Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Challenges listed at the bottom.

Word Count - 1191

Fic Details - Tony and Howard / Minor TonySteve

Proud Of You

"He's got it! Oh. Perhaps not."

Tony snorted, shaking his head at DUM-E and Steve.

Steve was trying to teach DUM-E how to fist bump, and privately, Tony thought it was the most adorable thing he'd ever seen. Of course he wasn't going to say that, but it really was.

"Sir, Maria Hill is attempting to reach you. She says it's most important."

Tony rolled his eyes but nodded. "Put her through, J."

"Stark?"

"Hmm? What's up, Hill. I thought we were supposed to be getting time off at the moment?"

"Something has come up, and we need you at headquarters as soon as you can."

"What is it?"

"You'll see when you—"

"Can we just save time arguing and you tell me what it is?" Tony asked. "Because we both know I'm not coming all the way down there without good reason."

"Reed has been up to his old tricks. He's trying to fix it but… Please, Tony."

It wasn't that she'd used his first name. It wasn't.

"I'll be there in an hour."

…

With Steve at his side, because the soldier had insisted on tagging along, Tony walked down the familiar corridors. Hill met him and she looked… well, whatever had happened couldn't be good.

"Future!Future!" Someone shouted. "I know I'm in the future! I want to see my son!"

Tony knew that voice. Steve pressed a hand to his back as he swayed, supporting him.

"What the fuck?" he whispered, looking past Hill to the room where the voice had come from. "I don't… How is he here?"

"Reed's experimenting. Like I said, he's trying to fix it, but Howard has been demanding to see you since he got here, and he's getting harder to keep calm."

Tony nodded because he knew Howard's temper intimately. Hell if he'd ever kept a diary when he was younger, more often than not the entries would have been filled with ranting about his father's temper.

He stepped past Hill and walked over to the one way window, looking in on Howard and the unfortunate S.H.I.E.L.D employee that had drawn the short straw and been left to deal with him.

"Do you want me to go instead?" Steve offered.

Tony shook his head. "No. It's… I can do this."

"I'll be right out here," Steve promised. "If you need me."

"I know."

…

"Oh, finally," Howard said, when Tony strolled into the room a few minutes later.

Tony nodded to the door and then looked pointedly at the S.H.I.E.L.D agent. The man took the hint immediately and left, a relieved look on his face.

"You didn't have to terrorise the kids," Tony said, as the door slammed shut.

"I've been here waiting for hours," Howard replied.

"Well, people probably were a bit shocked to have you here," Tony said, shrugging his shoulders. He knew he couldn't really tell Howard anything, given that they were working on sending him back, but the man was smart and he could read between the lines.

"I was here for a day before I came to S.H.I.E.L.D," Howard replied. "Plenty of time to see the news and find out what's going on."

Tony swallowed. While he'd always said he didn't care what Howard would think of what he'd done with SI, and Iron Man, he couldn't help but crave the approval and respect of his father. Not that he expected it—

"I'm proud of you."

Tony blinked. "You… what?"

"It's something I should have told you when you were younger," Howard admitted. "And I didn't because… because I was a stubborn son of a bitch. But. I'm proud of you. The things you've done, Tony… you changed the world even beyond my expectations."

Tony wasn't really sure what to say to that. Howard stared at him for a long moment before he sighed. "I really fucked up with you, didn't I?"

"We found Steve," Tony said, for lack of anything else to say. "He's here. Just outside, actually. If you want to see him, I mean."

"I'd like that," Howard admitted. "I guess that Serum was even more powerful than we knew."

"By all accounts it doesn't make sense," Tony admitted. "But… it's good. That he's… Yeah. I… yeah. Steve? You should… come in."

There was a pause, and then the door opened, and Steve stepped in, eyes on Tony.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, reaching out for Tony's hand.

Tony nodded, squeezing Steve's hand gently.

"Howard," Steve greeted. "It's good to see you."

"I… can't believe you're alive. I saw it in the… but seeing you in person is…"

"I'm going to go and find Reed and see what the asshole is doing," Tony said. "I'll be back in a little while."

"Tony," Howard said, reaching out. Tony avoided the touch and smiled tightly.

"I'll come back."

…

Reed had almost figured it out by the time Tony had pulled himself back together enough to actually help, and within the next hour, they had a functioning way to send Howard back to his own time.

"This will likely create another universe, you know?" Reed said, looking at the machinery. "The Howard you know… he'll be the same one you've always known, until—"

"I know," Tony admitted. "But it's still… It shouldn't have happened, but I'm sort of glad he did. Even if it's only so that one Howard out there knows that Steve lived."

"You want to go and tell him we're ready?"

Tony nodded. "Yeah… yeah, I should do that."

He left the room and walked back through the halls to the room Howard and Steve were still sitting in. When Tony walked back in, he wasn't sure what he was expecting. Actually, he knew exactly what he was expecting; he'd thought Steve would be asking about Peggy.

Instead, he found the two of them chuckling while Howard finished a tale of Baby Tony's first time in the workshop.

When Steve looked up, his eyes were full of affection for Tony and he smiled brightly.

"We, uh, we're ready to send you back," Tony said, shuffling his foot slightly against the floor. "If you're ready to go."

Howard nodded and stood up, Steve following him a second later. The two of them shook hands before Howard turned to Tony, and with only minor hesitation, held his arms out for a hug.

Tony stepped into them, and then clung to his father's back because no matter what memories he had of this man, he was still Tony's, and he still missed him.

"I love you, Son," Howard whispered. "I know I didn't say it, but I have always been proud of you."

…

"Hey, Tony?"

Tony looked up and smiled when DUM-E fistbumped Steve.

"He's got it."

Grinning, Tony nodded. "Yeah. Proud of you, Dumbo."

DUM-E beeped happily and spun around, while Steve got up and approached Tony, wrapping his arms around him.

"You okay?"

He was far too perceptive for his own good sometimes. This time though, Tony wasn't lying when he nodded. "Yeah… yeah, I'm good."

Written for:

Disney - D5. "He's got it! Oh. Perhaps not."

Angel's Archive - 18. "Future! Future!"

Scamander's Case - 2. Respect

Film Festival - 29 "By all accounts, it doesn't make sense."

Marvel - 19. Howard Stark

Wacky Wandmakers - 26. Pear (Respect) / 12. Kneazle Whiskers (Perceptive)

365. 234. Diary

1000. 342. Shouting