Chapter 30
The three of them were completely frozen as they stared at their savior’s face.
Tony’s heart was pounding in both joy at seeing his husband and terror at seeing his husband here.
Things are getting way too complicated in each passing second.
He was hoping that this was actually present Steve and the team managed to find a way to go back in time to save them.
He was hoping that was the case so hard.
Steve didn’t seem to notice their reaction as he rushed inside and slammed his shield at Dean’s chains, since he was closer to the door, breaking them and freeing Dean who just stared at Steve with wide panicked eyes.
Steve then went to Tony to do the same and Tony couldn’t help but stare at the beautiful face he thought he won’t be able to ever see again.
God, he was beautiful.
“Steve?” he murmured softly unconsciously and Steve looked up at him with a polite smile.
“Good. So, you already know me, no need for introductions then. What do I call you, guys?” Steve asked with a smile.
This was not his Steve.
That thought made Tony just stare at Steve who gave him a confused look before moving on to free Sydney.
“Uhm, I’m Dean. This is Tony and Sydney.” Dean said, still wide eyed and a little panicked.
“Well, it is nice to meet you. Heard interesting things about you. Not the right time to set and talk at the moment since the whole building probably knows about my presence right now. We need to move.” Steve stated as he freed Sydney. Tony couldn’t help but notice how thick his accent was. Thicker than his Steve’s. His Steve’s accent only gets thicker when he was tired, drunk or aroused. He really wanted his Steve right now.
Just then, they heard footsteps coming towards the dungeon.
“Looks like we have no choice but to fight.” Dean muttered grimly.
“No, maybe we don’t have to!” Sydney announced suddenly, rushing out of the cell. “Follow me.”
Steve was confused for a second before following her with Tony and Dean close behind him after the latter snatched one of guns from a fallen soldier, and followed Sydney in a direction different from their way out.
“He is not supposed to be here.” Tony hissed to Dean as they ran down the corridor. “He is supposed to be busy chasing down Hydra and not to be in France saving us!”
“Do you think I don’t know that?” Dean hissed back anxiously.
“You don’t understand! He is making new memories! We don’t know how that will affect my Steve! What if we got past Steve killed?! My Steve will be erased, Dean!”
“We will make sure that doesn’t happen, okay? I promise you, we will make sure nothing happens to him.”
Just then, they reached a closed room at the end of the corridor and Sydney started to pick its lock expertly while the sound of approaching feet was getting louder.
“Hurry, Syd. Hurry!” Dean exclaimed anxiously. Three Germans appeared then and Dean raised his gun towards them immediately. “Looks like we have to fight.”
Dean was startled when Steve stepped in front of him while raising his shield to keep the bullets raining on them away.
“I think this is better than to have a face full of bullets, right?” Steve glanced back at him with a smirk and Dean just blinked back at him dumbly.
“Come on, Syd! Hurry.” Tony cried as he panicked when he saw Steve covering them from the bullets.
Sydney finished picking the lock and pushed open the door shouting: “Come on!”
The four of them jumped inside the room which Sydney closed its door again and locked it. They heard the Germans firing heavily at the closed door from outside.
“I hope you have a reason to come here, ma’am. Those men outside will only take three minutes at most before stormin’ into the room.” Steve muttered as he looked around for a way out.
“Ma’am? Seriously?” Sydney muttered to herself while shaking her head but she made her way towards the east wall of the room anyway. “I have a reason indeed.”
She pressed a part of the wall which turned on itself, revealing a large hole that lead to the back garden of the building.
“How did you know about this?” Tony exclaimed in surprise but he found himself and Dean being pushed through the hole by Steve.
“Later, sir. You can ask your friend later.” Steve said firmly while pushing them.
Sydney followed them and she closed the wall again just as the Germans broke through the door.
“There are four guards here.” Dean whispered.
“That won’t be a problem.” Steve smiled and started to lead them through the small garden and towards the four guards.
When they were about to attack, an alarm sounded inside the building that made the guards turn and lay their eyes on them.
Dean jumped on the first guard just as the other three raised their guns towards them and shoot.
Steve immediately stepped in front of Tony with his shield raised while Sydney kicked the gun from one of the guard’s hands.
Between the four of them, the guards went down easily, but when Dean looked at Sydney he saw her shoulder covered in blood.
“You were shot?!” Dean looked at her in concern but she just waved dismissively.
“Don’t worry about it. Come on, we need to get out of here.” she looked around looking for a way out.
“Don’t worry. Our way out just arrived.” Steve announced with a smile. Just then, a large military car stormed through the garden from outside at top speed and stopped right in front of them.
A dark-headed man looked at them from inside the car with a smirk.
“You guys need a ride?” the man asked with a playful smile.
“Right on time, Bucky.” Steve grinned at him as he pushed them towards the car.
Tony froze at the name and stared with wide eyes at the man who was also Bucky Barnes.
This was just getting better and better.
Dean rode next to Bucky while the others went to the back.
They saw a group of soldiers rush out of the building towards them with their guns raised.
“I think you should hurry.” Sydney called out from the back.
“Don’t you worry, pretty lady. I got this.” Bucky winked at her before darting forward with the car at full speed and driving away.
“Go after them! Don’t let them get away!”
Four soldiers jumped in a car while another two took two motor bikes and drove after them.
To Steve, Tony and Sydney’s surprise, they found Dean and Bucky letting out a loud, delighted laugh.
“This is awesome!” Dean exclaimed with a grin that Bucky returned it.
“I know, right?” Bucky let out another laugh.
Sydney just shook her head with a chuckle, while Tony felt a pair of eyes trained on him.
He turned and saw Steve’s eyes trained on his chest intently. On the arc reactor specifically.
Normally, when he found someone staring at the reactor he’d immediately try to cover and hide it. But this was Steve. Even if he wasn’t his Steve but it was still him. He’d never hide from Steve. Not the reactor. Not anything.
Steve looked up when he realized that he was caught and his face flushed a little as he cleared his throat.
“Sorry, sir. I just-“
“Tony.” Tony interrupted him immediately.
“What?”
“It’s Tony. d-don’t call me sir. Just Tony.”
Steve smiled a little at him despite their situation and it tugged at Tony’s heart.
“Tony it is.” He said with a smile. His name will always sound amazing when Steve says it. He just always says it in a way that makes his heart melt. Looked like past Steve was not different by much. “Can I ask about that blue light that is coming from your chest? You don’t have to answer if it is private.”
Tony looked down at his chest and realized that since he was only in a T-shirt and lost his jacket at some point, the reactor’s light was very visible and exposed.
“It is a device. It-it keeps my heart beating.” He explained quietly, looking up at Steve to see his eyes widening.
“Like a battery?” he asked in surprise.
“Yeah, you could say that. I made it myself.” he couldn’t help but feel proud from the awe and wonder on Steve’s face.
“It is amazing. It makes it like your heart is shinin’ with a warm, blue light. It’s beautiful.” Steve murmured sincerely while looking at the reactor with awe written all over his face.
Tony’s heart ached at the familiar words. His Steve said that exact sentence before. When he was too ashamed of his body because of the reactor. He thought he wasn’t good enough for Steve. But the sappy idiot didn’t hate the reactor. In fact, he was fascinated by it. Thought it was beautiful. A sign of Tony’s creativity. A sign that he was a changed man.
So, yeah, Steve didn’t hate the reactor. Even a Steve who still had no idea who the hell he was.
He loves this man. And he needs to go back to him. No matter what.