Author's Note: I love, love, love this one. I think out of all of them it's far and away my favourite. As always I tried to stay away from the sort of 'norms' with the fancy wedding. Still think I managed to get a suitable amount of fluff in it. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I liked writing it.
Little Moments Like This
Little Unconventional (Prompt 26: Getting married)
His word was ending.
Time moved like molasses, colours terribly bright and harsh to his eyes, the yells and voices distant and muffled like he was underwater.
He didn't care.
His entire being was focused on the man bleeding out in his arms. Clutching the big body close, he gently stroked the rapidly paling face with metal figures.
"Steve you stay with me," he kept repeating rocking them back and forth, as he tried not to look at the gaping wound in that once perfect chest.
"Don't you leave me Steve, don't you dare," he wouldn't cry. He could break down later, right now he needed to get the man he loved help. The jet bounced and jerked as Clint drove hell for lather to SHIELD medical. Distantly Tony could hear him yelling obscenities into the com; Captain America was down.
Across from him Thor, and Bruce offered silent support as the doctor pressed a towel to the sluggishly bleeding hole. Tony focused on the colourless lips trying to move, as their fallen leader tried to speak.
"Shush, its ok save your strength," Tony kissed the cool forehead gently. Talking non stop, about nothing just pointless noise as he tried to get those blue eyes to focus on him.
All the while his mind refusing to accept what was happening. Steve was not dying, not here, not now.
They touched down, Tony already running with his burden before the jet had even fully stopped. The medical people standing by. Hurrying he deposited the big man on the gurney, holding on tightly as they began to run. The doctors yelling at one another as they rolled him into the sterile prep room, rushing to ready for surgery.
"Tony…" the blond, reached for him, "M'sorry," he choked out, the billionaire panicking.
"Don't you dare Steven Rogers don't you dare say goodbye," frantically he looked around at the neutral faces as they readied the super soldier best they could.
"No, no…no Steve!" eyes grew distant, blinking slower, laboured breathing beginning to ease. Frantic he turned to the door as the rest of the Avengers burst in. Every one of them tired, dirty, and worried.
"Get a priest," Tony blurted, eyes wide as he hastily wiped the sweat and blood from his eyes. He stood imposing in the small room still in his armour having only discarded his helmet when things had gone bad.
"A priest?" Bruce asked faintly, looking from the wild eyed man in red and gold, to the pale, unmoving man on the gurney.
"Yes a priest now!" Clint didn't ask questions he was out the door.
The Doctors were returning. "We'll take him now they said briskly." Tony clutched they normally strong hand tightly aggressively standing before his lover, "Not yet."
They froze as did the other Avengers, "Anthony…" Thor said softly, reaching for his friend.
"Not yet!" he yelled, looking back to Steve.
"You stay with me Steve, can you hear me? You damn well stay with me!" The doctors were moving forward to try again. Blue eyes were looking at him again, tenderly, lovingly, goodbye in their depths. For Tony that was unacceptable.
"I got him!" Clint was badgering a man in black robes into the room, his confusion on every line of his face.
"What's going on?" The man of the cloth paused seeing Captain America bleeding on the bed, understanding . Crossing himself quickly he opened the Bible making the sign of the cross before Steve. Speaking quietly he began to give him the last rites.
"No!" Tony bellowed at him, horror on his face.
"No?" the priest stopped confused once more.
"No, father, marry us."
The room was utterly still for a heart beat in time, "Marry you?" the man said faintly.
"Yes marry, right now."
Flustered he leafed through the pages, "Dearly beloved we are-" he was cut off again by the impatient Iron Man.
"Times a factor here farther, could you skip ahead?" Tony turned back to Steve tenderly, the injured man still looking so out of it, and so pale the towel on his chest soaked through.
"Do you…"
"Anthony Stark,"
"Do you Anthony Stark , take…"
"Steven Rogers,"
"Take Steven Rogers to be your wedded husband?"
"I do," he said firmly tightening his hold on the limp hand in his metal ones.
The priest nodded turning to the dying man on the bed, "Do you Steven Rogers take Antony Stark to be your wedded husband?"
They could see Steve's jaw work, gasping as his chest heaved painfully. "…do…" he managed.
The priest turned back to the man in blood splattered metal, "Ring?" Tony cursed looking down at himself; he had nothing but a battered suit. Improvising he yanked a loose flange off, bending it with deft movements.
Hands trembling he pulled off the red leather gloves, sliding the makeshift ring onto a lifeless pale hand. Steve was closing his eyes, a peaceful smile gracing his features. The doctors having remained silent whether out of respect or shock, were yelling again.
The Avengers silent and solemn. "I now pronounce you husband and husband," the priest smiled at him sadly, "Give him a kiss son…"
Tony did just that tenderly kissing him on slack lips, "Don't leave me alone Steve." He whispered against those dry lips.
They were taking him then running for surgery, a whirlwind leaving the room deafeningly silent in their wake.
Shaking and light headed Tony managed to thank he priest, who gave him a warm smile before wishing him all the best. Departing to see to others.
The man in the suit of metal managed only a step before he was sinking to the floor legs unable to support him. The Avengers came to him, Natasha and Bruce were crying, Clint and Thor's eyes suspiciously moist as well as they closed ranks. Tony was having a hard time catching his breath.
"Oh Tony why?" The black widow whispered thickly hugging him tightly. Tony returned the embrace trying to hold onto his own wildly gyrating emotions.
"He's…he's been dropping hints lately. About making an honest man out of him," Tony smiled sadly. "Been dragging my feet, don't know why really…just stupid things."
