Chapter 36 – Taken

They land on the rooftop after a silent flight and Peter stumbles away from Tony, pulling his mask off.

'Mr Stark we shouldn't have left everyone there! What if-'

'First off,' Tony says, lifting his faceplate, 'you were told to get out of the situation right at the start, but you decided to put yourself back into the middle of it. Not only that you called in a mercenary. Into a fire fight in a school. Your school. What the hell were you thinking?'

'I was thinking we needed help!' he snaps back. 'And Deadpool was the one to get both of us out of that situation at the end, and before that he saved me a couple of times. Not to mention he took my friend up to the jet.'

'You didn't think the team would be on their way?'

'He got to us quicker!'

'Why the sudden need to have the mercenary close?' Tony demands. 'Just how close are you two exactly?'

'He has a name you know,' Peter says, folding his arms over his chest.

'Yeah a name we told you.'

'He told me too,' he says, voice getting sulky.

Tony throws his hands in the air. 'Peter do you realise what you got yourself into? Hammer was trying to kidnap you, he brings soldiers to your school, and when we're trying to come and help you, you take it upon yourself to bring a mercenary with a frankly sketchy history of mental stability into the middle of said firefight.'

'You don't know what he's like because you've never taken the time to actually meet him!'

'Don't raise your voice at me! I've just-'

'Don't try and talk to me like you're my dad!' Peter shouts back, not even sure why he's angry anymore. 'You're not my dad and you're nothing like Uncle Ben so you don't get to tell me what to do!'

They look at each other in silence for an agonisingly long time, both breathing heavily. Peter is struggling to get his breathing under control and there's tears falling down his face. Tony is obviously struggling to keep his expression neutral, but there's pain in his eyes. Peter's chest hurts knowing he's put it there. He opens his mouth to say something when a noise catches his attention.

Tony seems to notice it at the same moment, or FRIDAY tells him, because he looks over the top of the trees and spots some black dots heading their way. 'We've got incoming,' he says, 'so how about we park this discussion for now and keep these guys busy until the others get back?' He doesn't give Peter time to answer and takes off to intercept some of the aircraft.

Peter waits until one or two get past Iron Man and he starts webbing up the helicopter's rotor blades, effectively grounding the one. He's about to pull the same stunt on the second when Tony comes flying past and takes care of it.

'Make sure everyone in the grounded one is out of the fight,' he tells him. 'I've got this covered.'

'Yes, sir,' he says meekly, following the orders he's been given and landing on the grass, sprinting towards the helicopter. Some of the wreckage is starting to burn and he leaps forwards to get the bodies out, when several men surge out and he finds himself busy just defending himself.

It's unfortunate really. Not any lack of skill on his part, or any brilliant skill on theirs. He's ducking under the rotor blades and webbing one guy up, and has to dodge backwards to avoid gunfire and manages to trip over some of the wreckage. As he goes down the blade catches him and sends him flying, disorientating him enough so when he lands it's easy for one of the soldiers to grab him.

'Settle down, kid,' the man who has him says as he starts to struggle. The man manages to get his mask off and shoves the end of the gun into his face.

'Let him go!' Tony lands not far from them, holding up his hands and lifting his face plate. He looks at Peter and he can see the fear in his mentor's eyes.

'Stand down, Stark, or we put a bullet through the kid's head.' Around them the remnants of the force gather, guns pointing forwards. 'We're taking him back to the boss, it's up to you if he's alive or dead.'

'Please,' Peter's shocked at the plea falling from the man's mouth. Tony pauses, looking down at him and then, squaring his shoulders and setting his expression, looks back up at the soldier holding him. 'Leave him here. I'll come with you. No fight. Just leave the kid.'

'Mr Stark-' The gun being pushed harder into the side of his head stops whatever he's going to say.

'Quiet, Pete,' Tony says. 'Do we have a deal?'

The man nods and shoves Peter to the ground. 'Take him.'

