It was almost 12:00 when Steve heard the dreadful crash. He had been sitting comfortably in his bed reading with the usual empty space next to him. It would be abnormal for Tony Stark to go to bed at a ordinary hour and wake up before twelve. Steve always knew that by the time he woke the cold covers would be replaced by his snoring, restless lover. Blinking rapidly to keep his eyes from shutting he soon found it hard to keep them closed as a loud crash awakened any tired part of his body. He waited a total of three seconds before calling out in the now ominous darkness,
"Tony?" Timidly Steve began to climb out of bed. Tony Stark had been tinkering as always down in their basement and often had a failed project explode or collapse at some point in the day. But something about this sound of disaster unnerved him. Most of the noises of destruction down below was followed by a "SHIT!" or a "We're good!" but this time it was all silence. Of course Steve could be over reacting. He had done that before and scared the crap out of Tony when he sneaked up in super soilder mode, ready to attack any intruder.
"Tony?!" He cried again, this time louder. He grabbed the faint familiar glint of his shield and slowly and stealthily crept into the dark hallway. Pictures of their beloved friends and fondest moments stared back at him. The unsettling empty kitchen's silence caused Cap to clutch his shield tighter and race even faster towards the basement. Only when he reached the staircase his heart dropped.
"TONY!" a rush of relief flooded in seeing the love of his life still alive but was soon replaced with a complete sense of worry. The invincible Iron Man was curled in a ball in the middle of the staircase making an obvious attempt to climb up it. Beads of sweat covered his forehead and a glassy look covered eyes that were regularly filled with life and a bad sense of humor.
"St...Ste...ve.." he outstretched a trembling arm for his boyfriend.
"Dear god Tony," Cap almost fell down the steep stairs as he reached the unbearable sight of his loved one in extreme pain. He embraced the shuddering man careful to make his demanding voice gentle but he seemed at loss for words. "What's happening, what do you need, Tony oh my god!"
"An..xiety… problems…" Tony just managed to choke out. Cap was overwhelmed with confusion, understanding, and then panic.
"Oh god you're having a panic attack." Steve had heard Rhodey and Clint talk about this as they had been the only ones to ever witness Tony having one. Apparently he had once stumbled out of a bar with his war machine best friend and then once collapsed on a battle field leaving the archer to defend himself and Tony alone.
"Its ju..just.. an anxiety…pro...blem.."
"No honey, this is what is called a panic attack," Steve held Tony even tighter to his chest. "Let's get off the stairs. I don't want you falling."
"Not i..if you stay..ay" Tony clenched Caps t shirt so hard it strained on his neck. Steve barely noticed it though as he wrapped his arm over his boyfriend's shoulder, now having one arm holding his head/neck and the other his waist. He gently kissed Tony's head even with the slight disgusting sweat residue.
"I'm not moving anywhere," He whispered in what he hoped was a soothing voice. Tony buried his head into Steve's chest quaking uncontrollably. Having no idea how to calm him, Cap began to hum an old army tune and traced small circles on his boyfriend's back. Deciding against rocking back and forth worried it might stress the always fidgety soul Cap only hoped the attack would soon stop. Both lovers inhaled each other's smell and held on to one another as to calm themselves in an almost hypnotising way.
"Don't stop it works.." Tony mumbled in a choked voice. Steve realized he stopped tracing the little circles on Tony's back while he grasped him with much care as possible. Steve almost had to smile almost counting this as progress of getting his normal Tony back. He rested his lips back on Tony's head again with such tenderness Steve never imagine he possessed after his enhancements. It could have been a minute or hours when Tony finally eased and began to snore peacefully as he was cradled in Steve's powerful arms. Steve could feel that heavy feeling of weights pulling down on his eyelids and the next thing he knew was that somewhere in the black hole of his mind he drifted off to sleep.
