(no subject)

[bottledblond]

Not every universe in the far and wide cosmos is as lucky (however unlucky itself that seems) to encounter Thanos during a time where people live who can do something about it. Steve Rogers, a particular version of Steve Rogers who had only just suffered through his first night of basic training in New Jersey as part of the Army’s Project Rebirth and thus had not yet become Captain America, bent to untie his shoes and saw his hands begin to disintegrate. He doesn’t panic, panicking is for people who do not live like every breath is their last. Instead, he blinks in surprise as the barracks fill with shouting. He has time to contemplate two things. One, he wishes he’d done more with his life. And two, he hopes Bucky will do all right.

He’s still thinking about that last issue when he exhales his last in a universe where Captain America never existed and finishes it bent over in the ruins of the barracks, roof half open to the sky and walls a burnt and ashy gray.

It takes him an hour to get to the road and by then, his asthma is already getting the best of him. He blacks out for the second time ‘that day’ and wakes up staring at the ceiling of what is obviously a hospital.

It just doesn’t sound or smell like a hospital. Sure. People are running around and yelling, but it smells painfully clean, artificially so, and there are machines he’s never seen before connected by wires to his body. He does the thing people should never do and yanks them loose. The machines squawk strangely and frantically and Steve is almost out of bed when two large men in green pajamas force him back.

Nothing makes sense to him for days. People come to talk to him, to find out who he is and who his family is. Evidently Steve Rogers is a popular name, because they bring in more people to talk to him, to ask him questions about his life, but no one has any answers.

He explodes, as he’s wont to do when frustrated, demands answers, but nothing they say makes sense.

By then, the war is over. Not World War II, which has evidently been over for over half a century, but this new war. And Bucky Barnes had been told of his presence. Steve is in bed, arms crossed, looking dour and getting an infusion of something that honestly is helping him breathe better when Bucky bursts into his now private room. It’s been two months

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[bottledblond]

This is not the first time that Bucky has needed to make Steve believe that he isn’t a bad person. The younger man moves slowly towards Bucky and gently strokes the soft hair around the curve of his ear. His smile is stronger than Bucky’s and in that way, maybe he can shoulder some of the burden the other obviously has piled on.

“I don’t believe that you’d ever want to hurt someone,” Steve says, and then sits beside his friend. “What happened to you happened to you. It’s not who you are,” he soothes.

[woundedwinter]

He had promised himself during his years on the run. No more killing. He had enough blood on his hands. Sure it was to protect Steve and Sam, but the fight still bothered him.

Bucky closes his eyes at his gentleness.

"I'm really glad you're here, Stevie."

After a moment he opens his eyes and squeezes Steve's knee. "Let's get some sleep. We can talk to Tony in the morning."

[starkingenuity]

The very last thing Tony wants to do is pry himself away from Bruce for even a moment. They’d spent the evening talking about the world, about each other, about the similarities and differences in their timelines, about the cause of the cross wiring between them. Tony hangs on Bruce’s every word, sometimes unblinking, and immediately tells him any and everything he wants to know about his life whenever he asks. And that includes how he’d watched over Bruce as a child and how Bruce had kissed him up in Clint Barton’s attic and that he’d been sure that kick started his heart again.

He can’t help but keep touching the other too. Sure, he’s seven feet tall and green, but Tony is still attracted to him, still in awe of him. He and Bruce had been married for only two years and had never once been able to consummate the marriage, even if they had tried a few times. The Hulk had usually been angry at being disturbed and angry that Tony still hadn’t found a way to get the two combined safely.

They’re just startling to circle around that topic, and the deaths of their spouses, when Barnes and Rogers make an appearance. “Knew we should have snuck upstairs an hour ago,” Tony sighs from the kitchen table, gently stroking his fingers across Bruce’s thumb and wrist.

He’s still amazed that there are vampires, multiple, and that Bruce and Tony had basically anticipated a few visiting from time to time enough to polarize their windows.

