Fixing Broken Toy Soldiers: TWO Hits

Because he was Steve Rogers, Tony Stark had to love him. Because he was broken, Tony Stark had to fix him. It was in his nature, as a creator, not a breaker. But Steve Rogers wasn't broken at all. It was Tony that was the broken one, while Steve had to fix the creator. It was fixing broken toy soldiers and their creators.

"Look, I know I said some fucked up shit the other day, but you don't need to take it personally. Like it could phase you! You've got the will of many, and damn it…you're just a stronger person than I could ever be." Was Tony Stark actually giving Steve a compliment? Somehow, it felt like he was. Steve really didn't know what to say, so he said nothing and just stared him down again.

Tony looked around his shop and sighed, finding it to be too quiet even with his loud rock and roll blaring from his stereo system in the corner. Steve hadn't said anything to Tony since they had their little argument about Tony not being a hero and Steve being nothing but a liar. It was getting a bit awkward, and honestly, it was starting to piss Tony off.

Steve smiled only slightly and looked at the machine Tony liked to refer to as 'Butterfingers' and gently touched it. The machine moved slightly, as if examining Steve, then rolled over to Tony and finally went still. Odd. It was like it had feelings, but it was only a giant piece of metal. Much like Tony. Okay, that was a bit mean, but still.

With a small sigh, Steve finally cleared his throat and got up from the rolly-chair Tony had given him at his desk. "Stark, I've been thinking. I should apologize for calling you a worthless piece of man in metal."

"You never called me that," Tony snapped his gaze at Steve quickly, clenching his jaw firmly shut.

"I was thinking it then. But, how can you be worthless when you've created your security system and, I'm assuming, friend, JARVIS, or even the suits? That's amazing! I couldn't do it in a million years even if I tried. I guess I'm just trying to say is…it's nice to meet you." Steve stuck his hand out to him to shake, an offering to start over.

The Stark looked at his hand for a minute, then shook it firmly. "God you're as sweet as fucking frosting. Are you always like that? Bet it annoyed Barnes and Peggy Car—"

Steve's facial expression softened slightly, then became sad. He hadn't thought about Peggy or Bucky since he had woken up from being frozen in that fake 1940's set up. But it didn't work. "Please don't talk about Agent Carter. Or Bucky even. I lost both of them, and I just have this feeling that I'm going to loseyou too. You're the only memory of the 40's that I have left. Simply because you look so much like your father, but you're so different than him. He helped give me this gift."

Steve grabbed the chair and sat back down, crossing his legs gently. "I'm going to tell you a story. When I was going through with the procedure of turning into the super soldier, I was so afraid and in so much pain because everything was expanding in my body. I was such a skinny kid, and now I'm so…well, big. It was just so painful. When I was screaming and yelling, Howard wanted to stop, but I told them not to."

"Then, when it was done and I attempted to climb out of the machine, Howard was there to help me and be my pillar of strength when I had none. He then made sure I wouldn't get hurt by getting vibranium metal to make my shield. You know the qualities of vibranium metal, I'm sure. In ways, he wanted to protect me and make sure I was always protected if he couldn't always be there. I'll always be thankful to Howard, but now I can only thank you." The blonde looked at Tony and smiled slightly. It was all he could offer to Tony to try and say his thanks to him.

Tony sat on the edge of his desk heavily and stared at him in awe, as if he was trying to picture it happening like a movie in his head as Steve described it to him. "Wanna go a round or two?"

Really? Tony wanted a fight right now? Did Steve make him mad or upset or…jealous?

In only a few seconds time, Tony was suiting up to attack Steve out of jealousy, rage, and even a bit of sadness. He had known his father in his most devoted state than he, Howard's son, had ever known him his entire life. That, and he just wanted to test his father's work out. He rolled his shoulders a few times, then walked towards Steve, offering him the shield that he had brought along everywhere, just in case.

Steve still wasn't sure about the world today—better safe than sorry, and naked without his shield.

