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Chapter Text

@JeffPassan

BREAKING: Left-hander Tony Stark and the New York Avengers are in agreement on a one-year, $15 million contract, pending physical, sources tell ESPN. Stark, 32, returns to the Show after several years away, including the last year in the NPB with the Hanshin Tigers. The two-time Cy Young winner joins the crosstown rivals of his former team.

Sources: Tony Stark and Avengers agree on 1-year, $15M deal

Jeff Passan, Senior MLB Insider

January 7, 2025, 06:28 PM ET

Left-hander Tony Stark and the New York Avengers are in agreement on a one-year, $15 million contract, sources told ESPN on Monday. The former Yankee star returns to New York to join the crosstown rivals.

"I keep my promises - 🥌🧔🏻" Stark teased on his Instagram story, before the deal was announced.

The deal includes an additional $1.5 million in performance bonuses, sources said.

Stark's accolades should speak for themselves: Rookie of the Year, two-time Cy Young winner, two-time Gold Glove, and four-time All-Star. In his remarkable 2018 Cy Young-winning season, he posted a 1.96 ERA over 192 innings. Stark's fastball averaged 97, and his slider had a compelling argument for being the best in the world. The then-best pitcher in the game accomplished one of its rarest achievements by throwing a perfect game against the Rays on June 16, the 24th in the history of the Major Leagues.

But, in a show of irony for the "Iron Man", his most memorable moment in the game's brightest spotlight left an entirely different legacy.

In Game 7 of the 2019 World Series, Stark, then the undisputed ace of the Yankees rotation, came out of the bullpen in the bottom of the 10th inning to face the top of the San Francisco Mutants order to preserve a 1-run lead. He struck out his first batter faced, and got the second to fly out to center. The pieces were in place for the Yankees' first World Series win this century. The next few fateful minutes, however, saw the tower of cards topple. Stark issued a walk, followed up shortly by an uncharacteristic balk, his first ever committed in the Major Leagues. But New York was still set to celebrate, when Stark induced a slow roller groundball to his right: an easy put-out to first base. But Stark bobbled the ball in his throw to first, and was beat out by the runner. The 2018 Gold Glove winner was charged with an error, and faced his next batter with runners on first and third. Baseball history was created out of Stark's nightmare, as he gave up a walk-off 3-run home-run to blow the save, and the World Series.

The next season, Stark didn't make it to his first start of Spring Training, leaving the field after warm-ups. The news soon followed that he would be out for the season with a torn UCL necessitating his second Tommy John surgery.

In 2021, Stark returned to the New York Yankees and allowed a dreadful 6.01 ERA in 12 starts. The former ace was designated for assignment before the All-Star Break, and cleared waivers to be optioned to the minor leagues. It was unthinkable for someone who was once baseball's no. 1 prospect.

Many pitchers struggle to regain their form after a second elbow reconstruction, oftentimes losing a few crucial ticks in velocity. But, beyond the unsurprising dip in his fastball speed, many also believed Stark to be battling a case of the yips. In his 2021 season, his walk rate soared, he threw more wild pitches than his prior three seasons combined, and he committed the most errors for any pitcher in the AL. The yips, and its causes, are as mysterious as they are aggravating to athletes and fans of any professional sport. But, it was hard for fans not to hone in on that fateful Game 7 tenth inning, and divide Stark's seemingly Hall of Fame-bound career before, and his struggles to remain relevant in the Major Leagues after.

2021 marked Stark's fall from glory on the diamond. But, unthinkable tragedy struck off the field. Stark's father and mother, Howard and Maria Stark of Stark Industries, died in a car crash on October 30. It was the two-year anniversary of Stark's blown save.

In 2022, the then-free agent Stark turned down multiple multi-year offers from teams looking to refind his form, opting instead to sign a minor-league deal with his Yankees, with a non-roster invite to their spring training. However, a week before pitchers reported to camp, Stark took to Instagram to announce that he would not be participating in baseball for the season to focus on Stark Industries affairs as the sole heir to his late parents' company. He signed off his announcement with a promise: "Iron Man will return."

Stark did not return to baseball for the 2023 season. However, 2024 came with a surprise announcement that Stark would be taking his talents overseas, joining the NPB in a 1-year deal with the Hanshin Tigers. With the Tigers, Stark put up a serviceable 3.39 ERA in 22 starts (The NPB trends toward a pitcher-dominated league.)

In 2025, 4 years after he last stepped foot on a Major League Baseball diamond, and 6 years after he was one of the brightest stars in the game, Stark fulfills his promise to return to the United States. He joins an up-and-coming Avengers team, headlined by catcher Steve Rogers and outfielder Thor Odinson, and joining a rotation that includes former-teammate right-hander James Rhodes. If the Avengers can get the best version of Tony Stark to the mound at Avengers Field, the team will be a serious contender to watch.

Chapter Text

"Incoming," Tony called. He balled up a damp rag to fling from the bathroom entrance, across the room to the bed. Steve caught it, unraveling it to swipe over his chest, wiping up their shared mess.

"Too lazy to bring it over here?" Steve asked, deciding that things were clean enough. Tony was thoughtful, and had set glasses of water on the bedside table prior. The room temperature water felt heavenly to Steve's parched throat.