'No! Mr Stark!' Peter tries to get to his feet but someone hits the back of his head with something hard and he sees stars, trying to fight the darkness threatening to claim him. 'Tony!' he calls out.

'Peter!'

'What the hell?' Natasha asks. Steve looks up from where he's been tending to Ned and spots the burning wreckage.

'They've been attacked,' he says, his hands curling into fists at his side. 'Get us landed as quick as you can, Nat. Rhodey? Go on down and scan for them.'

'On it, Cap,' the dark skinned man said, shutting his helmet and jumping out the back of the jet. He watches him fly past and out towards the burning spots.

'Are they alright?' Ned asks, voice shaking.

'They'll be fine,' Sam reassures him. 'Takes more than a couple of soldiers to bring down Tony and Peter.'

'I can't see Tony,' Rhodes' voice comes over the system. 'Nor Pete… wait! He's by the one helicopter! He's not moving.'

'I'm landing,' Natasha growls, and the landing is definitely more bumpy than usual. There's a race to get to the doors, and everyone stumbles out, only Sam staying behind with Peter's friends.

'Peter!' Wanda screams, running towards the boy's maskless, prone body. She reaches him first and pushes him onto his back, muttering in what Steve assumes is Sokovian as he finally catches up.

Vision pulls the tearful girl away as Natasha kneels next to the prone boy, checking his pulse. She looks up at Steve, relief clear in her face. 'He's alive, just unconscious. Any news on Tony?'

'Rhodey? Where's Tony?' Steve asks into his earpiece.

'I can't see him, Cap, and he's not answering his comms,' Rhodes' answer is filled with dread. 'How's Pete?'

There's a groan from the boy and he blinks and rubs at his head. 'He's coming round now,' Steve tells Rhodes and the War Machine heads back towards them.

'Peter?' Natasha's voice is soft.

'Tony?' he mumbles, then his eyes fly open and he looks around them all. 'Tony! Where is he? Where…' he trails off with a sob and Natasha pulls him into her arms.

'Pete what happened?' she asks.

'We got back and had an argument,' he chokes out between his sobs. 'Then they turned up. He managed to deal with most of the helicopters, but I got one down to the ground and he said to check everyone was out the fight. Then I got hit by a rotor and one of them grabbed me and said they were taking me to their boss. Tony,' he broke off with another sob, then took a deep breath. 'He told them to leave me and he'd go with them.' Steve feels like someone's grabbing onto his lungs. 'Nat? Please tell me he's here. He didn't go right? He's still here? Nat, please. Please, he has to be.' Natasha shushes him and pulls him back into a hug, rocking him backwards and forwards.

She looks up at Steve. 'What do we do, Steve?' she asks.

He looks around at the team. All of them in various stages of shock. Peter is still sobbing in Natasha's arms, the woman herself barely seems to be keeping her composure as reality sinks in; Wanda is crying, Vision holding her close as he looks to Steve for instruction. Rhodes is looking lost, but determined and waiting like a soldier for commands; Bucky looks like he's one second away from ripping something in half, but is looking at Steve too. Everyone is waiting for him to make the decision.

Steve just wants to ask Tony what they should do.

'How is he?' Steve asks when Natasha walks into the common area.

'Wanda's with him now,' she answers, 'they're in his room. We've put Ned and MJ in two rooms just down the corridor and informed their parents. They're all sleeping, or at least trying to. What's the situation here?'

'Sam and Bucky are looking at everything we've got and seeing if we can pinpoint a place. Considering how many soldiers they had shown up in such a short space of time, they have to be fairly close. Vision's seeing what he can get from surveillance with FRIDAY. But neither of them is able to track Tony.'

'Have we contacted anyone else?' she asks.

'Rhodey's on the phone to Pepper now,' he nods. 'I just got off the phone to T'Challa. He's told us to let him know if we need help; he's got Shuri heading over on standby to stay at the local outreach centre. He was going to come over with her to the facility, but I told him to hold fire for now. We don't need Ross trying to get hold of him when we're not sure where Tony is yet.'

