A Boy's Toy

by HenryVIII

After spending some time together, Tony Stark and Steve Rogers suddenly noticed, there could be more than a friendship between them. Breaking up with his girlfriend Pepper Potts, led both of them to conflicts between each other and society. Much fun while reading A Boy's Toy

Chapter 1: Need to talk?

His head felt like anybody would beat on it. He did shirt collar and took a deep breath. In this moment he realized what he has done. His dream girl was gone. Of course he knew there were friends standing by his side, but it wasn't the same. Her voice while she was explaining to him she would leave, resounded in his thoughts. It caused so much pain. He stood in front of the mirror, closed his eyes. As he opened them again, he could see his own facial expression condemning him.

'Don't look at me like that. You know I hate it', he spoke to himself and left the room.

Down right ahead the Stark Tower there was an assembly. Many journalists who liked to talk to him.

Tony went outside slowly. Fury tried to calm down these shouting people. At the same time Tony went up to the rostrum. Afterwards he swallowed strongly. Silence. Silence filled the air.

Tony started talking:

'I know why you all are here. I'm sorry to tell you straight away, I can't answer what you really want to know. I'd just like to tell you, why...'

'Mister Stark!', a journalist interrupted.

Tony shook his head and continued:

'Miss Potts left Stark Innovations to figure some things out. Actually there were some problems we had privately.'

Fury turned his head and darted a glance at Tony, whose fingertips were playing with a corner of the paper lying on the lectern.

'But she's fine now, so am I. Now that Stark Innovations lost its managerial position, I decided to give it into a good friend's hands. I thought twice about who would be the best. And I guess he's going to introduce himself to the world next week. I'd like to thank you for your attention.'

Tony stepped back and left for the edifice behind him. Without looking at Banner, Rogers, Romanoff, Barton or Thor he entered the lift and pulled a button to go up.

'Why did we wait for him again? I just forgot, because he didn't deign to look at us.'

'Shut up, Clint. Let's follow', Natasha grumbled.

Tony was sitting at the bar when the others walked in. Thoughtless he swang a jar half-full Scotch and stared at the wall.

'Are you okay, Stark?', Thor asked calmly.

'Yea."

'Are you sure? I mean it's 10 a.m. And you're going to...'

'It's alright', Tony interrupted the God of Thunder, 'I just wish you could leave me alone for one fucking moment or just be QUIET.'

Banner took a seat next to him. Clint and Natasha left silently. Then Tony grabbed another glass and poured Scotch into it. Carefully Banner took the glass and sipped, whereas Thor took a seat next to him.

'Should go working', Tony interposed.

'No, let's sit here a little longer', Banner said.

The two men saw how slowly Stark lowered his head.

'Need to talk?', Thor said.

'I said I'm fine. It's alright. I have to go on without Pepper, so what? Don't care. Simply don't care. She doesn't, so why should I do? I tried to do everything she wanted and she left me. What should I say about this? It's ridiculous. Nearly everything she was and nearly everything she had...I was the reason for everything she owned. Therefore I could say she was mine. What about now? She's still successful and I'm alone. Well done.'

Thor and Bruce looked at each other.

'What's wrong with this world? Why did I just say I'd help and be part of the Avengers to rescue the earth? Worthless.'

The others kept quiet.

'None there to tell me where the sense is? Well that's even better. Give me some days and I'll tell you, who I think is best for new CEO.'

Tony stood up and left the bar room again.

When Steve later on entered the shop to look after Tony, he was busy with searching some files on his computers. Behind him on the desk there was a case.

In the case was a stack of Captain America trading cards among other things like medals. Steve took out the cards and looked at them.

'I thought these were Coulson's. Isn't it disrespectful to keep it for your own?', he asked.

Tony turned to him and looked shocked. Immediately he ran to Steve and ripped the cards off his hands.

'These are...These aren't Coulson's...These are mine...'

'I thought you weren't a fan of soldiers like me', Steve wondered.

'Didn't keep them because of your patriotism, you know...', Tony responded and brought order into his trading cards again.

Then he felt Steve's arms around his stomach, his body pressed softly against Stark's back.

'What are you-', Tony started, until Steve started kissing his neck.

Outraged Tony dropped the cards.

'Oh, look what you've done, Tony...', Steve tried to provoke him.

Against all expectations it didn't work. Tony seemed to be paralyzed, while Steve's breath was flattering his neck, slow and warm.

'What's wrong? Your aren't saying anything anymore. Feeling uncomfortable?'

Tony nodded speechless and clenched his fists. Steve stepped back, but kept being close to him. Slowly Tony picked up the cards again, assorted them and put them back into the case.

'It's not about you, but that's what took me in this fucked up situation...That's all', Tony replied sadly and closed the case.

'I thought you knew, where this was going', Steve said belied.

'I didn't expect she would hate me. She has been my best friend...'

'Let her come down a little bit. She will be again, I'm sure', Steve replied and left the shop.

At 2 a.m. Steve returned. Tony kept on working and drinking many cups of coffee.

'Haven't seen you for some hours...', Steve said and lay his chin on Tony's shoulder, 'What are you doing?'

'Keep distance, please', Tony answered irritated.

Perhaps Steve interrupted him on an important point and that's why he reacted the way he did. So Steve went to the other side of the desk and took out his drawing pad and pencil. Meanwhile Tony was reading and didn't notice how Steve started to scrutinize and draw him. After Steve finished the sketch, Tony changed his position. Consequently Steve turned the page and started from new, but Tony changed his position again.

'Compulsion to move? I would know better things', Steve said sassy.

When Tony looked at him, he saw Steve's roguish grin. A little stunned Tony shook his head and went on calculating.

'Ever looked at your watch today?'

'Steve, are you bored?', Tony replied overwhelmed with work.

'How do you know?', Steve wondered.

'You can't stop talking.'

Steve started laughing:

'Let me give you a piece of advice and look at your watch. I'm already here for an hour not making a sound.'

Tony took a look at his watch.

'Oh...', he responded.

'But let me answer your question: Yes, I am.'

Without responding anything, Tony rubbed his eyes and concentrated his eyes on the notes again. The reddened eyes were the trigger for Steve to walk over once more. He lay one arm over Tony's shoulder on whose chest. His other hand he used to keep Tony's eyes shut. The suddenness made Tony jump.

'Go to bed right now. I won't let you work, before you haven't slept.'

'I'm not tired, let me go', Tony grumbled, while enjoying the heat at the back of his head coming from Steve's chest.

Then Steve released and turned the revolving chair Tony was sitting on.

'Go to bed. No way for contradiction, unless you'd like to anger me', Steve commanded.

Immediately Tony stood up and saluted, actually showing disrespect to Steve.

'You better run', Steve advised after he lowered his head.

Giggling Tony disappeared upstairs.

A moment later Steve knocked at Tony's door.

'What is it?', he called.

Steve opened the door and looked in. He found Tony lying on his bed playing with his Stark phone.

'Are you stalking me now, Cap?'

'Uh...I just thought now where Pepper is gone, you need someone else to look after you...Don't waste your time on that phone for too long and try to sleep, please.'

As riposte Tony just rolled his eyes and turned his back towards Steve. Thanks to the muscle shirt Tony was wearing, Steve spotted scratches on his shoulder to his back. Quietly Steve sat down on the bed's edge and touched the scratches carefully. The lying man cringed and turned his head.

'What the hell are you doing?'

'Where did you get those wounds?', Steve's voice contained simplicity.

'I just ask one more time: What the hell are you doing here? This question includes the demand to get the fuck out of here!', Tony got louder while coming to the end of his statement.

Steve rapidly grabbed Tony's wrists and whispered: 'Don't be so cheeky, Anthony.'

Obviously Tony hated, when Steve called him so, because he won a disgusted expression. He had to keep that in mind. When Steve pushed him onto the mattress, leaned above him and came closer to his face, Tony turned his cheek towards Steve's face. Unfortunately Steve hadn't got a spare hand to turn his head back again, so he used his own head and prodded against Tony's nose with his own.

'Don't be so dismissive...It's making me sad...', Steve whispered right into his hear.

The feeling of his warm breath on Tony's skin, made him sweat and caused goose bumps.

'So where did you get these scratches?', Steve repeated.

The continual feeling of Steve's breath made Stark's body shake slightly under the soldier.

'I...Accident. Fell from a ladder. L-landed on my back...And that's...T-that's all...', Tony stumbled.

With the point of his nose Steve stroked Tony's neck softly, who closed his eyes. When the soldier slid his hand under Tony's shirt and stroked the scar tissue around the arc reactor on his chest. Apparently Steve was amused by the increasing swiftness of Tony's breathing. So he struggled against Steve's grasp – unsuccessful.

'Still stronger than you, don't try', Rogers warned, 'Good night.'

Then Steve suddenly stood up and left the room. Tony just gazed after the abandoner.

The next day early in the morning, Steve walked into the laboratory carrying meal tray, breakfast has been placed on it.

'Already ate something?', he asked Tony by courtesy, because he knew Tony hasn't.

Bruce greeted the Avengers' leader with his hand. Stark by contrast emerged from under the table and answered: 'Not hungry.'

'Come on, I did my best', Steve responded after he put down the meal tray on the table.

Unapproachable Tony went to a machine a few meters next to the table and said: 'Didn't ask you to do that.'

'Well, I thought...You know Pepper always did so-'

'You know what, Rogers!?', Tony shouted aggressively, 'Stop comparing yourself to Miss Potts. You aren't Pepper. And you will NEVER ever be like her. No way. So just stop it!'

Disappointed and hurt Steve looked at Tony's back, who didn't even deign to look at him, then he left the lab.

Bruce stared at the door. After a few minutes he asked: 'Didn't you think that has been a little bit too hard? I mean to snub him this way...'

'No. I just hate it. Pepper is gone, so what is he trying to tell me, when he tries to be more like her? He is going to leave one day, too? Bullshit.'

'Tony, I think there could be a huge misunderstanding now...', Bruce guessed.

'Huh?'

'Go up and fix it...'

'I wouldn't dream of it. I don't run after anybody.'

'Maybe that's the reason why you need a new CEO among others...', Bruce let him know.

'I'm made for fixing machines...Not for fixing relationships', Tony complained and went up to search for the captain.

Steve stayed in the kitchen and cleaned it up from the dirt he left behind by making breakfast for Tony. Needless to say Steve perceived him, but he didn't dare to turn around or say anything. Wordless Tony sat down on a chair standing near by the table and watched Steve wiping over the worktop.

'What do you want? I don't like it, when you're watching me...', Steve said rattled.

'Well, I like it. Wanna make a compromise?'

'What are you thinking about referring to that?', the soldier asked and put down the rag.

'You try not to be bothered about me watching you and I'm going to eat every breakfast you'll make for me.'

'A little lopsided, don't you think?', Steve responded grinning.

'You had the problem. I'm just trying to make a compromise', Tony answered poised.

Without giving response, Steve went on tidying up, whereon Tony shrugged his shoulders and left the room again.

'Didn't work', he told Bruce and disappeared under the table once more to check up the electrical connections he had been working on before Steve interrupted.

After a while Banner left the shop for a pause. Steve sensed his chance to talk to Tony without getting disturbed and went to him. Instead of working Tony played with holograms, Steve thought when he saw him. He turned the hologram of a motor again and again.

'Is it fun?', the soldier asked and stepped behind the scientist.

'Actually it's not fun looking for faults. It means you have done something wrong before and I'm not really amused of that, you know?'

Then Tony could feel Steve's chin on his right shoulder. By not minding, Steve got closer, so suddenly Tony felt his smooth cheek against his own.

'Bristly. When have you shaved your face last ti-'

'Pssst...', Tony hissed and kept concentrating on the hologram.

'Oh, am I disturbing again?'

'You're destroying the moment.'

'We're having a moment?', Steve turned his head a bit and looked at him.

'Well, I was having. Don't know if you had', Tony replied before he faced away from Rogers.

Steve started laughing ironically and Tony turned to him again.

'And now you're running away again? Are you kidding?'

'You're a super-soldier. Drugs do you no harm. But an overdose of closeness, would kill me', Stark answered and walked away a bit.

'Always a way out, right? No chance to discuss, you'll always find an excuse.'

'Oh, well that's no excuse. Never learned about drugs in school? Or did you concentrate on going to the army already in your childhood, so you can't remember what they taught you?'

'What are we talking about now?', Steve responded confused, 'Are we talking about drugs or closeness?'

'It's weird, Cap, but sometimes they're going hand in hand. By the way: I lo...lo...like the way you're getting confused by nearly every single sentence I say', Tony stumbled while talking.

'What was that?', Steve answered and took a few steps in his direction.

Meanwhile Tony washed his hands, looked at Steve, backed out when he saw him coming closer again.

Then Steve put his hands up and asked:

'Are you scared of me?'

'Kinda. The closeness, you know?'

'No, I still don't get it.'

'Didn't expect any difference', Stark mentioned and passed the soldier, after that he went up to the living-room.

'Why are you so cheeky to me again?', Banner and Natasha heard Steve saying, when they sat on the couch and talked to each other.

'I'm simply not. You're too sensitive I guess. False interpretation', Tony replied and took a drink.

'Of course, it's my fault again', Steve responded standing in the door.

'Didn't say that, captain. I'm just getting addicted to things so fast. Don't need that with a thing I'm not used to and that's hard to get.'

'What's wrong?', Natasha asked, but she didn't get an answer.

'Yea, you're right', Steve said, 'Alcohol is much easier to get, right?'

'And it isn't talking so much. Could be more favorable, too', Tony laughed.

'Your best friend left just a short time ago and still everything's a joke to you', Steve sounded angrily, 'What's just wrong with you?'

'What's wrong with you, that you never seem to find a reason to laugh? Besides: Of course I'm right. I'm never mistaken.'

'Haven't you told me about some faults on this engine thing down in the shop?'

'Guys!', Natasha screamed, 'Could you stop it now and tell me what's going on?'

'Nothing's going on, ma'am. Stark just has got a flight of fancy again.'

'Flight of fancy? Do you even know what it mea-'

'I said stop it!'

Both turned away from Banner and Natasha.

'How are you able to handle this, doctor?', she asked when the other men kept silence.

Bruce looked at her with a look of inquiry.

'How is it possible you don't hulk out in those situations?', Natasha added, because of that Bruce started laughing, 'I think you could need vacation.'

'I don't need vacation, I need a rest from this bugging fai-'

'STOP IT, STARK! I'll talk to Clint, he mentioned something interesting. I think I know the perfect place we could-'

'Wait, we?', Steve interposed.

'Sure. Unless you'd like to be alone with him.'

Steve took a breath to answer her, just in this moment Tony said: 'No?'

'Are you dead certain?', Bruce added.

'Which reason should be there to spend time alone with-'

'Watch your mouth', Natasha told him and stood up to find Barton.

'- this virgin super-soldier?'

'So 'virgin' is an important point to you?', Banner asked, acting to be confused.

'What the...No of course not! Well, I mean...No, It's', Tony stumbled, 'I just meant he's prude. And I need people to party with.'

'Right...', Bruce responded and left the room, too.

Steve memorized Tony's words exactly. They stayed in the living-room for a while until Natasha came back and said:

'Take the stuff you need, we'll take a break from all this for a few days. Don't come along with any electrical things', she emphasized, 'We want a real break, not just a position-shift.'

Tony rolled his eyes and went to his room.

Chapter 2: Vacation – Cabin in the woods

Later on Steve, Clint, Natasha, Bruce, Thor, Steve and Tony met at Stark's private jet. Barton was talking to the pilot and explained where he had to land the jet. After talking a seat, Clint told the other Avengers from their landing spot they would move on to a quiet place with a small bus.

'Where are we exactly going?', Tony asked and nipped from his glass.

'You'll see when we're there.'

Being on the edge, Tony rolled his eyes again and looked out of the window. After a few minutes Steve, who was sitting in front of Tony, said:

'I shouldn't have told you. I should have known you'd always rag me with it...'

Stark didn't say a word and kept on looking out. Steve hanged his head.

'I wouldn't if you weren't', he answered then, 'Nevertheless I'm sorry if I hurt you. Didn't mean to.'

'Of course you did...'

Tony rubbed his eyes and continued:

'I'm just stressed. I'm really sorry. Don't tell me now I wouldn't mean this apology, please.'

'Stressed by what?', Steve asked worried.

'Nothing. Just still thinking about who's gonna be the new CEO and...well...'

Stark stopped.

'Is that all? Or are you hiding anything again?'

'Steve, please just don't...'

Disappointed Steve started playing with his own hands nervously, but then he mentioned:

'I am there for yo-'

'Just don't.'

Steve nodded and tried to focus his eyes on other things. Thor, sitting on the other side of the central gangway, noticed the leader's efforts, which weren't working actually. Neither talking to Stark, nor his tries to ignore him. That made him addressing Steve for distraction. Bruce, observing the happenings, could see Tony was pissed for whatever reason. His facial expression became even more strained, when Steve started laughing.

When they sat in the bus then, Bruce sighed and asked:

'What is it again?'

Tony looked to Steve and Thor, who were sitting in the front of the bus, whereas he and Banner sat at the end of it.

'What do you mean, my friend?'

'I mean, why you have been pissed or still are once more?'

'It's nothing.'

'Let me take a guess' Natasha intermeddled, 'He likes to be watched by Steve, although he doesn't want it to be true. He likes to be cruel to him and to know he's caring about him anyway.'

'Simply no. I just don't understand, why Thor is up to make him laugh and when I'm talking to him, he puts on his 'I-am-in-a-serious-war-face'.'

'Ha ha, you're jealous! That's it!', Bruce said.

'What? No! Of course I'm not, I mean, what are you talking?', Tony tried to find an excuse, Bruce and Natasha laughed, 'This is not funny...I don't see why I should be.'

After they have stopped laughing, Bruce still grinned and Natasha put on a appreciative face. Stark leaned back and began to sulk.

'Oh, doctor. Now he's in a snit, please heal him!', Natasha laughed again.

Bruce shook his head an replied:

'It's enough, I think.'

Then he slapped on Tony's shoulder and looked out of the window as Stark did. After a while Steve prodded Tony, who opened his eyes sleepy.

'Hm?', he brought out.

'Get out. We have arrived. Thought you wouldn't need sleep.'

'Still stressed. Every man needs to sleep, when he's stressed...', Stark murmured and stretched himself.

As he left the bus, he took his bag and looked around. They had stopped in a forest. In front of him there was an old wooden hut.

'Are you serious?'

'Come on, it's going to be fun!', Natasha called out and hit Tony's bottom with the flat hand.

Tony shook his head while he followed her to the hut. Inside the perspective didn't become better: The old, dark furniture weren't congenial to the modern world-loving man.

'A little bit old-fashioned, huh?'

'Well I like it', Steve assessed.

Tony rolled his eyes once more. Of course Rogers liked it, It had to be as old as he was at least. But for some reason Tony got a queasy conscience at the same moment when these thoughts crossed his mind.

'That's the main point', he responded then to calm down his conscience again.

'What do you want to say with that now?', Steve asked, slowly getting angry.

'Huh?', Tony turned to him, 'Nothing? I said what I meant and I'm meaning what I said.'

When they stood in the living-room, Clint pointed at the corridor. There where three doors on each side.

'Take a bedroom. But you shouldn't pick the first one on the right side. I'm going to explain it later', Hawkeye said and grinned.

Tony shrugged his shoulders and took the second one on the right side immediately. Steve took a look at the first door on the right side, before he entered the first room on the left. Natasha and Clint took the room next to Steve's, in the room behind Bruce settled down, so the third room on the right side belonged to Thor. When he looked at his room, Steve notice the old, broad oak bed standing next to the window on the opposite of the room. On the left side there was a washbasin with a round mirror over it, hanging at the wall.

On the left by contrast there was a little cupboard he could store his clothes in. Next to the cupboard also hanging at the wall there was an old painting. It showed a deer standing on a glade. Steve smiled. He left the room and took a few steps down the corridor.

'How are your rooms?', he asked.

Thor came out of his and said:

'Pretty modest by comparison to Stark Tower.'

'Every room looks same', Clint mentioned while he was storing his clothes in his and Natasha's cupboard, 'Only the paintings are different.'

'Have I mentioned, I hate it to be normal? This is...well, ordinary', Stark called when he left his room and went to the living-room.

'Deal with it!', Steve ordered, sounding like being on the edge by Tony's comments.

Tony didn't respond. He started looking around: behind the old, red leather sofa there was a stairway up. Stark took the way up and realized there were two more rooms. He opened the door to his left and discovered another bedroom. It didn't really differ from his room, either. The same moment he closed the door again, he opened the one on his right. A bathroom has been behind. Old tiles decked the walls. Obviously not Tony's taste as you could see by his trying to ignore reaction. An outdated, curved water tap on a beige-colored washbasin. What next? Oh, yes: The missing shower. Only an old bathtub. Stark rolled his eyes and closed the door. As he went down, Thor and Banner were sitting in the living-room. On one hand Thor on the sofa, on the other hand Bruce in one of two armchairs next to the chimney.

'Did you find anything interesting?', the doctor asked as he saw Tony coming down.

'Just a seventh bedroom and a bathroom.'

'A bathroom? Oh!'

'On this floor there's also one. So you needn't go up all the time', Clint explained, 'It's the door straight at the end of the corridor down here.'

Tony took a look to Steve's room door, which was standing open.

'Where's the Capsicle?', he asked then.

'I think he went out. The silence out here will do him good', Natasha supposed.

Then she walked over to the over side of the room, where the kitchen area has been set, and added:

'If you're hungry: I already placed in food in the cupboards and the fridge. So, Tony, if you don't want to starve, you should ask one of us to make something to eat for you, because here's no way to order something.'

Tony sat down to the second armchair, crossed his legs and took something out of his pocket inconspicuously. He looked on the screen of his Stark Phone and couldn't believe it: No reception.

'Thaaaaaank you', Hawkeye said and took the phone.

Wordless Tony looked at him, then he stood up.

'Doesn't work anyway', he responded and left the cabin.

Outside he saw a stack of wood, axes leaning next to it. Stark turned around to the cabin's door again and thought about the chimney.

'Oh, please no', he talked to himself.

'What is it?', Steve asked coming out of the forest, 'Got a problem to cater for warmness?'

'Usually I don't need to take the risk of burning my hands to get warmness into my premises, yes.'

'Are you scared of blisters? I thought you'd be a hero.'

'Oh, you did?', Tony replied, getting stomach ache when he remembered once Steve had said he wouldn't make a martyr of himself, so he should stop acting as if he was a hero.

'Tony, why are you mean to me all the time? What's wrong with you?', Steve asked bluntly.

'I don't know what you're remembering of me. I have always been like this. Maybe you've got the impression it's harder now, because you li...I don't know. But I won't disguise just because you feel hurt.'

Steve memorized his words exactly once more. Speechless he entered the cabin. As the sunset came, the Avengers were sitting in the living-room. Clint set fire to the chimney, Thor poured beer into his glass, Tony looked into the bar hoping to find some hard liquor. Steve tucked up his legs, lay his sketch-pad on his thighs and started drawing Thor and Bruce talking to each other. The shining of his eyes has been conspicuous.

'Come on, Steve!', Natasha suddenly said, 'Draw me like one of your french girls!'

Obviously Steve was confused. He looked at her and waited for an explanation. When he didn't get one, he responded:

'I don't understand.'

'Of course not', Tony mentioned and widened his eyes, because Steve was standing right next to him in the twinkling of an eye, constricting his muscles.

'Could you stop it now!? I'm sick of it!', Rogers shouted.

Stark cowered a bit, when also Thor stood up. He looked at the others.

'One more and I'm going to flip out on you!'

'Calm down, soldier', Thor tried to convince him, 'I'm sure he didn't mean it.'

'He didn't want to say you're stupid, Steve', Natasha explained, 'It's just I didn't thought about the time you came from and...he just wanted me to remember.'

'By the way, Natasha: No, he won't', Clint exclaimed.

Thor and Bruce laughed, the god and Steve sat down again. As Clint sat down, too, Steve asked:

'You wanted to tell us something about the bedroom over there?'

'Oh, yes. Hope you don't get scared of creepy stories', Clint grinned, 'Well this is the story: Man years ago this cabin was built by a seven headed family. One day three bandits came along to hide in the forest and discovered the cabin. One of them has been bearded and tall. Also he should have been really strong because of his size and weight. The other ones haven't been weak, but at least weaker than he was. They killed the whole family immediately and put their loot into the parents bedroom. They decided to take the corpses into the first room on the right. In this room there's no window, because it has been used as storeroom. The tall bandit sent his two rottweilers so they could devour the corpses. After hiding for a while, the others, who actually loved each other, decided to kill the tall, bearded man, because they would spent their part of the loot for each other anyway. As they tried to jail him in the windowless room, they pushed him against the door hardly, which got broken and unhinged a little bit. They took the loot and ran away. After a few days of trying to get out and destroying the furnishing, the two dogs became hungry slowly. The corpses didn't seem to be appealing anymore. The bandit panicked when he noticed the intention of his animals. He ripped out wood from the bottom to dig out, but it was too late. The dogs attacked him and ripped the flesh from his face first. He was screaming and tried to crawl away, when he tasted his own blood. According to tradition, he was screaming things like 'WHY!?', before the rottweilers killed him. Some people say you can hear him screaming that at night even today and every person who opens the door and takes a look inside, is killed by his ghost at night...'

Steve felt a great frisson going down his back. Wordless Tony stood up and went to the corridor. The others glazed behind him and watched him opening the said door.

'NO!', Steve screamed nearly freaking out.

He jumped up and ran to Tony, who turned on the light in the room. It looked like every single of the other rooms.

