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It was good to have some time for himself — even if it involved a distress call from a cargo ship in the middle of the Atlantic. There was no need for the rest of the Avengers to be present, so it was okay if Hulk was too busy reorganizing his glass figurines, Thor had gone to Asgard for a quick banquet or two, Natasha and Hawkeye were busy visiting Scott in California, Sam was busy with college and Tony, apparently, had better things to do than spending time with his boyfriend. Steve was perfectly fine with it.
He could drive the Avenjet himself. He was okay with it, and he cherished the chance to be alone with his thoughts for hours and hours.
He was in the middle of thinking about how okay he was, really, when he got the electric shock from the dashboard. His whole body contorted and the world went black.
When he came back to himself, the jet was losing altitude quickly. He tried to send a message, but comms were down as well. He could see some island in the distance and he only had one chance to try and steer it.
He'd make an emergency crash landing and then Tony would find him. He always did.
--
Smoke was still coming out from the wreck and his hands were still burning from trying to salvage anything from it, but all he had managed to save was his shield. Not even an emergency kit or food.
He turned around and admired his surroundings: a pristine clear blue sky, the thick green of the jungle, distant growls, and birdsong. Savage Land, maybe, but that had been nowhere near his course.
He started walking in a random direction. Maybe he'd find the coast or some clues.
Well, he had found something but the forcefield was more than a clue. It was confirmation: Monster Island. It was ironic. A plane crash had cut him off from his past and now another one was cutting him off from his present.
—
When he went back to the wreck, he tore off some of the still hot metal and twisted it into a shelter. It wasn’t comfortable, but the rain wouldn’t bother him. The sole remaining seat turned into his bed. He had gone through worse.
The first three times he had to hunt, it made him queasy but it didn’t last for long. If he wanted to survive until Tony found him, he had to be ready for anything.
Life turned into a routine. Hunt. Find shelter. Hide from the monsters. Build a fire, sometimes. His suit withstood the test - Tony had always been a genius -, and so did his hope. He had given up on counting the days but he knew Tony would find him, no matter how many years passed.
--
At first, he tensed, thinking the rumbling sound was the growling of a nearby monster, but then something shook loose in his memory.
It was an Avenjet. He looked up and his eyes filled with tears when they found a familiar gold-and-red blur on the horizon. He waved his hands, not even sure if Tony could see him, but he didn’t care.
‘Tony! Here! Here!’
He ran closer to him and when he saw Tony diving low, he jumped towards him. And as he knew would happen, Tony caught him in his strong arms.
‘You’re here! You’re finally here!’ he said frantically.
'Sorry, sorry,’ Tony said as he tightened his embrace. ‘It took me too long.’
'No. It’s fine. I knew you’d come. You always find me.’
‘I’ll always do.’
Tony caressed Steve's cheek. He hadn't realized his beard had grown so much.
'I... I'll shave as soon as we get home.'
'It's okay. I've never minded beard burn.'