Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

“Is this thing even safe?”

“Define 'safe'.”

“Tony.” Steve says, tone unamused.

"Relax, Steve," Tony leans up and pecks him on the lips. "Reed is one of the most brilliant people alive today, excepting yours truly. He wouldn't have given me schematics to a project he hadn’t already tested several times over.”

“So, he's tested it himself?” Steve asks. He's eyeing the machine before him as if it could suddenly come to life and strike out at him. His arms are folded across his chest and he's teetering near the lab's exit, every inch of his body clearly struggling to decide whether it should prepare to fight or fly.

“His version, yes.” Tony answers cryptically.

Steve's gaze jumps to him. “His version?”

Reed Richards had provided Tony with the schematics of a multiverse machine he had created a while back, much to Tony's surprise and delight. He hadn’t even asked for anything in exchange! No cash payment (not like he needed it), no IOUs, no firstborn children— nada. Tony doesn’t know whether Reed had provided the schematics from a place of kindness or malice. Honestly, he doesn’t care. He's been handed a completed blueprint of a machine that could allow him to visit other universes, created by no one other than a man he reluctantly admits has an equally brilliant mind as his own. The possibilities of what Tony could accomplish with such a machine are endless. 

Tony walks up beside the machine and runs a hand over its smooth surface. The giant, white arc nearly touches the ceiling of the lab. "I want to enhance some of the areas I found lacking in the schematics. When Reed first used his machine he said there was an issue with it when mid-use the Baxter building's power got cut off. Turns out Harry Osborne's goons were at fault." 

Steve's mouth turns down. Harry fucking Osborne and his goons have been nothing but a pain in his ass since he awoke from the ice. The fact that the man is still causing trouble now, some five years later, is a source of much exhaustion for Steve. Tony, too, obviously, but he's had a lot longer to come to terms with Osborne and his sabotaging ways. Crazy how much meditation can help.

"Reed and the Fantastic Four— who had also somehow gotten caught up in the machine’s activity, jumping around different universes— came out of it completely untarnished, by the way. Physically, that is. Mentally, I wouldn’t hold it against them if they tried to torch the machine to the ground. So, as to avoid any similar issues I'm installing some fail-safes.”

Tony looks towards Steve and sees the man nodding along. He hesitates, then asks, "I'm not talking too fast again, am I?"

Steve turns to him, his frown shifting into a smile. It transforms his face. "No, you're fine. I appreciate you dumbing it down for me."

Tony snorts. "Steve, honey, you are nowhere near dumb and you know it." Steve really should give himself more credit. He may not have a science brain like Tony, but he’s a tactical genius, an extremely capable leader, and hot as hell. Tony is punching well above his weight. But God forbid he joke about it, because then Steve will get this sad, puppy-dog look on his face and rain praise on Tony until he’s practically melting into the ground.

"In certain areas, sure." Steve agrees. He slowly ambles up to Tony and comes to a halt beside him. "But I don't think I'll ever wrap my head around this type of… multiverse stuff. The mechanics of it all. It just feels like trying to grab smoke." 

"Only the cool kids deal in the mechanics of the multiverse." Tony jokes.

Steve levels him with a warm smile and knocks his hip against Tony. "How soon do you reckon the machine will be ready to test out?"

Tony does some quick maths in his head. "Probably a couple of hours. A day at most if I sleep tonight."

Steve's expression suddenly turns stern. "You're sleeping tonight."

"Yes, sir." Tony mock salutes.

Steve rolls his eyes at him, though the small smile playing at his lips gives away his true feelings. He begins to pace around the machine, gaze dragging over every inch of it. "I'd like to be here when you first use the machine."

"To make sure I'm not doing anything stupid?" Tony jests.

"And also to act as a medic if something were to happen to you."

"Nothing's gonna happen to me."

Steve arches a brow at him. "Probability would like to have a word with you."

Tony responds with a raised brow of his own and an accompanying grin. "Now that sounds like something a smart person would think."

Steve's lips quirk up. He walks back to Tony and places a kiss against his lips. Tony tries to chase the kiss, much to Steve's delight. Steve pulls himself up to his full height and smiles down at Tony, expression fond. "Well, while you tinker, I'm going to prepare dinner. You're eating tonight."

"Yes, dear." Tony says automatically, then pats Steve on the ass as he passes by. "Thanks for keeping me alive."

“My pleasure,” Steve replies, then he’s straight out the door, leaving Tony to his own devices.

Tony eyes the machine before him. It sort of looks like a giant MRI machine, except it doesn’t have the table you strap the patient to and ease into the maw of the arch. The light emitting from the arc splays blue across its path, highlighting the bridge. It’s certainly a clean, smooth-looking machine. Tony can’t fault Reed for the design, that’s for sure. Though if Tony were in charge, he’d add some more colour to it. He walks around the back of the machine to where a panel has been removed to expose its insides in all its wired, circuited glory. Right, time to get to work.

Tony spends the next several hours tinkering with the machine, trying to bring it up to his standards. When handing over the schematics, Reed had advised Tony that the purpose behind building the machine had been to check in on other universes who had suffered the same strife as their universe and observe how they had handled those same situations. He had been able to monitor how other universes dealt with incidents such as The Illuminati (a sore spot for Tony), the destruction of Genosha, and the Superhero Registration Act (a sorer spot for Tony) among other things. Of course, there had been no way to alter what had occurred in their own universe, but the main point had been to see if Reed could have done anything differently to avoid tragedy in their universe, or if it had been inevitable.