'Oh, look! There's a window!', he said then and turned to Clint.

Clint grinned and took a nip from his glass.

'Don't worry, Cap. If he tries to kill you, I'll protect you', Tony added laughing, turned off the light again, closed the door and went over to the others.

While staring at the closed door, Steve's sight became blurry for a short moment. When he lay in bed later, he stared at the wall. He couldn't stop thinking about the story Clint told them. Minute after minute elapse, Steve couldn't sleep. Suddenly there was a loud noise coming from the corridor. Immediately he pulled the blanket over his head and squint his eyes shut. Another noise started. It took a few seconds until Steve realized it has been his heart beating so fast. The noise returned and Steve suddenly sat straight in his bed. He stared at the door and waited. There it was again. And he couldn't move. He was so scared, he even couldn't clap his eyes at the split of a second. Slowly and noiseless Steve stood up and went to the door. The creak of the door, when he opened it, almost crept life out of his body. He looked down the corridor carefully. Then he opened the door a little further on and looked at the door on the opposite. A loud noise, as if a door would have been slammed could be heard, which was why Steve winced. Suddenly a shadow appeared to his right. It got closer and closer really fast and then...Steve jumped out of sleep and looked around. His clothes were wet by sweating the whole dream. At least he hoped it has been a dream.

Suddenly the noise started again.

'Oh, no. Please no. I...No', he whispered and went to the door carefully. As he opened it, there was a shadow on his right.

'NO!', he screamed and pushed his elbow towards it.

'OUCH!', someone screamed.

Steve was confused. He turned on the light and looked at Tony, who started bleeding from his nose.

'What the fuck, captain?!', Stark shouted and held his hand on his nose, 'You don't need to beat me up just because I angered you a bit!'

'Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, it was...I just...I was terrified! I'm so sorry...Let me have a look...', Steve stumbled and got closer to Tony.

Softly he lay his hand on his cheek, but Tony jumped back.

'No! Just get away. This fucking hurts. You have got steel caps under your skin, haven't you!?'

'Come on, let me have a look...', he repeated.

Tony put down his hand to let him see. Steve tilted Tony's head into his neck and walked over to the kitchen with him. Carefully Steve cleaned up the skin covered in blood. Tony ripped the cloth out of his hands and did it on his own.

'It's nothing. It's alright again. Go to bed.'

'Just wanna make sure...By the way what did you do here?'

'I have been thirsty. Not more', Tony answered bugged, until he saw Steve's face, 'Seen a ghost? What's wrong?'

'Nightmares...Forget it.'

'Because of that story?'

Steve didn't feel good, when Tony started laughing.

'No. It's the...my memories of the war.'

'Hmm...Better don't mix it up then. Could be really funny in your head then', Stark answered and returned to his room again.

Steve followed a bit and stopped at his door, then he heard someone whispering:

'Whyyyy...'

Immediately he turned to Tony and said:

'That isn't funny!'

'No', Tony responded and grinned, 'Of course it isn't.'

The next day Steve staggered to the table out on the terrace to have breakfast.

'Looking tired, Cap', Natasha mentioned, when she cut her bread.

'He was scared. He thought about the bandit the whole night', Stark laughed again.

'I guess he was thinking about someone else', Bruce guessed.

Steve sat down and didn't deign to look at Tony, who stopped laughing when he noticed.

'We ran out of wood for a fire. Anyone of you should make new', Clint said and ate quickly.

'Tony can do it. If he's able to patter all the time, he can chop wood, too', Steve mentioned sounding offended.

Tony rolled his eyes, because he couldn't grasp Steve was really mad about him.

'No problem', he responded.

There was no way he would grant Steve a victory. After having breakfast, Steve sat on the grass next to the cabin and observed a bug sitting on a culm. Tony watched him from the window for a while, until he went to Steve's room and looked for the drawing pad. When he came out to hand it to him, the bug scuttled away.

'Oh...', Tony brought out, Steve looked up to him and saw him holding the pad in his hands.

'Thanks. Don't blame yourself. There are more beautiful things to draw anyway', Rogers responded and took the pad.

Tony sat down next to him and plucked some grass. Steve smiled and turned the page of the pad. Then he looked around and asked:

'Pencil?'

'Oh!', Tony repeated, stood up and ran back to the cabin. When he came back, he handed a pencil to Steve and sat down again.

'Thanks again.'

'You're welcome...'

After some minutes watching Steve drawing the trees in front of them, Tony asked:

'What do you do in those places usually?'

'Chilling out', Steve answered without averting his gaze from his drawing, 'Enjoying the silence...'

'Sounds boring.'

'It isn't, give it a try.'

Tony saw Steve lying down. He lay down next to him and looked into the sky. Some minutes elapsed, then Tony said:

'Still boring.'

'Don't badmouth everything I like...'

'I don't. Didn't say anything bad about myself.'

Steve turned his head to him and looked at him in disbelief. Again Tony started laughing and stood up.

'Wait Stark!', he claimed, when Tony returned inside.

Later when he helped Natasha and Thor cutting vegetables, he watched Tony chopping wood outside. As he lifted his arms, Steve couldn't avoid staring at his chest. But it wasn't about the arc reactor. It was about his muscles on chest and arms.

'Steve, don't cut yourself', Bruce advised, when he came along.

Immediately Steve looked at his hands again.

'I'd like to talk to you later, if you don't mind', Natasha suggested.

'No problem', Steve answered wondering.

When they sat at the table, Tony looked at the meal Natasha gave him.

'Soup. Extraordinary', Stark complained.

He noticed Steve rolling his eyes, so he decided to add:

'But I guess it's delicious anyway, because you all made it with love, right?'

Amused Thor shook his head and started eating. After the dinner the god, Tony, Clint and Bruce sat at the living-room's table and played a card game. Meanwhile Steve helped Natasha to wash up.

'How did you fell in love with him?', she asked quietly.

'You...you know about it?', Steve asked stunned.

'Everybody up here knows', the agent responded smiling, 'So how? You just seem to be angry about everything he does, that's why I'm wondering.'

'It's too much, you know? I don't even know how it has happened...I mean, I know, but it's different now... Once I went to the shop and he has been working...I watched him, we talked about some things...Then he showed me some things and explained it...Don't ask me, I couldn't keep it in mind. Well, I felt a connection and tried to get closer...He seemed to enjoy it. I don't know what changed then, but every time I try to get closer now, he runs away. He makes excuses and...', Steve stopped and shrugged his shoulders.

'Of course he does. Think about his life: He has been one of the most popular men or even he still is and you know the stories about all the women he had. You now about his lifestyle and you know about Pepper. I don't want to excuse he's always making excuses to push YOU away, but let me tell you this: Bruce and I talked to him several times. It doesn't seem as if he would hate you or something. My guess is he'd like to get closer, but he's scared. He can deal with women, that's for sure, but that's the difference now: You aren't one of those. Actually it has been hard enough for him to get together with Pepper. You wouldn't believe it, but the time it's about real sentiments, Stark is tumbling around the point. The eloquent man starts talking like a stumbling child', she laughed, when Steve looked at her unbelieving, 'Yes, believe me. Ask Banner, it's exactly what we have been confronted with.'

'Nevertheless he tries to make me angry every day...', Steve sounded disappointed, 'I mean-'

'Simple reason: Bothering others is the only thing in social competence he masters perfectly', Natasha interrupted.

'He should learn another behavior in that point, too...'

'Teach him', she responded, washed her hands and stuck out her tongue towards him.

Then he went over to the others and asked, what they were doing.

'Come over, Cap. You're missing', Tony suddenly called.

Surprisingly after Steve came over, Tony leaned to him to explain how the game was working. Bruce's glance went to Natasha shortly, before he concentrated on his cards again. Later before Bruce and Steve entered their bedrooms at last, Banner advised:

'Don't take everything too serious, captain. There's much more to laugh with Tony about himself, than you would expect.'

Steve nodded and disappeared in his bedroom. When he lay down the thoughts of Clint's story crossed his mind again. He started staring at the wall, hearkened, waited. He couldn't say if it was really there or if it was in his mind, but Steve heard the silent crying of woman. He hid under his blanket again. It didn't stop, so he stood up and went to the door. The loud noise appeared, Steve jumped back in his bed. Suddenly the door opened and a tall, strong man stood in it. As he took a few steps forward, the moon shined on his face. With struggle, Steve saw blood and saliva dropping down from his wounded face. His right cheek has been ripped out completely. The soldier slipped back so far as it was possible. The man opened his mouth and shouted:

'WHY!?'

Immediately Steve turned around and tried to open the window to get out, but the man grabbed his leg and pulled him out of the bed. His head has been pushed against the door frame, when the bandit pulled him out of his room. Dizzy by the bounce Steve realized he was pulled into the corridor. The door in front of him opened.

'NO!', he screamed, but there was no way out. He found himself in the opposite room, the bandit standing in front of him, the snarling rottweilers beside him.

'WHY!?', he shouted again.

The red color of the blood covered his whole face now and started to move into his skin. The bandit transformed to Red Skull. He grinned and held a gun against Steve's head. Then the smell of beer came into Steve's nose and a weak blue light appeared in front of him. When Steve opened his eyes Tony and Thor sat on his bed, obviously trying to wake him up.

'You wouldn't believe it, but I tried to sleep, Cap. Ugh! By the way your shirt is wet. And your blanket. And your hair', Tony stopped enumerating, when he saw the tears in Steve's eyes, 'Your screamed like a banshee, Cap.'

Steve wiped away the sweat of his forehead and lay down again.

'I'm okay...'

The same night two hours later, Steve stood up and sneaked to Tony's door and knocked slowly. As he didn't get a response, he opened the door and looked to his bed. Tony looked back and asked:

'More nightmares?'

'I didn't sleep since then...May I talk to you?'

'Go ahead.'

Tony turned so he lay on the left side of his body. Steve sat on the edge carefully and started:

'I know you don't believe in those things...But...do you think...'

'I believe I am able to think, yes', Tony laughed, 'What is it?'

'Take it seriously now...I'd like to ask if you think...Imagine there's a man and he's killing people for his conviction...Do you think God doesn't love the man anymore, because he extinguished lives?'

'Who are we talking about I'd like to know first.'

'Any man. Doesn't matter...'

'It's hard to answer this question, Steve. I'd say from the point of my knowledge, not believe, the god you're believing in, loves every single man and every woman like a father loving his children. Now you imagine you'd be a father. And your son comes home and tells you he had killed someone. I must say, I would be broken and disappointed and I'd want him to suffer for his deeds, but I'd still love him. This is about forgiveness. And didn't you tell me God was forgivi-'

Tony was stunned, as Steve started crying. They kept silence, Steve wasn't able to calm down. He hanged his head, when Tony left the bed and squatted down in front of him.

'Need a drink?'

'No...', the former soldier stuttered because of his crying.

But I do, Stark thought and kept silence again. He sat down next to Steve. What would you do in such a situation? Tony has been helpless. He couldn't find a solution, so heavily he tried.

'You know, I can't imagine how it was in that war. I haven't been in such a serious one. Every time I have been in a fight, I had friends standing by my side and I-'

'Stop it, Tony...'

Stark nodded and looked to the bottom. After another few minutes of silence, Tony asked:

'Do you need anything else except from a drink?'

'I need you.'

'What should I do?', Tony responded with an ironic laugh.

Steve lifted his head and looked at him angrily.

'What is it again? I'm sorry, whatever I did now. How can you be so pissed all the', Steve dropped on the bed, 'things I say? I mean is it so hard to-'

'Tony?'

'Yes.'

'Would you just shut up and lay down next to me?'

'Err...I could, yes.'

'Do it, please.'

So he did and lay on his left side again to be able to look at Steve.

'Let me give you an advice: If you don't know what to say, just shut your mouth and say nothing, before you start to get carried away.'

The scientist noticed Steve calmed down again, that was why he decided to be silent. Suddenly he knew what to say.

'I just don't understand why you're feeling so bad.'

'What did I tell you a few minut-'

'No, let me finish. I mean you're always so brave. We're talking about the past. What are you afraid of?'

'I'm not brave...I couldn't move in my nightmares, when I was scared...'

'First: We're talking about nightmares. Second: You are. There's so much you went through and the only things that sometimes happen are, you cry or you've got nightmares. Look at me: I can't take my own life, so I drink even if I hadn't severe problems as you had. I don't know, but when I lookatyouImproudthatyoucouldteachmetobemorelikeyou ', Tony mumbled.

'What did you say?', Steve asked laughing a bit.
Tony clicked his tongue and responded:

'Nothing of importance. I got carried away once more, so...Forget it, the things before have been important.'

A short time Tony saw a smile on Steve's lips, who then said:

'I'm getting tired...May I stay here?'

'Uh...Of course.'

Steve slipped up to lay down correctly and took the blanket. Wordless Tony lay down next to him, watched him a short time. Then he turned his back towards Steve and closed his eyes. After he fell asleep, Steve noticed his shaking body. He leaned over Stark and looked at him: He was certainly sleeping. Then he clocked that there were goosebumps all over his arm. Steve moved closer and threw the blanket over Tony's body, too. Afterwards he shortly made sure there was no free space, where the cold air could get between.

The next day Hawkeye knocked at the door and opened it.

'Wake up, we'd like to...WHAT THE FUCK!?'

Tony and Steve opened their eyes quickly and looked to the door. They saw Clint running away from the door and heard the rumbling of his feet by running up the stairs in the living-room.

'What was that?', Tony asked drily and turned his head a bit.

By doing that he felt Steve's head behind his. He looked at him and widened his eyes.

'Uuuuh...', he brought out and crawled out of the bed.

Stark ambled to the fridge and heard Natasha talking to Barton upstairs.

'What has happened?'

'I...saw...things!'

'Stark?', Natasha asked and looked down to him.

'He didn't see anything bad actually.'

Steve hid in a corner so Tony couldn't see him, but he could hear them. He smiled to himself.

'What the fuck is up with you, guys!?', Hawkeye shouted, leaning over the handrail over Tony.

'Don't know what you're talking about', Tony answered and put a piece of waffle in his mouth, went to the sofa and saw Steve, 'Waffles?'

He held a waffle in Steve's direction and dropped on the sofa. Natasha giggled and stroked Clint's cheek.

Some moments later Bruce came to Steve and told him:

'Hey, Cap. Natasha asked me...to ask you...if you would ask Stark to spend time out of here. Anywhere outside for some time.'

'Anywhere? For some time?'

'Yes', Bruce scratched the back of his head, 'She talked about a surprise for you, I don't know yet. Take a walk through the forest or...something.'

'I could try to convince him, yea...'

'Shouldn't be that hard after...well', Bruce laughed.

Steve smiled and searched for Tony. Without discussing, Tony followed him. He observed the way they walked. After a while they came to a lake.

'Wish it would be warmer...We could go swimming then.'

Tony laughed shortly. He doffed his shirt and his shoes.

'What are you doing?', Steve wondered.

'It's not that cold, there isn't even ice!'

Tony ran to the lake and jumped in. Steve stopped at the waterfront and waited for Tony to surface again. As he did he screamed:

'But it feels like there is!'

'That's your own fault, why do you think we need wood to warm up the cabin?', Steve laughed.

Mission complete: Steve laughed about something Tony said. Proudly, but freezing Tony went out of the water again.

'Wasn't so smart, we have to spend some more time out here', Steve mentioned.

'Huh? Why?'

'Don't know, they told me not to come back before set of sun.'

'Too bad...', Tony responded when he dressed his shoes and his shirt again.

Steve took his jacket and handed it to him. A disgusted glance graced Tony's face.

'Oh, I forgot', Steve said and hang the jacket over his shoulders.

Tony grinned shortly and dressed the jacket correctly. Steve sat down to the waterfront and watched some birds, which drifted on the water surface. Tony also sat down and asked:

'Do you know this species?'

'These are dab chick.'
'Okay, I'm going to keep that in mind.'

'Come on, you're a genius. You have known them before', Steve replied unbelieving.

Tony didn't dare to look at him. He responded drily:

'No, I didn't.'

'Don't fool me, Anthony...'

A shudder passed Tony's back.

'Please don't call me Anthony. Ugh...Goosebumps on my baaaack', Tony answered, 'But I don't fool you.'

Of course he did, but he wanted Steve to feel better after Tony fooled him the whole time before.

'On your back?', Steve repeated, 'Right here?', Tony felt a warm hand under his shirt on his back, 'I can't feel any. Where is it?'

Steve started stroking Stark's back, who stood up immediately.

'Let's go on. I mean let's go...further...Uuuh...I mean let's go to some other place!'

'Tony?'

'Here.'

'Ever heard of the Freudian slip?'

Tony stared at him – speechless. Steve lowered his head with a chuckle.

'Of course. Why do you mention it right now? I mean I know what I'm saying. Substantially all sentences have been correct, but -'

'Substantially correct, okay', Steve laughed again.

'Alas! Leave me alone!'

When both returned later, Tony went to his room straightaway to change his clothes. On the terrace Bruce lit on some candles and threw a white cloth over his arm.

'What's going on?', Steve asked.

Bruce bowed to the soldier and pointed at the laid table.

'Uuh...'

Steve took a seat and waited.

'May I conduct you to the dinner table, steel-hearted man?', Thor asked when he stood in Tony's door.

The room's owner turned to him, looked confused and replied:

'Are we rehearsing a play?'

'Follow me, Mister Stark', the god added and left the corridor.

Irritated Tony followed and looked at the table at the end of their way. Steve shrugged his shoulders, when Stark tried to ask him what was going on.

'What's that? A date?'

Against all expectations Tony seemed to be amused.

'Call it like that, if you want to', Natasha called, while she brought out equipment for a fondue.

'No way', Steve and Tony spoke simultaneously, looked at each other, then looked down.

'Fury once told us some things about Captain America and Howard Stark spending time together, so I thought it would be fun-'

'Yea, it is. But it's a little bit...How can I put it in a objective way?'

'Just don't do it anyway', Steve interrupted.

When they finally were well provided for dining, Bruce, Natasha and Thor considered their work and smiled relaxed and pleased. The others couldn't hear what Tony and Steve were talking about, but they became even more pleased seeing and hearing them laughing. When they were finished, Steve became tired, so Tony decided to end it. Slowly they ambled side by side to the corridor. Steve stopped at his room and looked at Tony, who cleared his throat and looked somewhere else.

'I'd say...See you tomorrow. Good night, Capsicle.'

'Capsicle...romantic completion of the day.'

Stark crossed his arms behind his head and kept quiet, Steve on the other hand smiled and shook his head.

'Good night', he spoke and entered his room.

Shortly Tony took a look at him, before he closed the door. When Steve dropped on the bed and stared at the ceiling, he spoke to himself:

'What would you have said, if I told you, 'Hey, I'm dating your son'?', thinking about Howard.

Then he took out a novel from his bedside cabinet and started reading. It took a few minutes, until Steve realized he was reading about people getting killed in a fight and he couldn't stop smiling. Ghoulish in some way, he thought, so he put away the book again. Once he tried to sleep his thoughts revolved around the bandit, Red Skull and the war again. His heart felt heavy again, he became sad. Unsure about disturbing him, Steve went to the corridor, walked a bit and stopped at Tony's door.

'Should have left off the light out there, I can see you', Steve heard a voice talking behind the door.

Gradually Steve opened the door and peeked inside. Tony still sat on his bed, leaning at the wall and looked at him.

'Nightmares again?', Steve shook his head, 'Mmh...Come in although.'

Suddenly Steve ran in and jumped on the bed.

'What the fuck!?', Tony shouted.

'Pssst...I'm sorry. I was...paranoid for a moment...I thought someone would stand behind me...'

'Great and you left the door open', Stark responded.

Instead of standing up again to close it, Steve hid under the blanket. Tony sighed and closed the door. As he lay down, Steve took a look at him.

'You're safe.'

'Phew...', Steve meant and carpeted Tony too.

Sleepy stretched himself, Steve seized the opportunity and took his hand. Wordless Tony looked at him, when Steve kissed the palm of the hand. For a wonder Tony didn't feel uncomfortable with it. He closed his eyes, grabbed the hand Steve was holding his with, turned around and meanwhile pulled Steve's arm over his own torso. First the soldier was wondering, then he smiled and pulled back his arm. Feeling rejected Tony felt a stitch in his heart, but then Steve slid his hand between Tony's side and his arm and lay his hand on the arc reactor. Without a chance to react, Tony fell asleep. Steve closed his eyes, too, until he heard a loud noise coming from the next room.
'Tony!?'

'Mmmhmh...', Stark murmured.

'Did you hear that?'

'Hear what?'

'The noise coming from...', Steve stopped as he recognized it was the room Clint told the bandit-story about.

'There was no sound...', Tony went on murmuring.

'I heard it loud and clear!'

Sighing Tony stood up and went to the door.

'What are you doing?!', Steve panicked.

'I'm going to check it up.'

After a few minutes Stark returned and sat on the bed's edge.

'That was weird.'

'What is it!?'

'I have been sure the door had been intact, when we arrived. Now it's unhinged a little bit...'

'Tony, that's really not funny!', Steve grumbled.

'It wasn't a jo...You know what? Forget it, I think I just have been wrong before and it had been like this before, too', Stark added and lay down again.

Steve stared at him and thought twice about it. Suddenly he mentioned:

'You told me, you would never be wrong...'

Tony opened his eyes immediately and looked at Steve with shocked expression. The loud noise returned. It sounded as if somebody hammered against the wall next to them.

'What the hell!?', Tony shouted.

'Oh, right. Now you're believing!'

'We shouldn't discuss about that now, there are other probl-'

The door opened quickly. When they looked into the aggressive eyes of two rottweilers, drooling and growling, they heard someone say:

'Whyyy...'

'Get away!', Steve screamed.

It caused a attack from the dogs. They jumped on the bed and bit in each of Steve's arms. The bandit slowly entered the room, ambled to the bed. He grabbed Tony's leg and pulled him to the door.

'NO!', Steve screamed again, when he tried to hold back the hounds.

Tony grabbed the door frame, trying to hold on to. His power didn't last long, so he disappeared round the corner. Driven by anger Steve pushed away the dogs and kicked them. As he ran out he heard them whimper. Looking around the corner into the room next to Tony's bedroom, he discovered him lying on the ground between destroyed pieces of wood and muck, the bandit's feet placed next to his upper legs, ready to crash Tony's head. Like a pillar of salt Steve watched the enemy raising his arm. Suddenly he noticed his clothes had changed. In his hand he was holding his shield. He felt his courage coming back, running through his veins. Thereupon Steve raised his arm, too, and threw the shield right into the bandit's disfigured face, who stumbled back.

Afterwards Steve found himself sitting in Tony's bed. He dropped back again and looked at the sleeping Tony. He leaned over and whispered against his neck:

'I'll be your shield...always.'

Steve heard Tony taking a deeper breath, when he felt Steve's one on his skin. The soldier smiled, lay down once more and fell asleep. His nightmares didn't return.

Chapter 3: New old CEO

Back home Tony had to cure a cold. When he was healthy, J.A.R.V.I.S told him, he had to travel to Japan, where he would introduce them his new way of clean energy. It was important to him, especially at the time of a new smog alert, prejudicing Japan's people. Steve had been reading, when Stark came to his room to tell him he had to spend some time in Japan.

'What are you doing?'

'Don't you see that?'

'I just wanted to start a conversation. Sorry for asking', Tony sat down next to him, 'Particular you've heard I-'

'Yes, I did.'

He didn't know why, but Stark felt Steve seemed to be dissatisfied.

'I want you to come along.'

Steve put down his book and looked at Tony.

'You want me to go to a nation, that attacked ours? They declared war to us, Tony.'

'Actually the USA declared war to Japan, after-'

'They attacked Pearl Harbor, right.'

'So you still want to stick to the past again?', charged with emotions, Stark stood up again, 'I have built weapons for years that killed people, do you want to hate me, too?'

'You've tried to protect this nation a-'

'I haven't at all. War is over, so get along with your life, finally.'

'Everything was fine out there and now you're trying to argue again?'

'Are you kidding? You know what, forget it. It would have been important for me, but you needn't come with me', Tony lowered his head when he ended his sentence and left the room.

Steve sighed, he noticed he made a mistake. So he followed him out and said:

'Tony, wait. I-'

He ran against Stark's back. Confused he looked at him at first, then straight and discovered Pepper.

'Who would have thought it?', she asked, 'Mister Stark and...Mister I'm-going-to-take-everything-you-have.'

'Pleasure to see you...', Tony responded, not being able to get his teeth apart.

'I'd like to talk to you. Alone if you don't mind', she said, having an ordering tone in her voice, and looked at Steve.

'Go ahead, ma'am...'

'Wow, at least one sign of good behavior.'

Tony scratched the back of his head and followed her to his own room.

'Here to argue?', he asked, when he took a bottle out of the mini-bar next to his bed.

'You know...', she answered thoughtfully, 'I had enough time to think about everything and I've come to the conclusion, I won't let him take really everything I have. We made this company. I've helped you all day long, every minute of my life, so I'd like to stay CEO, to be outspoken and honest.'

Tony didn't say anything. He sat down and looked out of the window.

'Look, Tony, I think it would be unfair of you to send me away. This all isn't just your credit, so-'

'No, it's okay...You're right with that...'

'I heard you're going to travel to Japan and you might need my help with it. I mean, I always prevented you were going to do something stupid.'

'One question and I might give you a chance.'

'Go ahead.'

'Would you come with me?', Pepper looked surprised, 'Would you come along to Japan?'

'If you want me to and if no one else does, of course, Mister Stark...'

'No. Actually', Tony answered and played with his hands, 'Actually no one does.'

'Didn't you say once, it's impor-'

'Forget it', he interrupted, stood up and walked over to her, 'Welcome back, boss, to your company.'

