Archive of Our Own

“Thank you, Mr. Stark. You heard it here first, world. Stark Industries will be shut down indefinitely for ‘confidential reasons’, as CEO Tony Stark put it just moments ago.”

It was all over the news and, yet, none of the profits dropped. The CEO of Stark Industries, Tony Stark, had decided he’d had enough of manufacturing weapons and destruction. He wanted to change things. His father had started it with the sole purpose of war. He wanted to be different from his father. He wanted to make things right. And so, he decided to shut down the company, give great compensation to all his workers, and start over. If he failed, he had more than enough money to try again, over and over, until he succeeded.

However, he was still Tony Stark. He was still widely known and there wasn’t a single time he went out when he didn’t get stopped, at least, once for a picture.

-

“Brock Rumlow has been slipping through our fingers for five years, we need someone on the inside,” the blond woman Tony had known his whole life said. Agent Pepper Potts was an old friend and high school romance. They hadn’t spoken in a few years, so Tony was quite surprised to hear she wanted to talk to him. “We know some of his workers frequent certain places in town. We need you on the inside to help us catch him and his people.”

Tony frowned, leaning against the wall, and looked at the woman in front of him. “Pep, are you asking me to infiltrate a mafia organisation and take it down from the inside?” he asked, tilting his head and bringing the cup to his lips. “And I thought you wanted to pick things up from where we left off…” he said, mixing a mocking and a dreamy tone.

Pepper raised an eyebrow. “You mean dumping me three weeks after college started because you weren’t interested in girls?” Tony put a hand on his chest and Pepper scoffed. “Are you helping us or not?” she asked, looking at him. “I know they’ll give you the job right away. You’re a weapons manufacturer- the biggest one in the country- and that will only bring them benefits,” she pointed out, watching Tony closely.

“How many people know about this guy?” he asked, looking at her. He didn’t want to get into something that would stain his reputation now that he was trying to fix it.

“Only the agents after him and his workers. It’s a respectable company from the outside.”

Tony bit his lip and downed his drink. He set the cup on the coffee table rather loudly and nodded. “I’ll see what I can do,” he said. “I’ll try to get in and get you as much information as I am able to, Ms. Potts.”

-

It’d been a few days since Stark Industries’ official shut down. It’d been nearly a week since Tony had nothing to do and… fuck, he was bored out of his mind already. He expected to have the company shut down for three months and then make the greatest comeback of the century. And he’d sworn off doing the most ridiculous shit, but it just- he had told Pepper he’d try to find out the stuff of that Rumlow guy, and, well, the opportunity seemed to fall from the sky.

It was early in the morning, and Tony was rarely out that early, but he craved a coffee. And not just a plain coffee, no. He craved one of those extremely ridiculous coffees he knew he could only get at a certain café on Thursdays between 6 and 10am. And he wanted that coffee more than anything right now.

He pushed the café door open and the sound of the bell at the entrance made all the customers fall silent for a moment as they all looked up curiously… those fucking nosy ass bitches. He paid no mind to that and just made his way to the counter, greeting his friend Rhodes, who owned the place. He ordered his unnecessarily complicated coffee and waited for it to be done so he could go home. That was his plan. However, the universe’s plan was a little different.

“Stark?”

Tony froze. He knew that voice too well to even double-check its owner in his mind. He turned with a smile, spitting the redhead right away. “Romanoff!” he said. He walked over and hugged her. “God, how long has it been?” he asked.

Natasha Romanoff had been working at Stark Industries for two years before she had to leave the country. He wasn’t sure why, but she was in a bit of a rush when she left.

“Three years, I think,” she said, smiling lightly. Rhodes called Tony’s name to give him his coffee and Tony turned back to Natasha. “How have you been? I heard you shut down the company.” She frowned. “Is everything alright? Do you need any help?” she asked. She and Tony had been really good friends for over 8 years.

Tony chuckled. “Oh, God, no,” he said, waving a hand in dismissal. “Everything’s great. I just want to change the image of the company a little bit,” he said.

Natasha sat back down and gestured for Tony to sit with her. She didn’t say anything, though, she just listened as Tony spoke.

“I am quite bored, though. I may get in the competition just to feel something.” He chuckled.

And, then, as if it had been methodically planned out, she spoke. “You can come work with me,” she suggested. “You can get the job just by being Tony Stark,” she said. “There are some really cool people working there, too. And the boss is pretty chill if you don’t get on his bad side.”

Tony tilted his head. “Who’s your boss? Do I know him?” he asked, looking at her curiously.

“Maybe you heard of him. Brock Rumlow.”

Tony tensed up for a moment. That had to be prepared. There was no way he was seeing Natasha for the first time in years and that she was working with Rumlow. There was no way a coincidence could be that perfectly timed.

“I’m in.”

