Rush of Blood

Summary: On a typical day, Steve Rogers saves it. But when Natasha is threatened, Steve makes a deal with a monster. Can the other Avengers save him in time? AU, set after the first Avengers but before Winter Soldier. Some light Steve/Nat and lots of hurt!Steve.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Avengers or Captain America… Darn.

Chapter 1: The Hot Dog Stand

3:30 P.M. Patriotic Duties.

Captain Steve Rogers waves at the assembled press in front of the World War II Memorial in Washington DC and subtly checks his cell phone, a device he has yet to master. And, almost as if it can sense him, the mobile goes off. Panicking, Steve pushes almost every button on the phone before he manages to silence the shrill chimes, smiling apologetically at the speaker in front of him. The handful of politicians and generals sitting next to him shuffle restlessly, and Steve can tell they are just as eager to get this function over with as soon as possible.

Although the cell has been mercifully silenced, Rogers is dismayed when large text letters pop up on its screen, rapidly unraveling. Not wanting to further disrupt the proceedings, Steve presses the luminous screen into his palm and surveys the scene before the small stage, trying to appear like he's paying attention.

"Thank you all for being here today. James Buchanan Barnes was a man who paid the ultimate price to save his fellow comrades and to serve his country. It is only fitting that we preserve the story of his life and final sacrifice by dedicating a new monument to Sergeant Barnes at the World War II Memorial." With this, the speaker gestures to a statue covered with burgundy-colored cloth.

As the next guest speaker is introduced, Steve's attention stays on the unrevealed sculpture, and his mind is overrun with memories. He's used to it by now—constantly being reminded of his past and his friends… but it still jars him. Although he is honored to be asked to say a few words and attend the ceremony, Rogers shifts uncomfortably in his seat at the thought that all he has of Bucky are a few photographs and now a life-sized stone effigy.

The vibrating phone in his hand brings Captain America back to the present, and he surreptitiously scrolls through the message he had first ignored on the screen. JARVIS is keeping him informed of the attack three blocks from Avengers Headquarters, which began approximately a half hour ago. The perpetrators are a bunch of Doctor Doom drop-outs, hell bent on some of Stark's new gadgets, most likely. What had started out as a would-be stealth mission on their part changed into a defensive and scramble-for-your-life as they were caught by a group of Avengers before even making it to the tower.

As he reads the report JARVIS is sending him, Steve isn't particularly worried about the attack until one piece of information races across his screen:

BARTON INJURED

It's just a blip—and Steve almost doesn't catch it in between the numerous lines of the report. But there it is.

Oblivious to the stares around him, Rogers immediately texts JARVIS back, knowing that his message will relay to the others on the team.

I'm on my way.

Excusing himself quietly, Captain America slips behind the row of attendees and quietly jumps off the stage, landing softly on the grass below. Some members of the media take quick snapshots and a few attempt to follow him but are soon left behind as Steve sprints to his Harley-Davidson and races off.

Grey clouds begin building in the sky.

3:45 P.M. Damage Control.

The sky is growing darker, as if daring rain to fall.

Thor and Black Widow are on the scene, and Rogers breathes a sigh of relief when he realizes that the fighting is over, and there are no signs of casualties, civilian or otherwise. He nearly laughs out loud at the sight of Thor coercing Doom-heads into an armored S.H.I.E.L.D. vehicle, his hammer crackling with electricity. Up and down the street, buildings are scorched with the remnants of the god's power. There is a small pile-up of crunched cars (to be expected) and multiple broken windows at street-level, but that seems to be the extent of the battle's destruction.

Then a piece of him pangs with worry at the thought of Hawkeye, and he approaches Natasha to check in. She is in the process of assessing other street damage, retrieving weapons, and checking for any stragglers.

"Status?" he asks.

When she turns around, the sparse sunlight reflects off her red hair, and Rogers is briefly dazzled by it. Does he glimpse a flash of a smile when she notices him? Or maybe it's a shadow…

"Tired of hanging out at the War Memorial, Steve?"

The super soldier loves playing this game. Romanoff teases him about his age, and he answers with a snappy comeback.

"Well, the Veteran's band had just started playing, and swing dancing was never my thing, so I left early."

