"So I was your fourth choice to accompany you on this very important mission?" Steve leant with his back against the wall of the bank vault getting increasingly impatient with Tony. The man had been fidgeting with the contents of his safety deposit box for longer than 'a quick stop' as originally promised.

"Pepper: conference, Rhodey: mission, Bruce: India" Tony replied curtly, clearly distracted by whatever that box contained. "What are you in such a hurry for anyway?"

"Charmed" The soldier replied with a cross of his arms and a huff of annoyance. "If you must know, I was planning on going to the park to catch the solar eclipse, I've never seen one before and I wanted to sketch it." Steve pointedly glanced at his watch and back to Tony.

"How romantic" Tony said with sarcastic smirk on his lips. "How do you expect to sketch an eclipse when you won't even be able to see the sketchpad?" he quirked an eyebrow at Steve, leaning over the box atop the lonely wooden table in the room.

"You know, sometimes I really hate the fact that you're a genius. So goddamn arrogant too." The blond rolled his eyes as the other man laughed. They have certainly had their differences and disagreements in the past but since the Avengers moved into the tower, Tony and Steve have gone from tolerating one another to understanding one another more than anyone could foresee. It was not like it happened overnight, like they woke up one day and became best buddies all of a sudden. It happened gradually and Tony could only put it down to the fact that they needed to trust each other in battle, no room for petty arguments and insults. They quickly learnt that lesson on the helicarrier. Steve put it down to the fact that Tony's life paralleled his in more ways than he expected, he knew nothing about the man when they first met except that he was reckless and selfish. Or so he thought…well, the reckless part was still true. It was like there was some sort of unspoken connection between the two that neither could fully explain or pinpoint when it began, yet it worked for them and more importantly for the team.

"You're not the only one in a hurry, Steve, I'm supposed to be picking Pep up from the airport tonight."

"You're picking her up yourself? Isn't Happy going to get her like he normally does?"

"Well, it's been a while since I've seen her. Actually, it's really only been a week but I missed her the moment she left" Tony's face softened "I wanted to surprise her."

"How romantic" Steve grinned. Tony tutted. "What are you doing with a safety deposit box anyway? I thought the tower and Stark Industries were the most secure places? You keep your suits in there."

"Yeah, one was attacked by Stane, the guy I thought I could trust most, the other by Thor's crazy brother. I've got stuff in here that's pretty important to me." The brunet replied, taking an envelope from his suit jacket pocket and placing it carefully in the box.

"Right" Steve nodded, noticing Tony's guarded posture as he said that final part. He started to make his way to the vault entrance as Tony stood up to replace his possessions to their rightful place amongst the other boxes.

The unexpected resounding creak and clunk of metal stopped them in their tracks as the sound shook the room. They watched in dismay as the heavy circular steel door rapidly closed on them, sealing the contents and the two men inside, cruelly and abruptly signalling the end of the working day.

"Steve?" Tony placed the box back onto the table and was immediately at his side. "Steve, please tell me you can get us out of here?"

Despite the Captain's efforts, persistent punches on the door and unnecessary shouts for help from Tony, the enhanced strength couldn't shift the door. Steve stepped back, breathless and defeated.

"I thought you were meant to be a super soldier, Rogers?"

"Shut up, Tony, it's a vault door. Machines can't even get through these things I did try okay?"

"Maybe you should've noticed it was almost closing time and warned me. You were glancing at that stupid watch of yours every 10 seconds, can you even read the time or do I need to buy you a digital watch?"

"Enough with the attitude, Tony! You think I enjoy being trapped in here? With you of all people, you're just going to complain all day."

"Ouch, Rogers! That hurt" Tony clutched his heart in a mocking manner and pretended to stumble backwards. God, was he being deliberately annoying? "Look, this thing isn't going to open until tomorrow, sooner if I can get Jarvis to hack into the systems here. Unfortunately the bastards here chose to go with Hammer Tech instead of Stark Industries for their security" Tony slumped down onto the floor next to the table and leant against the wall, tapping fervently on his phone and scowling at it every time the hacking systems failed.

This went on for about half an hour before Tony gave up, sighing in frustration and throwing his arms up into the air dramatically. "Turns out these systems are better than I thought. Those guys at Hammer Tech have gotten good if J can't even override them…stupid bastards" Tony muttered under his breath.

