Silent Sunshine Part Seven
Title: Silent Sunshine
Pairing(s): Harvey/Steve Rogers, Harvey/OC, Harvey/OC/Steve
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 13,178
Warning(s): Sex, character death
Summary: He can’t move past it. It hurts too much. But maybe, just maybe, he can start. (Crossover with movie-verse Captain America)
June, 2011
Harvey stayed with Linkara after that. He did manage to revive his music career and he went on tour often, but whenever he could, he returned to the little apartment in Minnesota. He read in the papers about the exploits of Tony Stark, studying the pictures carefully, catching glimpses of Maria in his bearing and snarky comments in interviews. He made friends with the rest of Linkara’s wacky little team, soon coming to cherish them as much if not more than he had cherished the Howling Commandos. True, none of them were Steve, but he had the comic books to hold him over. Maybe Charlie had been right. Maybe Captain America could never really die.
His belief was confirmed soon enough. He was back in New York on tour when the aliens attacked. He heard the screaming and explosions and panic from his hotel room. A quick glance out his window and he was rummaging through his luggage for his tommy gun. He had hung around superheroes too long to do nothing. If no one was going to save the world, then he would…
But as he took aim through the window, he saw him. Still young, still in uniform, directing other superheroes all over the city. Exactly the same as he had been the last time Harvey had spoken to him. Stunned, Harvey merely watched as the captain finished his instructions, only moving again when the heroes had all moved away. Then Harvey shook himself and started shooting at the aliens, hoping he could take down at least a few of them.
He was very fortunate that they chose not to turn their weapons on him. He didn’t want to die now. Not when his wish had come true and Steve was down there.
An hour later, the battle finished when Tony Stark nuked the alien’s support system. Relieved, Harvey threw down his tommy gun before he dressed carefully and headed downstairs. He didn’t bother to go toward the central area where the heroes were gathered. Instead, he headed toward a bar he knew Steve had loved once. He knew that Steve liked to get drinks after battle, and with seventy years between the last one and now, Harvey had a hunch that Steve would look for anything familiar.
Sure enough, an hour later, Steve came stumbling in, dressed in civilian clothes and looking like hell. No one seemed to notice who he was, but Harvey recognized him instantly. How could he not? He watched carefully as Steve ordered a drink and took it to a table in the very back corner of the room. Harvey waited until Steve had finished it and was sitting silently before the singer got up and said a word to the bartender, who passed him two more glasses. Harvey smiled slightly and carried them over to the table.
Steve was staring at the table, looking morose but not defeated. It almost broke Harvey’s heart to see him so sad, but he forced himself to put on a happy demeanor.
“Care for another, Captain?”
Steve looked up, startled. His blue eyes widened in shock as he stared at the man before him. “Harvey?” he gasped. “It can’t be…how…?”
Harvey’s smile grew. “I could ask the same of you,” he said. “But the answer’s probably a lot different.” He sat down and slid one of the glasses over to Steve. “It’s good to see you.”
Steve still looked incredulous, but he still smiled back. “I can’t believe it,” he murmured. “I thought…I did look you up when I got here, just out of curiosity…the files said you had gone missing in 1949.”
“I did,” Harvey confirmed. “Mad scientist messing around with temporal portals had opened a time vortex at the end of every decade in the 20th century…and I was the unlucky son of a bitch who fell through that one. Wound up in Minnesota sixty years later. What about you?”
“Slept in the ice for seventy years,” Steve answered. “Don’t know how I didn’t age at all…but that’s super serum for you.” He sipped at his drink for a minute. “Harvey…”
“If it’s about what I said the last time we talked…”
“It’s not about what you said,” Steve said. “It’s about what I did. You were right, I should have let you come with me.”
Harvey shook his head. “Wouldn’t have made a lick of difference. You wouldn’t have let me get on that plane, and even if you had, I wouldn’t have survived seventy years in that ice.”
“But you still did survive all this time,” Steve said quietly. “I thought I was alone.”
“So did I,” Harvey said. “For much longer.”
Steve nodded. “You’ve had time to adjust to it, though.”
“A little bit.”
“How’s Charlie?”
Harvey stared into his glass, not sure how to answer. It was easier now...at least, it had been until they had met again. But now...
"Dead," Harvey answered. "Died years ago...year after the War ended."
Steve looked at him sympathetically. "Oh, Harvey..."
Harvey shrugged. "I'm moving past it."
"You never move past things like that," Steve muttered. "The world keeps turning, the sun rises and falls, but part of you never moves on."
"No," Harvey agreed. "You don't."
Steve shook himself. “And Maria? I heard she married Howard Stark…”
“Yeah, she did. Year after we lost Charlie. I…I wasn’t good to her after that. I couldn’t be. I was hurting too much to love her.” He took a sip of his drink. “I’m glad she moved on. And I assume she was happy…had a kid, anyway.”
