Storytime with Rachel F Hundred

Tony is working when the news that SHIELD is HYDRA breaks with all the subtly of a nuclear bomb exploding.

As Assistant Director DiNozzo of the Homeland’s Special Task Force, he’s dispatched almost immediately from Homeland’s D.C. HQ as part of a containment force of agents, National Guard, Metro police – hell, anyone with any kind of martial ability or a badge is deployed.

Tony leads his team into the chaos of falling Helicarriers, a crumbling unstable building, shocked SHIELD loyalists and fleeing HYDRA spies.  Someone complains about their intelligence network hitting the web, but a second later someone yells that Stark is on it from New York saving Tony from calling him.

He’s in the middle of strategizing the rescue operation at the banks of the Potomac when…

‘Anthony.’

…his Pop’s voice whispers through his mind like a gentle breeze through a forest. 

‘Your soulmate; you must help him.’

The image of a battered soldier with a metal arm – a man he has been dreaming about for years – is suddenly at the forefront of Tony’s mind for a long moment before it recedes leaving only a sense of direction.

He sends his Pop a silent thought of agreement coupled with gratitude.  He sends his team in the opposite direction, taking only his partner, Logan, with him along the route which he knows will lead to his soulmate. 

They find the soldier easily enough; he’s hovering over the prone form of a patriotically suited Captain America.  Both look wet, bedraggled and half-beaten to death.

The soldier startles into a defensive position, a knife in his grasp ready to throw, but when his gaze lands on Tony, his blue eyes widen, and he freezes.

“You’ve been dreaming about me,” Tony says confidently, keeping still and knowing Logan will follow his lead.

“Soulmate,” rasps out the soldier.

“Soulmate,” Tony agrees.  “Will you let me help you?”

The soldier blinks and swallows, confusion all over his face.  “I…” he shakes his head and points at the still figure by his feet.  “He said he knew me.”

“James Buchanan Barnes,” Tony says the name out loud.  “You were his best friend once.”

“They broke me, remade me as their weapon,” Barnes says roughly.  “I’m not him anymore.”

“Everyone breaks,” Logan says gruffly beside him.  He raises a fist and his claws emerge in a bloody snick.

Tony lets his form change slowly, melting away into his biological mother’s blue scaly skin and yellow eyes. 

Barnes huffs and looks down at his former friend.  “He needs medical attention.”

“You both need medical attention,” Tony points out dryly.

“I’m operational,” Barnes says in a flat tone.  “He pulled his punches.”  He shakes his head.  “If you take me in, they’ll find me, they always do.”

Tony glances at Logan.  The older man shrugs.   

“Can you make it to New York?” asks Tony. 

Barnes nods warily.

“Go to The Xavier School in Winchester,” Tony says.  “My Pops lives there.  He’s a telepath and can protect you.  He’ll help you get your head clear.”

Barnes breathes out sharply.  “He can do that?”

“He can do that,” Tony confirms.

Relief shimmers in Barnes’ blue eyes.  “And you?  Where will you be?”

“Clearing up your buddy’s mess,” Tony says, trying to keep his anger at Steve Rogers out of his clipped tone.  From the way Barnes’ eyebrow arches, he’s not successful.

“But then you’ll come to New York?” asks Barnes.

Tony breathes out slowly and he nods.  “Then I’ll come and find you.”

Barnes’ head suddenly cocks to the side.  “People are coming.”

Tony hurries to grab his wallet as he walks over, putting himself in striking distance of Barnes, and pushes a note at him.

Barnes takes it with evident reluctance. 

“It’s coordinates of a safe house,” Tony explains, “you’ll find money, clothes and ID there.”

“Weapons?” asks Barnes crisply.

Tony nods.

Barnes takes one last glance at Rogers.  He looks up and reaches out with his human hand, cupping Tony’s cheek carefully.  “You’re even more beautiful than I dreamed, doll.”

Tony reaches up to cover Barnes’ hand.  “We are one, James Buchanan Barnes.  My name is…”

“Anthony,” Barnes completes.  He presses his forehead against Tony.  “Be safe.”

The kiss is fleeting, a dry press of lips and chaste – and then he’s gone, disappearing into the foliage, silent and deadly.

