I really wanted to do WinterIron but there's too much digging around and dodging to do so I'll do a WinterIron one shot next. Prompts anybody?

2834 words

Being kidnapped should be something that Tony is used to, whether it be from the early childhood memories where he was snatched off the streets and held for ransom until Maria Begged Howard to pay, or from the times spent at being a playboy Billionaire. Either way, being kidnapped should be on Tony Starks daily calendar, and seeing as he he hasn't been kidnapped in a good while, it didn't really surprise him that he has been.

Tony is unsure of how long he has been gone for, maybe it's because he can't seem to gain consciousness for a good period of time to ask his kidnappers what day it is, but either way Tony would like to say he's been gone for atleast a week, maybe. It's strange, normally his kidnappers are willing to keep the Billionaire awake so that the beating actually work affect on the man, but these people just seem to poke and prod him with unidentifiable drugs that knock him out for hours.

There's pain all over his body, from the top of his head to the bottom of his spine and he's not sure what's to cause. Maybe lack of movement, Tony had thought during midway through day 8 whenever he had gained a good period of consciousness to actually feel the seeking pain that made him wince at unfamiliarity and strangeness that has taken over his body.

Not being saved is something that doesn't really surprise Tony. Kidnapping that happened before the avengers was something Tony always managed to get himself out of, whether it be by sneakily being able to wangle himself out of shitly tied knots or by beating up a bunch of people with that small bit of combat that he has, he always managed to get out alive and on his own.

Now, he's sure that the avengers haven't even noticed that he's missing. Well, maybe Steve has noticed because Steve and Tony normally go for lunch together everyday now to get them both out of the tower, and maybe Bruce as well because Tony normally sends up data reports, but other than that he's sure his lack of presence has gone unnoticed.

It wasn't like Tony was the social butterfly that the media portrays him to be, because really, Tony prefers the company of himself over the company of others. Since inviting the avengers into the tower, he didn't actually see a lot of them - unless it was a Friday night and Steve dragged everyone for 'Movie Night!' Which normally sparked an argument on what film to watch - and really, he sometimes forgot they were even there.

And okay, he couldn't forget that Steve was there, Steve made his presence very known around the tower, from the late night wonderings to the surprised workshop visits or the odd night out that he persuaded Tony out to, but Tony didn't really mind. He liked Steves company, because oddly enough, Steve brings out the best in Tony and actually makes the man feel wanted whenever he's around.

Tony likes Steve, he just hopes that Steve likes him back.

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"Don't...Don't freak out."

The next time that Tony woke up, he realised that he wasn't being forced into a standing position with his limbs tied with chains to a metal frame that was probably once a bed, and instead he's actually lying down, on a bed much to his surprise. He had never realised how much that one could miss a bed, how he could just melt into the soft material and sleep for another couple of days because why not?

But he can't, because there's this urging and nagging little feeling in the back of his head that tells him that he's not alone, and that he's being watched. Tony doesn't want to open his eyes to find out if his thoughts are true, and really, he just hopes that the past 8 - was it even 8 days? It could've been longer - were all a coma inflicted dream that was caused by DUM-E nearly killing Tony with a ranch, maybe, who knows?

The pain in his head and bottom of his spine is still there, but Tony is sure it's not a headache because where the pain is is nowhere near the pain of a headache, and the pain in his spine is something he has no idea the a cause. Maybe he's dying, or getting old. Both are possible.

"Don't...Don't freak out."Tony can still hear Rhodey's voice as he sat next to his bed, looking at his best friend for god knows how many years with a look on his face that was so uneasy and in a way that Tony knew he has never been looked at before. Tony had twisted up his face with a dull laugh the moment that Rhodey held up the mirror, taking it as a practical joke but the look of seriousness on Rhodey's face showed that no, it wasn't a joke.

The laughter had died off of Tony's face as he had looked between his reflection and then to Rhodey that as trying so hard to out on a brave face, because he might have been looking at a sleeping Tony for 2 days now, trying to wrap his head around what has happened, but it's not something that can be whipped for easily.

There were a set of unfamiliar ears on his head, feline and black in colour to match the colour of his hair and facial hair. The ears were on the larger scale, pointed in alert at every sound which made the man wince at the pain and unfamiliarity. If the feline ears where not to surprise him, the tail sure did, black in colour and puffy.

