CHAPTER 22: Play The Game

Pepper silently gathered a glass for herself and Happy and she hunted around for the liquor. She didn't intend to get drunk, she just wanted to relax a little.
After that Miami adventure, she vowed to never get drunk again!

She eyeballed Tony as he walked up to her. He anxiously tried to escape that situation in the poker den and he stole the alcohol from her when she was done.

Tony inhaled a deep breath and Pepper watched him look at the doorway that led into the kitchen.

Tony thought about Steve. Yup. Steve was in a very valiant mood it seemed. That meant the two of them could have some very good-

"Tony. I'm so glad you're back." Pepper whispered. It interrupted Tony's filthy thought. He smiled and Tony looked in her direction. Pepper had the shit scared out of her and then she heard nothing else.

She loved Tony. He was her best friend. Tony smiled and pulled Pepper into a hug.
"I was only gone for a short while. Everyone is so dramatic."
"I saw you disappear. You vanished right in front of me. I could cry just thinking about it." Pepper don't cry. Tony gave her another smile and he pointed at her drink.

"I hear that helps or hinders, take your pick." He grinned and she pulled him into a hug. She started to whisper certain information into Tony's ear.

His eyes flew open when he learned that Steve ran all the way to her place. Pepper confessed everything to Tony and he bit at the shoulder of her dress. It was all puffy and it distracted him.

"He was so nervous Tony. He really loves you. Tony, don't be an asshole to him." She stopped the whispering and she really looked Tony in the face.
Tony rolled his eyes because he wasn't INTENTIONALLY being an asshole to Steve.

"Don't. You can be so hurtful, you need to stop." The poker party was pretty loud so Pepper and Tony spoke as open as they could. They kept quiet tho. They knew Steve could have heard.

Pepper really wanted to drive her point home. She softened her voice and she pinched Tony's arm.

"I don't ever want to see him that upset again. Seriously."

"OW. He's got his friend to keep him company. Now, Bucky Wonder can see him get that upset. You're off the hook so drink your drink it's getting cold." Tony laughed at his own comment and Pepper rolled her eyes.

Tony took another sip of the liquor and he looked at the exit. Ehhh, he was getting confused. Bucky was Steve's friend so Tony figured he'd need to get along with him at some point.

Whatever. Tony wondered why that thought crossed his mind.
Pepper could read Tony like a book. She stared at him and then sighed gently.

Tony still had a hard time and struggled with what he wanted to do about Steve. Even from their short little Miami trip, his mind was swamped with an indecision about him.
Make up your minnnndddd Tony. Pepper tried not to laugh at him as she topped off her drink.

The attraction the two of them had for each other was obviously there. The physical and sexual part of their relationship was beyond there as well. Tony just couldn't take it to the next step.
It was almost as if his brain wouldn't allow him to do it! Pepper had a hell of a time when she tried to figure out why they weren't together already.

Saaa Tony was just a mess. She knew he alwaysss would be. Pepper started to arrange the snacks that were left in the kitchen. They just had piles and piles of snack food provided but no one displayed them or organized them.

Pepper wondered, who organized this? Nothing was organized at all. Tony began to help. He was the type that organized but he was downstairs in his lab for a week.

"Here, take these bowls to the table so they can eat something." She loaded Tony up with stuff for everyone and she shoved him out.

WHAT? HE WANTED TO HIDE IN THERE.

When Tony emerged from the kitchen he set the bowls of snacks and shit on the table. He noticed that Bucky used the hologram enhancement that he put on his arm.

Tony smiled.
He liked it? Whoa, Tony was shocked he was really glad to see that Bucky used it. His arm looked completely normal.

Bucky looked up at Tony. It was pretty discomforting because he caught Tony as he looked at his arm. Now Tony knew that Bucky knew, that he knew?
Some shit like that. Anyway Tony smiled even though he felt uncomfortable.

Bucky did not smile back at him. He stared at Tony like he was a BUG. Or something. Tony walked quickly over to Clint and he put a bowl of shit in front of his face. The archer thanked him and started to eat immediately.