Pepper smiled when Tony kept on shaking her hand instead of hugging her. As they came out smiling, Steve looked at them really pissed.

'Got bitten by anything, Cap?'

'My office is still there, where I left it, Tony?', Pepper interposed.

Tony nodded and looked at Steve again.

'What's wrong?'

When Pepper went up to her office, Steve passed Tony without saying a word. Tony grabbed his hand and pulled him back. As he directed Steve's corpse correctly, he whispered in his ear:
'You better tell me now. I'm sick of keeping silence.'

'And I'm sick of the pussies all around you!'

Steve earned a doubtful glance.

'Steve, calm down', Tony laughed then, 'It's just Pepper.'

'JUST Pepper!?'

'She's my boss, nothing more...', Stark let soften his voice again, 'You don't need to be angry. She's got any reason to', Tony relaxed his grasp, kissed the back of the hand of Steve's he was holding and passed him afterwards, 'You need to trust me. By the way: She'll go to Japan with me.'

Steve heard his own heart pounding inside of his head.

'Are you serious?'

'What is it again?', Tony said sighing and rolled his eyes while he turned to him.

'You'll take her to Japan!? Really!?'

'Well, you didn't want to, so I needed someone else to take care of me. A kind of surrogate shield. Mine doesn't want to come along.'

Immediately Steve slouched his shoulders to send out the signal of easing the situation.

'And if I did?'

'She would stay. Easy, isn't it?'

'So you're forcing me to do it.'

'I'm not. I just told you it's important for me and...I'd like to share these moments. Are we cool again? And you're going to go to Japan with me?'

'I will...', Rogers answered with disgust.

'Great!', Tony sounded enjoyed, 'Go reading again or something. Got to work on some things now. I don't want to blame myself in Japan, because it isn't working or anything like that.'

Chapter 4: Trouble in Japan

Unfortunately Steve didn't get the chance to set eye on Tony, before they met to get to Japan three days later. When they left the plane, Steve didn't feel good. He looked around and stayed closed to Tony, who touched Steve's hand with his fingertips shortly, before he got on the car, that was moving them to the place they wanted to get. Disappointingly Tony ignored it, when Steve leaned over to him. He just took a look out of the window and tried to do his tie and cleared his throat. When they exited the car, Steve went over to Stark and did the tie for him, whereas Tony put his head in imbalance.

'Thaaank you', he said and headed to a huge building in front of them.

Steve followed him to the foyer. Many well-dressed people expected them already. While Steve scrutinized them, Tony saluted his business partner with a bow. As he turned to Steve, he said:

'Mister Rogers, that's our partner Mister Niizaki. He cleared the way for our proceedings with Japan.'

Steve held out his hand to the small man. As a result Tony bit on his lip and the man screw up his face a bit, turned around and went to the elevator.

'It's not usual to give your opponent the hand for greeting. You should bow to them.'

Steve raised his head to show Stark, he understood and followed him, when he went to the elevator, too.

It felt like the elevator wouldn't stop anymore. It moved higher and higher. Steve closed his eyes. He made Stark's smell out of all the others right in front of him. Suddenly Tony felt Steve's stomach on his back, the prevalent tension made him sighed loudly.

'Everything alright, Mister Stark?', Niizaki asked, wherefore Tony cleared his throat once more and took a small step forward.

'Of course, thanks.'

Steve memorized his reaction. There had to be some parts on his back, making him lose control by getting touched. A mischievous grin graced Steve's face. He observed Stark and Niizaki leaving the elevator.

'What is it, bodyguard? I've got to guard my body, so come over here', Tony asked when he turned around, wondering where Steve had been.

His mischievous smile made Tony nervous, as Steve could see when he pulled his tie, hoping to get more oxygen then.

'Guard your body? I've thought about other things.'

Niizaki turned around and looked at them quizzically.

Tony laughed unfaithful and replied: 'He isn't a good bodyguard, you know? Thinking about other things all the time...'

Niizaki nodded and grinned foolishly. They sat down at a large oval table with some other employees of Niizaki's company. As the boss started talking, Steve lay his hand on Tony's upper leg, who shortly glazed him out from the corner of his eye.

'-And you're knowing the problem in Japan. The smog is a...a really bad thing that's badgering us. Now it's your turn to let us know what you could do.'

'Well, ladies and gentlemen, Stark International can offer the opportunity to have clean energy all over the countries. It's possible for...', Tony stopped, when Steve started stroking his leg, '...It is possible to sell your people keen, but valuable energy. For ex-', Steve's hand slid higher, 'For...I'm sure you heard about my largest invention so far: the Stark Tower. It's operated from totally clear energy. The key to the world's future is...'

Tony looked at Steve shortly, who underpinned his head with his arm and watched him with an adoring glance.

'You're thinking about other things often, too, don't you?', Niizaki interposed.

'Err...No, it's okay. I had been ill a few days ago. I'm fit again, but I'm still a little bit po...oh...owerless', Tony replied and stood up quickly.

Steve bit on his fingertip softly and watched Tony turning on a beamer hanging from the ceiling.

'This', he then explained, when a picture of the first arc reactor Tony has built appeared on the screen, 'ladies and gentlemen, is the future. A reactor of the size of a can is able to run a human heart fifty lifetimes. Now imagine what a reactor of this size can do.'

Tony started talking about the energy flow, the efficiency, circuits and motors, what Steve didn't understand at all.

'It's regenerating itself every second, so it won't run out of power. Just a minor information for you to see it's not about the money. I've got enough of that anyway', Tony added and smiled confidently.

'I understand. Would you and your friend-'

'He's my bodyguard!'

'-your bodyguard wait in the lobby for a few minutes? We'll have to confer a little bit and then I will cum down to you, confiding the decision.'

'Pardon?', Tony asked, when he heard the badly spoken word 'come', because of Niizaki's accent.

'Sure, we'll wait. Thank you', Steve interposed, stood up and bowed to them.

He took Tony's sleeve and pulled him out.

'What should that become in there!?', Tony asked taken by surprise.

'Could ask the same. Are you ashamed of me? Why am I not your friend, but just your bodyguard?'

Tony rolled his eyes first, then he rubbed them.

'You wouldn't understand it. This is business, Steve. Just let me do my job calmly.'

'It's business to deny people you like?'

Wordless Tony went to the outer elevator. Steve stamped behind him and looked out of the glass panel around them.

'Don't be angry. You just won't unders-'

Suddenly Steve turned to him, pushed him against the glass giving him a French kiss. Tony widened his eyes and lay his hands on Steve's chest to push him away. Aside from the fact he couldn't get him away at all, because of his power, Tony's tries ceased in any case. Steve didn't dare to look at him, when he stopped. So he leaned his head on Tony's shoulder and whispered:

'I've waited for that ever since I can remember...'

'Unsolved sexual tension? Is that the reason for your aggressions?'

'Stop making fun of it!', Steve shouted, pushed his eyes even harder against Tony's shoulder, who laughed shortly.

Steve raised his head, when he felt Tony's hand stroking down from his head to his neck.

'Don't blame yourself for anything. I know it's weird. And you're a virgin, too. I don't think bad about you right now, but you should stop acting ashamed', Stark advised.

The noise of the opening elevator interrupted them.

'Come on.'

Steve felt Tony was pushing him out slowly. Tony passed him as if nothing happened and sat on a bar-stool, whereas Steve shook his head and went to him. Then he ordered two drinks, took one and waited without speaking to Steve. He told him not to feel bad about it, but it was him making Steve feel bad about it actually. Why was he acting as if nothing happened? He'd like to ask, but the businesspeople already came to them. Excited Tony jumped from the chair and leaned against the bar.

'You can count it as almost bought', Niizaki told him and held his hand out towards him.

Tony grinned proudly and took his customer's hand, shouting:

'GREAT!'

'We'd like to talk about the conditions tomorrow with a notary of my choice.'

'Mister Rogers and I are going stay here a few days, so it's no problem at all. Looking forward to see you then!'

While they stipulated a time, Steve asked himself if Tony wanted to bother him. In fact he wanted to go back to America as fast as he could. Later Tony entered Tokio's night-life, Steve standing nearby all the time. Although Tony didn't really cared about Steve in matter of talking to him, but obviously he always made sure Steve could see him, while he spent his time on flirting with partying Japanese girls. He has hoped there was a chance to be alone after the occurrence a few hours ago. Without giving him notice Steve left the disco and watched some girls standing a few meters next to him. They giggled as they saw him. Steve hanged his head and stared at the bottom. He knew that feeling of being twitted very well. In America he was a Captain, but here he was just the boy from Brooklyn again. When he thought about it, Steve became queasy. It took a few minutes until Stark staggered out of the disco and fluctuated to him.

'I've said you should take care of me. Now they threw me out and it's your fault, because you didn't to what I told you', Tony complained.

Steve didn't respond, he just sighed.

'What's wrong, Capsicle?'

'I want to go home...The people here don't like me, so don't I.'

'Huh? What's making you think that?'

'They're laughing, Tony...'

Tony looked around and clapped eyes on the giggling girls.

'You're sweet', Steve looked confused, when Tony mentioned that, 'They aren't laughing about you, they laugh about your hair, because they aren't used to that.'

'So what's wrong with my hair!?'

Tony leaned his head to the side and answered:

'It's blond.'

Steve lowered his head again and smiled shortly to himself. Suddenly Tony ran against a street light and claimed:

'Oh god, I feel sick. Get us a tax...a taxi. C'mon. Call Happy. He's waiting at our hotel. I'm getting tired. He should fetch us right now.'

'Are you drunk?'

Tony giggled and leaned against the light.

'I think that could be. And I think I should take a break now. C'mon call Pappy. Pappy? What am I talking?', he laughed again, 'I meant Pepper. No! I mean Happy!'

'Had a good evening, Mister Stark?', Hogan asked happily, when he arrived to fetch them.

'As always, my friend!'

During the drive, Tony leaned to Steve, but he didn't react.

'C'mon, Steve, what is it? Why don't you-'

'You left me standing there-'

'-talk to me? Pardon? What-'

'-while you flirted with these-'

'-did you just say?'

'-totty.'

'I think I have to throw up. Happy, Stop the vehicle!'

'No, it's your own fault!, Steve shouted and took the bucket with ice cubes, used to refrigerate for example champagne, 'Use that.'

'Oh, it's okay again.'

'Anthony, you're-'

'Don't call me like that', Tony interrupted and leaned his forehead against Steve's upper leg, 'I love you.'
'-annoying me right now. Pardon?'

'Oh, did you learn a new word?', Tony responded, when he raised his head again and grinned.

'Repeat that.'

'That.'

'No, I meant what you just sai-'

'No, I meant what you just said.'

'Tony!'

'Steve! Oh, uh...Tony!'

'Stop it.'

'Stop it.'

'I said sto-'

'I said st-'

Before Tony could repeat his sentence, Steve lay his hand over his mouth to keep it shut. Tony just giggled against it and closed his eyes. Then he took a deep breath through his nose, which was why Steve released him. When they returned to the hotel, Steve carried Tony on his shoulder up to their room.

'I'm getting sick. Why are you carrying me headlong? I'm feeling dizzy.'

'Shut up, Tony. It's late. The other guests are sleeping already for sure', Steve answered stonily.

'I'm getting siiiiick.'

Entering the room Steve threw Tony on the bed and went to the bath.

'Hey...That wasn't cool.'

The soldier stamped back and shouted:

'Should I tell you what's mean!? I'm standing out there, because I feel dismissed and you don't care and take one drink after another!'

Tony cowered a bit, when Steve walked to the bed.

'It is mean that you think it's funny to fool me! It isn't cool that-'

Suddenly Stark grabbed Steve's collar and pulled him down. Steve widened his eyes and stared at him, when he was given a kiss. Tony didn't relax his grasp until Steve lay down. Then he leaned over him and meant:

'Don't be angry. I'm not in the mood for arguing.'

Slowly Tony pushed up Steve's pullover and started to kiss his chest. As Steve began to enjoy, Tony stopped. Wondering the captain raised his head and looked at Tony lying with his head on Steve's chest – he fell asleep.

Steve sighed and whispered:

'Great. Really great. Seeing, not believing.'

The next day when Steve woke up, Tony already dressed up and styled his hair one more time.

'Good morning, sleeping beauty. Ready for take-off?', he said without even looking at him.

Steve stood up slowly and passed Stark as he walked into the bathroom.

'Good morning, Tony. Slept well? Oh, that's good', Tony said and rolled his eyes.

'When are we going to go home again?'

'Why are you in such a hurry? We could have a good time here and you-'

'Like yesterday you mean? When you were drunk and I had to watch out for you? In fact that's not really enjoyable', Rogers replied and washed his face.

'You know what I'm still wondering about?'

'Spill.'

'It's how...No, just forget it again. You'd feel hurt again.'

Steve turned to Tony with an angry expression on his face. But as he saw that, he just shook his head and left the hotel room. Dressing up his formal military uniform, Steve heard Stark knocking at a door, calling:
'Hogan, get up. We need to sell an arc reactor!'

As Steve left their room and went to Tony, he looked at him and waited.

'What?', Stark didn't get a response, 'What is it?'

'Oh, nothing. I just thought we woke up and I didn't even get a decent salutation.'

'I said good morning, didn't I?'

Then Steve lay his hand on Tony's cheek and got closer. When Happy opened his door, Tony suddenly jumped back and said: 'So, let's go.'

Don't be ashamed, he has said. Don't blame yourself, he has said. It's normal that it's feeling weird, he has said. These thoughts came to Steve's mind, when Happy drove them back to Niizaki's company.

'Ohayôu gozaimasu!', Tony shouted when he passed many journalists and bowed to Niizaki, who stood outside and waited for them.

He started laughing and repeated:

'Yes, good morning, Mister Stark!'

'When did you learn that?', Steve whispered.

'In the morning. While you've slept. I've been bored.'

As they tried to get through the crowd of people, Steve heard children, who seemed to be very exited talking about Iron Man. Suddenly one of them called:
'Captain America!'

Steve turned around and looked at them. Obviously they were delighted. Steve looked at Tony and asked:

'Did you hear that?'

'We're popular, what did you expect?'

'But we are not even in America. And my name is-'

'We saved the world. Not just America. Deal with it, sweety', Tony replied and grinned.

As Tony talked Japanese in fragments to clinch the deal, Steve looked out of the window and watched the crowd still standing outside. After a while Tony gave Steve a sign to follow him, so Steve walked behind him and left the building.

'Made it', Tony told Pepper on the phone, 'Don't freak out, I know I did an awesome job. Oh, c'mon, just speak in high terms of me one time. Other wise I'll do it for myself anyway. Yea. Alright, see you in a few days then.'

Suddenly a girl stepped in their way and looked at Steve. She held up a cup with an overprint of the sign of the Avengers and handed Steve a pen. Obviously Steve was confused and looked at Tony, who explained:

'You already know this stuff, you've done that a thousand times, I've heard. Sign it and let's go.'

Steve did what Stark told him and gave it back to her again.

'I've got another meeting today, wanna come along or do you want to stay in the hotel? Your choice, I'm just asking, because I know you don't like the people up he-'

'Of course I will. I have to take care of you, did you forget that?'

Tony smiled and get on the car. A few minutes later they arrived at a noble estate.

'Mister Fujikawa is a serious person. You should get along with him quite well, you're as serious as he is.'

'I can't even talk to him. I can't speak the language', Steve said in response.

'You...You can't speak English? But you're able to read, right? Or are you just staring at your books, pretending to read when I'm asking you?'

'Shut up...Just...Shut...Up.'

Tony laughed and exited the car. The receptor bowed to them politely, so Tony did. When Steve bowed, too, children standing next to them started giggling.

'Why are they always laughing ab-'

'Pssst...', Tony interrupted, when a tall, barren man with short black hair and a single curl over his forehead came to them, 'Wow...Didn't have him in mind like that.'

They bowed to each other and Fujikawa lay his hand on Tony's back. A curious atmosphere surrounded them.

'Captain!', one of the children called.

When Steve stopped and turned to them, they immediately ran over to him and jumped around him exited.

'Where is your shield, Captain!? You need it! And where's your blue uniform?', the child asked.

Steve was stunned by looking at its Asian face, speaking English.

Later he went to Tony and sat down at the table he was sitting at with Fujikawa.

'Is everything to your satisfactorily?', Fujikawa asked evenly.

'Yes, thank you. I just have been confused a little bit, because the kids were talking English', Steve answered, blushing a bit.

'Of course they do, they're Japanese!', Tony laughed and touching glass with the also laughing Fujikawa.

A few hours later Tony started to feel sick. As he let Steve know, he said:

'I apologize, Mister Fujikawa, but something's wrong with Mister Stark. I'll better bring him back to the hotel.'

When he tried to help Tony standing up, his legs suddenly yielded. Steve grabbed Tony and looked in his face.

'Tony? Can you hear me!?'

'Get...get out', Tony wheezed.

'Tony, What is...', Steve started, then he heard the noise of releasing the safety catch several times.

'Mister Tony Stark. I've waited for so long...', Fujikawa said and stood up.

Steve was willing to attack him, but he was holding Tony and all around them there were guards holding their weapons toward them. Helpless Steve changed sight between Tony and Fujikawa.

'Just neurotoxin, don't worry. Well, you should be worried, but at least not about his death by now.'

Steve felt his heart pounding quickly. His eye twitched because of his inner aggressions.

'Lay him down', the opponent ordered.

Steve wasn't able to move for a moment.

'LAY HIM DOWN!', he shouted then.

Finally Steve could react and lay Tony down, after that he took his hands up.

'You won't die, either, today. If we kill you, he won't do what we're going to tell him.'

The soldier put down his hands and clenched his fists, while he observed the man taking Tony out. Steve slowly followed, when a guard pushed his weapon against his back. The men threw Tony into a van and chained his and Steve's hands on their backs. Steve kept his eyes on Tony, who nearly fell all over the van during the drive, because he had been too powerless to control it. When it stopped at last, Steve tried to effectuate his plan: He kicked one man's face, to he fell on the other guard back in the van. Then he kicked open the door, Tony on the other hand tried to crawl out. When Steve held with his whole body against the power of the man grabbing him, Tony fell out and said:

'Oh boy...Steve!'

'I'm a little bit busy back here!'

'Steve...'

'Just...try...to get away!'

'You should take a look...'

'I can't, I'm just in a fi-'

As Steve turned his head he looked at the new men outside, who grabbed Tony up and released the safety catch of their weapons. Wheezing Steve hanged his head.

'Nevertheless it was worth it...', he replied disappointed.

Stressed Tony closed his eyes, when one of the men started talking Japanese in such a fast way, he couldn't understand it. It reminded him of his capture caused by the ten rings in former times. Although he has been drugged, Tony felt a kind of phantom limb pain in his chest, whereas Steve couldn't take it to see Tony's suffering facial expression. Not even the way to their cell has been clear to Stark. His ability to think clearly again came back slowly, when Steve sat next to him on the bottom.

'Where are we...?', Tony asked quietly and turned to the side, wherefore he fell down to the side, because he didn't notice his hands were still chained.

He closed and opened his eyes several time until he saw another man chained sitting in the other corner.

'Oh...Hello, Mister Fujikawa. I knew something was wrong...', Tony greeted the man, who just nodded, and tried to roll on his stomach.

'You knew that? Why haven't you told me!?', Steve shouted.

'HEY! I told you he didn't look as he did before, didn't I!? So don't beef on me now!', Tony responded, still trying to get his front to the bottom.

'We're fucked right now, Stark! They took your phone and everything and we're miles away from the others! Got any plan, genius!?'

'If you would shut the fuck up, I would have!', Tony shouted back, rolled to him, hit his head against Steve's side, so he fell down, too.

'Great, now I'm lying on the ground, too! Got any other good idea!?'

'Oh, c'mon Steve, that wasn't my intention! I just-', Tony stopped, when he felt Steve's hands next to his own.

He grabbed one of it, pressed it softly and took a deep breath.

'I'm sorry. I should have told you', he said, while Steve stared at the wall, 'Or you're going to learn how to read my mind. Would be easier for both of us.'

Shortly but honestly Steve laughed and pushed the back of his head against Tony's and closed his eyes.

'Next time I'm going to travel without you. You're like a child, I always have to care about you.'

'Yes. Of course, Tony.'

'Let's get up again', Stark suggested and pressed his back against Steve's.

Working together they pushed each other up until they stood in the small room and looked around.

'So how's your plan?', Steve asked.

'I'm working on it.'

Suddenly the heavy steel door opened. The man from the meeting stood in it and came in with two of his guards. The others closed the door again.

'May I ask who you are?', Tony said politely.

'Yes, you may ask', the man answered and walked over to the table standing in the middle of the room, to clarify he won't answer his question at all.

'Would you come here and sit down, Mister Stark?'

Reluctantly Tony went to him and sat down on one of the rickety chairs.

'The reason you are here is, I want you to show me how to built such a reactor you just sold to Niizaki.'

Steve observed Tony's glance getting darker.

'There are so many opportunities, when I finally have it. New machines, new motors...new weapons.'

'No way.', Tony immediately replied.

That was why a guard hit him with his gun right on his side. Tony convulsed and hanged his head.

'Ow, right into the kidney. That hurts, huh?'

Steve took a step forward. He didn't understand the other guard, but as he pushed the run of his gun on Steve's temple, he stopped again.

'Don't make any bad move, solider', the enemy told him and turned his head, 'I've watched you. I know your weakness now.'

Stark spit on the ground and responded:

'Didn't even hurt so much.'

'I'm sorry, sir. But it isn't a bad move to-'

'Steve, no.'

'-protect people.'

'Stop it.'

'I'll always be his shield, I promised!'

'Oh boy. Now I'm fucked more than ever.'

Tony shook his head. Steve changed sight between them again, as the false Fujikawa stood up and walked over to him.

'You'd like to protect him?', he whispered into Steve's ear, 'Convince him to rescue his own life by doing what I say. Let me show you my goodwill. Don't make any bad move...'

Then he nodded to the guard next to Steve, who unchained his hands. Confused Steve stared at the men.

'Convince him. Then I'll let you go...'

Slowly Steve walked to the table and sat down. He looked at Tony and whispered:

'Give him an explanation. We'll pick up the writings when we've got a way out of here...'

'Steve, he's going to kill me anyway, no matter what he told you! Once he has got the notes, he'll shoot me right in the head!', Tony replied angrily, 'How can you be so naive!?'

The second guard grabbed Tony's collar and pulled him up. Steve jumped up again, when he heard his strangling. He kept on watching the guards holding their weapons against Tony's head while taking him out.

'At least a good move...', the boss said and followed them.

They closed the door and Steve turned around to Mister Fujikawa. In the interrogating room the guards chained Tony on a chair. The stranger took out a laptop.

'Spill. I'm waiting.'

'You could wait till doomsday, but I'll never tell you.'

One more hit on his kidney, he convulsed once more.

'Spill!'

'I'm sorry, but I wo – FUCK!', Tony yelled as the gun hit him again, 'I could do this all day long.'

'Mh...', the boss replied unperturbed, 'Well, I guess then we'll have to find out if your friend could do this all day long, too.'

Tony widened his eyes, when the three men walked out and locked the door. Tony jumped up on the chair because of a paroxysm of grief.

'C'mon!', he shouted, but the handcuffs didn't fall off.

Lucky the chairback has been relatively high, so Tony was able to perch on the chair. When he did, he knelt down and tried to get his legs over the back of the chair to have his hands on his front again, but the chair suddenly slid away. Tony thudded on the seat with his face and fell down completely.

'Ahahahouch', he moaned then.

Then he went on with his plan and could stand up finally. Immediately he got to the laptop and hammered on the keyboard as quick as he could.

'Come on...', he said to himself while observing the door, 'Come on, come on! Aaaaah, pressure, pressure, pressure!'

The kidnapper came in again. Rapidly the guards ran to Tony and pushed him to the ground, screaming.

'Oh, nice try', their boss said, when he looked at the screen.

'Yea, I thought I was able to crack your keyword, before you came back, but...well...Harder than expected', Tony coughed.

'Bring this rat back to his owner...'

The guards unchained him from the chair, dragged him out and threw him back to the other room where Steve already waited impatiently. Immediately when the shut the door, Steve ran to him and took him in his arms. He pressed him against his chest strongly.

'Wow. I'm feeling fine, it's okay', Tony tried to calm him down.

But when Steve stroked his side, Stark collapsed.

'Tony!', he heard the soldier screaming, before he lost consciousness.

After a short time Tony woke up again. They didn't knew how much time passed by, when they sat in that room, but it felt like eternity. When Tony leaned his head back, he cerebrated.

'Captain?', he asked.

'I'm here...'

Steve stroked Tony's arm.

'I'm good, don't worry. But would you do me a favor?'

Reaping a confused glance, Tony stood up. He didn't prevented his glance from ceiling.

'It's going to be hard, because it might be a little tight, but...Would you do me the flying monkey?'

'Speak English.'

'Look', Tony answered and rolled his eyes.

Steve raised his head and looked at pipes running on the ceiling.

'Over there. It's an air shaft. You should be able to get there.'

'And when I'm up there?'

'You'll get in.'

'Come on, Tony, don't let me have to worm the idea out of you!'

'Make your way out through it quietly and get to Happy. Contact the others and get me out here. I can't jump that high and you won't be able to hoist me.'

'I won't lea-'

'It would be a great favor. And maybe the only way out', Tony interrupted and looked at him faithfully.

Steve leaned his forehead Tony's and closed his eyes. When Tony looked over to the other prisoner, he clicked his tongue and grimaced. Fujikawa just turned around without a word. Immediately Tony kissed Steve shortly and said:

'Let's get it done, soldier.'

