Oh Remember Me My Captain

Christmas was spent in the SHIELD hospital, much to Steve’s displeasure. He felt perfectly fine, but the public couldn’t know he’d been shot and Tony was still supposed to be healing up from his ‘gunshot’ wounds. Clint had been currying things back and forth between the safe house and the hospital. Including a Christmas tree and presents, which Tony had insisted upon.

Steve was sketching out said Christmas tree when there was a knock on the door. 

He looked up to see Peggy holding two cups of coffee.

“You look like you’re feeling better.”

Steve quickly put away the sketchbook. “Feeling well enough for a debrief.”

Peggy walked over and handed him one of the coffees before taking the seat next to his bed. “That’s not what I’m here for. I’m not Director Carter today. Just Peggy visiting a friend.”

Steve took the coffee. “Thanks.”

“I suppose congratulations are in order. Tony’s been showing that ring to anyone who will listen. Except for Howard of course.”

Steve smiled and shook his head. “Of course he has.”

“It’s unfortunate how he found out, but you’ve made him very happy, Steven. And I hope you plan on continuing to do so.”

“It sounds like you're about to give me the shove talk. You should have brought a gun.”

“You know I don’t need one.”

Steve laughed. He was quiet for a moment. “Bucky beat you to it.”

“What?”

“I don’t know how but the assassin that killed York, it was Bucky.”

“Steve- I … are you sure? Barnes would have never done something like this to you, I know people change-”

“He hadn’t changed- he was missing an arm sure- but Peg, it’s like it is with me. He hadn’t aged. When I rescued him, from the Hydra base, they’d been experimenting on him.”

She reached over and grabbed his hand. “I’m sorry, have you told Tony?”

“Yeah, Tony’s got a whole lot of info I think is Buck’s movements over the last forty years.”

Peggy nodded. “I’ll talk to him about it later. Let’s talk about something more pleasant.”

“Oh yeah, something, in particular, you have in mind?”

“As a matter of fact, yes.” Peggy pulled a package from her coat pocket and handed it to him. “Merry Christmas.”

“I-I haven’t gotten you anything.”

“The fact that you’re alive and have made my godson the happiest young man on earth is enough.”

Steve started into the wrapping paper. 

“I thought it would be easier to record your memories with Tony than through sketches.”

Steve finally pulled the box away to reveal something he recognized. It was the same camera Peter used to carry around with him. Steve couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks, Peggy. I love it.”

Steve was discharged a few days after Christmas. Of course, he then was moved into protective custody with the Starks. This time, however, they moved them to an undisclosed SHIELD safe house. Only Peggy, Fury, and Clint knew their location. The house was plenty big enough for the four of them in theory. But tensions between Howard, Steve, and Tony were nearing a tipping point. 

Tony refused to even acknowledge Howard’s existence. Howard, in turn, would glare and do everything possible to interrupt when Steve and Tony were in the same room. Even if Tony hadn’t come in excitedly to show his mother and Peggy the ring. It would have been pretty obvious something had happened between them. Steve was no longer telling Tony to back off when the omega flung himself at the older man. Of course, Steve was still drawing boundary lines. While kissing on the couch Tony had slid his hand down the front of Steve’s pants and under the band of his underwear. Steve’s eyes had gone wide before he stood abruptly, dumping Tony into the floor in the process. The teenager had nursed his bruised ego for the rest of the night. Howard, the bastard, couldn’t hide how pleased he was at the noticeable distance Tony was keeping.

Truly the person suffering the most in the situation was Maria. She had to endure her husband and her son’s feud for years, but the escalation was wearing her thin. 

Everything came to a tipping point on New Year Eve, well technically just after midnight New Years Day. 

Howard had just poured the champagne and couldn’t find Steve or Tony. The countdown was to begin soon. He walked through the bedrooms to find them empty. Thank goodness. But he couldn’t find them. As his search wore on he grew increasingly frustrated. He went to check the garage when he noticed the lights from the basement were on.

