The first stone Steve returned was the Aether. It was the most logical, seeing as he had to also return Thor's hammer. It was one less thing to carry around with him. And as soon as everything was back in place on Asgard, Steve decided to be a little selfish and do something for himself. He had all the time in the world to return the remaining stones. So he went and saw Peggy.

The reunion had been emotional as Peggy cried, pulling Steve into her home. They had hugged each other,they cried, they talked and Steve had finally got to have his dance with Peggy. Everything was perfect.

The soldier had only been in Peggy's home for a few hours. He had explained everything. The ice, time travel, Thanos and the snap, and even the Avengers. He fully expected her not to believe him, but she seemed to take everything in stride.

"The thing I don't understand Steve, is why you're here," Peggy said, sipping some tea she had prepared. It was now long past daytime as the two sat in the woman's living room, the lamp light illuminating their faces.

"I'm here to see you," Steve said, shocked that Peggy even asked something like. "I have to return the other stones, but when I'm finished I'm coming back. For you I'll only be gone a few seconds. But then we can be together Peggy," Steve said leaning forward and putting a hand on Peggy's shoulder.

"Steve," the brown haired woman said carefully as she set down her cup. "You can't just give up the life you created and led, just for me. You don't belong here. But back there, it sounds like you have a family, people who care for you-"

"But this is where I'm from Peggy. I never should have been pulled from this time but I was, and now I have the opportunity to come back. I have you."

"But what are you leaving behind?" Peggy asked, her eyes sad. Steve actually stopped then, and took a moment to consider what he would be leaving behind.

"Nothing," Steve said flatly, because the only person he had ever loved besides Peggy was dead.

In the end, Steve didn't even stay the night at Peggy's. He gave her a hug, a quick kiss, and was gone. From there he returned the soul stone, and then the power stone. As he walked past the still unconscious form of Peter Quill, a thought crossed his mind. He should just stay in space, check it out. It had obviously not worked out the way he thought it would with Peggy, and there was no reason to go home, not yet. And with the time traveling thing, he could take all the time he needed. So Steve decided to be selfish another time. He snuck onto Peter Quill's ship. He hid from the man and a pink skinned woman in a back closet, and when they landed on another planet, Steve got off.

And sure, besides returning the stones, Steve had only ever been to space once, but it was nothing like he had expected. Sure some aliens had blue, green, or pink skin, and some had extra eyes, or looked like slug monsters. They were aliens. But the thing Steve was taken back by was that there were aliens that looked very...human. It was surprisingly easy for him to adapt, and in a few weeks Steve was easily blending in with the crowd. The other surprising thing was that alien liquor got him drunk. Like really drunk.

His super metabolism always burned off any earthly alcohol he consumed. But here in space, he could drink three cups and he would be set. And so Steve drank, and drank, and drank. He needed to forget his botched plan to spend the rest of his life with Peggy. He needed to forget that the only other person he had ever loved besides her was gone, no longer apart of his world. He needed to forget.

It was months later when Steve finally got the wake up call he was needing. He had wandered the cosmos, hitching a ride from planet to planet, drinking himself away, and telling himself that one day he would bring the remaining stones back. Honestly he had no idea where he was, not that it really mattered. All he knew was he was in a bar, and the alcohol was bearable.

"By Odin's beard, is that Captain America?" A voice called out, making Steve's blood run cold. No one, absolutely no one, should know that name here. Hell, Steve was even wondering how he recognized that name. It's not like he should even be recognizable. He had grown his beard out again, and his hair was quite a bit longer, pulled back at the nape of his neck. Lifting his eyes, though, he came face to face with Loki who was taking a seat next to him.

"Loki," Steve breathlessly huffed out.

"My, my, my. You look a little worse for wear," the trickster said as he looked Steve up and down. "Having a rough time?" The only thing Steve could think to do was let out a strangled laugh as he took another swig of his drink, almost choking on it.

