A/N: Thank you everyone for the favourites and follows, and the review as well. It's encouraging to see so much interest, so thank you. Huge thanks again to my beautiful beta, you did an amazing job and I love that you can interpret my sleep fuelled writing. ;P Much love.
It had been a long trip home. The caves had brought up next to nothing, aside from leftover ammunitions. Natasha had theorised that perhaps there was a secret exit of some sort that any remaining terrorists had escaped through, but they hadn't found it if there was. Bruce had come down from his hulking out midway through the cave trip, providing a very awkward nude presence in the process. Tony thankfully had the sense in him to keep some spare clothes for the doctor stashed inside his suit, and had handed them over promptly, but not before Bruce's dignity had gone out the window. On top of Bruce's awkward silence, Tony had barely said a word on the flight home, not even rising to Fury's teasing banter, as what should have been the norm. They greeted Clint on the way in, who wanted as many details as he could get, but Fury had ordered the team not to say a word until he arrived at the tower himself in a few hours time. They'd sent a few of the captives home with some SHIELD agents who had shown up just as the team were departing, so it wasn't an entire loss on their behalf, and yet the team was on edge and frustrated and it was showing. Each team member split off into their own domains, knowing full well that it would be quite some time before Fury showed up. Steve considered the gym, but decided against it, realising he'd not gone a round against the punching bag since he'd broken the last one. He didn't want to risk it.
Steve considered himself in charge of team morale, to an extent, so he felt a little guilt weigh upon him when the team was so obviously down. Natasha would be okay, he realised, now that she'd pulled up half of the couch beside Clint and was now resting her eyes as Clint channel surfed. Steve hoped that there was something between the two of them that was more than friendship. God knows the two of them could use it. He passed Bruce in his musings, who gave the same smile as always, offering a small wave as he disappeared into one of the elevators. Steve let him be, well aware that Bruce would bounce right back after an hour or so working on something in his field of expertise. Bruce had once admitted that, for him, work was just as relaxing, if not more so, than his meditation sessions were. Steve could understand that to an extent. He briefly entertained the thought of seeing where Tony had disappeared to, and offer a sympathetic ear if needed, until he remembered what kind of a mindset he'd been in after seeing the crash site for the first time and decided against that too. Steve frowned slightly, resorting to head to his own bedroom. As soon as he got there, he fell back onto his bed, not even bothering to close the door, and placed his hands behind his head. Steve's frown wouldn't ease up, no matter how hard the captain attempted to force it, so he let it remain, running over a multitude of things in his mind. At the core of it all, however, was Tony Stark. Steve had never claimed to be the brightest bulb in the house, far from it even, yet Tony outshone him in so many ways that it made Steve a little uncomfortable. That time that he'd sat beside Tony and had the billionaire's eyes pierce right into him, he'd felt so terribly... bare. He felt as if Tony knew more about Steve than Steve himself did at times, and he hated being so readable, when he himself respected other people's privacy to the highest degree. He wondered if Tony ever looked at Steve and saw himself, as Steve did with Tony.
Something about Tony bothered Steve, made him uneasy, and was somehow familiar all at once. He wondered if it was Tony's likeness to Howard in some ways. Whatever it was, something about Tony was reckless and dangerous, and it bothered Steve to no end. It was completely different to what he had always been taught and trained to be. There were ways that things were meant to happen, certain ways that things were meant to be done, but Tony Stark just didn't play by the rules. However, he wasn't exactly unlikeable either and Steve would be first to admit that he had developed a soft spot for the entrepreneur. Kind of like the little brother figure that was always getting himself into trouble, Tony near constantly pissed Steve off and yet his charm made it difficult to stay angry at him for too long. He'd perhaps been too hard on Tony in the past, too thrown off by his supposed inability to take anything seriously to take Tony himself seriously. Things had been improving, and whilst their initial friction had gotten the entire team off to a shaky start, Tony had gone above and beyond Steve's original judgement, and he'd forgiven and forgotten most of the man he had thought Stark was. Steve jumped then, as Tony himself knocked on the captain's door.
"Tony?" Steve prompted, sitting upright, as Tony waved his hand.
"Nono, no need to get up. Can I come in?" Tony asked, and Steve nodded, sitting up but not moving, as Tony stepped inside and closed the door, falling back onto the couch that Steve had set up against the wall nearest the door.
"Bruce is trying to hunt me down," Tony said by way of explanation, stifling a yawn behind his hand and stretching out along the couch, closing his eyes and kicking off his shoes in the process. Steve was a little puzzled, to say the least, until he realised that perhaps Tony did need his own space, he just didn't want to be alone whilst he took it. So, Steve lay back down, refocusing his attention on the ceiling and stifling a yawn of his own. He didn't say a word, knowing that if Tony wanted to speak, there wasn't a force on the planet that could stop him from doing so.
They lay like that for around half an hour or so, and Steve smirked slightly as he intermittently heard very soft snores coming from Tony's general direction. Steve sat up then, as a different noise escaped Tony's lips. A murmur, as if he were on the verge of sleep talking. Intrigued, Steve watched, as Tony tossed and turned briefly, before he let out a spluttering sound almost a dry sob. Steve jumped slightly then, as Tony's eyes snapped open and the billionaire sat upright, a choked gasp erupting from his lips. Tony blinked a few times, threw a sidelong glance at Steve, before looking away, running a hand through his hair. Tony cleared his throat.
"Awkward."
His voice was a little raspy, a little embarrassed, and Steve felt a little uncomfortable on Tony's behalf. He remembered all too well how it had felt knowing Tony had been watching him. Steve didn't say a word, merely waited for Tony to meet his gaze, his silence seemingly enough to coax Tony to do so.
"Ugggh," Tony groaned, stretching out as casually as he could, lying back down as he finally did look over, "You staring isn't helping."
"Do you dream about it often?" Steve asked, and Tony shrugged, feigning nonchalance.
"Now and then."
Steve remained silent, and Tony squirmed slightly.
"How do you do that Captain America voice when you're not even talking?" Tony grimaced, "It's seriously creepy. Like some kind of deranged super power."
