Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Challenges listed at the bottom.

Word Count - 601

Note - This fic diverges post Avengers Assemble.

Optimistic

"Why did I think that signing up for planetary defence was a good idea?" Rhodey asked, wiping away a persistent trickle of blood from his temple.

"Beats me, Platypus," Tony replied, tossing a blanket over to his friend. "You should get some rest, it's a long flight home."

Clint groaned. "I'll never complain about Doom again."

"Bite your tongue," Tony muttered. "It'll be just out luck that he attacks before we even make it back, and you know that the Fantastic Four aren't gonna be around to deal with him. God forbid people do their actual jobs."

They flew through the night, the autopilot doing the work while Tony sat in the pilot seat, trying to focus on his tablet, twirling a pen between his fingers to stop him from fidgeting too much.

It wasn't working.

He was too tired, but he needed to stay awake, at least until they got back to New York, and he landed them safely.

"You okay?" Steve asked, joining Tony in the front of the plane.

Tony shrugged. "No serious injuries. You?"

"Same," Steve replied quietly. "You did well out there."

"Thanks."

"Tony… what's happened to us?"

Tony blinked. "Is that a trick question?"

Steve shook his head. "I thought we were… becoming something? I don't know, but… we're not us anymore."

"Steve, you left. You left and you didn't call, and then you come back six months later with Barnes and…" Tony trailed off. "I don't know what you were expecting, to be honest."

"I had to go and save him," Steve replied, his tone desperate and pleading. "I had too, Tony!"

"I know you did," Tony agreed softly. "I get that, I really do. But did you have to cut me off so completely to do it? You couldn't have called every once in a while, let me know how you were doing, that you were okay?"

Steve paled. "You're right, I messed up. I'm sorry, Tony, truly I am. I just… I get so single minded, you know? I just… I just want us back."

"We weren't… anything. Not yet, anyway."

"We were everything, Tony," Steve whispered. "You were everything. You still are."

Tony stared at him for a long moment before he sighed. "I've missed you."

Steve moved before Tony could protest, and he pulled Tony into his arms, clutching at him desperately as he whispered apologies against his shoulder.

"Calm down," Tony said stroking a hand over the back of Steve's neck. "It's okay, Steve. I know the last year has been a lot. We'll get through it, though. We alway do, don't we?"

Steve nodded.

Eventually, Tony had to pull back, because it would be all too easy to fall asleep against Steve, and he really needed to stay awake.

Steve protested, his arms tightening slightly.

"I don't want to move," Tony admitted, "but I have too. I can't go to sleep, Steve, someone's gotta keep an eye on the plane."

Steve let go enough for Tony to pull back and meet his eyes, and then stood up, bodily lifting Tony into his arms. He sat down in Tony's seat with Tony on his lap, and smiled at the genius when Tony just blinked at him, too shocked to say anything.

"I'll keep an eye on the plane," Steve promised. "You can sleep. I'll wake you up when we're nearing New York, okay?"

Tony thought about protesting, but he couldn't bring himself to. They still had a lot to talk about, a lot to fix, but for the first time in a while, Tony was optimistic that they could.

Written for:

North Funfair: Sing Along: 27. Do They Know It's Christmas: 1. Doom

East Funfair: Christmas Cracker: 21. Blanket / Pen / "I don't want to move."

South Funfair: Holiday Card: 14. Krampus: Nighttime

365: 353. Planetary