The Effects of Negligence

Comfort Zone (Part 2)

*3rd POV*

Tony woke up with a strangled scream. Before you could say 'nightmare', Nick was there, and Tony found himself enveloped in warmth and promptly let out a sob.

"I'm here, shhh. You're in my office, in your room. It was just a nightmare," He cradled the genius, running his

fingers down his back with a light pressure to soothe him.

Slowly but surely, Tony started to calm down taking deep breaths in time with Nick. "I-I'm sorry," Tony pretty much whispered, but Fury heard.

"It's okay Tony, I was up anyways, apparently national threats don't take a break." Nick half-chuckled, then took on a serious tone, "It's not your fault, Tony," he reached out to touch the place where the arc reactor used to be, only to stop when Tony violently flinched backwards.

Nick frowned, Tony hadn't shied away from his touch since Afghanistan, and that included torture. He could feel rage start to bubble up at whomever did this to Tony. "What happened?" he voice gentle, but with an edge.

"Nothing, it's fine Fury really," He said, putting up one of his many masks, but Nick was there when he made

these masks, and he's taking none of that.

"Tony, was it Steve?"

"...yes," he whispered. The director was definitely going to have some words with the 'good' soldier.

"What was the damage to the suit?"

Tony took a deep breath, preparing himself. "Damaged thrusters, destroyed faceplate, damaged repulsors and

repulsor tank, and damaged arc reactor, all power was lost in the suit, Vision had to come pick me up."

"What?!" The one-eyed man yelled, but immediately calmed down once he saw Tony's panicked look. "That man is a monster. He used your trust against you. You told him the weak spots of the suit, so he could protect you and he used them against you!"

"His actions were justified, I would've killed Barnes."

"What?"

"Tell me you didn't know."

"Know what, Tony?"

"That he killed them. That the winter soldier killed my parents."

"What?! I swear I didn't know Tony, I swear that if I knew I would've told you, but HYDRA took those tapes and we couldn't recover them," Nick dreaded the next question, but he asked it anyways, "How do you know?"

"Siberia. In the bunker, Zemo showed the video of the winter soldier to me as a way of turning me and Steve against each other," Tony let out a bitter laugh, " Steve knew."

"Tony, Steve's actions still weren't justified, especially if he knew and he didn't tell you." Nick felt overwhelming rage at the freeze-dried superhuman, and a lesser degree at the soldier with the metal arm. He could forgive Bucky in time, but he didn't know if he could ever forgive Steve.

"Now go to sleep Tony, you need rest. Rhodey will be here in the morning," The director of shield said softly.

"Nick," The genius called out, voice barely above a whisper, "please don't leave." He implored. Nick promptly turned around, put Tony's head into his lap and relaxed on the couch running his finger through his hair.