Once Bitten, a gift for Rare Pair Fest 2015
Title: Once Bitten
Fandom: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Rating: PG
Characters/pairings: Bucky/Tony, past Pepper/Tony, background Natasha/Steve, Bruce
Warnings (including spoilers): Basic Avengers and Cap 1 & 2 spoilers.
Wordcount: 5,012 words
Author's note: Pet peeve: In my verse soulmarks don't come with punctuation or capital letters or anything, you know why? Because whatever mystical force causes them would have to try and choose between a comma, an ellipsis, and a semi-colon, or a period and an exclamation point, or whether a question phrased like a statement deserves a question mark, and I refuse to inflict that upon the universe.
Summary: Bucky is happy to have found his second soulmate on Steve's team. Now he just has to figure out why Tony is acting so out of character.
~~~~~
It had taken three months of intense psychotherapy and extremely peculiar science experiments with a friend of Sam's before Bucky finally felt like his mind was his own again. Steve had been with him for every moment, with Sam a constant presence and Natasha appearing and disappearing often. At last, he was declared cured of the Winter Soldier, and although Bucky could still feel the mind of the Soldier swimming around his head sometimes, he'd decided it was past time to regain control of his life.
Step one: figure out what the heck Steve had been up to lately.
“And that’s where the Hulk bashed Loki against the concrete a few times,” Steve said with a grin, gesturing to a crater in the floor with a sheet of glass laid over it.
Bucky doubted anyone besides himself could hear the pride and smugness rather than mere amusement in Steve’s voice. Maybe Sam, who’d spent the last year and a half working with him, searching for and eventually working to cure Bucky. Maybe Natasha, who, Bucky privately believed, could read thoughts you hadn’t had yet. He smiled back at his best friend, who looked more comfortable in this glitzy skyscraper than Bucky’d seen him since he got drafted.
“Sounds like you got a solid team here. They all live in this place?” Bucky took in sleek, glass-and-metal design of the room, with its full bar to one side. He had trouble picturing Steve spending any time in such a glammed-up place. He also instinctively scanned the room for sightlines and potential threats, but tried to ignore the impulse.
“Sometimes. Tony gave us all floors of our own, but he spends most of his time in California, or flying around the world for his company.” Steve settled on a long couch that was, for some reason, stationed in a dip in the floor around a fireplace. Bucky sat beside him, letting out a pleased grunt as he sank into the cushions. “Dr. Banner splits his time between his floor here and his place in Canada. Thor has a girlfriend who lives in London, so he's there most of the time. Natasha and Barton? I have no idea. Trying to get personal information out of them is like trying to pet an angry cat.”
Bucky snorted. “I've seen how many knives Nat carries on her. I'll keep my distance. That's one feisty gal you got there, pal.”
Steve glared. “She's not my girl. And I've been told not to use feisty as a compliment.”
“You're telling me you haven't taken her out on the town yet?” Bucky said incredulously. “She's got your marks, Steve. I know she doesn’t need you to protect her, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try and show her a good time.”
"Like you always showed me a good time?" Steve asked sarcastically.
"Exactly," Bucky replied. "I'm a good soulmate. Now it's your turn."
“She's my XO. She doesn't want me taking her out.” Steve stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Bucky gave up-- for now. “I thought Stark's kid was your XO.”
Steve shook his head. “Natasha's second-in-command in the field. She’s got a better eye for tactics. Stark’s a spotter, and a one-man-army. But you're right, he does the most work keeping the Initiative up and running behind the scenes, and keeping us all in food and ammo.”
“It's not weird for you?” Bucky frowned. “You and Carter spent a lot of time holed up with his old man.”
Steve's face took on a rueful cast. “Not as weird as it is for Tony.” He stood up. “Hey, how about I show you the pool?”
“My ears are burning!”
Bucky resisted the instinct to spin around and grab for a weapon. Instead, he calmly turned, and came face-to-knee with an approaching man, who skipped down the steps to the couch area. “Steve, are you telling tales out of school?” the man asked with one eyebrow raised.
Steve shot Bucky a look of amusement. “Bucky, this is Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man. Tony, this is Bucky.”
