AN: It was supposed to be a short one-shot but somehow it just... kind of ... exploded with all this. Despite my greatest efforts to write a decent one-shot, it just never works...

Tny and Steve are not mine, and I don't profit from writing this fic. Thank you, ENJOY!

CHAPTER 1

The beauty of having your own plane was that you didn't have to deal with strangers who not always smelled nice, were rarely polite and never interesting. Tony didn't like strangers. They tried to kill him way too often.

He liked his crew though, his stewardesses and his plane's interior design. And snacks and drinks and the food! He liked to listen to music during flights and LOVED the fact that he didn't have to hurry to not be late because (no matter how much they hated it and bitched about it) they would always wait for him. That was the point of having his own plane. Like having your own car to never need a taxi.

So, being in a taxi on the way to the airport was really something new and unpleasant for Tony stark. Especially that it was an airport in San Diego, which was the whole continent away from New York, where his assistant Pepper Potts was supposed to deliver her firstborn son any moment now.

And it was Monday. Tony wasn't very fond of Mondays in general, but who was? Nothing good ever happened on Monday…

"Oh please, Pep, give me some credit! …." He was on the phone with Pepper for almost half an hour discussing good, tolerable and totally unacceptable names for a boy. "I'm not really THAT useless without your help, you know? I'm a grown up man and a genius! I can catch a plane and get back home without your help just fine. So please calm down, rest and don't worry. It's not good for little George. I'll be there in a few hours."

She had no faith in him at all. Tony gritted his teeth trying to stop himself from punching the taxi driver, who was evidently trying hard to catch every single red light they passed. When they finally stopped he was almost ecstatic! He opened the door and started to collect his bags but when he turned back to the door… well, the door wasn't there anymore. He popped his head out – carefully, because, as it seems, you never know…

Some other car had the taxi door still on its front hood. Two people got out of the vehicle, both young, male and soldiers. Tony's eyes followed the taller one for a moment before they went back to the man shouting beside him. He just clapped his hands and smirked at the pissed taxi driver. He was yelling at the shorter guy who didn't really look like he cared in the slightest.

Tony took his bags, placed them on the curb and fiddled with his Starkphone.

"Excuse me, sir." The low voice brought his attention to the tall blond man dressed in official soldier uniform. It was the 'taller guy' from that car… He was very tall and very young.

"What is it?" Stark hardly even glanced up from the phone screen.

"I just wanted to apologize for Dum Dum, I mean, for my friend, Tim. I think he's been drinking. I told him he shouldn't drive in the state he was. He was putting his and other people's lives in danger and…"

"Look, soldier boy, I don't care. I'm fine and the car's not mine, so save it. I don't have time for this. Besides you smell a little boozy too!" The golden eyebrows twitched trying not to frown. The poor guy was completely oblivious that Tony was just fucking with him.

"I do not!" Despite his irritation the man still did his best to stay calm and collected. He was so irritatingly polite that it was putting Tony on edge even more. "I don't drink alcohol!"

Tony just glared. He never trusted people who don't drink alcohol. He never really trusted any people at all but the not-drinking-types gave him creeps. It must be really depressing to wake up in the morning and know that it's as good as you're going to feel all day!

"Fine, I don't care either way."

Someone bumped on the soldier and suddenly all their bags were in a pile of one big mess between their feet.

"Um… Sorry. I didn't mean it."

The soldier started to pick up his bags and was ready to leave before Tony stopped him. "Hey, aren't you going to pick mine? You made this mess."

Normally Steve would gladly clean any mess he did. He would even do the job if it wasn't his fault but this man… this… irritating and arrogant… man, simply did not deserve it, period.

"Sorry, sir, but you're not supposed to touch other people's luggage on the airport."

Asshole. But Tony didn't care. He just took his bags and went to buy a ticket. The girl behind the front desk fell for him right away so he didn't even have to wait in the line. After taking his pass he smirked at the tall blond glaring at him from the middle of a long line.

So, Alexander was a good name, like Alexander the Great! No, wait, another famous person and Alex was a girly name. Maybe he should buy a book about names?! Yes, that was a good idea! He would buy a book and choose the best name, because Pepper would never do it right. She was too busy to think about things like that and she actually liked when people called her Pepper. On the other hand, Virginia was admittedly the worse of two evils. Still, Tony would take care of that because he was supposed to be a godfather of the little pepperine and he was going to take it seriously! So seriously that even Mario Pauzo would be proud!

"I swear, Tony, if you call me about the baby's name one more time I'm going to block your number and then I won't be able to answer when - NOT 'if' - you get yourself in trouble!"

Tony just smiled leniently. Pepper wasn't really angry at him, he knew. These mood swings were absolutely caused by the crazy hormones partying in her body. He was going to wait about nine minutes and call again because he was pretty sure that Peter was a perfect name! If this resolve lasts for another nine minutes it will have great chances to turn up to be the right choice!

"RACK CHECK!"

What…?!

"Sir, is this your bag?"

…..It was painfully hard to explain that the bag actually wasn't his.

