Tony was beginning to wonder if he should ban Rhodey from the lab. He didn't particularly want to. But his best friend of over a decade was starting to push it. And wow, they're getting old aren't they? When exactly had they gone over twenty again?

"What was the last time you spoke to someone other than me, Tony?" Rhodey was demanding.

He had his hands on his hips and he was doing that tapping thing with his foot that always made Tony feel like he was five years old again. It was basically the only mannerisms Rhodey shared with Howard Stark, but it was definitely the worst one for him to have. Or at least Tony thought so.

"I had a great conversation with a lovely pair of ladies not two days ago." Tony told him smugly. The sex had been great.

"How about someone whose name you actually know?" Rhodey snapped.

Tony thought back, mentally combing through the last year and coming up with an absolute blank. So it had been a while, so what?

"Sir did have quite an extensive discussion with some of his suppliers last week." JARVIS chimed in from the ceiling. Tony grinned brilliantly at the camera closest to him. He loved his AI. Someone had just earned himself an early update.

"On the phone?" Rhodey deadpanned. For some absurd reason, Rhodey didn't count that as social interaction.

"Via email.' JARVIS supplied. The AI saw nothing wrong with that, a view Rhodey would not share. He would have to talk to JARVIS about over sharing again.

"That doesn't count." Rhodey exclaimed. His tone falling into that 'you stupid, aggravating genius' one Rhodey had perfected by the time he was twelve years old. Not a full year after getting to know Tony."You're isolating yourself. You need actual human contact, Tony. Not nameless one night stands just because you're horny."

"Sex has plenty of contact." Tony argued.

Tony liked sex, he was good at it. So good in fact that his one night stands often wanted repeat performances. Not that Tony gave them, he never even gave the people his real name, if they even asked for one in the first place. It was completely unfeeling and anonymous, or at least that's what Tony believed one night stands were supposed to be.

And hey, Rhodey might totally have a point... Not that Rhodey needed to know that.

Tony ran a hand through his hair, exasperated. "Look, I have JARVIS it's not like I spend all my time in the lab alone."

" You can mute JARVIS." Rhodey argued back stubbornly."And I still say the worse thing you could do for yourself was move into your lab. Seriously, a bed with your clothes piled on it does not a home make. And now you don't even have a real place to go home to. You know you can't resist science, Tony. It's like letting an alcoholic move into a liquor store."

"It's not like I ever went home. It was cost effective. I basically live here anyway. And now I don't lose any time or money on transportation. It's efficient." It really was. Plus less time to run into people who might recognize him. Sure the last few years had made that chance slim to none, but Tony was paranoid. Slim was too high a chance.

"It's sad, Tony! That's what it is! You just turned twenty one and I'm the only person whose name you know you've spoken to in the last year!"

It was probably two or three years, but there really was no reason to give Rhodey more ammo.

"And I spent most of that year at ROTC!" He already had plenty.

"Sir if I may..." Jarvis cut in. And Tony finally looked at what he was actually doing with his hands. Shit. That was not good. That was about to blow in two minutes actually.

"Emergency lockdown!" Tony shouted. Grabbing Rhodey's arm and booking it out the door before the reinforced steel doors clamped shut. He really needed to pay more attention to what he was doing.

The doors didn't exactly muffle the explosion.

"What the hell was that?" Rhodey asked faintly, paling. Always an impressive feat with someone of his complexion.

"You interrupted me during a delicate phase." Tony muttered, rubbing at his new goatee. There went his next two weeks. He hated replacing materials. It was expensive. Plus there went his place to live. The lab would be uninhabitable for a while. That sucked too.

"Aw man Tony." Rhodey's eyes softened as they looked at him. Tony hated that look. He hated Rhodey's sympathy.

"I guess I'll go back to the mansion for a while." The place was about the only thing left in Tony's name from what had once been a great Stark fortune. Sadly Gregory had managed to ruin that before Tony had finished college. He'd been seventeen. Now he was an MIT dropout.

"You hate the mansion." Rhodey told him unnecessarily.

"Well it's that or a Hotel, and I can't really afford one right now. I subsidies those new water filters for Africa way more than I should have, so I have to penny pinch for a good two months now, since I have to get my lab fixed." He glared at Rhodey for the last bit, making it clear who he blamed for the blunder.