Steve allowed a soft smile to cross his lips, and the next time Tony met his gaze, he let his guard down and smiled a little too, in spite of himself.
"You're a weird guy, Spangles," He said softly whilst stretching, failing to stop a yawn escaping from his lips.
"I'm beyond my years," Steve remarked solemnly, and Tony frowned at this. He turned his attention to Steve's gaze again, both seemingly in a stare off to see who would budge first.
"Sometimes it's like you're looking right through me," Tony spoke, throwing a questioning gaze in Steve's direction, "Like you're seeing right through the bullshit. Nobody's been able to do that before, except for Pepper."
It was Steve that budged first, Tony's gaze and latest statement making him feel uncomfortable once again. Wasn't that the same thing Steve had thought about Tony less than an hour previously?
"Maybe it's another deranged super power."
Tony baulked, letting a smile flit across his lips as he feigned shock.
"Did you... Was that a joke? Did that seriously just happen?" He asked, and Steve let out a small laugh, "Jarvis, make an event in my calendar for today."
"Yes sir?" The electronic voice echoed through the room, and Steve almost startled. It was easy to forget that the AI's presence existed throughout the entire building, even in the exhibition floors and business areas lower down.
"Captain America made a funny."
"Is that all you'd like it to say, sir?"
"Make an added note that there was definite room for improvement."
"Yes sir."
"A lot of improvement."
"Yes sir."
Steve gave a quiet laugh, and Tony nodded, seemingly satisfied as his eyes drifted closed once more.
"You should relax a little more often, Cap. You're slightly more tolerable when you do," Tony remarked, and Steve recognised the borderline insult for what it truly was: a compliment from Tony Stark.
"I could say the same for you," Steve replied, lying back down, smiling to himself, "But I won't."
Steve heard Tony laugh to himself, before a comfortable silence fell over them once again, and Steve felt himself tugged into the clutches of sleep. Steve could get used to the idea of a friendship with Tony Stark, but it wasn't going to be easy to come by.
Fury had arrived and disappeared again after the speediest de-briefing that Steve had ever been involved in in his life. He'd sat and listened as Steve recounted the mission, his memory having been fine tuned over the years to pick up even the smallest details. Anything that he did happen to miss, Natasha jumped in with her input. Fury said that as the individuals they had captured had yet to give up any information and that there wasn't much else to go on until they did, his advice was that the team be on alert and ready to leave at any given time, and then disappeared without a further word. Nobody had even bothered arguing, nodding tiredly before heading to their quarters. They'd said their polite goodnights before heading to their separate abodes, but Tony headed for the kitchen. Steve shook his head, well aware that Stark had a bottomless pit of a stomach, and was likely indulging it a little. The captain didn't know where Stark kept it all, but he was thirsty, and so followed his teammate to the kitchen and waited for Tony to move out of the way of the fridge. Tony pulled out a tub of takeaway and pried the lid open experimentally before cringing away from the tub. He then replaced the lid and put it back in the fridge. Steve frowned.
"If it's bad, why keep it there?"
"My sincere apologies, mother dearest," Tony said with a straight face, making no effort to remove the tub before he grabbed a recent box of stir-fry noodles instead. Steve sighed as Tony handed him a bottle of his special hydration drink, before Tony leant against the counter and watched Steve bin the offending tub, cocking his head to the side and shoveling a large amount of noodles into his mouth with a seemingly magically procured set of chopsticks.
"You're going to choke if you're not careful," Steve warned, as Tony shrugged, shoveling the food even faster. Steve started slamming his drink down, Tony staring just past him as he did so, apparently deep in thought about one thing or another. Steve never really knew how to interpret any of the expressions Tony wore, and so had stopped trying. The captain ignored his companion, choosing instead to roll his shoulders and neck, and arching his back until a pop resounded through the kitchen. Tony was still shoveling food down when Steve let out a satisfied sigh, putting his bottle on the counter just as Tony started choking on his food. The playboy spluttered momentarily, before snatching up the bottle and finishing it off without hesitation. Steve felt his brows crease involuntarily, as Tony beat at his chest just beneath the arc reactor, coughing violently. He couldn't argue too much. Technically it was Tony's house, so everything was Tony's. Even Steve's beverage.
"I did warn you," Steve chided. Stark took a deep breath, leaning against the counter momentarily, before clearing his throat.
"You're not the first and you'll undoubtedly not be the last," Tony shrugged, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck, before exhaling deeply, "Went down the wrong hole..."
Steve just shook his head, before turning and heading for his quarters.
"Oh Cap?" Tony called after him, as Steve threw him a glance, "I modified those punching bags. Swing by in the morning and we'll make sure you get back into routine."
Steve just nodded, suddenly uncomfortable, knowing that Tony had noticed his reluctance to head to the gym, and feeling... ashamed.
"Alright."
"Later, then."
"Later."
Steve fell into bed as soon as he got back into his room and half-heartedly wriggled out of his clothes and under the covers, well aware that the day had been exhausting for all involved. He hadn't even managed to properly thank Tony for saving his ass yet, but every time he'd gotten close, he'd bubbled up with annoyance at Iron Man's newest move of 'toss Captain America at the bad guys'. The captain allowed his eyes to drift closed, a frown across his brows and his lips pulled thin.
Steve figured he'd work on forgiving and forgetting one thing at a time, and that particular move was far from being first on his list.
Four days passed of relative calm, with no word from Fury and Natasha relaying that SHIELD still expected the team to be ready at short notice, and that the terrorists the team had apprehended seemed to be under some kind of mind control. This got Tony mentioning the "L" word again, before Fury shot him down, admitting they had been in contact with Thor, and Loki was under strict and constant watch back in Asgard. Somehow, that hadn't made Steve feel any better.
