[A/N

To Anon 'write write': Yes, quite a bit of drama! Thank you for your review :)]

STEVE POV

Part 16

"Guys, could we all assemble on my roof, please?" Tony said through our communicator.

"Wait, why?" I asked, confused. "Have you spotted Loki?"

"No.. it's something else." Tony said, and he sounded different, like there was something wrong. Maybe that was just me. I ran the familiar stairs of his gigantic building with two steps at a time, hurrying my way to the top. When I was half-way, I heard Natasha, Barton, and a now re-clothed and de-Hulked Bruce following me. When I reached the roof, Tony was already sitting there in his regular clothes, looking uncomfortable and rubbing his hands together.

"Tony, are you alright?" I asked, and his face set, eyes determined and mouth a thin line.

"No, definitely not." He said, lips turning into a scowl which did not suit his face. Thor came flying around then, hammer thumping on Tony's roof and miraculously not making a dent in it. It made me wonder if Tony had Thor-proved his roof after the last time Loki came around. Shortly after, Barton, Natasha and Bruce arrived, Bruce slightly out of breath.

"This better be good." Bruce mumbled, shifting and uncomfortable in his from Thor borrowed clothes.

"Well then, Tony, what's up?" Barton questioned, and Tony made sure we were all focusing our attention on him before he spoke.

"I'm sick of this." Tony said, and my brow furrowed in confusion, "I'm sick of flying around looking for some reindeer because I happen to live with this demi-God named Thor. I'm sick of spending my fuel, my materials, my money, my time and my energy in this crap. Do not interrupt," He spat when I tried to open my mouth, "Then there is Romanov, who thinks it's necessary to spy on me all the time. And Clint, who is permanently eyeing her and annoying the fuck out of me."

"Well your ogling on Steve isn't particularly tasteful, either!" Barton shot back.

"Oh, don't get me started on Steve." He said my name like it was something he wanted to chew and then spit out again, and my friends watched in as much horror as me when Tony walked to stand right in front of me, "Steve, who thinks he has the right to reject me when I'm all he really has. I'm a piece of Howard Stark, I'm a direct link to his past. I've helped him greatly and still he still has the nerves to reject me." His voice sounded mechanical, distant. Like it was Tony speaking, but not really Tony. "Well you didn't really think I was going to keep up with that forever, did you?" I gulped, and I was afraid of what he was going to say next. Tears had already started to form in my eyes, and I wanted to slap myself for allowing myself to be sad over a man that could say things like this. "Well, I didn't. When you went to a baseball game with Clint, I drove over to Pepper's and fucked her. Just like that." No. This wasn't happening. My world started to spin and I didn't understand it. Hadn't he said that he loved me? Hadn't he said it was OK?

"You bastard!" Natasha shrieked, came to stand between us and punched him in the face. The impact actually made Tony fall to the ground, and he sat there for a moment, a pissed off Natasha standing over him. "Doing that to poor Steve. How could you! Get out, I don't care whether it's your house, it's 5 against 1. Get your filthy ass out." She said. Bruce was looking at Tony, disbelief written all over his face, and Clint was shaking his head. Thor was clearly angry with Tony, and I just stood there, unable to move until Tony started making his way down the stairs to exit his own building. His shoulders were squared and he didn't look guilty.

"Tony" I put my hand on his shoulder and he looked back at me, jaw set and eyes ablaze with anger, and I let go, defeated.

"Steve," I heard Natasha behind me, going for soft and comforting, but her anger for Tony ruining the idea. "We've got you." She mumbled when I fell to my knees, shield making a clanking noise when it fell on the ground. She kneeled beside me and pulled me into a hug, and I wanted to slap myself again and again for allowing myself to be lured into his trap.

"How could I expect him to be different when it came to me?" I asked her, leaning onto her shoulder and refusing to let any tears slip from my eyes. She shushed me and stroked my hair like I was a baby, and I didn't even mind.

"Hey man, that's just Tony. Don't get too upset about it, he will be begging for your affection and forgiveness in several days. Mark my words." Barton clapped me on my shoulder and walked away, Bruce and Thor following him to tell Fury that our search for Loki was temporarily put on hold.

"Steve, get up. Stop making a mess of yourself. This is just Tony, you guys weren't even dating for very long," Then why did it feel like ages? "and this is just another of his dick-moves. Just.. don't think it was your fault or anything idiotic like that, because this was all on him. Alright?" She gave my back a final rub before standing up and reaching her hand out to pull me up with her.

"Alright." I nodded, but I doubted that I could ever forget the cold look Tony gave me and the nonchalant way in which he told me he had cheated on me.

Tony had actually left his house, and hadn't called, or showed up ever since Natasha had ordered him out. I didn't know where he was staying, I could only imagine it was somewhere where he could 'fondue' with a lot of women. I couldn't say that I didn't miss him, but I was glad that he was out of my way for a while. I didn't miss Tony I missed the pretent-Tony with which he had lured me in.

It was a few days after his disastrous escape that I found myself looking at another man, like I would normally have knocked myself out for doing. I did stop myself as soon as I found myself ogling him though, because I noticed that he resembled Tony way too much. Besides, Barton was convinced that Tony had just been in one of his moods, and that he was too stubborn to come back so early. Barton said that Tony really loved me, and that I should just wait for him to come back. But I was too afraid that he meant what he'd said, and why shouldn't I? There was really no reason, and Natasha was right. I shouldn't be bawling over Tony when we'd only dated for three weeks. I did cry sometimes, remembering the way he made me feel special, because I was the only man he'd dated and one of the few people in general. And because he was willing to wait with the love making. Well, turns out that wasn't true, after all.

We went back to searching for Loki sometime after, because Fury had had a sighting of him, so he was on Earth after all. Just like Tony had said, because Tony was always right. It was weird working with our team but without Tony, and we sort of missed the sarcasm and humor to keep us entertained during the boring search for Loki.

I was walking through the streets, when I spotted a glimpse of red. Curious what a piece of red was doing polluting the streets in front of a church, I made my way towards it. It was a suitcase, red and gold, and it immediately reminded me of Tony and his Iron Man costume. Curious.

"Guys, I found something. Thor if you are close, come take a look if this is one of your weird legendary weapons or something. Oh and take Hawkeye with you."

"I will be on my way, fellow soldier." Thor said, smile almost hearable through his voice. It wasn't long before I heard the unmistakable sound of Thor thumping down on the ground after a flight. Barton was limp in his grasp, perhaps seeing a little bit green.

"Alright, I will have to admit that flying with Tony is more comfortable." He said, hand massaging his neck when Thor let him out of his grasp. "What did you find?" I held up the suitcase and Barton squinted his eyes.

"That isn't some Asgardian treasure, Steve! That- That is Tony's portable suit!" huh, he has those too, eh. "This is the one he left in, last week."

"Wait, what?" I stammered. "So if this is his suit.. Where is Tony?" I asked, and they looked back with me with as much questions as I had myself.

[A/N Painful, but it had to be done. He needed to escape from them without them noticing something was wrong, or they'd stop him and Steve would be in danger. But of course he didn't ask for help.. Oh Tony please do think things through next time, okie?]