By Fairest Blood

Chapter One

The after party, they had saved the world. The Chiatari (sp) were gone, Thor had taken the tesseract back to Asgard with the War Criminal. And now they were left to deal with the consequences of his actions. Tony had thrown a do on at his, food everywhere, buffet style, and drinks lots of drinks for everyone. The whole of the Avengers and SHIELD were there in his home.

Steve was greatful that Tony had put it on to be honest, he hadn't realised just how hungry he was until they all started grabbing plates and eating. He felt like he could eat half a cow. He sat there near the buffet table eyeing up the covered bowls of hot food. There was a mixture of everything Stark could think of, a lot of it Steve didn't even recognise. Curries, Chinese, Ti, Mexican, American, BBQ, salads, sandwiches, cake, lots and lots of cake. He hardly knew what he was picking up, but it wasn't stopping him grabbing handfuls from everything.

"Quite an appetite you get there Cap." Tony teased, refilling his own plate with a stack of mini cheese burgers.

Steve shrugged, and kept on eating. He knew what was to come next, and he would need to have plenty in his stomach for that event. He shivered thinking about thing. His thoughts turned to what he had said to Fury in the gym when he had first recruited him. "When I went under, we were at war. When I woke up, they told me we had won. They didn't tell me what we had lost."

The words fit this new situation just as well. They ahd won the war against Loki and saved the earth, but at what terrible costs? So many lives lost, so many soldiers just gone, so much destruction, so much death. So many lives, like Agent Phillip Coulson just ripped from them. He hadn't known that much about the guy himself, but the Agent side, even though they had become best friends. Even despite the massive crush the guy had on him. To be someone's hero was strange, he didn't feel special. He was just a kid from Brooklyn who'd fought for what he believed in.

Some would say he was lucky to be alive still, others would say he was cursed. Right now he felt like it was more of a curse then a cure. Coulson had been the closest person to him, the only friend he ahd had in this mixed up crazy modern world. He'd been bringing him in painfully slowly, showing him how to survive. Steve didn't know how he was going to survive without him. How to carry on trying to make a mark in this new screwed up world. He needed his rock to guide him, to show him how tog et through this. But he was gone, and he wasn't coming back. Steve found tears in his eyes already and they hadn't even started the wake yet. Odin help him by the time that got going. He took the drink he was offered greatfully, downing it fast, and going to search of some more.

By the time the wake started, he was very drunk and most of the others were little better off then he. Tony came past again, as Phil's photo was brought out for the memorial words, and handed Steve a fresh drink. "How are you holding up?" he asked, rubbing the other guys back in a small show of comfort.

Steve looked at him, his eyes rimming in red from crying. "How do you think!" he rasped, downing the drink in one.

"Wow, someone is really taking this to heart." Tony commented, fetching another glass and the rest of the bottle. he sat down with Steve, pouring them both a fresh drink. "Wanna talk Spangles?"

"Not really Stark." he answered coldly, he carried on drinking as the other kept refilling his glass.

Tony waited patiently as the guy got slowly drunker, listening to the sweet words were readout about their friend. A few silent tears escaped his eyes, Stark noticed them gleaming in the subdued candlelight. He gripped the Captain's hand tightly. The guy was a Hero and so dangerously close to breaking down and causing a scene. He didn't want that to happen to a man he respected so very much. He'd find a way to drag him out of here first. Even if Steve attacked him for it, he wouldn't let the guy embarrass himself. That was the job of a good friend, to make sure you weren't an ass when you got drunk.

Steve looked up at him, even more watery eyed, squeezing his hand in return. "He was my best friend, the only one who understood me. The only one who cared about me since I came out from the ice." he forced out.

"Not the only one who cares, you have friends now and we aren't going anywhere. I promise you that." Tony answered.

Steve started crying in earnest now, "Thank you." he choked out.

Tony pulled him to his feet, and wrapped his arm around his waist. "Come on cap, I think its time you got some sleep. Don't you?"

