Work Text:
Before the island, his mind was a blank. All he remembered was a metal monster screaming, the water, and then the island.
The island was so simple that he didn’t need his memories to survive. Survive. That was all he did.
Hunt. Find shelter. Hide from the monsters that came out at night. Build a fire when it was safe. Sleep. Wake up. Wash. Eat. Hunt. Shelter. Hide. Fire. Shelter. Food. Dream of a pair of blue eyes that weren’t his.
—
Many days after he arrived at the island — so many he had lost count —, the man showed up the first time. There was no fear, just a warm feeling inside his chest. He tried to grasp the man’s wrist but there was nothing there.
The man was a dream and then he recognized the blue eyes he had dreamed about for so long.
Steve, he heard In a whisper and he knew that was his name.
—
The man showed up sometimes, just before Steve fell asleep. He laughed and talked about things Steve didn’t understand, but that he knew were real. Iron Men and snakes. Fire, the dangerous kind of fire. Blood.
Monsters.
—
Tony, Steve said one day and the man smiled.
—
With the rainy season came the memory of a bright disk Steve knew was his. He dug under each rock and climbed every tree until he found it.
He knew what to do with it and the monster learned to fear him after that.
—
With the shield came the memories. First the war and HYDRA. Then his mother and New York.
And then… then each of the days he had spent with Tony. Each kiss. Each daring adventure until the final one, until he fell into the water and lost everything.
With the memories came loneliness. Tony stopped showing up at night and Steve lost even the comfort of madness.
—
The rainy season was gone when the man showed up for the last time. He looked different. Older. Less fuzzy around the edges.
Steve, the man said and then he put his arms around Steve and brought him closer. Steve let the shield drop and realized this wasn’t a dream.
Tony was there. Real. Solid. Warm. Crying? Steve put his arms around him and realized he was crying too.
'I... I thought you'd never find me,' he said.
'Hey, I'll always find you, no matter how long it takes?'
‘How… long it was?’
‘Seventeen months, fifteen days,’ Tony said caressed Steve's cheek. ‘I’m sorry it took me this long.’
Steve shook his head. It was hard to find the words, so all he did was hide his face against Tony’s neck and tremble.
‘… I understand. I’ll never let you go again, Steve.’
And Steve knew that he meant it.