Steve finally made it home after spending the last half of the day catching up with Tony, telling him how life had been, about his friends Bucky, Thor, and Loki, avoiding the topic of his mom because Tony wouldn't want to hear that. He'd been good at keeping the conversation neutral and away from painful subjects, Tony was clearly pushed to the limit of how much he could handle for the day and he didn't want to break anything. They'd ended on a good note, a hug, a light kiss on the cheek because Steve really didn't want to push it and he didn't think Tony did either. Numbers had been exchanged and the whole way home Steve played with the idea of calling right away, sending a message, something.
Parting words had been something along the lines of 'I'll see you later' and a promise to send a message once he was home and safe, which he now promptly did, slipping his feet out of his shoes absentmindedly as he sent the text. He smiled to himself and called into the house, "I'm home, Bucky."
"And where the heck have you been?" Bucky hollered back, darting to the entrance from the kitchen. In retrospect he was being a mother hen, but at that moment in time, he didn't really care. "I tried calling you after work, but your phone was off. You spent the whole afternoon with Tony Stark, didn't you? That obnoxious little twat. What happened? Did he try anything? Did you even bring it up? Did he apologize? What!? C'mon man, answers!"
"Whoa, whoa!" Steve lifted his hands and placed them gently on his friend's shoulders, "Bucky calm down, give me a chance to answer them." He laughed softly and started toward the living room, stretching casually as he went, "My phone was off, yes. I didn't want any interruptions while I was talking to him, sorry, should have sent a message or something." He looked apologetically over his shoulder. "I spent the whole afternoon with Tony, you're right, but he's... different. He's not obnoxious anymore." The fact that he could say that hurt him a little, "I guess long story short, he apologized, I apologized, he needs me and..." Steve squeezed his eyes shut; he knew he'd get it for the next line, "We're dating again."
"What?!" Bucky stared at Steve in disbelief, almost as though he was waiting for his friend to crack and tell him it was just a joke, that there was no way in hell that he'd get back together with Stark. When that didn't happen, Bucky realized that he'd need to be more supportive of his friend, despite every bone in his body telling him that it was a bad fucking idea.
"Now I know you don't approve of the whole thing and I can't tell you everything right now but Tony needs me, he's in trouble and I can't not do anything for him... But that isn't why we're dating again, that's why I tried so hard to talk to him again. I... I don't think I ever got over him, you know?" Blue eyes glanced up sheepishly, "I really liked him and I screwed it all up, he screwed it up and I shut the door and supposedly burned the bridges, I don't know. It's just, every time I saw him, and don't laugh at me for this, but my heart skipped, I felt anxious, I couldn't stop watching him. I really like him, Bucky."
"No, Steve-" Bucky tried to find the words to express what he was feeling, but he came up short. "Steve, he was a grade-A dick, you remember that, right? Just because karma came round and bit him in the ass, doesn't mean that you are in the least bit responsible." Bucky sighed, "But, I know what this means to you. There's a lot of... baggage? I don't know if that's the best word, but whatever. I never told you, but you still mutter his name in your sleep." Bucky smirked despite himself, "I guess what I mean to say is, good luck with this."
Steve was a little embarrassed to hear that bit about him sleeping but he smiled regardless, "Thank you, Bucky." He went to his friend's side and wrapped him in a hug, resting his head against Bucky's appreciatively. "That means a lot."
"Hey hey, no chick flick moments," Bucky briefened the hug, but smiled at Steve, "You're welcome though."
Their little best friend moment lasted a few more seconds before Steve was promptly informed that Thor had been concerned about him so before dinner Steve made sure to give his other friends a call. Obviously he was bombarded with questions, personal ones because Loki wouldn't have it any other way, but all in all Steve managed to smooth over the nagging questions they had with some dignity left over. He couldn't very well lie to them about any of it, they were his best friends and he should be able to tell them who he's dating without feeling like a judged slab of meat.
Tony couldn't sit still, and found himself pacing around his office more than he sat at his desk. He couldn't focus –not on the upcoming executive meeting, the research proposals, or even on his knick-knack shop work. He was excited –he couldn't remember the last time he'd been so completely thrilled. He was afraid –everything was going to get really messy, really soon. But somehow, he couldn't really bring himself to worry enough about the fear.
Tony paced past his desk for the umpteenth time that morning and had a thought; he hit the desk pager for Bruce's research station. "Get up here, now." Tony didn't realize that for Bruce, who'd known him more intimately in the past several years than he ever had in high school, his excitement could easily be mistaken for terror. Tony needed to share the news with someone. He was dating Steve Rogers, again.
Bruce shared a glance with his co-workers before putting his work aside and heading to the elevator. His mind whirled with what he might find up there and reasons why Tony would ask for him of all people. He wasn't of any help; he'd proven that time and time again. Maybe he was seriously wounded? Then he would have called Pepper for an ambulance or something. And if he was terrified of something then why didn't he call for Steve? Maybe it hadn't gone well. Bruce sighed as the elevator opened and he stepped out into Tony's office, glancing around quickly for the CEO, his eyes more on the floor than anything else, not expecting he man to be standing.
Tony's eyes shot to the door when he heard the familiar sound of the elevator's arrival, "Bruce, I'm up here." Tony smirked at the scientist's downward glance. "Whatever, you wouldn't believe it, lunch went a thousand times better than expected: Steve agreed to go out with me again!" Tony tried to calm himself, tried to not sound like a school girl, but this was the most ground breaking personal event he'd had since going out with Steve the first time.
