Tony was exhausted. Not only had he just awoken from a coma, but he had been entertaining the Avengers and listening to stories of the past six months for hours. But when nearly everyone went to bed, he found himself too restless to sleep. He wanted nothing more than to go home or at least get out of this damn bed. Instead he had to occupy his time with his tablet, which Steve had left on his bedside table.
But working was harder than normal because rather than sleep in her own bed, Morgan had wrapped herself around him like a koala while he sat up in his hospital bed and promptly fallen asleep. Not that he didn't enjoy burying his face in her hair and smelling her sweet baby shampoo, but it wasn't conducive to actually getting anything done.
The only person awake was Pepper, who was sitting on her phone in the chair beside his bed, which he couldn't help but refer to as Steve's chair since both times he had woken up today Steve had been firmly planted there. But now he couldn't help but peek across the room to the oversized couch that Steve was sprawled out on. One arm thrown over his eyes, the other wrapped around Peter who had curled into Steve's large form.
He was beautiful. Tony had always thought so, but here, now, taking care of Tony's kids as though they were his own. That only made Steve more of an unattainably beautiful person.
Tony jerked slightly out of his thoughts when he realized that Pepper was watching him intently. He could feel the color rise in his cheeks but did his best to will it away.
"So. Six Months." He managed to choke out while clearing his throat.
She just sighed, setting aside her phone. "Yes, Tony. Six months. It was hard, but Steven was a big help."
"Steven..?"
Tony watched as she quirked a brow at him. "Yes, Tony. Steven. It's the Captain's name."
"No. It's his full name. No one calls him Steven. Not even Fury. I only call him that when he does something idiotic." Tony wasn't sure why it felt like a betrayal for someone else to call Steve, Steven, but it did. It felt like he wasn't special anymore. Like maybe he was never special to begin with.
"Well, he's been taking care of our daughter. I can't just keep calling him, Captain." Tony could see the confusion tracing itself over her delicate features, but he couldn't help but drown out the logic of it all.
Tony shifted up further in the bed, still cradling Morgan, but he wanted to get away. He wanted to bury himself in his lab and never come up for air. Were Pepper and Steve … together? He felt like he couldn't breathe. He and Pepper may not be married, but they co-parent and live together. Would she really have moved on to the man he had been half in love with since he was 13 and fully in love with since basically New York all those years ago? This shouldn't be hurting him. He knows that Steve is straight, but why Pepper? Why his family? Did Steve regret him waking up? Why was Steve even still here?
The next thing he knew, Morgan was being gently tugged from his arms, but he was so caught up in his head he couldn't even protest. He just watched as Pepper carried his baby to Steve and placed her on his chest. A few whispered words in his ear and Steve's arm was tight around her so she wouldn't fall, but he barely seemed to stir. Like he had done that same move hundreds of times. Maybe he had. Six months was a long time. His daughter was not even five yet, was she closer to Steve than him? Did she love him more? He had never been good enough for his own father, maybe he wasn't good enough for his daughter either.
There were suddenly cool hands pressed against his cheeks, pulling him out of his head so he could focus on Pepper's blue eyes. Not quite as blue as Steve's, more gray really. Steve's were perfectly blue, with little flecks of green.
"Tony. Breathe. And tell me what's going on in that big brain." Her voice was soft and soothing, something she had picked up after years of coaxing him out of panic attacks.
Tony closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, thinking about how to word his thoughts, but in the end he just spit out the first thing that made any sense.
"Are you and Cap a thing now? Is that why he takes care of Morgan?" His tone was harsh and he hadn't necessarily meant it to sound so mean, but it hurt to think about.
Tony wasn't expecting the sharp laugh that bubbled out of her. "No. We have never and will never be a thing, Anthony. He takes care of Morgan because she refuses to leave your side and she got very attached to him very quickly. Did you forget all the stories you told about him? She loves him because you taught her how. Plus, I needed to go back and forth to New York for some urgent Stark Industries matters. Who better to take care of her than Captain America? You really think he would take care of her if he didn't want to? That there has to be any reason besides the fact that she's your child?"
That made sense he supposed, but it didn't explain why Steve was even here. "Well, why is he here? Couldn't Bruce call him if I needed another blood transfusion? It's a little strange for Captain America to all of a sudden decide I am worthy of his time."
He really didn't expect the smack across the head, but he should have. The coma must have affected his thought process. He knew that was a shitty thing to say especially about Steve who had trusted Tony to get him back from the past without even a shadow of a doubt.
"Anthony Edward Stark. That man saved your life. And has been continuing to keep you alive since then. I don't know what he managed to tell you, but there was no one and done blood transfusion. He has been giving you blood every week for six months. So much blood that he can barely recover before they take more, and he did it for you. No one else but you. You may still have anger stored up from your fight nearly eight years ago, but when it came down to it Tony, he chose you over everything. He hasn't left this room, much less Wakanda since he came through that portal. And the only time he has left your side is when absolutely necessary to his hygiene or Morgan. He sleeps here Tony. He has a room, but he sleeps in this chair or that couch." She spoke in a hissed whisper, but he was sure she would be yelling it not for the sleeping kids, and the man in question being just across the room.
When she was done, she fell back into the chair with a huff, not bothering to look at him.
"But with that many transfusions, couldn't that affect the serum? What if he lost his powers?"
She leaned forward then, gripping his hand tight enough to hurt. "He didn't care. Bruce went over possible side effects. Told him if the serum depleted, he could even die, but he didn't care. He thought you were worth it."
Tony leaned back into his pillows trying to digest all of the new information. Pepper slipped out of the room, but he barely noticed. He just sat there thinking about his savior. Steve Rogers, not Captain America. Contemplating meaning something to Steve, maybe even something more than leaders of the Avengers, more than just the person who bought expensive things or created gadgets. Maybe meaning as much to Steve as Steve meant to him.
He fell asleep staring at the hard lines of Steve's face, which were mostly covered with a thick beard. One that hadn't been present since Steve's time on the run.