The team had kept to themselves, mostly. At times, Clint and Natasha could be seen together on the couch or at the battle simulation room Tony had newly finished, perfecting their moves on what was becoming their favourite new toy. Bruce and Tony had also been spending their fair share of time together, both working on something that Bruce had tried to explain, but that Steve had just heard as garbled nonsense. Steve took some small comfort in knowing that at least this reference wasn't missed exclusively by him. Once Bruce and Tony got caught up in their science talk, most people were lost. Tony and Steve had spent their fair share of time together also, usually with Tony using him as a test pilot for new gym equipment. Tony didn't seem to mind on the occasions that Steve did break something, and if he did, he never mentioned it. They didn't talk overly too much, but when they did, it wasn't necessarily unpleasant. Steve was slowly gaining a little of Tony's trust, which he was finding was not an easy task. Loathe as he was to admit it, he guessed Tony was gaining some of his in return, although he often kept his guard up around the billionaire. He found that Tony appeared to be doing the same around particular subjects.
"You do a mean amount of damage there, Rogers," Tony nodded, letting out a low whistle as he held the punching bag, Steve steadily pounding at it with his fists.
"Yeah, Howard used to say I have a mean swing, but don't worry, I'm only aiming for the bag, I swear," Steve teased, but Tony didn't smile back. Steve brushed it aside and kept punching. It was silent for a few moments, the only sound being Steve's fists' steady rhythm against the bag, until Steve could sense it had changed from a companionable silence to an awkward one, and his punching slowed.
Steve realised his error after a few moments, and took a glove off to run his hand through his hair. Tony seldom spoke of Howard Stark, and when he did, it was hardly in a positive light. Steve didn't know how far he could push, but he thought that perhaps the two of them were friends enough now for him to ask Tony what his gripe with his father was. Steve didn't even have to ask, however, because even before Steve got the first words out, Tony was speaking. Tony wasn't meeting Steve's gaze, but he was speaking without arrogance, without a smirk along his lips, and with genuine sincerity. Steve knew better than to not listen.
"He was absorbed in his work, absorbed in..." Tony's eyes flicked up briefly, before turning back down, "His projects."
Then it all sunk in.
"Me?" Steve asked, and Tony's smirk was back in full force, shrugging casually.
"I guess he saw quicker than I did that you really were more than a bottle full of special, considering how long he spent looking after you and then looking for you. Man was on a mission to serve under the stars and stripes," Tony said teasingly, but it hit Steve like a tonne of bricks. Howard always did have that manic vibe to him, obsessed with tasks, with possessions, with moving forward in his field. Steve was a walking breakthrough, and as a result, from what Tony was saying, Howard Stark had missed out on experiencing a life with his greatest creation to date. His son.
"Tony, I..." Steve began, but couldn't find the words, Tony radiating ego through his every pore, shrugging nonchalantly as he cracked his knuckles. Steve went to speak again, but was still not sure of what he should say, so he instead reached out and clapped a hand on Tony's shoulder. The billionaire often used that tactic now to snap Steve out of a daydream, and simultaneously drag the blonde back to the present with a reassuring nod of the head. It happened more than Steve would have liked to admit.
Either way, Tony's eyes regained focus and he turned his attention to Steve's now piercing gaze, making sure that Tony knew where they stood in terms of speaking about Howard. That is, they wouldn't, not unless Tony asked.
"I'm sorry," Steve said simply, "I had no idea."
Tony seemed to snap back to reality in a rush after that, clapping Steve's outstretched arm on the bicep and offering a trademark grin.
"Hey what? Crazy talk, Spangles. Zoned out is all. But seriously, you need to be giving this bag all you have," Tony moved from Steve's touch and stood behind the punching bag, "If Jarvis isn't collecting data, he's wasting space. We wouldn't want him redundant, he's popular with the ladies."
"Thank you, sir." Jarvis chimed in, and Steve shook his head, letting himself smile.
Tony would never outright accept an apology, but he didn't seem to ever turn them away either.
It was on the sixth day that an informant finally cracked, and it was early on the seventh that the team suited up. Clint had been deemed stable enough to join the team once more, so morale was high. Acidity had been located, or at least a small section of them had, in a small system of caves in central Australia. Tony had cringed at this knowledge, never being a fan of excessive heat if it didn't come hand in hand with a beach and bikini clad women. However, Tony was considerably calmer in the face of a new location, as opposed to the caves. Bruce had packed a duffle bag with a few changes of clothes, just in case, and Tony had finally convinced Fury to let them take a Stark Industries jet, insisting that because the flight was longer, it would benefit the team to sleep on the way there. And if they were going to do that, they should be sleeping in style. Fury, however, would still not let Tony pilot the plane. So, there they were, flying through the air on a jet with flight attendants, and seats that reclined into beds almost rivalling the one Steve had back at Stark Tower. The world had certainly changed, but maybe some things had been for the better. The team were relaxed, with Natasha and Clint already dozing off, before Tony hopped out of his seat and headed over to the SHIELD agents' positions.
"Here," He said, chest near puffing out with pride, before pushing a button and having the chairs completely recline from sitting position into that of a bed. Even Natasha seemed impressed. He then pointed out that there were retractable domed hoods for the beds, meaning everyone could sleep completely isolated if they wished to do so, or combine all five seating positions into any combination they liked. Tony demonstrated by raising both of the hoods of Natasha's and Clint's seats to combine them as a double bed, before raising each one separately, to encase the agents on their own, all with the fiddling of a button. He pointed out that they were not only soundproof, but fully adjustable to suit music needs, temperature needs, or even how soft you wanted your pillow. Steve was a little awed and it seemed the rest of his team was impressed.
"My company's been working on creating luxury airliners for celebrities, politicians, you name it. This particular model has been the most popular for the higher class of working man, and-" Tony began his spiel, before Natasha sighed and raised her hood to encompass herself in solitude, "Well that's plain rude."
"Don't take it too personally," Clint smirked, sliding up the hood of his own pod, "It's only about ten percent because we get tired of your voice. The rest is boredom."
"Yeah thanks, birdbrain," Tony scoffed, as Clint flipped him the finger before slipping his hand back into the near closed pod. Steve fiddled with his chair settings a bit until he was lying down, staring at the ceiling of the plane. Bruce was sitting upright to his right, chair only half reclined, as he read over a book. Tony was still fully upright, chatting up one of the flight attendants to Steve's right. It was all so familiar that Steve gave a small smile. He never thought normality would be coming this easily to him, especially seated between two geniuses in their own rights. And yet, this was Steve's normality and familiarity now. Geniuses, secret agents and super heroes. After some time of casual banter between the three, the flight attendants having been dismissed by Tony until they were needed, Bruce gave a hefty yawn before raising his own pod lid.
