So this chapter was actually the first chapter I wrote for this story. Except that the story began to delve a whole lot deeper than I anticipated so I had to re-write this entire chapter. Originally, it had a very drunk Tony almost aggressively hitting on Steve and begging him to do very unsavoury things to him (sexy things). The slamming against the wall part was meant to be Steve's panicked reaction, and it originally left Tony feeling overwhelmingly aroused, yet frightened, by his power. For obvious reasons, this chapter is very different from the original. The very last sentence of this update was the only one left unchanged.

Steve was standing outside the front entrance to Tony's mansion. He had just entered the security clearance code he'd been using for the last nine days and had received no response. He entered the code again, this time more slowly, making sure he got each number correct.

Still nothing.

"Jarvis?"

There was a moment of silence and then, to Steve's immense relief, he heard the familiar English drawl of the AI's voice.

"Yes, Mr. Rogers?"

"I can't get into the building. Has the security code changed?"

There was another stretch of silence, as though the AI was hesitating, and Steve was now certain that something was wrong.

"Jarvis?"

"It seems as though you are no longer employed by Mr. Stark."

Steve gaped, "What!? I was employed by SHIELD, not by Tony. I don't understand."

"Mr. Stark has terminated his contract with SHIELD. You are, therefore, no longer required to act as his bodyguard."

Steve's mind reeled. He had just been at SHIELD headquarters only forty minutes ago. Wouldn't they have informed him of this? And why didn't Tony tell him yesterday if he was considering leaving SHIELD? What the heck was going on?

"Can I speak to Tony?"

"I'm sorry, Sir, he's not accepting any calls today."

Steve felt his concern grow, "Is he alright? Did something happen?"

"I am monitoring him. He wishes to be left alone."

Jarvis wasn't giving him any straight answers, and he felt himself growing angry. At that same moment, both his pager and his phone began to buzz, and he lifted the latter to his ear. "Rogers."

He winced as he heard Fury's voice on the other line, deceptively calm, "I just received notice of Stark's withdrawal from his contract with SHIELD. What's he saying on your end?"

Steve hesitated, clearing his voice, "He's, uh, not answering the door."

Fury's voice was deadly when he replied, "What do you mean?"

"My security code, Sir, it's not being validated. And his AI is telling me that he's not allowing any visitors today."

"I don't give a flying fuck what his AI says. You get into that building, and you find out for yourself what the hell is going on. That's an order, Captain!"

"Yes, Sir!"

Steve heard the line disconnect before he closed the phone himself, feeling angry and anxious all at once.

"Let me in Jarvis."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that."

"This is the last time I'll ask you, Jarvis. Let me in."

"Mr. Stark has no obligation to communicate with you now that his contract with SHIELD has been terminated. He has clearly expressed his wishes, multiple times, that he does not want to see you, or - "

But JARVIS was cut off when Steve's fist smashed into the intercom, completely destroying it with one swipe of his arm.

He then aimed his frustration at the door, stepping back and giving it a mighty kick. He heard the groan of metal, and he gave another kick. The door gave a massive shudder in its frame. He gave it one more sweeping kick, and the door screeched open, the thick metal locks completely bent back from the frame. If Jarvis was as smart as Steve thought he was, he would disable the other security features in the mansion, or else they would receive the same kind of treatment.

Tony had been sitting in a recliner in the smallest room of the mansion, swirling brandy around and around in his glass. He was drunk, of that he was sure. Not obscenely drunk, but enough so that his peripheral vision was good and blurry.

He swirled his glass a bit to quickly, the centrifugal force causing some of the liquid to jump out of the glass. He cursed and unsteadily got to his feet. It was at that moment that Jarvis interrupted him:

"Sir, Mr. Roger's is here to see you. He has tried to enter the security code and -"

"Tell him to go to hell! And tell him that I don't have to take orders from him or his little posse anymore because I quit. Yeah. That's right, Steve," he pointed accusingly at the imaginary Steve in the room, "I quit."

"He seems concerned for your well being."

"I don't care. Don't let him in."

Tony shot back a sizable gulp of brandy and leaned on the bar, pouring another generous helping into his tumbler.

There was a minute or two of silence and Tony felt betrayed by his own mind when he wondered if Steve had just given up without any effort, had let Jarvis order him away without a fight. Like he never even cared about Tony to begin with.

Angrily, he ordered Jarvis to turn up his music a little louder, and was completely taken aback by the reply he got:

"He's broken into the mansion, Sir."

Tony had a moment to feel clever for leaving his lab in favour of his den an hour earlier. At least Steve would have to search for him. The next moment a pounding sounded on the door, and he cursed himself for being so stupid. He had led Steve right to him.

"Jarvis. Music. Off," he barked.

The banging on the thick wooden door continued, "I know you're in there, Tony! Can you please let me in?"

Tony muttered, "just do it, Jarvis," and he heard the hiss of the deadbolts leaving the door unlocked. Steve must have heard it to, for not a second later he was opening the door, his eyes gazing around the room in a mixture of emotions.

