System Error: Identity Manager (Part XII)

[madimpossibledreamer]

Please don’t let this make you think of outdated stereotypes; non-straight sexuality isn’t just about the relationship or sex.  The issue in my case as I said is that while this is important for the series I don’t ship it so my creativity had me stalling at the first sentence for forever.  If someone wants to do a fic inspired by this and link back that’d be amazing, but I don’t think I could pull it off myself.  I wrote myself into a corner with the first line, and had no clue where to go from there.  Mostly, I think, because the MCU was my introduction to the characters and it did not make sense for me, especially compared to Agent Carter or Bucky there.  The closest, I think, is Avengers Assemble, because they clearly do actually care about each other there, but the muse is insisting this one is an MCU one.  Based on prominence, maybe?    I don’t think it’s the most awkward one in this series, and it’s definitely not ‘pretending Cap is Hydra’ level, so I should stop worrying about this.  There will probably be more with Natasha when I finally get my hands on those comics and possible flirting in Avengers Assemble fic because I am better with ambiguous.  I think the biggest issue is how bad you think Howard was and if he did verbal/emotional abuse comparing Tony to Captain America every time he did something wrong, at minimum in some of the comics and the MCU, which I do and more than one of the Tonys already "collected" have experienced, so it's just awkward to me a different but similar feel to those who ship Xander/Faith.  I tried to work through this in the fic but thought it was relevant.

Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Iron Man Crossover (Self-Made Hero)
Summary: Despite how it might look, the transition isn't easy. There's only so long the destabilized situation can continue before something's gotta give...
MCU?
Word Count: 355
Rating: Teen
Pairing: Steve/Tony

        It’s a little bit of a shock to feel lips on his own, so he pulls away for a moment to catch his breath, get his bearings.
        And it’s Captain America on the other end, and most of them just shut down, especially since the guy whose experience this is at least based on if not actually a memory is nowhere to be seen.         
        “Tony?  What’s wrong?”  As always, the former soldier’s quick on the uptake, even when they wish he wasn’t.
        What’s wrong with Captain America? Teenage Tony asks, frowning (bi, but that’s not the only factor prompting the question), but then, more importantly he didn’t have to deal with Jerk Howard, so he’s got no clue, really, does he?  And no, now isn’t the time to explain that, either, even if it would be a distraction from the inevitable panic attack.  Panic attacks.  Plural.
        Surprisingly, it’s the kid—Xander—who manages to speak up, sounding exactly like them, actually.  Sure, he’s had time to study them all, and sure, they’re sharing a head right now, but still, it’s almost uncanny how natural he makes it look.  “Uhhh, Cap.  I ever get around to explaining multiverse theory to you?”
        Steve scrutinizes them for one long moment, long enough to make Tony squirm, before he nods decisively.  “You’re not my Tony,” he states.  It’s not a question or a guess.
        “Got it in one.”  And there’s the hint of panic they’re all feeling, which is, as their host Xander would say, not Of The Good.  “Uhh, but this is different.  He’s supposed to be here.”
        “Only you would experience ‘losing your mind’ completely literally,” Steve remarks.  It’s fond.  Sweet.  “Okay, how can I help?  Why do you need you here?”
        “Uh.  Calibration?”  It’s a good enough analogy, they suppose.
        I think he’s embarrassed.  That’s the Sorceror Supreme.  I can probably adjust the spell to compensate, but we can’t do that too much.
        Steve accepts that vague answer, probably from years of explanations going over his own head, and is happy enough to help the ‘calibration’ by sharing a few memories that could anchor the spell.