It Only Takes a Second

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(A/N: Hey everyone! Trigger warning for these next few chapters, but ALSO!!!! Thor and Loki are coming super soon [like maybe in this chapter??? I don't know, read and find out ;) ] and so just a heads up that those two are really hard to write dialogue for, so if I mess up, PLEASE bear with me and just roll with it. I, sadly, am not from Asgard so I have no idea how they speak haha. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! [P.S: this chapter was big enough that there's a second Author's Note at the bottom that credits a scene that I used that was inspired by a movie, so just know that when you're reading it :) thanks everyone!])

*

Through the muted haze that was the world, Tony heard someone calling his name.

Was that Phil Coulson? What was he doing in England? And what did he want with Tony?

And suddenly, everything was back to it's normal speed again. The deafening noise of the trauma center around him. Phil Coulson's hands on his shoulders and calling his name.

It was too much.

The world swayed in Tony's vision, and his stomach lurched as Coulson called his name one last time, and he doubled over with a gag.

And with that, he proceeded to get sick all over Agent Phil Coulson's perfectly polished shoes.

*

"Dammit Stark!" Coulson swore, hopping away from the billionaire as he continued to get sick. But when Tony dropped to his hands and knees, and Coulson grew serious.

"Tony, hey," the man kicked off his shoes and threw them to the side as he knelt down to put a hand on Tony's shoulder. He knew the genius was out of it because he wasn't even making fun of his pirate socks that Fury had half-heartedly gifted him a few years back.

"Stark, are you with me? Do I need to get you inside to see a doctor? What are you even doing here?" Phil asked as Tony finished getting sick and sat up, breathing heavily. He knew bombarding the hero with questions wasn't going to do any good, but he couldn't keep them from pouring out.

"M'fine," Tony grumbled, but he didn't flinch away from Coulson's steadying hand on his shoulder as they rose to their feet. "Don't need a doctor."

"The vomit on my shoes says otherwise," the agent quipped, but Tony just gave him a somber look.

"What are you doing in England?" Phil asked again. "And at the S.H.I.E.L.D hospital too? Did someone get hurt on a rogue mission?"

Tony's throat tightened, and he closed his eyes, willing away the tears.

"Stark?"

"Please, I just need to get inside and check on him," Tony managed to say. "Then I'll explain everything."

"Okay," Coulson nodded, and Tony was so distraught that he couldn't even bask in the fact that for once, Coulson wasn't arguing with him.

Tony didn't remember making his way into the lobby of the trauma center, or even how many hours passed while he sat there, but the next thing he remembered was a doctor calling out his name.

He shot out of his seat so fast that Phil jumped.

"That's me. I'm Tony. Tony Stark. How is he? Can I see him?" Tony fumbled over his words breathlessly as he ran a shaky hand through his messy hair.

"Mr. Stark," the doctor extended her hand, a serious expression on her face. "I'm Dr. Victoria Atkins. Would you like to go somewhere more private to talk?"

"Oh God. Is he dead?" Tony choked. If the doctor was asking him to go somewhere more private, surely that meant...

"Oh no! No, Mr. Stark, Harry is alive. I'm sorry to have frightened you like that," the doctor quickly apologized, her British accent so thick that it took Tony a moment to process what she had said. "I just mean that it's a bit noisy in here, and I do believe you should probably be sitting. You're quite pale."