"I think that's an understatement," Steve said, shaking his head. "What are you doing here?" He then asked. Steve was about to ask why he wasn't dead, but then remembered how Tony and Scott explained that Loki had gotten away with the tesseract back in 2012 New York. This must be that Loki.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," Loki said, his eyes never leaving Steve's form. "Last time I checked, you were more of an Earth man," Loki said, raising a single eyebrow. "So where is the rest of your Avengers? Is my brother here? Are you here to-"

"I'm here alone, and I would like to keep it that way, so please leave," Steve huffed, turning his attention back to his drink.

"You are not the Captain I am familiar with, are you?" Loki pried after a moment of silence. And Steve opened his mouth to tell the trickster off, to tell him to leave him alone, but suddenly Steve was word vomiting all over the place. He had never experienced a time when he didn't have control over himself, yet here he was, telling his sob story to someone he considered an enemy. Thanos, the time heist, the fact that he was dead and Peggy could see through his heartbreak. As Steve finished up, he suddenly realized that he was actually crying.

"You need to get your life together, Captain," Loki said after a moment. "A drunken mess does not look good on you," the man said as he took away the cup that Steve was holding in his hand. Steve opened his mouth to object but nothing came out. So all he could do was wipe away the tears that were drying on his face. "Get a life, seriously. It is not fair. But you have to pick yourself and make something out of nothing." Loki said before taking a swig of Steve's drink. "Besides, are you not luckier than most men? You can travel through time. Use that to your advantage." Loki said, shrugging as he finished off the drink.

"You know, I was supposed to keep your from taking the Tesseract...or track you down and bring you back to your original timeline, keep the Tesseract from leaving earth at the moment you disappeared with it." Steve laughed, thinking how ironic it was that Loki had happened upon him. He always thought he would have to spend months lookin form him, yet here he was.

"Perhaps I'll go back myself," Loki hummed, making Steve's eyes flicker back up to the trickster. "I've been wandering through space and time with the tesseract for quite some time now. I am tired. Life did not go as I thought it might. Perhaps some time at home with the family would do me some good." Loki chuckled.

"You know you would be imprisoned," Steve said, raising an eyebrow.

"No prison can hold me for long," Loki chuckled. "Besides, I can catch up on some reading, relax during my time there. I'm in need of it," Loki said before standing up, clapping Steve on the shoulder.

"It's good to see a familiar face. Even if it's yours," Steve said, and he meant it.

"And I could say the same to you," Loki hummed. "Good luck Captain Rogers," Loki said before disappearing in a cloud of blue smoke, leaving Steve behind.

"You too," He hummed, a smile pulling at his lips. It was the first time he had smiled in months.

The space stone was the first thing he decided to return. Dr. Strange had taught him how to use the time stone to revert the stone back to the tesseract. After doing so he collected himself and returned back to Camp Lehigh. He had to be pretty close to when he had left the base the first time, that way the tesseract wasn't missing for too long. But there was no way he was going to risk running into him so Steve waited a little longer in the alleyway before making his way back to the underground bunker. What he was not expecting was to ram headfirst into someone as he rounded the corner.

"Sorry," both men said in unison. Steve kept his head down avoiding eye contact as he tried to push past the man who he had just hit, but suddenly the man spoke up.

"Steve?" they called out, making the other man still. Shit. How had he not recognized that voice when he had said sorry? Honestly, Steve should have ran, but instead, he just stood there, practically shaking as the other man moved around him to get a better look.

"Hey Tony," Steve hummed a sad smile on his face as he looked up to see the inventor staring back at him. He was still wearing that old suit they had found before coming on to the base the first time. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be back in your time?" the blonde asked.

"My time?" Tony asks for a moment, his eyes scanning over Steve before his mouth dropped open, his eyebrows shooting up. "You're-" He began but stopped to let out a gasp that turned into a violent cough. "Did we do it? Did we bring everyone back? Are you returning the stones?" Tony asked, eyeing the case that Steve held in his hands.

The tears were falling before Steve could even notice.

"Hey. Steve," Tony said, taking the blonde by his arm. "Don't cry, come on," Tony cooed, but Steve just cried harder.

