Avengers fic - Not Alone (gen)
Title: Not Alone
Author: Dimity Blue
Rating: All
Genre: Gen, humour, hurt/comfort
Characters: Tony, Steve, Bruce, Clint, JARVIS
Word Count: 1,495 words
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: Tony deals with any injuries by holing up in his workshop and ignoring them. Steve disagrees with that.
On AO3.
Not Alone
by Dimity Blue
Tony repressed a groan as the last of his Iron Man suit fell away and he was back to being Tony Stark again. The suit protected him from a lot of things, but his ears were still ringing from being repeatedly slammed face first into the front of Macy's building when an enraged teddy bear led the toy department out in a revolution. In Iron Man's defence, the teddy bear was fifty feet tall and was being manipulated by aliens.
Still, a teddy bear? It was almost embarrassing.
Shrugging it all off, Tony got to work on repairing the suit. Next time aliens took over Macy's, he wanted to be ready.
==========
"Stark? Stark!"
Tony's head jerked up and he winced as Steve's hand waved in his face. Between concentrating on the repairs and the way his hearing was playing up, he hadn't even noticed Steve coming into his workshop.
"Why didn't you come to the debriefing?"
"Well, you've seen one debriefing, you've seen them all. Though I'm sure Fury was surprised to hear Captain America nearly lost his life to a Raggedy Ann doll."
"It was possessed by an alien."
"Yes, well done on ripping its arms off."
"You should have been there. You're a member of the team."
Tony wished Steve would stop talking. "I don't have time for bureaucracy. Send me the minutes and Pepper can sign them."
There was a pause which made Tony think he'd won the argument, then, "Is that blood in your hair?"
Tony didn't need to check a mirror. "No?"
JARVIS chose to speak up just then. "I informed Mr. Stark of his head injury when he entered the workshop."
"Head...injury?"
"It's not a head injury; J's just being dramatic," Tony claimed. He remembered something Pepper had said about 'deescalation' and 'dont provoke people who can kill you'.
It wasn't working. Steve's eyes narrowed in a bad way and he ground his perfect teeth. "You came in here with a head injury where no one can keep watch on you? You're going to see Banner."
Tony tried to smack Steve's hand away. "I don't need to see Bruce." Next minute, he was being towed towards the door. "Hey, no manhandling the genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist!"
Steve ignored him, which was - in Tony's opinion - rude.
"JARVIS! J, defend me!"
"With all due respect, sir, head injuries can be serious."
"Fat lot of use you are!" Tony latched onto the door frame and refused to let go. After all, Captain America wasn't likely to rip his arms off, right?
He didn't. Tony found himself with his back against Steve's chest, and two overly muscled arms wrapped around him as he was carried off to the medical area. Forget homicidal teddy bears, this was embarrassing.
==========
Judging by Bruce's attitude, he was used to having his patients forcibly carried into an examination room, dumped on a table, and held down. Tony kicked and flailed, and wondered where the hell Bruce had been working.
"Yeah, he's got a concussion. I'll give him a painkiller, and someone should keep watch on him for twenty-four hours."
"I can do that," Steve said.
"I own the building. I can have you all thrown out!" Tony snapped.
Bruce hmmed briefly, then, "Good luck with that."
Tony couldn't tell if he was answering Steve or him. "And I don't need anyone to keep watch on me! I'll go sit in my workshop!"
"Yeah, you shouldn't do anything stressful."
"Being watched will make me stressed! Sitting quietly in my workshop won't. Ow!"
"You want a sucker for your owie?" Bruce withdrew the needle.
Steve looked amused. "Iron Man gets an owie from an injection?"
Tony sulked. "I wasn't ready for it! Can I go now?"
"Just keep him quiet for twenty-four hours. Call me if he does anything weird." Bruce turned back from the sharps bin. "Well, weirder than normal."
"You're not funny, Bruce!"
==========
Tony continued to sulk as Steve hauled him to the common room and sat him on a couch, then sat next to him and reached for the remote..
