It's in the training room when Natasha and Steve first sees the scar. Steve is passing by the door and happens to glance in to see Tony and Natasha who are facing off and for the first time Tony actually holds his own longer than normal. He ends up on his back breathing hard but it's still good progress. Natasha can't help the small smile from seeing Tony progress. She moves to help him up but pauses hand outstretched. There’s a horrifying jagged scar at the base of Tony’s abdomen that catches her eye. She only gets a fleeting glance because Tony immediately pulls his shirt down a pasted grin on his face..
“I nearly had you this time what did I do wrong?”
Natasha helps him up a fond smile on her face.
“You want the long list or the short one?” Natasha’s explanation is shorter than it had been when she’d first started teaching Tony. And she doesn’t miss the subtle way Tony glances around the room to see who saw. When he makes eye contact with Steve walking through the door his body stiffens and he turns away. “Hey all, don’t forget its doppelganger night, Lucy’s up.” Natasha groans as they both hop out of the ring.
********
There has never been a missed movie night the whole event being a time to recharge and relax amongst friends. They’re all sprawled over each no one person without someone’s limbs tangled with them.
During a lull in the film, Tony can't help but to ask “Why don’t they check facts before making this shit?” Bruce actually sits up from where he’d sunk into the sofa. “I mean how hard is it to just call a scientist and ask hey does this even make sense?”
Tony laughs bringing up more scientifically inaccurate movies and it's all downhill from there.
The rest of the Avengers groan “They're impossible, I thought we agreed no more science movies they do this every time.”
It’s actually really a joy to watch how both the scientists eyes and bodies animate. Tony nearly flies of the couch with one of his gestures but Clint catches him but in true Clint fashion, his fingers find Tony’s ticklish sides and the room is filled with Tony’s unwilling laughter Thor chuckles as the engineer tries to get away.
Clint’s hands find their ways under his shirt and the response is immediate. It's like Tony shuts down and flight it fight kicks in in this case it's both. Clint isn’t expecting the hand that flies at his throat nor the kick which sends him to the floor. “Tony what the hell?” the man in question is breathing hard his eyes distant before stammering an apology and leaping back off the couch. He makes a beeline to the elevator his hand doesn't release the tight grasp he has on his shirt.
At this point the movie is just white noise “Clint, you ok?” He waves him off “It takes more than that to take me down” There's a slight tension in the air till Bruce stands. “I'll go check on him.” Bruce doesn’t come back and the movie finishes but nobody is really paying attention.
~
Time passes and a well known fact is that Tony’s heats aren't something he likes to talk about. He nests like any other Omega and they all notice when parts of their wardrobe goes missing and the appetite he normally doesn't have goes into overdrive. But unlike other Omegas he won't allow himself the “luxury”.
Morning rolls around and they find their stolen clothes in neat folded piles. Breakfast is a quiet affair but this situation isn’t new. What is new, is Tony coming out of wherever he holed up mostly coherent. But reeking to the high heavens how fertile he was. “Steeeeve, you smell nice.” Steve’s heart stutters when the Omega drapes himself over his back, his nose coming to scent his neck. He’s trying hard not to lose focus and ignore the snickering of their teammates.
But Tony’s assessment doesn’t stop at Steve, Thor and Natasha get a brief brush and Bruce is his last victim and he gets a more thorough pat down. Bruce doesn't mind though as he’s able to subtly check him over "Tony, what are you doing out of bed?"
"Cold." Is the simple answer he gives and with no warning he's tugging Off Bruce's shirt. He takes the scarf from Clint, a headband from Nat and Steve's running jacket. It's a sight to see when he takes his bundle of clothes to a couch in the living room. Coming back only to grab Thor’s something or other that none of them know the name to. Breakfast continues on only now with sneaked glances at Tony who’s moving head is the only thing visible from the kitchen.
Bruce follows him crouching to whisper in his ear “Buddy, you know your heat is gonna start soon do you want to be down here?” Tony rolls over one eye peering up at the other scientist. “I had a nightmare.”
Bruce can’t tell where his headspace is because he’s coming forth with more information than would normally.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Was apparently the wrong question to ask because the color drains from Tony’s face. With more strength than any of them think possible he pulls Bruce down next to him and buries his face in the crook of his neck. “Oh ok, we can do this too.” This is actually a plus for both the scientists who really need their sleep.
Hours later his heat is finally in full swing. His shirt is already off, at some point in his sleep he’s stripped it off trying to find comfort in the warm cocoon that is his nest. At least he has Bruce’s cool skin to lay against but he’s not lying next to Bruce, the body next to him is an Adonis, it has to be to be this muscular. Who ever it is, they’re cool and they’re here. A hand strokes his hair and he purrs Tony’s fine with it on his head but as the hand moves lower coasting toward the back of his neck he pulls away warning bells going off in his mind. But the hand follows drawing forth a whimper from his throat.
