Disclaimer: I own nothing.

So I decided to make this a two-shot. Intended to end on a happier note, which I promise, it will! ... Eventually. Keep reading, it does get happier! (I hope.) With a heavy helping of some bro-mance type stuff.

Enjoy!

"Okay, so I hadn't exactly been expecting that..." Tony quietly spoke up, now in regular street clothes. He and the others had gathered outside of Room Two, the room in which Steve still sat. Speaking of whom, Steve was leaning forward, hands laced together and barely brushing against his forehead, but had not spoken a word to anyone since...well, since Peggy Carter had died in his arms. She had since been taken away by someone, he wasn't sure who but Bruce had assured him it had been someone official who knew what they were doing. So he'd let her go, for the final time.

Physically, anyway.

Emotionally? He would liken his present state to that of a canoe being dropped smack into the middle of the ocean during the worst hurricane of the century.

At least he was pretty much being left alone. If he had to hear another one of Stark's wise cracks, just this moment? He could not be held responsible for his actions.

He just needed some time on his own, to...process everything.

Back with the small group gathered outside the Depressing Room, as Tony had dubbed it, Bruce was giving Tony a 'look.'

"You didn't expect that, really?" He quietly took up the subject, head down but his hard gaze fixed intently on Stark. "She was, what? Ninety-something? It should've been shock enough when they found him alive in the ice, but to actually see him, hear him, touch him? ..." Bruce sighed and turned away, crossing his arms over his chest and letting the thought hang in the air. He hadn't been so surprised, honestly, and had kind of been against this idea to begin with. It almost felt like betraying their Captain, but Tony's arguments had convinced him to keep quiet for the time being. Now he was sort of wishing he'd at least hinted a warning to the guy in some way.

"Guys..." Natasha quietly cut in, but was promptly ignored.

"She was waiting for him. She'd been clinging, whether or not she'd admit it, to that infinitesimal probability that the serum would keep him alive, somehow, throughout the crash and everything after. She'd never given up on him over the years, so I wasn't about to let him give up without even trying - you wanna know how I know all this? Because she would call my dad once a year, every year, for any news regarding the search." The group fell silent as they observed an increasingly emotional yet equally dogmatic Tony as he spoke and pointed a finger at Bruce.

"She," he paused, and his jaw jumped. His eyes held such an intense look that no one dared interrupt, even though Natasha was continuously frowning and glancing to the side. "...she told me once, that she'd not gotten to really say goodbye. And as long as his body remained undiscovered, she was gonna cling to the hope that someday, she would." Tony paused, sighing as he closed his eyes and raised a hand to rub at his brow. "If I could help it, I wasn't gonna let either one of them go without getting a final word in...and I could, so I have." He gave a small shuddering sigh, looking over the small group. "She got what she wanted, and I think, given time, Cap'll realize the same." Then, his eyes fell upon a certain gray-blue pair, intently fixed on his own with a very raw and deep pain brought so close to the surface it was impossible to ignore.

... Er, he had not realized that the door to the Depressing Room was still open and then there was the fact that they'd been not been standing far enough away for the super solider's hearing to not have caught every word they'd just spoken.

Oh, crickey.

Natasha smacked a hand to her forehead and shook her head, sighing silently. This had no doubt been why she'd been trying to get their attention earlier. Steve continued staring at Tony for several more moments, saying nothing and not moving at all. 'Is he even breathing?' Tony began to wonder as he uneasily returned the soldier's stare. Tony eventually found the floor by the door's threshold rather interesting; it was eerie how the guy didn't even blink... He was not ashamed over anything he'd said, though, and would not say sorry. Heck, Golden Boy had probably needed to hear it, too. Just maybe not so soon, exactly...and in that way...and from him.

Abruptly, Rogers surged to his feet and approached them. Tony tensed, prepared for the swing he knew would be coming. Indeed, Steve stepped right up to him. And then, nothing happened. When the pause continued to stretch on, Tony scrunched up his nose, and, swallowing his pride, he lifted his head to meet Cap's gaze square on.

In the blue gaze that was now burning into him he'd expected to see anger, shock, hatred, disgust even. That didn't cover half of what he actually saw behind the other man's gaze (not that he would've cared enough to notice at all, it was just that evident). There was a myriad of emotions warring for dominance behind those eyes, but the one that stuck out the most? The look of a broken man - Rogers had it down to art.

What was even more shocking to Tony? The words that next came out of Steve's mouth.

"Thank you." Rogers nodded his head slightly, stood there another moment until Tony silently returned the nod, and then Steve turned and disappeared down the hall. Another moment of silence hung over the group, at the tail end of which Stark lifted his arms and gave his body a glance-over. To distract him from the present feeling of being punched in the gut, he would do anything. Comic relief was always nice.

"Well...I'm not dead." Tony said, with a pointed glance to Clint.

"Too many witnesses." Clint scoffed right back, shaking his head. Bruce snorted and lowered his head, breathing a little easier.

-Line-Here-Yup-

It had been a week since The Incident. They had stayed in the UK until after the funeral, at which time Steve had actually been the one to suggest that they return home. Tony had made sure he meant all of them, then said it was a good idea and promptly declared it as his own while putting it into action.