Considering how much this guy looked like Howard Stark, Bucky had already guessed. “It’s an honor, Mr. Stark,” he said, offering his hand.
Tony shook it firmly, with a sly smile. “Be honest, was it the tight t-shirts or an upswell of patriotism that convinced you to come in?”
Bucky froze, and Steve choked.
Tony's gaze sharpened, looking between the two of them quickly, and he let go of Bucky's hand. “Are you offended? Please tell me you're offended.”
“Tony,” Steve said, staring in shock at his teammate. “What are your words?”
Tony glanced between them again, then planted a foot on the armrest beside him. He tugged up his pant leg, revealing the line of script that ran down his shin. its an honor mr stark
“Mine's wrapped around my thigh,” Bucky told him, tracing the words through his blue jeans. Tony stared at the place Bucky's fingers touched.
“Like a garter belt,” Steve said, echoing their old joke. He'd managed to overcome his surprise, but now looked worried. “You two... I'm going to regret this, aren't I?”
Bucky recalled the stories Nat and Steve had shared about their teammates during Bucky's recuperation. He felt a grin creep up on his face, and revelled in Steve's apprehensive look. “You betcha.”
Bucky thought he saw a flicker of something off in Tony's eyes, before he grinned back, but, like all the other remnants of the Soldier's instincts, he ignored it.
~~~~~
Bucky didn’t see Tony for the next two days, but Jarvis-- a man who was a computer, and wasn’t that a shocker!-- told Bucky and Steve that Tony was working on a confidential, time-sensitive project. Both men had their doubts, but Steve admitted that Tony was very unpredictable and had a lot of balls in the air at any given time.
When Bucky finally saw his other soulmate again, it was mid-morning, he was boiling eggs, and Tony looked like he hadn’t slept since they’d last seen each other. “Woah there pal,” Bucky said, catching Tony by the shoulder just before Tony slammed into the refrigerator. “You wanna sit down? What are you here for?”
“Coffee,” Tony grunted, staring at the machine in the corner with desperate, crossing eyes.
Bucky snorted. “Not a chance. Hot milk and you’re going to bed.”
Tony’s face twisted in a mix of confusion and affront. “I don’t know when you decided you owned this tower, but let’s get this straight--”
“Stopped listening,” Bucky spoke over him. “People who operate flying weaponized suits of armor need sleep. I’m not gonna let you get yourself or my friends killed ‘cause you didn’t want to take a break. One percent or whole milk?”
He looked back at the lack of answer and found Tony glaring in befuddled and exhausted anger. It was pretty cute. Bucky grinned. “I spent years getting Steve to lay down for naps when he wanted to be up and about. The war was pretty easy compared to that.” He snapped his fingers, and Tony flinched. “Now one percent or whole, I’m letting the cold out.”
“Whole.” Tony blinked lethargically. When the milk was in the microwave-- hands down the best invention Bucky’d found in the future so far, discounting modern weaponry-- Tony managed to string a thought together. “Tonight. You and me, dinner. Any restaurant you want. And you’re gonna tell me embarrassing stories about Steve.”
“You’ll sleep at least six hours first?”
“I swear on my Audi.”
“Deal.”
The microwave beeped. Bucky removed the milk, made sure it was hot but not scalding, and handed it off, holding on by the base until Tony’s hands were wrapped around it. He grinned as Tony stumbled out of the kitchen, muttering to himself.
To think Steve said Tony might be hard to handle.
~~~~~
That evening, Bucky waited for Tony on the common floor, dressed in the nicest clothes he had-- a pair of respectable tan pants and a deep green button-up lent to him by Natasha's partner. It wasn't the most comfortable thing he'd ever worn, but it was better than the 'jeans' that had been forced upon him for daily use.
The future was weird.
He was still tugging at the pants when the elevator doors opened. Tony exited, saw Bucky waiting, and a tight smile appeared as if by command.
“Okay, how are we doing this? What are you in the mood for? I've got a couple of four-star places with standing tables, or we can walk into the new French gastronomy place on Third, plus I've got a jet in town so if you feel like it we can hop over to Madrid or somewhere--” Tony caught sight of Bucky's expression and stopped short, halfway down the steps to the couch area. “Or... something less intense for a first date, got it, you're probably still going through culture shock, aren't you? How about your basic Italian? I know a few good places in the city?”