-

It was merely a few hours later that Tony stood in front of a small building. Natasha had spoken to Rumlow after leaving the café and gotten him the job almost immediately. That place genuinely did not feel like a mafia headquarters, but Tony assumed that was what it was.

Inside he was met with a group of people working on several different things, making it look like a regular workplace. It almost felt wrong to refer to that as a mafia.

A man, taller than him, walked over when he noticed him walk in. He wore a brown suit and had back hair down to his shoulders. He had piercing green-ish blue eyes that watched him carefully as he walked closer. “Can I help you, sir?” he asked. Ah, British. Of course, he was polite.

Tony gave him a small smile and shoved his hands in his pockets. He wore a suit, but he was quite sure he could wear a rag and they’d still give him the job in the blink of an eye.

He held a hand out for the man to shake. “Tony Stark. I was offered a job,” he said as the man shook his hand. “I believe I’m in the right place. I have a meeting with… Rumlow, is it?” he asked.

The man nodded. “Yes, Natasha said to expect you,” he said. He glanced back at the end of the room and turned back to Tony. “I’m Loki, by the way.” He smiled at Tony. “I’ll take you to his office,” he offered.

Tony looked at him and smiled lightly, nodding a bit. “Thank you,” he said quietly, following him across the hall. He looked around, trying to figure out who wanted to be there and who was there against their will. He didn’t want any of the innocents to pay for Rumlow’s crimes.

They were both quiet as they made their way to an elevator door. That place almost reminded Tony of Stark Tower. That elevator definitely led directly to Rumlow. And he’d see his opponent so early on? It was unusual… something didn’t feel right to Tony, but he wasn’t going to say anything about that. He was there to work for the man or, at least, seem like it.

And then, all that anxiety and the feeling that none of it made sense just- disappeared.

As they reached the elevator, the doors opened and a man, several years younger than Tony, by the looks of it, walked out, almost bumping into them.

He had clearly been fixing his hair before the doors opened, judging by the way he’d immediately dropped his hands when he noticed the doors opened. He was flushed, which made it clear that he was quite pale. And those blue eyes… God, those blue eyes hid so many secrets but begged to let them out. The blue shirt he wore was a bit too tight on his arms and Tony couldn’t tear his gaze from that man’s biceps. Holy shi-

“Are you alright?” Loki suddenly asked. Tony blinked and looked away from the man for a moment. God, had he been staring?

He didn’t think that man could get any more breathtaking until he opened his mouth. “Yeah.” Tony’s breath hitched and he looked at him. The way he spoke… his voice was breathy yet raspy. Was that what his voice was like all the time? If so, Tony hoped both to see him every second of the day and not to at the same time.

Loki raised an eyebrow and a small smirk tugged at his lips, which went unnoticed by Tony as he was focused on… other things. “Is he alone?” he asked, getting Tony’s attention once again.

The man nodded and cleared his throat, seemingly more flushed than moments earlier. “He is now. I think he has a meeting soon, so you better hurry.” With that, and without flashing them so much as a smile, he turned and walked away.

Tony looked at him, watching as he left, which brought a frown to Loki’s features, but he decided to ignore those concerns for the time being. Surely a genius like Tony Stark would know better. “Shall we go, then?” he asked. He rolled his eyes when Tony’s gaze stayed on the blond man leaving the room. “Mr. Stark,” he called. Tony frowned and hummed, turning to him. “Shall we go?” he asked. “Mr. Rumlow doesn’t like to wait.” He spoke slowly as if trying to make Tony see the type of man Rumlow was without actually telling him.

But Tony was clearly too focused on the man who had just left to even care about what Loki was saying, let alone read between the lines. He just nodded and followed Loki into the elevator just before the doors closed. How long had that interaction been? It felt like years and still not long enough. He opened his mouth after a few seconds, wanting to ask about the man, but the elevator doors opened and he was met with a huge room.

There was a desk right at the center and a man sat on the other side. Tony didn’t take in any of the details. He was just trying to get that man off his head to focus on the task at hand. Get on Brock Rumlow’s good side to tear him apart from the inside.

“Tony Stark, I presume,” the man -Rumlow- said, standing up. “You’re late.”

Tony frowned. Late? He looked at the clock on the wall and then at him. It was exactly the time of the meeting. “I don’t think so,” he said. It was a well-known fact that he couldn’t keep his mouth shut, Rumlow better get used to it.

He looked over at Tony and then down at some papers that sat on the desk. “Mr. Stark, I’ll have you know that this isn’t your company. You’re working for me now.” He glared up at him. “Act like it,” he hissed.

Tony frowned and scoffed, raising an eyebrow in pure amusement. “I haven’t told you if I’m taking the job, Mr. Rumlow,” he said. He felt Loki tense up beside him but that didn’t stop him from speaking his mind. “I’m no employee, sir,” he said. “I would much rather have a sort of… partnership between-” He looked around, almost in disdain, and turned back to Rumlow, walking closer to the desk. “Whatever you have here and Stark Industries. I can give you a number. I can be your employee only if certain conditions are met.”

