To Come Back
Chap 1:(maybe more... Gotta let me know if you want more.)
My laptop is currently being used for business and school (Insert sad face here)
So I'm using my rusty desktop to write this short bit on a ship I found and have come to love!
Let's give it up for: Stony! (Cause it really could have happened, dammit!)
Warnings: I'm untangling the web of the movies, and rearranging it... This is my mutant power... Hush.
Summary: When Steve turned to look at the retreating form of Tony Stark, the question on his mind was a simple one. What would it take to make him come back?
After the victory of New York, it had been purposed by an anonymous source that the Avengers should use Stark Towers as a base. The source made many good points, and Nick Fury was left with only one disagreement. "But it's STARK!"
So, it was that the Avengers were to make a home at Stark Towers. The only problem is that no one had really heard from Tony Stark himself for a while...
Fury was tempted to send in Natalia, but quickly withdrew that notion at the scathing look she gave him. "After all that's happened... You owe me one." Fury silently disagreed, but wouldn't dare say it out loud. He may be the master spy, but even master spies knew when not to open their mouths and push the big red button that was Natalia Romanoff.
He thought to send Hawkeye, but Clint scoffed at him, and remained in his high perch.
Apparently both agents were still a little stiff with him over revealing their identities.
He looked to Bruce Banner as his almost last hope. Bruce had only smiled and told Director Fury to do it on his own. In Banner speak, go fuck yourself. Fury had half a mind to tell him off, as the Tower had been Bruce's idea! Thor was off world, so that left him almost desperate.
He was down to his last rope. Neither Coulson or Hill would do it. Both would rather shoot him in the face. His last ditch effort... The man who couldn't say no...
Steve Rodgers.
. . .
"You can't be serious. Stark is a grown man. Just call him!" Steve said, blue eyes begging Fury to say this was a joke.
"Can't just call him. He's not answering any of our calls. Can't even hack his systems now! I heard that his suites came to life down in Malibu... I want to know what went down. The only sensible person I can send is you, Cap. No turning this mission down."
Steve's shoulders squared, and Fury could see the muscles tighten, as if ready to stand his ground in front of a major fire fight.
"That, and it might do you some good to go see the America that you fought, and continue to fight, so hard to save."
Those shoulders almost sagged in defeat.
"When do I leave?" Steve's voice sounded dejected, and Fury felt as if he'd kicked a puppy... A puppy dressed in red white and blue... A really big puppy that could probably put his ass in the ground.
"In two hours."
. . .
Tony glared at the sunshine. His mind only half there, half of it was still down in his workshop, piecing the next bit of brilliant technology together.
Pepper had, once again, refused to stay the night with him. She had ended their relationship, so he supposed that gave her more than enough reason to say no.
The thought had his hand tracing the familiar area that was now just bare skin. Nothing was there to keep the shrapnel out of his heart... There was no shrapnel now... No reason to have the arc in his chest... No reason to miss the blue light that felt like it could guide him out of anything.
Space was a dark place... That blue light had been the closest thing to light for him...
But it was gone now. Like a piece of him.
He was startled out of his thoughts by J.A.R.V.I.S.
"Sir, there is someone at the door to see you."
"Hmm? Is there? Who is it?"
"Captain America, Sir."
A soft frown crept across Tony's face. "I'm not home."
"He's rather insistent, Sir. He says he can smell your scent from the front door."
"Creepy. Let him in."
"Of course, Sir."
"Here's wishing I could chip his iron jaw." Tony muttered under his breath.
. . .
Steve still wasn't comfortable with disembodied voices. Granted, he was intelligent. More so than the average guy from the 40's. That, however didn't mean that things made sense to him now.
How far man kind had developed with out his presence... How much did SHIELD play into it?
As he saw Tony Stark's pale face, he let those questions fade.
"Stark." He greeted with a nod.
"Cap." Stark repeated his nod. "Can I get you anything to drink?"
"No, thank you." Steve didn't think Stark meant coffee anyway.
"Your loss." Stark shrugged and went to make something anyway.
"Why haven't you been answering your phone, Stark?" Steve nearly growled that question out.
"Has it been ringing?" Stark really did look confused. "Sorry, Sir. Communications was the last thing on the list to be updated.