“Somewhere nearby,” Bucky said. The instincts he was still trying to ignore said to stay close to HQ.
“Great, I know just the place.” Tony gave Bucky's outfit a once-over and stripped off his jacket and tie, tossing them carelessly on the couch. “Perfect. What car do you want to take? I've got...”
Bucky let Tony ramble as they descended to the garage, and as Tony picked them a startlingly bright and shiny car, and drove the two of them a few dozen blocks uptown. Steve had mentioned that Tony talked a lot-- 'could talk down a stone wall' had been his exact words-- but it was impossible to see this fountain of words as anything other than nerves. Tony hid it well, but keeping an eye on the Commandos' mental states had been Bucky's job, and he was more than able to spot out anxiety.
He had no idea, though, why Tony was anxious. They were soulmates. What was there to worry about?
By the time they got to the restaurant and were seated-- tablecloths on the tables, candlelight, but only one fork, not intimidating-- Tony's smile seemed more natural as he taught Bucky about Jarvis. Bucky knew his questions about computers were embarrassingly basic, but Tony didn't seem to mind. In fact, he had a gift for coming up with creative analogies when Bucky couldn't wrap his mind around a concept.
Halfway through the entree, Tony leaned forward-- Bucky caught the gleam on genuine interest in his eyes, although his tone remained casual-- and asked about Bucky's arm.
“You guys got it scanned for control and tracking programs, right? I'm sure Cap knows not to just let you walk around with Hydra tech, but future tech isn't really his thing.”
“We got it checked out,” Bucky assured him. “I may not know how it all works, but the one thing I do know about modern technology is weapons.”
Tony's face takes on a speculative cast. “About that. You get your head scanned for control programs too?”
Bucky smiled grimly. “Pretty sure we got all of 'em.”
“Friend of Sam's?” Tony said casually, looking down as he twirled his fork.
Bucky stifled a smirk. “You got it.”
“Sounds like a pretty smart guy.”
Bucky shrugged. “I guess so.”
Tony peered up at him, still twirling his fork in his pasta. “Smarter than me?”
Ready, aim, fire.
Bucky gave him the trademarked half-smile. “I don't know. Exactly how smart are you, Tony?”
Tony returned a heated look, and-- it was a very nice look. “Smart enough to know you're avoiding the subject,” he said.
Bucky restrained a shiver. “What subject? I'm just a dumb grunt,” he said innocently.
Tony held his gaze. Bucky could see the moment Tony decided to let the information-gathering go, and concentrate on flirtation. “I've met some clever infantrymen in my day. You don't strike me as the sort to take orders mindlessly.”
“I'm pretty good at taking orders, actually.” Bucky rewarded Tony's decision with a smoldering smile, and was gratified to see Tony's pupils dilate in the candlelight.
“Is that so?” Tony murmured. Then, with a sly grin, “You like taking Cap's orders?”
Bucky choked and cringed. He recoiled, widening the tiny distance between their faces, and made an effort to hold in the instinctive retching, while Tony threw back his head and laughed.
Once Bucky was able to start eating again, and Tony was finished actively being smug, Tony rapped his knuckles on the table. “I was promised embarrassing Cap stories,” he demanded.
“Not sure you deserve it,” Bucky grumbled.
Tony laughed, and took to cajoling him. Bucky eventually relented. For the rest of the evening, though, and for their return to the Tower, even when Tony clapped him on the shoulder as he left the elevator and thanked him sincerely for the evening, there wasn't a hint of the electricity that had passed between them earlier, that Tony had abruptly cut off. Bucky wondered why, but... he didn't know Tony yet. He let it go.
