Work Text:
Water. Earth. Fire. Air.
The tribal elders used to tell stories about the old days, a time of peace when the Avatar kept balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar mastered all four elements. Only he could stop the ruthless firebenders, but when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years had passed and the Fire Nation was nearing victory in the War.
Two years ago, Steve had to say goodbye to his beloved. Their world was broken. And after the fall of Ba Sing Se, nobody knew what would happen next. But their love burned brighter than the fires of the volcanos, and was stronger than the waves of the ocean.<br />
Tony would return to him.
The light of the full moon was painting everything silver.
Exhausted to the bone, Tony dragged himself further towards the little creek that he could hear nearby. Every movement hurt, every breath he took felt like a thousand needles. He stumbled over a root and fell to his knees. Bleary-eyed, Tony reached out and gasped in relief when his hands found the freshwater. Greedily he took a few gulps and turned around so he could lie on his back. The canopy of leaves above his head was rustling peacefully in the soft wind, but tonight he found no solace in the beauty of nature.
His chest was on fire, literally.
He propped himself up against a tree trunk and carefully pulled his robes back to expose his messily bandaged chest. The white linen was already red. Blood was smeared over his skin. A gasp worked its way out of Tony’s throat when he saw it.
Slowly and carefully he removed the soaked material with shaking hands, revealing an ugly wound. He raised one of his hands and a little blue flame started to dance in his palm. The flesh was raw and bleeding, glistening in the light. Tony jerked when he realized just how infected the wound already was.
“Shit, shit…” He cursed and let his head fall back against the tree. Tony tried to think of something he could do, anything that would help him save his own life. “Think, Tony. Think…”
Shivering, he rubbed the back of his hand over his sweaty forehead. He ran hot, hotter than usual. Tony didn’t need a healer to know that he was feverish.
It was just his luck that he’d already used up all of the balms and potions he’d managed to take with him when he’d fled from the capital. As a citizen of the Fire Nation he hadn’t been able to take one of the ferries that brought refugees to the Earth Kingdom, so he’d had to resort to chartering a place on a bootlegger ship. The whole crew had looked shady and untrustworthy, but it had been his only option. To be fair, they hadn’t killed him in his sleep and he’d survived the journey somehow, but they’d also charged horrendous prices.
Tony wracked his brain, trying to think of a solution, but the pulsating in his chest made it hard to concentrate.
He couldn’t go into the next city like this. His characteristic red and gold robes would immediately give him away. The soldiers would throw him into prison or finish him off at first sight. Nobody would bother to make sure he’d survive the night.
This was the world they were living in. Almost one hundred years of war had divided the people. Nobody trusted anyone anymore. Tony had been raised like this, thinking the war was good and right. A turn of fate that ended in a three month long captivity had him meet a man who’d changed his view of the world.
Tony wanted to do better.
Someone was waiting for him here in this country, someone who would help him do better. But he’d known that he’d have to leave his home for that.
The open wound on his chest was the parting gift he’d received from none other than his own partner Obadiah upon his planned escape from the Fire Lord’s wrath.
The flame in his palm flickered and died. Tony cursed and let his hand fall into his lap. He was so tired. He wanted to sleep. But he knew that he probably wouldn’t wake up again if he gave in now. He was so close to reaching his destination!
The gears in his head whirred as his sluggish brain tried to come up with a solution that didn’t end with him dying tonight. The most important thing was to stop the bleeding. He needed to clean and close the wound somehow.
He ground his teeth. If Tony was one thing, then it was stubborn. And he didn’t want to die! Someone important was waiting for him!
Mind made up, he sat up some more. He lit another fire in his palm so he could see better. The wound didn't get any prettier in the time he'd spent trying to continue breathing.
From his bag Tony pulled a thin strap of leather. With that between his teeth, he raised both hands to his face. Immediately the flame jumped over to his second palm, grew and grew until Tony struggled to contain it. The fire flickered and twitched angrily, wanting nothing more than to be let free so it could devour everything in its way.
