Who: Steve & Tony. Where: The woods. When: Backdated, 7/26. What: Hotel tomfoolery. Status: Completed. Warnings: Nah.
Coincidentally, Steve hadn't been far from the woods when the hotel decided to screw with them. He'd been sitting outside, sketching with a cup of coffee beside him. The weather was nice, nothing horribly dramatic had occurred recently. Everything was peaceful, when suddenly --
Steve's surroundings changed. He'd been looking at the trees from afar, now he was deep within them; trunks and branches, as far as he could see. His sketchpad was gone, his coffee was gone, and the only thing around him that was familiar was..
"Tony?"
His friend was just a few feet away, looking about as confused as Steve was. Steve had been lounging on the ground when the Crown Plaza transported him. He quickly pulled himself to his feet, brushing the dirt off his pants. "Well, this is new.."
New was putting it rather mildly, wasn’t it? One second, Tony had been in his workshop, toiling away at the next big project (or not, some days he didn’t really have anything planned and just found things to distract himself with) and the next he was on his ass in the forest. When he looked up and spotted Steve standing there looking just as perplexed as he felt -- well. His expression went dry and sarcastic, if only to hide his current real concern.
“This feels like -- oh, I don’t know. Pretty much exactly an idea you had recently, Steve.” Them. Sitting there in the woods, no hotel in sight. Was it accusing? Yes.
For a split second, Steve was confused. He didn't immediately remember saying those words and opened his mouth to protest, when --
Wait. The dinner. Towards the end of the night, when he'd been tipsy. He had said something along those lines, hadn't he? Shit.
Still, Steve found it a little unfair that Tony was upset with him for this. The Crown Plaza had dragged them out there, not Steve himself. That being said, he probably should have been more careful about what had been discussed between them. The hotel was probably just looking for ways to toy with them, and this was a golden opportunity.
"So what, you want to stand there and complain? Come on, this island isn't that big. We'll be back in no time." Which.. probably just jinxed them further.
The Crown Plaza tended to drag them through a lot of mud. Tony was pretty sure there was something going on right now that was mostly unpleasant that he felt the need to have no part in, too. But this … woodsy stuff felt a little too on the nose to not be at least a little bit Steve’s fault.
Plus he was here, so. That was where the blame went.
“No, I wanted to sit here and complain,” Tony said on a sigh before picking himself up off of the ground and dusting his ass off, hopefully free of pine needles and dirt. “Yeah, yeah,” he said, a little annoyed with himself for not having his Suit with him, because then they could just fly back. He supposed he was due for a walk anyway. “Still. This hasn’t happened before. At least, not quite.”
Steve was quiet for a moment as he walked, thinking. Had he done anything that might have upset the hotel that night? Broken any dishes, left the dining hall a mess? Did the hotel even really need a reason to bring this upon them? It really wasn't normal for the Crown Plaza to pick on individuals like this. Steve couldn't help but take it a tiny bit personally. But if the hotel was upset with him, why did it have to drag Tony into this as well?
Initially, his stride had been fast. He marched through the trees like he was on a mission, his irritated mood driving him. It wasn't until he was well ahead of Tony did it dawn on him that maybe, there wasn't a huge rush to make it back. The woods were nice during the day. That, and he wanted Tony close, just in case the hotel decided to spring anything else on them.
"I guess this will teach me not to dip into that Asgardian liquor," he spoke over his shoulder as the distance between them lessened, "You didn't drink any of that stuff, did you?"
Tony trudged on after Steve even if in the beginning he wasn’t making any kind of effort to let Tony keep up with him. Which was fine thank you very much. It gave Tony time to think. And also glare at Steve’s back over the abandonment.
“No, I didn’t have any of that, I’d have died of alcohol poisoning or something,” Tony said with a snort even as he caught up with Steve -- there might have been a bit of a quick jog at the end there. “As much as I hate to say this, because it goes against everything I believe and hold dear -- are we sure this isn’t the hotel doing us a favor?” He supposed he’d take some trees over rats climbing out of toilets.
What the fuck was his life anymore?
Steve felt like his eyeballs could have rolled out of his head from how wide they'd gone. A favor? Had Tony really just said that?
Well. He wasn't stupid enough to ask Tony to repeat himself. But he would ask for clarification. "You think the hotel put us out here for a reason?"
Maybe Tony was on to something here. Maybe Steve was looking at this the wrong way -- which he might have believed if it was just himself stuck out in the woods. Or even if Bucky had been dragged out there instead of Tony. But Steve could barely get Tony to come out there with him when they had a tent and a bucket of beer.
