Work Text:
His name is Grant Carter, and he’s attending a wedding.
It’s not his wedding.
He is, after all, already married to Peggy, and has been for four decades now. She’s too ill to join the festivities today, but Grant has Bucky with him, making them a pair of old fogeys among the hundred or so mostly-much-younger guests milling around the grounds of Stark mansion.
It’s a daytime wedding, and the reception is being held outdoors, under massive canopies providing shade to the spread of tables and chairs. One would think that the location and status of some of its guests would put this shindig on the fancier end of the class scale, but there’s an irreverent wildness here that makes it feel more like a carnival than a wedding.
There are robotic drones working alongside human staff in serving people. The buffet tables serve tiny gourmet dishes of unidentifiable meat alongside good ‘ol hot dogs. At the far end, there’s a bouncy castle in bright colors that is actually being used by guests, though one of the towers is singed due to Thor’s exuberance. Next to the bouncy castle is a full-scale chocolate fountain, where said chocolate flows out of the repulsor of an also full-scale chocolate Iron Man sculpture.
Grant’s an old guy, so the most adventurous he’s been thus far is to try the melon-flavored smores. They were good.
This is a wedding, and it’s not Grant’s wedding. Technically, and practically.
Still, that doesn’t stop Bucky from shoving a red-and-blue wedding favor in Grant’s face and saying, “That has to weird you out.”
“I’ve already got one,” Grant says, gesturing at the similar favor that’s currently stuffed into a jacket pocket.
“But have you seen it?” Bucky’s referring to writing on the favor itself, all around the cord of the lanyard where gold calligraphy spells out Rogers & Stark on one side, and Stark & Rogers on the other. On the clip of lanyard, Steve and Tony’s stylized profiles face each other in a coin-like icon.
“I’ve had sixty years to get used to this,” Grant tells him.
The shadow of Steve Rogers – himself, but recursed and mirrored – has followed Grant through the decades, from the moment of that first reclaimed dance with Peggy. That was the first choice in a long line of choices he’d made since then; choices that ranged from easy to difficult to heartrendingly awful, and splintered into consequences that he’d tried his best to corral into a net positive.
Whatever protesting noises Bucky’s currently making at him, Grant believes that this consequence is a net positive.
“No,” Bucky says, “you’ve had sixty years to get used to the overlap, and hope that Steve would find someone to settle down with. Not that that someone would be Howard’s kid.”
Bucky, of course, still thinks of Tony that way, no matter how much Grant’s told him about the other universe where Tony was his own man, and Grant’s peer, friend and teammate. Grant figures it’s because Bucky had no qualms about keeping in touch with the Starks and watching Tony grow up, while Grant’s been careful to keep his distance from everyone who doesn’t or can’t know who he used to be.
“You should try the s’mores,” Grant says.
Bucky gives him a look. “Uh-uh.”
“If you came all this way just to rag on me—” Grant says.
“No, I came all this way ‘cause my best friend is getting married,” Bucky says with a grin. “Not everything is about you.”
Grant hears what Bucky doesn’t say: that he was there for the other wedding, so of course he’d be here for this one, too. That’s where the mirroring comes in – Grant is Bucky’s best friend, but so is Steve Rogers. Which just makes Grant think that whatever he may say about this having to be ‘weird’ for Grant, it should be just as weird for Bucky.
After all, Grant’s had sixty years to get used to the warped déjà vu of this new world, but Bucky (and Peggy) have only really grasped what that meant in the last decade or so. They may have understood what Grant told them about time travel and branching timelines, but understanding isn’t the same thing as seeing Grant’s doppelganger brought out of the ice, disoriented and angry and forced to move on.
Peggy dealt with it in her own way: focused, efficient and sometimes overcompensating in her efforts to help Steve rebuild his life. Bucky rolled with it differently, somehow having enough space in his head and heart for two versions of him.
“At least you didn’t have to be best man this time,” Grant says.
“Oh, Steve asked,” Bucky says, which makes Grant start in surprise. “I told him I don’t think my knees can handle that much responsibility this late in the game.”
“Oh well,” Grant says. “In any case, Natasha looks like she’s having a good time.”
