rosieknight

Title: KIA
Author: Rosieknight
Characters: Steve, Tony
Universe: Movieverse AU.
Rating: PG
Words: 554

Notes: For my Bingo Card square Presumed Dead. KIA means Killed In Action. MIA is Missing In Action.

Summary: Tony's world ends at 10:45 AM.




The world ends on a bright, crisp autumn day. It ends at exactly 10:45 in the morning, when the news reports the crash and lists Steve Rogers among the dead.

Tony stands frozen in the living room of the condo he’s been sharing with Steve and watches as the news station plays the clip in an endless loop.

The world has ended and no one else seems to know or care.

He vaguely registers words and phrases emerging from the background murmurs of the reporters’ voices.

“…no survivors…”

“…suspect engine failure…”

“…relatively uninhabited area…”

“…passengers included Army Captain Steve Rogers…”

Abruptly, the television screen goes dark and quiet.

Tony blinks, starts, and realizes he has no idea how long he’s spent staring transfixed at the television. Before he can figure out the current time, a blanket settles around his shoulders and he’s pulled into a familiar warm embrace.

“I’m here, Tony. It’s alright. I’m here and I’m not leaving.”

“St-Steve?” stutters Tony, faint hope in his voice. “But you… They said you were dead.”

“I know. I… I wasn’t on the plane. I’ve actually been in a lab during this past week, getting tested and blood work done. The reason why I’ve been in a lab and not on an actual mission is a long story and I should’ve told you it by now. I’m sorry I let my nervousness about telling you get in the way,” Steve kisses Tony’s jaw, his ear and his temple. “Do you want me to tell it now or wait until you’ve recovered a little more?”

Tony tucks his head under Steve’s chin and cuddles close. He’s dimly aware that the arc reactor must be digging into Steve’s chest, but he can’t make himself pull away from Steve’s comforting and very much alive presence. “Tell me.”

“Ok.” Steve falls silent for a long moment. Finally, he speaks, “You remember, back when we first started dating, what I said about the end of my last mission? How I was MIA, presumed KIA-?”

“But you were actually frozen, which put you in cryogenic stasis and allowed you to be successfully revived now,” interrupts Tony. “Yes, I remember.”

Steve swallows. “When saying that, I heavily implied that I’d been MIA for only a few years or a decade at most. That the arctic landscape I went MIA in was the main reason I was listed KIA, not the amount of time I’d been missing. The truth is, by the time I woke up after being revived, I had been MIA for longer than I cared to admit.”

Tony stiffened, but didn’t pull away, “How long?”

“I’ve been literally on ice for little over sixty-five years.”

“That’s… That’s World War II, Steve!” gapes Tony, stepping backwards and out of the embrace. “Who- What- How the hell did you survive?”

“No one’s really sure, but popular opinion is I survived because,” Steve sighs, steeling himself, “because of the super-soldier serum and the changed it made in my body.”

“Ok, I’m confused. Steve, the only successful super-soldier I know of is Captain America, and he went missing…” Tony trails off as the pieces of information clicks together. “You’re Captain America?!”

Grabbing his portfolio, Steve nods and displays the shield within.

“Ok. Ok. Ok.” Looking up into Steve’s eyes, Tony orders, “Tell me everything, Sweets.”