Chapter 51
Avengers Tower
June 2011
“Are you going to listen this time, or is it just going to be the same routine evasions as the last five times I tried this?” Bruce asked.
Tony groaned and threw an arm over his face. “Bruce-”
“No. Listen.” Bruce didn’t like getting snappish, but this day had been hellish and he was so done with Tony’s shit. “You have been in denial about the fact that you have PTSD. Among a host of other issues, but that’s the most problematic one at the moment.”
“I’m not in denial,” Tony growled. “It’s my problem. I’ll deal with it.”
“Until you have a flashback in the middle of a firefight and get Steve killed,” Bruce countered.
Tony opened his mouth. No words came out.
“Or Clint. Or Darcy. Or Jane. Or Maria. Or the civilians that you’re trying to protect. Do you get what I’m saying? It’s not just your problem when you are not the only one to’s impacted by it,” Bruce snapped. “PTSD is nothing to be ashamed of. It does not make you weak. We are not going to use it against you because we are your team now, but you don’t get to just pretend that this doesn’t affect us too.”
Tony grumbled something inaudible.
“I’m sorry, what was that?” Bruce asked.
“Fine,” Tony snapped. “Fine. I’ll–whatever you do for PTSD.”
“Not therapy,” Bruce said. “You’d just give the therapist a drinking problem. But there are support groups for vets and people with PTSD from battle scenarios. I’m sure we could find a spot for you in one of them.” He hesitated. “Steve might even go with you.”
“No way. Not–” Tony winced. “Not in front of him.”
“Tony,” Bruce said tiredly. “This is because of your dad, isn’t it?” He remembered what Clint and Steve had talked to him about. “I know you don’t want to show weakness, or whatever, in front of your childhood hero. But–do you really think our Steve Rogers is the same man your father knew?”
Tony blinked twice. “I–”
“He’s not,” Bruce said bluntly. “He told us as much. Steve Rogers is somebody new. Captain America’s gone. You’re not asking for this help from a hero. You’re asking for it from a friend.”