Steve trekked down the stairs to Tony's lab. He hadn't come up all day and it was almost midnight. Punching in the security code he stood in the doorway, arms folded.
"Tony?" The man didn't even look up from his work. "Tony," He said louder this time, "Are you ever planning on coming to bed?"
Tony barely even heard him he was so lost in thought, "Oh come on Cap sleep is for the weak." He said returning his full attention to the gadget in front of him.
"Sleep is for the sane. Which you clearly are not." Steve said, becoming annoyed. This was the fourth time this week he'd had to come down here to pry Tony away from his work, having been unsuccessful the other three times he had no expectations of this time being any different.
"What ever floats your boat Steve." Tony mumbled, having obviously not heard him.
"Tony. Are you even listening to me?" Steve was practically yelling now, he had moved from the doorway to right in front of Tony's desk. "Damnit Tony! You can't keep going like this! You're going to give yourself a heart attack or a stroke! Your working yourself into your grave!" Steve yelled slamming his fists down on the metal work desk.
Tony now fully looked up from his work, "In case you didn't notice Cap, I can't have a heart attack. I might as well work myself into an early grave God knows it's the only way I'll ever get out of this god forsaken hell hole!" Welp. Looked like it was gonna be another screaming match. Tony was overly tired, not that he'd admit it, and rather cranky. And with Steve nagging at him his crankiness had just escalated to full blown anger.
"Oh this place is a hell hole now? Well I'm oh so sorry that living with me is such a pain in your ass Tony." He seethed, setting his hands firmly on his hips.
"Oh come on Steve. You know I didn't mean it like that." Tony said stepping out from behind his work desk.
"The hell you didn't Tony. You've worked yourself into the ground every night for the past week. Tell me, if you're so smart tell me, what exactly is so awful about being with me?" He had better answer this with caution because Steve was not playing around. He didn't usually get overly worked up about stuff but once he got mad he got pissed. It was not a pretty sight.
"Jesus Steve! Maybe I holed myself up in here just to get away for a while! Ever think of that? That maybe I feel suffocated and I just want to bury myself in my work for a while? Maybe I just need five minutes to myself?" He said moving towards him, they were barely a foot apart now, "It's not easy going from being alone every night to having someone with you every second of the day! It's not like we work in separate places and I can come home to you after having not seen you all day, I see you every minute of my life these past few weeks!" Tony stopped to catch his breath, he hated fighting with Steve but lately, ever since he moved in, it'd just been hard for Tony to adjust. He was used to having hours to himself to think and sort through his thoughts and now he had zero time for himself. He needed some alone time and his workshop was the only place he could get it. He felt bad for making Steve upset, it really wasn't his fault, as cliche as it sounded it wasn't Steve it was himself, he couldn't handle the pressure this was putting on him. To be completely composed and presentable at all times, to be put together even when no one was around because Steve could walk in at any minute and see him. All he wanted was a drink. He wanted to get completely shit faced and just forget everything. Steve was wonderful, he made his life worth living, but you can't just shoo away the ghosts of your past the moment a ray of sunshine comes through.
Steve didn't want Tony to see how truly hurt he was, "Well then my bad. I'll just leave you to your work then. Come to bed whenever you want...I don't care anymore." Steve turned to walk away as a hand clamped down on his wrist pulling him back, "Please don't do this Steve. Don't make this a bigger deal than it is, please? I just... I'm trying okay? Can't you see that? I'm sorry I've been distant but I just... I'm stressed okay? I'm sorry, I love you, please don't go..." Tony pleaded setting a hand on Cap's cheek he leaned up to kiss him.
Steve instinctively kissed him back, pulling away after a moment, "No. Tony no, I just can't. You need time to think, well take it, because I think I need some time to myself too." Steve said adamantly as he pulled out of Tony's grip, turning away from his lover's distressed expression and walking out the door. Steve climbed the stairs to their bedroom hoping to take some of his anger and confusion out on the steps. It didn't help much. By the time he got to their room at the very top of Stark Tower his anger had calmed but the hurt remained. He felt like vomiting. They'd always had one of those relationships where when it was good it was great but when it was bad it was awful. And right now it was utterly terrible.
Steve thew himself on the bed, hot tears threatening to spill over. Grabbing fistfuls of his own hair the thoughts raced through his head. What was he doing? Tony apologized, he should've just forgiven him and moved on. But he knew he couldn't just let him brush everything under the rug every time he gave him puppy dog eyes. He always just let everything go and he liked it that way, fighting was unnecessary, they got enough of that in their line of work, he didn't want to have to bring it home too. But he couldn't just let something like this go, no matter how much he wanted to, because it affected their whole lives together, this wasn't just bickering over who left milk out over night or who got tooth paste on the bathroom mirror, this was serious.
The first of the tears touching his cheeks. What if Tony really didn't want him? What if he hated this deep seeded resentment for him for taking over his space? All these thoughts ran through his head, all these and so many more, so many that were so much worse. Steve couldn't take it, he thought he might just crack. Break down, curl up in a ball and dry heave himself to sleep, that sounded pretty good right about now. Steve rolled himself over on the bed, squeezing his eyes shut, anything to block out the world.
"Master Rogers, Mr. Stark has requested your presence in the laboratory." JARVIS's voice startled him, jumping up he rested his hands in his head, realizing it was only Tony's AI, "Tell Tony I meant what I said. I need some time. I'm not going down." Steve said rubbing his temples.