~~~~~
The pattern repeated over the next few weeks. Tony would vanish for days on end, then whisk Bucky away to a private Yankee’s box-- after learning Bucky wasn’t nearly the dedicated Dodgers fan that Steve was-- or to Boston for an authentic New England lobster dinner, or to dumplings at a cramped place in downtown Manhattan. When they were out, Tony might talk a mile a minute or take calls the whole time, flirt with waitresses or hold Bucky’s hand where no one could see. He chatted with paparazzi and signed autographs, but insisted on calling Bucky a friend whenever a fan or reporter asked. It was dizzying and jolting and confusing, and it should have made Bucky feel just as young and inexperienced as he really was with Tony’s sort of lifestyle. But it didn’t.
Bucky felt at home with Tony, just like he had with Steve when they first met. However confused he got by QCR codes or cheese whip or half of the things that came out of Tony’s mouth, there was an ease and a comfort in being near the older man that made even the weirdest days out feel safe and contained.
Safe was a new feeling.
He liked it even better when they stayed at the tower. Tony introduced Bucky to his favorite TV shows and got him addicted to Angry Birds for one horrible week. He forced Bucky to sit and listen while he and Bruce tried-- fruitlessly-- to explain what exactly gamma radiation did and why it was important.
Tony had strange foods flown in from all over the country, and invited Bucky and Steve to sample them over a day-long video game marathon. At the beginning, there was a tension to the competition between Steve and Tony, but when Bucky began to crack jokes, softening the edges of the pair’s sharp back-and-forth comments, things leveled off. By the evening, Bucky had gone back and forth, siding with Steve and Tony in turns in what had become a much friendly, if not less snarky, battle of wills. Spending time with both of his soulmates, acting like real friends at last, was the first time Bucky really felt anchored in the new world.
Tony had retaliated the next time they had dinner, asking sharply if Bucky really wasn’t in a relationship with Steve. Not rising to the bait, Bucky replied, “There a reason you wanna know?” with one eyebrow raised. Tony scowled, and changed the subject.
Most of Bucky’s memories involved dragging Steve out of fights, cajoling him out of moodiness or self-righteousness into fun. It was the way they were, and Bucky wouldn’t change him for the world, but he didn’t hate that Tony seemed to want to take care of him for a while, show him the sights of the twenty-first century (even though Steve was in charge of the basics, like the internet and electric shavers). But there was an imbalance to their friendship.
Bucky felt it when they were slumped on wide couches at two in the morning, when Bucky talked about the weird gaps in his memories and Tony danced around the subject of his own past. He felt it when Tony showed moments of capriciousness or frustration, then excused himself and vanished into the private areas of the Tower for days on end. He felt it when Tony emerged, tired and sometimes disheartened, and the familiar feeling of failing to take care of his soulmate swamped Bucky. And he tried to give Tony the benefit of the doubt, but the ever-vigilant remnants of the Soldier caught the heat in Tony’s eyes, and the way Tony’s touches would linger then snap away.
Something was wrong, and it was starting to spoil the new life Bucky had found at the Tower. It was time to find out what it was.
~~~~~
Bucky wasn't a common visitor to Bruce's lab, but he'd been by often enough to know the proper procedure. When he arrived in front of the wide double-doors, he poked a blue button next to the doorframe.
“Doc? You in there?”
After a few moments, Jarvis spoke. “Dr. Banner is in the middle of a project, but you may wait inside as long as you do not disturb him.”
The 'project' looked a lot like Bruce was drawing blobs he saw under a microscope, but this wasn't exactly Bucky's area. He spent a half hour fiddling with the cell phone Tony had given him. Although he'd gotten tips on how to use it from Tony, Steve and Natasha, he could still only work half of the crazy thing.
Finally, Bruce looked up from the microscope and rubbed his eyes. “Jarvis? Did someone stop by?”
“Over here, Doc.” Bruce spun around in surprise, and Bucky waved ironically.
“Oh. Sorry about that.”
“No worries. You all finished now?”
“Yeah, I, uh.” Bruce blinked twice, then went for the mini-fridge. He pulled out a wrapped sandwich and a soda, then came to the couch in the back of the lab where Bucky had made himself comfortable. “Is something going on?”
“Not sure,” Bucky said wryly. “I have a few questions. I can't tell if this is a future thing or a Tony thing.”
Bruce snorted into his sandwich.
