Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Challenges listed at the bottom.

Word Count - 911

Fic Detail - Tony&Nat / Friendship

Don't Hide From Us (We're Your Family)

They'd all been taken in by him. Each and every single one of them, including Nat and Clint, whose job it was to be suspicious of people. Charles had been charming. He'd been sweet and intelligent and kind.

None of them had been taken in more so than Tony though. He'd fallen heavy in lust with the man, and it hadn't taken long for Tony and Charles to become a single entity. It had been good, to see their genius so happy again, and the whole team had been happy for both of them.

Until Charles smiled in the middle of a battle and raised his hand, calling the opposing forces to his back.

Natasha was sure that Tony was still hearing his proud, "Hail Hydra," whenever he closed his eyes.

She was worried about him. He'd closed himself off, a consequence of yet another betrayal to tear at him, as though he could immure himself against anymore hurt by keeping everyone away.

She'd tried to talk to him only to fail miserably, and she knew she wasn't the only one.

Hell, even Bucky had tried to talk to the engineer, had attempted to draw him out with talk of his arm, and maintenance. Usually, that never failed to put a smile on Tony's face, but now, Tony simply asked what problem he was having and fixed it, quickly and silently, with none of his usual teasing.

Steve had tried to be his friend, and he'd tried to be his Captain, and neither had worked. Clint had, surprisingly gotten the closest, sitting with Tony in comfortable silence with beer and shit television for close to two hours. It had been ruined as soon as Clint opened his mouth, but really, that was par for the course.

At this point, they were all at a loss. They wanted their genius back.

…

She found him on a balcony, a bottle of water rolling between his hands.

"Hey you," she murmured, stepping up beside him. She gently jostled their shoulders together.

"You know, there's something about flying a kite at night that's unwholesome," he said, nodding his head at the grounds of the compound, where Bucky was, indeed, flying a kite.

It was something he did frequently, and when she'd asked him about it, he'd muttered about his therapist and 'controlled loss of control'.

The kite was red and white, though she couldn't see the actual pattern from this distance.

"It makes him happy," she shrugged. "Or something."

Tony snorted. "Everyone has to have something, I suppose."

"What's your something?" she asked, turning her head to face him.

His lips twisted slightly and he shook his head. "I don't know. It used to be drinking, or tinkering, but… I don't do that anymore."

"You still tinker," she argued.

"Not well enough," he admitted. "I can't… focus at the moment. Everytime I try, I hit a block within twenty minutes. Guess I'm not just useless as a judge of character."

"It wasn't only you he tricked, Tony," she said firmly. "None of us suspected him, you know that. You think we'd have let him near you if we did?"

"I was the closest to him," Tony whispered. "If anyone was going to realise he was… it would have been me."

She noticed the way Tony couldn't say the word Hydra, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she said, "We got him, Tony. No loss of life, no massive structural damage, and he's done. We beat him."

"Even when I win, I lose. Will I ever win?"

"You already have," she said, squeezing his hand comfortingly. "Look around you, Tony. You have a team, a family, filled with people who have your back, people who love you. Pepper, Happy and Rhodey are always there for you. I know you know that. Peter—Tony, you know that kid adores you. You've already won, you're just looking in the wrong places."

"Nat—"

"We miss our Tony. Our bold, sarcastic, brilliant genius. We miss you, Tony."

"I haven't been anywhere."

"In body perhaps."

"I'm just… I'm so tired of trying, Nat. It feels like everytime I take a chance on someone, it comes back and bites me in the ass and I'm just… tired."

"Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict," she quoted, nudging him slightly.

"Have you been reading my horoscope again?"

Laughing, she shook her head. "It's a quote, you prat. William—"

"Ellery Channing," he finished for her. "I know. Rhodey's quoted it at me once or twice."

"I'm not saying you have to put yourself out there for new people yet, Tones. I get it, you know? It's hard to trust people and every betrayal makes it even harder. I get that too. I just… you've got us, okay? We're all loyal to you, and you know that. Deep down, you know we wouldn't hurt you."

"I know. I do know that, Nat, I promise. I just… sometimes, it's easier to hide, you know?"

"Well. Hide from the rest of the world all you want, but… stop hiding from us."

Sighing, Tony lifted his arm for her to duck under and held her close. "What would I do without you, Miss Romanoff?"

"Oh, you'd be screwed, no doubt about it," she replied flatly, though she smiled when he laughed and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Thank you," he murmured.

He didn't have to explain what for.

Written for:

Disney - C7: Someone acting charming to hide an inner evil.

Angel - 10. "WIll I ever win?"

Scamander - 8. Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict. - William Ellery Channing

Film Festival - 9. Friendship

Basement - 3. "There's something about flying a kite at night that's unwholesome."

Marvel - 6. Loyal

Pop - Robb Stark - 1. Bold / 2. The consequences of a betrayal / 4. Red

365. 231. Horoscope

1000. 47. Immure