The idea had tickled an interest in Tony’s brain. Not only because he's a futurist and the prospect of observing how other universes handle a constant across the multiverses excites him, but because of the potential of being able to better make decisions when it comes to future conflict. Tony may not be able to predict what will happen in the future, but if he's able to understand how things came to be in other universes, things that might also affect his universe, he'd be able to better prepare for how to deal with it. He might be able to get rid of tragedy before it strikes. Before people get hurt.

The following morning, Tony is back down at the lab at the crack of dawn. Even he’s impressed. Not at being at the lab so early, but at being able to catch a few hours of sleep after dinner, making his mind feel fresher and more awake. He blames Steve for feeding him well and then tiring him out by riding him into the mattress. Not that Tony’s complaining. He’ll never complain about Steve using him to his heart’s desire.

Tony's working on untwisting a few wires within the archway of the machine, a task that takes delicate hands, patience, and his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth, when he’s interrupted by a knock on the door and Steve calling out, "Knock, knock!"

Tony huffs out a smile. "You don't have to announce 'knock, knock' if you're already knocking."

"Agree to disagree." Steve shrugs, stepping into the lab. The door slides shut behind him. He ambles up and takes his spot beside Tony like it's the most natural thing in the world. Tony briefly abandons his work to wrap an arm around Steve's waist and give him a quick hug. Steve leans into it. "How's your work coming along?"

Tony heaves a sigh. “Installing some things took longer than I thought and I ran into some issues. But I’m back on track now and should be done by the end of the day.”

Steve nods along. “What have you got so far?”

“Well, just in case bad luck strikes twice and we suffer a power surge issue like the Baxter building did, I’ve hooked the machine up to two backup generators. I also installed a few security measures just in case something comes through the bridge that shouldn’t.”

Steve frowns at Tony. “Things will be coming through the bridge?”

“Theoretically, no. I’ve programmed it so that things— that includes living beings and inanimate objects— can only be projected from this side to other universes. Nothing should be coming through.”

And because Steve knows him so damn well, he asks, “But?”

“But just in case, like I said, I’ve got a few security measures.” Tony gently bends the wires he was working so that they neatly settle on the inside of the machine and closes the panel he was working on. He then takes Steve by the hand and leads him around to the outside of the archway. There’s a row of three switches from left to right, as well as a monitor, embedded into the arch. “I’ve programmed the machine so that when something comes through, it registers its entire being, down to its atoms, as being foreign.” He points at the switch on the left. “By flicking the first switch, you slow down time in this room. Anyone from this universe can freely move at regular speed, but anything not from here has their movements slowed down by ten times their usual speed. Y’know, just in case something quick and deadly pops out.”

Steve is frowning at the switches, mind clearly running a mile a minute. Tony can only imagine the theoretical backup plans Steve is already concocting up to match Tony’s level of safety measures. He continues on with his explanation, now pointing at the switch in the middle. “The second security measure is a forcefield that will contain whatever may or may not come through the bridge. I’ve made it so that the largest it will go just barely avoids touching the walls in here. The forcefield should also contain the foreign entity in one place and prevent it from moving, so it also doubles as a freeze ray.”

“What is the difference between a forcefield and a freeze ray?” Steve asks suddenly.

Tony folds his arms across his chest and tilts his head to the side. “In this scenario, the forcefield acts as an isolated area where the being can freely move within the space but not beyond. The freeze ray holds the being in place, preventing them from moving at all.”

“Thanks for explaining it.” Steve nods. “I just wanted to make sure I understood it correctly.”

“Baby, you know you can ask me all the nerdy science questions. Gets me hot and bothered like nothing else when you show an interest.” He grins when Steve huffs out a sigh, amusement gleaming in his eyes. Tony turns his attention back to the final switch on the board. “The third and final security measure, which occurs in case the first two fail, is that whatever comes onto the bridge that is deemed hostile will be sedated by tranquilizers.”

“Tranquilizers?” Steve whirls around to Tony. “What are you expecting to come through?”

“I’m not expecting anything, but the first thing the Fantastic Four encountered when using Reed’s machine was basically Jurassic Park on steroids, and I’m not taking any fucking changes with terrible lizards.”

It doesn't take Steve long to figure out Tony's reasoning behind all of his recently implemented fail-safes. “So, every security measure you’ve programmed on this machine is in case a dinosaur falls through to our universe?”

“Exactly.”

Steve takes a moment to carefully choose his next words. “What if a dinosaur doesn’t come through? What if it’s something smaller? Would the number of tranquilizers not kill it?”

Tony tuts and shakes his head. “Steve, Steve, Steve… Who do you take me for? A common engineer? I programmed the machine so that it can detect the weight of whatever comes through the bridge and then release the appropriate number of tranquilizers to sedate them.” He steers Steve aside and motions at the new metal flooring in front of the bridge. “Hence why I added on this scale. Trust me, no one is getting hurt. They’ll just be temporarily incapacitated. Also,” He adds, stepping back to the board of switches on the side of the archway. He points at the monitor on the side. “These fail-safes can be turned off. They’re not permanently activated. I’ve programmed it so that only I can do so, and I did this by inputting my DNA into the system so that it recognises me as an approved user. If I want to make a change to the fail-safes, I simply place my thumb on the monitor here, and it takes a speck of my blood to confirm my identity before allowing me to make the changes.” Tony turns to Steve with a wide grin. “You impressed?”