Steve walked to the other end of the room, took a run-up and jumped against the wall. Right after that he pushed off from the wall to get even higher and grabbed one of the pipes. Grinning Stark watched him climbing to the air shaft. With a great boost of power Steve ripped out the grid before the air shaft and crept in. Actually he clopped into it, instead of creeping. Tony was afraid anyone could hear it and threw his hands up in horror.

'Even the Hulk would be less noisy!'

'Shut up!', Steve replied and kept on creeping through the shaft.

After he couldn't hear him anymore, Tony leaned to the wall and sank down slowly.

At the end of the shaft Steve jumped out again and used the surprise to overwhelm the guards in the lobby. As fast as he could he just ran out on the street. After a while of passing many cars, suddenly he saw Happy driving in front of him. With more speed Steve was able to overtake him. Happy stopped the car shocked and pulled the window down.

'Where's Stark!?'

Steve jumped into the car and said:

'Call...Call Natasha...Or anyone...We need to...need to-'

'Take my phone!'

Hogan threw it on Steve's legs, who called Natasha.

'Agent Romanoff, we need-'

'We're on our way already. Have to be there in a few minutes.'

'How do you know-'

'Well, Fury got a mail from a curious place, which said: 'Never leave me alone with any kind of computer even in capture, if you don't want me to make a bad move.''

Relieved Steve started smiling.

The door opened. Tony looked at the face of his kidnapper, who seemed to be angry.

'Where is he!?', he shouted.

'Don't know what you're talking abo-'

'Shut your fucking mouth, you son of a bitch!'

'Well should I tell you now or should I shut the fuck up? I'm a little bit confused right n-'

The bad man grabbed him and pulled him up. Then he pressed him against the wall.

'I'm going to rip your balls of if you don't tell me!'

'Wouldn't do that. He could be very angry then', Tony responded drily.

'Tell me where he is!'

'I don't know, he must have left while I was sleeping. Oh, actually I wasn't, but the pain made me go-'

He punched Tony in the face and released him. He took out a gun and pressed it against his head.

'Where is he!?'

'I just don't know!'

Suddenly the man turned around and shot Fujikawa between his eyes.

'NO!', Tony screamed unfaithfully.

'Don't scream like a little bitch, this is your fault!'

Tony just couldn't believe it and stared at the dead body.

' . !', the boss shouted and kicked Tony's stomach within every break.

Before he could continue, they heard a powerful roaring. As he turned around, the Hulk ran into the room smashing in the doorframe. He took the kidnapper and smashed him against the wall. Steve, suited up, ran to Tony to make sure he was okay, but he wasn't. Then he lifted him on his arms and passed Niizaki, standing in the smashed door, waiting for the sign to send his men in, who could arrest the whole company. Steve nodded before he left completely and carried his friend to the car.

Lying feeble with his head on Steve's legs Tony whispered:

'I knew you could do it...Let's go partying tomorrow. With Niizaki. He's a tough guy, isn't he? You see, this nation isn't that bad at all...'

Steve smiled quietly and stroked through Tony's hair.

'I don't see the joke about that...', Tony added, before he closed his eyes to bounce back.

Chapter 5: Betrayal?

Back home Bruce took a look at Tony, when he lay on his bed, still being in frail of health.

'No inner injuries, although he had been beaten up so bad', Banner told Natasha and Steve, as he came to the living-room, 'Should be back on his legs after a huge snatch of sleep. He might have problems to walk because of the pain, but it's nothing really severe.'

'Thank god...', Steve mentioned.

'I'm sorry to tell you, but Mister Stark isn't in best order right now. I'd like to cancel the meeting in two days. Could we find a new appointment? Yes? That would be great.'

Pepper hang up the phone and went to the shop.

'Tony?', she asked.

Banner referred to the black chopper placed at the end of the shop. Pepper went to it and saw Tony sitting behind, tinkering around with some machine parts.

'Where did you get that?', she asked, as Tony raised his head to look at her.

'Not of relevancy. Main point is, that it works.'

Stark stood up and took a film out of a container filled with water. Carefully he lay it on the tank of the chopper and smoothed it down. Pepper took a look at the pattern of the American flag.

'Did he ask for it?'

'Nope.'

'Wow, you're really putting your best foot forward, aren't you?'

'It's a kind of compensation to the mean things I say to him. He's always blaming me for that, so...', Tony responded and stood up, 'What is it by the way?'

'Just wanted to tell you, you don't have to-'

'Not interested actually. You'll do best and I'm just waiting for orders.'

For Tony the conversation has been finished. He passed Pepper and said:

'Where has he gone? Have you seen him leaving?'

'No, Mister Stark, I didn't. Actually I'm not interested where he'd gone.'

Tony grinned and left the shop. Bruce and Pepper glazed behind him, moving slowly and carefully to the elevator. While cleaning his hands with a cloth, Tony took a nip from his glass on the party deck. When he looked out, he noticed the heavy rain outside.

'What a pity...He should enjoy his present, when the weather is better', he said to himself.

Natasha entered and sat down on the sofa.

'Who are you talking to?', she asked tucking up her legs.

'I'm talking to the rain', Tony answered and sat down next to her, 'Did you-'

'He left several hours ago. I don't know, Stark, but I haven't got a good feeling about it. Since you aren't able to move, because of your injuries, he tries to get away.'

'What do you mean? If he's bored, he should go out and-'

'Didn't mean he's bored', the agent interrupted, 'I don't know...Three days passed by and he hasn't really talked to anybody around here. Clint told me sometimes he had come to him and in these moments he...Well, I don't know how to say this.'

'I don't understand. What are you up to?'

'Tony, Clint and I we think there might be things you should talk about. Steve's still hurt about the comments you make.'

'Did he tell you?'

'No, he told Clint. Like I've said.'

Then Tony stood up and grabbed his glass. Wordless he went to the elevator. He couldn't believe Steve was playing a kind of role and never showed him he still has been pissed.

Everything seemed to be okay, how did that come about? He even has been on the best way of reforming, Tony thought.

Down at the private quarters he met Thor at the corridor. The same time Steve came up the stairs and looked at them.

'Hey, Cap. Have a minute?'

'I just came home. What do you want?'

Thor and Tony looked at each other – they have been confused about his reaction. Without looking at them, Steve went into his private rooms. Slowly Tony followed him and closed the door.

'I've been talking to someone, who told me there's something wrong with you.'

'Come to the point', Steve rushed him and sat down on his bed.

'But you would tell me, wouldn't you? I mean, if you feel bad about anything I say or do, you would-'

'Well, you should tell Clint I'm not telling him things, to make him go to you right away to tell you.'

'It wasn't him, but that's not even the poi-'

'Yes, Tony. I'm still angry with you. I told you before and you just said 'Well, that's how I am'. Fine.'

'I don't know what's going on here, but I'm going to leave now. Don't want it to become an unpleasant moment, just because our virgin has got issues with his hormones again.'

As Tony turned to the door again, Steve responded:

'You can't make jokes about this anymore.'

'Oh, I can. I don't give a fuck about you feeling hurt, when you've tried to block me, as I wanted to talk to you in a -'

'Didn't mean that at all. You just can't, because it's a lie.'

'Huh? What the fuck are you talking about?'

Stark turned around again and looked at Steve's cold facial expression.

'There's no virgin anymore. I've cared about that. To stop you making fun about it.'

'Wait, I still don't get that', Tony laughed ironically.

'Maybe you aren't the smartest one of us at last.'

'Steve, what is-'

'I had sex, Anthony. Is it so difficult for you to understand? Oh, I forgot: I'm the eternal virgin, so this doesn't fit in your image about me.'

'Repeat that', Tony said, starting to feel sick.

'I won't, you heard me quite well.'

Tony leaned against the wall, slid down a bit and stared at the floor.

'What's wrong? I thought about your lifestyle a lot, you know. And then I thought it wouldn't be too bad to get on your level.'

'My level?'

'Yes, your level. I can only battle with you, if I'm on your level, so...Deal with it.'

Tony tried to bring out a useful sentence, but he wasn't able to catch his thoughts. As he finally could, he just asked:

'You think this is a battle? Wow, that's...awful. Never heard anything less senseless. Really, this is...What is this!?'

'What's the reason for you to flip out now?', Steve asked.

His facial expression didn't change one single second.

'Let me explain that to you: My lifestyle? Ever heard I betrayed Pepper? Or where did you get your fantastic idea. I never betrayed anyone I've been in a relationship with, you fucker!'

'Are you trying to tell me we would be in a relationship?', Steve responded drily.

Being in for a surprise Tony stared at the soldier. He couldn't close his mouth for a moment because he was totally shocked.

'Fuck you', he answered and went out.

When Steve stood up to follow, he didn't saw this conversation as finished, Tony slammed the door loudly. The noise made Steve aggressive. His heart started pounding harder. He ripped the door open so quickly, that it nearly fall out.

'Who do you think you are slamming my fucking door!?', he shouted.

Thor opened his door carefully and took a look out. He saw Tony standing on the other side of the corridor shouting at Steve, who still stood in his door.

'What do YOU think you are? Coming home, coldly telling me you...Forget it, just leave me alone!'

'Why are you screaming?', Thor asked and went to Tony.

'Oh, nothing. I just told Captain America to go to Banner. He could show him some ways to control his aggressions. In return Rogers could show him how to fuck, because finally he's used to it!'

'I didn't want to know about this...', Thor responded and looked down.

'No, Thor. Mister Stark is just upset it wasn't him, who I fucked.'

'Sorry, Steve, but you're wrong: You're fucking me right now, right here!', Thor widened his eyes and changed glances between both distracted, 'And I can feel it's nothing to be jealous about.'

In that moment Pepper and Natasha entered. Pepper looked angry and asked:

'What are you doing here, guys?'

Thor waved his hands in front of his chest as the sign they better should leave.

'I'll go now. Don't want it to become yucky', Steve said, when he saw them.

'Okay, run away.'

Steve, at the point of going away, turned around, ran to him and grabbed his collar.

'Just shut the fuck up now. This is all your fault.'

Tony on the other hand turned his head to the side and gazed into space. Thor felt as if he could see Tony's heart splitting into pieces through his eyes, which became filled with tears slowly.

'Ow, feeling hurt? Well, I won't change just because you feel hurt. Remember?', was Steve's reaction.

Deliberately Thor lay his hand on one of Steve's, who released Tony unwilling. He turned around again and passed Natasha and Pepper, who jumped to the side, being scared he could be up to hurt them.

'I won't change, because you knew how I was. You've changed to hurt me. That's a difference...', Tony whispered, but when Steve turned around once more to look at him, he already disappeared in his private rooms.

Seeing him leaving this way, broke Pepper's heart. He walked over to Steve, stopped in front of him and pushed him back. Spontaneous Thor made a step forward, to protect her, if it was necessary.

'Get the fuck out now, other wise I'll let you feel the power of a woman, freaking out, protecting the man she loves.'

Steve was uncomprehending for their reaction. Tony always hurt him and nobody has been as angry with him as they were to Steve. When he left them, Pepper went to Tony's door and entered without asking.

Later when Steve came back, Banner and Natasha watched a film in the living-room. As he sat down next to Banner, he immediately stood up and left the room. Obviously shocked, everyone would now about the contention already, Steve looked at Natasha.

'Don't address reproaches to me. He found out by himself. He wanted to ask Stark anything, came up and heard him screaming and destroying his furniture. Pepper left him and now...Well, we don't know. Nobody dared to have a look.'

Chapter 6: What do you like about me?

Suddenly Steve noticed he made a mistake. Stark always seemed to be untouchable. Apparently he wasn't.

'I didn't really mean to hurt him. But I've been-'

'I don't want to hear about it. It's my fault you've got into this anyway.'

'I won't make any accusation. I'd just like to fix it...', Steve added and stood up again.

The Avengers' leader began to feel sick, when he stood in front of the door to Tony's rooms. Carefully and quietly he knocked and opened the door slowly. When he turned on the light, he saw Tony sitting on the bottom leaning at the wall and staring at the broken fragments of his former glass table. Steve held his hand towards him. Without looking at him Tony grabbed the hand and let Steve pulling him up to take him away from the broken glass. They sat down on Tony's couch and kept silence.

After a while Tony disturbed the silence and asked:

'Why did you...you know...How could you...Which...which reason...Uhm...What do you like about me?'

Steve looked at him and answered:

'I don't know. You make me flip out every time. There's nobody who could do this like you. Sometimes I'd like to smash in your face when you open your mouth and I can guess what you're going to say.'

Tony huffed laughing a short time and lowered his head, whereas Steve took a deep breath.

'Nevertheless I can't take the silence while you're around. You drive me nuts. I've been unsettled, because you had all these experience yet and...'

'I'm unsettled, too', Tony mentioned and earned a confused glance from him, 'Why do you think I try to get away, when it's going to get serious? You don't need to. I didn't want to hurt you by getting away, but that's the point I've told you before: You're brave. And I'm not. Not really at least. This is...I don't know, I'm unsettled even now. I'm not used to...talk about stuff like that. It's...Steve, I don't even know what to tell you, I just can think about getting out of this room. I can't even be really mad about you. I'm just very...'

He couldn't finish his sentence. Steve heard him swallow hardly.

'How should we go on now?', Steve asked, not knowing what to do.

Instead of giving an answer, Tony shrugged his shoulders. The returned silence depressed Steve's heart.

'At least I don't want to have you around the shop the whole day...', Tony insisted on, 'And in future I don't want you to come to my room at night, unless I invited you to. And I don't want you to sleep with any woman anymore, if you want it to work...'

'I never did', Steve mentioned.

Tony raised his head, started looking at Steve. Unbelieving.

'Doesn't optimize the situation, huh?'

Still unbelieving and speechless Stark shook his head.

'I don't know, I guess it has been my mistake. I interpreted things, that haven't existed. I mean you wondered why I felt...felt hurt. Maybe I just over-intellectualized the things going be...between us.'

Steve noticed Tony still wasn't able to speak fluently.

'I'm sorry that you feel bad. Wasn't my inten-'

'Oh, c'mon. It was.'

'-tion. Well, I didn't expect me to feel bad, either.'

Tony shrugged his shoulders again, then he asked Steve to leave. Sending him away caused stitches in their stomachs as well as in their hearts. Then Steve stood up and walked over to the door. Before leaving, it came to his mind:

'Tony?'

'Still here...'

'I like the way you look.'

'Wow', Tony responded unimpressed.

'I like the way you talk. I love that you're eccentric. I love the way you kiss me, I love the way you touch me, I even love your smell. I love your smile and your hair, it's...nearly everything.'

'I heard you...', Tony answered and turned his head away with an unhappy facial expression.

As a response Steve nodded quietly and left the room.

'You haven't given a shit on several things you love...Cool', Tony said to himself and lay down on the couch.

He didn't dare to tell Steve himself, he feared then he would flip out again. While thinking about it, Tony touched his collar softly at the points Steve has grabbed him at before. He tried not to think about the pain it had given to him, in fact still gave. Reckoning something was wrong with the arc reactor in his chest, Tony put his hand onto it. He ran to the bathroom, undressed his upper body and looked at it. Seemed to be okay. Nevertheless his chest felt like it was getting tighter, his heart became heavy. He went to his bed and lay down. After some minutes staying awake, staring at the ceiling, Tony started wondering, if Steve felt the same. Why should he now? He has reacted as if he still had been frozen. Tony didn't know if he really wanted to know or if he just searched for a reason to think about the captain.

'Screw that'', he gave response to himself and took a glass from his cupboard and a bottle of Scotch out of the mini-bar. But stunning himself with alcohol didn't work at all, so Tony stumbled into the living-room and sat down on the piano bench.

A few minutes later Bruce came down. Tony looked at him without stopping to play on the piano.

'Heard you playing. Problems to fall asleep again?'

Stark closed his eyes and didn't stop playing.

'Thor told me about Steve flipping out on you.'

'There was a reason', Tony answered and stopped abruptly.

'There's no reason to become as aggressive as he did. I don't approve that, neither you should. One more time and I'm going to flip out on him. That might not have a good end.'

'If you do that, we would have been friends for the longest time. I don't want anyone to meddle. It's just making things even worse.'

'I just wanted to give you the advise not to let him push you around', Bruce replied, upset about the fact Tony defended Steve.

'He won't. He knows at least one of the Avengers, who would smash his face in. And I'm even not talking about the Hulk.'

'Suddenly there's the image of Steve's having a hammer in his face in my mind's eye', Bruce laughed.

Tony nodded and started laughing, too. When Bruce left him again, Tony lowered his head and tinkled on the piano. Later he returned to his bedroom. Equally as Tony stared at the ceiling, not able to fall asleep, Steve lay in his bed. Taking revenge didn't seem to be a good solution. But the things, that really made him sick, were that he told Tony he'd always protect him and actually Steve himself attacked him and on the other hand there still has been one thing, Steve didn't tell him, yet. Should he wait for a proper moment or was it too late anyway? Steve didn't want to make it even worse, what should he do? He could make it even worse by telling and he could it make even worse by hiding and waiting for the said proper moment. Actually he liked to stand up right away, running into Tony's room and give him a head blow with what he wanted to tell him, but he had looked so sad, when Steve has left his room after he asked him to do so. The mixture of compassion and aggravation drove him nuts, he couldn't sleep the whole night.

He stared at the t-shirt Tony left a night before. Actually it has been as sleepless night for all of them. Clint was beset with a guilty conscience, so Natasha was, Thor still thought about what he would have done, if Steve didn't release Tony in the corridor, Banner thought about Tony defending a man who was up to break his heart willfully, Pepper thought about the moment, when she couldn't stop Tony flipping out in his rooms, as she could every second before he got closer to Steve. The only one who fell asleep sometime, has been Tony, because he kept his eyes shut to stop the burning pain of his former tears.

The next morning Tony went down to the shop. It has been the first time Bruce didn't wait for him already, but Stark reminded himself of the time Banner came to the piano last night. He might be sleeping, because it has been late. As Tony looked at the chopper, he said to himself:

'Oh boy...'

Then he started searching in his toolbox. After some minutes he asked himself what he was actually looking for. He looked at the chopper again. Sighing Tony walked over to it, sat down to the bottom cross-legged and continued his work on the machine. A few hours later Bruce entered the shop, calling:

'I'm still of the opinion you're bothering yourself.'

'Wouldn't be me without destroying myself, would I?'

The doctor didn't answer this question and took out his notes, at the point of working on his last results, whereas Tony started wondering once more if it really has been his fault what happened. So he decided to talk to Steve later. Several times Banner left the room to take a break, Tony stayed at the shop looking at the door, waiting for Steve to come in. After a while he remembered he has told him just a day before, he shouldn't come down anymore. Tony trudged up to the living-room: Clint and Thor sitting on the couch, keeping silence. Then he went to the party-deck: Nobody. After that he entered the lobby to have a look at the garages to get to know if Steve left with his current vehicle: Still standing, motor cold.

'Ever tried it in his rooms?', Clint asked, when he passed him.

'Do you know he's there?', Tony cat-called at him.

'Nope, just took a guess. In the morning he didn't feel good, so I think he went to his rooms again to chill out.'

Tony followed Clint to the elevator. When they came to the floor, where the private rooms were located, Natasha already waited for Clint. Barton nodded to Tony, when he walked straight to Steve's rooms.

The woman glazed after him, turned to Clint and whispered:

'We're breaking...And it might be our fault...'

Steve opened his eyes, when he heard someone opening the door. He clapped his eyes on Tony and sat up immediately.

'I'm sorry, didn't want to wake you. I'll come back late-'

'I wasn't sleeping. Don't leave...please.'

Tony smiled shortly and sat down on the edge of Steve's bed.

'I wanted to talk to you anyway', the soldier added.

Within one second Tony started to feel sick again. This sentence made him worry once more. He wanted to go on as they did before and now there was even more Tony made a mess of.

'Go ahead, Cap...'

After saying this, his stomach felt like it would cord itself.

'The trigger for the things I've done to you-'

'I'm not sure if I want to hear it.'

'-is that I don't understand how you can tell me to be brave and not to be ashamed of anything and every single time I came to you to get a hug, a kiss or any thing else, you turned away.'

Tony looked down.

'I wanted you to make me feel save, I wanted you to show me you trust me. You did, but only when no one looked at us. It made me so angry, I can't describe how angry.'

'I could imagine, but don't blame me if I don't, because it would make me think about...you know', Tony replied, still looking down.

'I don't want it to end like this. The point is: I feel like I can't live with or without you. Don't know how to handle that.'

Suddenly Tony discovered the cantlet of a paper lying under Steve's bed. He pulled it out and looked at a drawing of the Avengers with the logo 'We noticed: Together we can'.

'Why can't we manage this?'

'Tony, we need to pull ourselves together. They're looking up to us. If the cohesion breaks, it's our fault. It could lead to serious problems for the Earth's peoples.'

'Exaggeration is my job. Don't meet trouble halfway.'

They kept silence for a few minutes again. Steve thought about the men he gave himself to. Just in this moment he remembered something. 'I'd like to try something. Do you trust me?'

'Of course', Tony answered confused.

Suddenly Steve twirled him around and lay him prone on the bed to get at his back. Tony turned his head to the side and tried to look at him.

'What are you doing?'

'Trust me.'

With these words Steve pulled up Tony's shirt.

'Oh please don't...', he said, as Steve sat down on his legs, so he couldn't get away.

Endearingly Steve started stroking Tony's side.

'I'd just like to know where it exactly is...'

Feeling Steve's hand sliding to his spine, Tony brought out:

'Wha-'

He wasn't able to stop himself moaning. As Steve touched the place under his right bladebone next to his spine, a strong impulse suddenly moved through his whole body.

'Oh, there it is...', Steve whispered and breathed against Stark's neck, 'What about the other side?'

Steve's hand moved on to the opposite, wherefore Tony cringed once more. Shocked of his own reaction, he widened his eyes, before he squint them shut. The impulses running through his body with each of Steve's touches, moved down to his lumbar.

'Stop it...I...No...', he stuttered, fighting against the drive to look for a way of touching Steve.

It didn't last long until Steve noticed Tony already started sweating. Tony staggered if he liked it or not. It was a fluctuation between the uncomfortable feeling of the trigger, which sent out the energy running through him, and the essence feeling of these said impulses.

'It is spectacular. I've never seen this before', Steve mentioned enjoyed.

'Aha, lis...ten to this!', Tony replied in fragments, not being able to speak differently without moaning loudly.

When Steve noticed, Tony was up to get him down from his legs, he took his hands, lay them down over his head and pushed them into the pillow, so he couldn't rear up anymore. Being tickled Steve continued with his free hand. Tony bit in the pillow and growled something, that sounded like 'Stop it' to Steve. After that he started huffing, breathing quickly, sweating even more.

'Steve, stop it. I ca...can't catch my breath...'

'I hear you breathing, don't lie to me', Steve responded grinning.

'I'm serious. I need you to stop!'

Immediately Steve released him and rolled away, lay down next to him. He saw beads of sweat running down Tony's temple, when he pushed his face into the pillow and took deep breaths to come down again. Steve crossed his arms behind his head and looked at the ceiling smiling to himself.

'Is it just me and you now?', he asked, when Tony's breathing waned.

'I'd hope so...', Tony replied quietly and looked at him carefully, 'Does it sound ridiculous?'

'Out of the question. Don't call me stupid, but are we up to-'

'Start a relationship, yes. I think so. And it...', Tony shook his head, '...feels nice to say that.'

'So everything is cool again?'

'Not quite. But we'll work on, don't worry.'

'Oh, I don't', Steve told him confident.

'Together we can!', Tony laughed.

Steve looked at him with a neutral facial expression. The fear he has done something wrong again, made Tony cower. Steve started grinning and mussed up Tony's hair. Then he slid down and lay his head on Tony's stomach. Stark looked at the soldier, relaxing, being comfortable, feeling warm and good again. Both of their hearts pounded easier.

'I don't want to spurn you, but your head hurts on my bruises', Tony said with caution.

'Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't want it', Steve claimed and lay his head next to Stark's again.

Chapter 7: Sensitive matter

Tony improved the shining hour and moved a little bit closer to him. Steve looked back quizzically. Then he felt Tony's lips just before his own. Softy Tony prodded his nose against Steve's cheek and blew a sprinkling of his warm breath against his lips. As a return Steve bit in Tony's underlip, sucked it shortly, then he started kissing him. Consequently Tony reacted to it and closed his eyes. Suddenly he felt Steve hitting his cheek. He opened his eyes again and shouted:

'Ouch!'

'Fuck, I'm sorry. I let my hand fall down, I didn't expect it to be still so far away from you!', Steve explained hectically.

Tony laughed and slapped in Steve's face as well. Confused-looking Steve repeated his former unintended slap, so did Tony after him once more. A few minutes they kept on playing this game, until it started to hurt a bit after all. Stark spread several kisses on Steve's cheek, before he went on giving him French kisses. During their fugue state, someone knocked at the door. As Rhodey opened the door, Tony jumped up and looked at him.

'Hey, Thone.'

Tony started grinning, stood up and walked over to Rhodes. They gave each other a hug, Steve watched them.

'Welcome home, buddy. How was your trip?', Tony asked and released him.

'Quite good. How was your ride?', Rhodey replied referring to Steve.

'I...I...Actually we...It's...', Tony stumbled.

'Calm down, I haven't seen anything. I just wanted to know if you would go out for partying today. Celebrating I'm back again, you know. Just you and me, like in the good old days.'

'Uhm...'

Tony turned around and looked at Steve, who leaned his head to the side as a sign of expecting an answer.

'Oh, have I interrupted you? I'm sorry', Rhodey said, less honestly caring about it.

