Chapter 12
As soon as Fury closed the phone, an idea was already boiling in Stephen's head. Not a minute passed and he showed up at New York's temple, and with the help of a cab he managed to get to the hospital in fifteen minutes.
He coughed from the entery to the room and everyone turned to look at him. Stephen took adventage of the small silence to examine the people inside the room. Stark was the most noticeable- most of the team were standing with their body exposed to him, their body language saying 'vulnerable for you', which made him, of course, the center of the room. Right after him- well, it was Stark, but the father- he was slightly grinning, talking to a tall man and an impressive woman who were the only ones standing in the room (except Thor), both of them looking 'out of the place', their lips curling and a thoughtful look resting on their faces.
"You're British." he said, as a matter of fact, and both of them nodded. The woman smiled slightly, but it didn't reach her eyes. "And you are a Doctor with a past of problems using your hands, probably from some kind of an accident. You've been in the far east, but originally you're from Great Britain." She answered, and Stephen smirked. "I see you've done your research on me." he said, and Romanoff took a step forward, but the british woman stopped her.
"No, I didn't. It's just the fact that you have British accent, they called you 'Doctor Strange', your hands are shaking and you have a sticker on your briefcase." she answered sharply, and Stephen didn't blush at all.
Well, maybe a little.
"Well, as much as I'd love to see Agent Carter slaying you, I think we've ordered you for a job, Doctor, and I don't think that all of you should be here, listening to this." said Potts, rising up from her sit. A few moments after, Stark and Stephen were alone in the room- well, except for the gaint pile of Pop Tarts near the bed, probably in the courtesy of Thor. When they've first met, Thor almost ate half of the lifetime supply that Stephen won in some stupid competition that Christine decided to register him for.
He held out his hands towards Stephen, who catched it with his right hand. The shake was short; stiff. Stark Jr was used for shaking hands, that's for sure. "Tony Stark." he said, and Stephen nodded, studying the other man's eyes. Stark's pupils were wide, like he was in a dark place for a long time.
"Stephen Strange." he introduced himself, leaving out the 'doctor' part. Stephen wasn't one to take interest in gossip and celebrity, but from the small research he'd done in the car he has learned that Stark was the proud owner of double majors in physics and engineering, so the degrees-game wouldn't work over here.
"I'm a big fan of the way you've went to the east in a try to make your hands stable again, mastered the acient art of magic but your hands are still shaking." he said, his eyebrow challenging Stephen to answer.
"Since when did you become expert in my biography?" The Sorcerer asked, arranging the few tools he'd brought in a line before him.
"Last fifteen minutes." he answered, and both of them smirked. "I like you." he continued. "You're reminding me an old friend of mine."
Stephen lifted the bed's backrest and helped Stark settle. "One of the people who were here? I'm sorry, but it seems like an insult to me."
Stark's slight smile vanished from his face. "Watch it." he said sharply. "They're better men and women then what you and I will ever be." Stephen sneered doubtly, but let it go and began examising the man as he told him about the theory they've developed, listening carefully.
"I see nothing wrong in your eyes, so it has to be in your brain. Vitta rays." he finally said, his voice turning into what Christine always liked to call 'thinking-for-once mode'. "Loki can be connected, somehow... Did you have any weird dreams as a child?"
Stark shook his head, and Stephen thought for a little. "Repeating the same dream, maybe? A strange situation?"
Stark bit his lower lip and stiffened. "When you remind it... I could never remember my dreams- well, not the good ones. But if you say so then, maybe..." his face suddenly became harsh, almost like a flash of knowledge. "Yes." he said, confident. "Fuck." he added. "I need a surgery. In the back of my head, you'll notice it when you'll find it. A piece of steel, about the size of a nail. Hard to miss. And we need to un-freeze BuckSicle."
Stephen blinked in confusion. Somebody, ordering him to do something? And what the fuck is a 'BuckSicle'? "First explain." he demanded, and Stark took a deep breath.
"No." he answered after a few moments.
"Yes." Stephen said.
"No." answered Stark.
"Tell me." Stephen said.
"No." he answered.
"I won't help you." tried Stephen.
"So don't." answered Stark.
"Tell me, Stark. Come on."
"No. And it's Tony. Stark is my father."
"You can't be serious, Sta- Tony."
"Yes I can."
"I'm dealing with stranger things that you've ever seen."
"So they've told me. Strange, huh?"
"No. Please, call me Stephen."
Tony shook his head, a smile spreading on his face. "That's not what I've meant."