Fire was dangerous. It had a mind of its own. But fire was also life, not just destruction. That’s what he’d learned after those long weeks he’d spent locked up in a cave, plagued by fever dreams and tortured with waterboarding.
Fire and water, two sides of the same coin. Both could give life, and both could take it.
Tony took one last labored breath. A tear ran down his cheek. He’d come to this country in order to start a new life, to make up for his sins, and to find the person the spirits had given him. Now he’d probably kick the bucket here in this forest in the middle of nowhere, and nobody would ever find out what had happened to him.
With the image of gently flowing water before his inner eye, the steady sound of waves in his ears, and the sensation of lifesaving rain touching his skin, Tony pressed his glowing hands to his chest.
The acidic smell of burning flesh immediately filled his nose. White pain shot through Tony’s body, reaching every vein and every nerve ending. An undefinable sound filled his ears. Tony realized it was his own screams.
When his hands fell away, smoke rose. The little clouds looked eerie in the silver moonlight. His whole body thrummed in pain. Every heartbeat was like thunder in his ears.
In the light of the moon, Tony saw the result of his audacious attempt at saving his own life.
“By the spirits…” He gasped.
The burnt skin was ugly, red and scarred. It spanned almost the width of his chest, crisscrossing and creating a spiderweb-like pattern.
Shivering, he raised his hand and hesitantly touched the wound. His fingers stayed dry. That was a good sign. He’d apparently somehow managed to stop the bleeding. It sure as hell wasn’t sterile, but it would hopefully give him some more time to come up with a proper plan.
“I can’t believe that actually worked…” He giggled hysterically.
Tony’s laughter soon turned into sobs when he remembered the gentle touch of water, until the world before his eyes started to spin. When the silver light became gray and his vision started to become fuzzy, Tony thought he could hear footsteps coming closer. Hushed voices that were almost drowned out by the leaves’ rustling were the last things he registered before he lost consciousness.
In his dreams he saw a man with eyes as blue as the ocean, and the kindest smile. And he would reach out for Tony, and show him that there was more to see than could ever be seen, more to do and more to feel.
He’d show him that there was a world beyond the fire.
.oOo.
“We found him!”
“...over here!”
“...check his pulse…”
“Is he still breathing?”
“...need some fresh bandages over here!”
“Someone get Bruce, it’s starting to bleed again…”
“...you found him near the river…”
“...need water…”
“He’s waking up! Hurry!”
“...need to tell the captain…”
“...soon as we are back at the camp…”
“More of the narcotic herbs! Hurry!”
“...gonna keep an ugly scar…”
“As long as he’ll survive…”
.oOo.
“Let me through! Out of my way!”
Steve stormed forward, and his comrades jumped out of his path in surprise. Nobody stopped him, and nobody reprimanded their captain for his unceremonious behavior. They only watched him with understanding eyes, and promptly made space for him. He almost crashed into the cart of the cabbage merchant in his hurry.
Steve didn’t stop to apologize or explain himself, while his comrades tried to calm the choleric man.
General Fury would be furious with him as well, but the captain didn’t care. He’d left the meeting without explanation, following his sergeant who’d burst into the room to get him.
“He’s going to be fuming, Steve,” Bucky said. He almost had trouble keeping up with Steve with how quickly he was jumping down the stairs that would lead them from the military meeting rooms to the hospital ward across the court.
“I don’t care, Buck.” Steve jumped to the side, dodging some ostrich horses. “He’s a general of the Earth Kingdom. We are from the Water Tribe. He can’t do anything to us.”
One corner of Bucky’s mouth ticked upwards. “Finally, and here I thought you’d never grow some balls,” he mumbled under his breath.
Steve would’ve liked to joke back and forth with his friend, but his nerves were at the breaking point. He knew it was just another way for his brother to cope with his own nerves.
The sun started to rise in the East. Its rays painted the walls of Gaoling golden. After the fall of Ba Sing Se and the disastrous invasion on the day of the Black Sun, the remaining troops had moved here, to try and keep safe what the Fire Nation hadn’t yet burnt to the ground.
