"I'll carry you, hold still or it'll hurt more." steve/tony
Ummm. I couldn’t make up my mind, so here’s three little fills.
Steve keeps walking even though his leg is most likely broken in three places. If he was anyone else, he wouldn’t be walking at all.
It’ll heal, he tells himself, tells Tony when he hovers next to him in the Iron Man suit.
Iron Man lands in front of him, hand out in front of him and Steve thinks about the repulsors and about how much it’d hurt right now.
“You gotta stop, Cap,” Tony says and his voice is commanding.
“You gonna make me?” Steve asks with a grimace.
Iron Man lowers his hand, “I’d rather I didn’t have to.”
Steve shifts and suppresses a hiss of pain.
“Please," Tony says over the comm and Steve grits his teeth. "You’re gonna hurt yourself. Come on—I’m supposed to be the reckless one."
"I’m not leaving," Steve rasps. "The others need me."
"No," Tony tells him firmly, taking two steps forward. "I need you. I need you to give up this selfless hero act and let me take you back to the tower. Wouldn’t want that doctor’s time wasted, would we?”
"You called a doctor?" Steve leans heavily on his uninjured leg and looks at him.
"Yeah, generally people see doctors when their legs are broken. And me being me, I’ve got the best. Back at the tower. Waiting for you."
"I’ll take care of them," Tony assures. "Just gotta take care of you first."
He lifts Steve into his arms and Steve allows him to, holding onto the neck of the Iron Man suit. “Is that a promise?”
"Yes," Tony says, even though he hates making promises. "The Avengers will save the day so Iron Man can show Captain America just how glad he is that he’s alive."
"You love me," Tony returns, repulsors pushing them into the air and up out of danger.
Steve just hums. A warm feeling settling in his chest because it’s true. He’s worried, but Tony won’t abandon the team. They’ve almost got it under control.
Later, Tony makes it very clear how serious he was about all stipulations of his promise.
Tony Stark is a stubborn son of a bitch and he knows it. He probably should’ve assumed Steve is the same way.
Steve is half-covered in blood and it’s mostly his own—maybe a little bit Tony’s but of course Tony bleeds, he’s only human. It’s when Steve is bloody and can barely stand he knows they’re lucky to have gotten out alive.
His suit is ruined. He’d had to abandon it when it came down to wriggling out of the depleted shell or getting crushed along with it. (He thought about staying there, letting the metal wrench around him and into him until— But no. People were relying on Tony now.)
Tony’s going to get through this on sheer force of will. If it kills him later, it won’t be with Captain America’s death on his hands.
Steve’s breath comes in harsh, wet gasps and Tony puts a hand solidly to his chest. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. I’ve got you,” he says.
Cap laughs, but it turns to a cough partway through and Tony hates not having JARVIS in his ear to relay medical advice—even though the AI’s voice would sound worried (and annoying) as he scanned Tony’s own vitals.
Tony swoops in under his arm and, reluctantly, Steve leans on him. Tony half-carries and half-drags Steve as the super soldier’s feet continue to stumble him forward for another minute. Then, he goes limp.
"If you die, I’ll kill you," Tony says.
The suit is fried and Steve has to pull it apart with his hands to get Tony out.
"Don’t move, soldier," Steve says.
"Not a soldier," Tony rasps.
Steve’s jaw tenses. “I know you’re not, Tony,” he sighs. His eyes have gone all soft and worried and Tony realizes why Steve always calls him “soldier” when he’s hurt.
It’s easier for Steve to be at war, to pretend this is just the way the world works. Soldiers willingly put their lives at risk for their country and although every life may be sacred, another would always be there to take one’s place.
Steve hates facing the fact that there’s only one Tony Stark, only one person he’s ever fallen so completely in love with. If he acts like Tony is just another soldier, it doesn’t hurt so badly. Steve can disconnect enough to handle it.
Steve hauls Tony into his arms and Tony goes willingly. He had almost died but only now is he scared.
Steve cares about him so much and Tony is just realizing what that means.
If something happens to him, it’s Steve who suffers for it. That someone so good could give a shit about Tony Stark is a difficult concept to grasp, but he knows it’s true.
"I’ll be okay, Cap," he tells him, his hand slipping off Steve’s shoulder as he tries to gasp it.
Steve smiles down at him but it doesn’t reach his eyes, worry leeching at his strong façade. “You better be.”
"I will," Tony says. "Just for you."