Tony placed the last bowl in his hand near Steve and he hurried away from him before he could say anything. Steve was about to thank him but Tony was already LONGGGG gone before that could happen.

Tony hid back in the kitchen and Pepper went to take the drink to Happy. Tony remained inside and he snacked on his lonesome.

"I'm already out of grub." Clint said out loud as he got up to get something to drink and more to eat. The archer walked into the kitchen and he stopped when he saw Tony. Tony stared off into space and he chomped on a few chips.

"Ay, there you are. Are you drunk yet?"
"Not even close.." Tony smiled and he dumped some more chips in Clint's bowl.

"You ok?" The archer asked him with a chip in his mouth.
Tony thought about it. Uhmm, yeah? He was ok. Tony just nodded his head and gave him another smile.

"Yeah I'm good. Just tired. I've been making a bunch of stuff." Tony shrugged. That wasn't really his problem Tony just needed more alcohol.

More alcohol would be good. He hunted for another glass and another bottle because he forgot about the ones he already used. He didn't want to go out to the poker den just yet.

Clint could tell something was wrong. Tony never complained about making "a bunch of stuff". That was his life and what he did on the daily.
He thought, maybe having Tony sit beside Steve was a bad idea? Aw Crap Clint felt bad.

"I'll be out there in a minute Clint no worries. I'm just getting some more alcohol. You guys can have the bottle I left over on the table."

At least, Tony thought he left it on the table. His mind was all over the place.

Clint nodded his head. Yeah, he wanted some for Natasha as well. It was a celebration after all!

"Tony, I know Fury said he was sorry and all that but, I just want you to know that I'M really sorry about that mission. If I'd known there was another option to not impose on your past I would have-"

"Ay AY it's ALLLLLL fine and dandy. Ok? Seriously it's, all good. Don't worry about it." Tony just gave Clint the most honest smile he could muster up.

The archer didn't buy the smile. He frowned and just let Tony have his way. No sense in apologizing twice. Clint got some glasses and he went back to his seat.
All he knew was, if someone went around in his past like that he'd be furious.

He wondered, why didn't he think of that before taking on the mission in the first place.

Clint figured it was just because he felt like he had no choice. Fury made it seem like Tony was in tremendous danger. Well he was.
He ate some chips and looked at Bucky.

He got the feeling that it was all for the sake of getting the Winter Soldier or something. Saaa he tried to stop his thoughts about it. Clint offered Natasha some alcohol and she happily accepted.
Everyone ate snacks, drank, or played cards. Steve remained focus but he began to pay more attention to the empty seat beside him.

He looked over at the kitchen and he thought about the question he wanted to ask Tony. Steve stood up. He headed into the kitchen because TONY had disappeared.
ACK! Tony noticed Steve walk in and he turned away slightly.

Tony poured a drink and tried to think of a good excuse to ditch the rest of the party. He just felt odd

being there.
Tony didn't know why but he felt so strange.

Steve walked over to him and he rest his side against the counter. The two just looked at each other for a moment.
Eventually one of them always looked away. Tony turned away and focused on his drink.

Steve needed to talk to him. They had discussed absolutely nothing about his mission and absolutely NOTHING about how Tony was. Steve wanted to know if he was ok after everything that had happened.

He knew Tony would just continue to shut everyone out if Steve allowed it.

"I need to talk to you." Steve said delicately as Tony downed half of his drink. NOPE.

Tony just shook his head no and he picked at the chips that were in his bowl. He started to arrange them in such a way. He didn't want to talk. He didn't want to hear anything about Steve's adventure-time in 1980s land.

Tony pointed over at the kitchen EXIT. He pointed in that direction a few times.
UGH, would ya just go be with your fuckin best bud? He told Steve with telepathic powers that he did not have.

Tony wanted Steve to only focus on his friend. He had a glare in his eyes and he told Steve to do that in his head.
Steve sighed and he decided to pour himself a drink.