'I don't know, Rhodes...', Tony replied, still looking at Steve, 'Would you mind, if-'

'No, just go. No problem.'

Actually Steve didn't want him to go, but Rhodey's reaction made him feel inadvertent.

'Alright, I'll change clothes and stuff. Wait for me in the living-room or the party-deck or the lobby, don't care', Tony added happily.

'See you then.'

When Rhodey left and Tony changed his clothes, Steve observed him and asked after a while:

'He doesn't like me, does he?'

'He doesn't even know you. You've met several times. You haven't talked to each other. Don't worry, Rhodey isn't prejudiced.'

'I'm not worried. It was just a question', Steve said disinterested.

'Don't get mad at me, but I've got to go.'

'Would it be worth it to wait for you?'

'I don't know. Take a guess and try or don't', Tony replied and turned to him grinning again.

Then he took his jacket and went to the door.

'Tony...'

Stark stopped holding the doorhandle in his hand. He clicked his tongue and walked to the bed. Steve sat up, gave him a kiss and warned him to tell Rhodey to take care of him.

Sitting in a pub not far from the Stark tower Tony carried two glasses of alcohol to their table and sat down. Rhodey took one of the glasses and started drinking, while he watched Tony staring at his glass for a moment.

'You didn't seem to wonder', he then mentioned.

'I'm not wondering about anything you do anymore. By the way Pepper told me before, I just couldn't believe it for a moment, till I just saw it', Rhodes explained and drank from his glass.

'It's not about partying here, is it?', Tony suddenly laughed.

'I'm just here to know you're safe. There's no other reason for me to stay here other wise. Pepper sounded concerned when she told me-'

'What did she tell you?'

'- some things about you and your...'Mister I'm-going-to-take-everything-you-have''

'Wow, that's exactly her intonation. I'm impressed!', Tony laughed again and emptied his glass.

'Anthony, I'm serious. She's worried about you, so am I. I won't go unless I can be sure you're safe.'

'Well that's sweet, but I don't need your help. I'm feeling good.'

Rhodey's facial expression became darker. He grabbed Tony's glass and said:

'There's an echo in my ear from you telling me everything's okay and you're alright and a few days later we've got to know you almost died.'

'This is different...'

'Anyway, let's talk about other things. I just wanted you to know why I'm here. I don't want to be pushy, but you know me. So how does it feel?', Rhodey asked and stood up.

'What do you mean?', Stark replied and watched Rhodes walking to the bar getting a new glass for him.

When he came back, he added:

'To be most wanted at several corrupt companies. I heard about your captivity in Japan.'

Relieved Rhodey's question didn't amount to Steve, Tony sighed and replied:

'Well, I'm always most wanted in any case, therefore...'

'Rumors say there's a crowd of journalists coming to the Stark Tower tomorrow. You better think about an excuse, why-'

'You know, I don't want to hear it. I'm going to answer honestly, when it comes to any unintended situation', Tony interrupted and drank his new drink.

Besides the heavy-hearted atmosphere because of Rhodey's worries, they kept on drinking and talking about his outdoor mission for a few hours. When they stood in front of the Stark Tower, Rhodey said goodbye and get into his car, where his driver already waited. Tony watched him driving away and entered his home. By taking a look at the clock and getting closer to the room Steve sojourned made his heart pounding harder again. Steve stood at the window and looked out, when he heard the door opening. He turned to Tony and immediately asked:

'So where have you been?'

'Uhm...Not far from here. I see you've waited.'

The solider got the impression Stark wasn't really taken with this, but he decided not to ask about it and walked over to him. Softly he lay his hand on Tony's cheek and kissed him.

'Where have we stopped?', he said and continued the kiss.

When he felt Steve's tongue playing with his, Tony just could think about a plan to get out of the room again. Although Steve sensed Tony's reticence, he lifted him up on his arms and carried him to the bed, on which he let him fall down. When he looked up, Tony saw Steve throwing his shirt next to the bed. Tony crawled backwards, until he reached the other side of the bed. Steve lost his posture observing Tony trying to get away. For a moment Tony had to contemplate, then he suddenly opened the buttons of his shirt. In response Steve smiled and kneed on the bed, sliding forwards as far as he was located between Tony's legs. Now Tony could watch Steve licking over the scar tissue around the arc reactor. He wasn't sure if he felt good or bad about it. But he lost dread for a moment, when Steve bit in one of his nipples, and buried his hand in the soldier's hair. Steve released it, kissed it and moved up to kiss Tony's lips again. Carefully Steve helped Tony to doff his trousers and boxer shorts, then he got naked himself. Actually Steve would have liked to ask him, what he expected him to do, but he read from Tony's eyes he wasn't up to speak at all.

'It's not that bad, you'll see', Steve mentioned smiling to reassure him.

No reaction – so Steve started kissing him again. When Tony closed his eyes, their kisses started to burn like fire. He wrapped his arms around Steve's neck and lifted his upper body to get closer to him, after he felt Steve's corpse brushing his chest.

'Turn around', Steve ordered expressionlessly.

Tony widened his eyes and stared at him.

'Trust me and turn around. Or I'll make you to', he added, raising one eyebrow.

While Tony did, what Steve said, this took out an ice cube from the mini-bar.

'New experiment, Tony. Don't get frightened.'

His words didn't really calm Tony down. Suddenly he grabbed the bed sheet and dragged it up a bit, when he felt the coldness of the ice on the extraordinary sensitive places on his back. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't restrain his moans of pleasure. Behind him he heard Steve giggling.

'This is totally fun.'

Unwitting Tony cringed, as Steve sat down on his upper legs.

'Don't move.'

Unfortunately Tony couldn't. Steve pushed his corpse down again and again, when Tony raised it up from these recurring impulses running through his muscles and his veins.

'I said, don't move', the soldier ordered once more, grinning amused.

His craving forced the temperature of his body to rise. The heat made the ice-cube melt faster. As it has gone, Steve went on teasing him with his tongue. The change of the temperature on his skin from the coldness of the ice-cube to the heat of Steve's tongue, let Tony scream.

'Hush!', Steve whispered and lay one hand on Tony's mouth, 'I need you to be quiet. You don't want Hawkeye to flip out again, do you?'

Angry about all the orders and strained by passion, Tony bit in Steve's hand as powerful as he could without hurting him seriously. Shocked Steve pulled of his hand, sat up, placed his legs next to Tony's, pushed whose face into the pillow and pulled him up at it hips. Silken Steve entered the man lying in front of him and started to sweat immediately, whereas Tony pressed his face into the pillow and his hands into the sheet. After a while he realized it really wasn't so bad. He felt the heat from Steve's body and his kisses on his back, felt him stroking his sides incidentally, smelled his smell. After Steve touched Stark's genitals, it was over for his thoughts about his indisposition anyway. The mixture of their sweat radiated a special smell. It wasn't even loathsome, but special. A few minutes after Steve's moves got faster and more intensive, he sank down next to Tony and looked at him while he licked sperm from his fingers grinning and waiting. Tony rushed around and lay down on his back taking deep breaths. As he body assuaged from the activity, Steve leaned over him again. Keeping silence they looked at each other, then Steve kissed him once more and placed his head right under the arc reactor, closed his eyes to fall asleep.

Chapter 8: Rumiko Fujikawa

Instead of sleeping, Tony just closed his eyes to doze. Sometimes he opened his eyes again to check on Steve, who still slept. After a while there was noise from outside. Carefully he stood up without waking Steve up. He looked out of the window and saw several journalists entering the Stark Tower. Immediately he disappeared in the bathroom, had a shower, afterwards he dressed up an ordinary suit. Nick Fury pushed the door open and shouted:

'Get the fuck down and...', he looked at Steve, squinting, as he opened his eyes, 'Stark!?'

Tony came out of the bathroom, passed the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and went down to the lobby. The noise coming from the crowd didn't assuage him at all. Just in the moment they spotted Stark, he heard them scream his name from every corner of the room, throwing in their questions without letting him the opportunity to understand one single word.

'May I ask what you're all doing here?'

'Mister Stark, what do you say about the rumors you would betray the nation your were born and raised?', one of them shouted.

'Pardon?'

Another chimed in:

'They say you would care more about Japan than America. You would sell them weapons to-'

'Boloney.'

'So you deny the allegations?'

'I don't need to deny untenable allegations.'

'Why then are you selling weapons to Ja-'

'Abominable research. I don't even build weapons. This time is over. But let me tell you something: I haven't slept the whole night, opened my eyes and saw you assaulting my home and you're really...really pissing me off right now!'

'Mister Stark', an older madam said, 'Why haven't you slept the whole night?'

'This is out of your business!', Tony reacted fretful.'

'No, it's not!', one man shouted, 'If you for example brought an illness from Japan to America, wherefore you haven't slept this night, the world needs to know!'

Tony stared at him for a while. Then he looked Into the expectant faces, but he didn't know what to say. Suddenly the door of the lobby opened once more and as they heard someone calling, they turned around:

'He's healthy. So am I. Don't worry about your physical health.'

Tony scrutinized the young, small, thin lady, who walked in with three men by her side. Confidently she walked over to Tony, stopped next to him, looked at the journalists and added:

'Before you can ask: I am Rumiko Fujikawa, the new business partner of Stark Innovations. I'd like you to leave now, we've got to negotiate.'

A little bit disappointed, but awed, the people left. She turned to Tony and held his hand straight to him.

'I'm sorry about your father...', Tony answered and shook her hand softly.

'Don't blame yourself. This is business and that wasn't your fault. Now show me something of your hospitality', she answered and stroked his cheek with her free hand shortly.

When they sat down in the bargaining room next to Pepper's office, Tony arranged a drink for her.

'I haven't known about you being my business-partner in the future', he mentioned smiling and leaned back.

'My father trusted you. There must have been a reason, so I'm going to put my business in your hands and then I'll see what fruits I reap from you labour.'

Tony nodded. He opened his mouth to add something, but just in this moment, they heard a loud noise from outside.

'TONY!', Steve shouted and kicked the door open.

Rumiko immediately stood up and looked at him. Tony on the other hand arose slowly.

'What's going on here!? What are these Oriental doing here!?'

'Wow, Rogers, calm down. Rumiko, that's my...bodyguard Steve Rogers.'

Both of them widened their eyes and stared at the knocked unconscious three men lying on the corridor's floor. Tony shook his head slowly.

'Hospitality, huh?', Rumiko remarked.

'Yea', Tony then replied without taking his shocked eyes from the men, 'I apologize. He's just nervous, because-'

'Yes. Okay', she interrupted, also staring at her followers.

Tony took a look at Steve, who seemed to be baffled.

'Well, Steve...This is Rumiko Fujikawa, the daughter of my old business-partner and these...were her guardians.'

Steve glance changed from confused to distraught within less than a second.

'Oh, fuck! I am so, so, so sorry...I didn't-'

'I heard you...', she answered and walked over to the men and checked them up, 'Not that bad at least...'

'Tony, I-', he started, but Tony started shaking his head without saying any word.

Steve threw his hands up in horror and stepped back. Comforting Tony smiled at him and said:

'Bring them away carefully. Put them somewhere in a comfortable position to wake up again.'

As answer Steve nodded ashamed, took one man on one shoulder and the two others on the other one. She closed the door and sat down again.

'Bad bodyguard. Officious. Using violence instead of getting an overview.', Rumiko complained.'

'Usually he's the best in getting an overview, but if it's about me he's...freaking out a bit.'

She looked requesting, but kept quiet.

'Dr. Banner!', Steve shouted, pushing any buttons on the intercom, while the three men lay on the couch.

'Sir, someone uses the intercom. It doesn't seem to work and this person is going to change the system preferences', Rumiko and Tony heard J.A.R.V.I.S. tell.

'J.A.R.V.I.S, help him. Turn on the intercom all over the house.'

Rumiko looked around and said:

'Impressive.'

Then the whole Stark Tower heard Steve say:

'Dr. Banner can you hear me? If you can, would you come to the living-room, please?'

'Okay, J.A.R.V.I.S, turn it off again', Tony added.

'Very impressive', Rumiko laughed.

As Bruce came into the living-room, he evaluated the position and walked to the knocked out men.

'I'm sorry to disturb you, but Tony asked me to-'

'Please don't speak', Bruce interrupted clenching his fist.

'Come on, are you still-'

'SHUT UP!', Banner shouted, took a deep breath and took care of the men.

When he did for them, what he could, he went to the elevator. Steve whispered:

'Tony forgave me, you know...'

'YES, Captain. I knew it. Just because he did, there's no need for me to say it's alright for me again. I saw some effusions of blood on his arms. I swear to you...one more time and you've been our leader for the longest time.'

'Are you trying to threaten me?'

'I'm warning you', Bruce added, before the door of the elevator closed.

Steve hanged his head and strolled to the couch. Later when Steve went up to search for Tony, he got to know from Pepper, he'd gone out with Rumiko after their talk. Steve remembered her short gray skirt and the formfitting blouse.

You know my former lifestyle, he heard Tony reverberating in his head. His heart pounded hardly, when he left the Stark Tower in rush. In the garage he noticed his keys were gone. He ran back up to his room, searched for his keys everywhere, but he couldn't find them.

'Son of a bitch...', he whispered to himself and looked out of the window.

After a few hours Tony stumbled into the lobby, Rumiko by his side, supporting him while walking. She giggled as they nearly fell down.

'Whoops!', Tony laughed and looked up after standing rightly on his feet again.

He looked in Steve's annoyed face, who grabbed his arm and pulled him away from Rumiko.

'Hey, hey, Cap! What are you doing?'

'Why haven't you told me you would go out!?'

Immediately Stark and her stopped laughing. Tony pulled himself together and won loose from Rogers.

'Angry again? Am I not allowed to go out until you gave your permission?', he answered, staggering to the elevator.

'It isn't just about that!', Steve shouted, after Rumiko stood next to Tony.

But he just pushed a button, so that the elevator's door closed. Steve ran up the whole stairs to Tony's room and ripped the door open. Tony, already changing clothes, turned around.

'Where are my keys!? Have you taken them with you, so I can't follow you!?'

It took several seconds for Tony to understand what Steve was actually talking about. Then he turned his back towards the soldier again and asked calmy:

'Which jacket have you worn yesterday?'

Steve looked down and as he wanted to tell Tony to look at him, he suddenly noticed it has been the wrong one. By perceiving the silence, Tony knew he was right and turned to him again.

'Ow, feeling bad now?', he added and went to the chair, where Steve placed his other jacket.

Wordless Tony took out his keys and threw them towards the captain, who caught them immediately before they flew in his face.

'And what...what about Banner!? Did you tell him I would abuse you or something!?'

Tony recoiled with his upper body a bit and smiled ironically.

'Of course, I'm always telling my friends things like with, so they can feel sorry for me and give me more attention, you know? I don't know what's going on here again...I'm tired of that.'

'Sadly it exactly sound like you...'

Tony rubbed his eyes and said:

'Get out.'

'Why? Have you invited your Oriental girl to spend the night with you?'

Stark closed his eyes and shook his head slowly, while he sighed:

'Jesus lord, take me now...'

'If I'm so wrong, why haven't you told me?'

'Because I have been out for this. I just hoped you would be glad I'm okay, but the only thing I see up here is: You're angry again and you make me feel I'd be chained up. Can't you see you're stressing me? I can't remember one single day without any argument with you, because you always flip out, if I pay attention to oth...Wait!', Steve looked up into Tony's face, 'Oh boy, you really need to hold down your covetousness.'

Then Steve slouched his shoulders. Tony seriously considered of going to him, in the end he did after all. Softly he took Steve's hands, looked in his eyes and said:

'Let me know, why you trust me that sparse.'

'I trust you...', Steve replied upset, 'I just still don't see why you...You told her I was your bodyguard, instead of telling her what's really going on. You do this again and again and I don't get it...'

'Right. You don't understand it. Because it's business.'

Still upset and confused Steve looked at him.

'This is now about my feelings. It's not about me being in a relationship. This is about you and me. If they got to know, they would rip me into pieces, Steve. They would hold me over their heads, ripping me into pieces. That's business.'

'I thought you wouldn't care about other people's opinion...'

'Oh, I still don't. But I care about what they're thinking about my company. This isn't easy for anyone, therefore it's business. Business is no fun, have you got that now?'

When Steve shook his head, Tony released his hands and stepped back. Stressed he rubbed his eyes once more and mentioned:

'You can stay here, I'm sorry I've been up to send you away.'

As they lay down next to each other on Tony's bed, Steve put his arm around Tony and said:

'It's interesting how fast you can become sober again.'

'Oh, I'm not. I just learned how to act like I was.'

Steve smiled shortly, whereas Tony closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Several days after Rumiko left, Pepper told Tony to get dressed for a shopping-tour.

'Oh, please, Pepper. Don't let me go through this agai-'

'Take your friend with you and get ready now. Happy and I will wait for you outside', she interrupted and left the shop.

Bruce giggled quietly and continued his work as if nothing happened. After Tony changed clothes and got in the car outside with Steve, he sighed and asked:

'Why have we got to-'

'Because I don't want you to look like a piece of shit, when we conclude the contract about building a new Stark Innovations edifice in Japan', Pepper replied defining.

'Stark/Fujikawa actually...', Tony said and looked out of the window.

Reaching the place in the city they wanted to get to, they exited the car. Pepper thrust a piece of paper into Tony's hand and said:

'Would you do me the favor and get this for me? I booked it some days ago and it has to be collected.'

Without the opportunity to protest, Pepper stroked his cheek and told him, where she would go with Steve to have a cup of coffee. Tony watched them leaving. Pepper sat down at a table and sighed loudly. Carefully Steve took a seat on the other side and didn't dare to look at her. She observed him avoiding eye contact. After they got their cup of coffee, Pepper asked:

'How's it going?'

Uncertain Steve looked at her and replied:

'Good...What about you?'

She smiled.

'You don't need to be scared, Steve. I'm over everything finally. I don't hate you, I just want to know Tony's safe. And it hasn't looked like for a long time. But I'm good, thank you for asking.'

Steve nodded and drank a quencher from his coffee.

'So both of you are fine. Good to hear.'

Confusingly enough Pepper suddenly started talking about frailties from Tony, which made her laugh. Confusingly enough, too, she explained, which things Steve shouldn't do or say, when he's around. Steve grinned dizzily hearing about blemishes like trading champagne with documents about the Avengers, when Coulson has come to them once, because Tony didn't like to be handed things. When Tony came back, he put a package in front of Pepper on the table and looked at them. Both looked up grinning. Irritated Tony looked back and asked:

'What have you been talking about?'

To avoid starting to laugh, Steve bit on his fingertip. Pepper bit still grinning on her lip and giggled shortly.

'I don't like you laughing about anything I don't know about', Tony's reaction to their behavior was.

'Well, I like you better being confused about the things I laugh about, because it's a secret', Pepper told him and stood up, 'Would you pay this for us? We'll wait outside, thank you, honey.'

Enraged Tony watched them leaving the coffee shop. When he went to the register, the waitress took his money and held the receipt towards him.

'Receipt?', she asked.

Tony looked at it, thought about it a short time and answered:

'No, thank you.'

The waitress turned away, giggled and wished him a good day. Tony slouched his shoulders and turned to the exit. He ran out and followed Pepper and Steve, who were going to another store.

'What have you told them?', Tony asked putting his head between them.

They just started laughing once more.

'What have you told them!?', Tony then shouted.

Pepper took Steve's hand and ran into the store. When Tony entered, Pepper already talked to an Indian man working at the store. Immediately he ran over to Tony with a tapeline and took his measurements.

'Lucky man, good measurements. Already should have some suits for you here', he said and ran away again.

As Tony wanted to sit down next to Steve and Pepper before the changing cubicle, Pepper waved her finger in front of his nose and pointed at the man running back with an assortment of suits. Stark sighed, took the suits petulantly and disappeared in the changing cubicle. Steve watched the event amused and kept silence except from giggling. In a purple suit and a blue shirt he came out again and immediately said:

'I like him, but I won't dress up like Jonathan Ross.'

Steve guffawed as he looked at Tony. Pepper grinned and sent him back to the changing room.

'Is that man serious!?', they suddenly heard.

'Come out, hon', Pepper answered.

Tony stood in front of them, waring a khaki suit with a white shirt.

Pepper raised her eyebrow, when Steve let them know:

'I like the color.'

'Of course you do. But this isn't an army-meeting we're going to', Pepper explained smiling.

Steve shrugged his shoulders and sent Tony away again. After a few minutes of contradiction and Tony's posing in several suits, the employee brought a new selection.

Tony returned in a dark blue suit, a pink shirt and a bow tie.

'That looks awesome!', Pepper shouted, 'What do you think?'

'A little bit colorful...', Steve remarked.

'Well, we're going to Japan. They love colors! What do you think, Tony?'

'Wow, you even ask me? I'm impre-'

'That's just a question of politeness, you've got no power over the decision at all.'

'Try the other one', Steve suggested, when Tony stared at Pepper reproachfully.

'This...', Tony said after some minutes, 'Is more what I was thinking about.'

As he came out Pepper and Steve scrutinized the black pinstripe suit. Under it Tony wore a dark red shirt and a black tie.

'Oh, yes', Pepper laughed, 'Turn around, please.

He did, what she told him, suddenly she said:

'STOP!'

Both, Steve and her watched his back. Pepper started giggling again and repeated:

'Awesome. That's all we need.'

Steve underpinned his head with his arm and lay his hand over his mouth, so Tony didn't see him smiling, when he turned his upper body to look at them.

'Can't we shave your head, draw your face onto the back of your head and place you exactly like this in front of our partners? Of course you should leave talking to me then...', Pepper laughed.

Steve facepalmed and tried to hold back his conniption.

'No, thanks. Would be a bad idea', Tony replied and adjusted the tie.

'It's not that you already had a few, which you put into operation, but...okay.'

Slow but steady Tony seemed to be on edge. He sighed and rolled his eyes, returned to the changing room and handed the suit to the employee after he was ready to leave again. Pepper payed the man, thrust the suit into Steve's hand and left the shop.

'Are you banding together against me now?', Tony asked, as he left the shop with Steve, too.

That was why Steve put his arm around Tony, pressed him against his upper body and responded:

'Of course not. But do you wanna know, why I love you so much? Because you're so fun to play with.'

Walking before them Pepper act like she hasn't heard it. She tried to concentrate on her way back to the car, but Banner's words of worrying still resounded in her head. When Steve felt Tony was trying to get away again, he released him just in this moment and went on without looking at him one more time. Although Tony has tried to explain it to him, although he made clear what he showed hadn't to be what he felt, Steve felt hurt. Back at the Stark Tower, Steve headed to his room. Tony followed him, asking what was wrong. Wordless Steve opened the door.

'Am I allowed to come in or are you going to ignore me anyway?', he added, when he stood in the door.

'Just forget about it, I've forgotten for a moment that you've got to act like an asshole in public.'

'Here we go agaaaaaain...', Tony spoke melodically.

'No, I won't argue with you.'

Stark didn't like the disappointment-atmosphere, he fell in, so he tried to get out:

'I love...I love...'

Suddenly he caught Steve's full attention. Expectation depicted his face.

'I love being aroundyouand I-'

Tony stopped, when Steve shook his head and turned his back towards him. Both of them sighed. Then Tony added:

'I want you to feel happy. I'm sorry that I'm not good for you...'

'Whatever you're going to say, don't say it. Keep it for yourself.'

'Well if I'm not allowed to talk to you, you've really got to learn how to read my mind...'

The soldier turned to him again, when Tony closed the door after exiting the room. Then it occurred to him:

Tony has been right. They couldn't spend one single day without arguing. But he wouldn't declare. Nobody forced Tony to behave like an asshole, did anyone?

'Come back and let me play with you!', Steve shouted, 'That would make me happy.'

Tony didn't return, so Steve entered his room to show him who was controlling whom. Needless to say it worked once more. Steve derived benefit from pretending to be hurt, so Tony felt guilty and did, what he wanted him to do. Perfect system, Steve thought when he leaned back, having Tony lying on his chest with his head. It has been so easy to affect him, but Steve had to be careful. The list of the people, who watched over Tony, became bigger and bigger.

The next day, when Tony woke up, he moved to the edge and sat up.

'Have I allowed you to stand up?', he heard Steve saying behind him.

'Well, I have to. Pepper and I need to figure some things out before we go to Ja-'

'Have I given you my permission to stand up!?', Steve repeated more aggressively and grabbed Tony's wrist.

So as not to get hurt, Tony lay down next to him again and looked at him.

'That's much better...', Steve mentioned.

Tony huffed when he felt Steve's hand between his legs.

'Much better...'

After walking up and down Pepper finally spotted Tony.

'Where have you fucking been!? I'm waiting for two hours now!', she screamed.

'Please don't shout at me...', Tony pleaded putting his hands into the pockets of his trousers.

'Tony, seriously, this isn't a game! You will-'

'STOP ISSUING ORDERS!', Tony suddenly shouted with all power he could bring up through his voice.

Shocked Pepper stepped back and stared at him. After some minutes she dared to ask:

'Are you okay?'

'I don't need anyone to shout at me. I can hear you pretty well, as good as I hear you, I understand you. So stop shouting', Tony requested.

'You didn't answer my-'

'I won't! Okay!? I just won't answer your fucking question. Is this answer enough? Good. Then let's go.'

The rest of their tour they kept silence between each other. They talked as much as they had to, but not more. When they came back and Tony exited the car, Pepper called his name. He stopped, but he didn't look at her, so she went to him, stopped in front of him, wrapped her arms around him. She pressed him against herself and gave him a long kiss on his cheek. Then she cuddled him a moment longer.

'Let me help you...', she whispered sympathetically, 'Tell me if you need me.'

