❄ but the most special are the most lonely ❄

[letmetakeaselfie]

I. ( tony + steve + bruce )

[ tony's face-plate comes up, all but dragging steve over the threshold. he just has to focus on keeping the super soldier awake so they can get to bruce and get patched up. and then everything will be fine - it'll all be fine. nevermind that cap's best friend is now a psycho killer and is totally on the loose and natasha blew up s.h.i.e.l.d. via the interwebs and put a huge target on all of their heads.

at least he's not panicking.

he has no actual way of knowing how injured he personally is under the suit, either. he's in so much shock and so jacked up on adrenaline that anything is possible. he just hopes it isn't beyond the doctor's scope. JARVIS puts in the passcode wirelessly so tony can carry steve through the door, princess-style. ]

Medic? We need a medic... [ the joke dies on his lips, meeting bruce's gaze across the room. god is he a sight for sore eyes. ]

II. ( tony + steve + bruce + pepper )

[ once tony and steve are cleaned up and back in their street clothes, they may as well get ready for the q&a that's coming. there are a lot of things he's still not willing to discuss - peggy and her husband; his father; bucky... but neither of them are going to get a choice. he loves pepper and bruce with all (both) his heart(s) but this is some heavy shit, so instead he just blurts out the first thing that comes to his mind.

it's also the dumbest. ] Widow will be happy you finally got yourself a date, huh, Cap? [ he nudges the other man's shoulder and looks to everyone else, sorry. that's the best he's got. ]

III. ( tony + steve )

[ tony wanders out to the living room, finding steve out on the couch where he'd left him. he knows just by the unsteady rise and fall of his chest that he's not sleeping. how could either of them after that? without saying a word, he slots his slighter frame in next to him, carefully avoiding both of their injuries and pulling out his phone. ]

I wasn't kidding about that like page, you know. [ he shows cap the facebook fan page that allegedly phil set up. it has a much more flattering image than the twitter. also 14 million something likes. ] You have almost as many fans as me.

[ he's not even being cheeky (much), he has over 19 million. ]

IV. ( tony + pepper )

[ pepper's not up yet and tony hasn't slept yet, which really, if it weren't so commonplace by now might be more traumatic. as it is, he eyes her heels at the base of the bed; she had fallen asleep in her clothes. poor pepper, he'd probably exhausted her and worried her sick with all of this. again, par for their course, but still.

before he can talk himself out of it, he sits on a corner of the bed and goes about trying to get his feet into her shoes. she would totally kill him if she woke up right now, but as they'd established that day they went to the park, it was really hard being short. ] What does she have, elf feet...?

[ he asks the open air, wobbling to his feet and immediately falling to the ground. this wasn't his best laid plan by far. he's just going to lay here for a while. this carpet is soft and his entire body is a bruise. ]

Comments

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ all tony can do is watch in horror, readying himself to dive on steve even if he is injured. but that won't prevent what's coming and he knows it, watching it unfold in comic slow-motion. well, it would be comedy for anyone but tony, who is not laughing. not ever!! ]

And Captain America is never mean, right? [ he asks dryly, wishing he could have come up with a better comeback before the inevitable happens. ]

[valuedstrength]

Of course not. [Steve states it like it's obvious. One dramatic beat later though....] But Steve Rogers is kind of a jerk.

[He kicks the most vulnerable pillow near him. Prepare for doom.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ tony squawks indignantly, his face crumpling in dramatic dismay as the pillow disrupts his precise pillow placement and then it's dominoes. one after the other until he's buried and trying to hold back his laughter. ]

I spent forever on that. How could you?

Traitor. [ tony hides his face and subsequent smirk in the nearest pillow ]

[valuedstrength]

[Steve is knocking away the pillow on his face with his good arm, but otherwise staying buried. He's fine living in his pillow tomb and laughing at Tony's dismay forever.]

You look like you're really broken up about it. [He tosses one at Tony's head for good measure. His betrayal wasn't deep enough clearly.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ tony catches the pillow with one hand and looks up ] Don't start this again. You know nothing good lies down this road.

[ yeah he's just going to keep being as over the top as possible. have you met him yet? ]

[valuedstrength]

It really is hollow to win a pillow fight against a tired old man, isn't it? [That's why he's casually tossing another pillow. No, he's never getting up again or being mature. No one can make him.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

Wow. [ this time he flings the pillow back at steve, actually offended instead of fake offended not that anyone could tell the difference at this point. ] I'm upgrading you from 'kind of a jerk' to full-fledged jerk status.

[valuedstrength]

[Steve tries to use his arm to block it with mixed results given he's down to one decently working one. He sighs loudly.] Oh c'mon. If I can't make jokes about my age than what fun can I have? I don't see how that makes me a full-fledged jerk.