"So, you invented an Iron man suit but you can't get us out of a safe?!"

"Yeah, that's science, I'm not Houdini!"

"I understood that ref-"

"Shut up, Steve!"

Tony glared at the floor trying to think of any way they can escape this temporary prison, Steve looked at Tony from his position seated on the floor across the room, almost seeing the cogs turning in that genius mind of his, surely he will come up with something?

"Tony?"

"What."

"I just realised something." Steve said in a too small voice to be coming out of that body. Tony glowered at Steve for interrupting his thought process.

"This better be important, Steve."

"Tomorrow's Sunday."

"Fuck."

He was soaring higher and higher as the empty vacuum of space enclosed around him. He would never see the world he knows again; never see the people he loves again. Pepper. Call failed. Typical. The eerie silent explosion that followed blew him backwards, its magnificent splendid colours painting the destruction in front of him. He felt the hand of gravity grasping him once again as he was pulled down, accelerating under the force when his body went limp. He could feel his conscience fading and his senses shutting down one by one until finally his sight went, the last image he saw being Pepper's face etched onto his retinas and onto his guilty selfish mind. He was scared, falling and falling, seconds dragging by like hours as he realised his fate.

He will die alone.

Tony awoke with a start, his breathing uncontrollable and his body shivering and covered by a thin layer of sweat. The nightmares had become part of his daily routine by now, but that didn't make them any less terrifying. He was on the floor of his bedroom. Why was he on the floor? Was he thrashing that much around in his sleep? No. This doesn't look like his room; his room wasn't this grey…or this small. The vault, they were still in the vault. Tony looked across to check on his temporary roommate and saw the captain asleep, his head leaning on a novel and his sketchpad, his watch showing the time of 03:27. He had only slept a couple of hours, not nearly enough sleep he should be getting but the horror of that nightmare was still resonating through him. He couldn't sleep, he needed a drink.

He took a small expensive bottle of whiskey out of his box and sighed deeply, looking at the bottle through bleary eyes and taking a seat at the table.

"Guess this is as good a time as any" he murmured as he took the lid off and felt the familiar burn of the honey coloured liquid travelling down his throat. It brought a welcome relief from the reality he was living and he could already feel the final thrills of the nightmare dissipate from his mind. Leaning back in the chair he dug the heels of his palms into his eyes and yawned, trying to forget the fact that the plans he had for tonight had been ruined and that he has let Pepper down. Again. What was she doing with a fool like him?

"What are you doing?" Steve's voice was thick with sleep as he sat up against the wall, glaring at the bottle in front of Tony.

"Oh, hey. Just…needed a drink. Was kinda saving it but uh, what the hell, right?" Tony said with a smile and a shrug of the shoulders.

"Saving it for what?"

"It's not important" Tony broke eye contact with Steve and abruptly changed the subject, holding out the bottle out to him as he sat down beside him on the floor. "Want a sip?"

"You know I can't get drunk."

"It's pretty strong stuff. Just try a bit; it'll help the time go faster in here. We've still got over 24 hours in this place."

Steve sighed and took a sip, wincing at the strong taste and burn. "Oh man, what is this stuff?"

"Only one of the purest and strongest whiskeys out there. Cost me thousands for one bottle. Worth it!"

"Thousands of doll- Tony! Seriously?"

"What?! It's good stuff, right?" Tony laughed as the two men passed the bottle back and forth between them "As I told you, the things I keep in here are pretty special to me."

"Right. Of course this is…it's alcohol!" Steve grinned at Tony and was answered with raised eyebrows.

"You're so annoying, Rogers" Tony slurred his words but was smiling back at him "but you're starting to loosen up at least, instead of being the tight ass soldier in tight ass pants we're all so familiar with!"

"Alright, Tony" Steve took another sip "you were right, this stuff is good. It still won't get me drunk though."

"I can try."

"Wow, is this how you charm all the women?"

"Oh I have my ways, Steve." Tony replied, giving his signature Stark smile. Steve rolled his eyes and smirked.

"You know, it's not so bad in here, stuck in this vault with you. You're pretty fun to hang out with."

"Coming onto me, Steve? 'Cos you know this guy is taken."