"I'm sorry," Steve huffed, wiping his face. "I'm a mess," he muttered.

"That's not anything new," Tony said, letting out a light laugh. "Come on Cap, people are going to start staring, let's get out of here," The inventor said as he towed the man out of the alley and towards a car that was parked outside of the camp.

Steve looked it over for a moment, remembering that they had stolen the car when they had first arrived in 1970. Steve was about to say something but Tony just shook his head and pushed him towards the car. They both got in and soon the two were sitting in silence. Steve could only wipe away the tears that were slowing down as Tony stared at him.

"The beard is a nice change. You look a little meaner. Are people taking you more seriously?" Tony asked. The only thing Steve could do was let out a choked laugh, shaking his head.

"The long hair though? Either grow it out more, or get a haircut. The midway-mullet is not a good look for you, even if you do pull it back," Tony teased.

"It's really good to see you Tony," Steve said, his blue eyes flickering up to meet Tony's. The man studied him for a moment longer before speaking.

"What happened to you Steve?" Tony breathed, lifting his hand to brush a stray tear from Steve's face. It was clear this was not the Steve from his timeline. This Steve was different.

"You died," Steve suddenly said, his voice hollow as he spoke. "You died trying to-"

"I don't want to know Rogers," Tony said, but his tone was soft. "I don't need to know," Tony muttered, his hand still on Steve's face. "But do we do it? Do we bring everyone back?" He asks.

"We do," Steve says, nodding.

"Then that's all I need to know," Tony said, gently patting Steve's cheek before pulling away. "So how long has it been since we brought everyone back...since I bit the dust? What have you been doing in all that time?" Tony asked.

"I was in space," Steve said. "I returned the power stone and just...decided to stay. I would say it's been a good six months, but I don't really remember much of it. I've just been floating around," Steve said, his gaze falling to his lap.

"Don't tell me that me biting the dust would really mess with you this much?" Tony said, trying to make light of the situation. Steve didn't really appreciate it though. His brow pulled together and he just looked at Tony as if he were insane.

"You meant a lot to me," Steve admitted, his ears turning red as blush consumed his face. "You were such a good friend to me. And I wasn't to you," the man said, staring at Tony.

"Yeah, but was our friendship really that great? I mean what did I ever do for you that would make you go off on some manic adventure in space the moment I die?" Tony asked, laughing lightly.

"Tony," Steve huffed. It was obvious that the soldier was hurt by Tony's words. "You were my world. You still are. I mean, when I came out of the ice, when I woke up, I had no one. Nothing. I was so lost and broken, But then you showed up. And even though we bickered back and forth, you gave me a second chance. You gave me a purpose, somewhere to belong. Tony, you gave me a home," Steve said, his heart breaking for the millionth time that day. "I love you Tony," Steve said, his voice cracking. Tony just looked at the blonde for a long moment, his lips pressed in a fine line as a single tear fell from his lashes.

"Jesus Christ Steve," Tony said, scrubbing at his face. "If you would have told me that eight years ago, you would have had me. Hook line and sinker," Tony muttered. "I was absolutely smitten with you. But we had our differences. And sometimes life doesn't turn out like we would like it to," Tony huffed.

"I was an idiot back then, and what I did to you was wrong and I-"

"I don't need an apology Cap. We've already done this," Tony hummed, a small smile on his face. "I forgive you," Tony said, patting Steve on the shoulder before reaching for the door handle. "Now if you don't mind, I have a universe to save," Tony said, giving Steve a smile.

"Wait," Steve interjected, his voice a little louder than he would have liked it to be. "Stay with me. Just for a few days. You have all the time in the world. Just...stay with me for a bit longer," Steve said, almost desperate.

"I can't Steve," Tony said, his hand sitting on the door handle. "As much as I want to. And God do I want to. I can't," And suddenly, Tony's voice was shaking. "I wish I could stay and make all your hurt go away, because it kills me to see you like this Steve. But I can't. I have a wife and daughter back home. And I'll never do anything to hurt them. Because they are my world, and I love them. They saved my life. I owe them everything. And if I stay here with you...I'm afraid I could lose all of that. And I can't. I'm sorry," Tony said, and suddenly the two were sitting in silence. The only sound was the sniffling that came from both men.

