Author's Note: Thanks ravingbeauty for the awesome work!
WARNING MAN ON MAN SEX!
Man Out of Time
Part 10 – Down Time
He woke slowly, his mind muzzy and slow. The pain and pressure of infection in his shoulder, however, had lessened.
Tony breathed easier, blinking the haze from dark eyes. Glancing around, he took stock of the curtains, the small cot, and the rather outdated-looking IV beside him. He was in a hospital or, more likely, the infirmary on base.
Suddenly terrified of what that could mean, Tony sat up and clutched his chest desperately. He expelled a shaky breath when he felt cool cloth wrapped firmly around him, hiding his arc reactor. As he thought back, bits and pieces of the night before filtered through his mind – the lab, Steve ripping off his shirt, the terrible pain. Dark eyes glanced down to check his shoulder, which was now neatly stitched and bandaged.
Frowning, Tony turned spotting the soldier slumped in the chair by his beside. Still wearing his uniform, Steve was dirty and stained and looking far better than anyone should.
Steve had kept his secret.
Tony reached up to press his callused palm over the metal as his heart beat a little faster. He hadn't thought it possible to love the strong, courageous man any more than he already did. Without question, the blond had trusted him. Someone having that much faith in him was humbling.
Tony felt eyes on him and slowly turned to meeting those big, beautiful blues. Steve wasn't smiling, though. He looked solemn, serious, and more than a little worried.
The man from the future cleared his throat, offering a hesitant half-smile, "I owe you an explanation."
Steve nodded slowly.
"But not here… too many ears." Tony tugged at the IV as Steve frowned at him.
"Tony, no," he reached forward to stop him too late; the smaller man already had the needle out.
Waving Steve off, Tony climbed out of bed and stood a little unsteadily, pulling the scratchy wool blanket around him. Steve watched, feeling detached, like it was a dream he was having.
"You coming?" The dark, unreadable eyes regarded him, betraying nothing.
The blond hesitated a moment, wondering what was to come. His curiosity won out, though, and Steve hurried after Tony as he turned to leave.
They remained silent as they navigated the hallways. It was still early, but the base was already busy enough that the pair attracted several odd looks. Once safely locked in the lab, the tension settled thick enough to cut.
Finally Tony dropped the wool blanket and sat heavily in front of the workbench. Steve hesitantly followed sat before him, only inches separating them. Without a word, Tony unwrapped the sheet, allowing it to fall away, his glow filling the dimly lit room.
Fascinated, Steve studied the device before glancing at the dark haired man and waiting silently.
Tony paused, truly at a loss as to where to begin, wondering idly if he should make something up. But those blue eyes, boring steadily into his own, compelled honesty. Steve had kept his secret, and he deserved nothing but the truth – only in this case the truth was more unreal than any lie he could invent.
"What do you say when the truth is stranger than fiction?" Tony mumbled, and the other man cocked his head curiously.
It all boiled down to fear. Tony was more scared of this than of anything he had done, bar none, even when they hooked him up to that car battery. This could cost him Steve, and he'd be completely alone in this time. It was a horrifying possibility.
Focusing on those beautiful clear eyes, Tony began speaking softly, "What I'm about to tell you… I only ask you keep an open mind." Leaning forward, he his rested his elbows on his knees and ran a hand through his already wild hair. "My name is not Anthony Starling, it's Anthony Stark. I will be the son of Howard Stark. I am from the year 2013."
The silence seemed to ring deafeningly.
Steve's face didn't change, didn't even twitch.
Tony looked down and away, gripping his hands, ignoring the pull in his shoulder. As the quiet stretched on, Tony was sure he was going to burst.
"Why are you here in 1944?" the softly spoken question had Tony jumping, looking up at Steve hesitantly.
"You believe me?" Tony asked softly. "Just like that?"
Shaking his head, Steve reached out and took Tony's callused hand in his own, "I'm not sure yet, the idea is a difficult one to grasp. Still, you're looking at a man who put his faith in the impossible when he stepped into a machine a ninety pound asthmatic and stepped out Captain America."
Grinning, Tony shook his head. Damn unflappable Spangles.
"It also may explain some things, like the way you talk and act."
Tony was laughing outright now; more relieved than anything, he grinned. "Damn, and I thought I was blending so well." He squeezed Steve's hand, "I am here because some bad men from the future came back here to make sure certain events would not happen. Thankfully they failed and things are unfolding just as they should," Tony trailed off, wondering just how much he should reveal.
"If that is so, then why haven't you returned to your own time?"
Tony sighed, damn the perceptive man, "Well, it was meant to be a one way trip… I'm working on it, but not sure if I can."
