Penthouse Apartment of That Bitty Tower Labeled Stark, Sunday Evening

[imafuturist]

Well, the whole time in New Orleans had been... interesting. Yes, that was what Tony was going with as he navigated the weird, funhouse mirror versions of events from his own world taking place in Steve's. But now they were back home and waiting for any updates from Fury.

And Steve was, well, not taking the waiting well. Which was why Tony had sent him out for dinner and he was pretty sure Steve had gone into Brooklyn for it. On foot.

Just running out all the emotions in a perfectly healthy fashion.

[for the husband!]

Comments

[imafuturist]

Tony leaned into his side a little for that. "A good step forward."

[heroic_jawline]

"It is," Steve said. "I've missed him."

[imafuturist]

"Feeling better now?"

After walking to Brooklyn.

[heroic_jawline]

"I'll feel better when the Skrulls are resolved, but this seems like a good step back to where we were," Steve said.

[imafuturist]

"We'll get there," Tony promised. "Figured it out before my world did."

Lucky bastards.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve nodded, starting on his dinner. Second dinner. Details. "That's what has me hopeful, though I did notice how they were squirrelly about how many Skrulls are involved."

[imafuturist]

"I think a number would be hard to pin down with something like this," Tony replied slowly. "They're shapeshifters."

[heroic_jawline]

"I'd like to know if it's a few hundred or half the planet," Steve said. "Just to anticipate how hard I'm gonna get hit."

[imafuturist]

"They said something about a colony off planet," Tony said thoughtfully, fiddling with a slice of pizza as he thought about it.

[heroic_jawline]

"They did," Steve said, "so that's probably not for dozens of Skrull."

[imafuturist]

"The ones we dealt with back home, their planet was destroyed. Do you think that's what happened here?"

Hopefully not eaten too. That... would be bad.

[heroic_jawline]

"I'm guessing so," Steve said. "It doesn't feel like an invasion. They just seem to want a place to live."

[imafuturist]

"Kind of makes it harder," Tony murmured. "Doesn't it?"

[heroic_jawline]

"It does," Steve agreed, "and if they hadn't kidnapped Rhodey--"

[imafuturist]

"Well, we probably would have never even known they were here," Tony replied. "Until they revealed themselves. Or after they left."

[heroic_jawline]

"And as long as they didn't hurt anyone, I don't think I would've minded?" Steve said. "We've always been a country of immigrants. This is just a little...further away."

[imafuturist]

"I think green aliens might have been a little harder to sell to people before the Avengers," Tony replied. "You've never seen how people are about mutants."

[heroic_jawline]

"I haven't," Steve said earnestly. "I'm guessing it's not in a way that embraces the wide diversity of the lived experience?"

[imafuturist]

"Got it in one," Tony said with a sigh. "Somehow a Norse God is much more palatable than a teenager who woke up one day being able to fly."

[heroic_jawline]

"Well, Thor looks like Thor," Steve said, "and people can be shallow."

[imafuturist]

Tony elbowed him gently for that. "It's fear."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve smiled softly back at him. "I know it's fear. I'm trying to work past my own."

[imafuturist]

"We'll figure it out," Tony promised. "You've got your team back."

[heroic_jawline]

"We're definitely moving in the right direction," he agreed, looking happier than he had in almost a year.

[imafuturist]

"What next?" Tony had to ask.