"That's a first. I've never had a bed partner call me lazy before." Tony's voice was thick through the sound of him brushing his teeth. He was particularly fastidious after sex, Steve had learned, even if his mouth hadn't been anywhere that needed it. On that note, Steve should probably brush his teeth, too.

Tony's eyes met his in the mirror as Steve sidled up to him, rifling through the cabinet for his spare toothbrush. It had been a few months since he'd last had to use it, but it was in the same spot he'd left it.

"I have to say, I wasn't expecting a call, tonight."

Steve's skin prickled. "Well, you know how SHIELD works. Things come up, others get cancelled. There's no guarantee of…availability."

"Hm. I thought you said Sharon had already been out of town for a few nights."

"Well," Steve said smoothly, "it's the same for missions. A couple hours, a few weeks. No really telling once the call comes how long you could be gone for."

Tony grunted as he spat out his toothpaste. "No point in a booty call if your paramour will be back any day. Got it. It's been a while—I had actually wondered if your and Sharon's arrangement was off."

Steve blinked. He lowered his toothbrush, letting it hang over the sink. "Why would it be?"

"Well, it's not like we've really talked about this beyond the surface level. 'Hey, Sharon and my jobs can keep us out of each others' lives for long spells, so we have an open arrangement as long as we're not both at home' is really all it took to get me into your bed the first time, wasn't it? It's not like I needed to ask questions. It's not my relationship, it's yours." Tony splashed water on his face. "It's just…been a while, and arrangements change. Maybe the relationship was closed, at some point."

"Nothing's changed from when we started this," Steve said. "If things do change, then…" Then…he'd just have to tell Tony, wouldn't he? Just drop it casually as he would ask Tony to take a look at his equipment, or ask for his advice on a case.

"You see. We haven't exactly talked a lot about the parameters of all this, and it's been…what? Over half a year by now. But maybe it still isn't my place. If Sharon is so magnanimous to share Captain America, maybe I shouldn't question any further." Tony avoided Steve's eyes in the mirror.

"Are you re-thinking this?" Steve asked.

Tony had never said anything to suggest he had second thoughts on Steve's on-going proposal. That's why Steve had reached out to him in the first place. Tony would understand what he was doing. He'd had plenty of encounters with plenty of people, and it didn't change how he treated them. Steve had never assumed that Tony would have a problem with their set-up.

"It's not like that," Tony said. "I just thought I wouldn't have to be the one to bring up these questions to get some answers." Tony left the bathroom to go to bed first, and Steve finished brushing his teeth. His mind felt in suspension as he went through the motions.

When Steve slid into bed beside Tony, he remained seated. Tony's back was to him.

"There's not much more than what I've already told you. What do you need to know?" Steve asked.

"This isn't an ultimatum, I swear," Tony said, before rolling over and propping his head on his arm. "The terms were very clear when it was laid out. But, well, I assumed it was, uh, just going to be a one-night stand we wouldn't talk about. Clearly, we're past that. But if you and Sharon agreed on not talking to outsiders about your business other than what they need to know, then I get it. It's not like we ever talked that much about all our prior relationships with each other."

Well, Tony always was involved with someone or another. It was just…easier to talk about the Avengers, or anything else not related to all the women coming in and out of his life. Apparently, there were men too, but Steve had his blinders on too tight to notice for a long time.

"We don't have any rule like that. Sharon and I agreed on this a while back. A couple of years, actually."

"Oh!" Tony threw his head back and laughed. "That's good for my ego. I thought this was a recent development, and I was one of your first choices."

Disquiet unraveled slowly in Steve's chest. "Just because it's been going on for a couple of years, didn't mean I ever had to use it."

Tony frowned, waiting for him to continue.

"If Sharon wanted to open the relationship, then I couldn't stop her even if I wanted to."

"Now," Tony said, the furrow between his eyebrows deepening, "I don't know Sharon as well as you, but I don't think she would do that if she knew you were uncomfortable with it."

"In the war, men had to do what they did, even when they had sweethearts." Whether that was with civilians, or with other soldiers, Steve couldn't find it in himself to judge them wanting companionship in a lonely foreign land. "I'm…proud of her trust in me. That she could share that there was something she needed, that I couldn't always be with her for."

"So, you were okay with Sharon finding what she needed, and she was okay with you doing the same."

"Sharon said she needed it, even when I wasn't there," Steve said, "but I didn't think it was the same for me. I didn't think it was necessary."

Tony smirked. "What, until me?"

"Don't let your head get full, Stark, I could manage without you."

"But it's so much less fun, isn't it?" Tony winked. "Well, when you put it like that, I could see Sharon suggesting it. I'm more surprised you actually took her up on it by asking me."

"I'm full of surprises," Steve said.

Steve's skin prickled to life under Tony's gaze.

"As far as surprises go, learning that Captain America likes cock is in my personal top ten."

"I'll have to work harder to move up that list."

"I don't know about that." Tony grinned. "One of my first girlfriends really rocked my world when she threw in some fingering for the first time. That sure was-oof!"

Steve hovered over Tony, staring down at him. Tony's hair was swept over the bed, and his face was bracketed between Steve's hands. "I don't care who was your first. I care about making you forget about anyone else."

"Damn. Sharon's one lucky woman."

