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Being a Stark [Superfamily]

Chapter 23

The Avengers stay quiet while Ross starts talking about a heart-attack that he suffered five years ago.

Of course, the mood isn’t that great to begin with. With the destruction in Lagos still fresh on their minds, everybody inside of the compound ends up being a bit gloomy. Even with the people who haven’t been present for the battle, it seems to rub off on them.

Tony, sitting in the back since he’s no longer really an Avenger, keeps his eyes on everybody in the room. He notices Rhodey, who is facing Ross completely, with his left elbow leaning on the table as he listels intently. He’s always been good at these type of things; briefings and debriefings. He can keep concentrated on all the boring stuff that is usually said. Right now, he seems in his element, despite the uneasiness that is easily read off him.

In front of him sits Wanda; she’s still looking pale, sitting close to a man she’s never met in her life. Tony wonders if she knows the crap this man has pulled towards Bruce, but he figures she doesn’t. Nobody in this room really seems to be aware of it; Bruce never spoke of it, and Tony never mentioned it before. In truth, when he learned that the one and only Thunderbolt Ross ended up being Secretary of State, he’d been a bit surprised.

Wanda has her arms crossed, almost looking like she’s dreaming away. The same can’t be said from Vision next to her, who looks attentive as always; unmoving. Wearing civilian clothes, with his right hand flat on the table, he almost looks human. That, of course, aside of the fact that he’s not breathing nor really showing anything close to emotion. Tony decides not to give him too much thought, instead turning his gaze towards Sam Wilson, who is seated next to him.

Sam, who is a soldier much like Rhodey, seems just as interested about this like him. Tony can’t see his face, but the way he’s not fidgeting around is indication enough to Tony that he’s paying close attention. When Ross starts to talk about what the world owes to the Avengers, he shifts a bit in his seat, giving Steve a short glance before turning back to Ross. Clint, on the head of the table, seems about ready to fall asleep. Tony can’t see his face, but he’s pretty sure he’s already gone.

“You have fought for us, protected us, risked your lives…,” Ross continues in his speech, and that’s when Tony sees Natasha move a little bit in her seat. She’s next to Rhodey, with her arms both underneath the table and her back straight, looking ever much like the ballerina she was trained to be in between learning to become an assassin. “But while a great many people see you as heroes, there are some that would prefer the word vigilanties.”

Ross is being theatrical, Tony notes. He leaves too long pauses in his words, giving all the members of the Avengers a deep, serious look that clearly indicates ‘I’m not messing around here’. That’s probably the reason why everybody is staying quiet, even though nobody in this room should even be scared of the man in front of him.

It’s Natasha who breaks the Avenger’s silence.

“What word would you use, Mr. Secretary?” she asks. Even from how she speaks, Tony can hear the slight smile on her face. Rhodey lowers his head for a bit before stretching his neck. Vision lifts his hand up to his chin to rub his skin in a strangely human gesture.

“How about dangerous?” Ross counters. Wanda tilts her head to the side, Vision lowers his hand again. A sudden uncomfortable vibe goes through all of the Avengers at the mention of it, with the happenings in Lagos still too recent to really be discussed openly. And as Ross starts to go on about a group of enhanced people traveling everywhere while ignoring the rules of foreign borders, Steve finally starts moving. Tony sees him turning his head to the left to share a look with Sam. From the way his shoulders are tensed up, it’s clear that he’s feeling everything but comfortable. That tension doesn’t leave when Ross moves to the side to start up the screen behind him. Immediately, a map is shown.

Images of New York are shown; the Hulk causing rampage as he takes out a few chitauri. That’s when Rhodey looks away, turning his gaze to Natasha, who is still unmoving. After New York, there’s images of Washington, the helicariers. People drowning because of the flood created by the crashing ships. Now it’s Sam and Vision’s turn to look down.

Next, there’s Sokovia; the city floating in the sky, buildings falling down. It’s a clear indication of Wanda’s strength to see her looking on as she sees her hometown being destroyed.

The thing that does her is Lagos. Even Tony looks away when Steve takes the wheel.