She released him and went to the car again.

'I'm addicted, Pepper.'

'I know, Tony...', she said looking at him, entered the car smiling.

On the other hand Tony watched Happy and her driving away again and said to himself:

'No, I guess you don't know...'

Stressed Tony left the elevator and entered the living-room, where Clint and Steve sat on the couch, watching a movie.

'Back again?', Steve asked and smiled.

'What does it look like?', Tony responded, took a glass out of the shelf and filled it with Scotch.

Eagerly Clint looked at Steve, who told Tony not to speak with him in this way. Tony rubbed his eyes and emptied his glass after that. Natasha and Thor came in, because Natasha looked for her partner and Thor has been bored anyway.

'Don't be bitchy, wife.'

Clint and Steve gave each other a high five and laughed. By what right did Clint laugh about that? Being bitchy? Tony would show them what's the meaning of being bitchy.

'What's the most important thing about Clint?', he asked.

The Avengers looked at each other.

'The 'N'', Tony added and waited for his reaction.

'What's the most important thing about Tony?', Clint replied, 'Also the 'N'.'

'Toy? I don't understand', Thor mentioned and changed glance between Clint and Steve on one side and Tony on the other side.

Stunned by this kind of repartee Tony stared at Clint.

'By the way, 'wife', we were thinking about what it would look like, if you wore high-heels or something', Clint added.

That has been the final straw. Growling and screaming Tony threw his glass in a corner on the floor. Natasha cringed and stepped back, running for cover behind Thor.

'ENOUGH!', Tony shouted, 'I won't take this anymore! Listen to me, boy from Brooklyn!', Steve stood up and clenched his fists, 'I am NEITHER your toy, nor your dog or anything else! I won't play this game anymore! I'm sick of it, definitely!'

'Calm down, Tony. It's-'

'Stop talking, you fucker! I don't want to hear your excuses! You're using me to feel better. And everyone told me: Pepper, Rhodey, Banner! I've told them they should stop talking shit about you! But they were right!'

'I don't know what you-'

'Of course not! You NEVER know what I'm going to tell you! Sometimes you even don't want to hear it! My heart's heavy and you don't give a shit about it! It's tearing me apart, but the main point is, Capsicle keeps cool and feels good! I'd like to quote you: Should have left it in the ocean! Guess what: 'IT' is you. As cruel and killing as the creature Stephen King created. That's what you fucking are!'

Slowly Steve walked over to him. Defensiveness moved through Tony's body. Then Thor took a step forward and said determining:

'Don't move, Bilberry.'

'Oh, Steve! I've got to say THANKS to Clint at least! FINALLY I know why it's so easy for you to handle this! Get this: I AM A MAN! I won't be your girlfriend, not your wife, I am a fucking man! This is not about husband and wife, it's about men loving each other, understood that now!? Thank you for your FUCKING attention and don't get under my eyes EVER again!'

The only thing Steve could respond was:

'You mean, you love me?'

Suddenly Tony tear his hair and walked up and down a bit, starting to cry. He couldn't catch his breath to answer once more. Thor, Natasha, Clint and Steve watched him going down to his knees. He collapsed. He screamed out all the pain his heart contained through the last weeks. Helpless the others stared at the man, who lay on the ground, cried, convolved and screamed. All of them. Except from Thor. He went to Tony, helped him up and took him out of the room. While he supported Tony walking to his room, Stark kept screaming. The whole tower was filled with the noise. As he lay down on his bed, Thor sat on the edge and watched him. His body was shaking, he pushed his face into the pillow and screamed. Then Banner came in and whispered:

'What's going on again? What are the drama-kings-'

Banner stopped, when he saw Thor shook his head. So Bruce sat down next to him and touched Tony's arm to let him know he was there.

'Don't blame yourself...', Bruce began, when Tony calmed down a bit.

'He...made me think...all the time everything...has been my fault...I had to pay for...for everything...', Stark stumbled.

'He manipulated you in a nasty way. Don't blame yourself.'

'I know, how it is to be manipulated by someone you love', Thor mentioned.

Carefully Tony turned his head to him. Thor looked back with a serious facial expression.

'How can a genius be so dumb?', Tony replied and turned his face to the pillow again.

'Well, Tony, unfortunately you aren't the expert, when it's about love and stuff', Bruce laughed a bit.

Tony just nodded and closed his eyes.

'I hate myself...I already want him to come up to talk to me...'

Quietly Thor and Bruce looked at each other...

'Well done, jerk-fraction!', Natasha shouted at the two remained men and stamped out.

After they kept silence for a while, Steve sighed and stood up. He wondered where Tony might have gone. First he went down to the shop to look for him. He turned on the light and took a look over the shop: No Tony. But suddenly, before we turned around to leave, Steve noticed something. Slowly he sauntered to the end of the shop and stared at the chopper. He remembered the day, when Tony has asked if his vehicle wouldn't be a little bit old-fashioned. Steve laughed about it and replied as a joke, Tony could buy him a new one, if he'd find a chopper, that appealed to him. He felt even worse than he already did. This was the moment Steve decided to end his search for Tony and disappeared in his room. Even if they were anxious to avoid each other, not a single day passed by where they haven't thought about each other. Being apart Tony's rage just grew. The others didn't tell him, but they were glad about him being more angry, than thinking about living in harmony with Rogers again. Especially Bruce had been happy about it. It wasn't because he didn't want them to get happy, but Tony didn't say any word about Steve the whole time, so Banner hadn't got to remember how he enraged him by treating Tony like a dog or a toy.

After a few days Pepper ordered Steve to come to her office. The stomachache Steve fought with, got stronger when he walked through the corridor. Carefully he knocked at the door and heard Pepper requesting to come in. Steve didn't look at her, while he went to her desk and sat down in front of her.

'Tomorrow morning we'll travel to Japan', she let him know.

Steve wasn't able to make use of this information. He shrugged his shoulders and waited for an explanation.

'Well, you're Tony's bodyguard, aren't you?'

'Are you serious?', Steve asked pretty shocked.

'Hasn't been my decision. I saw you two the last time and I tried to convince Tony to let you stay, but he said it would be important for the contractual partners to see reliability in what he does', she explained then.

Concerned Steve nodded and left the office. In the evening Steve packed his bags and deliberated what to say, when he stood next to Tony again. How should he behave? Or should he keep silence and do what the foreigners expected him to do? It made him nervous and sleep badly. As he arrived at the private airport the next morning, Tony already sat in his jet and waited for Pepper and him. Rhodey conducted both into the jet. During the flight Pepper spent time on reading and made notes, whereas Rhodes and Tony sat on the couch of the private jet's little lounge. Steve stared out of the window a while, before he started to draw. About thirteen hours later they left the jet. Happy carried their stuff to the car. Without taking notice of him, Tony passed Steve, Rhodey always staying close next to his best friend. Coming to the hotel-room, Tony suddenly started arguing with Pepper.

'It hasn't been my idea to tell the world he's your bodyguard! We shouldn't leave your side!', she nagged.

Tony shook his head and went to the elevator.

'Am I allowed to ask what's wrong?', Steve asked carefully, when he walked over to her.

'Well, I needed to book a hotel-room with a connection-door, so you as his bodyguard could get over quickly, when something's wrong. And he doesn't like that. But it's his own fault, so...don't worry about it.'

Nevertheless Steve's state of mind didn't become better. Tony took some pills of caffeine to stay fit for the evening, where Rumiko organized a party for with all of her partners and representatives. When Steve and Tony left their departed hotel-room, Steve held the door open and as Stark passed, he said:

'Stark.'

'Captain', Tony replied unemotionally.

In the limousine Tony gave his whole attention to Rhodey again. To see how happy he was without him, made Steve feel sicker. AT the dinner-party he felt lost. Who else but Tony if everything would have been alright between them, would talk to him? And again: It was Japan. A nation Steve didn't want to be anyway. But then, when Rumiko introduced Pepper and Tony to some of the people, Rhodes stopped next to Steve and asked:

'You don't feel fine, do you? Don't misunderstand this, I'm on Tony's side, whatever is going to happen, but I can't take how you look like.'

'What do I look like?', Steve responded while watching the crowd around them.

'A kicked dog.'

As Rhodey said that, Steve looked at him. Then Rumiko came to them and watched Pepper and Tony talking to Niizaki and two other men.

'What's going on with you?', she asked.

'Don't know, what you're talking about...', Steve responded and looked to the floor.

'Did you break up?'

Instantly Steve turned his head to her and shouted:

'He told you!?'

'Hush. Of course he did. Shouldn't he?'

'Well, he told me it would be business...'

'I don't know, what you mean', Rumiko meant and smiled at him.

Steve lowered his head again, so he didn't notice that Pepper, Tony, Niizaki and the two men joined them. He was miles away, when they talked about him.

'This is Steve Rogers. I'm sure you already heard about Captain America', Niizaki explained to the other men.

Steve came back to the event and looked at the foreigners. Carefully he smiled and added:

'I'm Mister Starks bodyguard.'

'This is good', one of the men said, 'I'm sure you're a good fighter. Such a huge man!'

'I'm sure everything about him is huge...', Rumiko mentioned pertly.

Being used to be good at repartee and to have an answer to everything, Tony said:

'At least his tongue is not.'

Just in this moment he realized what he said there. Pepper, Rhodey and Steve widened their eyes and stared at their opponents. So Tony did. Suddenly Rumiko collapsed by laughing. The group stared at each other, Stark's side totally shocked, Niizaki's side totally confused. Rumiko couldn't stop laughing. She squat down and buried her face in her hands. To get out of the embarrassing situation, Tony said:

'Won't anybody help her? She needs oxygen!', he helped her up and supported her by walking away.

'This was totally awesome! I can't...I can't...I am sorry', she laughed loudly.

'Why the fuck have I said that...', Tony wondered and grinned a bit infected by her laughter.

'Oh, I could tell you', she continued laughing.

'Shush...', Tony added and started to laugh a bit.

Pepper and Rhodey looked at Steve. All off them kept on being speechless, until Pepper decided to suggest the business-men to take a seat nearby at a table to continue their conversation. Meanwhile Rumiko requested Tony to take her out to the balcony, because she needed some fresh air. Suddenly she stopped laughing and lay her arms on the handrail and leaned her upper body a little bit over it.

'It has ended pretty fast', she said.

Tony kneaded his forehead shortly and answered:

'I don't think this talking point is done yet. Every day anyone reminds me of anything of it. And he was a close friend and he's the leader of the Avengers, so...there's no way to get away from this. Even if...'

'Even if you tried?', she interrupted.

Stark shortly looked at her and turned his head away again afterwards.

'I apologize, I suffer from headaches...', he replied and kneaded his forehead once more.

'Would you wait for me? I'll get something to drink for us.'

'Sure...'

Tony watched Rumiko walking in. He closed his eyes just for some seconds, but as he opened them again, he spotted Rumiko, who invited Steve for dancing. Steve, happy about everyone taking notice of him, agreed.

'A drink, huh?', Tony said to himself and turned around, so he hadn't to watch them furthermore.

After a while someone stood next to him and stared into the distance.

'Why have you told her about us?', Steve asked without obligation.

'Was it wrong?'

'Just answer my question, please...'

'I felt a connection after a short time. I think, I like her, because she's just like me. She drinks, she loves physical contact and she loses every single person she loves.'

Steve nodded to show he understood. Then he mentioned:

'She told me you wouldn't feel fine. Shall I escort you to your room?'

'I'm good, thank you. Just headaches once more...Stress I'd guess.'

'Well, Tony', Steve added and leaned his side to the railing to look at him, 'Could be a cold again. You didn't sleep so much the last days, additionally the stress from traveling all the time and often your talent is to wear the wrong clothes to the wrong weather.'

'No, I'm n-'

'Your eyes are glassy already. Let me take you to the hotel. Let's go inside at least, you'll make it even worse otherwise.'

Obviously Tony hasn't been in mood for arguing, so he went inside. Pepper came to him and asked:

'What the fuck has that been earlier?'

'Miss Potts, please. Don't do this now. I don't know whether I'm coming or going', Tony responded and rubbed his eyes.

'You don't look-'

'Yea, already heard that. Heard the reason was my clothes', he interrupted.

'Oh, c'mon, Tony. I can't take care of your clothes, either. Sometimes I think I haven't got a best friend or an employee, but a child.'

Suddenly everything around him started to spin. The loud noise and the spinning surroundings made him feel dizzy and sick. He lay one hand onto the backrest of a chair and pulled his tie, because his body's temperature rose. But Pepper took his hands away and corrected the tie again. The same moment Rhodey put is hand on Tony's back and asked:

'Are you okay?'

After that Rumiko returned and said:

'Hey there, everybody's darling!'

Steve changed glances between them, when Tony lowered his head and screwed up his eyes.

'You don't look good, Tony', Pepper mentioned.

You don't say, Stark just thought, looked at her and grinned ironically.

'Relax, don't stress him...', Steve suggested.

'Shall I bring you back to your room, Tone?', Rhodey asked and moved his hand up to Tony's shoulder.

Immediately Tony turned around to get out of the circle they created around him and gave voice to the fact he didn't want their help:

'If I need to breathe, don't tear the tie tighter again! If I keep my eyes shut and tell you I've got headaches, don't make any orders or ask me thousand things! Last but not least: Don't patronize me!'

Comforting Steve lay his hand on Tony's back and pulled him closer, so he couldn't get away.

'I think you've been caught by fever. I'll take you to the hotel now. Come on.'

Before he followed Steve, Tony stared angrily at the group for a few seconds.

'Why are you flipping out like this the last time?'

'Really? Seriously, Steve?'

'No offense...'

Steve stopped before the hotel-room's door and watched Tony open it.

'Good night. Let me know, if you need something.'

'You won't go back?', Tony asked and turned to him once more.

'I'm still your bodyguard – officially. I won't leave you alone in Japan. Last time our visit hasn't ended good', Rogers replied specifying, 'I can't leave you alone.'

When Steve walked a little further to reach the outer door to the connected hotel-rooms, Tony asked:

'Tell me, why I can't let you go.'

Steve stopped, but he didn't make any other move. So he stood with his back towards Tony and waited for an addition, but Tony closed his door noiseless and left Steve just with this last sentence. When Steve sat down in his room and started reading, he heard Tony turning on his TV. Hour after hour elapsed, but the noise didn't stop. Steve went to the connection-door and opened it carefully. Rolled up in the blanket Tony slept, while the infomerical was showing up and down. After Steve has turned out the television, Tony suddenly murmured:

'Hey, I was watching that...'

'Tony Stark watches advertisements about detergents?'

'What? Well, I just switched the channel a few seconds ago...'

Steve nodded approving, but unbelieving.

'You still don't look good. Are you sure you don't need anything?'

'Well, I look better next to you', Tony answered grinning.

'Thank you...'

'No, you misunderstood that...But your thought is quite funny', he added laughing.

Then he grabbed the remote control again and turned the TV on. A little bit stunned Steve looked at him.

'Oh, fascinating! 'Life after people'!', Stark shouted and switched the channel.

'Which channel was it? Maybe I'm going to-', Steve brought out, when Tony changed the channel back immediately.

As he additionally fluttered his long eyelashes and Steve looked into his dog-like eyes, he smiled a bit and sat down on the edge of the bed. Later on Steve lay on his side next to Tony, still watching the programme intently.

50 years: The portrayal on the Turin shroud will get lost by the collapse of the cathedral it is kept.

'Wow', Tony mentioned unimpressed.

'Psssst...'

150 years: The oceans will be crowded with life.

'That's amazing!', Steve said when they saw all the underwater photos and film editings.

Tony laughed shortly.

200 years: The made of steel icons will collapse.

'The Eiffel Tower is not invincible. Well, it's always like this with things made out of steel', Steve quoted and added, then he looked at Tony, who shrugged his shoulders to express his laxness.

'I'm often called The Invincible Iron Man, so I don't give a shit. In two-hundred years I will be dead anyway.'

After another hour, when the broadcast was over, Tony repeated the summary:

'Sacred sites will collapse. The landmarks will be destroyed by weather. Nature will take back, what belongs to it. Wow. Learned so much now. Who the fuck cares about it?'

'Come on. This was-'

'No, I mean it was a waste of time. First I could have explained that to you on my own. Second they made it so dramatic, I can't believe it. I mean they said the world will look like as if doomsday had come. But if humanity has gone anyway for hundreds of years, what's the problem then? Nature cares for itself quite well, so...I don't know, it was just a waste of time.'

'I care if there no legacy...', Steve mentioned.

'You really care about that? There's nobody on earth anymore to give a fuck on it anyway, so why should humanity waste its time thinking about their legacy? Their legacy for their descendants, okay. But we're talking about the situation, when every human life is gone.'

'I found it interesting...'

Tony stopped discussing. Obviously it has been important to Steve, so he didn't want to trash out and risk an argument. After a few minutes of keeping quiet he said:

'Well, I'll go on caring about destiny of our current descendants.'

'But you don't. You just care of alterations for the suit...'

'Not exactly true, but I'll let you think that', Tony laughed and turned his back to the soldier.

Chapter 9 : Creating a new shield

The next morning, Rumiko took away Tony's blanket rudely and screamed:

'Stand up now!'

Shocked Stark rolled out of the bed and looked up to her.

'Would like to show you something. The representatives of your company are already waiting for us.'

Tony stood up, changed his clothes, went to the bathroom and let Rumiko wait outside. As they arrived at her office later, she stormed into it. Pepper, Rhodey, Steve and some other people sat at a table and looked at both of them.

Stark took a seat next to Pepper slowly, then they watched Rumiko searching for some data on her laptop. She transferred it to the projector and showed them a short video.

'Someone is trying to emulate you, I think. But in some kind of a better way', she explained, as the others saw obviously former soldiers, who lost parts of their bodies in a fight, which have been replaced by prostheses.

But it weren't usual prostheses: These ones contained weapons.

'I guess they're going to create the first cyborgs. The new super-soldiers', Rumiko added and looked at Steve, who watched the men in the video shot out of their skin, without seeing a weapon.

Fujikawa turned to Tony, who looked shocked, and asked:

'They're searching for bigger sticks. What are you going to do?'

Stark stood up, walked to the door and said:

'Get your stuff, we'll get back home.'

'Tony, we-'

'No, sorry, boss. I have to contradict.'

With these words Tony left the room. Rumiko repeated:

'What are you going to do against these sticks?'

Tony turned his head a bit to look at her from the corner of his eye and replied:

'I'll build a shield.'

Hearing the word shield, made Steve standing up and leaving the room, too. Without a conversation, just with walking next to him, Steve noticed there was a dazzling idea inside of Tony's head. The whole way home Tony's serious facial expression didn't change. Wordless he entered the shop, when they arrived at Stark Tower. Without any explanation, Tony threw down Banner's notes.

'What are you-', Bruce said, but was interrupted by Tony right away.

'I need you to trust me. And I need your help. Now.'

Banner nodded and collected the tools, Tony told him to get to his workspace, while Tony called several metalworking companies, noting down assortments and prices. After two days of his abstinence upstairs, Steve decided to look after Tony and went down. Unwashed, unshaven and highly concentrated Tony worked on a part of the Iron Man suit.

'Just as I expected', Steve called.

'Psst!', Tony replied and tightened some screws firmly.

When he got closer, he noticed a belt swaddled tight around Tony's arm.

'What are you doing!?', Steve asked shocked, when he saw the arm-part, Tony worked on, wasn't empty to get his arm into.

'Shut up, I need...need to...concenmmmh...', Tony responded.

'Are you going to chop off your arm!? I thought you'd build a sh-'

'Ssssssh...'

'Better stop, Captain. He needs his concentration on this now', Banner said, when he returned to the shop.

'Ah, finally!', Tony shouted and lifted his head.
When Banner put a cup of coffee on the desk, Tony untied the belt and threw it into a corner.

'Did it help at least?', the doctor laughed and leaned against a wall.

'A bit.'

Tony grabbed the cup and drank his coffee, while he considered the technical arm.

'So you're imitating them now...', Steve mentioned disappointed, when he took a look at Tony's new creation.

But Tony kept quiet.

'You're building weapons again, wow. Excellent idea.'

'Never said that. What's Pepper doing?', Tony replied and looked at Bruce.

'Still doing her best and telling Miss Fujikawa to keep it away from public, just like you said.'

Steve looked down to Bruce's table and recognized the biology books, turned to a page with an image of the inward of an arm.

'What are you just doing?', he repeated.

'I told you so many times: Trust me', Tony meant and emptied the cup.

'How can I trust you, if you never tell me what's going on?'

'See, Cap? That's the matter of trust. Not knowing what's going on, but let others do nevertheless', Tony looked at Bruce again, 'Geez, I need a toilette.'

So Tony stormed out to the elevator.

'Would you tell me, doctor? I don't get an answer from him...'

'I don't know, what we're doing', Bruce answered and smiled, as he earned a confused glance from Rogers, 'He told me we've got to do something and he needs my help. So I helped him and didn't bring it into question. I think, he knows what he's doing.'

'Where has the belt been for?'

'You know, it looks like an prosthesis. I'll try to explain, so you can understand: By the questions he asked me about the nerves and other components in such an arm, he needed the belt to continue his work when I was having a break. Stopping blood supply, simplifies guessing which muscle is needed for which movement. It simplifies finding soldering joints and stuff.'

'Hm...I don't get what he's up to...', Steve added and looked at Tony who ran back to his workspace.

'So this is it...', Tony whispered and kneed down to have a careful look at his work, 'Don't make other plans for today, Steve. You've got to come with me. We'll search for a test object.'

'You'll have to do this on your own, I'm sorry, hon.'

'Oh, are we on 'honey-level' again? Well, see you later then.'

Steve lifted his arms up and watched him leaving confused.

The next day, when Steve wanted to ask him, whether he found the test object he longed for or not, he saw Tony standing in front of a young couple sitting on the other side of the desk. Their son sat on his mother's laps and looked around. Distraught Steve ran to him and screamed:

'Are you nuts!?'

Tony rolled his eyes and asked the soldier to leave.

'Are you serious, Stark!?'

Confused the parents looked at Steve, who grabbed Tony's wrists.

'You can't change a boy's body for testing a new weapon!'

'Never said, I'd do', Tony replied and tried to get his hands out of Steve's grasp.

'Wait, what's going on here?', the father said and stood up.

Immediately Steve turned around to tell them, what Tony obviously was going to do. He took a deep breath to speak, then he suddenly saw the boy sitting on his mother's laps, hadn't got legs. Steve released Tony's wrists and looked at whose grinning face.

'Trust me, I've said.'

After Tony calmed down the parents again, he took measurements from the boy's legs. Still worried Steve sat in a corner of the shop and watched him.

'How old are you?', Tony asked the child, when he put the measuring tape away.

'Eight.'

'Eight? You know, when I was eight I already built stuff like that, but I never have thought about building prostheses.'

'You should have done this earlier', the boy added excited.

Tony looked up to his face and smiled.

'Yea, I should have.'

'And I can walk then?'

Tony lowered his head again and considered the stumps.

'You've to learn it, when it finally works, but yes. By the way: How does it feel to be the first one on this world, who gets such a quality of living on a really high level?'

The boy looked at him wondering. When he noticed, Steve came over and explained:

'He means, how do you feel thinking about being able to walk again.'

'Pretty good!'

'Well, let's hope best...', Stark added and called J.A.R.V.I.S to order his parents down to the shop.

As they came in and took their son, Tony meant:
'It might take about...One or two days, then I'll let you know, when to come back.'

'We haven't talked about the price', the father said.

'I'll see you in a few days then', Tony spoke, turned around and left them.

After earning a confused glance from the parents, Steve shrugged his shoulders and escorted them to their car outside. When he returned, he mentioned:

'I still don't know, how that's a shield against the-'

'Call Fury. I've got an appeal for him', Tony interrupted.

'TONY!', Steve shouted, being annoyed by the way Tony ignored his questions.

'Ever looked at a sword?'

'Huh?'

'Have you ever taken a look at a sword?'

'Uhm...Yes.'
'They are concentrated on the blade, they are using the sword to hit others. I'm going to turn it around. I just concentrate on the pommel and I'll use it to our advantage.'

'I don't understand...'

Tony walked over and stopped right before him. He looked up and whispered:

'What do you think is going to happen, if the world gets to know, we're using technology to help humanity and others are using the same to hurt living creatures?'

Steve widened his eyes and stared at the man standing in front of him. Then Tony turned away again and said:

'Call Fury and tell him, he should pretend a burglary in one of my warehouses. And I need a certification of this plane', Tony threw a paper to Steve, 'Moving from here to Japan.'

'You want them to get arrested? Do you really want to destroy their lives, because they built weapons?'

'Oh, of course not. They should get the opportunity to exculpate themselves. But yes, I want them to be arrested. I don't really care, do you know why? They're building these weapons without permission. They have to explain why they need to build weapons in a time of world peace.'

'So you're actually not helping the boy...'

'Ever heard of a brainwave, Steve? Or ever heard of killing two birds with one stone? That's what I'm actually doing.'

'I hate the distance between us', Steve suddenly remarked.

'Not a skillful transition', Tony replied and turned to him again.

'You've been listening, I thought it's better to let you know now, before I don't get a chance...'

Then Tony sat down on the edge of a table.

'What shall I do with this information?', he asked and stared at the floor.

Steve shrugged his shoulders.

'What are you expecting me to do?'

'I wish, you'd take me back...', Steve looked down to the floor, too.

'I already said, I can't let you go, didn't I?'

'I didn't know what I should do with this information...', Steve quoted.

After a while he heard Tony clicking his tongue.

'I think we approached the whole thing wrong, from the beginning on. I don't know where the beef is, yet. But I'll do, because...Well...I can't live with or without you.'