"I'm sorry Tony," Steve said after a long time of just sitting. "That was out of line for me to say."

"Don't be sorry, please." Tony said, his eyes flickering up to Steve's. "You're such a great guy and I'm sorry you've been through so much in your life. I'm sure it's been hard. But you're still going to do great things. Don't be sad just because little ol' me is gone. If anything, I want to you to live because of me," Tony said as he let go of the door handle and leaned forward so that the two were a few inches away. "Get that life I was telling you about. Be happy. For me, yeah?" Tony said as he reached a hand up, putting it on the back on Steve's head.

"I'll do what I can," Steve said, a broken smile on his lips.

"Then that's all I can ask for," Tony said and suddenly he was pulling Steve's head closer to his own. In one swift moment, Tony's lips were connecting to Steve's forehead, giving him a sloppy kiss. The two stayed like that for a moment, Tony just humming softly as Steve sat there in shock. "I love you Steve Rogers. Always have. Always will," Tony breathed as he pulled away. "Now, how many stones do you still have to return?" Tony asked, his tender tone gone.

"I uh-" Steve stammered, trying to get his muddled brain to work. "Counting the tesseract, three," Steve said, blinking a few times.

"And you have enough Pym Particles to do that?" Tony asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Steve stammered, nodding. "Hank Pym made me quite a few before I left. I shouldn't have a problem."

"Good, I would hate for you to be stranded in some god forsaken time that's not yours," Tony said, giving the man a wink as he began to get out of the car. Steve saw this and quickly did so as well so now they were both standing outside of the car, looking at each other from opposite sides of the vehicle. "Take care of yourself Steve," Tony then said as the quantum suit surrounded him.

"Good luck. It was good to see you again," Steve said, strength back in his voice.

"You too Capsicle. And for God's sake get a haircut," And in an instant the man was gone, leaving Steve alone by the car.

The mind stone was the next thing to be returned. After using the time stone to restore it back to the staff, Steve was careful to put it back in the case, next to his younger, unconscious, self. As if he had never taken it in the first place.

As Steve was leaving the tower, through one of the side doors, the man stilled, hearing a voice from down the hall. It was Tony's voice. And even though he knew it would be problematic if he was caught, Steve still followed the voice. Just so he could see Tony again, if only for a moment. See him talking and breathing. Seeing him alive.

As Steve stayed close to the edges of the room, his eyes landed on Tony who was with a group of SHIELD agents, Thor, and Loki. It looked like some sort of commotion had just happened, as Tony was being helped off the floor. Steve watched as the group conversed for a while, and then suddenly they were walking towards him. Thinking quickly, Steve pressed himself back in a corner, grabbing a pamphlet to hide behind as the group made their way past him. As they did so, Steve's eyes wandered up to catch a glimpse of the people.

The first people to pass were SHIELD agents, including the Secretary, followed by Thor who pushed a bound Loki by the arm so that he was walking in front of his elder brother. The dark haired trickster walked right past Steve, but not before turning his head slightly to look at the man. Loki's eyebrows rose in surprise for a moment and then were suddenly relaxing the next. Before Loki was pushed out of sight, though, he winked at Steve, making the man smile behind the pamphlet he was holding. Steve couldn't believe that he actually went back.

"What are you looking at Rock-of-Ages?" A voice suddenly said a little too close to Steve for him to be comfortable. Tony was directly behind the brothers, and he was suddenly looking straight at Steve. Their eyes locked for a moment and then Tony was smiling. "Sorry this creep is staring. He doesn't have any manners," Tony said, and suddenly he was gone, falling back in place behind the group.

Steve just watched the group leave.