“Okay, that’s enough,” he warns Ross, who nods at his colleague. He starts talking again, explaining how the government no longer wants them to operate just like that. When the other man hands him a thick book, Tony figures that must be what these supposed ‘accords’ are all about. Handing the book towards Wanda, Ross calls them the ‘Sokovia Accords’, which, Tony thinks, is probably the crappiest name they could have chosen, but he doesn’t mention it at all.

Wanda doesn’t open the book, instead handing it to Rhodey who gestures at her to give it to him. Tony stays away, noticing how Steve stays unmoving, eyes pointed towards the book on the table like it’s going to attack them.

Natasha seems to be deep in thought as Ross explains what exactly the accords are about. With her hands now finally on the table, Tony can see she’s crossed her fingers, leaning forward on the table. Sam once again shifts uncomfortably.

Steve tries to make a point. Ross doesn’t take it, countering the statement with the question as to where Thor and Bruce are. No answer comes from the team; a heavy silence at the mention of their friends who are still missing since the Ultron disaster.

In three days, there’s a meeting in Vienna. Upon that fact, Steve finally turns towards Tony, who immediately lowers his gaze. He almost knows Steve isn’t happy with the sudden guest he brought along, but to Tony’s defense, he didn’t really know himself what this was about.

Not that he disagrees with it, though.

When he looks back up to meet Steve’s gaze, he gives him a pleading look. ‘Please don’t be mad at me,’ it says. ‘Don’t hold it against me.’

His heart breaks a little bit when Steve turns away again without response. As soon as Ross leaves with the warning that, if they don’t agree, they’ll retire, everybody gets up again, and Steve is the first one to leave the room, grabbing the book and taking it along with him.

As it turns out, ‘thinking it over’ is mostly just Rhodey and Sam arguing about it while Steve is on the couch, reading the accords in that super-speed tempo of his. And as the argument lasts for almost twenty minutes, Tony finds himself lying back on the couch with his hand covering his face.

This is agony. Tony rolls his eyes when Sam brings up another argument against it. Even Vision coming in between them with his ‘equation’ doesn’t seem to help the argument, instead making it even worse when Steve finally engages in it as well.

“Tony,” Natasha suddenly calls out to get his attention, and Tony pulls the hand away from his face, keeping his eyes on the calm super-assassin in front of him. “You’re being uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal?”

As Tony opens up his mouth, it’s Steve who interrupts him.

“That’s because he’s already made up his mind,” he says, voice low and dry. Something pulls inside of Tony’s chest, but he decides to ignore it for now.

“Boy, you know me so well,” Tony snaps back, pushing himself off the couch with a grunt. “Actually I’m nursing an electromagnetic headache.”

He can only just see Natasha smirk at him when he walks towards the kitchenette to get himself a cup of coffee.

“That’s what’s going on here, honey; just pain and discomfort,” Tony adds in irritation. He can only hear Sam in the background mutter something about ‘guess how that happened’ towards Rhodey before there’s another snort. “Who’s putting coffee rounds into the disposal? Am I running a Bed & Breakfast for a Biker gang?”

Everybody stays quiet, obviously knowing not to make anymore smart remarks. That’s when Tony pulls up his phone, and brings up the research he did in the past couple of days since the MIT-presentation. Immediately, a picture of a laughing Charles Spencer comes up.

And as he tells them what he found, everybody stays quiet. The mention of Sokovia does that to them, more often than not. Grabbing a painkiller for his head and taking it with his coffee, Tony explains what his point of view is on this.

Of course, Steve doesn’t agree, twisting every word he says and countering them with his point of view. That’s pretty much the punchline of their relationship, isn’t it?

The argument is cut short, eventually, when both Steve and Tony’s phone start ringing. Having gotten a message from George Souza.

As it turns out, this is an argument they’ll need to finish on another day.

Peter knows he’s the one who asked to join them. He heard about the funeral, and immediately felt like he has to be there as well. But no matter how many funerals he’s been to, it seems like nobody ever really gets used to it.

Traveling to London by a private plane, they arrive there only just in time for the funeral. They’re all immensely jetlagged, and nobody’s really ready to have a serious – or not-serious, for that matter – conversation. The first thing they do when they land is to take a cab, and head towards the church it’s happening.