"Tony, no." Steve made a face "Although I dread to think what the tabloids and those gossip magazines are going to say when they find out we spent two nights locked in a stupid vault" Steve sighed "back in my day there was no such thing as gossip! People kept their noses out of other people's business and actually respected each other!"

"It's alright, Steve. So what if America's Golden Boy spent a couple nights with America's Bad Boy? I'm quite excited to see what they make up!" Tony slurred happily. "Besides, just because two people spend an extended amount of time together doesn't mean they magically hook up just like that!"

"Yeah, it's not like you and Bruce hooked up after all that time in the workshop!" Steve laughed.

"Who's to say we didn't?"

Steve's face dropped and he stared with wide, aghast eyes at the billionaire. "Tony…no you didn't surely-"

Tony's loud raucous laughter echoed around the room as he threw his head back and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Oh my god, Steve, you actually-! You actually believed me?! Oh my god!" Tony's body shook with laughter and Steve could only watch him with embarrassment as he finally calmed down.

"Steve, Steve, Steve…I had no idea you were still so naïve! Have you learnt nothing about the 21st century yet? I thought Natasha and Sam were going to sort you out with that? How far are you through that list of yours?"

"I'm getting through it, just did Thai food, which is incredible by the way, I'm up to the film Star Trek Wars now."

"Hold on, Steve, am I hearing you correctly? Star Trek Wars?"

"Yeah, Star Trek Wars. It's a film, right?"

"Oh man" Tony sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose "Okay, Steve, from now on I'm foreseeing your 'Welcome to the 21st Century' lessons. Sam and Nat obviously had no idea what they're dealing with here." Tony bit back a laugh when saw the hurt look on Steve's face.

"There's a lot of stuff to catch up on since the forties!"

"I know I know, super soldier from the war et cetera et cetera. They made comics about you, you know. You're kind of a living legend. Coulson has cards of you. Oh! Has he asked you to sign them yet?!" Tony garbled his words and was about to take a deep drink from the bottle when Steve lifted it away from Tony's hands.

"Uh, Tony? That already happened, you were there." Steve raised an eyebrow "You've had too much and I'm taking this off you before you start to lose your childhood memories too." the soldier smiled and stood up to replace the bottle in the box.

"They wouldn't be missed."

"What do you mean?"

"My memories, they wouldn't be missed."

"Really? All those parties, those awards? You're a good time guy and a genius who's got the world at his feet, who wouldn't want that? It's the perfect life!"

Tony stumbled to his feet and glowered at the other man "yeah, who also wouldn't want a lifetime of mental anguish and torture?! Nightmares that keep them up all night and panic attacks that steal their day?! No, sounds like a perfect life to me (!)"

"Look, Tony, let's just forget about it, okay" Steve held up both his hands "We were having a good time."

"No, I'm not going to just forget about it! Is that what you think of me? All you think of me?" Tony punctuated his words as he jabbed his index finger into Steve's chest "I just fool around and have a good time all the time, right? Oh no, never mind the suffering I've been through, I just brush it off and carry on don't I?!"

"We've all been through some suffering, Tony! It's not always about you!" Steve retaliated, feeling the anger rise at Tony's irritating tone.

"Ohhhhh okay, here we go! Turn the situation around and make it about me!"

"Oh I'm sorry, isn't everything?!"

"No, Steve, it's not! You're acting like some insecure little asshole who can't even get over the fact that they crashed a plane into the arctic and missed out on 70 years of their life!"

"You better shut the hell up, Tony." Steve spoke in a low threatening tone, pointing a finger at the accused and trying to keep his emotions in check. "You're drunk; you don't know what you're saying, alright?"

"What I'm just calling it like I see it!" Tony threw out his arms in defiance with the most obnoxious smirk on his face, pacing around the room like he owned the place. "Captain America crashes a plane and blames it on everyone else!"

"Oh I see, is that what we're doing?!" Steve was losing control faster than his rational mind could keep up. "Alright, well I'll play that game!"

"Oh yeah, what are you gonna do?!"

"You think I care about you? I don't!"

"Yes you do, I know you do!"

"I don't really care. No, you're just smart enough and you're just clever enough to occasionally succeed in missions. You have no purpose, Stark! If I had anybody else, anybody else to choose from I would. You are the best of a bad situation, Stark! Nothing more!" Steve paused, the only sound in the room being their heavy breathing. "Now, your turn."