[seven_phds]

Bruce can't put into words how good it feels to sit and talk with Tony like this. Not his husband but still so close to him, his speech patterns so familiar, the way he moves, the causal way that he jokes about things and how quickly his mind works. His hand rests on the table, turned so Tony can touch. Since they had successfully integrated all those years ago, people learned to accept Bruce Banner as a giant of a man with green skin but nobody wanted to get too close except for his husband.

He laughs warmly at the idea of the other version of him kissing Tony in an attic to get the point across that he loved him, at how they fell in love. As they talk, he tells him a similar story, cornering Tony in his lab and kissing him.

Bruce smiles at him, "We've got plenty of time Tony." And they do, they have forever. Steve and Bucky have a more immediate problem and once that's settled they can get back to where their discussion had been leading.

"There's plenty of food in the refrigerator if you're hungry and coffee in the pot," he offers the men. Steve has a familiar determined set to his shoulders. Bruce can pretty much guess where the conversation was going to lead.

After fetching coffee for himself and Steve, Bucky leans against the counter and regards Stark. "We need to know about the serum you were making and how it might differ from what the other types in the past." The kind that the other Steve had taken, the one forced on him, the other Soldiers in Siberia.

[starkingenuity]

Tony isn’t letting go of Bruce any time soon. Fifty years is a long time to be away from someone and in the grand scheme of things, he’d been apart from Bruce longer than they’d been in a relationship. And longer than he’d been stalking the child that would grow up into Bruce too.

He’s been in love a few times, married dozens, but he’d never truly connected with anyone the way he did with Bruce.

And to know that the other man is now basically as immortal as himself.... it’s a game changer. And yea, they have time.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have the instant self gratification foible that all Tont Starks everywhere have though.

As the pair of mismatched Avengers join them at the table, Steve sitting pretty damned close to both himself and Bruce, the vampire can’t help but make a show of sniffing at the kid. Bad heart, first and foremost. Bad everything else close behind.

“I know it’s different in this timeline but in mine, I created the serum out of my own blood and the machinery to effect change in humans.” He’s been trying to make companions that would last longer than a few years. It just hadn’t worked that way. “First few tries never worked out well. Something about it would make men and women mutate. Get short tempers. Become monstrous. My bad. My version of Steve Rogers was the first and only person that the serum worked on. Jacked him up pretty damned big. No ill side effects at all. But this stuff now— I’ve had a lot of time to mess with it.”

He palms his chin.

“You won’t look any different. That’s the beauty of it. The changes are internal. No machinery required. Enhances sight, hearing, strength and stamina. It’ll fix up your ticker, maker your hair grow thicker, make your hubby come quicker,” he continues, like some side show barker. He gives Bucky a wink. “It’s so weird that I can’t smell you, Barnes. Don’t like it.”

[woundedwinter]

They still have a lot to discuss. His husband had helped him perfect a way to merge with Hulk and stabilize the whole process, but it had been Bruce that took the lead on a little side project to convince the Hulk part of him to sleep or go dormant. It wasn't perfect, it only lasted for a few hours at a time, but the look on Tony's face when he learned he could finally take his husband to bed?

It was a memory he cherished.

Bucky tries to relax and not scowl at the way Stark sniffs Steve, figuring that's another weird quirk of wherever he came from. He's not that concerned with the 'hows' because science might have been a passion of his before the war, but he's a long way from that Bucky Barnes.

Keep him the same size, heal him up and give him a stronger heart. Kick all those health concerns to the curb once and for all. Everything that he'd ever prayed for on the nights when he wasn't sure Steve was going to see the sunrise.

It's enough of a gift that he only looks at Tony flatly. "Well I did make a point of showering."

[starkingenuity]

“I don’t know what HYDRA gave you but it’s...” Tony shrugs. Not his chair. Not his problem. He shifts his gaze back down to the human who is still fiery enough not to care who or what he or Banner currently are. He’s there. He’s brave. He’s decent.