Peter doesn’t ask questions when Steve doesn’t come to sit with them. The pair have had fights before. Small ones, but also big, nasty ones. In a way, it's actually surprising that they can stay together after all that shouting all the time, though Peter is glad they are, because despite that they're good for each other. Tony and Peter have taken place somewhere on the second row. On the first row, Peter can see Sam, with one empty seat next to him. He supposes that’s where Steve’ll be, though Peter has no idea where he is.

It’s clear, though, when he spots him carrying the coffin along with the other few family members. In the past two months, Peter has been introduced to Peggy’s children and grandchildren. He recognizes her son, Michael, along with her grandson George. Who-ever is walking on the other side, though, Peter can’t really see. But that doesn’t matter, because all he can seem to focus on is Steve, with red eyes looking like he’s trying everything he can to keep himself from crying.

And even though Peter had only met Peggy a few times, he can’t help but feel a few tears roll off his cheeks as well. Grabbing Tony’s hand, he tries to find comfort, only to realize that Tony is in need of it as well.

Steve sits down next to Sam on the front row. The priest starts talking, but all Peter can think about is his father next to him, at the verge of tears but unmoving to say the least. The thought came to him that it’s a bit of a dick move of Steve to sit away from him, but Peter quickly counters that thought; he’s heartbroken as well. Both are grieving about her passing. They’ll probably need a little bit of time.

After a speech from Peggy’s oldest son, granddaughter and then her grand-niece, everybody seems to be moving outside again to watch the burial. Once again, Steve and Sam stay away from them, and Peter stays close to Tony as they watch his Aunty Peg being buried under the ground next to her late husband.

It’s Sharon Carter, the grand-niece, who comes to them first. Not really knowing anything about Peter, she gives him a short nod before grabbing Tony and pulling him into a strong hug. Tony, who has been composed for the entire ceremony, ends up letting out a few tears against her shoulder as the emotions suddenly get the better of him.

“I’m sorry, Tony,” Sharon says, meaning it. “I know how much she meant to you.”

“Thank you, Sharon,” Tony mutters against her shoulder. Then, he pulls back, putting his hand on Peter’s shoulder while using the other one to rub the tears away from his face. “This, uh… this is my son, Peter.”

Sharon’s eyes widen in surprise before she turns to look at Peter with a mouth fallen open. As she inspects him, she seems to be seeing the similarities in his face. Then, without saying anything, she pulls Peter into her arms as well, hugging him strongly.

“I’m sorry to meet you like this, Peter,” she says quietly. Peter huffs out a short breath and nods at her as soon as she pulls away. “I’m Sharon, I’m sort of a niece of Tony’s.”

“Cousin,” Tony counters, just a little bit playfully. Sharon smirks at him, but only faintly.

“You’re old enough to be my uncle,” she counters, poking him in the shoulder. Then, looking over his shoulder, her face falls again. “I, uh… I didn’t know you would bring Captain Rogers?”

Tony turns, seeing Steve and Sam talking to George and Michael and shaking their hands. Peter sees immediately that the slight lowering of Tony’s shoulder comes undone the moment he sees his partner standing there, so close but still far away.

“Oh, uh, yes,” Tony mutters. It’s then that Peter realizes that Sharon doesn’t know about Steve and Tony. Peggy didn’t know, either. He wonders if anybody knows, other than the Avengers?

And then he realizes why the two have taken separate places. Is it possible that… Steve… is ashamed to be seen with a man? Peter knows it’s been an issue a few months back when they first went to visit Peggy in the home.

“I’ll go talk to him. But I’m glad you came, Tony,” Sharon says, quickly giving Tony a kiss on the cheek before turning to Peter. “And we’ll talk again, soon. I want to know everything about you.”

After getting a kiss of his own, Sharon walks off towards where Steve and Sam are standing and Peter tries desperately to get a look of recognition from Steve. It’s hopeless, though, when Steve doesn’t even turn around to see him.

“Come on, Peter. I’ll introduce you to a few other members of the family.”

And Peter nods. He’s never against meeting new people Tony considers family.

Steve doesn’t stay for the reception afterwards. It’s only Peter and Tony who are there, though Peter is sure he saw a glimpse of Natasha somewhere. There’s a dinner, and lots of talk about good memories with Peggy. When asked about Peter, Tony explains to everybody how exactly Peter came back into his life, and everybody seems to be adoring him.

Peter doesn’t know why; he’s an outsider, nobody they know. How is it that they take him in so easily?

