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The last of the sun’s light had just faded from the sky when Steve felt something small thump against his chest. He looked down to see a small body clinging there, the translucent membrane of its delicate wings stretched across his pecs. A small face peered up at Steve, pleading with the roundest eyes Steve had ever seen.
Steve sighed, carefully cupping his hands underneath the small creature. "Why do you keep doing this?"
All Steve got back was an unrepentant, Squeak!
"Tony…" It had to be because Steve couldn't say no to a face like that. Even when it belonged to Steve’s...teammate.
Squeak! Squeak! The bat—Tony—buried his face in Steve’s shirt. His ears wiggled adorably as he did so.
“Yes, I know, but you could hurt yourself flying into me like that,” Steve said, stroking the fur on Tony’s back. “Natasha said you could get seriously injured in this form.”
Tony stilled, going tense under Steve’s touch.
“I didn’t tell her that you’ve been doing this, if that is what you are worried about.”
Head tilted, Tony looked up at Steve. Why?
Carefully, using his thumb, Steve stroked in between Tony’s ears. “Well, she’d make just as much fun of me as you and...I know this whole vampire thing has been rough on you.”
Natasha had also mentioned how the bat transformations were likely a stress response, that vampires often instinctively used them to escape and hide and with Tony being so new, he probably didn’t have much control over it. That Tony felt safe enough with Steve to keep coming to him in bat form, well, that meant a lot to Steve.
“I don’t mind keeping you company until you’re ready to turn human for the night. Just maybe stop smacking into my chest?”