I used some religious elements here, like the pearliy gates, now, it's no bashing in any way or something, but if you are strictly religious, be warned, and don't be offended or something please :)
Oh and I didn't tag it as tragedy, cause there is character death, obviously, but it's not really tragic because, well, happy end, I think so at least.
Have fun :)
Slowly Steve touched the metal spear producing from his broad chest with shaking fingers. He was surprised it didn't hurt, really and he knew it probably wasn't a good sign for his future health, but he also knew he stopped to really care five years ago.
He wasn't suicidal, no, far from it. And he's never gotten careless with himself, but…his live just didn't matter as much to him anymore. Not since he died.
Around him was the sound of battle, robotic ninjas sharing the floor with him, and it gave him an added sense of peace, that his team was obviously holding the upper hand.
That encouraged him to send one final look to the beautiful sky and finally, he let his eyes drift shut, one last breath leaving his lungs.
Now he could be finally reunited with his lost love.
I'm coming Tony
He blinked his eyes open, and shut them again immediately. White. Radiant enough to make his eyes water from that one little glimpse he got.
Hospital. He sighed.
Steve felt his eyes water a little more, this time for an entirely different reason.
He was tired, so, so tired.
After he woke up from the ice, he had actually found happiness again. He hadn't thought then that he would, not after he's lost everyone and everything.
Yet, pretty soon one genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist sauntered into his life, and things got better. So much better than he could ever have hoped for.
In Tony he found the strongest love he had ever experienced. They had their ups and downs, of course, which is to be expected when two strong personalities clash, but together, they had been a burning fire. An army of two. Happy, passionate, comfortable, it was never boring, never lonely.
Then suddenly, out of the blue, he had been lonely again. One last sacrificing jump in front of him, one last hit the suit could not deflect, and Steve was left with the dying metal man in his arms. Neither begging nor tears were able to keep Tony with him, so he left after one last kiss and an whispered 'I'll be waiting for you'.
After that, ending it all had never looked that enticingly, but he knew he couldn't. People were counting on him, innocents were still suffering, villains as destructive as ever and Tony…Tony wouldn't have wanted him to.
So he went on, but he knew he was just a shadow of the man he used to be and he went only through the motions.
Now, he thought his suffering would finally be over but obviously it wa-
"Steve Rogers." A voice cut rough his train of thoughts.
It was neither a question nor a command, but Steve was curious to whom this unfamiliar voice belonged, so he tried the eye opening again.
Cautiously this time, he only lifted his lids slightly, waiting until he was more used to the light before he proceeded further.
What he saw, surprised him. This was definitely…no hospital.
Slowly he sat up and noticed he wasn't on a bed either, but on a floor, which…didn't feel hard at all. He was wearing the usual white shirt and khaki pants, which he was told were greatly outdated, but comfortable to him non the less. Still, definitively not the clothes he remembered wearing last.
Cautiously, he put a hand to his chest, moving around. Nope. No hole from a mortal wound.
Steve frowned and finally looked up. The frown deepened. In front oh him, he could see…a great deal of…nothing. White, endless, foggy space.
To the right of him…pretty much the same.
He closed his eyes again and rubbed his face, this was, he didn't know what it was, but not helpful.
"Steve Rogers."
Steve startled violently. Right. He had forgotten about the voice.
Looking to the right, he had to tilt his head up to see a man in a light blue dress, well, probably more like a robe. The man had brown hair and a handsome, young face.
He didn't know the person and yet, a name fell from his lips without thinking, "Saint Peter." The soldier breathed in awe.
Said man grinned down at the blond and extended a hand as offered help. "Right in one, my friend. Just Peter is fine, though."
Accepting the hand, Steve rose to his feet. He wasn't sure what to say, beside a muttered 'thanks', he wasn't even sure what to think.
"We are glad to finally welcome you up here, Steve Rogers. It…has taken a little while."
"So, I am…actually dead?" he finally managed.
"I'm afraid, your mortal shell lost it's function, yes." St Peter nodded. "But don't worry, it's by no means the end."
With a hand on Steve's shoulder the wise man turned him around and, sure enough, there was a large, large, plain golden gate.
Everything was, to be frank, very clichéd, just like it's described in numerous books and even the internet. The great, pearly gate to heaven, Saint Peter as the watcher and the cloud like floor. Clichéd but no less impressive. Steve almost expected little winged babies flying around any moment.
