We cover up the scars and never let them go. -The Wanted. Love sewn

Stark and Rogers did not get along. Sure they worked together on occasion, especially when the Avengers were called to assemble, but they clashed on a regular, if not daily basis.

Steve was still stuck in the past. Sure he was adjusting, but a part of him still fully epected to wake up in a camp somewhere and be called for a mission. Tony Stark really did not help matters. He kept expecting to see Howard every time he looked at him and was instead greeted by someone who bore no possible similarity besides his genius and random on-the-spot ideas.

All he saw in Stark was a huge ego, a strange sense of humor, the uncanny ability to disobey orders and to anger or annoy every higher up he possibly could.

He couldn't have been more wrong in assuming Tony Stark could be summed up in a few sentences.

~Linebreak~

In the end it was a small thing that caused Tony to finally lose it.

He was being an ass and he knew it, but that did not give Steve permission to bring up his father.

It was right after a battle with some doombots- seriously that was Reed's problem! Why were they dealing with it?!- when the good captain decided to tell him of his lack of team spirit and how he was NEVER where he should be. They were alone in his lab where he was trying to install some updates to the suit. Tony was trying, he really was, but he had taken some hard hits and had lost any and all control of his verbal filter and was sassing Rogers left right and center.

Then Rogers said it.

"Why couldn't you be more like Howard? Unlike you, he actually listened and accepted his faults!"

At this Tony heard the same voice saying "I knew men with none of that who were worth ten of you"

This? This was the reason his father ignored him? He remembered every word exchanged on the hellicarrier and they still stung. He had snarked right back- "big man in a suit. Take it off what are you?" " genius billionaire playboy philanthropist"- but that was only because of years of practise and an unshatterable mask. Well, until now.

Hearing Howard praised by this man snapped something and reopened some old wounds. It was years of neglect and abbandonment and being told he wasn't good enough that yelled right back at Steve.

"Like Howard?! That bastard was a self obsessed son of a bitch who practically worshipped you! He spent the rest of his life and half of mine trying to find you in that damn ice! 'Listened'?! The only thing he listened to was the sound of his own voice! He was drunk half the time and going off on tangents about the 'great Captain' and how much of a disappointment I was! I spent my childhood wondering why I was never good enough for my own father!" Pulling up his sleeves he showed Steve his scars. He would regret it later but now- "my sixteen year old self hadn't quite developed my coping mechanisms yet. This is how I dealt till I realised that he honestly didn't give a damn about his son, but was obsessed with something he helped create. So look at me and tell me if you want me to be like him. Look me in the eye and tell me that, because your 'friend' was lost in the ice with you. I never knew him so NO I can't be Howard no matter how much you wish it of me."

Few could stun Steve into silence the way Tony just did. He wasn't sure what to do with this information. He had just got a glimpse behind Tony's mask-because thats what all the jokes and sarcasm were-a mask. And he was just realising that and now he didn't know what to do.

"Tony I'm-"

"Save it Cap." There was no anger behind Stark's words. Just a bone-weary sadness. "That part of my life is over. I just don't like being reminded of it." He turned around, a clear dismissal, but Steve couldn't leave like this.

"Tony I'm sorry. I judged you too much-I didn't know-"

"What? That my father was a drunk who couldn't care less about his son? Or that the egotistical Tony Stark was neglected as a child? Oh wait, or was it that the one guy who doesn't follow America's perfect soldier, grew up both hating and idolising the man?"

They were both startled by a knock on the door as Natasha strolled in, perfectly aware of what she was coming in between. "So the captain is finally realising that our mechanic has a heart? Clint owes me. He thought it would take much longer."

The two men stared. There wasn't much else they could do conisidering Natasha started to speak again.

"What? Male tosterone has been in the air for weeks, of course we betted on it Stark. Oh and Cap, if you know what's good for you, you probably wouldn't bring up Howard again. I've read the files. There was a lot more than what Tony just said. Howard Stark is lucky he's already dead."

Tony, recovering from the assassin's sudden appearance first- "Jarvis how the hell did she get in?"

"Sir there was a security override"

"Why am I even asking this, it's Natasha we're talking about"

~linebreak~

Steve never mentioned Howard again.

A/N so i kinda lost all sense of direction there... sorry but it was getting to dramatic. Also it was either Nat or Clint. I can change it any time so seriously input would be awesome. I mean, Clint from what i can tell is the resident jokester but Tasha felt more appropriate for this scene so yeah... I also kinda feel that she would be overprotective of Tony. Yeah she would kill him for messing with her but sh'ed would also be all like 'He's mine. Only I can mess with him'

But yeah. Thats it. Hope you enjoyed. PLEASE comment and tell me thoughts. Seriously I need reviews. Or something.

Next up is Bruce. He's one of my favourite characters and i really like my next chapter which is already up on wattpad. So yeah.