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It wasn't the alcohol that was causing him to feel like he was spinning, Tony knew that to be a fact. While all of his devices did work, this one worked... a little too much. The portal opened before him, and he grinned like a mad scientist upon seeing the swirling colors that graced the gateway to another world.
He only really got a moment to watch the glory that was his creation before it pulsed out a wave of energy, knocking him to the ground. He heard someone crash down to the ground somewhere behind him, and Tony glanced over his shoulder, smiling upon seeing Steve there.
Only... Steve's eyes were wide, and he looked absolutely terrified about the portal that was swirling just a few feet in front of them. Tony could only hear him for a split second as he shouted his name, the instant before the portal started pulling them both towards it with a lot more force than he'd been expecting.
He didn't even get a chance to scream out for help, he was only able to reach a hand out towards Steve before the world became a rainbow swirl of energy. Tony felt like he was being turned around, upside down, in every direction. He felt like he was going to throw up, and it wasn't just because of the amount of alcohol he'd had. Because honestly, Clint had had far more than him, seeing as he actually had to be at least a little tiny bit sober so that he could work.
Tony wasn't even able to scream as everything went from rainbow to blue to black as he crashed into something, hard.
"Hey, he's waking up," said an unfamiliar voice. It was pretty clear whoever it was, was talking about him.
Tony groaned, keeping his eyes closed. God, he had a terrible hangover right now, and he needed some coffee badly. In fact, he was a little surprised that he didn't feel Steve gripping his hand right now, because unless something was going on, that's where he should be. You know, unless he was out saving the day while Tony was in a drunken stupor or blowing himself up in the lab.
Raising a hand to his head, Tony groaned again and opened his eyes, coming face to face with an unfamiliar man in an unfamiliar costume. Tony shouted in surprise and scooted back as far as he could, looking around. Where was he? This wasn't his tower, this wasn't his team.
"Whoa, hey, calm down," the young man said, holding up his hands in surprise. The young man was in red and white costume, and while he did look like a superhero, not a supervillain, Tony wasn't about to take any chances.
"Who are you? Where am I?" Tony asked, flinching when someone else put a hand on his shoulder. He jerked away, looking up with wide eyes at... Steve?
The blond in front of him smiled, though he looked cautious. "How are you feeling, Tony? You took quite a fall there."
"Where am I?" Tony asked, scooting over towards him while casting a wary glance at the other guy in the room, who'd crossed his arms. He looked a bit disappointed, but not really surprised at all.
"You're in one of our medical rooms," Steve said. Tony watched him, confused, because while this man looked like Steve... "We weren't expecting you to just fall out of the sky like that."
He jumped a little and glanced over at the door when someone else walked in.
"I have to say, whatever you did was pretty amazing, because I haven't been able to figure out dimension travel just yet," the man admitted, rubbing the back of his head. Tony stared at the man, who looked far too much like himself for his own liking.
The dimension portal.
That stupid thing he'd built, drunk, with Clint.
"It... it worked?" Tony said, grinning. "I'm in another dimension? This is amazing!"
The alternate-Tony smirked. The man's hair was a lot darker than his own, and his facial hair was trimmed in a slightly different style. His eyes, though, were the same. "Yeah, great, expect for you dropped down from a little too high directly onto a car. Might be a little more effective if you were able to control it better. Can I get your plans?"
"I, uh..." Tony grinned sheepishly. "I was drunk, I don't really..."
"You... make dimensional portals while you're drunk?" the mystery guy who was still there asked. "Tony, why don't you do that? Is alternate-you just that much smarter?"
"Of course not," this world's Stark defended. "I just haven't tried making a portal to another dimension because chances are someone could use it to gather too many villains up from other dimensions. Did you think of that one, Stark?"
"It was Clint's idea," he muttered, glancing over at the door. "So, uh... was I alone?"
"Yep," Steve replied, looking concerned. "Was there someone with you? Should we go check again?"
"I don't really know if my world's Steve and Clint were affected or not... I was the closest to the portal, so..." Tony shrugged. He flinched again, grabbing his forehead. God, why'd he drink so much? He was a little surprised that this world's Steve—calling them by their last names might be easier—offered him a hand.