Damn. The kid has all the spunk he remembers him having. And that’s good. He obviously came from a timeline very much aligned with theirs.

For whatever that’s worth.

“You’ve got about 20 little super soldiers running around right now that were willing test subjects. No real side effects other than the psychological ones telling them that they’re gods now.”

Steve snorts. “There’s only one god.”

“There’s only no gods,” Tony corrects. “I should know.”

“Jesus Christ—“

“Was not a real guy,” Tony rolls his eyes. “And none of that shit happened. Lots of crucifixions but if there were any miracles going on, I would have been right there seeing them for myself.”

[seven_phds]

It's like the last two years never even happened. Without thinking about it Bruce reaches out, closing his hand over Tony's, using touch to bring him back and pull him out of his latest rant. Touch always worked for his husband and he's betting it will work this time too.

"Tony. We can talk history later," he says gently. "I think Bucky and Steve are trying to keep any more of the serum from falling into the wrong hands."

Bucky grunts into his coffee cup in agreement. They still have work to do and they're running out of time.

Talkative as always, so Bruce picks up for him again, "What changes are we going to look for if Steve decides to take this? Do we need to monitor him once he's taken the serum?"

[starkingenuity]

Normally, Tony wouldn’t defer to anyone, especially over pissing off Rogers, but damn Bruce’s wily ways. Tony is immediately cowed and reigned back to the topic.

“I think he’ll be fine. He’s not a megalomaniac. Nothing overly aggressive in his psychological profile. There’s a reason he was the number one pick for the serum the first time around.” Steve looks about ready to say something to Tony stops him.

He doesn’t need to be reminded that talking to someone like they aren’t there is rude.

“You’re the best shot I’ve ever seen for this and the only one that never had any reaction to it at all. I don’t know what HYDRA did right in this timeline but Barnes is fairing a lot better than the last time. No lycanthropy side effect. They must have gotten their hands in the serum we used in Rebirth. Thankfully you were worthy of it too,” he laughs. A little Thor reference there. “I wouldn’t just go injecting that stuff in anyone though. We don’t need a lot of enhanced people without good moral compasses lying around.”

[woundedwinter]

"Lycanthropy side effect?" Christ, so in another timeline there's a version of him that's some kinda werewolf? Bucky rubs at his eyes because this has been a long week and it's only Wednesday.

No. Thursday. He thinks.

"So if Steve takes it, it'll make him a super soldier but it won't bulk him up. He'll be okay." Because that's all that matters to him. The rest of it they can figure out along the way.

Bruce nods, "He can take it here, there's a lab down in the basement we can use to monitor any changes as it takes hold."

[bottledblond]

“Let’s do it.” Steve is already on his feet. “At least two versions of me already did it and they were fine. I’m not anything special. Or maybe I’ll get to be the werewolf,” he jokes.

“Or maybe you’ll just turn into a pile of goo,” Tony offers before three sets of eyes set in on him. “He won’t. Even from another timeline. It’s my blood in those kids right now that the Power Broker ordered up.” By pain of death of course. “You’re no where near as bad at that one girl had been when they brought her to me.”

He’s not going to go with to watch any of this, though.

“I need a snack. And evidently there is an Uber Eats for vampires in this area so if you’ll all excuse me, I’m going to try out...” he glances down at his phone, “‘bluddonnorconner.’ You don’t what to know how he spelled his user name:”

[woundedwinter]

Bruce gives him a fond nod, allowing Tony to go and feed in private in one of the lower rooms. It feels strange and wonderful to have him in the villa, but he doesn't need to tell either of the men the way he feels. They feel the same thing, he's sure.

He pushes to his feet, careful not to crush the table as he does so. "You two should eat as well. If Tony comes back tell him I'm in the lab, second door on the left down the hall."

For now, Bucky is okay with the coffee.

"One last fight, huh?"

