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At this point, Steve should really just be used to insane things happening to him, and yet he still has the ability to be surprised when insane things happen to him.
Said insane thing today is a portal opening in the middle of his room in the Tower. Steve’s in the middle of brushing his teeth when he sees the giant swirl appear in the middle of the room. Eyes wide, he stops short at the sight of it, his toothbrush still in his mouth.
Slowly removing the toothbrush, Steve stares at the luminescent portal for a moment before he rushes back to his sink to gargle and spit. Random portal be damned, he will finish brushing his teeth, thank you very much.
Putting his toothbrush away, he walks back into the room just as a figure begins to appear in the portal; Steve can’t make out features just yet, but the silhouette would seem to suggest it’s someone shorter than him. Reaching for his shield, he stands at the ready as the portal begins to dissipate behind the figure, who’s currently not facing him.
Whoever they are, they’re clearly younger than Steve — much younger. The brunette’s head whips around before he starts talking, most likely to himself.
“... Ok, well, that didn’t work,” the stranger says. The pitch of his voice seems to suggest that he’s younger, maybe in his teens. Carefully turning around, his shocked expression settles at the sight of Steve.
“Oh wow, it really didn’t work,” the kid adds, staring at him. He’s dressed in a tee and jeans, and has no clear marker of identification to clue Steve in to his identity. “Hey Steve.”
Steve blinks once, stunned. Whoever he is, not only does he clearly know Steve, but Steve feels like he knows him… somehow.
“Did you cut your hair or something?” the kid asks, stepping closer to him. Steve brandishes the shield on instinct at the proximity.
“Who are you?” he demands in his Captain America voice, taking a defensive stance. The kid stops short, fear evident on his face.
“... Steve, it’s me,” he responds, eyebrows slightly raised, “Tony?”
… For the love of—
His identicard pings once as Tony (his Tony) confirms that he’s on his way back to the Tower; unfortunately, Iron Man was on a mission a few states over, so Steve’s got at least twenty minutes before he gets here.
Pocketing his identicard, he stares warily at this version of Tony, who’s currently sitting at their kitchen table. His legs are swinging in the air as he taps his finger rapidly against the table top — Steve can’t help but smile at the familiar mannerisms.
“So…” he starts awkwardly, sitting across from him. He clasps his hands on the table in front of them.
“... Oh wow, so you’re just like this in every universe, huh?” Tony questions, obviously amused.
Steve gives him an unimpressed look.
“No offense,” he clarifies quickly, raising his hands in mock surrender. “It’s cute, y’know? It’s giving art major.”
Steve has no earthly idea how he can be “giving” anything.
“... Anyway, I guess it did work,” Tony says, more to himself than Steve. He must look confused, because Tony clarifies his initial statement. “We were working on interdimensional travel, for emergencies… wait… if it worked, did I actually make it to—”
Looking off for a moment, he turns back to Steve in astonishment.
“You’re the Steve Rogers,” he breathes.
“I, uh,” Steve stumbles, not sure what to do with all of that, “I’m just a Steve Rogers.”
“No,” Tony disagrees immediately, “you’re Earth-616 Steve Rogers. I’m on 616.” He looks around the room with a new sense of wonder.
“Well, where are you from?” he asks Tony, leaning forward.
Tony’s expression shutters slightly, but he maintains the smile, albeit a less genuine one. “You probably haven’t heard of it, Cap. Let’s just say I’m from a universe where things went really wrong, ha.” He laughs without humor before staring intently at the table.
Now, for all Steve knows, this is a trap of some kind. He has no idea who this kid is really, has no way to verify that he’s actually a version of Tony. But still, there’s something about a Tony Stark in distress that will always make Steve feel unsettled, antsy even — like he has to resolve whatever issue he’s dealing with.
“... Can I help?” he asks tentatively, moving his head down slightly to try and catch Tony’s line of sight. The other blinks before looking back up at him, shocked.
“... I really wish you could,” he answers, and it sounds like he means it, “but I have… a teammate who’s got some strong reservations about trusting people from other Earths.” He offers an apologetic smile. “I honestly don’t think he’d let you take one step on my Earth.”
Well, that’s ridiculous. If it’s within Steve’s power to help this kid, he’s going to, “reserved teammate” or not. “You can’t get me back yourself?” he asks, surprised.