What had Tony said of this particular scenario? That it was one of the worst things he'd ever heard? Something along those lines. The alcohol made the details fuzzy. Either way, Steve remained skeptical. "Even if the hotel is trying to be helpful, I imagine you'd still rather be inside than out here."
“No,” Tony wasn’t going to clarify completely because he couldn’t, not really. And that always vexed him, frankly. Not knowing things was his least favorite thing in the world. “I’m beginning to think that the hotel doesn’t do anything for a reason. Other than maybe feeling smug.”
He kicked at a rock, a move that was a little bit petulant for someone his age, but he was allowed to be petulant out in the woods without any tech or his suit, not even a phone. And the more they walked, the less Tony was inclined to believe that they could just wander back into the hotel any time soon. “I’m not saying I like it. But I am saying the hotel is back on it’s crazy bullshit and maybe it’s nicer than murder mazes or toilet rats.”
It's nicer than murder mazes or toilet rats?
..okay, he'd take that. Minor victory. Sort of. It was up there with, 'well camping is better than having my hand cut off', but Steve wasn't going to make a thing of it.
"Shouldn't we at least try to tell everyone where we are?" Steve asked, reaching for his phone -- which was not in his pocket and was likely still out in the grass with his coffee and art supplies. Great. He breathed out a frustrated sigh. So much for that.
"Guess we're doing this, huh?" And by ‘we’, Steve absolutely meant he’d be taking on the brunt of the work again..
Well camping was better than having a hand cut off. That was just an obvious fact.
Tony felt some sinking disappointment in Steve also not having a phone -- but he supposed he hadn’t expected otherwise. If Tony didn’t have his, it was a lot less likely that Steve would have been carrying one anyway. “Nice try anyway,” he said, deciding to lean a bit off of the blame vibes for the time being since it wasn’t really Steve’s fault to begin with. The hotel was just … the hotel.
The thing was, it wasn’t like Tony was useless in a situation like this, he could help. He was an engineer, he could build shelter if needed, he was capable and had survived much worse.
But if Steve was going to be self-sacrificing about it, well, he wasn’t going to stop him. “Guess so. How’s your sense of direction?”
Steve gave a shrug and gestured with his hand, indicating that his sense of direction was only so-so. Even as a super soldier, he'd carried around a compass, which served as more than just a sentimental reminder of the past. If he and Tony were going to split up, Steve couldn't promise it wouldn't take an additional five minutes or so to find him again. But in this particular situation, it might have been necessary.
Normally, Steve would have jumped right to work. He wasn't really one to procrastinate. And if they were spending the night out there in the woods, figuring out a safe place to sleep sooner rather than later was going to be helpful.
Nonetheless, Steve allowed himself a moment to pout about the whole mess before forcing himself to shrug it off and focus. "If we are where I think we are, I'm pretty sure there's a few ideal spots for a lean-to shelter back that way. I can start finding materials for it if you want to go pick out a location?"
“So we’re in agreement that there’s … very little chance of running into the boat docks or the hotel again again at this rate?” Tony asked, distractedly pausing in order to look up at the trees, wondering if it was worth the time to climb one and see if there was a way to get past the view of the forest for something wider scale.
Unlikely, considering the distance they’d already walked.
“So, alright. A location it is.” At least, once Steve had had his pout about it. Which Tony felt maybe a little bit bad about now. “You know I don’t actually think this is your fault, right?”
"Probably not. I feel like we should at least be able to see the hotel from here.. Usually the roof is visible, just there, to the south. The fact that we can't spot it doesn't really leave me in high hopes.." Something that Steve probably would have noticed before just now if he hadn't started this conversation at a solid ten on the stress scale.
It really wasn't that horrible of a position they were in and realizing that Tony was handling it better than he was helped put things into perspective. But that didn't stop Steve from being prickly just a little bit longer. He looked at Tony with uncertainty on his face. "You sure about that? If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be out here right now."
Not to mention, he was an absolute magnet for trouble lately. Steve wasn't really one for pity parties, though, and he was fast to wave it off. Even if it was technically his big mouth that landed them here, placing blame wasn't going to help matters. He gave Tony a nod. "I'll come find you soon."
“Pretty sure. But I reserve the right to change my mind the second I have to sleep in the dirt or a bug bites me,” Tony replied, lifting an eyebrow in challenge, although he sort of doubted that Steve wouldn’t be gracious enough to give him at least that.