Natasha nods. 'Still wish we could have his tech. Should we call anyone else in?'

'Who else can we call?' Steve asks, rubbing his temples where a headache is beginning to form.

'Scott?' she suggests. 'Clint?' her voice is quieter now. 'You know they'd be willing to help.'

'The Accords…'

'Fuck the Accords, Stevie,' Bucky says, coming up to them with burning eyes. 'Tony's missing, we need all the help we can get to bring him back.'

'Bucky-'

'HYDRA has him!' Bucky roars. 'I'm not going to sit back and stick to the Accords and let them do to him what they did to me.'

'You think I don't want him back just as much as you do?' Steve counters, voice rising.

'Boys!' Natasha shouts, bringing them both back to the present. 'Seriously? Now is not the time for you two to be arguing over who loves Tony more. We need to get him back.' She turns to Steve. 'I'll deal with the Council and then I'm calling Scott and Clint.'

Steve nods, blinking as he tries to bring himself back under control. 'Meet in the briefing room in fifteen minutes for an update. FRIDAY pass on the message.'

'Yes, Captain.'

'Buck? Let's get some air before we meet the others,' Steve suggests. Bucky just nods and follows him outside.

'You going to tell me what's going through your head?' Steve asks his best friend.

Bucky sighs and leans against the railings, looking down over the wreckage of the helicopter that staff are starting to clear away, scouring it for any evidence that could help them.

'Shall I tell you what I think then?' Steve says, trying to find a way past the wall the dark haired man has insisted on putting up. 'I think that there's something more to you liking Tony than you first let me believe isn't there? Was it actually reciprocated at one stage?'

'No,' Bucky answers quietly. 'No I told you, he said there was someone else.'

'You going to tell me the story?'

Bucky sighs again, but nods and, after a brief pause, starts talking.

He and Tony are down in the workshop having one of their late night chats. Neither of them can sleep, although both desperately need it. Too many nightmares between them to be able to rest easy.

'Tony?' his voice is soft as he looks at the man. It isn't exactly difficult to admit the man is attractive, and his personality is so large it fills every room he's in. Even when he's subdued like he is now.

'What's eating you, Bucky?' his voice is equally soft as he turns dark eyes to look at him. There's a flicker in them and Bucky realises he probably knows what he's about to do.

'Has anyone ever told you how amazing you are?'

Tony laughs, a little bitterly and takes a swig of his drink. 'Not recently. Oh they used to say it all the time, until I fucked up one too many times and everyone realised just how much of a screw up I am.'

'You're not a screw up,' Bucky protests.

'You've not been around me long enough. Even my dad thought I was a screw up most of the time.'

Bucky feels hot anger course through him at the thought that Howard could have let his son think he was less than he was. Maybe he's slightly biased, but as far as Bucky is concerned, Tony is the better of the two men by a long stretch. Hoping to chase away a little of the frown that has settled on the inventor's face he tells him that.

'Yeah well Dad could only tell me that from beyond the grave, so I'm not sure how much I really believe it. Could never say it to my face. Only thing he could say to my face was to remind me I was a disappointment.'

Bucky gently takes hold of Tony's chin and turns him so he's looking into vulnerable dark eyes. 'You're about the furthest from a disappointment anyone could get,' he says softly, before pressing his lips to the inventor's.

For a couple of heart-stopping moments they stay like that, with Bucky's lips pressed against Tony's and neither of them moving. Then, ever so slightly, Tony presses into Bucky's lips and returns the kiss.

Time loses its meaning for him as they exchange soft, easy kisses; he can taste the whiskey in their mouths when he opens his lips and presses his tongue gently against Tony's. Then Tony tenses and pulls away, blinking in surprise.

'Bucky I shouldn't have done that,' the inventor's voice is quiet, eyes apologetic.

