Chapter 30
Leaving all the cleanup to SHIELD, the team diverted their attention to fix their violated home.
Leading the clean up party, Tony focused on guiding the team to make the tower livable again.
Surprisingly, Castiel was actually fine. It seemed his grace almost exploding a few months ago, had actually made it stronger than before. So, he was healing pretty quickly, just no flying for him for a while, since the damage to his wings was a lot worse than the one to his body.
Dean, obviously, wasn’t convinced. So, the cleanup was also involving a constant bickering between Dean and Castiel, with the hunter trying to force the angel to take a break and rest, while the angel kept insisting that he was fucking fine. Yes, the angel was rendered to swearing when his husband insisted on not listening. Steve had gathered a fortune from him in the Swear Jar.
As for Charles and Erik, there state wasn’t much different, with Erik insisting that Charles stay off his feet for a while until the wedding is back on, but the telepath was refusing to stay still, considering surrendering to his pained legs and back an insult to his pride, which absolutely drove Erik crazy.
It was actually very amusing. Dean and Erik only can show their love properly with being worried constantly like a pair of mama bears. Unfortunately for them, their baby bears were too stubborn and hard headed to relent most of the time.
Sam and Natasha had also reached a high level of frustration, because of their postponed wedding and their forced separation in two different worlds, so while they cleaned up, they kept grunting and growling angrily like bears at anyone who remotely got close to them.
Sam Wilson and Bucky’s fights were actually the most amusing, they always have been, but it increased since the moment Bucky returned from the other world. It was their way of showing their worry for the other, but they will never admit to that.
Thor and Bruce, well, they were fine actually. Probably because they were the only couple who didn’t get brutally separated in all of this. They had been together the entire time, so basically, they only argue right now about how Thor should not use his hammer to cook dinner with lightening anymore and the demigod was insisting that he was getting the hang of it.
Clint was probably the only smug one, enjoying being single as he watched with deep amusement as the couples bickered, while he was as free as a bird with no restraints. He made the mistake of saying those words loudly once, gaining very decent glares and death threats in the process.
Luckily, whatever those AUers had injected Steve with, was finally out of his system, so he had the stamina to interject in these loud arguments, before any couple murders their significant other accidently.
It was hilarious, to watch them bicker all day, then the moment they go to bed, they cling to each other rather loudly. They were all officially old married couples and Steve was loving it.
Him and Tony weren’t fighting as much, since neither of them were injured or overcoming newly healed paralysis. So, currently they watch on with wide eyed amusement and at night, they pretend they don’t hear the others, as they go at it themselves desperately.
It was probably the number of times they got brutally separated in the past months, but Tony and Steve were actually handling what happened pretty well. Even Castiel and Dean, who were more concerned with Castiel being too close to the supernova explosion, more than being separated in two different worlds.
The others were probably still getting used to have that done to them, but Steve thinks that the four of them managed to be more immune to it. Probably because they were now more convinced than ever that no matter how long they get separated, they will always find their way to each other and fight tooth and nail to achieve it.
Being separated by body swapping, time travel, soldiers loving monsters, a portal to a shadow world and demonic possession would do that eventually. If they don’t become immune and trust the other to come back, they would have gone crazy by now.
Erik and Charles were half way there already, but not as strongly as the four, more misfortunate ones, who dealt with that more than usual lately.
On the bright side, Raven and Charlie were fine. More than fine actually. Directly after the battle, Charlie had accidently blurted her love to Raven loudly in front of them. After a stunned silence that continued for three seconds, Raven shouted back her own declaration of love and they just proceeded to hug and laugh loudly in the middle of the street, much to the others amusement and warmed hearts.
Now, with Tony ramming into him from behind with abandon, Steve could only feel blessed about being here, after what they all just went through, with no one of their family lost. They almost did a few times, but it seemed like luck was on their side this time.
When they both let out a particularly loud moan as they came together, with Tony’s lips pressing kisses to his neck, they finally collapsed on the bed in a heap.
After they caught their breath, Steve rolled on his back and wrapped an arm around Tony, as he snuggled close to rest his head on his chest.
“So, I heard from Dean that you made quite the impression on AU Steve.” Steve started with a soft grin, looking down at his husband.
“Oh, that. Uhm, yeah, you could say that.” Tony answered a little hesitantly, burying his face into Steve’s neck.
“Apparently, every version of me will fall for your big brown eyes.” Steve couldn’t help but tease him lightly, making Tony’s face flush red and smack him on the arm half-heartedly.
“I am still having a hard time believing that.” The genius admitted softly, trailing a finger on Steve’s chest. “I mean, my version in that world literally ruined his life, took everything from him and fucking raped him. Seriously, how after all that he can- I mean, how can he-Fucking hell, Steve, all your versions are dumbasses.”
“I will neither deny or confirm that sentence.” Steve laughed, before pulling him closer to his chest and placed a kiss to his forehead. “Thank you, Tony. For being there for every version of me.”
Tony moved to look up at him, face flaming a little, before hiding it into Steve’s chest again.
“Dumbass.” He muttered half-heartedly, making Steve chuckle.
They laid in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the other’s solid presence.
“I watched myself die.” Tony murmured quietly, breaking the silence. His sentence made Steve look down at him, waiting for him to continue. “I know he was nothing like me. We just look like each other, but I don’t know why the image wasn’t leaving my mind. Watching that Erik ripping the arc reactor from that Tony’s chest. This is going to be in my nightmares for a long time.”
He sighed as he moved up to rest his head on the pillow to lay side by side next to him.
“I don’t know how Castiel handled seeing a version of himself die before.” He continued, voice hollow and distant. “If things were different, I could have been the one to die by Erik’s hands.”
