Pepper was taken in, eventually.

Steve had to stand there, with the rest of the team (Minus Tony, who sat outside with Maria for a couple of minutes) and watch the interrogation.

It happened with a different agent, one Pepper wouldn't know.

They asked a number of things. Where she was at specified dates, and soon getting onto the questions of what she would do to protect Tony.

She started out calm, at first. Answering willingly and happily. But as the accusations continued, she got more frantic, upset.

She denied it all.

Pepper was half through sobs when she admitted she would do anything to save Tony, that despite their break-up, they always needed each other and loved each other in a platonic way.

She would have done it, she'd confessed, to save him.

But this time, it wasn't her.

The interrogation lasted for approximately 3 hours and 23 minutes.

Pepper had calmed down near the end, silently sniffing, but not out of anger.

Steve thought she felt betrayed.

Sail

V

Trust.

It was during the second week of Tony being home, did Clint start to make a regular appearance. He came over, spoke to the absent Tony about things happening in his life. Women, feelings for Natasha, drinking, the team – everything. He did this all whilst shaving his beard, tentatively, and with precision. He'd gotten better at it.

Steve thought it would have been easier to take him to a barber, but Clint needed time with Tony. After all, they were friends with him too. They cared no less than Steve did.

"Really, you should come out for a drink sometime," Clint said, carefully lifting Tony's chin and scraping the razor across his cheek. "When you're feeling better. First rounds on me, alright?" His eyes softened when Tony just stared blankly to the door-frame. It was nothing out of the usual now – but it shouldn't be usual. Clint sighed, defeated but still talking anyway.

Steve just stayed in the kitchen, letting Clint take his time with Tony. So far, Tony had spoken a word since. Pepper hadn't been allowed to directly talk to Tony until her name was cleared by Tony's mouth. She said she understood, but Steve knew it hurt her.

Clint walked out, cocking his head and calling Tony's name, who got up and followed him. The Hawk's hand moved to his shoulders, guiding him to sit down; which Tony complied.

"There you are, Stark." He gave him a small pat, before looking at Steve. Tony blankly stared at the coffee and it was almost frightening how people took this as the norm now. Tony was one of the sharpest minds that Clint knew – who could actually break him like that?

"Thanks, Clint." Steve smiled, moving to the coffee pot. "Want a drink?"

"Nah." Clint shook his head and wrinkled his nose. "I should get going."

"Ah, Yeah…" Steve gave a guilty look at his own hands. He'd taken it upon himself to be with Tony almost every second of the day since Pepper couldn't be anymore. It meant more SHIELD work for Natasha and Clint, but they didn't seem to mind.

"Alright, Tony." Clint gave a smile to him, hand pressing into his hair and ruffling it. Tony didn't move, or shift his expression. The same old thing. "I gotta go, but I'll be back soon." He gave him a small smile, before grabbing his coat. Tony glanced up, and Steve watched, lips parting as he waited.

"Thanks."

Clint turned, having not heard Tony actually talk since the whole incident. He paused and looked at Steve. Steve cocked his head, urging him to just talk normally to him.

"No problem," Clint said nervously. "So, I'll see you around, okay?"

But Tony said nothing.

Clint left with a mixture of happiness and disappointment. He wasn't used to the silence like Natasha and he was.

The progress was slow, almost literally at a stand still; but Tony was in there somewhere.

He took a seat next to him, looking at the blank genius before moving his hand across his fingers with a smile.

"How are you, today?" He asked casually, hoping for some kind of response each time. There wasn't one. "You look better now that Clint's shaved your beard."

Tony kept his eyes on the table, not really moving from it.

"How about we go out tomorrow?"

Steve gave a small sigh. Sometimes it chipped away at him more than he'd like to admit. He mulled over the Cat theory that Tony had said, the most words he'd stringed together and the most sense he's talked about since.

He didn't know what Tony meant by it though.

They sat in silence, before Steve moved to make them both hot chocolate. He knew Tony wouldn't touch it, but he always did it out of kindness. He gave them whipped cream, the works. He loved it in the coming colder months.