Steve knew he should return the time stone. And he knew that he should go back to his timeline but he didn't want to. Doing that would just mean he would never see Tony again. But here, in 2012, Tony was alive and well. And he still had the time stone, meaning there was still a reason for him to be here. And honestly, Steve couldn't bring himself to finish. So he lingered in New York 2012.

The first thing he did was get a haircut. It wasn't as short as he would normally keep it, but he figured Tony would he satisfied with the outcome. He then got a job in construction. It wasn't much, but he was able to get a small apartment in Brooklyn. And he just existed there. In a world where Tony was alive and thriving. And maybe he couldn't be a part of his life, but Steve was okay with that. He was happy just being able to watch.

On his days off, Steve would frequent Central Park. It was a nice place to people watch and sketch. It had been such a long time since he'd done anything with art. Steve had only been here for about a month, but it had been the best month he'd had in a long time. He couldn't get drunk anymore, no matter how hard he tried. Sure he didn't like it, but it's better for him—in this month, he was healing.

"Is this seat taken?" A man asked as Steve sat on a bench, looking out over the largest of the reservoirs in the park. He'd been sketching the water with the buildings looming in the background. And he was too engrossed in his work to really look up at the man, but he wasn't rude.

"It's all yours," Steve said, continuing to work on the skyline that sat in front of him.

"You were always good at drawing, or at least that's what Howard said. Seeing it in person though, it's not just good, it's amazing," The man said as he leaned forward, getting into Steve's personal space. At the mention of Howard, Steve stilled before turning his head to look at the man who was leaning into him.

"Tony?" Steve asked, his heart rate suddenly picking up.

"Ah, there he is!" Tony said with a smirk on his face as he leaned back into the bench. "I was afraid you might not be Steve Rogers. But those puppy dog eyes are unmistakable," Tony said, smile still on his face.

"Tony," Steve said carefully as he set his book down. "I-I'm not who you think I am," Steve said, his eyes wary.

"I'm well aware Cap," the inventor said, tilting his head to the side. "So are you from a different dimension, or are you from the future?" Tony asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"How do you-?" Steve asked, his brows knitting together. He was simply at a loss for words.

"Jarvis," Tony said, as if that was the answer to his question. "He has eyes all over the city. But most importantly, all over my tower and the surrounding block. After the battle, he alerted me to the fact that there was another Captain America...and another Ironman. And I know for a fact it wasn't me," Tony said as he fished out his phone. After fiddling with it for a moment, security footage appeared in front of him. The first was a shot of 2023 Tony flying in the broken window of the tower, behind everyone else before jumping back out. Suddenly the footage changed to Steve and the 2012 version of himself fighting one another.

"You got good form Steve, but your younger self was getting the best of you there. You slowing up in your old age?" Tony asked with a giggle.

"I was just more stubborn back then," Steve supplied, an amused look on his face.

"Of course. I'm sure you still are," Tony said as he tapped the screen to show a shot of Steve, Tony, and Scott standing in an alleyway before all three of them disappear. "You left with the scepter, and honestly, I was a little worried," Tony said, eyeing Steve. "But then Jarvis tells me a few seconds later, a man that looks like Steve Rogers with a beard had returned it to it's case," Tony said as the screen shifted one more time to show Steve returning the scepter. "The thing is Cap, you didn't leave like the other versions of us. You just walked out the front door...and as far as Jarvis knew, you didn't disappear. Since then I've been keeping tabs on you. So, what are you still doing here?" Steve let out a heavy sigh but Tony just smiled and shook his head. "I'm assuming it's a long story. I cleared my schedule for the day, so let's hear it," The inventor said, watching Steve carefully.

Steve probably told Tony a little too much information. But at this point in time, Steve had stopped caring about things like that. Right now Tony was sitting cross-legged on the bench, scrubbing at his chin.

"So let me get this straight. You are here to return the stones that you took so that my world doesn't fall apart. And you needed them to defeat this big cosmic evil being...and you succeeded?" Tony asked. Steve could only nod. "But you're hanging around here because you miss me? And you can't stand to be in a world where I don't exist anymore," Tony said, raising an eyebrow. "Is that correct?" Tony asked.

