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The Avengers sit around the communal living room, taking comfort in each other’s presence. They nurse their wounds and fill their stomachs.
Tony sighs as he leans over to grab himself another slice of pizza, his body aching and sore after the battle they had just returned from.
As he eats, Tony casts a glance over to the entryway to the living room, hoping to see Steve walk in. The spot beside him remains cold and empty as Steve’s call goes on. “You got to be fucking kidding me? What’s taking so long?” Tony grumbles. “SHIELD into gossiping about the bloody weather now?”
“Relax, Tony,” Natasha says, soothingly. “I’m sure they will be done soon.”
“Not soon enough! I just don’t see the point. They’re going to get our reports anyway, why do they need to harass Steve over it. It’s been over an hour!” Tony groans. “Furthermore, they were there, on scene, why do they need us to report when they were all there too?”
“It’s part of procedure, Tony,” Natasha says.
“Stupid fucking procedure, if you ask me” Tony grumbled, folding his arms across his chest.
“You can’t just hide Cap away and cuddle him all day,” Clint says with his mouth full of pizza.
Tony frowns at Clint’s words. “As Steve’s boyfriend, that should be perfectly acceptable,” he says.
“Steve’s our leader,” Bruce says as he helps himself to another pizza. “It’s part of his job. He’s accountable for all of us. And this mission… wasn’t quite our usual shining success”
“No, it wasn’t” Tony sighs, leaning back into the couch. “He took some rough hits out there. He should be resting, not taking calls from SHIELD and the World Security Council, fixing all their problems for them” he says bitterly. “You saw the fall he took, he ricocheted off the ground…”
The team goes silent, all of them looking a little sick at the memory. No one goes to speak again, they quietly watch the moving playing. Tony looks over to the doorway again, anxiously picking at the bandage wrapped around his arm.
It was probably going to be a while before Steve got off that call. Tony pushes down his worry and anger, focusing instead on the movie, ignoring how cold the space beside him feels without Steve by his side. He reaches forward and grabs another slice of pizza, pointedly not looking at Steve’s untouched pile.
It wasn’t long before Steve finally was able to join them. He enters the living room with limp, looking pale and tired. The man makes a beeline to him, taking his spot beside Tony on the couch. Steve curls against him, burying his face into Tony's chest with a groan.
"Not feeling too good?" Tony asks softly, carding his fingers through Steve's dirty hair. The man’s hair was matted with dirt, blood, and little chunks of concrete and asphalt.
"No," Steve says miserably, wrapping his arms around Tony’s stomach.
Natasha gets up from the couch and fetches a blanket from the closet. She drapes it carefully over Steve’s back, making sure he was covered.
Steve mumbles out a quiet “thank you”, not raising his head from Tony’s chest.
Tony rubs his hands over Steve’s shoulders, knowing Steve’s muscles were always sore after a mission. “You want some pizza?” he asks softly.
The man shakes his hand. “No,” he says, sounding miserable.
“Something to drink?” he tries.
Steve shakes his head. The man’s arms pull tighter around Tony’s chest.
“Okay,” Tony says, his stomach twisting into knots. He wished there was something he could do to make Steve feel better. Unable to come up with anything, he settles simply for running his fingers through Steve’s hair as they watch the movie.
Steve adjusts his position so that he is curled around Tony’s side. One arm wrapped around Tony’s waist to hold him close, the other wrapped protectively around his own stomach. The man’s head rested on Tony’s chest. Steve can barely keep his eyes open but he doesn’t fall asleep, despite looking like he could happily sleep for another 70 years.
Every now and again he tries to offer Steve something but the man just shakes his head sadly.
When the movie is finished Tony helps Steve up from the couch and leads him to the penthouse.
Steve makes a beeline for the bed as soon as they make it to their bedroom. He doesn’t even bother moving aside the covers, opting instead to curl up into a tight ball on top of the comforter.
Tony’s heart twists at the sight. He curses SHIELD and the World Security Council mentally. Quietly he makes his way over to the bed. "Are you sure you don't want a shower, Steve?" Tony asks, eyeing all the blood and dirt covering Steve.
