Steve was the kind of guy that didn't like it when people knew he was hurt or hurting about anything. Even when he was small he would put on a brave face and soldier through.
Bucky was usually the only person that would be able to tell when he was hurting or in pain and made it a point to take care of himself and force him to do so. Then he became Captain America but yet it didn't change he felt invincible and that he could take more than the others which were true but he wasn't bulletproof.
Many time the commandos would find their Captain after a mission and find him bent over in pain. When this happened Bucky would be livid with him for hiding it but Steve would always say the same thing.
"It doesn't even hurt." Steve's ability to hide his pain got even better after he woke up in this new world and the Avengers very rarely knew if he was hurting but when Steve is sent on a mission with his 3 best friends will he be able to hide it? Read on to find out.
***
The first thing Steve realized was the pain in his head, and everywhere else. What happened? Where was he?
His eyes felt heavy and his body ached, it took a couple of fighting minutes before his blue eyes opened. Everything was blurry he smelled smoke and fire and heard yelling, gunshots and then a cold hand on his back. Steve yelped as pain shot from his hip as someone got him to feet, there was more yelling and shooting when Steve passed out.
***
Tony was angry, no he was more than angry this whole mission had been a freaking trap. Their truck had been blown to bits and Steve didn't look too good either, Barnes was carrying him as he brought up the rear and Sam in the front.
Tony didn't know why he had agreed to come on this mission, besides the puppy dog look Steve had given him when he had started to say no. Barnes had been cleared of any and all charges and had been cleared for missions. Steve Barnes and Sam were a killer team, both of them willing to lay down their lives for him and make sure Steve didn't do anything stupid.
Tony watched as Sam looked at a small cabin hidden in the rocks of the mountainside, it was hidden in such a way you would have to look for it to find it.
The men hurry inside and Barnes lays Steve down on the bed, Tony felt his stomach clench at the look of his Captain. Steve had a long gash on his temple, going from the front of his face to halfway to the back of his head.
He had some burns on his shoulders and between the shoulder blades, he had dark bruises around his belly and his left hip. His breathing seemed pained and shallow and it just didn't look good. Tony Almost fell into his chair and it was then he felt the dull throb of his shoulder and back. Great, this was going to suck.
Barnes and Sam were locking doors and checking the place over as Sam heads out back to find food and Barnes finds guns throughout the house.
Tony's head snapped to the side when he heard Steve move, his eyes fell on the soldier and leaped to his feet as Steve was trying to sit up.
"Rogers lay the hell back down," Tony said as he stopped him from getting all the way up.
"I'm fine," Steve said softly and that made Tony snort.
"No you're not, lay down." Tony went to get up but the stiffness of his body slowing him down.
"And you call me the old man." Barnes showed up with a concerned look towards Steve as he pushes him gently back down. Tony was taken off guard when hands were on his arms and made him jump then yelp.
"Easy man just me let me look at that." Tony didn't trust a lot of people to just touch him, Pepper could, Rhodey could...Bruce could. But could he let Sam? Sam was a good guy and a better friend, he was the glue that held the Avengers together. Him and Clint that is, Sam had his tiny medkit over one shoulder and it didn't look like he was going to budge on the subject so he gave a shrug that he regretted as he did so. Pain shot through his body making him fall forward in a groan as Sam caught him.
Sam's hands were cold but gentle as he laid tony back on the chair. Tony closed his eyes and felt Sam's hands still cold go his shoulder first, Tony tried to stifle his gasp of pain as Sam moved it.
"It's been dislocated man I'm going to have to pop it into place." Sam's tone was quiet and gentle, but Tony knew better knew this wasn't going to feel good in any way shape or form. He dared a look over at Steve who was again out cold, Barnes was looking worried but their eyes seemed to meet for just a second. Barnes and he still were not friends, but at that moment Barnes seemed to know what he wanted and needed. Stepping over to them quickly, crouching down on Tony's other side.
"Keep him still I haven't checked his back yet," Sam said to Barnes softly, again Barnes and Tony's eyes met, Tony knew what he was doing, knew that look, he was asking for permission. Tony gave a slight nod and Bucky used his flesh arm to wrap around Tony his metal hand resting on his back cooling the inflamed skin. Sam and Bucky locked eyes for a moment and without warning, Sam jerked his arm and there were a sickening crack and pop and if Barnes hadn't been holding him so tightly he would've been in more agony then he already was. He couldn't hold back his choked cry, that was enough for Steve to wake apparently because he jolted to a sitting position.