But that was not his main train of thought. He was dead now, just like Tony…
Without thinking, he took a step in the direction of the gate. Maybe he is behind it. Maybe he can just go trough and search for Tony. Because sure, he had had his faults, but who doesn't, and Tony had made up for every single one of them and more. He had to be behind this gate. Another step, he was close, so close to being finally reunited with his love.
"Whoa, not so fast Captain." The hand that had turned him, now was holding him back.
Oh God. He was the one that wouldn't be allowed to enter. He hadn't been attentive enough these past years. That had to be it. He knew his heart hadn't been in it as much as before, but, still, he had saved and helped a lot of people, surely…there had to be a way-
"Oh for gods sake. And yes, I am allowed to say that. Loose the kicked puppy look. Of course you can enter, but you can't go before you take this one out of my hair." Peter gesticulated to the left side of the gate. A person was sprawled there, a very familiar person and Steve's eyes widened, he would recognize this person everywhere.
"That…Is that…" he could hardly talk around the sudden lump in his throat.
"It is him," Saint Peter said knowingly. "When he came here I opened the gate for him, but he flat out refused to go trough, especially after I told him he couldn't just 'take a peek' and come back. He said he'd promised to wait."
Steve heard the man talking, but his feet already carried him to the man he had missed so much during the past years.
Tony looked just like he remembered and Steve felt his hands shaking, wanting to touch and yet not daring to.
The smaller man lay on his back, mouth hanging open, one arm over his face and the other stretched to the side. He wore his favourite, soft worn jeans and the familiar black tank top. He was well muscled as always and, thank god, there was no trace of the battle wounds that had had claimed his life.
Steve was staring in trance, what if this was all a dream? It definitely had the potential to be one.
Saint Peter watched with a fond smile. He didn't usually get the chance to watch reunions from this side of the gate, and he was glad that Anthony Stark could finally cease his waiting. He'd sure miss the guy, he'd been very entertaining, not that he would ever admin it out loud, but he couldn't take the hopeful look Tony got when a newcomer would arrive anymore, only to see it crushing with a fake smile when it wasn't the one he was waiting for.
A snore emitting from Tony's gaping mouth, broke Steve's spell, and he tentatively reached out to put his hand on the other man's chest. He stopped short for a second when he noticed the missing blue orb usually shining trough the top and smiled, so that had been healed as well.
Gently he shook Tony a bit to wake him up, only to have him turn away. "G'way, Pete. Lemme sleep."
And Steve couldn't help the grin any longer, tears forming at the corner of his eyes, god how he'd missed that voice.
"Tony?" he meant to sound strong and sure, but maybe his voice cracked a bit.
Tony froze for a second. Had he heard right? Slowly, he turned back and pulled his arm from his eyes, squinting up.
"Steve?" he breathed, for just a second, unsure if he was still sleeping. Seeing the blond grin at him he finally jumped up and practically tackled the man to the floor, wrapping his arms tightly around his neck. "Steve Steve Steve! You're here. You are finally here." Tony wasn't ashamed of the tears leaking from his eyes as he buried his face in Steve's shoulder.
"Tony." Steve choked out as his back hit the ground. He didn't know if he wanted to laugh or cry and finally he couldn't stop either. He clutched the smaller man to him as tight as he could, one arm around his back and the other buried in his dark hair. Hot trails of water run from his eyes, telling about the feeling of loss he had experienced for the past few years. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt such happiness, his face should probably hurt from grinning so hard, but it didn't. Everything was perfect. Here, lying on the ground with nothing around them but whiteness, a big gate and a Saint he didn't really know, it was perfect as long as he could have Tony with him again. To never be separated from him.
"God, Tony." Steve turned his head into Tony's hair, breathing deep. "I've missed you so much." The mans scent was just like he remembered, just like he had imagined every time he felt especially lonely. Alright, not completely the same. The aroma of coffee and machines were missing, but it was still so uniquely Tony. "So much."
"I've missed you too." Tony breathed into his Soldiers neck, trying to stop the happy tears. Finally, he wouldn't have to wait any longer. Steve was here. He was finally here.
Reluctantly Tony pushed a little away to look into the blonds face instead of his neck, smiling his brilliant smile that spoke of pure happiness. "I'm sorry that you died, but… Steve," Tony sniffed and leaned his forehead against the Captain's, closing his eyes, "I'm so glad you are here, I'm sorry, you know I'm just that selfish" They both chuckled at that and Steve rolled them over without problems, leaning on one arm over Tony and stroked his cheek softly with the other, wiping tears as he does.