As the TV turned on, Clint leaned over the back of the couch. "Are you in trouble? You're in trouble, aren't you? Steve's got that look again."
"I'm not in trouble." Tony folded his arms, realised Steve's arms were folded, and unfolded his own. "What look?"
"That look that says someone's in trouble." Clint grinned at him.
"That's helpful." Tony stretched casually. "I'm just going to make coffee."
Tony got a sideways glance from Steve but no other reaction, so he got up and wandered towards the kitchen. Clint followed him.
"So you had to see Bruce?"
"Yeah, it was no big deal." Tony turned on the coffee machine and grabbed a mug.
"That explains why Steve had to carry you up there." Clint's grin was full of mischief.
Tony forced a smile. "We had a difference of opinion."
"Uh huh. Was that -"
"Clint," Steve called.
"Hey, I'm just asking..."
As Clint walked towards the couches, Tony eyed the back of Steve's head and took the opportunity to slide out of the kitchen and make for the elevator. He was almost there when Steve pretty much zoomed in front of him.
Tony clutched at his arc reactor. "Do you want to make some noise when you're doing that? Maybe we should get you a bell, like a cat."
Steve gave him that look again. "Why don't you go sit down? I'll make the coffee."
"Fine, fine." Tony retreated towards the couches. "You know, Bruce said I wasn't to get stressed. Don't you think appearing out of nowhere might stress me out, just a little?"
"Stop trying to run away, then," Steve said, an infuriatingly calm tone in his voice.
"It's called a tactical withdrawal. I would have thought a soldier would know that."
"It's also a defensive action." Steve's gaze was too knowing, too perceptive. "You need to run away and hide when you're injured?"
Tony shook his head. "I don't need this crap." He headed for the elevator again, only to find Captain Wise-ass in his way with his arms folded.
"You're a member of the team, Tony. You're not going anywhere with a head injury."
"Fine." Tony avoided the couch where Clint was sitting and took a seat in one of the armchairs, then found himself clenching his jaw when Steve squatted in front of him. There was a long pause as Steve gazed at him and Tony stared at the TV and tried to ignore him. Finally, Tony snapped, "What!?"
"You're a member of this team, Tony."
"I know that; I am a genius."
"And it's okay to be vulnerable with us. You watch our backs and we watch yours."
Tony's jaw clenched tighter.
"Now I'll make you that coffee."
Steve moved away and Tony forced his stomach muscles to relax. Steve was just being annoying. Give a man a title and he'd think he was in charge. Tony didn't need babysitting - he never had and he never would. He leaned his head back and shut his eyes, not even opening them when Steve said his coffee was on the table next to him, though he did mutter, "Thank you," in response.
It was only a few minutes later that Tony realised his stomach was churning. He swallowed, and felt the sweat break out on his forehead as Steve asked, "Tony? Are you okay?"
Tony waved his hand. "I'm fi -" He broke off and bolted for the nearest bathroom. He didn't even have time to close the door behind him before he was bent over the nearest toilet, retching and coughing and trying to stay on his feet.
"It's okay, it's okay, I've got you," Steve's voice said in his ear, and a strong arm braced him around the shoulders.
Tony spat out the last of the bile and blinked the tears from his eyes. Well, there went his image. Pounding that wasn't in his head heralded the arrival of Bruce and Clint, and Tony suffered the indignity of being helped back to the common room and sat down on a couch. The sting of another injection got his attention, and he opened his eyes to see Bruce with a needle in his hands.
"It's just an antiemetic."
Steve offered Tony a glass of water. "Rinse your mouth out."
It came off as an order but Tony did it anyway and he spat the first mouthful into the bowl Clint gave him. The bowl and glass were taken away, and Tony found himself tucked up on the couch with a blanket over him and a cushion under his head.
Steve squatted down in front of him again. "Go to sleep. We can argue some more later if you want."
Tony felt his mouth twitch into a half-smile, then he closed his eyes. It was...nice, in a way, to be cossetted, though he didn't need it. Nevertheless, he took the warm feelings with him into his sleep.
The end.
