Next I go to Seven Gates (each step less a mystery)
| Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Next I go to Seven Gates (each step less a mystery) |
| Author(s): | shaenie |
| Date(s): | 20 November 2012 |
| Length: | 22,766 words |
| Genre: | slash fanfiction, BDSM |
| Fandom: | The Avengers (2012) |
| External Links: | Next I go to Seven Gates (each step less a mystery) (AO3) |
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Next I go to Seven Gates (each step less a mystery) is a Steve/Tony BDSM story by shaenie. It's the second part of the Don't Look too Closely (all the angles are oblique) series, a MCU canon AU that starts before the events in the Avengers movie.
Summary: The truth is, he can’t wait to see Tony again. Even more truthful, he’s fiercely hopeful that Tony is still interested in their half-engineered agreement. Tony sounds like it, but he tries to keep his expectations low. Nobody has to tell him that Tony Stark can be fickle. It doesn’t change the fact that he craves Tony’s touch, even after having it just that once, and he doesn’t see any reason not to take what Tony is offering as long as Steve doesn’t forget exactly what that is.
From a comment by the author:
- I read Steve/Tony happily, with either on top, but I liked the idea of Steve discovering something about himself that, even if he'd known it before going down into the ice, he might not have been able to do anything about it. I like the idea that Steve as a sub might only have been realized once he is actually living in our century, and that his introduction to the idea is, not entirely surprisingly, Tony Stark, who is willing to be kind of underhanded when it comes to getting what he wants. Even still, Steve is definitely not exactly overwhelmed by Tony. There are moments that he lets himself be, but he's completely aware of what is going on between the two of them, even if articulating it is something he'd have trouble with, and has decided to go forward with it with his eyes open.[1]
TheGroupofOne created two illustrations based on the story.[2] The first one isn't actually a scene in the story, but was inspired by certain parts of Next I go to Seven Gates (each step less a mystery). The second one is of the breathplay scene with the gag.
Recs and Reviews
sequel to the Kinky sex bargain from before. Now with more kinks and "hello ladyboner, how are you doing today? lovely evening we're having, isn't it? what brings you by today? is it the choking gag kink? maybe the cocksucking?" May there be many more companion fics to come.[3]
I'm going to echo everyone else and say that this was ridiculously hot. I simply love the way that you took the time to set up their relationship in exquisite detail. I especially can't thank you enough for stressing that while Steve may be innocent when it comes to sexual experience, that in no way transfers to the rest of his life. Seriously. It's one of my biggest pet peeves in this fandom when people forget that Steve is displaced from his own time, not stupid. He's competent, adaptable, and smart as hell, even if it's not in the same way as Tony, and I'm really happy to see that showing in this story. As much as I enjoyed this installment of 'Steve's sexual exploration time' (and trust me, I thoroughly enjoyed it), I'm really eager to see how his and Tony's (non-sexual) relationship progresses. I especially can't wait for Steve's identity reveal, though I suspect I'll be waiting a while longer for that. Until then, I'll be eagerly awaiting your next update![4]
Tony: "Why don’t you want to find out on your own, read it for yourself?”That's a very Tony question. Information is Tony's favourite tool, strongest protection and sharpest weapon when it comes to dealing with other people and the world around him.
Steve has a very different approach. He's willing to put himself in the hands of others who have knowledge he doesn't *if* he trusts them and if their goals align with his. This is, after all, what he did when he agreed to volunteer as Dr. Erskine's test subject. It's striking to me how the conversation he has with Tony re: his willingness to put himself in Tony's hands echoes his role in the "super soldier" experiment.