Rumlow looked at him darkly and waved Loki out. He said nothing until they were alone. “Conditions?” he asked. “If someone even dared to talk to me like that-”

“What are you going to do? Kill me?” Tony scoffed. “With Hammer tech? Have fun with that.” He laughed, only making Rumlow angrier. “You need me. You need my weapons for your men,” he said. “I saw a few of the men in the hall with guns. Judging by the fact none of the weapons were made by Stark Industries, I give each of them a life of two years max.” He started pacing around the room as he spoke. Giving speeches was one of his many talents, after all. “Not to mention the precision, which is probably quite lacking, just as the power.” He stopped right in front of Rumlow, leaning forward over the desk. “I’m offering you a deal you will never get again. A deal with the best weapon manufacturer in the country, if not the world. I’d choose my next words wisely if I were you, sir.”

Rumlow could not believe what he was hearing. He could have that man killed by just saying the word and, yet, the man didn’t seem to give a shit about that. He honestly looked like he knew what he was talking about. He said nothing, though, he just glared at him.

Tony pushed himself back, standing straight again. “It was nice doing business with you. It’s a shame you’d rather stick to low-quality tech when you could have the world.” He shrugged and turned to the elevator. “I’ll see myself out now. Thank you for your time, Mr. Rumlow.”

He started walking away, the smallest smirk tugging at his lips.

3…

2…

1…

“What’s your price?”

Tony’s smirk widened considerably as he stopped in his tracks. He pulled himself back together within a couple of seconds and turned. “I’m not cheap, Mr. Rumlow,” he said. “I’ll take twenty grand to start. I do not care where the money comes from. It’s the same to me if it comes from your own pocket or if you rob a bank for it. I’m only signing if I’m making enough profit on the first payment.”

Rumlow frowned and stood up. “Twenty grand. You’ll have that at your desk first thing in the morning.” Tony raised an eyebrow. That had been way too easy, there had to be a catch somewhere. “You may start making numbers, Mr. Stark.” The elevator doors opened and Loki stepped out. “Mr. Laufeyson will show you where you’ll be working.”

Tony looked at him and nodded, walking to the elevator with Loki. That was too easy.

Neither of the two said a word as Loki took Tony to a small meeting room. Natasha sat on one of the chairs with her feet on the table as she spoke to a man. Now, that guy… he fit a lot more in the mafia than Loki or the blond stranger. He had short, dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes. They weren’t as beautiful as the stranger’s, though.

Natasha looked up and smiled. “Tony, you made it!” Tony frowned lightly, not sure what she meant by that. Did she expect him to get murdered or just never actually show up? “Sit down, Bucky was about to pull out the data we need to check,” she said. “Very business-like. Want to help?” She smirked, knowing Tony could never say no to a business-like activity. God bless the man for being a workaholic.

Tony sat down across from her and smiled. “Well, how can I say no to such a tempting offer?” he asked, returning the smirk. He looked at the man he still didn’t know. “I’m Tony, by the way,” he said. He generally wouldn’t give a shit about that guy, but he got the feeling he would need to know him at some point.

The man looked up at him as he pulled out a folder. “Bucky,” he simply said, unclipping the folder and pulling out a stack of papers. “Rumlow said to separate all this by date and company regardless of the type of document.”

Tony frowned. “That’s so inefficient,” he said out loud. He didn’t realize he had actually said that until he noticed the three looking at him. Well, time to explain basic shit to them. “Well, it would be far better to separate the different types of documents. We shouldn’t put bills together with other data,” he said, looking at them. He noticed a frown on Bucky’s features and shrugged. “That’s just my opinion, though.”

Loki and Natasha exchanged a look and Natasha spoke, nudging Bucky slightly. “I’m sure he has a point. He’s been running a company since Howard Stark died.” Bucky shifted at the mention of Tony’s father but said nothing. “Loki?” She smiled as the other nodded.

Tony grabbed some of the papers and got to work, looking through the papers as the others did the same.

An hour or two went by with no distractions other than occasional talking among the small group. However, eventually, there was a knock on the door. Bucky and Natasha looked up as it opened since they were the ones facing the door. Loki and Tony continued what they were doing, assuming they’d be talked to directly if they were needed.

“Buck-” Tony froze. One syllable. That was all he needed to hear from the blond stranger to have his chest tighten considerably. “Oh, I didn’t know you guys were still working in here,” he said. “I’ll talk to you later?” Tony looked at Bucky, almost begging him not to let the stranger leave.

Bucky didn’t notice the look, but he smiled and shook his head. “We’re almost done. You can stay here until then,” he offered. “I can walk you home when we’re done.”

Tony glanced at the stranger just in time to see him nod. He watched as he walked over to Bucky and sat beside him. Now that stunning, angelic human being was in front of him. “I haven’t had the chance to introduce myself,” he said, getting the stranger’s attention. He could die right there as those beautiful eyes looked into his. “I’m Tony.”