“You're his best friend, right?” Bucky asked. Bruce just shrugged, and Bucky worried for a moment on whether the scientist could breathe through the massive bites he was taking. “You got any idea why he'll spend four days in his workshop without coming up for air?”
Bruce swallowed. It looked painful. “That's kind of... we both do that. You get wrapped up in your work, and the rest of the world just, disappears.” He took another huge bite.
“And you forget to eat?” Bucky asked, raising his eyebrows.
Bruce looked sheepish around his mouthful.
“Well that explains a lot.”
Eventually, Bruce could speak again. “Pepper used to organize his schedule, but... since they broke up...”
“Ha. Is that supposed to be my job now?”
Bruce frowned at the sandwich wrapping as he crumpled it up, and cracked open his soda. “What do you mean?”
“I don't know, are we supposed to be managing him tag-team style? No one told me about it.”
Bruce's frown has gotten more intense, and focused on Bucky. “Are you... I don't--”
“He didn't tell you? We're soulmates.”
Bruce fumbled his soda. “No, I-- he didn't tell me. But, after what happened with Pepper, I guess I can see why.”
“What happened with Pepper?”
Bruce looked supremely uncomfortable. “This is... not really my business. You should... talk to him. I know that's tough, when he doesn't want to talk,” he sounded exasperated for a moment, “but-- he'll probably listen to you, if you're his soulmate,” he finished awkwardly. He stood up and headed back to his lab bench, throwing out the remains of his lunch on the way.
Bucky followed him toward the door. “Thanks, Doc. I appreciate the advice.”
“Bucky!” Bruce called. Bucky looked back at the once-again very uncomfortable-looking scientist. “Uh... you know, if you hurt him, I'll probably tear you apart?” Bruce winced. “I mean, not-- intentionally, I won't be able to help it, but...”
Bucky nodded, hesitantly, and Bruce failed an attempt at a friendly smile before turning back to his work.
Bucky exited the lab post-haste.
~~~~~
Two days later, Jarvis interrupted a sparring session with a very realistic throat-clearing sound. Steve backed off his assault, and Bucky tried to catch his breath. He could still easily outmatch Sam in hand-to-hand, but without the Soldier's cold and clear mindset, Steve beat him three times out of four. He nearly missed Jarvis's words over his own gasps.
“You alright over there?” Steve called from across the ring. Bucky flipped him off.
“Say that again, Jarvis?”
“Mr. Stark would like to know if you are available for dinner this evening.”
“Sure. We going out?”
“Mr. Stark... is planning to cook.”
Jarvis didn't usually hesitate. “Is that--” He saw Steve snickering. “Is this a prank?”
“I'm afraid not.”
“What's so funny?”
Steve shook his head. “Tony tried to make a grilled cheese in the common kitchen once. He got distracted by work and set off the fire alarm.”
Bucky gritted his teeth. “Jarvis, is Tony gonna get offended if I'm in the mood to go out?”
“He does rather seem to have his heart set on this plan.”
“Well, you sure can't disappoint your soulmate, Buck,” Steve taunted.
Bucky didn't know how anyone thought this guy was kind and sensitive. However, he wasn't afraid to hit back. “How's that survival course going?”
The smile dropped off Steve's face. “It's...” He stretched his neck and shoulders, clearly a stall for time. Bucky smirked. “Natasha's enjoying it.”
“I told you she wanted to go out places with you!”
Steve scowled and started rewrapping his hands. “Not sure humping through a mountain range upstate every weekend is what you meant.”
Bucky snickered. “I'll be there, Jarvis.”
“I shall relay the message.”
“You gonna talk to him?” Steve asked as they began to circle each other once more.
“'bout what?” Bucky jabbed.
Steve dodged effortlessly. “What Banner--” He landed a solid punch on Bucky's ribs, and got a backhand to the ear in response. He danced out of range. “What Banner said. About Ms. Potts.”
“Why do you keep asking?” Bucky huffed, following.
“You're my soulmate too, Buck, I can be curious when-- oof!” Steve swiped Bucky's feet, giving him time to recover from the uppercut to the midsection. “When-- your other-- soulmate is acting strangely.”
