Chapter Text
Okay, just because he knew bolting was a colossal bad idea didn't mean he did know what to do.
They were all just staring at him like he'd said something groundbreaking.
Like they had no idea that his list of people that gave a fuck about him wasn't two people before the Avengers.
Oh.
Right, of course they didn't know that, why would they know that?
And he'd just blown his chances of keeping that to himself.
"Um…" he began and winced at the raw tone in his voice. Why did all this emotional crap have to happen at once? He coughed awkwardly. "If you could all just do me the curtesy of forgetting I said that."
"Tony." Bruce reprimanded gently, Tony sighed.
"Right, of course you won't. I'm just having that kind of day." he griped, taking another sip of coffee.
"It's nine in the morning Tony." Clint pointed out, smirking. Steve tapped him on the shoulder, Tony turned to look at the soldier to see him offering two white pills. He took them gratefully, chasing them down with more coffee.
"Should we be trolling the internet to find out what happened last night?" Natasha asked, Tony winced, that shouldn't have hurt him damnit. None of this should be getting to him but… this was the whole package wasn't it?
"No!" Steve yelped, sounding scandalised. "It wan't like that!"
The group turned to look at the man.
Oh Steve.
"Got something to add Steve?" Clint asked with a chuckle. Tony swore under his breath, this was not going at all like he thought and now they were all looking at Steve like he'd done something. Steve had been so amazing last night and this morning. Tony couldn't let the anyone for even a second think this man had done something other than honourable.
And hey, it's not like he'd be able to hide this from them anyway.
"Pepper broke up with me." he blurted out. "I got drunk and Steve was really good about it." He looked determinedly at the table as he drained the last of his coffee. "Nothing happened!" he insisted and fuck his voice did not just crack.
But…
He hadn't said the words out loud yet.
Pepper broke up with him.
Pepper had left him.
"If you loved me how you said you did, you would have changed for me"
His cheeks felt damp.
NO! This was not meant to happen! This couldn't happen. He'd had enough of a pity party last night and now it wasn't just Steve here. This sort of embarrassing display of emotion is what got him into this mess in the first place. It's the part where he was too emotional, too clingy, too… everything and he paid the price in people walking out.
"Oh Tony." Bruce said, slinging an arm around his shoulder.
Wait...
Hold on a sec.
Tony closed his eyes, swallowing his shock, he was not pushing his luck by overreacting. Natasha wordlessly took his hand from the other side of Bruce.
"The Lady Potts made a grave error this day." Thor murmured gravely and hey, the norse god did have an inside voice.
"Shit Stark." Clint, as eloquent as ever.
"Told you so." Steve whispered in his ear from behind. "We're here for you Tony."
And fuck it wasn't fair! His head was pounding, he'd only had one cup of coffee. His defences were down and no one was reacting how they were supposed to.
"Where the hell did you people come from?!" he choked out, swallowing viciously trying in vain to at least pretend he wan't breaking down in front of them all. Why couldn't he stop? This was his first official day as an Avenger he was not supposed to be spending it crying!
Natasha squeezed the hand she was holding, he couldn't help but look in her direction.
There was no judgement, no mockery, just pure support and sympathy.
Fuck.
The Avengers were going to break him.
But that didn't matter
Maybe he needed to break to build again.