Imagine If You Assembled the Avengers: Volume 1

Shhhh... (Steve Rogers x reader)

In the midst of the mission, you were hit with a wave of nausea. It was so unrelenting that you stumbled away from the battle zone, hiding yourself behind a small grove of trees. Ok, ok, just breathe slowly, think of something else. It seemed that you were only making it worse.

"Has anyone seen (Y/N)?"

Steve's voice was so loud in your earpiece that you ripped it out, throwing it aside. Leaning back against the tree, you squeezed your eyes shut and pressed against your temples as the pain began. Your head felt like it was being crushed. Of all the hits and battle wounds that you had endured as an Avenger, this topped them all. As the pain grew the nausea only worsened. Tears began to stream down your face, against your will, but you didn't care to try to stop them.

"(Y/N), come in!"

Struggling to put your comm back in, the nausea was finally winning its own battle. "Cap, I'm behind-"

Oh, that's not a good look.

Hoping that you didn't completely disgust your teammates, you pulled your earpiece away quickly to cover what was happening. Thankfully, you felt a little better afterwards, but the pain in your head was a constant.

Breathing quickly, you gathered yourself as best as you could. "Cap, I'm behind the grove to your North. I'm not feeling so good. I'm sorry. I need to get outta here."

"(Y/N), hold tight. I'm on my way to you now."

~~~

Steve brought you back to the jet as the team completed their assigned tasks and ended the mission. You couldn't help but feel guilty for not only pulling away from battle yourself, but also taking the Captain out as well. Pulling off the outer layer of your uniform, the cool air felt good against your skin. Steve grabbed a cold pack from the first aid kit, resting it on your forehead as you lay down on a small cot.

"What else can I do?" He sat next to you, waiting for the rest of the team to arrive.

Your eyes had been shut since you got back to the jet, the light burning your eyes and making your head throb even more. "Any chance we can kill some lights?" You opened one eye slightly to look at him. "And maybe talk really, really quietly?"

Steve fulfilled your requests and met the team before they boarded. It was easily the quietest flight back that you had ever been on, even allowing you for a few minutes of sleep.

~~~

"Well, (Y/N), your scans all look normal. Brain MRI and head CT don't show any bleeding or signs of stroke, no tumors...yeah, it all looks fine to me. I think what you have here is a classic migraine. All of the symptoms you've describe match that perfectly; nausea, pain, sound sensitivity and photophobia." The doctor set down your chart and pulled a book from her pocket. "I can prescribe medications to take at the start of an attack, but I would also like to put you on something preventative since you are concerned that this occurred in the middle of a mission."

Nodding your head, you agreed. "Yes, please. I can't have this affect the team or my part in the job. Dropping out like I did could have put them at risk, and that's the last thing I want to happen."

Steve had accompanied you to your evaluation in the infirmary. Standing behind you, he put his hand on your shoulder. "Hey, it's not your fault. We were okay, just worried about where you were. Now that you know what happened, you can manage it, and we'll try to help."

"Thanks, Cap."

He quietly laughed, taking your hand and helping you down from the exam table. "I think that after I've had to help you clean the vomit from your hair and change into this lovely hospital gown, you can call me Steve."

~~~

The new medications made you extremely tired. The headache was finally gone, but the fatigue lasted for days as your body adjusted to the new regimen. Steve was kind enough to allow you a break from missions away from the tower, but you had insisted on helping with intel, so Maria took your place as you worked from her office. Doing nothing just wasn't your style.

Every day since your first attack, Steve had made it his duty to check on you when you woke each morning. "Are you sure you don't want to head out with me? Maybe get some fresh air?"

"Tell you what," you yawned as you prepared your breakfast, "it feels too early for fresh air right now, but come find me when you get back. I think I've finally got a handle on this 'always tired' business."

When he returned several hours later, he was holding a bag full of books. He had been out looking for education on migraines so that you could work on finding what triggered your headaches and how you could do more to avoid them.

"Wow, Steve. You've really taken an interest in this, haven't you?"

Shrugging his shoulders, he began sorting the books on the table in front of you. "I grew up with all kinds of sicknesses. My mom was a nurse- have I ever told you that? Anyway, I would hear her stories when she would come home from a long shift, and believe me, I heard things from my own doc often enough. I took an interest in this kind of stuff." He put a hand up, apologetically. "That's not to say that I'm helping just because I want to learn! I really want to help!"

"Never once crossed my mind."

"Oh! Here, I have one more thing for you!" He rummaged around in the bottom of the bag, pulling out a small box. "I read that you should have one of these, in case you have trouble when you're alone. I couldn't find one that looked very nice, they were all just so plain, so I had this put together for you."

You watched him open the box, a quizzical look on your face.

"Oh, Cap, you didn't need to do this!" It was a delicate bracelet with a silver heart. On one side was an embossed red cross, the other engraved with the words 'chronic migraine'. "It's very thoughtful, thank you."

"Ah, it was nothin'. Now," he sat next to you, eagerly grabbing the first book. "let's figure this out once and for all."