Day Off
“Look I made it all the way to my apartment and back without getting murdered,” Steve says with just a touch of sarcasm.
“Good job, very skilled,” Tony says with an equal amount of sarcasm. Steve smirks at him, “So, since I’m not allowed to go to work, what am I going to do all day?”
“Stay here. Clint and I are going to hunt down the assassin.” Natasha says.
“What’s Tony going to do then?” Steve asks.
“I’m on babysitting duty squirt” Tony says.
“Babysitting? Who are…Hell no. I do not need a babysitter.” Steve says, the grin disappearing.
“Aw come on, it will be fun. You can tell me old timey stories about the 30’s and I can tell you how much cooler the future is going to be.” Tony says. His grin is slightly mocking. Not in a malicious way, not like the guys who encourage him to throw a punch before beating him up. It was friendly, like there is a joke in there that Steve just isn’t quite getting.
“They aren’t old timey stories,” Steve grumbles, but it comes out a lot less bitter than it could.
“Don’t you dare tell him anything important or Cap will have your head.” Natasha scolds.
“Who’s Cap?” Steve asks.
“Our fearless leader of course. He’s the one who made the call to send us back to protect you,” Clint says.
“He’s very concerned with your safety,” Tony adds, his grin growing wider.
“Do I know him in the future?” Steve asks.
“You’ve met,” Clint says sharing a look with Tony and Natasha. Tony looks on the verge of laughter, Natasha scowls at them both.
“Take this seriously,” She warns before disappearing out the door. Clint follows her with a jaunty wave.
Outside the street is crowded with New Yorkers preparing for a long day. Clint wrinkles his nose at the smog and dust.
“Makes our New York look positively clean.” He says. Natasha doesn’t acknowledge him as she ducks around the back of the building. She pulls out the walkie-talkie Bruce had given them before they left.
“Hey, we have a little bit of a problem,” She says by way of greeting.
“Are you referring to the fact that you told Steve you were from the future or the fact that you let Steve get shot?” Bruce asks.
“How did you know?” Clint asks.
“Steve flickered. He almost disappeared.” Bruce says, and there’s a slight accusation in his tone that make both Natasha and Clint shift guiltily, “Also every time you guys change something he gets new memories.”
“He’s remembering this?” Natasha asks.
“Yeah, though apparently everything is jumbled and confused. It’s giving him awful headaches. Here let me get him.” Bruce says. Moments later Cap’s voice comes on the line. He sounds tired.
“Hey guys. Please tell Tony to knock it off messing with young me. I don’t want to hear about Cat memes.” Steve says, “And hurry up with finding this guy.”
“Sure thing Cap. You ok? You sound awful.” Clint says.
“He looks it too.” Bruce says in the background. His voice tinny and far away sounding.
“I’m fine, just a headache. The longer you guys stay there the worse it gets so try to make this snappy, ok?” Steve says, tension clear in his voice. Clint and Natasha exchange concerned looks.
“Sure thing Cap.” Natasha says. She hangs up with a worried crease in her forehead. Clint nudges her shoulder gently.
“You know he’s going to be fine, right? He’s had worse than a headache before.”
“He nearly disappeared from existence.” She says and it comes out harsher than she meant it. The grin drops off Clint’s face.
“Yeah, we dropped the ball there, but it’s not going to happen again.”
The dark look on his face is oddly reassuring. Natasha has seen that look before only a few times, but it has always meant good things for the mission, and very bad things for whomever they were after. She follows him out into the streets.
Meanwhile things have become noticeably awkward back in the apartment. Not sure what to say, both have drifted off into an uneasy silence, both stealing glances at the other when they think they aren’t looking.
“So…what’s the future like?” Steve asks. He says it casually, but Tony can see the coiled tension in his shoulders and burning curiosity in his eyes.
“Are you just trying to get me in trouble with the assassin?” Tony asks, hiding his own grin.
“Of course not- wait she’s an assassin?” Steve’s eyes get big.
Shit. Probably, no definitely, shouldn’t have mentioned that. Tony covers his mess up with an easy smile, “Of course. What better way to catch an assassin than with your very own assassin.”
“And I know her in the future? I know an assassin?” Steve asks and Tony isn’t sure if he sounds excited or terrified by that idea.
“Oh yeah, you and her are good friends. She’s got a real soft spot for you,” Tony grins at the slack jaw bug eyes look Steve has going on. He wishes he could take a picture because he’s never seen Cap so shocked, not even that time they introduced him to reality TV.
“You’re putting me on,” Steve says once he gets his jaw working again.
“I swear I’m not,” Tony says, “You two work together.”
“I’m an assassin!?” Ok, that was definitely panic in his voice.
“No, you idiot. You’re a soldier. You join the army.” Tony says. He probably shouldn’t have told him that, and Natasha is definitely going to kill him when she gets back, but he couldn’t let Steve Rogers go around thinking he was assassin. It would damage his whole psyche.
