Whatever it takes

Every one knows the story of Captain America, Tony perhaps a little better than most given his father's participation in his creation and the search after he crashed.

Part of Tony, a dark, angry part of Tony, is glad that Howard didn't live long enough to see that Captain America lived.

And Tony supposed that that was the root of everything.

He'd been so focused on Captain America that Tony had refused to see Steve Rogers and how far he'd go for his people, even when they turned on him, Tony had the phone and a promise to be there as proof.

And Tony had spent so much time being angry about Captain America lying to him that he'd refused to acknowledge that Steve Rogers just wanted to protect both of his friends.

But that old hurt didn't matter right now, there would be time for apologies after Thanos was gone.

Tony gaspee as he was tossed again, beginning to rise as Thanos turned to Captain America.

Tony hated how easily the man bounced back, like nothing touched him. Tony blasted an enemy away and turned back in time to see Cap' shrink, his uniform shrinking with him.

Tony had known Cap' was tiny before the Serum but knowing and seeing were two very different things, Cap' was almost smaller than Pepper, the Shield almost half his size even broken.

Thanos paused at the sight and then he spoke.

"You can walk away, I'll let you." He said.

Tony has no doubt that he'll be true to his word, he'll let Cap' walk away, let him run.

And Tony wants him to, wants to see the smaller man safe, they can manage without him.

Tony gets to his feet as Cap' looks at the Shield and Tony wonders what's going through his head.

There's determination in his eyes when he turns back to Thanos, a smile on his lips.

"I don't like bullies." Steve said and Tony realized that Steve and Captain America were two very different people and he knows almost nothing about Steve in the same way he knows so much about Captain America.

Steve gets thrown across the field as Tony fights his way to them, even from the distance Tony can see that Steve lands bad and Tony wills him to stay down.

Wills Steve to know that they've got this, they can handle it from here, he can rest, stay down.

But Steve gets up, shaky and Tony sees a grimace of pain as he rises, watches Steve drop the Shield as Tony's fingers ghost over the Gauntlet Thanos wears, as the Stones jumps ship to Tony's own Glove.

Steve puts his arms up, swaying a bit as Tony pulls back to adjust the Glove he wears.

"I can do this all day." Steve gasped out, a hitch in his breath and blood in his grin.

And Tony never really knew Steve Rogers at all did he, if he feels surprised at the sight? Tony can't help but stare incredulously at him, all small and fragile and broken and still fighting for what he knew was right.

Thanos turns away from Steve's swaying figure to the place where Tony stands watching the blond man.

Thanos shifts his Gauntlet on his hand before lifting it as he stares at Tony, gaining Tony's attention.

"I am inevitable." Thanos tells him as he makes his Snap.

And nothing happens because Tony has the Stones and a small burning is making it's way up his arm, nothing like the pain he expected after seeing Bruce wield the Gauntlet but that's a thought for another time.

Tony grins as he looks at Thanos, raising his own hand, showing the Stones there.

"And I am Ironman." And Tony Snaps.

And Thanos' army falls to dust, Thanos the last of them.

For a moment Tony stares up at the sky in relief, he's alive, they won, and he's alive.

He lets out a laugh and the Stones burn angrily so the laugh turns to a pained shout and Tony shout and Tony throws the Glove from his hand.

Tony turns to grin at Steve, to revel in their victory together, but Steve's falling and Tony runs to catch him, trying to guide him gently to the ground.

"Cap'." It's reflex to call him that and Tony hears a weak laugh and blood scatters along the arm of his Suit and Tony knows that's not good.

"Not Captain... America...'nymore." Steve pauses to breath, "No Serum."

Tony has to force himself to breath as he carefully rearranges Steve against his chest.

He tries to be gentle but Steve keeps making pained noises that Tony isn't sure he knows he's making.

For a moment Tony kneels there, bracing Steve against his chest, hoping that the smaller man can breathe, wondering if it's the asthma he read about or if it's something worse because Steve did get Thanos' fist to his chest.

Tony feels Steve slump further against him and he panics a bit, nanotech retreating as his fingers touch his ear comm to speak.

