LokiVision
Movie night went over flawlessly. Tony found that everyone already had ‘assigned’ seating, and he was the newcomer. So obviously he took the only viable seat available and plopped himself down between Bucky and Steve, both of which preferred armrest seats and no one else was brave enough to sit between them.
No one but Tony, who sat between them and actually relaxed for the first time in - well - a lot had happened the last few years. By the end of the movie he ended up curled up with his head on Bucky’s lap and legs strewn across Steve. Steve and Bucky were holding hands that rested comfortably on Tony’s hip. At some point the three of them fell asleep like that, to murmurings of ‘old men and their naps’ and other very Clint-esque things.
When they woke up in the morning, undisturbed, Tony didn’t feel too strained and stuck around for a cup of coffee and toast before heading back down to the workshop. He blasted his music and worked on Vision’s body, determined.
~~~
Two more weeks passed. Another ‘Funtertainment’ night, as Clint had started calling them, came and went. This time it was old board games, not a movie. Steve was the worst at jenga, and Bucky was far too good to be natural at poker. Monopoly nearly broke the team up again, so they ended up just throwing the game away entirely. The night finished off with liquor and ice cream and Tony smacking Peter’s hands while telling him that technically his birthdate did not make him 21 because of the blip.
On the other hand he politely averted his eyes when Strange slipped Peter a small glass of rum and coke and muttered heroes deserve to relax too. In fact they all looked the other way, given what every single one of them had been through.
Several days after that night, Tony was in his workshop and had lost track of the days he spent trying to get Vision to live again. He was partially organic but mostly synthetic and he should be able to just bring him back online, but something was wrong.
“Without the mind stone I have no core processor to function the body.” Vision hummed, the computer monitor he had taken over flashing to a picture of the stones. “But our stones were destroyed and the others were returned to their timelines.”
“Wanda tried to pump your body full too. Didn’t work exactly as we hoped, obviously…” Tony groaned and leaned back in his chair, scrubbing a hand over the left side of his face, not wanting to hurt his scars on his right. “Did the memories finish uploading?”
“They are at 98% capacity. I estimate in 12 hours I’ll be restored… How is Wanda? Is she distraught?” Vision made the monitor shift to a picture of himself and Wanda, both of them smiling.
Tony considered the picture for a long minute and then his face cracked a smile. “Pretty cool that something I created in a lab could learn not only what love is but to love someone. She’s… working through it in some way. Spends a lot of time in the tower, but I won’t let her down here too much. She gets choked up.”
“It’s probably a good thing she was dusted during the time.” Vision noted, “My voice does not sound quite right.”
“You’re running off the old Jarvis system right now. What I used to make you. But when you were modded into the body the voice gained tone and depth. You’re just a computer for now.” Tony paused for a moment, his eyes on the picture on the monitor before he stood up. “I have an idea.”
“Is it a good idea?”
“Might be. Or dumb. I have plenty of those too, just don’t tell anyone.” Tony tapped on the desk for a moment before looking up at nothing in particular. “Loki? Loki! I don’t know if this is how it works, but… Could really use some god of mischief magic now! LOKI!”
“You rang?” Loki spoke from right behind Tony, making him jump and let out a shocked yell. “Pft. I am not sorry for that, you should have known better.”
“Asshole.” Tony caught his breath before he stepped towards him, looking the god over curiously. “Can I finally ask, what's with the get up? I’ve never seen you any less dramatic than a cape or at least a 3 piece suit.”
Loki turned his back to Tony, showing that the back of his jacket said TVA in bright orange, then he turned back around. “I am currently helping the Time Variance Authority wrangle in time lines that I… may have helped unleash. Semi-unwittingly.”
Tony furrowed his brows, crossing his arms and leaning against his desk; he looked both confused and intrigued. “Care to explain?”
“The TVA makes sure that multi-verses do not exist. Well… Thanks to a variant of myself, named Sylvie, that thought was blown out of the water. And I helped… Because I loved her.” Loki looked absolutely heartbroken, a face of pure betrayal.
“Oh.” Tony breathed, his heart hurting a bit for Loki. “So… You’re not our Loki, and Natasha’s not our Natasha and I was supposed to die - then what? Why save me if multiple timelines aren’t supposed to exist?”
