When Steve heard JARVIS warn Tony over the comms, he was shocked to learn that Tony was a father. He seemed too immature to have a kid. But, as soon as he saw Tony rush to the tower to come to your rescue, he understood that his immaturity did not apply to being a parent. And when Tony entered that wormhole, believing that he would die, all Steve could think about was if you'd be okay after the death of your father.

And, it was after they saved Tony, and went to collect Loki that Steve finally saw you. You laid on the floor, looking uninjured but still completely unresponsive like the last time Tony had checked, and all Steve could think about was if Tony would be okay after the death of his child.

"I have to get them to the infirmary. Deal with the God without me," Tony said from your side.

"Tony, no," Steve said when he saw him try and pick you up. "You almost died, just step back okay? I'll carry them."

Tony nodded at the statement, finally allowing himself to feel the soreness of his own injuries.

When Steve picked you up, he saw your eyes flutter open for a second, and the light shining off your eyes made his heart stop. He couldn't comprehend the beauty contained in your eyes. Then your eyes closed, and instead intense worry filled his heart. God, he hoped you would be okay.

★⍟★⍟★

You wake up a couple days later, the blonde man sitting at your bedside. He was staring intently at a book, his forehead creased in what you assume is worry. Worry that you're unsure was caused by his book, or by you. You look around the room more. You see a window overlooking the destroyed city, a bedside table, but not Tony.

"Where's my dad," you croak, worrying that if he wasn't here that he was dead. The last time you saw him was on the news and then Loki—Oh, right. Loki showed up and you almost died, you think. Your dad would be here right? He would be sitting at your bedside, agonizing over every minute you laid unresponsive. So, where the hell was he?

"Oh thank god, we were worried you wouldn't-"

"Where the fuck is my dad?" you say to the man who you finally recognize as Steve Rogers, Captain America and the man your dad has always despised. Your dad had told you how his father had always compared him to Steve, how he used Steve as an example for how he should be. A mark your dad never quite reached.

Steve sighs. "He's locked himself in his lab for the last few days. He couldn't bear to look at you like this. I tried to get him to stay but he just...he refused. I can go grab him for you."

"Please," you nod. You need to see your dad, you need to know he's okay and alive. Part of you won't believe it until you see him, breathing and making sarcastic comments.

Steve gives you a small nod and places a mark in his book, setting it down, before standing up and exiting the room. Soon after, your dad rushes into the room and crushing you in a hug, just like he did when he came back from Afghanistan, and just like he did every other time he took a risk with his life. Except this time it wasn't a "Hey, I'm here, I'm okay, I love you, and I'm sorry for making you worried" it's a "I love you, kid. Don't scare me like that again".

"I was so worried, Y/n. I thought Loki hurt you really bad," he says, and you can tell he's choked up.

"I thought you died," you reply, your own voice choked as your eyes fill with burning tears. "When you weren't here I-"

He rubs your back. "I know kid, I'm sorry I should have been here. I just couldn't- I thought I was never going to see you again, and I felt like it might have been my fault. And you were laying in this goddamn bed and you've never looked so small, and it scared me."

"Dad, it was Loki's fault, not yours," you assure, pulling away from the hug to look at his face.

"But if I had made the tower more secure-"

"Hey, hey, hey, I was on the 80th floor, there had never been a reason to make it more secure. I'm alive, and that's thanks to you and your friends," you say.

Tony sits down in the chair Steve had just been in. He nods, and then you can see his face scrunch and he rubs his hand over his mouth. "I almost- You were almost alone, and that would have been my fault," he says, his voice breaking as his eyes fill with tears. "I can't believe I didn't think about you when I made the choice to be so reckless. I'm trying to be a good dad; I'm trying to make up for being an idiot for so long, but god, sometimes I forget that I'm a father. I'm so sorry."

You didn't know what he was referring to, but you grab his hand and squeeze anyways. "You were thinking of the world. It's okay. I'm here, you're here. What you risked wasn't for nothing, okay?" He nods. "I would make you some coffee, but I don't know if I'm allowed to leave this bed."

Tony laughs, the sound slightly choked and pained, and he wipes his tears with his free hand. "I'll go check with Cho," he says, getting up. "Love you, kid."

"Love you too, dad," you smile. As soon as he was out of the room, you call to JARVIS, "Hey JARV? Can you tell Steve to come back here?"

"Of course, Y/n," he replies.

Steve returns soon, his expression bashful.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Thank you, for waiting for me to wake up, and well, for saving the world," you nod, sitting up against the pillows.

"Yeah, of course. It was the right thing to do, and if I wasn't going to help, who would?" Steve replies, scratching the back of his neck with his hand as he leans on the door frame.

"You really are quite the hero everyone says you are," you say, giving him a small smile before sighing. "Look, I really hate asking this, but, my dad mentioned something about being reckless. Would you please tell me what he did?"

"I don't know if that's my place to say," he says, his posture stiffening slightly.

"Mr. Rogers-"

"Steve."

"Steve, I can't support him if I don't know what happened," you say. "You don't know him. He pretends to be above the world, independent, but he needs someone to be there to tell him he's being stupid or else he will spiral. Now, I've spent a good portion of my life doing that, and I'm going to continue to, but I can't say vaguely placating statements. I need to know what's bugging him so I can give him real answers that he'll believe. What did he do, please?"

Your words make Steve's chest tighten. Tony was so different from the man Howard was, but you were right. He doesn't know your dad, and that's something he's learning more every day. He had been ignorant and made the assumption that because he knew Howard, he would know Tony, but that's not true.

"Tony saved the world. We all did, but without your dad...it would have meant nothing. He was the real hero. A nuclear missile was sent to hit Manhattan, and your dad...he guided it into the wormhole the aliens were coming from. The portal was closing and it almost trapped him, but he made it out, unconscious but alive," Steve answers, his voice deeper than before.

You feel your throat tighten and your nose burn, but you nod in response. "Okay."

This was different than everything else your dad had done. This was big, and the margin by which he lived was...slim. Too slim for your liking, and that was more painful than anything that had ever scared you before.

The room fills with silence as you process what he said. Steve opens his mouth to say something, closes it, but ultimately speaks.

"I didn't know Tony had a kid. He didn't mention it when we met."

"Yeah. Most people don't, and he doesn't really advertise it... Do you-"

"Oh god no. I'm too young, plus, the only two people I fell in love with are long gone," Steve quickly answers.

"I'm sorry, I can't imagine how scary your life is right now," you frown. "If you need anything, I will gladly try to help."

"Don't worry about me, I'm getting used to it," He shrugs, with a small smile. "To be completely frank, the oddest thing is knowing Howard's son, who's...technically older than me. I used to go to parties with Howard, and now his son is twice my age."

You laugh. "Oh my god, I didn't realize that. You're like what? 28?"

"Yeah," he smiles, "I-"

"You're free to go, kid," Tony says walking in and clapping his hands once. "And I already made a pot of coffee because you're still recovering, my sweet young child. Cho said there's a pile of clothes in the beside table. Don't know what it is, but I hope it's fashionable. Now, change, quickly, I have *big* news," he smiles.

"That doesn't bode well," you say.

"Oh, it never does, does it?" Tony replies. "Hurry up and change, then meet me and blondie over here in the living room."

You watch Steve grimace slightly at the nickname, but he doesn't have a chance to protest because your dad pulls him out of the room, closing the door behind them. Well, this should be interesting.

-

a/n: was cho a character at this point in the movies? no. have i established bruce as a character yet? also no.
no doctor bruce yet :[