"I-I'm-"Tony had swallowed, looking at his reflection with tears that started to build in his eyes. Waking up to have a whole in your chest was one thing that Tony had a hard time to deal with, but this, this was something on a completely different scale."- I'm a freak."

How could Steve like him now?

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That's where Tony finds himself, locked in the comfort of his New York Tower workshop and away from the prying eyes and questions that everybody wanted, the photos that the media where almost begging for and the judgement that he knew would come along the moment that his feline inflicted Body was posted on the Internet.

The tower was on lockdown, or well on lockdown as the tower could become since the Avengers had moved into the tower, making Tony unable to lock it down as much as he would like it to be. Anyway, he's locked himself in his workshop with Jarvis informed to direct all calls to voicemail and for all emails to be passed to Pepper, AC/DC turned up as high as his new sensitive ears will allow.

The Avengers had saved him, or so Rhodey says, found in some underground mineshaft in Canada that was left to ruins from the last war, unconscious and system full of unidentifiable drugs. The team had been searching for Tony since he failed to show up to a PR meeting, and it was Steve that had went down to the workshop and noticed how he was not there, the alarm sounded pretty quickly after that.

In his time of isolation, Tony has did his research on the sick fucks that did this to him; inject him with feline DNA until it knitted into his genes and caused him to form feline ears and a tail to match. He has done his own tests, him and JARVIS, and lucky enough the sick fucks that did this were smart enough to leave no trouble and unfortunately so, there's no way to reverse what has happened yet.

And fuck, he has a craving for some warm milk and there's an itch behind his new ears and he just wants somebody to cuddle him and pet him but at the same time, he doesn't want any of this. He wants to go back to being Tony Stark, the billionaire playboy who builds bots and tablets and who everybody hates, not this.

A fûcking cat hybrid

"Sir, Captain Rogers is asking permission to enter the workshop."JARVIS speaks up, muting the AC/DC momentarily so he can be heard. Tony continues his self-examination, pricking his index finger so that he can drop a dollop of blood onto a glade slide and continue checking the eh mutation grow every hour or so.

DUM-E whirls over with a box of tissues, Tony thanking the bot with a smile and a pat to his head as he dries away the little blood on his index finger. In thanks, Tony is throwing the fuzzy yellow tennis ball across the workshop for the bot.

That's another thing, ever since Tony came back - maybe that was a week ago or two, he wasn't sure and he didn't want to find out either - Steve has been constantly trying to pry his way into Tony's workshop. He's sure that the others have tried, and Pepper and Rhodey have as well, but JARVIS seems to mute everyone but Steve as if he knows that Tony wants his company.

And of fucking course JARVIS knows that he does, JARVIS knows Tony better than that Tony Knows Tony.

"Tell him to politely Fuck off."Is what Tony replies with, a wooly beanie pulled over his sensitive new set of feline ears and his fluffy black Tail tucked into his jogging bottoms. He finds the tail strangely comforting, and maybe that's because it's his only means of comfort or maybe because Tony has always liked soft things.

There's a pause before JARVIS speaks up again

"Captain Rogers is refusing to leave until you allow him access."

"Then he's going to be waiting there for a hell of a long time."

"Sir, if I may-"

"You may not."Tony cuts off the A.I, glaring at mid air for a couple of seconds for his A.I to even dare speak another word. Tony knows pretty well what JARVIS is about to say, he's going  to tell Tony to just get over it and accept Steves affection or some bullshit like that."I don't want to speak to anybody."

Tony wants do remain stubborn

"Isolation like this is not good for the mind, sir."

"Mute."Tony waves his hands, dismissing the A.I and all of the screens that were projected in front of him, informing him of the mutation that has started to take over. He lets out a frustrated sigh, feeling his ears flatter into his messy hair under the wooly beanie as he goes to rest his head on the workshop bench.

He's tired and just wants to curl up into a ball and sleep for a good couple of hours while somebody pets his ears and-

"Tony?"Tony jumps nearly 20 feet into the air, letting out a noise that sounds almost cat like if it wasn't for the fact that he covered it up quickly with a cough. His coffee brown eyes are wide as he stares at Steve, the workshop sliding close behind him. Steve holds a tray of food and mugs, looking at Tony with a kind smile on his face as if he didn't just break into the workshop.

