“Take it easy, you’re alright.”
Steve’s phone buzzed in his pocket. It was Bucky. Bathroom. Two floors up. Now.
Steve smirked to himself. He guessed Bucky had gotten bored at the industry mixer and needed a release. He did a quick scan of the room for Tony, but when he didn’t see him, he assumed he was already up there. Steve took the elevator and nonchalantly strode down the hall. When he pushed open the bathroom door, he expected to see his boyfriends already making out up against the wall. That couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Bucky and Tony were on the floor in the last stall. Steve could hear Tony sobbing. He threw open the stall door and found Tony gasping for breath against Bucky’s chest. Bucky's vibranium arm was detached and slid far away from them.
“I- Buck… What happened?”
“I don’t know. I just saw him leave the party really suddenly and followed him. Tried to slow him down, but he kept muttering about trying to get out.”
Steve crouched down in front of them and brushed Tony’s sweaty hair away from his eyes. Tony flinched and curled more into Bucky’s chest. “And your arm?”
“Screamed when I touched him with it.” He shuddered as he fought back his own emotions. “Wouldn’t let me hold him ‘til I took it off.” Steve frowned at him sadly, giving Bucky's hand a reassuring squeeze.
“Tony?” Steve tried. “It’s me. It’s Steve. Bucky and I are here, okay? We’ve got you.”
“I tried some grounding exercises. Clearly, they didn’t work. I don’t even think he can hear us.” Steve sat on the floor and wrapped his arms around Tony and Bucky. Tony just cried harder. Now Bucky was crying too. “I don’t know how to help him, Stevie.” And if Steve was being honest with himself, neither did he. But both of them were distraught so Steve decided it was not a good time for him to break down too. He needed to focus.
“Tony,” Steve whispered in his ear. “Tony, if you can hear my voice, can you squeeze my hand?” Steve pulled back from the hug to hold Tony’s hands. Steve tried to stabilize his shaking hands with his own and pulled them towards his chest so Tony could feel his heartbeat. “Tony, squeeze my hand.” He waited a moment and then gave Tony’s hand a squeeze, hoping he would reciprocate.
“Why isn’t this working?” Bucky cried frustratedly.
“I don’t know, Buck, but we’re gonna figure it out.” Tony started mumbling, ending their conversation, but nothing he said was coherent. “Tony, just listen to my voice. You’re going to be okay, but I need you to breathe.” With how pale he looked and how shallow his breathing was, Steve was worried he wasn’t getting enough oxygen. “Tony, please.” He moved one of his hands to stroke Tony’s cheek.
“No!” he shouted suddenly. He scrambled out of Bucky’s lap and squeezed himself between the toilet and the wall of the bathroom stall. All that movement spiked his heartrate even higher than it had been and FRIDAY alerted them mere seconds before his eyes rolled back and he passed out.
His head tipped forward, stopping when his nose smacked against his knees. Blood trickled down. “Shit.” Bucky and Steve muttered at the same time as they moved to pull Tony out of the corner. They laid him on his back, then Bucky went to wet a paper towel with cool water. Just as Bucky draped the paper towel over his forehead, Tony’s eyes began to flutter open.
“Hey, there doll.” Bucky tried to choke back his tears so the only thing Tony would see was his smile. “Take it easy, you’re alright.” Tony tried to sit up but they kept him down.
“Stay down for a minute, okay?” Steve told him softly. “You passed out.”
“Wha-” Tony's eyes scanned the room. “Why’re we in a bathroom?” His words were a little slurred. “Thought we were at a party.” Steve and Bucky exchanged a confused glance. Tony was starting to get his bearings a little better. “Fuck, my head hurts. Let me guess, I drank too much?” Now the look Steve and Bucky exchanged was worried.
“What do you remember?” Steve asked him.
“Like I said, we were at a party. I was mingling. Then I woke up here.” He started to sit up and Steve and Bucky helped him. He rested his head against Steve’s shoulder. “Not the first time I’ve blacked out. Good thing I got it all up.”
“What do you mean, doll?”
“Well, I don’t feel like I’m gonna vom so I’m assuming the worst of it’s over. Honestly, I’m glad I don’t remember puking my guts out.”
“Yeah.” Steve forced a chuckle. Tony hadn’t drunk a single drop of alcohol that evening. Not to mention the fact that he didn’t remember the very traumatic panic attack he just went through. Maybe it was a good thing for him, but it worried Steve and Bucky nonetheless.
“Aw, Buck.” Tony sat up and reached over to massage Bucky’s stump shoulder. “Arm bothering you again?” He kissed the scars on his skin.
“Uh, yeah.” Bucky managed. “Got sore.”
“I’ll take a look at it tomorrow for you. Make some adjustments.” Tony yawned. “I think now though, it’s time to get some rest.” He looked between the two of them, misinterpreting their stress. “You two look more exhausted than I am.” He teased.
“Been a long night,” Steve mumbled.
“Sorry about that.” Tony smiled a little sheepishly. “Thanks for taking care of me.”
“Course, doll.” Bucky helped him stand and wrapped his arm around Tony’s waist. Steve picked up Bucky’s arm and reattached it to his shoulder. He rounded it in it’s socket to connect it. “You ready?” Tony hummed. For the most part, the walk to the elevator and then down the hall to their bedroom went without incident. Tony was stumbling a little, which he laughed off as drunkenness, but the other two did not share his humor. Once he was changed and in bed, it didn’t take long for him to fall asleep snuggled between his partners.
Steve and Bucky sat quietly by his side. Steve carded his fingers through Tony’s hair while Bucky cuddled up on Tony’s chest which was rising a falling steadily. “Steve?” Bucky broke the uneasy silence. “What… What was that?”
“I don’t know.”
“He didn’t remember what happened.”
“I know.”
“But he was so distraught.”
“I know.” Steve was trying to make sense of it all. “We’ll keep an eye on him. Maybe he drank and we didn’t notice it.”
“But that still doesn’t explain what happened.”
“I know, Buck. But, it’s the only answer I got.”
The rest of the evening went off without a hitch. Tony slept through the night and eventually, when Steve and Bucky were sure he was okay, they fell asleep too.