"Whoa, okay, what? You're dating again? When did you date the first time? Was this some hidden thing in high school I didn't know about?" Bruce did well to hide his relief to see Tony wasn't dying on the floor, best not share that thought.
"What? Oh, right," Tony realized that no one really knew about that but him and Steve, and it only made sense that Steve wouldn't have mentioned a thing back in high school. "When we went to Paris, for that history art project, he was depressed about something at home, and I tried cheering him up, in my own way. It turns out that he gets really emotionally attached to people, and we got along really well when I wasn't being my typical self." Tony smiled broadly, "This requires celebration –let's get the hell out of here before Obadiah shows up."
Bruce grinned, "You guys had a thing? I freaking knew it!" He clapped with a laugh, following Tony out the door, "No one could hate each other that much without someone doing something really horrible and not have there being some latent desires. I freaking knew it."
"That," Tony paused to chuckle, "that must be the vaguest 'evidence' to support a suspicion I have ever heard, much less from a researcher of your calibre." Tony couldn't help but poke fun at Dr. Banner for his convoluted English. "Food, we can talk over that."
Much later...
Obadiah cornered Tony in his office, his massive frame obscuring the exit behind him, and he locked the door. "I know that you've been seeing one of your employees." He was angry –the scary kind of angry that Tony hated most. It was the sort of anger that churned just beneath the surface like a monstrous beast, an undercurrent of near murderous rage.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Tony replied, and promptly received a harsh shove into the wall behind him. Tony flinched and tried to pull away, if only he could shrink into the wall and be gone.
"Don't lie to me," Obadiah warned, unamused with Tony's failed aversion. "I want him gone; you're not to be seeing anyone. You're mine." He reached a large hand over and gripped Tony by the hair, dragging him back to face him.
More than anything Tony wished Steve was here, despite the strict warning to the contrary. "I'll talk to him about it," Tony promised, "Please, I'll take care of it."
"See that you do." Obadiah let him go and turned away, only to serve as a false sense of security before he rounded on Tony, landing a brutal blow to his abdomen, dropping the much smaller man in seconds. Satisfied, Stane left the office.
Tony gasped in pain, doubled over on the floor. Breathing became difficult as his chest constricted in agony. He felt like he was going to be sick, but managed to fish his phone out of his pocket and dial Steve's number.
"Hello?" Steve answered immediately. He would have personalized the greeting had he known who it was, however he wasn't the type to waste time on silly things like call display, so he had no idea.
Tony was quiet for a moment after hearing Steve's voice, relieved at the sound alone. He hissed in pain as he tried to speak, a strangled cry taking the place of words when he attempted again to vocalize a greeting.
Blue eyes shot open wide and Steve stood very suddenly from where he was sitting, "Tony?" He was already running from his break room to the elevator, he didn't care if he wasn't allowed on Tony's floor, he was going and that was that. "Tony, what happened?" Steve felt more anxious than ever as he waited for the elevator, he knew he wouldn't be much help unless he was by Tony's side. He squeezed his eyes shut listening to the crying and gasping on the other end, "Talk to me, how bad is it?"
Tony took a steadying breath, content in knowing that Steve would be up in seconds, maybe a minute. "It's," Tony turned away from the receiver and coughed, a direct result from a strained diaphragm, "it's not so bad." And truthfully, he'd had worse –he'd just never had anyone to call. Knowing that he wasn't alone, that Steve was coming, did more to calm the pain than any painkiller ever did.
Steve pressed his forehead against the glass of the elevator doors as he waited for it to arrive, his eyes pressed shut as he listened to the awful sound of Tony's voice. He had two options, one was going after Stane immediately, and the other was going to Tony. He almost laughed at himself for thinking it was even a question. The elevator finally dinged and Steve booked it inside, holding the door close button and then holding the floor button for Tony's level, punching in a password he'd read once on his boss' desk (being obsessed about someone will cause you to read everything pertaining to them, evidently). "I'm coming, okay? Don't move, I'll be right there."
"Ok," Tony clutched his phone and closed his eyes.
When the doors opened Steve poked his head out and glanced around to make sure no one could see him before he hurried into the office, "Tony?" He called as he went before spotted the curled up mess that was his boyfriend. "Tony!" He hurried over and knelt next to him, gently looking him over for serious injuries. "It's okay, I'm here now, I've got you." He grit his teeth, he felt awful for letting this happen again, though he also knew he couldn't be everywhere at once.
"It's alright," Tony answered quietly, relaxing slightly in Steve's grip. "It happens all the time, just... Don't go anywhere."
Steve held it together though part of him really wanted to cry, for Tony, because he had failed him again, because he hadn't saved him yet. It was just so hard to walk that line, he wanted to rush in and punch that bastard in the face but what good does that do? He needed to get the man arrested somehow but that's playing a game of politics with a man who was raised in it. Steve knew he had no leverage and had nothing to help him against Obadiah Stane, just like Tony didn't, except in Steve's case he wasn't being beaten to death for it. "I'll figure something out," He whispered, resting Tony against his chest, "But until then I'll stay right here, I promise."
Tony scooted impossibly closer, partly in fear of an unexpected return by Obadiah, and partly for the comfort it offered. "Thank you Steve."
Zafona's Notes:
Again, thank you everyone for supporting this story :D We really appreciate it. If there are any questions go ahead and ask them, Matsu or I will get back to you asap (there's two of us, you might even get two answers right away XD) Anyway I hope this chapter was good enough for you guys, hope to hear from you ;)