Title: Don't Listen to them
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Rating: Mature
Character/s: Steve Rogers, Tony Stark
Pairing/s: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Length: 1160 words
Warnings: Swearing, Self-Esteem issues,
Major Tags: Hurt/Comfort,
Author notes: Also for my STB Bingo prompt "Leave Me Alone"
Summary: A reporter managed to get under Steve's skin during an interview. Everything went down hill from there. But Tony is there to pick up the broken pieces of Steve.

~ + ~

The door swings closed with a loud slam. Steve doesn’t care if the hinges were broken or whatever other damage he may have caused. He strides over to the bed with several long strides and throws himself atop of the covers.

He grabs one of the pillows and wraps himself around it, screaming into it.

Steve tries to take several deep breaths but they only turn into sobs.

Frustrated, he slams his fist into the mattress. Something within the bed, or perhaps below it, breaks under his fist. It only makes him feel worse.

There is a knock at the door.

"no...," Steve groans. "No. NO, NO!" He didn't want to see anyone. He'd had enough.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" he shouts.

"Please," he whispers. "leave me alone."

Steve's words go unheeded. The door opens with a creak and footsteps approach softly.

He buries himself deeper into his pillow, clutching it tighter to his chest.

"Steve..." Tony's voice is soft and sorry.

"Please go away, Tony," he mumbles. Too tired to shout, or to cause a fuss. Steve just lays there and lets his tears roll down his cheeks.

The bed dips beside him, only making his tears fall faster.

He just wanted to be left alone.

Why couldn't he be left alone?

Why did everyone have to dig and poke and push? Claw at him, pulling at his armour so they could take all he had and leave nothing left for himself? When will he have given the world enough of himself? Why was he never enough? The world kept asking and asking of him, expecting more, but... he didn't know if there was much more to give.

"I'm sorry about that, Steve," Tony says, "I didn't know how she got past the vetting and all the security checks."

The reporter's words echo through his mind, stuck on repeat.

"What if she's right?" he mumbles into his pillow, his chest feeling hollow and empty. "Tony. What if that's what everyone thinks?"

"Steve..." Tony sighs, wrapping his arms around Steve's waist. "Don't. Don't listen to a word she said."

Steve draws in a shaky breath, "but, what if she was right?" he whispers, voice breaking.

"She doesn't know what she was talking about, Steve."

He laughs, the sound twisted and bitter. "No. I think she was right, Tony."

Tony tenses behind him.

"I mean, who do I think I'm fooling? I'm hopelessly out of touch. I-I don't know the current trends. I don't know the music people listen to. I don't get the cultural references. Hell, Tony, I'm still playing catch-up with the world's history since I'd been gone. With all the Avengers call-outs and the humanitarian events that we attend I'll never catch up. I'll forever be trying to catch up. I'll always be five steps behind. The team constantly points out how I dress like- like an old man, yet to me, I don't see it. To me, I look like any other guy. But to everyone else, I look like their fucking grandfather. I'm almost thirty, Tony! New technology comes out all the time, and not even just from Stark-Industries. I feel like I'm always out of breath, racing to catch up... and there's just... no end in sight."

"How could I ever think I could be Captain America in this world... if I hardly know it or it's people," he says, his voice rising.

"Whenever I think I know something, that I understand something, the rug is, again, pulled out from under me. I'm exhausted and... and scared. Scared of what will happen when I finally trip up and stumble, when I finally mess up. The press are going to have a damn field day, dragging me through the mud. And it won't just be me, Tony. God. They'll drag you too, and the rest of the Avengers. We worked so hard to get here. So fucking hard. And it's just going to come crashing down. Because- because if 'Captain Bloody America' can fuck up, when he meant to be so fucking 'perfect', then what about the rest of the Avengers? And what then, Tony? When the world turns its back on us? Shuns us? What will happen to us then? A bunch of outcasts and freaks, some of us former criminals. What will happen then? Will they turn on us, after everything?"

"Tony... I can't." He takes a shuddering breath. "I can't. I'm just a guy. I can't...I'll-I'll fail. There's no way on Earth I can be their 'Captain America' they had built up while I was in the ice. I-I'm not... 'him'. I can't be."

His tears were coming hard and fast. He could hardly breathe.

Steve opens his mouth to say something else, but all that came out was a heartbroken wail.

He bites down hard onto his pillow, trying to keep himself quiet. But it made little difference. Shame sits heavy in his gut, warring with the hurt and fear.

Tony lets him go, pulling away.

Steve squeezes his eyes shut and whines.

He could feel his heart breaking. Like cold acid was leaking out from his heart, spilling out into his belly, burning away painfully. He pulls himself tighter around his pillow, crushing it between his chest and knees. Steve gives up on biting the pillow. It was obviously not doing anything to muffle his sobs. He bites down hard on his lip, hard enough to draw blood, and just cries.

A blanket warm and heavy is draped over him making him flinch. He opens his eyes and looks over his shoulder, confused.

Tony slides underneath the blanket beside him. "Steve, come here," the man says, opening his arms invitingly.

"Tony?" he whispers, unsure.

Tony grabs his shoulder firmly and tugs. Steve lets go of his pillow and rolls over into Tony's arms, tucking his head into the man's shoulder.

"Steve," Tony says, voice rough and shaking. "That's not going to happen. You are a good man. I know you. The world knows you. You put your whole heart into everything you do, and it's obvious to see. You try your damn best every day. So, don't you dare think that you're not enough," he says, tucking the blanket tight around Steve. "Because you are. You are more than enough, Steve. I don't think I know someone who gives as much of themselves as you do to help the world, ...And we're part of one big team of superheroes, so, that's saying something... Right?... Steve. Don't listen to her. I don't know what her problem with you was, but she couldn't be more wrong. Okay?"

Steve nods against Tony's shoulder, fisting his hands up in the blanket. "Okay," he whispers.

"You are the greatest man I know, Steve," Tony says. "I love you,"

Steve takes in a deep breath and shuts his eyes. He lets go of his hold of the blanket to wrap his arms around Tony. "Love you too, Tony,"