"I see it's not working," Steve said, and worked the tip of Tony's ear between his teeth, flicking the rim of it with his tongue.

"Never say Captain America isn't dedicated," Tony said with a sly smile. Steve drew him in for a deep kiss, and if he was rougher than he expected, it was worth it to feel Tony shudder under his hands.

Steve frowned at the table. Sharon did the gestures right. Textbook, even. She kept her gaze without wavering, she kept her voice level. But Steve didn't watch for tells in body language or analyze psychology like that. That was left to the professionals to study. No, Steve's intuition simply told him there was an air around her. Sharon was nervous.

"I'll be honest, Sharon. I can't see myself taking you up on that offer."

"Yes, yes, Captain America. You're traditional and loyal and can't wrap your mind around these new-age ways of thinking."

"It's not that new. I fought in a war. Many of those men were months, years away from their sweethearts. If you feel that need when you're away, then I want you to do what you need. I meant, that I can't see myself needing that when we're not together." Steve drew, or exercised, or worked on things that needed to be done. Looking for someone to be intimate with, with no further expectations, sounded more stressful than practical.

"I don't doubt that, at all," Sharon replied. "It's not like you'd die without it. It doesn't have to be that serious to find a partner. It's physical upkeep, or stress relief, whatever. You still jerk off even though you have me, don't you?"

"That's not the same thing," Steve said. "It's not a big deal."

"Exactly," Sharon sighed. "It's to relieve stress, or just pass the time. If we're on the same page about how 'not a big deal' it is, then there shouldn't be a problem with it for you."

"Are you really trying to get me to sleep with people?"

"I'm giving you explicit permission, because you wouldn't do it otherwise. I don't want this to be something you feel you have to do for me, that builds resentment."

"I care about you, and I trust you when you say this is something you need when we're not together," Steve said. "It's just a lot to ask, for myself to try to find other partners. It would take time, at least."

"Would you rather we talk about what I don't want you to do?"

Steve smirked. "We could talk for a long time about that."

The tension in Sharon's shoulders eased. "Well, I wouldn't want you to be sleeping with someone while I'm in town, obviously. I'm here. And there are some people who are off-limits, no matter what."

"Like, no Avengers? You're looking out for the health of my team?"

Sharon leaned over to poke him on the arm. "If I had an issue with sleeping with my co-workers, this would have never worked out. And you Avengers are already all weird and incestuous anyway, it's not like you joining in on that would change much."

Steve didn't think the Avengers were <i>so</i> bad. "Then, who? Any of my ex-girlfriends?"

Sharon was quiet. She seemed like she was ready to say something, but wasn't ready to open her mouth to voice it. That was uncharacteristic of her.

"Tony Stark."

What? "What?"

"You heard me the first time, Mr. Super-Soldier."

"But—really? Why Tony? I'm not even interested in men."

"Those are my limits," Sharon said. "You need boundaries in place, so that's my boundary. I'm fine with you hitting anyone up if you need to when I'm not here, but not him."

She wasn't just picking Tony to pick a name out of a hat. She had considered this before sharing, and it made her uneasy. But why? What were there to worry about with Tony? If it was about his male friends, then she could have named Sam, or Bucky.

Why Tony? He would be one of the last people Steve would consider picking for a no-strings attached relationship. They had too much history between them. Adding sex to that equation, when their mere friendship had blown up in their faces and nearly ended so many times. It was a fool's errand.

"Me and Tony weren't going to happen anyway," Steve said, "but if that's what it takes for you to agree, then okay. I accept your terms."

"Thanks, Rogers," she said, smiling. As unused as Steve was to this set-up, seeing the relief on her face made it well worth it.

"I love you," he told her. Sharon scoffed, but the smile didn't waver.

"Yeah, right back at you."

Chapter Text

"Anyway, Mrs. Shields's kitchen walls made her depressed, so we brightened them up soon," Steve said, flipping through the images on the phone. "So, this is what it looked before, and then after we were all done. And, oh, that's too far."

"Hey, don't go back." Carol leaned over the cafe table. "You went on some tropical island vacation? And didn't invite me along?"

Steve angled the phone away from her the further she leaned over, until the shot of picturesque white sand and clear blue water ended up face-down next to his coffee.

"You could make it to one in ten minutes, tops," he said smoothly. He turned his head to watch pedestrians out the window, except that he rubbed a hand along his jeans. Classic tell.

"Ten minutes to get there, two minutes to take in the smell of ocean air, until one of the communicators goes off." The only surprise would be which one it'd be this time: Avengers, Guardians, Kree, her landlord. "I really took you more for the camping or road trip type."

"I did go on a road trip. After the incident in DC." Well, that was surely a way to describe taking down fascist-Captain-America, his authoritarian government, and a disturbing number of followers who had swallowed the rhetoric whole. Even as far as Avengers life went, that whole affair was a cut above.

"Of course you did. No better time to get in touch with your roots and remind yourself of the people you fight for." Anyone who's been in this business long enough, and reached the lows that too many of them have, were familiar with the aftermath of finding yourself again. Agonizing, healing, lonely, life-affirming. It was exactly what Steve had needed. And apparently, he had also needed to get in touch with himself on a personal level.

Carol eyed the phone again. Her eyes wouldn't fool her. It was a wide shot of a gorgeous beach, that would be crawling with tourists at any public resort. But there hadn't been a soul in that photo.

