❄ 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]

[ he flinches, blinking as the card falls into the couch cushion nearest him. ]

Someone's grumpy.

[valuedstrength]

Can't imagine why. [He'll just go ahead and toss another at him. This is actually kind of fun.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ tony's head bobs away from the card again and he's struggling with himself not to retaliate, hands practically shaking with the urge to exact juvenile revenge. ]

Didn't expect you to fold so easy, Cap.

[valuedstrength]

I didn't expect it to be so much fun to throw cards at you. [Speaking of which, he's tossing another. What will he even do when he uses the other seven??? It doesn't even matter tbh.] You learn something new every day.

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ this one hits his cheek and he snaps, throwing his cards rapid-fire at steve's face, one after the other after the other until all ten are gone. ]

There are two aces in there you son of a bitch. [ but he feels better even if he's unarmed now. ]

[valuedstrength]

[Steve has the sense to hide his face behind one of his massive arms about three cards in. His head only peeks out after he's sure Tony is unarmed.]

Language, Tony. [Like he actually cares. Steve grins and tosses another at him.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ he leaps off the couch and takes a pillow with him as a shield, using it to deflect the card back at steve even if it doesn't go far. it falls to the carpet a few feet away from tony, actually. ]

So, I'm thinking you don't remember how to play Rummy. Just a hunch.

[valuedstrength]

The boys tried to teach me when we were in London, but... [Yeah he was basically the worst at all card games. He shrugs with his uninjured shoulder.]

I am really rubbing off on you. [Look at you with your little pillow shield. He's so proud.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ he looks at the pillow like that's the most offensive thing cap could have said before beaning it at his face.

yep. they're gonna have a pillow fight. ]

[valuedstrength]

[Wow that was incredibly rude. He's a delicate flower right now!! He's still recovering!!! That kind of hurt!!!

Yeah he's grabbing a couch cushion and throwing it at Tony because he's petty like that.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ oh, now, it's on. tony catches the pillow before it can hit the ground, smacking at steve's torso and rolling away. ]

[valuedstrength]

[Did he just roll away??? Are you kidding him?? Steve picks up one of the smaller ones and whips it at him.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ he uses his pillow to deflect the smaller one away from him, peeking up at steve around it. even if they didn't get to play cards, this seemed to be distracting the super soldier enough to make up for it. ]

Not bad for an old man without his tin can, admit it.

[valuedstrength]

You're still a youngster and a rude one. I can't believe you took a swing at an injured man. [He sounds so scandalized like he didn't start this. Steve is the very image of innocence.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ tony makes a face and lifts an eyebrow, sitting up though the pillow is still held up in case of a stealth attack. ]

This is me we're talking about.

[valuedstrength]

True. [He's going to half-heartedly toss another card at him for that. Steve picks up some more and grabs a seat.]

I know that my life is pretty terrible right now, but you went through a lot too. [He tosses another at Tony. This is a good sign, right? He's already internalizing his trauma and pain so he can be helpful.]

We can talk about it when you're ready. [Lala watch him toss another.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ he's so stunned he drops his pillow-shield and takes the card to the face, just staring at steve with arguably doey eyes. he doesn't even react when it hits him, just tilts his head and narrows his eyes like he's still not seeing the other man clearly. ]

You're... you're a fucking idiot. You know that right? [ jesus christ steve ]

[valuedstrength]

[Steve stops when Tony doesn't block it. He awkwardly shuffles what remains in his hand.] Yeah it's kind of hard to miss at this point.

[He trusts the wrong people and makes all the bad decisions when it comes to himself.]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ he sighs, remembering he's pretty banged up himself when he draws his legs up. yeah he's just going to stay here a while. ]

We both lost our most important people, okay? You don't get to play therapist. [ he doesn't mean to sound so hostile, and his gaze is still fearful at best. ]

What happened to I make everything about me? [ it's softer; almost meek. he pulls his legs into his chest and looks at his shoes. ]

[valuedstrength]

[He smiles weakly, shrugging with his good shoulder.] I care a lot more about you than I do me if we're being honest here. [As if he ever really stops aside from telling people what they want to hear about him. Steve sighs softly. He seems oddly at peace with all of it.]

