Our Perfect Never •||• stony

-=34 - Friendly Touches=-

Took a break from writing since my home life got a bit busy. Sorry if y'all were expecting. I needed some time to myself.

***

-=Tony=-
The long flight home was even longer than I had originally thought it be. Shortly after I had called Coulson he arranged for a jet to pick us up. Nat was waiting for us on the jet, along with a couple of medics to check us over.

Natasha hit me swiftly on the head, interrupting my train of thought entirely.

"Are you even listening?" She asked impatiently, which I replied with a short grunt.

She sighed, pinching her nose in annoyance. She was talking about something to do with why Steve is so angry and Fury saying we had to debrief. I wasn't really listening anyway.

Captain grumpy pants had the worst injuries out of both of us, so the medics had made him lay down on a table to look over his chest, see if any of the wounds had infections.

Nat was in charge of making sure my wounds had healed properly as well, but I had assured her I was fine. Obviously, that wasn't enough.

After she finished cleaning a cut on my forehead, the lecture started. I hadn't been focussing because I was too distracted.

The wounds on Steve's chest. They were like lacerations. Like he was whipped. There were bruises around his neck and wrists that I hadn't noticed before, deep purple and violent red.

He said before that they only did mental, emotional and minor physical torture. Not like that. I wondered what other things that they had done to him, but the thought made me shiver.

The soldier had started a conversation with one of the medics, making jokes and laughing quietly with her. The sight made something in my chest tighten. My hand unconsciously made its way to my chest balling itself up in the fabric of my shirt.

"Tony? Tony, what are you doing?" Nat gripped my shoulder firmly, levelling herself to look at me.

"Nothing," I replied softly, shifting in my seat so I wasn't staring straight at Steve.

Natasha, being insanely good at interpreting difficult situations, chuckled as she glanced over to where I was staring.

"Jealous much?" She smirked, taking a seat next to me. I looked at her incredulously, a tint obvious on my cheeks.

"You know I don't swing that way, Romanoff. I haven't for a long time." I covered my mouth to muffle the last sentence because it was true.

The thought of it made me feel things I didn't want to feel. I had pushed it down for years. I had to have a clean slate. A playboy who fucked women.

Women. That's it. Anything else would ruin my reputation. But that's not what I was worried about.

"I know. You just seem a bit... Uncomfortable at the sight of Rogers trying his hardest to talk to someone else other than you."

I stayed silent, glancing back to Steve as he slipped his shirt back on. His icy blue eyes caught mine and he gave a little grin, reassuring me that the argument we had earlier that day hadn't completely ruined our relationship.

"Rest, Tony. It's been a long day." Nat patted my shoulder, sitting adjacent to me.

I nodded, sitting back in my seat, letting my thoughts take over.

**

The last person I wanted to see was waiting for me on the tarmac of the landing pad.

Pepper Potts.

I had furrowed my eyebrows at the sight of her click-clacking her way up to the end of the jet.

"Tony!" She exclaimed, reaching out to help me walk down, "Oh, I'm so glad you're okay! You had everyone worried sick."

My calloused hand stayed by my side, moving out of the way when she reached to take it.

"Everyone? Wait, isn't that the reason you left me, Virginia? Because you couldn't put up with me throwing myself out there. Because I always worried you." I recoiled sourly, just wanting a shower and a rest.

The expression on her face made me clench my jaw, but I stood my ground. I didn't want to look weak in front of the person who meant so much to me.

Before anyone could say anything else, I felt a warm hand on my shoulder.

"Pepper. Nice to see you." Steve's calm voice comes from behind me, causing me to relax a little.

Pepper smiled warily at him, glancing sadly at me before she turned on her heel, heading off the landing pad with the medics in tow.

"Are you okay, Tony?" Steve asked, removing his hand from my shoulder.

I bobbed my head, missing the touch ever so slightly.

Friendly touches, I remind myself.

***

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