"I mean, when you put it that way, it sounds pretty lame," Steve said with a heavy sigh.

"I wouldn't call it lame," Tony hummed. "I think this sits more on the tragic-romantic side of things," Tony laughed. "Well...maybe sappy romance. But I like the thought," The inventor said, a smile on his face. "I know you're living in a dingy apartment. And while there would be two Steves eventually, you are welcome to stay at the tower. Your uh...past self is currently touring America. I'm not sure when he will be getting back. So I'm sure we can-"

"I can't do that to you Tony," Steve said, shaking his head. "You have only known me for a month in this world. It would be like having a stranger living with you. That's not fair."

"I mean...you're not wrong," Tony said, running his hand through his hair. "But what I'm wondering right now is...what are you still doing here?" Tony asked.

"I thought I just told you-" Steve began, but Tony was quick to cut him off.

"No Steve. You just told me you have the power to time travel and you're just hanging around in the lamest year ever!" Tony interjected, shaking his head. "Sometimes I wonder if your time in the ice affected your brain," the mechanic said under his breath. "Just...go to a time where we know each other. That's what I would have done," Tony said with a shrug. "I'm not saying it would work out, but I think it's your best shot."

"Tony," Steve warned. "The only good time is, well, not a good time. I do something pretty shitty to you, and even though you say we're on good terms, it's still hard to believe. I honestly don't think there is a good time," Steve admitted.

"Oh! The Captain curses," Tony said in mock shock, pulling a hand over his mouth before laughing. "Look. We all do shitty things, we're human. And if I said we're cool, then we're cool. So get out there and apologize to future me," Tony says, a smirk on his face.

"It's not that easy," Steve tried again.

"Nope. Don't want to hear it Cap! I said it's going to be okay, so it's going to be okay. I've seen your true colors today Mr. Rogers," Tony said as he suddenly stood up, only to look down at Steve. "So when my Steve does me wrong, I'll know there was some form of positive intent. I'll know that this sappy Steve Rogers is out there somewhere, madly in love with me," Tony said with a smile. "We'll see you in a few years then," he said before patting Steve on the shoulder and walking away.

Tony had made it sound so easy, he really did. He said it with ease and in that moment, Steve had never felt so empowered. So he listened to what Tony had to say. He went back to his apartment and collected some things and soon he was making his way to 2016.

The compound was fairly empty as Steve made his way inside. From what he remembered, it used to be bustling with people. This was, however, after his squabble in Siberia. Half of the Avengers were on the run, and Steve was sure the other half had been pushed out by Tony. He was always one to brood.

As Steve made his way into the common area, he saw a figure hunched over the kitchen island. They were holding a cup of amber liquid in there hand, while a larger bottle sat on the counter. The closer Steve got, the closer he could tell who the person was. Tony.

Tony seemed to sense Steve's presence because he suddenly whirled around, staring at the man with large brown eyes. He was a mess. His hair was pushed in every direction while bags sat under his eyes from sleepless nights. His eyes were visibly bloodshot, and honestly, his skin looked a little too pale. It was obvious he was not in a good state.

Tony suddenly stopped mid-turn and his mouth fell open. The exact same time, his glass cup came crashing to the hardwood floor, sending glass and bourbon in every direction. Steve winced at the sound, but never took his eyes off of the man who was looking at him like he was some sort of spector.

"Steve," Tony suddenly said, his voice raw. "Oh my god. Steve, it's actually you," Tony said, his words slurring as he began to make his way over to Steve. The blonde was concerned that Tony would hurt himself on the glass and in an attempt to keep him from injuring himself, Steve stepped forward. Tony practically fell into his arms as Steve pulled him close and away from the shards of glass.

"Oh god. Steve," Tony stammered, it was obvious he was drunk. "I didn't think you would actually come. I mean, I always told myself you would show up one day. I thought maybe I had imagined it or something," Tony said, pushing his face into Steve's chest as tears began to stain his shirt.

