I apologise for the lateness of this chapter. You may read it and find my style has either changed or is lacking. I suffered bad writers block throughout this chapter and I hope it picks up on more to come. Thanks for sticking around.
Tony was out of options.
It started out with the questions – which Tony told. It could all have been found on Wikipedia, so who really cares?
But he wanted more.
The pig kept questioning about his dad, his life, everything that when on behind closed doors.
Like hell.
"I had the average rich boy life," Tony shrugged with a smile. "There's nothing interesting apart from getting the newest tech early and my dad being busy."
"Did he hurt you?" The pig replied. He'd taken a custom where he'd sit down on the other side of the box room and stab a knife into the floor, twisting it as Tony spoke.
"No," Tony shrugged it off. "Sure we used to fight, but who didn't?"
"What about when he neglected you?" The pig spoke slowly. "What about when he only took an interest because you where smart?"
Tony didn't show anything – in his days (which he spent a considerable amount of time and money in Vegas) he'd developed quite the poker face. It took more for him to sweat from people threatening his life.
This pig knew more than he let on.
He was patient, waiting for Tony to give in and tell him everything.
But why? What was the point?
Tony couldn't quite place his finger on it.
"Why are you asking me all this?" Tony shuffled, crossing his arms. "Surely you know it all already."
"I like talking to you," The man lifted his head, shrugging with a sense of purpose. "I want to be the closest person you've ever spoken to. It's for your own good to confess these things, Mr. Stark."
"Why can't you just threaten to kill me and force me to make you some tech? Or a ransom?"
"Because that isn't the plan."
"And… What is?"
Sail
VIII
Emptied
What weird for Steve, was that Tony was a permanent part of his life now.
He'd sit and eat breakfast, follow him everywhere he went. Even if he went to the bathroom, Steve would have to tell him to either wait in his seat or the billionaire would follow him and sit outside the door patiently.
Steve had become the anchor for Tony to hold on to.
Steve never disappointed.
He would always taste test his meals, and it had gotten to the point in the last week where if Steve had cooked it, Tony would dig in without him having to check it. It was somewhat progress, but Bruce was still working on finding the 'trigger'.
A handful of days had turned up something, a crack in Tony's very elaborate plan; or more breadcrumbs for the Avengers to follow.
From what Steve could exactly gather from all this, was what Tony was now was self-inflicted. How or why wasn't exactly the issue right now, Tony was made a prisoner in his own mind to save it.
Like caging a bird and restricting it to fly when it's wing had been broken.
According to Bruce, Tony can get out of it. He just needs something called a 'trigger'. Something that will snap the walls down and bring Tony out of it.
But that would also bring the hours upon hours of torture he may have endured.
He didn't like that. It seemed to save Tony; they'd have to hurt him.
The snow was constant now. Falling through the night creating large mounds of snow to be pushed aside the street. Steve didn't really mind the snow all that much, he kind of wanted to have a snowball fight like he'd seen the kids play in the street.
Tony was just putting on his coat, slowly buttoning up and looking to Steve, almost waiting for more orders with what to do. Steve turned, brushing some hair from his face and straightening out the collars, tucking a warm scarf in there.
Steve's plan was to get him out as much as he could; cooping him up inside was never good, even for a more… Aware person.
"You ready to go for a walk in the snow?" He asked rather casually.
"Yes."
"Hey Tony," Tony lifted his head at his name. "Do you want to hang out with anyone else?"
"No."
Steve gave a short smile, ruffling the collar and tucking Tony in as best as he could.
"What about Bruce?"
Tony went quiet for a moment, his eyes shifting down. Tony's hand extended to Steve's arm and the billionaire pressed his head against Steve's shoulder.
"Just us."
Steve felt smug whilst he tightened the coat around Tony's neck. The thick black coat with a fluffy red scarf tucking the heat into the genius' body; Steve was satisfied with how well Tony was wrapped up. Just them.
Steve pushed on some gloves to Tony's fingers, before tightening his own. Now both thoroughly wrapped up; Steve smiled at Tony, cocking his head and beckoning the genius to follow. He did.
"Do you like the snow, Tony?"
"It's okay."
"Really? You know, I thought I hated it for a while, with the way circumstances are."
Steve turned on his heel, walking from the tower with Tony close by his side. Normality dictated that employees would greet Tony, and were only met with either a quiet nod or just a blank stare. No one questioned it anymore.
The cold air hit them both hard, Steve even shuddering as Tony just stood still, as if he couldn't feel it, as if he wasn't there.
"Are you warm enough, Tony?"
"Yes."
Steve knew Tony had these days. Days were he wouldn't talk so much. He tucked his hands into his pockets as Tony walked close to his side, pressing into the streets of early Christmas shoppers rustling the streets with busy business men on their late lunch breaks. The streets were busy; Christmas lights being put up by neighborhoods and stores. It was beginning to feel more like Christmas every day now.
