This is my first Avengers fanfic, and I hope I can do Steve justice.
Disclaimer: If I owned Marvel, we would already have a Black Widow movie and Hawkeye movie. Along with a Budapest movie.
Time Will Pass Me By
Steve usually woke up early to go for a run. This day was no different as he rolled over to stand up from the bed. As the morning air hit him, he almost regretted the decision and wanted to crawl back under the warm blankets that ironically enough had an image of his shield on it. Turning away, he pulled out his jogging outfit, a simple pair of loose navy pants and grey shirt. Tugging them on, he straightened his bed sheets and left, quickly stopping by the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. He could almost always count on seeing Tony on the way out, either on a food run or going to bed.
"Good morning Captain." Steve heard the mechanical voice of JARVIS patch in through the speakers.
"Morning JARVIS." Steve supplied, looking around the elevator.
It had been a while before he got used to JARVIS. First time it had happened had ended with him being teased by Tony for making a slightly non-manly sound in surprise at the unexpected voice. JARVIS still caught him by surprise, but he wasn't as shocked as before, Bruce had explained what JARVIS was, and in simple terms, how he worked.
It wasn't long before Steve was jogging through the early morning streets. The sun was already up, the last remnants of darkness fading away. He ran through the streets, watching as more light hit the world, and people began to filter out of their homes. He saw young children smile at him and wave, before going after they're friends. A few kids tried to keep up with him for a block, attempting to run his pace and ask him questions.
Steve slowed down for those kids, answering to the best of his ability. He waved the children off and continued. As he turned a corner, he saw older people. People in their 40's and 50's. They didn't wave, just swerved to get out of his way. No one said hello and smiled at him. This was when he felt out of his element. People would say hello out of politeness in his time. In this time, people would avoid as many people as possible.
Steve was shaken out of his own thoughts when a weak hand grasped his arm. He turned and saw an elderly woman, perhaps around 70 years of age.
"Are you really him?" She asked.
Steve rose an eyebrow for a moment. He glanced around, seeing where the woman had come from.
"Is it really you?" She asked again.
She probably thought he was a lost grandson or something.
"Excuse me ma'am I think you have me confused with-"
"You're that soldier from the 40's."
Steve froze. He squinted slightly, the woman knew him. How could she know that?
"I knew it when I saw you. Just like your picture."
Steve rounded her age to around the time of the 40's. She would have been a baby. She most likely grew up with his stories.
He pulled out his Captain America smile. "Why thank you."
"May I have a picture? It would be so ironic to complete the set."
"Excuse me?" Now Steve was confused. Set?
The woman slowly pulled out a small picture with wrinkled hands. She turned it around and Steve saw a black and white photograph, the edges wrinkled and aged. It was a picture of him, holding a small baby. He was smiling in a somewhat pained expression, and he could see the child in his costumed arms was crying while the mother held on to her daughter's arm.
"I realize you wouldn't recognize me." The woman pointed to the small infant in the faded image.
Steve looked up at the woman and down at the picture, up again, down again. It clicked. This woman was the child in the picture. He remembered that day. It seemed like only a year ago. Him performing on stage. He remembered this photo too. He had never been particularly good with babies. He looked back up at the aged face of the woman and smiled.
"I remember showing all my friends this picture at school, saying I had a picture with the famous Captain America, the war hero." The woman sighed dreamily. "I heard all about you."
Steve felt a pleasant expression on his face and gently hugged the woman. "I believe you wanted a picture." He said kindly.
The woman nodded, calling to someone in the nearby house. A teenager came out.
"Eliza! Get the camera would you?"
The teenager looked at Steve, scoffed, and went inside to retrieve the camera. The girl came out and gestured or Steve to pose. Steve smiled, bent down slightly, and placed an arm around the woman. A small click was heard and the girl looked at the camera, before handing it to her grandmother and going back inside.
The elderly woman pressed a few buttons before smiling and lifting the camera to show Steve the picture. Both of them were smiling, and it looked great. Placing the older photo next to it, the parallels were amazing to see. The woman looked back up at Steve.
"You haven't aged a day."
Steve nodded, remembering the ice. "I was sleeping for a while."
