Disclaimer: My life has nothing to do with the Marvel studios except to admire there marvelous work!
It had been four days since Ms. Potts had returned back to work, and three since she had been called out to an emergency board meeting in the heart of Philadelphia. Why to all the way out there none of them but Stark himself fully understood. Yet she was fully functional and healthy as ever. We'd all taken to the shock of the situation pretty hard, she was as close to the Avengers as if she was one of our own now. Yet none had taken it as hard as Tony himself, unsurprising as the two had been dating for almost a year now. Steve was starting to grow a bit worried, if he was being honest with himself, since none of them had seen Tony in several days. Except perhaps Bruce, but he had been going down to the lab less and less as he prepared for his trip to Africa. Some gama way over his head thing that they needed Dr. Banners professional opinion on, and he'd been packing up for the trip so diligently that he hadn't had much time for anyone.
Steve had just decided that he would come up with some sort of reason to bring Tony back to the light of day when he walked into the kitchen and was pleasantly surprised to see the owner of the place himself rummaging threw the fridge. "Hey Tony, finally managed to resolve world hunger?" He asked as he turned away to make himself a pot of coffee. Odd that he would have to do this at all, seeing as this was usually Tony's first priority of any morning. It was only as the steaming brown liquid started to ooze from the filter did it register that he had not received an answer of any kind, and slightly concerned, turned to see that Tony's head was still neck deep in the refrigerator. Feeling a bit snubbed Steve walked over and tapped him on the shoulder stating "Hey Tony, if I offended you or something-" Yet at the tap to his shoulder his senses seemed to come to life and he whirled around with an egg in his hand held suspiciously like an inexperienced one would hold a grenade. His face registered first shock, then surprise as he said "Oh, hey Steve, what are you doing down here?" It concerned Steve a bit how his voice seemed to have cracked, as if form disuse.
Steve looked around the kitchen before looking back to him and stating, "Um, getting breakfast, like I do every morning. It's good to see you out of the lab for a change."
Tony blinked sluggishly at him, then seemed to look around the surroundings himself. As he studied the room, Steve studied him. His hair was plastered to his face with what seemed to be natural grease instead of the oil for a change. His clothes, if Steve recalled correctly, to seemed to be exactly the same as the last time he'd laid eyes on him. His eyes were the worst however, blood shot and with huge black bags under each of them. Steve felt a creeping suspicion come over him as Tony turned back to him sluggishly, and then stated, "Hu, odd. No wonder I couldn't find that hydraulics chamber."
He turned away, but Steve reached out and grabbed his shoulder, and was alarmed when there was no sort of resistance. Stark didn't pull away, or demand for Steve to remove himself. Just stood there half turned away and blinking slowly. Steve turned him back to face him and in the harsh and cold lighting of the still open fridge demanded, "Tony, how long have you been in the lab?"
The question took far to long to register in the geniuses mind, and much to long to get a reply. "Depends, how long's Pepper been gone?" he asked, his words slurring slightly, as if he were drunk instead of sleep deprived.
Steve placed his other hand on his shoulder as well, demanding his full attention as he said slowly and clearly, "Tony, Pepper left three days ago. Are you telling me you haven't eaten or slept since she left?"
His shoulder twitched under the grasp, and Steve gentled the hold slightly, realizing he might have been squeezing a bit to hard in his shock. How ever, Starks voice displayed none of that as he continued to speak in a sort of mumble, "JARVIS needed his upgrades, can't let any more fucking berries get into this stupid place. Can't make that mistake again. Didn't think it would take that long, suppose I should have watched the time passing."
Roger's brows flew to his blonde hair line as he demanded, "How could you not notice you haven't moved in three days!" To this there was no reply, and instead of arguing with an insomniac, Steve instead released his grip and slung one of Tony's arms over his own shoulders to drag his ass to his freaking room. Tony stumbled along beside him, so out of it Steve wondered how he'd gotten to the kitchen by himself without falling over.
Only after Stark was dropped into the nearest room, not even focusing on if it was his actual room or not, did Steve turn and head up to where Bruce would still be for a few days. He needed him to do a quick double check to make sure Tony hadn't turned JARVIS into the worlds next man eating cyborg.
Yay, part two is up and ready.. I have nothing else to say. For once. Hope you enjoyed