Chapter Text
Steve is tired. A bone deep tired that he’s finding harder and harder to shake with every passing morning. He doesn’t know how much longer he can go on like this either before the Team starts noticing. Starts asking questions.
Sam has already started asking questions and that’s…not good. Even Tony seemed to have picked up on some of what Steve must be feeling simply by his quiet demeanour, a quick change from their usual banter and back and forth.
In the beginning they hadn’t gotten along well, but they’d grown closer, opened up to one another and then after the whole mess with SHIELD and the whole discovering Bucky was alive thing and…you know…Tony’s parents.
Things had been tough, but they were good now. Everything was good now. They were friends, they looked out for one another, both on and off of the field. Which would have been great…except Steve wasn’t quite willing to admit that he maybe sort of needed help…yet.
Though he was apparently coming to terms with it if the current conversation with Tony was anything to go by.
“You want to what now?” Tony blurted, squinting hard at the blond as they sat at the breakfast island together drinking their morning coffee, Steve’s having gone cold as he’d apparently been too distracted with working up the nerve to ask Tony for help.
Steve blew out a very slow breath, unable to look at his friend as he fiddled with the handle of his mug. “I think I’d like to go away for a while…m-maybe to a cabin in the woods. Just for some…me time,” He said quietly, feeling ashamed for even asking and worse for having to repeat himself to Tony, of all people.
“Steve-“ Tony said, very, very gently. “Can you look at me, please?”
Steve seemed to steel himself and then forced himself to look up at Tony and it looked as if it physically pained him to do so. When fe finally made eye contact with the genius, Tony shook his head at his friend as if he were disappointed. Steve almost got up and left.
“A cabin in the woods, really? Have you not been subjected to enough horror films to know that that’s a god-awful idea?” I mean, honestly. You’d think we’ve taught you nothing by subjecting you to the terribly industry that is cult filmography-“
“Tony-“ Steve groaned, hanging his head before burying his face in his hands.
Of fucking course Tony was teasing him, making light of the situation. Steve couldn’t have been more grateful. Tony’s soft chuckle reached his ears and he peeked through the cover of his fingers to look at his friend. Tony was smiling at him softly, eyes filled with an understanding and Steve wasn’t sure he could hold his gaze for much longer.
He dropped his hands and took a shaky breath, gaze straying back to the mug in front of him. “Hey-“ Tony prompted gently, ducking his head in an attempt to get Steve to look at him.
The blond managed to glance up a little, but his eyes kept darting away her nervously.
“It’s okay to ask for things, Steve. You’re allowed to want to go away, even if it is to a cabin in the woods, you dork,” Tony huffed, teasing, but his tone was gentle, soft.
It made Steve’s heart ache and his hackles want to rise up at the same time, to puff his chest out and tell him he wasn’t some invalid who needed to be coddled, but he squashed the urge to do so down and let his shoulders drop from where they’d been up around his ears. He found himself choking up, however, and couldn’t seem to say anything to Tony, to maybe thank him for not judging him harshly for wanting to do something for himself for once.
All he could bring himself to do was nod stiltedly.
“Right then-“ Tony announced, having drained the rest of his coffee.
He stood up quickly, shoving his stool back against the tile and making a show of it as he unbuttoned his shirt sleeves, removing the cufflinks and pocketing them before rolling up his cuffs altogether. Steve’s brow was furrowing before he could think about stopping it as he watched Tony pick up his suit jacket from where it had been draped over the back of his chair.
“Let’s get a move on, we don’t have all day,” He stated airily, heading for the elevator. “Well, technically we do, but you know, trying to make a grand exit and all that jazz-“
Steve stood up as if on autopilot, following Tony curiously out of the kitchen. “What are you on about?”
Tony huffed, turning on his heel and walking backwards towards the elevator. “We’re going up to your apartment to pack a bag and then we’re getting out of here,” He announced, before spinning back around and stepping into the already waiting elevator.