"No, not selfish. You have waited long enough. I…after you left, I wanted…but you know I couldn't… I-"
With his arms still tightly wrapped around the others neck, Tony cut Steve off by pulling him down into a blissful kiss, one can only share after long time apart. It was a kiss never meant to lead any further, just to confirm their reunion.
Both sighed in pure pleasure and took their time to re-explore each others mouth, wrapping themselves around the other more tightly. The engineer fisted the shirt at Steve's back and buried the other fingers in the blond hair, while the other couldn't keep his hands still, running them over Tony's face and trough his hair.
Having seen enough, and knowing that those two would be together for much longer should they chose to, Saint Peter didn't really feel bad for breaking them apart by clearing his throat.
The Lovebirds broke a part and Steve had the decency to look a little abashed, but didn't loosen his hold he had on the other, while Tony just rolled his eyes, but didn't let go either.
"Break it up you two. I'm not getting paid to watch you make out, only to push you trough the gate, so chop-chop. Some people got work to do." He teased.
"Ugh, Pete, you are terrible." Tony groaned and smoothes Steve's hair reassuringly when he pressed his blushing face on the brunets shoulder. "You'll miss me you know, and you don't get paid for either." He added as an after thought.
"Ha, miss you? What? Your constant complaining and whining that you are bored, annoying me and disturbing my peace. Not to mention that you cheat at poker!"
"That goes against my honour! I don't cheat. You're the one I caught with cards up his sleeve."
"Because I could not afford to lose!"
"Then don't wager the gate! It's not like I was able to offer much. And I didn't want it anyway. Would have to do your boring job then."
Steve was by now shaking with laughter and finally decided it was time to lift up from the floor. He kept a hold of Tony's hand and pulled him up after him, immediately letting go to wrap his arm around the smaller man's waist to keep him close, not ready to be parted yet. Tony went willingly and leaned against him during his stare contest with the saint.
"I see you haven't changed in five years, and also made a new friend." He smiled and kissed the top of Tony's head.
"More like forced companionship. Not like there is much to do here beside watching into the distance or something."
Steve wanted to tell him that it had been ridicules, that he didn't have had to wait here, but that would be dismissing what Tony had done for him, so he just titled the other man's head up by his chin to press their lips together in a soft, short kiss. "Thank you" he said with enough feeling to actually make Tony blush a bit. A rare occurrence during their lifetime.
"Of course." Tony shrugged a bit uneasily, "promised, after all."
"All right kids, that's enough mush to feed me for another few centuries. Now go ahead, before I decided not to open the gate." Saint Peter smiled.
Steve steered a suddenly reluctant Tony to the Guard of the gate and held out the hand not holding the brunet.
"Thank you for keeping an eye on him, I know how hard he is to entertain."
Peter grabbed his hand and shook it. "What are five years compared to eternity." The robed man smiled and winked, making Tony huff.
"Well, yeah, I guess that's it." Tony stated a little unsure, he would be probably rocking on his feet if it weren't for Steve's hold.
"I guess it is." Peter smiled gently, holding out a hand. After a moment of staring at it, Tony shoved it aside and left the blonde's hold for a second to give the saint a quick hug, before hastily stepping back. "Don't you let any trouble maker in." he wagged a finger at the guard as a goodbye.
"I've done this for some time now, Tony. Know what I'm doing."
Saint Peter fixed his gaze on the pearly gate and not a moment later the doors opened up smoothly.
The reunited pair stepped up to it and both gave one last wave to the guard, before turning to each other.
"You ready?" Steve asked gently, cupping Tony's cheek once more.
"Sure, been waiting for the time I could go trough. You don't know how curious it made me just to look at it." He answered and leaned a little into the touch, but he looked more unsure than he sounded. "We are together know," he added with more conviction, "everything else will be child's play."
"You are right." The soldier leaned down to capture Tony's lips one more time, just in case. "I love you."
"Love you, too." The brunet smiled and grabbed the others hand tightly in his. "Let's go."
Two more steps and they vanished into a bright, blue light, biting against the white surroundings.
Saint Peter watched as they left with a sigh. Looks like he'll be alone again. No more poker, he's down to solitaire again.
Captain America and Iron Man opened their eyes to a colourful, big, world and familiar faces, they squeezed their joined hands to reassure themselves they're still together.
The story in my head sounded better than it came out, but I at least lost the plot :)
Thought about writing them meeting their friends and family that died before them, but I felt better just leaving it alone :D
Thanks for reading :)