The blonde took his shield and ripped his shirt off, always wearing his Captain America unform underneath as well. "Tony, I don't want to fight! There's no reason to!"

"Two hits! I wanna see what you can do." Tony was already throwing a punch at Steve's face, in which Steve quickly blocked with his shield and shoved Tony away.

A test? Alright then. Nothing wrong with that. After all, everything that Steve was made of came out of a bottle anyways.

Steve flung his shield at Tony, knocking him off balance and forcing him to land on his back in attempt to avoid the quick throw of the shield. Damn. Steve was actually a good fighter…this was going to be a bit difficult, but not impossible.Nothing was impossible.

Tony raised his hand and shot a beam at him, quickly getting up and walking towards him without fear. As Steve managed to dodge the beam, he began to count aloud. "That's two hits for you! I get one more, then we're done. I mean it!"

"I think I'll be the judge of that. Besides, life isn't fair, so—" Another attack on Steve as Tony flew at him, tackling him and sending them both into the side of one of Tony's cars, making the alarm go off.

As both men lay in the side of the now wrecked car, Steve panted slightly and looked at Tony beside him. "Alright Stark, you can have my second hit. You win. Are you okay?" Steve got up and helped Tony up by offering his hand to him, pulling him up gently when he took the hand.

The Stark coughed slightly and lifted his helmet, staring at Steve when he was able to see him clearly without the helmet on. His lip was bleeding a bit, but nothing too serious while Cap had nothing but a scratch on him, which healed instantly.

"Oh Tony…your lip is bleeding. See? This is why we need to make love and not war."

"Was that an offer to lay me?" Tony smiled slightly at the sight of Steve's face going crimson red at the mention of having sex with Tony.

Tony looked around at his now wrecked work shop and sighed, looking back at Steve with a huge grin. "Good game. You play fair. A man of his word—well, myword, but still. By the way, I like the whole…Super Man thing where you keep your hero uniform under all of your clothes and rip it off when you need to fight. Very classic and predictable, but still cool. Come upstairs and I'll order a pizza or something. Might as well be nice since Fury is forcing us to."

Yeah, Fury had had enough of their childish antics, so this was really all a set up. But, Tony didn't seem to mind anymore. Steve Rogers was a good man with good intentions. And he was fun to fight with too.

As they headed upstairs, Steve grabbed his shield from sticking out of the glass wall, jumping slightly as all of the glass walls came down at once, as if the shield were keeping them up. He looked at Tony, his face drained of color as Tony shook his head.

Upon arriving upstairs, Tony disassembled his suit and headed for his mini bar to get a drink and some ice for his now swollen bloody lip. He noticed Steve automatically go to the piano and sit down, staring down at the keys as if he wanted to play it, but he didn't dare touch it in fear of breaking the keys.

"You can touch it, you know. I don't give a damn. I don't touch it much, so someone might as well play it. You know how?" Tony slid into the spot next to him on the piano bench, looking at him.

"No, I don't. But I can doodle pretty good. I drew a picture of Bruce to thank him for being so nice to me, and he liked it a lot. He said that whenever I'm feeling pretty upset, that I should just think of something nice and I'll always smile. But he's always angry, so it's hard for him. He's…the nicest man I've ever known yet." Talking so fondly about a new friend was making him feel all warm inside and full of love. But…Tony took notice and poked fun at him.

"Aww…you and Banner are boyfriends, huh? No wonder he's in such a good mood lately. I can imagine you two just holding hands when no one is looking. But did you know that he's an enormous green rage monster? That's why he's telling you to be happy."

"We're not anything but friends. Team mates. A duo of strength and righteousness. Why do you intend to make me mad every ten seconds, Stark?!"

On a whim, Steve grabbed the cloth with ice in it and ripped part of the cloth off, dipped it into the alcohol, and pressed it to Tony's lip. "Just let me take care of who I have to, okay? Let me start with you. You got three hits and I only got one. It was supposed to be two hits."