“You noticed that, too?” Bucky comes to a stop in the middle of the ring.
Steve stopped as well. “When I first met him, he called himself a playboy, and his file backed it up. Nat says he was monogamous with Ms. Potts, but when they broke up, Nat says he was even worse. He doesn't even touch you, not that I've seen. It's out of character.”
“'Nat says.' You never used to be a gossip, Steve,” Bucky pointed out to distract himself from the Soldier agreeing in the back of his mind.
Steve's hands clenched and unclenched. “I just want to know your soulmate's treatin' you right, is all,” he said stubbornly.
Bucky raised his eyebrows. “You look wound pretty tight there. Nat got anything to say about that?” he teased.
Steve lunged.
~~~~~
Dinner was mostly-cooked waffles, sausage, fruit salad, and passable scrambled eggs. And red wine.
“Breakfast for dinner, that's a thing, right?” Tony asked, and once again Bucky picked up on a strain of anxiety in his voice.
“Food is food,” Bucky answered. “It's nice that you cooked.”
Tony seemed to relax. “Yeah, well, it's not my forte, but I figured I'd give it a shot. So hey, has Steve figured out that Natasha's playing him like a fiddle yet?”
There was nothing wrong, exactly, Bucky mused over dinner. He and Tony got along. They had the same comfortable banter as he did with Steve, except he could make far more off-color jokes with Tony that Steve just wouldn't appreciate. He liked listening to Tony talk, and liked that Tony noticed (sometimes) when he was steamrolling the conversation and tried to tone it down.
But sometimes, they'd slip onto another level, where their eyes would meet, and Bucky found them inching closer together, and they said a few things that Steve would definitely not appreciate. Bucky was used to making the first move to start things going, but Tony had a gift for diffusing the moment in a way that made it impossible to continue.
Tonight, though, Tony'd had several glasses of wine with his eggs, and when the atmosphere got too close, simply excused himself to the kitchen for more waffles. Bucky waited a few seconds before entering the room silently, and found Tony leaning over the counter with his head down, taking a deep breath.
“Looks like you need to calm down,” Bucky said in a low voice, and Tony immediately stood up straight. Before he could deny anything, Bucky had him turned around and backed up against the counter. “Or maybe I should rile you up instead.”
Bucky kissed him roughly, with all the pent-up lust that had been building for the last two months. Bucky moaned at the long-awaited press of Tony's plush lips, that damn sexy goatee scratching his face, and then Tony responded. His hands gripped the base of Bucky's skull and his lower back, tugging Bucky in so there wasn't an inch of space between them. Tony tilted his head and all of a sudden they fit perfectly.
And then he pulled his head back, breathing heavily. “No, we don't-- we don't have to do this.”
Bucky nearly growled. “Don't have to? Or don't want to?” The alternatives he'd been keeping in the back of his mind-- Tony just wasn't attracted to Bucky the way Bucky was to him, he just flirted by habit and stopped himself whenever he noticed-- suddenly seemed a lot more likely, and he stepped away from Tony.
Tony remained in a slump against the counter, looking at the ground. “Don't-- we shouldn't. It's best for you if we just keep it platonic.”
“Best for me?” Bucky didn't usually get angry fast, but he could almost feel the blood running to his face. “Is this about my psych eval?”
“What, no, wait what about your psych eval?” Tony narrowed his eyes.
“Nothing, I passed it! What part of this is best for me?”
“You-- You're better off-- I can't. I can't do soulmates, Bucky. That's all.” Tony looked haunted, or hunted, dark eyes wide and jaw stubbornly set.
Bucky let the Soldier come forward recklessly, just enough to force his heartbeat down and clear his head. “Is this about Pepper?” he asked, and Tony jumped the slightest amount from the sudden coldness in his voice.
“...We were platonic for years, and it was fine, it was great, we were a team, and I made it more than that, I convinced her to try it out, and now-- I haven't even talked to her in months, unless it as business. And it's been busy, but we used to make time, and I know I ruined it. I don't want--” he reached out and held Bucky's wrist, and it was the metal one, but Tony didn't seem to notice, “I don't want to run you off too.”
