Stony Oneshots (Requests open)

Tell me this is just a dream (cause I'm really not fine at all)

REQUEST:

Okay! So I was thinking, you know how Tony is super messed up after New York? How he's having all the nightmares? I think Steve should be having the same night mares or something and they talk about it and realize that they want to be together. You can change it up a bit if you want. I just like that concept. - lilollie76

This is cute FOLLOW VOTE COMMENT?

 Tell me this is just a dream (cause I'm really not fine at all)

It was almost midnight and the genius could feel his eyes beginning to flutter shut as he sank down into his arms at his working station, the blue light emitting from the holograms that floated around him creating an ethereal glow that lulled his senses. Tony jolted himself awake, rubbing his eyes furiously as he got to his feet and pinched the bridge of his nose.

The little digital clock flickered in the corner of the room telling him that it was three in the morning and Tony was curious to slightly hear movement upstairs. Picking up his coffee cup Tony slugged it, groaning as he realised it was empty, dropping it to the floor with a sigh. He picked his way through the shattered china, wincing as a small bit entered his bare foot "Dummy, clean that up." He gestured to the broken mug and let himself out of the workshop, limping ever so lightly as he ascended the stairs.

Padding through to the communal kitchen Tony busied himself with the coffee machine, turning around to top it up with some more coffee grounds to see a shadowy figure sitting at the table flicking through a small book, turning the pages silently. Tony shrieked, hand coming up to grasp his chest as he jumped out his skin and stood there nervously panting as the figure didn’t move.

"Uh, Steve are you okay?" Tony asked, recognizing those broad shoulders, stepping forward and reaching out when Steve didn’t say anything. "You're really scaring me now Rogers." He reached forward more and rested his hand on Steve's shoulder, pushing it gently and then walked away with his hands up when Steve dropped his book and shot to his feet.

"Oh Stark, its you." Steve's eyes finally flickered over Tony and he slumped down, rubbing a large hand over his tired face and sighed to himself. Tony narrowed his eyes curiously at the beaten supersoldier in front of him, grabbed his mug of coffee before sitting himself down opposite Steve.

"Are you okay Cap?" Tony asked, wishing that he could reach over the table and take that fist in his hand. Wishing that he could ease the tension out those fingers, massage them and then maybe entangle them together with his but that was a distant dream that only existed in an alternate universe.

"Can't sleep," Steve muttered, twisting his hands together worriedly, picking at his skin like he wanted to tug it off. "I have, I have. You know what? It doesn’t matter, nothing matters to you Stark."

Tony ignored the insult and frowned a little. Why couldn't Cap sleep? "Are you having dreams or nightmares? Is that what's stopping you from sleeping?" Tony asked, bringing out his tablet and swiping across it bringing up Steve's sleep patterns for the past two weeks. It was…dismal to say the least, from what JARVIS had monitored it hadn't looked like Steve had slept properly since the battle of New York. His breath caught in his throat and Tony looked up to see Steve staring at him, and very slowly Steve nodded a fraction.

Tony huffed ironically, looking at the defeated man that slumped before him and didn’t see an ounce of Captain America within him, this man, this broken, tired man was completely Steve Rogers and it really fucking hurt Tony's chest to see his team-mate, no friend, looking like this. Steeling himself for rejection Tony inched his free hand across the table until he could feel the warmth emitting from Steve's fingers, and then very gently, touched their fingertips together. Tony expected Steve to pull away straight away, but instead very carefully Steve slid his fingers between Tony's and entwined them together.

Tony's brain stopped ticking, heart thumping as Steve's thumb rubbed against his and with a start he cleared his throat and grasped hold of Steve's hand more tightly. And with a shrug "I have them too," he replied and Steve looked up at him curiously. Tony tried again, "Nothing's been the same since New York." Tony smiled and laughed bitterly, swigging back his coffee and wished for the burn of alcohol instead.

"Really?" Steve asked, curiously tilting his head to the side and Tony fought the urge to snark at him and nodded. "I didn't notice that,  at all." Steve chewed at his lip, turning away in disgust at himself for not noticing when members of his team were hurting.

Tony shrugged, "Don't blame yourself, I should've noticed that you were suffering too. For me I'm just a man in a can and the only reason that I haven’t cracked up is probably because you've moved in." Steve's eyes widened and his grip on Tony's hand tightened till it was bordering on painful. " I mean, you lot, the avengers." Tony blustered but he wasn’t fooling anyone much less Steve.

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose and decided to come out with it. "I love you; I'm lucky. But honey…I can't sleep and neither can you." He rubbed his free hand over his face and his voice cracked a little. "I don’t know what to do I come down to the lab, I do what I know I tinker but nothing seems to be working." Tony huffed wanly and dragged a thumb under his eye, catching a stray tear that had slipped out his watering tears.

Steve was silent for a few moments before opening his mouth. "Every time I shut my eyes I can see you falling out that wormhole and a horrible feeling in my chest and I feel like I cant breath because I cant lose another one. One more of you can't fall to your death on my watch." He sucked in a shuddering breath and closed his eyes briefly before looking at Tony.

"I can't lose you too."

Tony swallowed and nodded. "I can't lose you either, the threats are imminent and I have to protect the one thing I cant live without…that’s you." He smiled wanly at Steve and pulled his hand free before walking around the table and sat on the stool next to Steve's, placing a slightly greasy hand on Steve's cheek, who leant into it.

"I love you," Tony tried and for a few seconds the room was silent and just as Tony went to removed his hand Steve turned his head and placed a kiss on the palm.

"I love you too, so much." Steve muttered his eyes full of pain.

It wasn't perfect, love never is. But suddenly after realising that that the one person that you cant live without, can't live without you either helps put everything into perspective. Their love isn’t perfect, they still have nightmares and occasionally Tony would call one of his suits in his sleep or Steve would cry out next to him in pain as he watched everyone fall. But it got better because there was someone to hold at night, someone to wake up next to when they were dreaming dreams full of pain and anguish, and that someone can hold you when you cry into their chest, can kiss your forehead and your lips gently until everything might seem alright, which unfortunately it isn’t, but it's better because of them.