[bottledblond]

Steve doesn’t know if he can eat right now. His stomach is doing a two-step better than his feet even have and it’s messing with him. He stays seated, accepts the coffee without drinking it, and gives Bucky a determined face.

“Technically it would be the first fight I actually have a shot at,” Steve says with a smirk, though he’s really not feeling that either. “We’re going to find these other people... and we’re going to talk to them first. I want to know everything about them.”

And then they can discuss the after math. When he’s no longer at risk for shattering.

[woundedwinter]

"Yeah, but you've been fighting your whole life," he counters with an easy smile as he gets up to start poking around the kitchen. Steve will need to eat something and so will Sam when he decides to join them.

While he rummages he talks, telling Steve about the Blip and what it did to the universe, wiping out half the population in an instant. "They want to return the world to the way it was then. I guess some people saw it as a good thing. There were more resources, jobs, houses and less government involvement. Shared grief turning into something good I guess."

"Then when the Avengers undid it, the world was thrown into chaos."

[bottledblond]

“This is different. It’s bigger and it matters more. I don’t know what it must have been like to lose half the world and then for that world to come back again. But I’ve read about it. The people who lost whole families and made new ones only for the previous to come back. People who lost jobs. And homes. It sounds horrible. I want to help these people, Buck.”

He wraps an arm around the back of a chair.

“Refugee camps aren’t the way. They’re never the way. But I don’t think I can survive it if I meet up with them again. I want to talk to but I also want to live through it. And... I have something else to live for now, right?”

Which is of course when Sam decides to join them. He glances between the two. “No, please,” he says, sitting down. “What’s that you have to live for now? Other than yourself?”

[woundedwinter]

"It was terrible," he supplies because the scope of the loss was staggering, impossible to try and comprehend.

He pours Sam's coffee and doctors it properly before sliding it over. "Steve's gonna take Tony's serum." No more distractions or fighting about it. This time Steve can do what he was meant to do. Help people.

"Steve wants to help. We're gonna let him." God knows they need more people in their corner.

[bottledblond]

Sam glances Steve’s way and nods. “Already knew that was what you were gonna do,” he says, his smirk becoming a smile. “Well all right then. Just having strength and speed isn’t going to make you Captain America though. You’re going to have to learn some basics.”

“I know basics. Bucky’s been training me. Before he was drafted, he trained me for years. And we trained a bit since the school. I know my way around a ring, Sam,” Steve says. “And I’m not going to be Captain America. I know the symbolism behind the uniform and the shield but that can’t be me. And I don’t want it to be.”

Sam gives Bucky a look. “We’re getting a speech,” he murmurs, and Steve just keeps talking.

“Sam, you’re the one to wield the shield. You’re the guy that’s got to be the shield. Don’t you think Steve would have wanted that?”

[woundedwinter]

Bucky snorts and goes back to pulling out a few things for them to eat. "You have no idea," he answers with an easy smile.

Steve's declaration might surprise them a little, but only because of how right it feels.

"You're right, Stevie. Sam should be the one." Not him, and he's relieved that Steve doesn't want the mantle. The shield carries a hell of a burden to it. "You're the Cap America needs right now."

[bottledblond]

“You were his best friend,” Sam says, frowning. “He would have wanted you.“ there’s no way he’d be Captain America. That’s just dumb.

The blond doesn’t look impressed. He taps his fingers on the table in a slow, rhythmic motion. “Buck was still under care in Wakanda,” he points out. “No way would he want his best friend to be Captain America until he was ready. And Sam— Honestly, Captain America doesn’t need to be another white man from the 40s.”

He gives Sam a little shrug. The idiot’s only been in this century for a few months and he already knows that the symbol for this country has to be someone like Sam. Not someone like Bucky.

And definitely not someone like himself. No matter what Bucky says.

