In Days Gone Bye

[oldschoolpatriot]

One of these days being kind to strangers was going to cost Steve, but this was not one of those times. Tony turned out to be a pretty great guy. He didn't judge Steve for being small and didn't seem to think he was weak because of it. He didn't think it was strange for Steve to be in art school either.

It was a chilly October evening, the threadbare apartment letting in the chill even as the radiator clanked and rumbled, trying to fight it. Steve curled up in the corner of the couch, wrapped in layers and blankets with his knees drawn up and sketching. Bucky was out for the evening and had tried to talk Steve into joining him but he wasn't up for it. It was too cold. He was safer inside these days.

"You could've gone with him," Steve said, glancing up briefly to look over at Tony who had stayed home with him.

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[legacyofiron]

Tony didn't expect to end up in BFE time space and land in his dad's old stomping grounds. In fact, the man hadn't seen any of this coming when he'd dared to mess with the Tesseract project a little between saving the world from Russian terrorists. But most of all, he didn't foresee meeting a man he'd only heard about in stories and praise from his father.

Howard Stark loved few things over than science and technology. He loved Maria. Then he loved Captain America. Tony had both idolized the war hero and hated him for over half his life. Till finally... the idolization won with the more history he read up on the man. If he couldn't beat the memory, may as well join his dad in worshiping him so to speak.

Meeting Steve Rogers went far differently than his imagination would have planned. In fact, it took him a while for it to even click that his childhood hero and his Steve were the same person. That realization came when rumors of war came and Steve showed an endless desire to enlist while Tony would tinker and work with old tech to make some extra money. Which put him in a morose mood. Not that he didn't support Steve. He always supported him and heard him out.

"Why? It's cold and the cold doesn't go well with me." Dark eyes lifted and he sent the blonde a smile. "So... I think I have an idea to make that radiator work better if you're up for it? I think we could both use some extra warmth..."

[oldschoolpatriot]

"You don't have to ask me twice." He closed his sketchbook, he could always draw Tony later, and untangled himself from the blankets. "What can I do to help?"

He hoped it wouldn't take long. The cold would quickly get to him, his hands would start to shake and then he wouldn't be any use to Tony. If there was one thing Steve hated more than anything it was being useless. He certainly felt that way most of the time.

Tony, though, didn't treat him that way. Tony asked for his help and let him rest when he needed to without making him feel childish and weak. "We've got a basic tool box under the sink in the kitchen. It's not much."

[legacyofiron]

Grinning like a cheshire cat, he winked at the other man. "I thought you'd see things my way. I, for one, do not want to be a Tonycicle. It's unappealing and I'm far too good looking. Though..." As he pushed to his feet, he tossed the diagram of the radiator on the coffee table and moved to the kitchen. "People could make a great argument for keeping my loveliness preserved for all eternity."

Batting his lashes at Steve, he did it mainly to get the man to laugh. One thing he liked a lot about Steve was how comfortable it was to be around him. He didn't have to be anyone but himself. And that meant more than words when he was lost in his father's world. Something that quite literally terrified him for various reasons.

Scooping up the tool box, he moved to the radiator and collected all his pieces he'd been saving up for, moving them to the clanking unfortunate heating unit. "Well.. for one... we'll need some blankets just in case we start freezing to death in the mean time. And two.. if my hands get cold you're going to have to help me keep my grip on things. I know... annoying little stuff. It's not a complicated process... but the little things count."

[oldschoolpatriot]

First Steve had to roll his eyes. Tony was outrageous and didn't seem to care what other people might think about him because of that. He also had to chuckle at it. Tony was fearless, it was admirable and crazy.

"That's what pictures are for. We can get those on Coney Island if you desperately need to be preserved," Steve said, his tone dry. Tony seemed to get his dry wit and quips. Other people missed it. Only Bucky understood him that well. Tony just seemed to know what he meant no matter what he said.

Steve bundled a stack of blankets into his arms, more dragging them than carrying them over to where Tony was laying out his tools. He carefully draped one over Tony's shoulders then wrapped himself in one. He made sure to keep his hands under the blanket for now so that they wouldn't get cold. "There. You're set for now. Let's see if you can make this work."

He didn't doubt Tony's skill. He had seen him put things together that shouldn't have been able to be fixed. He didn't know where Tony got his skill but he appreciated it. The little bit of money Tony was bringing was helping with the bills a lot better than Steve's newsboy job.

[legacyofiron]

Tony began working even before Steve gave that quip. He loved the dry humor. He thrived on it. Someone that could actually keep up with him and fight back. Not be deadpan and grumpy like Rhodey and Pepper.