Placing one in front of Tony, he offered a short smile to the blank man. Steve turned to his own, scooping the cream with his finger and taking a small lick from it.

Steve had done this a few times, but usually with a spoon. He sort of just wanted to feel it. It took a few times before he noticed Tony watching him. Not him directly, but his finger.

Steve waggled it, moved it up and down, and sure enough Tony was watching it.

"Tony?" He asked, half not knowing what exactly to ask. "You should… Try it too." He offered a small smile to the genius. "It's good."

But Tony didn't look at his, he just watched Steve's finger.

It was weird for Steve, since Tony just stared blankly for the past 2 weeks and said very little, but here he was just watching him.

So Steve tried something.

He dipped his finger into his cream, and offered it to Tony.

The small coil of Tony's hands on the table, and a shy leaning forward motion almost caused Steve to stiffen and freeze. The billionaire slowly extended his tongue, and licked the cream from his fingers.

Steve felt a small confusion wash over him.

This was good progress, he was taking something offered by another person. But this was his finger – Maybe he should have tried a spoon first.

Tony lapped it up though, eyes staring low at it, and when he was done, he fell back to his seat.

Steve coughed, fingers sticky with remnants of cream and saliva. He gave a short blush, he didn't realize he was doing it, but it was a bizarre sensation.

Tony was looking at him now, still distant, expressionless and unmoving.

He coughed, Tony didn't know what he was doing. He shifted and stretched for a teaspoon from the counter. He took a small bit of cream from the others mug and onto the spoon, then held it out for him.

The billionaire didn't respond directly, but his eyes moved from the spoon, and back to Steve. The soldier merely gave a short smile, before taking the spoon and licking the cream himself, and then holding it out to him for the second time.

Tony then, slowly and cautiously let the spoon into his mouth, and wiped it clean with his lips.

Steve felt his heart swell into his chest.

"It's good, right?" he gave a smile, lowering the spoon and taking another swipe from Tony's hot chocolate. Sure enough, and with less hesitation; he took some.

Of course Steve was excited for this new development. It took them over two weeks to get to the stage where he trusted them enough to hand feed him. It was late into the evening now, and Steve just watched as Tony sat watching TV. Usually it was cartoons or some reality show, he only watched what you'd put on for him.

Steve chose carefully, not wanting to trigger anything that would cause the billionaire to slip back into his mind. He was slowly coming out, he could feel it; but they had to take their time – smaller than baby steps.

They both sat watching some 60-second news bulletin that came briefly between programs on that particular channel. Although the business with Pepper was something Steve completely disagreed with; SHIELD kept everything very tight-quiet, meaning Pepper's name wasn't dragged through the dirt by the press.

Tony had made it off the news recently. A lot of people talking about his condition which, of course, very select few knew. So the press had gone crazy with accusations but that all seemed to die down now. Sometimes, Steve thought, this world moved too fast. But for once he was thankful for it.

A late night cartoon came on, adult humor and all that. He chose comedy over anything else. Surround Tony with something positive. But he sat there, staring at the images but not really watching them.

Steve wondered what Tony was doing in there.

Dreaming? Thinking? Or was he really as blank as his face?

The form beside him shifted, which wasn't uncommon. Tony left for bed when he wanted, went to shower or use the bathroom when he wanted, so movement beside Steve wasn't rare. He gave a smile, turning his head to ask Tony if he was going to bed – of course he'd be answered with silence.

But the inventor's head pressed against his arm, and his eyes closed.

Steve froze, Tony hadn't physically touched anyone by himself in the past 2 weeks, and now here he was, leaning on his arm.

His hair was soft, gentle against the skin of his short-sleeved shirt, skin healing nicely. Soon it'll look like Tony wasn't captured at all.

"Tony?" he whispered.

"Yeah."

Steve didn't know what to say. When he spoke his name like that, he'd never got an answer before. He didn't want to alienate his advances, since this was Tony, Tony Stark coming back to him – or he thought that at least.

"Are you tired? Do you want to go to bed?"

"No. Stay."

And Steve's heart warmed.

"Sure."