Amputation
Tony didn’t realize how hard it was going to be to conceal his secret when he invited the Avengers team to live with him.
With people being all over his house, someone’s eyes on him at all times, there was no time in the day he could walk around without his leg on- free. When it was just himself, Rhodey, and Pepper, he didn’t mind hopping around or using crutches or a chair, but there was no way he could let the team see him so vulnerable. He would be laughed at and ridiculed, or worse, be kicked off the team totally. He couldn’t risk it.
The first week the team moved in, he was doing okay. He still was able to relax with Rhodey at the end of the night, his stump free and nestled between Rhodey’s warm legs. But after they had an Avengers call in the middle of the night and he was several minutes late due to the time it took to slide on his sock, sleeve, socket, joint, and appendage while still half asleep, he forced himself to even wear it to bed- Rhodey was not happy with that.
After three weeks straight of wearing the prosthesis, he was starting to consider that something was wrong. His stump was constantly pulsing with hot throbbing pain below the prosthesis and recently he started experiencing hot flashes and he is almost always sweaty. It was taking all of his strength not to limp in front of the team.
But one day, the pain became absolutely unbearable.
He was walking to the kitchen to join the team for breakfast. Rhodey had woken him up, but he decided to stay in bed for a little longer, feeling sick and an incredibly sharp pain in his amputated leg. After an hour of groaning into the pillow he held over his face, he finally popped a few pain pills and decided to join the team.
He knew he had to look bad because the conversation stopped as soon as he limped into the room. His head was a bit hazy and with every step he took pain shot down his leg and up his spine. He was hunched over from his back pain and tilted to the side from his leg pain and his steps were more like small shuffles since his stump screamed every time he put pressure on it.
He didn’t even realize how unsteady he was until he felt his husband grab his upper arms. “Tones?” Rhodey asked, concerned. He sounded like he was underwater and Tony could only focus his hazy eyes on the worried lines in his husband’s face.
Tony stumbled, trying to move past Rhodey.
“No, but you’re hot. I think you have a fever,” Rhodey responded, holding Tony in place. “Why don’t you sit down?”
“No- breakfast,” Tony slurred. As soon as he went to take a step, a knife felt like it was jabbed into his stump and his legs buckled. Rhodey caught him and helped him lower to the ground. Whimpers and groans escaped Tony’s mouth as he gripped Rhodey’s shirt in pain. “H-h-hurts,” he hiccuped.
Rhodey was confused until he noticed Tony’s right leg twitching. He immediately started pulling at the genius’ sweatpants.
Tony felt the pull and panicked, noticing the team gathering around them. “No. no. Rho-”
In a second, Tony’s prosthesis was exposed to the group. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see the disgust on their face.
“-the. Breathe, Tony. Deep breaths,” he heard Rhodey saying. He didn’t realize he was hyperventilating until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and was met with Natasha’s dark ones. She nodded at him meaningfully, exaggerating her breaths. Tony took comfort in the understanding in her eyes and was able to follow her example and slow his breathing.
He didn’t notice Rhodey and Bruce fidgeting with his prosthesis until someone pulled slightly and pain shot through his body. His back arched and he cried out. “I’m sorry, Tones, but we gotta get this off,” Rhodey said sadly.
“It’s swollen pretty badly,” Bruce said, examining the prosthesis. “We are going to have to get it off though, we can’t wait.”
Tony whimpered and he felt someone wipe the sweat off his forehead and neck with a towel. He looked up and saw Clint with the cloth in the hand. The man’s eyes were wide with surprise but Tony was shocked not to find the disgust he was sure he would find.
“Steve, can you get a few ice packs?” Bruce called to Steve who was standing frozen in the kitchen. The supersoldier was pale and watching the scene silently. He quickly snapped out of his shock with Bruce’s request and quickly ran to the kitchen.
Tony shouted as Bruce tugged again. “I’m sorry, i’m sorry,” the scientist said quickly. While they waited for the ice, Rhodey removed Tony’s joint and appendage. Tony whimpered with every touch and movement.