Steve looked at him steadily, thoughtfully, "It must have been a very important reason for you to come, to risk so much."
Tony nodded and looked into the blue eyes, his heart willing the man to understand, "It was worth everything."
Steve said nothing, mulling over what had been said for long moments. He couldn't even begin to imagine moving through time. Tony was a man from the future, here in the past trying to accomplish the impossible.
A sudden terrible thought occurred to Steve. What of them? His heart beat a little harder, and his palms felt clammy. What if it had all been a lie? "Tony?" he asked hesitatingly, not sure he wanted to know the answer. "What we have, has it… is it…?" He trailed off, looking suddenly scared and sad.
Brown eyes widened when he realized what the big guy was trying to ask. He cut him off quickly, "Steve, the only thing that is keeping me sane and able to function in this time is you."
Tony leaned forward and kissed the big man softly as Steve settled his hands on Tony's hips and pulled him close. Distantly Steve heard the small metallic sound of Tony's tags clinking against the metal in his chest. The noise made him pause; he'd heard it many times before and always wondered what was making the sound. Now he knew.
"Do all people have these in the future?" Steve gestured to the blue light.
Disappointed the make out session had ended, Tony looked down, "No… this is a terrible privilege that belongs only to me," he looked at Steve sadly. "My penance," he confessed softly, for the first time giving voice to the hidden truth.
Steve leaned forward curiously, eager for the story, but Tony slowly shook his head, "It's a long, sad, sob story. Let's just say it made me want to be a better man, made me a better man. I will tell you – I promise I will one day – but for now the less you know, the better off we'll be. I'm sorry."
The blond tilted his head, "I don't understand."
Tony sighed wearily, "History shapes the future, and the events that happen here will resonate in my time. I cannot interfere with what is going to occur or I risk changing the future. Everything happens for a reason, be it good or bad."
Steve looked at him blankly, and Tony chuckled, "If I were to, for instance, tell Howard he was going to meet his future wife at a social dance in a couple of months, I may change his mind. He may not go, and I may never be born."
As comprehension dawned, Steve's eyes widened impossibly large. He sat back and whistled, overwhelmed. "This is a lot to take in," he muttered.
Tony laughed mirthlessly, "You're telling me." They sat in silence a while longer as the dark haired man studied Captain America. He could almost see him working through the information, weighing and deciding.
Tony would be content to watch him all day. Already he felt lighter, like a weight had been lifted off his chest; it was nice to know that someone knew who he really was. Even if he never made it home, at least Steve would know the truth.
"Can I touch?" Steve's voice jarred him from his thoughts.
Tony blinked, "Sorry?"
The blond gestured with his chin, "Can I touch it?" He was looking intently at the blue glow in Tony's chest.
"Sure," Tony said softly, shivering as Steve set his hand on the ring of light and traced the outline where scar tissue and metal met. He looked fascinated.
"Can at least you tell me what it does?" Steve asked.
A look of infinite sadness passed across Tony's face, making him looked older than Steve had ever seen him, "It keeps pieces of shrapnel from entering my heart and killing me."
Startled, Steve blinked. Just when he thought nothing more could surprise him… "So if it's pulled out…" he trailed off, covering the blue glow protectively. They froze that way for an instant, Steve's large hand pressed against the cool of his chest.
Then, adrenaline rushing through him, Tony leaned forward and kissed the blond fiercely, all the emotion he couldn't voice properly spilling forth.
As Steve returned the desperate kiss, things escalated quickly, the impossible confessions fueling their need, the pent up tension and passion overwhelming. They needed to touch one another, to reaffirm they were alive. Steve had nearly lost this man he'd come to love; he couldn't bear the thought of never seeing Tony again.
Panting, Tony pulled away to tug off Steve's Captain America shirt, revealing the broad, chiseled chest. The shorter man moved first; standing, he pulled Steve towards the small cot. The taller man eagerly followed, clumsily kicking off his boots as they went.
Tony sat slowly, removing his own boots and pants, eyes glued to Steve as he shed his pants. The dark haired man bit back a chuckle; he would have laughed at the silly, plain boxers, but he was wearing the same thing.
The bigger man crawled onto the cot next to him, tangling limbs together, mindful of Tony's bandaged shoulder. It was the first time they had been naked like this; Steve finally understood why Tony had never removed his shirt before when they were intimate.
The last twelve hours had been a rush of tangled emotions for both men. Now, with the truth out in the open, they both felt that unacknowledged, ever-present tension slowly melt away.