Rhodey had clearly known him for too long. He was having none of it.

"Oh you are not blaming that on me. Anyone else would have the sense to stop working on a 'delicate' procedure when they're having an argument. You were the one who kept working on it."

So Tony was an arrogant genius, sue him, why don't you? He was proud of his brain, it was basically all he had. Well that and good looks, but the public would only agree that his genius was a boon for humanity.

"And why can't you just stay with me?" Rhodey asked, lifting an eyebrow.

And no, just no. The only thing Tony hated more than Rhodey's sympathy, was his charity. Maybe his sense of pride was a little overblown, but Tony hated relying on anyone for anything. Rhodey especially. His parent's had actually tried to take Tony in while Gregory was standing trial for the whole Stark Industries snafu. He'd barely managed to escape their kindness by the skin of his teeth and get emancipated.

"My moms been asking about you. You know how she worries Tony, and I always feel awful about lying to her and saying that you're fine. You're a lot of things, but fine is not one of them." Rhodey continued on, oblivious to Tony's panic, or just ignoring it. It was hard to tell.

"Sorry Cupcake. It's just not my scene." He just knew that the second that Rhodey's mom got him in her house he wouldn't be allowed out again. At least not until the woman felt he'd conquered his laundry load of issues. That meant Tony might not ever see the light of day again... Logic demanded he make a break for it.

"Maybe it'll do you some good to talk to someone else. Tony? Where are you going? Damn it! Tony!"

xXx

"I will be frank with you Steve." The SHIELD psychologist was telling him seriously. "You're isolating yourself. The only social interaction you have is with other agents. You need to branch out into the world. It's been six months now, and you've adapted better than we could have hoped."

Steve certainly didn't feel like it. He liked doing SHIELD ops for the feeling of competence it brought him. Steve knew how to lead, and how to fight. He didn't know what to do with himself when he made it to his Brooklyn apartment after.

"You need a life outside of SHIELD." The psychologist continued."You could try getting a roommate, or a pet. Dog owners are known to fall into friendship with other dog owners easily."

Steve didn't have the first idea where he would even get one. Let alone what he would do with a dog after. The twenty first century was daunting enough without an animal to take care of. But he had to listen to the psychologist. It was part of the conditions set on being an agent for SHIELD.

Which was how he found himself on the park bench in front of a dog park. He looked around. The animals looked happy enough, wagging their tails and playing with their owners. Some were being walked, others playing fetch, some were just chasing each other around.

Steve wondered what it would feel like to have a dog. Would he look like the other dog owners? Some looked exasperated, but most looked happy.

"I know that face." A voice called out." You're thinking about getting a dog aren't you?"

It was a red haired woman, she had the smallest dog Steve had ever seen tucked under one arm. She smiled at him.

"My names Sandy, this lazy ball of fluff is Bell." She offered her hand.

"Steve Rogers ma'am." Steve said, manners kicking in."It's nice to meet you."

"So what kind are you going for, full grown dog or a puppy?" Sandy asked, jumping right in.

"I'm afraid I don't know much about dogs." Steve admitted with a sheepish smile.

"That's fine." Sandy said, waving dismissively." At least you realize it. Once you get a dog you'll have to learn pretty quickly."

Her pocket then made a beeping noise."Shoot. I'm almost late for an appointment. Here's my card, I'm a dog trainer. Any questions you have, feel free to call, aright?"

Steve nodded, smiling gratefully."Thank you."

"No problem." Sandy said." Just remember, what they need most is your time and attention. Especially puppies."

And with that she jogged away. Dog still tucked carefully under her arm.

The SHIELD psychologist had clearly known what she was talking about. Steve hadn't even gotten a dog yet, and he was already making friends. He leaned back on the bench eyes focused on the different breeds around him. Surely there was one that would make a good pet for him...

That's when a stranger collapses next to him on the bench.

x

So this is what happens when I read an Avengers fic and then remember that I read tramps like us... This story will be a very loose mix of the two. I seem to write really slowly in this fandom...I don't know why, but thems the breaks, you've been warned. I have most of the beginning sorted, but the rest is this nebulous grey area until the end...If you have any ideas for this verse I'd love to hear them, it might spark something and help me write more or something...