Sam almost looks uncomfortable. “I don’t want—“

“I think you do,” Steve cuts in. “You’re a guy willing to do stupid things to serve his country. That sounds exactly like me. That’s how I know you’re the one.”

[woundedwinter]

He shakes his head, "No, not me. I have too much to work through still. I'm not the kind of symbol that the world needs right now." Not with his history.

"Sam it should be yours. This whole time all you've wanted to do was make things right. You want to help people."

He grins as he slides a plate on the table. Nothing fancy, but it would be filling. "Pick up the shield Sam. The man said it's yours."

[bottledblond]

Steve still doesn’t want to eat. He just shoved food around his plate in the classic avoidance strategy of annoying children everywhere.

“Just think about it. I know you said you donated it... but I’m sure you can get it back.” He pushes back from the table and sets his lips. “Just think about it, Sam. I’m going to go and see Doctor Banner. I uh... I think I need to do this alone.”

He gazes at Bucky for a moment, but he’s not going to do anything right now in front of Sam.

“I’ll be back soon.”

[woundedwinter]

None of them are really all that hungry. Bucky wants to object but he nods and swallows down anything else that he wants to say. He's with Bruce. He'll be fine. Safe as he can be.

So he fills coffee mugs. "He's right you know."

"Annoying, but he's right."

"Pick up the shield."

[bottledblond]

“If they’ll let me have it,” Sam says, just within Steve’s earshot as the blond heads down the hall. He can’t help but smile. Bucky is right. People will listen to him if he has the right things to say and if he means everything that comes out of his mouth. Maybe he’ll be useful in this world after all.

He’s quiet as he nears the lab and lightly knocks on the door. “Doctor Banner?” Or is it Stark? He goes with what Bucky and Sam have been saying. “It’s me, Steve. I uh... I wanted to come down and be ready for whenever Mister Stark is done his uh... dinner.”

“Mister Stark is done is dinner,” Tony says behind the blond, making him jump. He can’t help it. It’s amusing and he laughs softly. “Go on in. Let’s get this back in you,” he says, holding up a vial.

[seven_phds]

Bruce is working on turning things on, speaking to FRIDAY as diagnostics are run and the whole lab is brought back online.

He turns as the two enter, "FRIDAY, give access and full protocols to Tony Stark."

The AI hesitates. "Yes Bruce."

There's a smile for them both. "I think we're ready when you are Steve."

[starkingenuity]

Tony let’s Bruce do the futzing. There’s a lot that the medical profession finds necessary to sanitize the area and be comforting that he just is not suited for, but he sits on the edge of the stool with his arms across his chest and his sleeves rolled up without moving. Or breathing.

Steve states at him a moment too long before he rolls up his own sleeve and watches Bruce use an alcohol swab to clean the area. He looks between the two men after that, but a glance back to Tony finds the vampire’s stool empty. The creature is next to Bruce the moment Steve glances back, having moved entirely too quickly for anyone’s comfort. He drops a now empty vial on the same tray as the used cotton swab.

“We make a great team,” Tony says, unable to stop full on flirting with Bruce. The man is not his husband. They have various touch points that are similar in their histories but they don’t share the same memories. Not that it matters. Bruce is Bruce. The men himself is the same and that’s what Tony can keep himself from loving and fawning over. “You can go, Rogers. Oh! I thought of a comeback to the whole shower thing that involves a flea bath but that won’t work right now. But I wanted you to know that I’m witty and charming. Okay, bye,” he dismisses.

Steve, though, just looks confused. He doesn’t move from the seat. “But—“

Tony rolls his eyes and holds up a finger to the man he had been staring so lovingly at. “One second, beautiful,” he says and turns to Steve crisply. “That’s it. You’re done.”

“But I—“

“Close your eyes. Listen to your heart rate a moment. And then go and bend a girder. You might get a hot flash in a little while but probably not. That really is it.” Steve stands slowly, looking at his own hands for answers while Tony sighs. “Kids these days, am I right? They need so much hand holding.”