HELLO, MY LOVES, I MISSED YOU. SORRY FOR MY DELAY, BUT I'VE BEEN VERY BUSY DOING HOME OFFICE AND REPAINTING MY HOUSE, BUT I PROMISE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE IN REALLY SOON ! LOVE YOU ALL, THANKS FOR ALL THE LOVE AND FOR NOT GIVING UP ON ME 🖤___________________________________________

Steve's POV

I woke up scared, sweaty, breathing heavily, but when I looked to the side I just stopped for a moment.

I was broken, but I was complete, the piece that was missing was by my side. He moved on the bed and turned to my side, his arms searching for me. Before he could wake up I lied down again and put my body close to his. We were both shirtless, so I could feel the warmth of his skin against mine.

His left arm reached me and he buried his face between my neck and the pillow. I felt his hand really warm on my chest and his heavy breathing against my skin, I could see with help of the blue light of his reactor that his expression was tense, probably was having trouble sleeping, like always and specially now.

I didn't say anything, I just put my free arm around him with my hand on his back then pulled him the closest I could, till his abdomen was touching mine I kissed his forehead and caressed his back with the tip of my fingers up and down till he fell asleep and then I did too.

...

Tony's POV

I woke up with the sounds of voices coming from the door, I opened my eyes and I was still a little dizzy and sleepy, when I felt Steve really close to me, I ignored everything else,just closed my eyes again and enjoyed his muscled arms around me.

"Look at them, we can't do this." - I heard someone talking again, but now it was louder.

"We need to" - I heard someone else's voice.

Now Steve was awake as well, he looked to me confused.

"Did you talk to me, babe?"

"Hey, guys" - It was Natasha.

We looked to her, Bruce was with her too.

"I'm sorry, to wake you up, Tony, you have therapy, remember?" - Bruce said a little shy.

"Oh damnit, I forgot. Go back to sleep, babe, they have to try fixing my legs" - I said and kissed Steve's lips.

I sat and removed the blanket, Bruce looked away.

"Never seen someone in underwear before?" - I laughed at his reaction.

"No way I'm going to sleep, I'm going with you" - Steve said and left the bed.

He was wearing white boxers, I always stare at him, but when is white is not fair. I realized I was staring too much cause Steve got embarrassed.

"Well, I'll give you a minute and we'll be waiting for you downstairs." - Bruce said.

"The minute is for showering, getting dressed and brushing teeth, nothing more." - Natasha sent us a bossy look.

She knew what I would love to do in a room alone with Steve,but somehow I was feeling anxious thinking about him that way, like butterflies in my stomach, this tacky expression shows how confused I am.

I was almost getting into the shower when Steve showed up behind me, his hands touched my waist to hold me,I froze.

"Babe, are you ok?" - he asked concerned.

I was feeling the crisis coming and I was fighting hard all this time to push it away.

Steve turned me around by the shoulders and shook me and that just made it worse. I got away from him and leaned on the sink to support myself and try breathing.

Flashes from that night came screaming on my head, it was like my waist and shoulders were burning now because Steve touched them.

"Oh my God, I feared this would happen"- Steve said, his voice deeply hurt and sorry. - "I can't be around you, I'm not gonna make you any good"

I fought against my own mind and body, took a deep breath and looked at him.

"Look at me, now you're gonna put me into this shower and help me get through this crisis , do you understand? " - That was the last straw of control I had.

STEVE'S POV

I was feeling my chest burning up seeing Tony like that, I pushed through like he asked me to and put him under the shower. He was crying uncontrollably, he started to scratch his own body, but I hugged him to let him hurt me instead.

He would scream desperately sometimes and cry with difficulty to breath.

"Babe, I'm right here with you, focus on me, on my voice, the water on your body, breath slowly" - I said and guided him to breath with me.

After some minutes he was better, we finished getting ready silently and got down.

"MR STARK" - we heard Peter's voice shouting coming our way.

He just hugged Tony with no hesitation, he never did that, cause he always saw Tony as  a leader figure that should be respected and keep a posture.

Tony hugged him back, I could see on his face how relieved he was for seeing the boy, Peter started crying a lot.

"Boy, tell me you didn't do anything stupid when I wasn't around!" - Tony gave him that father look

"I didn't, I swear, I just wanted you back" - the boy said wiping his tears.