Tony’s eyebrows furrow. “I’m not that good, Cap,” he tells him. He looks away dejectedly, clicking his tongue. “I’m not him.” The man in question clearly being Steve’s Tony.
He taps the table once to get the other’s attention. “I’m sure you’re great,” he affirms as the other looks at him. “You just have a long way to go, but you’ll get there. I know you will.”
Whatever response Tony was going to give is interrupted by another portal appearing to their left. They both shoot to their feet, and Steve grabs his shield before positioning himself in front of Tony.
This time, the figure emerges from the portal before it closes, revealing themselves faster. It is immediately apparent who this is before they even step out, though, due to their silhouette including a giant disc at their side.
“Steve!!” Tony shouts happily, running out from behind Steve to rush forward. Other Steve pulls his cowl down but keeps his shield raised as he looks Tony up and down, most likely checking him for injuries.
“Tony, thank God,” other Steve says, putting a hand on the kid’s shoulder. “Are you alright? We lost your energy signature for a bit, had some trouble finding you.”
“I’m fine!” he says excitedly before pivoting to point to Steve. “Look who I found!”
Steve says nothing, trying to breathe through the tension that’s been building since he deduced who this was. His last experience meeting another version of himself had gone pretty poorly, and even though this one seems better already, 1610 Steve is not a high bar to clear.
Other Steve is openly gaping at him, which tells Steve he must not have much experience as an Avenger yet. Lowering his shield slightly, he walks up to his variant, ignoring the way Tony is bouncing on his heels in anticipation.
“Hello,” he greets cautiously, offering his right hand for a shake. Other Steve stares at the gesture for a moment before returning it, shaking his hand firmly.
He nods but doesn’t say anything. On closer inspection, it’s clear that this version of Steve is younger as well — he looks like he’s in his mid-to-late twenties, around the age Steve was when he was freshly thawed from the ice.
“Be nice,” Tony tells his Steve, nudging him with his elbow. The man bristles uncomfortably, looking pointedly down at Tony for an instant before looking back to Steve.
“Hello,” he greets back, relinquishing his grip. “Thank you for finding him.”
“Well, it was more like he found me,” Steve jokes. Jeez, was he really this stiff when he was younger? Evidently, considering the other him looks a bit startled by Steve’s casual demeanor.
“Our teammate will have us back shortly,” other Steve informs him. “It won’t be long, but I insisted on coming over to make sure Tony was safe.” Tony laughs as he darts behind his Steve, grabbing the other’s shoulders and jumping up, using him as a makeshift springboard.
“I love having a personal bodyguard,” he quips as he continues jumping up and down, popping up behind his Steve’s head as he does; the other makes no motion to stop him, only crosses his arms in front of his chest as he continues to analyze Steve.
He won’t lie, it is a little… strange to see their dynamic — Steve had anticipated a younger version of himself to appear from the portal, if anything, but certainly not this. The age gap might be a touch unsettling, but he also can’t help but be endeared by it. Tony deserves someone who will take care of him, but what does it really matter if the care comes in the form of romantic or platonic love.
And there is love here, Steve can already tell, at least from his variant. Moving back to his front, Tony’s already chatting animatedly to his Steve, who is still standing in his regimented pose, but is also obviously listening intently to him.
He wonders, suddenly, where Howard and Maria are in their universe, but he doesn’t dare ask.
“My Tony is on his way back from a mission,” he says in the pause where Tony breathes. The two look at him expectantly. “I’m sure he’ll be able to help, if you need it.”
“... You let him go on missions without you?” other Steve asks, ignoring his Tony’s huff of indignation, followed by, “No one said you need to come on every mission with me, Steve.”
Steve chuckles. “He can handle himself.” The other Steve continues to stare at him. “My husband is very resourceful.”
His variant’s mouth opens as his expression morphs into one of pure horror. “Husband??” he questions, arms falling limply to his sides. Even Tony looks confused, pausing his energetic movements to stare at Steve as well.
Oh. Oh! “Oh God, no—” Steve starts, looking frantically back and forth between Tony and his Steve, “—no no, I’m not— he’s not—”
“Honey, I’m home!” a familiar voice rings out, prompting a sigh of relief from Steve as his age appropriate husband enters the room. Tony’s still in most of his armor, but his helmet is off, revealing his face. He’s about to say something else when his voice gives out; all four of the room’s occupants silently stare at each other for a moment.
