Chapter 25 – Two Steps Back

Tony takes advantage of the betting in how long it's going to take for Peter to get knocked out by one of Wanda's flying possessions to get Steve to join him in his workshop for his dancing lesson.

'Hey Tony, you alright? What did you need help with?' Steve says as FRIDAY allows him entry to the workshop.

Tony spins on his chair and pulls his goggles off. 'Hey Cap. I just thought we could get started on your dancing lessons while everyone else is too busy wondering if Peter is going to get an alarm clock to the head.'

Steve's face starts to turn pink and Tony has to try to keep back his grin. 'I don't see why we can't just get someone else to do it.'

'Because no one else is going to have the same pull as Captain America,' he replies. 'Now come on over here. FRIDAY's going to make sure the blackout is on the windows and no one can come in without us knowing first so your little dancing secret is safe.' Tony walks over to an area he's cleared earlier and Steve follows a little hesitantly. 'So you've never done any dancing before at all?'

Steve shakes his head, rubbing the back of his neck. 'Not unless my Nanna getting me to stand on her feet when I was four counts.'

Tony laughs. 'I would love to have had some photo evidence of that!'

Steve frowns. 'Not even Bucky knows that so you'll be hard pressed to find any. Thank God.'

'Alright well how about we have a couple of goes where I lead you so you get the idea, then we'll see how you do leading on a dancefloor rather than a battlefield.'

'Kind of feel like I'd rather be on the battlefield,' the soldier grumbles.

'Starting to feel a bit offended here, Steve,' Tony mock-pouts. 'You saying you'd rather spend time with Hydra than with me?'

Steve rolls his eyes. 'I'm not going to bother answering that.'

Tony just laughs and pulls Steve closer, making sure the man's hands mirrored his own. 'A woman will usually put her hand on your shoulder,' he explains, 'but as we'll be swapping who is leading it'll be easier to have both of us have another hand on the waist.'

'Right,' Steve says, obviously flustered already.

'Alright FRIDAY give us some music,' Tony says and the AI dutifully begins playing some of the slower Andrews Sisters' melodies. At Steve's surprised look he shrugs. 'I thought it might be easier for you to learn to some songs you'd be used to.'

The soldier gives him a small smile. 'Thanks Tony.'

'Ah don't mention it. Right let's see if we can make you a Fred Astaire.'

After half an hour of both men ending up in laughing fits and a couple of squashed toes on Tony's side he's pretty sure the Captain will never be compared to Fred Astaire. He is however, getting the general gist of slow dancing; though Tony is not going to volunteer to teach him anything more energetic. 'Alright Capsicle how about you have a go at leading me now?'

'Wait what? Really?' Steve goes from looking fairly comfortable to terrified in the space of a few seconds.

'I hate to break it to you, Steve, but the man does have to lead when it comes to dancing, and I imagine it'll be a woman who you end up dancing with at the gala.' The blond still looks unsure so he adds, 'Come on just give it a go. You'll probably be better at it than you think.'

Steve takes a breath and nods, so Tony lets the soldier lead. He has to admit it's a strange feeling not being in control of a dance, but Steve isn't actually that bad.

'You're doing alright, Cap,' he says after a couple of minutes, and he sees the soldier visibly relax a little. 'You're just thinking too hard about it.'

'Well I'm concentrating on not standing on your toes any more than I have already,' he huffs.

Tony chuckles. 'You need to be a little more natural, just relax and enjoy it.'

'I think I'd still rather be on a battlefield if I'm honest,' Steve replies. 'How do you propose I manage to relax enough to enjoy it?'

'Well just through this little exchange you've relaxed a little more,' he points out with a small smirk. 'Just find something to talk about.'

'Seriously?'

'Well its working isn't it?'

Steve chuckles, and Tony is startled to find a couple of butterflies making their home in his stomach at the sound. Before he has chance to think too much about it the blond has a smirk on his face and lets go long enough to spin him around before bringing him back into his arms. And if Tony is a little closer to the soldier than he was before then he isn't going to say anything.

'What was that for?' he asks, hoping his voice doesn't sound as breathless as he thinks it does.

'Just seeing if I could keep you on your toes,' Steve shrugs. 'It definitely had the effect of making me enjoy this more.'

Tony can't help but join in with the other man's infectious chuckle. 'Alright I'll admit you surprised me.'

'Have the Council said anything more about what happened with Ross?'

Tony shakes his head as Steve continues to lead them around the cleared area. 'They said they would be making their displeasure at his actions clear, but I doubt they'll actually do much.'

Steve frowns. 'So he's going to get away with it?'

He sighs. 'Honestly? I'm not sure how much they support his actions. In a way I can understand them wanting to test that all our claims are true, but I don't agree with their method.'