"Tony, I'm so sorry," Steve said trying to comfort the man.

"He- He tried to kill me," Tony then blurted out. His head tilted up and he gave the most broken look Steve had ever seen. "He tried to kill me Steve. He was going to. He shoved that god damned shield into my reactor. And if I would have pushed any harder, he would have done it," Tony cried.

As Steve listened, he could only frown. Was this what Tony had been going through in the few weeks that followed Siberia? If Steve would have known this was how Tony was dealing with that event would have chosen an entirely new path.

"And then he just left me for dead. My suit didn't work, I was bleeding everywhere and...God, it was cold," Tony huffed, his body limp as he leaned into Steve. Honestly, the blonde was not expecting Tony to be this bad off. And he knew it was foolish of him to think he would fine.

"Tony," Steve said carefully as he began to tow Tony towards the couch. Once the two were settled, he continued to speak. "Your Steve isn't going to apologize, not in the right way. The way he does is wildly inappropriate, considering what...we did." Steve mutteredd, feeling shame fill his chest. "And I know I'm not your Steve but-"

"Don't say that," Tony suddenly said, his face still buried in Steve's shoulder. "You've always been my Steve. Ever since we had that conversation on the bench, you've been my Steve," Tony hiccuped.

"But I did the same things as the other Steve," The soldier explained, to which he got no response from Tony. The two sat there for a moment before Steve finally continued. "All I can tell you is I am sorry. I am so so sorry. What I did to you was unexceptable. I lied to you, and it wasn't to protect you, it was to protect me and Bucky. It was incredibly selfish of me. And you had every right to be upset. I never should have done what I did," Steve said, pulling Tony away from him so he could get a look. The inventor just blinked back up at him with wet eyes, his brow knitted together in frustration.

"I forgive you," Tony muttered, but the blonde simply shook his head.

"Don't say that. Not after everything I've just done to you. I don't deserve it," Steve said, his heart heavy. "I think I came to the wrong time. I honestly should just give up this fantasy I have that we'll somehow be able to be together. Peggy didn't work out, why should I have thought this would be different?" Steve huffed, pulling away from Tony.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Tony suddenly asked. Steve stopped and turned to look at Tony.

"I think it's time I face the music and go back to my own time. I'm sorry if I lead you on. I just think-"

"Don't leave me. Please," Tony said, gripping Steve's shirt. "Pepper is gone, the team is gone, I'm so alone and I don't think I'll get through the night by myself," Tony said, his voice cracking in desperation.

"Pepper will come back to you," Steve said carefully. "You're going to ask her to be your wife, and you'll have beautiful children. Don't throw that away for me," Steve said softly.

"That may be what your Tony needed, but I don't want that. I want you. All I have ever thought of was you. Stay. Please. Just for tonight," Tony begged. Steve sat there for a moment, his mind whirling.

"Okay," the soldier finally stammered. "I'll stay."

Honestly, Steve thought he would only stay the night. But the night turned into two nights, and those two nights turned into a week and that week into a month, and after a year of staying with Tony, the genius asked him to marry him.

That one decision to stay for just the night turned out to last for forty nine years. Forty nine years of laughter and smiles. Fighting and tears. Apologizing and working together to make things work. Forty nine years of love.

And at first Steve was worried that things might not work out with another version of himself floating around, but surprisingly that never became an issue. Because Thanos's invasion never happened, there was never a reason for 2016 Steve to get back in contact with Tony. In fact, the man stayed on the sidelines for years. And it was strange, because each Steve knew about the other, and both kept their distance. Twenty years down the road, the Steve Rogers that was native to the timeline died. Killed while on some top secret mission. - And Honestly, Steve Rogers never would have thought he would attend his own funeral, but he did. And it was weird. He vowed never to do that again.

Of Course when Steve agreed to marry Tony, he knew that he would outlive the man. They had talked about it quite frequently. Tony knew that it bothered Steve, but he wanted to make sure that Steve was okay with the idea. So they talked about it quite a bit over the years. And finally, after forty nine years, the day came.