“Extremely.” Steve nods, expression proud. Tony doesn’t think he’ll ever get enough of the way Steve looks at him. Like he appreciates every single part of him, and not just the ones that benefit him. “But then again, you know that.”

Tony shoots him a wink. “Always nice to hear it.”

Steve glances back at the machine, eyes sliding over the arc. “Will this be done tonight then?”

Tony pulls a face. “Another hour, I’d say.”

“Will you be testing it out right away?”

“I’m planning on it.” He steps up beside Steve and pats his hip. “I’ll save you a spot in the front row.”

“Thanks.” Steve smiles, mirth evident in his gaze. “I’ll have breakfast first then come join you. I’ll bring you a sandwich and coffee too, as I’m guessing you haven’t prioritised your appetite since getting your hands on this machine.”

In response, Tony’s stomach gurgles. He bites his lower lip. “Uh… yeah, that’d be swell, thanks.”

Steve shakes his head, that persistent smile still very much present. He leans down and places a kiss to Tony’s forehead. “I’ll be back in thirty minutes, tops. Don’t start without me.”

Now, usually Steve would whip up a proper meal for breakfast considering it’s the most important meal of the day. However, considering he had quite the workout before going to bed last night, has already gone for an hour run today, and has a two-hour meeting scheduled with S.H.I.E.L.D. which he needs to attend in person, he decides he can allow himself to be lazy for once. 

He whips up some eggs in a bowl and places it in the microwave to cook, then opens up the fridge. He raids around inside it, humming to himself as he pulls out ingredients for making sandwiches, when suddenly the lights go out. Steve is instantly on guard. He turns on the spot, eyes darting around the kitchen, when just as suddenly the lights flicker back on. It takes Steve a few seconds to get used to the abrupt change in lighting. He scrutinises the kitchen and remains perfectly quiet, intently listening out for any strange noises. Other than the hum of the fridge, he picks up on nothing. No fire alarms, no Avengers alarms, nothing. Steve's unease deepens. 

He's reminded of his recent conversation about power outages, specifically relating to Reed's multiverse machine, and immediately makes a beeline for the lab. Panic begins to nip at his heels and Steve hurries his steps. A mantra of 'Tony, Tony, Tony, is Tony okay' thrums in his mind as he legs it to the lab at record speed. He doesn’t see anything concerning en route, but a small part of him still can't help but worry.

Steve lets himself into the lab using the finger scanner, cursing under his breath as it suddenly feels as if it’s taking too damn long to confirm his identity. As soon as the door starts to slide open Steve shoves himself through. He stumbles into the lab and in just a few steps he can see the machine. Thank God, Tony is there, in one whole piece.

So is Tony.

Two Tonys.

Steve grabs the fire extinguisher off the wall and falls into attack position.

One of the Tony's holds up his hands and shouts, "Steve, honey, wait!" 

The other Tony turns to the first and gapes. "Did you just call him ‘honey’?"

Steve's eyes jump between the two identical Tony's. The only thing setting them apart is their clothing. "What the hell is going on in here?" He demands.

The first Tony— he has to presume it's his Tony— says, "I can explain. I think." He looks at the other Tony. The other Tony looks right back. God, even their profiles are identical. It looks as if a mirror has been placed before one of them and it’s reflecting his exact image. "I was in the process of trying to get an explanation before you showed up."

"Tony." Steve says in a tone that brooks no nonsense. The first Tony freezes up. Oh yeah, this one is definitely his Tony.

His Tony bites his lip, then reveals, "He's me from an alternate universe."

Steve's eyes bulge. His stance slackens somewhat. "He's..."

Okay, hang on, to be fair this isn't that unbelievable. Stranger things have happened to Steve, and so have more normal things. This revelation... Well, it's just more on the stranger side. Since the first time since entering the lab, Steve takes a proper look at the second Tony. He looks the spitting image of his Tony, right down do the cut of his beard. He's wearing a black, rumpled suit with a black tie, and is carrying a black suitcase. Honestly, he's looking a little worse for wear.

Steve inclines his head at the suitcase. "Put that down."

"Steve," his Tony starts, but Steve instantly cuts him off.

"We don't know what's in there, Tony. I don't want to take any chances of him getting into it before we know what's inside." The second Tony keeps glancing at his Tony, his expression desperate. It fuels Steve's suspicion. He reiterates, "Put the suitcase down."

When the second Tony hesitates, Steve's Tony peers at Steve. It seems he's finally clocking on to the seriousness of the situation. After what feels like an eternity, the second Tony slowly bends his knees and gingerly places the suitcase on the ground. He then pulls himself back to his full height and holds his hands at his sides.

"Better?" He asks.

"Step away from it." Steve instructs.

The second Tony presses his lips together but does as he's told. 

Once he's a certain distance away from the suitcase, Steve nods and eases up his stance. He looks to his Tony and asks, "Why is he here?"