He wonders if Steve had gotten his injuries checked out. If he even had the time to. He couldn’t even be mad if Steve chosen to skip out on medical after the day he'd had in order to cuddle with him on the couch, he knows he would have done the same.
Steve shakes his head. "No." He mumbles into a pillow. "'m too tired ‘n sore"
Tony sighs and lays down on the bed next to Steve. “Okay,” he whispers, wrapping his arms around Steve, pulling the man close. He rests his head on top of Steve’s and lets his eyes close.
Tony is woken by a sharp kick to his side. He quickly rolls out of bed and turns on the light. But instead of the intruder his mind was expecting, he finds Steve tossing and turning on their bed.
“Shit” he whispers, quickly hopping back onto the bed. Tony kneels beside Steve, grabbing him firmly by the shoulders. “Steve!” he calls. “Steve! C’mon”
He brushes back Steve’s hair that has stuck itself to the man’s face.
When Steve tosses his head back with a pained cry, his back arching off the bed, Tony realised that this is not one of Steve’s nightmares. “Fuck” Tony says.
This was not meant to happen for another week. He was sure of it. JARVIS would have alerted them if it was a full moon. Tony’s heart sinks realising it was probably the stress of the past 24 hours that probably set of Steve’s transformation, hell, maybe it was just the whole rubbish week they had.
He curses himself for not seeing the signs earlier.
Tony does the best he could to soothe Steve as his body breaks and reshapes itself. He pulls Steve close.
Trembling Steve tucks himself against Tony’s side, muffling his screams into Tony’s neck. “Shhhh, baby, it’s okay. I know it sucks. It’s going to be okay. Just breathe,” he says soothingly.
The skin under his fingers grows hairier. Limbs lengthen. Bones creak and crunch sickeningly. Nails that were blunt and nicely rounded turn sharp, digging uncomfortably into Tony’s sides. Steve coughs and gags as his jaw reshapes itself and lengthens. Huge canines push through Steve’s gums spilling blood into his mouth and onto the sheets. His pained screams become more of a growl, lower and rougher, like he was gargling his own teeth.
Steve goes rigid in his arms. A long, loud howl is torn from Steve’s lips as he contorts in Tony’s grip. Then he goes limp, trembling weakly.
Tony wraps himself around Steve’s large form, holding him as he shakes. He runs his fingers through Steve’s dirty fur as best as he can, avoiding all the knots. He holds Steve close until his shakes start to subside and the cries falling from his lips quieten.
“Oh, Sweetheart. I’m so sorry,” he whispers, pressing a kiss behind Steve’s right ear.
Steve whines lowly, his ears pressed tight against his head. He rolls over within Tony’s arms and tucks his head beneath Tony’s chin.
Tony presses a kiss to the top of Steve’s large lupine head. He frowns at the dirt and blood he tastes on his lips afterwards. “How about a bath?” he asks.
Steve’s ears perk up with interest.
“Sounds good, huh?” he asks. Steve's tail beats loudly against the bedsheets. “Okay then.” He says. “JARVIS, run a bath, thanks”
“Certainly, Sir,” JARVIS responds. The sound of running water comes from the bathroom.
Steve rolls over onto his feet. He bows into a long stretch, before hopping off the bed.
Tony gets up and makes his way towards the bathroom, Steve glued to his side. Somehow they make it through the bathroom door together, Tony is thankful that he went with wide doorways when designing the Tower.
The bath is nearly full when they enter the bathroom. Softly fragrant bubbles rising from the water. Tony dips his fingers into the water, testing the temperature. It was just about right.
“Come on, get in,” He says, gesturing to the nice, warm bath.
Steve looks at him, his big blue eyes all sad. His ears flatten against his skull. Steve lowers himself to the floor with a low whine.
“Steeeeeeeeeeeeeve! C’mon” Tony groans. He kneels down by the side of the tub and puts his hand in, splashing the water around a little. “You love bath time, Capcake.”
Steve gets up off the floor and walks over to the side of the tub with a soft huff. He paws at the ground, shifting his weight across his front paws.