'You've become quite the diplomat, Tony,' Steve comments.

'I've had to,' is his short reply. 'I'm not sure how much pride I've got left.'

Steve's face says he's trying to find a safer topic to steer the conversation towards. 'Peter seems to be getting on well with the team.'

Tony can't stop the small smile that spreads across his face. He's proud of the kid and how much he's come through. 'It's difficult not to like to him,' he points out. 'Plus he's so eager to help everyone and make them happy I'd find it hard to believe he wouldn't fit in somewhere.'

'He's certainly hanging on your every word,' Steve comments. 'What kind of training has he been doing with you?'

'I've mainly been taking him through different features on the suit and we've been working together on making it fit his needs. He's still convincing me to let him have a go at one of the old Iron Man suits, but I want to save it for a special occasion.'

'What about without the suit?'

Tony stiffens, and eyes Steve cautiously. 'What do you mean? You want me to take the suit from him?'

'What?' Steve frowns as Tony pulls away obviously confused. 'No. I was asking what training he's been doing without the suit. He needs something to fall back on if he doesn't have it.'

'No one is taking the suit from him again,' Tony says firmly, signalling for FRIDAY to stop the music.

'What? Tony what are you talking about?'

Tony sighs as he leans over his workstation, his eye automatically drawn to the small piece of rubble that sits in the centre of it. A reminder of how he betrayed someone, like the ghostly ache of a shield in his chest reminds him of someone's betrayal. 'I took the suit from him once,' he admits quietly, eyes fixed on the stone. 'And he nearly got himself killed still trying to do the right thing, even when I'd told him to stop. The Vulture dropped a building on him. If he'd had the suit he would have had some warning of what was happening, instead the only protection he had was a hoodie. I went to the site afterwards, Steve. I don't know how he survived. But I swore to myself he'd always have the suit to protect him from then on.'

'Tony he can't always have the suit on him. He can't always be wearing it. Just like you can't always be wearing yours. He needs to learn how to defend himself without it as well.'

Tony nods but doesn't say anything.

'Maybe we could do a session where we take the suit from him and see how he does?'

Tony's brain knows that Steve means well. But his gut reacts to the words and he turns on the soldier. 'Did you not just listen to a word I said? The suit stays with Peter.'

'Are you trying to get him to rely on the suit as much as you rely on yours?' Steve demands.

'Maybe I'm just trying to make sure he doesn't have to suffer with nightmares of a shield in his chest!' he spits back. It takes a couple of seconds for the pained and shocked look on Steve's face to pierce the fog in his brain and register what he's just said.

'Tony-'

'Look just forget I said anything,' he says, turning away from the pain filled blue eyes.

'What? I can't just forget about something like that!'

'Just forget it Steve. It's not something you needed to know. I shouldn't have said it. I'm-'

'Shouldn't have said it? I think I need to know if one of my team mates doesn't trust me, Tony.'

Something in that sentence stung. 'Didn't seem to be doing any harm before you knew, did it?'

'You were the one who wanted me to be the leader in the field. How can I be expected to lead someone who doesn't trust me?'

Tony let's out a bark of harsh laughter, and can't hold back his next words. 'You didn't seem to care about whether or not I could trust you after Siberia, why the sudden crisis Cap?'

'What-?'

'You left me Steve!' he shouts, rounding on the soldier. 'You left me with no power source to my suit, courtesy of the shield you'd left in my chest. Did you even think for one second about how the fuck I got home? When no one knew where I'd gone?' The guilty look on the soldier's face is all the answer he needs. 'Yeah I didn't think you did.'

'Tony I-'

'Get out Steve.'

'No! Tony how much else have you been keeping secret from us? First the hydrophobia, now this?'

'In what world do you think you can start lecturing me on keeping things from you considering the discussion we've just been having?' he snarls.

'How can we work as a team if we don't trust each other?' Steve counters.

'We wouldn't be a team if I hadn't got you all back!' Tony screams at him. 'We were the ones to tear the team apart in the first place, Steve. But I was the only one of the two of us who actively tried to get us all back together. So don't you dare talk to me about not working as a team.'

'Considering out of the two of us I'm the one who doesn't have a long history of going off by myself and doing whatever the hell I want regardless of what others say I think I'm probably in the best position of the two of us. Or do we need another Ultron incident?'

Tony honestly feels like the other man punched him in the gut with those words.

Steve's face falls as he realises what he's said. 'Oh god, Tony I didn't-'

'It's the first time we've been alone for any amount of time since you got back,' Tony says, he's not sure how his voice is staying so calm, 'so I suppose I shouldn't really be surprised we ended up having another argument should I?'