“You sure know how to pick ‘em,” Logan sighs.  “Come on.  Call it in and let’s get Captain Moron to a doctor.”  He stalks away to start first aid.

Tony rolls his eyes at Logan’s back, but he’s already reaching for his cell phone to make the call.   “Command, this is Home Team Leader, we have found Steve Rogers and require immediate medical assistance to my GPS location.”

There is confirmation that help is on its way before the call ends.

Tony looks briefly back towards the direction his soulmate headed before turning back to help Logan, reconfiguring into his usual look; he’s worn his face, the face of Anthony DiNozzo Junior most of his life.

He’s found his soulmate and he’ll be with him again, but he needs to focus on his job and putting HYDRA down once and for all if his soulmate is to be safe.

o-O-o

None of the names he’s carried in his unnaturally long life fit his skin anymore, but James feels safe. 

His mother called him James.

He remembers that now.

James stands across the road from the school gates for a long time debating whether to go inside. 

He’s dreamed of the school with its extensive grounds and lovely old architecture.  He knows his soulmate grew up in its walls, behind the wrought-iron gates. 

Anthony DiNozzo Junior.

Born to Elizabeth Paddington aka Raven aka the chameleon mutant known as Mystique.  The Red Room had wanted her for the Black Widow programme, but she was elusive and deadly.  Rumour had it she had been the one to kill Madame B, the wife of Dreykov.

He knows from his research that Raven had faked her own death when Tony was eight. He figures she did it partially to hide the fact that Tony had started to turn blue and partially because she’d come to hate being trapped in her marriage.  She’d immediately taken custody of her son posing as an English uncle and DiNozzo Senior had given up his kid without a murmur, happy with the big check he’d received.

Raven hadn’t been interested in mothering.  She’d brought Tony to her actual adoptive brother, Charles Xavier and had left him.

It was the most loving choice she could have made.

Xavier had raised Tony in the bosom of his school, loved and accepted for who he was. 

He is James’ best hope to get the words out of his head.

He tugs his cap lower, shoves his hands into the denim jacket he wears and makes his way across the street.   There is a side-gate which he uses and he walks up the path, nerves playing in his belly.  He’s not surprised at the sight of the bald man in the wheelchair at the end of the path, a short walk to the house.

James stops in front of Charles Xavier.  “You know why I’m here.”

“I know,” Xavier says simply.  “I can help you, James.”

James swallows against the lump in his throat.  “Even if I walk away from Tony afterwards?”

Xavier’s thin eyebrows rise.  “That is your prerogative, but I think you’ll find Anthony is stubborn about the people he loves.”

“He doesn’t know me,” James says roughly.  “If he knew everything…”

“He knows,” Xavier says evenly.  “He’s known who you are and what you were made for as long as he has dreamed of you.”

James scrubbed a hand over his face.  “Nobody should have to dream about that.”

Xavier hums.  “Anthony’s resilience is one of his many qualities.  As his father, I would encourage you to stay and talk with him.”

“If I stay, he’ll be in danger,” James says.  “You all will.”

‘Well, this isn’t a typical school.’

The voice whispers through his head and he flinches.

“I can stop you with a thought,” Xavier says.  “The other teachers and I can defend against HYDRA if they come.”

“They’ll come,” James says.  It’s the one thing he has certainty over.  No matter how many times he destroys the trackers, no matter how many times he hides, they always find him in the end.

“Will you let me help you, James?” asks Xavier.

James takes a breath and nods.  He can’t quite hope that he’ll be able to stay, to be with his soulmate, but he can stay and get the words out of his head.

“You should call me, Charles,” Xavier says.  The wheelchair rolls around without Xavier laying a hand on the wheels.  “Come on then.  We should get you settled.”

James follows him.  He’ll get the words out.  That’s all.

o-O-o

Steve Rogers is an all-American pain-in-the-ass.

Tony stares at the stubborn set of Steve’s jaw and wishes he was anywhere but where he was – stuck in a conference room trying to get the truth out of Captain America over the events that had gone down.

Director Morrow presses his lips into a thin line as Rogers refuses to answer another question.  He’s heading up the interview out of respect for Rogers’ past service, but Tony’s served with Morrow long enough to know the usual unflappable man is nearing the end of his patience.

Tony glances at his boss and raises an eyebrow in a silent plea to step in.  Morrow nods. 