Nat tips over the remains of a hotdog stand, blackened and charred almost beyond recognition. "You'll have to teach me someday…"

Rogers is ready to make a pun about how having eight legs might make dancing difficult, when he notices the movement out of the corner of his eye. In a split second, he sees the masked figure on the ground point a gun right at Black Widow.

Faster than the assassin can react, Captain America pushes her out of harm's way, blocking the bullet with his shield, only to have it repel back to its owner. Doom's emissary groans and sinks to the concrete, wounded in the side. Steve instantly grabs his gun and turns his attention to Romanoff.

"Nat!" he cries to the figure crumpled on the ground. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," she moans, slowly sitting up and wincing. Rogers realizes that he's hovering over her, and he awkwardly steps back to give her some space, but Romanoff reaches out a hand instead. He quickly takes it and feels a slight rush with the contact, his pulse quickening, his blood pumping faster. Rogers stands frozen, locking into her beautiful green eyes, and he desperately hopes that she isn't aware of his sudden physical change at the contact.

Instead, she smiles. "Thanks."

Steve coughs. "Y-you're welcome.

And he lets go of her hand.

Natasha brushes herself off. "When can I pay you back?"

"Next time someone is trying to kill me," says Steve.

"So, like, tomorrow?"

Rogers turns to the wounded henchman and picks him up unceremoniously, half dragging him toward Thor as Natasha follows.

"Barton," he says, almost forgetting. "What happened?"

"Iron Man lifted Clint off a roof to take out a small enemy group. But when Stark was about to set him down, there was a sudden attack from the air. Tony was thrown off balance and dropped Clint. Hawkeye landed in the middle of enemy fire." Her voice is emotionless, but Steve can tell that Romanoff is worried. She's close to Barton—best friends.

"Is he okay?" he asks.

"Stark practically flambéed all of them after that, and he took Barton to the tower immediately. Tony was really freaked out, but I think Clint will be all right."

"Mind if I go see him?" the Captain says, tossing the prisoner over to Thor.

Nat shakes her head. "Don't see why not. I'll be more careful next time I'm sorting through the wreckage." Then she winks at him and walks away.

Rogers nods at Thor and is about to depart when he feels a strong hand on his back.

"Friend Rogers," says Thor. "I was wondering if I might ask you a favor."

Steve feels his eyebrows rise expectantly. This is a rare request—Thor never asks for help. "Sure."

The god of thunder is about to speak but then averts his eyes. Steve steps closer. This is strange behavior from the Asgardian.

"I require decent Midgardian clothes for a formal banquet with my lady, Ms. Jane Foster, and I was hoping you… you might help me choose something suitable."

Cap almost cracks up. It isn't every day that you are asked to go clothes shopping with an Asgardian. "I'd be honored, Thor. When?"

Thor shrugs as if he hasn't really thought about it, then pushes the wounded prisoner into the S.H.I.E.L.D. vehicle with so much force that it makes the car shake.

"Right now?"

Rogers beams at Thor's childlike enthusiasm. "Give me about two hours, all right?"

They agree on a shopping center, and Steve jogs to his motorcycle, shaking his head at his rather unusual date for that night.

4:30 P.M. Welcome Guests.

The tower shines like a silver beacon, its giant blue A beginning to glow blue as the sun goes down. The clouds have continued to gather ominously, and it's almost dark outside despite normally getting dark around 6:00 PM this time of year.

Steve Rogers draws the collar up on his brown leather jacket to protect him from the brisk chill of the late afternoon. As he approaches headquarters, he notices two figures standing by the doors to the main entrance, peering inside.

"May I help you?" he asks as he approaches them, and they turn around abruptly.

Rogers is instantly taken with their appearances. Both the man and the woman are immaculately dressed in black business suits. The man is about four inches taller than he is, with short dark hair and a thin, yet solid, build. His face behind the dark sunglasses he wears is strong and handsome. The woman also wears sunglasses, and Steve thinks this is rather odd until he realizes that Tony Stark wears shades of various colors day and night, and that it's a fashion statement for some in the 21st century.

"Yes, thank you," says the woman in an accent that Rogers recognizes, but cannot name. She tilts her sunglasses down and for the first time, he is looking into her striking blue eyes, contrasting with her almost-white shoulder-length hair.