She'd known Steve for a long time. Even on his patented road trips, he was going to meet new people, ingraining himself into strangers' lives and getting places named after him all over small-town America. He wouldn't get away from the hustle and bustle of New York to be alone. He'd get away for some privacy.

"So, who is it?" Carol said.

Steve cleared his throat. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Sure, there were some loaded superheroes who owned some private beach-or-island-or-other that Captain America could ask for a favor, but there was really one person who Captain America would ask for a favor.

Her stomach twisted, at the idea of Steve asking Tony for a place to get away from it all with a significant other. Of course, knowing Tony, he wouldn't let Steve finish the question before he was making private flight arrangements, and preparing the residence on some private tropical island for an extended stay.

"We both know you'd never be the one to suggest a private tropical weekend away. I guess I'll just have to shake down Tony for the deets on your little getaway," Carol said, taking a sip of her mocktail.

Really, she'd thought that would get Steve to fess up, faced with the prospect of having Tony spill all his dirty secrets. Instead, Steve jerked, the table clattered, his hand flew out to steady the mug, and his spoon flipped right out of the mug and onto the floor.

"Whoa, you alright there?"

"It's fine, I'm fine," Steve spluttered, dabbing at his shirt stained with droplets of coffee. He avoided her gaze, face turning pinker.

Carol could feel a bit guilty about how flustered her teasing had been, but mostly she was baffled. Really, if Steve wanted to spend some quality time with someone on some remote private beach, especially when his face wasn't exactly the most welcome in most places, he had every right. The worst that could happen is some teasing, but that's just what happened between friends. It's not like Carol even knew who the woman-oh. Hmm.

"Ohh." Carol snapped her fingers. "I know them!"

Steve shot her a sharp glance. "Don't you already know you know them?"

Carol had no clue what Steve was going on, but if he was so sure she already knew, she couldn't disappoint him. But, who would make Steve clam up this much? Can't have been someone he'd already dated before. Maybe it was someone who was better friends with Carol than with Steve? Geez, and Tony got to know all about it before she did.

Wait up. Steve would never suggest a private island getaway. He wouldn't even consider it. The person who would suggest something like that…would be the person who already owned a place like that, right?

The realization slowly dawned on her, and she squinted at Steve. "Well, was it nice?"

"Of course it was."

"Yes, Tony can be a bit much, but he has good taste in things like that. Plus I'm sure he was a good host, showing you around his private island. You hadn't been there before, had you?"

Steve's gaze was fixed on his coffee, before he shook his head. The flush crept down Steve's neck, past his collar. Carol wasn't privy to how far down it went, but she had an idea of who would.

So, Steve and Tony spent a few days together on a private island. Carol couldn't say she was surprised. Hey, if it actually forced them to take a vacation for once in their life, instead of using days off to make repairs to all his neighbors' apartments, or holing up in a lab to upgrade the team's equipment, Carol wouldn't complain. Carol could even suggest some lovely alien resort planets for them if they really needed to be off-grid, or even if she noticed some brewing tensions. God knew Earth could hardly handle Steve and Tony's fights at its best.

"Sorry, I just need to-" Carol took out her phone, pulling up her texts with Rhodey. Carol was the Steve wrangler in the relationship, so it was up to Rhodey to corral Tony.

Task completed, Carol cleared her throat. "Steve."

Steve looked at her with resigned acceptance. "Yeah?"

"I'm happy for you two."

Steve smiled. "Thank you. I am, too."

He pulled out his own phone, typing away, sending his own warning text to his special someone. As he should.

Chapter Text

"What do you think? Is the sand warm enough? Is the water clear enough?"

"They're all lovely," Steve said frankly.

Tony squinted at his toes as he dug them into the sand. "Really? I think the last time I've been in the Carribean, it was when we had that mutated sentient plant colony." You would think that carnivorous plants might be the most dangerous plant to go sentient, but the Avengers had learned it was most certainly honeysuckle. "I should have taken more readings then, but the armor filters were awfully clogged."

"When you asked if I wanted to test one of Stark International's newest projects, this was…not what I was expecting." A beach in a box. Or, well, a small sphere, that projected a nice little scene until Tony had invited Steve to step in with him.

"I did have to consult with Reed Richards for it. And also Stephen Strange, and the Scarlet Witch."

Tony must have been really invested in this project, bringing together technology, science, and magic to make it work. And now Steve was here, too. Would he have to sign an NDA for seeing this?

"I got the idea from the Enchantress's latest schemes. Trapping us on a time-loop fun-house cruise ship while she tried to take over Asgard."

Right, Steve decidedly did not want any more buffet-style dinners for the foreseeable future.

"Obviously, none of us need to be subjected to another late-night magic show. But, you know, it was kind of nice once you got past the existential horror of it all. Which we didn't realize at the time."

"You mean the part when we thought it was just a vacation?" He and Tony had spent quite a bit of time in their room, and by the pool, and wandering around the casino and other entertainment options. They hadn't realized they needed to be anywhere else, and that had been rather nice.

"Exactly!" Tony crowed. "Of course, a forced vacation without consent isn't ethical. But what if we could recreate that, but you could obviously choose to subject yourself to it. On an Avengers level, don't you think that, say, maybe Batroc just needs a proper vacation?"

