A/N: Steve trying to make his team work.
The practice didn't go so well without Tony. They needed him on the ground. Doctor Banner was too unsure in himself to even try to change into Hulk.
"I couldn't call for Veronica myself after I change" he apologized to them. "Tony needs to do it and without it I'm just not sure what the other guy do if I let him out."
"Don't worry will practice this way" Nat said and doctor Banner frowned. "I'll tell you the lines so they get to you I bet the other guy is listening in."
Clint, Thor and him practiced running up the hill and on targets that were on the training ground but it was all too quiet. Tony was that part of the team that would talk and provoke others to contradict him, he was the one to give a joke or a smirk, they needed him to watch them from above and give them feedback. It was a similar thing as Bucky did for his original team. He was always at his side ready to make joke out of him and others joined in on the banter. It made them work well together.
"You'll never make him to obey" said Clint as they entered the building from the ground floor. Now when Nat had pointed out the porter he hated to go from this side, now he could see how she smiles at him. It was unsettling, he didn't know her and she knew nothing of him, why would she be interested at all, and in what. It was too uncomfortable to think about it so he smiled politely as he always does and strode on.
"We'll see" he said in the elevator.
"I'll take on that beat" said Nat to Clint. "I bet on Cap, he's got wisdom on his side, Tony will respond to him. He's almost a fatherly figure to him."
"I can't be a fatherly figure to Tony" Steve objected. "He's older than me considering everything."
"But he's unwise" said Thor "I'll bet against our Captain. Starkson is hard to understand he does things out of wimp, he doesn't oblige to anyone. That kind of person plays against all favors but strange about him is that he wins. I think gods are favoring too much the mischiefs and fools."
Steve agreed silently with that but he needed this mischief and a fool.
"Jarvis" he said as others went to the dining room. "I need you to show me the way to Tony but can you please not announce me."
"That's against my programing" Jarvis already drew a path before him. "To keep Mister Stark in the dark as you would say, why would I comply?"
"Because I think it's in his best interest to be surprised" he said walking. "I'm afraid he won't listen to me if he has the time to prepare excuses and check on the time. If I'm not wrong he still thinks its morning."
Steve was fairly sure Tony missed out on their appointments out of preoccupation than on purpose. He seemed like curious guy who couldn't stand easily to be out of the loop, he had proved that before.
"Possibly" said Jarvis thoughtfully. "He hasn't asked anything for four hours now, usually he speaks to me but now something is in his focus. I'll let you see for yourself and we'll say you wanted to surprise him if he asks."
"You're cunning Jarvis" Steve saluted him in his walk and wondered how much did the computer got out of Tony's control or was his willingness to play along and mock about programmed into him. Knowing Tony later one would be plausible.
Of course he found Tony standing in his black undershirt, putting on his Iron Man suit. The doors were sealed he didn't see any bell so he knocked, knocking still worked in all situations.
Tony looked at him surprised and then fell knocked out by his own suit.
The door opened and Steve entered just to stay put. Steve was already used to labs, technology, everything worked as magic and he just ignored it. Although Tony had most impressive magic at hand it was just that, some more magic, a distraction.
Steve talked to him and of course Tony defied him. Steve was already started to bet against himself when Tony put on his hoody over his black undershirt. But even as they climbed the stairs Tony still contradicted him.
"Can I work while we eat" he asked and Steve finally lost his nerve. No he can't work as they eat and ignore them all as they weren't there. That's not polite, it's not fine and it's just clean disrespectful.
That's why Steve turned back to him and ordered him not to come, not to participate. Of course being a strange creature as Tony Stark is, that made him finally want to see what is going on.
Steve said his part but Tony again deflected the subject to more trivial matters trying to get a reaction out of him by mentioning men kissing. Like that was the subject that would make Steve engaged? The world he wake up in was a strange place, it was downright weird. There were so many things he didn't understand, so many odd behaviors.
Men kissing was the simplest and most ordinary thing he could fathom. Men kissed even when he was young, and he was in a military where only men were around. It wasn't anything new or unusual. New was that he didn't have to pretend it bothered him in any way. If he had to admit it, or if there was anyone to talk about it, he could say that he was closer in kissing Bucky than in any woman other than Peggy. But Bucky was Bucky, larger than life even when he became shorter than him, always smiling, throwing jokes and catching women. Maybe that was what bothered him about Tony. Tony was somewhat like Bucky, or he would imagine Bucky would be this way if he was born in this time.
He had to end that train of thoughts because Bucky was here, changed, battered and haunted. That was the only thing Steve had for himself, search for him. Because Bucky in any time was his brother.
Tony continued to talk and walk, to provoke him and Steve kept walking wanting to get away from him but he had to put his inner turmoil's to a halt. There was a task they needed to accomplish and they needed Tony for it. That's why he slowed down and talked to him, he even mentioned his mother although he doesn't like to talk about her.
But of course everything turned to banter as they entered the dining room and Nat again tried to turn things to her favor mentioning the porter. Tony didn't need more encouraging, great, now he'll be at her corner too.
"No" said Tony surprising him. "You're seeing that all wrong. The porter is a petit woman, blond and fragile you can't impose that kind on our Captain here, he'll break her as a twig."