It’s George’s own son Freddy – a kid that’s maybe ten years old – who gives Peter enough explanation; he’s something new, a fresh face, new stories. And given that he’s Tony’s own flesh and blood, that makes him family, as well. Freddy seems to have taken an immediate liking to Peter and sticks to him almost the entire time. Despite the sad atmosphere that still seems to be taking in the room, the children find a good playmate in Peter, and they practically kidnap him for the upcoming two hours.

By the time evening falls, Tony announces that they’ll be leaving again. Peter says goodbye to everybody, promising to stay in touch with everybody and exchanging out phone numbers and Facebook profiles, until a cab arrives to drive them back to the airport, where Tony’s private jet is waiting for them. Steve and Sam aren’t there to meet up with them. Peter figures it’s useless to ask questions.

They don’t even get a day before Tony is called away again. Only barely caught up on sleep, he comes with the news that he’s called away to Berlin. When Peter asks what’s up, all Tony does it put up the TV where a news channel is showing a live feed of something happening in Vienna.

A bombing during a meeting that would discuss something called ‘the accords’. A camera shows images of the wreckage that was once the building. He can see another glimpse of Natasha in the back, talking to somebody in a suit, who turns out to be the crown prince of Wakanda.

Wow…

“Dad, what are the ‘accords’?” Peter asks, shouting it into the hallway. He knows Tony is still in his room, preparing a suitcase that he would bring along. That means that he won’t be back soon.

“I don’t really have time to explain. Ask FRIDAY and she’ll tell you everything,” Tony shouts back. Peter sighs and shuts the TV down again just as they were to announce the possible killer. He doesn’t really want to know; it’s not his battle.

“Is Steve there, then?” he tries then, not having mentioned the man since London. Tony stays quiet for a long time. “Dad?”

“I sure hope for him he’s not,” Tony answers, carrying his suitcase along with him. Peter didn’t expect him suddenly showing up in the room, so he startles a bit at how near he suddenly is. He quickly turns around in the couch to face Tony, seeing him run up to the kitchenette to get himself another cup of coffee. “Shit what I would do for a scotch.”

Oh, if Tony wants to drink, that means that he’s having a hard time again. Peter gets up from the couch and nears the man standing there. Tony doesn’t notice Peter’s moving, so when the teenager wraps his arms around him in a strong hug, he startles a little bit.

“He’ll be back, and you’ll be fine,” Peter assures him. Tony huffs out a small laugh.

“He loves me,” he mutters back. Peter’s eyes open for a second, but then he closes them again.

“Are you really surprised about that?” he asks. Tony sighs before turning around to look back at Peter. When the man puts his hands on Peter’s shoulder, he gives him a long stare.

“You promise you’ll be good, here? No forbidden drunken parties or anything?”

Peter smiles.

“I can’t make such promises,” he jokes, getting a hand through his hair in return. Then Tony pulls away, dragging his suitcase along and hurrying towards the elevator. With one last wave at Peter, he walks out of the penthouse. Peter thinks about going back to Queens then, instead, but then decides not to do it. Aunt May is working her night shifts anyway, so either way he’s home alone.

So instead he goes to sleep early. Can’t do anything wrong with that, right?








Tony thanks his photographic memory for knowing his way around in this place. After just one short tour from a guy called Everett Ross – no relation – he’s mostly just been left to do his business, which Tony is still unclear of what that exactly is supposed to be, as he’s waiting for his phone call he’s sure he’s about to get.

Being given an office of his own, Tony sits down at his desk and watches the security footages of Barnes being locked up in some sort of isolation chamber. In Tony’s experience, he knows that won’t really hold him if he really wants to get out, but he’s not really feeling like starting to explain that crap to them. They wouldn’t understand, either way.

He’s been in Berlin for three days almost. When he arrived here, he learned about the troops that were sent to Bucharest. When he woke up the next morning, he heard that Rhodey got the pleasure of arresting not only Barnes, but also Wilson, the Prince of Wakanda and Steve. And if that just doesn’t feel wrong in every possible way, Tony doesn’t really know…

His ear has been against a phone almost all day when Steve was brought in; mostly Tony talking to the guys on top to keep Steve and the others a clear name. He even dared to bring up Barnes, but he’s got no high hopes for his fate.