“Tony-“ Steve said in exasperation. “We can’t just leave and besides! I wanted to go away by myself, alone-“
Tony rolled his eyes. “You really need to get with the program, Steve-“
Steve squinted at his friend in disbelief as the elevator started its ascent. “Well, maybe if you told me what this program was, I could maybe get with it-“ He muttered, arms folding closed across his chest in his obvious irritation.
Tony positively beamed at him and Steve’s gaze turned wary. “Why, I’m ever so glad you asked, Steven!” Tony announced happily, tone far too light and innocent for Steve’s liking.
“You’re going to pack a bag, then we’re getting on a plane and then we’re going to fly you to that cabin in the woods you seem to be so fond of,” Tony announced, the elevator dinging as it came to a stop at Steve’s floor. “Even if I think it’s a ridiculous idea and you’d better stay out of the basement, I’m telling you, Steve-all the creepy shit happens in the basement-“ He warned.
Steve stayed rooted to his spot in the elevator as Tony breezed past him and into his living room. When Tony continued to ramble on and walk away from him only to realize a minute or two later that Steve wasn’t following him, did he turn around and come back to find Steve exactly where he’d left them.
“What’s the hold up, Spangles?”
Steve blinked in confusion. “I-I can’t just leave, Tony. It’s not that simple-“
“Sure it is!” Tony exclaimed, gesturing widely with his hands for no particular reason.
Steve squinted at him and was then forced to exit the elevator when the doors started to close, Jarvis trying to push him along. “But what about the Team-?“ He attempted to reason.
“We’ll be just fine without you for a couple of weeks or months or however long you decide you want to go away for,” Tony assured him, reaching out and laying a reassuring hand against the blond’s shoulder.
Steve swallowed hard, looking into his friends earnest face as the genius simply smiled at him, eyes slightly crinkled in that endearing way of his and Steve just…
He took off, heading towards his bedroom as if he were a man on a mission.
Tony’s brows furrowed in confusion and he rushed after Steve, wondering what he’d said that had upset him enough to start practically running through his apartment. When he caught up to him in his bedroom, however, Tony realized he’d been mistaken. Steve wasn’t upset, he was impatient.
Tony watched in surprise as Steve dropped onto his knees beside his bed and pulled out a partially open go-bag, the thing sparsely loaded, but he did catch sight of one of his suits peeking out from the zipper. The blond shoved a few things from his nightstand and then his bookshelf and chest of drawers inside and with one last pass around the room and into the bathroom, he seemed to have all he needed.
Once they both stood in the living room, Steve scooping up a small book from the coffee table and then shoving his feet in a pair of shoes, Tony watching avidly from his spot by the elevator door, did Steve finally stop and take one more look around the place before grabbing his shield that had been hanging on the wall next to the elevator. His gaze was quickly turning on Tony, the genius startling a bit as he realized Steve was apparently ready.
“Alright then-“ Tony said easily, trying not to show his surprise that his friend was really so quick as to have half a bag packed…in case of emergencies, Tony’s brain insisted. “Off we go.”
Steve didn’t say anything more, merely nodded, readjusting his grip on the shield and followed his friend into the elevator. He wondered if he could sleep on the plane…
Glancing to his side where Tony seemed to be tapping quickly about on his phone, he wasn’t sure he would be granted that sort of peace and quiet with the genius’ manic energy strapped into the seat next to him. He let out a little huff of a breath at the thought and Tony’s gaze slipped to him.
“Was just ordering you groceries-“ Tony admitted and then squinted at the screen as Jarvis pulled up some suggestions containing art supplies and a few other niceties…and then selected all of them.
“That’s-“ Steve stared quietly and then cleared his throat as the elevator arrived at the garage. “Thank you-“ He breathed. “Thanks, Tony.”
Tony had just stepped out of the elevator when he’d heard those soft words at his back. He smiled to himself, shrugging one shoulder and trying to play it off. “Don’t worry about it, Steve. C’mon, wheels up in 40 and driving in rush hour is going to be a bitch.”
Steve huffed a soft laugh, not doubting for a second that they’d make it. Somehow Steve was sure they weren’t flying via commercial jet.