A week had passed so far since Tony had first injured his arm. It seemed to pass so slowly with his inability to do much work. But he had suffered worse injuries and he would overcome this. Afterall, the injury was starting to heal phenomenally. He thanked the enhanced healing that came with being a wolf.

Currently the engineer sat at his desk in his personal lab. He had blocked everyone in the Compound out recently after Rhodey left. The only person he had let close was Peter when he stopped by to get his training in, as well as mess around with Tony in the lab. The genius had a soft spot for the kid. Golden amber eyes refocused on the work in front of him. He had been working on nanotechnology as of recent and was learning to program it. So far it had been a great success.

"Sir, Ms. Romanov and Dr. Banner are requesting entrance to the lab." JARVIS' voice chimed into the relaxed working atmosphere. Tony looked over his shoulder from his work, and sure enough there behind the tinted glass of the lab stood two familiar shadows. A heavy sigh slipped by his lips and he turned back around to face the holoscreen in front of him. His fingers returned to the projected keyboard at his fingertips, continuing to work on the necessary coding for the nanobots that would make up his new suit.

A few heavy minutes passed as his fingers zipped across the keyboard, debating on letting the two into his lab. When he had blocked everyone out he had restricted their override codes. Banning them from his lab unless given explicit permission from himself or JARVIS. However, the ones he didn't restrict were Pepper, Rhodey, Happy. and Peter.

It seemed like ages, but really was a total of seven minutes, before Tony let out another sigh. His fingers never left the keyboard and his golden amber eyes never left the screen projected in front of him.

"JARVIS, let them in." He finally decided.

The answering sound of the airtight lock clicking and the door sliding open sounded as an answer. Tony could hear the hesitant sets of footsteps that entered his safe space. The door sliding shut behind them was the only thing to break the tense silence already falling over the three.

DUM-E, U, and Butterfingers all beeped and whirred in excitement at the two. Rolling over to say hello to them like excited puppies. Tony felt his lips twitch at that thought, they practically were children. His children. He heard the quiet greetings given to the bots, but his bright eyes never left the coding in front of him.

Awkward shuffling and tense minutes ticked by, the usual idle noises in the lab being the only relief to the quiet surrounding them. Until finally, someone broke it.

"Tony.. are- are you okay?" It was Bruce, gentle and anxious Bruce. He had blasted off that day to find Peter and had left the curly haired scientist to tend to Natasha. He had injured Natasha.

Biting down his guilt and the creeping anxiety, Tony muttered out a bitter sounding "Just peachy.".

Footsteps approached him, and a hand rested on his shoulder. Tony snarled an instinctual warning and the person backed off. He was tense, a cobra coiled and ready to strike. He heard the concerned beeps his bots made in his direction. DUM-E rolling over and poking his claw at Tony's right arm. Lifting that hand, Tony ran it over the metal arm of the bot. His left hand finishing off the line of code he had started.

"Tony. We know you're not okay. Please.. don't lie to us." It was Natasha this time. Her voice bordering on sternness and then growing soft. Tony retracted his hand from DUM-E's arm after reassuring him he was alright. His fingers returned to the keyboard and he started a new line of code. The engineer definitely would need to triple check this for any errors due to his emotions, but that's why he had an amazing A.I.

"I don't know what you expect from me, Natasha." Tony finally replied, golden amber eyes seemingly glued to the screen. He couldn't turn around to see the emotions in their eyes, it would break him further knowing he was to blame for that as well. After all he was blamed for everything, was he not?

"We just want to know what's wrong." Natasha sighed, stepping back to stand beside Bruce. Giving the billionaire his space.

"Nothing's wrong, Natasha." Tony gritted out through clenched teeth, aggressive finishing off a line of code. He moved on to the next one as the frustrated words slipped from the redhead next.

"God damn it, Tony! We know you're not okay. Don't lie to us, you promised you wouldn't!" Natasha snapped, taking a deep breath to try and calm herself down.

Tony flinched at the tone, but quickly slipped his mask in place. Nothing could hurt him with his walls up, they always protected him. His suit was just an extension of that, and if the nanotech succeeded - which it would, he was sure of it - the suit would be with him at all times.

"Tony, please?" Bruce tried to persuade the genius further, his voice much softer and more timid than Natasha's.

Tony saved his progress, pausing as he finally turned around in his chair to them. Amber yellow eyes hardened and lacking any compromising emotion. He crossed one leg over the other, setting his clasped hands in his lap. The billionaire tried his best to ignore the hurt look in their eyes at his cold expression and closed off stance.

"I'm not lying to you. Either of you." He began, pressing his back into the back of his chair to keep him grounded.

"Yes you are!" Natasha argued, doing her best not to bristle in frustration.

"Natasha-" Bruce fried, but was cut off. "No, Bruce! How long are we going to let him sit there and lie to us? His mates!" Natasha bristled, turning her glare onto the short scientist.