"Batroc?" Steve frowned. "I think he does what he does because thinks it's fun."

"Okay, maybe not Batroc. But some of the others, they just need a good vacation package. You know, not all companies are so generous with PTO. It's quite ridiculous."

"So you're going to warp the time-space continuum to give people vacations?" Steve smiled. "Wouldn't it be easier to just go on an actual vacation?"

"That involves other people, and logistics, and time, Steve. And also overcoming the superhero guilt of taking a vacation when there's so much else to do."

"Tony…" Steve turned to face Tony, and placed his hands on Tony's hips. "Did you invent a way to warp the time-space continuum so we could spend time together?"

"Well," Tony said, his eyes sweeping downward. Steve took one hand and lifted Tony's chin so that their eyes met. Steve offered a soft smile, and could feel the tension release from Tony's body. "I really do think that it could help people, especially stressed workers and bored supervillains. But, well, maybe I might have missed you a bit."

Steve resolved to do better. Sure, they did pick-up basketball games, and picnics in the park, but when's the last time they really traveled together, just the two of them to themselves?

"I do think it's a good idea. But I also think it'd be nice to plan a trip to somewhere nice. Maybe with more people?"

"I like Japan! And Italy." Tony's brow furrowed in slight distress. "Oh, would you not want to go to France?"

"Anywhere is fine," Steve said. "As long as it's with you."

Chapter Text

Tony woke, and promptly wished he hadn't. Every reminder that he was awake, conscious, and alive was accompanied with a reminder of his body's ability to feel pain. Each beat of his heart felt like someone pounding a drum behind his eyelids. A throbbing sensation on his head refused to subside even with carefully drawn breaths. His limbs were sore and stiff and apparently bound tightly in place. He tried to shift to a more comfortable position and nearly bit his tongue off as his ankle screamed in protest. Badly twisted, probably.

What the hell had he gotten himself into, now? The worst was that he had not the faintest feather of an idea. Beyond what he'd done to cross the wrong crowd, Tony couldn't recall where he came from, who he was, or if he was the sort of person that people would be looking for.

He opened his eyes as best he could, until he realized that his left eye was almost swollen shut. In the silver lining of this whole debacle, he found himself in relative, soothing darkness. He shuffling himself as best he could to an upright position against the wall, even with his legs bound together at the ankles and his arms tied together at the wrists. He tested his restraints, which obviously didn't give.

He was in a shed, as far as he could tell. It wasn't the most well-built either, with moonlight slanting through slabs of old wood. Well, as long as Tony didn't have to find a way out of an entire building. Of course, he might end up like a sitting duck once he got out, but he'd take his chances out there than in here. Naturally, the door didn't budge when he slammed his shoulder against it a few times, as his body screamed through the jolts of pain. Probably barred from the outside. Tony curled on the floor, panting.

There was nothing else of note in here with him. Whoever had left him here hadn't bothered gagging him, which didn't bode well for how close they were to civilization. But it did give him access to his mouth and teeth, and they hadn't taken his shoes.

After several agonizing moments of wiggling and slamming his boot against the floor, Tony managed to loosen it enough to remove it. Now, he had to figure out a way to remove the blade. He fell back on the floor, chest heaving as his vision swam in and out. He couldn't afford to take breaks in the moment of relative peace just because things were quiet now—

The sound of hooves broke throgh the silence. One horse, from the sounds of it. Whoever it was, wasn't interested in being quiet.

It could be someone here to rescue him. It could be someone coming here to finish the job.

Several minutes later, when the door opened, Tony pounced. It wasn't much, with feet and hands tied, and a blade clenched between his teeth, but the element of surprise earned him a grunt of pain - or was that surprise? But the intruder's reflxes were good, and they raised their arm in time so that the blade caught their forearm instead of their face. Instead of falling forward and tumbling them both over, Tony toppled over. He twisted, to avoid falling on his bad foot, only to realize he'd landed his torso on the blade. Thankfully, it was laid flat on his side. Fuck.

Tony was flipped onto his back and his vision was promptly filled with handsome, worried blond.

"Stark!"

"Who?"

"Oh thank god," the man said. He sat back on his haunches. He watched Tony like he was soaking in the sight.

"If you're here for me, you want to give a hand?"

"What?" The man studied him. "You're still tied up? And you still managed that?" The man shook his head, as he took a look at the slash on his forearm. "I should have known better."

He picked Tony's blade from the floor, before pulling out a proper switchknife from his belt and promptly cutting through Tony's restraints. Tony rubbed at his wrists and ankles, taking in the little relief from the pain that was quickly making itself known, as the adrenaline of jumping this man was starting to subside.

He was a sight for sore eyes, literally. Even if Tony had been having a great day, he wouldn't have refused the opportunity to admire. The man had to be some sort of leader. It would be a waste of his good looks otherwise.

"So, who do I owe the pleasure to getting rescued by a handsome stranger?"

The man squinted at him. "You're more addled than your usual," the blond stranger told him. "But you're not drunk."

A drink sounded amazing, to be honest. "I would be happy to hit up the nearest saloon, as long as it doesn't end up with me thrown into a shed with no recollection of how I got there," Tony told him. "Who are you?"

