Forward to the Past [Steggy] ✔

Chapter Two

Tony's POV

I poke my tongue out of the corner of my mouth, tightening a tiny screw. It slowly twists into place, and the flap opens and closes smoothly. Don't want to have another mission going like the last one. My weapons systems had been wonky ever since that little bit of rust had formed on the bolts.

I put the metal piece back in place on the arm of the Iron Man suit, and FRIDAY helps me return it to where it belongs.

Surveying the mess I've made in front of me, I scowl, seeing the numerous screwdrivers and wrenches scattered among nuts and bolts attached to long pieces of metal. What a mess. And it's not going to clean itself up.

"Oy, Bruce! Come give me a hand with this!" I call, and hear a grunt as Bruce makes his way over to my work table, stepping carefully over pieces of machinery on the floor.

"You really need to clean this place up," he notices.

"That's the point. I'm going to clean it up. And you're going to help." I spread an arm, gesturing around the room.

"But-" Bruce starts, looking furious, but I cut him off.

"Ah ah ah, nope. No complaints. You work in here too," I point out, which makes Bruce's face turn slightly red.

"I work over there," he says, pointing to the other side of the room, "where there is not a mess." The statement is true; Bruce keeps his workplace neat and tidy, whereas I.... don't.

"Yes, but you help me over here. I help you sometimes, and I assist you in cleaning up."

"No you don't," Bruce mutters. "You stand there and talk while I do all the work."

"Nonsense," I say, waving a hand. "Now help me."

"I didn't even make this mess."

"Now Bruce, let's not act childish," I chide him, smirking. "Hand me that wrench, would you?"

Bruce scowls, but bends down and grabs the wench I'm pointing to, then holds it out. I stare at it for a moment, then shake my head.

"I don't like being handed things, actually. Go put it in that drawer that FRIDAY has kindly opened for you."

"I'm done." Bruce shoves the wrench into my still open hand, then storms out of the lab in a huff.

"That's your fault, you realize," I voice from behind me says.

"Yeah yeah, Capsicle," I reply, not bothering to turn around. "I'll have FRIDAY do it."

"You need to haul your own weight, Tony." Steve walks further into the lab, his arms crossed. "Your father wouldn't have-"

"Don't you dare bring my father into this," I spit, slamming the wrench in my hand onto the table. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Steve flinch, and shove down any shreds of regret. "Don't. You. Dare."

"I'm sorry." Steve sighs, shaking his head. "You know I'm sorry for what happened."

"That doesn't make anything different," I snap. "My parents are still dead. And it's your friend's fault." I let a threatening tone slip into my voice at the end of my sentence, and watch as Steve closes his eyes.

"That wasn't him. You know that wasn't him."

I bark out a harsh, humorless laugh. "You know that's not what I care about. I trusted you. And you never told me what you should have told me."

"I'm sorry, Tony. I thought I was helping. Clearly I wasn't. I know that now. But you've got to forgive me." Steve opens his eyes again, and I can detect a bit of pleading as it enters his voice.

"I thought we'd gone over this." I turn so that I'm facing the Captain fully. "I've forgiven you. I just don't trust you anymore. I can't."

Steve nods, rubbing his eyes. "If I could just go back and change it-"

"I know you want to, Cap," I say in resignation. "I'd want that too. But you can't, okay? What happened, happened. And now I can't trust you."

"Maybe that'll change," Steve says hopefully. "Things do change."

"Give it time, Spangles," I say, sighing and rubbing the back of my neck. "I- I need to clean up, okay?"

"Need any help?" Steve offers, and I bite back a sharp retort, knowing he's just trying to be kind.

"I appreciate that, but no," I say, and Steve nods in understanding and exits through the door, leaving me to my own devices.

"God, that man is too.... too Steve for his own good," I grumble after he leaves, shuffling to the other end of the lab and sitting down in one of Bruce's couches.

Even a year after the events that led to a civil war between the Avengers, I still can't find a way to fully trust Steve again. I know he feels remorse for what he did, which I appreciate, bit what he did can't be forgiven by just a single apology. The closest I've come to accepting the fact that Barnes killed my parents was agreeing to make a new arm for him. Even that took an immense amount of self restraint. I'd wanted to punch Barnes in the face the whole time. I'd even thought about making the arm do that for me.

I've just closed my eyes to hopefully get a bit of sleep, when there's a sharp BANG and I sit bolt upright.

"Can't a man get a bit of sleep?" I exclaim, putting a hand over my eyes. "I don't want to have to deal with an explosion right now, or whatever just happened. FRIDAY, what the hell just happened?"

"We appear to have visitors," FRIDAY answers, and I groan.

"Why wasn't I altered that we were going to have guests?" I complain, still not opening my eyes. "How did they get past security without my consent?"

"They seem to have used a portal of some sort to enter. I cannot detect the signature of the energy source. It is an unknown element."

"Uhh....." an awkward cough sounds from a little ways to my right, and I mentally roll my eyes.

"FRIDAY, if the portal is still there, close it, would you? I want to talk with our guests."

"Of course, Mr. Stark," FRIDAY answers, and I hear a muffled gasp.

"Did you say Stark?" A hauntingly familiar voice comes from the direction of the gasp, and I open my eyes to see a man and a woman standing in the middle of the floor, both looking a little disgruntled, both wearing old clothes. My eyes immediately widen as they rest upon the face of the man, and I can only utter one word.

"Dad?"