NDA: I did not think I would have had the courage to publish something on FF, but in the end the decision was made x). This was the very first fanfic that I wrote: I didn't know exactly what i was doing, I just kept in mind as much as possible to keep the characters enough in their lines and I have to admit it: write about characters already built (and NOT MINE) is difficult. Much more difficult than I expected SO, if I have made them different somehow ... well, you can see them as my very personal version. This story is about a fragment between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. And writing about Tony ... seriously, write about him, holding him true to himself its quite a feat... I think it becomes more and too sweet in my hands...

The fact that I have read mostly english fanfics perhaps don't help much, because in Italian it always sounds so different to express them how I wish. For this reason, i'll try to make an enlglish version of these stories. (Yes, I have two little stories other waiting ...if it's good or bad, it depends lol) Sadly english is not my first language, so if something is wrong or have no sense at all, well, my bad.

All my respect to other writers of fanfictions: I now know what it feels like x_x

That said, good reading ... and be lenient. Any suggestions are always welcome. :)

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"Sir, I believe it would be to stop now."

"Oh? And why?"

"Sir, you're working on this project for seventeen hours now, and despite is-"

"Unbelievable? Fantastic? Brilliant?"

"-momentarily useless, I have to remind you that Miss Potts updated my program to disable the laboratory after eighteen hours."

Tony looked up from the intricate machinery on which he was working, raising an eyebrow upward, "Really Jarvis? Who is in charge here?"

"The answer may surprise and disappoint you at the same time, Sir."

The inventor snorted, coming out from under metal cube, clapping the hands on hes ruined and burned jeans. "How long to the x hour then?" He asked without looking up from his incomplete work.

"Five minutes, sir."

"So if I decide to stay here, would you stuck me inside?"

"Miss Potts has developed methods for convincing you to leave the lab."

"Yeah? Like what?"

"From the reading of russians audiobooks to oxygen deprivation and a direct call to Miss Potts, sir."

"Oh God no." Tony sighed, hiding an amused grin, "All right ... all right, i give you traitors this one victory." He said leaving the tool belt on the table with a throw and yawned despite himself, leaving the laboratory. The windows were closed behind him that will put his hand, staring sadly at the unfinished work, "Soon you'll be perfect, I promise."

"Sir ..."

"What? I'm going, don't you see? Let me at least to say goodbye to my baby ..."

"Sir, Captain Rogers is upstairs."

Tony raised his eyebrows, turning, "What time is it?"

"Two twenty in the morning, sir."

"Apparently there are sleepless in my tower ... and I wasn't invited." He said offended, climbing above.

As said by Jarvis, he noted Captain America sitting on the couch in the living room, lit only by the gentle kitchen lights behind him and the mild light town that came from the large windows: he noticed that it was snowing outside.

Tony slowed and even the wry smile slowly became calm: he could see Steve profile, in a simple blue shirt and pants probably of a gym suit ... and he managed not to smile too much at the sight of the Stark logo on them only because he noticed the dark look on the soldier's eyes, fixed on the shield that was standing against the table at his feet.

He stood for a moment staring at the scene, then he composed himself and took a few steps forward, "No porn?"

Steve jumped, turning to face him. He narrowed a bit hes eyes to recognize him in the dark, "Tony? When- where are you coming from?"

"From the lab. Seriously, if I have to find you in my house in the dark, at this time, at least let it be in some compromising scenario." He said going to pour a drink in the kitchen. He preferred to leave the lights off; that semi-darkness was pretty pleasant ... sometimes it's better not to see certain things well and clear, anyway.

"Were you at work?"

"As always."

Steve turned to look at him, resting his elbow on the back of the couch, "Did you know I was here?"

"I wish I could say yes, but telepathy is not on my list of customizations. Not yet." He said continuing to open and close the shelves. "Jarvis warned me. After the betrayal." He stood up for a moment and saw the captain puzzled stare, "Apparently Pepper and Jarvis have joined forces to prevent me from working..."

"It would be more correct to say : in order to not aggravate their physical health, sir." Said Jarvis, voice inflexible.

"J, how about you go to sleep now, huh?" Tony yelled, watching the kitchen with nervous, "Where is my supply of sleeping pills ...?"

"Sleeping pills?" the captain asked.

"Scotch, whiskey, my dear captain stars and stripes. And I could also invite you to join me, from the top of my generosity."

Steve smiled softly, "Do you think its wise to drink at this hour? After you've spent- how many hours down there?

"Eighteen, Captain Rogers."