"Right. Sorry about that." Stark legitimately looked chastised.
"Director Fury has been trying to get a hold of you." He said, having to talk over the beeping of the coffee maker.
"Can't he send a letter via express mail?" Stark grumbled as Steve heard him shamble through the kitchen. "May as well come in here Cap."
Steve moved into the well done kitchen. Very modern with the greens and browns.
When he located Stark, the man was sitting at a glass top island that was tiled dark green and spice brown.
"Nice." Steve nodded to the kitchen. Stark only pulled a small face.
"Pepper."
"How is Ms. Potts?"
"Good... Now that she has some time away from me, she's doing spiffy."
That word sounded wrong coming out of Stark's mouth.
"Anyway, the reason I'm here. Someone-"
"Someone put forth Stark Tower as a base for the Avengers." Tony cut him off.
Steve glared. "How did you already know this?"
"Cause I told Bruce to suggest it to Fury. It's just sitting there right now. It's untested. What better way to test self sustaining energy than by putting it to use?"
"Why didn't you just tell-"
"Director Fury would have never taken my suggestion seriously. Now Bruce... No one wants to say no to someone who nearly put a god in comatose."
Steve was getting frustrated now.
"So we are all just lab rats?"
"No. The Avengers need a place. The Tower needs occupants. If I wanted lab rats, I'd rent it out to residents, Cap."
"Always a comeback, eh Stark?" Steve knew he shouldn't poke at Stark. He knew the man had been through more than his fair share, but It was like showing a sick kid ice cream, and then yanking it out from under their noses.
There was something different about Stark... Steve didn't like it.
"You make it that easy.." Stark said with an infuriating grin. Steve growled.
"Put on the suite, and lets go a few rounds."
Stark's grin fell, quickly.
"Fraid I can't, Cap. I blew almost all of them up. Only have one, and it's not functional at this moment. You want a boxing partner, I suggest Thor."
Steve felt small jolts of electricity running through his legs. 'Move closer to him!' his legs seemed to bed, but he ignored.
To ask, or not to ask... Ah Shakespeare, even today, you put up a good conundrum.
Steve decided to not ask. If Stark wanted to talk about it, then he'd talk about it...
When Steve looked down, it was then when he noticed what was so different about Stark.
There was no stretch in the middle of his shirt. No faint blue light seeping through the dark fabric of his ACDC shirt.
"When did you get rid of the arc?" Steve asked with a raised brow.
Stark shrugged. "A month or so ago. It doesn't matter."
Steve frowned when Tony's hand automatically moved to cover that area.
"It's strange." Steve didn't even know the words had slipped from his lips until Tony Stark was laughing at him.
. . .
After 3 hours, many coffee cups, and one spectacular argument, Steve finally convinced Tony to get on the damn jet.
He'd been close to giving Tony his first born child, but thankfully, the man had caved before Steve had pulled the offer up.
"It will take us a few hours to get to New York. Want to read something for the ride?" Tony asked. Steve looked at this man, baffled. What could Tony Stark possibly have for him to read, besides something dirty.
It was when Tony was waving the art magazines in his face that Steve finally blinked back to reality. "Wha-"
"Granted, these are just the latest. I have a few that date back to just after you woke up." Tony muttered.
Steve didn't know whether to be thankful, or frightened. How did Tony Stark know that he liked art?
It must have been written on his face because Tony pulled a face and muttered something that sounded like: "It was in your file."
"You actually read them?" Another surprise. Tony had to stop this... Steve was afraid he was going to die of a surprise heart attack.
"Read, memorized, used." Tony said. This seemed to be a normal thing with him, and Steve had to remind himself that this was Howard Stark's offspring.
"Right... I'm going to get some rest. Wake me when we get to NY?"
Tony nodded, and waved him away. "Rest well."
Just as Steve was drifting, he wondered when Stark became Tony.
Tony on the other hand, was over looking schematics to the Tower. He knew he'd have to re arrange the floors just a little, and while he'd been over and over the plans, it would never hurt to go over the floor plans one more time.
He even had a little vent system for Clint to climb through. He had put in a gun range for Natasha on the second go around, as well as a Hulk proof lab for Bruce... Conveniently not that far from the gun range (Safe distance, of course).