"Darling," Tony muttered weakly from his bed, his hand intertwined with Steve's.

"Yes Tony?" Steve asked, his voice tender as he looked down at his husband with loving eyes.

"We really did make a great team, huh? You and me," Tony said, a weak smile pulling at the corners of his wrinkled mouth.

"Yeah. We did," Steve hummed, his thumb rubbing circles on the back of Tony's hand.

"Now don't get into any trouble when I'm gone, okay? I'll haunt you If I hear you're up to no good," Tony warned, his voice still soft.

"Don't worry. This old body can't do much anymore," Steve replied

"I know you Steven Stark-Rogers. If there is a will, there is a way for you to find trouble," Tony joked. "Just be good, m'kay? Remember, I love you."

"I love you too," Steve said, a smile on his face. "Now get some rest okay? I'll be here when you wake up," Steve said, leaning forward and giving Tony a kiss on his forehead.

Tony never woke up.

Fifty years. It had been fifty years and finally, finally, Steve was returning the time stone. At first he was afraid that his one-hundred-forty-seven-year-old body would not be able to take the jump back in time, but he some now made it intact. The old man appeared on top of a building. It was some sort of rooftop garden, and a bald woman in yellow garb stood a few feet away from him, her arms crossed in front of her.

"Well, well, well, Mr. Rogers, you definitely took your sweet time getting back here, didn't you," the Ancient One said. Her tone was harsh, but she had a smile on her face and kindness in her eyes. "Did you have a good life?" she asked, walking closer to Steve as he held out the stone.

"It wasn't good," Steve said, shaking his head. "It was great."

"It looks like it was," She said, taking the time stone. "So what will you do now?" the woman asked.

"I'm not sure. I was thinking I would go back to my timeline. I have something to drop off," The old man explained, holding up a large, Captain-America-Shield-Like object.

"Oh no Steve. I'm sorry, but with Thanos out of the picture and you holding onto the time stone, you've created an alternate timeline. I'm afraid there is no way for you get back to your original time." The Ancient One explained. "At least, not by yourself," she said as orange energy began to form around her hands.

"Hi Sam," Steve spoke, turning to face his friend who stood off to the side. The two looked at each other for a moment before a smile spread across Sam's face.

"So did something go wrong? Or did something go right?" The man asked. Steve sat there for a moment, contemplating his answer before answering.

"Well after I put the stones back I thought, maybe I'd try some of that life Tony was telling me to get." Steve said, a crooked smile on his face.

"And how did that work out for you?"

"It was beautiful," Steve said, his smile widening as he thought back on the last forty nine years.

"Well I'm happy for you, truly," Sam said, his eyes soft.

"Thank you."

"Only thing Bumming me out is I have to live in a world without Captain America," the man confessed, his voice shaking slightly with the wave of emotion.

"Well," Steve began, leaning over to grab the leather pouch that held a shield. "That reminds me," he said as he began to unzip it, pulling down the cover to reveal a shield that was for Sam. A shield that looked exactly like an old on Steve had owned, but one that Tony had made specifically for Sam. The two stood in silence for a moment before Steve looked up at his friend. "Try it on," He instructed.

Honestly, Sam was shocked, but all he could do was follow Steve's instructions.

"How does it feel?" Steve asked, genuinely curious.

"Like it's someone else's," Sam admitted, to which Steve could only smile.

"It isn't."

"Thank you," Sam said after a deep breath "I'll do my best." Steve only smiled wider as he leaned forward, giving Sam a firm handshake as he placed his other hand on top.

"That's why it's yours," the elder man explained. Suddenly Sam's eyes dropped down to the wedding band that Steve wore, and a broad smile broke out across his face.

"You want to tell me about her?" He asked, eyebrows raising up in excitement. And for a moment Steve contemplated telling Sam about everything he had been through. About how he had just spent a lifetime with the most wonderful man on the planet. But no. That was something special. Something just between him and Tony.

"No," he said, that smile still on his face. "No I don't think I will."