"What, no cuddles for the Captain?" Tony asked, as Bruce rolled his eyes, tucking himself under the blanket the flight attendants had provided and smiling softly as the pod closed around him.
Tony was still seated upright, now mindlessly flicking through the in-flight magazine, as Steve let his mind wander. He couldn't help but be a little curious and admittedly excited, heading for a new mission. He had read the files over and over, but they still gave such little indication about what they were going to be encountering when they were over there. Something about fighting as a team again, minus Thor, brought that niggling little smile back to Steve's lips.
"You alright there, Cap?" Tony asked, looking down at Steve as he lay beside him.
"Yes, why?"
"Nobody likes flying that much," Tony said by way of explanation, and Steve nodded.
"It's... familiar. The camaraderie, the brotherhood. It's something that I know," Steve explained, hands behind his head, as he looked up at the ceiling. Tony smiled a little, but returned his gaze to the magazine in his hands.
"Must be nice."
"Undeniably," Steve nodded, wanting to share a little more of it with his teammate, "On the more peaceful nights, when it was safe of course, we'd lay together in our swags, watching the stars until the sun rose."
Tony's attention returned to Steve in a heartbeat.
"Is that so?" He asked, lowering his magazine. Steve nodded, and Tony jumped up, "Well I am about to blow your mind, Captain. Hang onto your tights."
Tony then leant over Steve to grab the pod's controls, as well as grabbing his own. He lowered his chair until it was flat out, and then lay down, taking the controls and raising the roofs of their pods until they met in the middle, before clicking them together. Steve suddenly felt very awkward, as the pair lay in darkness for several moments, Tony muttering something as he fiddled with the controls. Tony must have felt the captain stiffen, as he let out a low chuckle.
"I'm not going to take advantage of you, Cap," Tony said, amusement clear in his voice, "If I were going to do that, I'd have gotten you when you were frozen. Now where is that... ah!"
Tony was holding a small tablet device, and he pushed a few buttons before the roof of the pods were suddenly softly illuminated with stars. Steve couldn't help it as his jaw dropped just slightly, the illusion so real that he reached out to the projected stars in an attempt to touch them.
"So what do you think, being the leading name in stars? I mean, regardless of the stripe factor, because so help me God, Rogers, if you say any of that imagery is stripey, I will eject you from this aircraft," Tony said, leaning back on his own crossed arms behind his head, as Steve swallowed thickly. Sometimes, Tony made and did some amazing things, enough so that a little ego stroking was slightly warranted.
Just slightly.
What Steve meant to say was "It's amazing." Instead, his inner musings and what he intended to say somehow got all muddled up in the between.
"You're amazing," Steve breathed, immediately realising the error of what he had said and inwardly groaned. Tony did not need that kind of an ego boost. He braced a little, waiting for the witty remark, or the 'I know' that he knew was coming, and yet... silence. He chanced turning to face Tony, who was still staring at the ceiling, smug satisfaction on his lips, and Steve felt his cheeks heat up. The genius' expression was hard to read at the best of times, even more so in the dark and even further when he was guarding it as fiercely as he was now.
"I mean, it takes a fair amount of brains to come up with this," Steve said quietly, hoping Tony would let it slide, "It's pretty amazing."
There was another silence, and Steve's cheeks were damnably warm, not so much from embarrassment, but more from how awkward the air had become. It suddenly felt a whole lot thicker, and Steve could tell Tony was judging those words in his head. He was hoping Tony didn't think it was anything more than a friendly compliment at best. He couldn't bear thinking of what Tony might think if he thought Steve was... well... that way inclined. It was wrong, it was against everything Steve ever knew, and it would surely ruin their friendship if Tony had simply misinterpreted, as he was so prone to doing, despite his intelligence. Steve cleared his throat.
"I also used to look up at the sky with some of the girls Bucky would drag me along to double dates with. Those girls swooned at the stars," Steve grinned cheekily, and Tony nodded, offering a small "hmph" of laughter, and turning his gaze back to the pod's roof. It seemed the billionaire had accepted Steve's awkward ramblings as an unspoken apology for making things as such.
"Yeah, the ladies sure love a starlight canvas. It's like flicking a switch on by that point, Cap," Tony gave a wolfish grin, "No effort involved beyond that point. I understand the me being amazing part, too, by the way. Common opinion even if you didn't mean to let it slide. It's perfectly okay to remind me on occasion too, of course."
Steve tried not to roll his eyes, and Tony gave a small laugh, seemingly to himself more than anyone else.
"I know that look," He said patiently, "I remember when Pepper used to-"
Tony stopped then, an odd expression coming across his features, as he furrowed a brow.
"Hey, you ok?" Steve asked, as Tony turned back to meet Steve's gaze. Tony opened his mouth to speak, just as the entire plane shuddered violently, the sound of an explosion ripping through the cabin. Steve hit his head on the pod ceiling, the image of stars suddenly shattered, and Tony let out a string of cuss words.
Tony flung open their pods and did the same for the others, as a flight attendant relayed a message from the pilot that the jet had been struck by what appeared to be hostile enemy fire.
"Suit up," Steve directed at his teammates, as they leapt into action. Steve hastily pulled on his outfit and grabbed his shield from the storage locker above them, his mind buzzing and the three flight attendants crying in panic, as Tony disappeared. Steve reached under the seats and handed them the parachutes they'd need, making sure to make eye contact with them as he handed them over.
"Ma'ams, you have to hold it together. This is an emergency situation. We'll do what we can to ensure your safety, but you need to hold it together," Steve said firmly, no room for argument, as the girls forced their tears away to the best of their abilities and began putting on their parachutes. Bruce gave a concerned frown in Steve's direction, and the captain frowned in return, realising the plane was losing altitude.
They would have to abandon ship.
They'd been ambushed by Acidity. Somehow, the entire team had come out of it alive, as had the pilot and crew of the plane. They'd been further attacked once on the ground, having parachuted to safety. Bruce, not willing to let 'the other guy' out without fully assessing the situation, had been given the task of keeping the civilians safe whilst the others fought.
