❄ 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

[efficacy]

[ Pepper draws in a slow, shuddering breath through parted lips, shutting her eyes tightly against the sudden tears that are welling up as she presses back against him gently. A few errant tears escape anyway and track down her cheek, though they could easily be mistaken for water from the shower head. Her voice is mostly steady when she replies, though, as if reading his mind -- or simply just knowing better. ]

Always do. [ Opening her eyes, she smiles tremulously, with little to no mirth, free hand carefully stroking up his other arm. ] Just... keep being careful, okay?

[ Keep coming back to me is what she wants to say, but can't. She knows he can't promise that, and she's doing her best not to let the thought get to her now. ]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ his eyes are stinging too, but he's too tired to cry, gently kissing her cheeks instead and tasting salt. he nods, his nose rubbing against hers with the action. ] I will.

...Sorry. I brought this to a dark place. [ he huffs out a fractured segment of a laugh, if it could even be called that. all it is is a release of pure self-deprecation. ]

[efficacy]

[ Pepper scoffs a bit at that, giving him an unmistakable don't be ridiculous look. ] Yes, because things have been so light and upbeat in general, lately.

[ In other words, quit it with the blame game. Reaching for the shampoo, she squeezes a dollop of it on her palm and rubs her hands together before delving her fingers into Tony's wet hair, working the shampoo in meticulously. ] Let's get this over and done with before your knees buckle.

[ There's a note of gentle amusement in her tone, but she thinks it's actually a distinct possibility. Whether he admits it or not, she knows he's exhausted. ]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ he lets out a noise in protest but then her fingers are at his scalp and he's melting under her touch, a soft moan escaping parted lips. ] Okay, you win.

But let the record show you also cheated.

[efficacy]

Cheated? [ She questions with amused disbelief, slowing down her touch. Fingertips massage his scalp with deliberate intent now, turning the hair-washing into a byproduct rather than the purpose. ] I don't cheat, and I didn't realize this was a contest.

[ But yeah, she totally wins anyway. ]

[letmetakeaselfie]

Everything's-- a contest. [ his eyes close, head falling forward onto her shoulder. ] And you do so cheat. All the time.

[ but he can't really protest when it feels this good. ]

[efficacy]

[ She rolls her eyes fondly, thumbs smoothing away the tension at the very bottom of his skull and back of his neck, relishing the way he all but melts against her. ]

You would say that. How is it my fault if I'm just that good?

[letmetakeaselfie]

I didn't say... I minded. [ his cheek rubs against hers, but for as good as her fingers feel, they do nothing to relieve the pain in his legs. and how little they seem to want to hold him up right now. tony leans into her a little, letting her take some of his weight. ] Seriously, that feels incredible. Don't stop.

[efficacy]

[ Pepper smiles at his declarations, but reads his body language easily enough. He'd be much more comfortable off his feet. ]

How about... you rinse off and change into your pj's, and I promise to pick this up after we've settled back to bed. [ Maybe after she gets him some Tylenol. ]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ he blinks up at her and starts to peel himself away, too tired to argue with her especially when she's devastatingly right. ] Okay.

Don't be long, though. [ he pecks her on the lips before clambering out of the shower, grabbing a towel and disappearing from view to let her finish her own regime. thinking better of it, he's back a second later to brush his teeth, towel wrapped around his waist and hair still dripping wet. he barely has the strength to lift his toothbrush, but when that's done he splashes some cold water on his face and really is gone. uncharacteristically without a single word.

tony manages to dry off to a managable state, pulling on boxers and pajama pants and a t-shirt before he can tell himself he's too tired and sore to do it. then he all but collapses into bed, just laying curled on his side on top of the covers. ]

[efficacy]

[ His silence is only confirmation to how poorly he's feeling, and Pepper hurries up her own ablutions. Getting out, she spends a few moments drying her hair to get the worst wetness out of it before wandering back into the bedroom to pull on her own pajamas. ]

I'll be right back. Stay put. [ She commands softly, leaving the bedroom with purposeful movements of a woman on a mission. True to her word, she returns soon, closing the door behind her and climbing on the bed next to him. ]

Here. [ She holds out two Tylenol tablets and a bottle of Gatorade. ] Take these.

[ It isn't until he obeys that she pulls back the covers and lays down against the pillows, holding her arm out for him to climb in. ]

[letmetakeaselfie]

Hmph. [ he gives in agreement, rolling obediently when she climbs in, and sitting up enough for the pills with a creak and a groan. wow even he can tell how pathetic this is. maybe he shouldn't have chased steve around the living room earlier. tony crashes into her arms gracelessly, hands shaking a little as they close around her middle, his eyes sliding shut less for sleep and more because he's too exhausted to keep them open. but he knows sleeping is going to be ridiculously hard, so he'll take what comfort he can from her and her heartbeat. ]

[efficacy]

[ Sighing, Pepper wraps her arms around him the best she can in a slightly awkward hug, letting him rest his head on her chest. Leaning in, she presses a kiss into his hair, staying that way for a beat and just breathing him in. Eventually she leans back against the pillows again, making good of her promise. Hands stroking gently up his spine, her fingertips start kneading up along the back of his neck. ]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ he doesn't move at all, not a twitch. he's like a stone, though a soft sound of approval leaves his lips when her attentions start back up. ]

[efficacy]

[ Pepper remains silent, delving her fingers further into his hair and massaging along his scalp with a sort of languidness that betrays her own tiredness despite the sleep she'd gotten. She's hoping to soothe him into a light doze at least if not proper sleep, but she isn't holding her breath. ]

[letmetakeaselfie]

You can go back to sleep. It's okay. [ he (probably) won't get up if he can help it, only if it's because it hurts too much and there's not a whole lot of productive things to do here. but he doesn't want to keep pepper up just because he's miserable. ]

[efficacy]

Are you sure? [ She asks quietly at length, stroking his hair now rather than properly kneading his scalp. ] I don't mind keeping you company.

[ But it's true, she is still tired. ]

[letmetakeaselfie]

One of us should be functional tomorrow. [ not that he thinks anything bad is going to happen, at least not actively. but he's worried anyway. ] I'll stay right here.

[efficacy]

[ Pepper hesitates for a long moment, fingers never ceasing to run through his hair. Finally, she offers a little reluctantly, ] Okay, but you'll wake me up if you need anything. And you at least try to even doze a bit.

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ he tips his head up, pushing his nose into the crook of her neck. ] I love you. [ that's a yes, but he can't promise anything and they both know that. ]

[efficacy]

[ A throaty sound of contentment escapes her, eyelids slipping shut. Her voice has that fuzzy, sluggish note of being half-asleep already when she mumbles back, ] Love you too, baby.