The city was slowly waking up and preparing itself for another busy day. Soon the first merchants would open up their shops. The first birds welcomed the new day with their happy chirping. It was a beautiful morning, but it was also overshadowed by the news that had just reached the captain of the Northern Water Tribe.
“They are over there,” Bucky said, and pointed his friend in the right direction towards a two-storied pagoda with green shingles. The building was sitting peacefully between an old weeping willow and a fountain.
“Is Bruce with them?” Steve wanted to know.
“Of course. The whole team is there.”
“Where exactly did they find him?” Steve asked, already calculating how far his husband had come before his team had picked him up. “Was he alone?”
“He was alone. Natasha and Clint found him just outside of the city walls in the south. They called in Thor for support when they saw that he was unconscious and they needed help carrying him.”
Bucky grabbed Steve’s arm and forced him to a stop. Steve almost wrested himself free from his grip until he saw his friend's face. Bucky’s eyes were serious. There was no trace left of the grumpy jokester that he usually was.
“His injuries are serious, Steve. It was a close call. It’s not pretty, and I just want you to be prepared for that, alright?”
Steve swallowed heavily. He nodded at his brother and continued towards the hospital ward at a slower pace.
Two years had passed since he’d last seen Tony. Steve had hoped their reunion would have gone differently.
He remembered the night he had first met the man who was now his husband as if it had been yesterday. The bender had stolen his heart, despite Steve’s attempts at guarding it. That had been over ten years ago. He’d found Tony in the desert, injured, after he’d managed to escape the cave he’d been held hostage in for three months. Against his teammates’ advice, Steve had taken care of the man’s injuries.
And Steve had quickly fallen for the gentle but broken man that Tony was. Fire and water, natural enemies, and yet they got married, three years after that fateful night of their first meeting. Just like the legendary couple Oma and Shu, the founders of the city of Omashu, they kept meeting in secret. Not even the war or the ocean between them had been able to break them apart.
Tony’s last letter had reached Steve only days ago, informing him of Obadiah’s betrayal and his planned escape from the Fire Nation. But going by the date in the right corner of the letter, Tony had left his country weeks ago, right after the day of the Black Sun.
“My friend,” Thor greeted him from where he was standing guard at the door. The huge bear of a man stepped aside to let him pass through.
Steve nodded at the earthbender. Thor was a gentle giant, if you knew him. Even though the huge warhammer he liked to carry around bespoke a different side of him. Bucky followed him inside the building. The two of them caught sight of Natasha and Clint.
“Captain,” the Yuyan archer said. He was the first Fire Nation citizen Steve had ever met and an old friend. “Bruce is waiting for you.”
“Thank you for bringing him home,” Steve managed to choke out. He was so close to Tony now, and yet he was so scared of what he’d find behind the door that still separated them.
Clint nodded, and Natasha came over to gently touch his cheek for a second. Nobody except for Clint knew which nation Natasha belonged to, but she was able to read people like open books. As a non-bender he’d been scared of taking her along on missions before, but Natasha was skillful and resourceful.
Bucky, being the best friend and brother that he was, stayed with the two spies, while Steve continued on. He slowly pushed the sliding door open, revealing a large room flooded with sunlight. One side was open towards the huge weeping willow. It was painted in warm green and gold tones, with wooden ornaments on the ceiling.
Everything in the Earth Kingdom was warm and friendly. Steve liked it, even though he missed the ice and the snow from his home. He stood out with his blue clothes and white fur adornments.
Against the wall opposite from the door stood three beds, separated by folding-screens to grant the injured some kind of privacy. Only one of them was occupied. A man in green robes dabbed the forehead of a just barely conscious patient with a wet towel. He turned around upon Steve’s entry. A sad little smile played over the healer's lips. He looked tired and had bags underneath his eyes. He waved Steve closer, and the captain followed.