“Tony? Yeah, he’s a great guy. Wouldn’t think it at first, but once you get past the Howard part of him…” Steve smiled. “When he does something good, I can hear Maria in him.”
Harvey smiled back. “How awkward is that, though?” he asked. “Knowing you slept with a teammate’s mother?”
Steve shrugged. “Not nearly as awkward as knowing I’m the reason for all of Tony’s issues with his dad.”
“I don’t think that’s quite true.”
“It is true, Harvey. If I hadn’t crashed that plane…”
“If you hadn’t crashed that plane, there’d be no Tony to complain about it. And there’d be no you to talk to me now.”
“Are you saying it all happened for a reason?”
“Maybe. I don’t really believe in God or fate or anything like that, but maybe the universe decided we need to be together.”
Steve nodded. “I guess that makes sense.” He looked at Harvey carefully. “You got any place to be tonight?”
Harvey shook his head. “Nah. I was just going back to my hotel to mope.”
“Same,” Steve said. “Unless you wanna come to my apartment and mope together.”
Harvey hesitated. “It…it would be nice to be loved again,” he finally said.
Steve took his hand. “Again?” he said quietly. “I never stopped.”
They finished their drinks in silence and then headed back to Steve’s modest but comfortable apartment. Steve led Harvey straight to the bedroom. As soon as the door closed, they came together in a passionate kiss. Harvey clutched Steve’s shoulders and pulled him down on the bed. Hands fumbled with shirts and belts, exposing the fevered skin underneath. They kissed and stroked each other, their bodies pressed together, their legs tangling under the sheets.
It was gentle, it was hot, it was passionate, it was awkward after so many years…and they wouldn’t have it any other way. Harvey wondered if Steve would notice how much he’s let himself go over the years, but if the captain saw, he was too polite to mention it. Steve, of course, looked as gorgeous as ever, the intervening seventy years not seeming to have had any effect on him.
Steve draped one hand on Harvey’s hip, the other stroking him to completion. Harvey reached over and did the same, his spare hand gripping Steve’s thigh. They kissed again as they reached their peaks almost at the same time, losing themselves completely.
As they came down, Steve rolled over, pulling Harvey close. Harvey laid his head on Steve’s chest, safe in his captain’s arms, warm in the sunshine streaming through the window in the peaceful morning.
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Pairing(s): Harvey/Steve Rogers, Harvey/OC, Harvey/OC/Steve
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 13,178
Warning(s): Sex, character death
Summary: He can’t move past it. It hurts too much. But maybe, just maybe, he can start. (Crossover with movie-verse Captain America)
June, 2011
Harvey stayed with Linkara after that. He did manage to revive his music career and he went on tour often, but whenever he could, he returned to the little apartment in Minnesota. He read in the papers about the exploits of Tony Stark, studying the pictures carefully, catching glimpses of Maria in his bearing and snarky comments in interviews. He made friends with the rest of Linkara’s wacky little team, soon coming to cherish them as much if not more than he had cherished the Howling Commandos. True, none of them were Steve, but he had the comic books to hold him over. Maybe Charlie had been right. Maybe Captain America could never really die.
His belief was confirmed soon enough. He was back in New York on tour when the aliens attacked. He heard the screaming and explosions and panic from his hotel room. A quick glance out his window and he was rummaging through his luggage for his tommy gun. He had hung around superheroes too long to do nothing. If no one was going to save the world, then he would…
But as he took aim through the window, he saw him. Still young, still in uniform, directing other superheroes all over the city. Exactly the same as he had been the last time Harvey had spoken to him. Stunned, Harvey merely watched as the captain finished his instructions, only moving again when the heroes had all moved away. Then Harvey shook himself and started shooting at the aliens, hoping he could take down at least a few of them.
He was very fortunate that they chose not to turn their weapons on him. He didn’t want to die now. Not when his wish had come true and Steve was down there.
An hour later, the battle finished when Tony Stark nuked the alien’s support system. Relieved, Harvey threw down his tommy gun before he dressed carefully and headed downstairs. He didn’t bother to go toward the central area where the heroes were gathered. Instead, he headed toward a bar he knew Steve had loved once. He knew that Steve liked to get drinks after battle, and with seventy years between the last one and now, Harvey had a hunch that Steve would look for anything familiar.
Sure enough, an hour later, Steve came stumbling in, dressed in civilian clothes and looking like hell. No one seemed to notice who he was, but Harvey recognized him instantly. How could he not? He watched carefully as Steve ordered a drink and took it to a table in the very back corner of the room. Harvey waited until Steve had finished it and was sitting silently before the singer got up and said a word to the bartender, who passed him two more glasses. Harvey smiled slightly and carried them over to the table.
