We Don't Need Your Civil War
Author Notes: Based off of trying to save Steve from what happens in comics in movie-verse.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't know, I wasn't myself, I'm so sorry, is he okay, is he," Sharon asks of the SHIELD agents pulling her into a van for further investigation, blocking the stairwell where Steve lays still. The other shooter is being brought into SHIELD custody as well, a much guiltier person of the crime of slaying Captain America.
Tony runs past the crowds and to Steve's side. "No, Steve, you can't be – I mean, it's just not – you're a super soldier you have all that special juice inside you this can't happen to you. You were in 3rd degree frostbite for 70 years a couple of bullets can't -" Tony leans over the body in defeat as he feels tears come on. "I never meant for it to come to this."
Natasha comes running up with a person Tony only vaguely recognizes. "Tony, hey, come on you aren't allowed to cry this whole thing caused this."
"Natasha, please, this isn't going to make what he's going to have to do any easier," replies the new man to picture, Stephen Strange. "Listen, I am going to need you to work with me. Come with us, please."
"Come with him he means, I'm staying with Steve," Natasha says as she sits beside Steve's body, pulling her hand back with a jolt when she realizes how cold Steve is becoming.
"Did we not agree in this situation that you were to accompany Mr. Stark to – "
Natasha shakes her head. "He has to do it alone, it's the only way he'll get through right. You know when to."
Stephen nods. "Mr. Stark, please come with me."
"I, why, who the hell are you, I just want to stay with Steve what the hell is all this about," Tony asks as Stephen tries to pull him up.
Stephen shakes his head. "We cannot discuss further details here. I assure you that if the plan I have doesn't work, we will allow you as much time with Steve at the wake and/or grave as you require."
Tony hesitates but is pulled along anyways to an area with much less people. "You may or may not recognize the name from the radar. People refer to me as either Doctor or Stephen Strange depending on how well we get along. The most important thing you need to know is that I can bring you back to Steve before this war started, for a few hours at the least, to fix this. And you do need to fix this, it's absolutely imperative and you are unfortunately our only hope."
"Thanks for the bode of confidence, magic man. I don't think I could act as if…"
"Do your best to, if things come out they do, just get this to be stopped. We've lost too many and Steve was the very last straw, Mr. Stark," Stephen answers. "You need to fix it and I can't guarantee I know you can after the mess you've made, but you are the only option that he could listen to then."
"Okay, yeah, whatever I can – I just want Steve back," Tony says, closing his eyes. It doesn't feel like that many changes happen around him when the clock ticks backwards around him. When he opens his eyes though, he's back home. And the tower home, looking exactly as it did back at a time when they were all rooming together.
"You have very limited time, do what you can," Stephen says quickly before he disappears in a flash.
Moments later, Steve walks in. That's when Tony remembers he is in the lab, he is home, and he remembers this. All of that doesn't register as much as when Steve starts to even greet him. All he can note is that it's Steve and he's alive in front of him again. Tony practically runs forward and wraps his arms around him.
"Hi to you too Tony," Steve says, not knowing what the hug is for but returning it in kind as well as he can while still paying close attention to not crushing Tony quite as much as he is being crushed. "Tony, is everything okay?"
"Yeah it is now, I'm sorry, can I just," Tony's arms won't let him let go.
"Something is obviously bothering you," Steve says cautiously. "Maybe it's this project you're working on. I mean, we don't really know well enough who Hank Pym was for you to be carrying out his work. It could be dangerous and maybe the project would be better to be scrapped."
Tony finally can let go so he can look at Steve. "Absolutely, the robot project scrapped for that one. I mean, still working on a form for Jarvis, but we've always known Jarvis so that's pretty okay I think and I really just am sorry I just…it's been a long day and if I told you why you really wouldn't believe me Cap."
"Listening to me without putting up a fight shows you've really been beaten down by something. Are you sure you don't want to see if I could believe you?" Steve says as he sits down on the work bench.
Tony shakes his head. "I just…um, I just want you to promise me something, okay?"
"Sure Tony, as best I can," Steve says with a half-smile.