"Jarvis, you're very, very close from being so turned off."

"I doubt it, sir."

"Eighteen hours straight? Tony, are you crazy?" Steve exclaimed incredulously, turning a bit more, studying him better.

He shrugged, "I like my job."

"But without sleep and eat ..."

"Its not the first time." Tony put his glass on the table and he waved another glass, addressing the soldier, "I know it wouldnt effect you, but Pepper insists to be more friendly..." and, to his surprise, saw him nod. "Wow, I broke Captain America." he said with a proud smile.

"Not yet." Steve said with a grin, "And always assuming you find that bottle."

"Oh, I will find it. If not that, another one. So, how come you're not in your beauty sleep?" Tont asked ducking behind the table, out of sight of the other.

"I could not sleep."

"Oh. And that's why you brought along your shield?"

Steve looked down on it, fixing it carefully, "Yeah."

Tony went on, one arm on the table, raising his eyebrows, "Cap. Seriously. I will not have super-genes like you and even a marked sensibility but ..."

"Its that- I took it without really realizing." He tried to explain, "I don't know exactly why, but ... I took it."

"I can see that, but I doubt you have the fear of being attacked in here, now, right?"

Steve sighed patiently, "Tony, I don't carry around the shield because I don't feel safe in your house."

"Oh. Well. Great. So what are you going to do with it? A tea? It sure would be easy to read the tea leaves in that ..."

"No." The other shrugged, "Probably i just wanted to stare at it until i fell myself to sleep here on the couch."

"Its a very comfortable sofa, I grant you."

"Yeah. Maybe can keep out the nightmar-" Steve stopped, cursing himself. Tony surely would not have missed that.

"Nightmares."

No, he definitely not. "They are only memories of the past, nothing to worry about" Steve assured him, "but some of them are not pleasant and sometimes they become very... vivid." Slowly he looked up and was surprised to see the inventor sit on the arm of the couch, almost next to him.

"Ever thought of taking something to keep them away?"

"Super genes, remember?"

Tony pursed his lips, nodding, "Being a super soldier sucks." He commented and saw him nod and let fall a hand on the couch with resignation. He stared at him a moment then said, "Now I understand the shield ... your security blanket."

"My what?" Steve stared at him uncertainly and the inventor sighed resignedly.

"Your ... your thing you carry around because it makes you feel safe." He explained.

Steve blinked his eyes several times, thinking, "Well, yes, in a way it is ... my security blanket." Then he laughed softly, shaking his head, looking down on the shield at his feet, "Ultimately, it is one of the few things that i feel familiar in this world. In this time." He explained.

"I imagine the list is very long."

"Oh yes, at least three or four pages. And one thing written in each." He smiled bitterly.

Tony nodded, then raised his eyebrows, "I have to guess? I like to guess. So... the shield, Peggy ... America still counts?"

"Not really sure about that one anymore, onestly.." Steve smiled sadly, then looked curious, "I thought you'd guess at least three."

"Three? Two out of three is not bad ... what I missed?" he asked, standing up.

"Yourself."

Tony slammed his knee against the table and slipped a curse, having to grab the shield preventing him to fall, "I think I can say quite definitely that I wasn't present in the war, Captain." He said, turning, finding an arm of Steve standing there near: obviously had been ready to grab him if he fell completely. It wasn't entirely pleased to see an amused smile on the face of the soldier.

"I know, but your father was, and yes, I know you'd rather not have to deal with him in any way, but- he was your father." Steve lowered his arm, "I know you're not him and I know that you are very different, yet so similar in some respects ... I just hard not to notice it, that's all."

Tony made a annoyed soound, but said nothing, rubbing his knee. He realized he was still holding the shield in the other hand and left it. "I'll try to take it as a compliment. Being on your list i mean, not- all that talk about my father."

Steve smiled quiet, "Both were compliments. They are." Then he noticed the gaze of Tony still on the shield: he took it, turning the shield in his hands, creating waves of cold air between them, and then handed it to him.

Tony looked at him uncertainly, "Thought kind, Cap, will make his figure with my armor."

He raised his eyebrows ironically, "You wish."

Tony snorted and took it: it was very light despite its size and know that it was a metal quite unique; a shudder passed through his back at the thought that his father had probably observed it with the same interest. He looked at the soldier and saw him staring at the object with vague sadness, "How do you do it?"

Steve looked back at him, "What?"

"How do you handle with all this?"

Steve stared at him for a long moment, wondering what he meant, but maybe it was just that: simply everything. All that had passed, all that was happening since his awakening and the battles that would come in the future. He took a deep breath and said, "Day by day."

