Anyone who had ever heard of Tony Stark knew he was a cocky sonuvabitch with an attitude problem and confidence that just wouldn’t quit.
Anyone who was friends with Tony Stark knew he cared deeply for others, but that he hid it all behind sarcasm and long-held defenses.
But Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers?
They knew the real Tony Stark - the one who cancelled his own weapons company. The one who woke up screaming in the middle of the night. The one who regretted every single casualty and killed villain of war. The one who hated himself more than anything else.
And yet, they still loved him. Scars and all.
It was ridiculous. Steve and Bucky deserved better, Tony knew that. Hell, the whole team knew, even if none of them were going to say anything. But Tony knew they knew.
Everyone knew.
Everyone except Steve and Bucky.
Tony didn't know why they didn't realize they deserved better, god knows they were both basically the peak of physical perfection and he wasn’t. God knows they were both genuine, good people and he wasn’t. God knows they would be perfect together without him.
Not that Tony would ever tell them any of this. No, he was too selfish to let this go until he absolutely had to.
~
“Get him to medical! Now!” The panic was evident in the normally calm Captains voice as he dragged a nearly unconscious Tony, still clad in his Iron Man suit, back into the compound.
Bucky ran up to Steve as a nurse took Tony off his hands. “What the hell happened out there?” He hissed. “I told you guys not to go up against the witch without knowing what she could do, but no, you thought it would be fine!”
“We took her down.” Steve said stubbornly, but the way he was staring at the door Tony disappeared through said he really couldn’t care less about that.
Bucky softened impercibly as he followed Steve’s gaze. “It’ll be ok, Stevie. He’ll be fine.” But in reality, Bucky really wasn’t sure.
A nurse came back out a few moments later, walking up to them. “His vitals are fine.” She said calmly. “Everything seems to be perfectly functional, including his arc reactor. He’s just a bit roughened up. He should wake up in roughly an hour, we can run more tests then.”
Steve nodded, ignoring how Bucky was basically breaking all the bones in his hand.
Tony would be fine.
He had to be.
~
Bucky and Steve were brought into the medical ward in the evening, after all the tests had been run. They had both raised hell and not being allowed in sooner, but SHIELD nurses were used to their shit and able to deal with it.
Tony was chatting to a nurse when they walked in, not noticing their presence until Bucky crooned, “Hey doll.”
Tony whipped his head around, eyes widening in what seemed like panic. “Oh no. Oh hell no. You can’t be in here.” He muttered.
Steve furrowed his brow as Bucky physically wilted. “Why can’t we?” He asked slowly.
Tony appeared to be fighting a losing battle with keeping his own mouth shut. “Because that damned witch hit me with some sort of truth spell and I keep saying dumb things and I don’t want you in here because I’m gonna say some things you really don’t want to here and overall it’s just better if you leave, so scoot, skedaddle, vamanos.”
Bucky stifled a snort at Tony’s incoherent babbling, but Steve only frowned. “What don’t you want us to hear, Tony?” He asked softly. “Is it something to do with us?”
“Oh my god, no! Nothing to do with you two! You’re perfect, like, literally perfect, it’s all about my own baggage.” Tony physically clamped a hand over his own mouth before he could reveal anything else.
Bucky was full on shaking next to Steve now trying to hold in laughter. “You, uh, you think we’re perfect, doll?” He managed to ask.
“Duh.” Tony deadpanned.
Steve, now trying not to show his own amusement and failing miserably, grabbed Bucky by the shoulders and began to steer him from the medical ward. “Get some rest Tony, we love you, the rest of the Avengers will be in soon to make sure you’re ok!” He called over his shoulder, not missing Tony’s groan at the thought of dealing with the rest of their team in his state.
~
When Tony woke up, it was to Natasha leaning over him, eyes narrowed as she took in his battered face. Clint was standing beside her, arms crossed, smirking.
“Christ!” He gasped out, trying to lean further into his mountain of pillows. “Don’t scare a man like that!”
“We heard you were stuck under a truth spell.” Clint said, smirk widening. “I thought it’d be fun to ask a few embarrassing questions.”
Natasha rolled her eyes. “He won’t admit it, but we’re actually here to check on you.”
Tony blinked. “Uh, thanks.”
Natasha nodded, ever the professional.
The next words steamrolled form Tony's mouth before he could even think about stopping them. “I thought you hated me though.”
