Marvel Comic Whump/sick fics

Tony: Back to you

Tony didn't like to be someone who held grudges. He knew they didn't do anything but hurt yourself more, it's not like he didn't know that but however, that didn't mean he didn't hurt. Most people like to see him as a cocky bastard who talks too much and gets in over his head, but truth be told Tony was a feeling kind of guy. He would never ever want anyone to know that however, Pepper knew, of course, Pepper knew, Pepper knew him better then he knew himself.

Rhodey knew he knew him a little too well for him not to know. But there was one more person that knew that Tony had a heart of gold that he wanted to help people and be a good man and maybe that's what made that wound sting all the more. The reason he struggled to let that wound heal at all, sometimes he felt like he was keeping that wound open and rubbing salt in it because that wound hurt worst of all. Hurt worse then Obie betraying him, hurt worse than reading his file Romanoff had written after the Stark Expo, hurt worse then Killian and his nonsense.

Because the man that knew about Tony's loving nature was none other than Steve Rogers. Tony never likes to have admitted that he liked the sap but he did and as time, as worn on he and Steve, had grown close. Yes they drove each other crazy and fought better than the best but when he boiled down to it they were friends. Tony might even have thought Steve was his best friend, when Steve fell from the carriers and was in the hospital Tony dropped what he was doing and rushed there, meeting Sam for the first time. Then Steve had woken up Tony had given him more then an earful, giving him so much crap and dogging on him but the dope just closed his eyes and smiled his annoying smile and said.

"Thanks Tony..." God Steve had scared him that day, he though he lost his best friend. Steve was also the first there after his arc removal surgery, helped Pepper and even helped him into his temporary housing when he was released. Helping him take carful steps after the pain of surgery. Pepper always called Steve for backup if he was refusing to come out of his garage or lab, or when he was sick was refusing to take care of himself. Steve would come with his disapproving look and crossed arms and no nonsense tone and man handle him into bed or out of the lab and force him to eat while Tony whined at him and Pepper for double teaming him.

When living in the tower he found Steve many nights awake from nightmares and they would sit together and watch movies Steve had missed. Steve would talk about the war and Bucky and the commandos and even Peggy. Sometimes Tony would even talk about her, God he missed her.

This was why when Steve stood against him and they had fought and fallen out so hard it hurt so much. When Steve dropped that shield and walked out of the cold base Tony's world came crumbling down around him. He had curled into a ball on the cold ground and cried not because of the pain of his body but because he had just lost one of his best friends and he knew it. He knew he might never get him back and he regretted jumping to conclusions and acting out of anger but he still was angry and so hurt steve hadn't told him the truth about his parents.

He had gone home to no one because he and Pepper had been on a break at the time but then he had gotten the phone and the letter from Steve and his heart ached. He carried that phone with him everywhere for some dumb reason he couldn't not have it with him even though he was too proud to ever admit he wanted to see him again to watch movies with him again and to watch Pepper and him cook in the kitchen. Tony didn't know how many nights after Siberia that Pepper told him, "Just call him and work it out, you need one another."

But he couldn't bring himself to, couldn't dial the number no matter how many times he had looked at the phone screen almost pressing the number but...he couldn't his heart felt permanently broken and Pepper couldn't convince him to repair it. Tony didn't know what it would take for them to reconcile....maybe him almost dying? Yeah that might work.