"Barnes, if you're there, get here quick." Tony says and he ignores all the questions that follow because he's trying to get Steve to open his eyes again.

"Steve!" Barnes yells as he sees them and in Tony's arms Steve jerks, moaning painfully as he cracks his eyes open, blue eyes focusing on Barnes as the other man runs to them, crashing to his knees with the rest of the Avengers, old and new behind him.

Steve grins, in relief, Tony realizes, like he's seeing the world in full color for the first time and Tony is so damn stupid.

Barnes isn't just a friend, he's Steve's Pepper and Tony messed up, of course Steve would chose Barnes over him, just like Tony would chose Pepper over everything else.

"Buck." Steve cough, half gags as he stares up at Barnes.

And, yeah, that's love, full blown, flowers every weekend just because, love.

Tony has to look away, the way Barnes is looking at Steve is private but Tony doesn't want to move, doesn't dare because Steve's in a bad way and they all can tell, even with the way Steve is trying to hide it.

Tony's eyes meet Wilson's curious but pained gaze.

The man drops to his knees next to Steve on the side opposite Barnes, he doesn't reach for Steve's hand, Barnes is clutching the one that's not a mangled mess.

"Thanos took the Serum, had to have, and he just kept getting back up." Tony says quietly, brushing Steve's hair off his forehead.

The man's gaze doesn't shift and Tony wonders if Steve even felt him do it.

"I had...had him...on the...ropes." Steve gasps out, slow and broken.

"Sure you did." Barnes forces out a laugh that's more of a sob, metal hand wiping away the tears that gather in his eyes.

Part of Tony wants to fiddle with that arm, wants to make a better one but now is not the time.

Steve falls silent, nothing but the ragged sound of his lungs trying to work, the rasp and stutter of his breathing.

Tony's eyes search the gathered people until his eyes lock on Strange but before he can say anything Steve coughs in his arms, gagging and choking, blood spilling out of his mouth and that's worse than a bit of blood splattered on his arm.

Tony hears a couple of gasps, of choked and silenced sobs from the crowd but he ignores it as he shifts Steve up, Barnes slipping his arm around Steve's shoulders as Wilson's settle behind Steve's neck, both of men slipping closer, knees meeting at the small of Steve's back, bracing the smaller man with their entire bodies and never once does Barnes release Steve's hand.

Tony rocks up to his feet, Pepper's hand brushing his unburnt one in question but letting him move on to Strange.

"There has to be something you can do, you were a doctor!" Tony ends up yelling.

"Tony." Strange starts, stops and his hands move and orange magic floats over Steve's skin.

Strange's eyes grow sadder, if possible as Barnes yells.

"Hey! Hey! Steve, Stevie, look at me. Stevie, come on." There's panic and fear in that voice and so much pain and Tony's heart hurts to hear it.

He remembers finding a faded report, one about a train and a Commando killed in action and the tear stains splattered all along the paper and Tony can't help but wonder if Steve made that same noise when he lost Barnes that very first time.

"S'okay, Buck." Steve whispers out, barely there really and his hand somehow makes it to Barnes' cheek as Tony watches, as they all watch in pained silence.

"'M gonna...be alright...like...always." Steve says.

It's painful hearing Steve trying to reassure Barnes when they all know Steve os dying, when they all knew Steve was lying.

Who knew right?

Steve's hand ends up in Barnes' hair, tangles in the long strands.

"Wanna draw...you." Steve mumbles, slurs really, eyelids falling down, "Wanna...draw you...when I...wake up." And Steve' eyes fall closed.

Part of Tony wonders if this is it, if Steve's last words are going to be about something so simple as drawing Barnes, if it's going to be making plans that aren't going to happen.

"Yeah, but you gotta wake up." Barnes says and those are tears that are falling and Tony wants to look away as he hears Barnes' voice break but he can't, none of them can and almost all of them are crying too, even Wilson but the man isn't shaking, probably doesn't dare for Steve's sake.

"S'not...the end, Buck." Steve whispers as his eyes flutter open, it looks like it takes effort, like it takes the last bit of Steve's strength.