Steve was staring at the table, looking morose but not defeated. It almost broke Harvey’s heart to see him so sad, but he forced himself to put on a happy demeanor.
“Care for another, Captain?”
Steve looked up, startled. His blue eyes widened in shock as he stared at the man before him. “Harvey?” he gasped. “It can’t be…how…?”
Harvey’s smile grew. “I could ask the same of you,” he said. “But the answer’s probably a lot different.” He sat down and slid one of the glasses over to Steve. “It’s good to see you.”
Steve still looked incredulous, but he still smiled back. “I can’t believe it,” he murmured. “I thought…I did look you up when I got here, just out of curiosity…the files said you had gone missing in 1949.”
“I did,” Harvey confirmed. “Mad scientist messing around with temporal portals had opened a time vortex at the end of every decade in the 20th century…and I was the unlucky son of a bitch who fell through that one. Wound up in Minnesota sixty years later. What about you?”
“Slept in the ice for seventy years,” Steve answered. “Don’t know how I didn’t age at all…but that’s super serum for you.” He sipped at his drink for a minute. “Harvey…”
“If it’s about what I said the last time we talked…”
“It’s not about what you said,” Steve said. “It’s about what I did. You were right, I should have let you come with me.”
Harvey shook his head. “Wouldn’t have made a lick of difference. You wouldn’t have let me get on that plane, and even if you had, I wouldn’t have survived seventy years in that ice.”
“But you still did survive all this time,” Steve said quietly. “I thought I was alone.”
“So did I,” Harvey said. “For much longer.”
Steve nodded. “You’ve had time to adjust to it, though.”
“A little bit.”
“How’s Charlie?”
Harvey stared into his glass, not sure how to answer. It was easier now...at least, it had been until they had met again. But now...
"Dead," Harvey answered. "Died years ago...year after the War ended."
Steve looked at him sympathetically. "Oh, Harvey..."
Harvey shrugged. "I'm moving past it."
"You never move past things like that," Steve muttered. "The world keeps turning, the sun rises and falls, but part of you never moves on."
"No," Harvey agreed. "You don't."
Steve shook himself. “And Maria? I heard she married Howard Stark…”
“Yeah, she did. Year after we lost Charlie. I…I wasn’t good to her after that. I couldn’t be. I was hurting too much to love her.” He took a sip of his drink. “I’m glad she moved on. And I assume she was happy…had a kid, anyway.”
“Tony? Yeah, he’s a great guy. Wouldn’t think it at first, but once you get past the Howard part of him…” Steve smiled. “When he does something good, I can hear Maria in him.”
Harvey smiled back. “How awkward is that, though?” he asked. “Knowing you slept with a teammate’s mother?”
Steve shrugged. “Not nearly as awkward as knowing I’m the reason for all of Tony’s issues with his dad.”
“I don’t think that’s quite true.”
“It is true, Harvey. If I hadn’t crashed that plane…”
“If you hadn’t crashed that plane, there’d be no Tony to complain about it. And there’d be no you to talk to me now.”
“Are you saying it all happened for a reason?”
“Maybe. I don’t really believe in God or fate or anything like that, but maybe the universe decided we need to be together.”
Steve nodded. “I guess that makes sense.” He looked at Harvey carefully. “You got any place to be tonight?”
Harvey shook his head. “Nah. I was just going back to my hotel to mope.”
“Same,” Steve said. “Unless you wanna come to my apartment and mope together.”
Harvey hesitated. “It…it would be nice to be loved again,” he finally said.
Steve took his hand. “Again?” he said quietly. “I never stopped.”
They finished their drinks in silence and then headed back to Steve’s modest but comfortable apartment. Steve led Harvey straight to the bedroom. As soon as the door closed, they came together in a passionate kiss. Harvey clutched Steve’s shoulders and pulled him down on the bed. Hands fumbled with shirts and belts, exposing the fevered skin underneath. They kissed and stroked each other, their bodies pressed together, their legs tangling under the sheets.
It was gentle, it was hot, it was passionate, it was awkward after so many years…and they wouldn’t have it any other way. Harvey wondered if Steve would notice how much he’s let himself go over the years, but if the captain saw, he was too polite to mention it. Steve, of course, looked as gorgeous as ever, the intervening seventy years not seeming to have had any effect on him.
Steve draped one hand on Harvey’s hip, the other stroking him to completion. Harvey reached over and did the same, his spare hand gripping Steve’s thigh. They kissed again as they reached their peaks almost at the same time, losing themselves completely.
As they came down, Steve rolled over, pulling Harvey close. Harvey laid his head on Steve’s chest, safe in his captain’s arms, warm in the sunshine streaming through the window in the peaceful morning.
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