Tony makes a face and scratches at his forehead. "Well, that—"

“Did you test the machine without me?” Steve demands, betrayal colouring his voice. He'd thought Tony's days of jumping headfirst into danger were long behind him. When he and Tony had first started up their romantic relationship, they both realised that having the other person throwing themselves into jeopardy caused them undue amounts of stress, and it needed to stop. They had both agreed to stop. Steve had thought Tony had stopped.

Tony shakes his head wildly. “That’s the crazy part, Steve— the machine isn’t even ready yet!”

At this, the second Tony speaks up. His voice is calm and sounds exactly like Steve’s Tony. "It seems that when I used Reed Richards machine in my universe, I was pulled through here."

Tony whirls round on the second Tony. "You got pulled through? It shouldn’t be able to do that. It’s only supposed to project things from this side."

Steve addresses the second Tony. “You can’t be here.”

The second Tony only shrugs in response.

Steve holds back a sigh. Shit, even he’s reacting to this Tony as if it were his own. He should not be holding back a sigh; he should be restraining him on the ground. Steve looks to his Tony. “He can’t be here, Tony. There must be some rule about two versions of the same person not being able to exist in one universe."

Tony rubs at his beard as he thinks. "There's definitely a taboo about speaking to your past or future self for fear of altering the past or future, but I don't know about an alternate universe self." He aims his next question at the other Tony. "Why were you using Reed’s machine?"

"Tinkering." He answers plainly.

Tony blinks at him. "Tinkering?"

"Tinkering."

"...Okaaay.” Tony says, frowning at his other self. “Well, I'm trying to fix up the machine to be able to analyse how other universes solved problems similar to ours. Not in a ‘winning the lottery’ way, but more in a ‘how to avoid this worldwide disaster’ way."

The other Tony nods at him. "So, also tinkering."

Tony’s frown deepens. Steve sidles up beside him, turning the situation from three confused people to a team of two trying to handle the lone stranger.

"You're being awfully evasive with your answers." Steve observes.

The other Tony thins his lips before saying, "I'm answering your questions to the best of my ability."

Steve and the other Tony remain locked in a stare-off. Tony glances between them, confused as hell. He scowls at the other Tony. "Do you and Steve not get along in your universe?” That seems to startle the man. He looks to Tony, bewildered. Tony tries to explain his observations. “Only because you're weirdly hostile towards him. I mean, Steve has a reason for being suspicious, you're a me from another universe, but you should be looking for help anywhere you can find it."

The other Tony’s mouth drops open. After a few seconds he shuts it and clenches his jaw. Tony thinks he’s about to have a fit, but then he says in a strained voice, “No. Steve is great. I'm sorry, I'm just... It's difficult to comprehend that the Steve I'm seeing before me is not the one from my universe."

"Tell me about it." Steve mumbles, eyes darting between his Tony and the spare.

Tony continues rubbing at his beard, lips pursed and deep in thought. “Well, I’m almost done with the machine. I could programme it so that we can send you back to your own universe. Wash our hands of this whole freaky-deaky mess." He offers, although he kind of, really doesn’t want to. What he wants is to study this other Tony, to find out more about him, to find out if they’re more similar or different to one another. Also, he’s very pleasing to look at.

"No."

Steve and Tony both falter, then repeat simultaneously, "No?"

The other Tony shakes his head, cowering back. "I don't think so."

Steve’s entire posture stiffens. "Explain." Tony feels desire pool in the pit of his stomach. God, he's hot when he's commanding.

The other Tony appears to be struggling with his excuse. "I'm unsure how much I can divulge without affecting your knowledge of the multiverse."

Steve folds his arms across his chest. "Well, either you explain clearly or I report to S.H.I.E.L.D. that we've got an invader to our world. And it looks like he's a hostile." 

The two enter into another tense stare-off. Tony doesn’t know how the other Tony doesn’t buckle at the knees after the first hard look from Steve. He must have balls of steel.

After another moment, the other Tony eases his stance. "Fine." He takes a steadying breath. “In the simplest terms, I escaped from a dangerous situation in my world and have now been branded a wanted person.”

“You’re a wanted person?” Tony echoes.

“I have been branded a wanted person. Devil is in the details.”

"Why?" Steve demands.

The other Tony clenches and unclenches his hands. "The Steve in my universe is in charge of a certain movement. They grew big and strong and are now running things to their liking. I publicly disagreed with their actions, and since then he’s deemed me a danger to the public."

"Again, why?"

The other Tony’s voice drops to a low mumble. "Some people didn't have the foresight to see the consequences of their actions, so I had to put myself in danger to show them. They didn’t like that."

Tony makes a face. "With the way you're speaking so evasively, you know it's hard for me to trust you, right? And I really want to trust you considering you're me."

The other Tony emits a sigh. “I know I'm at fault for having taken the decision into my own hands. I just couldn’t see any other way they would realise their actions were wrong.” His face crumbles slightly. “I know that in Steve's eyes, I’m a disappointment.”

Steve and Tony exchange looks. Some quick, imperceptible communication happens through the form of facial expressions. When Tony opens his mouth to speak aloud, Steve cuts him down before he can even start. "He can't stay here."

Tony pointedly gestures at the other Tony. "Look at the guy. He’s miserable."

"Tony." Steve says in a warning tone.

