Atlas Gym, Sunday Evening

[screwyoumarvel]

Despite the current...situation, Steve had insisted Tony report for training as per usual. Who knew, he might find himself needing to fight while in a female body at some point. Tony had been kind of awkward at first, but that was hardly surprising; finding oneself in a female body for the first time was disconcerting. It didn't occur to Steve that it might also have had something to do with the part where he looked like Rebecca Romijn rather impressive.

The sparring session was over now. Tony was getting pretty good, even considering the altered center of gravity. But he seemed upset, which Steve chalked up to the boobs when he asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

((For that guy, who is modded with permission, but open like a gym.))

Comments

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Being a girl or blowing up the suit?" Tony offered. Because those were both less emo-causing topics somehow.

[screwyoumarvel]

"Whatever's bothering you," Steve said. He doubted it was blowing up the suit, since Tony seemed to go through one of those a week.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Hey! He did not. It was a least a couple months between them.

"What was my dad like where you're from?" Tony asked, looking away.

[screwyoumarvel]

"I don't really know," Steve hedged. "I only met him briefly, during the war, and he died before I was thawed out. So I really only know him through what other people have told me, mostly Tony." It...did not paint the most flattering picture.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Tony nodded at that, focus still elsewhere. "He told me ever since I was old enough to build things that Starks don't make weapons."

HIPPIE HOWARD.

[screwyoumarvel]

So that was definitely different. And Steve would just be refraining from asking what Tony thought the Iron Man suit was, because now was neither the time nor the place. "Well," Steve began, trying to figure out how to say 'where I'm from Howard Stark owned a weapons company,' "some things are...definitely not the same across universes?" He really didn't know where this was going.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

It was for protection and exploration! Really!

"He lied to me that whole time."

[screwyoumarvel]

Uh-huh, you just keep telling yourself that, Tony.

"Well," Steve said awkwardly, "Sometimes things aren't as simple as adults can explain to kids. And I'm sure he...had his reasons?"

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

JUST WAIT UNTIL ARMOR WARS, STEVE. JUST WAIT.

"Not like he can explain them now." Emo some more, Tony.

[screwyoumarvel]

"No," Steve agreed quietly, "but you can't hold that against him, Tony."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Yes, but he really wanted to. Because how was that fair to leave him like this?

"One year last month," he muttered.

[screwyoumarvel]

"I'm sorry," Steve said. "I know it's hard, and I'm sorry that there are some things he'll never get to explain to you, but...being angry at him won't help. It just tarnishes the good memories you have."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"How do I even know they're good memories now? What else did he lie about?" See, this is what happens when you have a pedestal under your dead father? "It's just--is this why Stane is so fixated on weaponizing Stark technology? Is this why he died?"

[screwyoumarvel]

"I don't know, Tony," Steve said. "I just don't know, and some of those questions you're never going to get answers to, but they're only not good memories if you decide they're not. You can't blame him for that. My dad was drunk a lot of my childhood; it's what killed him, and I know he was drunk in some of my memories of him but he was still my dad, and we still had some good times."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"I want him back," Tony said, voice cracking. He was going to blame the fact that he now had girl hormones for this. Because that was the only reason why it could happen.

[screwyoumarvel]

"I know," Steve said softly, reaching out to put his arm around Tony's shoulders. "I know you do."

Yes. They could totally blame the girl hormones.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

All the girl hormones here.

Tony would also blame that for why he was now clinging like a koala hugging Mr. Rogers. Because that was weird. Shut up, he was allowed to have his requisite nervous break downs.

It was a Tony Stark thing.

At least nothing blew up?

[screwyoumarvel]

Steve sighed and shifted so that Tony's face was more toward his shoulder than his...chest. "It's okay to cry, you know. And it's okay to miss him."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Because no one wanted Tony smothered by patriotic breasts. Other than other Tonys out there in other universes. "He was the only thing I had left after mom."

Because rich orphans made the best heroes.

[screwyoumarvel]

"I know," Steve said again, patting Tony's shoulder. "But you'll be all right. You'll see. I know it's hard, but...you really will be all right."

Steve had been a teen orphan too! He just had no money.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Just be so kind to ignore the sniffling, Steve. Maybe also the fact that your poor shirt was going to have a wet shoulder.

Tony Stark did not do showing weakness terribly well.

[screwyoumarvel]

Oh, please, it wasn't the first time a Tony Stark had cried on him and it probably wouldn't be the last. At least this Tony wasn't drunk, so the chance of vomit was low. "Just let it out," Steve recommended.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Next time he'd make sure to live up to those high standards, Steve. Don't make him.

"Being a girl sucks."

[screwyoumarvel]

Steve sighed. Again. He seemed to be doing a lot of that today. "Just don't say that around any girls," he advised Tony.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Tony rubbed one of his eyes, pulling away to manfully pretend that never happened. "Please, like I would. Steph can kick my ass even with these lessons."

[screwyoumarvel]

"Steph is your girlfriend, right?" Steve checked. "She's probably had more time to practice." He guessed. He didn't know her story.

But, yes, the manfully pretending that had never happened. Steve knew this part well.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"She... grew up in a bad neighborhood." Yes, that worked.

[screwyoumarvel]

"Well, self-defense is important," Steve said. Which was true, as far as it went.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Tony nodded in complete understanding there. Because all superheros needed bad ass fighting skills. "I was going to go back to the helicarrier to check on the engines again. The one problem was solved, but those things haven't been repaired in way too long."

[screwyoumarvel]

Steve studied him for a moment to verify he was serious, then asked, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

That was code, Tony. Code for 'I don't think this is a good idea.'

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"They need the help and if I do this, maybe they'll let me figure out what's wrong with the Living Laser and fix it."

Because Tony had awesome ideas.

[screwyoumarvel]

"The Living Laser," Steve echoed. "Of course." Because reminding SHIELD that you were the sort of person who hacked into their systems to watch their video feeds while you were supposed to be keeping their base from crashing was going to endear you to them so much, right?

He took a deep breath, then said, "You really shouldn't go up there alone." A pause, and then, quickly added, "And by 'not alone' I mean 'with an adult.'" So grabbing Topher or something didn't count.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"What happened to him was caused by stolen protoypes of my dad's. I have to at least try to fix it," Tony said, giving Steve those puppy eyes of his. "Would you come with?"

[screwyoumarvel]

...well, it was good to know that the obsession with fixing anything Tony deemed a misuse of Stark tech was a thing that held true across universes, even if it was, historically, the cause of several of Steve's bigger headaches. "Yes, I'll chaperone you," he said. Or sighed. One of those. "But for the love of God, not until you're in the right body again."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

It was a Tony thing, Steve. A Tony thing.

Tony looked down at himself. "Yeah, I don't think Fury would buy me being my own long lost sister."

[screwyoumarvel]

"No," Steve agreed, smiling at the thought. "And then later you'd have to explain where your long-lost sister had gone."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Space?" Yeah, that would work.

[screwyoumarvel]

Sounded legit. "You could probably get away with it," Steve said, "but let's not risk it."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

She was a Skrull!

"Maybe after class?" Tony suggested.