"If we get into a big fight, I mean like, if I do something colossally stupid and fuck up all the things please don't all-out war on me and promise we will just talk because I like to think we are or at least could be friends and I mean there isn't really anything that we shouldn't be able to talk through as teammates and I mean it is better than making a big hoopla where people could get very very hurt," Tony stops rambling and stares at Steve, hoping he understood any of that.
Steve just starts laughing and Tony frowns. "I'm serious."
"I know you are and that just," Steve just starts laughing, "I can't believe you would think I would – I mean, I just, why wouldn't we talk about it even if you messed up so colossally that the whole world was screwed up because of it, it would still be better than risking hurting each other or the team like where in the world did you…"
"You really wouldn't believe that part of why I'm asking you this," Tony says softly. "I just…let's just say I saw what could happen, okay. I mean, really saw. Where I fucked up and created killer robots and this crazy girl because of captivity issues fucked all the things up and we got in a really bad fight and everybody took sides and Thor died and Bruce got shipped away and you were…some very more fucked up people took this as an opportunity and then you were gone too and then this kinda dark and handsome dude with an accent thicker than Jarv's came up and told me I could fix it all and that's why I am back to fix all of the bullshit by asking you for this one thing."
"You're right. I think you might be a bit crazy, and I don't fully believe you. Maybe because I don't want to, but that's okay, Tony, I promise. Not a chance in all the bad places will I cause an all-out war with you," Steve says softly as he finally stops laughing and takes Tony's hand.
"And you won't ever try to electrocute me again?" Tony says cautiously.
Steve raises an eyebrow. "Electrocute you?"
"Don't ask me where you got the tech but I tried to make this whole peace treaty after you died and then basically you pretended to want to shake hands and there was thing you had in your hand that was programmed to convert the suit to electrocute me, it's a wonder I got out of that one I mean, but it was pretty terrifying I've never seen anything like that out of you cupcake," Tony admits.
Steve looks at him wide-eyed in disbelief. "That really doesn't sound like me, but I can promise that too because the idea of doing that to you scares me. I mean, I wouldn't want to lose you either. Actually, that was the other thing I wanted to come talk to you about. I mean, the whole thing is just…I mean, I didn't actually think I'd get to this part because I thought you might get huffy on me about the Ultron project, reject my idea of cutting the cords to it, and storm out."
"That sounds like me at this point, I was pretty tired – oh, talking about myself in third person so not helping, I mean, what is it," Tony asks in a quiet voice, wondering what the heck this is because he does remember in the initial memory that he did storm out saying some pretty mean things to Steve for suggesting shutting down the operation.
"I actually…um…this is, I am absolutely horrible at," Steve takes a deep breath. "Would you um…like to have dinner with me sometime?"
"We have dinner like every night, the whole team and we always – oh," Tony replies, eyes going wide. "I never even knew you would um…"
"It's really okay if you say no," Steve mumbles as he lets go of Tony's hand.
"No, okay sweetie just give me a second to process," Tony asks softly as he tries to get it through his head that Cap – America – Steve, yes, most importantly Steve – is asking him out.
Steve stands up and starts pacing nervously. "I mean you really don't have to decide right now and I mean this might be the wrong time and all I just, Nat keeps asking about who I want to be with and I was having a hard time thinking of anyone else I'm really sorry if I am just making things awkward and I can just go now and – "
Tony stands up and stops Steve in his tracks of pacing and thought. "Shush cutie pie, I'm just trying to process because how in heck I didn't know and also just why you would, I don't get it. But I really want to say yes I just have to process it all. I need you to keep all those promises and you need to promise me it won't be my fault when you die because if I have to go through that again and the strange man can't fix it again I won't know what to – "
"Shh," Steve says as he leans forward and cups Tony's face in his hands. "As best I can, I promise, okay?"
They stay there for a few minutes before Tony softly laughs. "You know, honey bunny, are you going to stare at me like that holding me in place like this all day or are you gonna kiss me?"
Steve leans down and captures Tony's lips, the kiss progressing faster than either of them intended, open lips together and Steve's hands wandering all over Tony's body. When they come up for air, Tony laughs. "Hm, I thought I would be the forward one."