Tony sighs and leans forward over the polished wood table.  “Captain Rogers, let’s cut to the chase here.  You became suspicious of SHIELD’s motivations upon learning of Project Insight,” he holds up a hand, “we know that because Fury has already told us.”

Rogers flushes, streaks of red along his cheekbones.  He looks down at his clasped hands atop the table.

“Fury was targeted to be assassinated because Pierce realised that he was getting too close to the truth,” Tony continues.  “We know Pierce came after you in the wake of Fury faking his death, and you fled into hiding with Natalia Romanova.  We know you sought sanctuary with Air Sergeant Sam Wilson and that he helped you.”

He waits a beat for Rogers to look up again and meet his eyes.

“We know that SHIELD operatives liberated you from Pierce’s custody and that you determined a plan – a stupid half-assed plan, but a plan nevertheless to stop HYDRA from implementing Insight,” Tony says.  “In the wake of that plan being executed, Homeland Security is working with Damage Control to clean up.  We can’t do that effectively if you continue protecting HYDRA under the delusion it protects Sergeant Barnes.”

Rogers loses colour so fast that Tony is momentarily worried that the guy’s going to faint in his seat.

“None of it is Bucky’s fault!” Rogers snaps out, colour flooding back into his face at an equally alarming rate.

Morrow raises his eyebrows as he clues into why Rogers hasn’t been cooperative.  “Sergeant Barnes is an acknowledged war hero.  We have HYDRA’s records on the extensive torture and brainwashing that he was subjected to in his time as their prisoner.  It’s clear that he cannot be held responsible for the kills attributed to the Winter Soldier.”

“What?” asks Rogers breathlessly.

“James Barnes actions were done under severe duress combined with mental coercion,” Morrow restates firmly.  “He cannot be held legally accountable for his actions as the Winter Soldier.  We’ve already confirmed as much to the lawyer he has engaged.”

Or rather the lawyer his Pops had engaged for James, Tony muses. 

He hasn’t spoken to James since his soulmate had gone to the school.  He knows from his father that James is conflicted about the future, about having a soulmate when HYDRA still stalks him, about whether he deserves a soulmate given all the harm he’d caused as the Winter Soldier. 

Understanding his legal position hasn’t diluted any of the guilt James feels. 

Tony shakes himself mentally and returns his attention to the room.

“Sergeant Barnes has sensibly remanded himself into the care of health professionals who can help him recover from his ordeal,” Morrow is saying to a speechless Rogers.  “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice have agreed that he is cleared of legal fault in the matter, and they will not pursue him.  I believe Stark is petitioning for the U.N to make a similar statement to provide a layer of protection for Barnes outside of the States.”

“Because lack of justice sucks for the families of the Soldier’s victims,” Logan growls out.  He’s leaning on a wall behind them, eschewing the seat at the table.  “But even Stark gets it.”

Morrow darts an admonishing look at Logan. 

“Stark knows about…” Rogers’ voice trails away, his face is drained of colour again.

“Your plan involved releasing all of SHIELD’s intelligence database to the Internet,” Tony points out dryly.  “The Winter Soldier’s assassination of the Starks and the cover-up by SHIELD were part of the record.”

Rogers looks away to the large window which has a view of nothing but blue sky.  He shifts restlessly in his chair.

“If you want to protect Sergeant Barnes, your best move is to answer our questions so we can dismantle HYDRA’s operations,” Morrow says.

Rogers ducks his head, but he takes a deep breath and when his head comes up, there is determination shining in his blue eyes. 

The rest of the session goes better with Rogers prepared to actually talk.

If Tony has to swallow his tongue every five minutes to hide his horror at Rogers’ lack of knowledge about the modern world, or his self-righteousness at acting illegally because he and his friends had to save the world and that trumped things like breaking into Air Force supply warehouses, kidnapping suspects and throwing them off buildings, and…well, the list goes on.

The only thing that horrifies Tony more than just how uninformed SHIELD had left Captain America is that usually sensible people had followed Rogers’ plan.  That spoke to the cult of personality that Rogers was able to wield.

He remembers once talking about Erik Lehnsherr with his father after meeting the man for the first time…

“There is nothing more dangerous, Anthony, than a man, convinced of the righteousness of his own cause, able to command the love and loyalty of others in spite of what they themselves know to be fact.  Such is true of Erik.”    