A small smile tugged at the man’s lips. “Stark, right?” he asked. Tony nodded. “Rumlow said you were coming. I’m glad you got the job.” He smiled. God, how could someone just keep getting more and more stunning? “I’m Steve.”

Steve. Fuck. That name suited him perfectly. It was such a gentle name.

After that, Tony was quiet, sneaking glances at Steve for the time he and Bucky were still there. Then, when they left, Natasha showed him where his room was and they all headed to sleep.

God, to be a rich mafia boss, Rumlow could try to make his employees feel comfortable in their rooms. That bed was hard as shit! He’d have to remember to ask if he was allowed to just go home at night… not that the answer mattered, but asking was the least he could do.

The next couple of days went by uneventfully. All he did was do whatever Natasha, Loki, or even Bucky told him to do. He didn’t see Steve, which was quite the downer, but he was quite entertained with his co-workers.

However, Loki, Bucky, and Natasha were sent on a mission. Tony wasn’t allowed to join them since his job was to observe and provide weapons. But… well, maybe that wasn’t so bad.

It was late on the third night without Bucky, Loki, and Natasha. Tony was working on some paperwork, trying to make the list of weapons match the charge. He was shockingly good at staring at numbers for hours on end without getting any of them mixed up. He sat in the same room as the first day. He just expected to finish at some point and head to bed. He had to call Pepper soon to give her a report, but he didn’t have much just yet.

A gentle knock on the door startled him, making him drop the pen he had in his hand. He turned and tensed up slightly when he saw Steve, smiling lightly at him. “Hey,” he said softly. “What are you doing here? It’s late, isn’t it?” He flicked his wrist and checked the time on his silver watch.

Steve looked at the window and nodded. “Yeah.” It was pitch black outside. “I was helping Rumlow with… uh… stuff.” Tony raised an eyebrow as Steve flushed slightly. He found that adorable. “I was going to get a ride home and saw the light was on,” he said, walking in and closing the door. “Do you mind if I join you for a bit?” he asked, looking down at him.

Tony’s breath hitched. He didn’t know how long he could take being alone with Steve, but he looked almost desperate, so he nodded. “Of course.” Steve smiled and sat beside him. “Is everything alright? You look… I don’t know, stressed out.”

Steve looked at him and smiled lightly. “I’m fine. It’s just that I’m always with Bucky and always have someone to talk to, but he’s been gone for a few days now and Rumlow is so busy he’s just staying here day and night.” He shrugged, not noticing Tony’s confusion.

Tony tilted his head. “I haven’t seen Rumlow since the day I got here,” he said. “Are you two…?” He couldn’t bring himself to finish his question, but Steve seemed to understand what he meant. He blushed lightly and nodded.

“We’re engaged,” he said. Tony frowned slightly but said nothing. “I’m rarely allowed to do anything because of that.” He pouted slightly. God, Tony wanted to kiss him so bad. “I have barely been out other than coming here and going home.”

Tony looked at his hands, noticing he wasn’t wearing a ring. Was he unhappy or was he just afraid of losing the ring? “Are you serious?” he asked in disbelief. Steve nodded and he scoffed. “That’s ridiculous,” he said, looking at him. “I know one can never be too careful in this business but come on, that’s a bit too far.”

Steve shrugged. “I never really questioned it. It’s fine, really. He loves me and wants me safe. It’s quite alright.” He smiled lightly, noticing Tony’s frown. “Bucky usually walks me home when Rumlow is staying late or all night but I’ve had to stay here for the past couple of nights since he’s gone. I was hoping to sleep at home tonight.”

Tony looked at him and smiled lightly. “How about I walk you home tonight? You never know if the driver is an enemy,” he said. Steve looked hesitant and he tilted his head. “I promise to make sure you make it home safely. You don’t have to say yes, though.”

“Of course I do.” A small smile tugged at Steve’s lips as he spoke. “How can I turn down an offer like that.” He put his hand over the papers that still sat on the desk and pushed them to the other side of the table. “You can continue tomorrow.”

Tony closed his eyes and took a shaky breath. Fuck. The urge to just- what was he thinking?! The man was engaged! Why did he have to be so- tempting?

“Fine, let’s take you home,” he said, trying to get rid of the obscene things that were popping up in his head. “Lead the way.” He smiled lightly, standing up after Steve and grabbing his jacket.

The walk was uneventful. They didn’t talk about much and the few words they exchanged were about something quite irrelevant. Tony wanted to know more about Steve, but it didn’t feel right to ask just yet, so he stayed quiet.

Those walks, however, became a nightly routine. Steve would show up with coffee, sometimes, and Tony would walk him home. It was good. The more they did it, the easier it became for them to talk to each other.