“... Oh, thank God,” other Steve exhales, one of his hands reaching up to run tiredly down his face. His Tony doubles over in laughter in response.
“Uh, what is going on here?” Tony asks, looking at Steve. He walks over to him, grabbing his helmet before setting it down on the kitchen table.
“Tony Stark, meet Tony Stark,” he replies as he gestures to the respective Tony. Younger Tony bounds forward, already sizing up the armor.
“Wow,” he says in amazement before he starts muttering to himself, circling Tony like a vulture. Tony looks down at him in amusement before looking at other Steve, who’s watching his Tony like a hawk.
“That must have been awkward, huh,” Tony teases, glancing at Steve. He glares at him without any heat.
“You’re not funny,” he retorts.
“I’m hilarious,” Tony says as the younger Tony pops out from behind the armor to reply, “Um, I’m hysterical.” The two look at each other as Steve coughs into his fist to obscure his laughter.
Younger Tony finally completes his circle, standing in front of himself with a judgemental expression. “... A mustache? Really?”
“Alright, well, he’s clearly defective,” Tony quips, and Steve is about to casually defend the kid when his variant suddenly walks forward with an intensity Steve recognizes; he positions himself between the two right as other Steve gets close.
He doesn’t even say anything, just glowers at Tony, who is taller than all of them while in his suit, making him visible behind Steve.
“Steve, chill,” the younger Tony hisses, moving over to tug at his arm, “you’re embarrassing me… in front of me.” Tony is barely breathing, which Steve can’t fault him for — he knows he’s pretty terrifying when he’s angry.
And he gets it, to an extent. Steve himself is not a fan of anyone badmouthing Tony, and he has no issue making that fact clear. Regardless, the other him seems to be settling down, most likely due to his own Tony asking him to. He takes a step back, telegraphing that he’s not a threat.
“We need to talk,” he says to his variant, who eyes him cautiously. He turns back to Tony, who’s still shaking off the anxiety of being the subject of a Captain America staredown. “Keep an eye on him.” Tony nods, so Steve leads himself off to another room, stopping to turn back when he notices he’s not following him.
The other Steve exhales through his nose before twisting to look at his Tony. “Just yell if something happens,” he commands. The kid rolls his eyes but dutifully nods. His Steve nods back before turning back to trail after him.
Steve takes him back to his own room, hoping the setting might ease him a bit. He has no clue if this version of himself enjoys the same things he does, but it’s worth a shot. Setting his shield down beside his bed, he heads over to the small table in the room (this room is ridiculously large and Steve barely uses it, considering he usually sleeps with Tony at the Tower, but Tony won’t hear anything about downsizing, so) and grabs one of the chairs. Other Steve follows his lead, and the two sit down, staring at each other.
“... You’re older,” his variant starts. Steve doesn’t take offense, he knows what the other is trying to ask.
“I’ve been out of the ice for over a decade now,” he answers the unspoken question, leaning back in his chair. “Tony only had a year on me when I thawed.”
The other nods. “Eight months, for me,” he reveals. Leaning his elbows on the table, he clasps his hands before leaning his face onto them, staring contemplatively at the table top. “... Does it get easier?”
“Absolutely.” He puts a hand on the table to catch the other’s attention before gesturing at the entirety of the room. An easel in the corner holding a fresh canvas, photos of Sharon and Bucky and Sam and the team, shelves full of books — the evidence of his life. “It took a while,” he admits, “but I would never dream of going back now.”
Eyes wide, the other nods to himself as he looks around the room before glancing back at Steve. “They make it easier,” he agrees. “They found me, y’know.”
“The team,” Steve assumes.
The other nods. “Some of them… keep to themselves, but they’re all good people.” He smiles softly, the first time he has since he’s arrived. “He’s a good kid.”
Steve grins back. “I’m glad he has you.”
“Sometimes it feels like I’m the one who has him.” His smile turns rueful.
Steve learns forward slightly. “I didn’t ask before,” he says conspiratorially, “but where are his parents?” Yes, his Tony’s parents died when he was young, but not that young.