"Steve if you don't lay the shit back down I'm going to strangle you, Tony's fine he's okay lay down." Barnes was trying to sooth Steve while still holding the wheezing Tony, god damn that had hurt! Tony didn't feel fine, he felt like he was going to throw up, the world was tipping from one side to the other and was oddly thankful for Barnes holding onto him. Somehow Tony didn't know his and Steve's eyes met, they were a watery blue clouded with pain and worry. Damnit Rogers....his care for others always so much greater than the care for his own life or well being.
"I'm okay Steve...I promise lay down..." Tony's voice was cracked and pained but that seemed enough for Steve because he laid back down. Sam was pulling Tony's shirt off or cutting it off to be more accurate. Pressing his aching arm and shoulder close to him then taping it around and around tight holding his should and arm firmly to his sternum. Barnes was no longer holding him still, he was standing in between Steve and Tony, his flesh hand firmly on Steve's wrist keeping him from moving and when his metal hand had moved from Tony's sweating back to his aching neck Tony couldn't stop the relieved breath that slipped out.
"Tony hey Tony meet my eyes for a second." Why wouldn't he just leave him alone? He was so tired..."Tony." Tony grumbled with the patting on his face forcing Tony to meet his eyes.
"Hey man...I know that sucked and you're tired but I need to check your back real quick then you can sleep I promise okay...just a little longer." Tony was so droopy and tired but he knew somewhere deep down that Sam was right, that the burn needed to be treated. So he nodded, and Sam nodded to Barnes who nodded in return. Before Tony knew what was happening Barnes was lifting him from the front so slowly and gently it was hard for Tony to remember how much he hated the guy. Tony's legs buckled but Barnes held him steady to his chest keeping him still and upright. The cleaning of the burn was much nicer than popping his shoulder back in.
Barnes chuckled when Tony just became a heap in his arms. Why was he laughing? It felt nice ok! Don't judge an old guy for liking the feeling of a burn being soothed. Sam laughed a bit when he helped relax Tony's aching back wrapping the burn.
"Go ahead and let him sleep." Sam's voice was softly talking to Barnes. Hey, he was still awake ya know!
"There's another cot I moved it next to Steve's bed I'll lay him there." Tony didn't like being talked over and around and under. Under? That didn't make sense...God, he was going crazy. Tony barely was able to tell Barnes and picked him up and was laying him down. He started to get startled but a cold hand was on his inflamed shoulder, Tony could feel the cold from beneath the bandages and it felt so good he couldn't hold onto conciseness any longer. He fell into a deep painless sleep.
****
Bucky was exhausted, he hadn't told Sam that he was pretty sure he had rolled his ankle pretty good ok the scramble out of there but Tony and Steve were much worse off. Steve was by far the worse off, concussion to say the least with a nasty cut on the side of his head, his hip was broken he had some nasty burns on his shoulders and between his shoulder blades which he knew had to hurt. His stomach was also purple a deep dark purple that looks painful just to look at.
"One down...." Sam murmured low as to not to wake them, "I can clean the burns and his belly and keep his hip still and clean up his head but we need a medevac ASAP...I can only do so much." Sam sounded worried which in turn made Bucky very nervous. Sam was the most level headed men he knew, if he was freaking out Bucky was triply freaking out. His own pain in his metal shoulder and his ankle forgotten.
"Do what you can..." Bucky watched as Sam got to work cleaning Steve up, he was quiet through the whole thing still asleep until Sam got to his hip and touched it gently. Steve jolted into conciseness with a cry of pain, that in turn woke Tony up.
"What's?..." Tony slurred starting to sit up, Bucky reached out and pressed him back down again.
"It's okay Tony, go back to sleep."
"But-"
"Sleep Tony." Tony gave in at that slumping back down going back to sleep. Sam was soothing a whimpering Steve Rogers who was gasping for air. Bucky walked over and let steve grab onto his metal arm, Bucky could feel the metal groan in protest he grunted but hid his discomfort.
"I'm...in okay..." Steve grit out, Sam rolled his eyes and Bucky growled.
"No you're not so shut up for once in your life." Bucky snapped making Steve go quiet, it took a while but he finally fell asleep again. This was going to be a long night.
****
Tony woke with a start, the wind was howling outside. He was freezing was the first thing he noticed, the second was that Steve was still out cold and as patched up as he could have been with what they had and where they were. Tony jumped when a thick heavy blanket was laid over his shoulders, he turned and saw Barnes looking exhausted laying it over him.
"Well you look peaky." Bucky only slightly glared at him.
"Shut up Stark I'm too tired for this." That was the moment when Tony really looked at him, Barnes did look completely gutted. That everything he had was drained out of him. He was moving with a stiffness he didn't normally have.
"Where are you hurt?" Tony asked firmly he didn't ask 'if' he was hurt but 'where' he was hurt. Barnes looked ready to protest but let out a long breath.
