It’s winter and cold outside, when Steve first takes Tony’s hands into his own and warms them by rubbing them ever so slightly.
It’s spring when he does again, to inspect the burns the electricity had left. Tony smiles and gives one of his cocky comments. Steve stays serious and Tony gets uncomfortable with the situation, especially when Steve kisses the knuckles of his hand. He tells the soldier to stop and ignores the hurt look that lingers on the other’s face when Tony turns away, minding his Iron Man suit’s upgrades again. Steve leaves the workshop only seconds later.
Later that night, Tony crawls into Steve’s bed and lets his fingertips travel the lands of the soldier’s body. Steve lets him. He watches wordlessly, holding his breath. When Tony is ready, he starts kissing the other, wrapping him into a tight hug. While they have sex Steve mumbles a different name. Tony ignores it.
In the morning, Tony awakes to an empty bed. He rises and goes to the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of coffee. While he sits at the table, Bruce passes by. Tony doesn’t acknowledge his presence. Bruce leaves, eventually.
Tony goes to the workshop sometime and finishes his works on the Iron Man suit. He runs the tests and is satisfied when everything works just fine.
He then starts a new project and he orders JARVIS to save the blueprints under the name ‘Heart 2.0’. JARVIS does as he is told.
Tony stays in his workshop working on his new project until Steve enters. The soldier back hugs him and nuzzles his nose into Tony’s neck.
“What’s that gonna be when it’s done?” Steve asks and Tony turns around and kisses his lips softly. Steve returns the kiss and deepens it and the question is forgotten almost the moment it is voiced.
They end up in Steve’s bed again. They both sleep soundly until Steve rises early in the morning and goes jogging. Tony doesn’t stay in Steve’s room. He gets up as soon as the other is gone and strolls to his own room. He takes a shower before going to bed again. He sleeps the remaining hour in his own bed.
In the evening, Steve finds Tony in his workshop and ask him out on some kind of date-yet-non-date. Tony agrees. The two of them visit a museum together. They end up in front of a beautiful sketch. It shows two men, one standing behind the other and covering the other’s eyes with his hands. The sign under the picture reads ‘Denial’. Tony doesn’t want to go and eat in a restaurant afterwards.
They go to sleep in Steve’s bed again. The Captain awakes in the middle of the night. Tony doesn’t lay besides him, so he goes looking for him. Steve finds the other in the workshop. He is hunched over his workbench, busy with creating things. Steve asks him to come back to bed and sleep. The engineer gives in reluctantly.
It is winter when Steve lets go of Tony’s hands. He has to go look for an old friend whose name is Bucky. Steve is nervous. Tony smiles and bids his goodbyes. Steve gives him a goodbye kiss.
When Steve’s gone, Tony goes to the workshop. He orders JARVIS to run some test on his most important project. The AI tells him it’s not ready for use yet. So Tony spends the whole next week hunched over filigree copper wires and complex circuits. He tells JARVIS that he’s running out of time. JARVIS doesn’t answer.
Bruce stops by once, asking Tony what he is creating. Tony flashes him a smile. “Just metal and technology” he tells Bruce.
Clint visits him as well. He brings Tony updates on Steve’s mission. No success so far, but the Cap is stubborn. Clint is convinced that Steve will hunt Bucky down, eventually. Tony agrees and starts working again.
It’s spring when Steve returns. He doesn’t reach for Tony’s hands. He is not alone. Tony meets Bucky for the first time. Steve seems uncomfortable with bringing Bucky to the Stark tower. Everyone reassures him it’s alright. Tony isn’t one of everyone.
The other Avengers are beaming with joy. They are happy for Steve. Tony is too. He just can’t express it. When he is done meeting Bucky – “Hi. So you are the famous James Barnes?”-“Yeah, uh- hello...” – Tony retreats to his workshop.
He tells JARVIS he needs the project done now. He mentions having run out of time. JARVIS tells him it’s ready for use. Tony is relieved. He orders JARVIS to guide U, DUM-E and Butterfingers through the assemblage.
When Tony leaves his workshop the next time, no-one had stopped by in the meantime. Tony can’t care. He goes into the kitchen to fetch himself a cup of coffee. He enters and finds Bruce and Clint in front of the stove, while Bucky and Steve are all lovey-dovey at the table. Steve looks up upon Tony entering and guilt washes over his face. Tony can’t care. He simply walks by. He gets himself a cup of coffee and decides to get a shower afterwards. When he is about to leave the kitchen, Steve catches his arm.
The soldier gives Bucky a meaningful glance, before facing Tony. “We need to talk” he says bluntly but not rude. Actually, he sounds rueful. Tony can’t care, but he still follows Steve to his room.
When the door is shut behind them, Steve closes the distance between Tony and him, but he can only close the physical one.
“I’m sorry...” Steve starts and Tony can’t care. He doesn’t smile, but he isn’t bothered by the absence of happiness. He looks into Steve’s eyes with detached steadiness.
“No need to talk, Captain America” he shortens what would have been a long conversation. Tony turns and leaves without looking back. It can’t hurt him.
Steve runs after him. “Listen!” he begs.
Tony blinks. “I am” he reassures, but goes on: “But it’s only words now.”
He unbuttons his shirt. Where the arc reactor had been, a strange new device blinks deep-red. It holds the rhythm of a heart beat. Steve looks shocked. Tony can’t care.
“What have you done?” Steve breaths out unbelievingly. He grabs Tony’s hands. There is panic in his eyes.
“It’s all metal and technology now” Tony says and can’t care about Steve’s shocked expression, because Heart 2.0 incapacitates feelings. So it’s spring when Steve finally lets go of Tony’s hands. He never reachs out for them again.