On the tenth night, Steve suggested going somewhere first. They ended up at a park. They lay on the fields and looked up at the stars. Tony told Steve about all the constellations that could be seen from where they were and Steve listened with a bright smile. It was them. They could be themselves. So Steve suggested they should go to an art museum sometime. Tony learned Steve had studied art and that he was extremely passionate about it. He loved it. He loved how Steve’s eyes lit up under the starry sky whenever he got excited about something. He loved how bright Steve’s smile was when he listened to Tony’s rambles or rambled himself. He loved how his blond hair would fall on his eyes whenever he turned his head to look at him. Fuck, he loved him.

He couldn’t shake the thought out of his head. He wanted to. He needed to. But he couldn’t. In just a little over two weeks, he had found himself falling head over heels for the blond.

“Are you alright?” Steve’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. It’d been three days since he’d come to the realization that he loved Steve. He was, again, walking him home. “You’ve been awfully quiet the past few days.” He looked at Tony with a frown, wondering if he’d done something wrong or if something had happened to Tony. “Is something wrong?”

Tony looked at him, immediately noticing the evident concern in his features. He forced a small smile and shook his head. “I’m fine, don’t worry. I’m just… I’ve been too caught up in my own head,” he said.

Steve didn’t seem satisfied with that answer, but he stopped walking as they reached his and Rumlow’s house. “Well, the others should be coming back tomorrow. I really don’t want them to think I’ve done something to you these two weeks they’ve been gone.” He tried to lighten the mood, but he got nothing more than a small smile from Tony. He sighed. “Well, good night, Tony,” he muttered, turning to go inside. It was cold anyway.

Tony froze. Steve sounded upset. Had he fucked things up? His mind started racing as he watch Steve start to walk away. He reached out, grabbing his wrist. “Wait,” he said.

Steve turned to look at him. Those stunning blue eyes looked at him and… what could he do? What was he expected to do? He pulled him closer and leaned over, eyes flickering back and forth between his eyes and his lips. His mind raced too much for him to notice Steve’s eyes were doing the same. He froze just a few inches away from his lips.

No.

He shut his eyes and stepped back. He couldn’t do that. They couldn’t do that. He didn’t know how long he could take it. He needed to focus on the mission, and Steve was one of the main targets.

Steve frowned and looked at him as he stepped away. He looked down and let out a dry scoff before getting inside and closing the door, leaving Tony alone.

-

“Are you serious?” Loki asked. “You almost kissed Rogers?” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and he sure as hell hoped no one else was hearing them or Rumlow would have Tony’s head by dinner. Tony just nodded, not saying anything. “Do you have any idea how much you fucked up?”

Tony groaned and rubbed his eyes. “I know, okay? I know he’s engaged. I couldn’t stop myself until it was almost too late. God, why are you making such a big deal out of it?” he asked with a frown.

“Oh, he’s not just engaged,” Loki said, shutting the door so they could have more privacy. “He’s Rumlow’s. You don’t touch Rumlow’s things and live to tell.” Tony frowned, tensing up slightly. Why was he talking about Steve as if he were some kind of property? “Look, I know him. He’s extremely charming and nice… but you can’t keep seeing him. If Rumlow finds out you almost kissed him, you’re dead.”

Tony sighed and nodded. “Fine, I won’t see him again. Bucky will be walking him home anyway.” Loki nodded and focused back on his paperwork.

“You need to focus. Today’s meeting is important,” Loki said, looking up as Bucky and Natasha walked in. “Your safety should be more important than a kiss.”

Bucky tensed up. “Who did he kiss?” he asked, sitting on the other side of the table. Tony looked at Loki and shook his head lightly. Bucky would definitely kill him if he found out. He didn’t know him too well, but he just knew. Bucky looked between the two and then at Natasha.

She shrugged. “Don’t look at me, I know as much as you do,” she said, grabbing some papers. “It looks like a fucked up choice, though,” she said. “It’s written all over his face.” She pointed at Tony without even looking up from her papers.

Before Tony could say anything in his defense or Loki could confirm Natasha’s suspicions, the door opened without any warning.

Loki turned and laughed. “Man, you’re fucked,” he said, patting Tony’s back.

Tony turned and saw Steve, frowning lightly at Loki’s comment. He didn’t look at Tony. Instead, he kept his eyes on Bucky. “Rumlow is waiting for you guys,” he said. Tony noticed he was wearing a ring this time around. Dammit!

The four followed Steve all the way to the meeting room. It was big, Tony had to give them that, but the ones at Stark Industries were bigger. This one could probably easily fit around 15 people, maybe 20 if they got very crammed together.

Tony sighed and grabbed Steve’s wrist before they could get inside. “Can we talk?” he asked softly, getting a confused look from Steve. “I won’t take long.” Loki glanced at them but walked into the room with Bucky and Natasha.