"I'll tell you how I defeated Dormammu." he finally broke.
"The gaint space monster?" asked Tony, who seemed now more interested in the conversation. "Add portal-secure on all of the tower plus this room." Stephen nodded. "Deal." both of them said at the same time.
A hour passed since the Doctor told them that Tony'll need a surgery for his eyes, and that he wants to unfreeze Bucky. A hour of explaining to everyone that Bucky was still alive, like him. A hour of Howard's endless rambling, which was only a cheap replacement to the real rambler, now on the surgery desk.
Doctor Strange peeked from the door. "You can come in." he said. Steve looked around him and saw Pepper lifting her head from her phone. She looked at the door, worried. "Are you okay?" he asked, gently taking her hand and helping her stand. She moved her hand away from him like he electrified her. "Get off me." she hissed and pushed him away.
And it hurted.
Sure, the push itself almost didn't affect the Super Solider, but the behavior he got from every single one in the tower. Sam and Scott are away, Nat doesn't let anyone see Wanda, the new teens don't even bother to hide their hatred, Peggy avoids him, JARVIS and Jarvis only answer him when they have to, keeping only the basic general etiquette, not to mention Rhodey and Pepper. The only ones that talk to him are Howard, and surprisingly, Daniel.
The reminders to what he has lost.
There was Daniel, from one side- the man who Peggy chose to spend her life with. And he was, in fact, brilliant. Steve could see what has she found in him: he was generous, brave, bold and nice. He follows his ideals, but not in the price of other men's ideals, and maybe this was the main difference between Steve and Daniel. Steve won't stand aside looking at the world burning; he'll jump into the fire and began fighting it, trying to save as many people as he can. Daniel, on the other side, will find out why the world began burning, and will make sure that the fuel supply will stop.
And then, there was Howard- he was still smiling the same smile, grinning and smirking, but when he thought that nobody was looking Steve could see the dark in his eyes. The war left only the shell of the man that was there before, and maybe that's why when Steve thinks about Howard Stark he sees a hero and when Tony thinks about Howard he sees an alcoholic.
Steve took a deep breath and stood up, crossing the short distance between him and the door in two big steps. Before anyone else could come inside, Steve pulled Strange outside and entered inside, locking the door behind him.
Tony didn't even raised his eyes from the tin wire he'd been twisting around his finger. He had a bandage wrapped over his head. He looked nervous, and bit his lower lip. "I don't want a lecture right now, so go away."
"Tony." he said slowly.
"No, I-"
"Tony." he repeated.
"I said no, I-"
"Tony." he said in the third time, his hand touching Tony's shoulder lightly. "I'm sorry about everything. I want to open a clean slate, so... hey. I'm Steve Rogers. I'm 97 years old, and sometimes I'm such a hypocrite that my best friend gone into the ice to avoid me. Are you okay?"
Tony looked shocked, but recovered quickly, slightly smirking. "I'm Tony Stark. I'm 48 years old, and I'm 200% sure that all my friends have secret meetings, in which they only talk about how annoying I am. And sure, I'm fine, why not? Except that blindness of me."
Steve's lips curved up. "Well, you kind of had a surprise surgery right now. I know your special ability to deal with sickness-" Tony sneered. "Not all of us are Super Soliders, you know."
The conversation continued, and in some point Tony ordered Jarvis to lock and block sound from the outside, probably tired of the screams of small children who were in the rooms near them. Both superheroes talked about so many things, even about Howard. Whenever Steve felt like he had to argue with something, which happenes most of the time, he tried to make himself wait, and usually he understood what Tony really meant until the end of the sentence. It was their first real conversation in... years, maybe. Steve found himself getting closer to Tony as they've talked, at some point Tony's head resting on Steve's chest, as he sat on the edge of the bed.
"...That was the time when I've first learned what is fondue." Steve laughed, but didn't got any response. "Tony?" he looked down, and saw Tony's closed eyes. He tried to get up but Tony's hand was clenching to Steve's shirt as it was a life savior.
Oh, well.
Steve settled down in the bed, and soon both of them were asleep.
***
Tony woke up and felt... warm. He didn't remember his dream, but he had that feeling that it wasn't another nightmare. He began slowly rolling off Steve, who still was asleep, and heard a yawn.
Oops.
"I'll get up if it bothers you." said Steve as he opened his eyes.
" 's okay." he mumbled and rolled around, but Steve jumped from the bed anyway, begining to wash his face in the sink. "How long have we been like this?" Steve asked, and Tony shrugged, then remembering that Steve couldn't see him.