The unpleasant feeling of falling and something nabing in the back of his neck jolted Cap out of his slumber. The sharp edge of stairs painfully poked Steve's neck despite the fluffy pillow. He blinked his eyes getting used to the morning light. Great he had fallen asleep on the stairs. and assumingly so did Tony. But now his boyfriend was replaced by a large wool blanket that normally resided on their couch and a rather comfy pillow. As the morning daze slowly snapped away, Steve threw the large blanket off him and attempted to stand. Last nights events and emotions stroked him like a wave. Fear, panic, worry and care hit full force. Tony. Where the hell was Tony!? Obviously his attack had passed but Cap needed to see him standing and conversing non stop as usual. The broken and vulnerable man Steve saw last night broke his heart. Gathering himself up along with the blanket and pillow that lay next to him, Steve wandered down the rest of the stairs to Tony's work room. As usual it was filled with the grinding and whirring noises of machines, the loud racket suddenly comforting. Gently, Cap set the pile of things down and entered the room to find Tony sitting at his desk tinkering away. His forehead shiny with sweat and strands of his brown hair began to fall and cover his eyes. Tony's constant distractions with his work obviously seemed to work for he jumped when Steve wrapped his arms around his waist.
"You're up." He murmured. Tony's hazel eyes avoided contact with Steve's but he knew the glint it held meant Tony was pleased to see him. And he also knew that it would take a lot of convincing and assurance to get him to talk about his "Anxiety Problems". Instead of starting the pointless attempts of getting Tony to talk, Steve just leaned down, laid his head on the strong shoulders and wrapped his arms around the powerful stomach. The non stop motion of his working arms soothed Steve into a daze, a daze of concern and worry of the man he loved. He watched the wires and lights that formed together to create a device Cap would probably never understand but it didn't matter because the way Tony's fingers intertwined and moved memorized him. Steve only began to stir when his back began to ache and stomach rumble for food.
"Have you already eaten?" Tony just grunted. Steve knew the answer though. It was wide spread knowledge Tony Stark could go days on end without eating or sleeping and Steve had the feeling that's how his mood was going to be for a while. "Common, let's get breakfast. I'll make you french toast, just how you like it." Steve kissed Tony's ear and attempted to pull the working man from his seat. Of course he barely budged. He leaned his head on Steve's shoulders and finally made eye contact with the strikingly blue eyes.
"You go ahead Cap. I'll come up in a few."
"We both know that's a lie." They gave each other a small glumish smile. "Tony, come on."
"I I'm fine Steve. Just, just go on with your day without me. I sure everyone is wondering why you weren't creating mission plans and observing all bad guys within earth since six in the morning."
"Well being an avenger isn't at the top of my priority list right now." Steve clutched Tony's waist harder refusing to let go. He gave a sigh that some people might take as a sound of defeat but Tony knew it was more of a sound of dejectedness.
"Steve, I'm fine. Really. I don't want you to worry over nothing." After waiting a few long seconds Cap finally took a large breath.
"We're getting breakfast." Losing the softness in his voice Steve stood up and forced Tony to swivel around and look him straight in the face. He placing his hand on Tony's very tired and beaten down looking face. "Come on, we're going to get through this, you're going to get through this, and I'm gonna cook one hell of a pancake."
"I thought it was french toast."
"Well it can be whatever we have the ingredients for. Someone forgot to go to the grocery store the other day." Tony ran his hands over his face and arose. As they climbed up the stairs Steve had to almost place his hands around his waist for he stumbled around almost like he was drunk. Or in his case someone who was very very tired "Okay, sleep might actually be a more important than food."
"It might just be."
"When was the last time you slept?"
"You tell me. I can't remember."
"I think that answers my question. Come on, this way." Steve ushered Tony away from the counter of the kitchen. "Sleep first, breakfast later." Cap followed him to their room which was now flooded with light from their large window. He closed the curtains as Tony climbed into the overflowing white sheets. He gave a sigh of relief.
"I might actually sleep."
"Well that's what one would hope. I'm gonna take a shower, and-"
"May I join you?" Steve ignored the question knowing full well Tony knew the answer
"But I might actually get to signing the papers Fury handed to me months ago
seeing as there's no way I'm leaving this house and you alone."
"Yes yes get on with responsibilities and your important captain things and sexiness and…" And with that Tony was out. He was probably the most asleep he had been for weeks. Steve stood in the doorway from their bathroom and bedroom. The man he loved was one of the biggest pain in the asses but it was his faults and quirks that made Iron Man Tony Stark and the Tony Stark that Steve Rogers fell in love with.