Steve ran over with several ice packs. Rhodey and Bruce quickly grabbed them up and started pressing them around Tony’s thigh where his remaining limb met the prosthesis. Tony hissed as the cold touched his skin. Clint and Natasha grabbed his hands when they saw small marks on his palm from where his nails were squeezed into fists.
After a few minutes of ice, Bruce and Rhodey decided to try to pull off the socket again. They counted down for Tony’s sake, but still the billionaire screamed as they tugged. It was hard to get it off with the stump so swollen as well as with Tony screaming in their ears, but finally they got it off.
Rhodey forced back tears as he listened to Tony’s cries of pain. His husband’s face was bright red and covered in snot and tears. His eyes were squeezed tightly and he was sweating all over. Clint tried to wipe away the sweat with a towel but it only took seconds for Tony to be covered again.
Tony choked on tears as Bruce peeled back the sock and sleeve. He only felt a small bit of relief when his stump was exposed and no longer shoved into his prosthesis, but he knew something was wrong by the gasps of Bruce and Rhodey. And if that wasn’t alarming enough, he heard Bruce whisper to Steve to call an ambulance.
“W-w-wha’ appening?” Tony slurred.
Rhodey turned his worried face towards him. “It’s infected, Tones.” Rhodey stared down at the swollen, bruised stump. Bruce had Steve get him a clean cloth in an attempt to clean it as they waited for the paramedics. As soon as Bruce touched the bright red skin with the cloth, Tony let out an inhumane scream, his back arching off the floor. They only had seconds to turn him over before Tony was throwing up from the pain.
Rhodey left his spot by Tony’s legs and moved next to his husband’s head. He used Clint’s cloth to wipe off Tony’s mouth and he peppered kisses onto the genius’ pale wet cheeks. “I’m so sorry, baby. I’m so sorry. Just hold on, okay? It’s gonna feel better soon,” he rambled over Tony’s loud sobs.
“Hurts so much, bear,” Tony rasped to his husband. “Don’ let em’ cut it off again. Don’ let em’.” Rhodey shushed him softly and Tony buried his face into Rhodey’s shirt until the paramedics arrived.
The Avengers watched as the paramedics loaded Tony onto a stretcher and took him to the hospital. There wasn’t enough room for Rhodey so he stayed behind, intending to follow them, but the team stopped him. “What just happened?” Natasha asked.
“His leg got infected,” Rhodey huffed, gathering supplies to take to the hospital.
“But...but when did he get it amputated? That wasn’t in his file,” Clint asked, head tilted.
“When he was kidnapped by the Ten Rings. It wouldn’t have been in there because Tony edited those files and deleted the medical records.”
“Why didn’t he tell us?” Steve asked, staring at Rhodey with wide, sad eyes.
“Because he’s Tony. He didn’t want you all to treat him differently, or think he was a liability to the team,” Rhodey said. “Now excuse me, I have to check on my husband.”
The door closed and the Avengers were left to stare in shock.
Tony came back home a few weeks later. He was rolled into the common room in a wheelchair by Rhodey and had a blanket covering his legs. Even so, the team could see the distinct gap where his missing leg should have bulged under the blanket.
“How’d it go?” Bruce asked.
Tony pursed his lips and fiddled with his hands on his lap. When Rhodey realized his husband wasn’t going to answer, he sighed. “He’s fine. They cleared the infection before it could do any damage, but he’s not allowed to use his prosthesis for at least three months because his stump is still really sensitive.”
The team nodded and there was an awkward silence. “I’m sorry,” Steve spoke up. Tony looked up abruptly. “I’m sorry that you felt you couldn’t tell us.”
Tony sighed, closing his eyes for a brief second. “I trust you guys, I was just...scared.”
“Well you don’t have to be,” Natasha said. “This changes nothing.”
Tony looked up, seeing the team’s smiles and nods. He let out a huge tolling breath and smiled back. This changes nothing.