Steve can make his assessment of other people and their goals without knowing all the technical details - which, I suspect, Tony can't. Tony wants all the details because Tony needs all the details, can't imagine thinking something through without first getting hold of as many of the details as possible. That Steve can do this - I should think that Tony would find this both frustrating and fascinating.[5]
Oh my God, this is smoking hot! I love clever Steve, because he basically orchestrated the campaign against Hydra, and everyone seems to forget that in favor of how he is essentially such a nice guy. Which he is, but that doesn't make him less of a military mind, or someone who is in time with what his body wants just because he hasn't had a lot of opportunity to explore that yet. And Tony is so Tomy, trying to get his head around the idea of someone trusting him so completely right out of the gate. I love that he has a fairly good grasp on Steve's body without really understanding Steve's decisions regarding self education at all. I can't wait for more (literally, I CAN'T) so I will be rereading often! Really well done. And in case I didn't say, the sex and the subspace were just exquisite.[6]
Their dynamic is absolutely electrifying. Steve's submission is elegant but also fresh because he's just so honest (well, except for the whole, I'm Captain America but not telling you at all) I don't know if you're going to continue this but I have to wonder how this aspect of his identity is going to play out if Tony finds out. They've come to such an intense and deeply personal place, and I love how complementary they are. I also don't know which is better, their dialogue or their sex. I loved the initial phone conversation- I love all their conversations- because outside the bedroom they seem to work on 2 different levels. Also! Clever!Steve!! He's such a delicious contradiction in this, naive but self assured, innocent but sultry, ignorant on one hand, brilliant on the other.[7]
this is amazing, and the sex and exchange stuff is unparalleled. but i am equally admiring how intelligent you've made both of them, it was both particularly hot and particularly fascinating to listen to the full elucidation of steve's strategic and tactical choices in his approach and to watch tony's surprised and intrigued and greedy yet still protective responses to it all. the intellect, intelligence, and maturity in both of their approaches to the negotiations and relationship were completely and refreshingly lightyears beyond almost anything else i've ever read in this arena, tremendous kudos go to you on that front.And because others may not have thought to mention it, I also must say that I am very captivated by the plot both explicitly and implicitly woven into this-- little things like steve's battle between two masters in shield & the army (which i've always been curious about), steve's approach to gathering intelligence from people in the field and deriving ideas that meet tony's ethical policies such as the creative yellowjacket copters and everything he listed to fury, the way that when steve said “The problem is, they want to sneak weapons concessions into everything. It’s like they think we can’t read,” he used _we_ and not you, and how he respects what blackout periods mean in a way that is probably pretty unique for tony (not even rhodey honored that in the end), and how tony broke into steve's apartment and wants to take him out to dinner and spend non-business and non-pleasuring time with steve, and how even at the end he had some real question about whether steve would be okay about seeing him out of business hours for what was clearly going to be a 'less than primarily if not at all a' business appointment.
Also the big picture stuff has me all curious, too-- steve a bit because you've referenced howard but that is clearly not the primary lens that steve uses to view tony, even from the beginning, and how steve chooses not to trade upon captain america with tony but also how he expects that captain america will be called on at some point. and i have all kinds of curiosity about tony and what he knows and what he might suspect--- from the moment he looked up and had his eyes widen, to his poking around steve's medals and experience with what could be casual questions but could also be targeted information sallies (no scarring, still a captain, posthumous, etc._). He was given steve's real name, and we could probably guess that he's seen images of steve rogers as captain america at some point, and he calls him captain like a real name and didn't bat an eye when steve likened captain rogers to iron man...i wonder what he knew from moment 1, what he suspects, whether he's found the safe under the bed, or whether he really just hasn't thought of the tremendously unlikely scenario which would lead captain america to his doorstep 70 yrs in the future and what will happen to make him find out and what if anything will change when he does?[8]
References
- ^ shaenie. AO3 comment, 21 November 2012. (Accessed 17 November 2013)
- ^ TheGroupofOne. All Tied Up (and nowhere to go), 25 November 2013. (Accessed 17 November 2013)
- ^ SakamotoItoe, AO3 bookmarks, 21 November 2012. (Accessed 17 November 2013)
- ^ Opalynne. AO3 comment, 20 November 2012. (Accessed 17 November 2013)
- ^ RosiePaw. AO3 comment, 20 November 2012. (Accessed 17 November 2013)
- ^ Simsnail. AO3 comment, 21 November 2012. (Accessed 17 November 2013)
- ^ thunderkat. AO3 comment, 21 November 2012. (Accessed 17 November 2013)
- ^ iamladyliberty. AO3 comment, 30 November 2012. (Accessed 17 November 2013)