They said nothing more, taking solace in the people who understood them best. Clint the one who finally broke the heart breaking tension, "You better get him a better ring Stark. He's going to be spitting mad when he wakes up and finds out he's married to you, and his ring is a piece of your suit."
Tony managed a weak smiled, "He'd going to be mortified we got married in a hospital room, in our suits."
"Come on Tony, let's get cleaned up, he'll be a while." Tasha lead them to the door, the now husband of Steve Rogers pointedly not looking at the pool of red on the otherwise immaculate floor.
-#-
He swam towards consciousness slowly, moving through the thick veils of sleep sluggishly. Eyes crusty he blinked slowly. Confused as to where he was…he'd been having the most unusual dream. He'd been hurt, badly, but he and Tony had gotten married. It all seemed like some disjointed, hazy hallucination. Tony would no doubt laugh at him, having such fanciful thoughts.
Sighing he shifted to find a more comfortable position, a sharp pain across his chest stilling him.
Frowning he glanced down at the crisp pristine sheets folded nearly across his waist. His arms lay atop the covers, a needle connecting him to an IV drip. The room was bright with sunlight, but almost blindly white and sterile.
He was in a hospital. Raising his hand slowly a flash of something on his left ring finger caught his attention. Ignoring the pinch of pain at the motion he brought it closer, studding what looked like a dented bit of metal. What was going on?
A soft murmur to his right drew his attention to the other occupant of the room, slumped in what had to be the most uncomfortable chair he'd ever seen. Tony looked terrible, ill kept, dark circles under his eyes. Steve was immediately worried.
Trying to shift around so he could reach out for the man, he grunted in pain, the noise waking the man on the chair. Body jerking awake as if he'd been electrocuted, dark tired eyes blinked open staring uncomprehending into blue.
It took Tony a full minute to wrap his mind around what he was seeing.
"You're awake," he voice was horse, thick, "You're awake!" Tony's face split into a shaky grin. A trembling hand reaching out to grab Steve's bigger one. The solider could feel the man he loved shaking with emotion.
"Tony?" he whispered, his own throat dry, and husky.
It seemed to break the billionaire, with a shuddering sob Tony was on the bed arms holding him tightly, as he tried to get a hold of himself. A vain effort he knew.
Steve had died several times on the operating table, and the last week and had been touch and go at best. Tony never been far from his side. Whether it was the serum or Steve's undeniable inner strength, the big beautiful man had pulled through. Beating the odds stacked against him. Now on the mend and awake Tony lost the tight lid he'd kept on himself for the last hellish eleven days.
"Hey now Tony," Steve was tenderly stroking his back, feeling horribly inadequate trying to comfort him.
It was long moments before Tony could bring himself to pull back, only enough so he could see blue eyes. Having to reassure himself that he was alive, and it wasn't some delusion of his overly tired mind. Callused hands ran through blonde hair, sleep matted, before moving over the now breaded cheeks. Feeling the scrub of the blonde wishers against his palm, running across the once more soft pink lips parting as he inhaled and exhaled steadily. Steve was very much alive.
Tony exhaled shuddering, trying to find a reassuring smile for his husband, but feared it was a rather sickly one.
"Tony what happened?" Steve asked, trying to sort through the bizarre disjointed snippets running though his head. The brunette was at a loss were to start.
"Do you remember anything?"
The blond frowned, "We were battling, then there was a horrible pain in my chest….I remember being in the jet you talking to me. Telling me to stay…" he looked sadly at he man he loved, "I remember that clearly, I couldn't understand why at the time." He hesitated then, "The rest I think is perhaps a dream," he mumbled, trying to make some sense of it.
Tony was staring at him silently, solemn faced, "What else?" Steve looked away, feeling a slow embarrassed flush crawl up his neck.
"It's silly, just…just imagined we got married," he glanced at Tony ruefully knowing he get that eye roll, and joke. Only this time, Tony didn't; Tony Stark looked liked he was blushing.
"That wasn't a dream…" he mumbled, looking down at Steve's left hand he picked it up running a thump over the twisted metal on his finger. "We ummm…we got married just before you went into surgery."
Steve's mouth unhinged in shock. Tony was quickly trying to explain, "You were talking about it before, and I was dragging my feet. I love you and I did want to get married, just stupidly worried it's change everything we had. Then you kept trying to say goodbye and I couldn't accept it…" he trailed off, running an agitated hand through dark locks.
"We got married?" Steve finally managed to gather his wits about him, Tony nodded looking miserable. Steve couldn't help the slow wide smile that crossed his face, "We're married."
Tony hesitantly returned the smile, "Yeah." Gently he gathered Tony in his arms kissing him thoroughly, pouring out all the emotions they couldn't voice. Parting Steve rested his head against the smaller man.
"I can't say it's what I had in mind," Steve teased.
"We can do it again anything you want. The whole nine yards, huge lavish affair." Steve shook his head holding up the makeshift ring.
"No, I think it's sort of fitting. Is this part of your suit?"
Tony huffed a small laugh, "Yeah sorry, spur of the moment. I'll get you something better."
Steve lay back arranging he boyfriend…no his husband now, so they were cuddled together on the narrow hospital bed. The last week and bit caught catching up to the exhausted genius. He told himself again and again he was going to be just fine. Finally relaxing Tony drifted towards sleep, the soft voice of his lover reaching his ears "I want a nice honeymoon."
The billionaire grinned a little, it may have been a little unconventional their wedding…but Tony would do it all over again in a heartbeat. Steve was his, and he belong to Steve.