The other grimaces. “He doesn’t talk about his mom,” he replies, “but I know his dad died right before everything kicked off.” He licks his lips. “It was bad.”
Steve nods. “Does… he talk about his dad?”
The other shakes his head no. “I only know how he died from the news, but Tony barely talks about him.” He stops for a moment, looks away before continuing. “... He asked me to help him go through his things a few months ago… I guess he hadn’t before because…” He sighs, turning back to Steve. “He didn’t say a word the entire time.” His mouth opens but no words come out for a moment, as he seems to consider whether he should add this bit.
“... Had this extensive collection of liqueur,” he says finally, looking at Steve questioningly.
Breathing deeply, Steve nods before leaning even closer, so that his chest is slightly over the edge of the table. “Get rid of it.”
The other stares worriedly at him, but nods his assent. Steve is hit with a wave of questions suddenly: did we have the same childhood, can you still remember what our mom looked like, did you hide in the same cupboard whenever our dad came home. He locks them away — this is about Tony, not him.
“So, who’s raising him?” he asks, easing back into his chair. The other shrugs.
“Himself?” he answers weakly. “We all try to pitch in, but it’s not like he needs any of us for food or clothes, and he’s old enough that he thinks he can take care of himself, so…” He crosses his arms over his chest. “Most of us live at the Tower, so we’re around if he needs anything.”
Steve smiles knowingly at his variant. “He seems to really like you.” The other blanks as his cheeks flush, and jeez, no wonder Tony always makes fun of him for that, gosh.
“It’s not like he’s exactly flush with choices,” the other dismisses. “Most of them are pretty busy even without the team.” He pauses for a moment. “He really likes Jan.”
Yeah, that checks out.
“Is she…?” The other nods.
“She’s older, closer to my age,” he shares. “But he and I wind up spending the most time together, considering I live at the Tower full time.” He rotates his arm to stretch his shoulder. “Wish he would take training a bit more seriously.”
Steve barks out a laugh. “Let me guess… ‘I made the armor for a reason, Steve.’” The other chuckles.
“Yeah, something like that.” Settling, he sets his elbows on the table again, letting his head fall into his hands. “It apparently escapes him that someone could just… rip him out of the suit, if they have proper motivation,” he says with a note of fear in his voice.
Steve empathizes with his exhausted pose. It’s hard enough protecting his Tony, he can only imagine the challenges of stopping a teenage version of him from getting himself into trouble — the man barely has any impulse control as an adult.
“Sometimes I just wish he would even listen to me,” other Steve groans, and now Steve can really empathize.
“Tony… has a habit of thinking he’s the smartest guy in the room,” he acknowledges. “He’s just doing what he thinks is right,” he finally settles on. The other raises his head.
“He doesn’t know what the right thing is, though, he’s a kid.” He smacks his lips, taking a moment before he corrects himself. “He doesn’t know all the time.”
Steve puts a hand on his shoulder. “Just do your best,” he advises his variant, “and be sure to stick around when things go wrong.”
The other frowns at him. “When?”
Steve nods gravely at him. “When.”
The two take the elevator down to the lab, because if Steve knows his husband (and he does), the pair are tinkering down there. Sure enough, the doors slide open to reveal both Tonys staring at a holographic schematic in the center of the room. His Tony is out of his armor now, wearing the clothes he had underneath it: a tee shirt with some engineering pun on it and sweats. The younger Tony is standing right in front of the hologram, using his fingers to spin and contort it as the older one speaks.
Some lingering tension bleeds out of his variant at the sight of his Tony, who looks back to grin at him.
“Steve! Look!” The younger Tony races over, grabbing other Steve’s hand to tug him in the direction of the hologram; the man dutifully follows after him with a hint of a smile on his face. “Their Tower has a similar layout to ours, but they have a ton more security measures—”
The kid prattles on as his Steve listens attentively. Tony sidles up next to him, still at the entrance to the lab.
“... This is weird, right?” his Tony whispers, staring at the two.
“I think it’s sweet,” Steve replies, smiling fondly. “Look how happy you are.” The younger Tony holds his hands out wide before crashing them together — his eyes are bright as he talks a mile a minute.