“Because you are the only thing that does not exist in all the bad timelines. You die: then Steve goes back in time, Vision is destroyed, Wanda takes a town hostage, then she begins on her path to being the Scarlet Witch, no one is around to keep Bucky, Sam or Peter in check, and then Dr Stephen Strange destroys the barriers of the universe. All of that is happening simultaneously in what the TVA once considered ‘The Sacred Timeline’... I convinced them to see this as an opportunity to change the outcome.”
“Change the outcome of time? Grand, wonderful even. So why not just go back and stop Thanos? Why save me?” Tony asked, feeling angrier now.
“Do you recall what Thanos said?” Loki asked, crossing his arms, “‘I am inevitable.’ He was right. The only universes and timelines that Thanos does not win in have much worse outcomes. So Thanos had to win… Because you are the Avengers. This does not work if you have nothing to avenge.”
“You spent too much time around Fury.” Tony let out a long breath and thought for a moment. “So… You can make this timeline whatever you want to, right?”
“It’s not written out, because we forcefully created the variance, so yes.” Loki narrowed his eyes at Tony, then looked around the workshop, getting a good look at Vision’s colorless body and all the tools and scraps everywhere. “You’re going to ask favors, after I spared your life?”
“Seeing as it sounds like you saved me for your own eventual gain, yeah. Yeah, I’ll ask all the favors. You had a time stone before, so you can get stones?”
“They do not work exactly the same between each universe. And IF I brought one here you would have to conceal it, not have it sitting on his forehead like a bullseye.” Loki considered for a moment, then looked back at Tony. “There’s something else, isn’t there?”
“Coulson.” Tony stated simply. “You took him from us. Only fair you give him back. There has to be a universe you can rip him from like you did Nat, right?”
“I will look into it.” Loki stood back and pulled out a little tablet, flipping through it. “I can get you the stone you need. Tomorrow, bring the witch down here and call for me. Also bring the soldier. I will have gifts, all from the same timeline that is ending.”
For a second, Tony hesitated, unsure if he should know. “What happens in that universe?”
“Dr Strange goes mad.” Loki said simply before tapping on the tablet, then he turned away. “Tomorrow, then.” He said as he disappeared into the doorway.
~~~
Wanda was pacing again, on the other side of the room. She didn’t want to get close to Vision’s body again. Steve was sitting on the couch, sketching idly. Tony tapped nervously on the tabletop, waiting. None of them spoke. They were too anxious and Tony had barely explained anything other than they were waiting for Loki.
Two hours later, Loki casually stepped through a doorway that opened up, and he looked around the room. “Perfect.” He announced before reaching back and pulling none other than Agent Phil Coulson into the room. Coulson blinked and looked around in utter confusion, but he relaxed a little when he saw Steve, his old obsession still bringing comfort.
“Agent Coulson?” Steve said as he stood up, setting the sketchpad aside to cross the room. “I don’t - how are you alive?”
“It’s… A very very long story.” Coulson responded, then looked to Loki when a hand landed on his shoulder.
“One that he can share with you, but be cautious how much detail you give or receive.” Loki turned and produced a bag from the doorway before the doorway closed.
The first item he pulled out had Steve reaching out, and Loki handed over the shield with a grin. Steve turned it over, examining it, noting that the shield was perfect and original and still had the perfect weight to it. Then he noticed one small detail: inside was an engraving, perfectly written out ‘Till the end of the line. S.B.T.’ The T looked to be a newer addition to the engraving, but made Steve’s heart light in his chest.
He flushed, but hid the engraving and did not bother to ask about it. Loki noticed him not asking, and thankfully just turned around to the bag, plucking an item from it. His scepter, of which they had been well acquainted. Wanda turned and cautiously walked over, feeling the pull from the stone.
Her voice shook, “How- how do you have this?”
“Magic, little witch.” Loki chuckled and held his staff close, breaking through the barrier holding the mind stone at the end with his bare hands. He extracted the stone and held it up to Wanda. “You need to imbue it with the power of this universe’s mind stone. Then bury it deep within your other’s heart.”
“Will this work?” Wanda almost whimpered out as she took the stone in her hands, wrapping it in her magic so she could press her power through it.
“That is up to him.” Loki nodded towards Tony, who looked nervous.