[Except for the part where he threw two pillows at his head.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ he deflates instantly, not sure why he was even mad to begin with. he sighs too, but it's weary instead of theatrical, looking among the pillow ruins with an expression of utter defeat. ] If I can't call you names, what fun can I have?

[valuedstrength]

[Steve frowns thoughtfully. He's determined to keep things light for now.] You can bully me into doing things I don't want to do.

[Isn't that fun for him? Steve assumes so.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ tony screws his face up. ] Do I do that a lot?

[valuedstrength]

[Steve waves his hand since shrugging is out of the question.] Kind of yeah. I don't really mind. I'm kind of used to the people in my life telling me what to do all the time.

[Read: it doesn't mean he listens to them.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ oh. tony still looks confused, trying to call up what he tells steve to do. but it's like twitter and not killing himself. he thinks those ones are pretty reasonable. ]

It's not like you listen anyway. [ he still looks a little lost though. ]

[valuedstrength]

[Steve doesn't even argue that given how quickly he nods. That lost look earns another foot nudge.] Hey, it's not a bad thing. My perspective might be a little warped if we're being honest here. I kind of went from radio silence to, well, you.

[He won't touch on before for obvious reasons.] Natasha might actually be bossier now that I think about it.

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ he hugs one of the pillows to his chest and leans against the back of the couch, stretching out his feet in front of him without returning the nudge. which means it's deliberate. ]

Good point... [ but he's better off, right? he doesn't want to stop now; doesn't want steve to go back to being alone. he hopes that isn't what's happening here. ]

You think? She's a woman. That makes her instantly at least 10 points bossier than me.

[valuedstrength]

Maybe that's it. Come to think of it, I don't usually question what women tell me to do.

[He forces himself to sit up by using his good arm to prop himself up while rolling into the side they are a hundred percent sure didn't take a bullet. If Tony isn't responding to his nudges, he will just come to him. His jaw sets as his injured skin protests against even being stretched. Steve ignores it as he always does. He very tellingly doesn't breathe again until he is finally sitting up.]

Too bad you're not a lady, huh? [He smiles as much as he can at his own joke. Yes, he's hilarious. Tony further his delusions.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ tony watches at first, but then he sets his pillow aside and moves to support steve, propping his shoulder up against his to keep him upright. damnit man, just when he'd gotten used to steve being better he goes and gets himself stabbed a bunch of times. that is so like him. ]

We've all had that dream, but I think I'm finally at a place in my life where I'm good with me penis and all. [ what a rousing speech. ]

[valuedstrength]

[He's so inspired. Ignore the fact he's getting an odd look for a moment there before Steve just changes the subject altogether.] That's comforting. You know I'd apologize for destroying your masterpiece if it wasn't so funny.

[He smiles which has more to do with being content at getting his contact than thinking he's hilarious this time.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

...For a second I thought you were talking about my penis too and I was concerned.

You get a pass on wrecking my pillow fort, but only if you promise we'll make another when you're less broken. [ his arm nudges against steve's a little, gently, knowing it's a 'promise' for both of them. knowing none of what they're saying matters save for the sentiment underneath. ]

[valuedstrength]

[It actually takes him a surprisingly short amount of time to get that. Steve just makes a face like he's wondering where he went wrong along the way in life.] Tony, please stop talking about your penis.

[Moving on, he smiles softly and nods because he is the ultimate sap who loves sentiment.] Promise. I'll even sit up on my own and everything when it's done.

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ he laughs, a full hearty thing. he hasn't laughed like this in a long time and even though it hurts to laugh it feels great too. ]

That's a really sad promise, but I'll take it. Try not to hurt yourself more before then and we're in business.

[valuedstrength]

[Steve laughs softly. It feels good to be the cause of that.] I'm going to be good. If someone comes at me with a knife or gun, I'll tell them I have the God of Thunder's girlfriend on speed dial. If that doesn't scare them, I don't know what will.

[It's not even a lie. Jane's interviewed him a couple times on his dealings with the Tesseract because in this universe we remember that's actually her entire deal.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

That sounds scary. I don't actually know her, but I bet it's scary. [ he's nodding, this is a totally solid plan. ]

[valuedstrength]

She's pretty terrifying when she's pursuing her work so all the time. [Steve nods and adds dryly.] She practically tackled me while I was out running one day so she could get an interview.

[letmetakeaselfie]

Hey, I've got nothing but respect for a woman of science. But don't make me go over this whole 'don't get injured' thing again. It's starting to feel like groundhog day. The movie and not the holiday.