“Yeah…” Tony says distractedly. Steve chances a glance at his husband’s face — Tony looks like he’s miles away from here. Sighing softly, he gently places a hand on the small of Tony’s back. The other startles before looking over at him.
“I love you,” he says, because he can’t say “I’m sorry you weren’t happy at that age.” Well, he could, but it would go over horribly. Thankfully, Tony beams in response, so it was the right thing to say.
“It seems like most versions of you do,” Tony admits, gaze pulled back to the other two. “... You have bad taste.”
“I have the best taste,” Steve counters, “and I’ll thank you to not talk about my husband like that.” Tony rolls his eyes but Steve sees the smile on his face, so he counts it as a win.
“Woah!!” Steve glances back, but spots Tony at the back of the lab, leaning dangerously far over a table covered in equipment. Rummaging around, he leans back and brandishes his find to the other three. “Vintage,” Tony says in awe as he holds a small, cheaply made American flag, most likely a keepsake from one of the birthday parties Tony’s thrown him over the years.
“Uh, we’re not that old,” Tony says defensively.
“Uh, debatable but irrelevant, because this is,” the younger version of him argues, waving the small flag at him. “Can I keep this??”
He and Tony give each other a puzzled look. The other Steve’s eyes widen.
“Tony—” he warns his version.
“Please?? They don’t make these anymore!”
Steve blinks. “They don’t make… American flags?”
The younger Tony blinks back, hand holding the flag dropping to his side. “Oh… right…”
He looks to his Tony again, but he just shrugs at him.
His variant takes a few cautious steps in his direction, like he’s approaching a rabid animal. “Are you in the right headspace to receive some potentially devastating information?
What the fuck is happening.
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THERE’S NO AMERICA—” he shouts, fighting the hold his younger self has on him. “HOW CAN THERE BE NO AMERICA—”
“Should I get Carol??” the older Tony asks, panic evident in his voice.
“I’ve got him,” the other Steve assures, tightening his grip on Steve as the younger Tony mumbles, “Who’s Carol?”
Steve is aware enough that he knows he’s going to be slightly embarrassed by this reaction later on; unfortunately, Steve’s temper doesn’t really care.
“I’LL KILL HIM!” he roars, ducking down to use a technique Nat taught him once to break out of a headlock. The other Steve flails, giving him enough time to storm out of the lab and into the elevator.
“F.R.I.D.A.Y. CODE 0704911!” his Tony says loudly, bringing the elevator doors to a stop before they could close.
“Override code 07912906!” Steve shouts back. The elevator doors finish sliding shut right as his Tony shouts, “God fucking damnit Steve!”
The elevators travel fast, but Steve saw Tony throw his boots on before he made it to the elevator, so he’ll be at the entrance before Steve gets there. That’s fine, because Steve can just move him out of the way before he carries on — fortunately Tony didn’t have the foresight to put on the entire suit.
Sure enough, Tony’s there at the top when the doors slide open. “You cannot go punch Reed,” he commands, hands raised cautiously in front of himself. “It doesn’t matter that Reed can stretch and fold into the punch, Steve, it’s rude as hell and we’re on speaking terms right now dO NOT RUIN THIS FOR ME, STEVE!” He begins shouting as Steve walks past him, still hovering as he flies to keep up with him. “I DON’T NEED REED UPSET WITH US, STEVEN, THE MAN LOSES TRACK OF ENTIRE BUILDINGS!”
Steve’s still walking. He’s not actually going to kill Reed, or even punch him, because Steve may have a temper, but he’s spent decades controlling said temper so he doesn’t accidentally maim people he’s upset with.
Also because he swore he’d never be like his father, but now’s not the time for that.
If anything, he’ll just yell at the man for a bit. He’s approaching the hallway when he hears the other Steve call his name.
“What?!” he snaps, turning back before stumbling slightly. His variant must have taken so long to get up here because he waited for his Tony to climb the stairs, because both of them are there, staring at him. The other Steve looks wary, but it’s the younger Tony that stops Steve dead in his tracks.
He looks scared.
“I’m sorry!” he apologizes, which is ridiculous because what’s happening isn’t Tony’s fault. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!” He rushes up to him, ducking out of the way of his Steve going to grab at his shirt, probably because he knows how insane it is for anyone to approach him when he’s like this.