And then they were separated and Tony was wandering around the area, trying to find the best spot for a makeshift shelter -- he supposed they could count themselves lucky that there weren’t really normal wild animals out here -- at least, none he’d ever seen.
There also wasn’t much in the way of fresh water though, which was probably fine for a day but would pose a challenge later on.
Still, he found an area, and concerned himself with clearing away sticks and stones, separating them into little piles a little ways away.
Even after wandering a good distance away, Steve was able to find Tony much easier than he previously thought (thank god). But here was the real question: Did Steve even know how to build a shelter?
Sort of. He'd seen pictures and had a vague idea. While he had no problem with dragging large branches to Tony's location that might as well have been small trees themselves, he was.. less versed in the logistical side of things. Battle strategy was one matter. Construction rationale was something else entirely. He looked at it one way, then another. He knew it could work. He just wasn't sure how to put the pieces together in a way that made sense.
And he tried. Oh, how he tried. But around the third attempt and watching those large branches topple over, he gave Tony another frustrated look. "I hope you're enjoying this." Because even if Tony couldn't sleep in a real bed that night, at least he could have a nice laugh over watching Steve Rogers struggle.
“I am, a little,” Tony said and there was mirth in his tone. It felt like an innocent thing, to stand here and watch Steve fail -- he wasn’t doing it under any malicious design so much as out of vague curiosity to see how he’d fair at building something.
Not well, apparently.
He uncrossed his arms, and then moved in a little closer, pointing to a few of the bigger branches. “Alright,” he said, “let’s -- no, you stop that. Bring that one over here, it’s what we’re starting with for structural integrity.”
With some snarky direction giving, and a lot of pointing, Tony could probably have them a shelter sooner rather than later.
"Okay -- okay -- wait, are you sure this is going to work? It looks sort of.. Wait, no. I see. You're right."
It was kind of funny how something as simple as building a lean-to shelter could remind him so much of old times. How it was almost natural for him and Tony to bicker for at least a good five or ten minutes before deciding to work together. And continued to bicker while doing so.
But (normally) there was a playful tone involved. And with the way things had been at the hotel lately, focusing on a project - even a ridiculous one - was actually kind of enjoyable. He let Tony direct him, following instructions on where to place the branches. Once the shelter was completed, Steve stood back and crossed his arms.
"Well now I feel silly for dragging that sad little tent out the last time we went camping. This looks incredible, Tony." There wasn't the slightest hint of sarcasm. It really did look good. Far more spacious and sturdier than a flimsy pop-up tent. Steve looked at Tony, giving him a genuine, "Thank you."
“Of course.” Tony said, and he wouldn’t disagree -- it did look better than the pop up. Then again, there was something to be said for convenience. Even professional chefs ate fast food sometimes, right?
Really though, it didn’t matter how good the lean-to was when the day started getting further on in hours they were just… still there. Along with the bugs and the sense of hunger. And boredom. A little bit. “What are the odds we get sent back the second after we go rummaging for berries and find the hallucinogenic ones?” He asked, after a beat where they’d fallen silent -- Tony shifting in the dirt to try and find a more comfortable position.
"That would just be our luck, wouldn't it?" Steve reached out, giving Tony a playful swat on the arm. Hey, at least hallucinogenic berries would help pass the time. "Come on, let's go see what we can find."
Mushrooms. Lots and lots of mushrooms. None of which were the fun kind, unfortunately. And while it probably wasn't the healthiest thing in the world to drink, there was a tiny stream that passed through the woods. They had no way to heat up the water and kill whatever was in it, but Steve was willing to take it over the alternative, which was nothing at all.
Once the sun began to set, Steve had made a fire for them; an act that took much longer without matches. It was harder to pass the time without playing cards or a rousing game of truth or dare, but in some ways, it was kind of nice to just sit back and watch the stars come out. Steve was resting on his back, his arms folded behind his head as a pillow, his eyes watching that late night sky.
"Okay, I have to ask: so there was that other version of me, right? The weird one who was here before? Was it.. just me? Or were there other.. weird versions of us? Like a weird version of Thor? Was there ever another you?" This whole concept still sort of blew his mind and it was, sadly, still a fresh thought. Steve had finally seen that questionable video of his other self. And wished he hadn't.
Yeah, that video hadn’t been worth seeing. Not really. Not because it wasn’t a nice view but because it was kind of… lacking in consent. But also yeah, that Steve had been weird. Tony pulled a face over it and then thought about the question. “That was the only other you I’d met here and no one said that there’d been a different me before I showed up. My Pete was here originally, and now there’s the older version. And I’d argue that the Thor that was here was kind of off. And then there’s, you know. Clint and Loki and even Pepper. Different. Some might call them weird if you were just doing a comparison.”