Steve traced large hands down paths of lean muscle, tugging off Tony's boxers. Grabbing the smaller man's erection, he tugged it firmly, swallowing the hitching gasp with a bruising kiss. Gathering his wits, Tony returned the favor and pushed Steve's boxers off. At last they lay pressed together, side-by-side on the cot, leisurely jacking each other off, swallowing moans with sloppy, wet kisses.
Tony pressed his lips to the warm neck, trailing kisses across the muscular chest, unable to get enough of the perfect man.
"Tony?" the soldier gasped out, arching his hips wantonly.
"Hmmm?" he moaned against the taut flesh.
"Can we, ummm… can we do more?"
The man from the future froze in his exploration, looking up into blue eyes.
Steve flushed red, sweetly innocent. "I, ummm… heard there is more…" he confessed in a whisper.
Tony groaned, the soft, hesitant voice doing all sorts of things to him. He looked at Steve for a long moment before kissing him hard. "You sure?" he mumbled.
The reply was a breathy, "Yes."
Given the green light, Tony shifted their position. He had no lube, didn't even have a flipping clue where he'd get lube in the 1940s, so he was going to have to improvise. Crawling across the perfect body beneath his, Tony pressed his fingers against the warm lips, shuddering when Steve sucked on them instinctively. At the same moment Tony swallowed the man's straining erection. Steve moaned loudly as Tony lavished attention on him, making sure to get him good and wet.
Steve tried to muffle his groans as he sucked hard at the fingers in his mouth, arching into Tony's hot, wet ministrations. Moments later the fingers were pulled away, though Tony was still sucking him deeply.
The dark haired man quickly moved the slick fingers, stretching himself. It had been a while since he'd had sex, and even longer since he'd been with a man. But the prospect of having sex with Captain America, the fantasy he'd been imagining since his own time, was coming true. He had never wanted anything so badly in his life.
With a final lap Tony let Steve pop free of his mouth as he moved to straddle his slim hips. Lustful blue eyes looked at up him with utter trust. Using his good arm to steady himself on the broad chest, Tony slowly lowered himself onto the well-endowed Captain. Baring his teeth, he hissed in pain as the muscle gave way and he slid slowly down, stretched to capacity.
Steve nearly came out of skin; that incredible, tight, wet heat was too much. "Tony…" he moaned, watching that beloved face contort above him. The older man paused as he panted, trying to adjust to the intrusion. As Steve raised himself on his elbows to kiss the firm lips, Tony shifted in his lap, the sudden movement causing the pair to gasp in pleasure.
"Fuck, Steve…" Tony mumbled, biting kiss swollen lips. He shifted his hips again as the pain lessened, replaced by overwhelming pleasure.
They started slowly moving against one another, building momentum. Steve collapsed back on the cot, gripping Tony's muscular hips hard enough to bruise. The room echoed with the creak of cot springs, labored breaths, and the sounds of sweat-slicked bodies bumping and grinding together.
The angle changed as Tony shifted, Steve hitting his sweet spot every time. Shuddering, his mind turned to mush and his body trembled, aching for release. "Steve, oh God, yes…" he hissed.
The blond felt the now familiar coil in his belly as he gazed up at the man riding him. He wanted to remember this moment always – the dark hair sweaty, the white gauze around his muscular shoulder, the blue glow of metal in his chest, bright and alive, the steady rhythmic clink of his tags as he moved.
Tony grew impossibly tight, crying out as he came, spilling hotly across the muscular body under him. Steve ground his teeth; moaning low, he thrust once more, as deep as he could, filling his lover.
Panting Tony collapsed onto the wide chest, body still thrumming in pleasure. Big hands were running up and down his back soothingly.
"Tony?" Steve asked, still a little winded.
Sated and utterly spent, Tony could barely manage a grunt.
"After we rest, Lieutenant Starling, I'm going to give you hell for digging that bullet out of your own shoulder and then hiding the wound from your commanding officer."
Pulling back, Tony looked at him with shocked eyes before a smile crossed his face, "Sir, yes, sir."
-#-#-#-
Steve woke with a moan, his orgasm hot and hard, soaking pajama pants. He lay panting in his bed, every nerve ending firing in pleasure. The dream had been so vivid. No, not a dream – a memory.
He could remember Tony's quiet confession to him in the lab; the man who'd captured his heart so completely was from the future.
He moaned, cradling his aching head; it all seemed so fresh. He could still remember the feeling of awed surprise, bordering on disbelief. But more than the confusion, Steve remembered afterwards – Tony moving above him, the sweet moans of ecstasy…
He felt himself growing hard all over again. Jamming a hand down his already wet bottoms, Steve Rogers jerked himself to release, visions of Tony Stark in his mind.