Chapter 1: Tony

"Tony?"

Ah crap. It's Cap. How long have I been down here again? It doesn't seem like that long ago JARVIS was telling me to go grab something to eat…

"Tony."

…buuuuut if Cap is here, it must have been longer than I thought.

I turn to him, a big smile on my face, and do my best to hide how the quick turn is making my head spin and eyes see dots.

"Heeeeyyy, Steve! What's it going?"

He merely folds his arms over his chest, raising a brow.

Not good.

"Do you know how long you have been down here, Tony?"

I adopt my best wheedling smile.

"Uh… too long?"

His eyes narrow.

"Almost 68 hours."

I wince. Uh, wow that was… a lot longer than I thought.

"Oh. Umm…"

His eyes narrow even further while he tightens his stance, showing his displeasure as he waits for a response.

This is not good. While the team has some patience for my inability to sleep and crazy rushes of inspiration, it was a Rule that we all at least try to rest in a bed, or equivalent depending on circumstances, after 40 hours. Even if we couldn't sleep, we had to lay down with the lights off and at least try to rest. Barring emergencies- Cap's definition of the term, not mine.

Seeing that I had no response, he continues. "And in that duration, do you know how many times someone has asked you to come eat something?"

My face contorts into yet another wince. This is definitely not good. I vaguely remember a couple of people asking me to eat something, but with Pepper on her business trip and this new problem that just arose with the secure communications devices the team used...I barely even registered the presence of anyone else, much less what they said. Steve doesn't wait for me to respond this time, knowing that I don't have an answer.

"Twelve, Tony. And you didn't respond to any of them."

I bite my lip, knowing I am on very shaky ground right now, and rub my hand through my hair, and try to sound apologetic.

It works... sometimes?

"Uh, sorry Cap. I guess I just got caught up in this, it's a communication issue, and…"

"Anthony." Ah crap. Full name was not good. "Come here."

Aaannnnddd that was it. I knew what he had planned to do.

"Uhhh…no?"

I blink. I did not just say that.

By the disbelieving eyebrow and darkening glare on Caps face, I did.

"Now."

I let out a petulant huff at the involuntary step forward my body takes.

Well. No disobeying that tone.

I scowl and resign myself to my fate.

I approach him slowly, full on sulking. He stands steady, still in his crossed arm position, until I am right in front of him. He looks at me for a second, before quicker than you can blink and more gently than you can imagine grabs my arm, pulls me to his side, bends me over, moving his hand from my arm to hold me with my back, and delivers 3 blistering swats.

"AHHH! Caaaaaap!"

I wince. That sounded suspiciously like a whine.

"You know the rules Tony."

His voice is unwavering as he lays down two more strong smacks.

I hiss.

"Even if you can't sleep, you have to rest."

Two more, and I whimper.

"Going that long without eating is also unacceptable." Before I can protest, he lays down an additional three which illicit a yelp. "Regardless of how much you have had to drink, which, knowing you, has been mostly energy drinks anyway."

His voice is scolding as he finishes, laying down a final five swats, the sting causing tears to come to my eyes. Darn super-soldier serum.

He slowly pulls me up, keeping a calm yet restraining hand on my arm to keep me from pulling away.

I sniffle, but meet his serious gaze as I know is expected.

"You have to keep yourself healthy, Tony."

I wince, and then abashedly go to rub my stinging rear.

"I got you, Cap."

Steve's serious face holds my gaze for a moment longer before he relaxes, and puts an arm on my shoulder, squeezing gently, his face compassionate.

"Nightmares?"

I bit my lip and instantly look away. I thought I had them under control, but since Pepper left…

"You could have come to us, Tony." His voice is a mixture of sad, gentle and scolding.

I knew I could. But I didn't want them to see me like that. It… it got bad, sometimes. I didn't want them to know.

Steve sighs.

"Alright, we will talk more about this later." I groan, just imagining the emotions that I will be forced to discuss. "For now, you are going to go upstairs, eat some dinner leftovers, and then go to bed. I will watch over you until you wake up.

My eyes shoot up.

"But Steve, I don't…"

He holds his hand up in protest.

"Not a debate, Tony. It's nothing I haven't done before, back… back in the war. Sometimes, some of the missions we went on… we… we all had sleepless nights."

His voice goes distant halfway through, and he looks off, face haunted, eyes looking into his past. It takes a minute, but when his attention comes back to me his eyes hold hints of old ghosts.

"I know how to wake soldi…warriors in the midst of a nightmare, Tony. You won't hurt me."

I study him for a minute, hesitant- torn between my need to keep things private and not let them see how broken I am…and the desire to help the man in front of me. We all know how much the past still haunts him, and I could sense that this might be good for him.

And for vodka's sake, I just let the man swat me like a toddler, and had been over his knee for full-length sessions before. It's not like he didn't already know how screwed up I was. Things were getting too serious though, so I decided to lighten them up a bit.

"Fine, if you want to watch me sleep, whatever works for you."

A few months ago he would have blushed, but now he just rolls his eyes and claps me on the shoulder as he guides me upstairs.

I felt some, perhaps undue, pride in this, but there you have it.

And somehow, I felt a calming warmth spreading through me at the action, unrelated to the warmth in my backside.

Tbc...

A/N

Hey guys, I hoped you liked it. :) Up next is Clint, to be posted in a week!