When he wasn’t phoning with some important chief, he took a few minutes to call up Peter. It had been good to hear his voice, find something familiar in this group of people where he knows absolutely nobody. Sure, Natasha is here, but when have they ever been friendly, really? The only sympathy she’s shown him is when he was just about to get dumped, giving him cryptic messages about the both of them being fools when it comes to love.

Back then, Tony had thought she meant Banner. Now, though, Tony isn’t so sure anymore that’s what she was on about.

But eventually, Peter had to hang up again, and Tony was pulled back into the world that is reality. With his phone ringing again, Tony sighs and picks up, eyes still planted on Barnes, who shows little to no resistance at all, it almost feels like all that containment is just overkill. He startles when Natasha is suddenly standing next to him, staring intensely at the screen.

“Jezus,” Tony mutters out. Before Natasha can respond, Tony picks up the phone. “Thaddy, what can I do for you, my man?”

A sigh comes from the other side of the line. Thaddeus Ross has since long given up on getting Tony not to call him that.

“I have news. The council has agreed to clear their names only in one condition,” Ross says. Tony rubs his forehead.

“Let me guess; you want them to sign?” he asks. Natasha doesn’t speak up, but she does put a hand on Tony’s shoulder in support, which is actually kind of strange but not entirely unwelcome. Tony tilts his head to the side almost out of reflex.

“If they do, no charges will be held against them, and they’ll even transport Barnes to a psychiatric center,” Ross gives him. Tony has to admit that it’s not too bad of a deal, but still…

“You know he'll probably see it as blackmail, right?” he asks. He’s knows because Steve isn't thinking clearly, obviously. He'll get defensive, and twist his words, and the actual point will be lost probably. He can already sense the argument coming up...

“It’s all we can offer them,” Ross responds. Then he hangs up the phone, and Tony hears nothing more than a beeping sound. Eventually, he lowers the phone and lets out another long sigh. Natasha squeezes his shoulder in response.

“If we play our cards right, we’ll all get through this unscathed,” Natasha assures him. Tony nods, but only slightly.

“You came to the funeral, didn’t you?” Tony asks. “I saw you, despite the fact that you wanted to make us think you weren’t there.”

Natasha sighs.

“I felt like I needed to look after you two,” she admits, crossing her arms together. “I noticed a strong lack of you by his side?”

Tony huffs out a breath. Yeah, that’s just putting it mildly. There’s so much he wants to tell her right now. He asked me to stay away. He’s still ashamed of being with me. He loves me, but clearly not enough to be seen with me.

He doesn’t speak up, and that seems to be enough for Natasha to make her conclusion.

“Oh, Tony. I didn’t know it was still an issue?” she asks. She puts her hand back on his shoulder and pulls him close until he’s leaning against her side. The hug is weird and mostly one-sided, but it feels good in a way, too.

“I think it’ll always be an issue,” Tony admits sadly. “All I can do is give him space when we’re in public. But, Nat, if I didn’t have Peter with me at the funeral… I don’t know how I would have gotten through it.”

Natasha hums out as she passes her hand through Tony’s hair in a comforting way, reminding him a bit of how his mother used to try and make him feel better. It’s soothing, and even manages to give him a small smile, though on the inside he feels like he’s still just breaking apart.

“Listen to me, being sentimental. I've had fights with Steve before since we're together. What’s going on with me?” Tony asks in confusion, passing a hand over his eyes.

“Sometimes it helps to share with friends,” Natasha offers.

“Are we friends?” Tony asks, not ever having gotten the vibe from Romanoff that they are even supposed to be friendly to each other.

“I’d like to think we are, yes,” Natasha says, smiling at him before pulling away again. “If you’ll have me?”

Tony smiles back, and then nods at her.

“Alright,” he says. Then he stands up. “Alright, now I’ll have to face my- uh- Steve…”

“Your boyfriend?” Natasha offers. Tony gives her a glare.

“I hate that word,” he mutters, getting him a snort from Natasha.

“Tough, since that’s what you two are. It’s what happen when two men are in a relationship; they become boyfriends.”

“Urgh, shut up,” Tony groans, walking towards the door before stopping himself. Then he hurries back to his desk, grabbing the small, long box, and brings it with him as he exits the room. Natasha watches him as he disappears, but she doesn’t say anything more.

