I'm remembering that Steve was a main character in Loki's Unknown Servant, so I'm thinking I'll alternate between him and Tony like in the last story. I have to say, I'm super stoked about this sequel. Part of me wants to rush forward, but I'm doing my best to take it slow. XD

Steve tried. He tried so hard to understand what Tony was going through. But, really, how many people could relate to having a god playing with their soul like a puppet master? Sure, Clint could, but he seemed to be like Tony in the fact that he didn't want to talk about it. But Steve didn't find Barton staring at a wall for ages, or talking to someone who wasn't there.

Yes, Steve hadn't said anything, but he'd caught Stark talking to who he assumed to be Loki. There had been one particular instance that worried him more than others. The time where he'd heard Stark arguing that he was a hero. That Iron Man wasn't an escape. That Capsicle hadn't been right on the Helicarrier. Steve had wanted so badly to interfere, but he knew he'd only get snarky, stubborn Stark in return if he did.

So, yes, he often asked if Tony was feeling okay. Who wouldn't? The man could be so incredibly aggravating, but Steve really did care.

But then...maybe another reason Steve was so concerned was because the last time Loki had an effect on Stark, he'd been unable to help his frien-teammate (he was starting to wonder if 'friend' was the right term here). Why? For one, he had no idea how to deal with a god possessing you. For another thing, he'd been put into a coma by none other than the person he was trying to help before he could do anything. By the time he'd woken up, he'd found Tony in a state that was all too familiar. It was a state that he'd seen in so many men during the war. They would experience something so bad, so mind shattering, that they'd go insane. And Steve could never do anything about it.

But after the deadly fight with Electro, with Stark saving his life, Steve thought that Tony had returned to normal. He certainly seemed normal. But Steve had learned early on that Stark could be dying on the inside and you'd never know it. He was an expert at hiding his emotions. Steve could understand that, but it certainly made it harder to lend a hand with something like internal Loki.

Tony had seemed so angry earlier. It was like he hated everyone and everything and he wouldn't mind one bit if everyone but him dropped dead. Before Loki, Steve wouldn't have thought anything of it other than wondering who put salt in his coffee. Stark wasn't a team player. He never had been, really. But Tony had been a bit too on edge. Even for him.

That was why when Stark emerged from his shower and into the kitchen for the usual Avengers dinner (Fury insisted they try to get a long at least a little bit), Steve took extra care to keep his glances at the man subtle.

But his concern was in vain, for Tony was a completely different man from earlier that day. He kept up the witty banter with Clint, pretended to flirt with Natasha, and talked science with Bruce. He was himself. And it confused Steve to no end.

"Is there something on my face, Spangles?" Stark asked, arching an eyebrow across the table at him. "Or are you admiring my stunningly good looks?"

Barton snickered and Natasha elbowed him, but there was a slight amused glint in her eyes as well. Even Bruce looked amused.

So much for his subtle glances. "No," Steve answered, shaking his head. "Unless you call that beard 'something on your face'."

Tony looked mock hurt, laying a hand on his chest. "You don't like my goatee?"

"Back in my day, handlebar mustaches were more in style."

Before Steve could regret using the phrase 'back in my day', the other Avengers burst into laughter and began mimicking him.

"Back in my day, young whippersnappers had to go outside to entertain themselves," Barton said in an old man voice.

"Back in my day, a dollar could buy you a years worth of food!" Natasha chimed in, hunched over like an elderly person.

"That's an exaggeration," Steve interrupted, trying to be stern but failing. He'd gotten used to being teased about his age. It didn't offend him like it used to.

"Back in my day, the most advanced piece of technology we had was a mechanical pencil," Tony put in, smirking.

"Now you're just being mean," Steve protested, flicking a spoonful of rice across the table at the others. "Some super nice, dependable, role model heroes you are."

Everyone laughed except Stark, and Steve realized his mistake too late. He'd just been thinking about the man's one-sided conversation about defending his title as a hero, and he'd gone and said something that was offending to someone as sore to the subject as that.

Over the laughter, Steve couldn't hear what Tony was saying, but he could see the man's lips moving. He was undoubtedly talking to that voice inside his head again. Reading his lips, Steve could barely make out "...saying that...I...hero!"

"Stark..." Steve started to say, making a move to get up.

Tony merely shook his head, frowning, as he got to his feet. He angrily threw his napkin on the table and stormed from the room, cutting off the laughter with his abrupt departure.

The three remaining Avengers turned their eyes to their leader, varying looks of confusion and disapproval in their gazes. They all started talking over one another, Clint wondering what he had said, Natasha telling him he was an idiot (Steve couldn't tell if she was talking to him or Barton), and Bruce saying he should have known better.