He shifted, hands in the dirt as he stared up at the sky, the twinkling stars between the tops of the trees. “It stands to reason there’s a ton of versions of us out there, multiple dimensions branching out from choices made or not made -- time travel certainly doesn’t hurt those odds, which I think you’re more aware of than me at this point? It’s a big science theory back home, the multiple worlds theory, and all that. I sort of hate that this place proves it and there’s no way to make proper use of that.”
Steve smiled. Hopping through time to get the stones had been horribly stressful, but encountering their past selves in Stark Tower had been.. something. Challenging and fascinating and amusing, all at once. Tony had rather blatantly been looking at his ass on that particular mission, though, and that alone factored into it being a pleasant memory.
It had also been the last time (before coming to the Crown Plaza) that Steve had been able to spend time with Tony, which made it sort of bittersweet.
He shrugged as best as he could from the position he was in. "Yeah, guess I am. It was always still us, though, with the time traveling that we did. We didn't get to see different realities." Steve shifted, turning his attention to Tony. "I kind of wish I could. I wonder what we're like in Pete's reality. This Pete. Who knows, maybe you're blonde and married to Natasha." He snickered. Hey, weirder things had happened..
“I don’t think I’m blond. Or married to Natasha. God, Steve what the hell. Why would you even say that?” He had it on pretty good authority that he was pretty much the same in that timeline, except, he didn’t know Peter in it, not really.
“Before you came, there was a girl named Gwen, she was like Peter -- a Spider in her timeline. She was -- I liked her. Anyway. She told me that I wasn’t even Ironman in her reality, I was just a business owner. Get this, I owned a chain of coffee shops called Starkbucks.”
"Starkbucks?" Steve laughed - not necessarily because he thought it was weird that Tony ran a chain of coffee shops, but because it really wasn't all that outlandish. Not being Ironman though.. That was odd. "Hm, I could see it. Maybe the hotel will do that to us one day. Dump us into another timeline, let us experience alternate realities."
Was the hotel still listening to him? So much for Steve being cautious about what flew out of his mouth..
At least seeing another timeline had the potential of being pleasant, unlike being stuck out in the woods. Not that chatting with Tony around a campfire was all that awful. Steve wasn't sure how Tony was holding up, but he happened to find this almost enjoyable now that they'd gotten settled. He rolled onto his side, propping his head up with his hand. "You getting tired?"
“Hey, some version of me can make a mean latte, I guess?” It sounded interesting in theory, admittedly. Going out and seeing what other versions of themselves and their worlds were like -- then again, their lives were usually always messy and Tony was under the impression that being a Coffee Conglomerate was sort of an outlier position in terms of any life a version of him was leading.
Still. It was a thought. Tony was wiser than Steve though, and seemed content to just tip his head to the side thoughtfully in agreement.
“I could nap, in a bit,” Tony admitted after a beat. Tired was pushing it -- he rarely felt tired, too distracted by everything else in the world to give in to something like that. But out here with little else to do… maybe. “I could keep watch if you want to go first,” he offered.
Emotional exhaustion was more common than physical exhaustion at the hotel, but the former still made Steve a little more susceptible to the latter. And maybe it wouldn't hurt to try and rest, just on the off chance that the Crown Plaza had something else in store for them. It seemed like something the hotel might do: rain hellfire the second they believed things had calmed down enough to sleep. So he gave a nod, picking himself up off the ground so that he could move himself over to the shelter.
"Tony?"
For a moment, it seemed as if Steve were going to say something else. Abrupt and awful and frustrating as this involuntary camping trip had been, Steve really was grateful for his time spent with Tony. It felt like the past, which, in turn, made it feel like home. Not in the sense of being out there in the trees -- more just being able to solve problems together. But Steve decided that maybe, that was too sentimental. "Wake me up when you start to get drowsy."
So long as no one was looking at it like a team building exercise. Even if it sort of had been -- and Steve and Tony had both come out better for it, maybe. They hadn’t even bickered over the building or the crappy dinner. Even if Tony had complained a little bit.
Tony stared at Steve for a moment before shrugging that pause off. There was no guessing what was in anyone’s heads some days, but sometimes there was and there was nothing else that needed to be said.
“Goodnight, Steve,” was how he responded, before moving his gaze back up to the stars.