Stony one shots!

Trick of the light

Word count: 1235

Summery: both men separated by the world - by the circumstances they find themselves in- but they may be closer then they ever thought.

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Steve sat alone at the edge of the lake.

The trees around him swayed softly in the light breeze, the rustling of the leaves creating a calming atmosphere around him - yet he felt any thing but.

It had been a long day.

They were forced out of their home, and into hiding. He gained a friend - and lost another. But was it really worth it- looking back?

He had his answer, but saying it out loud would make it too real, the realisation would dawn on him and hit him like a punch to the face. Even with the bruises from the earlier fight already fading - the scars would remain hidden beneath.

He sat on the cool grass, watching the clouds move above his head. If he closed his eyes and enjoyed the rare sunlight it could be possible to pretend he was else where - or even better someone else entirely. Would it be better to die and start again?

But he had responsibility here - now. He couldn't leave his friends- not after leading them into a battle they had no chance of winning - especially against one of their own. Because at the end of the day they were both doing what they believed in .... because steve - captain America- was portrayed as the hero , leader of the group- but it was TONY who felt with the bad press. He should have seen it sooner.

He never noticed until it was too late how beautiful tony was. How everything he down radiated perfection. How he saw the good in everyone- how everything , no matter how small was important to him. And now- if anything he pitied the world- they had the greatest hero - yet they didn't recognise his genius or heroic actions the same way as they saw him - because captain America was patriotic- and still after all the mistakes he had made, after he betrayed Tony is such a horrific way, Tony was still to blame. Tony was left to pick up the pieces of the life steve had destroyed single handedly. Steve was to blame yet it was tony who fell short.

So his thoughts returned to the small flip phone in his pocket. All he had to do was press a button- and he could tell tony everything he needed to- how sorry he was , how nothing that happened was worth to, that he wanted to come home .... that he loved him .....

His fingers fumbled with the screen as he pulls it out, his gaze travelling over the name illuminated on the screen.

'Tony Stark'

He missed him. He wanted more than anything to go back , find him and hold him. Hold him close to him and shield him from any harm. He wanted to smell his hair, feel the soft strands tickle his nose, feel the genius' warmth- Hold him... love him.

He had Bucky back - he felt like he had lost so much more trying to get him back. He knew what it was like to leave behind a whole world, a family - loved ones. Yet he supposed that's what led him here. The fear of losing the past again , even if he had found his future. He loved Bucky - of course he did- but he loved tony differently , and now with his tragic flaw, he was left alone once again, mourning a life he could have had.

The phone sat heavily in his hand, weighing him done, almost too heavy for even a super soldier to lift- he no longer had the Strength.

A small shadow seemed to form on the waters surface- a fragmented image of a mans face- a beautiful smile reaching his glistening brown eyes. Yet just as quickly as the image formed- it was soon gone. Just a a trick of the light?

He was broken without tony.

——

Tony sat alone at the edge of the balcony.

He watched as the busy street below him continued as normal- the normal traffic heard for miles, the shouting of the youth as they made their way down the roads- friends.

It had been a long day.

He was exhausted- both physically and mentally. It was hard enough grieving for his parents again, but then to find out that he had to have the arc reactor reinstalled broke him again. For him it was always a sign on weakness- and how the suit was so badly damaged didn't do anything to weaken the anxiety over it.

Because stony stark would always be weak- that was a fact. He didn't have a super serum, he didn't have special spy training , he couldn't shoot a bow and arrow, he didn't have a super huge green alter ego , and he most certainly was not a god. He was just tony stark - playboy billionaire.

That's the only Thing anyone saw. And maybe the only reason he showed them that side of him was because he craved the attention. Denied love as a child really did have some effects on ones adulthood. It shaped you- turned you into a monster.

He was alone once again- alone with his mind. It was the only constant in his life- the many thoughts consuming him, and sometimes he needed the excuse to escape from the world and let them. But sometimes - sometimes he needed to feel the pain - it's the only thing that reminded him he was human.

Until it didn't even do that.

Being betrayed so many times had its effect on the mechanic. So many 'friends' turned their back on him- left him and took what the wanted once he trusted them. And even after so many times he want used to it. So it was only a matter of time before he stopped . He was numb.

Numb of pain- numb of emotion.

Because he deprived him of that as well- emotion.

Because tony stark was the merchant of death - a monster. A cold hearted killer. A man who would ' only fight for yourself' because ' take off that suit and what are you?' He didn't know anymore.

He obviously wasn't a genius

His money didn't matter

Philanthropist or not he was hated

Playboy? Not anymore

IRONMAN! Not even that would save him now. He had nothing - was nothing and was reminded of that constantly.

Not a single tear fell from his face as the thoughts took over his logic. Not a single emotion shown through the pain, he was dead.

Because no matter how much he wanted to hear Steve's voice again - hold onto the hoe that he did actually care - that this was all a messed up dream! He wanted nothing more than to take the small flip phone out of his pocket - not think about what he was doing and call him. Pretend everything was normal- that it was okay....

But not even his 'genius' mind would be able to face another smile.

He watched the busy street below him and envied them- how simple their lives seemed from afar, how their smiled Burnt through him, tearing straight through his breaking heart.

Because the truth was he want okaY

And he never will be.

He had been Brocken for the last time. And he slipped away so quickly , silently - it was almost like the man was never there.