"Enough!" Steve called over the commotion, holding up a hand. "It was a slip of the tongue. No, Clint, it wasn't anything you said. Yes, Natasha, I am an idiot. And yes, Bruce, I should have known better. I'll go talk to him."

Before anyone could say anything more, Steve got to his feet and headed in the direction Stark had disappeared in. He paused outside the man's bedroom door, not out of politeness, but out of curiosity. He could hear a voice (singular form) coming from the other side. If it weren't for his acute hearing, Steve wouldn't be able to make it out.

"Don't tell me you have a hold on Rogers, too, RG...Because what are the odds he says something like that right after you mentioned it last night?...Captain Perfect? Purposely addressing my insecurities? Actually, that's not too hard to believe...Yeah, you're right. Especially after the Helicarrier verbal smack down."

Steve inwardly cringed at the mention. He wasn't going to be able to live that one down, was he? Tony would never forget his comments about false self-sacrifice and heroism. You would have thought he would have learned from that incident to watch what he said around Stark. His 'Captain Perfect' nickname most definitely wasn't accurate. Anyone could see that.

"What do you mean someone's outside my door? I thought we decided they were only pretending to care...You have got to be kidding me." Stark's tone of voice changed to where it was obvious he was addressing his unwelcome visitor. "What do you want?"

Steve felt awkward talking to a door, but he hadn't been invited in, so he rolled with it. "What would you think if I said I was here to apologize?"

There were several moments of silence, then the sound of a lock clicking, and the door opened to reveal an obviously annoyed Tony Stark. Steve was surprised his eyes didn't pop out because of how hard he was rolling his eyes. "See, this is why I call you Captain Perfect."

Steve managed a half smile. "I'm anything but perfect, Stark."

"Only a perfect man would say that, you know."

"Look, I wanted to say sorry about what I said."

Tony tilted his head, his gaze distant for a moment, and Steve realized he was listening to Loki again. "How would you know to be sorry?"

Oh, right. He wasn't necessarily supposed to know about Tony's 'hero' conversations with the trickster god. Whoops. "I just...you seemed upset after I sarcastically called you all heroes."

There. That was an effective way to mention he knew something was up, but he didn't know what, right? No matter what, he could not let Stark find out he knew about Loki.

Tony narrowed his eyes in skepticism, but he didn't call Steve out. Good. "It wasn't what you said. I ate a bad piece of sushi."

Steve inwardly sighed. So much for trying to get Stark to open up. "Oh. Then...I hope you feel better."

"You're a terrible liar. When did you find out?"

"Find out...about what?"

"Don't keep trying to lie to me, Rogers," Tony snapped, his dark brown eyes nearly black with his growing anger. "When did you discover Loki's still with me?"

Steve hesitated for a moment before deciding it was pointless to act innocent. And here he thought he was a relatively good actor. "Depends. Which one counts? When you started talking to someone other than yourself, or when you became more snappish than usual."

"So, what, two weeks? Wow. Kudos for not mentioning it before now. When did the oh-so-stupendous Captain America learn how to keep a secret?"

Steve didn't appreciate the condescending tone, but he let it slide considering the circumstances. "I want to help you. Maybe if we contact Thor..."

"I don't need Thor!" Tony shot back. "I don't need you. Heck, I don't need anyone! I'm fine. I'm handling it. The Rock of Ages won't get the best of me."

That might have been reassuring, but when Stark said he was 'handling it', that generally meant he was drinking and emotionally dying. "Tony, I just want-"

"To help me. I know. But, God, why can't you see that I don't want your help? Stop pretending you're my friend, Rogers. We both know we're fooling ourselves."

"What do you mean?" Steve asked, frowning. They'd never actually physically said they weren't friends.

"I mean, we're too opposite. And in this case, opposites don't attract. I hate you, you hate me. Why can't we leave it at that?"

"I never said-"

"You didn't have to. It's written all over your face. You hate my guts because I'm not my father, right?"

"Tony..."

"Save it. It's your lucky day because you won't have to deal with me for a while."

Dread began weighing down on Steve's heart as he realized he was fighting a losing battle. "Why do you say that?"

"I'm taking a vacation. A leave of absence, if you will. The Avengers will manage just fine without me," Tony answered, impossibly casual.

"But we-"

"This isn't up for discussion."

Before Steve could voice one more word of protest, the door was being slammed in his face, and the audible click of the lock sounded once again.

He couldn't pretend that the words spoken weren't a total lie. Tony wasn't his favorite person in the world, but Steve in no way hated him. It had to be Loki talking again. Because Stark would never think that. Steve wouldn't let him. Right?

This was the last straw. Steve silently resolved to do everything he could to dislodge Loki from Tony's mind once and for all. He was getting his teammate back if it was the last thing he did.

Hm...is Steve one hundred percent sure it's all Loki? Because I'm not convinced. What do you guys think?