The enemy had had some kind of laser weaponry, not unlike that of the Chitauri, and Tony had once again attempted to pin it on Loki over their headsets, the Iron Man suit ripping through the sky above them as he did so. Their enemies fought hard, but the Avengers fought harder, and they'd managed to kill off all but two of the attacking forces. Clint had knocked them unconscious and bound them whilst they had the chance, but not before there had been injuries. Natasha had broken her wrist in hand to hand contact and taken a hit to the shoulder, where there was now a nasty burn. Steve had taken a similar hit to his abdomen and one of his calves, although thankfully the one on his leg had primarily been protected by his shield. He was able to walk, but he was in a greater amount of pain than he was willing to admit to. Not when there was still a job to do. Tony landed beside him and flipped up his helmet, causing Steve to raise a brow at the very apparent helmet hair that Tony was sporting.
"That bad, huh?" Tony asked, smoothing his hair down as best as he could, whilst Steve subtly clutched at his aching side.
"Bruce, how are the civilians?" Steve asked over his earpiece. There was a brief silence, before the doctor finally responded.
"There's a small town out this way. A farming family is keeping them here until SHIELD shows up."
Steve nodded, turning to Natasha, who was on her phone with her good hand, seemingly in contact with SHIELD for a pickup. Clint was scanning the area with sharp eyes, on guard whilst the team pulled everything together.
"Tony, we need to check the wreckage. If there are any civilians there..." Steve began, and Tony gave a nod, his helmet closing with a press of a button.
"Need a lift then, Spangles?" He asked, and Steve gave a small nod, hiding his wound behind his shield, as Tony awkwardly looped his arm around the captain and took flight.
Steve made sure that for the few minutes they were in the air, he didn't let Tony see him wincing, as the billionaire had wrapped his arm right around and against his now searing wound. Steve almost thought he was going to black out by the time Tony landed, and as soon as Tony left his side, he very nearly did. He managed to remain conscious, but his knees gave way, and he hit the ground with a thud, as Tony bent down beside him in a heartbeat.
"Wha-hey there, Cap!" Tony cried, as he knelt beside the Captain, "You ok?"
"I uh, may have taken a hit," Steve grimaced, pulling back his shield, as he watched Tony's face visibly pale. Steve had yet to fully inspect the wound properly, but if Tony's expression was any indication, he wasn't in great shape.
"Jesus Christ, Steve," Tony breathed, as the captain propped himself up so he was at least sitting on the dirt.
"Just check the wreckage, we'll deal with this in a moment," Steve ordered, as Tony flicked his helmet up with a disapproving frown.
"Are you mental? Did that time in the ice kill some brain cells? You're injured, Spangles," Tony asked, as Steve held his ground.
"Check the wreckage."
"You have some seriously messed up priorities."
"Check the wreckage."
There was no room for argument in the voice Steve put across then, as Tony made a point to glare, but finally headed over to the plane wreck, a hundred or so metres from where the captain sat. He pressed a hand against the wound, and hissed involuntarily through his teeth. He then pulled his hand back and was momentarily alarmed to find he was bleeding. It seemed there had been more damage than a mere burn after all. He looked down, but the positioning of the wound meant that he couldn't see much, and he started to wonder if he really wanted to anyway.
"How's it looking?" He called out, as Tony shrugged.
"It's almost as if a plane crashed here," Tony replied drily, and Steve fought the urge to roll his eyes, as Tony made his way back over, concern on the billionaire's features. Tony knelt down in front of the captain, and tried to inspect the wound, but Steve shook his head.
"We'll deal with it when we get back to the Tower. Have one of the doctors look at it," Steve argued, blocking Tony's view with his shield.
"Doctor, right!" Tony cried, as if making a sudden realisation, before standing up and holding his earpiece, "Bruce?"
"Yeah?" came the almost immediate reply.
"Cap's been playing the hero a little too hard. You wanna make your way over and take a look?"
"I'll be fine," Steve said determinedly, but Tony ignored him.
"What happened?" Bruce asked, but before Steve could say a word, Tony interrupted.
"Captain America used defence curl, but it failed."
Bruce laughed at this, but Steve failed to see why.
"I'll wait till we're back at the tower," Steve repeated, more for Bruce's sake than anyone else's, even as he felt his head swim a little. He wondered briefly how much blood he had lost, before Tony was kneeling before him once again, grabbing him by the shoulder.
"Hey, stay with me, sleeping beauty," Tony said firmly, as Steve fought off the dizziness as best as he could. He met Tony's concerned gaze, and held onto the arm holding him for support, suddenly feeling a heck of a lot weaker than he had only moments ago. He fought the fogginess creeping through his brain, but he couldn't quite fight hard enough, and he fell forward, landing against Tony's shoulder plate.
"Hey, hey, come on," He heard Tony urge, grabbing Steve by both shoulders now, briefly lifting Steve's eyes to meet his own, "Bruce? Bruce, he's borderline passing out on me here."
Steve made to reassure Bruce he was fine, but he was out before he'd even had the opportunity.
"Cap? Jesus Christ, you scared the shit out of me. So help me, you do that again, and I'll kill you myself."
Those were the first words to reach Steve's ears as he blearily opened his eyes, his entire being feeling strange and misplaced, as he struggled through the thick fog of confusion that enveloped him. He tried to sit up, but he felt a hand hold him down flat, as he vaguely took in Tony's dishevelled appearance.
"Steady on, soldier," Tony said firmly, even as he eased Steve to lie back down, "I wouldn't sit up in a hurry if I were in your boots, Spangles."
Steve blinked a few times and tried to take in his surroundings. He looked as if he'd made it back to the hospital, at the very least, and that was when it all came back to him in a hurry. He'd been fighting Acidity when one of their cannons had struck his abdomen. It had knocked him off his feet, and he'd had the worst case of deja vu he'd ever had in his life. It seemed that forces he couldn't explain had a fondness of knocking the wind out of him and hitting him in the gut. Steve made to speak, but his throat was killing him. He wiped at his nose, as an itch got the better of him, and realised it was due to a tube that was up there.
