Fic: Awake

[evieapple.livejournal.com]

itle: Awake (I couldn't be bothered to come up with anything better)
Author: evieapple
Rating: PG-13 for Tony's dirty dirty mouth.
Summary: AU where Steve is found in the 70s-ish, when Tony is still in College (so I'll guess and say early twenties). Steve wakes up like in the Captain America movie, except they don't catch him and he runs off.
Author notes: So yeh, this happened. I'm about as surprised as you are. This is my first time writing Tony and Steve (and actually finishing it....if you could call this finished), so concrit it welcome. Written for Ironfries on tumblr (mostly thanks can go to her ramblings). Blame can also go to this gif which started it all.

Am I doing this right? O.o

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“Oh, good, you’re awake.”

Steve blinked his eyes open, the room before him fuzzy and too bright. His head ached, he could feel his heart beating in his ears, and his skin felt overly sensitive to the thin cotton sheets beneath him.

Trying to sit up, Steve finally noticed the source of the voice, a young man who had suddenly gone into a tizzy at his movements and was speaking rapidly, hands flailing about in front of him.

“Oh man, are you okay? Please don’t kill me. You look too military, with that shirt, to not know how to kill me thirty different ways with just your thumb. Why did I bring you in here? I swear, I was trying to be nice.  Are you going to throw up? Cause that would be so not cool, I mean, not like I haven’t been there before, man, but really? I should have just left you out there.”

Steve was having difficulty keeping up.

Clinging onto the last sentence, Steve said, “Wait. Left me out where? What happened?”

Mouth open, face sporting a look of surprise, the boy (young man? He couldn’t be any older than Steve) sat down on the chair by his bed.

“Well, ah, you see. I was just coming home from College, was just grabbing my mail, all junk mail and bills, I hate getting mail, when you suddenly sped around the corner, full pelt, nearly ran into me by the way, you might want to watch where you’re going next time. I may have yelled some obscenities your way, but that’s all water under the bridge. Anyway, you’ve passed me, when suddenly you just stopped and collapsed on the cement. I nearly shit myself, I swear. So, being the nice guy I am, I dragged you inside, and let me tell you, that was no easy feat. I mean, fuck, you have to weigh at least twice as much as me. I don’t know any first aid, actually, I nearly failed biology in high school, but you were breathing and there was no blood so I took that as a good sign. And here you are. Wide awake and looking damn fine.”

Steve sort of remembered that. After breaking out of that building where he was being held, everything just blurred into hours of running, always looking behind to see if he was being followed, turning random corners.  

Now that he knew what had happened, he felt that he could relax, if only marginally. Sinking back into the pillows, Steve brought his hands up to rub at his eyes. He felt so tired, and intermittently, a shiver would run up and down his spine. He felt like snuggling under mountains of blankets with a hot chocolate and never coming out again.

“So, ah. I’m Tony. What’s your name? Unless you just want me to call you Hot stuff, or Blondie. Actually, I’ll probably end up calling you that at some point. Whatever. I totally don’t need to know your name. I’ll just,”

Steve interrupted Tony’s tirade. He seemed like the talkative type. “I’m Steve. It’s very nice to meet you Tony.” Steve wasn’t at all put off by the ‘hot stuff’ comment. Not at all. Maybe he meant something else? Or was it some kind of joke? Either way, Tony seemed to be a very strange fellow. Steve could see the stain of motor oil and ink on Tony’s fingers. On his cheekbone was a healing cut, he must have been in a fight, and his clothing was clearly cheap and well worn.

Tony just smiled and nodded. “It’s nice to meet you too, Steve.”

For a moment there was just silence as they stared at each other. Suddenly, Tony threw himself out of the chair in a flurry of movement.

“Are you hungry? Would you like a drink? Water or something a little stronger? A blanket? A bucket to throw up in? Anything? I’m a terrible host. I never do this. I need to get some friends. Or at least an excuse to have people over. It’s not like I live in a cardboard box on the side of the road, no matter how much this place might resemble it.” He eventually cut himself off and just stared at Steve imploringly.

Now that he thought about it, he was rather hungry. Ravenous.

“Well, I am rather hungry. And some water wouldn’t do any harm.” Steve said, as he smiled at him. Tony nodded and raced out the door.

“A blanket wouldn’t be unwelcome either.” Steve called after his retreating figure.

Within five minutes Tony was back, arms laden with blankets, and carefully balancing what looked to be a plate of reheated pizza and a glass of water.

“That was fast.” Steve took the plate and glass off the top of the blankets, letting Tony throw them over his legs.

“Yeh, well, the microwave still works well enough, thank god. Haven’t been able to get the necessary parts to fix the oven yet, although, I’ve been thinking about giving it some adjustments anyway. Give it some real fire power you know.” Steve ignored most of that outburst. Micro-what? What ever you say, Tony.

Pulling the blankets further up his legs, Steve grabbed a piece of pizza and took a bite. Tony had taken the seat by the bed again. Steve quickly devoured the pizza and sculled the glass of water. Tony just looked on in amazement. Steve passed Tony the plate and glass, and smiled at him gratefully. Lying back and feeling contently full, Steve snuggled further under the blankets. They were thick and fluffy, and Steve couldn’t help but bask in the warmth they radiated. He could feel it warming him to his very bones.  He knows he won’t be able to stop himself falling asleep, so why try?

Closing his eyes, and before it’s too late, before this dream (or surprisingly good/strange nightmare) ends, he murmurs, “Thanks Tony”.

“No problem, big guy.” With a gentle pat on the shoulder, Tony turns out the lights and closes the door behind him, leaving Steve to his rest.