Fandom TheAvengers (2012)
Character(s)/Pairing(s) Steve Rogers, Tony Stark; implied Steve/Tony
Genre Drama/Friendship
Rating PG
WordCount 786
Disclaimer The Avengers c. Lee, Kirby, Marvel
Summary The time comes when Steve knows he has to become a part of the present despite all that Tony set up for him.
Warning(s) possible spoilers for CaptainAmerica (2011), IronMan (2008), IronMan2 (2010), and a couple tiny, tiny things you'd have to know nothing about the Avengers in general spoilers for TheAvengers (2012)
Notes To be honest I thought of the movie characters because those are the voices I can hear in my head the easiest when I think of dialogue.

Just before Adapting

The room at the Avengers' mansion was nice. It was by far the nicest place Steve ever lived in his entire life. However, sitting on the bed staring at the vintage radio on the nightstand, he felt a pain. Steve stood up and dressed quietly. Timeless clothing that almost resembled his own closet decades ago, only the fabrics had different textures, colors, and belt loops lined Steve's closets. He found a hat, scarf, and gloves set out on a shelf in the closet with all of his outerwear. Steve pulled on his leather jacket, a welcomed and familiar feel, and headed down to the heated garage to retrieve his motorcycle for a ride in the cold December morning.

Steve slowed as he approached his motorcycle. Tony stood not far away, pretending to admire one of the Stark family classic convertibles housed in the spot next to the motorcycle. "Morning." His eyes narrowed slightly. Tony did not get up this early unless he needed or wanted something.

"Don't give me that look." Tony shifted his weight. "I was just getting ready for bed, thought I'd check the cars." It was a lie. One had to get up early to catch Steve Rogers as Steve Rogers most days.

"Night then, I guess," Steve stated. He walked over to his motorcycle and placed his every day helmet carefully over his hat.

"Jarvis told me you want to redecorate your room," Tony stated as he moved the side view mirror he stood beside. His hand paused and then tried to put the side view mirror back where it belonged so when summer came around he would not have to spend too much time adjusting the view.

"Yeah," Steve fastened the chinstrap of his helmet. "When I come back from Red Hook, I thought I'd bring myself into the twenty-first century."

Tony turned to look properly at Steve so Steve might not be tempted to speed away immediately. He watched his associate pull on his gloves. "I thought you'd like something…familiar." Tony worked quite hard securing actual pieces from the time period that functioned. He provided a room decorated lavishly. It was not the Spartan hospital room that Steve escaped months ago.

Steve threaded his fingers and pushed so his gloves slid down snugly. "I do," Steve said, "but really, my past and this present aren't that different." He looked up at Tony. "People are struggling, living in their cars, making their own gardens, and young people go off to war to protect their home and values. The technological revolution the war started," he paused and clarified with a crease to his brow, "World War II started is constantly evolving."

Tony frowned, shifted his weight, and then that flippant default expression settled on Tony's face, hiding his real thoughts on the subject. He ran a hand through his hair and rubbed his cheek with a finger. "Well, I guess that could be true."

Steve's eyes narrowed at the expression. There was nothing more off putting than when Tony shut down and turned into some seemingly flippant teenager. "Look, Tony –"

"It's nothing," Tony said and held up his hand. "Talk to Pepper and she'll get you whatever you need, get whatever you don't want out of that room."

"It's not that I don't want it." Steve gripped the handles of his motorcycle tight and let go. "I just…I need to move on, Tony. If I'm stuck in the past, how can I protect the present?" His eyes looked down at his motorcycle light and then averted back up to Tony's gaze, holding it. "I'm Captain America, not just Steve Rogers. Captain America can't do his job covered in dust."

Tony did not look away for a long moment and then he shook his head. "You always have to be the good kid, don't you?" He watched Steve's lips purse as though he thought Tony was patronizing him. Tony decided to change the subject. "Where are you going anyway?"

"A cemetery in Red Hook," Steve answered. He checked over his motorcycle one last time. "Like I said, when I come back, I'm going to be in the present more than the past. But, I owe some things to some people before I make that move." He checked to make sure that Tony was not standing too close and then started the engine of his motorcycle.

"See you later then I guess," Tony said. He watched Steve gun the engine, give him a friendly yet brief wave, and then a central figure from stories he grew up with as a child disappeared into the early morning. Tony took a deep breath and then headed back into the main part of the mansion.

The End