Secret AIM Facility - Long Island, NY - Saturday Morning

[imafuturist]

After the complete clusterfuck that was yesterday, Tony was going for a tried and true method of coping called 'go beat up bad guys for touching his stuff.' It was super fun.

And he did promise to let this version of Steve hit the armor for stress tests, but hitting AIM seemed like a way better plan. So, hitting AIM it was.

"If you see anyone in ridiculous yellow outfits, they're the bad guys," Tony said, looking through the list of Stark technology on the premises that was helpfully listed by JARVIS after a quick scan of the place. He was going to blow up so much stuff today.

It almost made up for the fact that he was in Long Island.

[for the captain who would be confused if Tony said 'Assemble!']

Comments

[heroic_jawline]

Suuuuuch a tool.

"It's kind of nice," Steve said. "It'd be even harder to be here if the people I recognized weren't people I'd like."

[imafuturist]

A tool with daddy issues and bad hair.

"Yeah?"

[heroic_jawline]

And a helmet that made Thor's look dignified and restrained.

"You've made this acclimation a lot easier," Steve said, blue eyes big and earnest. "So thank you."

Bucky had made things complicated, but Bucky always made things complicated.

[imafuturist]

Bucky was the original fridged girlfriend sidekick. Complicated was possibly his middle name.

Tony beamed a little because lacked chill when given compliments by friends. "Well, I couldn't let you go live in a sad hotel. That'd be inhumane."

[heroic_jawline]

"Have you seen the school? I'm pretty sure the hotel isn't sad," Steve said, smiling up at the girl dropping their pizzas off. "Thanks."

[imafuturist]

And the girl promptly turned red again. Way to go, Steve.

Tony pushed forward enough cash to have bought about five more pizzas because that was how he rolled.

"You get to carry them, winghead," he said, heading to one of the tables with chairs that in no way looked like they should support a full grown adult who still had shame.

[heroic_jawline]

"But what are you going to eat?" Steve teased as he picked up the pizzas and followed Tony back, then stood and judged the chairs. "If I end up on my butt here, I'm gonna be a little upset."

[imafuturist]

"I'm sorry, is the super soldier who miraculously survived being frozen worried about a tiny fall?" Tony asked. "I mean, you are ninety something. A broken hip is no laughing matter."

[heroic_jawline]

"Just for that, I'm eating an entire pizza by myself."

That'll show him, Steve.

He sat carefully in the chair, which creaked but held.

[imafuturist]

For now.

Tony took his own seat warily because he was but a frail human. "Oh, trust me. I've seen how much both you and my Steve can pack away. It's obscene."

Doubled the food bill, Steve. Doubled.

[heroic_jawline]

"Super stamina," Steve said, blushing slightly. "It wasn't my idea."

[imafuturist]

"Now I see why you hang out with me. I can afford to keep you fed," Tony replied, grabbing a slice to eat.

[heroic_jawline]

"Thanks to the wonders of inflation and 70 years of backpay, I can afford to keep me fed too," Steve said with a little grin.

[imafuturist]

"Thank you for making me feel less used," Tony said with a mouthful of pizza. Because he was a classy billionaire.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve chuckled. "Happy to help."

That part was sadly, earnestly true. Steve was always happy to help.

[imafuturist]

"Alright," Tony said once he was finished with that slice. He pointed at Steve. "Weirdest part of the future."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve chewed thoughtfully on his third slice. "Aliens," he said nodding.

[imafuturist]

"Total cop-out. Aliens are weird even for us." A beat. "Most of us."

[heroic_jawline]

"I didn't know that," Steve admitted. "Everyone here seems to think it's normal."

[imafuturist]

"We've had more alien invasions here." Oh, fond memories of the last one. Wait. None of them were fond. "I got kidnapped by an alien queen once. That was definitely a new one."

[heroic_jawline]

"Were you all right?" Steve asked, concerned.

[imafuturist]

"Yeah, apparently I look like the ideal mate for someone working on taking over the planet," Tony said, rolling his eyes and pulling away two slices before Steve managed to start in on his pie. "It's a trial being this pretty."

[heroic_jawline]

"I wouldn't know," Steve said with a slightly wry smile.

Guess who still didn't really see himself in a mirror.

[imafuturist]

Which would be why Tony responded with a, "Ha."

Because that was a joke, Steve. That had to be a joke.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve blushed and tried to hide it behind a slice of pizza.