To say they hit it off to a bad start, was well, an understatement.

When it was all said and done, Steve and Tony had barely said more than a few words to each other, and in all honesty, Tony was kinda hoping it would stay that way. But then Fury suggested that the Avengers stay together and Tony was forced to offer up Stark Tower—because come on, they expected him to live in some sort of SHIELD barracks? Um, no—and that plan went to hell.

In the beginning they avoided each other, which in a mansion that big, wasn't that difficult. Tony generally kept to his lab while Steve did whatever it was that national treasures did.

So to find Steve sheepishly walking into the lab was, well, a surprise to say the least.

"Sorry," Steve said quietly, making him almost unheard with the blaring ACDC that played through his lab. Tony decided it was better to ignore him act like he didn't hear him. But Steve apparently didn't notice or didn't care as he continued. "I was wondering if you would take a look at my computer. I asked Clint, but he said I should—Do you mind turning that down?"

Realizing that Steve wasn't going to leave, Tony sighed. "JARVIS, mute," he called, instantly silencing the music. "What can I do for you?"

"I can't get my computer to start," Steve admitted, pushing the laptop in Tony's general direction.

Tony tried to start it up but was met with an abnormal whirring. He immediately flipped it over and started pulling the device apart, which Steve started to protest but ultimately remained silent. It was crappy SHIELD issue; he was almost too disgusted to handle it. But he did anyways, the silence in the air weighing down on both of them.

"Sooooooo…" Steve was trying to break the silence between them. Cute.

Tony just stared down at his work, now messing with the wiring. "…This is weird, isn't it?"

"Very weird," Steve admitted. Well, at least now this was awkward for the both of them.

Deciding enough was enough, Tony just slid the heap of trash—because that was all that all it was; trash—to the other side of the table. "Don't worry, I'll get you another one. Custom. Not that stupid SHIELD issue. I'll transfer all of your stuff over," he offered, hoping to end this before it really began.

"…Thanks," Steve responded slowly, probably not entirely understanding what Tony said, but thankfully was going along with it anyways. Tony had hoped that the super-soldier was now leaving, but that hope was futile as Steve continued to stand there. "Hey, Tony? I know we got off on the wrong foot—"

Oh god. He was seriously going to do this. Tony wanted to just go curl up under his desk right now.

"—but we're teammates, right? So why don't—"

"Look, Steve, you don't really…"

"—we at least try to be friends—"

"Seriously. You can hate me. Go on, I'm fine with it. Everyone else does. Really I'm—"

"I don't hate you," Steve finally said, cutting Tony off. Tony hadn't even realized that Steve had stopped talking about half way through his pleading. "We don't hate you."

Tony rolled his eyes, pulling out another hologram, trying to work on another project and tune the Captain out. "Yeah, whatever, Capsicle."

Steve looked hurt by what? His innate nature to push people away? That was a first.

"Tony, I…" he trailed off.

"Look, I've got my lab, you've got your… whatever. Go do some team-bonding friendship-bracelet-making party somewhere else."

Steve didn't answer that. Simply gave him a look that Tony couldn't quite discern before sullenly leaving Tony's lab. Tony didn't know what to think of that whole…thing, But he knew one thing. He was now pretty sure Captain America had made it his personal mission to become his friend.

…Shit.

Song(s): Tango: Marueen from RENT

A/N: I love this song. It's not romance, but hey, they gotta get over those mangst-beginnings, right? It's sloppy, but I think I might use this in something else.