Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Challenges listed at the bottom.

Word Count - 913

Fic Detail - Tony&Steve Friendship, Time Travel.

The Worst Of The Worst

Messing with the fabric of time was a terrible idea. Like, actually the worst of the worst ideas. Which was why, of course, Reed Fucking Richards had to go and do it.

Fool.

Tony sat up, rubbing his back as he looked around him. He'd either stepped into a really comprehensive reconnaissance fayre, or he was back in time. Forties, at a guess, but just as likely the thirties.

He'd had a tingling feeling in his spine, and enough time to swear at Richards, before he'd had a feeling like being squeezed through a tube and then landed hard on the ground.

And he had no idea how he was supposed to get back to his own time. Or if Richards knew how to get him back. Or…

Well. Either way, he was fucked.

And it hadn't even been a good landing.

…

He blinked. Then he rubbed his eyes. Then he blinked again and stared.

Holy shit.

"Um? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Tony said hazily, because oh my god, that was Steve, but it wasn't his Steve, it was the before Steve and oh my god he was so cute! "I'm fine. Just… had a shock, I guess."

This was beyond weird. He needed to go home before he did something to mess up the timeline because this could get ugly.

"Is that why you're… sitting on the floor?"

Tony realised that he was, in fact, still sitting on the floor where he'd landed and he felt his cheeks heating up in a blush. "I guess so. It's comfortable. Come sit with me."

Steve frowned slightly, but with a slight shrug of his shoulders, sat down on the ground facing Tony.

"Spend a lot of time sitting on the ground in alley's wearing suits like that?"

Tony looked down and cringed when he realised he was wearing his favourite Armani. The creases would be a bugger to get out.

"I'm eccentric," he replied to Steve. "It's fine. Everyone is a little crazy, I just embrace it."

Laughing, Steve shook his head and then held his hand out. "Steve Rogers."

"Tony," Tony replied, shaking the offered hand. If Steve noticed he didn't give a last name, he was too polite to mention it.

"Do you live around here?" Steve asked, raising his eyebrows. "I feel like I'd remember seeing you around."

Tony shook his head. "Ah, no. Just… just visiting."

He couldn't take his eyes off Steve. His Steve was just so much… more, but also, in some ways, seemed less. His Steve didn't give Tony the time of day anymore.

"What are you doing today, Steve Rogers?" he asked, suddenly desperate for Steve to just talk to him.

"I, uh. I signed up for the army but… they don't want me."

Part of Tony wanted to tell Steve to give up on that particular dream. He knew what would happen, knew that it was the army that would lead Steve to spending seventy years in the ice and the end of a lot of his dreams, but…

Then Tony wouldn't have Steve.

Selfish though it may be, and even though Steve wasn't… well. Regardless. The future needed Steve Rogers.

Tony needed Steve Rogers.

"You shouldn't give up," he heard himself say. "If it's what you really want… you should keep trying. You should… I feel like you'd make a good soldier."

"You don't even know me."

Tony smiled slightly, even as he felt a slight tingling in his feet. "You're right. But maybe that's why you should listen to me."

…

He'd managed to find another deserted alleyway before the tingling got bad, and moments later, he was back in the conference room with Richards.

Bruce was there too.

"Hey Green-Bean," he greeted, before glaring at Richards.

"I'm sorry," Richards said, holding his hands up in surrender. "I wasn't expecting—"

"You and me both," Tony interrupted. "Get your shit out of my tower, Reed. And for fucks sake, stop playing around with things you don't understand!"

Stomping out of the conference room, Tony quickly got into the elevator and back to his lab, immediately putting it on lockdown.

It'd been a hell of a day.

…

"I've been waiting for you."

Tony frowned. "What? Why? Did something happen?"

Steve shook his head and then stopped, tilting his head to look at Tony. "I had the weirdest dream the other night. About a man, in an alleyway, that looked exactly like you do. Only, it was pre-serum. And then, I ran into Bruce, and what he told me made me think that maybe it was less a dream and more a memory that I'd forgotten until now."

"Interesting," Tony said, sounding like he was anything but interested. "What's with storytime? It's two in the morning."

"You made me believe in myself," Steve said quietly. "You made me keep trying even though I'd been refused for service."

Tony shrugged. "Good for me, I guess."

"I know I haven't been a good friend lately. And I'm sorry, Tony. I just… I get so focused on some things and I can't think around them. But I've been awful to you and I… I'm sorry."

Holding a mug of hot chocolate in his hands, because it was too late for even Tony to be drinking coffee, Tony stared at Steve for a long moment before he nodded.

"Okay."

Steve's lips tilted up. "The game tomorrow? Mets are playing the Dodgers."

Tony chuckled. "Sure, Steve. Whatever you want."

Written for:

North Funfair - Photo Booth - Dr Who 4. Tardis Background - Time Travel

East Funfair - Bingo - Trope Board - Time Travel

South Funfair - Guess The Name - Percy - Time Travel

365 - 193. Fabric