“That’s a lie.” Steve says, his whole face darkening. He looks at Tony distrustfully, as if now doubting his entire story.
“What’s a lie? That you join the army? We told you that you were going to be important.” Tony says.
“I’ve got asthma and a heart condition. Nobody is going to let me join the army.” Steve says.
“Listen, I wasn’t there when you finally joined up, but from what you’ve mentioned, it took a few tries and couple of lies on your papers before you found someone crazy enough to let you in, but you do eventually manage it.” Tony says.
Steve looks at him, hopeful, and Tony is sure that Steve has been contemplating trying to join for a while now. He just needed the extra boost of confidence to go through with it. Steve gives him a shy smile and damn, Tony, hadn’t quite realized how boyish he looked. Steve always looked young, in an ageless Greek God type of way, but now he looked more like a child. It seems cruel to ship someone who looked like a strong wind would snap him in half overseas to the bloodiest conflict in history. Sure he wanted to go and yes, he does save the entire East Coast, but it still didn’t seem right.
The smile drips off Steve’s face under Tony’s assessing look.
“Tony?”
Tony snaps out of his thoughts with a smile. Time to change the subject to less dangerous things.
“If I tell you about all the sweet tech I invent in the future, promise not to let Russian Mama Bear know?” He asks, and is pleased to see the eager smile return to Steve’s face.
It is the most pleasant conversation the two had ever had in Tony’s opinion. Tony keeps his snarky comments to himself and Steve doesn’t seem quite so defensive or judgmental as he usually does when talking to Tony. In fact he seemed downright fascinated by everything Tony says. And why shouldn’t he? Tony is pretty damn fascinating if he says so himself. Although he is surprised by just how much Steve seems to be interested in technology; the only really safe subject they can talk about. Tony had gotten the impression that while Steve had nothing against technology, he avoided it whenever possible. Tony makes a note to himself to try talking to Steve more often about projects he is working on.
Of course he can’t help messing with him a bit as he starts talking about the internet, but he backs off when Steve’s smile dims. He looks like such a kicked puppy that Tony can’t find it in him to keep going. Instead he switches to something he knows Steve will appreciate; medical breakthroughs through the ages. That causes Steve to light up and he peppers Tony with questions.
There have been a few slip ups. Once Tony even called him Cap, which he hastily covered up with a cough. For his part, Steve is in awe and not only about the things that Tony personally created. (Iron Man sounded swell, even though he didn’t fully understand it). He was more amazed by the breakthroughs in the medical field. Perhaps there was hope in his future yet.
Hours later Natasha and Clint reappear. Natasha flicks Tony in the ear as she passes his chair.
“Ow. Hey, what was that for?” Tony asks.
“That was from the Captain.”
“You talked to him? What did I do this time and how does he even know?” Tony asks.
“I called Bruce to get an update,” Natasha says and then stops. Her eyes slide over to Steve, “Not much to tell. Neither is happy that we let Steve get shot. Also the Captain wants you to take the mission more seriously and stop telling Steve about cat memes.”
“How the hell does he even know about that?” Tony complains.
“He’s the Captain. Of course he knows everything.” Natasha shrugs.
“…Right,” Tony says with a sidelong glance at Steve. An awkward silence falls over them, chasing away the laughter and stories of the afternoon. Steve feels strongly that he is missing out on something important.
“So did you catch the fella who’s trying to kill me?” Steve asks, mostly to break the silence. He can tell from the sullen looks and Clint’s hunched shoulder’s that it hasn’t been a productive day for them.
“No, but we will.” Natasha says.
“I’m sure you will,” Steve agrees standing up, “and I really appreciate what you all are doing for me.”
He strolls casually towards the door, forcing himself to stand straight, despite the pain. He hopes if he walks with enough confidence the others won’t question him about his leaving.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
He flinches. The tone is remarkably similar to his mother’s and he fights the urge to shuffle his feet guiltily.
“I have to go back to my apartment. I can’t hide out here forever. I have a life.” Steve says.
“A life that’s still in danger.” Natasha reminds him.
“I’m not a coward. Besides, maybe if I go back out it will lure the assassin out as well.”
“You want to use yourself as bait?” Clint asks, sounding torn between exasperated and amused.
“Yes, it has already drawn him out twice before.”
“It also got you shot, and almost killed.” Tony points out, but he doesn’t seem particularly adverse to the idea.
Only Natasha seems to be holding out, red lips pulled into a tight frown.
“Please. I promise to keep my eyes peeled and be extra careful.” Steve says. He widens his blue eyes just so, in a way that that make all the old ladies down at the library twitter before letting him check out more books that what is usually allowed.
Her frown deepens, “don’t even try to use those eyes on me Rogers.”
Her lips twitch, “but using you as bait isn’t the worst plan in existence.”