“Tony…” He breathed when he laid eyes upon the figure of the person on the bed. His heart beat painfully in his chest, wanting to break free.
Tony’s eyelids fluttered weakly. He turned his head towards the source of Steve’s voice, searching for him.
Steve wordlessly took the wet cloth from Bruce who stepped back to make space for him, and brushed Tony’s bangs from his forehead. His husband sighed in relief. It seemed to take up an innumerable amount of strength for him to open his eyes. His beautiful brown irises were glazed over and distant.
"Hey, honey," Steve whispered. He leaned down and kissed Tony’s forehead lovingly.
"Hey," his husband croaked. "Wow, you look horrible, Steve."
Steve snorted. Though it turned into a sob at the end. "You’re one to talk."
Tony’s face twisted up, though it was more of a grimace than a real smile.
He looked terrible. Tony was pale, paler than Steve had ever seen him, which made his veins stand out even more. His chest was bandaged, from his collarbones to his abs. He was only wearing brown cotton pants, while his red and gold robes - or at least what was left of them - were hanging over a nearby chair, together with his travel bag and shoes.
Tony took a shuddering breath and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. They were moving beneath his closed lids, and there was a furrow between his brows. Steve took his hand in his. His heart skipped a beat when Tony weakly squeezed his fingers.
“How is he doing?” Steve asked Bruce quietly.
“As good as he can be,” Bruce answered just as quietly, righting his glasses. He sighed. “He apparently tried to close his own wounds with fire. He’ll keep a scar for sure, because he wasn’t very careful. But it might have saved his life. We got rid of the infection, but it’ll still take a lot of time for him to recover.”
"'M right here, you know? Not dead yet," Tony chimed in and tugged at Steve’s fingers.
Steve smiled and leaned over Tony to kiss his forehead again. Tears stung his eyes. “Bruce, please leave us alone for a moment.”
The doctor squeezed his shoulder before stepping back. “I figured you’d say that. Take your time, Steve. And Tony? Listen to your husband,” he said, a smile in his voice.
"What's that supposed to mean," Tony snarked weakly from the sidelines.
“Thank you, my friend.” Steve pulled Bruce into a short hug, mirroring his smile as best as he could.
“Of course.” Bruce turned around and quietly left the room.
Once they were alone, Steve deposited his shield and weapons at a nearby table, toed off his boots and gently lifted Tony from the cot he was lying on so he could join him. He groaned when the movement jostled his injuries, and Steve stilled. When Tony's breathing returned to normal, he carefully slid into the bed next to him to hold him close.
In moments like these Steve wished the spirits would have granted him the ability to use waterbending for healing. He could’ve saved Bucky’s arm and now Tony’s heart.
"I missed you. So much. More than words can describe," Steve whispered into Tony's skin. He nuzzled his hairline, and peppered Tony’s temple with kisses. He relished the feeling of being able to hold the person he loved more than life itself in his arms again. Tony’s scent filled his nose. His heartbeat echoed in Steve’s ears. His warmth kept him grounded.
"There was not a single day I didn't think of you, Steve," Tony answered him. He placed his head on Steve’s chest and closed his eyes again. "This feels like a dream."
The blond's arms tightened a fraction around Tony. He carded his fingers through his soft hair and massaged his scalp. "Sleep, Tony. I'll be there when you wake up again. Promise."
"Okay," he breathed. His head grew heavier and his muscles relaxed. Tony instinctively trusted him to keep him safe. "Okay…"
And with that he was asleep.
With his husband resting peacefully in his arms, Steve prayed to the spirits to save his life. This war had already taken so much from him. Steve didn’t want to lose another piece of his heart.
Gently he brushed his fingertips over his husband’s bottom lip, and hummed silent tunes into his skin.
"I love you."
A stray ray of sunlight hit the side of Tony's face, letting his lashes look like they were made from gold. It was warm, life-giving, and sanguine. A soft breeze let the leaves of the weeping willow before the window rustle. It almost sounded like the ocean. It was the promise of another day to come.
There was a life for them beyond the waves.