He hated it, he hated every minute of pain and just because of the otherâs presence, if he was alone he wouldnât mind a bitâŠbut Rogers was there, looking down at himâŠmaking him whimper like a little bitch and he could feel the anger dripping from his mouth. Anthony was most of the time a pouting child that would throw a tantrum if a single detail didnât go as he wanted, that wasnât a secret and nowâŠnow he was like a child being punished by someone stronger, taller than him, someone who was right and he couldnât stand it.
âIâm ââ Iâm glad you realized it, that youâre nothing for me! Youâre nothing for anyone!â He snarled and crawled back until his back was pressed against a wall, he pulled his leg closer to his body, groaning in pain with every single movement.
This was ⊠somehow new, he didnât feel like this since Afghanistan, none have had the power over him like this in yearsâŠbut there was a reason he didnât call his suit, there was a reason he didnât want to scream, to call for help and that reason was beyond his own ego⊠he needed thisâŠhe needed the sensation of the pain, the slight fear of not knowing what was going to happen, of not having the control of the situation, of everything in the roomâŠhe was down and that made him feel a little less heavy on his shoulders.
It was confusing.
Rogers got up, walked towards Anthony and looked at him, his baby blue eyes just for a second showing the man he used to be, showing the softness and kindness that Steve Rogers used to have. Showing vulnerability.Â
âI know.â He said, resigned. It had been so long since he had meant anything to anyone that he wasnât sure what it was like any more, so long since he had been more than a weapon that in times it was difficult to be human. âAnd you...You are everything.â He said after a moment, eyes hardening once more, the warmth vanishing, leaving behind an icy glare. âNo matter how cruel you are, how arrogant or vain, you always win, donât you? People always adore you, people always hope to be loved by you, they want your tenderness so bad.âÂ
Steve had seen it. The desperate need that people had for Anthonyâs approval, how just one smile could satisfy the need of the people around him. He could treat all of them like garbage and all he had to do to win them back was a smirk. And Rogers knew that Anthony loved it. Slapping someone in the face and having them apologize for whatever they did, even when Anthony was the one to blame.Â
âI donât.â Rogers told him, grabbing his face, forcing him to look at him, âI donât want your tenderness, Stark. I donât want your meaningless words, I donât want your fucking smirks and that pisses you off so much. You canât win me like you win the world and you brand me as worthless for it.â He let go and slapped the man across the face. âIâve had enough of that. You are no better than me, you will never be better than me. You think you are above them but you are just a pretty doll that everyone worships and likes to play with. Even when you control the game, for them you are just a thing, just like me.â