Captain's Hart and Soul

Chapter 7 Fears

Tony whacked another log, splitting it down the middle. Steve was tossing his log pieces onto a large pile as Tony asked: "Thor didn't say where he was going for answers?"

"Sometimes my teammates don't tell me things." Steve answered as he walked back to his axe, glancing at where Clint was out on his porch with his two kids.

Steve turned back to chopping a log as he added dryly: "I was kind of hoping Thor would be the exception."

"Yeah, give him time." Tony answered as he set up his next log. "We don't know what the Maximoff kid showed him."

Tony glanced up at the roof of Clint's farmhouse, eyeing the brunette woman who was sitting there, with her knees curled up and tucked under her chin as she stared into the distance. Steve saw the direction of Tony's glance, and he whacked his axe down in agitation. He'd been watching Arianna constantly since she'd taken up residence on the roof earlier that day, but she'd never once looked down, let alone at him.

Tony glanced back at the aggravated Captain as Steve said sarcastically: "'Earth's Mightiest Heroes.' Pulled us apart like cotton candy."

Steve grabbed another log, and Tony pointed out a little bitterly: "Seems like you walked away all right."

Steve paused as he heard the almost accusing tone in the other man's tone, and he glanced over at Tony.

"Is that a problem?" Steve asked as he raised a brow.

"I don't trust a guy without a dark side." Tony quipped. He whacked his axe down on his log at last, before he added a little sarcastically: "Call me old fashioned."

"Well let's just say you haven't seen it yet." Steve shot back, somewhat annoyed.

He paused in his swing as Tony pointed out: "You know Ultron is trying to tear us apart, right?"

Steve's eyes narrowed as he spat: "Well I guess you'd know."

His eyes flickered over to Arianna, and Tony felt a well of guilt sit in his stomach as he saw Steve's look, seeing how his words might've hit a nerve with Steve at the current moment. Steve added pointedly: "Whether you tell us is a bit of a question."

He smacked his axe down on the log as Tony bristled, arguing: "Banner and I were doing research."

"That would affect the team." Steve bit out, and Tony shot back sharply: "That would end the team."

Tony stepped up to Steve, staring at the super-soldier defiantly as he demanded: "Isn't that the mission?"

Steve walked over to grab another log, but then Tony continued: "Isn't that the 'why' we fight, so we can end the fight, so we get to go home?"

That hit another nerve and Steve ripped the log in half with his bare hands angrily. He tossed the pieces to the side as he whirled around to face Tony, and he said with forced calm: "Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people die. Every time."

Tony clenched his jaw, but their standoff was interrupted as Laura walked over, calling: "I'm sorry. Mr. Stark, uh," Tony and Steve broke eye contact as Laura said sheepishly, "Clint said you wouldn't mind, but, our tractor, it doesn't seem to want to start at all. I thought maybe you might..."

"Yeah, I'll give her a kick." Tony said quickly.

He turned back to look at Steve, who leaned back with his hands on his hips. Tony sighed a little and then began to walk off towards the barn, pausing to add as he pointed to his much smaller pile of chopped wood: "Don't take from my pile."

Steve sighed as well as Tony walked off, and then glanced at Laura as the woman stood watching him curiously. As their eyes met, Laura said softly: "The easiest way to the roof is to get to the attic and climb through the skylight. It's how Ria usually gets up."