On the third go around, he'd perfected the gym to accommodate all of them, but especially Captain America. Team training exercises, and all that.
He even made sure to install a power storage system for when Thor decided to throw around those thunder punches.
Oh he hoped everyone loved their rooms!
It was like this that Tony lost himself in the time it took to get from California to New York.
. . .
Steve was actually having a good dream!
Shock and awe for him!
He and the Howling Commandos were sitting around SHIELD HQ, chatting about embarrassing times, and having a drink.
Bucky was to busy laughing at something Steve had done to actually take a drink.
"And then, he fell through the rotting floor boards cause of all that muscle mass! Nearly knocked himself out on the floor!"
The roar of laughter made Steve laugh, despite the furious blush on his face. "One time, and you'll never let that go, Jim!" Steve muttered.
The Japanese-American could only laugh harder. "Sorry Captain!"
He was about to open his mouth to reply, when a familiar voice called out to him.
"Steve!"
He frowned. What was Tony doing in the 1940's?
"Steve! We are here!"
He was being shook now, and the pub started to melt away to darkness.
He held his hand out to his friends as they too fell into the darkness.
"Steeeeeve!"
Anger.
"Steve!"
Unadulterated Anger. Tony had taken them away.
There were no words after his hand had snapped out to grab the throat of the thing that annoyed him.
Then reality kicked back into his brain... Harshly.
It wasn't Tony's fault. That had been a dream. One of the few good dreams, but it wasn't Tony's fault they had touched down in New York.
It wasn't till he felt nails bite into his skin that he actually remembered the he had Tony's throat in a death grip. He let go quickly.
Tony was coughing harshly when Steve finally opened his eyes. The man was on his knees, holding his throat.
Steve tried to rise to help him, but Tony merely glared at him like a pissed off cat.
"Tony! I'm so-"
"Save it! Never waking you up again." Tony rasped out.
Finally rising to his feat, Tony looked like an indignant kitten.
Great! Steve was now trying to choke kittens...
As soon as the door was down, Tony walked out, quickly, trying to get away from Steve.
Steve watched Tony's retreating form, and a question formed in his mind... What would Tony Stark look like with kitty ears and tail...
He almost missed a step when his imagination started acting up.
He swore it was just his mind trying to pacify the guilt.
. . .
Natasha smiled when Tony walked through the door to the Tower. She'd been waiting for him, quietly while Clint juggled a few oranges.
"Tony." She said, and he grinned at her. It wasn't his usual grin. Something wasn't right, but for now, she took the grin he offered her, but her smile fell.
She frowned when the collar of his shirt moved to reveal a red hand print around his neck. "Tony?" She questioned.
He noticed where her eyes were looking, and grinned as Steve had just walked in behind him. "Well you know me, Nat. I like it hot, and rough. Hands on my neck and all." Revenge... Shaken, not stirred.
Steve almost dropped his duffel bag when he heard Tony tell Natalia that lie.
Unfortunately for him, Natalia caught his little slip. "Really, Tony? You just broke up with Pepper just a month ago. Now you've gone and drawn poor Steve into your harem?" She said with a tilt to the side of her lip.
Clint dropped the oranges on his own foot. "WHAT?!"
Tony laughed. A smirk slipped across his lips. "And don't you wish I'd sell the videos?"
Natalia's tilt just turned into a huge grin. "Maybe I'll be behind the camera here."
Steve's pale face met his hand with a soft 'smack'.
Clint couldn't help but to trip over an orange. That's just what he deserved for not concentrating on where he was going while he was laughing to hard.
"Nat! It's not what it sounds like! Stark is just being an ass." Steve tried to defend himself.
"Really Cap... Cause your hand is about the size of the mark." She pointed out.
Tony sobered up, and let out a soft cough at the memory of what had really happened, and the memories that had brought back.
"It was an accident, Nat. Steve didn't know it was me when I was waking him up. He reacted out of instinct."
Steve just felt worse for the telling of it. He had known it was Tony... It was just that Tony had met with the darker part of his heart before he'd had the chance to reclaim his mind fully.