"You know what, Steve? Here you are making me out to be some useless guy who has done nothing with his life. What about you, Steve? How is that Winter Soldier mission going? Oh yeah, I remember! You lost him!"

"Tony-"

"No, no, no! I'm right aren't I? I'm surprised Natasha was able to put up with your incompetence for that long! No wonder Bucky went off somewhere, probably couldn't stand you either!"

Steve lost it.

"Oh yeah?! How are you and Pepper doing, Tony? How is Pepper after you dropped her promising that you'll catch her?! How is that going, Stark?! Hmm?! How is she dealing with your incompetence?! Maybe she will run off too? Find someone better; god knows she deserves someone better!"

Tony lost it.

The back of Steve's head hit the metal wall of safety deposit boxes when Tony shoved him hard in the chest. Steve retaliated by punching the mechanic in the stomach, he still held back however, he wanted to hurt the man but didn't want to kill him. Tony was winded and he gasped, retaliating by landing a punch to the side of the soldier's head only to be pushed away and back into the table. He stumbled and tripped over the table leg, grabbing for the chair as he went down only to brush the box on the table and sending it and its contents crashing to the floor. The whiskey bottle smashed and the rest of the contents littered the floor of the vault, including a gun which fired as it impacted the ground.

Steve's reactions were lightning fast; he dived for the table and took Tony with him, ducking them both under the table out of the path of the bullet. But it didn't stop; it just continued to ricochet off the metal walls and around the room, destroying the chair, smashing the glass of the whiskey bottle into smaller pieces and destroying the contents of Tony's box including the gun itself and the envelope.

Steve held onto Tony, keeping his and his own head down as they both tried to calm their breathing. Tony held onto Steve, fearing for his- no,their lives as the bullet danced around the room, slowing slightly each time it lost energy hitting the walls. He saw the wreckage, the destroyed contents of the box, but that didn't matter. Not anymore now that both were potentially going to be shot at the cost of their stupid pathetic argument.

"I'm sorry, Steve!"

"Me too!"

They were barely able to keep up with the bullet with the saccades of their eyes, Tony trying to calculate the rate of slowing of the bullet but it was too fast. They watched in silence at if they were at an intense tennis match where the ball was moving in all directions at the speed of sound.

"How long is this going to last?!"

"No idea!"

The sound of pencil strokes against paper was the only sound to be heard in the silent room. The bullet had finally come to a stop and the wreckage of the room and its contents were a sore reminder of the earlier events. He concentrated on the lines forming on the page, on the details of the strange mechanical arm that had now become a part of his best friend and frowned at the pencil Winter Soldier in front of him. Bucky. How did this happen? Why did this happen? He needed answers.

A low grumble disturbed his thoughts as the inventor stirred and awoke beside him, moaning something about his head and sitting up.

"Mffffph-urgh…what time is it?" Tony squinted at his phone as it flashed 21:08 and empty bars of signal. There will probably be a million worried missed calls from Pepper on it before Jarvis would have told her his whereabouts. He'll make up for it; he will take her away to Europe for the weekend and buy her another cuddly bunny teddy…but a smaller one this time. Yes, definitely smaller, the last one was ridiculous.

A dull dizzying ache in his head caused him to emit another grumble as he pressed his fingers into his scalp and noticed the chaotic arrangement of the room. "Oh my god, what the hell happened?"

Steve looked over his sketchpad with the most condescending look he can muster.

"Ohhhh yeah. We got drunk last night and wrecked the room-"

"You got drunk."

"Oh man, we were four pillows to the breeze, my friend!"

"You were four pillows to the breeze…whatever that means."

Tony looked at Steve's sketchpad. "Are you still going after him?"

Steve nodded.

"Nat going with you? Or Sam?"

"No. This is something I have to do alone."

"You could get yourself killed."

"I know." Steve looked at Tony, determination set in his eyes "but he's the only thing I have left from the life I knew, and I'm the only thing from his." The soldier sighed, placing the sketchbook and the novel he was leaning on aside. He rooted through a small sports bag he brought with him.

