.
“Please,” Steve gasped again, and Tony dug his fingers into Steve's neck, turning his muscles to putty even as his stomach tensed in preparation. “Oh fuck, please, please –“
“Come on, Steve,” Tony panted, and Steve whined, trying to hump Tony's fist even though he couldn't move, and Tony took mercy on him, stroking him even faster –
Until the tension suddenly broke, and Steve came with a howl, his whole body twitching with each pulse of his cock in Tony's hand. Tony gentled him through it, milking him for every last drop before he slowed his hand, stroking Steve's quivering back with the other.
“That was perfect, honey, you're perfect,” Tony murmured into Steve's hair, pressing a kiss to his temple, and Steve breathed out heavily, slumping into the grip of the ropes still suspending him in the air.
“Thank you,” he sighed, and Tony kissed him one last time before he sat up on his knees, tugging at the knots he'd abandoned earlier. Steve swallowed hard when he noticed the bulge in Tony's pants, his fingers itching with the urge to touch. “What about you?”
Tony glanced at him for a second before he followed Steve's gaze down to his crotch and smirked. “Don't worry about it. Plenty of time for that later.”
“Oh.” That was a nice thought. “After the bath?”
“After the bath.” It only took a couple of well-placed tugs to detach Steve from the rest of the art piece, and Tony carefully lowered Steve's legs to the ground first, helping him stand as he undid the knots tying the rest of his harness to the tree. Steve pulled Tony into a hug as soon as he was free, and Tony hummed as he wrapped his arms around Steve in return, stroking his back gently.
“Thanks for doing this for me,” Tony said quietly, and Steve frowned for a second, thinking he'd gotten it backwards – but then he smiled, hugging Tony even tighter.
“Anytime. People really loved it, from what I heard. I'm proud of you.”
“That's my line,” Tony teased, and Steve chuckled, pulling back just enough to press a kiss to Tony's lips.
“Guess we'll just have to be proud of each other.”
“What a shame,” Tony said insincerely, linking their hands as he started leading Steve towards the back of the room where he'd originally put the ropes on Steve this morning. “Look at us being saps. What is the world coming to?”
Steve squeezed his hand, smiling so hard he could feel it in his cheeks. “I love you, Tony, you know that?”
Tony looked over his shoulder. The warmth in his eyes made Steve's heart swell in his chest. “Yeah, I know.”