Steve stopped and stepped away from the door so Tony could close the door a bit. “I- This can’t happen again,” he said, looking at him. Steve frowned but said nothing. “Whatever it was that happened the other day, it can’t happen. We can’t keep seeing each other out of work matters.”

Steve’s frown deepened. “What? Whatever it was? You almost kissed me and then became an asshole about it,” he said, almost glaring at him.

Tony scoffed. “Do you have any idea what he’ll do if he finds out what we did? That I’ve been walking you home every night while Bucky was gone? God, Steve, you’re his fiancé! You’re his-” he hissed.

“Stop that,” Steve said curtly, making Tony stop talking. “I’m not his. Everyone keeps talking about me like I’m some kind of prize. They all think I’m some precious property of Rumlow’s. I am not anyone’s property, as hard as that may be for everyone to believe.” Tony was shocked by that outburst, but he stayed quiet. “I am not going to simply sit around for someone to rescue me. I’m not going to act like a damsel in distress. I’m not. I am fully capable of making my own choices,” he said.

Tony bit his lip. He wanted to just- slam him against the wall and kiss him. But he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t risk Steve’s as well as his own life like that. “And I can make mine. I have, actually.” Steve frowned, looking at him, almost begging him not to go on. “I won’t see you anymore. I don’t want to see you anymore. My life is too precious to risk it for you.”

Steve felt as if the entire world had fallen onto his shoulders. He couldn’t believe Tony had actually said it. He couldn’t believe Tony would ever actually say something like that to him. That was all his fault! He’d been the one to start everything. He’d been the one to start the night walks. He’d been the one to almost kiss him. And now he was going to act as if it was his fault?

He shut his eyes and just walked inside, saying nothing. He walked straight to the spot between Rumlow and Bucky and sighed, keeping his gaze down on his ring. It shouldn’t be too hard to stop thinking about Tony. He didn’t really know him anyway.

Tony walked in and sat on the opposite side, beside Loki. He wasn’t directly face to face with Steve. He glanced at him momentarily before Rumlow started talking.

The meeting was mostly about weapon acquisition, so Tony had a big part in it. Steve hated that so much. He hated how he couldn’t tear his gaze from Tony for several minutes after he’d stopped talking. He hated how his chest fluttered whenever Tony met his gaze for a split second. He hated how he was so caught up in Tony’s face, hands, chest, arms- all of him he didn’t notice Rumlow looking at him over and over with a frown.

Bucky didn’t have a chance to talk to Steve after the meeting. Rumlow left with him immediately after it was over. He didn’t think much of it, though. Rumlow had been staying at the building day and night for over two weeks, they probably needed the time for themselves.

Tony also went straight to his room, so it was Loki who had to tell Bucky and Natasha what was going on… and stop Bucky from committing murder without receiving an order. Thankfully, Natasha managed to calm him down fairly quickly.

However, that feeling that Steve and Rumlow just needed to spend some time alone didn’t last long. Two days after the meeting, they saw Rumlow. He and Steve hadn’t shown up since they’d left. Loki noticed he had bandages wrapped around his knuckles, which made his chest fill with unease. He told Natasha, who got equally as concerned.

They decided they weren’t going to let Bucky or Tony find out.

But, maybe, keeping the secret was turning out to be more difficult than they’d originally hoped. Especially when Bucky and Tony started asking questions. There was only so much they could say that would satisfy them for long enough.

But Tony Stark was still Tony Stark… and he lived up to the name in more ways than one.

“I’m gonna talk to him,” he suddenly said one day. It’d been nearly 10 days since the meeting, and he was getting fed up with the excuses Loki and Natasha were giving him. It was late, and the three knew better than to disturb Rumlow that late at night.

Loki frowned and looked up at Tony as the other stood up from the small dining table Loki had in his room. They’d started hanging out in their rooms instead of their shared office. It felt more private. “To Rumlow?” he asked in shock. He expected it to happen, just not so soon. Tony nodded and he and Natasha exchanged a look. “No. You don’t know Rumlow, Stark,” he said. “You don’t talk to Rumlow after 6… or before, if you can avoid it.”

Tony glared at him. “Maybe you don’t. I don’t care,” he hissed. “Steve’s been gone for days and none of you seem to give a shit about it!” he nearly shouted. “We know nothing of where or how he is!”

“Tony, that’s enough,” Natasha said, looking up at him. “We’ve known him for years, of course, we care.” She frowned and sighed. “You don’t know Steve. You don’t know Rumlow. You’ve only been here for a few weeks.” Tony glared at her. “You don’t go talk to Rumlow,” she warned.

“I’m not you,” Tony hissed. “I’m not staying here doing nothing when he could be hurt!” Before any of the others could say anything, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut.

He went straight to Rumlow’s office, bumping into him on the way there. Shit. He didn’t have a speech prepared, but he just let the words come out. “Where’s Steve?” he asked coldly. “What did you do to him?” he hissed.