'Tony-'

'Just get out, Steve,' his voice cracks on the soldier's name as he turns back to his work station, willing the tears not to fall. Steve doesn't move for a couple of minutes, and Tony's wondering if he's going to have to find a way to throw the man bodily from his workshop when he hears him move. The door slams shut behind him and Tony winces at the noise.

'Boss?'

'Bring up Bucky's arm schematics, FRIDAY,' Tony chokes out in response to his AI's question. 'It's time I actually did some work on it.'

It's coming up to dinner time, but he's not ready to leave his workshop yet. He's definitely not ready to face Steve.

Rhodes came down about ten minutes after Steve left but he refused to let FRIDAY open the door. Natasha had tried an hour later, and Sam about thirty minutes after her, but they'd all got the same response.

He hears the elevator doors go. 'Boss-'

'I've heard the doors FRIDAY,' he cuts her off. 'Don't let them in. I don't care who it is. If it's the kid tell him to come back after dinner.'

'It's not Peter boss, it's-'

'Then tell them to piss off.'

'Boss override is being entered.'

Tony freezes. There's only one person left with an override code, and he's not sure he's ready to face him either. The door opens and Bucky steps in, closing the door quickly behind him.

'I'm not in the mood to be entertaining guests, Barnes,' he says, turning back to the schematics floating in front of him. Bucky doesn't reply and Tony dares to hope the man might leave him alone. He continues to work on the arm, trying to block out the thoughts that are threatening to overwhelm him.

Bucky comes to stand next to him, watching him work in silence. In spite of everything he finds the other's quiet presence comforting. When he reaches for something to the side, a strong grip holds his wrist and spins him round; before he can protest he's pulled into an embrace.

'I may have known Steve since we were kids, Tony,' Bucky murmurs into his hair, 'but if I have to protect you from him I will.'

Tony can't hold it back any longer. His hands grip the front of the man's hoodie and his breath hitches as he tries to keep his emotions back. As Bucky's arms tighten around him and he presses his lips briefly to the top of his head, Tony feels everything come out.

'Tony, what happened?' he asks when the inventor finally calms down. And Tony tells him everything about their argument, only keeping back the reason they'd been down there in the first place.

'Why are you doing this?' he mumbles at the end into the dark haired man's chest.

'I hope you'd know the answer to that,' Bucky answers quietly. 'I care about you, Tony. Why would I not come and make sure you were alright?'

'Thank you,' he says. 'I'm sorry.'

'Just because we won't be anything more than friends doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying to look after you. Not after everything you've done for me.'

Tony just closes his eyes and let's himself relax against the super soldier. 'Don't leave me,' he whispers.

The tightening of the arms around him is all the answer he needs.

Steve looks up as Bucky enters the common area, most of the team are there waiting to find out what to do about dinner. He frowns at the angry expression on his friend's face.

I wonder what Tony eventually said to get him angry as well, he thinks bitterly. So he's more than a little surprised at the metal fist connecting with his face and sending him sprawling from where he's been sitting at the breakfast bar.

'What the hell Buck?' he demands, glowering at his friend from the floor.

'Bucky what are you doing?' Sam shouts as he and Peter leap to their feet from where they've been sitting on the couches.

'You and me,' Bucky growls down at Steve, 'outside. Now.'

'Bucky, what-' Natasha starts as Steve scrambles to his feet.

'Don't worry, Nat. Me and Stevie just need a little heart to heart,' he tells the spy, metal hand gripping Steve's shoulder painfully tight as he steers him towards the balcony area outside the double doors.

'Erm, should we do something?' he hears Peter ask as his friend shoves him outside.

'No, kid. Trust me that is one fight you do not want to get in the middle of,' Sam answers.

Personally, Steve disagrees.

A/N: Hi everyone! So here's the second part of this week's December double update. I hope you enjoyed it! We've got a bit of Stony coming up, even if it does end with an argument. And a bit of the WinterIron I had requested when I first started posting this story.

Let me know what you all think. I hope you're all getting ready for Christmas!

L x

As always here's your sneak peek:

'Sharon?' Steve's surprised at the woman's visit; they haven't been in contact since the Accords. The former SHIELD agent is dressed in jeans and a shirt and, despite best intentions, Steve finds himself searching her features for any reminder of Peggy.

'Hey Steve,' she smiles at him.

'Not that it isn't nice to see you,' Sam interrupts. 'But what brings you to our neck of the woods?'

Sharon's smile of greeting turned into a frown. 'Unfortunately not a general social call. I'm here to see him,' she gestures at Tony.

'Me?' the inventor asks, stepping forwards. 'How can I help?'

Her frown deepens. 'You can explain a few things to me,' her tone turns hostile, and Tony blinks in surprise.