Smirking slightly, he angled his head to send Steve a flattered look. "Well, if you insist. But I insist you buy me a hot dog and steal a flower from a flower box like a proper gentleman." Grinning at him, his eyes sparked playfully before all his attention went back to the radiator.

It wasn't that Tony didn't realize the socially accepted norms. He knew them. But he kept the silly hit ons to only at home... and only when they were alone. He could tease Steve then... not in public where they both could get in trouble. Not that he didn't mean some of that light flirting. He meant it. That realization had been rather shocking.

Nodding as they bundled up, he got halfway through the process before he had to stop and rub his hands together. "Just for a little while... come here..." He felt wrong asking for something like this... but they'd get it done faster if Steve helped. "Put your hands over mine and help them move. I'll tell you what I'm doing... problem is you may have to sit in front of me. Is that asking too much?" They'd be super close like that. Hopefully the blonde wouldn't mind...

[oldschoolpatriot]

There was no stopping the flirting. At first, Steve had been embarrassed by it. It wasn't something that was acceptable, even though they were safe behind the walls of the apartment. Tony seemed to be kidding about it though, since he never did anything but imply and tease. Steve was used to it now. It was just Tony being Tony. "Usually you're encouraging me to be improper. This is a change."

He was getting pretty food at not stammering and stumbling over a reply to Tony's flirting either. He was proud of himself for that one. It was pretty clever and honestly a little bit true. Tony was a bad influence.

"I don't know how much help my hands will be," he said as he reached out and wrapped his hands around Tony's. His were so much smaller. The suggestion was pretty strange. Sitting in Tony's lap? He wasn't sure about that but he could see how much easier it would be. Their arms wouldn't get in the way of each other and he could better see what they were doing. "I can do that."

[legacyofiron]

"Yes well... my mother prayed long and hard for me to be an honest man. Granted that would sound better if I were a girl, but whose judging, right?" Snickering, he leaned back and continued to rub his hands to get his fingers back in the world of the living. "Besides, you're the one talking about photos at Coney Island, good looking."

Flexing numb fingers, he moved so that Steve wouldn't necessarily be in his lap.. but they'd be close. Out of respect he tried really hard not to 'touch' the blonde as he leaned in to try again. Waiting for Steve to follow suit, he lowered his tone to something gentler and patient as he instructed the younger man on what to do. When Tony got in the zone, it got hard to get him out of it.

The only time he stopped was near the end and he switched their hands so that he could keep Steve's warm and then just guide them. It was difficult... but he should have fixed it sooner. Money just needed to be gathered to get the parts he needed. And when they finished, he leaned back away from Steve and only his hands. "There. All right, Steve, do the honors of turning this bad boy on so we can stop being popcicles."

[oldschoolpatriot]

The compliments about his looks were easy enough to ignore. Steve knew what he looked like and knew it wasn't anything special. In fact, it wasn't anything at all. There were sticks in Central Park more attractive than him. It didn't matter to Steve, not really. No, that wasn't being honest with himself. He cared, he tried not to.

He focused on Tony's instructions, his voice warm and surprisingly intimate in his ear. Steve didn't really understand what he was doing but with Tony talking and showing him what to do he found he could drift a little and listen to that voice. It was a nice voice. Tony was a nice guy, helping them like this.

"Thanks," he said as he cleaned his throat. His hands were shaking, partly from the cold, partly from... something Steve wasn't sure he should name. "If you actually fixed this I will get you that hot dog and whole bouquet of stolen flowers."

He twisted the dial for the radiator which didn't clank on like usual. It hissed to life, like it was supposed to and after a moment Steve could feel the heat coming off of it. "I'll be damned..."

[legacyofiron]

Tony watched him in a slight state of marvel. Steve was frail and small, but had the personality and strength of the strongest kind. How a man like this got slighted, he didn't know. Part of him wanted to wrap the guy up and keep him safe... but he couldn't do that. If he really was the Steve Rogers that would be Captain America, Tony would have to lose him.

And if he didn't make it home... then what?

Mourning someone was bad enough... mourning someone along in the wrong time period was even worse. Could there be something worse than that? Later. He'd worry about that later.

Smirking like the cat that caught the canary, he waggled his eye brows in amusement. "Soooo... guess who'll be stealing the neighborhood flowers and buying me a hot dog." The smirk melted into a grin as he laughed. "Because I'm magic and amazing like that." And seeing Steve in awe of his work, no matter how simple it'd been, made him happy. Happy... what did that word even mean anyway?