“Alright, stop just stop.” Steve couldn’t just sit and listen anymore. He moved to meet Tony’s startled eyes directly. “That version got what he deserved. You would never hurt Charles or me the way that man did. He was deranged. Beyond help. You are nothing like him and you will never be. He was weak and didn’t fight the darkness in him, he just embraced it. Don’t you ever get it in your head that you could have been him at any point.”
Tony just kept looking at him, startled by his outburst, before letting a small smile appear on his lips.
“It feels nice to be with my own Steve again.” Tony murmured with an affectionate smile, raising a hand to cup Steve’s face gently. “I could see all the Steves in the multi-verse, but I will only be yours and you mine.”
“I know.” Steve grinned at him, turning his head to place a soft kiss to his palm. “I know, Tony.”
***
In the rebuilt living room, Erik was sitting on a couch besides Dean, watching Charles nervously in the kitchen, after the telepath insisted he was more than capable to make sandwiches for them without exploding the kitchen, determined to make Erik sit down and do nothing but care for his injury.
Angel was sleeping by their feet, looking happy to be home.
Castiel was sitting on the kitchen table, reading over a paper with a deep frown and sending withering looks Dean’s way every few minutes.
“What’s Castiel reading that is making him murder you with his eyes?” Erik couldn’t resist his curiosity anymore, as he sent a confused look at Dean.
Dean looked up from what he was writing to grin smugly at him.
“He is reading the first part of my Best Man speech.” He announced proudly, seeming to be enjoying Castiel’s glares and his quiet muttering under his breath. “He is proofreading it for any typos or misspellings.”
“Why would that make him so frustrated and why are you so smug?” Erik’s confusion increased, eyeing Charles from the corner of his eyes when he started to walk over them with a plate.
“Well, you can say my speech is not exactly the loving, proud big brother type.” Dean answered, looking too proud of himself.
“Why?” Charles was the one to ask that, as he dropped himself on the couch between them with a plate of sandwiches in his hands.
“Each one of you is an only child. You will never understand the pleasure of embarrassing your sibling on their wedding day.” Dean just laughed as he continued to write what must be the rest of his speech. “Sam knows that. He is mentally trying to prepare himself for it. Cas, meanwhile, is not amused.”
“The brotherly love between you and your brother is overwhelming me.” Erik rolled his eyes, just when Castiel cursed in a foreign language at something in the speech, making Dean snort in delight.
Charles then handed each of Erik and Dean a sandwich, then watched expectantly for them to take the first bite.
It was horrible. Erik had no idea how his husband managed to ruin a sandwich, but he did it in a spectacular way.
He held himself back from showing his revulsion on his face by the first bite, since Charles was watching his expression expectantly. He just chewed and made himself swallow the abomination in his mouth to turn to his husband with a grateful smile.
“It’s delicious, My Love. Thank you.” Erik placed a kiss to Charles’ temple.
Dean, on the other hand, was struggling to swallow the hefty bite he took, a look of pure disgust was taking over his face, that immediately vanished into a smile when Charles turned to look at him next, Erik sending him a warning glare over his husband’s head.
“Yum!” Dean only managed to say through his full mouth, struggling even more to swallow. Castiel was watching the whole thing, eyeing Dean with deep amusement on his face.
The both of them finished their sandwiches, forcing themselves to let out sounds that suggests their enjoyment for Charles’ culinary arts. Charles was silent the whole time, watching them both with a small smile.
After the last forced swallow, Charles finally spoke up.
“I guess you both forgot that I am a telepath, but I appreciate the effort anyway.” He teased them with a smile, relaxing back against the couch smugly as both Erik and Dean sat back with matching groans. Castiel’s soft laughter filled the room at their misfortune.
“Why are you laughing at my misery?” Dean raised an eyebrow at his husband, only managing to make him laugh again.
“You were laughing at mine a few minutes ago.” Castiel retorted, raising an eyebrow pointedly at the paper in his hand. “Seriously, Dean, do you hate your brother?”
“Hey, my speech is a piece of art. I have been waiting for this moment my whole life!”
“Waiting to kill your brother from embarrassment on his wedding day?”
“That is the best death he could ever dream of and you know it.”
“You are right, their brotherly love is overwhelming.” Charles said with a laugh, absentmindedly taking a bite from a sandwich, that immediately made him grimace. “My God, this is disgusting, why would you ever eat that? God!”
He moved to go and throw the sandwiches away, while Erik and Dean turned to look at each other with a miserable, but amused looks on their faces.
“See? This is why we don’t let them into the kitchen.” Dean accused with a pointed look.
Erik could do nothing but agree with all his heart.
***
A few days later, everyone in the Tower was woken up abruptly in the same way.
By an over excited Sam Winchester crashing into every room and shouting at the top of his lungs in joy, not caring if he saw any compromising positions between the couples, he was practically blind by excitement at this point.
Dean was violently woken up by his brother crashing into his and Castiel’s room, ignoring the fact that they were both very naked.
“I am getting married today!” Sam yelled in joy, his huge frame vibrating in excitement. “I am getting married. Today!”
With that, he ran to crash into the next room, which were Tony and Steve’s.
Dean and Castiel stared at each other sleepily as they heard Steve and Tony’s startled shouts and Sam’s yell again, before the younger Winchester moved on to another room.
They shrugged at each other, before moving to lay back on the bed again to get a few more minutes of sleep.
Apparently, Sam was determined that they all wake up, because he appeared in the doorway again.
“I am getting married today!” he screamed with a crazed grin, then ran away fast before Dean managed to hit him with the book he threw at him with a loud curse.
“Language!” came Steve’s own shout from the next room.
“I am getting married today!”
“I am living with crazy people.” Dean growled into Castiel’s chest, which was vibrating from the force of the angel’s laughter.