"I…" The man studied him, not with suspicion, but with wariness. "I'm the sheriff. Of Timely."

"I assume you're not the one who threw me in here, then?"

"Most certainly not. Much as you've tried my nerves, you've never done anything illegal."

"So, I'm a law-abiding citizen that you were charged to rescue?"

"I…well, charged isn't the right word. But you're a resident of Timely who went missing. You…really don't remember? We'll have to take you to Doctor Banner. You might have hit your head."

"You say you're the sheriff, but you're out in the middle of nowhere staging a rescue mission on a suspected kidnapipng, on your own? You don't have anyone else to help you out with a search party?"

The sheriff frowned at him with a raised eyebrow. "You find it odd?"

Tony scowled. The man wasn't wrong, surely only a brain injury could have caused the ignorance of how he ended up in the current situation, but Tony's mental capacities were in perfect working order. If only his memory would catch up. He told the sheriff as much.

The sheriff sighed. "You're not wrong. I…don't know who's behind your kidnapping in the first place. Obviously, you don't recall, either. Not everyone is your ally around these parts."

"Is our town really that turned over to the wolves?" Tony said. "No one to trust?"

"Of course there's good people to call on. You were just…I found it unusual."

"My wife must have not let up. You're honor-bound to search for a missing citizen anyway, but her nagging must have really riled you up."

"You're not married. You live by yourself, actually."

So, Tony was some sort of eccentric loner, and the sheriff still found it in himself to go off alone in search of him.

Tony found that part very hard to believe.

"What, am I related to the mayor?"

"She wouldn't take kindly to that. No, you're the town blacksmith."

Hm. Any town needed a blacksmith, sure, but any town needed a saloon owner, a general store owner, a doctor.

"Well, the big question is, what was I before the town blacksmith?"

The sheriff looked at him sharply. "You don't like to talk about it," he said.

"And that isn't suspicious to you? Maybe I went missing for a good reason. Hell, a drunk blacksmith? anyone else would think I had just gotten bored and ridden out of town."

"Only people who don't know you," Steve said. "I might not know everything that went on before you came to Timely, but that doesn't matter to me. What matters to me is who you are now, and the Tony Stark I know is a good man."

Tony was right. This man was a leader. However lawless Timely was that he couldn't find anyone he could trust, at least he would have Tony on his side. The thought was the first thing to ease the dull pain in his head.

"Fine. Fine, you found me, and you persuaded me to come with you. Where to, sheriff?"

The sheriff blinked, looking torn. "My name is Steven Rogers. You call me…Steve."

Steve really had just brought his horse and the clothes on his back.

Every bound of the horse was unbearable on Tony's body. Tony buried his face into the warmth of the sheriff's back to try to numb the pain. At some point, his body had to decide it was easier to lapse into unconsciousness, right?

A hand was laid over his. "Stay awake, Stark," Steve said.

"Don't gotta listen to you," Tony grumbled.

For some reason, that made the other man chuckle. "Of course, you never gotta. Figure what, you can serenade me all you want. I won't even complain. Is that good enough?"

"Am I really the one who hit my head, or are you always like this?"

"Oh Danny Boy," Steve began, raspy and uncertain. "The pipes, the pipes are calling."

"You're an awful singer."

"You're one to talk, Stark."

Tony grumbled, feeling the vibrations through Steve's back as he continued singing. After a moment, Tony cleared his throat.

"I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow," he half-muttered, half-hummed. Steve's hand remained over his as he squeezed. Tony squeezed back.

Chapter Text

"Who are you?"

The living armor turned toward him. Where its face would be were slits. Set inside the slits, something blinked. Tony thought its eyes were blue.

"I have no need of a name." Its voice was unlike any human voice Tony had ever heard. It must have been magicked, although Tony could have told you that from the sheer amount of mana emanating from the armor.

"You saved my life." Tony kept eye contact with the living armor as he leaned over to pick up what he'd dropped during the ambush. The sword glistened, shining beyond the precious, priceless metals of the hilt and blade. The sword of the king gleamed in the hand of its wielder, light reflecting off the surface of the living armor, until Tony sheathed it. "You saved me, so your name deserves to be known."

"King Anthony…"

"No, that's my name," Tony grinned when he realized the living armor's silence was born of exasperation. "Keep your secrets, then. I will simply tell others that I was saved by the Iron Man."

"Iron Man?"

"I don't imagine you would wear a full suit of armor and refuse to respond to royalty if you didn't have secrets to keep. So I've bestowed you with your own name. A gift from the king, for saving my life."

"I-I have no need of a reward. But…" The living armor remained silent for a long moment. That was fine. Tony could wait.

The living armor - the man inside the armor - came to a decision. "I will accept your name."

Tony smiled. "Good."

"I didn't know you had an interest in deciphering runes yourself, now."

Steve startled. "Your Majesty!" He should have heard Tony walk in. Steve had been..distracted, as of late. "Should you be up?"

"You're as bad as Lady Foster," Tony scoffed. "I'm fine. My ego ended up more bruised than my body. Those kidnappers should be shamed. Speaking of which, have you any word?"

"No," Steve replied. "The Widow has been investigating since you went missing, but she has yet to make a report."

