They stood there for a long moment, just kissing. Clint's hands at Darcy's waist and her arms around his neck were feeling amazing, for both of them. They broke away for breath, but Clint immediately started kissing her neck. She tried to pull him closer, wanting to feel more of him.

Of course the door would open right then. Of freaking course. Clint hesitantly pulls back, standing at an army posture next to her. Seeing Bruce in the open doorway is unexpected.

"I, uh, was told to talk to, uh, you two. Umm, I can come back?" Bruce asks quietly. Darcy shakes her head.

"No. It's fine, I'll talk to him later. What was it that you needed again, Bruce?" Bruce, while having a girlfriend, could not do anything like what they were just doing incase his heart sped up. Bruce's heart speeding up led to Hulk, so that was a no-no.

The two that had just been kissing suspected that Bruce was jealous. Every avenger was jealous of the others for many, very stupid, and insecure things. Bruce could get caught in very embarrassing places, this being one of them.

"Okay." Bruce breathed in heavily through his nose, then stepped more in the room. He closed the door behind him. "Cap was going to do this, but I figured you'd be more comfortable with me, Tony was the other choice, not including Natasha and Thor, who wouldn't be much of a help.

"Steve wanted to know how you're feeling after Sylvia?" It came out a question, though it wasn't supposed to. Bruce cast a long look to Clint, giving permission to talk.

"A little shaken, but not much, really. I know that's not why you came in here, Bruce. Spill." Clint said quickly, somehow reverting into army and then back to immature lingo.

Bruce sighed. "I did actually have to ask you about that, but you're right. Steve doesn't- he, well... he wants to know about this." Bruce waved his hand in the air, then ran both hands through his hair. "Whatever this is, it's not my business. You have to figure it out, then tell Steve. Wait for him to not be so busy, though. He snapped at Nat earlier."

There was a pause, and right before Clint could open his mouth, Bruce jumped in. "Please don't kill him, he said he was sorry!"

"He better have." Clint growled.

Darcy found it extremely funny the way Clint's face was contorted, and the way Bruce had his hands up. Her hand was slapped over her mouth, not wanting the boys to hear her.

Bruce quickly left (they were pretty sure Bruce had told JARVIS to lock the door behind him), and Clint picked Darcy up and laid her down on the bed.

!#$%^&*()_+

"Lady Jane?" Thor was unusually quiet when asking this. He seemed scared to say anything, which immediately made Jane be on high alert.

"Yes, Thor?'

"Do you think that Friend Clinton and Lady Darcy will... how do you say it? Work?"

Jane laughed, tension easing, even though she was worried too. "Thor, that's not something you have to worry about. They either will or they won't, but it's their business. Okay?" When she didn't get an answer, "Okay?"

"Yes. I am just thinking about how Friend Steven 'snapped' at Lady Natasha. I do not understand why he would do such a thing."

"Thor, Steve is under a lot of pressure right now. He's hurt, he has to deal with writing a report since he's the only one who does it correct, Tony is always a problem. Steve once told me that he feels guilty every time he leads you guys into impossible missions and battles. You know how he seems to get hurt more than everyone else? It's because he hates seeing you all get hurt.

"When Steve was told about Sylvia? What did he do?" Jane asked, stepping lightly on thin ice around Thor. She was for once taking a break from science and had been reading something but Thor had asked about Clint and Darcy so she had put it down.

"I myself expected him to get angered, but he simply wished to know how Friend Clinton was 'taking it' as you Midgardians would say. Friend Steven can not walk without assistance, and is worrying me. I still do not know how Clinton is taking everything."

Jane smiled. "You really do care about them. Clint will be fine, it's Darcy we should be worrying about. She knows how to take care of people, just not herself sometimes. They'll be fine, I promise."

Thor gave Jane a look, clearly saying that he intended to make sure that promise went through.

!#$%^&*()_+

Bruce had to breath deeply, not letting his heart speed up in embarrassment. He could hear inside the room that he left Clint and Darcy in still because he needed somewhere to calm himself down, and there was as good a place as any. He quickly left the door, dashing for the lab. He couldn't stay in front of the room, not, not when that was happening.