Steve laid his head on the others shoulder as they walked, well more like staggered down the corridor. He mumbled something unintelligible into Stark's collar, with a deep sigh.

"I will take that as a yes, for I do not speak drunken soldier mumbles." Tony said, walking him into the lift to find him a room upstairs to sleep it off in.

Steve almost collapsed into his arms as the doors closed and he couldn't be seen. Breaking down, crying his eyes out in his new friends embrace. Tony wasn't really sure what to do, he wasn't the comforting kind. "Jarvis, hold the lift." he ordered, as it ground to a slow halt. As he held the older man in his arms, stroking his back and making shhing noises like Pepper did to him when he was upset. The few times she had actually caught him crying, which was only when he was too drunk to hide as well as usual.

He had never known how sensitive the Captain was under that professional army boy face, Then again not many saw underneath the Iron man's armour either. "Come on Cap, its not as if you loved him or anything." he said jokingly, then the guy tensed up in this arms. "Oh hell," Tony said watching his body language changing. "All those jokes, all the teasing we gave you about your friendly neighbourhood stalker and you were in love with him?" he asked, "Why did you never say anything? Why did you never stoop us? We didn't know that you are gay!" Tony felt terrible, knowing how cruel he must have sounded.

"I didn't know, I mean I wasn't sure." Steve mumbled damply, "I mean you couldn't be gay. It wasn't allowed. Its wrong, dirty, deviant, disgusting. I have to be strong and not give into temptations like that, its against God!"

Tony pulled Steve's face up to meet his, looking him straight in the eyes. "There is nothing wrong with being gay. Men marry other men, every single day here. Screw God, what's he ever done for us. You are free to love anyone you want to, even another man. Its okay to be upset, its okay to feel love and loss. Its normal, human." He wasn't entirely sure where all of that was coming from, he wasn't normally the talking type. It must be all the drink talking, cause the Stark was not a hugger even in the slightest. He hated being touched, even by Pepper.

"Really?" Steve asked, "You don't mind, if I'm unconventional." He was trying to stand up on his own now, swaying heavily. One hand leaning on the wall, the other on Tony's arm.

"Cap its your choice who you love, not anyone else's. As long as you are happy, and they are happy, that's all that matters." Tony said, blinking away tears of his own now. He was really really drunk, because suddenly Steve's lips looked really attractive to him and he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to taste them.

Clearly Steve was thinking the exact same thing, for seconds later he slammed Stark against the life wall, their tongues tangling in a deep and needy kiss. He was clearly inexperienced in the arts of seduction, but Tony could change all of that. He flipped Steve so it was him pressed against the wall, exploring his mouth, prodding, and poking Steve to show him what to do. A low moan escaping the other man's throat, and he pulled away blushing. "I'm sorry."

"For the kiss, or for moaning?" Tony asked, with a teasing smile on his face.

"Both!" Steve muttered, looking at the floor embarrassed.

Tony laughed, "The kiss was passable, needs a little work on the delivery still. The moaning, well Mr Virgin, I hate to break this to you. Well its kind of a side effect of what you were doing, and also very normal and human to respond like that. Jarvis resume lift."

Steve blushed harder, "How did you know that I'm a virgin?"

Tony rolled his eyes, "I have taken enough virginities to notice the signs even in a man. Now, you are drunk, very drunk. So we can forget the kiss for now, on the other hand if you ever want any more lessons on kissing." faint smile, "Well I am sure you know where to find me."

The lift stopped on the guest floor, and he put his arm around the blonde to help carry him to a spare room. he dropped him on the bed, pulled the guys boots off, and rolled the blanket over him. "Get some sleep." he ordered.

"Yes sir." Steve slurred, almost asleep already.

Tony nodded, "Sleep well sleeping beauty." he left the room quietly leaving the light on. He knew Cap didn't always sleep well. He'd heard him shouting in his sleep while they were on the floating fortress, and politely ignored it. He couldn't risk him getting any more of those ice dreams when he was drunk. As the door closed behind him, Tony missed a very familiar guy in a suit standing behind it, waiting for Tony to leave.