[oldschoolpatriot]

"Luckily it's fall and there aren't many flowers left." Steve wondered if he actually would do that. Maybe if he only gave the flowers when they were inside and alone? He'd be calling Tony on his bluff because there was no way he was actually expecting flowers. The hot dog was innocent enough though. There were hundreds of vendors around the city.

He thought about moving. With the radiator working there was no reason for him to still be leaning against Tony's side. It was warmer here though, with no reason to move besides a worry in the back of his mind about what it might mean that he liked leaning against Tony.

"You've certainly got a talent. The Army could probably use your skills." Tony wasn't quite as patriotic as Steve but it was worth bringing up. Bucky had already enlisted and would soon be off to bootcamp. Steve kept trying to get in but he was stamped F each time.

[legacyofiron]

"And as always, New York is too damn cold for it to only be fall." He'd been careful of his reactor. Careful not to let anyone see or touch the glowing circle of light. But the cold tended to send him into chilled fits more than he wanted to admit. "I will attempt not to cry too much if you don't get me flowers."

He grinned at the thought, wondering if Steve actually took him even the slightest bit seriously. But the thought got lost when Steve leaned into his side. Dark eyes regarded the younger man quietly, marveling at the possibility that anyone could want him close like this. Like he was someone worthy of something so... special.

But the army comment only made him roll his eyes. "I've never in my life had any inclination whatsoever to enlist." But still, he caught beautiful blue eyes and smiled. "But when they accept you, I'll go." Pausing a moment, he furrowed his brow before asking quietly. "Steve... If I told you something, could you keep it between us?"

[oldschoolpatriot]

Sometimes, Steve imagined he had the money to move somewhere warm. He wouldn't get sick so often and could work more. He would earn more money and be useful instead of constantly sick and fighting off another illness. The only problem was he loved New York. It was his home, especially Brooklyn. He'd live with the winters for that.

"Never? Not once?" Steve knew some people didn't support the government. There had been times when he hadn't supported the government while people starved and lost their homes while the government did nothing. He loved his country though and wanted to stand up for it. The Army would never take him though. "You can trust me, Tony." He wouldn't tell anyone anything that wasn't his to tell.

[legacyofiron]

"I had the notion... illusion once." When he made weapons for the military thinking that he had supported the government in the best way. That turned out very badly and then the government tried to suffocate him slowly for his efforts. Shaking his head, he looked at the radiator and imagined the big fireplace in his Malibu house. He missed Jarvis and his bots more than anything.

But Steve lessened that pain in his chest that came with the freezing metal under his shirt.

Toying with the frayed edge of the blanket, he stared blankly at the newly fixed radiator without a word for a moment. Not talking to anyone was driving him crazy. "It's hard to enlist when you don't really exist... not yet anyway..." A hand moved unconsciously to his chest making the circle under his shirt extremely apparent. "And that sounds really insane out of context."

[oldschoolpatriot]

Steve wondered what changed. Tony looked so lost when he said it that something big must have happened somewhere in his past to change his mind. Maybe one day Tony would tell him what it was, what that look meant. He didn't want to pry by asking. Maybe that was the secret that he wanted to share.

"It's okay. When you talk about fixing things you sound pretty insane. I'm used to it." He nudged Tony with his elbow to let him know he was kidding. He didn't always understand what Tony said but it clearly wasn't insane. It was just... Tony. It was a lot like how he accepted Bucky for being Bucky, only without the years of friendship and history. It still felt right to trust Tony that much.

[legacyofiron]

Snorting softly, he let out a low laugh. Closing his eyes, he shook his head slowly. "Is that how I sound?" Not that it surprised him. No one understood him when he started talking. This didn't really surprise him at all. "Glad to know you still get to enjoy the musical sound of my voice. It's an amazing thing."

Smiling at his own pretend attempt for ego, he opened his eyes again and pinned the younger with his gaze. "I'm a scientist. Well.. I guess you could call it that. I have a ton of doctorates for a bunch of different fancy things that don't mean a lot of anything without the right technology to work with." Tapping a finger against the edge of the reactor, he suddenly pulled up his shirt and lifted the cover off of the reactor. The blue-white light poured out over them and he stared at it like he normally did. With morbid fascination.

"I was working on a project in the year 2010... and ended up landing here in the 1940s."

[oldschoolpatriot]

If it wasn't for the glowing thing in the middle of Tony's chest Steve wouldn't have believed him. It was truly the first insane thing Tony had said but there was the proof, glowing in Tony's chest. It was something beyond what anyone could make now. Steve was reaching out to touch it before he could stop himself.

It wasn't hot like Steve expected. In fact, it was rather cold to the touch. Tony's skin was hot. It startled Steve into pulling his hand away, blushing all the way to the tips of his ears. "I'm sorry, I should've asked." He folded his hands back into his lap.