"You said you were drinking? Come on, let's go get you something for the hangover that you no doubt have by now," Rogers murmured, and Tony smiled as him, taking his hand. No matter which universe he was in, he'd always be comfortable around Steve.
"Thanks," he mumbled, and Rogers didn't seem to mind when he didn't let go of his hand. Stark, on the other hand, looked jealous.
"So," the unknown guy said as they headed towards the kitchen. This place was so different than his own tower! "...Cap's in your world, and so is Hawkeye, but... I don't exist?"
"I don't know you," Tony said. "I like your suit, though."
"S'cause I built it," Stark muttered, glaring at Tony, then at the way he was still holding hands with Rogers.
"Sam Wilson," the young man said. "The Falcon. Seriously? I don't exist?"
"I mean... the team hasn't been together for more than a few months—"
"Really?" Stark said, surprised. The glare disappeared, to which Tony was thankful. "We've been together... off and on. Falcon's a bit new. Maybe you'll find your own Sam? Ours was working for Fury first. You got a Fury in your world?"
"Could you imagine a world without him?" Tony said, chuckling. Fury didn't seem to realize that when he let Tony become the caregiver for the Avengers, that also ended up with them listening to him far more than they listened to Fury anymore.
"Point," Stark laughed.
Getting some food into his system did a good job at alleviating the hangover. While he was sitting in the kitchen chatting with this team of Avengers, he'd learned about the vast differences between this world and his own.
This world's Thor was a bit different than his own, of course, with the first part being the fact that Thor actually lived at the tower. In his world, Thor went back and forth from Asgard to visiting Jane, only stopping by for visits or if the world was going to be destroyed. Now, that didn't mean that he didn't like Thor, because he did. The man was great.
And Bruce! Bruce was nearly always the Hulk in this world. This Hulk could actually speak in complete sentences, and he was pretty intelligent. The Hulk of Tony's world was smart, he knew that, but he was basically just a rage monster.
Clint and Natasha were similar, but obviously different. They were all glad he woke up and was fine, and the two ex-assassins had gone to check where Tony had landed, just to make sure that Steve or Clint hadn't shown up, too.
"I still can't believe your team is missing such a vital member," Wilson muttered, though Tony made a mental note to keep an eye out for anyone named 'Sam Wilson' back in his world.
Tony noticed that Stark was sitting on Rogers' other side, holding onto his hand. He, on the other hand, had already let go. He wondered for a moment if the Tony Stark of this world was dating the Steve Rogers here. He guessed so, seeing the way that Stark was acting.
"So, are you two...?" Tony said, gesturing to the two men.
"Yes," Rogers said, grinning broadly as he wrapped an arm around Stark's waist.
Stark leaned forward so that Tony was able to see his double's face. "And you?"
"For the past couple weeks," Tony said. At least some things didn't change between different dimensions. Knowing that things were working out in this dimension made him feel better about his own relationship with his own Steve. After all, if they were together in multiple universes, then perhaps they really were meant to be.
"It does make working together out on the battlefield a bit more fun," Stark murmured, and Rogers actually smirked at that. On the battlefield? That meant...
Tony stared at the two wide-eyed. "You... that means you..." He could feel the panic setting in. They knew. He told them. Iron Man wasn't a secret in this universe. Why didn't he keep that secret? Tony reached for his arc reactor, stumbling out of the chair he'd been in.
"Tony?" Rogers spoke up, fear evident in his voice. He took a step towards him, but Tony just shook his head and glared at his dimensional double.
"You told them?" he snapped, gripping his reactor. It calmed him, knowing that it was there. No one had taken it. He wasn't going to die. "Why in the world would you tell them? No one was supposed to know!"
"What are you talking about?" Stark asked. He was staring at Tony like he'd gone crazy.
Rogers reached out, and Tony let the blond put a hand on his shoulder and then slowly pull him into a hug.
"It's okay... I don't know what we said, but everything's okay here, Tony, it's okay," Rogers murmured, and Tony leaned against him. Steve had been the one who'd helped him with his panic attacks, getting him to take deep breaths. Even this world's Stark put a hand on his shoulder, murmuring something to Wilson that got him to leave the room.