"I don'no." he answered quietly. "JARVIS?"
"One-" Steve sighed in relief "-day, three hours, thirty eight minutes and fourty three seconds. Fourty four. Fourty five." answered the british AI. "And you're on lockdown, due to Sir's request."
"HOLY FUCK!" both of them shouted together, jumping from their place, Steve splattering water drops all over the room. "Override, Tony Stark!"
"Done." announced the AI, and Steve ran to the door, openning it. The handle almost stayed in his hand (not for the first time), and everyone on the waiting-room jumped over him. Tony could only look, amused, as Pepper smacked the Super-Solider with her bag, only to be followed by Rhodey and his fist. Steve managed to take care of the other solider, but a chaos began at the corridor.
Most of the fists and kicks were aimed at Steve, but Howard decided to help his old friend, which brought him between the legs of Black Widow, completly helpless. Peggy and Jarvis, who were sure that Howard was enjoying but also afraid began fighting Natasha, which was one of the most amazing fights that Tony has ever seen, since Black Widow had finally found a worthy match in the character of the two old fighting partners. Thor and Daniel tried to stop the mess, so they decided to protect Steve until the fighting will stop, what means they were trying to neutralize the teens, Pepper and Rhodey without hurting them.
Tony began to laugh at the strange, messy, unbelievably ridiculous situation, but surprisingly, he wasn't the only one laughing. A deep laugh echoed between the walls, and the fighting suddenly stopped. He stood up and walked outside the room, to see who is it.
"Told ya don't do anything stupid 'till I come back, punk." said a familiar voice.
"How could I?" Steve panted, a pained smile making its way to his face. "You took all the stupid with you."
Anthony Stark took a deep breath and looked at the man who killed his parents, next to King T'Challa.
"Pache e amore, Bucky." (Peace and love, Bucky.) he said, forcing a smile to appear on his face.
The other man looked at him, surprised, his smile vanishing.
"Tu parly italiano?" (You speak italian?)
"Sì. Mia madre era italiana, ma probabilmente già sanno che, non è vero?" (Yes. My mother was italian, but you probably already know that, don't you?)
Bucky had the decenty to look ashamed, his eyes flickering to Howard. "Sì. Mi dispiace." (Yes. I'msorry.)
"Lo so. Steve e Natasha vi siete persi." (I know. Steve and Natasha missed you.) Bucky's eyes shined again, a grin making its way to his face- Natasha and Steve jumped as he said their name. Italian was probably one of the three-or-something only languages that Nat didn't know. "Hanno parlato di me?" (They've talked about me?) he asked, hope on his face.
Tony shook his head. "No. Ma ho preso li a guardare le foto." (No. But i've caught them looking at the photos.)
Bucky began walking towards him, and his smile widened, like he was going to tell Tony a secret.
"Ho davvero bisogno di fare pipì, ma non voglio loro di pensare ho rovinato il momento." (I really need to pee, but i don't want them to think i've ruined the moment.) Tony laughed. "Vieni dentro, ti faccio vedere." (Come inside, I'll show you.)
Bucky entered the room and Tony closed the door. "I need a moment alone with him, Pepp." he said, and she nodded, understanding. The team began moving to their seats- as Bucky arrived, they looked like they were in 'freeze' of the scene- the 'spell' was broken now.
"Hai ancora un accento di Brooklyn, lo sai." (You still have a brooklyn accent, you know.) said Tony, smirking, and heard Bucky laughing from inside the toilet.
"Si parla fluentemente. Non così lontano dal tuo vecchio. patriota americano, ma accidenti, sapeva come parlare francese." (You speak fluently. Not so far from your old man. American patriot, but damn, he knew how to talk French.) Tony chuckled quietly. "ma sul serio l'uomo, mi dispiace." (but seriously man, I'm sorry.) he nodded, and thought for a little what to answer.
"stesso qui. Io edificherò un nuovo braccio, promettere." (same over here. i'll build you a new arm, promise.) There was a noise as the toilet washed itself, and Bucky stepped out.
"Ya don't need to." he said, his eyes growing sad. "It's 'kay."
Tony shook his head. "No, it's not. I'm going to build it, and you're going to sit there without looking at me like I just kicked a puppy, or worse, Steve Rogers." both of them laughed at the thought.
"Thanks." Bucky mumbled, and Tony's head peeked out. "Who wants to save my motherfucking eyes?!" he shouted at the corridor, and a few moments after the team (plus senior-squad, Stephen Strange and Bucky) were inside.