Tony Stark wasn't used to being told no. It would happen from time to time, of course, but it made it no less tolerable with each time; in fact, this time was quickly becoming his final straw as he stared back at the Emergency Room receptionist like she was an alien with three heads, speaking in a language that he couldn't quite understand. "Do you know who I am?"

"Yes, you're Tony Stark. It says that right here on your registration paperwork, sir."

"I'm Iron Man."

"Well, sir, as impressive as that may be to some, it won't change the fact that you have to wait for your turn just like everyone else here."

"I don't want a turn, and I sure as hell am not like everyone else," he snapped back, rubbing a frustrated hand through his hair. "I just need to see (Y/N) (Y/L/N)."

"I've told you, Mr. Stark, we have no one here by that name."

You stood just around the corner from the front desk where he was standing, trying to control the pounding of your heart as if he could have actually heard it carried in the space between you. Phil had reassured you that there was no way for the team to find you here, but your eyes and ears weren't lying; you snapped a quick picture of your now former teammate and sent it to him, groaning quietly when his only reply was a string of expletives and a few choice names for Nick.

You had completely changed your hair color and style for this, going so far as to allow Coulson's two awkwardly brilliant scientists change the color of your eyes to make the transformation more striking to throw anyone off if they were looking for you. Nick had given you a reassurance that your disguise was sound, but he had also said that the team would never find you, so his word was now crap. Taking a deep breath and setting your bag on a nearby desk, you hurried to put on your white lab coat and shook away your nerves, deciding that now was as good of a time as any to test this out, and that Tony would be the ultimate subject to see if this would pass or fail.

"I can see you," you greeted with an uncertain voice, feeling the sudden urge to sprint in the opposite direction when his eyes met yours. "I may not be who you're looking for, but I'm pretty good at stitches if you want me to fix up that hand."

"I thought...I thought I had to wait..." he stammered, his mouth dropping open at the sight of you, "I had to wait my turn."

"I can make an exception for Iron Man."

"Right," he agreed, doing his best to smile politely, "that would be great, thanks." Tony nodded for you to lead the way to one of the exam rooms, readily following your steps close behind as he studied everything about you, right down to your most subtle movements as you walked. He was still convinced that you were who he thought you were, and it was going to take a hell of a lot more than just a new hair style and eye color to change his mind. He didn't drive here all the way from New York just to willingly slice his hand open for the wrong person; he was certain that it was you.

"Have a seat," you pointed to one of the gurneys, slipping on your examination gloves while he got as comfortable as possible. "Now, Mr. Stark-"

"Tony."

"Mr. Stark," you insisted, "what did you do to your hand?"

"I slipped on some ice."

"And it made this extremely clean cut across your palm? That seems rather strange."

"I thought the patient was always right?" he smirked, holding his hand out for you to take. When you took it in yours, even with the barrier over your skin, you felt the clamminess of his nerves coating it. He pulled it away as quickly as he could once you were done looking at it, averting his eyes from giving away the fear that was building up within him. The last thing that he wanted to do now was to make you run, so soon after he had finally found you. "I thought you were someone else. Could you let your co-workers know that I'm sorry that I was so pushy?"

"It's okay. I think I have a common look about me or something, because I get that a lot," you lied. "Besides, it's my first day, so they barely even know that I exist."

"Hmm, I suppose that could be it. This person...she's a friend...a family member, that I lost a few months ago. But...I feel it in my gut that she's still alive. I know she's still alive," he said, his voice fading slightly, "and I'm not about to give up until I find her. Things at home...they're not good, and I could really use her on my side. I'm feeling a bit ostracized and anxious and she always had a way of calming me down." Tony stopped when he felt you staring at him, looking up from the wound on his hand and into your eyes, feeling immediately uncomfortable at the information he had so readily given when the expression you returned was hurting him to see. "I'm sorry...that's not really your concern...I'll shut up now."

"What's happening at home?" you asked in a whisper, your grip on his hand tightening until he let out a wince. "Oh! I'm sorry! I was just...I was thinking about what you were saying. I'm sorry. I think I just threw that do no harm oath right out the window."