"I'm sorry Master Rogers, but it is urgent. He has requested your presence most adamantly." The AI repeated. Steve sighed, well why the hell not? Might as well go down and ask him about it to his face. "Tell him I'll be right down." Steve said, standing and making his way to the elevator, the stairs would take too long and by that time Tony probably would've lost most of his gusto about the whole argument in a drunken slur. The high speed elevator dinged at the bottom floor of Stark tower and Steve walked out slowly, fidgeting with his fingers nervously. He looked up, eyes searching for him, but he found nothing, "Tony?" Steve called, his voice echoing through the cement walls of the lab. If Tony had done this just to see if Steve would come, just so he would come and Tony would be long gone, Steve might kill him. Literally. "Marco?" A weak voice called from behind the lab desk. Steve furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Who the hell was Marco? He then remembered Tony explaining to him this silly game, a slight smile danced on his lips despite everything, "Polo?" He said turning the corner around the desk.
Tony lay in a sweat beneath the shadow of the desk, struggling for breath. "Hey there Capsicle," He choked out trying desperately to move up to his elbows. Steve dropped to his knees next to him, "Tony... What... Oh my lord Tony what happened?" Steve said grasping Tony's face in his hands and pulling him close against his chest, "Don't you worry your pretty head, I just..." He struggled to get the words out between ragged breaths, "I just wanted you with me." He coughed out, clawing to hold himself against Steve. He tightened his grip around Tony so he wouldn't have to use up his strength. Steve suddenly realized what was missing, the familiar glow of the arc reactor beneath Tony's shirt was missing. Steve's eyes widened with realization, "Tony, oh god Tony, what happened to your arc? Please tell me you didn't do this to yourself, oh god Tony oh my lord." Steve was practically hyperventilating, he forced himself to be calm, he had to be the one in control of this situation. "Don't flatter yourself babe, I wouldn't kill myself over you," Tony laughed tensely, Steve smiled sadly, "No, you love yourself too much for that." He joked sadly as tears coated his cheeks. "Oh not as much as you love me." Tony smirked through the pain, wincing as he did. "You're right," Steve crushed him in a hug, loosening his grip as he realized how tight he was holding to him, he pressed his lips to Tony's. Steve held him close as Tony pulled away to gasp for what little breath he could get.
The seconds passed, feeling like minutes. Steve held him close, tears staining his face as they whispered struggled "I love you's" to each other. Tony's breathing became shallow and the tears flowed freely from Steve's eyes, "Tony, Tony please. Tell me what I can do, please. I'll do anything just tell me what to do." Steve begged, trying to shake him to stay awake. His eyes fluttered open and closed, "I- I know- you would." He said breathily, "Steve?" Steve looked into his eyes, so many things were shared in that moment, no words were necessary, their eyes told more than their mouths ever could, "Steve, I- I love you." His eyes slowly flickered shut. "Tony, I love you too. Please don't go please. Please, Tony." He cried into Tony's shoulder, his body going limp in Steve's arms. "Oh god oh god, Tony no no, you can't go. No, this isn't right. Please god, please bring him back." Steve shouted to the ceiling through his tears. As expected he got no answer, only the distant sound of sirens humming. JARVIS must have called an ambulance but it was too late, they never could have gotten there in time.
Steve stood up, Tony's lifeless body still cradled in his arms. He wasn't about to let anyone take him away to be cut up like a piece of meat in some morgue, not while he was still around. The tears dripped down his face running all the way to his shirt where they left large wet spots on his collar. He climbed his way up the stairs, every single one of them, until he was at the top floor of Stark Tower. Slowly he walked to the bed, the sirens finally stopping in front of the Tower. Carefully he laid Tony's luke warm body over the sheets, pulling them loose to cover his lovers still form. To anyone else he could be sleeping, it was a cliche thought but what else did he have? In a moment like this, any sort of comforting thought was needed, even one so obviously untrue. To think that their last day together had been spent arguing made Steve want to rip his own heart out. He should've, he should've laid it beside Tony, he had no use for it now. It belonged to him, it always had, since the very first day they had met Steve knew he would someday give his heart to this man. And now here he was laying his dead, the word hurt to even think- he decided not to ever again, body in bed. This, this was a fate worse than death. He wished, hoped, pleaded for God to take him, take his life and let Tony live again. He would have done anything to take his own life, he would have if not for his religion. He knew, despite Tony's faults that one day he would be waiting for him in heaven. And Steve would never risk not getting to where Tony was just to spare his mortal self the pain of living without him.
But that one day, that one day would be soon, if he had any say in it. Steve bent over and kissed the top of Tony's forehead, his lips lingered there for a moment before he straightened himself out, setting his jaw and focusing his thoughts. "JARVIS." Steve said in a harsh voice. "Master Rogers?" The AI had a hint of sadness to his robotic voice, "JARVIS I want all security footage and information on whoever or whatever broke in here. And I want it now." Steve commanded, he knew he should have spoken softer to the robot, after all he had lost someone too. "I will do whatever you desire, I am yours now Master Rogers." Steve looked up at the ceiling, as if JARVIS's face could be found somewhere up there, "What do you mean?" Steve questioned, "You are the sole recipient of Mr. Stark's will." He stated mater of factly. Steve''s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, so he had left him...everything? When did this happen? Why would he do that? Clearing his throat he spoke again, "I'll be needing that footage before the cops take everything JARVIS.", "It has already been sent to your computer." Steve grabbed the laptop Tony had given him for Christmas, tucking it under his arm. He had business to attend to. He was going to track down whoever or whatever did this.
If it was the last thing he did