Bruce vaguely noticed his hands were shaking.

The lab was big, open, and empty, making Bruce wonder where Tony had run off to. He started doing an experiment, and (an hour later was when it finished) was happy at the results. His brain fogged, suddenly, and thoughts of his teammates came swirling in.

Clint and Darcy, Steve and Tasha, Thor and Jane, Tony and Pepper. Betty was in there, too, but he was having a hard time finding her. The ever present Hulk was lurking in the shadows, and Bruce realized he needed to breath.

He took in several deep breaths through his nose, letting them out through his mouth. Bruce remembered using techniques, like breath with your diaphragm. He stumbled over to his couch, the only furniture in the lab that wasn't hard and metal.

Bruce vaguely hears JARVIS ask if he needs help, so Bruce nods. He can't breathe, and he needs to breathe. His chest tightens, and Bruce fleetingly thinks about how none of the avengers have ever cried in front of each other.

He passes out before people can get to him.

!#$%^&*()_+

Steve is well aware that he was leaning against the wall as he broke the glass that leads into Bruce's lab. Tony wasn't there, and they didn't know how else to get into the lab.

Right now, it's just him, Tasha and Pepper, and they manage to get into the lab at the same time Clint, Darcy, Jane, Betty and Thor come down the stairs.

Everyone else rushes in, goes to Bruce. He has a pulse, it's okay, not strong but not weak. The mans face is wet, indicating tears. Steve stays at the door, not being able to rush in, he had barely made it down the stairs. Thor gently picks up Bruce and everyone follows him, except for Steve and Clint.

Steve hobbles over to the couch, as good as he can but Clint comes over and helps him to the couch. Clint's hair is sticking out in every which way, and he's sweating.

Steve blushes, and puts his head in his hands. Clint's hand starts to rub circles in his back, which aches really bad after getting a fallen building on him and the stress the day has given him so far.

They do this, the team. They comfort each other in little ways like the way Clint was rubbing Steve's back. Mos of the avengers don't do contact, they don't do feelings unless they're angry or mad. A lot of the time, sitting down to watch a movie will explode and everyone will go somewhere different (gym, kitchen, lab, etc.) to try and clear their minds.

Clint just keeps rubbing Steve's back for an hour. Glass crunches under someone's feet, and Clint's surprised to find Tony there.

"I heard about Banner." Tony mumbles, examining the two heroes on the couch. He smiles at Clint's hair (yes, his hair is everywhere and that means he had sex, he knows), but frowns at Steve. Tony sits down on Steve's other side. "You okay, buddy?"

Steve doesn't respond, so Tony moves on for a second. "So, you and Darcy?" The look in Tony's eyes are saying 'I'm sorry I wasn't here, it looks like a shitload of terrible happened'.

Clint shrugs, not knowing if the two are together or not. His hand is still rubbing Steve's back.

The team know that Steve can't sleep sometimes, that he relies on adrenaline and caffeine (more often than not, the ladder doesn't work) to make sure he is up and moving. They also know that when he punches a punching bag, it's releasing emotions and anger (they know that he has flashbacks while he hits and hits and hits).

Clint and Tony talk over a finally sleeping Steve for a little while longer, basking in the realization that they can relax. Clint's hand is still rubbing Steve's back (they found out that he liked it when he was sitting in the tower, puking his guts out after getting some really bad sickness that only affected super soldiers) and Tony's hand was in Steve's hair, tangling it.

A nightmare comes over Steve, and really, Tony thinks, what the fuck is wrong with this team? Why do we all have to go through this?

Steve wakes up, hides his face, then marvels at how Tony's reactor is not only still in his chest, but light up. Tony and Clint help him upstairs where Natasha and newly awake, newly fine Bruce help him. Tony gets him and Clint beers, and all is well in the moment.


AN: I don't really have much to say. Thank you reviews for the great reviews, though! I own nothing, Gob bless.