"What are you doing here? How did you get in here?"Tony asks, scrambling to stand onto his own two feet and then practically hide his body behind one of the projects in the workshop. DUM-E starts beeping and whirling at the new guest, rushing over towards Steve with a dirty plate in claw as a welcome gift that Steve takes with a chuckle.

"Thank you."He chuckles, balancing the tray on one hand as he pats DUM-E's claw as a thank you. Tony can't help but to watch in fondness at the way that Steve treats his bot, he always has treated DUM-E as if the bot was a real animal, and spoke to him as if he was human which Tony appreciated and adored.

"As much as I know you love my 'bot, probably more than me which is hard to believe, I want to know why you're here and how you got in."

"JARVIS let me in, and to see DUM-E of course."Steve smirks, watching the flabbergasted and offended look that washes across Tony's face as he starts to swear profanities at his A.I that fails to answer back."I'm here to see you, dumbass."

"I've got a great ass, thanks for noticing."Tony can't help but to smirk, grabbing a screw driver from a desk and toying with one of the projects that he has hung up with some wires.

"Oh, I do notice."Steve rolls his eyes, setting the tray onto the makeshift coffee table that sits directly in front of the sofa that Tony keeps in the workshop that he uses for naps. With all the money in the world, and Tony makes his own damn coffee table out of crates."I wanted to come and see you, see how you're doing. Nobody has seen you for 2 weeks and we're starting to worry."

"No need for a rescue party, cap. I'm just fine."Tony replies, holding a nail between his lips as he works with the screw driver with both hands. He can feel his tail wrap around his left leg under the jogging bottoms in a sort of protection.

"You're not fine,"He deadpans.

"And how would you know how I am?"

"Because I know you better than what you know yourself. Nobody can be experimented on and turned into a hybrid creature of somesort and be fine with it."Steve says as gently as he can, turning to look at Tony who tenses up.

"You're right, I'm not fine but I can't waste my time fucking droning on and on about what I am. There's no way to turn me back, I'm stuck as a cat hybrid, as a freak and I'm just learning to deal with it."

"Tony...You're not a freak, don't call yourself one."And okay, the world is a totally different place from where Steve was originally born into, from the scientific changes that science has done to the advanced weaponry that even Captain America is finding hard to fight against, but no matter what, he doesn't think that Tony is a freak for what he has been inflicted with.

"Don't lie to be Steve!"Tony ends up shouting, rounding the protect and glaring over at Steve. His own voice makes him wince in pain, hurting his sensitive ears. In a quick action, Tony rips off the beanie he has covering his new cat ears."Look at these ears and tell me that I'm not a freak."

Steve swallows thickly, looking at the black cat ears that are sporting on Tony's head, a little on the larger scale as they twitch at every noise that happens in the workshop. Steve cracks a small smile, finding the ears amusing because Tony might be such a reserved character, but he was always up for action just like a cat.

"Tony,"Steve starts, his voice so gentle as he takes soft steps towards the now cat hybrid so not to startle him. Cautiously, Steve brings his hand up to pet at the unfamiliar cat ears which startles Tony who quickly relaxes whenever the touch is registered as good."Tony, you are a remarkable human being, ears or not, and what has happened to you is unfortunate in your eyes but that does not make you a freak. You're Tony, and being Tony is a pleasure."

Tony bites his bottom lip, looking at Steve with wide brown eyes at his words."Do you like me?"

"Of course I do-"

"No, I mean in..."Tony swallows, ducking his head."In like like."He says almost childlike.

Steves mouth twitches into a smile that slowly turns into a grin."I do, yes."He says as simple as ever, making the cat hybrid look up at him in shock. Not giving Tony another moment to dwell on what has been said, he grabs a hold of Tony's chin and gently tugs the man forward until their lips meet in a sweet and passionate kiss.

Tony can't help but to let out a purr that rumbles through his whole body, his arms snaking around Steves neck and pulling the kiss in deeper, in closer until their bodies are touching and Steve is able to feel the rumble of Tony's purr.

"Are you purring?"Steve pulls back with a chuckle, watching how Tony blushes in realisation that his purr was heard."Because it's very endearing."

"Oh, shut up."

~fin~ (: