Bruce hadn't had the time to make a new Quantum tunnel, while he was making sure Gamma Radiation didn't kill Tony, so when they moved back to the new compound. Tony and Bruce threw themselves into completing it.
It took months of basically non-stop work, but Tony didn't mind the work and he trusted Steve and Pepper with the kids, plus Steve made sure to help Morgan bring down food and coffee several times a day. Caffeine and his daughter, plus a kiss from Steve just made him work harder. The boys came down to the lab often enough on their own too. To help or to tinker on their own projects. It made him so proud that they enjoyed working with him.
Though Tony did take the time away from his lab to celebrate Christmas as a family with all of the Avengers and their families, even Peter's Aunt May and Harley's Mom. It was the best Christmas Tony had probably ever had. The last four had been happy because of Morgan, but with all of his family present, he felt complete. Plus, he had managed to make Steve blush with his entire body in their Christmas card. It was so amazing to look at, that he had it framed on his desk.
As the weeks went on the work continued and things went back to "normal." Pepper went back to working in the city a few days a week and Peter and Harley went back to school and even though Peter came to spend most weekends at the mansion, it was still quieter than Tony had grown used to since waking up. But he pushed through focusing on the project and triple checking Bruce's equations, while spending as many of the day time hours with Morgan and Steve as possible while still completing his work.
The only problem with completing the tunnel was that Steve insisted that it should be him to go through it. That he would be the safest. And that it should be alone.
But to hell with safest. Tony didn't want the man he loved roaming through Time without backup.
So here he was putting the finishing touches on the machine two days before Valentine's day, but contemplating breaking it and starting over. Bruce seemed to know what he was thinking though because he was watching him like a hawk.
"Steve will be fine, Tony. He has so much to come home too."
Tony slammed his hands down on the table. "He shouldn't leave in the first place. He can't just leave me, Bruce. Not again. I already made peace with living without him once. I can't do it again. Not now that he is actually mine."
He felt arms slide around his waist and he just started to cry. He shouldn't cry, but he was just so afraid. The last time they went back in time he had been so sure they would die there. That it wouldn't work and that they would never come back, but it had worked, they had gotten lucky. And now Steve, his Steve, wanted to test his luck again. Why couldn't Sam and Bucky go? They had offered, but Steve was so adamant.
"Tony." Steve's lips moved against his ear and he couldn't help but stiffen. Somehow, he hadn't realized Steve had snuck into the lab. That it wasn't Bruce hugging him. He was too far into his own spiral to notice.
"Tony, I am going to come back to you. I promise. I love you so much. There is nothing in the universe that would keep me away. But I need to do this, and you need to be here with the kids. Plus, I know with you here nothing will go wrong with the tunnel."
Tony buried his head in Steve's shoulder and refused to move. "I love you, Steve. Please come back."
XX
Steve couldn't stand to see Tony upset like this. Not when the mission was so cut and dry. They had done it before, and he could do it again. But seeing Tony worried and crying, just made him want to send someone else. He couldn't though, this mission was too important. He had been reviewing and preparing to land the time jumps perfectly for weeks. There was no one else who could pull it off.
He lifted Tony up like a child, sighing lightly into Tony's hair as he wrapped his legs around Steve's waist and burying his head in Steve's neck. Steve carried him into the elevator, which he had at first complained about because what normal house had an elevator, and he refused to put Tony down until they were through their bedroom and into the bathroom.
He set Tony down on the counter and kissed him softly before lifting his shirt over his head. He memorized every line of Tony's body with his hands and eyes, before stepping between Tony's legs and kissing him deeply. Licking into his mouth and swallowing the little noises he was making. Tony slipped his hands under Steve's shirt and ran his fingers down his stomach pulling a groan from his throat.
"Off. Off."
Steve complied with Tony's order. Flinging his shirt across the room in record time. God, he wanted Tony so bad. He was so beautiful.
He moaned harshly as Tony broke their kiss only to fasten his lips to Steve's chest.
He let himself indulge in a few more minutes of Tony's wandering hands and mouth before pulling away.
"Come on, baby. We need to take a shower. You've been in the lab for five days straight."
Tony slapped him in the chest. "Is this your way of telling me I smell?"
Steve just grinned. Of course, he would think that.
He tugged Tony off the counter, toward the shower. Tony was still pouting, so Steve took matters into his own hands and stripped the sweats right off Tony's body in one swift movement, earning a yelp.
"Friday, can you set the shower to Tony's temperature please?"
"Of course, Captain Rogers."
Steve stepped out of his own pajama pants and underwear before tugging Tony into the oversized shower. It was really a shower room. It even had a bench on one side. But Steve was just grateful that they could shower together without him taking up too much room.
He lathered up Tony's hair, running his fingers through it while Tony leaned heavily into him. He was exhausted. Steve could see it in his face. He wished that this project hadn't been so important, and that Tony could have eased back into his normal life rather than dropping himself in full force. But he knew that Tony wasn't going to risk the balance of the other timeline, not with something as serious as Thanos.
By the time Tony was completely clean, he was falling asleep in Steve's arms, so Steve carried him out of the shower back to their bed. He toweled Tony dry and tucked him under the covers, dropping a kiss to his forehead.
Tony whined when he pulled away, but he just murmured softly in Tony's ear. "I have to check on Morgan. I will be right back. I promise."
He slipped on his sleep pants and quietly left the room.
Morgan's room was right in the middle between their room and Pepper's. Steve peaked in and just took in the sight of their little girl, sound asleep in her giant princess castle bed, with a mural of their family on the wall, the one thing that she begged him for when they had moved in. She was perfect. Everything he had ever wished for in a child.
He shouldn't go in, but just in case things went wrong he needed to see her. To run his hands through her soft hair one last time.
When he left Morgan's room, he didn't go back to his room, back to Tony. Instead he headed to Pepper's room. Knocking softly and when Pepper opened the door she just sighed and stepped aside to let him through.
"Sorry to bother you, Pep."
"Steve, we live together, and you help raise my child. You aren't a bother. Now what's wrong?"
"If something goes wrong tomorrow, I need you to help Tony get through it. He has been so good about his sobriety and I don't want to be the reason that changes. He is very nervous and upset. I need to know he will be okay. That the kids will be okay."
She crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him. He wasn't expecting it even though they had gotten closer recently. He wilted into her arms all of the nervous energy finally hitting him.
"Steve, I'm not saying it will be easy, but if something happens we will get them through it. All of the Avengers will help, but please try not to let anything happen. He loves you so much. The kids adore you. No one will be the same without you."
They stood there for a while, Steve shaking slightly as he cried out his anxiety. When he finally pulled himself together, he bid Pepper goodnight and returned to Tony.
As he slid into bed, Tony mumbled softly in his sleep and curled himself around Steve like an octopus. Steve buried his face in Tony's hair and did his best to memorize his smell, the little sounds he made in sleep, and the feeling of his body against him. Steve fell asleep just like that, hoping that tomorrow would be easy and that he would get to do this again.
Tony only slept three hours before he stumbled back out of bed, but before he wandered back down to check on the tunnel, he stood at the end of the bed staring down at the man he loved more than almost anything in the world. He took the time to memorize ever feature of Steve's beautiful sleep slack face and couldn't help the tears that slid down his own face from anxiety.
He dropped a kiss to Steve's cheek before fleeing their room to the safety of his lab.
He had rechecked every single calculation before Bruce even wandered back down. Tony was glad that Bruce knew him well enough to not talk about it. To know that he was hanging on by a thread and really didn't need to hear false promises or platitudes.
When he finished the calculations, he began checking that all of the mechanical pieces of the actual tunnel were in order one at a time, to make sure there were no missed connections or loose wires.
"Did you calibrate the tunnel, Bruce? Run diagnostics?" Tony mumbled sliding out from under the machine.
"Tony, we calibrated and ran diagnostics five times before I went to bed. Everything will be fine. Steve will be fine."
"WE DON'T KNOW THAT!" Tony snarled viciously tossing his wrench down on the floor. "It needs to be perfect, Bruce. This is my husband."
"We're not married, Anthony."
Tony jumped a mile in the air and whirled around, shocked to see Steve was standing there in his 2012 Captain America suit, a serious expression painted over his beautiful face.
"I-uh. Well. Steve. I- I know we aren't." Tony stammered. He didn't know what to say. He hadn't meant to say that, but he would marry Steve in a heartbeat. But they hadn't been dating for super long and Pepper hadn't ever actually wanted to marry him, so why would Captain Fucking America want to be saddled to him. He wrung his hands together nervously waiting for Steve's response.
When a grin finally broke across his face, Tony breathed a sigh of relief. "Relax, Tony. I understand, truly I do. And I love you. So much."
Tony allowed himself to be pulled into Steve's arms, sinking into his warm embrace. Breathing in his scent and cataloguing it just in case.
"We could you know." Tony murmured against Steve's chest. "Get married… If you want."
Steve chuckled softly, pressing his lips to the top of Tony's head. "Tony if you really want to get married. Then you can ask me again when I get home. I will not get engaged because you're afraid I won't come back. There is nothing in the Universe that could keep me away."
Tony nodded, silently hoping with everything he had that he had the chance to ask again.
"Now, are we ready for me to suit up?"
Tony flitted around making sure the quantum suit was fitted nicely over Steve's Captain America tactical suit, tightening his quantum watch, and attaching Steve's shield, which he was thankful Shuri repaired, to Steve's suit himself, swatting Steve's hands away when he went to do it. He made sure Steve had tons of Pym particles, putting them in every pocket of Steve's suit, plus in a hidden compartment in the briefcase that had the stones. He was not risking Steve being stuck somewhere in the past.
Tony was surprised that Steve just let him dress him and triple check every single aspect of his suit, but he was sure that by now Steve knew him well enough to just let his anxious energy flow.
By the time everything was ready for Steve, Bruce had run a diagnostic and recalibrated the tunnel just to make Tony happy, but he was grateful nonetheless.
He watched as Steve hugged Sam, Bucky, and Bruce, before he crowded into Steve's space one last time and reeled him into a kiss. He kissed him with every fiber of his being. Hoping that Steve knew just how much loved him. They broke apart when Sam wolf-whistled loudly.
Steve was pleasantly blushing, with kiss bitten lips and dark lustful eyes. One more memory that Tony would never let go. One that he hoped kept Steve going.
"Five Seconds, Captain. Then you come home to me, okay?"
"Yes sir, Mr. Stark." Steve grinned playfully, before stepping into the tunnel and falling back into his military stance and serious face.
Tony got ready at the controls, with Bruce by his side, taking a deep breath and preparing to push the button.
But Friday's voice rang out through the room. "Sir, Wait! Ms. Morgan is requesting access." Sure enough, when he turned around, Morgan was pounding her hands on the glass door.
"Let her in Fri."
Steve stumbled out of the tunnel and fell to his knees as she ran to him screaming, "PAPA!"
Tony could see the tears welling in his eyes.
"Papa, you can't go without this!" She handed Steve Tony's arc reactor. Tony hadn't even noticed it. "You need Daddy's heart, so you can find your way home."
Steve tugged her into his arms and cried lightly. Soothing her hair. Tony wanted to join them, but instead let them have their moment.
"You're coming back, right Papa?"
"Of course, baby girl, I will do my very best. I can't live without my best girl. And your Daddy too." Tony could hear the thickness in Steve's voice as he spoke.
Tony watched as Steve hugged her hard and kissed her cheek, before he finally stood again. "I love you, baby. Now why don't you go with your mom. You need to go make those Valentine's you promised all the Avengers." She nodded, stopping to hug Tony, which almost brought him to his own knees, before sprinting out of the lab.