"Right... Wake him up from a safe distance... Got it." Nat confirmed. Tony just gave her a slight smile, and a nod.
. . .
The next to greet Tony were Bruce and Thor.
"Blondie! When did you get back into town?" Tony asked as he and Thor clapped each other on the back, Thor a bit more softly than usual.
"Just this morning, Anthony! Where did your little blue light go?" Ah Thor... Always the one to ask the big questions. The man never could ignore the elephant in the room.
"I had a surgery that removed the shrapnel out from my chest. No more need for the arc." Tony said with a soft smile. Bruce's frown did not alleviate.
Steve noticed Bruce's disapproving look, and soon Tony did as well. Bruce and Tony shared a look for two minuets, and Steve had to admit slight jealousy at that shared language.
"Still don't like this, Tony." Bruce muttered.
"I know." Tony acknowledged, but let it drop. He silently prayed Bruce would as well.
It was when Thor had Tony distracted by showing him a new piece of the Rainbow Bridge that Thor had brought back with him for Jane, that Bruce shot Steve a 'we have to talk later' look.
Steve nodded.
. . .
Tony had long since run off to his workshop to finish his suite. Bruce and Steve now sat at a small table in Bruce's lab.
"So, what's wrong?" Steve asked.
Bruce's serious face hadn't changed since Steve walked in.
"Tony's heart is still not in the best of shape." Bruce admitted.
"What?!" Steve jerked back a little bit, surprise echoing on his face.
"It gets worse." Bruce said as he laced his fingers together in front of his mouth, his elbows now resting on the table. "The only reason Tony even got the surgery was because Pepper constantly complained about the light. But... Tony took comfort in the light. It was a beacon for him... Now it's gone, and I'm not sure what state of mind that's put Tony in."
Steve could admit to shock now. "Tony... Tony needs that arc back, doesn't he?"
Bruce nodded. "There was already extensive damage done to his chest plate to even get that thing in. Imagine how far down that thing reaches to effect his heart."
Steve did, and he shuddered for his efforts.
Bruce nodded at Steve's shudder. "Yeah. Now imagine how they must have gotten that arc reactor in. Not only that, but the amount of pain Tony must have been in to have done it. To repair that kind of damage is not easy. From what Pepper was telling me, his chest plate was cracked in the battle a month ago, and Tony has yet to go see a doctor about it."
Steve's guilt at what had happened earlier, rekindled into a burning flame. He hung his head. "So... We keep Tony off duty for a little bit? Make him go see a Doctor, and wait until he decides that he needs to put the arc back in?"
Bruce frowned, but Steve couldn't see it, as he was trying to talk to the table.
"No... We can't wait for Tony. If we leave it to Tony, he will ignore everything he needs. That's one thing I both admire and hate about Tony. He puts everyone else before his needs. He will even drop working on the suite if it will help someone in need. Everyone may think Tony Stark is a snarky ass, but he is a good man. A fool, but a good man."
Steve couldn't help but to agree. The table... Not so much.
"So what do we need to do?" Steve asked as he lifted his head.
Bruce met his blue eyes. "We force. Tony won't like us for a while, but in the end, he will see our reasons were right."
Steve got the mental image of Tony as that kitten again, and nearly let his forehead drop to the table.
"Can we get him de-clawed first?" Steve wondered aloud.
Bruce couldn't stop the roaring laugh even if he tried... Let's be honest... He really didn't try.
. . .
Nat blinked as Bruce and Steve told her their plans, and their reasons. Her eyebrows rose slightly when Steve mentioned getting Tony de-clawed.
"And you think this will work, why?" She asked them both.
Bruce gave her a tentative smile. "Cause we will have the wonderful Nat on our side."
"Low, doc. Real low." she muttered, but he knew she was in. How could she say no to those hopeful brown eyes.
"Now to get Clint and Thor in on this." Steve muttered.
"I'm in!" Clint chimed from the air duct. Natalia rolled her eyes. "Of course you are." She ended up throwing something at the vent that Clint had hid himself in. "Aww! Nat! Common... I just tripped over one of these this morning!"
"I am in as well." Thor said from the door way, surprising all of his fellow Avengers that were currently congregating. "Friend Anthony needs our help, and we shall rise to his aid." He explained to their raised eyebrows. A smile came across his lips. "I never leave a friend down."