When he gets to the room where Steve is being held, he finds the man looking at the same images Tony had been looking at back at his desk. On the screen on the top left, Bucky is still seated in his new cage. Steve has his hands stuck in the pockets of his pants, probably trying to keep himself from starting to throw punches.

He turns around the moment he hears Tony arrive, face softening only a little bit but immediately coming back to its stoic expression.

“My god, one wouldn’t say we’ve been dating for the past three and a half months by the look you’re giving me here,” Tony jokes, though it doesn’t help with the clenching inside of his heart. Has it only been three and a half? Tony would like to think they’re together for longer than that… Then he holds up the box. “Do you want to see something cool? I pulled it from dad’s archives a little while back.”

Steve sits down just as Tony opens up the box, showing the two historical pens Howard somehow got his hands on. The moment Tony had found it, he thought about showing it to Steve. Of course, with Steve mostly away on missions, Tony kind of forgot about it until he found it again right before he left.

“FDR signed the Lend-Lease bill with these in 1941. Provided support to the Allies when they needed it most,” Tony explains, feeling slightly proud that he’s found this. Steve smiles only slightly when he looks at it, fingers obviously itching to touch it but holding himself back.

“Some would say it brought our country closer to war,” Steve states. Tony lets out a deep breath and looks at the ceiling. Don’t say something smart. Don’t be a jackass.

“Honey, if not for these, you wouldn’t be here,” Tony counters. “I’m trying to… what do you call it? That’s an olive branch. Is that what you call it?” He sits down on a chair, a good distance away from Steve, but still close enough to be able to touch him if he would just reach out. He forces a smile on his lips, but he doesn’t really mean it, feeling his chest ache from everywhere just by looking at Steve.

“Is Peter here? I can’t imagine he would have wanted to miss coming here?” Steve asks instead, guiding the conversation a whole other way.

“Peter’s… catching up sleep from England. And… I’m purposely keeping him away from this. It’ll be too much stress for him,” Tony explains, and Steve nods in understanding.

“It must have been hard on him, the funeral?” Steve asks then. Tony huffs out a breath, feeling like he’s about to just start bursting out in laughter.

“You would have known had you spoken to him,” Tony answers before he can think better of it. A small part of him tells him he should keep it down, not anger Steve further. But the other part wants to defend his son, make it clear to this idiot in front of him that Peter should come first for both of them. Especially if Steve wants to keep pretending to be like a second father to him.

“It wasn’t that easy, Tony,” Steve starts, but Tony shakes his head.

“No, you just didn’t want to be seen with me. And, okay, that hurts, but I can live with that for now. But Peter shouldn’t have to suffer for your complexes, Steve.”

“Tony, I just lost Peggy. I didn’t really think-“

“And I just lost my Aunt. The only person that was still alive who used to look after me when no-one else would. The person I introduced Peter to, because I wanted them to bond. And only when he just got her, he lost her again.”

“We’ve all lost people,” Steve counters sadly. Tony then shakes his head and turns his gaze to the side, suddenly unable to look at Steve. That hypocrite.

“He’s seventeen. He shouldn’t have lost all the people he already has,” Tony answers.

Steve stays quiet. It’s probably the best decision he’s made in these past few days.

“Sometimes I think we’re just doomed to be constantly misunderstanding each other,” Tony then admits. “You do something, I don’t agree. I do something, you don’t agree. It’s been like this for a few months now… What are we doing here, Steve?”

“It’s never supposed to be easy, Tony. These things require work,” Steve tries to defend their relationship. Tony just shakes his head.

“Work… yeah… You got any idea how long it’ll be until you actually want to be seen with me in public?”

“We go dancing?” Steve counters. Tony throws his hands in the air.

“Under disguises, Steve. Everything we do, it’s undercover. People don’t recognize us.”

“Tony, is this really the right time for this?”

And Tony then stops, standing back up to get as much distance between the two of them as he can. With a hand passing over his chin, he nods.

“I guess you’re right,” Tony admits. He picks up his jacket, suddenly feeling too naked, cold. He puts it on without looking at Steve.

