wynnesome

Now, this is the kind of thing I intended to do for the Games. Tight, quick, little ficlets I could produce spontaneously and in batches, if not en masse. Unsurprisingly, writing-brain said a lot of otherwise.

Hard to complain about more writing coming out; it's just that longer ficlets/short fics take longer to finish, and I can't make as many. Still, I've managed several under 500 words, building my confidence that brevity is not unattainable, but merely unreliable.

This one's for the "Anniversary" square. Title refers to the traditional anniversary gifts for the 20th, 40th, 45th, and 50th years.
 

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They were amazing together. They were not good together.

It was better that they made the split, saw other people, they both agreed.

As they found other loves, they were happy for each other, genuinely so.

Tony felt real joy for Steve when he was back, after the Hydra debacle was done, and able to rekindle things with Sharon. And Steve's eyes and smile were warm when he told Tony how good he and Janet looked together.

That didn't mean it wasn't hard. One day a year, above all, was the worst. The one day they let go of trying to pretend it didn't hurt.

The years one or both of them were with someone, it was dinner. Steaks and reminiscing over bottomless nonalcoholic beverages, dessert and coffee and longing looks exchanged long into the night, and not one single touch.

The years they were single, they didn't stop touching -- hands and lips and cocks and hearts beating under every inch of stripped-bare skin -- till morning.

They didn't wear them, but both had kept their rings.

"Happy anniversary, Steve."

"Happy anniversary, Tony."

They were earth-shattering together. They both agreed, it was better they had made the split.

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Username: wynnesome, steward of subversion
Work Type: Fic
Bingo Prompt: Anniversary (opposite day)
Content Warning: None
Extra Prompts: None
Main Universe: 616