"Shoulder aches and twisted my ankle but I'll heal just fine." Tony frowned and he stood slowly Barnes looked ready to stop him but he didn't. Tony grabs Sam's medical bag and pulls out a hearing bad and a ice pack first he laid the ice pack on Barnes' shoulder and the guy shuddered, when Tony got a good look at it well...he felt bad the thing looked swollen and painful and Barnes had been ignoring it.
"Damn doesn't this hurt?" Barnes just deflated, looking defeated.
"No more then it normally does." He said softly and that flipped a switch for Tony.
"I can make this better I'll call Shuri up and have a lighter arm made and such man there's a lot we could do make it better, less painful and such." Barnes looked confused.
"Why?" Tony stopped for but a moment, meeting the younger mans eyes.
"Because you helped me even though I've been a douche to you...now has Steve always been like this?" Tony asked as he with his good arm putting the heating pad on Barnes' shoulder.
"Like what?"
"Like 'Oh hey I think I'm made of steel let me fling myself in front of every bullet take 7 of them and pretend it doesn't hurt' ya know like that?" Bucky chuckles deeply, shaking his head as he looked over towards Steve.
"Yeah, even when he was small he took more then he needed to and pretended it was okay, after most fights I had to patch him up and during the war me and Dum Dum had to force him down to be checked over he fought it, he likes protecting people not being protected makes him feel weak and he doesn't like that." Tony leaned back in his chair watching Bucky's eyes. They looked pained but fond, this was more then he had ever heard the man speak. He liked it, and he liked hearing about Steve before.
"Got any embarrassing stories?" Bucky laughed.
"I got em a mile long."
"Why did I have a feeling you two would bond over my suffering." Their heads jerked around and saw Steve awake watching them from his cot.
"Well you did a lot of dumb shit back then I can't help it just wait until you get married some day I'll tell them all then." Steve groaned at Bucky making Tony laugh.
"You guys are loud can't a guy sleep." The other laughed at Sam's voice. This wasn't going to be easy but it was worth it.
****
Steve felt a small gently hand on his head and voices talking over him, where was he? What happened? When he opened his eyes he saw Tony curled in the corner of a Jets bench in Peppers arms. Her fingers were going through his hair and he was as close to her as possible. Steve knew only pepper could get him to relax like that. His eyes shifted and saw Natasha crouched in front of Bucky one hand on his knee the other on his arm their heads very close together. She was speaking softly to him and Bucky seemed to be relaxing before her. He wondered how long they were going to take to freaking see they needed to be together. Sam was just asleep on the floor completely content and out cold. The hand on his own head however was Wanda, she seemed focused on something. He opened his Mouth but she silenced him with a look.
"Stay still Captain.....they're going to check you out as soon as we land." He didn't know how he fell asleep again but he did but this time wasn't as pleasant. His hip was on fire and everything seemed to hurt he screamed. People were yelling over him and he felt the chains on his arms he struggled to get free.
"STOP YOU'RE SCARING HIM!"
"Mr Stark we need to fix the broken bones we cannot wait."
"I don't give a rats ass! Let me in there! I can calm him down! Barnes is in surgery let me help him!" Steve didn't know what or who was yelling but he only liked the one voice, it was comforting. Then there was a hand, a hand he knew, one on his head and the other on his side and it was warm and gently not like the other hands that were grabbing and yelling.
"Hey freezer pop....nice and deep breaths yeah? Let's put this mask back on you okay? Just relaxin all cool." A mask was fitted back on his face and the hand was going through his hair and it felt good.
"Tony.....?"
"Yeah old guy it's me, I got you the others are fine I am fine focus on you okay?" Steve felt like his body was on fire with burning agony.
"It...it hurts..." the hand in his hair stilled, the hand on his side going to his wrist. Squeezing in comfort, the hand moving back in his hair.
"I know it hurts I know it does...but it's almost over and I'll be here the whole time okay?" Tony's voice was soft and pained but Steve didn't even feel selfish for wanting him there.
The not nice hands came back and the pain was back but he could feel the nice hands and that helped.
***
When Steve woke again, he was in a hospital bed, he ached all over. He looked around and saw Tony asleep in one corner and Bucky curled in a huge bean bag with a heating blanket his metal arm removed. He was fast asleep, he looked comfortable almost peaceful.
Then he felt a small hand and met the eyes of Pepper, she smiled and rubbing his hair gently.
"Pepper...."
"Shhh Steve it's okay, their okay."
"But-"
"Steve honey it's okay to admit sometimes that you're struggling in pain or tired, that doesn't make you weak that makes you human." Steve was getting drowsy, Pepper was such a motherly person and she presses a kiss to his temple just like and elder sister would and steve fell into a deep healing sleep. His best friends close by.