"What did I say?" Stark murmured, rubbing his back. Rogers kept him held close.
"I wasn't supposed to tell anyone," Tony whispered, practically trembling. "Tony Stark isn't a good man, everybody knows it. Nobody wanted him, so I didn't tell anyone."
"About what?" Rogers asked.
Stark seemed to get it. "You never told anyone that you're Iron Man?"
"Tony Stark is an arrogant, annoying, good-for-nothing, alcoholic, narcissistic, egotistical playboy who's created hundreds of thousands of weapons that have killed even more people," Tony growled, pressing his face against Rogers' chest. "No one would've ever looked up to Iron Man if they knew how broken he was... So I told everyone that Iron Man was my bodyguard."
"And the team... believes that?" Rogers asked. "Your Steve is dating you, right? Not... Iron Man?"
"He think Iron Man's just a friend," Tony mumbled, just glad to have the super-soldier's warm, strong arms around him. He was worried about what might've happened to his boyfriend back home, and it would definitely have been his fault if anything happened.
"That should tell you enough just how much he cares about you," Rogers murmured. "You think that poorly of yourself, and yet he still sees how amazing you are."
Tony just rolled his eyes. "I'm just glad he's with me right now. I've been spending less time as Iron Man, 'sending him off on missions' so that no one's worried about him... because Steve might realize that he likes Iron Man more than me, just like every other person in the world."
"If he's anything like me, then he's madly in love with you and wouldn't even begin to think about being with anyone else," Rogers said. He sounded so honest when he said it that Tony couldn't help but believe him. He relaxed a little when he felt Stark start rubbing his back.
"I'm guessing that it's going to be a 'no' on the whole trans-dimensional threesome thing, then?" Stark asked, and Tony couldn't help but chuckle a little.
"I'd have to bring my Steve with me next time," Tony mumbled, while Stark just laughed.
"Come on. If you're anything like me, 'talking about your feelings' isn't something that you're going to want to do, but even I can tell that you need to talk right now, so..." Stark said, taking his hand before leading him over to the 'living room' area. Rogers stayed at his side, offering him quiet comfort. Just having him there was enough for Tony—he looked so much like his own Steve, while this Stark looked... similar, but not identical.
"So you never told anyone that you're Iron Man?" Stark asked, and Tony shook his head.
"No one thought I was anything more than a broken man after... after Afghanistan," Tony sighed, hanging his head. "Your team... trusts you?"
"We do," Rogers said. "There's no one I'd rather have at my side when we go off into battle. I trust him, I love him, and I'm able to protect him when he's with me. If I had to think about him being back in the tower... There are all sorts of villains that try to attack the tower, and if I thought he was here instead of by my side..." Rogers shivered a little. "I trust him, and so does the rest of the team. With our lives."
Rogers' words made him feel a bit better.
"And anyway, if anyone has a problem with Tony Stark being Iron Man, I'd just tell them to fuck off," Stark said flippantly, grinning when Rogers just rolled his eyes and smiled. "You should try it. The Avengers of your world are still friends with you, right?" Tony nodded. "See? I think they'd be happy to know that you're Iron Man. And if someone isn't happy with it, you know what I'd say." Stark's features softened. "They'll trust you, too, if you give them a chance."
Tony nodded slowly, looking back and forth between the two men. "I guess you weren't expecting yourself from another world to be such a mess."
"Actually," Stark said, shaking his head. He offered a small grin. "I'm not surprised about the situation you're in. I'd probably be in the same place if I didn't feel that I could tell the world that I'm Iron Man. I needed my team, they really did help. Plus, Steve and I do a lot of flirting on the battlefield. It's fun."
"Even if the comms should be clear in case of danger," Rogers sighed, though he was smiling still.
"But you know what would be good for you right now, more than anything?" Stark asked, and Tony smiled a little at Rogers' disapproving look. "I wasn't going to say a threesome, I swear. I think we should figure out how to get you home. That way you can talk with your team, hug you own Steve, and see that your team will accept you. It took me a while in the beginning to really accept the team, especially after we broke apart the first time."
"Once you brought us back together, though, things seemed to turn out pretty well," Rogers murmured, leaning over to kiss his lover.
