Tony woke up feeling better than he had in weeks.

He knew now that he couldn't move on to someone else, but at least there was no longer any reason to try.

He sat up and laughed to himself, remembering that he'd told the kid he could stay the night and be able to play with his Iron Man toys in the morning.

"Must have been guilt," he mumbled, scratching his head and yawning.

Tony walked into the hall and stopped, seeing that Hank had made breakfast. "Huh."

"Good morning!" Hank said brightly, looking him up and down before frowning, "Are you sure you don't want to try again because I really want to," he said, his eyes never leaving Tony's bare chest.

Tony smiled. "Sorry."

A millisecond later Hank was bright and happy again, setting out a plate with toast and eggs in front of him. He laughed, sitting on a stool and eating. "This is great, where'd you learn to cook?" he asked.

Hank grinned. "My mom graduated Cordon Bl…" he started to explain when the doorbell rang.

Tony frowned, checking the clock.

It was nine-thirty. "Jarvis, who is it?"

"It's Mister Rogers, sir."

Tony froze. "Come again?"

"Mister Steve Rogers, sir."

He exchanged a look with Hank. "Oh…kay…let him in," he said, going back to eating.

The door opened and Steve walked inside talking, "Tony I…oh," he stopped, seeing Tony shirtless and Hank wearing a pair of Tony's own pajama pants.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Good morning, Rogers. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Steve swallowed. "I'm interrupting, I'll come back later," he started to say, but the door closed before he could.

"No, it's fine. You remember Hank."

Hank waved, making Steve glare at him. "Yes."

Tony finished his toast and stood, walking. "We're gonna go downstairs, Hank. Just hang out, be right back."

Steve followed him downstairs to the workshop where they were alone.

"What're you doing here?" Tony asked, suddenly stopping and turning around.

Steve paused. "Um…I…did he stay here?"

Tony crossed his arms. "Yes."

Steve swallowed. "All night?"

Tony frowned at him. "Yes, what business is it of yours? You've made it perfectly clear that you find me repulsive so why…?"

"That's not true," Steve protested, blushing, "I don't…find you repulsive."

Tony froze. "Since when?"

Steve couldn't meet his eyes when he confessed, "I've been…remembering things. About us." There was no response from Tony, so he continued, looking up, "Only eight memories, but they're all of you, we're…"

Tony smiled, his expression hard. "Having sex."

Steve nodded.

"So…now that you know I'm a good lay you decided to…what? Jump my bones because you remember what my dick tastes like?" Tony said, nearly laughing.

Steve swallowed again. "I just…after I…when I saw your face and remembered…"

Tony's smile disappeared. "Wait, you…how long have you been remembering?"

Steve shook his head. "Tony, it's…"

"HOW LONG?" Tony yelled.

Steve looked down. "Since I saw you in the hospital."

Silence answered him and he lifted his head.

Tony had tears in his eyes. "So…I was on the EDGE of the abyss…ready to stick a gun in my mouth and you have the ONE thing that could have helped me through it but chose to keep to yourself out of…what? Embarrassment? SHAME? What WAS IT?"

Steve didn't move. "I didn't want to get your hopes up."

Tony shook his head, laughing. "Well you've succeeded in that, don't worry. This conversation has dashed away EVERY HOPE I had left. Don't let the door hit you on the ass when you get the fuck out, Rogers."

He turned and walked away from Steve, whose chest was so tight he could barely breathe as he watched him go. Steve took a deep breath and ran after him, turning Tony around and pressing the other man against a counter behind them.

Tony struggled in his arms, cursing. "LET ME GO!"

Steve shook his head. "No."

Tony fought him every step, trying to get out his hold and cursing, "I swear to fuck, ROGERS I'll…"

"Don't call me that!"

Tony grinned. "Rogers? Fine. STEVE, let me go."

Steve shook his head. "No, I…" he leaned in as if to kiss Tony and was surprised when the other man moved himself away.

"HELL NO! Don't even THINK about it."

Steve frowned. "Why not?"

"Because this isn't Sleeping Beauty, Rogers, it's REAL LIFE. If by some MAGIC SPELL true love's kiss could fix your memory loss I would have done it by now. And if kissing me actually does fix your memory loss, it would be the stupidest thing on the face of the Earth," he said simply, closing his mouth tight.