Natasha’s over in the thick of the guests, and is laughing at something Fury just said. She’s in a white tux, which is a daring choice, and has clearly thrown herself fully into the role of Steve’s best woman. Not that Rhodey isn’t enjoying being Tony’s best man, but he’s currently nowhere to be seen – he’s probably wrangling the happy couple, wherever they are.
Grant and Bucky have taken care to keep their voices low for most of their conversation, but as people pass by them and more guests come out from the nearby ballroom, they steer their conversation to safer pastures.
“Why would you even make that wager?” Wanda’s saying as she and Vision walk by. “There’s no way that Tony would show up for the ceremony in an Iron Man suit.”
“Ah, but I just said ‘suit’,” Vision says. “I didn’t specify that it would be an Iron Man suit.”
“Sam will not let that stand,” Wanda says.
“We shall see,” Vision says.
They move away, barely acknowledging Grant and Bucky beyond polite smiles. It’s the same and has been the same for all the others – at least, the one who were Grant’s acquaintances and friends in another lifetime. Grant truly doesn’t mind; it’s been better for everyone for him to stay at a remove and watch events unfold from a distance these past decades. He’s content to be surprised and quietly pleased at the intersection of people that he hadn’t been sure would happen with the universe changed so much.
Pepper and Happy are here, still good friends with Tony. Peter Parker and a friend are investigating the island of automated drinks dispensers while Peter’s aunt looks on. Shuri is here with a friend, though Grant’s at a loss at how Tony and Steve know her well enough to invite her to their wedding. Perhaps she’s involved in the drafting of the latest incarnation of what used to be known as the Accords.
“I’m going to get some barbecue,” Bucky says. “You want?”
“Yeah, sounds good,” Grant says. “I’ll be here.”
As Bucky moves away, Grant reclaims a chair he’d been sitting in earlier. A server asks if he’d like a top-up on his drink, and he replies in the affirmative.
The drink, at least, gives him something to nurse as a particular type of melancholy – which has become more and more familiar lately – thickens in Grant’s chest.
In deciding to stay here, he’d had to make a new life, separate as much as possible from the path he’d taken once before. He may technically be an interloper, but he still considers this place his home, if simply because he’s lived more years of his life here than anywhere else. His life in the original timeline was one brutal cut after another: the ice sleep, SHIELD falling apart, his Avengers falling apart, those post-snap five years of pure misery. Be it wrong or right, he’s had more continuity of home here.
That new life involved becoming Grant Carter through and through. The name was a joke in the early years, and a way for Peggy and their few trusted allies to refer to him in public. But then the name became necessary, because he was here to see the changes he made come to fruition, and he needed that extra level of disconnect from who he used to be.
He is Steve Rogers, but not this universe’s Steve Rogers. Calling himself Grant, even in his own head, helps him remember that.
Grant Carter is a civilian with a non-superhero life. He’s the spouse of an amazing woman and a fringe influencer of history, albeit mostly in the early years of his coming here, before the momentum took over and he could step back and let the people of this universe take full charge of their destiny. He’s purposefully stayed away from almost everyone he’d known back in his main timeline, and carved a new life wholly his own. Nowadays the most exciting thing he does is volunteer work at the local library.
Grant Carter is also a civilian who knows how precious this celebration is, and can’t even articulate how precious it is to the people who know his secret.
The Avengers, his Avengers, never had a moment like this, where everyone’s come together at the same time, under the same roof, and for celebration instead of war.
Sure, Grant’s Avengers were an epic team, saved the world multiple times, but their fellowship had been mostly conditional to the threats they faced. He can see in retrospect how the friendships and trust in their team had been uneven and flawed in places. Sure, he’s not foolish enough to think that this universe’s Avengers team is absolutely perfect and got everything right, but he can’t imagine his Avengers ever at any point in their history managing to pull off something like this.
Even their Tony’s wedding to Pepper, which should have been joyous, was by necessity subdued in the aftermath of the Snap. Grant’s relationship with Tony was uncertain at the time, but Pepper insisted that he was invited. Hence, Grant went, but he didn’t stay for long – the ghosts of the people who should’ve been there proved too much.