8th November 2022
Hope you liked it!
Author: Dimity Blue
Rating: All
Genre: Gen, humour, hurt/comfort
Characters: Tony, Steve, Bruce, Clint, JARVIS
Word Count: 1,495 words
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: Tony deals with any injuries by holing up in his workshop and ignoring them. Steve disagrees with that.
On AO3.
Not Alone
by Dimity Blue
Tony repressed a groan as the last of his Iron Man suit fell away and he was back to being Tony Stark again. The suit protected him from a lot of things, but his ears were still ringing from being repeatedly slammed face first into the front of Macy's building when an enraged teddy bear led the toy department out in a revolution. In Iron Man's defence, the teddy bear was fifty feet tall and was being manipulated by aliens.
Still, a teddy bear? It was almost embarrassing.
Shrugging it all off, Tony got to work on repairing the suit. Next time aliens took over Macy's, he wanted to be ready.
==========
"Stark? Stark!"
Tony's head jerked up and he winced as Steve's hand waved in his face. Between concentrating on the repairs and the way his hearing was playing up, he hadn't even noticed Steve coming into his workshop.
"Why didn't you come to the debriefing?"
"Well, you've seen one debriefing, you've seen them all. Though I'm sure Fury was surprised to hear Captain America nearly lost his life to a Raggedy Ann doll."
"It was possessed by an alien."
"Yes, well done on ripping its arms off."
"You should have been there. You're a member of the team."
Tony wished Steve would stop talking. "I don't have time for bureaucracy. Send me the minutes and Pepper can sign them."
There was a pause which made Tony think he'd won the argument, then, "Is that blood in your hair?"
Tony didn't need to check a mirror. "No?"
JARVIS chose to speak up just then. "I informed Mr. Stark of his head injury when he entered the workshop."
"Head...injury?"
"It's not a head injury; J's just being dramatic," Tony claimed. He remembered something Pepper had said about 'deescalation' and 'dont provoke people who can kill you'.
It wasn't working. Steve's eyes narrowed in a bad way and he ground his perfect teeth. "You came in here with a head injury where no one can keep watch on you? You're going to see Banner."
Tony tried to smack Steve's hand away. "I don't need to see Bruce." Next minute, he was being towed towards the door. "Hey, no manhandling the genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist!"
Steve ignored him, which was - in Tony's opinion - rude.
"JARVIS! J, defend me!"
"With all due respect, sir, head injuries can be serious."
"Fat lot of use you are!" Tony latched onto the door frame and refused to let go. After all, Captain America wasn't likely to rip his arms off, right?
He didn't. Tony found himself with his back against Steve's chest, and two overly muscled arms wrapped around him as he was carried off to the medical area. Forget homicidal teddy bears, this was embarrassing.
==========
Judging by Bruce's attitude, he was used to having his patients forcibly carried into an examination room, dumped on a table, and held down. Tony kicked and flailed, and wondered where the hell Bruce had been working.
"Yeah, he's got a concussion. I'll give him a painkiller, and someone should keep watch on him for twenty-four hours."
"I can do that," Steve said.
"I own the building. I can have you all thrown out!" Tony snapped.
Bruce hmmed briefly, then, "Good luck with that."
Tony couldn't tell if he was answering Steve or him. "And I don't need anyone to keep watch on me! I'll go sit in my workshop!"
"Yeah, you shouldn't do anything stressful."
"Being watched will make me stressed! Sitting quietly in my workshop won't. Ow!"
"You want a sucker for your owie?" Bruce withdrew the needle.
Steve looked amused. "Iron Man gets an owie from an injection?"
Tony sulked. "I wasn't ready for it! Can I go now?"
"Just keep him quiet for twenty-four hours. Call me if he does anything weird." Bruce turned back from the sharps bin. "Well, weirder than normal."
"You're not funny, Bruce!"
==========
Tony continued to sulk as Steve hauled him to the common room and sat him on a couch, then sat next to him and reached for the remote..
As the TV turned on, Clint leaned over the back of the couch. "Are you in trouble? You're in trouble, aren't you? Steve's got that look again."
