Chapter 6

Your Move

Tony hummed merrily as he walked through the halls of the compound, occasionally throwing a piece of popcorn in the air and catching it in his mouth. The snack was sweet, just like he knew Steve liked it. It did taste a little burned, but Tony did not mind. Soon, he would enjoy the captain's homecooked meals again, which the blond would make for just the two of them. He smiled contently as he made his way towards his workshop.

'Hey J?' he called out, entering the lab and quickly grabbing a chair to sit on. 'Give me cameras twelve to fourteen, please.'

'Cameras twelve to fourteen, now displaying,' the mechanic voice echoed through the room.

Tony quickly dimmed the lights and reached out to the refrigerator under his desk, grabbing the bottle of expansive champagne he had bought earlier, waiting impatiently for the AI to program the camera footage as if waiting for a movie to start in the cinema.

'Camera display failed, sir. Initiating code two-zero-six. The privacy protocols.'

'Overruled,' Tony sighed irritably. 'Ain't no secrets for me in my own damn house,' he mumbled.

A smile came to his face as the three monitors displayed in front of him. The first focused on the captain, the middle focused on the common room in general and the third showing the soldier. He sat back, feeling more tense than he had expected to be.

"Look, I know you're- you're mad, and I get that,"

Tony heard the soldier stutter and he scoffed. '"Mad", that's an understatement,' he mumbled to himself, his statement proven right by the explosion of emotions that followed coming from the captain.

Tony listened to their conversation, observing every movement, absorbing every word. He felt his stomach contracting as he heard the pleading cries from the one he loves so dear, guilt weighing heavy on his shoulders.

This was wrong, all of it was wrong. He knew that. But just the very idea of Steve being touched and kissed by another man made his hands tremble in rage.

Maybe, if he was still an Avenger, he would not be so lost.

Maybe, if there was still a need for the invincible Iron Man, he would not feel so completely useless.

Maybe, if all his friends were still here with him, things would have been different.

Maybe, if it just wasn't Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes, the machine who murdered his parents, the man who nearly tore his group apart, Tony would have been able to cope.

But what good were "maybes" in a world created from inevitable facts? They were but past possibilities, useless what-could-have-beens one should not look back to.

"'It hurts,'"

Wary eyes turned back to the monitors again as Tony heard the captain's broken voice.

"'Every time you walk away from me, every time you shut me out or look at me in disgust… It hurts.'"

The playboy grabbed the bottle of champagne and placed it against his lips, downing that nagging little voice in a few large gulps.

"'I know.'"

Tony raised his bottle slightly as guilt ate away at his soul, constantly reminding himself that this would all be for the better, in the end. Soon, he and Steve would be together again. Soon, it would just be the two of them. He will comfort Steve. Cradle him through his grief, guide him through lonely nights and make him feel loved and wanted as they would share bed and body with each other.

And Steve? Steve would wish he would have noticed him sooner, but then again, the blond was ignorant. He was clever, warmhearted and unrivaled in bravery, but he was also so incredibly naïve. Tony just loved that side of him. He loved all of Steve. All his perfect imperfections, all his grace, all his characteristics. Each and every feature making the blond the man he is today, and Tony would not change a single thing about him.

"'And that's why… I have decided to end this.'"

Bucky's voice sounded again, making Tony look up. He stared for a moment, but as the taste of victory flavored like ashen in his mouth, as the feeling of triumph was numb in his body, he tilted the bottle, drinking nearly half of it in one go. That feeling of contentment would come, just later, he managed to convince himself, somewhat.

Somewhere in the distance, he heard the soldier speaking of Wakanda. Africa, great, that's about as far away as he can get.

The rest of the conversation was but an empty hum in the background. Tony's eyes were on the projected screens, though he did not see what was shown to him. The desperate voice coming from his victim, screaming at Steve to go away left him numb. There were no goosebumps on his skin, no shiver running down his spine and no conscious telling him to stop this all, at least, not anymore. It must have drowned in the alcohol Tony had consumed.

What happened next, however, made Tony straighten his back.

'I'm not letting you walk away again, Buck.'

Tony's eyes widened as he saw Steve sitting on the floor next to the soldier. Why was he there? Why were they both still their? Why was the soldier not packing his bags, readying himself to get to the first plane heading for Wakanda? Or at least storming out of the building and back onto the streets where he belonged?!

Why was Steve sitting on the ground? Why was he not screaming or crying, pleading for the soldier to remain by his side as Bucky would walk out the door?

Why were they still together?

"'I'm scared.'"

Than leave.

"'I'm so fucking done with this, Steve.'"

Than fucking leave! Stay away from Steve as far as possible!

"'I know, but it will be alright. we'll be alright.'"

Fuck, no! No, this was not how it was supposed to go!

Tony jumped up, walking back and forth in despair, sweat dripping down his skin as he kicked against one of his chairs with all his might. He then tried to calm down, his brain immediately working on figuring out what move to make next. That's right, the next move. This is but a game and the soldier made his move. Now, it is Tony's turn to make his again.

Bucky had to disappear from their lives, one way another.

Tony then turned around, his eyes falling on the mind-controlling machine he had worked on for weeks. An empty yet frantic smile forming on his face as he saw the projected screen reflecting in the cold metal of the chair.

One more time, he thought as he calmed down.

Bucky had to make a visit to his lab, just one more time and that would be Tony's next move.

"'…Will you come with me?'"

Tony froze completely as he heard the question coming from Bucky's mouth. He turned around, facing the screens again.

"'To Wakanda?'"

Tony's eyes widened and for a moment, he did not breath. His heart ached as he saw a smile appear on the captain's face. It was so gentle and so kind, so pure and so utterly Steve.

"'Of course I will.'"

The bottle Tony was holding onto shattered in a thousand pieces as he let it drop from his hands. The glass shattering across the floor, the heavy smell of strong liquor filling the air. With open mouth and trembling body, he watched as the captain pressed another kiss against the man's lips.

"'I'll be with you till the end of the line.'"