Steve let him up and Tony rubbed his back, wincing. "Ow."

"I'm sorry, I'll go," he whispered, turning to leave when he spotted something out of the corner of his eye under a cover, "What's that?" he asked.

"Nothing," Tony mumbled, "Just go."

Steve ignored him and walked over to the cover and pulled, gasping at the sight in front of him.

"It's mine," he whispered in awe.

The bike was his, he knew from the coloring and because he remembered the last time he'd driven it. He looked at Tony with tears in his eyes. "You did this?"

Tony looked away. "It's done, you can have it. I don't want to see it anymore."

Steve felt a tear fall down his face and he whispered, "Thank you," running his hand across the front of it.

He turned to Tony, his eyes looking him up and down before settling on the arc in his chest. Tony seemed to catch where his eyes were staring. "What?"

"Does it hurt?"

Tony turned away. "No. You said you were gonna go, so just fucking go already."

Steve climbed on the back of the bike and it felt so perfect beneath him he pressed his face against the front of it, closing his eyes.

"Did you have sex with him?" he asked.

"It's none of your business."

"Yes, it is," he said softly.

"JUST GO, STEVE! I don't…" Tony yelled, angrily walking up and kick starting the bike.

Before he could run away Steve grabbed his arm and turned him, pressing Tony close to him and kissing him.

They kissed like starving men, tongues intertwining and licking at each other, their breath tickling along the edge of their skin as they moved. Tony pulled his hair to make him stop but Steve moaned, pulling him closer.

Which was when he got another flash of memory.

They were in the same room and he'd seen the bike for the first time. They'd been fighting just the same but it had ended with…he couldn't remember. He pulled his mouth away, catching his breath and pressing his lips to Tony's eyelid.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered hoarsely.

"You don't remember," Tony whispered, moving out of his arms.

Steve licked his lips. "No. I…it's coming back, it's just…"

Tony shook his head. "I'm not gonna be your experiment, Steve. A kiss here, a grope there, just a little more and I'll collect them all!"

Steve turned off the bike and tried to touch him again but Tony moved away.

"Just go. PLEASE."

He nodded, climbing off the bike and walking towards the stairs.

"It's yours, take it," Tony whispered.

Steve shook his head. "I can't," he said hoarsely, nearly running up the stairs.

Tony slid to the floor when he'd gone pressing his cast across his face as he finally broke, his shoulders shaking as he sobbed.

Steve was gone.

Tony didn't come back to the Avengers after his arm healed, which Steve only knew because he'd seen him on television accepting an award.

The physical ache that seemed to permeate his entire being made him turn off the TV and close his eyes, trying to will his mind to fix itself, begging the Steve Rogers trapped inside of him to just give him back all of his memories of Tony instead of teasing with bits and pieces.

He'd thrown himself into his Avengers work, fighting every bad guy he came across like his life depended on it and throwing his shield into people so ferociously he'd actually snapped a man's neck more than once.

Steve's nights were spent mostly not sleeping, though the dreams he had were always filled to the brim with Tony on his lips and in his arms just slightly out of reach.

Nearly six weeks had passed since he'd lost his memories when Nick Fury sent a hologram to his bedroom and announced, "We found the Skull."

Steve jumped out of bed and put on his suit, rushing out of his apartment and jumping into the helicopter that Nick had sent immediately to his location.

When he came on board the helicarrier he called out to Nick, "Where?"

Nick shook his head. "Look Steve, I know why you want to see him but…"

Steve grabbed Nick's arms and smashed him into the computer screen behind him. "HE STOLE MY LIFE! WHERE IS HE?"

He was directed to the Skull's sell in the lower decks were he heard the other man laughing.

"Captain, captain, how lovely to see you! It's been so long!"

Steve's eyes narrowed. "Tell me how to use the machine. Is it reversible?"

Schmidt smiled at him. "Of course it is, Captain. Of course. Do you think I would want to remain trapped in someone if they were dying?"

Steve swallowed. "It…will it give me my memories back?"