“What? You want help getting in?” Tony asks. Steve gives Tony a big, lupine grin, his tongue rolling out the side of his mouth. “Steve. Steeeeve. You are huge, you don’t need help getting in. The edge of the tub barely comes up to your chest. You could just about walk in.”
Steve lowers himself onto the floor again, crying loudly, hiding his face under his large paws.
“Steeeeve” Tony moans. “Please. It’s 4 in the morning”
Steve stops and gives him a look. It’s an expression he’s seen on Steve’s face so many times before. One that would normally accompany a long, drawn-out sigh.
“Yeah, yeah. Okay,” he says. “Now get into the tub.”
Instead of getting into the tub, Steve tosses his head back and howls mournfully. Steve lifts his left paw with a pained whimper, giving Tony a pleading look.
“Fine, you great big baby.” Tony says, pointing to the ground “Stay. Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be right back”
Tony walks out of the bathroom, signalling JARVIS to get his suit. He lets out a sigh as the armour assembles around him.
When Tony returns to the bathroom, Steve is on the other side of the room to the tub, grinning, his tail wagging vigorously. Tony rolls his eyes and approaches Steve. He carefully wraps his arms around Steve’s chest and hind legs, and picks him up. Steve’s tail beats against the side of the armour furiously.
Tony carries Steve over to the bath and sets him in the water gently. After he sets Steve down in the tub he steps out of the suit and set it on standby.
Steve playfully snaps at the bubbles as Tony fetches a washcloth from the sink cabinet.
“Are you going to behave?” he asks.
Steve lets a long ‘wooooo’ in agreement. Or at least Tony hopes it was agreement.
Tony drops down beside the tub, soft red cloth in hand. Steve lowers his large head into one of the large mountains of bubbles, his large, blond ears sticking up over the peaks. Steve lets out a short huff, covering Tony in bubbles.
Laying the cloth on the edge of the tub, Tony gets a large handful of bubbles and drops them onto Steve’s head, right between his ears.
A large wet paw is set on the edge of the tub, spilling water over the edge and onto the floor. Steve leans forward, pressing his nose to Tony’s. His large, wet tongue darts out to like Tony’s face.
“You’re breath stinks, Steve.” Tony laughs, leans back to avoiding Steve’s licks. “Morning breath and dog breath, all in one.”
With a huff, Steve looks away, his ears flattening back against his head.
Tony reaches over and cradles Steve’s face in his hands, running his thumbs over his furry cheeks. “Don’t pout, sweetheart, you know I love you,” he says.
Steve gives Tony’s nose one small lick before pulling back from Tony’s embrace. He pads over to the other side of the tub, sniffing all the items on the hanging shelf. Steve grabs the rubber duck from the bottom shelf before returning to Tony, giving him a proud smile around the duck.
Tony takes the duck and puts it on Steve’s head, amongst the bubbles. Steve gives him a huge open mouth grin.
He leans forward with a soft laugh and plants a kiss on Steve’s big, wet nose.
Tony sets about getting Steve clean. He works the soap deep into Steve’s thick fur and Steve becomes putty in his hands. He rests his large, lupin head on the edge of the tub, his eyes slipping shut, giving Tony soft, happy rumbles that sound almost like a purr.
Time begins to blur together as Tony works, he honestly wouldn’t be able to tell anyone how much time had passed.
When Steve’s fur was clean and all the soap had been rinsed off Tony tosses the washcloth at the sink. “Feeling better?” he asks.
Steve gives him a big, happy smile.
“Ready to go to bed?” Tony asks, tapping the edge of the tub.
Steve stands up with a wide yawn, stretching. He puts his paws up on the edge of the tub. He looks up at Tony, giving him a cheeky look, his shoulders tense and ready.
Tony points a finger at Steve, giving him a stern frown. “If you shake that water off, you won’t even be sleeping on the couch” he warns. With that said, Tony turns around and call the armour over.
Steve lets out a huff. He lines himself up for Tony at the edge of the tub to be picked up.
After Steve had dried off, they curl up under the covers and fall asleep. Dreaming soft and happy dreams.
