Making amends
By the time those three had finished talking, so had Wanda, Vision and Tony,
The six of them stood in the living room once more, completely silent, as if they were scared to talk.
“So?, How were Wanda and Vision comprised?” Sam was the first to speak, melting away the tension.
“It was Rhodey” Tony let a comfortable laugh fall, even as he thought about the fact he hasn’t talked to Rhodey in a while.
“I’d asked him to do surveillance a while ago, I guess he just got round to it..”
Steve felt his heart crushing a little, he knew he was the reason the two hadn’t seemed to speak in a while and he felt an abundance of guilt.
“I still have a feeling someone else was there” Wanda mumbled ever so, Tony had the urge to sigh but knew that her concerns had good reason.
So he hesitated for a moment “Why don’t you guys move back into the compound?”, a moment of silence passed before Tony sighed, an awkward sigh not one of annoyance, “all of you…”
The group suddenly burst into conversation and Tony burst out of his body, it felt like his soul left him as he was taken back to the first time he’d propositioned this.
2014
“I mean there’s no harm in having a secondary location!, plus no one will know where it is” Tony had been bugging the team all morning about it.
Steve walked over and kissed Tony, in an attempt to shut him up, “Tones, it’s not even eight yet , you’ve had ten cups of coffee and have been up since 6am yesterday! go lay down”
Tony just grumbled a protest but knew there was no point in arguing with Steve, especially since his limbs were starting to feel heavy.
And when he’d woken up from his nap, just after one, he’d rushed to the training room after Jarvis told him that’s where most of the team was.
“The training room there is giant!, there’s even fighting scenarios set up!” Tony began his babbling again, but didn’t get far before Natasha stopped him
“Tony!, no one has said no, infact we all said it sounded cool” Natasha rolled her eyes at the man stood in front of her who just muttered an ‘oh’.
Present
“Tony?” Steve had appeared beside him, a hand on his shoulder, “you with us?”, Steve’s voice was low and comforting.
Tony didn’t say anything just nodded, waiting to see or well hear what the groups response had been.
“Well, Bucky was just saying how, Natasha was off doing her… thing… so, they aren’t completely opposed to having more company” Steve could feel the air stiffen, watching the groups eyes fall on Tony and stay locked.
“UHM, yeah, okay-“ Tony hadn’t actually expected them to agree, he’d have to have a cleaning crew go in before they could go, he’d left it a mess.
“I’ll uhm, set it up” Tony’s throat felt dry even though everything was going well, he couldn’t help the sinking feeling that something bad was going to happen.
“I’ll head back with them” Steve turned, blocking Tony from everyone’s view, as if trying to keep him protected and the look in Tony’s eyes, it flickered,
“I promise, I’ll be back” Steve leaned his head against Tony’s, and for a moment, the sinking feeling sunk.
And so, Vision, Wanda, Steve, Bucky and Sam all flew off, leaving Tony behind once again.
Tony stood in his penthouse alone for an hour too long, “FRIDAY!, call Happy” and he waited and waited till the phone was picked up and the weight fell off his chest.
“What’s up boss!” Happy spoke normally? As if Tony hadn’t ignored all his calls for weeks straight.
“I uh need a ride, can’t drive with a busted leg, penthouse, you’ve got twenty minutes!” And with that Tony cut off the call, he didn’t need happy to know just how happy he was to hear from him, he had to keep it casual, normal.
And when twenty minutes passed and Happy was helping into the back of his SUV (that he hadn’t been in since, well he couldn’t remember),
“From what I heard boss, there’s still a mountain of press piled outside the compound” Happy had eyed tone in the mirror while he spoke, Tony just nodded, mentally preparing himself.
And when the arrived at the compound, well happy wasn’t lying, he had no idea why they were all still camped out there, he figured it may have to do with the fact that his penthouse was unknown to almost everyone, listed under one of Howard’s fake companies that he used back in his day for secret properties.
After a nod to Happy, Tony was helped out the SUV, a crutch under one arm as Happy kept a steady hand on his back, the press turning like hungry vultures.
If he hadn’t grown up in the spotlight, the flashes would’ve blinded him and the people probably would’ve knocked him over but his eyes were used to the flash and Happy kept a strong hold him, acting as a barricade for him.
When they finally got into the compound, it was a mess, Tony had left bottles and cans everywhere, his clothes all over the place, and it didn’t smell too great either having had none of the windows opened in weeks.
“Call in the Stark clean up crew, I need this place ready to go by the end of this week!” Tony limped around as he spoke, “order in new bedsheets, you know the kind I like, maybe some new furniture, infact make this place look brand new!, new paint job and everything” Tony flashed his signature Stark smile at Happy who already was sporting his signature annoyed look as he furiously type Tony’s ‘demands’ into his phone.
“So.., are the avengers getting back together?” Happy was basically whispering, like if he spoke to loudly the windows would smash.
Tony didn’t say anything just patted his friend on the shoulder, “come on, I’ve got one more place to go”
Happy sighed and once again became Tony’s barricade, protecting him from the vultures waiting to tear him apart.
“Where to?” Happy was helping Tony into the car, blocking him from view, he shut the door, disappointing the press who were basically trying to climb into the SUV.
“Rhodeys” Tony said it like he was in some dramatic romance movie where the main character tells the driver to ‘take her home’, Happy just nodded, speeding off (or well in Tony’s opinion, driving like a grandpa).
When the car came to a holt outside a gated community in King’s county, Tony almost regretted coming, Rhodey probably wasn’t even home but when Happy pressed the button and said who he was, Tony knew it was too late, especially when they parked outside Rhodeys house.
Happy helped Tony out the SUV, guiding him to the door before nodding as if he knew that something happened and walking back to the car to wait.
Tony knocked the door four times, a short pause between the last two, an eye was peering through the peephole before Rhodey opened it and sighed.
“Rhodey, can we uh you know talk?” Tony awkwardly looked around, shaking a little on his crutches.
Rhodey looked around before rubbing at his temples, “come on then” Rhodey stepped out the way to let Tony in.
Rhodey didn’t have to tell Tony to mind the step, or to be careful of the welcome mat on the floor that people might stumble over becuase Tony had been in his bachelor pad (or as rhodey calls it ‘his house’) enough times to know it like the back of his hand.
They made their way into the living room, there was some random game show on, that Tony swore he was on once but that wasn’t why he was here.
“M’sorry for being an ass” Tony mumbled under his breath like a kid being made to apologise to their sibling.
“An ass Tony?, really an ass?” Rhodey sighed, rubbing at his forehead, “come on man, I know you’re not great at the whole emotions thing but you’re a genius, don’t act like some moron who just got in trouble”
Tony all but whined, Rhodey knew Tony wanted to say sorry and so did he, Tony knew he just had to actually try for once and all would be well and Rhodey knew he couldn’t stay mad at Tony for too long.