He couldn't get drunk but he just felt like drinking. Tony watched as he put some liquor in his own glass and he drank a bit.
GROSS. Alcohol disgusted him.

Tony chuckled quietly when he saw his face.
Steve was full of courage that evening. He was on an emotional high and he wasn't going to part ways from Tony that evening without asking him what he wanted to ask.

Steve was ready to ask him. It just took him a minute to gather his nerves.

"Tony I.." He had to think first. He forgot about all the others in the room over and he just thought about what he wanted to say to him.

Tony was fixated on the chips that he now destroyed with a fork. He couldn't eat them and he liked to hear the sound of the crunch. He looked at Steve just as he started to talk again.

Steve won the battle against his nerves and he went for it.

"I was wondering if you'd like to maybe spend the weekend with me? We don't have to talk about anything you don't want to it's just, I..." Steve was hesitant and he freaked out once the words finally fell out of his face.

UHHHHH everyone in the next room could hear them? Did they not know this?

"I've been wanting to spend time with you and I, never, can. You're always busy and I really miss you." Steve stared at the glass of liquor that disgusted him.

Bucky was about to faint from the shock, Thor and Clint just stared and thought about people that they missed, Pepper and Natasha waited for Tony's response, and Bruce and Happy were content with the snacks and they did NOT pay attention.

Back in the kitchen (that they thought was magically soundproof) Tony finished his drink and he poured himself another.

Spend the weekend? With Steve? Uhhhhhh but he had shit that he needed to do. Tony needed to keep revenger-ing. He couldn't be distracted by Steve's continuous acts of affection.

Tony looked at his face. He had turned him down left and right. He could see in his eyes that Steve was pretty nervous when he asked. Tony didn't want to hurt him.
He looked down at the cabinet and thought about it.

"Spend the weekend where?" Tony asked as he semi-sorta looked at Steve. Tony's face changed to a slight grin as Steve thought about an answer.

He didn't have an answer to give. Steve was easy. He didn't care where Tony wanted to go.

"Anywhere you want. It doesn't matter to me." Steve felt stupid. He thought Tony was going to say that he was busy. It felt like Tony was going to tell him no. That was all he had been doing since he RUINED things before the mission.

Ever since he told him that he loved him Steve felt uneasy. Just the thought of it made him look away.
When Steve thought about it, it made his chest hurt.
That annoying sensation that nagged was back and Steve hated it.

Tony was lost in thought.
His face felt warm. He touched his face with his hand and he thought about what he wanted to do.

"Sure. Ok yeah. I'll spend the weekend with you." Tony said yes and he rubbed at his arm because he felt many many things. Tony knew exactly where he wanted to go as well.

Steve had a huge smile. He was shocked at first because he thought Tony was going to turn him down.

Steve contained his smile and he started to fumble into different questions.

"Really? You, want to go? Well, when did you want to go?"
"Today being Friday, I thought tomorrow qualifies it as the weekend?" Right?
He assumed that Steve meant the weekend as it approached. Which meant tomorrow.

Tony wanted to go tomorrow?

Steve was thrilled. He wanted to jump but no. He didn't want people to hear him so he quieted down.
"Where do you want to go?"

He watched as Tony bit his bottom lip. Tony wanted to go to a place he'd never been before. It wasn't exotic, or any bullshit like that. It was just a place he always wanted to go to.
He scratched his neck and eventually answered.

"I want to go to your place. In Brooklyn." Tony had never been to Steve's place. They had always gone to his.
His tower, his lab, his room, his everything.

Just like in his relationship with Pepper. It was his house in Malibu, his place, his lab, his evvvveryyyything. Tony had never gone to Pepper's home why would he? He just moved her into his house.

He knew about Steve's apartment in Brooklyn and for some reason, it was exactly where he wanted to go.
Tony saw it as a way to open up to him.
They were silent for a while. They both had things to think about. Finally Steve spoke and he still had that smile on his face.

"That would be great. I haven't been there in forever." He missed his apartment.