Steve wondered if Tony would be Tony by Christmas.
Steve had no real destination today. Tony had been cooped up with either questions from SHIELD or with hot chocolate and movies. He figured today might be better to just get some air before they either get snowed in or Tony wouldn't want to go out anymore.
"Where do you want to go today?"
"The park."
Steve looked at the billionaire, who looked at him back. In all honesty, he wasn't expecting Tony to just answer outright. It brought a smile to Steve's face as he cut corners on a street, changing their path to the park itself and half grasping Tony's forearm to keep him close within the crowd. It took a handful of minutes for them both to get there. Décor had begun to show, thick steam from small vendors selling Christmas styled hot-cakes, coffee and even one vendor tried selling Christmas hot dogs.
Steve figured he'd get something for Tony on the way back.
The lake within Central Park was being prepped and tested for future ice skating events. Crowds of people testing it, standing as ice formed over the surface in thick globs around the outer rim. It seemed unsafe for now; so signs were placed to warn people thinking about skating itself.
"Do you know what you want for Christmas, Tony?" Steve asked, a smile still apparent on his face. "Have you thought about it?"
Tony stared blankly at the frozen over lake, breath appearing in short bursts before him. He didn't say anything.
Steve's eyes softened with a sense of saddened despair. He wanted Tony to answer him more, open up that little bit each day, then he'd start cracking jokes and Tony would be back before he knew it. But he was silent and Steve feared he was regressing. He instead glanced down to the snow clustered at their feet. Steve scooped some up, pulled back his arm and threw it.
With a loud splat, it hit quite far into the lake, half cracking on the thin sheet of ice that covered the middle. Steve repeated this motion another time before turning to the genius, who simply watched him.
"Want to try?" Steve asked, scooping up some snow and molding it in his hands. "Come on. Give it a go." He took Tony's wrist, placing the snowball in his hands and waited. Tony looked down to it, before lifting his eyes to Steve as if he didn't have any idea what this meant, why he should or even what it was.
"Just throw it. Throw it as hard as you can."
Tony's brows knitted upwards, as if confused as to why. He lifted his hand and propelled it into the air. It didn't go far, landing on a thicker patch of ice with a satisfying sound. Steve bent down, picked another handful of snow up; shaped it and handed it to Tony.
"Again."
Tony did, this time it went further. Steve repeated this, each time Tony's throw getting stronger, faster before he turned Tony by his shoulders and looked at him so intently, even Tony's eyes searched his out of sheer surprise.
"Do you know why I made you throw those snowballs, Tony?" Tony didn't answer, just looked at him, body tense from Steve's sudden turning. "It's because sometimes… You need a release." He moved his hand into the dampening locks of brunette and simply stroked down to is face as if Tony was the most fragile thing in the world.
"Whatever this is, Tony. Whatever is keeping you from me; I need you to let go, okay?"
Steve found himself welling up inside. This whole thing was taking it's toll. The smiles, the one-sided conversations and the distinct lack of Tony in his life, when he was neither here nor there, like the cat. That damned cat.
"Tony, keep throwing those snowballs. Whatever it is that's stopping you talking to me. Just throw them, get angry, throw harder just… Just come back, okay?"
Steve was met with nothing but a stare. Tony just looked at him, lips slightly parting and his whole body tense. Steve quite suddenly let go, not wanting to hurt him, scare him with his own desperation.
That was stupid, Steve. Stupid.
He moved his palm to his forehead and tried to calm himself. He felt himself upset for the first time, his eyes threatening to well up and he felt like crying. He shouldn't. Tony was getting better, slowly but surely. But Steve was scared.
Scared Tony would never come back fully. Never be the same. Never talk, never tease, never smile again.
He took in slow breaths, letting the cold air fill his lungs and release.
Splat.
Steve lifted his head quite suddenly at the sound, noting Tony bending down, scooping up snow and shaping it and throwing it. He threw it far, before repeating his motions over and over. Tony got to about the 6th snowball when Steve outstretched his hand, stopping Tony from throwing the 7th.
Then he saw it.
Tony's eyes were red. His eyes watering to an extent those thick tears were falling down his cheeks. Steve felt his heart drop. Did he do this? Did he scare Tony?
"Tony…" The billionaire was pushed into his chest. Steve embraced him tightly, and he felt Tony's shoulders jerk. Tony was quiet, he didn't let out any sounds. He just cried.
Steve wondered if this was something that Tony did. Cry quietly on his own, to drink alone in a saddened silence. How often had Tony done this? How often had he done this with his kidnappers? Fingers curled against Steve's jacket and Tony remained hidden between their thick layers of clothing, holding onto him and just crying. Letting go.
He just hoped to God it was a break through.
Hoped to God he was one more step closer to getting him back.