Clint looked taken aback, and Natasha blinked, which was the biggest crack Tony has ever seen in her mask. “Why would we hate you? We’re a team.” Natasha asked blankly.
“I’m annoying, I’m narcissistic, I’m a flirt, I’m an asshole, I’m-” Tony rambled, only to be cut off my Clint.
“Dude, you have more issues than the rest of us put together.” He marvelled, only to get hit in the arm by Natasha before she turned back to Tony.
“Мед, don’t be stupid.” She said briskly, but there was an undeniable softness to her tone. “No one on this team hates you.”
“But-”
“No.” She cut him off gently. “Trust me, I know everything. We all care for you, Tony.”
Tony nodded, not trusting himself to say anything else.
In a terrifyingly uncharacteristic move, Natasha pressed a kiss to his forehead, before grabbing Clint and making her exit, leaving Tony laying there, completely dumbfounded by the events that just occured.
~
Thankfully, Thor had left for Asgard a few weeks prior, so Tony didn’t have to deal with the very loud god declaring his feelings on the matter.
He did, however, have to deal with Bruce.
“Let me get this straight…” Bruce mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You think I’m only friends with you for your technology?”
Tony blinked. Well, duh. “I give you full access to everything I own, your own lab, and a free place to live. Why else would you stick around?”
Bruce looked mildly horrified, and Tony found himself damning the witch who cursed him not for the first time. “Tony, I’m friends with you because I enjoy your company. You’re the first person not to fear me in god knows how long. You genuinely seem to care about me in a way most people don’t.”
“Of course I do, you’re one of my best friends, even if I’m pretty sure I annoy you constantly and you’re lying to me right now.” Tony said abruptly, before once more clamping a hand over his own mouth.
Bruce sighed. “Tony, you’re my best friend. You always will be. And I’m not lying, even though I can imagine you don’t believe me.” Bruce checked one of the machines Tony was hooked to, not prompting Tony to speak, thank god for that. “You should be out of here in a couple of days at the most, hopefully we’ll be able to reverse this.”
“Thank you.” Tony said softly. “For...everything, I guess.”
“Of course, Tony.” Bruce smiled, a rare genuine smile that made Tony think, perhaps at least Bruce didn’t hate him after all.
~
Finally, Steve and Bucky returned.
“Hey doll, how are you feeling?” Bucky asked softly, sitting on the edge of Tony’s bed.
“Like shit.” Tony deadpanned. “People keep talking to me and I keep…” He made a face. “Confessing.”
Steve looked confused. “Confessing what?”
Tony’s answer was immediate and heartbreaking. “How I’m pretty sure everyone secretly or not-so-secretly hates me and is just using or pitying me for some reason or another.” He winced immediately at the words coming out of his own mouth.
Both super soldiers hearts dropped. “What?” Bucky asked softly.
“Think about it.” Tony muttered, unable to stop. “I’m easily the most annoying , reckless, asshole-y member of the team. Why would they like me? But I don’t really know anymore, everyone is either a great actor or telling the truth in that they actually give a shit about me, so I’m really not sure-” His ramblings were cut off by Bucky's mouth sealing over his.
“Tony.” Steve said softly as Bucky released their smallest lover, carding one big hand through his brown hair. “Everyone on this team loves you. Do you know how many shovel talks me and Buck got when we all first got together?”
“Natasha’s was particularly terrifying.” Bucky chimed in. “And Bruce threatened to use the Hulk against us.”
Steve nodded. “They all love you, Tony. Just as much as we do.”
“I don’t deserve your love.” Tony snorted. “You two...you’re perfect. Physically and not-physically. I’m just some cocky asshole genius who happened to fall into your life. You don’t really love me. You just think you do.” Tony’s eyes were filling up with tears now, but he couldn’t stop. “Christ, it’s my worst fear that one day you two are gonna wake up and realize that you don’t need me. That you don’t want me. And that’s gonna be the day a part of me dies, you know?”
As soon as he stopped talking, he was immediately crushed into a near-violent hug, a soldier on either side, making him the meat in some weird human sandwich.
Jesus, what the hell was that metaphor?
“That’s never going to happen, Tony.” Bucky whispered fiercely in Tony’s ear, cradling his head with his human hand.
“We love you. More than anything. And you’re never going to lose us, not on our watch.” Steve continued, running a hand up and down Tony’s side in a vain attempt to comfort him.
Tony sniffed, trying to regain his bravado and failing miserably. “You promise?” He said, only half-joking.
“We swear it.”