Steve winced at that saying, but luckily no one seemed to catch it.
. . .
Tony was blissfully working on his suite when the doors to his lab were opened. "J! I thought I said no visitors till after 8pm." Tony muttered, still keeping the music loud, pretending not to hear them.
The music suddenly cut off. "I apologize sir, but this is for you." JARVIS said, and suddenly Dum-e and Butterfingers were cornering him in.
"The fuck?!" Tony exclaimed, shock written across his handsome features.
"Tony." Steve called out to him.
When he looked up, he was surprised to find the team looking at him from around the door way.
"And this is where you tell me that this is some sort of intervention." Tony was really joking... He was.
"It's about your heart, Tony." Bruce said. Tony nearly winced. Bruce had his 'Don't fuck with me' face on. Tony knew it was about to go badly.
"The tests didn't come back negative, Bruce." Tony said, slowly getting his own 'Don't fuck with me' expression.
Steve, Natalia, Clint, and Thor were watching like spectators watch a tennis match.
"You know those tests were inconclusive, Tony. You yanked off one of the monitors." Bruce grit his teeth, his eyes narrowed on Tony.
Tony just shrugged. "Does it matter?"
Steve decided to step in. "Yes, Stark. It does matter. What if you go down when we really need your help?"
Low blow, he knew. But by the look on Tony's face, it hit right where it hurt.
"You can't help people if your dead, Tony." Nat had also stepped in.
"What do you want me to do?" Tony growled.
"Go get the tests done right this time!" Clint challenged, meeting Tony's eyes. The former circus performer looked as if he wouldn't mind hopping a few of those tables to have a go at Tony for a moment.
Tony glared at them. "There is nothing wrong with me."
Bruce stepped up once more. "How do you know that Tony? You won't let any doctor tell you that!"
Steve suddenly knew what the problem was. Fear.
"Tony... If there is something wrong with your heart, we will get through it. All of us. Together." Steve was serious, and he saw Tony's will dwindle.
"I don't believe you." Tony muttered. There was no hope in his eyes. There was no spark of light.
"We all have this 'I will handle it myself' attitude. That ends. We are a team. It's time we pulled together as one.
I know I could have called Tony when dealing with those Hellicarriers. He designed the damn engines.
Tony, you could have called on us for help with what happened with those suites.
Nat, you could have called Clint when you were stressed about the public finding out about you.
The point being is simple. Yes, we are individually strong. Yes, we are all used to doing it by ourselves. But now is the time to come together as a team of truly strong people."
Steve's speech fell on Tony's ears.
. . .
Things only went downhill from there.
Tony Stark had gone through with what his team had wanted, and it was found that he was suffering from a heart disease.
The arc was put back in, but the arguments between Tony Stark and Steve Rodgers had began anew.
It was over silly little things like who drank the last bit of coffee, or who left doors open.
On the battlefield, they were worse. When Tony did something even remotely self sacrificing, Steve nearly had a conniption fit, but the same went for when Steve did something self sacrificing.
It was starting to affect their teamwork, and their team.
Tony, as self sacrificing as ever, had offered to walk away. He, after all, had initially been turned down for the Avenger project.
"You can fill the spot with someone who won't cause trouble, and you can still stay at Stark Tower. Think of it as my contribution to you." Tony had said. He had, of course, discussed it with almost every team member... Except Steve.
Reluctantly, his team (now former team) agreed. No one had any solutions to end the conflict between Steve and Tony. Even Nat's suggestion of locking them in a tiny enclosed space together for a full day had failed... Horribly.
Now it was that Tony Stark was packing his bags, that everyone decided to discuss it. It was like this that Steve Rodgers found out what was going to happen.
So when he arrived in Tony's doorway, breathing heavy (from anger or the excitement, he wasn't sure, but he knew it wasn't from the run), Tony was not surprised.
"Knew one of them would give." He muttered as he neatly folded a few shirts to put in the briefcase.
"You can't do this, Tony." Steve said, and suddenly got the brilliant idea to bar the doorway with his wide frame.