"I have one condition tho." Tony held up one finger so that way Steve got the ONE condition part very clear. Steve's eyes opened wide as he stared at Tony.
He did the exact same motion that his seventeen-year-old self did when they were down in his father's lab.

Steve wasn't sure how to respond. Was it a kiss? Because that would make him very happy.

"What's the condition?" he asked as Tony dropped his hand.

"You'll see." Tony's shoulders lifted into a shrug and Steve scoffed loudly.

"You're killing me!" Steve almost couldn't take his fickleness any longer.

"Well, I'm sorry. Haha can I go now if I agree to spend the next few days with you?" Tony wanted to leave and finish his revenge.

"Is that the condition?" Steve hoped it was because the guessing games were about to make him go insane.

"Nope. Can I go?" Tony pleaded with him and eventually, he smiled. Steve just nodded his head yes. He didn't want Tony to leave. He wanted to start their weekend right then and there.

Tony's eyes locked onto something and it triggered a memory in his mind. Tony closed his eyes for a moment.
A very vivid memory from his younger self consumed his thoughts.

Tony thought about it and Steve noticed the look on his face. It was the same behavior he had when Tony returned to the tower.

"What's going on right now? I've seen that look before." Steve asked as he edged closer to Tony.

"I'm remembering," Tony confessed as he opened his eyes.

His eyes dropped to what triggered the memory and he smiled. Steve wanted to know more about that smile.

"What are you remembering?" He asked as he moved a bit closer.
Tony decided to just let Steve in on his little secret. The time he shared with his younger self became part of his memories.

"I'll just give you a hint and then I'm going to go." Tony said as he reached one of his hands in Steve's direction. He gripped those jeans and he rubbed his thumb over the button that held the jeans together.

He remembered being in his father's garage. Steve looked down at Tony's hand and he gasped in a huge breath.
That wasn't exactly a subtle hint. Tony gripped those jeans and held them exactly like his younger self. Right before Jarvis soaked them with a garden hose.

Steve remembered what happened and a blush washed over his face. Tony leaned in and he gave Steve another gentle kiss. He didn't allow Steve to deepen it. It was short and to the point.
Tony released Steve's pants, backed away from his lips, and he smiled at him.

"Goodnight Steve." Tony left the liquor, the chips, the Steve, and all of his thoughts in the kitchen.

Steve needed a minute. He stared at the kitchen counter and tried to process. Tony headed into the poker den. Everyone started to busy themselves with the cards, the food, or the poker chips.

The fuck? Tony just stared along his path and started to leave.
"Night everyone." He addressed them all and disappeared from the room. Tony went down down down to his lab so he could finish his work from before.

Bucky watched him go. It wasn't long before Steve emerged with his drink and some additional snacks of his own. He finally started to eat some of it.

"Who won? Sorry, I left in the middle of a game again."

He honestly didn't think anyone heard their conversation. Steve got so lost in his own world. "You won apparently," Natasha said as Steve sat down.
"Oh? you played my cards anyway?"

He turned his cards over.
"Three of a kind could have been beaten." He did not pay attention. Steve just ate his food and thought about Tony's memory. So he was able to remember what the younger Tony experienced. Everyone stared at Steve.

They waited for him to get it. That wouldn't happen because his mind was in un-rejected bliss.

"STEVE. WE HEARD EVERYTHING YOU TWO SAID IN THERE!" Clint was the most impatient of the bunch. UGH, he couldn't take it anymore haha.

Steve just took a drink of the terrible liquor. Then he glanced over at Bucky. He grinned at his friend because he was embarrassed.

"Why Stark of all people Steve? You're just asking for trouble." Bucky tried to advise his close friend that his choice was AWFULLLLLL...

"Apparently, I like trouble." Steve just left it at that and he finished his drink. He couldn't waste it.

"Awww I think they are CUTE haha you haven't gotten to know Tony well enough yet Bucky I can tell." Pepper was so damn happy. She really was and she knew that everyone was just as happy as she was.

Bucky didn't say anything more. They just started another round of poker and upped the stakes by adding in some actual money into the pot.