Tony was silent then suddenly the shield fell from his hand, scaring a bit both of them, "Ops, my bad ..."

"I don't think it will break for that, but, Tony ... Tony?"

He slowly closed and opened his eyes, sending them on him, "Hm?"

Steve chuckled, "You're sleeping standing up, Tony."

"No, it's just ... slightly tired. You know, I think you have this vague soporific effect ..."

The other sighed and stood up, making him sit and then going into the kitchen.

Tony heard him walking around and turned a bit to look at him, leaning back on the couch, "Cap, is not a bit late for dinner? Or early to have breakfast ... but who am I to refuse ..."

"Don't overdo it. I'm just looking for the coffee."

"Oh, you really know how to get to the heart of a genius billionaire."

Steve shook his head, his arms crossed, looking at the brown hair of the other one, as he waited for the coffee, then went to the fridge.

Tony kept hes eyes down on the shieldin his lap when he felt something near the face and turning his head he found a steaming cup. He stare at Captain America with uncertain eyes, "You have some strange motive for this?"

"What? No, thats- Tony is just coffee." He snorted, offended.

"Mh." Still suspicious, Tony took the cup in his hand feeling the heat. He checked the drink that looked and smelled really like coffee. "Why this suspected gentleness, then?"

"Suspected." Steve repeated with an offended look.

"You must admit that it is."

"No its not. No one has ever offered you a coffee?"

"Not Captain America." And Tony only had time to realize that that sounded a bit too much vaguely admired, before the slight smile of the soldier's face forced him to look elsewhere.

"You're welcome." Steve chuckled, sitting down again. "At least tell me if is good?"

Without looking at him, Tony breathed the steam and then swallowed a sip. He stopped and looked puzzled the cup, then the captain, "Milk."

"Milk and coffe."

"Milk in my coffee?"

"The coffee is there."

"With the milk."

"With the milk." Steve confirmed, patient, "I remember that could make me relax."

"You're kidding me or what?"

"No. I don't know why, but despite the serum, i could calm down a bit drinking coffee and milk. It felt very light, but I could feel the difference because, well, I should not feel anything."

Tony stared at him impassively for a moment and then repeated "Milk in my coffee."

Steve raised his eyes to the roof.

"It 's like a heresy, Cap ..."

"Drink your coffee and if don't make you any effect, tomorrow morning i will prepare another one for you. Black. Without sugar."

"Oh, Clint and Nat will attend or they will not believe it." Tony smiled, taking another sip that, despite everything, it was not that bad but ... milk. In his coffee. Meh.

Steve watched him happy and then he noticed the eyes of the inventor fixed on him, "Now what? It will not add alcohol in that cup, i warn you."

"Strangely, I was thinking something else." Tony commented tired, slipping a bit more down on the couch, "Its because of the snow, right?"

Steve looked calm, sending a look out where the flakes descended slowly. He looked back at him and said, "I told you: not all memories are pleasant." And he looked down.

There was a moment of silence, a calm and welcoming silence.

When Steve turned his gaze back on him, he raised his eyebrows in surprise at finding Tony asleep, his head slightly tilted to one side. He shook his head smiling mild, removing the cup from the hands, that was now resting on the shield. "Jarvis?" he call softly.

"Yes, Captain Rogers."

"There are blankets around here?"

"In the drawer next to the TV."

"Thank you." Steve pulled out a red which then led back to the couch: made to remove the shield but found resistance and saw a hand of Tony hold the object. He decided to leave it and covered both with the blanket.

He stood for a moment to look at him, uncertain, then he run a hand through the short hair of the inventor. Only once, slowly, calmly.

Steve smiled and stretched, "Jarvis, I think I will try to sleep too, now."

"Very well, Captain."

"Ah, Jarvis ..."

"Captain?"

Steve smiled walking toward the exit, running a hand through his hair, "Tomorrow morning can you remember me to replace those bottles of whiskey that I hidden before?"

"Of course, Captain." Said artificial intelligence, and Steve could not help but notice a hint of satisfaction in the metallic voice.

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Notes:

I thought of this story one evening, drinking milk and coffee ... what a surprise, uh?

I love Tony and Steve and the relationship they have, the past that they share in different ways ... it's a shame that they dont talk about it a bit more in the movies.

Ah, of course, these events are inspired thinking about the series of Marvel films, probably after the events of "Avengers". I never had the good fortune to read the original comics, unfortunately.

Thanks for reading!