Post-it Notes

Did I Interrupt?

This argument had been a continuous event for the past two days. Rhodey had been snapping at Tony and Tony had been trying to keep calm.

"How could you do this, Tony? They ruined everything. He ruined everything. He ruined your life." Rhodey snapped, turning around to see a conflicted looking Tony. "You shouldn't have let them in here. You crossed a line, Stark." Tony's head snapped up and he almost threw something at his friend.

"I crossed a line?" He started. "This is my place! I pay the bills, i built this place, i buy everything anyone needs. You do not get to tell me if i crossed a line in my own home. I don't have anyone left. My parents are dead, Pepper left me and now you're starting to turn on me. This is unbelievable. It's absolutely ridiculous. I thought you were my friend and now you're treating me like everyone else does!"

"You thought Rogers was your friend and look what he did to you!" His voice becoming louder. Tony's hands flew to his head, lightly tugging at his hair. All the arguing and emotions over the last few days were driving him insane. He threw a glass fruit bowl across the counter and at the wall, grunting.

"SHUT UP. JUST SHUT UP! I CAN'T DEAL WITH THIS BULLSHIT ANYMORE, I'M SICK OF IT." He screamed. Rhodey looked a little shocked.

"Tony wha-"

"Stop. Just listen. I don't care what you think about Steve, or Bucky. It was my choice to let them into my home, my choice to bring them back, to forgive them. My choice, not yours." Rhodey went to interrupt again, but Tony held a hand up to stop him. "I'm sick of people telling me what i can and can't do!" They were both stopped by the kitchen door opening and closing.

"Don't mind me, just wanted to pop in and see how everything was, but i guess i can come back later." A familiar voice caught Tony's attention. He turned around slowly and let his eyes fall on the man the voice came from.

"Bruce?!" He exclaimed, pretty much running towards him. Banner held his arms out so that he could pull his friend closer. Tony bumped into Bruce's chest and closed his arms around him. "I missed you buddy, where the hell did you go?" Tony asked, pulling back with a wide grin on his face.

"I just needed some space, that's all." He shrugged, looking in between Tony and Rhodey and noting the smashed glass on the floor. "Am i interrupting anything?" He asked cautiously. Tony looked around and shook his head.

"Nope, nothing at all. There was nothing going on, Rhodey was just leaving." He smiled at Bruce, not even looking behind him to Rhodey, who huffed and stamped out angrily. Bruce gave Tony a pointed look, letting him know that he knew something happened. "I don't really want to talk about it right now." Banner nodded and sauntered over to the mess on the floor, bending down to clean up what he could. "You don't have to do that, man, i'll do it." Tony muttered, bending down to help. "What made you come back?" He asked, not looking at Bruce.

"Uhh, i'm not too sure, i think it was your amazing social skills and your sparkling personality that drew me back." He teased, nudging Tony with his shoulder when they were both finished picking up the broken glass. Tony laughed slightly, turning to face his friend. "It was actually the fact that i knew i have a friend here, a good friend that i can trust with my life." He smiled kindly, patting Tony's shoulder as he walked past to place the glass in the bin. Tony turned around slowly, still slightly dazed from Bruce being back. "I mean, i've put my life in your hands more times than i can count and every time you've pulled me through, hell i nearly killed you and you still wanted to keep me around. You're a great man Tony. You're a great friend. You deserve far more than you get." Tony was used to hearing those sentences, but most of the time they had a different ending. 'You're not even a man Tony. You're a huge disappointment. You don't deserve any of this.' The harsh words of Howard Stark came thundering back into his head. He almost broke, right there. Instead he distracted himself with Bruce.

"So who's the friend?" He asked, his voice small and full of desperation. Bruce walked over to him and took the small pieces of glass, throwing them in the bin before turning back to the genius and staring at him. He could see just how broken Tony was and how hard he was working to not break down. This probably wasn't the best time to make an appearance, but he felt that he needed to be by his friends side throughout the troubles.

"For a genius, you're not very smart are you?" Bruce laughed. "It's you, you goof. You're the friend." He laughed again, seeing the look on Tony's face change from sadness to realisation. He pulled Tony into a hug. "I'm here when you're ready to talk." He whispered.

"You're not leaving again, right?" Tony asked, the tears becoming harder and harder to stop.

"Never again, i promise."