"It's okay, I'm fine," he dismissed quickly. "It's just one of those things that families do," he sighed, "one side thinks they're right while the other thinks that they have all the answers. Stuff like that. I'm sure it will all work itself out once Steve...you know what, never mind, I'm rambling again. It's good." Tony stopped and waited to say more, watching you remove your gloves to wash your hands and get a sterile pair, preparing to suture the self-inflicted wound closed and then to send him on his way back without you. When you dropped one of the gloves on the table next to him, you both reached for it and bumped to make skin-to-skin contact for the first time; his wound suddenly and completely healed, much to his excitement.

"I knew it!"

"Son of a bitch," you hissed, pulling back, "that wasn't supposed to happen!"

"(Y/N), you're alive," he smiled widely, jumping up from the table to wrap his arms around you, but you recoiled back and took a few steps away. "Sweetheart, you can come home. We won't let this happen again, I promise you. You didn't have to run."

"I didn't run. I was sent away," you clarified angrily and holding a hand up to stop him, "and if I go back, they'll just send me away again, so you really need to leave and forget that you ever saw me, Tony."

"You were sent away?" he sneered, growing more incensed by the second. "You were sent away without so much as asking us what we thought about it? Was it Fury? Did he order you to leave? That bastard has no right-"

"Tony, just go, please. Really, it's for the best. I'll be fine here. Once I can feel my feet again in this damn cold, that is..."

Tony all but ignored your pleas and quickly pulled his phone from his pocket and began rapidly typing in a number that made you cringe. This entire plan was falling apart faster than it had come together, and you were barely an hour into this new life before you were about to say goodbye to it. "Fury...no, don't cut me off...no you listen to me...you're damn right I found her, who the hell do you think I am...this is my team...Steve can kiss my ass...right, he cares so much that he's out here looking for her too...no, you keep your hands off of her..."

"I'm just gonna go..." you muttered, pointing towards the door with the hopes that you could just shuffle your way past him, but that was likely the dumbest idea that you had come up with in some time. When he turned to face you, his hand gripped your arm with a sharp pinch, and he looked at you with a rage in his eyes like you had never seen from him before. It wasn't anger directed at you, but you felt smaller in his presence nonetheless. His grip had barely taken its hold when the door to the exam room opened, and a small group entered to stand around you to keep you both in place.

"Tony, please, let go of (Y/N)," Maria ordered gently, though her expression was stern. "I'm going to have to ask you to step away, and stay out of this. It's for her safety, that's all."

"I can't keep her safe?" he argued, his phone still held to his ear. "You all think you can do so much better when it took barely any effort for me to find her here?"

"We've learned from that, and next time we'll be sure that you'll have no way to know."

"Like hell you will."

"Tony, I'm not worth all of this. Don't get into trouble with them because of me. It's okay," you urged, shaking his hand away and taking a step towards Maria. "Just go home. Make things right there, whatever it is that's happening. Keep the team together, and just focus on that."

"The team isn't together unless you're there too, (Y/N), don't you get that?" Tony took a step towards you, and when one of Maria's guards moved forward to stop him, he gave the man a glare that made it very clear that even without his suit around him, he was a force to be reckoned with. The guard stopped and held back, but Tony only pushed even closer. "I need you to come with me, (Y/N), please. I'm losing everyone and I...I don't want you to be one of them."

Maria finally had heard enough, taking your arm and pulling you to her with a sharp yank that tipped you off balance and stumbling into her, but she held firm. "Sorry, Tony, but this goes higher than me. I can't let you take her with you. You're gonna have to talk to Fury on this one." The group turned and began to leave, Maria keeping her grip on you as she followed behind them. You turned to look at your friend one last time, knowing that it could be the final sight of him that you would ever have, and the sadness in him hurt you deep into your chest until the crushing pain forced you to look away.

"(Y/N)," he called out to you one last time, "you're worth more. Fury hasn't heard the last of me, I promise you that. I haven't even gotten started."