He can see the similarities between Lehnsherr and Rogers.  It sends a chill down his spine.

They finally finish up and the sky outside is lilac heading for indigo.

Rogers clears his throat loudly as they stand and gather their things.  “Do you know where Bucky is?  Can I see him?”

Morrow pauses in picking up his laptop to stare at Rogers.  “He has requested for his location to remain unknown, not just for his safety but for the people around him.”

“But wouldn’t it be best for him to have someone he knows with him?  And I can protect him!” Rogers argues.

“It’s not my call, Captain,” Morrow says, managing to look somewhat sympathetic.  “Sergeant Barnes has made his wishes clear and we are respecting his choice.  God knows he hasn’t had the opportunity to decide much for himself for the majority of his life.”

Morrow sweeps out before Rogers can say anything more.

“Listen, bud,” Logan says, capturing Rogers’ attention, “you want to do the right thing by your friend?  Get your head out of your ass and do your homework on the world you live in now.  Whether it was SHIELD or HYDRA who kept you in a bubble, it wasn’t to your benefit.  You’ll be in a better place to be a friend to him when he’s ready to see you again if you get yourself educated.”

Logan turns to leave.

“You remind me of someone,” Rogers blurts out.

“You served with James Howlett on a couple of missions,” Logan replies with a shrug.

“Lucky Jim,” Rogers murmurs, as his eyes sweep over Logan again.  “I can see the resemblance.” His expression turns tentative.  “Ah, is he…”

“The man you knew died a long time ago,” Logan states bluntly.  He leaves before Rogers can press him on details.

It’s a wise move since explaining that Logan was once James Howlett is definitely off the table.

“I guess he inherited Jim’s straight way of talking,” Rogers says sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“He’s not wrong about the bubble you’ve been in,” Tony says.  “You have to wonder why HYDRA wanted you uninformed and naïve to the way the world works now.”

Rogers nods, chagrin painted all over his expressive face.  “I just…I wish I could see Bucky one time with my own eyes so I know he’s OK.”

Tony’s not unmoved by the puppy-dog eyes and he gets it because he would rather be in New York, supporting his soulmate than cleaning up the mess Rogers had made in D.C., but he has a job to do,  and Morrow is right; James’ choice is the only one that matters.

“We’ll be in touch if the situation changes,” Tony offers diplomatically.  “Come on.  I’ll see you out.”

Somehow, he’s not surprised to find Tony Stark in his office when he returns from escorting Rogers from the building.  His relationship with Stark is complicated.  Stark is older, but they’ve both been in the same social circles for years; they’ve been in and out of each other’s beds in-between relationships since it was legal because they both like sex and physical comfort. 

At the heart of it – they are friends.     

“Rogers isn’t going to drop his hunt for Barnes, you know,” Stark throws the stress ball into the air and catches it.

Tony sinks into his office chair with a sigh.  He knows Stark is right but he’s not going to tell Stark that.  “How are you doing with everything?”

“Pissed at SHIELD for keeping the truth from me,” Stark replies honestly.  “Pissed at Cap.  He was never going to tell me himself, was he?”

“Rogers?” Tony shook his head.  “I doubt it.”

“You told me straight away,” Stark sighs, putting the ball on the desk. 

“I’m not Rogers,” Tony quips.

“Thank God for that!” Stark retorts.  He stands and pushes his hands into his pockets.  “He doesn’t know about you and Barnes.”

“Nope,” Tony says.

Stark rocks back a touch, staring at an old movie poster Tony has hanging on the wall across the office.  “My Dad noted in his journal that Rogers stopped dreaming of his soulmate after the serum.”

Tony raises his eyebrows.  “I get that.  His whole sense of who he was changed in that moment, right?”

“But Barnes dreamed about you?” questions Stark.

“Different serum, different circumstances,” Tony notes. 

“You think you and Barnes will work it out?” Stark asks.

Tony grimaces.  “I want to hope so, but…” he smiles widely to cover his insecurity, “Dad and Erik are kind of the poster boys for soulmates not working out so I know it doesn’t always go the way you hope.”

“There are days when I am entirely relieved I’ve never dreamed of a soulmate,” Stark admits. 