'What will you do?'

'Mmh..Take you back.'

This sentence made Steve cringe a bit and he looked at Tony, who swayed his legs forwards and backwards, while he sat on the desk. Carefully Steve went to him, stopped and kissed him shortly, until Pepper entered and called:

'Really? Once more?'

Immediately Steve stopped and looked at the wall behind Tony.

'Hey, Pepp. What's going on out there?'

'What's going on in here? Go upstairs and have a shower for God's sake.'

Tony laughed and left the shop.

'Are you condemning us now?', Steve asked and looked at her ashamed.

'You don't want to know how often Tony and I kissed each other and got closer and pushed each other away again until we got together, so...No.'

Appreciative Steve nodded and added:

'Did he ever tell you, that he loves you?'

'He showed me', she smiled, when she answered, 'In many ways.'

'No, I mean...Did he say 'Miss Potts, I love you'?'

'On his birthday. When he was drunk and he thought he had to die, yes. You're thinking too much, Steve.'

Confused-looking Steve watched her going to the door.

'Stop thinking so much and start enjoying. Sometimes it's like having a child, as I said, but Obadiah made him grow up really fast. He needs that, don't stand in his way, when he acts childish. It's enough, when I do.'

After she has left, Steve suddenly remembered, what Stark has told him. Immediately Steve contacted Fury and let him know about Tony's wishes. When he had his shower, Tony turned on the computer screen in his room and oversaw the list of information coming in and leaving the Stark Tower. He discovered Fury's number on the list and started grinning.

'Finally!', he said to himself and dressed up.

Then he went to the living-room and told J.A.R.V.I.S to turn on the intercom.

'I'm waiting for you in the living-room, come up if you'd like to see what's going on', he said and waited.

Not knowing who has been actually meant, Clint, Natasha, Thor, Banner and Steve entered the living-room.

'Oh, look how many people are loving me', Tony laughed, when he saw them.

When he saw all the pillows and blankets spread all over on the ground he asked:

'What is this now?'

'Just wanted to spend a snug evening. Watching a movie or something', Tony explained and fell down on the multitude of pillows.

Clint turned to the door again to leave, but as he noticed Natasha's dark facial expression, he turned to the others again, who sat down on the stuff. Thor and Bruce checked up, which pillows were the softest and grabbed them for their own. Steve sat down next to Tony and leaned his back against the couch's seat.

'I thought you would continue your work.'

'Haven't started the new one', Tony explained and climbed up on Steve's legs, 'You did your job and I just wanted to reward you for it, so...Don't badmouth this.'

'No, I like it', Steve responded smiling, when he watched Bruce and Thor contesting for a pillow.

'May I ask why we're lying on the ground?', Clint remarked.

'Tony feels better lying on the ground. Woof!', Steve replied.

'Watch your tongue.'

'Otherwise?'

'Otherwise he has to show, his is longer!', Thor called and laughed out loud.

Shocked Tony stared at Thor.

'Yes, heard of it...', Banner gave response to this glance.

'Why has she told you? This is...Seriously, it wasn't funny?'

'Stark?', Natasha interposed, 'Why are you grinning?'

'Well, because...because...it was funny', Tony confessed and pressed his face against Steve's chest, before he started laughing.

When Bruce started the movie, Tony lay his head on Steve's lower abdomen. Shortly he kissed his waistband. It made Steve feel good to see Tony wasn't ashamed of showing he was important to him in front of the others. After a while Steve slid down a bit, whereas Tony slid up and lay his head on Steve's stomach right under his chest. It didn't take long, until Tony got bored and diverted Steve by sharing out kisses on his chest, his throat and his chin.

'Don't. Your beard tickles', Steve whispered and stroked through Tony's hair.

Being upset Tony lay his chin on Steve's stomach and scrutinized the muscles on his chest. Steve on the other hand continued watching the movie.

'Pay attention to meee!', Tony shouted whispering.

'Hush', Steve responded and smiled at him.

'Pay attention to meee', Tony repeated and bit into Steve's t-shirt.

When he pulled it a bit, Steve looked at him again and asked him to stop.

'Pay-', Tony started, then Steve suddenly sat up a trifle and kissed him shortly, but tenderly.

'Could you please stop that? I can't concentrate on the film', Clint mentioned.

A trifle annoyed Tony lay his head on Steve's stomach again, looked to the screen and tugged at whose loops of his trousers.

'What are you doing?', Steve whispered.

Tony looked up, grinned and responded:

'I keep myself busy. I'm bored.'

The same moment Clint leaned over to Natasha to get closer to her and asked quietly:

'Why are we lying on the ground as if we were kids or something?'

'Psst', she repeated and stroked his cheek.

Bit by bit Tony's lids became heavier. It occurred to him he didn't sleep the last days. Nevertheless he tried hardly to stay awake, but this didn't last long. When the movie ended they talked for a few minutes. After a while then Steve wondered, why Tony didn't discuss with them. As he wanted to look at him, Natasha shook her head and lay her forefinger over her lips.

'Great', Steve remarked and attempted not to move.

As quietly as possible the others left the room, saying goodbye to Steve with a gesture. Rogers started thinking about a way of standing up, lifting up Tony, carrying him to his room and all this without waking him up. The moment Steve tried to slid away, Tony lifted his head immediately and murmured something.

'Pardon?', Steve said and acted as if he didn't move at all.

'Why have you turned of the TV? I wanted to see that...'

'Tony', Steve laughed, 'You've been sleeping.'

'No, I didn't. I...', Tony started, when Steve asked J.A.R.V.I.S to turn on the light, 'Oh GOD, my eyes!'

Stark grabbed a blanket and pulled it over his head.

'J.A.R.V.I.S turn it off! And stop doing what the old man tells you! Unbelievable!'

'It's a computer, Tony. It was you, who-'

'No matter what, I didn't do it', Tony murmured again.

Steve laughed again and crawled away under the blanket, too.

'Through this hazy light I only just see a bit of your face and do you know what I see?'

'What is it...', Tony replied evenly.

'Your eyes are closed. But you haven't slept, right?'

As response Tony made a sound, which Steve couldn't dedicate to either a Yes or a No.

'Are you going to be behind me if I need you in any case?', he then asked, sounding powerless.
'No, I won't', Steve replied.

Tony lowered his head. His glance told Steve his statement hurt him, so he added immediately:

'I'll be in front of you. How can I shield you from harm, if I just protect your back?'

'I lo...lo...l...like you better, telling those things instead of being mad at me.'

After he let Steve know this, Tony pressed his forehead against whose chest and closed his eyes again.

He couldn't even tell why, but the next day Tony woke up lying on the couch when the sunbeams tickled in his nose. He turned on his stomach, lay his head onto his left arm and let the right one hang down from the couch. Then he closed his eyes once more and enjoyed the warm sun on his skin. Another thing being relished to him was suddenly feeling Steve's hands under his shirt, sliding from the low range of his back, over his sides, up to his chest. Steve lay down on Tony's body carefully, in order to avoid to hurt him.

'Finally the sun comes out again. Took long enough.'

'Where have you been?', Stark murmured against his own arm.

'Made a cup of coffee for you. I thought you would go working the whole day, so...'

'Got something for you to spend your time on, while I'll be doing this.'

'I guess I know what you're talking about.'

Steve smiled and kissed Tony's neck, before he stood up. Although Steve knew about it, he couldn't stop grinning, when Tony introduced him to his new vehicle. Tony dismissed him with the words:

'Have fun, old man.'

After Steve has left, Tony turned his hand to the prosthesis for the boy. While constructing the outer shape, he sang some lines of the song 'Old man' written by Neil Young.

'Old man, take a look at my life: I'm a lot like you. I need someone to love me the whole day through...'

When Banner suddenly entered the shop, Tony continued the song with whistling. He didn't know that Bruce witnessed the line he has sung before, too, but to hamper Bruce would confront him with it, Stark acted as if he hasn't noticed Bruce entered the room. He was afraid, it would be clear to Bruce why he had exactly this song stuck in his head.

'What song is it?', Bruce asked, smiling to himself and turning his back to Tony.

'Huh? I don't even know. Just has come to my mind.'

'Ah...Just has come to your mind. Well...Need me today?'

'I always need my big guy!', Tony responded.

'This I believe without any doubt', Bruce laughed then.

Confused-looking Tony kept half an eye on the doctor. It took a few minutes until he understood Bruce wasn't talking about either the Hulk or Bruce himself, but the soldier. Some hours passed by, then J.A.R.V.I.S remarked:

'Sir, Agent Hill from S.H.I.E.L.D is waiting upstairs. The agent seems to be yearning after you.'

'I'll be right there. Just a few...'

'Sir, the agent really wants you to-'

'Yeeeeeeeea, it's okay', Tony shouted and left the shop.

'-get up to her.'

'Agent Hill!', he called, when he spotted her, 'Looking good today.'

'Don't detain me. Here are the documents you asked for. Fury didn't really know, what you want, but the fact that Captain America wanted him to do it, made him trust you.'

Tony took the folder from her hands, ran over the documents inside, closed the folder with a loud noise and replied smiling:

'Thank you. Have a nice day.'

Before he went down to the shop, he checked up the messages Rumiko has sent. After saving some data from the attachment, he came back to Bruce. Wordless he took the prostheses and lay them down in the elevator. Confused Bruce watched him doing.

'Would you hulk out?', he asked then.

'Pardon?'

'Would you hulk out for me and devastate everything?'

'No. Why? What are you talking about?', Bruce watched him checking up some other things.

'No? Well, in that case...', Tony replied and took a jemmy, 'Then I've got to do it on my own.'

Suddenly Stark started hitting everything, what came to his eyes.

'Are you nuts?', Bruce shouted, 'What are you doing!?'

'Oh, Bruce, would you hack the safety system?'

'What the hell, Tony!'

Banner was staring at him bewildered.

'Not even that? Well...', Tony meant and told J.A.R.V.I.S to delete data from itself, so the security system went down, 'Thought you'd trust me, doctor.'

'I don...What...', Bruce stuttered and left the shop, before Tony or anything broken flying through the air hit him.

With irritation Bruce walked up and down in the lobby and asked himself, what the fuck Tony has been doing down there. Then he saw the folder, which Agent Hill just brought, lying on a desk behind the reception. He opened it and took a look at a document, which said a specific plane left the airport nearby with a noticeable weight of goods. As Bruce looked at the date, it dawned on him slowly: It has been the date of exactly that day, but the clock said 17:32. Banner looked at his watch and read the numbers 17:01 on it.

Later Steve returned to the tower. Shocked he jumped from the parked chopper and ran to Tony, who talked to Nick Fury. The police and some agents from S.H.I.E.L.D made it safe and entered the Stark Tower afterwards.

'What has happened!?', Steve shouted, grabbed Tony's arms and turned him to himself, so he could check up, if Stark was okay.

'Horrible. Burglary', Tony replied.

'What!?', Steve screamed and looked at the tower. Obviously it hadn't any scratches. The door wasn't broken, so the windows weren't. Tony was okay. The other Avengers stood a few meters away from them, seeming to be okay. Steve became confused. Then the first journalists arrived and ran to Stark, who immediately placed himself in front of everybody else and explained:

'This is a horrible thing. These men hacked the security system of Stark Tower to get in noiseless. They entered my shop and the laboratory. Almost everything in there is broken or has been stolen. When we noticed, it has been too late already. I was working on a new kind of prostheses, which should simplify life for those, who lost extremities. Now everything's gone...Accept from the prostheses I was working on for a child. I guess it hasn't been the size, they looked for. These ones were the only once of this size. The prototypes all were configured for adults...It's such a sad thing...'

'Mister Stark, do you already know, who has done this?', a journalist asked.

Steve stared at Tony, when he started to describe the uniforms the men out of Rumiko's video-data have worn.

'That's all the outer cameras could record, before they crippled them', Tony added and looked at Fury, who nodded approving.

'What are you going to do now?'

'I'm going to concentrate on my work, after we renovated the room they destroyed. Finding the criminals lies in the hands of the police and S.H.I.E.L.D. That's all I can tell you by now.'

With these words Tony went into the tower, Steve followed him slowly.

'Are you serious?', he asked, 'You u-'

'Hush', Tony interrupted, as they passed some policemen.

'You use such a sneaky plan to arrest these men? Tony, they might have a family', Steve continued, when they entered Stark's room.

'Steve, these men are building weapons in a time of peace. What do you think are they going to do, when they finished their work? Weapons are made for killing living creatures. Before these poor suckers destroy their lives by attacking others with unauthorized weapons, I let them arrest. Does this sound like a cheap plan to you? Because it sounds good to me.'

Steve didn't know how to answer. Of course he was angry a bit, but he couldn't say Tony was wrong, because it would have been a lie. Just in the same moment, when Tony was changing his clothes, Steve suddenly hugged him from behind. Tony stared at the floor in front of him, as Steve lay his chin onto his right shoulder.

'I have been scared for a moment, that you got hurt...', he whispered and kissed the side of Tony's neck.

'Everybody's okay. I won't get me into awkward situations, when I know you aren't there. And that's not because I know it would be harder for you to get me out then. It's because I hate you being worried about the things I do.'

Steve nodded silently and released him slowly.

'Maybe one reason for this is, that you bristle against trusting me up to the hilt', Tony added and fell down on his bed, 'I could have needed you in the shop. It has been a lot of work to destroy the tings down there. Special material, you know...'

Instead of flipping out because of Tony's statement about trust, Steve decided to end the discussion, before it became ugly.

A few days after that when the situation abated again, there was the chance to present his new invention. The boy waited backstage, Tony corrected some settings about the prostheses at the same time and waited for the sign to get on stage. As the presenter announce him, Tony looked at the boy and asked:

'You're okay, buddy?'

The boy nodded and kept silent, because he has been so excited. He hasn't seen his parents for a few days. This should be a surprise, Stark has told him. Tony smiled at him and went on stage. Then Steve came to the child and said:

'You'll do a great job. It isn't that hard, is it?'

'I just have to walk...', the boy whispered, during shaking his head.

'This is something totally new. Well, actually not THAT new, but the new conception makes it easier to use prostheses. The way of learning how to use them will me much shorter. Movements become smoother, so other people will never divine about the facilities at all. Ladies and gentlemen, I proudly present you the first person using prostheses from Stark Innovations: Tyler Baker', they heard Tony saying.

'That's your sign', Steve told him and smiled.

Carefully the child stood up and went to the stage. When he came onto it from the side, he saw his parents standing on the other side. Stark, who stood in the middle, walked backwards for him to have more space. The child's mother immediately started crying, when she saw his son walking towards her slowly. Unbelieving the father stared at him: Stark has been right. There was no way anyone should guess his son walked with the aid of prostheses. No unsteadily movements.

Longing for them, the boy started to run into their arms. Breathlessness and speechlessness spread over the spectators, before the hall was filled with a hurricane of applause. When the crowd became less noisy again, Tony added:

'These prostheses are perfectly adapted for Tyler's body and its power. Of course we will need to change it, when he grows, but that's the least problem. Now that I've introduced this new invention to you, I hope for your support furthermore. Cheers!'

He handed two glasses champagne to the parents, took one for himself and left the stage. As Tony stopped next to Steve, who already waited, the soldier kissed and hugged him, after Tony nipped from the glass, and said:

'I love you...'

'Yea, you should', Stark responded, convolved out of Steve's hug and walked away.

Chapter 10: Next time...trust me

For the evening Pepper has made an appointment with sponsors. Most of them Tony already knew. It were exactly these ones, he went to before talking to any of the others. After he introduced Steve to them, one of them said:

'A face carved in stone. Is there any reason for this serious facial expression?'

This statement didn't make Steve happier. He looked at Tony, who just laughed about it. When they started to talk about business, Steve put them off and walked over to the tables. He sat down and watched the business talking to each other, drinking and eating from the buffet. A few minutes after sitting there, a young woman sat down at the table, too.

'Hey', she meant and smiled friendly.

In this moment Steve felt more comfortable.

'Good evening, ma'am.'

'How is it going?', she asked an bit into the olive from her drink.

'Well-'

'Rogers?', Tony asked, 'Why don't you come over to-'

'No, I'm fine', Steve interrupted, what Tony's was doing all the time anyway, 'I can protect you quite well from here.'

Tony nodded sympathetically, but the woman got a stern glance from him, before he went back to the others. She on the other hand waited some minutes, before she talked to Steve again, to make sure Tony has been busy again.

'What's going on between you two?'

'Huh?', Steve brought out and looked at her.

'There are rumors.'

'Are there?', Steve laughed.

'So what's going on there?', she repeated and smiled friendly again.

Steve thought about the question for some seconds, before he answered:

'To be honest we love each other.'

'Really?', she said excited and grinned.

The soldier smiled and nodded.

'Tone?', Rhodey asked and prodded Tony.

Quizzical-looking Tony turned to him.

'Who is the girl, Rogers is talking to?'

'I don't care', Tony answered drily.

Thinking Tony didn't want to react as green-eyed as Steve always did, Rhodes left it. All in all they spent a nice evening with all these people. Quite contrary to the next day. Steve was having breakfast, when Tony stamped in and slapped a newspaper on the desk in front of him. Already the headline told Steve, what was going on.

'What the...Why...HOW!?'

'Good job, Captain', Tony responded very pissed and took a cup of coffee.

'Why did she do this!?'

'Because she is a fucking journalist, Steve! That's the ONLY, but the crucial reason!'

'Why didn't you tell-'

'I wanted you to come with me, you didn't trust me again, so that's it now', Tony added and left.

Natasha and Clint stared at Steve.

'What's wrong?', Natasha asked, while Clint pushed the rest of his bread into his mouth.

Steve turned the newspaper to them, where they read the headline:

Romance between the greatest patriot and the greatest philanthropist

'Ow, ow, ohohoho', Clint brought out laughing.

Natasha raised her glance to look at Steve again. Her facial expression told him, she has been sorry about it, but Steve couldn't bear it, stood up and left the room, too. Stark apparently turned his back to Steve, when he entered the living-room.

'Tony, I didn't know that. I'm sorry. I didn't want that to happen. Please don't be mad at me...I felt uncomfortable with these rude peop-'

'I'm not mad at you. I'm disappointed. 'These people' might seem to be rude, but at least they're honest. And I need people like these.'

'What do you mean saying 'that's it now'?', Steve asked carefully, not knowing what else to say.

'Well, I have to deal with it, haven't I?', Stark replied and turned to him, 'Next time just trust me...'

In no time Steve hanged his head, avoided eye contact. He didn't move, when Tony walked over to him. But when he was close, Tony put his hands on Steve's cheeks, lifted his head, kissed him shortly and passed him without any addition. Slowly Steve turned around and gazed after him. Actually he couldn't believe, what happened. Tony really wasn't mad at him. He screwed up and Tony wasn't angry about it. After a while Steve heard Pepper stamping to Tony's room. Steve couldn't hear, what she was shouting, but he noticed how hard she scolded. Next Tony passed the living-room's door, who talked into his phone and said:

'Yea...Yes, I know. It's not S.H.I.E.L.D's business, don't worry. Yea. I'm sorry for that, but now it's too late anyway. Yes...Yea...I see...Aha...'

The moment when Tony passed, Steve could have sworn he saw him grinning. The captain didn't dare to move for hours, until he heard loud noises from outside. He stood up and walked to the window, after that he looked down. Some protestants made their way to the tower, several journalists were with them. Suddenly Clint ran into the room and turned on the TV.

'This could become interesting!', he laughed and waited excited.

When Steve turned around, he saw Thor standing behind the couch with crossed arms, Natasha, Clint and Bruce sitting on it. All of them staring at the television. Steve placed himself next to Thor and watched the live broadcast. When Tony came out, backed by some agents from S.H.I.E.L.D, the crowd became louder. Stark read some of the signs the protestants have made and smiled, when he read things like 'Greatest philanthropist turns out to be the greatest sinner!' .

'That's ridiculous. Really. Why can't they just leave you alone...', Natasha mentioned.

'Humanity always was like this and it always will be', Bruce said.

Thor looked at him confused and asked:

'You're always like this? Oh man, I start to miss Asgard again!'

'Pssssst!', Clint brought out loudly, when a reputable journalist started talking.

'Mister Stark, now that you see all these people blaming you to be a sinner and you wouldn't be good for society, what is it, you can bring on?'

'A sinner? Yes, I've read it. Nice sign by the way. All these gay...Oh, I'm sorry, I meant cheerful colors on it. Really impressive.'

Thor laughed, but stopped when he noticed no one else did.

'So what can you counter?', the journalist repeated.

'What I can counter is...', Tony looked down for a moment and raised his head again after that, 'The people didn't care when I destroyed my God-given body with any kind of drugs. They didn't really care, when I told them my version of the reason why they actually have to believe in God, which doesn't exist for me. They didn't have to complain about me, when I rescued many people. I'm still helping people, so I don't see the prob-'

'But for which price!?', one of the Christian protestants screamed.

Immediately Tony became aggressive and shouted back:

'Which price!? Which price!? Which price is it for you to behave more Christian that you're doing right now and accept other people, who are good for the world!? Which price is it!?'

'Oh, oh...', Natasha said and stood up, but Steve pushed her down again.

'Tell me which price it is!', Tony yelled, the crowd became quiet, 'Some Christians feel attacked because of my relationship to someone? You know what? I've brought peace to the world, so fine! I'm willing to pay the price you're talking about! Thank you for your fucking attention! And now get the hell away from here!'

With these words Tony entered the Stark Tower straightaway.

'I didn't expect it to turn out this way...', Clint meant uninspired.

'Barton, you should finally learn how to deal with it. Slow but steady I'm sick of your intolerant comments on this', Steve mentioned, stood up and left the room to look for Tony. While the agents did their best to send away the crowd, Steve found Tony in his bathroom.

'How are you?', the soldier asked.

'I'm fine', Tony replied and washed his face.

'Are you just saying this or are you really fine?', Steve tried to make sure.

Tony dried his face again, threw the towel into a corner and went to Steve. He stopped before him, grinned and repeated:

'I am fine.'

'Thank you, Tony...'

'Huh?'

'You stuck to us. You've been very brave', Steve let him know, to psych him up after all.

'Yea, I know. I've been great, haven't I? Learned something from you, give yourself a pat on the back!'

Steve laughed, got closer a bit and started kissing him tenderly. But suddenly Tony stepped back and said:

'Watch out! Maybe they're going to climb up the tower to take photos! You know what they could do then? They could stick it on their gay...uhm, cheerful-colored signs!'

'I don't give a single fuck', Steve replied, doffed his shirt and pitched into Tony quickly, who recovered himself with the back at the wall, feeling Steve's tongue in his mouth. The moment Steve wanted to lift him up, he interrupted himself and mentioned:

'Got a better idea...'

Steve went down on his knees before him, opened Tony's trousers and added grinning:

'Let me go down on you...'

'Think I deserve it anyway, so knock yourself o...', Stark said, but stopped again, when Steve started doing, what he has told him.

'Tony?', Steve asked later, when he flattered the stomach region of the man, lying naked next to him in bed, with his forefinger.

'Mhmh?', Tony replied, relaxing, keeping his eyes shut.

'I love you.'

Tony opened his eyes and looked at Steve's occiput, because he lay with head on Tony's chest.

'Great', he then said.

Surprisingly Steve wasn't feeling bad about the answer. He put his head back to look at Stark and just smiled. Being exhausted Tony didn't smile back, instead he stroked Steve's head and closed his eyes again.

Chapter 11: Greatest fans & wrong priorities

A week later Pepper opened the door early in the morning and said:

'J.A.R.V.I.S, please raise the blind.'

Tony moaned and pulled the blanket over his head, whereas Steve opened his eyes blearily and looked at her like this. Unrelenting Pepper ripped away the blanket, whereupon Tony began to flounder like a fish on bank.

'Told you yesterday stand up by your own or I'll make you to', Pepper meant and left the room adding the order to stand up now.

'Did I miss something?', Steve asked and coiled himself up, because he felt cold.

'Bakers invited me to come anywhere...don't know. Don't ask me', Tony responded and stood up slowly.

As he came back from the bathroom, Steve lay under the blanket and relaxed.

'What's that now?', Tony asked indignantly and ripped away the blanket.

'Hey!', Steve shouted and sat up.

'You won't dare to stay here and let me go alone, will you?'

Steve hanged his head and crept down from the bed. Approving Tony nodded and left the room. In the lobby Pepper always waited, kept phoning someone. She raised her forefinger as the sign for Tony to be quiet. This was why Tony walked up and down, being bored. As she hanged up, she said:

'You became a little lazy. How did that happen?'

Just in this moment Steve came to them. Tony lowered his head shortly and grinned, before he left the building. Pepper massaged her forehead, when they got into the car. Hogan concentrated on driving, Steve looked out of the window and Tony hopped up and down a bit asking:

'When are we theeeere? I have to pee! I'm thirstyyyy...Where are we going by the way?'

'We're going to meet them at a communal room', she answered stressed.

A communal room? Tony didn't really understand. What should they do there? Had they got to let the boy show, what he's able to do with this new facilities? Tony already knew, so why should they? When they exited the car, it occurred to him at the moment a parent slide the wheelchair with a child sitting in it.

'Oh, Pepper, please no.'

'I don't want to hear it. Get in and do, what they expect from you. Go!'

Steve laughed after Pepper said this and Tony walked in slouching his shoulders.

'You too!', she suddenly shouted, which was why Steve immediately stopped laughing and followed Tony quickly.

The way she clinched her fist in front of Hogan, let him know, she'd like to choke both of them.
'There are my friends!', Tyler shouted very loudly, when Steve and Tony entered the room.