"Our Cap would never do that" Nat defended him. "He's a gentle soul."
"No man is gentle when he's in passion" Tony schooled her seriously.
"That's just a thing you would believe isn't it?" Nat said with disdain and they all sat down to eat.
"Let us say our grace" said Steve automatically, that kind of thing was trained into him, but as soon as he said it he knew he was wrong.
"Grace?!" Tony couldn't believe. "Sure, you lead your way grandpa."
"I'll just say mine" he shook his head thinking of this strange new world where people were ashamed to pray. "You do what you're comfortable with."
"May Odin give us plenty" said Thor loudly and then laughed as everyone looked at him. "That was a joke" he looked around the table. "Odin is my father, he's no god to me."
Nat smiled.
"Well that's fortunate, cause I imagine it would be awkward to grow up with a god as a real father" she started to eat without any grace. Steve noticed that Clint did make his prayer as did Bruce.
"It was awkward" said Thor with a smile taking a big portion to his plate. "He's not god but he's quite inquisitive and unforgiving. Man must live up to his standards."
"And I imagine you lived up to the task" said Bruce politely.
"You'd be surprised" Thor shook his head. "When we were growing up Loki and I were mischief enough making our courts chase us around" he said with glee but then frowned losing his good temper.
"My father was god-like too" Tony cut in the silence that fell on the table. "But he was more an absent and not interested kind of god who can do anything he pleases. So he was just like the god Steve believes in."
"Buhu I will cry for you all" said Nat irritated. "That's just an excuse for men to act like children all their lives, their fathers that were childish as every other man. You were lucky enough to know your fathers that's more than some get so shut up, eat and let's talk about fighting. I did talk to doctor Banner but we need to try it with the other guy to see if it actually works."
"So you didn't turn green today?" Tony asked Bruce.
"No" Bruce shook his head and looked at his plate. "You weren't there so I wasn't confident enough to let him out."
"Aww that's sweet" said Tony tilting his head. "You needed me to hold your hand."
"No, Natasha was doing that" Bruce glanced at her. "But I'm not confident to try without Veronica."
"Veronica?" Tony turned towards Steve. "Is that what you needed me about? You just needed to call me, I was in my lab, not cut from the world. There is a thing now, they call it a mobile phone, and it's just like a telephone with round dials just without strings."
"We can do that" said Clint with a smirk "communicate with him through the phone when we need a gadget, and he'll just fly it with a remote. We don't need him on the training ground when he doesn't have to practice at all. His machine do everything for him anyway."
Tony stared at him angrily and Steve lied back in his chair. Sometimes it was enough just to bring someone in, the team would integrate him soon enough without any effort at all.
"Firstly it's not a machine, it's a suit and for it to work I have to navigate it. Sure it enhances my movements but I have to make them, I'm the one doing the fighting. Secondly, it took months of practicing just to walk in that damn thing let alone anything else" he leaned forward.
"So Iron Patriot just walked out of your living room with a suit, without practicing at all because it's so damn hard to navigate it" Clint mocked him further.
"War Machine" said Tony offended.
"What?" Clint leaned forward.
"We called it War Machine and Rhody did practice before, we practiced together and I did make it more user friendly since then" he withdrew.
"So you don't have to practice anymore?" Clint insisted.
"I do practice" Tony snapped. "I practice every day, I practice till my hands are numb because out there every second counts and my suit is an armor but it isn't a shelter, I still have to get out there and do my stuff. So yeah I practice, but why should I practice with you?"
"To show us your moves" Clint leaned back in his chair with his menacing smile. "What do you say? Me and you without your machine, show me your moves."
"To show you my moves?" Tony was confused. "What to dance with you? I can have a dance off."
"In the ring, there is one in the gym. You and I are human enough to me a match I want to see can I take you down" Clint stared at him.
"Fight?" Tony frowned and then turned to Steve. "You're really going to let this happen, to your team members fight among each other."
"Yes" Steve nodded. "I have to see this happen."
"Agreed!" said Thor with glee. "I'll put my money on little one, he's got a mean stare."
"Your money doesn't count here anyway" Tony objected.
"I'll put money on my man too" said Nat patting Clint.
"I'll go with Tony" said Bruce and then added timidly looking at Nat "I saw him practice."
"What? Just one on me?" Tony was offended. "Will you bet on me?" he turned to Steve.
"No, I don't wager" he said getting up and others followed his lead. "But I can be a judge. Let's go to the ring."
"But I haven't agreed to this" Tony was still sitting.
"If you are not up to a challenge then you lose" Thor said loudly. "You not only lose a battle but your honor too!"
"I wouldn't want to lose my honor" Tony mocked him but got up.
In the gym Clint entered the ring bouncing around. Tony shook his head, rolled his eyes but then took of his hoody and get in the ring standing still and not taking his eyes from his opponent.
If he was the man who put wagers Steve wouldn't risk his money on this fight. Odds were too even. Tony wasn't accustomed to fight without his suit but it was fairly obvious that he kept himself in good shape, he was taller and heavier than Clint. But Clint had agility on his side, he was small and fast. Steve wondered which will prevail, flexibility of strength.
So on who do you wager? Who will win the fight? Place your bets!