Tony rests his hands on his hips and hangs his head. He knows Steve is right. He knows, he knows, he knows. But it's fucking hard when he's dealing with his own self at his most miserable. When Tony looks up, remorse is evident in his expression. He addresses the other Tony. "We're going to have a talk about what to do with you."

The other Tony presses his lips together. "I understand."

“What now?” Tony asks, turning to Steve. "Do we keep him in here? Can he wander the tower?"

Steve shakes his head. "Not without me watching him.” His gaze darts to the other Tony who hasn’t moved out of place since he was asked to step away from his suitcase. Steve leans down and whispers to Tony, “It’s probably safest for him to stay in here."

“Where I’m working on the machine?”

“You’ll keep an eye on him, obviously.”

“Obviously.”

“I need to inform S.H.I.E.L.D. about this, Tony.”

Tony’s eyes widen. “What? Why? Why do those bastards need to know?”

“Because,” Steve states, placing emphasis on the word. “If something were to happen, they’d be able to step in and help.”

“But you’re here, Steve.” Tony says, like it’s the most obvious statement in the world. “I don’t trust anyone else but you to keep things right.”

Steve presses his lips together. Tony watches him closely, documenting the minor changes in his expression. Usually, Steve is very good at maintaining a poker face but considering the situation and it’s Tony analysing his face, he might as well be an open book. He does not look happy. After a beat, he takes a deep breathe. “I still need to call S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Tony drops his head but doesn’t say anything.

“I need to cancel a meeting I have with them today.”

Tony’s head instantly whips back up. Steve still looks tense. His eyes are locked on something far ahead. Tony follows his gaze until it lands on the suitcase the other Tony had deposited on the floor. Tony casts a glance back at Steve. “You want the suitcase?”

“I want it out of this room.” Steve states.

Tony inclines his head at the suitcase. “Take it. I’ll hold the other Tony back if he reacts.”

Steve’s gaze flicks to Tony. Tony holds it. An understanding passes.

Tony walks up to the other Tony at the same time Steve heads to the suitcase. He pauses right before it then glances at the other Tony. “What happens if I pick it up?”

“Nothing.”

“You sure?” Tony queries, coming to a stop beside the other Tony. “Because if he gets hurt, you get hurt. Slowly and painfully.”

“He won’t get hurt.” The other Tony states tightly. His expression is pinched. “I’d never hurt anyone needlessly.”

Steve and Tony catch each other’s eyes. Tony inclines his head, a silent confirmation. Steve leans down and picks up the suitcase, careful not to knock it against his legs. Steve makes eye contact with the other Tony. “This will be locked in a safe.”

The other Tony only nods in reply. With that, Steve slowly heads to the exit, holding the case before him as if it were something breakable. Or an explosive. Considering how cautious he's being about the whole 'Tony from Another Universe' situation, he's definitely thinking it's an explosive.

Once the door slides shut behind him, Tony turns to his counterpart. “What’s in that thing, anyway?”

“It’s a… prototype.” He answers ambiguously.

Tony narrows his eyes at the man. “A prototype?” At his nod, Tony presses, “Like a metal suit?”

The other Tony’s eyes widen. “How did you—” His mouth clicks shut. “You have it here too, don’t you?”

Tony nods. “Yup." He folds his arms across his chest and leans back onto his heels. "A fine piece of technology, if I may say so myself. Never thought of carrying mine in a suitcase, though.”

The other Tony shrugs. “It’s an easy way to carry it around with you at all times without raising suspicion. Just a businessman and his inconspicuous suitcase.” He regards Tony. “Are you a businessman in this universe?”

“Of sorts.”

The other Tony nods. They lapse into another moment of silence, the first between them since the other Tony fell through the multiverse machine. 

“So,” the other Tony starts, “This universe's Steve is a tightass too, huh?"

Tony spares a thought for his husband's very tight ass and smiles. "Sure is."

“You seem to be getting along well enough.”

Tony grins at him. “You have no idea.”

The other Tony nods along. “That’s good. That’s very good. Make sure you guys stay friends. Work on it. Be honest with each other. Losing Steve as a friend is one of the worst things that can happen to me. You." He grimaces at the slip-up. Tony chooses not to address it.

Instead, he holds up his left hand and says, “Well, then you'll be ecstatic to know that he's not my friend." He wiggles his wedding finger, showing off his wedding band. "He's my husband."

The other Tony’s eyes bulge and his mouth drops open. "You're married?"

"Coming up on three years soon." Tony confirms, briefly twirling the wedding band around his finger.

"Impossible."

Tony huffs out a laugh. "You're really rattled, aren't you?"

"You're married..." The other Tony breathes, clearly still in disbelief.

"Is this traumatic for you?” Tony asks. He feels like it shouldn't be. Even if the other Tony and Steve dislike each other, he must at least on an objective level be able to admit that Steve is one fine specimen of man. “Is it because it's me and I'm a known bachelor in all universes? Because I've been scared of commitment since I was born? It better not be because Steve's a man."

"It's none of those things.” The other Tony quickly assures him. He looks a little ill. “I just can't believe it."

Tony goes back to twisting his wedding band around his finger. "Guessing something happened with you and your Steve."

The other Tony averts his gaze. "You could say that."

