Part 2 is based on the song by Barenaked Ladies. I heard it today and thought it fit pretty nicely.

https://youtu.be/B3-8gQmPvyo

I think it's getting to the point

where I can be myself again

I think it's getting to the point

where we have almost made amends

I think it's the getting to the point

that is the hardest part

"How do they look?"

"Thrilled, Tony," Secretary Ross snorted in mock amusement, "they look just thrilled."

"Is (Y/N) here?"

"Of course she is. She chose to break the law with the rest of them, so why should I give her special treatment?"

Tony stopped in his tracks, coming to a sharp halt so sudden that the Secretary slammed into his back when he wasn't paying attention. When he turned, Ross took a step back at the shift in Tony's demeanor, not expecting the shift to be so dramatic. "Because I asked you to," he hissed, "because you know who she is."

"Who is she, Tony?" Ross challenged, stepping up to him. "She's a girl that you knew twenty years ago, and you're imagining her the way you want to. Not the way she really is. She's a criminal, Stark, and criminals don't get favors no matter who they are. You could be screwing her for all I care, and it wouldn't change my mind."

"Watch what you say," Tony retorted, closing the gap between them, "because I don't care who you are. I won't think twice before planting my foot up your ass if you talk that way about her again, are we clear?" When the Secretary gave him nothing in reply other than a wide eyed stare and a mouth hanging agape, Tony turned on his heel and made his way into the center of the cells to find you.

He passed by Wanda first, pausing with regret in his eyes and a pain that he didn't expect; the sight of her was too much, and he felt remorse at the thought that he had helped to put her there when all he wanted to do was protect her. Next was Clint and then Scott, followed by Sam, but then past that was only an empty cell; you weren't there. Tony turned and looked to every other cage around him but they were just as empty as the first. He rushed to Sam's cell and pressed against the glass, urgently trying to get his attention.

"Sam, where's (Y/N)?"

"Oh, look at this, now you're all concerned," Sam scoffed, still not turning to face his former teammate. "Let me tell you, knowing you gets you far around here. You should have kept your big mouth shut about her, you know that? You sure as hell didn't do her any favors."

"Why?" he asked, much more meekly than just a second ago. "Where is she?"

As soon as the word solitary was uttered from Sam's lips, Tony was in a frantic rush to find you. Being in this place was cruel enough as it was, but to lock you completely away was beyond unnecessary and done just to spite him. You hadn't done anything in the fight beyond what the others had done; this was just Ross having fun with him through punishing you. He stumbled through a door on the far side of the detention area that led to the most heavily guarded units, having to stand up on his toes just to see through the tiny window on each door. "FRIDAY, which one?" he whispered, looking at his watch when the answer quickly came. "I want her out. Make it quiet and fast."

"Yes, boss."

The lights in the hallway dimmed and the emergency lights came up as each door slowly swung open in front of him. Tony rushed to your door and stopped at the threshold, seeing you sitting perfectly still even though you were just given the green light to escape.

"I don't want you to do this, Tony."

"I didn't ask."

"You never do."

"Look," he sighed heavily, "we don't really have time to argue about this, okay? I'm getting you out of here, so let's go."

"I'm not leaving them behind," you huffed in disgust that he would even consider it. "What the hell kind of a person do you think I am?"

"Steve will come for them, (Y/N). I'm here for you."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because it's Steve. Can you honestly tell me that you think he'd leave them here?"

Of course, he was right, but you really didn't want him to gloat about it if you agreed. You hated when he flaunted a win, and it wasn't something that you had missed over the years apart. You weighed your options for just a split second, glancing finally at his eager expression and outstretched hand; it was your only choice other than going crazy in this sterile and silent room for who knows how long. The seat you were on was as hard as the ground, and they hadn't even provided you with a pillow or blanket to find rest on. The situation was bleak, and even though he wasn't your first choice of savior, he was all you had.