The group of physically constrained children looked up to the men. Their facial expression became incredulous and excited, as they noticed, who the men were their friend has been actually talking about. A girl caught her crutches and walked over to them and screamed:

'CAPTAIN! And Iron Man! Do you see that!?'

She looked at Tyler, who laughed and took Tony's hand proudly to guide him. He started to show him where they did different activities, when they met in this room. Tony didn't really know what to say, which was why Steve laughed when he saw Tyler showing the pictures he drew of himself and his family playing in their garden. But suddenly Tony was touched, as Tyler meant:

'Finally I can live this dream and play with my dad in our garden. It's wonderful!'

Stark stared at the boy, who noticed he couldn't Tony make move anymore, so he looked up wondering.

'This...has been your dream?'

Still wondering Tyler nodded and kept on looking at him. Tony took a look around, what Steve immediately noticed. The soldier also noticed Tony's eyes filled with tears, as he saw the excited children jumping around, as their conditions allowed them, and laughing. It became clear to him that Tony has set his priorities wrongly. The girl, who addressed Steve first, clamped a camera, her father has given to her, under her arm and walked over to Steve again using her crutches and asked, if she could take a photo of them. Steve smiled and affirmed.

'Great. Iron Man, come here!', she shouted.

'Let me take it', Steve suggested, while Tony came over slowly.

She handed Steve the camera. He lifted her up and deposed her on his laps, because he was sitting on a chair, whereas Tony squatted down, sniffed shortly and wiped over his eyes.

'Are you okay?', Steve asked grinning.

'Yea, got something into my eye, but it's alright again.'

'Sure...', Steve added still grinning.

Tony cleared his throat and waited for Steve to take the photo. The girl and Steve smiled friendly, Tony didn't change his serious facial expression, but he held up the sign of peace formed by his fingers. After the other children heard the sound of the camera they suddenly moved over to them, started screaming they would like to take photos, too. Steve laughed and tried to calm them down, whereas Tony seemed to be overwhelmed by the congestion. On the other side of the room Pepper watched them smiling, then she turned to the kids' parents. While Steve cavorted with all kids, laughing and enjoying his time, Tony sat down on a chair and stared at the floor. His arms lying on his upper legs, he kept himself busy by playing with his own hands. He sight and rubbed his eyes the moment the girl stopped next to him.

'Can you help us, too?', she asked quietly.

Stark wasn't able to bring out a single word. He kept staring at the floor.

'Hello?', she added.

'Of course he can', Pepper mentioned and lay one hand on Tony's shoulder, 'And he will...We will.'

The girl smiled.

Getting home again Tony kept silence. Steve watched him staring out of the window. The soldier started to think about the idea of asking him, but he didn't want Pepper or Happy to hear it. As they arrived, Tony headed to his room immediately. Wondering Steve followed.

'Tony?', he asked, when Tony doffed trousers and shirt.

'I hear you.'

'What's wrong?'

Without response Tony holed up under the blanket.

'Your behavior is weird', Steve added and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Suddenly Stark's hand came from beneath the blanket, grabbed Steve's hand and gave it a tug. Consequently Steve dropped his shoes and lay down next to him. Tony imposed the blanket on Steve as well and meant:

'I've always been so wrong...'

'What do you mean?', Steve replied worried, when he took a look at Tony's sad face.

Tony closed his eyes for a moment, as Steve stroked his cheek softly.

'My priorities have been wrong. Pepper has been right, so you have been: I'm selfish. Nothing more but selfish. I'm not a hero, I'm a self-seeker...Instead of helping those, I just concentrated on getting into fights to help the masses and I modified the suit, but-'

'Tony, you can't take care of everybody. Don't blame yourself', Steve tried to calm him down, 'No matter when I told you, you'd be selfish, I know you're always doing your best in every case. Don't be sad, please.'

His boyfriend smiled friendly, after he let Tony know this. In a twinkling Tony swooped down on Steve and kissed him the French way. Steve found himself rolling over the bed, hugging, kissing, sighing. After a while both noticed, they have been fighting for the dominant position. Tony used the short time they stopped kissing for Steve to take off his shirt, to say:

'I love you.'

Quickly he kissed Steve's chest, when he threw his shirt next to the bed, but the stopped again and stiffened. He has been wide-eyed and stared at Steve's chest.

'Repeat that', Steve meant.

'Repeat what?', Tony asked and looked up to the soldier's face.

'Repeat what you said.'

'I don't know what I've-'

'Tony.'

'I can't remember, really!'

At least Tony didn't avoid eye contact, so Steve decided to leave it at that. When Steve then put his hands on Tony's upper arms to turn him, Tony continued kissing his chest again and murmured:

'I love you...'

Bewildered by these words, Steve didn't move. Tony grinned, noticing he had won.

Chapter 12: Leader-skills

The next day, when Steve woke up, Tony already watched TV.

'Good morning...', Steve muttered.

Thereupon Tony lay his head on whose stomach and responded:

'You know where I'd like to go for Christmas next month?'

'No, where?', Steve asked back.

'Malibu.'

'Malibu? To your beach hou...villa?', Rogers laughed, 'Sorry, but do you think it's a good idea to leave everything in such a precarious situation? Or do you think this will all into oblivion until then?'

'Mh...yea, might be right...', Tony replied, sounding disappointed.

Gently Steve hugged him and pressed Tony against his body. Warmth flooded through Tony. He couldn't tell, if he ever felt this good. But then Steve disturbed the peace:

'I challenge you to a return game for yesterday.'
Before Stark had the opportunity to respond, Steve kissed him passionately.

'Mmmh, wait', Tony meant, 'Got a better idea.'

'Yea?'

'Yes. How about: You will go to the others', Tony started and kissed Steve's throat, after every passage, 'and give proof to your...leader-skills. Make sure...they didn't decide to do...something else...this afternoon.'

'And then?', Steve sighed loudly, when Tony also started to stroke his sides.

'You'll see. Oh, this is so weird! I can't take my hands off you!', Tony added laughing and stood up quickly afterwards.

Steve watched him leaving.

'Huh', he brought out and walked into the bathroom.

After dressing up Tony came in again and mentioned:

'Oh, don't forget your swimming trunks or something.'

'Sounds good to me', Steve replied smiling, but stopped as he saw Tony already left again.

Sitting divided in two cars, Thor turned around a bit and asked:

'Where are we going?'

Rhodey, who has been driving the car, answered:

'We don't know yet. The Captain just told us to pack stuff for swimming.'

The day became even stranger, when they arrived at several sporting halls.

'Did I miss something and they've added a swimming hall to their scheme?', Natasha asked, after everybody left the cars.

Tony just grinned and went in. At the reception, Tony took out his wallet and said:

'We reserved hall three.'

Wordless he moved on to the changing rooms. The others looked at each other shortly, then they followed.

'Tony, now what are we-', Bruce wanted to say.

'Well, Steve decided, we could try to find out, who of us is the best leader. So we're going to play beach volley and the two of us will chose the teams', Tony explained.

'No one of you is a good leader...you're gay', Clint responded laughing, whereupon he collected a hit on the head of his back from Natasha, who went into the ladies' changing room, Pepper by her side.

'Ouch...Why is she doing this all the time?'

'You should bother about it, my friend!', Thor shouted laughing and followed Steve, Tony, Bruce and Rhodey to the men's changing room.

Changing their clothes made Clint feel uncomfortable. He has been careful of what Tony and Steve exactly could see.

'May I ask where this beach is?', Thor meant and looked at Tony.

'Inside the hall.'

'Why would they build a hall onto a beach?'

'No, it's different...', Tony laughed.

'You mortals get weirder and weirder...'

'It's aaaaalways about us mortals, of course', Tony added, still laughing, and entered the hall.

'Amazing temperature', Bruce asked, to this point unamazed of the idea.

When finally Natasha and Pepper strutting towards them, Tony mentioned:

'Well then let's divide into teams!'

'Wait a moment', Thor interrupted and watched Natasha and Pepper, 'This is great.'

'Hey, one of these is mine!', Clint shouted, but Thor just lay his huge hand over his face to shut him up.

The women giggled, Tony went on:

'Let's get it on now!'

He looked at Steve and told him to chose first.

'Mmmh..Your team has got one genius automatically, so I'll chose the other one. Come to me, doctor! The second genius is mine.'

'Well, then they'd be both your, but one is on the other team', Tony meant and winked ironically, whereupon Steve smiled back ironically.

After that he nodded to show Tony he should make his choice.

'Let's have a look, what we got here...', Stark pondered, until he scrutinized Thor's muscles, 'That's it! Come over, God-bro!'

Steve's facial expression became serious, as they gave each other a high five.

'I see, you're picking your members after pondering their abilities...Well, then I chose Agent Romanoff!'

'Oh, it's not just this. I'm also afraid to get fired, so, Pepper, would you?'

Proudly Pepper walked over to Tony and Thor. Steve changed glance between Barton and Rhodes. After he picked Rhodey, Clint meant:

'Oh, come on guy. Why don't you directly steal my trousers and throw me on the streets of New York...The blame would be less.'

'Do you remember time in school?', Tony wondered, 'When the losers were picked las...I'm sorry, I can't...'

Tony burst into laughter, but he added:

'Well, then come to my team now, thrush.'

It took some minutes until Tony has explained Thor the rules and what he had to do. Then he turned to Steve:

'Cap, don't be mad at me, if you lose. It's just a game.'

Seeing him grin like this made Steve angry. He walked over to him and tried to threaten him:

'I won't be, because we won't lose.'

'Is that so? I look forward to your defeat then...'

Steve kissed him shortly. What he didn't see was that Clint turned away a bit to avoid to see them doing this, but Tony did and kept it in mind.

They talked about their positions on the field. Then Tony gave the ball to Thor to serve it. Thor threw it up and hit it. The people heard a loud bang, saw the ball hitting the hall-ceiling and falling down.

'Oops', Thor said and picked it up, 'There's something wrong with it.'

Pepper and Natasha burst into laughter as they spotted the broken ball. Tony facepalmed, when Steve said:

'Would say: Counting score for us.'

'What the heck, Thor!? Can't you control your power a bit?', Tony bitched on him, wherefore Steve started laughing, too.

'I apologize, I did not expect it to-'

'Yea, well, forget it!', Tony shouted and left to get another ball.

The situation didn't really change, as he came back. Pepper couldn't react as fast as Steve's team played the ball on their side, Thor was still busy with finding the perfect dose of his power and Clint tried to avoid to get closer to Tony. At some moves Tony threw his hands up in horror, which Steve liked to approve.

'Get yourselves together, guys!', Tony shouted, while he jumped from one side to the other.

'That's perfect. He breaks in sweat and I can watch him stressing his muscles in comfort', Steve laughed and gave high-five to Rhodey and Banner.

'NOT funny!', Tony warned him and saw the ball falling down next to him in some kind of slow-motion, 'NOOOOOO!'

The other burst into laughter again seeing Tony standing next to the ball, which lay in the sand, becoming desperate. When they took a short break, Tony walked to his team and meant:

'We'll change our concept. Pepper changes position with Clint. Thor, you-'

'I've got it now. Let us start, I know how much power to use!'

'-...Good, then help Pepper protecting the back area. Barton, you...Just don't stand in my way and we'll be fine.'

Steve watched Tony explaining, but he couldn't hear, what he was talking about. The next round Steve's team noticed it has become harder. Thor finally knew how to hit the ball without destroying or getting it out of the court. They scored one ball after another, Steve became nervous, because he wanted to win this game so badly – standoff. Steve couldn't believe it. They scored and scored and scored and now there was a standoff. Six seconds to go, ball in play. He hit it over the net powerful. Believing Tony would hit it back, because he was ready to jump, Thor let concentration slip away. But suddenly Tony was acting as if he jumped up falsely and missed the ball.

'OH FUCK!', he shouted, when the ball landed before Thor's feet.

'YEAH!', Steve shouted and ran over to his team-members.

'We are the champions, my friend', Rhodey started to sing.

'What have you done, Stark!? Idiot!', Clint meant.

Nobody except from Pepper noticed the deliberation behind this action. She smirked, when Tony winked at her, set on a dark face again and turned to Steve's team.

'FUCK!', he repeated.

'I told you!', Steve celebrated himself.

'Well played', Tony meant to his team and shook their hands.

Entering the changing room to have a shower, Tony grabbed Steve's hand, pulled him over and kissed him.

'Congrats', he said after that, took his stuff and went to the showers.

'Never doubt it...', Steve responded grinning and followed him.

Just when Steve stopped next to Clint, he noticed his mistake. Immediately he felt uncomfortable, so Hawkeye did, although he did without any reason. Tony reminded the former situations, where Barton pissed off his beloved. Silently Tony smiled to himself and headed to the changing rooms again. But in this move, he threw down Clint's piece of curd soap.

'Whoops! Sorry.'

Clint first looked at Tony. Then he looked at the soap. After that he suddenly remembered Steve was standing behind him.

'It's your. Won't you pick it up?', Tony asked, acting to be confused about Hawkeye taking so much time.

Thor crossed his arms over his chest and watched the situation interested.

'No? C'mon, it's yours. Pick it up.'

Being provoked, Clint squatted down quickly to pick it up and stand up quickly again, but suddenly he felt Steve's foot on his buttocks, poking him forward, so he nearly fell down on his face.

'Oh!'

Thor started laughing as he saw Barton's horrified face.

'Don't worry, you ain't sexy anyway...Oh, wait! Uhm...No', Tony meant and entered the changing room with Steve.

'This was...totally awesome', Thor laughed, as he came in and started drying off his body.

'What's so funny about it?', Steve asked, 'You SHOULD be worried.'

'No?', Tony said shocked.

'No?', Steve quoted and saw Tony shaking his head, 'Well, I'm sorry, but I think he's quite-'

'LALALALALALALA! Don't want to hear it! Don't want to think about being jealous of my God-broooo!', Tony shouted, took his stuff and left the changing room.

'Oh, come on, Tony. He is-', Steve laughed and followed him.

Thor just heard Stark negating loudly from the corridor. When Thor, who collegially waited, and Clint came out, they saw Banner, Pepper, Natasha and the couple waiting for them. Steve turned to Tony and leaned his knee between Stark's legs to the wall and started kissing his neck. Hawkeye passed them running and got out of the building as fast as he could.

'What the...', Natasha said and looked at Steve and Tony.

Tony shrugged his shoulders and answered:
'Homophobia is a real problem nowadays.'

'Dear lord...', Romanoff added and went out to look for her boyfriend.

'Rhodey already waits in the car, let's go', Pepper suggested smiling.

Chapter 13: Are you happy?

So they went out. Feeling cold Tony checked up the sky. In that moment Steve wished to have a camera:

Just when Tony raised his head, one single snowflake landed on point of his nose, what made him cross-eyed to have a look at the flake.

'Where did that come from?', Tony asked, wiping the flake away.

'Take a guess, genius', Bruce meant grinning and walked towards the cars.

'Tony, you will drive with us. I'd like to talk to you', Pepper said and entered Rhodey's car.

'What is it noooow...'

The moment when Steve wanted to sat down next to Tony, Thor suddenly said:

'Not you, captain. Just the metalman.'

Confused Steve shrugged his shoulders and went to the other car. The doors closed and Tony asked:

'Oh my gosh, what have I done?'

Suddenly the three set on a dark facial expression and Pepper replied:

'No, it's nothing. I just want to how you feel.'

'Uhm...I'm fine?'

'Is it your answer or is it a question?', Rhodey remarked, looking into the driving mirror to see Tony's reaction.

'No, I'm perfectly alright.'

'So her next question will be: How is it suddenly working between you two?', Thor meant grinning.

'That isn't, what I was goi-', Pepper started.

'Yes, but I want to know it, so shut up, woman!'

'First I thought you'd start some kind of intervention and know it turns out to be a cross examination?', Stark wondered.

'You don't need to answer...'

Thor sounded disappointed, so Tony answered:

'I don't even know. I guess we, especially me, learned something about regard. And that's it, I think.'

'So we don't need to be worried anymore?'

'You never needed...', Tony responded to Rhodey's question and turned his head to the window.

'Well...Tone, I'd like to spend my last evening tomorrow with you.'

'Well...Rhodes, you'd have to live with my better half then, too. There's no Stark without a Rogers anymore. My gosh, this sounds so corny, doesn't it?'

'I don't think so', Pepper replied turning her head back to him and smiled.

Tony smiled back for a moment. Arriving at the Stark Tower and exiting the car, Thor and Tony heard Steve shouting:

'WE WON!'

'From this time on he's going to be a pain in the neck', Tony meant, closed his eyes and shook his head shortly, whereon Thor laughed and entered the tower, 'Come off your high horse, Rogers.'

'We won!', Steve repeated and went into the tower dancing.

Tony looked down and smiled to himself, until he suddenly ran into somebody. As he looked up, he saw Steve's grinning face.

'So what do I deserve for it now?'

'You're allowed to kiss my feet, Cap.'

'Oh, Tony...You told me not to be mad...And now you are?'

'I'm not mad. I'm resentful of the way you boast.'

'You are?', Steve replied shocked, but noticed how hardly Tony tried not to grin, 'You aren't! Are you proud that I've won?'

'For sure...', Tony said and passed him.

'Let me tell you something', Steve added and caught Tony's attention again, 'My team won.'

'Fuck you', Stark laughed and entered the elevator.

As the door of the elevator closed, Steve started a kind of victory-dance.

'Could you stop this now?', Tony said, but kept on laughing.

'I'm sorry. It just feels so good to beat you.'

'Well, let's say that's your reward: I let you celebrate yourself without being hacked off.'

Tony left the elevator, Steve ran after him and shouted:

'Wait, I hadn't planned it this way!'

'You name it!', Tony shrugged his shoulders, 'Boasting or getting another surprise.'

'What is the surprise?'

'If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore. So name it, then I'll tell you.'

'Mmmh...I'll take the surprise!', Steve meant and sounded excited.

'I allow you to come along tomorrow to spend it partying with Rhodey.'

'What?', Steve stopped.

After this Tony turned around, shrugged his shoulders again and said:

'Didn't say it would be a really great surprise, did I?'

'That was mean!', Steve remarked, when Tony started laughing.

'So it's a done deal. Fine.'

Willing to disappoint Steve with this fobbing, Tony went to the party-deck to have a drink. He would never have told him, he actually didn't want to get there without Steve.

'You played a trick on my, that wasn't nice', Steve said as he heard Tony humming while filling his glass with Scotch, 'Nevertheless I agreed and I'm a man of his word.'

When Steve pushed the button to get to his room and the elevator's door closed, Tony danced himself for a few seconds, before he fell down on the couch.

The next day, when Natasha came into the living-room, she was wondering, what Banner did up there.

'Having a break?', she asked smiling.

'I need holidays, I think. Don't get me wrong, but I can't stand the Captain hanging around all the time, making any stupid jokes Tony is laughing his ass off about.'

'I like their combination', Romanoff remarked and sat down next to him.

'It's not that I don't. I like them both, but the only thing I can think about right now is, poor Rhodes, if Steve's really going to come along with them.'

'He'll be good. Thor wanted to go with them, so he won't be alone with them', she laughed.

'Thank God.'

'Linguistic joke!', Natasha suddenly shouted and held her fist out to Bruce, who hanged his head.

'Please...I've had enough of these jokes...please...'

Later Tony and Thor decided to have some drinks, before Rhodey would arrive to fetch them. Steve already heard them celebrating two by two very loudly.

'Guys, Rhodes waiting if you missed J.A.R.V.I.S' call', the soldier meant, when he looked inside the living-room.

'I'LL SIT NEXT TO RHODEY!', Tony shouted and ran out.

'And sometimes he calls me childish?', Steve asked and looked at Thor, who left the room relaxed and laughing.

'Mister Stark.'

'Rhodes.'

Rhodey, who sat behind the wheel, turned his head to Tony and said:

'You already spare your words? I don't even get an adequate greeting?'

Immediately Tony leaned over and gave Rhodey a smooch on his upper arm.

'I can smell Scotch...okay', Rhodes added and waited for Thor and Steve to strap up.

Getting bored during the drive, Tony suddenly mentioned:

'Thor! One...Two...Three!'

Both of them started singing loudly:

'I've been a wild rover for many a year and I spent all my money on whiskey and beer!'

Stark stopped again, disturbed by laughing, Thor continued:

'And now I'm returning with gold in great store and I never will play wild rover no more!'

Tony started floundering on the front-seat, animated by his own laughter.

'Are you nuts?', Steve asked.

'He's going to rip my car into pieces!', Rhodey added.

'I'm sorry, but...but', Tony pointed at Thor, who kept on singing full-throatedly.

After the car stopped, Thor stopped singing as well.

'Great, Thor. Nice and above all LOUD', Rhodey meant and exited the car.

'Hon, let me keep your wallet, I'm afraid you-'

'No, thanks, Steve.'

With these words Tony disappeared in the club. Steve and Thor looked at Rhodes, when they noticed Tony seemed to be a steady customer, but Rhodey just shrugged his shoulders and submitted his jacket at the cloakroom. When they came to Tony, he already reserved a table and ordered drinks. Over the time Thor, Steve and Rhodey kept sitting at the table talking and drinking, Tony hasted through the club talking to people, being strangers to the three. Now and then Stark returned to his friends to check up they were alright, kissed Steve's neck and ran away again. After a while he asked them to come over to the new people Tony has become acquainted with. Telling Rhodey, Tony, Thor and Steve about their old party-times, remembered Tony of something. He asked:

'Have I ever told you about that hilarious moment, when Rumiko has come to Stark Tower, her guards have waited outside and Steve came around?'

Thor and Rhodey shook their heads, Steve meant:

'Tony, don't...'

'Why? Okay, look. Rumiko and I have been talking about business, when we suddenly heard some noises from outside. The door opened quickly and there Steve stood. He stared at us, both of us totally shocked', Tony started laughing while he told the story, 'Then he just was like: OH MY FUCKING GOD!'

'That isn't entirely true...', Steve remarked.

'It is. He was just like: OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD!', the way Tony started to spin around waving his hands made Rhodes, Thor and the others laugh out loud, 'OH MY GOD! I am so sorry!'

'No!'

'Of course! Ask-'

'No!', Steve repeated.

'-Rumiko! Ask her!'

'No!'

'Why? Because it's true?'

'No, it's...Well, I said it's not entirely true...', Steve answered and bit on his lip, because he felt ashamed, but started grinning when Tony kissed him for consolation.

After Steve lay his arms from behind around Tony, he became quieter again and leaned his back against the muscularity. They listened to the strangers' stories for a while, until Steve noticed some guys watching them. It took a few minutes, until Tony recognized Steve's curious behavior and asked:

'What is it?'

'They're looking at us, have you noticed?', Steve asked and pointed shortly at the guys to the right.

'I came, I saw and I wasn't interested.'

Steve lowered his head and tried to concentrate on the others' conversation. Tony could feel how Steve's back became more and more crooked.

'You don't feel good, do you?'

Steve shook his head staring at the joints of the bottom's tiles.

'Well why shouldn't we give them a show, when they're watching anyway?', Tony replied self-confident, turned around and placed his arm over Steve's neck. After catching Steve's entire attention, Tony kissed him fondly on his lips. Reassured the soldier closed his eyes and put one of his hands on Tony's neck and the other on his hip.

Suddenly Tony receded and leaned his head on Steve's shoulder.

Then he asked: 'Still looking?'

'Yes. And with disgust.'

Out from the corner of his eye Steve saw Tony grinning. After that Stark let up on him and took his hand. Joyfully he walked to the group of men and scrutinized the evident two leaders.

'Oh, look at you!', Tony shouted.

'Tony, what are you-', Steve liked to asked, but Stark didn't let him and went on:

'You're a great couple! I'd like to invite you to come to the nail-studio with us tomorrow, would that be okay!?'

The men looked at each other, cocked their eyebrows and looked at Tony again, who wagged his fingers in front of their eyes.

'Who the fuck do you think you are talking to me, faggot!?', one of them screamed, grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back hardly.

The guests watched the incident. At least some of them noticed Steve's fraught posture. The man took two steps towards Tony, then he was stopped by Steve, who grabbed him at the collar of his shirt and heaved him up.

'Don't you dare to touch him again!', Steve told him clenching his teeth.

'Let me down, you fucker!', was his respond.

But Steve's grasp only got tighter, he heaved him higher.

'Don't you dare to touch him ever again!', he repeated pissed off and relaxed his grasp abruptly.

The man fell down and looked up to Tony and Steve.

Tony grinned and said: 'Never mess with a gay soldier.'

Before Steve followed Tony, who turned around and left the group, he darted an evil glance at his opponents.

'It was funny, wasn't it?', Tony asked proudly.

'It was embarrassing.'

'Hilarious!'

'It was unnecessary.'

'It was necessary. There couldn't be a better situation for making fun of those douche bags', Tony answered still amused.

'Next time I won't help you out. I don't support your unnecessary yielding-stress-actions anymore', Steve responded with a lack of understanding for Tony's amusement in his voice.

'Trust me, they needed that. You know the best way for getting respect is picking an argument and win the controversy.'

'You're just insane, there's no doubt. We could just ignore-'

'Don't you feel better now?', Tony interrupted.

'That isn't the point, Tony. It's-'

'So you do. You see? Done everything right', he laughed.

'You are like-'

'A piece of gold? I know, thank you.'

Shortly Tony stroked Steve's stomach with the back of his hand and ran to Rhodey and Thor, whereas Steve hanged his head and smiled. While he watched Tony speaking to the group, Steve realized Tony obviously really had no problem with letting the world know about them. From one second to the other Steve felt as light as if he could fly just the next moment. Later when they left the club, Tony looked up to the sky again and observed new snowflakes coming down. He took Steve's hand gently and walked over to the car slowly...