Tony watched the captain, remembering the remark he said in the heat of the moment during their argument. "Um, Steve. About that thing I said about Bucky last night, or this morning, I didn't-"

"Tony, save it. You apologised last night" the blond replied, retrieving a Nature Valley maple syrup bar from his bag and taking a big hungry bite out of it.

Tony's eyes widened automatically at the sight of food. "What are you doing?"

"Mmm. I was hungry. You want one?"

"You've had energy bars this whole time?! You idiot!"

"Not energy bars, Tony, Nature Valley bars!"

"I-I don't care! Gimme!"

"Fine, you can have the fruit and nut one beca-"

"Aw man! I wanted maple!"

"because…it's the only one I have left." Steve threw the bar at him. Tony grumbled and munched angrily in silence whilst Steve finished his bar. His much nicer syrupy sweet bar. Bastard.

There were a few minutes of silence before Steve turned to a disgruntled Tony.

"Hey, Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"How come you had a gun?"

Tony narrowed his eyes and looked sideways at the captain, taking time to answer.

"I don't know" he shrugged.

"What do you mean you don't know? You were a weapons dealer but then after that incident you shut down the entire department. Yet that gun was clearly a Stark Industries gun, I saw the logo. I thought you were done with all of that?"

"I am." Tony tensed up.

"Then why? What's going on, Tony?"

"Nothing."

"It's just weird, you know? You keep going on about how you're not a nostalgic person yet you hold onto an old gun of all things?"

"Well, that's why I keep it here."

"That doesn't make any sense. Why have it if you're not going to use it?"

"Look, I really don't want to talk about this with you, Steve."

"Okay okay." He held up his hands defensively "I respect that."

"Thank you" Tony crossed his arms and frowned.

They sat in minutes of awkward silence, Steve stealing glances at Tony and Tony frowning at his shoes, avoiding the subject at all costs.

"Tony…"

"What?"

"Tony, there's something going on here. Something serious which is clearly troubling you. That's what you do, you keep things to yourself and never admit when you need help. If you won't tell me what's going on as a team mate, then at least tell me what's going on as a friend."

Tony closed his eyes and leant his head back against the cool wall of safety deposit boxes. He took a deep breath in through his nose and exhaled slowly through his mouth, preparing for one of the most difficult things he's going to share with anybody.

"I keep it in case…in case I ever want a way out, okay?"

"Wow. Oh." the captain stared at the mechanic with wide unbelieving eyes. He saw the forlorn look on his face, the lost expression and pure vulnerability. It dawned on him that Tony was not joking. "Oh my god. You- you're serious! B-but why, Tony?"

"You wouldn't understand, we've barely known each other for a couple of years."

"Well, I could try." Steve said, shifting slightly closer to the other man. "You have known me your whole life…kind of." He said with a half-smile.

"I don't know. Sometimes it's…" he sighed "…all too much."

"What is?"

"Life. Everything. Just…having the gun here, knowing there's a way out. It helps."

"But a gun, it's so messy and undignified."

"It's the quickest way?"

"I don't quite understand, Tony, you told me that back when you had the old arc, the palladium one, it was slowly killing you. And yet you did everything you could to survive, you invented a new element! It doesn't make sense."

"A lot of things about me don't make sense, Cap. To tell you the truth, I didn't know whether to feel terrified or relieved. I only made the new arc to prove a point to myself."

"But why are you so unhappy?"

Tony sighed, "last night, when we argued, you said I have no purpose. You were right. I mean, what have I done, invent a bunch of weapons that ended up killing our own and then I go out and party on their graves? Yeah, what a life that is."

"I don't like it when you talk like this." Steve was hugging his knees.

"I just- I promise to so many people I will keep them out of harm's way and yet I do the exact opposite. What you said about Pepper haunts me every night. Literally kills me. I can't take it anymore. I don't deserve her, in fact, everyone would be better off without me. Take you for example, even without your shield you're still Captain America. Without my armour, I'm just-"

"Tony Stark! The Tony Stark: Billionaire. Genius! You're probably one of the three smartest men in the entire world! The Avengers are lucky to have you."

"Really? You know two people smarter than me?"

"Can't you just take a compliment?" Steve's small smile dropped when his eyes drifted to the smashed remains of the whiskey bottle.

"Why the bottle of whiskey?" he asked.

"I was…saving it for a last drink."

