Tony sits down on the couch beside Steve with a soft sigh and sets the medical supplies down between them. Carefully he pulls Steve's left hand into his lap. He runs a damp cloth gently over the wounds up and down his arm, cleaning away all the dirt and grime. The arm beneath his hands twitches painfully as he goes over some of the deeper burns.
Every time Steve twitches in pain, Tony tries not to respond in likeness. These burns were for him. Because of him.
They had been captured. He didn't have the suit with him because he and Steve had been on a dinner date. They hadn't intended on Steve being there, they only wanted him. Steve wasn't part of the picture, but they couldn't just let him go so they tied him up in a corner and ignored him. The kidnappers had wanted Tony to build a weapon for them.
The rope the kidnappers used was thick, some sort of synthetic fiber, plastic-like but with grip. It was good, Steve had struggled against it for some time. He had to wonder what it was made of.
The kidnappers were not happy he was not giving them anything, so after a few hours of telling them no they decided to move onto torture.
His kidnappers didn't even get to touch him. As soon as they brought in their kit of torture equipment Steve lost it. They didn't even get to open their kit, Steve was braking free of his restraints and taking them down.
It was only after they'd tied up the kidnappers did he get a look at Steve's arms. Rope burns covered his wrists up to his elbows, red and raw from how tight the rope was drawn against his flesh. In some spots Steve's skin was torn where the rope pulled during his struggles to brake free.
Carefully Tony lifts Steve's hand up to his face, kissing it lightly, "I'm sorry" he whispers.
"Not your fault" Steve says softly, "You were not the one who tied us up or captured us".
Tony looks away from Steve, not wanting to see the gentle expression on Steve's face. "We were captured because they wanted me, Steve. You shouldn't have-"
Steve didn't even wait for him to finish that sentence. "Maybe. But I glad I was" he says.
Tony shots Steve a glare. "We wouldn't have been such an easy target if I hadn't of picked that restaurant for our date. It was too open, too vulnerable."
"I don't care. It was a nice place" Steve says stubbornly.
Tony groans. He doesn't want to get into this argument with him again. "Steve…"
"What? So I got hurt? It happens." Steve says, pulling his arm from Tony's grasp. "I've got the serum anyway so I'll be all healed up soon." Steve looks out of the window, his whole body tense. "As long as you are safe, I'm fine"
"What about me, Steve?" Tony says. "I don't like seeing you hurt any more than you do me." At least with him there were doctors that could do something to help him. With the serum there wasn't all that much doctors could do for Steve. A month ago Steve was shot. He dug the bullet out himself and got 2 stitches and a pat on the shoulder.
Steve sighs sadly. "I'll be alright" he says.
"C'mere" Tony pulls Steve's hand back onto his lap, getting back into cleaning his injures. "I know how much rope burn stings. I wish there was something I could give you for the pain"
"It's okay. This is enough" Steve says with a small smile. Steve leans over and gives him a gentle kiss on the cheek. "You're enough"
THE END
NOTES: For the Happy Steve Bingo prompt "Museum"