Besides, you were born into this. I tried to make things better and failed miserably. Everything going on right now is a consequence of my actions. I don't really have a right to pity myself.

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ an angry tear marks its path down his face as he looks back up, gaze flashing dangerously as it locks on steve. ]

You don't have the right to tell me that. [ he doesn't mean the caring thing, but hey that too. why not, throw it in. ] My whole life...

[ was basically a lie. but steve had been one of the people to tell him he was a good man despite all of it. that he'd made circumstance his bitch. ]

Steve, I don't blame you. Because no one in their right mind would. Saying you becoming a popsicle led to Hydra blowing up S.H.I.E.L.D. 70 years in the future is like saying the dinosaurs caused rap music.

[ and he's mad - oh yes. so mad that after all he's done steve still doesn't give a fuck about himself. ]

[valuedstrength]

[Steve inches forward in his seat, but stops himself from reaching out to touch Tony. The cards slip out of his hands as he stares at the other man stoically.] I should have killed Zola after he gave us the intelligence we needed. [Only they both know he couldn't do that. It's too against his nature to murder in cold blood.]

I wasn't there to make them stop. I wasn't there to protect Howard or you or anyone else who needed me. I'm not sure if it was because I was so naive that I thought giving up my life would be enough to end it or that I didn't want to live without him. [He likes to think that second one can't be true. He learned, didn't he? It was painful at first, but he managed it.]

Either way, I messed up and now we're here. I blame me because in the end Zola was right about one thing. [He laughs both soft and bitter.] My life is worthless. I couldn't save anyone. Not really.

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ the anger pops and all he can do is shake his head vehemently, curling in on himself even more when steve shifts nearer. ] Didn't you just get done telling me you wouldn't stick around if I turned into a monster?

[ tony swallows, cheek resting on his knee as he shruggles with himself not to lose his temper all over again. ]

It doesn't matter why, okay? It doesn't fucking matter. You're here now and so help me if you --
[ he chokes on the words, launching himself forward and wrapping his arms around steve's waist. he isn't mindful of his injuries in the least like he might normally be, face pressing into the other man's chest. ]

You're not worthless. You have worth. You have a fucking museum exhibit full of how much worth you have. Moron. [ he squeezes tighter. this man is going to be his death. ]

[valuedstrength]

[Steve stops moving forward once he notices Tony curling in. It stings, but okay he deserves that. He deserves a lot of things right now in his frankly stupid opinion. It doesn't matter in the end since he suddenly has arms at his waist and while it hurts it's preferable to the alternative. His brows knit together in brief acknowledge of the sting before his good arm snakes around Tony. He speaks quietly; heartbroken.]

Captain America does. [There is a difference. He never owned the persona the way Tony did Iron Man. The super soldier was the very best of him. Steve Rogers is human; selfish, stupid, and always picking fights he can't win.]

I needed it to be worth it. I didn't live for seventy years. My world, my friends, everything that meant something to me... I lost it for nothing. Everything was undone barely a year later.

[The only comfort is he prevented a mass murder, but did he really? How many have been killed over the years?]

[letmetakeaselfie]

I would've done the same exact thing and you know it. I did it, even. I'm just way luckier. [ he squeezes again, swallowing back tears and forcing himself to breathe though there's so much pressure on his chest he doesn't feel like he can at first. ]

Would my life have been better if you weren't a ghost story? Maybe. Would you have been able to save my parents? Who knows. What if isn't going to fix this.

But we can. [ tony pulls away a couple inches, knowing he's hurting both of them. he wipes the back of his sleeve across his face. ] Me and you.