Captain America pauses, staring into those eyes, and he is (for a brief moment) completely lost in them. As he stares, there is only the two of them, standing together in an empty city.

Then she blinks and pushes the lenses back. Steve draws a hand across his forehead, dazed.

"We were supposed to meet Mr. Tony Stark here at 4:00, but no one is here, and we cannot get in." The blonde woman smiles apologetically. Rogers tries to ignore his initial reaction to this smile, but all he can think of is—

Beautifulsoftlovely.

He clears his throat, trying to focus. What's wrong with him? It's been a busy day, but seriously. Get it together, Rogers.

"What is—uh—your business with Mr. Stark?"

The man smiles an identical grin as the woman, and he speaks in the same accent. "Please. Very sorry, sir. We are new hires, and we were to meet with Mr. Stark to get our assignment."

Steve looks inside and remembers why he's there in the first place—to check in with Iron Man and see how Hawkeye is doing.

"Mr. Stark is busy right now, but I'll show you to the CEO of his company, Ms. Potts."

It isn't the first time Tony has left some recent hires, reporters, four star generals, or an entire alien envoy on the front steps.

Rogers uses his card key to enter the building. He isn't relishing escorting the newbies all the way to Pepper's office, sixty floors up. Luckily, she greets them in the lobby. She's wearing a sleek grey business suit, but there are visible creases under her eyes that connote tiredness.

Relieved, Steve is about to introduce the pair to Pepper, but he realizes that he doesn't even know their names.

"This is Ms. Potts," he says, "and this is—"

"Mr. Vlad Wallachia," says the tall man warmly, and stretches out his hand.

"And Mrs. Domini Wallachia," the woman says, offering her hand as well.

So. They're married.

"Lovely to meet you," says Pepper, never missing a beat, but Rogers hears the strain in her voice.

"Mr. Stark recently hired us," says Mr. Wallachia.

"Oh, did he?" Potts says dryly. "I wasn't aware."

The woman repeats, "We were supposed to meet with him—"

"Yes, well, I think that will have to wait until tomorrow, unfortunately. But I can take you to my office and discuss your job."

Pepper indicates a hallway with an elevator at the end, and then sighs, her eyes lingering at the double doors of the entrance, where she had originally headed.

As the two begin walking, Steve steps closer to Potts. "Sorry about that. I wasn't sure what to tell them."

"No, it's fine," says Pepper, and she sighs again. "It's just…Tony left and—"

"He's not with Barton?" Steve says, somewhat shocked.

"No, Tony was really upset and he…" She trails off, assuming that Rogers knows the rest of the sentence.

Steve has only known Stark for a short time, but he knows exactly what Tony has gone off to do. "Don't worry, Pepper. I'll find him, and I'll make sure he gets home safe."

Potts takes a deep breath and gives him a quick hug. "Thanks, Steve. You're always swooping in and saving the day."

"That's what I do best," he says, chuckling. "Just minus the cape."

Steve watches the trio as they walk away. Just before getting on the elevator, Mrs. Wallachia turns on a high heel and looks back at him. Immediately, he is alone with her again, his eyes connecting with sapphire depths. Then she's gone.

4:45 P.M. Patient Visit.

Rogers finds Barton with Bruce Banner in a rather spacious science lab. Cap can almost picture the scene exactly as it happened—Tony rushing in with Clint in his arms, interrupting Banner's research. Bruce calmly grabbing his medkit while Stark wildly clears a metal table.

Steve notices the papers in a flurry on the floor, the various tech equipment scattered along with it. Although it was deposited haphazardly, the gadgets appear more or less in one piece.

He hopes he can say the same about Barton.

Banner is working on the former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent as he enters, and he smiles thinly.

"He'll be just fine," the doctor says to Cap, so he doesn't have to ask.

Rogers breathes a sigh of relief as he approaches the table, leaning quietly over Banner's patient. Barton lies unconscious, a bandage on the right side of his head. His armor and bulletproof vest have been removed. Aside from the ugly gash along his left leg that Bruce is currently treating, Hawkeye looks okay.

"I came as soon as I heard what happened," says Steve, bowing his head gravely. "I should have been there."

"Hey," Bruce counters sharply. "Don't go all 'Tony' on me. It's not your fault; it was an accident. He didn't get hit—it was the head injury from the fall that knocked him out."