"You don't want to get back and fix that?"

The other Tony’s eyes briefly catch onto his. He looks terrified. "I don't know if I can."

It's at this pivotal moment that Steve chooses to ruin the conversation by making his return.

As he strides into the lab, Tony calls out, “Heads up, the other me now knows that we’re married.”

Steve briefly falters in his step before continuing to head for his Tony. “I don’t know if it was wise to share that.”

“I’m just surprised. Didn’t think I had it in me.” The other Tony states. He's still looking a little green around the gills, but he does seem to be recovering. 

Tony opens his mouth to drop a tasteless sexual innuendo but is stopped by a familiar grip on his shoulder. “Don’t.”

Tony turns to Steve with a pout. “You’re no fun.”

Steve leans down and whispers into Tony’s ear. “This is serious, Tony. He can’t stay here.”

Tony instantly sobers up. Damn, he'd so easily fallen into conversation with himself that he forgot what he was doing was unnatural. Well, not unnatural. Maybe bizarre as hell would be a more apt description. No, it's best to send him back as soon as possible. Tony is getting his wires all crossed.

"You’re right. He can’t.” His eyes jump to the other Tony who is examining the switches outside the archway. “Like I said before, I’m nearly done with the multiverse machine. It’ll take me a few hours to fix it up so that he can be sent back, but it’ll be done by tonight.”

Steve nods. “Anything I can do to help?”

Tony bats his eyelashes. “Bring me food from Guliano’s?”

Steve presses his lips together. It does nothing to conceal the curving smile. “Sure thing.”

“Hey, other me!” Tony calls out. “Steve is going to do a food run. You want anything?”

The other Tony abandons his inspection and turns to face them fully. “Where are you ordering from?”

“Guliano’s. It’s a sandwich sho—”

“Guliano’s exists here?!” The other Tony exclaims loudly. 

Steve blinks at the guy, clearly surprised. Tony is too. He didn't know his voice could reach that pitch. “Uh, yeah. From your reaction I’m guessing there’s overlap in your universe?”

“It was the best damn sandwich place in Manhattan.” The other Tony sighs, voice wistful. “I swear their coffee beans were laced with drugs. I’d inhale one of their espressos every morning.”

“Why are you talking in the past tense?” Tony asks.

“It got closed down.”

“No shit! How come?”

“It became a casualty during a… fight." He answers evasively. The guy sure knows how to have Tony yo-yo-ing between trusting him and in the next moment being highly suspicious of him. "The owner didn’t think it worthwhile to rebuild and just took the cash alternative from insurance.”

“That is tragic. I can’t imagine living without Guliano’s.” Tony commiserates, voice tinged with sadness. He looks to his husband. “Steve, could you imagine living without Guliano’s?”

“I could not.” Steve agrees, tone just as mournful. He aims his next question at the other Tony. “So, just an espresso then?”

“And a pastrami sandwich with extra pickles. Please.” He tacks on at the end.

“You know my usual.” Tony tells Steve.

Steve nods. “And a surprise item.”

Tony grins at him. “Thanks, hot stuff. You’re a gem.”

“I’ll be back in half an hour. Don’t do anything stupid.” He points to both Tonys, holding their gazes with his steely blues. “That goes for both of you.”

Completely unrehearsed, they both throw him a salute. “Yes, sir!”

When Steve returns with the food order, it’s to find both Tonys working on the multiverse machine. They’ve both stripped down to their undershirts— both black— and are working on something at the very back of the machine. What it is, Steve can’t make out. All he knows is that it covers the bottom halves of both Tonys meaning he has no way of discerning who is who. He has no idea which is his Tony. He can’t recognise his own Tony. It shakes Steve’s confidence more than he would have thought.

He takes a steadying breath and heads for the nearest table. He deposits the bag of food on it and clears away any tools and such, relegating them to the other side of the table. He looks back at the two Tonys. They’ve not even noticed him. They’re both deep in their work and talking to each other at what seems to be the speed of sound. It hits Steve how similar they really are. Not similar. The same. It’s the same person but not. Steve’s head starts to hurt.

"Tony, a word?" He calls out. Both Tonys look to him. Steve has to physically refrain from flinching. "I meant my Tony."

Luckily one of the Tony’s jumps over, and without the machine covering his lower half Steve can see he’s wearing dark jeans. "Yes, husband dearest." He singsongs, and Steve immediately relaxes. This is definitely his Tony. Tony joins him at his side. "We're gonna need some sort of system for the name thing, by the way. I mean, it’s fine when we address each other, one Tony to another, but it’s gotta be confusing for you.”

“He's not gonna be around long enough for one to be needed." Steve tells him. "Also, are you sure it's wise to have him helping with the machine?"

Tony shoots him an incredulous look. "Are you kidding? Two of my mind working together? I'm working at twice the speed and producing twice the work I've done even at my best.” He glances over his shoulder at the other Tony working away at the machine. “And we're completely in synch. Whatever I think about a problem he's thinking the same thing and already figuring out a solution. It's amazing."

Steve follows Tony’s gaze. He frowns. "Are you... are you checking yourself out?"

"I don't know how you do it Steve. Going about your day and not wanting to bang that like a screen door in a hurricane. I am one fine piece of ass."

"Tony." Steve hisses, attempting to sound disapproving.

