Not All Wounds Heal

Wakanda

"You can't heal everything, (Y/N)," Steve eventually spoke again, "not all wounds heal. I'm sure that Tony would agree if he knew you were offering this."

"Dammit, Steve, why can't you just say what you want to say? What's holding you back? Tell Sam to mind his own business and grow a pair, already."

"Wow, I've forgotten how blunt you can be. But, okay, fine," he finally relented quietly, "will you help Buck, (Y/N)? It would mean...it would mean everything to me if you would try."

"Yes, Steve, I'll try. Thank you for deciding that you can trust me."

"Okay...great," he sighed, and the relief in his voice didn't escape you at all; you had been right and he wanted to ask, but now that the words were out and you had agreed, he had no idea why he thought it would be so difficult. "I'll make arrangements to bring you here-"

"But I have one condition."

"Okay?"

"When I'm done, and when I've healed his mind, you all come home."

"(Y/N), it's not that simple-"

"But it can be," you argued. "You're all just making it too difficult. You're all letting your pride and hurt feelings get in the way. It's time to grow up and fix this. Agree, Steve, or I stay here, and your best friend gets frostbite."

~~~

Tony stood quietly and uncharacteristically still, his back pressed up against the door of your room while he watched you pack your belongings for your trip to Wakanda. He had no idea where exactly you were going, as the location of Steve's team would remain a secret for now, but he knew who you were going to see. You couldn't lie to him, but you also couldn't betray Steve, so the delicate balance was made and you would fly there with Maria's help so that he couldn't track your whereabouts; so long as she promised to do better than when they tried to hide you in Minnesota and its ultimate failure.

"When will you be back?" he asked meekly, his breaths quickening with each packed item.

"I'm not sure. As soon as I'm done, I suppose. I don't see a reason to hang around, really."

"Okay, sure," he barely smiled, "right. Fly safe then." He pushed away from the door and turned to leave, moving quickly so that he could avoid your inevitable anger and the look in your eyes that would no doubt leave him crushed and at your mercy from there on out. If he were a smart man like he thought he was, he would have known that he had been at your mercy for years now.

"That's it, Stark? Fly safe?" you spat. "That's all you've got?"

He stopped with a deep breath, slamming the door loudly and turning around to face you, with his jaw set and a darkness in his eyes that you had never seen from him before; certainly never with you as its cause. "What do you want me to say?! You're going to help them when you know how I feel about it! You're helping him, (Y/N)."

"No," you argued, stepping closer, "that's not what's really bothering you, don't you dare lie to me. We've talked about this already, and you said that you would work through it and that you understood why I was going. Anthony Edward Stark, you tell me what's going on right now."

"If I let out what really rolling around up here," he tapped the side of his head angrily, "then you'd run away screaming and I'd never see you again!" Tony paused and took another breath, trying and failing to calm himself. "Listen, I can't have a life that doesn't have you, ever...like...dammit, this isn't how I'm supposed to feel, okay? I'm so much older than you that I'm the perfect target for To Catch a Predator. I can't believe they aren't already knocking on my door as we speak."