Two
Like all the other times Tony ended up in medical, Steve never left his side. He was stable, he was going to be okay but even that reassurance from Helen Cho was not enough to ever get Steve to leave. He always stayed to see his the genius from the moment he woke to when he was able to leave medical. But knowing that Tony is safe in front of him and there's no other threat lurking around them, Steve has time to think.
It wouldn't be the first time Steve freaks out over Tony being injured but this time has had Steve almost losing his mind. He even considered murdering the Masters of Evil, anyone who saw be damned! Just so he could get Tony away and safe. He was so angry because of what they did to him, multiple broken bones, concussion, so many bruises and a whole lot of blood loss. They were planning to execute Tony and had it not been for Ir'ah, Tony would have been dead.
Steve's fists clenched at the thought.
'Those bastards would have killed a good man for their own selfish gain' Steve thought angrily. 'They made sure that I-we couldn't do anything, hanging him over my-our heads like a damn bone in front of a hungry dog! He was just their plaything until he served their real purpose. They would have taken him away from me if it hadn't been for-'
Wait.
Steve paused. Unclenching his fists slowly he saw that his fingernails had dug into his palm but that isn't what made him stop.
'They would have taken him away from me'
Steve's eyes looked over to Tony's peaceful face. Looking over the bandaged cuts and bruises littered around, the gauze wrap around his head. His torso was wrapped but hidden under the blanket Steve had placed over him so he wouldn't get cold knowing full and well that JARVIS could control the room's temperature. Steve reached a hand out and placed it over Tony's. It was warm, as it should be but still and Steve curled his fingers around it.
"They would have taken you away from me." Steve whispered. His confession to himself so very clear now. "I wouldn't have been able to do a damn thing. They knew that and used it against me." Steve bowed his head and closed his eyes, trying to push back the emotions threatening to spill out of him.
"I'm so sorry Tony." He choked out. "I'm sorry I didn't get to you in time, that I didn't find you sooner." Steve opened his eyes and wiped his wet eyes with his free hand. "I won't let it happen again, I promise you that. I swear on my life I won't let anyone else hurt you."
"Don't make a promise you can't keep, Steven." Steve's head whipped around to see Ir'ah leaning against the door frame. She pushed herself off and walked in with all the grace she always carried and not like the pissed off Goddess he witnessed hours ago.
"You're here." She raised a delicate eyebrow at him, clearly unimpressed and went to the otherside of Tony's bed.
"I wanted to make sure he was being taken care of properly but seeing as you're here I see it was not necessary for me to come."
"Of course it was!" Steve almost jumped out of his seat. "If it hadn't been for you Tony would have been..." His voice trailed off, his attention drifting back to the man in the bed. "I-thank you, for saving him."
Her eyes narrowed at him but she didn't say anything and he wasn't entirely sure why. Her eyes trailed over to his hand and spotted how he still hadn't let go of Tony's hand.
"Would you have done the same?" She asked him then. "Would you have killed that woman to save him?"
Had it been anyone else, Steve would have easily without missing a beat have said 'no'. He didn't, because this wasn't just anybody. This wasn't someone he had a silly friendship with or had occasional meet ups with. This was Tony, the man who gave him a home. Who stayed up with him when he had a nightmare about the ice. The man who went out of his way to take Steve out in the great city of Manhattan and Queens and Brooklyn to show him how it's all changed and how there were some things still the same from his time. Tony, who made sure the team was safe and always tried to make the tower feel like their home by installing things like a dance room for Natasha who loved ballet and set up Bruce with his own Lab, made sure Clint had a place high up in the Tower to call his own to make him feel less paranoid and Thor, knowing that Earth is so much different than Asgard has spent time with the God explaining human customs and traditions with kindness and patience. The answer was so simple and yet-
"I don't know." He said quietly and frowning because he didn't know. He never believed in murder, not even for the bad guys but when it came to Tony, he just didn't know what he would do.
"Then, Steven, don't make a promise you can't keep." She leaned over and kissed Tony on the head and rounded the bed to stop in front of Steve. "It won't just hurt him when you do." She smiled softly at him and cupped his cheek. "Rest your mind soldier. Today's events have placed a toll on you." With on last pat she pulled her hand away and went to leave.
"Wait!" Steve called out. She turned her head, waiting for him to go on.
"Did you, was there anyone else?" She cleared her throat and leaned against the door frame.
"The one you call 'Nick Fury' said that one of them should be left alive." She shrugged. "He was being sarcastic or course but I didn't come with the intent to act on sarcastic actions."
With that she was gone and Steve was left to look over Tony as he was before when the realization hit him.
Fury has seen Ir'ah. He knows about the Goddess they haven't told him about for months.
Well shit.