STOP. DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED ENDGAME.
Steve had barely taken a breath during the fight and when it was finally done with Thanos and his people dusting all around him, he found he couldn't breathe at all. Because the only thing in his sight was Tony. Tony who staggered back and fell to the ground across the battlefield.
Steve watched as the boy, Peter, fell to his knees in front of Tony. Begging him to be okay, telling him that they won, rambling as he clung to Tony's chest.
Steve pushed to the front of the group surrounding him. Just in time to see Pepper press a kiss to Tony's cheek and tell him that it was okay to rest.
But No. It wasn't okay to rest. He couldn't die. Not after all this. Tony couldn't leave them. Him.
He collapsed in front of Tony, besides a sniffling Peter and a solemn Pepper. Ignoring the pain in his ribs and the fatigue that coursed through him. Focusing solely on Tony.
"Queens, Pepper, give me some space. Let me help him."
Steve ran his hands up Tony's throat cradling his face. "Tony, come on Shellhead. Stay with me, show me those eyes." His eyes fluttered gently, but didn't open. He moaned softly, barely a whisper which was all that told Steve that he was still alive, besides the barely there heartbeat beneath his fingers.
Steve ran a calculating eye over Tony's body, before taking the arc reactor in his hand and yanking. Hard.
The suit fell away. Along with the stones. Tony's back bowed and he groaned harshly, eyes snapping open glazed and unfocused. His arm was burned badly, but the sickly black burn stopped spreading almost immediately.
"I need Shuri, Banner, and Strange. NOW." Steve barked, not bothering to turn around to see if anyone was complying with orders. He just kept his eyes on Tony.
He ran a soothing hand over Tony's face, whispering soft apologies to him. Softly begging him to hang on. Tony's eyes focused after a few minutes of Steve kneeling directly in front of him with their faces inches apart, never daring to take his hands off of the warm skin of Tony's throat.
"St-eeve?"
"Yeah, Sweetheart. I'm here. Just hang on okay? Help is coming. You will get through this. I will get you through this." Tears track paths in the dirt of Steve's face as he spoke.
"St-eve. I m'ssed 'ou." Tony voice was a slur, as he fought to stay awake. To stay alive.
Steve pressed his forehead against Tony's. "I missed you too, Sweetheart. I'm so sorry. I should have come back to you sooner. I shouldn't have lied. I-"
"Shhh. S'okay. Capsicle." Steve chuckled wetly at the nickname. One he hadn't heard in years, but that sounded so right falling from Tony's lips.
The comms crackled to life, breaking their moment. **** Cap. Help coming in on your left.****
"Okay, Darling. Time to go." Steve stood and scooped Tony into his arms as gently as possible, but the movement made Tony hiss harshly against Steve's shoulder.
"Just stay awake for me Tony. You need to see Morgan. She needs her daddy to come home, okay? And Peter he needs you. Harley too. Please just hang on a little longer. Don't leave us. Don't leave me." Tony mumbled an unintelligible response into Steve's throat, which only made him move faster to close the gap between them and Strange, Shuri, and Bruce.
Steve didn't even let anyone else speak before he began rambling off questions.
"Shuri. Please can you heal him? In Wakanda? Strange can you get us there? Bruce, the stones. They are still in the arm of his suit we need to deal with that maybe Carol can, but we need to save him. Please someone help him."
Shuri's eyes widened and nodded to Strange, who made them a portal directly into the Wakandan castle. Steve rushed Tony through as he felt Tony's breathing become harsh and labored against his neck.
"Captain. Set him down so I can work."
Steve gently placed Tony down on the table, dropping a kiss to his forehead before backing up to stand against the wall, out of Shuri's way. Peter Parker joined him slumping down to sit beside Steve's feet, while Pepper stood rigidly just steps from where the portal had once been, beside a distraught Rhodey.
Steve watched as Shuri's machines came to life, providing fluids and pain medications as she worked to make sure he wouldn't die from the injuries. He stood stoic with his back straight against the wall, steeling himself for bad news and watching every monitor that showed that Tony was indeed alive even if he looked ashen and closer to death than live, until he heard the soft whimpers coming from the boy leaning against him. The boy that Tony loved like a son.
Steve slid down the wall and enveloped the teenager in his arms, running a large hand through his hair soothingly. That was all it took for sobs to rack the boy's body.
"It's okay. He will get through this. Tony is the strongest person I know. He will come back from this. He wouldn't want to leave you behind." Steve whispered softly into Peter's hair. He leaned back into the wall pulling the boy into his chest allowing them both the chance to rest, as they stood vigil by Tony's side.
Steve hoped that this wasn't the end. That this win didn't cost them Tony. They had already lost so much. Steve wouldn't survive losing Tony.
"You can't leave me, Shellhead." Steve murmured softly to himself before closing his eyes and wishing with everything he had that Tony would wake up again.