Chapter Text
So yeah, maybe he was prying now. Just a bit. It was negging him to fix things. It wasn't his main priority, so was it really prying? Besides, for the last few months, he had been working with Carol on the Accords. In the wake of the Lagos incident, the EC was scrambling to keep the public from shredding them with total transparency in relief efforts. West Coast branch was told to lay low, even if Hill still sent them overseas, and not bring any more attention to themselves. He was pouring what he could into helping rebuilding and the families who lost someone in the explosion. This had kept them in the know of the Accords negotiating.
Between planning what changes the East Coast Avengers would propose after the signing ceremony and NOT checking on what Steve's team was preparing for their signing ceremony, Tony was busy!
'I haven't talked to Steve recently, huh?" he thought as he started making his way from the lab to the kitchen. Usually, Carol had bi-weekly team meetings with both factions. But the West Coasters seemed to have periods of unavailability, and it was getting more and more frequent. Hill had a tough job just keeping that division running. It wasn't unusual to get a text the morning of the dual-team meetings that they wouldn't be making it due to a mission or something. But Tony couldn't seem to recall if they discussed what the WC Avengers were hoping to change after they signed the Accords.
"Jarvis? Could you get Steve on the line?" he asked as he grabbed his sandwich ingredients. "Certainly Sir." a pause from Jarvis and then the view from the WC facility with Steve's bewildered face on screen.
"Hey, Cap how are you" he hadn't actually called the good captain 'Cap' in a while, and it stuck in his throat uncomfortably.
"Stark, what did you need?" Steve seemed annoyed by his call, Tony'd keep thing friendly then.
"Sorry if I was interrupting, just wanted to check in and see if you guys needed any help with the Sokovia Accords. I know they can get a litt-"
"Stark, we don't need YOU monitoring us!" the irritated blond snapped "and yes, you did interrupt us. We are about to leave on a mission and do not need you poking your head in, distracting us!"
"Ok well so long as you got it cleared by Hill. Hopefully, Maximoff is still benched, seeing as the Accords are just around the corner... I'll leave you to it. Just the signing is in two days and thought I'd ask."
"Doing our jobs is more important than your silly paperwork, Stark. Hill's handling it. It's awful of you to say those things about Wanda. She's just a kid, and she saved people in Lagos. Sometimes you can't save everyone." And with that final snap, Steve hung up.
"Well, that was just rude and ignorant" Erik commented from the doorway, clearly hearing enough of the conversation.
"Shush, I probably shouldn't have called. He's still being.. Steve" Tony held his hands up as though the Captain's name was enough to describe the man out of time. Erik nodded before swiping Tony's sandwich "Oi! Kid get your own!" he attempted to catch the young man "Aw Dad, your sandwiches are the best" Erik took a give bite and playfully evaded the swipe.
No, Tony didn't miss how things had been with Steve around. Not a bit. Out of sight and out of mind, right?
"Jarvis, can you just re-send the newest draft of the accords to Hill? Just in case? I don't want us to be involved, but you know I worry."
"Of course, Sir, should I send Ms. Hill some coffee as well?"
"Yeah, the poor Maria is a saint having to deal with those guys. Tell her hi from me too!" Erik added. "Master Stevens, I will be sure to inform her. Although may I recommend settling on 1 woman soon. Your overt advances on every female will get you in trouble one day." The two men erupted in laughter over Jarvis' cheek.
He was doing such a good job not alerting either of the men about his discoveries to this point that no flags were raised when Tony got the Avenger's signed on as backup security for the signing at the Vienna International Centre.
Wakanda's King and the prince would be in attendance. Hell, they had been the ones to official call on the world to gather for these Accords. Yes, it had taken hundreds of tiny pushes the last few months (and even more in the previous few days), but there would be a time allotted after the signing that Tony had prepared for Erik to get answers.
IF he wanted to, that is. Yeah, he was going to spring it on him during their security walkthroughs, so the kid didn't fret about it more than necessary. God this would have him the doghouse with both of them but... if he had a chance to talk to Howard after the death of his mother, maybe he would have been better for it. Closure was powerful, and for his pseudo-son, he deserved a real tangible chance.
Alright, time to drop the news.
"Erik? Where you at?"
"Got you, Tony, I'm halfway done with my round of the eastern courtyard, Why what's up?"
"You know... the Wakandans will be here, right?"
Silence filled the voice channel before Rhodes answered Tony's question.
"Yes, Erik knows that. But we are here to keep the place secure. This isn't the time for old motivations to blind us."
"But what if there was time?" Tony quickly blurted only for another silence to stretch.
"Tony.... what did you do?" anger seeped into James' tone.
"I'd really to hear what Erik would want to do... if there was time."
"No Tony, I told you not to pry. It wasn't your place to do so, and this isn't the time."
"Not my place to do so? Platypus, Erik deserves a chance to ask. Did you think I'd not work on giving him that the moment I heard the King would be leaving his mostly isolated country?"
"Don't Platypus me, Tony this isn't fair, and Erik shouldn't have to decide now on the fly because you want to 'fix' something! These conversations are already going to be tense from the death in Lagos, why are you actively working on adding to it?" Rhodes snapped.
"Look, Erik, you still there?" Tony asked calmly. He needed to do this, to at least offer.
"....yes, I'm still here."
"Ok, I have a meeting with the King and his son after the signing to discuss rail lines in Africa for humanitarian efforts in the multiple countries. It is a project that has been thrown around the last few decades in UN circles. They agreed to meet with me in a private conference room. I will not meet with them if you do not want me to. But I'd like you to go with me and ask. Ask anything you want of them. The worse they can do is leave the room."
"Tony? Promise me something?" Erik's even voice whispered through the comm.
"Anything, kid, absolutely anything."
"If I, lash out or lunge at them, you stop me, and you take me down. I don't want to ruin what it means to sign these Accords because of my old grudges."
"You think you will be a threat?" Rhodes asked softly, making the tightness in Tony's stomach uncoil a bit.
"No, but if I am, I want a plan in place. I got this Rhodey."
"Ok, Kid. But I'm coming too, might give these folks talking to," he laughed which prompted a chuckle from Erik.
"Thanks, Dad.... both of you."
Oh, thank god. That hadn't completely blown up in his face like a bad experiment. Now for the signing to begin. He could see Erik and Rhodes flanking the chamber, Erik's eyes nonchalantly following the Wakandan Kings figure. He could hear a commotion behind him where the reporters were watching the opening ceremony. All of a sudden the delegates sitting down were rushing to the sides to evacuate, a bomb warning from Jarvis about a news van behind him was ringing in his ears. He was working on helping people escape looking for Erik and Rhodes.
BOOM