❄ 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

[valuedstrength]

[He holds in an apology for letting the light in. Steve pushes his way past the door and knocks it shut with his foot. He crosses over and sets it down gently by them as he moves a little away not to knock anything over when he does sit on the edge of the bed. He is kind of heavy.

Steve sighs tiredly once he does. He used up a lot of energy doing this simple task. He does need to sit a minute before he gives them their privacy again. It doesn't take him long to catch that look from Pepper.]

It's okay. I know how to compensate for it. [Because that's reassuring, right? He really does think it should alleviate her worry. He didn't spend hours on this.] I'll be up in a minute, I promise.

[It's not like she invited him to sit in the first place. Very tellingly there's only two plates there. He was always going to drop this off and go.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ tony has half a mind to kick him, but bacon saves the injured soldier from his foot. tony picks up the plate and sits up the rest of the way to properly take it all in. steve clearly put a lot of effort into this even if he really shouldn't have so he doesn't want to risk being ungrateful or whatever. not to mention it smells divine. ]

...You did make some for you, right? [ he looks about ready to shove eggs in steve's face if he says no. ]

[efficacy]

[ Pepper never even thought that Steve had meant the meal to be just for her and Tony, completely assuming it was for all three of them. It's why her brow furrows at his assurances that he'd be up and about soon, her frown deepening further at Tony's inquiry. Following suit, she sits up properly and inspects the tray, making a noise of dissatisfaction at spotting only two plates.

Promptly, she picks up one of them and hands it to Steve, her expression daring him to refuse it. ] Nu-uh, you're going nowhere until you eat, soldier.

[valuedstrength]

[They are really starting to terrify him with those looks. Steve very carefully accepts the plate with his less injured arm. He really does look too scared to refuse her though he clearly wants to. The soldier answers sheepishly, lowering his head a little as he responds like a little kid who's just been scolded by his parents.]

I left Bruce's in a container. My food is sitting on the coffee table. [He'd offer to get it for her, but he's ten thousand percent sure Pepper will say no. Clearly she's in charge right now.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ trying to preempt being told to get it, or worse, being asked, tony dumps his plate off on pepper and gets up far too fast for a guy bruised like a boxer (who lost). ]

I'll b-r-b. You girls don't talk about me while i'm gone now.

Unless it's good things. [ he shrugs a shoulder and makes his way through the scary door and into the daylight before closing it behind him. ]

[efficacy]

[ Mollified by Steve's explanation, Pepper's insistence and indignation go out the window and her whole frame relaxes, opening her mouth to respond just as Tony shoves his plate at her. Frowning, her indignation returns. ]

Tony-- [ Aaand he's already going and gone. Huffing in annoyance, Pepper makes a face. ] I'm the uninjured party, here. You two should both be taking it easy.

[valuedstrength]

Yeah, but that'd be sensible. What would you do if we were sensible, Pepper? [He points out with a soft chuckle. Steve's expression melts to something softer. His time frame here is tiny so he rushes to the question.] Is he okay? As okay as anyone could be after.

[He assumes by now Pepper has the highlight reel of that terrible adventure.]

[efficacy]

It bears questioning, doesn't it?

[ The wry amusement gives way to something infinitely more solemn and pained at the question, the memory of Tony's grief and anguish fresh in her mind. She glances toward the doorway as if checking for Tony's return. Softly, she responds. ]

He's... he will be. He's much stronger than he sometimes gives himself credit for. I think he's still processing it to a degree, right now. But he will be okay. [ He's got both of them to help with that. ]

[valuedstrength]

[Steve nods. That's about what he expected.] I can't help as much as I'd like. He keeps deflecting when I try. [Steve doesn't say or think it's a bad thing. It's fair enough given the circumstances. Everything he died for turned out to be lie and his best friend he quietly mourned as long as he knew them turned out to be alive under the worst possible circumstances. Those are just top on the list problems for him.]

I'll do what I can, but I think you'll have better luck than me.

[efficacy]

He was very upset you seemed to think it was all your fault. [ Though she feels bad betraying Tony's confidences like this, Pepper thinks Steve should know, the frown on her face indicating she isn't any happier to entertain such ridiculous notions. But she doesn't press the matter further, knowing Tony is returning any moment now. She sighs, her heart breaking all over again for both men. She nods her head, an agreement as much as assurance. ]

I'll do all I can. There's nothing I wouldn't do for him.

[letmetakeaselfie]

Is everyone decent? [ he calls loudly from the hall so they can wrap up whatever it is they're saying about him. he knows them both too well. tony toes open the door, holding his plate and fork in one hand and his other hand over his eyes, barely peaking through. ]

[valuedstrength]

[Steve mostly succeeds in not looking guilty he said that out loud. Clearly it was a mistake to do so. You know not the part where he believes it because that would be crazy. He does nod at the last part. Of course he knows as much. Anyone around the couple for longer than five seconds can see their devotion to one another. It warms his heart if nothing else these days as evident by the small, grateful smile. He's happy they found each other.

