WinterIron one shots

Sleep Deprivation

Word count: 2520

Summery: sleep deprivation makes tony do some weird things... but maybe something good will come out of it.

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If anyone asked, it was because of the sleep deprivation.

Which wouldn't be out of left field because a large number of things Tony did was because of it: Why did he make the toaster pink? Why did he have a Hello Kitty themed Iron Man suit? Why was Harley the proud owner of a thriving potato farm? Why did he buy Peter Netflix when the kid quite obviously meant he wanted an account and not the whole company? Why did he allow the Rogues to come back and live in the Compound? ...

Because he was sleep-deprived.

The last was certainly more complicated than that.

Pepper would honestly rather shoot the Rogues into space than let them anywhere near Tony, but even her power was limited when faced with the UN and the Accords Council. (unfortunately)

Saying the Rogues were gigantic, ungrateful douchebags wasn't exactly a good enough reason to make the Rogues someone else's problem. Especially since Tony was a founding member of the New Avengers, and was realistically, the only one besides King T'Challa with the means to contain them the Rogues if necessary.

Tony was sure that if he were more conscious he'd be able to argue guardianship but of course, both the cause and effect of the Rogues' return were the same: sleep deprivation.

Tony would also like to blame his upbringing for being a helping hand on what transpired after.

While Howard was cold, calculating and uncaring, Maria, deprived of her large Italian family since her move to Stark Manor, showered Tony with all the affection she couldn't share with them.

Kissing was always as natural as breathing, and when he couldn't even sleep properly, breathing is all Tony's got.

Barnes had been in the kitchen, minding his own business as he stared ahead at nothing when Tony had stumbled in, bleary-eyed and Really Tired. Tony probably looked a lot worse than he felt because his ungraceful entrance was enough to startle Barnes' focus, even if it was limited - to watching him closely from the corner of his eye.

Tony had been too tired to care.

struggling to reach a mug – why were they on the higher shelf, who moved them? – Barnes was kind enough to turn the kettle on, and while Tony waited for the water to heat, he plopped down on the other end of the counter, deciding to start making his coffee once the water was done heating. He'd just...rest his eyes for a...second.

According to Friday, he'd been out twenty minutes, and Barnes – Barnes had filled his mug and had then slid it across the distance between them before reaching for his own to sip.

While Tony had needed coffee, the soothing aroma of the black forest blend was probably a healthier alternative.

Bruce made it for him all the time too. and it smelt like heathen. Tony wasn't even surprised that his fellow scientist managed to get Barnes doing it too – the two of them got along quite well if all the meditation and tea-drinking they did was any indication.

Tony snorted to himself, picturing Barnes in full Winter Soldier uniform and the Hulk doing yoga on the lawn. Shaking his head, and having already wasted enough time with his power nap, Tony didn't bother to question it and simply took his mug to leave.

Though not before thanking Barnes – and seriously, if there was a third culprit to this mess, it was that Tony could be too polite, and when he's sleep-deprived, the boundaries of social protocol were lost on him.