Tony had come home, eventually.
What had followed was a three hour screaming match between himself, Captain Rhodes and Tony.
Tony had left again.
Steve felt pretty wretched about the whole thing, to be honest.
It had been a rehash of much the same argument they'd been having since Ironman joined the Avengers, or since Tony became Ironman, in Rhodey's case.
The one that followed the gamut of "You're too reckless/ It was necessary. You could have been hurt/I calculated the risk factor. You could have hurt someone else/I calculated the risk factor. You don't think- "
This was about when Tony had shoved Rhodey out of the way and shot up the newly cleared staircase, throwing over his shoulder in an angry voice, choked with betrayal, "All I do is think!"
Looking back on their furious argument, Steve still felt he and Rhodes were in the right; it had been a dangerous, unnecessary risk. Although he'd admit that it perhaps it also hinged somewhat on fact that Tony hadn't told him.
Steve wouldn't have liked it under any circumstances, but if he'd known it was happening, had understood the science as best he could and had known what to expect, he probably wouldn't have reacted anything like the way he had.
He trusted Tony, trusted his genius and his inventiveness. But there had been a split second, or perhaps a bit longer, when Tony had been careening head first toward the deck, getting closer and closer, not showing any signs of stopping…there had been a moment when his heart had almost choked him, so high in his throat it had been.
It had been mostly fear that had caused his reaction, and while he felt justified, that didn't really help with the guilty anguish he felt when he remembered the gleam of angrily refused tears he'd seen when Tony had finally managed to shove past them and escape back upstairs.
He felt a little ashamed of his behaviour, and of Rhodey's, truth be told.
Steve Rogers hated a bully. And while neither he nor Rhodey had been intentionally bullying Tony, there had been an element of intimidation, just their sheer physical size as they'd crowded him to stop him from simply walking away…
Angry as he still was, remnants of fear sitting sharp in his chest…Well, Steve hated a bully, and he hated himself a little at the moment.
Flopping down on the couch in the den, Steve sighed as he flicked the TV on, feeling a little washed out and a lot regretful.
He'd seen Rhodey out a few minutes ago, the other man also looking a little shamed at what their reaction had wrought, and he'd promised that he'd sort it out as soon as possible.
Whether that meant apologise or something else entirely, Steve wasn't sure, but whatever the case, he had to trust that Rhodes knew how to handle his own relationship with his best friend.
"And the fact that Captain America is apparently gay… How does that hold up under American Values an-"
His own name grabbed his attention, but Tony's voice drew his eyes to the TV as he passionately jumped on the topic. "The fact that this supposedly modern world we live in still tries to label any portion of our society as 'second class' for any reason, let alone one as favourable as who they might happen to love, makes me sick. You've all seen my campaign. I'm LOVE BLIND - I See No Difference. Whether you love a man, woman, black, white, old, young- I am BLIND to any differences. Are you LOVE BLIND, Amalie?" Tony shot back, as if daring her to be anything but, before adding in a light undertone "Thanks for the plug though."
"Very LOVE BLIND, Tony. Completely BLIND in fact…and you're welcome" The reporter smiled cheekily, before asking "Will you tell us a little about Steve? As you see him, not Captain America, but just Steve?"
"He folds his underwear. Won't wear odd socks. Drinks milk out of the bottle. " The reporter snorted a sip off water, and broke into a coughing fit, one which Steve, not having seen this interview yet, matched.
And then Tony's entire demeanour changed.
He sat up slowly, moving from the sloth like sprawl over the studio's sofa into an almost eager position, sitting slightly forward, his legs crossed at the ankle, hands folded in his lap.
His eyes blinked closed, and the most wistful smile that Steve had ever seen drifted across his face. Like whatever Tony was thinking about, was the most wonderful, amazing, special thing in the entire world.
Steve felt his breath catch, his heart thud, because even dressed in however many thousand dollar Armani, diamond studded cufflinks at his wrists and his hair styled to perfection; it was still that smile that drew Steve in.
Because Steve knew Tony was thinking about him.
"Look okay, It's like this- Steve is the very best that America has to offer. This is not perfection. Perfection is boring, is dull… Steve is better. He's real and he's good. So good. And I'm entirely sure that many of you would agree with me on this, but Steve is entirely too good for me. The fact that he wants me anyway? That's what makes him good. "
The interviewer raised her eyebrow incredulously, and Tony barked out a self-depreciating laugh, continuing, "Sorry, I know that was confusing. I'm not really explaining this right. Its like- He doesn't feel entitled to the best of everything, despite the fact that he could get it with just a twitch of his fingers. Or maybe because he could get it with just a twitch of his fingers. He's not greedy or self-centred or- "
The interviewer cut him off, "Tony, maybe I'm wrong here, but could what makes him so good, be the fact that he makes you want to be better?"
Steve felt like he'd been punched in the stomach.
And then Tony answered.
"He doesn't make me want to be better. He made me realize that I am better."
'I'm Sorry. I love you. Please come home.' was all the text said.