"Well, you missed a lot. The Berlin Wall, JFK, and the 80's. Golden age of music." The woman smiled. "Goodness! I haven't introduced myself. Sarah Warlow." She said.
"Steven Rogers." Steve replied.
"You know, I figure you might need a bit of getting up to speed, and me being the wise old woman that I am, I would love to help. My granddaughter usually helps me with all the technological things but you'd be surprised how fast it is to pick up."
Steve looked down at Sarah. Here she was, a woman born in his year, and she was offering to help him adjust. If she could understand the things of the future, maybe she could help him pick it up. He pulled out a piece of paper and wrote down the number of the phone Tony had got him. It took him a week to figure out how to call and text.
The woman took the paper and smiled, gently placing it in her pocket. "I suppose I should let you go on with your run." She said, already turning to leave.
"Thank you, Sarah." Steve said.
"I should be thanking you Steven, you saved America and if what I read in the news is true, more than once." Sarah smiled, entering her house and closing the door.
Steve stood there for a few moments, before turning to go. E felt a small rustling, and pulled out the old picture, she left it in his pocket, probably on purpose. Staring at the faded grey face he knew was his, and the small crying child, Steve looked back at the house, before pocketing the picture and starting to continue his run.
Sarah smiled from the window, she let the drapes slide closed, and went to ask how to develop her picture, already hearing her granddaughter groan from her room.
When Steve got back to the tower, he took his shower and got dressed. Going about his day. He sparred with Natasha, and checked on Clint in the shooting range. Stopping by to say a quick hello to Thor before he left for Asgard again, he saw Tony and Bruce heading downstairs to the labs, Tony carrying a box of sandwiches. It wasn't until the sun began to set that he remembered the picture and began rummaging through his drawers. Slightly discouraged, he left his room, searching through all the other drawers around his floor.
"Whatcha looking for Cap?" Steve saw Tony peer around him.
"A frame. A picture frame."
Tony looked mildly surprised but turned to the hallway. "I would tell you I can have JARVIS scan the picture and display it on a holoscreen but I figure you want something old fashioned. I keep some junk in here, have a look." Tony gestured to a cupboard hidden by a plant. "Go nuts."
Steve nodded and knelt by the wooden cupboard, opening it and looking through it. He found old computer monitors, and even a few circles of metal. Glancing around, he saw a simple wooden picture frame, with dusty glass and no current picture in it. Taking it out, he closed the cupboard, and left for his room. Taking out the old photo and opening the back of the frame, he placed it inside and dusted off the glass.
Turning it around, Steve saw the picture, and his own face looking back at him, like a shadow. Sadly sitting on the edge of his bed, he leaned forward to place the picture on his dresser. The image stared back at him, mocking him a bit with the past. Only a year for him. Just a year. In a year of his time, the baby in his arms turned into a 70 year old woman. He stared at the grainy photo, seeing his own false smile.
"Steve?" He heard his name called and his head instantly turned to the door.
Bruce was looking at him, smiling faintly. "It's movie night. Tony finally agreed to watch Wizard of Oz with the team 'for your sake' he said."
Steve smiled and stood, taking a fleeting glance back at the photo before going to join everyone in the large room with the huge television. He sat and looked around, seeing his teammates settle into their own respective spots. Natasha and Clint both curled up on the two-seater, Tony stretched out on the couch, with Bruce on the recliner. Steve took his seat on the other side of Tony, just enough room for him. Now he only had to deal with Tony poking him with his feet, as the scientist often did.
The movie started, and music beginning to fill the room, and Steve couldn't help but feel like the picture, a remnant of the past in a new frame, a new world. But then he remembered the new photo, with him smiling with the woman, both people from the old time in a new picture. An old picture with him in his fake costume, and the new one with him in colour. He couldn't help but smile as he watched the girl, Dorothy, step into the world of colour, the screen itself changing from Sephia to bright colours.
He felt a poke in his thigh and looked to see Tony smiling at him, mouthing "hey look it's you."
Steve looked back, watching Dorothy look around in wonder and awe, and a little bit of disbelief.
Yeah, it is me.
I'm not in the 40's anymore
But sometimes the 40's follows me here.
Thanks for reading! I initially intend for this to be a one-shot but maybe if enough people ask, I'll add another chapter!
As always,
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