In a moment of weakness, you hurried to him, took his hand, and ran.

~~~

You think I only think about you

when we're both in the same room

You think I'm only here to witness

the remains of love exhumed

You think we're here to play

a game of who loves more than whom

You think it's only fair to do what's

best for you and you alone

You think it's only fair to do the same to me when you're not home

I think it's time to make this something that is

more than only fair

Once inside the helicopter and after FRIDAY had taken the controls to fly the two of you away from the Raft, it became painfully obvious that you were confined in a tiny space together with a million things to say, but no words with which to do it. Your mind was blank as you stared at him, returning the look that he was giving you and recognizing that he was having the same problem. For two people who used to talk for hours and days on end about nothing and everything, you were uncharacteristically mute.

"I'm sorry," came a timid whisper from across the aisle. It was so quiet that you thought it was said only in your own mind, but when he continued, he had gained your undivided attention. "I was a complete asshole to you. You were only trying to help me, and I pushed you away. I guess that's just what I do."

"Yes, you do."

"Thanks," he smiled softly, "I knew I could count on you to understand."

"You could always count on me back then, Tony. You were just too damn stubborn to see it."

"Yeah, still am about a few things." He shifted in his chair uncomfortably, rubbing his hands over the tops of his thighs anxiously and breaking his stare to look around the cabin and anywhere but at you. He had a question that had to be asked before he could go any further, before he could begin to understand who you were now. "Why did you go with Cap, (Y/N)? Why didn't you talk to me first?"

"Because you're wrong."

"Shit," he laughed, "I knew you'd be honest, but damn, don't mince words."

"He's wrong too."

"Would it have been so hard to...wait...you lost me. If he's wrong too, then why are you here?"

Every fiber of your being was fighting within you now, screaming at you to keep your mouth shut and trying to force you to look away from him. It had been too long, too many years, too many indiscretions. He wasn't the same man that you had known all of those years ago, and you definitely weren't the same either; you had watched from afar as he lived his life filled with questionable choices and morals, but through it all, you held a hope that your Tony was still there. As you looked at him now, seeing him returning your gaze with anticipation of your answer, it was as if the age faded away from his face and his younger self was there again.

"You really are an idiot, Stark," you whispered, your voice uncertain. "I came here to see who you had become. I see your face in the news, strewn across my table every morning, under headlines that make you both a hero and a villain. I wanted to see for myself which one you were. I wanted to see..." you stopped, casting your eyes to the floor, "I wanted to see if the Tony that I knew still existed, because I miss him. Even after all this time."

"He doesn't," he readily answered, much to your surprise. "He's...worse...in a lot of ways. But he's better in others, I hope. It's been a long time, (Y/N), and a lot of crap has been piled on top of a guy who was dealing with a huge pile already. I don't know if I'm the guy that you're looking for."

"And who is it that you're looking for, Tony? Who do you think is sitting in front of you right now?"

He opened his mouth to reply but paused to really consider what he might say. He leaned back purposefully in the seat and looked at you; really looked at you with intensity that had you squirming just a bit and feeling under examination. Each time that you glanced his way, he smiled, knowing exactly what he was doing to you, though you didn't try to stop him.

"It's still you," he finally responded. "You'll always be my (Y/N), no matter how many years pass by. Good people are always good for the sake of being good, or so I've learned. Sure, they can waver here and there and lose their path a bit, but it always turns out to be for the right...reason..." he faded away, his eyes glossing over in thought. "That's why you called him," he whispered now, almost to himself, "and not me."

"No, Tony, no," you hurried to interrupt, throwing your safety harness aside to move to his side and grabbing his hand in both of yours, "don't go there. You're not a bad person. You never have been. You're a good person who's had more shit to deal with than anyone should ever have to. I didn't call you because I was scared to find out that you actually were the guy that I was looking for." You paused and looked down at your hands, seeing that you had taken his as a reflex, falling back into the ease of contact with him without even realizing it. It was still natural to you, and your hand remembered this feeling all too well; your hands still fit together perfectly, and it only made you more afraid.

"I don't know if I can go back."

"I don't know if you should," he offered quietly. "I don't know if I'm worth all of this."

~~~

so if you call, I will answer

and if you fall, I'll pick you up

and if you court this disaster

I'll point you home

But I'm warning you, don't ever do

those crazy, messed-up things that you do

If you ever do,

I promise you I'll be the first to crucify you

Now it's time to prove that you've come back

here to rebuild

"Hey, I told ya."

You turned the chair from the kitchen table at the compound to see Tony poking his head through the door, jumping as he tossed an older looking phone your way with barely enough time to catch it. "You told me what?"

"Steve. There was a break-in at the Raft," he smiled genuinely. "I'll have to thank him for giving me this opportunity to prove you wrong."

"Hey now, I wasn't wrong. I just never said that you were right."

"You're impossible," he huffed, walking past you to the cupboard, opening it and staring at the coffee cups without making a motion to take one. He stood silently for what felt like an eternity before reaching up and closing it again, folding his arms over his chest and turning back to you with a lean against the countertop as he spoke. "They're going to come for you, (Y/N)."

"I know."

"Will you let me protect you?"

"Nope."

"Ugh," he groaned, frustrated and throwing his hands up, "why not? Why won't you let me do this? You don't have anything to prove, (Y/N). There's no shame here."

"Tony, it has nothing to do with that," you smiled, setting the phone on the table in front of you. Your fingers grazed over the casing and fought the urge to open it; maybe if you called Steve, the two men could be coerced into talking things out. If they could find a way to get along, maybe all of you could be free and begin to rebuild the brokenness of the team and of each other. Ultimately, you decided that maybe now wasn't the time, and he didn't seem to notice when you slipped the device into your pocket. "They're going to come for you too, you big dummy. You broke me out, remember?"

He had his hand up and a finger pointed at the ready to continue to outline point after point about why he was right, but it slowly lowered until both of his hands were hanging defeated at his sides. "Well, okay...you make a valid point..."

"Come on, genius," you smirked, standing and crossing the room to take his hand, "I know a guy who might let us hide out for a while. But," you stopped and poked his chest solidly, "no fighting. He's a lot to take, and so are you. I won't hesitate to leave your ass there if you start trouble. I've got experience with walking out on you."

"Do I know this guy?"

"Doubt it. But just to be safe, let's grab a few chimichangas on the way over so we don't have to beg quite so hard."

"M'kay," he mumbled, chewing on his lip anxiously as a thought raced through his mind. If this friend of yours let you stay with him, it could be a while before the two of you would have any time alone again, and he still had so much that he wanted to say to you. So many apologies to make and explanations to give, and now he had no time to offer them. In a panic, he yanked on your hand and spun you around against him, holding you with an arm around your waist so he could kiss you before the moment was gone. He held you desperately so that you wouldn't run from him again.

When you pulled back to catch your breath, he smiled at you in both shock and relief that you were still there and hadn't punched him in the mouth for being so brazen. "I didn't want to miss my chance."

"Smart," you sighed quietly, absentmindedly brushing your finger over your lips as you watched his, trying to hold onto the sensation for as long as you could. "Don't screw this up," you mumbled under your breath, though you weren't sure if you were talking to him or yourself.

If only you had more time, and had safety to rely on, you would give in to how easy it was to fall for him again; but that would have to wait. You were fugitives now, and as scary as that was, you didn't feel it because you were together again; your body was surging with energy that reminded you of those days so many years ago, and for the first time in a long time, you felt like you could take on anything. Even him.