Short Chapter

~~~

It was an honest mistake.

Sure, Tony shouldn't have bothered Stephen while he was using the time stone, but he had just wanted to talk. But the spell got interrupted and backfired, sending them both to the past.

Unfortunately, they didn't end up in the same place.

Tony woke up in a place very familiar to him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why just yet. There was a fairly young man in the room, who looked over briefly at him. "Oh, you're awake. Who exactly are you?" He asks.
"Tony Stark, everyone should know that. Where the hell am I?" Tony asks without looking, sitting up and rubbing his head. "Sir, not where, when." Jarvis spoke.

Tony looked confused. "What the hell does that mean, Jarvis?" He was too preoccupied to notice the bewildered expression on the man in front of him.
"I am reading the most recent news of today, sir, and they are dated 1942. I've identified this man as Howard Stark, sir; your father." Jarvis explained. Tony paled, looking at Howard and giving a nervous smile.

"I'm gonna need you to forget everything I just said, in fact I'm not even here-" he says, getting up. "Tony... Tony- Anthony Stark?? Is that your name?"
Tony cursed mentally. He probably just fucked up this timeline, majorly. Stephan's gonna kill him. He turned to face his father, holding his hands out in a shrug. "... Yeah. Fuck it- I've already fucked this timeline up. My name is Anthony Edward Stark, your son, years from now. I got sent back in time by a magical stone."

"That's insane." Howard says. Tony nods. "Please keep thinking that. I gotta go." He says. "Wait just a moment." Howard interrupted, grabbing Tony's wrist.
Tony sighs. "Please let go of me, I don't like being touched. Or handed things. Two of my biggest pet peeves- look,.. Howard, I don't have time to sit here and explain to you everything that just happened. I'll be lucky if I have my head when Stephen finds me. Considering I'm risking myself ever being born in the first place, I really should go."

"You really aren't lying.." Howard says, letting go. "Nope. Not this time. Look, don't tell anyone, ANYONE, else about this encounter. The more people who know, the more this timeline gets messed up. And it'll be my ass, so, y'know-"

"Howard, what's up? I heard you talking, I assumed that person you found woke up." Tony looked over, surprised. "Steve??"
Steve tilts his head, seeming confused. "Sorry, have we met? That was pretty informal." He said. Tony ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "Ohhhh, I'm in trouble- alright, again, I'd love to stay and chat, but I can't. Nice to see you, both, but I'm gonna have to cut this visit short."

Tony tapped the Arc Reactor on his chest, his nanosuit forming around him. "Bye." Tony flew off, leaving Howard bewildered. "Nanotechnology..."

~~~

When Tony did find Stephen, they argued.

"Where the hell have you been, Stark? I've been looking for you everywhere."
"Sorry, I got knocked out and my dad found me."

Stephen gave him a warning look. "Your father? From the past? What did you tell him?" Tony looks at him. "N-nothing really-" he lied. "Stark, don't make me-"
"Make you what, question me more? It's fine." Tony interrupted, rolling his eyes. Stephen was pissed off at that, though his face remained stoic.

He looked at him for a long moment before giving a very faint glare. "You told him exactly who you are? Are you stupid?" Tony was provoked at first, then slightly startled. "I didn't tell you anything-"
"I warned you. I can read minds. Let's just hope what you told him doesn't change this timeline too much, or I'll be hearing it from the TVA." Stephen mumbles, starting the spell to bring them back.

"The what-?" Tony asks as they get transported back to their timeline. "Time Variance Authority, basically the time police." Stephen responds.

"So is there a variant in time where my dad wasn't killed by the Winter Soldier?"
"Yes."
"Where I die in battle?"
"... Yes."

*At the same time*
"Is there a time variant where we make out- what?"
"Stark, stop asking about the timeline variat- what?!-"

Silence. Stephen looked at him, taken off guard. Tony just had his signature Resting Stark Face™️.
Another moment of silence, Stephen glaring at him with pink cheeks before laying a kiss on his mouth. He pulled back after a moment. "Now shut the fuck up." He says, walking off

Tony, after a moment of being stunned, smirked proudly to himself before following Stephen.