"It might do you some good," Stark said, standing up before offering him a hand. "I'll figure out exactly which universe you come from so that next time you decide to drop by, we can see exactly what it's like to have two Captain Americas and two Iron Mans in one bed." Stark gave him a predatory smirk, and Tony had to admit, he'd never really thought about trans-dimensional intercourse before, but it might be fun. Sure, he'd have to talk Steve into it, but...
"I can talk with Steve about it," Tony said, smiling when Rogers patted his shoulder and followed after them.
"That's the spirit!" Stark cheered.
Stark's lab looked quite a bit his own, and Tony couldn't help but want to look around. Stark let him, telling him that he was going to figure out if he could find exactly where he'd come from based on any trans-dimensional energy particles left behind during the event. Rogers led him around the lab, pointing out different things. (He'd obviously spent a lot of time in the lab, listening to Stark talking and no doubt paying attention. Maybe he should let his own Steve down more often...)
"Guys... I think someone's trying to reopen the portal," Stark called, and the two raced back over. There was an energy in the middle of the room, still invisible but enough to bend the light to make it look like there was something there, growing.
It wasn't until the invisible light started swirling, looking more like a large colorful doorway, when Tony knew that his team was here for him.
He grinned and stepped forward, waiting to see if it would stabilize or fail and suck them all into another dimension. After a few seconds, it seemed to stabilize, as a shape appeared.
Clint looked like he was ready for battle, bow aimed and raised from the moment he appeared. It only took a moment of looking around the room for him to put his bow down and run over to Tony, wrapping his arms tightly around the other man in a surprise hug.
"I thought you were in danger," Clint gasped, hugging him a little too tightly. "I thought my stupid dare caused you to... I thought you were dead."
"I'm not," Tony said, surprised at how worried Clint was. He knew that they were friends, and the archer was the greatest drinking buddy that he ever had, but he never really thought that Clint cared much more than that. "Where's Steve?"
"Bruce thought we should get you first... We're going for him next. I was far enough away that I didn't end up in another world..." Clint said, keeping an arm around Tony's shoulders as he turned to acknowledge the alternate versions of his friends. "Thanks for keeping him safe."
"Not a problem," Rogers said, smiling. "There can never be too many Tonys."
Tony was a little surprised by the caring smile that stayed on Clint's face. The archer looked over at him. "Next time, we'll build a robot that keeps us from doing dumb things while we're drunk. I'll get Jarvis to remind me not to dare you to build dangerous things while we're drinking."
"Where's the fun in that?" Tony laughed.
"I knew I liked this guy," Stark chuckled, glancing over at Clint for a second before raising an eyebrow. Tony shook his head. He couldn't tell Clint, not yet. He'd figure out how to tell his team eventually, but now was definitely not the time. "So, now that your portal's up and working, and I've got all the readings I need on where you're from, either you can bring your Steve back here, or we can come visit you, because I'm not going to forget about our deal."
"It was never really a deal," Tony pointed out. "Like I said, I'll talk with him about it. But no promises."
"If he's anything like me he'll eventually come around to the idea," Rogers chuckled, and the four walked over towards the portal. Clint was obviously confused about what they were talking about, but he didn't ask.
"Well, it was nice meeting you guys, but we've still got to go get our own Steve back," Clint said, gesturing to the portal.
"Until we meet again," Tony said, grinning at the two, who just smiled back knowingly. Tony took Clint's hand, to make sure that they both ended up in the same place.
This time, the swirling colors didn't spin him around in circles, or drop him through the air for him to apparently land on a car. This time, he ended up right there in the lab, with Clint beside him and Bruce a few steps away. The other scientist raced over to make sure that Tony was okay. Natasha stayed at the controls, shutting the machine down when Bruce told her to.
"You're okay," Bruce murmured, hugging Tony tightly. Man, everyone looked like they'd been stressing over him. It was strange, since he wasn't used to it. Sure, he'd befriended the team, but for years he'd been on his own. It was just strange, now, not being on his own. He was thankful for it.
"Let's go get Steve back," Tony said confidently. Maybe... maybe he could tell his team. They obviously cared about him. Maybe they'd be okay with him being Iron Man. "Let's go bring my boyfriend home."