'Why?' his voice is a little raspy.

'It's-I-it's not fair on you I…'

'There's someone else isn't there?' Bucky guesses, keeping his hand on the side of Tony's face and letting his thumb stroke along the inventor's cheekbone. 'Is it Pepper?'

Tony chuckles darkly. 'No, no that was over longer than either of us really admitted. We're much better off as friends. She realised there was someone else even before I did, it's one of the reasons, one of the many reasons we decided not to give it another go.'

'I can't imagine you being unfaithful,' Bucky frowns.

'I wasn't. Unless apparently letting someone else sneak into your heart counts,' he says sourly. At the guilty look in Tony's eyes he pieces it all together.

'You know that makes sense,' Bucky laughs, despite the slight pain in his chest, 'I was never going to have a chance really was I?'

'Of course you did,' the reply is quiet, and there's nothing but honest pain in the dark eyes. 'I think if anyone could have replaced him it's you. But I… Bucky I can't while there's still a chance. It's not fair on you, especially since it's-'

'I know,' he reassures the genius, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. 'I know.'

'I'm sorry.'

'Don't be. You can't help who steals your heart, Tony.' He brushes fingers through the unruly dark curls. 'Just remember: I'm happy to catch you if he screws up.'

Tony gives a watery laugh. 'You know, Sergeant Barnes, if I'd met you both at the same time I'm not sure who would have wormed their way in further.'

Steve desperately tries to hold back the acrid, burning taste in his throat as Bucky finishes his story. 'So you know who it is? The person Tony is interested in?'

'Yeah I worked it out. Doesn't take a genius,' Bucky smiles sadly. 'I'm not going to lie and say it didn't hurt, but I get it. Was only a matter of time before someone chose you over me again,' he laughs a little. 'Just like with Peggy. Seems all the dark haired beauties with the mind of their own and a take-no-prisoners attitude prefer blonds. You're a lucky man, Steve Rogers.'

'Wait, what?' his brain just short-circuited.

Bucky looks at him with a small frown, then a look of comprehension dawns on his face and he bursts out laughing. 'Seriously Stevie? How can you be that oblivious?'

'He likes me?'

'Steve,' Bucky turns serious again and puts a hand on his shoulder, 'Tony is absolutely crazy about you; anyone with eyes can see that. The tension between the two of you is ridiculous, I'm surprised you've just been releasing it through arguments. I'd have got to the ripping the clothes off stage ages ago, but that's just me.'

'What?' he manages to choke out.

Bucky just sighs a laugh and shakes his head. 'Come on, Stevie, we need to get your fella back. Then I'm actually going to teach you how to get past the staring stage of a relationship.'

Steve doesn't reply, just follows his friend back inside and up to the briefing room. Despite everything he feels a little lighter, and much more determined. Just like Bucky says: he's going to get his fella back, and anyone who gets in the way was going to get hurt.

A/N: Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and can forgive me for the bit of an emotional roller coaster. I'd be really interested to hear what you all think, especially about Tony and Peter's... erm... discussion? And the flashback to the scene with Bucky and Tony. I had a request to add in some WinterIron into this story a while ago, and this was part of the response to that.

Thank you so much to everyone who has left reviews on this story, I am part way through catching up with all my replies so you should have one (if you haven't already) by the end of tomorrow. Thank you also to all of you who are still sticking with this story.

L x

As always here is your sneak peek:

As soon as he's far enough away he takes out his phone.

'Baby Boy? You alright? Do you need-'

'Don't you start going paranoid on me, Pool, or I swear you won't be able to talk for webbing for a year,' he growls.

'Alright, alright. Fucking hell you got your panties in a twist. Need some help getting the spandex out of that tight arse?'

'Not in the mood,' he says.

'Still no lead on Tin Can?' the merc's voice is sympathetic.

'No,' Peter fights back tears as he continues along the street. 'Can I ask a favour?'

'You know I'd do anything for you Baby Boy.'