"Great, now, set up your room, it must be a mess"

"You mean here? In the tower? I can come back? " - he was so excited

"Yes, if you want to and if you're aunt is ok with it" - Tony smiled and the boy gave him another hug and a peck on the cheek.

He ran home to tell his aunt and Pietro went with him.

"Well, shall we begin? I'm ready" - Tony said looking at Stephen and Bruce.

"You need to eat something first" - I said trying not to sound too bossy

"I'm fine"

"Stark, he's right, we need you strong and energized so..." - Stephen backed me up.

Tony rolled his eyes but marched to the kitchen right away.

"So, how are you feeling?" - Natasha asked him while we were eating.

Stephen and Bruce went to prepare everything while Natasha, Wanda, Thor, Clint and me stayed with Tony.

"Right now I'm feeling violated with all of you staring at me like I am some alien." - he said and sipped his coffee. - " Actually, I'm still trying to assimilate everything, feels like I'm floating out of my body sometimes, I don't know, it's like someone paused my life put me in a jar and then pressed play but you guys were living and I wasn't... Oh I missed coffee"

There was a big silence. Tony hasn't talked like this since he came back, we were all overwhelmed.

"Listen, bro, I don't understand anything you're feeling right now, but, I'm here for you, ok?" - Clint said and pressed Tony's shoulder.

"Me too, man. You can count on me" - Thor said and grabbed his other shoulder.

"Thanks, guys, it means a lot, thank you for all that you did to save me" - Tony said.

I was still feeling horrible for not being part of this plan to help him.

"Well, enough with the after school special, I'm gonna go get fixed" - He got up, took his time to stand straight.

"Tony, before I forget, Fury called already and he wants to see you, urgently" - Natasha said.

"Well, I don't want to see him, so that's a pickle. Well, what you gotta do?" - he said sarcastic, shrugged and left. He ignored my help and went by himself.

I watched him go, his legs were fine for the first steps, but then out of nowhere they would fail. I hope they could fix him, cause Tony was really upset about it, he couldn't stand losing control, specially of himself.

TONY'S POV

I got into the room and sat on the black leather armchair. Bruce and Strange were staring at me.

"What?"

"Nothing, you look delighted to be back" - Bruce said because of my expression and my ton.

"I'm stressed with this, but once you two fix me, I'll be sweet as a cupcake" - I fake smiled and Bruce rolled his eyes.

"Well, we still don't know exactly what's going on with you, cause your muscles are fine, and your other motor skills are excellent, just your legs are failing and after they respond " - Stephen looked at me then came back to the computer.

"So my response is great, my nerves are fine, is just that they are not able to maintain the stimulation to keep me standing or Walking and that's just in the below area" - I completed him, stating the obvious, completely frustrated.

"Let me ask, have you had any other stimulus in the below area already?" - Stephen asked but facing the computer screen this time.

"What?" - I was confused

"He's asking if you had a boner already." -  Bruce asked and laughed at Stephen's shyness.

"No, didn't have time yet" - I said normally, cause I understood why they were asking. - " I hope this doesn't affect this part"

Coincidentally Steve showed up exactly at that moment.

"You have the tools to test it" - Bruce said and waved his head at Steve.

"Affect what? Test what?" - He asked interested in helping.

Oh if he knew!

"Well, Tony, have you had any stress episode since yesterday? Has your PTSD manifest?" - Stephen continued.

I saw Steve was going to say yes, but I gave him a negative look and he stayed quiet.

"No, I haven't. The problem is on my legs, so please, focus on them. I know I'm able to stand for about 2 minutes before falling over and walk 1 or 1 and a half "

"Ok, we have a lot of tests to do on you and some therapies that might help you fast, but some of them can be painful and stressful, that's why he asked" - Bruce said.

"Do them, do them now" - I said confident.

Steve put his hand on my shoulder and looked at me trying to be sure.

Bruce and Stephen started to prepare the equipments.

"Honey, are you sure? You just came back and you had an episode a few moments ago, I don't know if it's the right moment" - He whispered to me 

"Steve, I'm going to do this, you can support me and hold my hand or you can leave and I'll see you later,ok?" - I said with a strict voice that scared him a bit.

"I'm not going anywhere" - he said and sat beside me on the arm of the armchair.

I put my hand on his thigh and he put his hand on mine.

I wanted to know where he was at. If he was going to be there for me or run when the worst comes.