It wasn't often that the Captain and the inventor would argue, but when they did, it was bad. Every argument convinced the other Avengers that the two year plus relationship would come to a bitter termination but they would always be disproved a few weeks later or even the morning after. Their relationship was apparently strong enough to cope and they concluded that those who argued more in a relationship cared about one another more. Well, Natasha and Clint could certainly vouch for that anyway.

Steve and Tony's arguments would always be loud and often theatrical affairs, mainly because of Tony's sarcasm, imitations and insensitive remarks. One argument got so bad that Thor and Natasha had to physically separate the two, had Thor not hoisted a very hot-tempered genius onto his shoulder to carry him away, things could have escalated very quickly. Natasha stayed to talk Steve down, calm his frustration before things got too bad. That one didn't end well, Tony and Steve gave each other the silent treatment for almost a month before Bruce had to intervene and get these two morons to sort their issues out.

Unfortunately there were no Avengers to dissipate the argument or intervene this time, they all had their own matters to attend to so Steve and Tony were the only two left in the Avengers Tower.

Their arguments always ended in one of two ways. The first was the preferred one, for both parties involved. Steve and Tony would take their anger out on each other behind closed doors. They would usually engage in one or two rounds of intense love-making, only to emerge the next morning with all words forgiven, all anger forgotten and only the potent love between them apparent. Nobody knew exactly what went on behind those doors but it was certainly the quickest and most effective way to solve any argument between the two.

However, regrettably, there was another way their arguments could end. Tony would go to his workshop, Steve would go to his apartment in Brooklyn and they wouldn't speak to each other or see each other for days or weeks if they could manage it. Steve would sketch and train more often and more vigorously than usual, taking his anger at Tony out on the punching bags, yet he would still sketch for his lover, still miss him, still care for him. It was evident by just flicking through his sketch book alone, the pieces sketched around the time of an argument would still show the features of the billionaire immortalised into the sketch paper, with such attention to detail, but with harsher lines, sharper angles and more pressure pressed into the page by the pencil, causing the drawing to almost imprint onto the next page. Steve managed to get by, evaporating his anger into his art, into the punches he landed into the punching bags or in words whenever he ranted to a sympathetic Natasha. Steve was able to deal with the arguments.

Tony wasn't.

Tony would always end up in a more catastrophic state than Steve. He would stay in his workshop for days at a time, not even emerging for food or drink unless he was forced to. With only the AI for company, Jarvis would listen to Tony's frustrated sighs, defeated cries and exasperated words. He would try and take care of his creator the best he could, advising him to eat or sleep when he could see the man getting more and more exhausted. But Tony would never listen, working and working on new projects, old projects and drinking progressively more alcohol each day to try and numb the pain he was feeling. Jarvis once tried to lock down the bar where the alcohol was stored but was overcome by a seething Tony almost destroying the entire workshop with one of his Iron Man repulsors. However, he would still work on the Captain's uniform, constantly making improvements to it, making it more suitable against different threats that could possibly hurt him. He would still work for his lover, still miss him, still care for him. It was only after Jarvis called a concerned Pepper to rush to the Avengers Tower when Tony fell unconscious and dangerously hypoglycaemic that both Steve and Tony had a wake-up call to never let it get to that stage again.

It was all going well, until their last mission. A risky and highly dangerous mission that involved infiltration, going undercover, and playing 'the long con.' Steve had planned and calculated a myriad of possible strategies and outcomes but Tony had other ideas.

'No, no, Tony, I've had enough of this!' Steve shouted at Tony in the deserted tower. You honestly thought it was a good idea to just go bombarding in like some careless fool?! How many times have I- have we ALL told you we need a plan for missions like this! You almost got us all killed, just like you almost got Pepper killed!'

Steve knew he would hit a nerve even before the words left his mouth but he couldn't stop himself. The anger in him was rising to almost uncontrollable levels and, to be honest, somebody had to tell Tony, maybe this was the only way to get him to listen.

Everything went unnervingly quiet. Tony's eyes appeared to glaze over and for the first time since the start of the argument, Tony broke his gaze from Steve's eyes, a look of distraught guilt and defeat briefly decorated Tony's features before he did something even Steve didn't plan for.

Tony's hand gripped his Stark Industries mug hard, nearly spilling the lukewarm dregs of coffee still left in there, but that didn't really matter because the next thing Steve knew a Stark Industries mug with lukewarm coffee in it struck against his forehead just above his left eye, punctuated with the loud anguished cry of 'FUCK YOU, ROGERS!'

The sound of the mug smashing into pieces was the only thing accompanying Tony's gasping breaths as he supported himself against the wall trying to stave off another of those crippling panic attacks. Steve watched the fragments of the mug skitter across the floor as he tried to calm himself down, worried more about the state of Tony than the bruise developing on his forehead. Tony had never got physical in an argument; neither had he called him 'Rogers' since their first argument on the helicarrier. The one both would rather forget. Steve knew he'd gone too far and immediately regretted it. He cautiously approached Tony, stepping over the jagged edges of the smashed mug.

'Tony, I-'

'No, just fuck off!'

Tony pushed himself off the wall and shoved the blond man hard away from him, 'you know something? They should've kept you on ice. You don't fucking BELONG here, Rogers, you're just a kid who got lucky and now the little lab rat thinks he's the best fucking thing to happen to this world?! You're always right, aren't you, Rogers?! Oh no, the beloved CAPTAIN America can never be wrong about anything now can he?! Well, maybe...maybe you were wrong about something.' Tony's voice changed, suddenly switched from anger to sadness, and it had certainly dropped a few decibels too.

'Maybe you were wrong about us.'

Steve's initial temper that had re-ignited at Tony's remarks immediately extinguished as his heart dropped. He can't be serious? Can he? Steve was certain it was the anger talking; Tony sure said some stupid things he didn't mean in arguments all the time. He met the smaller man's eyes and despite feeling like he was being ripped apart inside, he still kept as much of a neutral expression on his face as he could.

'You won't have to tell me what to do anymore, you won't have to worry about me or care about me anymore. I'm done'

Tony began to turn away, most likely to head off towards his workshop and work himself into another of his drunken insomnia induced trances. But Steve wasn't going to let this happen again, he wasn't going to see his lover destroy himself. He would always care and worry about the people he loved, most of all Tony Stark.

'No you're not.'

'What?'

Tony turned at the sound of Steve's low voice, it had the commanding tones reserved only for the battle field and he knew he wouldn't get out of this one. Well, if it's a battle he wants, it's a battle he'll have. He narrowed his eyes at the Captain and tilted his head to the side, clenching his teeth ready for combat.

'What did you just say to me, Steve?' Tony spat the last word out as if it tasted bad on his tongue.

'I said, No. You're. Not. Did you hear me now, Anthony Stark, or were you not listening as usual?' Steve's blue eyes pierced right through the brunet, it was a gaze of pure and unfaltering determination.

Tony knew he had no hope of getting out of whatever was to follow now. He lunged forward ready for whatever blow Steve would deliver to him, but as always, the Captain was always one step ahead. Before he could even comprehend what happened, Tony's back hit the wall hard, forcefully expelling the air from his lungs, he couldn't move as the larger man easily overpowered him, gripping each of his wrists tightly on either side of him against the wall.

'It's about time somebody taught you some discipline, Stark. Don't you think?'

Looks like this argument is going to end the preferred way.