Then Tony is calling out from the hallway so he turns to face the other man with a more amused expression as if he hadn't been discussing him with the future Mrs. Iron Man seconds before.] I see you survived the big, bad sun.

[efficacy]

[ Pepper gives Steve a small smile of understanding, opening her mouth as if to add something, but then Tony is hollering in the hallway and she rolls her eyes at his antics instead. ]

No. We're having a pillow fight in our underwear. [ Pepper deadpans in response just before he enters -- hey, Tony did call them girls. The twitch of her lips betrays her fond amusement, though. ]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ he sticks out his tongue at steve then shrugs a shoulder before turning to pepper and shaking his head. ]

Don't joke about that, and also don't look in the living room because Steve and me already did that. [ thus the no joking. he hops back in between them, cross-legged, already picking at his rapidly cooling food. ]

[valuedstrength]

[Steve takes it as his cue to eat. He's grateful now that he gave everyone the same amount despite the fact he should really be eating double this. Ah well. He'll snack later. At that reminder, Steve shoots Pepper an apologetic look for messing up her space before adding childishly after he swallows,] He started it.

[He honestly can't remember if that's even true or not.]

[efficacy]

[ Pepper's eyes gleam wickedly, the in your underwear? right on the tip of her tongue before she decides, benevolently, not to torment them further. Off Steve's look, she shrugs and waves the unspoken apology off in between dainty bits of food. ]

The balance of probability is on your side. [ She pats Tony's thigh gently with her free hand even as she says it. ]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ he doesn't even contest it, tipping his head to the side. he can't remember if it's true or not either, but pepper's right. it was totally probably him. ]

It's not my fault you suck at cards. [ trying to be sneaky about it, tony dumps half his eggs onto steve's plate, eyebrow raising as if in dare for steve to protest. ]

[valuedstrength]

[He shoots Tony an exasperated look. He knows what you're up to!!] C'mon my eggs aren't that bad.

[Steve lifts up some of his bacon to eat.] Pepper, tell him.

[efficacy]

[ Pepper's lips quirk at the corner, for once not disapproving of Tony's antics. ]

Oh no, I'm not getting in the middle of this one.

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ tony smiles to himself and leans back to finish his breakfast. ]

Pepper, did I tell you Steve is working through all the Disney movies? [ he knows he told her they watched frozen, but he can't remember if he told her that part, and now would be an excellent time since they're all together. and what else do you do in a safe house, seriously? the way he says it is almost conspiratory though, like one parent telling the other about some great project their child was consumed with. but really, since steve had moved into the tower he'd considered it his own personal responsibility to catch him up with technology and everything in the modern era. ]

[valuedstrength]

[And yet again he's defeated. Steve is going to sulk while eating his bacon. He does raise an eyebrow at the mention. Why does he suddenly feel like a kid? He's technically older than both of them.]

[efficacy]

[ Sorry Steve, it's how they do. ]

Oh? That sounds nice, actually. I love the classic, hand-drawn ones. It's all computer animations these days. [ Not that they're necessarily bad but she has a clear preference, here. She glances from Tony to Steve, as if reading Tony's mind. ] Feel like watching some?

[ Disney cartoon might actually be just the sort of levity they need now tbh ]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ tony nods, glancing at his last piece of bacon and then to steve. considers throwing it at him or dumping it on his plate. but instead he just inclines his head like do you want this? like idk a normal person might. whatever steve decides he'll grab pepper's plate from her and put them on the bedside table a moment later. ]

I think we were on Beauty and the Beast. [ he looks to steve for confirmation. ]

[valuedstrength]

[Steve takes it since he's a defeated man at this point... also very hungry. He is basically inhaling his food for the hundredth time while he listens. He agrees with Pepper to an extent. If it weren't for things like Elsa's ice castle he might have snobbishly rejected computer animation right off the bat as cheap and lazy. It is not helped by the fact the Disney computer heroines tend to look exactly the same. He quickly swallows what he's eating at the mention of Beauty and the Beast. That's the movie he's been dying to get to given all the praise it gets. The shots he's seen of the movie are exquisite only adding to his impatience to reach it.]

We were. I was starting to think we'd never get to it. [He looks genuinely excited. The man was there for the first Disney hand drawn princess movie. This never stops getting exciting for him (especially since the Dodgers betrayed him during his ice nap. Disney movies are all he has left to root for.)]

I'm up for it. [He will stop trying to excuse himself if it means he gets a Disney movie out of the deal.]

[efficacy]

[ It's hard not to smile at Steve's look of excitement, so Pepper doesn't even try. At least the modern days still have this one good thing for him, if nothing else. ]

You'll love it, it's great. I think it won an Oscar, or two, even.