I Thought You Were Different

Agreements

You turned your head to look at Steve, feeling a pang of sorrow for him as he paled under the bags of blood lying on the tables and hanging on poles around him, knowing that it was one of his least favorite things to see. He would glance down at your arm every few minutes but you weren't sure why; maybe he was trying to build a tolerance, watching your blood drain into a large bag, or maybe he was just punishing himself because that's just how reacted to his team in shambles. Like somehow it was his fault even when it wasn't.

"Does that hurt?"

"Not after they put the giant needle in, no," you groaned, trying to forget the experience and how Steve had to practically hold you in the chair to keep you from running away. Thankfully he was there or your aversion to needles would have won out, no matter how much you wanted to do this. "But hey, my blood type matches Tony's, so he can have all that I can give. He can have all of it."

"Well, I'd like you to keep some of it, you know," Steve smiled, bringing your free hand up to his lips, his other hand gently moving your hair through his fingers. "We have unfinished business, you and I." He leaned back in his chair, removing his hand from your hair and into the pocket of his jeans, returning with your ring. "I believe this is yours?"

"Steve," you gasped quietly, "when did you get that?"

"I grabbed it right before we left. When I didn't know what had happened to Tony and Bruce, all I could think about were the worst things, only to find out they were pretty close to true. I didn't want to go through another thing like this without knowing you had this on your hand again. I didn't want to face another minute without knowing that I had you back. I can't go through something like this again without you."

"Are you sure? I want you to be completely sure, Steve." Even as you spoke the words, your mind was screaming at you to grab the ring and put it on, not looking back and having everything you wanted again. But you also knew that the two of you have problems that still needed work, and Steve was still sorting his own issues. You weren't fully recovered yet, and you detested any idea that he might be doing this out of any kind of fear. You wanted him to be fully certain of his choice.

Steve nodded, his expression more solemn than you would expect, "I'm completely sure, (Y/N). Listen, I know we have our issues, and I'm still working through therapy, but I really feel like we're better together than we are apart. And we keep coming back together, so that has to mean something, right?"

"You just said everything that I was thinking."

"So...is that good? Is that another yes?"

"That's another yes."

~~~

"Hey, how are you holding up?" Natasha asked Pepper, sitting outside of the operating room where they were still working on Tony. Clint had taken Bruce to the ER for a check, now that he was finally willing to let them do one, leaving Nat tasked to watch over her. "Can I get anything for you?"

"I'm okay."

"They've been in there a long time. Have they updated you lately?"

"Um, yeah," Pepper replied with a faltering voice and a quiet sniffle, "they said that they've repaired almost everything that was injured, but he's lost a lot of blood so they're trying to get in as much as they can."

"(Y/N) is down the hall donating for him right now."

"I'll have to thank her..." she faded, looking down the hall at nothing, then back to her hands that shakily held a cafeteria coffee cup, it's contents now nearly ice cold. "And Bruce..."

After a few more minutes of aching silence, Natasha brightened slightly at the sight of you emerging from the lab with Steve and making your way towards them. "Hey, any news?" you asked, sitting next to Pepper and putting your arm around her shoulders, accepting her head resting against you. "He's gonna be okay," you whispered into her hair as you held your friend, waiting for a reply.