starkingenuity | The Darkside Has Cookies

The Darkside Has Cookies

It was supposed to be an easy fix. Sit back, let Loki do the work, clean up after. He didn’t understand how things could go so downhill, so fast. The Hulk was out and about, Thor was occupied, Black Widow-- She was a joke. The so-called X-Men were still trying to find their really terrible costumes and get to New York to help. Spider-man was cracking jokes somewhere—

Easy. It should have been so easy!

But nooooo. No, Loki had to take invasion a little too seriously and get in over his idiot head. Fury turned away from the console and glanced at the brooding blond to his left. “Suit up. Take the team. Help out with the Chitauri if you have to, but focus on the scepter. I’m not ready to welcome our alien overloads just yet, Rogers.”

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Careful. Tony gave Steve such a look. He had had enough of people even making jokes. He had never felt so completely insecure in his adult life as he did now. Steve was innocent of all of that, of course. Tony had to bite back any remarks.

"Someone said they saw you falling." It was on the news. Of course, that was out a different building before the Soldier came out to play but whatever. "After you saved us."

Sure. Give Rogers all the damned credit.

"I owe you pizza and a beer."

He nodded, that would explain it. Falling from any height hurt and if he fell right, it could certainly knock him out. He wasn't infallible. Steve grunted as they started on stitches and they wouldn't have to be there long with his healing but it was probably good to have them anyway.

"I could eat a whole pizza," Steve agreed with a small grin. No, he didn't know that Loki saw the man's face. They were all alive so he was cheerful about that. "I might take you up on that sooner rather than later."

"I know. I've seen you. Fine. As soon as I'm released, you and me and beers." Tony wasn't sure why he bothered. Steve had to know his identity and playing nice with the captain was a way to insure that he would keep it a secret. But Tony honestly just preferred the Soldier. He was thinking about him now, smug and silent or giving one word answers--

Tony let his head fall on the pillow and he closed his eyes.

It would be two days before he was released. Pepper was there to cry with him. Happy and Rhodey came by. Media. Flowers and gifts. So many gifts. Didn't people realize that he was a billionaire? Jesus.

He let Pepper take him home and then immediately sent her to take care of another office. West coast. She was annoyed but she did it anyway.

After ordering pizzas for his guest.

Steve went home with Tony. It was only a temporary arrangement. He was still trying to find a place to stay and well, the Tower was undergoing a little bit of remodeling after the whole aliens from outer space thing. He didn't have very many options unlike Tony and he appreciated the man putting up with him staying for a bit. He certainly hoped that made Pepper feel a little better.

"Mmm," he hummed in approval as he bit into his third slice. "Where's this from? This is good."

"I have no idea," Tony said. "My favorite place was destroyed." That's what annoyed him most of all. Loki had been allowed to play chaos up to the hilt and not only was Tony left exposed but he was also missing a few businesses he really appreciated and frequented.

His lips screwed up as he picked out another piece himself, crust left untouched and thrown back into the box.

"How much of the battle do you remember, Cap?" It was a game. A dangerous one. Tony liked to poke at programming of any kind.

He reached out to flip the box lid over so he could read the name of the place. At some point, he might go back to get more from them. Right now though, Tony has bought enough and Steve is quickly making sure there aren't going to be any leftovers. He's starving.

Steve's forehead creases at the question and he struggles to recall the fight. "I remember you dropping me off at the top of the tower," he starts slowly. "I remember seeing the scepter and taking it to the device, but I don't remember anything else until I woke up in the lobby."

"You saved my life." Tony wasn't lying, though that had just been Steve's body. "Loki had me... You saved me and he threw you out of a window. You're extremely lucky to be alive but Cap? Memory loss?"

He would go to hell and enjoy it.

"Did you talk to someone about that?" Tony leaned forward. There was something strange in his eyes.

His forehead creased as he eyed the other man. Honestly, he hadn't been too concerned about it.

"I mentioned it to the nurse," he replied and it was easy to rationalize the moments where the Soldier was in control. He was fighter; he got hit and most of the time it was hard. "She didn't seem to be worried. I fell out of a building. I don't think it's much of a surprise."

It was amazing what people In Authority could do. There was no way memory loss was a good thing and yet if a doctor or a nurse wasn't concerned, why be concerned yourself? Tony found the whole thing fascinating.

Just like he thought it was fun to poke at the programming.

"Loki knows my identity," he said, almost off hand. That I'm Iron Man. He saw me leave the suit. That makes four people now that know who I am."

Steve did write it off. Maybe someday he would ask directly about it and whether he should be concerned, but so long as he kept filling in the blanks with logical reasons, it would be awhile. At some point, he might ask if it was safe to be having this many problems but right now? He wasn't worried.

He pressed his lips together at the admission. He knew Tony hid his identity for a number of reasons. He just wasn't sure what they all were. "Is that going to be an issue?"

The genius turned away. He wanted to see the look in Steve's eyes but this power play was just too interesting. Tony should have been an actor. He was just they good at fucking with people's minds.

Shoulders hunched, he put on an air of dismay and rubbed a hand over his face, gaze far off and alone.

"I don't know what I'll do."

Steve watched the older man with a small frown. He thought Tony was maybe being a little dramatic but there was basically a picture of him in the dictionary next to the word so he wrote it off as normal. He weighed the pros and cons and finally asked, "What's the worst case scenario?"

"People find out? Try to kill me...? I'm nothing without the Iron Man suit, Cap. You know that," Tony growled. He really thought he was selling it. Standing up, he wrapped an arm around himself Nd kept his back to the blond. "My company will be ruined. I'll be kidnapped, tortured... Who the fuck knows what will happen!"

He pressed his lips together because, while that really did sound like a worse case scenario, he seriously doubted that it would all turn out that badly. "It's your company and your money. I don't see how it would turn out like you think."

People trying to kill him on the other hand? Okay. That could happen. "And it's not like the rest of us are leaving if you're outed. We'll still be here."

"I don't need protection from naive little boys," he snapped, a flash of his true self morphing his usually pleasant features. He couldn't help that, he was angry. "You have no idea of how the world works. If support is pulled, and it will be because Iron Man has been used in some very controversial missions against terrorists, my company folds. Literally just like that. My money is tied up in investments. The company folds, I fold."

He rubbed a hand across his lips in annoyance.

"And the day I ask someone to protect me... No. I can't live in a world with all of you and be nothing."

"You think I don't?" he demanded, pressing his lips together. "Stark Industries is a weapon manufacturer, right? More than likely people think you're dealing under the table anyway. Spin it right and you can basically use Iron Man to prove you aren't."

Of course, that was what he would have done seventy years ago. It still didn't make Steve naive, no matter how you sliced it. "While it's a possibility, I really do think it's a worst case scenario."

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