Title: Ain't No Sunshine, just a Bad Moon Rising

Series: Supernatural Husbands

Summary: Tony gets some news from St. Louis. From there, it's just a 'bad moon on the rise'.

Timeline: 2005-2008

Warnings: Slash, angst, alcohol abuse, war, separation, mysterious Coulson, sad Christmas song, implied character death (because Dean W.)

Pairing: Dean Winchester/Tony Stark

Author's Note: Here it is, the fifth installment of the "Supernatural Husbands" series, which will follow our boys through Avengers. There will be angst and tears that will not let up until the sixth installment, so you are warned now. If you want to wait it out until then, feel free.

We are officially in post-Iron Man and Supernatural Season 1-4 universes. I've been a bit lazy, in that when I updated Ao3, I never did on fanfic dot net. So, I've finally got to it - so sorry my lovelies.

Also, because this is a series and fanfic dot net does not have an easy way to currently link them, I would suggest creating an author alert for when you want to to know of updates to the series.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognized.

Chapter 1, "Ain't No Sunshine"

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone

Only darkness every day

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone

And this house just ain't no home

Anytime she goes away

"Ain't No Sunshine," Bill Withers

"Sir, I have an update about Dean."

Tony, who had been working on the repulsors of the Mark III, froze, nearly dropping the gauntlet when his hands became slack.

Dean.

Although he had initially had JARVIS hide information about Dean from him, that didn't stop Tony's resolve from weakening from time to time and asking about how his Sunshine was doing. Worry constantly simmered within him, and Tony couldn't shake the feeling of dread he had that something terrible was going to happen. In the end, Dean was always fine – injured and/or suspected of psychopathic criminal acts – but fine.

But never, in all those months, had JARVIS volunteered information on Dean.

Slowly, with his heart in his throat, Tony put the armor down.

"Hit me, J," Tony said, ready to face whatever came.

Or so he thought.

"Dean Winchester has been linked to several murders in St. Louis," JARVIS said, and Tony's heart sank.

"And?" he asked, feeling the hesitation in the AI's message.

"He was found shot dead," JARVIS said, as mournfully as the computer could muster. "The police believe one of his near victim's made the shot."

This... can't be happening.

"Are – are you sure, J?" Tony asked, voice wavering, leaning on the worktable for support.

"Yes, Sir," the AI replied. "They've already checked dental records and fingerprints, which are a perfect match. I'm... sorry, Sir."

No! No! No! No! No!

With a surge of anger, Tony swept as much off his worktable that he could reach. He then picked up anything he could and began throwing them around the lab. His rage flowed through every vein in his body, and Tony blindly destroyed whatever came into his path.

Dean was dead. Dead! Dead! Dead! Tony fucking knew something like this would happen. Dean probably knew too, which was why the fucker didn't contact Tony once it was public that he had come back from Afghanistan. But he still had to fucking go look for that motherfucker father of his John Winchester. Fuck John Winchester! Fuck 'em all for making room in his heart for them only to have them leave. To have them die. Fuck 'em all!

This went on until much of the lab was broken glass and bent metal.

Slowly Tony slid to the floor, unable to hold himself up anymore and began to sob into his knees.

"Whir Beep Whir Whir. Beep Whir. Whir Beep. Beep Whir."

Tony looked up through blurry eyes to see DUM-E standing next to him, attempting to put his arm around Tony.

"Whir Beep Whir Whir. Beep Whir. Whir Beep. Beep Whir."

Tony leant into his child's embrace, and continued to pour his heart and grief out through tears. Why did this have to happen? Why can't anything work out for Tony? Yes, they were separated, but Tony always held out hope that one day their paths would come together again, and Tony would again make Dean his. Why did Dean, sweet, loving, unselfish Dean have to die, and so young? He was only 26. They were supposed to spend their lives together until they were old, grey, and balls drooping to their knees.

God damn everything!

Tony cried and cried until he had nothing left in him.

Eventually he began to breathe evenly again, tears drying on his face.

The man sat up and patted DUM-E.

"Thank you DUM-E," Tony said sincerely. If there was one thing Dean had taught him, it was that the bot should be praised when it was due. "You helped me very much. Dean would – would be happy that you've taken care of me."

DUM-E beeped and whirred in with subdued excitement from the compliment. Out of all the bots, his eldest had taken it the hardest when Dean left. If Tony was DUM-E's daddy then Dean was his mom, and no amount of Tony and JARVIS explaining could get DUM-E to understand why 'mommy' left. Not that Tony blamed him. He still didn't understand a lot of things his parents did and he was fully functional adult. Well, an adult, at least.

Eventually, Tony pushed himself off the ground, wincing at the painful realization that his tantrum had caused some damage to his hands. He'd get some rubbing alcohol to clean the wounds, and then some real alcohol to numb the invisible ones.

"JARVIS, put aside any and all files on Dean Winchester, his family, the supernatural – all the plans we drew up– all previous security videos from the time I met him until now – anything that has any trace of him – put into a file called Sunshine," Tony ordered. "Put that file into the deepest part of the server, encrypt the shit out of it. It is never to be accessed by anyone except upon Dean Winchester's command."

"Sir, I do not follow," the AI admitted, not understanding his creator's logic. "Dean is –"

"Dead, I know," Tony interrupted, wrapping his arms around his waist. "I – I can't delete him. I just can't. But – but I also can't have it all within reach. It's the only way J."

"If you are sure, Sir," JARVIS responded, sounding as disappointed as an AI could.

"Do it, J," Tony ordered. "Inform Pepper of Dean's – Dean's death. And the steps we've taken. She can still run Westchester Security, but I want to hear none of it. Nothing about Dean ever again. Same with you J. You are not to mention Dean Winchester, or anything that concerns him, to me again. Do you understand? Nothing, nada. Capisce?"

"Understood, Sir," JARVIS replied.

Tony then made to leave the workshop to find some hard liquor and a bed to wallow in, when JARVIS spoke again.

"Sir, the results of your blood-work are complete. Would you like for me to reveal the results?"

Tony froze. Shit, he had forgot all about that.

In the time since he had miniaturized the arc reactor, Tony had begun to hypothesize that palladium would no longer be a suitable power source. He was starting to show adverse symptoms and having to replace the palladium strips with increasing frequency.

"Go ahead," Tony ordered, hand rubbing his chest in attempt to alleviate his pain. His chronic chest ache was now compounded by heartache.

"Your theory was confirmed, Sir," JARVIS reported. "You are suffering from palladium poisoning."

Hope you got your things together.

Hope you are quite prepared to die.

Looks like we're in for nasty weather.

One eye is taken for an eye.

Well don't go around tonight,

Well it's bound to take your life,

There's a bad moon on the rise.

"Bad Moon Rising," Creedence Clearwater Revival