Rumlow glared at him. “Excuse me?” he asked in a mix of disbelief and anger. He’d already taken so much shit from Tony Stark and he wasn’t going to take any more. Especially about his fiancée.

Tony shoved him against the wall, causing a loud thud. “What did you do to Steve?” he growled. He needed answers. And if Rumlow didn’t give them to him, he would look somewhere else. He was going to find Steve no matter what he had to do to get to him.

Rumlow tried to push him away, but Tony kept a tight grip on him, pinning him to the wall. “I believe that is none of your business, Mr. Stark.” He smirked, seeing the fury in Tony’s eyes grow.

“Tony!” Natasha called, pulling him away from Rumlow. “Stop or you’ll get yourself killed before having a chance to find him.” she hissed, just loud enough for Tony to hear her. “Look at their place,” she said, pulling him down the hall. “You can’t just do that. He’s a mafia boss, he won’t hesitate to kill you.”

Tony didn’t say anything as Natasha spoke, not seeing the point in arguing. He knew Natasha, and he knew there was no point in arguing with her. “He wouldn’t have him there. Too easy to find,” he said, glaring back at Rumlow, who was talking to Loki and Bucky. “He’s not that stupid.”

Natasha shook her head. “That’s why he’s there. No one would think to look there. Besides, you and Bucky are the only ones who know where they live. Rumlow is very secretive about it. If it were for him, not even Steve would know where their place is located. And I doubt Steve ever told him about your night walks.”

Tony froze. No one but he and Bucky knew? “Steve is home?” he asked in disbelief. It sounded ridiculous. But, if no one knew where they lived, it made sense.

Natasha nodded. “Yes. Go look for him. We’ll buy you some time.” She smiled and watched as Tony ran away. “Very subtle, Stark…” she sighed, turning to walk back to Rumlow. She really wanted Tony to find Steve. She barely knew him, but she wanted Steve to be alright. He was a very sweet guy. To be fair, everyone there cared about Steve and was quite protective of him.

Tony ran as fast as his legs allowed him to. He needed to find Steve. There wasn’t another option. He had to find Steve and get him the hell away from Rumlow. He didn’t want Steve to spend another second near Rumlow.

He reached the house in record time and went to the door, trying to be as civilized as possible. If there were no answer, he’d look for their room and break in through the window. For now, however, he just rang the doorbell.

He waited for a few seconds, trying to hear something on the other side of the door, but there was nothing. He frowned and stepped back to look through the windows but froze when he heard a quiet, weak… barely audible, “yeah?”

It was Steve. Tony would recognize that voice anywhere, no matter how broken it sounded. He went back to the door. “Steve? Steve, it’s me, I- I’ve come to get you out of here,” he said, trying not to sound too desperate. “Can you open the door?” he asked, trying to open it and finding it locked.

The answer came quiet, broken… but still clear as day. “I can’t,” Steve said. He sounded terrified, and that broke Tony’s heart more than he ever thought anything would.

“Steve, move away from the door if you’re near it,” he said, pulling out his gun. He waited a few seconds, frowning when he didn’t get a response from Steve. He aimed at the lock and shot twice before kicking the door open.

He stepped inside and he froze when he saw Steve. He was curled up on a couch, wrapped up in a blanket. He had several bruises on his face. Tony felt sick, unable to move as he gripped the gun so hard his knuckles went white. He was shaking as pure, raw rage began taking over him.

He was speechless for a few seconds, just looking at him in shock. He’d expected to see him hurt, but not that bad. He rushed to his side. “We’re taking your things, okay? I’m getting you out of here, I swear.”

Steve shook his head. “He’ll find me. He- he’s got friends everywhere. They’ll tell him where I am. If he knows you were here… he’ll kill me if he knows I’ve talked to you,” he said. “He’ll be here any second, you need to leave.”

Tony frowned and shook his head, taking Steve’s hand gently. “I also have friends everywhere, Steve,” he said softly, trying to convince him. “Nat, Bucky, and Loki are buying us some time. But we need to run.” His phone buzzed and he frowned, pulling it out.

There was a text from Natasha.

We’re on our way. Rumlow just left. Hurry up!

“Shit!” he hissed. “We really need to run.” Steve’s eyes widened and he looked at the door, letting Tony pull him to his feet. “Let’s go,” he said. He pulled Steve up the stairs, frowning at the dried blood on the collar of his shirt.

When they made it to Steve and Rumlow’s room, there was a hit downstairs. “Steve!” Rumlow called. “I’m home, sweetheart. Where are you?!” Despite his words, he didn’t sound pleased at all… maybe it’d been the fact that the door had been busted open. “Steve!”

Steve froze and looked back at the staircase with fear filling his eyes. “Don’t leave me here,” he pleaded, looking at Tony. “Please, he’s going to kill me.”