Tony lets out a chuckle and faces him again. "Oh, come off it, Steve, like you've not been cataloguing our differences all day. Probably entertained a fantasy or two about having us both in bed at the same time."

Steve’s cheeks start to colour. "Tony."

“Imagined yourself getting spit-roasted?” Tony suggests with a waggle of the eyebrows. "Ooh, or maybe double penetration? We've never tried that with you."

"And we're not going to.” Steve states firmly, his entire face aflame now. “It's either you or no one. Not even a toy." 

Tony sways forward and falls into Steve’s arms. "God, I love how much you love me. I love you, you know that?"

Steve glares down at him, but the effect is ruined by the soft smile that graces his lips. "I hadn't the faintest."

Tony leans up on his toes and pecks Steve on the lips. “You’re gorgeous. I’m so lucky.” He gives Steve’s hand a squeeze then slides it out of his grip. “Well, suppose I need to get back to the grind.”

Steve throws a thumb over his shoulder. “The Guliano’s order is on the table.”

Tony peers over his shoulder then nods approvingly. “Great. We’ll get to it as soon as we finish re-wiring the circuits on this panel. It’s a bit of a bitch and you know we can’t stop until it’s fixed.”

“I know you can’t stop until it’s fixed.” Steve intones, clenching his jaw. “I don’t know anything about him.”

Tony opens his mouth to reply but seems to think better of it when he processes Steve’s face. Instead, he says, “I appreciate you picking up the food order. You’re a lifesaver.”

Steve inclines his head, seeming to relax a bit. “If you need anything, I’m here.”

“I know. You’re too kind.” He throws a kiss at Steve then turns on his heel, deliberately swaying his hips as he goes. “Hope you enjoy the view, pervert.”

Much to Tony’s and Steve’s surprise, the other Tony actually insists they eat the Guliano’s order first. Tony guesses since the other Tony hasn’t been able to enjoy the delights that are Guliano’s sandwiches in his universe, he wants to cease the day here and now. This theory becomes even more evident when Tony tries to strike up conversation with the other Tony as they eat, but the other Tony keeps the chat to a minimum, much too busy savouring his pastrami sandwich and espresso. The noises he makes whilst sipping the espresso could earn him an 18+ rating, and that’s not taking into account the accompanying facial expressions.

Once the food has been consumed— thank God, as there’s only so long Tony could watch his own face make expressions solely reserved for sexy times with Steve— the two Tonys jump to it. They run into a few issues here and there, but by and by, they finish up without any problems. With the help of four hands and two brilliant minds, fixing up the multiverse machine goes a lot quicker than Tony had predicted. After only two hours they set down their tools and pat each other on the back whilst congratulating each other on a job well done. Steve regards them with an indiscernible look but he doesn’t say anything. Tony chooses to ignore it.

“I can’t believe we’re finally done. That must be a new record.” Tony comments. He and the other Tony both meander up to the table opposite the multiverse machine and lean back against it, watching Steve closely examine the area they’d just finished working on.

“Many hands make lights work.” The other Tony responds.

Tony glances over at him. “I never understood that saying.”

The other Tony shrugs. “Me neither. But it applies.”

Tony nods in agreement. 

Seemingly satisfied, Steve abandons his task of scrutinising the machine and ambles over to the two of them. “Looks clean as hell.”

“That’s more Reeds’ design than anything we did. He likes his creations to look smooth and clean.” Tony tells him.

“Like you. With the sleek design of…” He trails off, realising the other Tony may not know about Iron Man. Tony immediately rectifies that.

“Oh, right. Forgot to say, the other Tony also has an Iron Man suit in his universe.”

Steve’s eyes slip shut and he emits a strained sigh. “Tony.”

“I didn’t bring it up this time!” Tony defends. “It’s what’s in the suitcase.”

“Speaking of,” the other Tony interjects. “I’d like that back before I get sent off to my universe. I kind of need it.”

“I’ll get it for you in a moment.” Steve states, rubbing at his forehead. Tony would bet good money he’s about done with this whole two Tonys bullshit. It’s a shame. They could have really had a lot of fun together, both vertically and horizontally. “Not long until we say goodbye to you now.”

The other Tony nods, expression suddenly contemplative. “Could I ask for one last request?”

Steve pauses his actions. His hand drops down. “Depends on what it is.”

“Could I have a last meal?”

Steve narrows his eyes at him. “You just ate.”

“That was two hours ago. And it was delicious. Hence, my request.”

“Guliano’s.” Tony guesses.

“Guliano’s.” The other Tony confirms. “Please.”

Steve valiantly holds back another sigh— he’s going to hit his daily quota at this rate— and fishes his phone out of his pocket. “What do you want?”

“Just the espresso.”

“Just the espresso?”

The other Tony holds his hands up in placating manner. “All I want.”

“You said last meal.” Steve states, and his tone is more accusatory than it should be. Oh yeah, he’s definitely about done with this nonsense.

“Because it’s got more gravitas than ‘last beverage’.” The other Tony explains.

Tony nods. “Hard agree.”

Steve thins his lips but holds his tongue. He looks to his Tony. “I’m guessing you’re still full.”

“Very much so. Also, you know, with my brain buzzing after working on the multiverse machine it’s hard to slow down and consume nutrients.”