“It’ll work.” Steve answered, “Tony can crack time travel, he can do this. Technically, do it again.”
Tony flushed, “Thanks Capsicle.”
The nickname rolled off his tongue before he could stop it, and he caught the pleased look on Steve’s face. They were falling into comfort again. Knowing the next step would be dangerous, Steve ushered Coulson to the other side of the workshop to talk to him. Wanda and Tony crowded Vision’s body. Loki walked over to Tony and touched his arm.
“If you need me, you know how to call. Enjoy this chance.” He muttered before turning back and disappearing through a doorway again.
Tony carefully opened up the cradle he had created in Vision’s chest to house the new mind stone, then looked up at Wanda. “Super charge it and put it in. Vision - prepare to install.”
“Prepared.” Vision’s voice chimed.
“That’s - you got him back?” Wanda asked, her eyes wide.
“Pay attention, and you’ll have him fully back, kid.” Tony announced, then looked over the monitors all around them. “Ready to do this?”
“Yes.” Wanda said with determination, then closed her eyes to focus on the stone.
Loki was right about the stones acting differently outside their own branches.
Tony remembered the flash of a bright light, then he woke up to Steve’s touch on his cheek, his head sitting on Steve’s thighs. He groaned and lifted his head slightly, coughing through the pain. He’d had plenty of cracked ribs, and knew for sure he probably had one now.
“The hell happened?” He asked, then his eyes got wide as he looked up to see Vision gently pulling the connected wires from his body, trying to disconnect himself so he could go to Wanda.
Wanda was being held by Coulson in a similar way, but she was out with a bloody nose and a gash on her forehead. Steve touched Tony’s forehead and shook his head. “You had Wanda set the stone in his chest and suddenly alarms started going off. A very bright flash went off and all the monitors shattered. Then you two were down and Vision’s color started coming back.”
“You trusted a trickster god and for once he actually came through… And without stabbing anyone.” Vision noted, wincing as he disconnected more wires. Behind him, Coulson winced a bit at the thought while Vision spoke again. “Perhaps he has turned over a new leaf.”
“No leaving the tower for a while, Vis. I have a lot of tests to do on you.” Tony shifted to sit up with Steve’s help, allowing himself to lean back into Steve for support. “8th floor with Wanda. Belongs to you two.”
“Thank you.” Vision stood finally, walking over to Wanda to pick her up in his arms.
Wanda stirred, her voice sad. “I thought you… would be gone forever…”
“I will never leave you.” Vision promised, pulling her against him to kiss her forehead. “May I take her to our floor for now, Tony?”
“Go for it.”
While Vision moved to leave the room, his body and voice restored, Steve managed to help Tony back to his feet. “You restored Vision and got Agent Coulson back… I think you need a rest day now.”
“I have PT today.” Tony reminded him, in the most stubborn voice he could muster.
“One, I’m glad you even remembered. Two, don’t care. You’re going to go watch movies upstairs with Buck while I handle getting Coulson situated. Understood?” Steve fell into his Captain America voice, which had Tony practically standing at attention.
“Fine.”
~~~
They were three movies into a classic series about wizards when Tony shifted to lean his head on Bucky’s metal shoulder. The metal actually felt really cool against his scarred face, making him hum contently. Bucky just chuckled at him and continued watching.
The fifth movie was halfway through when Tony opened his eyes next, feeling a distinct warmth under him and a weight across his back. Steve was sitting next to them with Bucky’s head on his thigh, and Tony was cuddled up to Bucky’s chest. He had no idea when they laid down horizontally, but now he didn’t really care. He shifted to sit up, but Bucky’s arm tightened slightly around him.
“He’s a cuddler.” Steve announced, his hand brushing softly through Bucky’s hair. “You’re trapped unless you wake him.”
“Let him sleep.” Tony muttered, laying his head back down. The room was getting dark anyway.
“You’re a cuddler too.” Steve teased, reaching out to ruffle Tony’s hair.
“I got it from Birdbrain. He rubs off on you eventually.” Tony grunted and shifted against Bucky, getting comfortable while realizing they now had a blanket over them as well. “Friends cuddle.”