“Hate to break it to ya, but we're not platonic,” Bucky said gently. “We go out on dates all the time. You cooked me dinner, look. And you're a good boyfriend, from what I've seen. The disappearing into the lab with no warning is weird, but I have my own life. I like being with you but I don't need you all the time. At this point, we'd just be adding sex. And you can't tell me with a straight face you're not interested in that,” he said with a smirk.
Tony's gaze dropped to Bucky's mouth before he visibly corrected. “I'm a mess. I'm self-centered, and an asshole, and I don't respect other people, and sometimes some people can just barely stand me if they don't have to see me too often, and I don't want you to get over-exposed.”
“I can handle it,” Bucky said firmly. “You're an asshole, I'm an asshole. My other soulmate's an asshole. Nobody's winning any prizes over here. If you mess up, I'll tell you. Hell, you won't be able to get away from me telling you. And you've been pretty attentive since we met, so I don't know where self-centered is coming from.”
Tony shook his head. “I didn't think she'd leave. I never thought it'd be over. I... you're a clean slate.”
“And you're doing good. You should maybe give Pepper a call and tell her that. I'll swear to it. But first,” Bucky stepped in close again, “we should reward your hard work.”
Slowly, Tony smiled. “You think so?”
“Frankly, we should reward my patience. You're a cock-tease, Stark.”
Tony's hands slid up Bucky's arms, followed by his gaze. He seemed equally entranced as he felt the flesh and the metal in turn. “I wouldn't be a very good soulmate if I didn't pay up, would I?”
But then he stepped away from the counter. Bucky felt a pang of despair, until he realized that Tony was flicking open the buttons of his dress shirt and backing toward his bedroom.
“I should make up for all the time I've made you wait, shouldn't I?” Tony said. At last, that fire was back in his eyes and he clearly had no intention of slamming on the breaks.
Neither did Bucky. “You should make up for it a lot,” he shot back. He felt the Soldier peek out as he strode forward, but for the first time since he'd come back to himself, it felt like it was a part of him instead of a threat. Bucky was in control, and his mission was beckoning him forward.
Fandom: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Rating: PG
Characters/pairings: Bucky/Tony, past Pepper/Tony, background Natasha/Steve, Bruce
Warnings (including spoilers): Basic Avengers and Cap 1 & 2 spoilers.
Wordcount: 5,012 words
Author's note: Pet peeve: In my verse soulmarks don't come with punctuation or capital letters or anything, you know why? Because whatever mystical force causes them would have to try and choose between a comma, an ellipsis, and a semi-colon, or a period and an exclamation point, or whether a question phrased like a statement deserves a question mark, and I refuse to inflict that upon the universe.
Summary: Bucky is happy to have found his second soulmate on Steve's team. Now he just has to figure out why Tony is acting so out of character.
~~~~~
It had taken three months of intense psychotherapy and extremely peculiar science experiments with a friend of Sam's before Bucky finally felt like his mind was his own again. Steve had been with him for every moment, with Sam a constant presence and Natasha appearing and disappearing often. At last, he was declared cured of the Winter Soldier, and although Bucky could still feel the mind of the Soldier swimming around his head sometimes, he'd decided it was past time to regain control of his life.
Step one: figure out what the heck Steve had been up to lately.
“And that’s where the Hulk bashed Loki against the concrete a few times,” Steve said with a grin, gesturing to a crater in the floor with a sheet of glass laid over it.
Bucky doubted anyone besides himself could hear the pride and smugness rather than mere amusement in Steve’s voice. Maybe Sam, who’d spent the last year and a half working with him, searching for and eventually working to cure Bucky. Maybe Natasha, who, Bucky privately believed, could read thoughts you hadn’t had yet. He smiled back at his best friend, who looked more comfortable in this glitzy skyscraper than Bucky’d seen him since he got drafted.
“Sounds like you got a solid team here. They all live in this place?” Bucky took in sleek, glass-and-metal design of the room, with its full bar to one side. He had trouble picturing Steve spending any time in such a glammed-up place. He also instinctively scanned the room for sightlines and potential threats, but tried to ignore the impulse.
