⚠️TW: minor drug addiction without it really being an addiction⚠️

The pain came and went.
Some days it was alright, just a slight ache, ie. nothing to worry about. He was used to it.

Unfortunately he was used to the bad days as well, though he needed a little something to help. And no it's not what you're thinking, it wasn't recreational drugs. It was actually a small orange bottle of prescription drugs. It was Ultram, or more scientifically tramadol. A drug used to treat and manage pain.

He wasn't addicted, he wouldn't admit to that because in actuality it wasn't true. He was simply dependent on the drug on certain occasions. Never taking it more than once a day, and rarely more than once a week. He hated the drowsiness that always accompanied the pain relief. So most of the time he'd try and power through the flame licking his heart. Only turning to the medication when he could hardly breathe.

No one else knew, besides pepper of course. Oh and Rhodey but he'd found out on accident when Tony had collapsed before reaching the pills. To Tony's liking he hadn't pushed to talk too much, he figured that Rhodey put two and two together and realized the drugs were for his arc.

The arc that started it all, and almost ended it all. So nice that the thing keeping his heart beating was also destroying him slowly. Not with palladium poisoning anymore, thanks to his element, but with pain. There was only so much pain the human body could face before it snaps.

"Shit!" He gasped out when he missed the edge of the gauntlet and smacked his thumb with the hammer. "Shit, oh my god that does not feel good shit!"

"Sir if I may, DUM-E is currently trying to bring you an ice pack. And I'm sure you'll be glad to hear that your thumb is simply bruised, not broken"

"Thanks J" he said, grimacing at the bruises already forming.

He watched as DUM-E managed to bring the icepack without making a mess. He patted the claw with his good hand and the bot beeped happily. He smiled and shook his head before placing the cool material over the bruised thumb.

"J? Where'd I put the cool and compression wrap?" He asked, standing up and using one hand to hold the ice on the other.

"The cupboard to the left below the sink sir"

"Thank you J" he nodded, heading towards the cabinet in question. The ice was placed on the counter and he grabbed the package of stark made compression wraps. Tearing off enough for his thumb and carefully wrapping it, "J cool it to the right temp please"

"On it sir" the fabric around his thumb started to cool and it soothes the throbbing of the bruised bone.

He began walking back towards the lab table again when the alarms blared. "Lovely, what is it now J?"

"Sir, it's a call to meet from Fury. He wants everyone in the helicarrier, but sir by my calculations you're due for a 'bad day' sometime soon, please consider not going"

"Damn, I would J. But you know how Fury is..." he trailed off, even the AI knew how overbearing the captain could be. The red and gold suit formed around his body, clicking snugly into place. He fired up the thrusters and shot through the exit hatch and into the sky.

The world blending into greens, whites and blues as he soared toward the carrier.

The suits boots touched down smoothly and the face plate lifted. He told J to dismantle the suit and it retracted into his wrist watches. Nano particles had been tricky but were incredibly useful.

He allowed his mind to wander as his legs took him through the familiar halls. Making a list of everything he saw than could use an upgrade or needed repairing.

The room, when he got there, was already full. Steve looked bored, which wasn't normal for the man. Natasha looked how she always did, and that was an emotion Tony couldn't read. Clint was messing with Thor, throwing what looked like a ball of paper at the god before receiving one back. Bruce laughed as one hit him straight in the nose. Bucky, who Tony still wasn't used to seeing in ant other shield room than the prison rooms, was sitting across from Steve. Looking, simply exhausted. Tony understood the man more now than ever, the 'lab adrenaline' as he likes to call it, was dwindling the longer he stood there. There was something about the risk of a project literally blowing up in your face that kept you on your toes. Awake and alert.

"Thanks for joining us, take a seat" Fury said walking in past where Tony had been loitering.
He followed the man in and took a seat two away from Bucky.

"Director? Why have you called us?" Steve asked, suddenly looking more alert.

"I was going to explain that now Captain. There's a mission, again. But it's a more covert and subtle mission than a 'guns a blazin' type mission."

"Where are we goin'?" Clint asked, deflecting the ball thrown at him.

"Upstate Canada"

"Of all places Canada? Damn it seems so nice there why would anyone have a base there? What did Canada ever do to them?"

"I don't know Tony, but get ready you've got a flight to catch. Yes it's the quinjet , not a commercial plane Tony"

"Good" tony sighed, standing when the others did. Managing to hide a wince as the muscles around the arc constructed uncomfortably.

They headed towards the deck, stopping to grab their go bags before boarding the plane. Clint grabbing the pilots seat, and Bruce laying in his 'de-hulking' for. Thor stretched across two seats and Natasha sat calmly in another. Bucky sitting in the copilot chair. Steve looked at Tony and sat down, Tony sighed and took the last seat.

The flight was meant to be boring. Clint who would usually entertain them in someway was busy flying the plane. There was something wrong with the auto pilot that Tony had forgotten to fix. He pulled out the stark tablet and began to re code the auto pilot settings.

"Hey Tony when are you fixing auto pilot it's been a week" Clint asked, there was not heat behind his words. Just a question.

"Leave him alone Flint he's probably got a lot of work to do" Natasha chimed in.

"Thanks Tash" he smiled, "and actually I just fixed it now. Go ahead try it"

"Ok" Clint switched to auto pilot and the plane evened out. He took his hands off the wheel and stood up, cracking his back. "Thanks"

"That's what I'm here for" he smiled, before turning back to sighing SI emails. Focusing on the work to ignore the pain that had really begun to build in his chest. Breathing was already uncomfortable and he was starting to get worried at how fast it was progressing. When it was this quick he always needed his pills, unfortunately the quinjet, didn't have any. It was a privacy reason, incase anyone 'Steve' saw them.

One minute he closed out of the twentieth email and the next he was flat on his back. Dust settling all round his as someone called his name.

"-ony! Tony! Wake up come on" he willed his eyes to open and blinked at the dimming light.

"Ugh" he groaned, which turned into a poorly contained whimper as the pain in the arc increased. He needed the pills now, the pain wasn't funny anymore. He felt tears prick at his eyes, but he was in too much pain to feel embarrassed.

"Guys he's waking up, come on tones." The voice said again. When his vision cleared he determined the voice to belong to Clint. He was crouched next to Tony, there was a slight cut on his eyebrow and a couple bruises forming on his exposed arms.

"W-hat happened?" He gasped out, trying to distract himself from the hell he felt in his chest.

"The plain went down, we don't know why. It wasn't your auto pilot thought by the way, don't worry that was perfect. This was an external factor, we still don't know what yet though."

Tony nodded to avoid talking, the pressure was making it hard to breathe, and if he started talking he figured he wouldn't be able to breathe again.

(Stopping it here because I'm tired, part two soon.
Have a great day/night lovely's 🖤)