#EXCEPT FOR AUTOLIGHT

[skatemerit]

:)))

SPEAKING OF WHICH does anyone have the panda love unit music cuz the mediafire link was nuked or something... theres no more files!!!

[starkerforlife6969]

Spidershield Fluff

Some nights are dark and worse than others. 

Some nights, like tonight, he pads out onto the balcony of Stark Tower and looks out on a world he doesn’t recognise. Dizzyingly high, with views and lights that Steve never would have dreamt of. God, he’s standing in a building famous for something...something Steve’s not sure he’ll ever be able to truly comprehend. 

He aches. 

Everyone else is asleep, but he knows that if he needed it- Tony would come out and join him for a drink. Be a little snarky and witty and distracting, but it won’t heal him forever. Just until the next time he looks out and realises that Loki was right. He’s a man out of time. Maybe he should leave for a while, get back to nature. It’s an idea Bucky’s been floating around and having Bucky is good because it’s someone else who understands. But the thought of leaving the others, his family is-

“Captain?” Comes a voice, and Steve turns to see Peter, decked out in his Spiderman suit, climb up onto the balcony from somewhere down below. He must’ve scaled the side of the building. He balances easily on the thin glass wall of the balcony, content to perch there even though it makes Steve wince a little. He knows the kid has balance and web shooters, but still...Peter tugs off his mask and Steve has to smile at the grin and the big brown eyes. “Hey! What are you still doing up?” 

He gestures to his pyjamas and shrugs wryly. “Couldn’t sleep.” 

Peter nods like he understands. Steve wonders if he does. He knows the kid has heart, knows he’s been through more than someone his age should have been through. Maybe he does understand. 

“What about you? Tony let you patrol this late?” 

Peter laughs. “We talked about it. He said as long as I’m back by one am, we’re fine.” 

Steve doesn’t have to look inside to know it’s almost two. He gives Peter a look, and the boy laughs. “Don’t worry,” he nods, “this can be our little secret.” 

He gets a grateful half-smile in return, but there’s something deeper in Peter’s eyes. Something soft and delicate and fragile and it makes Steve think of Peggy all of a sudden. He swallows and pushes the thought down. “Captain...do you wanna tell me why you’re really up?” 

He doesn’t. Not really. He wants to bury it way deep down inside and pretend it doesn’t exist, except he can’t. Not when Peter’s looking at him like that. So sweet, so accepting, so understanding. He ends up spilling it out in the garbled mess that it is. The way he aches for a different time, how he wants so bad to go back to his hometown but he’s petrified because what if he does and it’s changed the way the rest of the world has? What if the streets he once walked down are gone? What if the memories he holds so dear hold no place in this time? By the time he’s done, his throat is hoarse, and Peter’s gone from sitting on the ledge, to standing right in front of him. 

“Captain,” Peter murmurs, there’s a twinkle in his eyes but not one drop of pity. He’s the first. Steve’s more grateful than he’ll ever know. “Can I try something?”

He nods, not trusting his voice. 

Peter shoots his web into a dark corner of the balcony, and it comes back with a backpack. He shuffles through it, before pulling out a pair of headphones. He offers them to Steve, who puts them in diligently while Peter scrolls through his phone. 

“This is an old radio show. You probably never listened to it but the voices are nice,” Peter murmurs, his voice already sounds muffled. “I’m going to play it and then I’m going to put my hands over your eyes, okay?” 

Steve arches an eyebrow sceptically, “Kid...”

“Please.” He insists, and Steve realises the kid is kind of beautiful. He thinks maybe he’s always known that.

He nods, and soon his headphones are playing, and Peter’s gloved hands are fastening firmly over his eyes. 

He knows why he hasn’t just closed them. There’s so much damn light these days, it’s never really dark anywhere in the city. Peter’s hands block it all out so all he sees is darkness. He takes a breath and tries to relax. 

The person on the radio is chatting after a quick sponsor announcement. “Autolight Spark Plugs! The only Spark plug for you! And next, the Lone Ranger heads into his next deadly caper later this evening, but for now- the President wants to talk to you, that’s right you, us. The American people. In our weekly, fireside chat. Settle in everybody.” 

The wind blows and suddenly Steve is at home. His heart is at home. A voice lost to the decades, so familiar, so ingrained, is chattering away into his ears, he can see the woods at the back of his garden, he can smell the distant wet oak as the wind blows it towards him. He’s there right now, he’s standing there, the radio is playing inside and he’s on the back porch and tomorrow he and Bucky are gonna watch girls in pretty dresses sing as they skip down the streets to the milkshake parlour. 

He draws in a ragged breath, and Peter’s hands slip from his eyes to cup his face. Steve opens his own and Peter’s right there in front of him, stretched onto his tiptoes and perfectly balanced. Steve’s crying. He wonders when he started. “Are you okay?” Peter whispers and his eyes are on Steve’s lips. 

Steve never thought he’d want to kiss anyone ever again, but he does. He pulls out the headphones and his arms go right around Peter’s tiny waist as he hauls him close. He has the absurd idea of dipping him, but no- but then- yes. Why not? Why not bring something from the past into this perfect moment right now?

He dips him and Peter lets out a little shriek of amazement as Steve’s lips touch his own. 

Home is a different time. Another time. A lost time. 

But home is also right here- in this kiss.