But that’s why Grant stayed here, isn’t it? To try to give another universe a better chance?
There it is, then. If he still needed undeniable evidence that the choice was worthwhile, he’s literally standing in the middle of it.
A ruckus from the house draws Steve away from his thoughts.
It’s the day’s VVIPs, tumbling out of the house: Tony at the forefront and Steve behind him, their hands interlinked. At first sight it seems that Tony’s pulling Steve along, but Steve’s easily keeping pace and just seems to be enjoying letting Tony take the lead.
“Tones!” Rhodey calls out, trailing after them. “They’re not done—”
“God, we can take more photos later,” Tony says. “I’m hungry.”
“Not the dessert table,” Steve says. He tugs at Tony’s hand, bringing him swinging around in a wide arc. Tony follows the tug with a melodramatic groan, but allows Steve to adjust their trajectory to one of the other spreads.
The grooms are both in the same clothes they wore for the wedding ceremony. Tony seems have lost the jacket during their post-vow photography shoot, but he’s still in the rest of his midnight blue three-piece over white shirtsleeves. Steve, meanwhile, is still in his dress greens.
“I haven’t eaten since…” Tony trails off, seeming to suddenly notice their guests, and waves. “Oh hey. People.”
“Wait.” Steve picks a plate from the appetizer table with a free hand, and brings it over for Tony to pick from. “Okay, go.” Steve huffs a laugh when Tony seems to grab at tapas at random, tossing each into his mouth without looking. “Usually you eat more, not less, when you’re anxious.”
“I was not anxious,” Tony says. “I have not been anxious all night and all morning, I don’t know what gave you that idea.”
Rhodey, who has arrived at their side with Tony’s midnight blue jacket, says, “Hmm, sure. Must be some other guy who fumbled with his husband’s wedding ring today.”
“I did not—” Tony puts a cheese-topped tapa in his mouth and releases his hold on Steve’s hand, but only because he needs to put his jacket on.
“We got it on video,” Rhodey says. “Whoops, butterfingers.”
Tony chews angrily and is clearly about to keep arguing, up until he notices the fond way that Steve’s looking at him. That promptly derails Tony into finishing the rest of his snack quietly and docile-like, as though he has yet to compute exactly what they’ve accomplished here today.
It’s almost a reprise of their ceremony earlier. They’d had it in mansion’s ballroom, and Grant had pretty good seats three rows from the front, giving him a good vantage point of Tony’s top-of-the-rollercoaster exhilaration-panic throughout the whole ceremony. Which was all the more interesting in its contrast with Steve’s calm yet intense laser-sharp focus on Tony throughout all the vows and yes, even through Tony’s brief fumble with Steve’s ring.
Grant was tempted earlier to ask Bucky if he made a similar face when he married Peggy. Then he decided that he’d rather not know, though he does remember feeling overwhelmed at his own wedding. Sure, said wedding was nothing like this – they’d had a private affair at the courthouse, with only a handful of trusted friends who knew who Grant used to be. But Grant knows how he felt, how he feels, and he knows that Steve would never marry anyone for less than that same feeling.
Grant and Peggy had both hoped that Steve would find someone new in this universe. Grant can’t say that he ever thought it would be Tony, though.
“Okay, hey!” Tony says, wiping the crumbs with the back of his hand until Steve hands him a napkin. They move deeper into the canopy, ready to meet and mingle with the guests. “Nick, you came! Changed into a non-black outfit, too. I did not know your wardrobe was that expansive.”
“Just thought I’d hang around to observe your security measures,” Fury says. He’s flanked by Natasha and Maria Hill, the latter of whom shakes hands with the grooms.
“Please don’t talk work,” Steve says, though the warning is warm.
“Everything’s political, Steve,” Natasha says with a grin. “Especially your wedding.”
“The most eligible bachelors of the 20th and 21st century tying the knot?” Tony says. “Yeah, people are gonna pay attention to that.”
Grant’s attention shifts when Bucky returns to his side, bringing a plate of ribs and potatoes. Grant digs in, though he half-listens as the grooms move around and greet guests.