"You were a little worse off than you thought," Tony explained, handing Steve a glass of water, "Despite your creepy healing powers and badass immune system, they had something in their weapons that was preventing you from healing. You lost a lot of blood before they figured out what to do beyond 'keep bandaging him and giving him more blood'."
Steve gulped down his water and held the empty glass out for Tony to top up, which he did so without question.
"They told Fury you 'may or may not make it', and, well," Tony gave a wolfish smile, "You know I love it when Fury gets pissed, so it was a fun time for all involved."
Steve offered a weak smile, before clearing his throat.
"What time is it?" He asked, as Tony shook his head.
"Wrong question. The correct question you should be asking is 'what day is it?'" Tony said airily, "You've been out for four, just if you're wondering."
Steve felt as if this should have jarred him more than it did, but he figured nothing would ever come close to finding out he'd lost seventy years. Instead, he nodded and drank another glass of water.
Tony filled him in on the past few days. The rest of the team had been picked up by SHIELD, and Natasha had been strapped and plastered with the latest medical technology that Stark Industries had to offer. They'd all been declared well enough for duty by the next day. It hadn't taken long for the Acidity captives to crack, spilling as much information as they knew, in exchange for immunity. Fury was yet to have promised anything in regards to that, but they had managed to ascertain that Acidity ran from four compounds globally. Fury had sent the team off for further investigation, and that's when Thor had made his reappearance for the first time since he'd left for Asgard with his brother. They'd taken out a huge base of Acidity's, and were now on the hunt for the remaining three. Even as Tony spoke, the team were on their way to France after following the intelligence given by the captured agents. Something nagged at Steve, however.
"With all due respect, then," Steve said quietly, hand resting on his heavily bandaged side, "Why aren't you with them?"
Tony kept a stoic expression, as Steve handed him an empty water glass, which Tony then proceeded to fill with a flask from his coat pocket.
"I'm sure it's not the first time you've been watched whilst unconscious, Cap."
Tony then took a swig of whatever alcoholic concoction he'd smuggled in, before falling into the chair beside Steve and stretching back.
"On top of that, they've been putting out some kind of electrical interference that messes with the suit. Picked up one of the devices they've been using and figured that since thunder thighs is back on planet earth, I'd take a breather and do some diagnostics for Fury," Tony then feigned a hurt face, "And he's not even paying me extra to do it."
"How will you put food on the table?" Steve teased, and Tony whipped a communicator from his pocket.
"Jarvis, make another note for today. Captain America made a funny and it actually wasn't that bad this time."
Steve gave a small laugh, and immediately regretted it, a burst of pain shooting through his side. He leaned back on his pillows, and Tony had downcast his eyes briefly, slowly putting his communicator back before he met Steve's eyes, scratching his head awkwardly.
"So uh, I'm kinda glad you didn't die and all." serious
"Thanks," Steve said, with real sincerity. That was the closest he'd probably ever get to Tony admitting he was concerned.
"And I mean that," Steve continued, offering a brief nod of the head as he held Tony's gaze, "I don't know what you did after I blacked out, but it was enough to keep me alive."
"It basically involved picking you up and flying you to Fury, but I'll still take full credit for saving your life, sure," Tony nodded, seriousness in his voice. Steve shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. Tony would never be a serious man, after all.
"I better let Fury know you're awake," Tony said, standing up and downing the last dregs of his drink, "Less I end up in your position."
Steve nodded, and Tony gave him a small, over exaggerated salute.
"Good to have you back, Captain Rogers."
Steve gave a small sigh and lay back down. He may as well make an attempt at regular, non-drug induced rest before Tony crashed the peace, as would inevitably be the case.
Steve had a fever. That's what was causing the dreams, he was sure of it. He was usually restless during the night time, haunted by gunfire, by fading faces, by lost time. Instead, he'd been having restless nights of heated encounters with faceless strangers. Ghostly soft brushes of fingertips, of lips, of hands in hair, and of sweat laced skin against sweat laced skin. He'd had dreams like that before, naturally, and usually he found them enjoyable. However, lately, he would wake up jarred and painfully confused, because the new dreams conjured up a sensation he had never experienced before against his skin, and wasn't quite able to place.
It took him two nights of restless sleep before he realised it was facial hair.
Steve was discharged from hospital two days after he woke, and Fury had been pestering him to do some easy tasks, at least until the wound had fully healed. Steve was itching to get back to the battlefield, feeling as if he was wasted talent relaying messages between the team, SHIELD, and the captive agents from Acidity. It kept him busy, however, which was a God send, as his mind had been plagued by his subconscious musings. The less time he spent with Tony, and the more time he spent focusing on a task at hand, the better. The genius had been spending time with Steve as he recovered, and it had had a strange effect on the captain's mind. Steve had been plagued by bizarre daydreams when he was distracted, and they were only worse when he was asleep at night. The fever was at least ninety eight percent responsible, but a nagging reminder hit Steve that he had had a dream like... like that... about Tony once before. He felt a little sick at the thought of it. It wasn't natural, it wasn't right, and it was certainly not proper. Besides, Tony was a renowned womaniser, and Steve had lost count of the amount of beautiful girls that Tony had picked up since things had ended with Pepper. Even with all of the business meetings, social events, and general super hero duties, Tony had always found room to bed a woman when the time was right. The time, Steve quickly learnt, was always right when it came to Tony Stark. Besides, Steve reminded himself, he had been so hopelessly besotted with Peggy, and he found women extremely appealing. He'd even caught himself admiring Natasha on occasion.
It wasn't like he found men attractive, either. He could appreciate when a man had a certain aesthetic appeal to them, in a way that he may have been able to admire a piece of artwork, but there was never anything behind it. Tony, he supposed, had that aesthetic appeal to him. He was roguishly and ruggedly handsome, more refined than most, but still had an air of fun around him. But, and this was something Steve often had to remind himself, he was also a cocky, somewhat arrogant, male.
"Earth to Captain Rogers?" A voice came over the speakers, and Steve snapped to it. He'd been so sucked into his concerns about his dreams regarding Tony that he hadn't heard the real one over the communications line.
