Chapter 3
Tony expects a bag to be put over his head, or to be blindfolded, or something like that but Not Steve opens the door and comes to Tony’s side and begins leading him through the twisting a hallway and Tony looks around trying to keep track of all the places he’s being led through so when he escapes he has a map in his head.
“I wanted to apologize for my men hitting you when your mask came off. Some of them are still learning how to fight and are a little ambitious. They are going to be dealt with,” Not Steve says and Tony expects to be shown labs or weapons but Not Steve leads him up and out into the sunshine and Tony turns his face up to the sun letting it shine on his face.
“You’re letting me outside?” Tony asks.
“Yes, I have to speak with someone and you need sunlight to be healthy. Come on, I want you to meet someone,” Not Steve says and Tony follows him over to where a Hydra Goon is standing in salute.
“Agent O’Malley, this is Tony Stark. He is the man you punched. I want you to apologize,” Not Steve says and the goon removers his helmet and Tony feels sick. This guy is just a kid, he barely looks older than Peter.
“I am sorry for striking you,” the kid says and Tony doesn’t like the feeling he’s getting and his blood runs cold as Not Steve pulls a gun and takes aim at the kid’s forehead.
Tony doesn’t even realize what he’s seeing but his feet are already in motion towards the two Hydra members. He’s more surprised than anyone when he finds himself staring down the barrel of the gun.
“I am not going to let you shoot him,” Tony says.
“I could just shoot him over your head,” Not Steve says.
“You can but I’m asking you not to. You want to discipline him make him peel potatoes or some shit. But please, don’t kill him,” Tony says and Not Steve’s face softens.
“Is that truly what you want? That I not hurt someone who hurt you?” Not Steve asks. Tony looks away because he knows why this was a thought in his head. So many people who hurt him ended up dead. Stane, Killian, Vanko, The Ten Rings. All of them ended up dead.
“I don’t want him hurt,” Tony says.
“And what would your dear Captain say about you wanting a Hydra operative to live?” Not Steve asks.
“What he feels does not matter to me. The blood would not be on his hands, it would be on mine and that is something I am not willing to live with,” Tony says and Not Steve smiles.
“I knew that you would never be able to be a good option for Hydra. O’Malley you may leave. You will scrub the bathrooms as punishment,” Not Steve says and the shaking kid runs off as fast as he can. Not Steve turns to Tony, “Red Skull thought you might be a worthy member of Hydra. That if we pushed you hard enough you would join us. I knew better. Your heart,” Not Steve says and his hand hovers over the reactor far enough that Tony isn’t afraid, “is too good. Too generous to ever join Hydra.”
“This was a test?” Tony asks.
“Yes and no. Had you told me to shoot him or simply said nothing he would be dead. If you stopped me he would not. O’Malley didn’t know that however,” Not Steve says and Tony takes a breath and does something stupid.
He punches him.
“You are a fucking asshole you know that! That kid is going to be traumatized for the rest of his life! He’s going to wake at night in a cold sweat, phantom pain in his forehead!” Tony says clutching his hand from where he split the knuckle and trying to massage away the throbbing in his hand.
Not Steve doesn’t even move from the punch but his eyes lock on Tony’s hand.
“We need to see someone about your hand. Come on,” Not Steve says and Tony follows him through a different hall and into a lab.
“I don’t know if I want to be here. Just give me some ice and stick me back in the room please,” Tony says as he’s led to the exam table.
“Onto the table,” Not Steve says and then leans over Tony’s hand.
“May I?” Not Steve asks motioning to Tony’s hand.
“What are you going to do with it?”
“Examine it,” Not Steve says.
“You know medicine?” Tony asks.
“I am a trained field medic and trained in many of the machines here,” Not Steve says.
“Why?”
“In case my men need medical attention or something in the field or after,” Not Steve says holding his hand out Tony swallows and puts his hand in his and Steve begins to examine it his thumb stroking over the bruised knuckles. Tony squirms a little the skin tingling where he’s touched. His hands have always been the more sensitive part of his body.
“Tell me if I overstep,” Not Steve says and checks to make sure there isn’t anything wrong. Tony wants to yank his hand away and keep it away but he can honestly say that in the moment Not Steve is not doing anything that he shouldn’t be doing as he examines his hand.
“Okay. I don’t think that your bones were broken or anything. I’m concerned about giving you to an X-ray because of your reactor. Does it feel broken?”
“No,” Tony says and takes back his hand back and clutches his hand to his chest glaring at Not Steve.
“I want to apologize. I should have taken your history into consideration. You’re kidnapped, you’re afraid, at the mercy of another supersoldier about to watch another innocent person die from a gun while you are unable to do anything. I am sorry,” Not Steve says holding out a bandage.
Tony flexes his fingers and holds his hand out and watches as Not Steve wraps the bandage around his hand.
“Done,” Not Steve says and lets go.
Tony follows him back to the room and finds that a window has been added to the room near to where he’s usually chained up and a bed, and actual bed with a mattress and sheets has been added to the room.
“I saw how much you liked having the sun on your face and the fresh air so I had this uncovered. It was added to O’Malley’s punishment,” Not Steve says.
“A...and the bed?” Tony asks hating himself a little. He is Tony Stark! He does not stutter, he does not gulp and tremble when someone steps into his space.
“So you can sleep. What else would you do with a bed?” Not Steve says and Tony bites his lip and turns and slides his fingers into Not Steve’s hair.
“There’s plenty you can do with a bed,” Tony says low and sultry as he steps into the space between them and presses his mouth to Not Steve’s.
Tony long ago realized that sex was a weapon. Reporters used it to get their scoops. Models used it for money and fame. Competitors used it to get to his tech. He long ago decided that sex would be his weapon as well. Sleep with the reporter and edit her notes and delete recordings. Sleep with businessmen to make deals. He’s Tony Stark, if he has to sleep with a Hydra agent to earn his trust he will.
Tony manages to get Not Steve backed up and sitting on the bed. He’s just climbing into his lap when he feels arms around his waist and suddenly he’s being lifted back onto his feet.
“No. This is not how I want you. I don’t want you because you’re scared. I don’t want you to sleep with me as a thank you or as an attempt to gain trust. When we make love it will be because I am the first thing you think about when you go to sleep and when you wake up,” Not Steve says and Tony finds himself being handcuffed to the bed.
“There’s a button on the side if you need the bathroom or me for any reason,” Not Steve says and leaves the room.