Tony smirked. "That lightens my unease rather than anything. It means the lady Romanova has found a lead too good to let go of to do something as irrelevant as reporting to the king." Tony studied Steve. "Are there any thoughts you want to share about Natasha, my royal advisor?"

"No, I trust Natasha to take care of herself," Steve said. "She wouldn't be one of ours - one of yours - otherwise."

"You still worry, though."

"They managed to kidnap you."

"I was careless, going outside the castle grounds on my own. It wasn't the first time, nor will it be the last."

"Tony," Steve said, "please be reasonable. You just came here from the infirmary."

"Well, dead people can't rise from their graves to move to a safe area. There's only so far my royal authority can go."

Tony's parents' graves were, of course, within the castle grounds, at the royal cemetery. The only grave he could visit outside the castle was…

"She wouldn't have wanted you to be in danger," Steve implored. "At least, let me know. Or Happy, he would make sure you're properly accompanied."

"Yes, let's wake up the entire keep because the king is in a mood. Even my father didn't stoop that low."

"Tony…"

"So, repulsor technology?" Tony asked, dropping the topic.

"You can read this?"

"Those hours of language study really did pay off. I'm no translator, but yes, I can make it out."

"From what you told me, repulsor technology should be what powers whoever saved you."

"Oh!" Much to Steve's chagrin, Tony brightened. "The Iron Man!"

"Yes," Steve gritted out, "the Iron Man."

"What can you tell me about him?" Tony asked. "I've never seen magic like his. Whoever created it must be some sort of prodigy."

"The Iron Man didn't create it himself," Steve said shortly. "And prodigy is far from how I'd describe its originator."

Tony frowned, but leaned in when Steve shifted his pages of notes over.

"The Iron Man is a cursed artifact. It's the experimentation of a cruel king, who charged his battle mages to create the ultimate armor. It saps the life force of its wearer to generate its own weaponized mana. It's powered by the agony of the person wearing it. Whoever is inside it, who would use a weapon like that, isn't to be trusted."

"Shouldn't it be the opposite, my esteemed advisor?" asked Tony. "Shouldn't someone who is willing to go so far as using their own mana as a power source, just to be able to join the fight, be admired?"

"Admired because of their desperation?" Steve retorted.

"Desperation? We don't know that," Tony said. "What we do know is, this Iron Man hasn't done anything besides save my life. If this man really is in such intense suffering, just for a king that doesn't know his name or face...For all his heart, I'm not sure what's going on in his brain."

"M-my lord," Steve stuttered. "you mustn't say things like that."

"Right," Tony sighed, "I'm the king now. I have to hold the highest opinion of myself, so that everyone else does too, right? It was so much easier to be self-deprecating as an unruly prince."

"I meant nothing of the sort!" Steve objected. "You're the first king in my lifetime who values peace over expansion. Who wants the people to prosper, instead of the nobles. Iron Man being your loyal subject is the least surprising part about this whole thing."

"So, I can't trust Iron Man because he's using dangerous magic, but I can trust him because he's a loyal subject." Tony straightened. "I don't need to know his secrets, or why he's doing this. All I need to know is that he'll protect this kingdom and its people, and apparently he's doing so at the cost of his own life. But who knows." Tony sighed. "Maybe he won't ever show up again. Maybe it was a one-and-done."

Steve wiped sweat with a handkerchief absentmindedly.

"We have to approach it that way. We don't have a method of contact, and as much as you're grateful to him for saving your life, we don't know his intentions."

"Voice of reason as always, Steve," Tony said.

"That's what I'm here for. Of course, I can't be on the battlefield with you, sire, on account of my ailing heart," Steve said. "I just urge you to exercise caution out there, if you must insist on going out."

"Are you saying you don't trust Rhodey to keep me safe?"

"Sir Rhodes has been by your side since you were squires, sire. I have no doubt in his loyalty. Moreover, Rhodey's armor was crafted by your own hands."

"Don't go telling me about how my crafts are worthwhile because they're made from God's chosen," Tony scowled.

Of course not. Tony was a genius craftsman in his own right. If anyone had to have all the qualities of handsomeness, brilliance, courage, generosity, and kindness, it should be Steve's king.

"Well," Steve began, "you were made in God's image, and therefore anything made from your head is…inspired."

"I'll take the credit where it's given," Tony laughed. "But, you've been here for a long time, too," he pointed out. "Not as long as Rhodey, but I almost don't remember what it was like to have my trusted advisor bark back at me." Tony rubbed at his temple, and Steve resisted the urge to reach out and lay his hand over Tony's.

"You need to rest, Tony."

"Perhaps you have a point." Tony replied, which meant that he was just about to collapse on his feet. "You're not going to sleep, yourself?"

"Not yet," Steve said. "I wanted to finish going through these notes."

"For all of your distrust, you might even more fascinated by the Iron Man than I am."

"This has nothing to do with the Iron Man. It's about keeping you safe."

"You say the loveliest things sometimes, when you're not ready to bite my head off."

"I'm about to do that, if you don't get yourself to bed."

"Yes, yes," Tony laughed. He laid a hand on Steve's shoulder. Steve didn't watch him go, but he heard the door shutting behind him.

