Steve was walking down the hallway in the dark, stumbling because he was tired. He descended down the flight of stairs without falling over, to his utter surprise. His hand reached for the panel where he had to input a passcode. The metal buttons were cold under his fingertips and he realised that in the buttons were indentations with the number on it. He had not realised that in the daylight. A high pitched tone beeped three times and the glass door slid silently open. To Steve, the air in the room felt colder than the rest of the house. He assumed it was because the garage door was open.
Jarvis detected another being enter the room and turned a light on above where Steve was standing. "Damn…" he whispered, he'd been spotted.
There was rustling at the far corner of the room. Another light turned on and Steve saw Tony. Tony looked extremely tired and confused. Steve just raised his arms in a shrug and gave a small smile.
His shirt read 'free licks,' Tony stared at his shirt, longer than he needed to. He was looking at how the shirt loosely clung to his abs. He could see the outline of them.
Steve realised Tony was taking longer to make a stupid remark than normal. The soldier began, "I was wondering.. If-
"Drink." Tony interrupted.
"What?" Steve asked.
"Drink." Tony repeated, it wasn't a question, it was a statement. He walked from around his bench and fluently Steve turned around and they climbed the stairs with The Captain in pursuit.
Tony had been asleep at his desk and Steve could tell, easily. He had been working too hard lately. Maybe it was to distract him from everything, Steve thought. It was only logical.
Tony wouldn't talk about his problems. He cracks jokes to ignore the conundrum. Steve had to realise that Tony had his own ways of dealing with things, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to be there. The captain felt responsible for everything, and felt the need to mend what had happened. If he couldn't be forgiven then he would try to make up for it in some way.
It was dark at the bar. "Jarvis, a little light please?" His voice was empty, from sleep deprivation probably. He seemed out of character, he wasn't his charming self. Steve felt slightly uncomfortable. It's unimaginable what little sleep can do to a person.
"Certainly sir." The robotic voice echoed in the room. The technology in Tony's house was extraordinary. It took Steve some getting used to.
Captain Rogers sat down at the bar stool and didn't say a word. He was unsure of how Tony would react, or if he would respond at all. "Would you like me to pour the drinks, sir?" Jarvis questioned.
"No."
"Sorry, sir."
Tony poured a Gin and Tonic for the both of them but remained behind his side of the bar. He was most comfortable there.
It was wrong, all wrong. Tony hadn't said anything smart or witty. He hadn't even looked the man in the eyes. Steve felt the pressure and the guilt. It was seeping in and getting to him. Guilt could eat a person alive.