Howard turned the knob and started down the stairs. Peering over the railing he could make out both alpha and omega at the pool table. A growl started in his throat. Tony was leaned over the table taking a shot and Steve was leaned over him. Mouthing at the back of his neck. 

“Steven, you’re a fucking tease. I’m gonna miss this shot if you keep that up.”

The blonde smirked. “I’m helping you line your shot..”

Tony groaned. “Liar. You just want to grind on my ass. Let me at least make this one. You’ve sunk every eight-ball tonight.”

Steve placed his hands over Tony’s. “Here let me show you how to get it in.”

The omega pressed his hips back. “I know how to get it in, you just won’t let me.”

Howard saw red. “What the fuck is going on down here?”

Steve and Tony bolted up. “It’s completely innocent.”  “Fuck off, dad.” The two said at once. 

Both alphas looked to Tony. “What did you just say to me?”

Tony stepped closer. “I said ‘Fuck off Old Man’. Steve and I are just playing pool. And even if we were fucking on the pool table you wouldn’t get to say a damn thing.”

“The hell I can’t you’re still 17!”

“Age of Consent in New York is 17! And since when do you care who I sleep with. You didn’t seem to mind Obie trying to get in my pants and he’s older than Steve!” Steve was holding an arm around Tony’s shoulder’s keeping him from getting too much in Howard’s face.

“That’s different!” Howard yelled back. 

“Oh because he’d control me like you do! Is that it? Steve, too progressive of an alpha for me?”

“At least I know Obie isn’t a Hydra Clone.”

Steve pushed Tony behind him. “What?”

Behind him, Tony settled down, equally confused as Steve. 

Tony put the pieces together faster than Steve could. “You… you found this Universe’s Steve in the arctic, didn’t you.”

“That’s none of your concern.”

Steve advanced on the older alpha. “Explain now.”

“Why should I?”

Steve growled canines completely extended and grabbed Howard’s shoulder. 

Howard put his hands up in front of his chest. “Alright! You’re not the only Captain we’ve brought back. We kept getting a signal even after we found you.”

Steve stepped back in shock. 

“What?” Tony said peering over the alpha’s shoulder.

“We found another Captain America his DNA checks out. He even had your shield, that’s the reason we had it. It’s the one I made.  But he wasn’t alone in his stasis. We found an entire S.H.I.E.L.D team -one of them’s your partner, Barton. He’d been shot in the chest by a Hydra pistol so we figured someone on the team must be hydra.

All we knew was that they were from the future, based on the dates of their I.Ds. We were baffled.  My whole team was sworn to secrecy. We thought maybe you were another time traveler, which is what you yourself said. But of course, we have had the suspicion that you were a clone planted by Hydra. But I couldn’t be sure if you or they were the clone or both. ”

Tony crossed his arms. “But how could three Steve’s be in such proximity to each other without it causing some sort of time flux.”

“Three?” Howard paused for a moment. “I guess you found the decoy in your old plane.”

Tony growled. That made both alpha’s turn. It was so rare for an omega to do so. “You put that thing there. You have no idea how much seeing his corpse traumatized, Steve.”

Steve caught Tony around the waist and pulled him back, to keep him from hitting his father. 

“Tony, Tony calm down.” 

“How can I? He’s the bastard who tricked you! How are you not mad!”

Howard yelled over his son. “My intention wasn’t to trick Steve, it was Hydra. We wanted to make them think some of their operatives had gone rogue.”

“He had nightmares, because of it you asshole!”

Steve knew Tony well enough to know he wouldn’t listen to another word from Howard as far as an explanation. Unfortunately, Howard did too and discontinued the topic. 

“I’m sure you were more than willing to comfort him.”

Tony started for his father. “I shouldn’t have fucking had to.”

Steve pulled Tony by the waist and pushed him behind him. 

“Oh, I’m sure you were just itching for an excuse to spread your legs for him.” Howard snarled.

“Jealous?” 

“How dare-”

“Enough!” Steve shoved Howard back. “Both of you, stop this. You’re behaving like children. Howard, I’m with Tony, you’ll have to get over that. But I swear I won’t be with him until he’s 18. Tony, let’s at least hear what’s going on? I was only in 2009 for a few months, but maybe I can help figure out that’s going on.”

