❄ 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]

It's what the government did with War Machine. Much cooler name, but I think I know a guy who'd want to reclaim it if you stepped up a little bit. You'll like it, it's totally you.

[ plus he trashes his own suits all the time. what does he even have to do but build suits? your threats are empty, steve. ]

...But okay, I'll bite. Why boot camp?

[valuedstrength]

I'm not sure whether to be insulted or relieved they're doing that to someone else now. [He actually feels sorry for Rhodey. Steve would rescue him from that fate on principle alone.

And yes his threats are always empty. What's new? Steve sighs at question, looking briefly self-conscious.] I just want to know if you weren't able to get to the suits or I couldn't get to you that you'd be alright. I know I'm getting paranoid, but it's my job to look out for you and the rest of the team. I have to think about the worst case scenarios.

[letmetakeaselfie]

A little bit of both is probably safe. I know you'd probably do it if he asked, but he never will. Besides, it's more fun this way.

[ but all the humor goes out at steve's reasoning. why does he feel like he's going to end up winning this bet and doing boot camp? r u d e ]

Steve, you do know all of my fail-safes have fail-safes. My paranoia has paranoia. For a flies-by-the-seat-of-my-metal-pants guy, I'm pretty good at worst case everything.

[valuedstrength]

I know you were paranoid way before I even thought of considering to be paranoid. I'm pretty much outclassed here as far as insane worry goes, but still I need you to be okay. I need Pepper to be okay and everyone just to... you know.

[Not end up like Bucky. Steve sighs.] Sorry, I'm starting to sound like a crazy person. [He smiles weakly.] Still want me operating a dangerous weapon?

[letmetakeaselfie]

If Pepper gets a suit, you get a suit. [ he pulls back from where he's essentially just leaning against steve like an armchair at this point, if only to poke him in the chest. ]

We'll all be okay, homeslice. Take it down a notch.

[valuedstrength]

[Steve blinks in response. That was strangely comforting if only because it was so weird.] Where the Hell do you come up with these names?

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ predictably, he's going to take credit for that one. ] Up top, big guy. You're not doubting my originality now?

[ whatever steve, he knows you're just going to google it later. ]

[valuedstrength]

[Damn straight he is. Steve doesn't even bother contesting it because he knows it doesn't matter. What does is something that caught his attention earlier.] Hey, can I ask you about something?

[He doesn't wait for an answer.] What was JARVIS talking about earlier? In the car.

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ he stiffens before he can hide it. he could've played it off (convincingly) if he'd had even a second of warning, but now he's stuck craning his neck and narrowing his eyes. ]

Refresh me. [ oh tony stark of the memory problems. except he knows exactly what steve is asking about and he really doesn't want to answer. he knows it's inevitable but at least he can stretch this out another second. and at least pepper isn't witnessing this. ]

[valuedstrength]

[Steve might have bought that if he hadn't stiffened. He frowns like he's dealing with a troublesome kid hiding a broken vase behind his back. It's weird since he can't imagine what the symbolic vase could be.] He mentioned that he should treat me the way he does you which means something apparently.

[He might have thought nothing of it if not for Tony's odd reactions.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ look he knows he fucked up, stop judging him in brackets about it. ]

It means... It's kind of self-explanatory right? [ not really tony. ] I just...

[ he moves away a little, looking into steve's face and indeed looking like that kid who ate the dog's food because he was curious. ] It means if I-- [ wow this isn't easy. wowoow ] It just means if he can't get me, you're the next best thing. You know, like. Star Trek. Have you seen Star Trek yet?

You're my Number One.

[valuedstrength]

It would be if you didn't keep acting like this is the prelude to asking me to help you hide a body in the woods. [He's starting to get a little worried honestly.] And no. It's still on the list. Can you explain without pop culture references?

[letmetakeaselfie]

Doubtful. [ but he knows he has to try. he owes steve that. tony picks at a thread in his jeans. ]

You can override JARVIS, in an emergency. Or... you know, whatever. You have the same security clearance as me. Are those terms you can understand, Agent?

[ it's not harsh though, if anything, it's self-deprecating. if tony does something stupid then jarvis has to listen to steve. that's basically the whole thing. ]

[valuedstrength]

[Steve is appropriately taken back.] Wait a minute. This isn't just you asking him to be nice to the poor guy who woke up in the wrong century?

[That's about what he took from this before the weirdness happened. Steve can read between the lines now and that's troubling? Reassuring? He's not sure how to feel about it.]

Are you planning on doing something? I know you're smart enough to take over the world, but I'd really appreciate it if I didn't have to deal with another wanna be king for another decade or so.

[letmetakeaselfie]

Me? Take over the world. [ he's lifting both eyebrows now. ] I mean I could, but why.

[ boring yawn etc. ] Look. I trust you more than... well.

Me.

That's all that means. [ that's all, no big. ]

[valuedstrength]

Don't ask me. I'm just the guy who gets stuck dealing with the idiots who try. [He takes a breath.] I'm glad you trust me, Tony. Really.

[There's a but here. Somewhere. He frowns. Give him some time. He'll work out what the problem is.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ his lips press together in a thin line, expectant but he already knows what the problem is. they're both the same kind of reckless and this is essentially a killswitch. you know what though? fuck it, yolo, because... because he knows steve will do right by him. even moreso than bruce. this is just what he needed to do. ]

I'm not planning... to fuck up. Okay? But if I do, I know you'll be there.

[ and that means more than the rest, really. than anything, maybe. ]

[valuedstrength]

[Steve's brows knits together. That's a given. He hopes he wouldn't need a security clearance in that situation, but he gets it. Tony's paranoia has paranoia as he recalled it.] Of course I'll be there. Someone has to knock you in the head and call you an idiot.

[This is why they'll never have an evil robot problem.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ he nods, knowing steve doesn't fully understand, but that's okay. hopefully he'll never need to. ]

That is why I keep you around.

[valuedstrength]

[It's for the best really. As hard as he was on Tony during the early days, he only sees the best now. He grins.] I know. Pepper can't hit as hard as I can.

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ he swallows, then nods, slowly getting to his feet. ] You want something? I'm going to make coffee. [ instant coffee is hell but it's better than no coffee. and this conversation really needs to be over now. ]

[valuedstrength]

[Steve nods. He can tell Tony is done with this so he'll leave it be.] I could go for some of anything. [So much healing going on right now.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ he just nods, going to the kitchen to brood for a while. he'll return a while later with two mugs of coffee that's already less than hot. tony hands one of them to steve and drops down next to him, only spilling a little of his as he goes. ]

Sorry to keep you waiting, Pinky.

[valuedstrength]

[Steve accepts his cooling coffee with a long suffering sigh. He smiles at the other man even if all that brooding time sure is troubling.] Alright where's that one from?

[He frowns thoughtfully.] Or do I just look pink today?

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ he snorts. ] It's a callback. There was a cartoon in the 90s about two labrats who always plotted to take over the world. The mastermind was called Brain so that's obviously me, and Pinky was his trusty sidekick and he would always ask "What are we gonna do tonight, Brain?"

Then I say, "What we do every night, Pinky. Try to take over the world." [ tony sips on his coffee with a faintly bemused expression and nudges steve's arm. he's sitting on the other side now so he doesn't have to be as careful. ]