Steve toppled onto the table, gasping. He wasn't sweating anymore. The table burned beneath his body, even though that was his own body burning from the inside-out. Steve slid to the cool floor, his fingers twisting in his shirt, over his chest. The hammering of his heartbeat didn't stop, and he wheezed, almost throwing up sick all over the floor. Against his better judgment, Steve fumbled his fingers, unbuttoning his shirt to reveal the shining stone set in his chest.

Reed Richards frowned at Steve. Steve blinked at him as pieces of metal locked into place around him, leaving only his head free.

"I understand why you had to do this, last time. Lord Stark was missing, and it could have been a matter of minutes between our kingdom remaining intact and a succession crisis. But now? Your Majesty would never approve of this, if he knew."

"Against all better judgment, he trusts and respects the Iron Man. We'll use that to our advantage. What Tony doesn't know about Iron Man's identity won't hurt him. There's still people out there who would have him kidnapped, or worse."

Steve didn't need Tony to trust the Iron Man, or to grow closer to whoever was inside him. All Steve needed, was for Tony to be safe.

Chapter Text

"Thanks for the lift, Iron Man," Steve said, gently hopping off of Tony's foot just before they landed on the lawn in front of the mansion. "Debrief at 1600!" he signaled to his team over the comms, to a series of affirmative responses.

"Enough time for a shower, then we'll need to set up the meeting room," Steve realized he wasn't being followed, and turned around. "Tony?"

Tony hadn't moved from where he'd landed. Even in a suit of armor, Steve had long been able to read the shifts of movement that echoed the human inside, that made it Tony. Here, there remained none. Tony remained statue-still, like a suit of armor standing guard in an empty hall.

Steve blinked at his own vision blurring. No, the red of the armor wasn't changing shades. What was different was the blood that ran down it, where the neck met the helmet.

"Iron Man!"

Blood seeped out through the armor's crevices, through the elbows, finger joints, the torso.

Steve scrambled for the catches of the armor, but he didn't need to. The helmet slid off like it wasn't worth millions of dollars between Steve's hands.

The blue eyes that had always been Iron Man's, even when Iron Man and Tony became one, that had always been watching Steve since he'd woken up in the future—

The eyes were clouded over in deep red blood. Blood treamed down Tony's face, into his mustache and beard, into his mouth and his teeth that slowly turned into a grin—

"TONY!"

His sheets were soaked in sweat, in stark contrast to his cold and clammy skin. His heart pounded in his ears, and even deep breathing didn't quiet it.

Steve's apartment was quiet and still. Before he went to bed, he would have considered it a rare moment of peace. Now, it tinted the world unreal.

He had to make it to the mansion.

It was just after midnight. Most likely, Steve wouldn't have to go upstairs to the bedrooms. Nope, Tony would most likely be in his lab-

There was blood in the entranceway. The polished floors of the mansion were marred by the dark pools. You could barely tell they were red in the darkness, but the deepness of the color shot Steve's heart rate up.

Fresh drops made a trail—a trail that led exactly to where Steve was meant to go in the first place. It was beyond the evidence of the blood. The hairs on the back of Steve's neck stood on end. Every alarm bell rang in his mind, an attuned sense to the world that was sharpened by the serum.

The light on the lab was on. The door was closed. Steve had to stand in the pool here, to key in his code, and—

"Tony?" Steve called out. It was so quiet it was almost as if his voice echoed.

"Huh?"

Steve spotted him the moment he turned around, raising his goggles. Tony's eyebrows raised. "Steve? What are you doing here?"

Steve strode across the lab, until he was able to touch Tony for himself.

"Whoa, Cap, what's going on?"

"Are you okay?" Steve demanded.

A furrow made itself known on Tony's handsome face. "I'm fine, Cap," he chuckled, but it was uncomfortable. "Why wouldn't I be? Did you have bad dreams?"

"There's blood," Steve offered, voice shaking. "Right to your lab door."

Tony spread his arms out. "As you can see, I'm in tip-top shape. No bleeding here."

"No, you have to—it was all over the floor!"

Tony stared at him. "Right to my door?"

Yes, Steve wanted to shout, he had been standing right in it.

"Okay," Tony said. He took a gauntlet, and Steve relaxed marginally. "Nothing's entered my lab other than you, as far as I know. Let's check this out."

"Yes," Steve said, as they made their way to the door, "I think we need to consult with Doctor Strange, this is more in his wheelhouse—"

It wasn't there. The pool of blood that Steve had been standing in wasn't there.

"It was right here," Steve insisted. Tony adjusted his gauntlet, face grave.

"Most of it was at the entrance," Steve told Tony, as they walked. Even the drops of blood were gone, but the massive one, right at the entrance—Jarvis never would allow that on his floors. Tony looked more and more concerned the closer they got to the entrance.

Tony accompanied him to the foyer, where the parts of the floor where the moonlight shone on gleamed, polished to perfection.

"I…" Steve stared at the floor, dumbstruck.

It was like he had been anchored in place, to Earth, to New York, to this mansion, and the disappearance of the blood had lifted the anchor, leaving him adrift. He hadn't…had he?

"We'll go visit the Sanctorum tomorrow. But maybe you should stay in the mansion for the night," Tony said. "Just to keep an eye on me." He added a wink, that sent a cold frisson down Steve's spine, as he turned to look at Tony.

Steve looked at Tony's blue, blue eyes. He blinked rapidly, willing them to turn red. They did not.

"Sure," Steve said.