Howard crossed his arms and scoffed. “How?”

“You remember what I said about the mission I went MIA on-I wasn’t alone my whole mission team went with me. I don’t know all of their names but I know the date. If we check something from their pockets-”

“That won’t work, we can’t get to their pockets.”

“You’re just being difficult.” 

Steve sighed as Howard glared at Tony. “It won’t work because they are in some sort of stasis field. Everything that has touched the field has been burnt.”

Tony tapped Steve’s chest. “ID-scan badges are worn on our chests.”

Howard nodded. “They had them before SHIELD even implemented that system, with the biometric system.” 

“And of course, you didn’t alert SHIELD,” Tony muttered behind him. 

“Who can I trust! We happen to find a clone of Captain America and nearly every single new recruit?” Howard growled.

“How about your son, that’s who?” 

Howard and Tony were edging towards each other’s faces again. 

Steve growl, honest to good growled. “That is it!” 

He pushed between them once again. “This conversation is postponed until the two of you cool off!”

He pushed Tony towards the stairs and glared down Howard as they retreated. Howard was itching for a fight but he doubted that the man would dare to get into a physical altercation with him. 

Tony managed to make it to the doorway of his room before he broke down. “He’s such a fucking asshole- He just he just can’t let me be happy.” 

He turned and crowded into Steve’s chest. “He’s always pin-picked my fears. Every day, I wake up afraid this is all some dream.”

Steve kissed the top of Tony’s head. “I have the same fear, that I’ll wake up in the ice and this will all be just a good dream.” 

“What if it's true though, what if there are two of you from this universe?”

Steve smiled into Tony’s hair. “I’m pretty, sure it doesn't matter the universe, I’m a bit in love with you in all of them. I also know you well enough not to put the thought of two of me into your head.”

Tony smiled against his chest. “Yeah, then, I’d be doubly sexually frustrated, because I’d have two of you to lust after and neither to have sex with me.”

Steve laughed. “We’ll get there, Tony.” 

Tony turned his head so his chin was resting on the Captain’s chest and he was looking up at him. “I didn’t get my New Years' kiss.”

“Happy ‘92” Steve leaned down and met Tony’s lips. 

Steve woke up to the sound of an expo mark squeaking across a board. Sitting up in bed he noticed Tony had wheeled a whiteboard into his room and was furiously writing on it. 

A coffee mug was on the stool next to him. Steve sighed and scrubbed his face. “Tony did you even go to sleep last night.”

“I got four hours.”

Steve thumped his head against the headboard. Four hours wasn’t enough but he knew Tony was improving in that regard. “I couldn’t get the Two-Steve conundrum out of my head.”

“This is what I have so far.” He took a step back and flipped the whiteboard over. 

On the flip side was a diagram with a set of parallel timelines.

“Here’s what I could figure out. We’re dealing with two timelines, possibly three. But this is what was the most logical. Which still leaves the big question of how two steves ended up in the same time-line. You said in your 2009 when you woke up the other Steve had gone missing with another team a few years prior- but since you refuse to tell me when- question mark.” 

Tony clicked the marker cap on against the board. “That means the team Howard found is most likely that team and that Steve.” The omega said his father’s name with absolute venom. 

He pointed down to the other timeline labeled 1990 with a large question mark. “Which leaves the question: What is it about this point in time that brought you both here? And it begs the question how did two of you start off in the same timeline? Or if you two didn’t, what universe jump are we missing?

I’m working on a few hypotheses right now. I’ve got to call and schedule a conference call with Dr. Pym. I noticed in the notes I hacked from dad there was a high presence of some unknown subatomic particles.”

Steve was listening, he really was but he was failing to grasp this without his morning coffee. He glanced at the clock which read close to six-thirty. “You didn’t sleep four hours.”

Tony shrugged and took a sip of his coffee. “Three and a half.”

Steve narrowed his eyes.

“Two.” Tony finally confessed.

Steve sighed. “Let me get some coffee then explain this again.” He gestured to the board.