Collision Course (continuation of Running with Gods)

Sleepless Nights

Who knew that was going to be the last time you had a decent sleep.

For the next 2 months you had nightmare after nightmare. Seeing what Ronan had showed you, aliens, planets, armies and that ominous voice.
Bucky who was laying next to you didn't wake up to comfort you as he normally would. He was so exhausted from every other night that you would wake up screaming that this time he slept through it.
You throw your legs off the bed and place your feet on the floor breathing heavily in through your nose and out your mouth to steady your nerves. Wiping the sweat from your forehead you get out of bed, placing a dressing gown over your tank top and shorts you head for the bedroom door.
Taking one look at Bucky before you close the door quietly behind you.

It was almost 2am, you headed to the bar at the lounge and grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniels. Unscrewing the top you press it to your lips and gulp down a mouthful.
You stand there quiet for a moment gathering your thoughts, off in the distance you hear music, ACDC if you wernt mistaken.
Following the sound you head to the garage and down a set of stairs coming face to face with a glass door. You see Tony working on his Iron man suit that was laying on a work bench. Pushing the glass door open you take another swig of your bottle and walk up next to him.

"Whatcha doin?"

You watch as Tony jumps at your words picking up a screwdriver and pointing it at you.

"JESUS KID! You trying to give me a heart attack?" he says putting down the screwdriver and holding his heart.

"You have one of those?" you joke, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

You walk around the table looking at the empty Iron man suit.

After he catches his breath he looks at you "Still can't sleep?"

You shake your head as you take another swig of Jack.

"Look kid, ive been in your position, i know what its like for something like that to take over your mind, and that.." he points at the whiskey bottle "Isn't going to solve your problems"

"It helps" you reply.

He gives you a sympathetic look as he tries a different approach.
"Here give me a hand with this" he says tapping the lifeless tin man.

He grabs you a seat and rolls it towards you. Taking a seat you watch him work for a while, tinkering and welding.

"So any luck on finding this other stone?" you ask him.

He lets out a sigh "Nothing on our radars yet."

"Luckily were the only ones who know about it" you say.

You and the other Avengers had agreed that the less people that new about the other stone, the less chance there was of it falling into the wrong hands. Between you, you opted to keep it amongst the team.

"DAMN IT!" Tony shouts as a spark flies from the part of the suit hes fixing.

You supress a giggle and smile handing him your bottle "Here"

He gives a disapproving look but gives in and takes the bottle from you taking a sip.

"What are you trying to do to the suit anyways?" you ask.

"Just a small upgrade to try and make it stealthier"

"Tony stark wants to be stealthy?" you gasp in shock.

"There are alot of things you don't know about me that would shock you" he grins taking another sip.

"Hey thats mine" you pout as you take the now half empty bottle from him.

You stand to look at the empty suit on the table. Your now drunken thoughts came to this conclusion.

"We never did get around to finding out what this was" you say tapping the mind stone.

"That's because our team leader doesn't want us poking a cosmic gem, he wanted to wait until Thor was available"

"But hes not here, you want to take a break from your suit and find out?" you say enticingly.

Without hesitation he says "On the bench"

A smile lights up your face at his quick agreement. You lay down on the free bench across the room, a row of computers were next to it, with a bright dentists light hanging from the ceiling.

"One last drink before we do this" you giggle as you take a sip, Tony does the same. You remove your dressing gown and lay staring up at the ceiling while Tony did his thing.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y take a scan of (y/n)s body"

"Will do sir" she replies.

"You better not make a copy of me" you say closing your eyes.

F.R.I.D.A.Y continues
"Sir it seems that the stone is connected to (y/n) via her synaptic connections allowing her to control its powers through her neural network"

Tony grabs the image that F.R.I.D.A.Y was showing him and enlarges it up in the air for you to see.

You see millions of yellow sparks traveling between the gem, your heart and brain.

"Woah" you say amazed.

"What's its composition?" Tony asks one arm folded across his body, with his other hand stroking his chin.

"It pre dates any known elements on this Earth" she tells him.

"Can it be removed?" you ask.

F.R.I.D.A.Y hesitates "Not without serious consequences" she says avoiding the obvious.

Tony moves to the top of the bench standing above your head looking down. You look up at him as the light from his arc reactor shines in your face. Looking at it for a moment it was like a light bulb going off in your head.

Taking your right hand you tap his arc reactor.
"So that powers your suits?"

He rolls his eyes not wanting to explain the intricacies of it,
"Kind of but not exactly. Why?"

Without saying a word you tap on the mind stone.

He looks slightly confused, then he gets it "Ohhh" his face lights up at the prospect of a new project.

"Is the stone a sustainable energy source?" he hurriedly asks F.R.I.D.A.Y.

"As long as its within (y/n) as they share energy between them. Yes" she concludes.

"Awesome" you whisper.

"You mind if i give it a prod?" Tony asks.

"Sure, just don't.." you start but it was too late. He touched it with his bare skin. Images, memories and feelings take over your body as you see Tony's life flashing in your mind, being captured and tortured, sacrificing himself for New York, Pepper leaving him, his panic attacks and anxiety.

You inhale sharply as he lets go.
You bolt upright holding a hand over the stone.
"JESUS TONY!" as tears fall from your eyes.

"Told you you wouldn't last 30 seconds. What did you see?"

"Everything" you exhale.

"Wow. Sorry about that" he apologizes.

"No don't be, it's okay" you half smile, wiping the tears from your cheeks.
"But I think that's enough excitement for one night" you conclude, feeling instantly sober.

Tony shuts down the scanner and turns off the dentist lights.

You look at the clock, 6am.

"Might aswell head up for some breakfast. You coming?" you turn to ask.

"You go ahead i will be up in a sec" he smiles.

You smile at him as you head up the stairs, after seeing Tony's life first hand it gave a new depth to your friendship.