"Yes, apologies."
"That's the third base down. We're heading back for a debriefing and probably some takeout, if you wanna get that ready. I could kill for Chinese... what?" There was a pause over the line, and Steve realised Tony was talking to someone in the background, "Bruce and Clint are backing that plan, as long as we can get in on some dumplings as well. You in on dumplings Cap?"
"Stark, need I remind you that this line is intended for mission correspondence, and not as a takeout delivery service?" Fury's voice broke over communications.
"Ah, no thanks, no fries with that. Sorry, the line's breaking up."
"You're expected back at the tower for a debriefing no later than seven hours from now," Fury continued, "I'd strongly recommend you don't keep me waiting."
"Yeah, definitely breaking up. Cap, takeout, dumplings, huge responsibility resting on your shoulders right now."
"Would this not be better suited to Happy, or even Jarvis to place the order?" Steve said over the line, not quite able to fully mask his amusement.
"Happy always orders too little, and Jarvis always orders things healthier than I'd like them. Something about cholesterol or something or other."
"Stark, I'll see you in private when you get back," Fury interrupted again.
"Weird, weird, signal dropping out again. It's like there's some kind of crazy interference with our conversation or something," Tony mused, before he stopped talking.
Even Tony knew when to stop pushing Nick Fury's patience.
Tony was sulking as he prodded at his cold takeout, Fury having kept him in the mother of all lectures for over an hour after the team's debriefing. The entire team was seated in the lounge, languidly demolishing a mountain of takeaway as they watched T.V, Clint doing his usual channel flicking until Tony had near developed a twitch. Thankfully, Natasha took the remote off of her fellow SHIELD agent, and had settled on watching 'Ted', which primarily went completely over Steve's and Thor's heads. They eventually settled on old Astro Boy cartoons, during which Tony methodically picked out inconsistencies, until Natasha got sick of that, and changed the channel to a different movie channel. They eventually ended up on Home Alone. Tony had initially complained that it was boring, until Bruce jokingly suggested turning it into a drinking game, and Tony was up and at the liquor cabinet before Bruce could even withdraw the suggestion. He returned with six shot glasses and two bottles of tequila. Natasha shook her head, but she was smiling slightly as she did so. Clint was as keen as Steve had ever seen him, and Thor seemed thoroughly confused by the turn of events.
"What are the tiny glasses for?" He asked, picking one up ad eyeing it wearily, "If a man is to enjoy his drink, should the glass not be larger?"
Tony clucked his tongue and shook his head, starting to pour starter shots for everyone, prying the glass from Thor's grip.
"That's where you're wrong, thunder thighs. This stuff right here," Tony lifted one of the tequila bottles, "Is pure fun in a bottle."
Thor seemed intrigued, and was happy to sit back and watch, as Tony did a quick search of what kind of things they should be taking shots at, before giving a wolfish grin.
"Oh man, this is going to be brutal," he paused, eyes scanning the page, "Okay, so listen to this, you have to take a shot for the following: whenever the kid does something grown up, whenever the bad guys fall for a trap, whenever somebody yells out 'Kevin' and whenever a Christmas Carol plays."
Bruce looked over at him incredulously, and snatched the phone from Tony's grip.
"This sounds like it's been written by an alcoholic just looking for a reason."
"I know. Isn't it fantastic?" Tony remarked, plucking his phone back from Bruce's hands.
Steve shifted awkwardly, not quite sure how much his team mates knew about the super serum's side effects. He wondered briefly if he should tell them he was incapable of becoming intoxicated, when Tony suddenly froze up a little.
"Ah..." He gave an apologetic shrug of the shoulders, seemingly trying to get the okay from Steve to go ahead with this crazy plan.
"I don't mind. I haven't seen this movie, and I'm sure I'll still get some enjoyment from it," Steve nodded, not wanting to be the buzz kill for his team mates' enthusiasm.
"Drink with us, Rogers," Clint smiled, and Steve smiled and politely shook his head.
"He's not a fan of tequila," Tony explained smoothly, heading back to the liquor cabinet and pulling out a bottle of brandy. He dangled it in front of the captain and lowered his voice.
"This is nice and smooth. You'll enjoy it even if you won't get a buzz off of it," He nudged the bottle towards Steve, and the captain took it, offering a silent thank you in the nod he gave. It was another one of those small, unexpected gestures that Tony did from time to time that caught Steve off guard. It was thoughtful, selfless, and it had saved Steve yet another embarrassment for being different. Steve couldn't have been more grateful if he'd tried.
They'd made it forty minutes into the movie before Natasha had passed out, leaning against the coffee table, with the others well on the way. Steve wouldn't lie, he was enjoying this. Not just the raw honesty and cheerful vibes that the entire team was giving off but the playful banter and casual discussion. It had been the first time they'd all been together in a casual environment since their shawarma, and it seemed the presence of alcohol had made it a heck of a lot more comfortable. Tony had been throwing sneaky reasons for additional shots in between their drinking game, but one had really brought the entire time together. Tony had paused the movie, and filled everyone's glasses, raising his own high in the air, a sombre expression on his face as he did so.
"To Phil."
Everyone had drank, then, clinking their glasses together and observing a few moments of silence, before Tony resumed the movie as if nothing had just happened. About five minutes after was when Clint was pulling Natasha's slumped off of the table and laying her down on the couch. Clint was swaying a bit himself, and Steve decided the right thing to do was to probably take both Clint and Natasha to bed.
"You're a machine, Rogers," Clint laughed, slinging an arm around the Captain, who was smiling patiently as he helped Clint to his quarters. He'd been a little concerned with how out of it Natasha really was, and vowed to check up on her before he retired for the night. He rummaged through the cleaning cupboards and left a bucket by each of their beds, with a feeling they'd have a need for them some time through the night. As he got back to the lounge, Bruce and Thor were singing loudly, Thor's arm slung around the scientist as he steered him from the room. Tony wore a thoroughly amused expression, as he sat calmly on the couch, clearly a master in the art of liquor consumption.
Steve sat somewhat awkwardly and took a sip at the brandy in the glass Tony had given him, as the billionaire flicked the TV back to Astro Boy.
