Chapter 2
Tony Stark: Iron Man.
It had been the name at the top of Steve's list. The first that came to mind, and rightly so. Tony not only would house the team at Avengers tower, inevitably the man would end up providing the team with gear, upgrades... really anything they needed. Even with shields backing, he knew this would be the case, because, well, at the end of the day, no one provided better than Tony Stark.
That stuff was by far not the only reason Tony found himself atop Steves list. No. He was so much more than that. A founding Avenger, a strong asset in brains and brawn. Tony was a hero... despite his flaws.
Naturally, Steve asked him first and when he agreed, Steve then went to Thor, Hawkeye, Wolverine, Spider Man, Spider Woman, and finally...
"No."
"No?"
"Steve, I can't be Captain America on the Avengers. That's your thing, okay? Not mine."
"Bucky, come on. There is no one better."
His friends eyebrow arched, and he scoffed "I can name five off the top of my head." he sighed. "Look, I was all for taking up the mantle of good' ol Captain America while you sorted yourself out Stevie, but this-"
"What do you mean? While I sorted myself out."
Bucky fixed him with a look. "This isn't you Steve."
"What isn't me?" Steve asked incredulously.
"This! This whole super cop, presidents right hand man, paper pusher, away from the action, away from your family, thing you are doing!"
"I am not doing a thing Bucky. I am doing my job. And right now my job is to put together an Avengers team."
"...Who else have you asked? Actually, forget that and answer me this, did you ask him?"
"You mean Thor?"
Bucky punched the man hard in the arm. "You know that's not who I meant. Did you, or did you not ask Tony Stark?"
Steve thought back to that day. Walking into the tower, he felt, or the first time, like an intruder as he rode the private elevator up to the Avengers floors. All his code still worked, but he didn't think to try his old one for the workshop, and instead waited to be let in by the man behind the glass walls. It was the first time he had seen Tony in a long time. Iron man, he had seen here and there, but Tony... He looked, well, he looked exhausted and small, and Steve was hit with the overwhelming feeling to grab him. He just wasn't sure if it was around his neck or his waist. His emotions, when it came to Tony... tended to get the best of him. The "Civil War" was proof enough of that.
Everything was dialed to ten when it came to Tony. No one could make him madder (no one could make him happier either).
But thats because he was too close to Tony then. They had been spending so much time together living in the tower, he was Steves closest friend, so yes, he was angry when Tony was not only on the other side of the issue, but leading the cause. But no more. Civil war had happened, and all Steve could do now was learn from his mistakes. From now on he would be nothing but professional with Tony Stark. No more emotions getting in the way.
The were colleagues now, nothing more.
Steve pursed his lips. "I asked Tony, yes."
Bucky's eyebrows shot to his hair line. "And what did he say?"
"He said he would."
"... "
"What?" Steve huffed. "Say it"
"Why the hell would you ask him to be on the Avengers, a team that you may not be running, but will be directly overseeing and involved with when you are so clearly still hurt by the man. You are just asking for trouble, you must know that."
"What are you taking about, I'm not-he didn't... Look, he is-logically, he is an asset to the Avengers. He was an obvious choice Bucky, of course I asked him to be on the team."
Bucky shook his head. "I don't get you sometimes Steve..." Then he gave a soft smile. "Or maybe you don't get you."
Steve gave him a look. "Will you join or not?"
"Oh, I'll join. But just know I am one, doing it as a favor, and two, doing it so I can have a front row seat."
"A front row seat to what?"
"A front row seat to the inevitable explosion that's bound to happen between You and Tony. Just, do us all a favor, try not to start any more wars."