“I know.” Steve says. He writes down the order of a single espresso on his phone then pockets it. “I’ll pop down quick. Fifteen minutes tops.” He points his finger between the two Tonys. “Don’t—”

“Do anything stupid.” They both finish. They sneak sideways glances at each other and grin. Steve damn near withers where he stands. Almost done, almost over. He holds their gazes for a moment longer, then with a nod, departs.

“He’s cute.” The other Tony comments apropos of nothing.

“Of course he is. All Steves are. Aren’t they?” The other Tony makes a face. The poor bastard. "So, are things much different in your world?"

"Can't say much about outside this room, but pretty similar. At least Reed's machine is."

Tony nods. “I’m dying to know about your universe but I know you’re not cool with the whole ‘sharing is caring’ aspect of it all. To circumvent that, could I ask you a series of ‘yes or no’ questions? That way you're not giving too much away about your universe."

The other Tony crosses his arms over his chest and mulls over the question. After a beat, he shrugs. "Shoot."

"Did Afghanistan happen?"

The other Tony’s brows draw together. "It exists if that's what you’re asking."

"Not at all, but that's the best answer you could have given me." Tony grins, feeling oddly relieved. "Do you have an arc reactor?"

"A what?"

"Excellent response." Tony’s good mood just keeps rising. This is terrific. This Tony probably doesn't even know who Yinsen is. "Does Virginia Potts exist in your world?"

"Yes."

"Did you date?"

"No. Did you?" At Tony’s surprised expression, the other Tony counters, "If you get to ask questions I think it's only fair I get a turn at the bat."

Tony makes an approving face. "Solid argument. Yes, Pepper and I dated. She’s called Pepper in this universe, by the way.”

“Same as mine.”

“She was my PA, but she’s now moved on to bigger and better things. We’re doing much better now that we’ve split up. Just stayed friends, you know? She’s dating someone much better suited to her and who doesn't cause her daily panic attacks by going out and putting his life on the line all the time.”

The other Tony nods along, a tender smile at the corner of his mouth. "Did you date Steve after her?"

"Yes." And what a whirlwind that had been. Tony had nearly fucked it up between them, believing that Steve was just being a good friend when he’d helped Tony through his split with Pepper. And at the time, sure, that’s all he’d been. All he wanted to be. Tony’s damn lucky Steve decided he wanted to be something more, and even luckier that he acted on it. Tony’s not sure he would have been as brave. His entire life might have been completely different if Steve hadn’t made that first jump. Tony smiles to himself. "And we'll be endgame."

The other Tony’s eyebrows crawl up his forehead. "You think so?"

"I know so." And he’s never been surer of anything in his life.

"Well, you are married." The other Tony concedes. "Can't do much more now than love each other until death do you apart."

"That, and maybe adding in the pitter patter of little feet around the home." Tony adds with a wink. "Well, maybe not so little." Tony is already forty-five years old and he doesn't want to be an old parent. Maybe he and Steve could adopt a child. It would definitely be simpler than going down the route of IVF. Maybe they could adopt an older child, but it’d probably be harder to acclimatise them to their new home if they've been in foster care for longer. Steve would probably love to take on that challenge.

Tony is drawn out of his musings by the other Tony, mouth agape and staring, asking him, "You want kids?"

"Yeah. I do."

The other Tony seems to be pulling himself out of his stupor. "Right. Have you always wanted them?"

"On and off throughout the years. Not so much when I was younger for obvious reasons. Definitely more so as I grew older and after…” The arc reactor and what followed. But he doesn’t say it. The other Tony doesn’t need to know. “And well, kids are a full-time job and all, and you want to have a partner you can trust to help you raise them. And raise them right. To help them grow into good people who have the tools and skills they need to take on the big, bad world. And Steve... Steve is that person."

The other Tony swallows. He looks more fragile than Tony’s ever seen him. "I didn't know you… I… we could be so happy."

"Me neither.” Tony agrees, and he really means it. He catches the other Tony’s gaze. “And maybe it's wishful thinking, but maybe the Steve of your universe isn't as done with your friendship as you are. If you still want to be friends, that is."

"I do." The other Tony admits quietly.

Tony takes a chance and adds, "Maybe even more than friends."

The other Tony remains silent. After a moment, he says, "...Friends is enough." A small smile graces his lips. Tony can see hope in those eyes. It fills him with no small amount of joy. The other Tony claps him on the shoulder, and in a gravelly voice says, "Thank you for your help, Tony. Truly."

"Happy to give myself a helping hand." Tony beams at him. He’s about to clap him on the back when he feels a pain shoot down his shoulder. His smile freezes in place. They’re two people sharing the same thoughts. He barely has a second to register what’s happening. "JARVIS, stop the other me from—"

It's too late.

Tony is pushed forward, toward the bridge, and through the archway of the multiverse machine. The last thing he sees as he stumbles is the other Tony dashing to the side of the archway. There’s a sudden whooshing sound, and when Tony scrambles out of the machine it’s to find himself all alone. He quickly looks around the space. It’s definitely not his lab. This looks more like a facility of some kind. And the machine, it… it looks new.

Tony rushes to the side of the arc, his heart in his throat. The fail-safe switches aren’t there. He punches the smooth surface of the machine and curses. "Fucker!"