“Hmmm, didn’t you dream about his code before you built DUM-E?” Tony teases.

Stark startles into a laugh.  “Are you saying DUM-E is my soulmate?”

“All your bots,” Tony says with a grin.  “Definitely JARVIS.”

Stark’s face softens with obvious affection for his creations.  “You’re probably right.”

“I would be honoured to be your soulmate, sir,” JARVIS pipes up from Stark’s phone. 

“Of course you are, who wouldn’t be?” Stark quips.

Tony motions for him to leave the office.  “Go.  Some of us work for a living.”

“Dinner?” asks Stark.

“Yeah, come by my place, I’ll cook,” Tony says.  “Bring Rhodes.”  The Air Force Colonel had looked worn when Tony had ran into him in the Pentagon that morning.

Stark waves his agreement as he saunters out.

Tony turns back to his work.  The sooner he can dismantle HYDRA the safer his soulmate will be.

o-O-o

It’s quieter at the school than James had anticipated.

Sure, the main wing where the school is housed rings with the shouts and laughter of children and teenagers from first bell to curfew, but James finds that surprisingly comforting. 

He’s staying in the Xavier family wing where peace and quiet reign.

James is only half-surprised that he and Charles are the only occupants.

There’s a suite of rooms set aside for Tony and that’s where James has opted to stay in the six months it has taken to clear his mind of HYDRA’s traps, the Russian’s Winter Soldier conditioning.  He’s still uncertain of the future but there’s less urgency to leave now and he takes comfort in being in Tony’s space with Tony’s things.    

There are paintings on the wall that James has dreamed about – paintings Tony has created.  His piano sits by the big bay window in the drawing room of the suite and James sometimes sits on the stool and watches the world go by.

He hasn’t slept in Tony’s bed, taking Tony’s small guest room off to the side of the main bedroom suite.  If they do make it to a future, James can imagine a baby taking up the space.  He’d dreamed about children once with Tony’s smile and his own eyes…

He snuggles into the window seat of the Xavier family library.  He’s rediscovered reading and he loves this spot.  It overlooks the private gardens at the side of the house and the scent of flowers drifts up to the open window.

He’s warm enough in an Ohio State University sweater.  It’s Tony’s.  It’s old and worn and warm.  His hair is down because it’s difficult to put it into his preferred low bun one-handed.  He glances at the empty space on his left side.

Hank McCoy had helped remove it and James is relieved to be rid of it.  It had felt like a ballast tying him down; a physical chain to the identity of the Winter Soldier.  Apparently, there is a cybernetics expert they’re consulting with for a replacement and James will have options.  James thinks the expert is probably Stark.

He’s a little jealous of the guy even though he knows he shouldn’t be – he knows from his dreams that whatever arrangement Tony and Stark had before, it’s in the past with James on the scene.

He thinks of the email Stark had written him.  He’d been too nervous to read it for a while, but then he’d told himself it was the least the kid was owed after killing his parents and –

Stark forgave him. 

He’d said that his parents’ deaths aren’t James’ fault, and that the only important thing is that James gets well because that’s the ultimate ‘Fuck You’ to HYDRA.

James can get on board with that.

He taps his chest.  He’s written letters to his victims’ families; explanations for some of what happened to their loved ones, simple apologies to others because he doesn’t know why he was sent to kill them only that he did.  Some don’t even get that; innocents who were collateral damage because they were between him and his target, or him and his exit.  He doesn’t know all their names, can barely remember their faces.

The whine of Charles’ wheelchair precedes his entry into the library. 

James smiles as the older man approaches. 

“Good book?” asks Charles, his smooth English baritone sliding over James.

James lifts the book to show off the title.

“Ah, Pride and Prejudice,” Charles says with satisfaction.  “A classic.”

“I watched the series Tony has,” James says.  “It was great.”  He’s finding the book a little slow going but he vaguely remembered a dog-eared copy somewhere in his past; he’d hoarded that book until he’d been wiped again.

“I wanted to forewarn you,” Charles says, “Anthony is in-bound with Doctor Stark.  Apparently, there was some kind of incident on the last mission to Sokovia.”

James feels a flutter of nerves at the idea of seeing Tony again, laying eyes on him.  “Anyone else with him?”