“Tony, I didn’t mean to make things difficult. With Bucky…”

“I know, because you’re a very polite person,” Tony counters sarcastically. With his back still pointed towards Steve, he has no idea what his reaction to that is.

“If I see a situation pointed south… I can’t ignore it,” Steve then says. He’s still sitting on his chair, unmoved. “Sometimes I wish I could.”

Tony then finally turns around again, feeling like he’s glaring right at Steve, but not caring about it.

“No, you don’t,” he counters, knowing Steve better than that. And then, Steve has the nerves to actually smirk, and Tony has to do everything in his power to keep his fists to himself.

“No, I don’t,” Steve admits. “Sometimes-“

“Sometimes I wanna punch you in your perfect teeth,” Tony admits his frustration, actually meaning every word of it surprisingly enough. “But I don’t want to see you gone. We need you, Peter needs you. I need you. And so far, nothing’s happened that can’t be undone if you sign.”

Tony points at the official piece of paper that he kept on the table, knowing that either Steve hadn’t noticed it before, or just simply didn’t care about it. All he gets is a pensive thought from Steve, who then lowers his head.

“We can make the last 24 hours legit. Barnes gets transferred to an American psych-center instead of a Wakandan prison.”

A small glimmer of hope goes through Tony when Steve picks up one of the pens. Finally, Steve stands up, making a few steps before turning back to Tony.

“I’m not saying it’s impossible, but there would have to be safeguards,” he admits at last. Tony can feel his heart actually jump at that, and he can’t help his sudden enthusiasm. Maybe things don’t have to be so bad between them. Maybe they’ll actually see eye-to-eye.

“Sure. Once we put out the PR fire, those documents can be amended,” Tony says hastily. “I’d file a motion to have you, Wilson and Wanda reinstated-“

“Wanda? What about Wanda?” Steve asks in confusion, and Tony thought Steve knew. But of course they haven’t been in contact, and all Tony has done is getting phone calls and answering them. Of course Steve doesn’t know about what instructions Tony got when it came to Wanda.

“She’s fine,” he quickly assures him. “She’s confined to the compound, currently. Vision and Peter are keeping her company.” And to be honest, that’s her best-case scenario in any way. It was either this, or having her in custody, which Tony surely wouldn’t have wanted for her.

“Oh, God, Tony! Every time!” Steve groans in frustration, walking away from Tony in annoyance. “Every time I think you see things the right way…”

“Honey, it’s a 100 acres with a lap pool, a screening room… There’s worse ways to protect people!” Tony counters immediately, not stopping his defensive tone.

“Protection? That’s how you see this?” Steve almost shouts at him. “This is protection? It’s internment, Tony!”

“And it’s not like you ever bothered to make her a legal US citizen, Steve.”

“Oh, come on, Tony!”

“Not like it matters right now since they don’t want to grant visas to weapons of mass destruction.”

“She’s a kid!” Steve shouts.

“GIVE ME A BREAK!” Tony shouts even harder, startling even Steve. Take deep breaths, ignore the stinging in your eyes. Don’t put your hand on your scar – Steve will notice immediately that you’re not fine. He doesn’t deserve to know. “I’m doing what has to be done to stave off something worse.”

Because he’s heard what the people want. He knows the compromises he’s getting from them. Knows what would happen if he wouldn’t fight for his former team.

But Steve doesn’t buy it. “You keep telling yourself that,” he says, and he drops the pen back down, giving Tony another glare. “Hate to break up the set.”

“Did you mean it?” he then asks quietly right before Steve can walk away. The super soldier stops in his tracks before turning around, eyes full of confusion. “When you told me you love me. Did you mean it?”

And Tony can see immediately when Steve feels the same heartbreak Tony’s feeling right now. Take that, you bastard.

“How can you even ask that?” Steve asks, voice breaking a bit.

“I ask because people who love each other talk, yet all we seem to do lately is shout.”

Steve stays quiet when Tony gets up and closes up the space between them. When he’s standing right next to him, Tony takes Steve’s hand into his own.

“Why don’t you talk to me, Steve?” he asks, not hiding the pain in his voice. He doesn’t care if others can see them, doesn’t care what they’d think. All that matters right now is Steve; making things right. Working on it, like Steve said.

But Steve doesn’t answer, instead shakes his head and pulls away from Tony, leaving the room at last.

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