Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Challenges listed at the bottom.

Word Count - 1175

Fic Detail - TonyT'Challa / Established relationship / Post hand-wavy canon fic :P

In His Arms

"Come here," T'Challa said, holding his arms out for Tony to stumble into.

Tears streaked his face, making clear paths through the blood and dirt that covered him. His suit was destroyed, even the nanites giving up after being hit one too many times. Tony was pretty sure he'd at least cracked his ribs, and he ached from the tips of his hair to his toes.

He felt like every single spot on his body was bruised.

And yet, he was happier than he'd been for weeks, because T'Challa was here, and he was alive, and it just made all of it worth the agony. Here in T'Challa's arms, he was right where he belonged.

All around them, people were reuniting with their loved ones. There were cries of joy, the sounds of sobbing and people calling out names as they searched for the people they loved.

"I need to go," Tony said, pushing away from T'Challa. "Peter, he's on Titan and I can't just—"

A portal cut Tony off, and Peter stepped through it, followed closely by Doctor Strange.

"Oh, thank god," Tony gasped, reaching out to pull Peter into a tight hug. "You're okay."

Peter hugged him back. "You did it, Mr Stark! I knew you'd save us, I knew it."

Tony pulled back enough to look at him and smiled. "I'm so glad you're okay, Underoos. You should go home though, to May. She needs you right now, okay?"

Peter nodded, and then looked around them. "I, uh. How?"

Chuckling, Tony turned his attention to Strange. "Can you get him back to New York?"

"Of course. I need to head there myself anyway. Well done, Tony."

Tony watched the two of them step into the portal and sighed. He hoped Peter wouldn't be too affected by what happened on Titan, but he had a feeling they'd all be experiencing the consequences of Thanos' attack for a while.

The Titan hadn't exactly been discrete.

"I'm proud of you," T'Challa said, tugging Tony back into his arms. "But I think you need medical right now, so how about we go do that?"

"In a minute," Tony promised. "I just… need a minute, okay?"

"Okay," T'Challa replied, seeming to understand. He guided them over to a broken wall and sat down, tugging Tony into his lap. "Can you let the suit retract fully?"

Tony did as he asked without replying and T'Challa's arms tightened.

"I was terrified that I'd never see you again," the King admitted quietly. "Or that you'd been irreparably hurt."

Tony knew that fear, and it had only been made worse by him returning to find T'Challa had been one of those to have been 'Dusted'. While the others had talked about planning and plotting and waiting until they were ready, Tony had been frantically trying to work out the fastest way to bring people back.

The feeling of running out of time had been overwhelming, and he wasn't afraid to admit that he'd gone a little crazy.

Not even having Steve back at the compound had slowed him down. The air between them had remained glacial, and though Steve had reached out, Tony hadn't wanted to accept it. There would be time for that later, he insisted, even while Steve looked at him sadly.

"What the hell is it about 'go away' that you don't understand?" he'd screamed, when Steve had tried to force him from his workshop to eat or sleep or be around people.

He was, admittedly, a little bit ashamed of that, though he couldn't exactly regret it. Not now that he was back in T'Challa's arms.

"I missed you," Tony whispered. "I was scared I'd never see you again. The others wanted me to slow down but I couldn't, because I needed to bring you back."

T'Challa kissed his temple. "I knew you would, sweetheart, though, I do wish you'd kept yourself in better condition. You're entirely too light."

He bounced Tony carefully on his knees to highlight the point. "I hope you'll try not to give our healers hell while they fix you up."

Tony smiled slightly. "I can't promise I'll try, but I'll try to try."

T'Challa rolled his eyes with fond amusement. "Pepper has warned me what you are like with medical care."

"Everything you heard about me is true," Tony agreed. "Especially if it came from Pep. Guess you'll just have to stay and make sure I behave myself."

Softening, T'Challa nodded as he took Tony's words for what they really meant. A plea not to be left alone. "I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart."

"Tony…" Tony looked up to see Steve hovering a little bit away from them, looking unsure of his welcome. "I can't believe your plan worked. It really shouldn't have done, all things considered."

"Ah, I believe your words were, 'That idea may just be crazy enough… to get us all killed!' if I remember correctly."

Steve blushed while Bucky, standing behind him with Sam, rolled his eyes. "Well, regardless of what I thought… you saved them all, Tony."

"No," Tony replied burying his face back against T'Challa's chest. "We saved them. Together."

T'Challa shifted beneath him, and the next thing Tony knew, he was being lifted by strong arms into a bridal lift. He was tired enough that he didn't even protest T'Challa treating him like a damsel in distress.

"Excuse us, Captain," T'Challa said, nodding his head. "I think it's time I get Tony to the healers. There will be plenty of time to talk later, when he's healed and rested."

"Of course," Steve agreed, stepping back.

With ease borne from the mystical herbs that had given him the powers of the Black Panther, T'Challa carried Tony towards the Wakandan Palace.

"At least the Llama's are okay," Tony said as they rounded a corner, nodding at the paddock.

T'Challa snorted, but detoured slightly towards the paddock so Tony could take a closer look at them. He was attached to the llama's, and he'd forced T'Challa into watching the Emperor's New Groove more times than he liked to remember.

When they were in reach, Tony reached out and stroked the fur of the closest one, smiling up at T'Challa.

"Thank you," he murmured. "For indulging me."

"When do I ever do anything else?" T'Challa asked, raising his eyebrows.

"That… is very true."

T'Challa carried Tony into the Palace and straight to where the healers were set up to deal with the injuries streaming in. They were led to a private room and T'Challa laid Tony out on the bed carefully, taking a moment to brush the hair back from his forehead.

"You're still the most beautiful sight my eyes have ever had the privilege of seeing," he murmured.

"You're a sweet talker, Kitty-Kat," Tony whispered. He was hazy with sleep now, giving into the exhaustion that plagued his entire body. With T'Challa by his side, he felt safe enough to let go of the last threads of strength he had left. "I love you."

"I love you too, Tony."

Written for:

Disney - S3. Feeling a sense of belonging

Angel - 24. "That idea may just be crazy enough… to get us all killed!"

Scamander - 29. "Come here."

Film festival - 6. LLama

Basement - 20. "I can't promise I'll try, but I'll try to try."

Pop Figure - Lando Calrissian - 1. "Everything you've heard about me is true." / 2. Smooth Talker / 3. Discrete / Running out of time.

365. 245. Glacial

1000. 257. "What the hell is it about 'go away' that you don't understand?"