He’s mostly worried about Stevie being part of the visiting group.  God knows the punk hasn’t given up searching for him despite being told to stand down.

“Just Tony, Logan, and Doctor Stark,” Charles says.

James nods and shifts from the window.  “I’ll get some boots on.”

A few minutes later, he’s following Charles to the helicopter landing pad on the far lawn.  He faintly recognises the lithe form of Tony Stark jumping down from the helicopter with a box in his hand, his gestures and demeanour bringing back memories of Howard.  His eyes are on his Tony though.

He’s moving before he’s even thought about it and a second later, he has his good arm wrapped around his soulmate.

Tony melts into his embrace.

James just breathes him in. 

“Not that I’m not loving the reunion,” Stark comments briskly, “but we are kind of on the clock here, people; weird alien sceptre back at the tower, someone playing with my brain…”

James rolls his eyes and Tony chuckles.  They ease back to enjoy a soft kiss. 

“Hey, doll,” James says. 

“James,” Tony smiles at him widely, joy lighting up his eyes. 

James turns to nod at Logan.  “Jim, understand you go by Logan these days?”

“Good to see you in your right mind again, Sarge,” Logan says, clasping his hand.

“Excuse me,” Stark wiggles his hand up by his head, “but can we focus on my head right now?”

“Good to see you, Doctor Stark,” James knows better than to offer his hand.

“It’s Tony,” Stark says.  “Seeing as you’re calling him ‘doll.’”  He spins around to Charles.  “Can we, please…”

“Yes, let’s go inside and check your brain,” Charles agrees.

James and Tony linger as Stark surges ahead with Charles and Logan. 

“Sorry,” Tony says.  “He’s been a little manic since he realised someone might have played with his head.”

“Hey, if anyone understands how crazy you can feel thinking someone’s played with your mind, it’s me,” James says, sliding his hand into Tony’s.

Tony glances at their hands and back up with a hopeful glint in his eyes.  “Maybe after we’re done dealing with the Stark drama we can talk?”

“Yeah, doll,” James says, his own heart beating a fierce drum in his chest.  “I think it’s probably time we did.”

o-O-o

“Well?!” Stark demands impatiently.

His Pop lifts his fingers from Stark’s temple and hums.  “There is evidence of malicious tampering.”  He frowns.  “I’m uncertain of the source, but I have removed all traces.”

“It reminds me of the portal energy that we felt when the Battle of New York took place,” Jean Grey says from the other side of the room.

“Yes,” Pop says, “you’re right.” He turns to Tony.  “You say you recovered the sceptre on the mission?”

“Yes,” Stark answers before Tony can.  “Bruce has it.  We thought it was wise to do a scientific analysis of it before Thor takes it to Asgard.”

“I think it would be wiser to quarantine it,” Pop says.  “Its abilities may be too dangerous to explore.” 

“The sceptre that was used to open the portal, it was in the room with me,” Stark recalls, “but I was looking at it and…I thought there was someone behind me.”

“There definitely was someone behind you,” Pop says.  “Your memory is clear that there was noise behind you, a movement in your peripheral vision.”  He frowns.  “I thought I saw a red mist.” 

“May I?” Jean asks.

Pop nods.

There is a moment of silent communion between the two telepaths.

James stirs beside him.

“They know it’s creepy when they do that, right?” asks Stark loudly.

If his eyes weren’t hidden, Tony figures Scott’s would be rolling as much as Logan’s.

“Red mist, a young woman,” Jean says out loud.

Pop and Jean take simultaneous deep breaths and break eye contact.

“Your culprit is the young woman,” Pop says.

“There were two enhanced on the field,” Tony recounts.  “One took down Clint and Natasha; male.”

“Doctor Stark was clearly her target,” Jean says.  “Her hatred was palpable.”

“Joy,” Stark drawls. 

Tony frowns and pulls out his cell phone.  He connects a call to Maria Hill.  She’s still working for Fury but as a liaison to Homeland.  She picks up immediately.

“Hey, you done seeing if Stark is crazy?” asks Hill bluntly.

“Someone played with his head,” Tony cuts in sharply. 

Hill takes a swift indrawn breath.

“A young woman, enhanced,” Tony continues.  “Did you identify…”

“Wanda and Pietro Maximoff,” Hill answers crisply.  “They underwent experiments in the year before HYDRA were yanked out of the shadows.  He’s got superspeed, she got a mix of telekinetic and telepathic power.”

