"I can learn to live with guilt. I don't care about being good." ― Holly Black, Red Glove

. . .

"So, why do you need this stuff again? It didn't last very long, and it took forever to make-"

"Just do your job. We'll worry about the rest."

"Um, yeah, okay. Whatever."

"Good boy."

Steve

"So, does this, like, happen often?" Sam asked, slightly out of breath as he ran next to Steve, who had slowed down enough so that they could talk.

Steve gave a half shrug, "I guess… I just wish he'd pick a side and stay there." He confessed.

"More like, you wish he'd pick your side and stay there." Sam said knowingly.

Steve bit his lip and didn't say anything.

They ran in silence for a little while, "Alright, what else is it?" Sam asked.

"What?"

Sam shot him a look, "Don't even, Rogers. I'd like to think I've gotten to know you these past few months, and right you're doing your 'gutted jaw' thing, so whatever it is, just tell me."

Steve felt surprised but quickly hid it, turning his face away, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Right, yeah, sure, whatever," Sam rolled his eyes, "Now, you want to try the truth?" He raised a questioning brow.

Steve worried his lip as the conflicting feelings warred in his chest. On one hand, Sam really was a good friend, and had helped Steve a lot in the past, but on the other, what he was thinking about was technically classified information and Steve wasn't even entirely sure he knew what was going on.

"Steve, you know you can tell me anything," Sam started in a softer voice, "But if you're not comfortable talking about it, you don't have to…"

"It's not just about Ironman," Steve blurted, unable to stop himself, "I mean, it is, but not because he turned villain, again, because he does that all the time," He took a breath.

Sam gave him an encouraging look, persuading him to keep going.

"It's that he's got this, uh, partner," Steve continued, but chose not to say exactly who, "And it's not like the Iron Legion, or even the other Ironmen that show up from time to time, but an actual, uniquely individual, human, partner. I've never heard of him before, but he's got even Natasha spooked. For as long as I've known her she's never seemed afraid of anyone, but suddenly she's telling me that if I get the chance to go for the kill shot," He gave a half laugh, "She didn't even tell me to do that with Ironman. But she's terrified of this guy, and that worries me."

Sam gave a low whistle, "I can see why. You got anything on this guy?" He asked.

Steve paused in thought, but then shook his head, "Not really, nothing concrete, anyway. Ironman's gone back to destroying SHIELD property, only this time he's not trying to hide it."

"Let me guess, you have no clue why he's doing it."

"I wish I did," Steve said listlessly, slumping a little, "All I know is that he's- they're looking for something, and whatever it is, they haven't found it yet."

Sam hummed. They talked about trivial things after that, but it was still sitting in the back of Steve's mind.

. . .

Tony

"Alright, other eye,"

"Bruuuuce,"

"Toooony," Bruce mimicked the whine, jerking Tony's face to the side to shine the pin light in the other eye.

Tony huffed, shifting in his seat, but didn't struggle. James had a fist in his mouth to stifle the laugh.

"Okay, now activate Extremis," Bruce commanded in his 'no nonsense' voice.

(Pepper taught him that.)

Tony grumbled at having to do so again but didn't argue. He felt his body slowly relax as he felt his bots' very being start to run through everything that Tony ever was. It was an incredible feeling.

(It felt like coming home.)

Bruce hummed and put the pin light away. "You can turn it off, now." Tony did, but only because if he used it too much he'd get a headache, and he's been turning it on and off for the past hour.

"Please tell me we're done," Tony said, just short of begging, as he blinked the spots out of his eyes.

Bruce smiled knowingly, "Yes, Tony, we're done, and," he wrote something down on the clipboard he was holding, "Just as we suspected, your eyes glow when you activate Extremis beyond what is always activated. You don't realize how much you subconsciously do it unless you're around a reflective surface, or," He motioned at James with his pin, "You have someone around to tell you." He finished, placing both pin and clipboard on a work table. He leaned against it, "Speaking of telling things,"

(Oooh, that was Brucie's annoyed voice!)

(Looks like someone's in trouble. Again.)

"When, exactly, were you planning on telling me you were not only harboring a deadly, brainwashed, assassin, but also Steve's long lost, dead, best friend?" He asked, raising a mocking eyebrow.

Tony gulped and felt more than saw Barnes take a step back. He had hoped Bruce would forget about that.

"Uh, would you believe me if I told you I kinda, maybe, forgot?" He winced.

"You forgot," Bruce deadpanned.

"Um, yeah…"

They stared at each other for a good five seconds before Bruce broke eye contact to pinch his brow, placing his other hand on his hip, "I can't believe I actually believe you."

Tony grinned, glad he was no longer in trouble, "Aw, c'mon, Brucie! You know I don't like lying!"

Bruce rolled his eyes up to look at him, "You might want to stop saying that, because I have a lot of questions that you still haven't answered."

Tony let out a nervous laugh, "Uh, yeah, let's not continue twenty questions, especially when we have so much other stuff to talk about, like," He swirled in his chair and waved a hand at where Barnes was trying to phase into the wall, "How I've been practically rehabilitating this walking pile of misery and brooding-ness that is James Barnes! It was a lot harder than it sounded!"

(That's what-)

(Don't. Just, Don't.)

Bruce finally breathed a faint laugh and shook his head. He shot James one of his gentle 'I'm harmless, it's okay' smiles that could make even Tony at his most angry and rabid calm down.

The soldier sent a hesitant smile back, not used to being around people who weren't Tony or HYDRA, but the effort was there.

It was in this moment that Tony remembered why he had missed Bruce so much when the other man had left. He wished he could somehow con the man into staying, but short of imprisonment, which according to Bruce and Pepper and Rhodey and JARVIS, was not an okay way to make and keep friends, Tony, stop it, Bruce was going to leave, like he always did.

(People always left.)

(It wasn't fair…)

"Well," Bruce started, "It was nice to meet you Barnes,"

James nodded, "Likewise, and, uh, you can call me James. If you want." He looked away, a faint blush creeping up his neck.

Cute.

"Alright, then it was nice to meet you, James," Bruce said in assent, "But I really need to go now. I have an Avengers thing to get to." He seemed apologetic, if only for Tony's sake.

Tony was about to give an exaggerated groan, whining about how Bruce really needed to stay, not go to some Avengers 'thing' that was just going to be them speculating in circles about Ironman, when JARVIS interrupted.

"Sir, I'm sorry but…" He paused. JARVIS never paused, unless-

"I'm so sorry, but Miss Margret Carter as passed away."

Tony's heart stopped.

And Extremis went wild.

. . .

A/N: Sorry I took so long :/ I don't really have an excuse, other than I've been fandom hopping, GISHWHES is this week, and procrastination is my middle name, but most of you already knew that.