[legacyofiron]

At first he didn't move. The shock of Steve actually wanting to touch it left him stunned for a moment. And when he pulled away, he looked off to the side and dropped his shirt. Without the extra cover, the circle of light bled through the material this time. Like a small blue halo...

"No big deal." He wasn't used to people touching it. Pepper tried not to touch it. Even when they dated. Like it was some disease that would infect her. "Anyway... like I said. Hard to enlist when I don't exist. I'll have to create a fake ID or something when you do get in. Or I guess I could break down and see if my dad will arrest me for being insane and claiming I'm his future son. Whichever comes first."

[oldschoolpatriot]

"Why would you stay here?" He looks at Tony again, frowning slightly. "Don't you want to go home?"

Steve would want to go home if he ended up somewhere, some when else. He would want to get back. He didn't understand why Tony didn't want to go home. Did he have no one he wanted back? No friends? No family? He wondered how alone Tony was if he didn't want to go back.

And he seemed pretty determined to stay with Steve. No one had ever done that besides Bucky.

[legacyofiron]

Tony snorted softly at that. Rubbing his face, he gesticulated with a hand and a shrug of shoulders. "Partly because I don't know how I got here... and I have no access to anything that could possibly help me figure out how I could go back." And where he'd fought the desire to march up to Howard Stark and declare that need for help... he'd met Steve.

"So... for the time being, I'm here." Enjoying the first friend that hadn't wanted his money or what he could give him. His fingers nervously tapped the reactor as he forced himself to stay calm.

"Kind of like the company."

[oldschoolpatriot]

"I wish I could help." That was Steve, though, he always wanted to help. He didn't have a clue about how to get Tony home either. He didn't know enough about anything besides art. Art wouldn't be much help in this case.

He snorted. A skinny nothing was such a good friend to have. He still didn't get why Bucky or Tony wanted to keep him around. He was such a burden when he got sick. He was waiting for the day anyone figured that out. "Yeah, I guess I'm pretty good when you're stuck inside."

[legacyofiron]

He'd only nodded to the desire to to help. Steve was like that. Wanting to carry the burden of the world on his shoulders. It was pretty obvious why Steve made the perfect choice to become the great Captain America.

But what made him stop was the snort and almost bitter comment. "Steven Grant Rogers... Are you sulking?" Tony smirked just a little and turned his head to look at the young blonde with amusement. "I get the notion you think I'm settling. I'll have you know, I'd prefer your company out in the snow, too. I didn't stay here for the pleasure of frostbite to the fingers while working the radiator. I stayed because you did."

Who would have thought Tony would have to reassure anyone. Who would WANT him to be their cheerleader? That's just scary.

[oldschoolpatriot]

He was a little. He instantly tried to stop when Tony noticed, sitting up straighter and puffing out his little chest. "No, I'm just saying you would probably have a good time out there too. I mean, if you're stuck here you might as well experience it."

He didn't want Tony to go out. It was selfish but he liked the company. He wasn't alone, which was how he felt most of the time when Bucky was out without him. No one stayed because he did. Bucky loved him like a brother but he still preferred to chase skirts to staying in unless Steve was sick. It was hard for him to believe Tony really meant that. "I'd get frostbite before you. Stop complaining."

[legacyofiron]

"I've had the time of my life already. But I think I didn't start living till recently." No money, no tech, no identity... but he felt more relaxed and alive than he ever had been before. Steve put him at ease in ways that no one else could.

"Lucky for you, I fixed the radiator so neither of us will lose our fingers." Reaching out, he started to ruffle Steve's hair, but the touch softened and only touched his head before pulling away. "Anyway, You're better company, not offense to Bucky."

[oldschoolpatriot]

Instantly Steve swatted at Tony's hand and tried to fix it hair. It wasn't that messed up but he liked to keep it neat and tidy. Everyone around him seemed to like making it messy. "You've had a really boring life if I'm exciting to you."

Steve smiled though. He appreciated Tony because even if he didn't really mean it, he certainly sounded like he did. That was nice to hear from someone besides his life long best friend. "It's nice sitting here. I really appreciate the heat."

[legacyofiron]

Yanking his hand away, he recoiled slightly. He should have aborted it altogether and not let it happen. "I've had... a very exciting life. You mistake the idea of living with the idea of excitement." His hand pressed against the reactor as he grimaced.

"It was for me as well." He didn't know why he was being childish in a way. "That pretty light up battery in my chest also makes it really hard to get warm." Which he'd have suffered through if not for watching Steve fight for his health. Head down, he frowned slowly before sighing.