"And the envelope?" Steve's voice sounded small.

"A letter. To Pepper. If I ever go through with it she deserves to know why."

"Wow." Steve breathed.

"Well, you're the only person I've ever told this to." Steve simply looked at Tony's downcast eyes, genuinely clueless as to what to think. Tony turned to him with a shrug. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

"I-I don't know what to say? Wanting to kill yourself?" Steve's mind searched for a response, something profound that would hopefully shake Tony from this ridiculous belief he has of himself. "Well, I…I think that's pretty selfish of you." He replied, hands on hips and a frown he tried to hold as best as he could. He knew he was taking a risk, potentially opening up another argument, but the soldier stood his ground.

"Wha- how is that selfish?!" Tony held out his arms in defiance.

"What would I do if you weren't here, hmm? You're the only one who makes my life bearable!"

"I thought you said I was 'the best of a bad situation?'"

"I was just trying to hurt you because you hurt me" the blond replied, looking sheepish and guilty. "But the truth is, Tony, if I didn't have you I'd be lost!"

Tony huffed "you'll be alright!" He waved an arm dismissively.

"No, I wouldn't! I would be nothing without the Avengers and the Avengers would be nothing without you. Not to mention the people who value you as a dear friend, including myself! You're the only one whose loss I'd care about the most!"

Tony felt the corner of his lips twitch upwards "Well, thanks." He sniffed.

Steve shuffled uncomfortably "I like you, Tony. I like you a lot. I guess…you could say I really like you. I would…even dare to go a little further…perhaps. I care a great deal about you. A very great deal. Maybe a little…deeper than that." Steve's eyes were looking all over the room, at everything that was not Tony. He scratched the back of his head and mumbled "I-I-I love you." He suddenly looked up directly at the brunet's smiling face and wide brown eyes, waving his hands in front of his face "No-not in that way! I didn't mean-" he felt his cheeks burn "I mean, not in like a 'Hey, let's have an underpants party!' or…or whatever goes on these days between two people in love, b-but." He took a deep breath "I mean, I love you as one loves another person…whom they simply cannot do without."

Tony's expression was soft, smiling. "I love you too, Cap."

"You give my life purpose, and maybe…maybe that's enough. Because…" Steve shrugged, a smile appearing on his face, "…that's just about the greatest gift one friend can give another."

Tony gave Steve a grateful smile, genuine happiness flashing across his features for a brief moment. "Thank you."

Steve clapped a hand on Tony's shoulder and nodded, giving it a small squeeze before reaching to his other side to retrieve his novel.

Tony looked curiously over his shoulder as he opened it to the beginning. "What book is that?"

"David Copperfield."

"Well, since we still have another night in here and have nothing else to do…" he nodded towards the book.

"You want me to read to you? Seriously, Tony?" Steve shook his head with a fond smile as he leant back against the wall next to the other man.

"'Chapter one: I am born. Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life or whether that station shall be held by anybody else, these pages must show. To begin my life with the beginning of my life, I recall that I was born on a Friday, at twelve o' clock at night…"

A metallic clunk and a click of a lock awoke Steve Rogers from his snooze. Bleary eyed, the soldier looked around the room, noticing the change in lighting. The room was darker than usual and the light was off for some reason. Why was the light off? With tired eyes he found the answer. The vault door was finally open, the golden light spilling in from the corridor outside casting a shining ray of their freedom like the dawning of a new day. Steve was exhausted, relieved, he smiled slightly to himself both grateful for the liberation but also lamenting the opportunity to speak to Tony like this again. He looked at his watch, 0501 hours on Monday morning; the sun had not risen yet so the walk home should be quiet at least. Shifting to gather his things and the novel that had slipped from his hands halfway through chapter three, he felt a small weight press against his upper right arm and turned to see the engineer had slumped over in his sleep, using the captain as a very patriotic pillow. Steve gathered his belongings in his bag and slung it over his left shoulder before carefully placing Tony's suit jacket over him like a blanket and picking him up to take him home. There was no point in waking him now; the man barely got any sleep as it was. With his belongings safe in his bag and Tony safe in his arms, Steve stepped into the light, finally out of the vault.

The tranquil silence of the early morning lay thick in the air, punctuated only by the echoing of soft footsteps down the corridor.

They were going home.