Downstairs, Tony went back to work. He suited up and took off back to the last location of the time- altering tech he hunted down.

"Jarv, are there any known government bases around here?"

"None to my knowledge sir."

Tony flew faster and he stopped abruptly when he reached the destination.
"Is it above me or below me?" Tony asked as he looked above him. Maybe an invisible ship had it? Tony looked below and scanned the ground for any possible entrances.

"The technology is definitely underneath you sir. I'd say around a thousand feet."
"A THOUSAND FEET?" Tony scoffed and Jarvis had a bunch of screens pop up. It showed him the approximate distance.

He couldn't dig down a thousand feet. Nobody had time for shit like that! He needed to find a way in.

"Grid the area. Give me anything you can find on these coordinates." Tony had a feeling he was going to be extremely pissed off if he made a second trip over there and ended up empty-handed.

"Sir, I did a scan of the terrain. There is nothing that will lead you to the target. Might I suggest going to a higher elevation so we can possibly find some form of access in a different spot?"

"Good thinking Jarvis." Tony took off to a higher location. He stopped in the middle of the sky and Jarvis continued his scan of the area.
"There's gotta be a garage door opener somewhere around here." Or a fucking door to Narnia.

That was definitely NOT S.H.I.E.L.D.'s style.

Jarvis left no stone unturned, he checked everything for any kind of electrical pulse known to man. Nothing on the exterior was an opening for Tony.

"I'm sorry sir you are going to have to invest in a shovel."

GAHHH NOOOOO. Tony growled with frustration.
He was so closeeeeee. He had a revenge list and it was all ruined if he didn't destroy every scrap of tech he came across.

Tony's Revenge List was as follows:
1. Put Nick Fury and his clowns in their proper place.
2. Destroy all the tech
3. Confront/deal with ex-best bud Rhodey for being a dick.
4. Have sex with Steve right in front of Bucky Wonder's face.

THAT was his plan and he wasn't going to be satisfied until each number was complete.
Now, he had to figure out how he was going to get through a thousand feet of rubble by morning. Or evening? He didn't know when Steve wanted to begin their weekend away but he assumed that Steve wanted to start things early.

"SONOFABITCH." Tony quickly said out loud as he took off back to his lab.

He fumed the entire way. When he got back he un-suited and started to look around his lab for some sort of inspiration.
He needed a drill. A big one.

UGH he didn't have time to do that now! JESUS F. Christ.

"Jarvis?" He got all demanding and Jarvis answered.

"Yes sir?"
"I want you to send some of my wasps out there and keep a visual on the area. I can't do anything about that tech for a few days but I want you to keep me informed."
"Right away sir." Jarvis activated a number of Tony's wasps and he sent it out of the lab.

He'd monitor the damn area while he was away on his weekend vacay.
Tony rubbed his face and deeply sighed. He hated it when things didn't go his way. Sooo, that mission was a total failure.

"Jarv, is everyone still upstairs playing stupid poker?" He wanted to sneak up there and get another drink.
"Sir, some of them left and the others are still upstairs talking."

EW. Tony sighed.
"Who's still up there?"
"Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton, Steve Rogers, and Bucky Barnes are the ones that remain. Would you like me to alert them of your inquiry?"

HELL NO. Tony cringed and sighed heavily.

"No. Jarv."

Maybe he could venture back up there?
IT WAS HIS HOUSE FOR FUCK'S SAKE. Tony just didn't feel right.

"I need another drink." That's one thing he could go up there for! Tony told himself he needed to stop being so distant. What the hell was the matter with him?! He still felt uncomfortable and he wanted to put a blanket over his head again.

HRRRMMHFFHHH Tony made up his mind and he just headed to his room.
Going to sleep was a better choice. Avoiding Steve and all of his super-spy friends was the best of all possible choices.

Tony decided to go to bed, then he'd pack up for his weekend away when he woke up the next day. Meh good plan.

CHAPTER END:
Thanks for reading! There is far more to come. I will post it all soon. Comments and feedback are love.