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“Tony!”
No answer. Steve sighed, checking his watch for the third time.
“Tony, come on, I’ve got an hour before I have to leave, and I’d really rather leave with you!”
Again, no success.
Tony had locked himself in his lab.
The genius had been fine the whole of yesterday; laughing and making his usual sarcastic comments, and he was fine this morning! He had disappeared to get some coffee for him and Steve, and when he didn’t come back, Steve thought nothing of it. That was, until Wanda came in to tell him that Steve’s best man had sealed himself in his lab.
An hour before Steve was due to get married.
The supersoldier had marched down there, and banged on the door to Tony’s self-proclaimed “safe haven”.
Another sigh left Steve’s lips. If he listened, he could easily hear Tony tinkering away in there, and when he dropped something, Steve heard him curse.
“I don’t know what to do,” he murmured to Wanda, when she came down to see if anything had developed since she’d been gone. “He won’t even speak to me.”
Wanda bit her lip, and her brow creased as she thought about it.
“Let me talk to him,” she whispered, and shuffled past Steve to rap on the door softly. “Tony,” she called lightly, “it’s Wanda. Can I come in?”
“Uh, no, no, I-I’m busy.”
Oh shit.
Steve and Wanda shared a look. Panic attack, she mouthed to the blond, but Steve didn’t need telling.
“Tony, listen to me,” she said softly, “you need to breathe, okay? Stop everything you’re doing and breathe–”
“I can’t,” he cried, and Steve heard his voice quiver. “My-my chest, I can’t.”
“Please, let me in, Tony, I can help you if you let me in,” Wanda begged, pressing her ear to the door.
The next few minutes seemed to drag. There was silence from inside the lab. Steve was worried, maybe Tony had passed out again. It wouldn’t be the first time a panic attack had rendered him unconscious.
Then, the lock clicked, and Steve felt like he’d been holding his breath.
Tony was okay. Or, he wasn’t comatose, at least.
“Tony, we’re coming in, okay?” Wanda said. There was no answer, so she pushed the door open, and they both walked into the lab.
Everything was as chaotic as it always was, and everything was where Steve knew it was supposed to be, according to Tony.
Except Tony.
Who was on the couch, huddled behind Dum-E. The robot bleeped nervously, as he watched his creator shiver and rasp, hands covering his face.
Steve didn’t want to alarm Tony even further, so he went, treading as lightly as he could, and sat down beside the genius. “Tony,” he whispered. “What happened?” Wanda kept her distance, but Steve could see her hands glowing, red sparks rushing through her palms. She kept her hands behind her back, so as not to frighten Tony. Although the two had made amends, and trusted each other, seeing her powers may have made Tony worse.
“I-I don’t, I tried, but I couldn’t, and then,” Tony huffed, trying to get his breath. “I can’t do this anymore. I thought I could.”
“Do what?” Steve asked in a small voice.
“Loose you,” Tony whispered so quietly Steve almost didn’t hear him.
A look of realisation crossed over both Wanda and Steve’s face. The former backed away - she could tell that this was going to be painful enough without her watching.
“You-you’re not loosing me Tony, I don’t… understand, what–”
“I love you, you dumbass,” Tony gasped, “I am completely and utterly in love with you, how could you not know?”
Steve felt like he couldn’t breathe. “I… I didn’t…”
“Please don’t get married.”
Fuck.
“Tony…”
“What will I do?” Tony asked, as if Steve knew what to tell him. The two sat in silence for a good, long while. Tony couldn’t bring himself to look at the blond next to him. Instead, he focused on Dum-E who was whirring affectionately while Tony ran two fingers over his head.
Steve, however, couldn’t take his eyes off Tony. Yes, in the back of his mind, he’d known about the older man’s feelings for him, but he hadn’t thought about it for months, ever since he’d proposed to his very-soon-to-be husband. He felt bad, but there was nothing he could do. He loved his fiancee with every fibre of his being, and… he loved Tony.
Tony was his best friend, his partner on and off the battlefield. They sparred together, sat together on movie nights, and would always team up on game nights.
“Tony–”
“Shut up, Steven,” Tony sighed. “I know, okay. I know.” He sniffled, and ran his hands over his face, trying to wash away the panic he still felt. “You go, I’ll be up in a minute.”
“But, you’re–”
“I’m fine, Steve. Really.” Steve didn’t believe him, not for a second. Instead, he put an arm around Tony’s shoulder’s, and pulled him closer. The brunette was alarmed at the contact for a moment, but settled into the embrace quickly. Steve linked their hands, and brought Tony’s up to his lips. He kissed Tony’s knuckles lightly.
“I love you, too, Tony. I’m sorry.”