"That was... interesting," Steve said conversationally, and Tony raised his brows.
"Slight understatement, Cap."
"Everybody certainly showed a different side."
"That's what alcohol will do," Tony shrugged, taking another shot, "Besides, 'm pretty sure that's what we needed, really. I will bet my left testicle that we perform better as a team after tonight."
Steve shifted awkwardly, the very thought of such a bet uncomfortable to him, and Tony gave a very small snort.
"You're welcome!" Tony held his hands out, a confident smirk along his lips, as he lay and stretched across the sofa, resting his feet on Steve's lap, "It sometimes blows my mind a little, how they thought the future would be."
Tony then gestured at the TV, Steve still coming to terms with his personal space being invaded by Tony's feet. The captain gingerly lowered his arms to rest on Tony's ankles, as Steve nodded.
"We've certainly come a long way," the captain agreed, unable to fight off the frown that tugged at his brows with that thought. He sometimes thought he may never catch up on all he'd missed.
"Hey Steve?" Tony prompted, and there it was again. It was an infrequent occurrence, when Tony Stark called him by name, and each time he did, the tone was soft and honest, and something about that near vulnerability always made sure that Tony had Steve's complete and utter attention, and that bothered the Captain.
"Mm?"
"I'm kind of glad we're not at each other's throats any more either. Makes for a better dynamic."
Steve smiled at the drunken confessions of Tony Stark, and shook his head.
"You're right."
"I usually am." Tony took another shot, nudging Steve in the ribs with his toes as he did so. "But I haven't always been."
"Mistakes are some of the best things that can happen to a person," Steve said in all seriousness, "You don't learn from everything going right for you all the time."
Tony gave a small "hmph" of agreement, and nodded his head, "You sure don't."
The pair sat in silence for some time, waiting until the Astro Boy marathon was over. Steve had gotten about as much of a heart to heart with Tony in those few sentences than he was bound to get for the rest of the night, the genius instead opting to give running commentary on everything that came up on the screen. Steve was enjoying himself, casually resting on Tony's legs and listening to the genius' social commentary, until he found himself drifting off. He knew he should go to bed, but he was comfortable, and he doubted that much could go wrong whilst at home. He closed his eyes, and it didn't take long for them to come.
He was after HYDRA, travelling through the countryside with Bucky at his side. He kept a photo of Peggy on him at all times, and it was one of those small reminders that there was always something or at the very least, someone that was worth fighting for. Steve felt that familiar warmth spread through his chest, before it was quickly snatched away. The scenery changed, and he was on that dark train, the shadows creeping around him, and then... They were everywhere. Enemies everywhere. And Bucky... where was Bucky? He'd found him, but then his hand was reaching, and he just couldn't reach any further. He held Bucky's gaze and he called for him, his heart pounding in his chest, everything aching, and then some of the warmth returned. This time, however, it was settled on his shoulders, and a voice tearing that image away from him.
"Steve."
Steve eyes snapped open with a gasp, and it was Tony. Of course it was Tony. Tony always had that way of showing up just when Steve needed him. Steve hadn't seen Bucky fall. He hadn't lost. He hadn't failed. He'd been pulled away. Rescued.
"Hi there, soldier," Tony said awkwardly, his breath heavy with alcohol, as Steve struggled to get a little composure back. Tony's hands were on his shoulders and he was offering a relatively neutral expression, as if he hadn't just woken Steve from one of the worst memories of his entire life.
"Hello," Steve said just as awkwardly, as he leaned back, running a hand through his hair and letting out a deep breath.
"Bed time?" Tony asked simply, and Steve nodded, "I'll walk you."
The pair walked in relative silence, except for the small chat Tony perpetually seemed to think was necessary, before reaching Steve's room.
"I'm gonna take a quick leak," Tony slurred slightly, ducking into the ensuite before Steve could protest. Steve let out a small sigh and waited his turn. Tony re-emerged with slightly damp hair, as if he'd just run water through it, and slightly brighter eyes.
"You okay?" Steve asked, and Tony waved a hand dismissively.
"Yeah, I'm gonna take a seat just for a minute. Need to take off these shoes. I can't even remember putting them back on," Tony mumbled, as Steve ducked into the ensuite. He relieved himself before brushing his teeth and roughly combing his hair. When he re-emerged, Tony was passed out on his couch, one shoe off, and the other still attached firmly to his foot. Steve shook his head, before heading over and untying the stubborn shoe and taking it off. He put them by the door, and grabbed a blanket, tossing it over Tony and tucking him in, before climbing into his own bed and pulling the covers up to his shoulders, rolling onto his side. For his dignity, should Tony wake up any time soon, Steve slept in sweatpants and a singlet. Jarvis automatically lowered the lighting, and Steve stifled a yawn, before a noise distracted him. He wasn't able to figure out what it was until Tony was slipping under the covers behind him. Steve froze, mortified.
"Tony?"
"Mm?"
"What are you doing?"
"Can't make it to my room. Gonna crash here." Tony's speech was mumbled and slurred, but that was the least of Steve's issues when it came to trying to understand what was happening.
"I can set up a bunk?" Steve prompted, confused, and Tony let out a frustrated groan.
"I am... horrendously drunk right now, Rogers," Tony mumbled, "And all I am asking, one super hero to another, is for a drunk sleepover and maybe some accidental sleep spooning. And then you go and make it all awkward by being... old fashioned and... noble."
"But why...?" Steve asked, and there was silence for a few moments.
"Pepper used to," Tony explained slowly, as if he wasn't particularly fond of confessing to this. It was then that Steve realised this was probably the drunkest Tony had been since he and Pepper had split. It was certainly the drunkest Steve had seen him.
"No funny business," Tony slurred, clapping Steve's shoulder before rolling onto his stomach and burying his arms under the pillows, "Scout's honour."
Steve spent a few moments plotting his logical response as to why Tony was insane, but just as he was about to deliver it, Tony emitted a large snore. Something told Steve he'd lost this battle.
Steve reluctantly closed his eyes, expecting sleep to never come.
It did within minutes, and it was the first time in God knows how long that he slept the entire night through.
A/N: heh.
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