"Too long waiting I guess," Steve says with a smirk before capturing Tony's lips again. "Let me know, if anything, is too much," Steve mutters between kisses.
"Nothing, fuck, nothing too much," Tony murmurs back as Steve moves his lips down to his neck, kissing and giving special treatment there. Tony pushes his hips forward and awakens something else in Steve's curiosity, grasping onto Tony's hips and pushing his back a bit into the work counter, grinding groins together. "Oh fuck, Steve, okay very good but also back honey I'm not the super gene one of the two of us I am pained to admit."
Steve chuckles softly over Tony's neck. "What?"
"Language," Steve whispers between the chuckles.
Tony starts laughing too. "Too freaking adorable."
Steve clears his throat and gathers composure again, semi, as he asks the next thing. "Where…um…I'm sorry."
"Forwardness good, back against table bad honey bunny," Tony promises as he runs his hands gently up and down Steve's sides. "I honestly wish I could say I knew how much time we have for this, but um, wall might be better."
That's the last thing Tony remembers before he wakes up again in the tower, the place looking different a bit, in the living area. "Hey sleepy head, time to wake up," he hears in Steve's voice before he feels a kiss on the forehead.
Tony smiles gently. "So it worked out?"
Stephen walks into the room with a grin. "Oh, I told you this was going to happen Steve…it will take a few minutes for his memory to return of things. You could help speed along the process though."
"We've…we've been married for a couple of years. Thor is still alive, in Asgard right now teaching Loki how to rule because that debacle finally got cleared up. Natasha and Bruce are on a trip together, they are together together in case you forgot that. Clint is home with his family. Um, well, also we kind of…okay what's the last thing you remember," Steve says with a soft smile.
Tony sits up slowly. "Currently, I remember begging you to promise me that our war thing wouldn't happen and then there was a lot of kissing and I was telling you semi-subtly to fuck me against a wall yeah I think that about covers my last memory."
"Well, um, we did kind of – ahem – we broke the wall," Steve admits sheepishly.
Tony's smile grows brighter. "You're kidding."
"I kind of wish I was, the crashing attracted an audience and we had to admit the relationship before we had even established one or went on a date. I was pitch-red when the team came down, you were pretty cool about it, considering," Steve says, his smile growing too. "In the last few years, things have been really good. We have a real place as well as the tower, and we take care of the residents here including many misnomers we met at what was happily not war time. Peter, Jessica, Laura, Wanda and Pietro, and many others are living here now."
"Sounds like we've done some pretty cool things. So are you now Steve Stark then?" Tony asks with a shyer smile.
"Actually, um, I hate to tell you this because this was a long decision process and I was hoping your memory would come back before it would come up," Steve bites his lip.
"Tony Rogers – I changed my name for you, huh? Well, ain't I just a peachy-keen sweetheart of a hunky hunnie to you. How did we even – no, it is fine, really. I must've renamed the company and rebranded which is better for it anyways I guess and I just um, I'm actually just glad things worked out, really, I mean I'm glad it didn't zap me back where I was," Tony says, leaning closer to Steve. "Does this mean I can kiss you whenever and we can break more walls?"
"It is still Stark Industries, to answer your first question," Steve replies, blushing a bit in the implication of the second inquiry. "And uh, yeah, we can kiss and do all the things – except break the wall. That almost broke you last time, and though you said it was worth it, a full body cast is not something I want you to experience again."
"You really are super strengthened honey bunny," Tony murmurs with a soft chuckle. "I still really want to kiss you though Mrs. Rogers deserves that at least."
"I can at least promise you that you don't go by Mrs. other than when you do that," Steve says before letting loose on control and pressing his lips to Tony's again. "Sorry, I was getting impatient. We've been a little overly cautious since Mr. Strange told us a few weeks ago you would wake up for a day with really bad amnesia due to the things that could have happened and your return and I just…"
"I get it, holy heck I get it honey bunny, just more," Tony mutters before collapsing their lips together again, and again, and again.
THE END
