How About That Drink? [frostiron]

Irrelevant Side Story

**You don't really have to read this but I kinda forgot about Captain America: Civil War and this is just a small side story of Tony and Steve making up that I wanted to write.**

**If you're annoyed about me forgetting to mention Civil War then read this, if not just continue with the story in a timeline where Civil War didn't happen/make up your own reason as to why Steve's in my story**

Brief sightings of the outlawed ex-Avengers swept through the news every now and again, more so to begin with but over time they dwindled down to doubtful news articles and desperate fan theories. None the less Tony obsessed over them. Over every single possibility of what they were up to.

At first Tony had told himself it was to hunt them down down but after endless lonely months of rereading Steve's letter it was hard for Tony to stay very mad at him. Deep down he knew Steve would always be there for him and had already forgiven him. Why the hell did that man have to be so darn perfect? Although Tony had found every possible excuse he couldn't avoid the fact that he missed them. Nat and Steve that was. They'd always been the ones who brought the team together. He'd even go so far to say that he was sorry. But the angry pain from what Steve had kept from him, what he'd done still clawed at his heart. Yet although Tony continued to remind himself of this it was impossible not to see it from Steve's perspective. It was impossible not to understand. So Tony found a way to ignore it, to deny it.

But no matter what he tried to convince himself, he couldn't deny the fact that he'd forgiven Steve... although there was no way in absolute fucking hell he was ever going to forgive him for what Barnes had done. Mind still bent with wrath and vengeance Tony had tracked the Winter Soldiers identity right back to World War Two, in an attempt to learn his every weakness, fear and flaw as well as any information regarding his possibly whereabouts. Hate burned in Tony's heart, this man had broken his life, this man had left him parent less and alone. Well over a year passed of Tony hell bent on tracking down and giving James Buchanan Barnes exactly what he deserved for everything that he'd done.

****

That was until some old Hydra files, buried deep down within the most secretive of Shields files, arose through the implementation of some skillful hacking. Video upon video emerged displaying endless hours of blurry footage from the super soldiers program. Hours of human experiments, training and pure torture. And there he was. Bloodied, broken and desperate, practically being used as a boxing bag. Forced into being a murder weapon. Treated like an animal.

The furious sadness in Barnes' eyes, the defeated slump of his shoulders, the horrific screams of pure terror he choked out as he was strapped into some form of brainwashing torture device. The utter resistance he showed to what they were doing to him. To what they were going to make him do. The muttering pleads.

The blank emotionless glaze of his eyes afterwards as he became mindlessly submissive to his orders.

What truly broke Tony was comparing the Hydra documents to the endless stories and videos of the old Bucky; the charming man fighting at Steve's side during WWII. The mellow faced guy with the loving, caring gaze and soft, gentle smile. The goodhearted solider with the fluttering laugh and hopeful eyes. Old black and white clips of Bucky standing up proudly and freely in his uniform, ready to fight and die for his country... for Steve.

God I'm such an awful friend - I hadn't even given Steve a chance to explain himself, I'd just been so fucking caught up and blinded in my rage. Tony looked sadly down at the letter in his hands, carefully rereading Steve's heart breaking words, remorse and regret seeped from the ink.

Tony slipped his hand into his inner jacket pocket and grasped a hold of the small flip phone he always carried around with him.

He pulled it out, holding the small phone tightly in his palm. Not daring to look at it.

He flipped it open and stared at the lonely contact looking up at him expectantly. He remained this way for a long time. He went to close it and shove it back in his pocket but Steve's words echoed though his mind - a realization sunk in: Tony hadn't done all of this due to a revenge fueled rage. He seriously missed Steve.

He pressed the little outdated call key and held his breath as it began to ring out. He instantly regretted his decision. Steve would see him as weak and think he was admitting that he had been wrong. There was no backing out now. Whatever he did from this point forth would result in having to confront Steve, whether that be hanging up now and having Steve call him back or going through with the call, maybe he could just leave a message. Please don't answer Tony pleaded to himself.

The line dropped through almost immediately.

"Tony. Is everything alright?" Steve's firm, worried voice cut over the busy background noise which rustled through the line.

Tony replied with a breathless silence.

"Tony?" Steve sounded so genuinely concerned it hurt.

"Hey Capcicle. Been a while, huh?" Tony peeped back meekly, realizing he hadn't thought out exactly what he was going to say. Steve let out a quiet breath of relief, Tony could sense his shy trademark smile shining sadly from the other side of the line, however far away he was. Silence followed. Calming, understanding, easy, reflective silence. Tony's actions outweighed the need for words. The fact that Tony had finally called him meant so much to Steve that he didn't need words. This was honesty all Steve could have hoped for - a simple act of acceptance on Tony's side. The first step to moving on.

He spoke his next words softly and meaningfully. "Thank you Tony."

**Author's note**

Screw the Accords.