The Red Skull's smile widened. "Of course it will, Captain. It only borrowed them till you could be put in the body I had hoped to trap you in. They are still there, waiting."

Steve let out his breath. "How does it…?"

Schmidt grinned. "Only I can use it, Captain. No one else."

Steve swallowed again. "You'll kill me if I let you."

"Of course not, Captain Rogers, you have my word."

Steve shook his head. "The word of a known murderer and liar, no thank you," he said, turning to leave.

"But how will you remember your precious Iron Man, Captain?"

Steve froze, turning. "What did you say?"

The Red Skull laughed. "Did you think it happened by accident, Rogers? That the most important memories were taken first by pure coincidence?"

Steve felt tears in his eyes. "How did you know about him?"

"I have been watching you, Captain….very closely. Mister Stark as well."

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM HIM!" Steve yelled, pounding his hands against the cage.

"I cannot do anything to ANYONE from here, Captain. I am helpless," Schmidt said, spreading his hands out and smiling.

Steve growled, turning and leaving the lower decks.

The Red Skull laughed harder. "Oh how I love our talks, Captain! When you are ready to remember your missing time, I will be waiting!"

He returned to the upper level and walked into the situation room, not surprised to see Bruce, Natasha, and Clint all there as well even at the late hour. "He…he said he's the only one who could use the machine, but it can recover my lost…"

"HELL NO!" Bruce yelled, slamming his fist down on the table, "I swear, Steve, you have to be an IDIOT. He'll KILL you with that thing!"

"What am I supposed to do, Bruce? I can't…" he started to say but Nick cut him off.

"You're NOT getting into that thing with him behind the wheel, Rogers," he said firmly, shaking his head.

Steve looked around the room, taking a deep breath. "I know, I'm not…there has to be another way," he whispered, turning and leaving the room without a word.

Bruce banged his fist down on the table again, growling.

"Calm down, Banner," Clint said, reaching out to touch his arm.

Bruce looked at him, his skin somewhat green tinged. "I am."

Clint sighed. "Well then Director, since this was a complete waste of time I'm going back to bed," he said, yawning.

Natasha followed, not saying a word.

Bruce and Nick were alone in the room when Nick spoke. "He's lying," he said.

Bruce looked up at him. "I know, he's going to find a way to get in that THING again and the Skull will finally take over his body or just kill him, not sure which is worse. We need to destroy it."

Nick shook his head. "No, Banner. We need to talk to Stark."

Bruce sighed, rubbing his temples. "He's not going to listen, he…"

"If he knows that Steve could get even more damaged or killed in the process, he'll listen," Nick explained, reaching out to touch Bruce's back, "That's why you're going to tell him."

Bruce groaned. "Can I bring Thor again? He's very intimidating."

Nick smiled. "He's not available, it's just you."

Bruce stood, sighing as he moved. "Now? Or can it wait for a decent hour?"

Nick pulled his phone out of his pocket. "The tracker I put on Steve says he's on his way back home and his image is flagged if he goes anywhere near the Red Skull's cell. It can wait until morning."

Bruce yawned. "Good, cuz I'm beat. I'm gonna crash in my old room if that's okay."

Nick turned his back and said, "Fine. Goodnight Banner."

Bruce left Nick alone and that's when he pulled out his phone and dialed. "Hello Peggy."

"Nicholas, I trust you're keeping an eye on Steve?"

He smiled. "As much as I can. We found the Red Skull, who's insisting he is the only one who can control the machine. I'm about one hundred and ten percent positive that Steve will try to get in that thing again to get those memories back."

She paused. "Have you spoken to Tony Stark?"

"Not yet, he's not my number one fan so I'm sending Banner in the morning."

She sighed. "Good. This needs to be resolved, Nicholas. I'm an old woman, I need to know that he's safe and…happy…before I pass on."

Nick shook his head. "That's not…"

"I'm old Nick, not stupid. Call me when it's through, no matter the hour. Thank you for keeping me informed," she whispered.

Nick swallowed. "Goodnight Margaret," he whispered.

She laughed. "No one has called me that in years! Goodnight Nicholas."

The phone went dead and he pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. He left the room and walked down to the lower level, stopping at the Skull's cell.