"Wanna...wanna see...you smile..., missed it." Steve murmurs, thumb falling to trace the corner of Barnes' mouth, like he could get the man to smile by touching there.

Barnes grabbed Steve's hand and pressed his lips to it's center, eyes clenched tightly closed as tears spilled down his cheeks.

Steve's fingers twitched and Tony found himself wondering if Steve could even feel this final kiss.

"S'good...'nough." Steve slurred out as he let his eyes close while Tony watched, Barnes' face still pressed against Steve's palmas Steve's body went limp and blood gushed out of his mouth.

"Steve! Stevie! Don't you dare! Don't you dare!" Barnes shouted as he felt Steve go limp in his and Wilson's arms.

Barnes' eyes were wide as he pulled Steve to his chest, away from Wilson who had let his hands cover his mouth to catch his own sounds.

Barnes' eyes met Tony's as he clutched at Steve's small form.

"Help him, please, please, I can't, I can't...." Barnes' face buried itself in Steve's hair.

Tony felt at a loss, empty and for once his brain was silent, what could he do?

'Whatever it takes.' Steve had said, Tony wondered if Steve would have been okay with this, with dying for them to win.

'Whatever it takes.' Tony should have said no but he'd wanted Peter back, needed to risk it.

'Whatever it takes.'

It had taken Natasha, it was taking Steve.

Was it worth it? Tony wondered, unable to look away from Barnes as he broke from his loss.

'Whatever it takes.' Steve had said.

And Tony wondered if it had just been Steve wanting to be with Barnes, no matter what side of life they ended up on.

"Stark!" A little girl's voice shattered the stillness, "Stark!"

Tony turned to see the kid sister of Wakanda's king racing towards him.

"I need your nanotech, Stark!" She shrieked as she ran, not slowing down a bit.

Tony didn't think about why she needed it as he gathered it in his hand for her to grab as she passed him, skidding to her knees next to Steve, shoving Wilson out of her way.

Tony wasn't sure what she did with it but she looked at them after a moment before speaking.

"We have to get him to Wakanda immediately, preferably the Medical area." She told them as she rose up to her feet.

Tony heard Strange open a portal as Thor gathered Steve carefully in his arms, though Barnes seemed reluctant to release Steve.

The princess told him they would be going into surgery as soon as they arrived and Barnes couldn't go with Steve.

So, Barnes let Thor take Steve and Wilson helped Barnes to his feet, supporting the other man as they followed the young lady and Thor through the portal.

Tony glanced at Pepper, who gave a nod, before he followed them along with Bruce and Clint before Strange stepped through after them, the Doctor rushing after the stretcher that Thor had settled Steve on.

That left them standing watching their leader being rushed away.

There was hope, a small hope, Tony thought, but it was enough, had to be.

'Whatever it takes.' Tony thought as he watched the others sit, Wilson trying to get Barnes to join him only for the man to shake his head and come to join Tony at the doorway that Wakanda's princess had taken Steve through.

Tony glanced at Barnes and felt his heart ache for the man, knowing that there was a chance that Steve might not make it.

'I'll do whatever it takes to never see this look on Barnes' face again.' Tony thought to himself, it was a look he'd seen on Steve's face when the man had watched him reunite with Pepper after the first Snap, like he wished that he was in his place, holding on to the ones he loved but also like he was trying to be hopeful when there was nothing left to be hopeful about.

Even if he had to apologize to the man later, now was definitely not the time for that, and get a medical degree, Tony never wanted to feel so helpless again, and he never wanted to see this look on any of his friends' faces.

'Whatever it takes.' Tony thought as he turned back to the silent doorway.

Tony hoped that it wouldn't take Steve, if only for Barnes' sake.

---

A/n: so I wanted to do 'whatever it takes' from Tony's pov and it.. I feel like it's almost sadder than the one in Steve's pov even with the hopeful ending.

I feel like it would shock Tony to realize that Steve and Bucky are more than friends and Tony totally starts studying for that medical degree because he doesn't want to be unable to help his friends again.

I do have a third chapter that I wrote but I'm not sure I like it really so let me know if you want me to add it.