Work Text:
Tony is mingling with the guests he invited to his Christmas party. He is looking around for a familiar figure, but just like for the past two hours, he hasn’t seen them. He looks down at his glass, resigned. People like him don’t get Christmas miracles. He puts on his fake smile and continues to talk to people.
He is looking out of the window when Pepper comes to stand next to him. “He will come, Tony.”
He looks at her sadly and shakes his head, “No, he won’t. Not that I blame him. Every time he tried to talk to me, I ignored him and brushed him off. It was easier to hold onto my anger than admit I was wrong. I had a lot of time to think, and I can understand why Steve didn’t tell me about Bucky and that he killed my parents. Do I wish he had, yes, but then again Natasha or Fury could have told me too. Funny thing, I might have done the same if I were in his shoes.” Pepper puts a hand on Tony’s shoulder. She knows that the accords business, Steve hiding the truth from him, and Steve and the others being forced to run and hide has been weighing heavily on Tony. She also knows that Tony misses Steve. She hopes Steve hasn’t given up on Tony and that he will still show up.
Tony is sitting on the couch. He sees Wanda and Vision slow dancing. He is happy for them; they had to sneak around when the accords were in effect. Natasha is here too; she is talking to Hill and Fury. He wonders what Thor is up to; he hasn’t heard from him in months. Bruce, well, he hasn’t heard from him in years. He looks at Scott, his daughter and Hope, they are now a family after they cleared the air between them. Then his gaze finds Wilson and Rodney. He blames himself for Rodney’s injury. He sighs. Steve was right about the accords; they did more harm than good in the end. He looks over to T’Challa, and he has told him that Bucky has been getting better day by day and that his mind is trigger-free now. He went to visit him in Wakanda, and they had a long talk. Even Bucky doesn’t know where Steve is. No one knows; no one has heard from him in months. He last saw Steve five months ago, it was after the accords were rewritten. Steve tried to talk to him, but as he told Pepper earlier, he brushed him off and feigned being busy. He regrets it now. What if that was his last chance to fix things between them?
-
Tony is walking through the empty compound. Everyone is asleep, but he can’t sleep. He hasn’t been able to sleep in years if he’s honest with himself. He goes into his workshop and removes Steve’s shield from the shelf. He looks at it and sighs. This is the only thing he has left of Steve. He doesn’t know what happened to his other stuff; he never bothered to find out. He misses Steve; he doesn’t know when it happened, but somewhere along the way, he fell in love with Steve and only when he was gone did he realise it. The saying absence makes the heart grow fonder is true. Pepper knew before him, and they broke up. He loves he,r but he is not in love with her. She deserves better than someone who is in love with someone else, someone like Rhodney.
He runs his hand over the shield. He hopes Steve is safe and has not been captured by someone. If he were, they would know, wouldn’t they? Some nights, he has nightmares that Steve is being experimented on and getting tortured or that he is dead. The not knowing is driving him mad. “Where are you, Steve?”
“I’m here.”
Tony’s head snaps around, “You’re alive.” He stands up and walks over to Steve. He looks worn, beaten down, and his eyes have the look of hopelessness in them. He swallows hard, “You are here.”
Steve gives him a sad smile, “You asked me to come.”
Tony nods, “I did. Didn’t think you got the message. Didn’t think you’d show.”
Steve sighs, “Almost didn’t.” He looks at Tony, “Why did you ask me to come? Is there a mission you need me for?”
Tony shakes his head, “No, no mission. I just wanted to talk to you. We have a lot to talk about.”
Steve looks at him, “You never wanted to before. You ignored me. That’s why I stayed away, it hurt too much to….”
Tony takes a step closer, “Where were you?”
Steve looks down at his shoes, “Some abandoned SHIELD cabin in Alaska. Fury made sure I had food. Was just the animals and me. It was peaceful.”
Tony is now chest to chest with Steve, “We have a lot to talk about, but I am going to do something now. Just don’t punch me.” Steve nods, and Tony softly kisses him. Steve’s arms go around Tony’s waist, pulling him closer. Steve deepens the kiss, and Tony moans into his mouth.
Steve breaks the kiss, “Merry Christmas, Tony.”