Tony fought down a protective snarl when Bruce flinched back at the glare. She was mad at him, not Bruce. She had no right to take it out on the short male. "Lying, how?" Tony spoke, catching her attention. When her blazing emerald eyes turned to lock onto emotionless golden amber, he raised an eyebrow. Further prompting her.

"Lying about your health! Mental and physical! Lying about... about-" Natasha stuttered, trying time to find the words.

"About?" Tony questioned, curious now. Bruce shot her a look too, confused on what she meant.

"About your love for us!" Snarled Natasha finally. That had taken both males off guard, but Tony tried to reign his in. "I see the way you look at Rhodes! I see the way you respond to Pepper and ignore us! I see how relieved you are when you're away from us!" Natasha snapped, trembling from anger, frustration and jealousy. All dangerous emotions to have. Before Tony could open his mouth to speak, Natasha went off again. "You push us away! You push us away and lock yourself away from everybody! You don't even let us in! You don't speak to us!"

"God damn it, Tony! I thought you loved us!" That was the final straw as Tony's composure broke and he stood up from his chair in the blink of an eye. Startling both Natasha and Bruce.

"How dare you accuse me of that." Tony all but snarled, his voice low as he pointed a finger at her. Stepping closer and into her space. Forcing the redhead to step backwards.

Bruce shuffled away from the two, fidgeting with his sleeves as he focused his dark eyes anywhere but them.

"How dare you accuse me of not loving you. Accuse me of cheating on you two!" Tony's voice was climbing in volume, anger seeping from him. "With my own family!" Tony took a step back, glaring fiercely at the stunned redhead.

Tony's golden amber irises had darkened in anger, the hair on his skin standing up like a bristling cat's fur would. "As for my mental health, people are allowed their secrets, Natasha." His voice was cold, defensive, and closed off. "After all, how many secrets do you have? How many secrets have you not shared with us? And then you go saying that I should tell you mine when you haven't told us yours?"

"This is different!" Natasha cried out.

Tony spun towards her again, pointing a finger in her face. "Is it?" He growled. "Is it different, Agent Romanov?" Natasha flinched away from him at those words, the usage of her last name.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Not very different, now is it?" Tony huffed, stepping away from the assassin.

Natasha seemed defeated almost, gazing at the closed off genius. "Tony.. I- I just want to know what's going on in your life.." She tried to plead, her voice sounding broken.

Bruce shuffled closer to the redhead, trying to offer some form of comfort to her.

"A little too late for that now, isn't it?" Tony spoke, his voice lacking emotion. He turned, walking back towards his desk.

"Tony, please-" Natasha tried to get through to him once again.

"Leave." Tony cut her off, sitting back in his chair. Facing the coding he had abandoned.

"Tony.. she has a point." Bruce's quiet voice tried to be the voice of reason.

"I said. Leave." Tony growled, refusing to face them again. "You said your piece, now leave."

Natasha looked ready to argue again, plead for him to talk to them. Do anything to stop him from closing them off again. But she had done damage that may never be fixed. Hanging her head, she let Bruce pull her by the arm and gently guide her towards the exit of the lab.

As the two made their way to the exit, Tony returned his gaze to the coding in front of him. However, JARVIS was the one to break the thick atmosphere.

"Ms. Potts is calling, sir." JARVIS' British voice spoke up.

"Put her through, J." Tony sighed in relief when the door to his lab shut and locked again.

A click sounded and Pepper's voice filtered into the lab as a holoscreen appeared to his right. Showing the strawberry blonde. "Tony, how are you?"

Tony looked up to the image of Pepper, giving her a weary smile. "I'll.. be okay eventually." He settled for.

Pepper hummed in response, deciding not to pester him on the subject. "I called you to tell you about the upcoming Stark Industries Gala."

Tony raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair. "Fundraising?"

"As always." Pepper nodded with a smile. "The board has decided your presence will do some good. You are the face of the company, after all."

Tony sighed, nodding. Ignoring the sympathetic look the blonde sent his way. "Yeah, what day is it?"

"This Friday, I'll have JARVIS send over the details." Pepper supplied.

Tony nodded once again. "Alright, I'll see you Friday?"

"I'll see you Friday." Pepper grinned.

Once they bid their goodbyes, Tony groaned. Leaning his head back and staring at the ceiling. Listening to the beeps and whirs of his bots. "I hate Galas." He grumbled.

"I know, sir. However you do look outstanding in a suit." JARVIS replied.

Tony snorted. "I just look like an old man in one."

"Well, I wasn't going to voice that opinion, but thank you for reading my mind." JARVIS sassed.

Tony couldn't help the indignant squeak that escaped him as he glared at the nearest camera. "JARVIS! Who taught you to be sassy?"

"I learned from the best, sir."

"Damn right you did!"

A/N I apologize severely for the wait! I have a wrist injury that's been with me for two years and it's been acting up a lot recently. It's been especially painful this week.

This story is also available on my Archive Of Our Own account: WillowTailBreeze

Anyways,

Have a good day/night! <3