Tony had turned himself away from the door, from Steve, because he knew it would weaken his resolve just by looking at the other man. He spoke coldly, "Well, you're here. Say what you've got to say, and get out."

Steve must have connected the dots when he saw the half-empty bottle of brandy and the mostly-empty tumbler because all he said was, "You're drunk."

Tony just laughed harshly at that, "Yeah, no shit."

Steve's voice sounded hurt and confused when he replied, "Tony? I don't understand. Why are you...?"

But Steve's playing-dumb act, playing-innocent act, just pissed him off even further. He clenched the hand around his tumblr, his knuckles going white, and he barely gritted through his teeth, "Don't you..don't. Don't do that."

He heard Steve walking towards him and he felt like screaming, so he did: "Get away from me! DON'T TOUCH ME!"

Tony staggered away from the bar, away from Steve, and leaned his forehead on the window that overlooked the sprawling city.

Steve's voice was careful, reasoning, like he was talking to someone who was ready to jump off the roof of a building, trying to persuade them to step away from the edge. "Look, I've only known you for nine days. Clearly something has got you really upset, but I'm only here to help, Tony. I just want to make sure your safe."

Tony finally turned to face Steve, his tone biting, "Yeah, because that's always been your priority. Bullshit."

Steve looked as though he hit a nerve so Tony continued, "When were you gonna tell me, huh? That all this has been one giant clusterfuck of a lie. No, Steve, this is clearly not about keeping me safe. This is about you, and the bullshit SHIELD has fed you for years and years. You're just one big, walking-talking, bald-faced lie."

Steve took a step forward, one hand moving up in a defensive gesture, "Now hold on a just a second. Just what is it you think you know about me? And where the hell did you get that kind of information?"

Tony gestured to himself, his voice mocking, "Uh hellllloooo? Genius here. Not to mention the fact that, if you'd actually done your homework on me, you'd know I have a friends in the army. Yeah, that's right," he continued, seeing the shocked and slightly unsettled look that crossed Steve's features, "I know people. Everywhere. And what kind of idiot does SHIELD take me for? How did you guys think you could keep all this from me?"

Now Steve looked angry, "What was the point of telling you? It's not like it would change anything. And frankly, it's not entirely your business."

Tony looked completely flabbergasted at that remark. "What the fuck are you SHIELD people on? Of course it's my fucking business! It's my goddamn safety were talking about. My life!"

"I thought, we all thought, it wouldn't matter either way. But because it's advantageous for both SHIELD and me to keep this under wraps, that's what we did. And to be honest with you, Tony? After getting to know you this past week...a big part of me did want to tell you, because I thought..." he sighed, rubbing a hand over his face in a defeated manner, "I thought you really liked me, and that it wouldn't matter to you what my past was."

"Well, you were completely wrong about that, weren't you?" Tony had his arms folded over his chest, and he couldn't even begin to understand the crestfallen expression covering Steve's face, as though Tony had completely and deeply hurt him, and not the other way around. Tony strode over to the door and opened it, "I don't ever want to see you here again."

Steve walked slowly towards the doorway, pausing on the threshold to look Tony in the eye, "I'm sorry that this was such a huge problem for you. I really think we could have made a great team."

Tony barked out a harsh laugh."You know what I think? I think you're so full of shit, Rogers. I think you've been kissing Fury's ass for so long, you don't even know what's up and what's down anymore. And this whole shtick as my bodguard? Pathetic! Talk about the person least qualified to ensure my safety. Your ass is so fired, and you know what? Just to rub it in your face, I'll go find myself a real bodyguard. Not some freak-ass of an impersonator-"

But before Tony could finish his insult, Steve had him slammed against the wall, his body crushing into Tony's, pining him. In the back-portion of Tony's mind, the part that wasn't terrified about being squashed into a pulp by this muscled beast of a man, he noticed how Steve's eyes were filled with angry tears. Maybe even sad tears.

Steve's voice was low, "You have no right to say that to me, Stark. You have no right."

Tony swallowed back the fear and spoke back, his voice hardly wavering as he looked away from those blue eyes, "I said, you're fired."

Steve only pushed back, his weight nearly suffocating. He grabbed Tony's jaw, forcing him to look him in the eye. His voice suddenly turned more dangerous, " I am your bodyguard. You go with someone else, you're basically handing yourself over to be slaughtered. You can't fire me. I won't let you." He slowly pried himself off of Tony and walked out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

And Tony could only slide down the wall, feeling completely wrecked.

Just in case someone didn't catch on, Steve and Tony are arguing about two completely different things, though neither of them knows it. Poor babies. They both have every right to be angry :( At least Tony will find out in the next chapter.

AND OH MY GOD, I had such a hard time NOT putting in the line for JARVIS: "I'm sorry, Steve, I'm afraid I can't do that."
It's just such a blatantly OBVIOUS place to put a Space Odyssey reference.