Tony only scoffed. "Can't do what, Rodgers?" he asked, the ice in that statement was enough to make Tony shiver for a moment.
"How many times do I have to apologize?!" Steve almost yelled.
Tony glared at him. "You never should have done it, if you didn't mean it."
"Tony... I was scared!"
"So you lean down and just decide to kiss me during recovery, thinking I was out? Then you go and deny doing it, but when I prove it, you just push me to the side and pretend I don't even exist? That, paired with your behavior out on the field... I don't even know what to do with you anymore!" Tony burst out.
Steve hung his head for a moment.
It was true...
They were there when Tony had come out of the surgery. They'd all been worried, but they were told that Tony was heavily sedated and would be out for a bit... Steve had still volunteered to stay, in case Tony had woken up.
It had been his undoing.
It was when Tony had called out his name in his sedation, that Steve's heard had finally beat some sense into his head... Only some, it would seem.
Steve had kissed him, and Tony (like some sort of twisted fairy tail) had woken up.
Tony had kissed Steve back, and both had enjoyed the moment... Until Tony's eyelashes brushed against Steve's cheek, and startled him out of it.
Steve did the only thing he could think to do. He ran away. He then avoided going to go see Tony in the hospital. And when Tony finally did return to the tower, he avoided Tony like the plague.
Tony, of course, had caught on to what Steve was doing, and when Nat and the others had locked them up together, he'd tried to take advantage of it. He tried to confront Steve on what had happened.
To no avail. The blond soldier had threatened to knock Tony out and sit the rest of the time in silence if Tony didn't just shut up himself.
Tony was startled by the uncharacteristic anger in the person he'd come to consider a friend. So he decided to look past the anger, and saw the desperation in those huge baby blue eyes.
Tony made the decision then and there. He backed off, and backed away. This only caused Steve to get angrier. Especially when Tony had started to flirt with a member of the X-Men.
Now Tony was glaring Steve down, but suddenly, his shoulders sagged in defeat.
"I don't know what you want me to do, Rodgers. I pressed, you got angry. I backed down, you got angry. I decide to just leave, now you show up like an outraged lover. What do you want from me?" Tony asked him with tired brown eyes.
Steve wasn't sure what to say, and after five minuets of stretched and tense silence, Tony only hung his head.
"Then please remove yourself from my doorway." Tony requested, his voice soft, his face hidden. He zipped up his last suitcase, and picked it up.
Steve, not knowing what else to do, simply moved out of Tony's way as Tony moved passed him.
It was when Steve was watching Tony's retreating back, that he slowly started to realize that maybe he should just let the man leave.
He turned to walk the opposite way of Tony Stark.
Suddenly, he wondered if this was the last time he'd get to talk to Tony. The thought froze his heart, and he quickly turned.
When he turned to watch the retreating form of Tony Stark, there was only one question on his mind.
How did he make Tony come back?
"Always a comeback, eh Stark?" he almost shouted it, but Tony heard him.
Tony turned around, a fire in his eyes that Steve hadn't seen since he'd first got to get Tony.
"I am terrified, Tony. Terrified of the one thing I'm not only abysmal at, but so afraid that I may fuck it all up and ruin everything for good... I know this is a little late... Two weeks late in fact, but... I realized that I have to take that chance. Cause your more than worth the chance... Tony Stark... I think I may be in love with you." Steve tried not to stutter over his words. His face, he knew was as red as a tomato, and an awkward smile stretched across his lips, but he was trying damn it!
Tony's head had gone down, a shadow played across his face, during Steve's short speech. He didn't even lift his head as he marched straight up to Steve.
Steve wondered if Tony were going to hit him square in the jaw, or hug him... Honestly with Tony, it could go either way... He really wouldn't blame Tony if the man punched him.
The soft 'thud' of the suite case just made him brace himself, but the thin, long, warm fingers that thread through his blond hair gave him a start...
Suddenly, he was kissing one Tony Stark. His arms reacted by reaching around that thin waist. The lithe form pressed against his stout one.
"You make it to easy." Tony muttered.
FIN!
This was short, but it can go on... We all know Doctor Doom wants to ruin this parade! Cough
Anyway... Put it to a vote? To Continue, or not to continue... that's the (fussit!) you get it.