"Hello Director Fury, how wonderful to get TWO visitors in one day."

"Save it, Johann. I know you're trying to manipulate Steve into following your lead but I won't let it happen. He's too…"

"Important? Expensive? Loyal? The Captain is all of those things, Director, but he's mostly very naive and quite trusting. He will come to me and I will give him his memories back, you have my word," he said eerily, his voice deepening.

Nick eyed him silently before replying, "Forgive me if I don't believe you. Tell my men how to use the device and you will be treated fairly."

The Red Skull smiled and Nick's gaze never wavered. "Funny you should say such things, Herr Director….I was just going to say the same thing about you."

Nick growled and walked off, "Have a good night, Red Skull!" he yelled at his back.

He would make sure that Steve never got near that psychopath again. Not if his life depended on it.

Tony stared at himself in the mirror, frowning.

He'd lost weight he could see it plainly just by looking at himself. He ran a hand down his face and sighed. His beard was a bit wild and he knew he should fix it, but didn't have the energy. He stared blankly at the stranger looking back at him and turned, heading for the kitchen.

The phone rang and he let it go. He'd only spoken to Pepper in the past two weeks and she'd threatened to come over to drag him out of the house but he'd assured her he was fine.

Not that he believed it.

Jarvis's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Sir, it's Director Fury on the line."

"Ignore him."

"He's being very insistent."

Tony sighed, sitting down on the couch and putting up his feet. He turned on the TV and that's when there was a knock at the door.

"Is that him?" he asked, tired.

"No sir, it's Mister Banner."

Tony paused, frowning. "Let him in."

The door opened and Bruce came in, seeing him and pausing before he got inside.

"You look like shit," the older man said.

Tony smiled. "I missed our inspirational talks, Bruce. Do come in."

Bruce walked in warily, eyeing the room and its distinct lack of having been lived in. No shoes at the door, no food on the floor or empty liquor bottles. He looked at Tony. "You haven't been drinking."

Tony smiled. "Nope. Just…sitting here."

Bruce frowned. "Have you at least been eating? Tony, it's not…"

Tony lifted his arm, which was now free of the cast. "I've been out, just not much. And I eat, again not much. What do you want, Banner?"

Bruce stood awkwardly in front of him, staring at the floor. "It's…"

Tony sighed, closing his eyes. "Steve."

Bruce nodded. "We found the Skull."

Tony's eyes shot open. "When?"

"Last night. It's…he said he could return Steve's memories but only HE can use the machine. Steve says we have to find another way but you know him Tony. He's gonna try to get that thing on him again and it'll do god knows what," Bruce said, wringing his hands and pacing.

Tony swallowed. "What do you want from me?"

Bruce stopped, staring at him. "Are you serious? You know why I'm here."

Tony stood, walking across the room to the kitchen. "You want me to…what? Beg him not to use it? What am I supposed to say, Bruce? 'Please don't try to get your memories back because…uh…I don't want you to die?' I…"

Bruce grabbed his arm and turned him around angrily. "Do you WANT Steve to die, Tony?"

Tony swallowed, looking at his feet. "You know I don't."

"He's been so different since you left. He's…harder. Angrier."

Tony laughed bitterly. "Since I LEFT? He's been differently WAY before that, Banner. Please, it's not like he even…"

Bruce hit him in the face then, making Tony stagger back. "He's OBSESSED with getting those memories back, he barely sleeps and the time he's awake he was like a walking zombie. He's trying to crawl back to you in ANY WAY he can, while you've already given up?" he turned and put his hand on the counter, breathing in and old slowly, "I was wrong when I told him he didn't deserve to get his memories back. You don't deserve to get them back either. When I come back in a week to tell you the Red Skull has taken Steve's body or killed him, remember this fucking conversation Stark."

He stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Tony leaned against the counter, his breath coming out in gasps. He closed his eyes and willed himself to move.

He paused, opening his eyes with a smile.

"Jarvis? Triangulate Steve's location with…"

"Already done, sir. Mister Rogers is at his apartment."

Tony swallowed and let out his breath slowly.

"Jarvis, open the garage downstairs. I'm going for a ride."