✮ 𝟎𝟐𝟏 ✮

                                    

                                          
tony: iron dad; steve: awkward captain
                          
WHEN she made it to the tower, she was rightfully exhausted. Everything in her body was screaming for sleep. Her neck was killing her where she remembered finger prints were, and her head was feeling as if she was splitting open from the inside out. After Natasha, Sam, Hill, and Fury found Steve and Marlene, they were both taken to the hospital. Marlene was lucky Bucky had no intention to kill her. One more squeeze, just a bit tighter, he would have permanently damaged her throat and vocal chords.
                          
"Jarvis, is Tony here?" she whispered to the quiet tower.
                          
"Yeah, Tony's here all right. Where've you been? Huh? Taking down old German organizations? Trying to save the world?" Tony's voice called from the couch. Marlene flinched when the lights came on. "I'm with Steve. I'm safe. Yeah? Didn't look like it? Doesn't look like it? Who strangled you? A 400 pound wrestler?"
                          
Marlene grimaced when he stopped right in front of her and placed his cold fingers on the bruises lining her neck. "I'm fine, Tony. Really... I'm fine," she said, pulling away.
                          
Tony ran a hand through his hair before throwing his hands into the air. "I don't think you are. I think you're lying. What do you need? Ice?"
                          
"Ice would be nice," Marlene whispered with a smirk on her lips as he walked off.
                          
"We're not done talking about this," Tony informed her as she followed him to the kitchen. He grabbed an ice pack, handing it to her with a roll of his eyes. "Capsicle isn't very good at keeping you safe, is he?"
                          
"I was fine. I had it... under control," she ended with a bite of her lip.
                          
"Looks it. 'Specially with the purple bruising," Tony said sarcastically. "You know what I need to do? Teach you how to fight—preferably without your powers. This whole bruising thing... not a fan."
                          
"You think I am? You should've seen the gun shot wound—never mind. I said nothing," she said as Tony's eyes widened.
                          
"What did you just say?"
                          
"Nothing."
                          
"Elsa, where were you shot?" he said, rounding the counter to stand in front of her again. "Marlene–"
                          
"My side," she revealed with a sigh, lifting her shirt to show a bloodied bandage.
                          
"It needs to be changed," Tony sighed. "I'm going to go grab stuff for it. Don't move."
                          
"Yes, Dad," she teased with a roll of her eyes.
                          
Tony smirked and walked away, calling back, "I feel like it sometimes. Keep the ice on!"
                          
Marlene let Tony nurse her back to health in between his work for the next few days. When Steve was finally released from the hospital, he stopped by the tower under the scrutiny of Tony to explain that the Avengers needed to get back together in order to find the remaining Hydra bases because they realized the scepter with the Mind Stone was in Hydra's hand. This had Marlene anxious because that was her stone. It was in Hydra's hands. Who knows what they would do to it?
                          
Tony clapped Steve's back with his hand. "You get Clint and Nat. I'll find a way to contact Thor."
                          
"Dr. Banner?" Steve asked.
                          
"Already here," Marlene answered as Tony stood. "I'll meet you in the lab. Give me a few minutes with Steve," she said with a smile.
                          
"Behave," Tony called with a smirk.
                          
Marlene saw Steve watching her curiously. She realized he was staring at Bucky's finger prints on her neck. "What?" she asked him.
                          
"What's going on in the lab?"
                          
"More memory searching," she said with an awkward laugh. "How are you feeling?"
                          
"I should be asking you that," Steve said. "Should you be going into memories with your injuries?"
                          
Marlene shrugged. "It's really clearing up—the bruises. The wound on my side is fine. I need to get back in there, especially if we're going to be searching for Hydra bases."
                          
Steve nodded as she stood. He followed her movements. Before she could say something else, Steve went against his racing thoughts and pulling her in for a hug. Marlene, surprised but not wary, held him back. She could feel him resting his chin on her head. "What is it, Steve?"
                          
"I just wanted to thank you for trying to help Bucky. You could've gotten yourself killed trying to help me with him," he said softly.
                          
"I did it because I care about you, Steve," she said. Steve backed away slightly, staring at her eyes as she added, "I know how much Bucky means to you."
                          
Steve lowered his head, going against his thoughts that told him this was wrong, and Marlene watched him curiously as he paused right before his lips met hers. She could see the fight in his eyes, and she kept herself from reading his thoughts. He shook his head, mumbling an apology. She smiled softly, reaching up and kissing his cheek. "Don't apologize. I do have to go, though. I'll see you later, Steve," she murmured as she detangled herself from him. He was about to say something else when Tony's voice crackled on the intercom.
                          
"Let's go, Elsa. We haven't all day for you two to dance around each other," Tony called causing Steve to glare at the ground as a blush went up his neck.
                          
Marlene giggled softly. "Bye, Steve."
                          
"Bye, Marls," he said back. 
                          
Marlene walked through the hallways until she made it in the lab. When she walked in there, she saw Bruce and Tony smirking her way. Rolling her eyes, she said, "You both are terrible."
                          
Bruce shrugged. "I know," he said, "now, let's get you wired up. We have some more memories to see."
                          
Tony placed the sensors on her head, arms, and neck again as he placed the machine on her skull. With a simple pat, he said, "Let's try to get as much as we can, but remember to call us when it becomes too much."
                          
"I got it," she said, flinching at the cold metal from the chair as she laid back. "You're watching again?"
                          
"Always do," Bruce said. "Get ready, Marlene."
                          
Marlene yelled when the electric shocks went to her brain, but it was slightly less as she was used to it. When Tony cranked it up once more, she found herself slipping into her subconscious.