The younger Tony skids to a stop right in front of him. “I don’t want to ruin another universe,” Tony wheezes, still clearly out of breath from racing up the stairs. Steve blinks, completely lost. “I already messed up mine, I don’t—” A sob wrenches itself out of his chest, and Steve can’t stop himself from crushing the kid in a hug.
The sound of him crying stops for a moment, most likely from the shock of the hug, before it comes back in full force; Steve can feel his small shoulders shaking.
“You didn’t mess anything up,” he says forcefully, hunched over to accommodate the kid’s shorter height. “You don’t ruin things, Tony, you only make things better.”
“I— I try,” the other manages through tears, “I promise I try—”
“I know you do. We all know you do,” he assures swiftly. “That’s all you can do, Tony. We’ll never fault you for giving it your best.” He leans back, smiling wetly down at the kid. “You fix things, Tony. That’s what you do.”
The kid sniffles for a moment before offering his own tearful smile. Glancing behind him, Steve sees his variant sporting his own soft smile.
His Tony is currently flying above them, smirking at him. Steve huffs in mock aggravation, grinning himself.
“Come on,” he tells the younger Tony, clapping a hand that appears massive on his shoulder, “I know a place you’d probably love to see.”
He and Tony stand together as the younger Tony races around the room, commenting on every feature of the exhibit. Museums don’t usually allow for private parties on such short notice, especially the American Museum of Natural History, but Steve may have used his Captain America powers to get some special treatment. It was worth it though, considering the sheer joy on younger Tony’s face and the intense nostalgia on his variant’s.
The other Steve is keeping pace with Tony — occasionally he’s the one leading his counterpart around, explaining the meaning behind a few of the exhibits as the younger Tony pays him rapt attention.
“Guess the kid has more hang ups than I realized,” Tony comments, not looking at Steve. He eyes his husband from the corner of his eye.
“Yeah, well, Tony Starks are notorious for concealing their insecurities.” The other turns to glare at him, unimpressed. “For instance—” Steve begins circling Tony, gesturing to him like a museum worker would one of the exhibits. “—here you’ll see a Tony who is still convinced he’s a danger to polite society, even after ten years of service.”
“Steve,” he warns, crossing his arms. Steve stops in front of him before he leans in to kiss him.
“It can take the average Tony Stark five and a half years to accept how remarkable he is,” Steve continues in his presentation voice.
“Incorrect,” Tony says simply, “it takes the average Tony eight months to accept that. 616 Tony Stark is an outlier and should not be included in the grouping to avoid skewing the results.” He glances away for a moment, bashful. “Bet you’re feeling really lucky right about now,” he adds dryly.
Grabbing his face, Steve kisses him again. “Luckiest fella in the multiverse,” he agrees, smiling. He can’t help the exhaled laugh at Tony’s astonished expression — he turns back to the others as he grabs his husband’s hand.
The four are back in the lab when the portal back to their original Earth appears. The younger Tony bounds up to the two of them while the other Steve waits for him.
His Tony looks down at him. “Remember what we talked about,” he says simply, and the younger one nods solemnly. Steve’s sure that conversation was harsher than he would like, considering Tony was essentially speaking to himself, but Tony would also never hurt a child — Steve can only pray he afforded that same grace to himself. The younger Tony turns to him, staring at him expectantly. Steve opens his arms in response, and Tony beams before hugging him.
“I’ll be good,” he promises. “I’ll be the best.”
“I know you’ll be,” Steve promises him. “Be sure to visit. We can go see Hamilton one day.”
Tony gives him a confused smile, nodding in a clear attempt to humor him. Steve laughs warmly as he ruffles the kid’s hair, prompting him to reach up to try and style it to how it was.
“Come on,” the other Steve calls to him. The kid rushes over to him as his variant nods to the two of them. Steve nods back. Tony waves at them before entering the portal, his Steve trailing after him. The portal disappears, leaving the two of them alone.
“What did you two talk about?” Steve asks as the two head to the elevator.
“It was just a lot of advice,” Tony answers. “A lot of it boiled down to ‘listen to Steve— no, actually, listen to Steve.’” Tony smiles at him. “I think it went well.”
Steve laughs as the two enter the elevator. “So, this means you’ll be listening to Steve as well, right?”
“I suddenly remembered I have a meeting.”
“Sure.”