“Not in the 40s.” Steve countered, though the tone of his voice suggested he was just being an ass. “Honestly I think men in this era don’t normally either. Barton is a weird exception, though his wife said he does that with everyone.”
Tony hummed in thought then shrugged as best as he could in his position, “Whatever. Buck’s way more comfortable than anything else I’ve slept on in the last two months.”
“You have a handcrafted mattress.” Steve chuckled, “Though I have to agree my boyfriend does make a good pillow.”
Tony shifted to sit up again at those words, “Steve I-“
“C’mback ‘ere.” Bucky muttered through the middle of his sleep, tightening his hold on Tony.
Somehow, Tony managed to not wince from his hurt rib, and instead gave in and relaxed back into the man’s chest. “I just don’t want you to think wrong.”
“I won’t.” Steve said in his we’re not going to talk about this tone.
Tony sighed and half shut his eyes again. “Coulson?”
“I did the logical thing with Coulson.” Steve sighed, “Took him to Strange. Explained the situation in some detail, but Strange guessed at most of it. He took Coulson and Nat with him to go see Fury off-world.”
“Mh. Smart move.” Tony thought for a moment, then sighed, “So… Loki talked to me a bit. And uh… I wouldn’t normally trust Loki, you know, but I think this time he’s different.”
“Nat asked him why he hurt people… Why he enjoys it. She said he got this look on his face and said someone he cared about asked him the same question recently. And the answer… He doesn’t enjoy it. He never has. But he was always an underdog to Thor. Always fighting for a scrap of sunlight.” Steve shifted, looking down at Bucky. “I know how he feels.”
“You’re Captain America? You’ve lived in the sun for over 70 years even after everyone thought you were dead.” Tony found himself listening to Bucky’s heart beat and quietly reminded his heart that this man was taken.
“Before then. I lived in Bucky’s shadow. I was the little guy, always picking a fight that I couldn’t handle… Those fights made me feel something. Lying on my enlistment forms made me feel something.” Steve hesitated, “I never hurt people the way Loki did, but I get how he feels. And he’s over a thousand years old, which means he dealt with it a lot more.”
“You really always do see the best in people.” Tony yawned and let his eyes shut all the way. “Issa nice quality, Capsicle.”
“Get some sleep, Tones.” Steve said, brushing a hand through Tony’s hair, but he didn’t hear at all, because he was already sound asleep once again on Bucky’s chest.
~~~
Since the Battle on Earth, going out in public was a show. The newspapers insisted that Tony saved half the universe, but he insisted it was The Avengers who helped the universe, and they all wished they had actually saved anything. They just avenged - it was what they did. The paparazzi kept asking what was going on between Iron Man and Captain America, and Tony would sneer at the use of their hero names and say it was a. None of their business and b. None of their damn business. The latter got Pepper on his case about being nice to the press.
As a team they systematically refused invitations to events, galas, dinners and the like. It felt wrong to celebrate a victory like this, because so many things had happened in the in between. Between the snaps, eons of detriment hit the world. And after? Pandamonium. Everyone woke up from the same dream at once into a whole new nightmare. And the Avengers were working to fix the world yet again.
Tony convinced Peter to move into the tower with his aunt, and the press was yet again off to the races. He showed the kid how to stand up to them, and raised his chin against the allegations of Spider-Man being a menace. You once called me a menace too, and where would you be without me now? Was a line that won both scorn and affection from the team. The Avengers weren’t exactly subtle in who they were, and there was no reason for Peter to hide either, especially with Tony Stark at his back.
Steve was quick to tease him about Tony still not being able to wield Thor’s hammer despite saving half the universe. In retaliation Tony pouted and told Steve he was going to take his shield away again. Bucky laughed at the both of them and told them to lighten up. They both threatened to disable his arm.
They all struggled for a while to get used to being around each other on the normal days - ‘Funtertainment’ nights were different from the buzz of running an entire intergalactic organization. Obviously, the ‘on world’ majority fell to Steve in Nat’s absence. Once Tony had Vision fully restored, he chose to help Steve with the day-to-day. Then he chose to create an entire program centered around who needed help and who could help. Loki made a keen sound of approval the next time he visited, and refused to give them too many details about the other timeline, only dropping a few hints.
Pretty much, what was once called the ‘sacred timeline’ sounded screwed.