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“This is unexpected,” Wong says.
Strange sighs. “We only asked for you, Stark.”
Steve opens his mouth to argue, but Tony beats him to it by saying, “Steve and I are a package deal, Teller. You’re Teller, he’s Penn. Wait, do they also exist in this universe?”
“Yes,” Peter says quietly.
Tony eyes Peter. “You want a hug, kid?”
Peter winces. “Would that be weird? I mean, it’s cool if it’s weird, it’s not like you know me, I mean you know another me, but not me me, and it’s—”
“Yeah, you need one, c’mere,” Tony says, stepping towards him.
While Tony handles a teary-eyed college-aged superhero, Steve takes stock of the rest of the group currently spread out in what appears to be this universe’s Sanctum. Wong, Strange and Peter are familiar, and not too different from the versions in their home universe. America and Kate, newly introduced, are not; Steve’s curious about the star on America’s jacket, just as he’s curious if Kate’s outfit means that Clint is also dead in this universe, but he’s not going to ask.
Because if he asks, then chances are they’re going to start talking about how their Tony Stark is dead, which is Steve’s least favorite topic of conversation in the multiverse.
“Okay, I thought you’d be taller,” Kate says.
“You lose a couple of inches fighting Thanos,” Steve says.
Kate grins. “That’s fair.”
Rounding off the group are Sam and Bucky. Sam looks pretty much the way he does where Steve and Tony are from, though his white, blue and red suit is different in places. Bucky, however, is almost an entirely different person – startlingly young to begin with, and with more of a soldier’s build than Steve’s Bucky ever had.
“So you got the arm, huh,” Bucky says.
“Yeah,” Steve says, lifting his prosthetic in a hello. It’s easier to not have to explain that their Bucky wasn’t held by Hydra that long. “Too bad we can’t trade for a bit.”
“This mean I’m not Captain America where you are?” Sam asks.
“Oh, our Sam is,” Steve says. “I mostly do other work now, while he takes the Avenging. Not with our Bucky, though.”
“Lucky bastard,” Sam says.
“Don’t be mean,” Bucky says, nudging his elbow.
“I’m just saying,” Sam says, “it sounds like that Sam has more of a team at his back than the one sidekick.”
“That’s because I’m worth a whole team,” Bucky says.
Steve frowns. “Are you two together?”
“What, no!” Sam says. “Nothing like that, no.”
“No,” Bucky says, in a slightly slower voice that makes Steve narrow his eyes.
“We’re just, you know, partners,” Sam says. “Like you and Tony.”
Steve’s scowl deepens, and he reaches over to grab Tony’s sleeve and yank the cuff up to his wrists, revealing Tony’s wedding band. “We’re married.”
“Oh shit,” Sam gasps, while Bucky barks a laugh that turns into a cough.
“Mazel tov,” Wong says. “Did other me attend your wedding?”
“How is that important?” Strange says, exasperated.
“It’s called relationship building,” Wong says.
“Yes, Wong, other you was indeed at our wedding,” Tony says, “but the most important thing is that this means that if you get me killed, you’ll have to deal with this angry bastard getting on your ass, and believe me you don’t want that. An agreeable widow he will not make.”
“Indeed,” Steve says.
“So,” Tony says, clapping his hands together. “What’s so important that you had to punch a hole into another universe to find a spare Tony Stark?”
“Save the universe, or maybe a couple of universes in one go,” America says. “You know. All the fun stuff.”