Fucking scout boy! Of course he doesn't need to drink if he takes fucking drugs! Luckily it was only some lousy weed so they confiscated it and still let Tony onto the plane. They knew the name Tony Stark and were well aware that his lawyers would chew them up. So he was finally on his way to New York and still had about three minutes before the take-off to send a text to Pepper.

"Excuse me, sir. They just said to turn off ALL electronic devices!"

"I've heard it." And ignored it just as ignore YOU.

"Then TURN IT OFF!"

That voice sounded too familiar. Looking up explained Tony's apprehension. The weed boy was giving him a leveling look. That snot boy soldier was telling Tony Stark what he should do. Unbelievable.

"What are you doing here?"

"My seat belt didn't work so they moved me to the first class. Oh, and I believe we switched our bags earlier."

"Yup! You're not wrong. Yours has been confiscated."

"What? Why?"

"Because you're not supposed to bring drugs to the plane."

"Drugs? I've never –"

"SAVE IT, soldier boy! I don't believe a word you say."

"Ok, look, just turn off the phone! The stewardess is looking at us strangely. I think they're a little uneasy because they know that the terrorists use their cell phones to activate the bombs in their luggage. So…"

"Are you fucking stupid?!" Who was he asking, really…? "Don't you know that you shouldn't use those words on the plane?"

"Which words? Bomb or…"

"JUST SHUT UP!"

"Sir, I need you and your friend to…."

"He's NOT my friend. I don't know him!" And he really didn't! And even if he would know that soldier they would never be friends!

Tony thought he hated the public planes before but now he loathed them. He loathed public transport, planes and… he kind of loathed people.

They just said he's on a 'no flight' list. He and his 'friend'. His bags, including his wallet and everything else were still on the plane that was now half way across the country but – good news here– after checking it wasn't a detonator, they gave him back his Stark-phone!

"No, no Pepper I'm perfectly FINE! …. No! Don't do anything! I told you, I'm fine! Everything is perfectly fine…. Yes, I have everything under control. I'll be there on time! I promise. Don't you even dare to start the delivery before I'm with you!"

And he would rather die than admit he was completely helpless and she was as always right. How was it possible that even though HE was the genius it was Pepper or Rhodey who were always right? This world was fucked up beyond believe!

"Sir…?!"

No…. Just… NO! Not HIM again!

"Sir, please, don't ignore me. I can see what you're trying to do. Stealing a car is not a good way out of the situation."

"Every way that gets me away from YOU is good enough for me!"

"Please sir…"

A strong hand grabbed his biceps and turned him around, away from another locked car in the parking lot.

"Hands off!"

Hands were off but the feeling of them being there lasted longer than it should have. Tony fixed his jacket, his hair and his tie and took two steps back. If only this asshole weren't so pretty he would hit him!

"I'm sorry sir. I can't help but feel partially responsible for what had happened earlier on the plane."

"PARTIALLY? It was ALL your fault, you asshole! The child is about to be born any day now! If I miss it I swear I'm going to rip your balls off."

The blond straightened up and stretched out his hand.

"Steve Rogers, sir. Pleased to meet you. I'm going to help you to get to the New York on time. I promise."

Was this guy serious? Tony slowly took another step back, and then another. Maybe if he just walks away casually the guy will ignore him too.

"Please sir, be reasonable! I know that your wallet was left on the plane with the rest of your staff. I at least have my bag. And I rented a car. We both need to be in NYC as soon as possible. Please, sir, let me fix this. Do it for the baby and its mother, who is waiting for you."

To pull the 'baby card' on him - that was a low blow. He knew he was acting a bit childish. He should probably let Pepper to send him a car or something since his private plane was out of order at the moment. Being there for her and the baby should be more important than his pride, but…. Was it? Besides she could not sent him any money because he didn't even have his ID…

The soldier boy –Steve- was a pain in the ass but he had a car. If Tony got caught stealing now, after he had already been caught smuggling drugs and terrorizing a plane… Pepper would kill him.

Hesitantly he looked at the soldier. He seemed very young, much younger than Tony first thought. Two connectors on each of his shoulders meant he was a Captain. Wasn't he a bit too young for the rank like this one? His hair was styled in an old fashion but it strangely suited him. The boy was actually quite handsome even, tall and well built, but also awfully tense and uptight. It kept Tony on edge.

He just knew he would regret this.

"I'm Tony." He shook the outstretched hand and something in the soldier's face softened suddenly putting the older man at ease. It wasn't right. It was totally wrong to feel at ease around strangers. He could be another freak set up to kidnap him or kill him… He could be after Tony's ideas, inventions or money! Those were all sound arguments.

Tony ignored them all and got into the car. Steve's stupid lopsided smile did it. It looked as stupid as adorable and if someone smiled like that, he couldn't possibly be a bad guy, right? Besides, he didn't give him his last name after all, and the man didn't seem to recognize him, so everything would be just fine.

...

"I can see him. I didn't manage to approach him though. He's on the car with some other guy, a soldier. From what I saw on the tag, his name's Rogres. Rank: Captain. The car is a rented Honda Civic, dark grey. I'll spell the number now:... Check who had rented it."

"I got it. Thanks, Hawk."

TBC