Tony Stark was not good at surprises
But here he is, sitting at his desk, shirtless, in the dark with his newly removed arc reactor sitting on the table.
He had gone over the scenario at least a thousand times. When Steve got home, Tony would call him up to his room, when Steve opens the door into the pitch black room Tony would tell him to find him. Steve would walk up to the glowing arc reactor and realise that Tony wasn't there. Then, Tony would turn on the lights and show Steve that it was no longer in his chest.
To Tony, it all seemed like it would go great.
About 20 minutes later, J.A.R.V.I.S's voice rouses Tony from his daydream.
"Sir, Captain Rogers has just entered the building."
'This is it' Tony thought and dialed Steve's number into his Stark phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey Cap, come up to my room, I have a surprise."
"Is this a good or a bad surprise?" Steve asked skeptically.
"You'll see when you get here." Tony replied.
"Alright, if you say so."
Tony was now having second thoughts about his plan. What if Steve didn't like Tony without the reactor? What if he only liked Tony because of Ironman? What if he broke up with him?
What if?
Tony pushed those thoughts to the back if his mind. He didn't have time to think about that now. And anyways, he was Tony Stark, genius billionaire philanthropist.
Tony could now here Steve's footsteps walking towards his room. He inhaled. And exhaled. All what ifs popping back up into his mind.
Steve opened the door and Tony could see his outline in the doorway.
"Tony?" Steve asked and Tony could see the confusion on his face in the dim light.
"Come find me."
Immediately, Steve's face grew into a smile as he walked toward the glowing reactor on the desk.
"Tony, you know I can always find you in the dark when you have the arc reactor uncovered."
When Steve got to the desk, he stopped and put his arms out as if to touch Tony, but his fingers went through air. Suddenly the confusion from before came back, mixed with fear.
"Tony?" Steve whispered shakily.
Then, Tony stood up and turned on the lights.
"Surprise!" he said as he moved towards Steve to show him the scars on his chest.
Steve looked at Tony's chest, then the reactor on the desk and back to Tony's eyes. He started to breathe heavily and his eyes started to fill up with tears.
Shit.
Tony had forgotten about Steve's panic attacks. After the war, the ice and New York, Steve started to have really bad panic attacks when he was stressed.
Tony grabbed Steve's wrist as the tears in his eyes started to fall freely.
"Steve. Steve you need to listen to me. You're fine, just breathe with me. In. Out. In. Out."
But Steve just got worse, he started hyperventilating and making little whimpering sounds.
"I DON'T KNOW YOU ANYMORE!" Steve screamed, pulling out of Tony's grasp, running out of the room and down the hall.
"Shitshitshitshitshit." Tony muttered as he tried to run after Steve, but Steve was a super soldier and Tony was not supposed to do anything too stressful on his heart.
"J.A.R.V.I.S.! Where is he!?"
"Captain Rogers is currently sitting in the corner of the lab. His breathing is getting faster, if this continues, the captain may fall into unconsciousness."
"Dully noted J!" Tony yelled as moved as fast as he could towards his lab, not caring about his heart, Steve was more important than his organs.
Tony finally reached the lab, breathing heavily. He walked through the broken window that Steve must have smashed in his mad dash into the lab. He found Steve easily by following the sound of fast breathing and whimpers.
Tony rounded the corner of the lab to find Steve in the corner, shaking and legs hugged up to his chest, rocking himself back and forth. He looked terrible. And Tony never wanted to see it ever again. He ran towards Steve and knelt down. Steve's shirt was soaked with sweat, but the man was freezing.
"Steve, listen to me. You need to start breathing slower. Look at me." Tony said in a firm voice. But Steve wouldn't look up.
"Steve," Tony pleaded, starting to get desperate. "Look at me."
Slowly, Steve tilted his head upward. His face was pale as a ghost, but his eyes were red and puffy from crying.
"See? That's better, now I'm gonna take some breathes and I want you to breathe with me." Tony said softly.
He breathed in and out slowly, and soon enough Steve joined in and slowed his breathing down. The captain was still shaking slightly, but colour had returned to his face again. Gently, Tony pulled Steve off the floor and sat him down on the couch that Pepper had talked him into putting there. It was quiet, except for the slow, deep breathes of the soldier beside him. The silence seemed to stretch on forever. And Tony; the man who always had something to say was trying his hardest to figure out what to say to Steve without inducing another attack. In the end, it was Steve who spoke first.
"When did you do it?" he asked his voice small and shrill.
"Yesterday, in the afternoon."
"Why didn't you tell me before? Or at least let me be there during the surgery?" Hurt sounded in his voice and Tony had never felt guiltier.
"I-I never really thought about that…I guess I wanted to surprise you. I'm so sorry about the panic attack. It was selfish." Tony replied, embarrassed by himself.
Then, big, strong, warm arms wrapped around him.
"As much as I know you love surprises, you are not very good at them. Remember my birthday last year?" Steve said humorously, his breathe tickling Tony's ear.
Oh no. Steve's birthday. Tony had also given Steve a panic attack then because he decided to have a circus in the gym complete with real animals. Steve has refused to go to the zoo with Tony ever since.
"Crap. I'm sorry. I am really bad at this aren't I?"
"Yep, so next time we'll tell Steve beforehand?" Steve asked with a chuckle. And Tony nodded
They sat there in silence for a few minutes.
"So, is it painful or sensitive?" Steve asked pointing at the scarred flesh on Tony's chest.
"It's more sensitive than it was with the arc reactor." Tony answered staring up at the ceiling missing the devilish grin on Steve's face that could compete with the God of Mischief.
"So what if I do this..?"
Steve rolled and pinned Tony underneath him and started to kiss and nip at the scar tissue on his chest.
"Ahahahah! Steheheheve stahahhahp!" Tony giggled and tried in vain to push Steve's head away.
"Nope, you're too cute like this." Steve had now moved one hand to pin both of Tony's wrists down and was now using the other one to tickle Tony's rib cage.
"BAHAHAHHAH! EEEEEEEEE! STAAHAHHAHAHP! STEHEHEHEHVE!" Tony shrieked.
"No more surprises?" Steve said and nipped the scar again.
"YEHEHES I PROMISE! I PROMISE! PLEEHEHSE STAAHAP!" Tony squealed, out of breathe and tears running from his eyes.
"Alright if you say so." Steve said halting his movements.
They lay there together until Tony calmed down again.
"I can't wait to start planning your Christmas surprise."
And with that, Steve pinned him to the couch again.