And Hill had still joked about Stark being crazy to think someone had given him a vision.

Tony shook his head.  “Any reason why they would be specifically pissed at Doctor Stark?”

“Their family home was bombed when they were young teens, the parents were killed outright from the impact of the bomb hitting the building,” Hill says.  “The bomb didn’t explode; it was a Stark bomb.”

“And they blame Tony?”

Stark’s eyebrows rise in response to Tony’s incredulous tone.

“They were teenagers alone for hours with a bomb with his name on it and their dead parents,” Hill says.  “They needed to blame someone, and he was convenient.”

“Great,” Tony says.  “Tell Doctor Banner that it has been recommended to quarantine the sceptre; it could be influencing minds.”

“I’ll let him know,” Hill confirms.  “Rogers wants to know when you’ll be returning to the tower.”

“I’ll call when I know,” Tony says and closes the call. 

He snaps the phone shut and relays the news to the others.

Stark grimaces.  “I don’t think we ever sold bombs to Sokovia.”

“You didn’t,” Tony says briskly, “you sold bombs to the U.S. who sold bombs to factions sympathetic to the U.S. during the Sokovian Civil War.”

“Because that makes it so much better,” Stark mutters.

“Stop feeling guilty,” Tony nudges him exasperatedly, “you literally stopped making weapons when you realised your weapons were being used inappropriately; this isn’t on you.”

“Feels a little like it’s on me,” Stark says, his fingers creating an inch of space.

“Blaming you for the bomb hitting their home is like someone blaming a truck company because someone crashed one into their house,” James points out helpfully in his typical blunt way.  “I get feeling guilty, but you have to learn to let go of the guilt you shouldn’t carry, kid.”

Stark eyes James thoughtfully.  “You know I’m actually older than you in years actually lived?”

James raises an eyebrow.  “I’m old enough that your father hit on me.”

“What?!” blurts out Tony, because that’s news to him.

“Everyone but James slept with Howard,” Logan says bluntly.

“I was already dreaming about Tony,” James shrugs. 

“You missed out,” Logan says, but there’s a teasing glint in his eye which has Tony swallowing down a laugh.

Stark groans and slaps a hand over his face.  “Please, please stop talking about my father and sex!”

“How about I escort you to the lab and we get some protective walls placed on your mind?” offers Pop dryly.

“Will it take long?” asks Stark.  “I’m supposed to be hosting a party.”

“You’ll have to stay overnight,” Pop says.  “I’d rather take my time than damage your brain.”

“I’m all for not damaging my brain!” Stark agrees brightly.  “I’ll text Capsicle; he can run the thing and I’ll just pay for everything.” He waves his phone at them.  “So you know, business as usual.”

Tony’s only half-aware of Stark heading out with his Pop and the others following; he’s too busy drinking in the sight of James smiling.   

James nudges him.  “You OK?”

Tony hums.  “You ever get the feeling that all the shit is about to hit the fan?”

“I went through the entire war feeling that way, doll,” James says.

Tony sighs and runs a hand through his hair.  “I need a vacation.”

“You deserve one,” James says.  “You’ve almost single-handedly dismantled HYDRA.  The Sokovia base was one of the last holdouts, right?”

“Right,” Tony says.  He’s almost in touching distance of coming home to James.

“You want to go upstairs and watch a movie with me, doll?” asks James, a touch tentatively although his eyes are shining with determination.

There are moments when Tony is just in awe at James’ courage.

“Like a date?” checks Tony.

“Like a date,” James says.  “I’ll even spring for some popcorn.”

Tony smiles.  “How can I say no to that?”

They’ve just finished Star Wars, happily cuddled up together on the sofa in Tony’s suite, when they get interrupted by a frantic Stark who’s had an emergency message from JARVIS: despite being in quarantine, the sceptre had a freak AI which has gotten loose, damaged JARVIS and taken control of all of Stark’s suits and sentries.

It’s calling itself Ultron and has decided to save the Earth by killing humanity.

Shit.

Fan.

Tony congratulates himself for totally calling it before he kisses James goodbye and heads back to work. One more mission and hopefully he come home to James for good.

fin.