“Nononononono.” the hand darts away as Tony in his haze finally rolls off the chest making brief eye contact with Steve who is wide eyed with worry. “Tony I-”
“Not my neck.” His voice is hoarse and he can’t stop backing up till his back is against something. His hands are shaking not just that his whole body is shaking with need, with fear. Its an unsettling combination that he’s sadly very familiar with. His hand comes up to cover his chest, or more accurately the Arc Reactor digging deep enough to draw blood.
“Tony, sweetie look at me.” His eyes land on Bruce but he’s not fully tracking. “Hey breathe with me.” He inhales and exhales watching Tony begin to latch on to the pattern. “You’re ok look at me? You’re ok.” He shudders and grasps Bruce’s arms grounding himself.
Steve hovers in the back unsure of how to help. Bruce turns to look at him “Can you hold him up?”
He hesitates “Would he want me too? I scared the shit out of him.”
“I think he’ll be ok now just be careful.” The trip to Tony’s penthouse is a short one. And as much as Steve tries not to look the scar screams at him. Telling a gruesome story of a sharp blade and less than humane operations.
Steve moves them near the bed and Tony falls back heavily on the mattress and breathes, “Sorry, Thank you.”
“You don’t need to apologize, are you all stocked up, You’ll be ok?” Steve asks.
Tony points at the water bottles and granola bars next the bed before reaching towards Bruce. “I need this one though.”
Steve blushes before making his way out of the bedroom.
~
A Week out of commission always tends to put him behind with any work he has for R&D and Shield and he compensates by spending as much time as he can in his lab catching up.
Tony comes out of the elevator clearly not ready for anybody’s bullshit. 48 hours of a science binge would do that to you. He goes straight for the coffee machine only to be intercepted by Bruce. “Babe, I’m really not in the mood.” he croaks.
Bruce levels him with a look and takes the cup from his hand. “It’s 9am and you need to sleep.”
The engineer grumbles but lets himself be manhandled to his room grumbling all the while. Bruce leaves with the promise of food and Tony begins to strip changing into pyjamas. His shirt is over his head when he hears a thump and a whistle.
“Gnarly scar dude you fight a bear?” The shirt is pulled down immediately and a glare is painted onto Tony’s face.
“Barton, I am running on 2 hours of sleep I don’t have the energy for this.” Clint goes to his closet and pulls out a sleep shirt. “I know you, you’re never tired enough to talk. Tell me about your scar.”
Tony pulls away “I’d rather not.”
“Don’t you wanna stay awake till your Brucie Bear gets back here with food?”
Clint hands him the shirt and splays a hand over where he approximates the scar to be. Clawed hand grabs his wrist. “Don’t touch me don’t touch it.” Clint pulls his hand away hissing.
“Jesus man calm down.” The door opens as Clint moves to leave “Oh Clint, where did you come from.” “The vents, Tony’s being a bully.”
“Am not, just, please don’t touch it.” Bruce pointedly jerks his head at the door and Clint raises his hands in surrender
“Don’t think this is over.”
~
The week for him goes downhill from there. He’s in the Kitchen when Jarvis reminds him. “Sir, it's the anniversary should you wish to-” Tony waves him away.”. Today will be one of those days he knows. He can’t pull himself out of the funk the heaviness on his heart weighing him down. He slips in and out of rooms his final stop the living room. He doesn’t expect the flurry of noise as the elevator dings open. . He hears a baby cry and he shoots up the noise jarring him from desolation. Clint rushes in with his baby cradled in his arms.
“Tony! Look at him, look at baby Nate.” Clint is so focused on his son he doesn’t realize the tears streaming down Tony’s face. “All the Kids are here but I thought I’d bring him to his soon to be favorite uncle.” When there's no response from Tony at all, Clint looks up shocked to see the tears cascading down the engineer’s face.
“Tony, are you-”
“Can I hold him, please?” his hands shake in desperation eyes only for the baby. “Yeah, of course.” the moment turns somber when Tony cradles the baby like he’s the most fragile thing in the world.
“Hey there little guy.” Nathaniel gurgles, a gummy smile on his face. He laughs tears dripping onto the blanket. “You already know I’m gonna be the best Uncle here right? Thats right , I’m never gonna let anything happen to you. I promise,” he looks up at Clint and Laura now, eyes red rimmed and teary “ I promise.”
******
Hours later when the party's over and all the Kids are tucked into beds Clint with a blanket bundled in his arms, finds Tony on the roof an untouched glass of alcohol by his side.
“She would have been two today.” is all Tony says as Clint sits next to him. His breath catches and he watches from the corner of his eye as Tony rub at his scar absentmindedly. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t-” “No, don’t today is and always will be a celebration of life, no matter how fleeting.” Clint hugs him close and drapes the blanket over them both looking out at the evening’s horizon.