Summary: Steve apologizes to Tony. Friendship, drama, hurt / comfort, one-shot, a missing moment from the end of the movie.
Before Schawarma
PenPatronus
"And then schawarma after?" Tony asked Steve, Thor and the Hulk with cookie-sized eyes.
"Yeah," Steve chuckled deep in his gut, "I'll buy."
A black arrow with a tether attached speared the building behind them. The Avengers watched Barton put his bow over the rope and zip line down from a nearby building. When he was above his teammates he flipped backwards, unhooked his bow in midair, and landed beside Rogers. "You all right, Stark?" Clint asked.
Tony gave the assassin a lazy salute. "Just peachy, Legolas."
"That was the damndest thing I've ever seen," Clint muttered to the Captain. "A million people would've died if he hadn't stopped that nuke."
"At least a million…" Steve cleared his throat. "We need to keep Loki contained. Hulk, Thor, you can get to Stark Tower the fastest. We'll meet you there."
Thor launched himself into the air and the Hulk disappeared down the street. New Yorkers heard the silence and began to peek out of their hiding places in alleys and subway stations. Curious children nudged the dead Chitauri with the tips of their sneakers. Clint snatched up the Iron Man mask and pocketed it safely away. "We should get going," he said to Tony and Steve, "before we get arrested."
Stark motioned his hand as if he was shooing away a fly. "You guys go on ahead. I'm just going to lay here and do some bird-watching."
Steve and Clint exchanged worried glances. "Peachy, huh?" the archer asked.
"Peachy enough for schwarma," Tony said softly. "Walking, on the other hand…" He closed his eyes and took a shaky breath.
Steve gently removed Tony's helmet and handed it off to Barton. "What hurts?"
"Don't mother me, Rogers."
"Stark, we need to know if you need a hospital," Clint barked.
"Nothing hurts," Tony whispered. "Or maybe everything does. I don't know. I'm just… beat."
"It wasn't glowing when he landed," said Steve, pointing at the arc reactor in Tony's chest. "It was off for at least a minute. Probably longer."
Clint's brow furrowed. "Was he breathing?"
"No."
"He's gone into cardiac arrest before – more than once. He'll recover, it'll just take a bit."
"Do you think that schawarma joint delivers?" Tony mumbled. "Do you guys have any cash with you?"
Clint pressed the back of his hand against Tony's cheek, and then his forehead. "I don't like this. Let's have Banner take a look. On your feet, Stark." Clint ignored Tony's protests and hoisted him up by his elbow. Steve took the other arm and wrapped it around his shoulders. The two Avengers half-walked, half-dragged the third down the street. It was slow going. They considered hijacking a vehicle but there was too much debris. Tony struggled for a few minutes and then gave up both his complaints and his pathetic attempts to walk under his own strength. Steve broke the silence after a few blocks.
"Listen, Tony," he began, "I'm sorry about what I said. I was an ass."
Tony looked sidelong at him through bleary brown eyes. "When you said my building was ugly?"
"No, the other thing… about how you only fight for yourself. I shouldn't have judged you based on a few video clips. I was out of line. I'm sorry."
"Uh, thanks," said Tony, squirming a bit. "And Stark Tower? Have you changed your mind about it?"
"I think 'ugly' is a compliment at this point, Stark," said Barton. They rounded a street corner and saw the Tower at the end of the block. Four-Fifths of Stark's name was gone and every floor had broken windows and laser burns. Dozens of overturned cars were piled in front of the main doors.
"Suddenly I feel well enough not only for schawarma, but for punching a demi-god in the teeth," Tony growled. "Loki, you dick."
"You've earned the first punch," Steve chuckled. He paused, and then briefly tightened his grip on the other man. "Nice job, Stark."
The End