War of Faiths (Stony/Tony Stark/Steve Rogers FF) #completed

14. Strange Encounters

I just hope I don't kill your interest by uploading quick? I don't know. When I read, I like it when the writer uploads quick. Do tell me if the uploads are way too frequent?! I'm sorry, I'm just confused. I want you people to enjoy the reading experience.

Read on!

Steve stood there, confused to see all the mess, and John and Tony sitting amidst it.

John looked back at him, his face solemn. He wasn't expecting him to barge in on them, but even for once, he didn't lose his composure. He quietly looked back at Tony, then at all of the mess and then again at Steve. He quietly got up and left, leaving a panic-struck Tony behind, not feeling the need to explain anything to Steve.

Steve could not understand anything. He just saw John Watson leaving after collecting his coat while he saw Tony sitting, in an unusual state.

He slowly stepped ahead. On getting closer, he realised that Tony was hurt. The side of his forehead was bruised, corner of his lips bled and his eyes glistened with tears.

It seemed Tony didn't even realise John's departure and Steve's presence.

The floor was a mess with broken glass, food, and certain other things scattered on the floor. But Tony's condition was far more worse. He looked traumatized.

"You alright, Mr Stark?!" Steve softly asked, but didn't get any response. Tony sat there petrifed with his knees tucked in.

No matter how carefully Steve walked, he stepped on broken glass, scattered food, coffee, and few other things that Steve couldn't recognise. Every step Steve took was on broken bits of things.

Finally somehow how he managed to reach Tony, and went down on his toes.

"Mr. Stark?" He softly spoke, his voice full of concern. Tony didn't look good, his eyes wide and frozen looking at particularly nothing.

Steve placed his hand on Tony's shoulder, only to make him jump in fear. Tony now looked Steve in the eyes. He like woke up from a bad dream, his eyes still wide, his condition still sort of delirious.

"What happened, Mr. Stark?" Steve was now concerned, his blue eyes sadly looked at the bruised face of Tony Stark.

Tony couldn't speak at first, but then he looked around with a panic-struck face.

"I... I'll... I'll clean it... This... I'm..." He started panicking, and picking stuff with his hands.

He made no sense to Steve. Tony started picking broken glasses, and whatever he laid his eyes on while still being gripped by fear that Steve didn't understand.

"Mr. Stark leave it... Mr. Stark you'll hurt yourself... Leave it, Mr. Stark!" Steve tried calming Tony but words like did not reach Tony.

"Tony!" Steve held Tony by his shoulders and almost yelled, making Tony stop.

Tony stopped, looking at Steve.

"It's alright, Tony." Steve softly spoke. A tear silently left Tony's eyes.

"Leave it?" Steve requested, not sure if Tony would do it.

But to his surprise, Tony left whatever he held in his hands making Steve smile.

"I'll now help you get up, okay?" Steve's voice a gentle as it could be.

Tony looked at Steve innocently, not showing any signs of understanding. Steve sighed to himself. Dried tears on his cheek, his hair messy, bruises on his face and Steve was sure the blood on Tony's forearm was his own.

Somehow he managed to help Tony up and into his room. By the time they got to his room, Tony was slowly getting to his senses but remained quiet.

Steve carefully pulled small shards out of Tony's arm and hands, while trying his best not to puke. A few times he did feel something in his throat, but didn't let anything come out. He cleaned the blood with cotton.

Tony didn't utter a word. He just sat still. Not looking at Steve, not wincing. He just remained quiet.

"You need to wash yourself. Will you be able to do it on your own, Tony?" Steve tried speaking slowly, keeping Tony's condition in mind.

"I... I think I'll manage..." Tony's voice was very small.

He somehow limped to the washroom, but on his way lost his balance and was about to fall when Steve quickly grabbed him.

Tony was surprised.

"I'm... I'm okay..." Tony removed Steve's hand from his waist and entered the bathroom.

"Don't close the door..." His word made Tony raise an eyebrow.

"Please... If anything happens, I'll have to break the door." Steve finished.

Tony still limped. His hands were slashed in places. He looked totally confused inside that small space of bathroom which Steve noticed.

"I'll... I can help you." And then Steve hesitantly entered the bathroom. Tony too looked hesitant but he didn't stop Steve.

Steve helped Tony enter the bathtub. And everything went extra slow the moment Steve helped Tony remove his t-shirt.

Apart from a tiny bruise on the side of the belly, Tony's body was a god-like sculpture. Steve couldn't help himself looking at the finest thing he had ever seen.

Steve quickly turned around when noticed Tony looking back at him.

"I'll just sit here... On the floor. I promise I won't look. My eyes are closed too"

And Steve sat there, with his back towards Tony while Tony looked back at him. He was confused, but more than that tired. He let him sit there.

His left leg pained, with difficulty he got rid of his pants and started the shower, and let the warm water sooth him.

Water worked like magic. Tony was slowly coming back to his senses.

"You can call me... When you are done." Steve again spoke, making Tony look at him again.

He slowly sat in the bathtub, his eyes locked on the back of his bodyguard.

"Won't you ask questions?" Tony slowly spoke, looking at a small cut on his palm.

His question confused Steve.

"About what?" He genuinely sounded confused.

A small chuckle left Tony's lips.

"You can go... I'm fine now."

"You sure?" Steve asked.

"Mhm!" Tony didn't feel like talking.

Then he saw Steve getting up and leaving the bathroom without even once looking back.

After what seemed like quite a while, Tony got out, wrapped in his bathrobe but he froze when saw his bodyguard passed out on his bed.

I just wanted to keep this wordless exchange between Tony and Steve as real as possible. Hope you enjoyed it.