To no one's surprise, Steve had chosen to stay on the helicarrier for a little while longer, by himself. Tony had allowed him his space for about three full days, after which time he was pulled out of his lab by Pepper and forced into a shower and to eat actual food. Now, today he had decided enough was enough and it was time to collect their Captain and it wasn't just because he hated to thought of him being at SHIELD's disposal. Well, not fully anyway.

Part of the reason he'd retreated to the lab was because of all the doom and gloom feeling on the upper floors. Hardly anyone was speaking to anyone else, which in the case of Nat and Clint wasn't so usual (they had some sort of non-verbal language thing they used to communicate, anyway) ... and really, it wasn't too unusual for Bruce either. The feeling that pervaded was heavier than usual, though, and they'd be reminded all the more so why this was because of Steve's absence from the Tower.

Thor was also still absent, which by rule usually made the whole planet a little more quiet.

Tony had informed Jarvis he was going for a drive, and then left. He wouldn't even play at pretending it was mere coincidence that led him in the direction he knew the helicarrier to still be parked at. It was still under going repairs and so was docked on the water at a local (secret-ish) harbor.

Tony arrived, and after a moment, found Steve standing at the very end of one of the farther out piers. His stance was rigid, legs spread apart and arms folded over his chest, gaze unmoving as his attentions were turned out over the choppy waves before them as Tony approached. Or so Tony had thought.

"You didn't get to say goodbye to them, did you?" Steve suddenly questioned, without turning. Tony frowned; how had Steve known it was him, and not-? Oh right, super soldier. Then the words registered. He didn't have to be a genius to know Steve had been talking about Tony's own parents.

Tony stopped, glanced at Steve, then continued forward until he was just even with the other man's right shoulder. Glancing down at the wooden pier, Tony shrugged one shoulder, swallowing noticeably "Doesn't really change the end result, does it?" he asked, turning his gaze to the side and down to the churning waters below them.

Steve shook his head in agreement, "Doesn't help with the pain so much, either." he sighed.

Tony laughed softly, though it was really more like an exhale of air.

"No, don't imagine it would." He agreed quietly.

Steve sighed again, letting loose the breath through his nose this time as he looked down rather suddenly and his shoulders sagged forward. For a moment, Tony almost thought he might jump, which would have been a ridiculous way to kill himself unless he planned on swallowing a lot of water, and Tony really did not want to go in after him, probably wouldn't have really, but then he was saved from this line of thought anyway as Steve turned to look at him.

"You draw the short straw?" Steve asked, giving Tony a somewhat small and perhaps even slightly amused smile. Or tried to, but it looked very tired indeed.

"No, Fury's sick of seeing your depressing hide moping around here so much. I was sent to collect you." Tony told him, inclining his head as he returned Steve's stare, giving nothing away.

Tony would never have admitted to his asking Jarvis to inform him of Steve's movements, trace his phone calls and whatnot. Nor the fact that once Steve set foot within sight of the Tower Jarvis was to immediately inform him. No, he would have never admitted to any of that, because it'd never happened. No matter what Jarvis might say. Steve continued to stare at Tony a moment, his amusement, such as it was, now completely gone.

"Fine." Steve responded in a borderline harsh tone, and turned to head back towards base to gather his things. He'd almost sounded...hurt? Completely closed off again. Oh, geez. This was one of those situations where Tony was supposed to offer some sort of olive leaf branch type thing, wasn't he?

"And..." he started, loudly at first to catch attention as Steve made to brush pass, and it did cause the other man to pause. "I think...we all kind of missed you. It's quieter, with you and Thor gone." Tony finally confessed, glancing up without moving his head to see how Rogers might respond to that, and also to perhaps let him see Tony was being as sincere as possible. It seemed to have worked, because that small smile had returned to Steve's face. "Also, it's movie night, and you really can't afford to miss out on this one." Tony went on to add, finally lifting his head.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Steve responded, nodding his head. It meant a lot to him, more than he'd ever be able to say, to know that he was of some sort of value to his team - for more than just tactical advice. "Just let me get my things-"

"Already have someone on that," Tony spoke up as they walked along the pier, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Steve frowned at him, pausing to raise an eyebrow, so Tony went on, "But, uh, might be good to, y'know, look it over and make sure they got everything." Tony hastily added, which somehow almost seemed to have made Steve chuckle. They stopped again at the end of the pier, and now Steve turned to Tony and placed his hand on Tony's shoulder.

"Thank you, for...everything. Really." Steve smiled gratefully at him and squeezed his shoulder, communicating through his eyes and body language that he wasn't sure if he could've done it himself, at least not in time. And he was honestly thankful for that. Even if it'd been one heck of a punch to the gut he'd really never ever want to repeat again. Tony nodded, but then shrugged his hand off.

"Don't mention it, seriously." Tony said, and, to try and lighten the mood, added as they started off again, "So, I hear she has a niece..." Well. Tony was still Tony, previous emotional bonding or not. Steve frowned, hiding it by an uneasy laugh as he ducked his head, and then gave Tony a playful shove. At least they were off the pier now and onto dry ground, so Tony had thankfully not fallen into the water when he'd been shoved by the super soldier.