"I'm not in trouble." Tony folded his arms, realised Steve's arms were folded, and unfolded his own. "What look?"
"That look that says someone's in trouble." Clint grinned at him.
"That's helpful." Tony stretched casually. "I'm just going to make coffee."
Tony got a sideways glance from Steve but no other reaction, so he got up and wandered towards the kitchen. Clint followed him.
"So you had to see Bruce?"
"Yeah, it was no big deal." Tony turned on the coffee machine and grabbed a mug.
"That explains why Steve had to carry you up there." Clint's grin was full of mischief.
Tony forced a smile. "We had a difference of opinion."
"Uh huh. Was that -"
"Clint," Steve called.
"Hey, I'm just asking..."
As Clint walked towards the couches, Tony eyed the back of Steve's head and took the opportunity to slide out of the kitchen and make for the elevator. He was almost there when Steve pretty much zoomed in front of him.
Tony clutched at his arc reactor. "Do you want to make some noise when you're doing that? Maybe we should get you a bell, like a cat."
Steve gave him that look again. "Why don't you go sit down? I'll make the coffee."
"Fine, fine." Tony retreated towards the couches. "You know, Bruce said I wasn't to get stressed. Don't you think appearing out of nowhere might stress me out, just a little?"
"Stop trying to run away, then," Steve said, an infuriatingly calm tone in his voice.
"It's called a tactical withdrawal. I would have thought a soldier would know that."
"It's also a defensive action." Steve's gaze was too knowing, too perceptive. "You need to run away and hide when you're injured?"
Tony shook his head. "I don't need this crap." He headed for the elevator again, only to find Captain Wise-ass in his way with his arms folded.
"You're a member of the team, Tony. You're not going anywhere with a head injury."
"Fine." Tony avoided the couch where Clint was sitting and took a seat in one of the armchairs, then found himself clenching his jaw when Steve squatted in front of him. There was a long pause as Steve gazed at him and Tony stared at the TV and tried to ignore him. Finally, Tony snapped, "What!?"
"You're a member of this team, Tony."
"I know that; I am a genius."
"And it's okay to be vulnerable with us. You watch our backs and we watch yours."
Tony's jaw clenched tighter.
"Now I'll make you that coffee."
Steve moved away and Tony forced his stomach muscles to relax. Steve was just being annoying. Give a man a title and he'd think he was in charge. Tony didn't need babysitting - he never had and he never would. He leaned his head back and shut his eyes, not even opening them when Steve said his coffee was on the table next to him, though he did mutter, "Thank you," in response.
It was only a few minutes later that Tony realised his stomach was churning. He swallowed, and felt the sweat break out on his forehead as Steve asked, "Tony? Are you okay?"
Tony waved his hand. "I'm fi -" He broke off and bolted for the nearest bathroom. He didn't even have time to close the door behind him before he was bent over the nearest toilet, retching and coughing and trying to stay on his feet.
"It's okay, it's okay, I've got you," Steve's voice said in his ear, and a strong arm braced him around the shoulders.
Tony spat out the last of the bile and blinked the tears from his eyes. Well, there went his image. Pounding that wasn't in his head heralded the arrival of Bruce and Clint, and Tony suffered the indignity of being helped back to the common room and sat down on a couch. The sting of another injection got his attention, and he opened his eyes to see Bruce with a needle in his hands.
"It's just an antiemetic."
Steve offered Tony a glass of water. "Rinse your mouth out."
It came off as an order but Tony did it anyway and he spat the first mouthful into the bowl Clint gave him. The bowl and glass were taken away, and Tony found himself tucked up on the couch with a blanket over him and a cushion under his head.
Steve squatted down in front of him again. "Go to sleep. We can argue some more later if you want."
Tony felt his mouth twitch into a half-smile, then he closed his eyes. It was...nice, in a way, to be cossetted, though he didn't need it. Nevertheless, he took the warm feelings with him into his sleep.
The end.
8th November 2022
Hope you liked it!