"It was a hot dog stand," comes a moan from Clint, and Banner chuckles.

"Seems to be causing a lot of people problems today," says Steve, and he leans over Barton. "How do you feel, soldier?"

Hawkeye blinks a few times. "Headache. Leg hurts."

Banner stops working briefly and studies Hawkeye. "Are you experiencing any dizziness? Blurred vision?"

Barton takes a deep breath, checking himself. "Not that I'm aware of."

"Feel like passing out?"

"No."

"Too bad, 'cause I'm about to put at least thirty stitches in your leg."

Clint groans, and Steve decides to distract him by asking about the attack.

"Routine offensive. Stark gave the orders. I was on a roof to get better shots at targets… but it was really weird."

"Why?" Rogers asks.

Barton grimaces with the pain as Bruce begins sewing up his leg. "I dunno. Something felt off. Like it was a set-up. Maybe it was. That aircraft came out of nowhere—knocked me and Iron Man out of the sky. That's when he lost his grip on me. We didn't even know Doom's followers had an aircraft. Their modes of transportation were white vans. And it appeared so suddenly—like it had been cloaked, or something."

Steve is intrigued. "How was it a set-up? What were they hoping to achieve besides breaking into the tower?"

Clint thinks about it for a moment. "They couldn't have been after me. Maybe they wanted Stark. But the whole thing was suspicious. I mean, who in their right mind would try to break into headquarters? It's got the best security system on the planet. And you use white vans as main modes of transport on this 'super secret' stealth mission? Either Doctor Doom's been smoking something, or we were set up."

Rogers ponders Barton's comments and the true motivations of the attack. Perhaps they were after Iron Man, like Clint suggested. And then he remembers the worry in Pepper's voice, and he knows his night is far from over.

"Tony blames himself for what happened," Steve says.

"What?!" Hawkeye cries. "That's just great."

"Speaking of our favorite billionaire genius etcetera," Rogers continues, "have you seen him, Bruce?"

"I tried to persuade him to stay until you got here," says Banner, "but he left in a not-so-subtle self-loathing rage."

Cap can tell that the doctor is concerned too. "Don't worry. That's my next step."

Then Barton stifles a cry as Banner pauses to pick out a piece of offending metal from his leg, and Rogers takes his hand, holding it firmly.

"Eyes on me," he says firmly, and Hawkeye follows his command, teeth grinding together.

"Sorry," mutters Bruce. "Some of this stuff got buried deep."

Steve holds onto Clint for another agonizing five minutes before it's finally over.

Barton sighs, and his head sinks back on the metal table. "Thank God. I think I'm gonna sleep now, if that's all right with you two. Can I get a pillow for the effort, doc?"

Bruce grins. "I thought you might ask for a popsicle. Sure thing." Then he turns to Rogers. "Let me know if you need back up. I know how Tony can get sometimes."

Steve shakes his head. "No, you stay with Clint. I'll be back soon. Besides, how bad could Tony get that we'd need the Hulk?"

Banner just purses his lips together and tilts his head.

"All right," says Rogers. "Point taken. You never know with Stark."

He's about to leave when Barton stops him.

"Hey, Cap. Thanks."

Rogers winks at him and quickly walks away.

TBC

A/N:

Heyyyyy everyone. Where shall I begin?

So this is my second Avengers fic ever. Seeing Civil War inspired me to randomly post this partially-written story I've had saved on my computer since… Winter Soldier came out. It's not finished yet, but I hope to keep posting on a fairly regular basis if there's interest in reading it. In other words, I'm taking a ginormous leap to post more of my work rather than just filing it away and never reading it again or working on it.

This story is being continued due to my love of gothic literature combined with the Avengers characters. I just can't get enough of Cap, Tony—all of them, and I have a fierce need for them to be all reunited and happy and supportive of each other again. Also, as much as I like Sharon Carter, I think Steve and Nat have way too much chemistry to let that ship sail.

Please let me know what you think! I love receiving honest feedback. I love receiving hugs and high fives too. In fact, I'm happy to receive just about anything. Within reason. Did I mention I enjoy sending descriptions of virtual cupcakes to my reviewers as thank yous? They are word-a-licious and calorie-free!

~Ista