Steve settled himself back into the tunnel after slipping the arc reactor into his suit.
"You can't leave me, Winghead. Come back. I love you." Tony felt desperate. Like it couldn't go without saying one last time.
"I love you, Shellhead. Through all of time and space. I'll never leave you. See you in 5." Tony watched as Bruce pressed the button and Steve disappeared.
5
4
3
2
1
Bruce pressed the button again, but nothing happened. Tony's eyes widened and he jammed on the button several more times, before falling to his knees in front of the tunnel.
"No. No. Steve. Come Back to me. Come back right now. Don't you dare leave me." He couldn't hear what Bruce was saying to him, and he felt Bucky slid his arms around Tony's shoulders. Tony prayed. He prayed to a god he hadn't believed in since he was 8 years old. Just prayed for Steve to come back. Prayed as hard as he possibly could.
When he saw Steve start to materialize in front of him, he cried out in relief.
But he didn't expect Steve to not be alone. Tony fell back onto his ass in shock. He mumbled out to Friday for the avengers to assemble. But other than that, he just stared, mouth hanging open. And he was sure everyone else was too.
"What, Shellhead? You didn't think I'd miss your wedding, did you? Steve said you two finally stopped gazing into each other's eyes long enough to bone." Tony was barely registering the words. Just mesmerized.
"NATASHA, that is not what I said." Steve laughed. Like this wasn't a miracle. Like Natasha Romanoff wasn't breathing in front of them.
"What? How? I don't.. Steve. You were late. How? Natasha." Tony couldn't formulate a complete thought.
Steve knelt beside him to help him to his feet. "Well, I had to offer something up in addition to returning the stone. So, I gave something up and I got Nat back. She means so much to all of us, I couldn't not do it. I had to try to bring her home too."
"You scared the shit out of us. I thought Stark was going to become a priest with all his praying. What did you give up, you punk? Doesn't someone need to die?" Bucky's jaw was clenched tightly, so tightly that Tony was sure that it had to be hurting his teeth, but he was curious too. If Steve and Natasha were here, who died?
Steve just smiled and Tony couldn't help but swoon at his gorgeous face. He felt slightly lightheaded from all the stress and relief.
Steve unstrapped his shield, running his hands over it tenderly. "My old life. The past I still clung to. My life as Captain America had to die, so that Natasha could come back to us. But, it's time I pass the torch anyway. I'm getting a little old for the kevlar stars and stripes."
Everyone was shocked. Tony, however, wasn't as shocked when Steve passed the shield to Sam, as everyone else seemed to be. Sam meant a lot to Steve and they made a good team. But judging by looks between Sam and Bucky. They would definitely be the newest fighting partners, in addition to dating.
Tony managed to get himself to his feet and fling himself at Natasha. Hugging her tightly. He didn't realize how big of a void was left without her, until she was standing right in front of him as though she never left. He was so grateful that she was back. That the team was nearly all back together. Now he and Bruce just needed to figure out Vision.
Tony moved into Steve's arms as everyone made their way to Natasha with hugs and gratitude. Everyone was crying happy tears, but no one was prepared for the heart wrenching cry that sounded through the room, when Clint slammed his way into the lab and caught sight of the reason for the assemble.
"Nat?"
"Hey there, Old Man. Miss me?"
Tony allowed himself to be led away from the group, giving Clint and Natasha some privacy while they cried, knowing that Steve needed to see Morgan to reassure her and himself.
"Will you still wear the stars and stripes for me?" He smirked as Steve blushed softly.
"You're my fella, Tony. I will wear anything you want me too." Tony couldn't help, but feel happy, and extremely turned on just hearing that.
"How about a ring?"
Steve just laughed and kissed him hard. Which he took to mean, Yes.
xx
Notes:
So? Complete. I may write about how Steve gets her back or their wedding, but for now this is complete.
Please comment. Tell me what you think.