Scott, his daughter and Hope are seated together at a table, though Scott stands up immediately as Steve and Tony approach. He thrusts his hands out to shake Steve’s hand and then Tony’s, while the ladies with him rise onto their feet as well.
“Thanks for coming,” Steve says.
“It was a beautiful ceremony,” Hope says.
“I took pictures,” Cassie says cheerfully.
“Oh yeah, it was amazing,” Scott says. “Not a dry eye in the house. And just, uh, thank you so much for inviting us, we’re really happy to be here.”
“Not checking out the entertainment, kid?” Tony says to Cassie.
“Actually,” Cassie says, “I was wondering if there’s going to be a bouquet toss.”
“Cassie, hey,” Scott says quickly.
“You know,” Tony says thoughtfully, “I did not think of that, but I can arrange something. Give me a sec.” He rushes off before anyone can stop him, leaving Steve standing there, watching his husband scurry off on a sudden errand.
“God, I’m sorry,” Scott says. “I was just—”
“It’s fine,” Steve says warmly. “We’re making the memories as we go, and that’ll be a nice one.”
“It definitely will,” Cassie says. “And dad won’t cheat.”
“I – I’m not going to—” Scott’s eyes dart quickly from Steve to Cassie and back. “It would be a gender neutral bouquet toss, right?”
There’s more small talk, and then Steve sees them. Or, more accurately, Steve sees Bucky, who’s on his feet and has his arms out as Steve approaches. Grant carefully puts his plate down and stands while the two hug. Steve doesn’t hug him, of course, but they do shake hands.
“’Bout time,” Bucky says. “For a second there I thought you guys wouldn’t be able to squeeze this in between your hectic schedule.”
“I almost thought so, too,” Steve admits. “But when Tony puts his mind to something, we’ll find a way to make it happen.”
“What if you did get arrested for the…” Bucky tilts his head, a polite reference to events of a few months ago, with the bombing and Steve’s near arrest among other fun activities. It’s not entirely settled, but they have enough of a pause for now from Ross breathing down their necks.
“Tony would probably still insist on it. He figures that since I did the asking, it’s his job to make sure the wedding would take place.” Steve’s attention shifts sideways. “Grant, glad you made it.”
“Congratulations,” Grant says. “Peggy’s sorry she couldn’t be here, but she did choose the gift we got you.”
“I’m going to say thank you in person, then,” Steve says, though of course he’d do that no matter what. Grant sees, behind Steve’s back, Tony speedwalking straight towards them. “If you haven’t been taking pictures, I’d be more than happy to – ooff.”
Steve’s startled by Tony’s barreling into him from behind, Tony’s arms immediately sliding under Steve’s to take his torso in a hug. Tony has timed it such that his face is pressed up against the back of Steve’s left shoulder, which enables Steve to turn and squint down at him.
“You’re tossing a bouquet,” Tony says. “Happy’s doing an arrangement. Okay, Happy’s getting the caterer to do an arrangement. Hi, you guys enjoying yourselves?”
“Yes, thank you,” Grant says, while Bucky says his own greeting. “Though I think it’s more important that the two of you are enjoying yourselves.”
“Who says that?” Tony scoffs. “Weddings are especially stressful when they’re yours.”
“Right, and you’re an expert?” Steve seems completely uninterested in dislodging Tony’s hold on him. In fact, while Tony’s hands are interlocked on Steve’s chest, Steve’s brought up a hand up to rest on top of Tony’s. His aim is unerringly accurate, too, for Steve’s thumb finds Tony’s ring finger at first try, and is stroking along the wedding band there.
“At a number of things, yes,” Tony says. “Send our love to Director Peggy, yeah? Wait, where’s the band?”
“On a break, I think,” Bucky says.
“Aww nuts, no dancing yet, then,” Tony says.
“Giving up that easy?” Steve says to Tony in amusement. He nods at Grant and Bucky. “If you’ll excuse us.”
Grant makes a friendly shooing gesture, and the grooms move away, Tony finally releasing his hold of Steve as they go. At first it seems that they’re going to resume mingling with the guests, but Steve detours abruptly, heading for an empty clearing between the tables.