Tony frowned and shook his head. “Look at me. I'm not leaving without you, Steve.” Steve met his gaze. “Understood?” Steve nodded. “Good. Let’s get your things. Only take the most urgent things, we’ll get the rest later on.”

Steve grabbed his phone and charger, his sketchbook, and an old watch. Tony looked at the door, still gripping the gun in case he needed to shoot. He glanced back at Steve in case he needed some help, but he seemed to be doing quite well as he stuffed some things into a bag that would clearly be nearly empty.

Tony bit his lip and shut the door when Rumlow came into view. “Shit,” he hissed, looking back at Steve. He gripped the gun tightly. He glanced at the window for a moment and back at the door as he heard the footsteps getting closer. “Steve, I’m going to need you to leave through the window in the next fifteen seconds,” he said.

Steve frowned, looking at him and gripping his bag. “What-?”

“Go, wait for the others. Now.” Tony hissed, trying not to raise his voice out of panic. He couldn’t let Rumlow get to Steve. He would get to him over his dead body, and he wasn’t planning on dying.

He didn’t tear his gaze from the door as a gunshot echoed down the hallway, hitting the door. Okay… he hadn’t considered the fact that Rumlow also had a gun. He heard Steve throw the bag out of the window and glanced at him momentarily to see him get out.

As soon as Steve was outside and out of Tony’s sight, the door opened. Rumlow was beyond mad, Tony could see it in his eyes. He entered the room, not saying a word but not lowering his gun.

“I should have known sooner,” Rumlow said, tightening his grip on the gun. Stupid deal with Stark Industries! He should’ve thought that through before giving his weapons to such a dick. “I wanted to have you killed days after you arrived. Steve asked me not to.” As soon as Steve’s name left his lips, Tony clicked his gun. “Sweet guy, isn’t he?”

Tony said nothing. His heart was racing and he was sure he wouldn’t come out of that one uninjured or even alive. But he was going to make sure Steve was safe even if it was the last thing he did.

He noticed Rumlow's grip on the gun was uneven despite being tight. He tilted his head and bit back a smirk. Rumlow pulled the trigger, missing him by a couple of inches. Tony didn’t flinch. “No wonder you need Bucky and Nat. You’re not killing anyone holding your gun like that.” He laughed. “Maybe a regular gun would do for you. I don’t think you’re up to my standards.” He smiled innocently.

A door was heard outside and he felt a weight lift off of his shoulders. He just needed to get out of there now. He’d managed to get Steve out of there, now he had to get him somewhere safe. And he knew exactly where to take him.

Rumlow moved his aim slightly and shot before groaning and falling to his knees.

Tony flinched back and his hand shot to his left shoulder, where he’d been hit. He looked down at Rumlow as he collapsed, dead. A bullet hole on the back of his head. He looked up and saw Natasha just outside the door.

She clicked on an earpiece. “Rumlow is down. Stark got hit.” As she spoke, she walked closer to Tony to check on the wound. She frowned and sighed. “That will need to be taken care of,” she said. “But now, we have to go. Steve is in the car with Loki and Bucky.”

Tony nodded. He followed Natasha outside, shooting Rumlow once just for the satisfaction of putting a hole in his back. As they reached the car, he glanced back at the house.

Tony got in the passenger’s seat as Natasha got in the back with Bucky and Steve. Loki glanced at him. “Where to?” he asked. “We can’t go back.”

Tony bit his lip and glanced at Steve, who was looking out of the window. He thought for a moment before turning back to Loki. “Stark Tower,” he said. “Head to Stark Tower for now.” He looked at Steve, who was now looking back at him. “I will keep you safe,” he said, getting a small smile from Steve.

The ride was quiet, especially after Steve fell asleep on Bucky about ten minutes after Loki started driving. When they reached Stark Tower, Tony led Steve to the lab, wanting to make sure he was alright before even thinking of taking care of his own wound.

He frowned lightly as he cleaned Steve’s wounds, careful not to hurt himself. They were both quiet for a few minutes before Steve spoke

“Thank you,” he said softly, getting Tony’s attention. He met his eyes and smiled lightly. “I would still be there with him if it weren’t for you. I’m not even sure if I would be alive at this point.”

Tony saved his hand slightly in dismissal. “Hey, I’m sure you would be alive. Maybe not fine, but you’d be alive,” he said. “Either way, he can’t hurt you anymore. And I’m going to keep you safe. We all are.”

Steve smiled. “Thank you,” he said quietly, not tearing his gaze from Tony’s eyes as the other cleaned a cut on his cheek. He moved a hand to Tony’s chin, forcing him to meet his eyes. “For everything…”

Tony smiled, barely noticing anything before Steve kissed him softly. He froze for a couple of seconds before carefully cupping Steve’s cheek. God, he’d never wanted anything more that this in his life. He gently pulled Steve closer, dropping his hand to his waist as Steve put his hands on the back of his neck, deepening the kiss.

And Tony wished they could just stay like that, in each other’s arms, forever.