Tony seems confused by the sudden change in direction, until Steve takes his hand and tugs firmly, bringing Tony spinning around and catching him just so – in a dance position, hand in hand, facing each other.
Steve grins at him, pleased as all out, while Tony’s eyes are wide and his mouth is open on a breathless, Oh. Tony’s expression barely even changes as Steve leads them into a slow dance, the motion of their bodies well-practiced and familiar, despite there being no music but ambient noise of a wedding reception in full swing.
Nearby the band seems to be panicking, and is rushing back into position while Natasha insists that it’s fine, it’s just Steve and Tony going off-script like they usually do.
Off-script into ease and intimacy.
Grant believes in life after death, albeit without strong opinions about what that afterlife may look like. But that belief in itself has him thinking about the possibility of Tony – his Tony – watching in on this wedding, ceremony and reception all, from wherever he is.
What would Tony think of their doppelgangers being together and getting married?
Would he be upset on behalf of this universe’s Pepper, no matter that she has no idea what possibilities there might have been for them? Would he be angry on Morgan’s behalf, that she may not exist here?
Or would Tony’s focus be on this Steve and Tony, and how changed they must be for this to have happened at all? Would Tony be amused at that? Disbelieving? Curious?
Grant knows that he was surprised, that first time he accidentally caught the pair in a private moment. He’d never thought of Tony that way; he hadn’t known he could think of him that way. It took Grant a while to come to terms with it, too. Not because the idea of loving Tony that way was so impossible, but because their history was so complicated, so fractious, so persistent in their inability to understand each other when they weren’t fighting back to back. Even at the end, when they found their way back to each other in glorious rhythm, Grant still can’t be certain that they’d be able to keep it after Thanos was defeated.
If Grant could, he’d ask this Steve and Tony: how did they do it? Not the falling in love part, but what must have come before that – friendship and fulsome trust. What words did they use, what non-battle common ground brought them together, and how did they get their hearts open in good faith to each other?
But any answer from that would only be possible with context that they don’t have. As far as this Steve and Tony are concerned, this is the way it’s always been, will always be, was always going to be. That’s beautiful, too.
Grant hopes that his Tony would be just as surprised by this coupling. He doesn’t like the possibility that his Tony might have – that there was any – that he might have –
No, none of that. Grant can’t think like that.
Anyway, Grant was wrong about Tony so many times, so any guess he makes would probably be useless.
Even so, he hopes that Tony would see this the same way he does: as a beautiful surprise.
“You okay?” Bucky says. There’s no teasing now. Instead, he’s watchful and concerned.
“It’s different,” Grant says, though the word barely captures the scope of it. “They’re both different.”
“That’s the point, though, right?” Bucky says.
Grant nods. “Yeah, it is.” He exhales slowly, and smiles at Bucky gratefully. “Thanks. Let’s check out the dessert.”
“God, yes,” Bucky says.
They start to move to the dessert section, but Grant can’t help glancing back one more time.
Tony is finally relaxing against Steve, who slides an arm around Tony’s waist to draw him closer. Steve’s forehead finds its resting place against Tony’s, and Tony responds by turning his face to nuzzle Steve’s cheek. Tony moves with complete and utter confidence, and his mouth opens on a quiet, “Love you” that Grant can read on his lips from a distance.
Grant’s memory is too sharp for his age. Sometimes it’s a blessing, and other times it inappropriately drops vivid memories to the forefront.
Like now, as the wedding band finally gets their act together in providing music for Steve and Tony’s slow waltz, Grant finds himself remembering the burning stench of the Avengers compound battlefield, Thanos and his army gone to dust, and Tony – his Tony, or more accurately Tony of another lifetime who was never really his – on the ground, half-burned and triumphant but gone.
That was literally a lifetime ago, but Grant can still taste the air, hear the sounds Peter made, feel the phantom weight in his arms of Tony’s body as he’d carried him off the battlefield.
Grant glances at his watch. Not for the time, but the date. There’s still just over half a year until Thanos arrives.
He can only hope that he’s done enough, and that events will play out for the better here.