“Sometimes. Tony gave us all floors of our own, but he spends most of his time in California, or flying around the world for his company.” Steve settled on a long couch that was, for some reason, stationed in a dip in the floor around a fireplace. Bucky sat beside him, letting out a pleased grunt as he sank into the cushions. “Dr. Banner splits his time between his floor here and his place in Canada. Thor has a girlfriend who lives in London, so he's there most of the time. Natasha and Barton? I have no idea. Trying to get personal information out of them is like trying to pet an angry cat.”
Bucky snorted. “I've seen how many knives Nat carries on her. I'll keep my distance. That's one feisty gal you got there, pal.”
Steve glared. “She's not my girl. And I've been told not to use feisty as a compliment.”
“You're telling me you haven't taken her out on the town yet?” Bucky said incredulously. “She's got your marks, Steve. I know she doesn’t need you to protect her, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try and show her a good time.”
"Like you always showed me a good time?" Steve asked sarcastically.
"Exactly," Bucky replied. "I'm a good soulmate. Now it's your turn."
“She's my XO. She doesn't want me taking her out.” Steve stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Bucky gave up-- for now. “I thought Stark's kid was your XO.”
Steve shook his head. “Natasha's second-in-command in the field. She’s got a better eye for tactics. Stark’s a spotter, and a one-man-army. But you're right, he does the most work keeping the Initiative up and running behind the scenes, and keeping us all in food and ammo.”
“It's not weird for you?” Bucky frowned. “You and Carter spent a lot of time holed up with his old man.”
Steve's face took on a rueful cast. “Not as weird as it is for Tony.” He stood up. “Hey, how about I show you the pool?”
“My ears are burning!”
Bucky resisted the instinct to spin around and grab for a weapon. Instead, he calmly turned, and came face-to-knee with an approaching man, who skipped down the steps to the couch area. “Steve, are you telling tales out of school?” the man asked with one eyebrow raised.
Steve shot Bucky a look of amusement. “Bucky, this is Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man. Tony, this is Bucky.”
Considering how much this guy looked like Howard Stark, Bucky had already guessed. “It’s an honor, Mr. Stark,” he said, offering his hand.
Tony shook it firmly, with a sly smile. “Be honest, was it the tight t-shirts or an upswell of patriotism that convinced you to come in?”
Bucky froze, and Steve choked.
Tony's gaze sharpened, looking between the two of them quickly, and he let go of Bucky's hand. “Are you offended? Please tell me you're offended.”
“Tony,” Steve said, staring in shock at his teammate. “What are your words?”
Tony glanced between them again, then planted a foot on the armrest beside him. He tugged up his pant leg, revealing the line of script that ran down his shin. its an honor mr stark
“Mine's wrapped around my thigh,” Bucky told him, tracing the words through his blue jeans. Tony stared at the place Bucky's fingers touched.
“Like a garter belt,” Steve said, echoing their old joke. He'd managed to overcome his surprise, but now looked worried. “You two... I'm going to regret this, aren't I?”
Bucky recalled the stories Nat and Steve had shared about their teammates during Bucky's recuperation. He felt a grin creep up on his face, and revelled in Steve's apprehensive look. “You betcha.”
Bucky thought he saw a flicker of something off in Tony's eyes, before he grinned back, but, like all the other remnants of the Soldier's instincts, he ignored it.
~~~~~
Bucky didn’t see Tony for the next two days, but Jarvis-- a man who was a computer, and wasn’t that a shocker!-- told Bucky and Steve that Tony was working on a confidential, time-sensitive project. Both men had their doubts, but Steve admitted that Tony was very unpredictable and had a lot of balls in the air at any given time.
When Bucky finally saw his other soulmate again, it was mid-morning, he was boiling eggs, and Tony looked like he hadn’t slept since they’d last seen each other. “Woah there pal,” Bucky said, catching Tony by the shoulder just before Tony slammed into the refrigerator. “You wanna sit down? What are you here for?”
“Coffee,” Tony grunted, staring at the machine in the corner with desperate, crossing eyes.
Bucky snorted. “Not a chance. Hot milk and you’re going to bed.”
Tony’s face twisted in a mix of confusion and affront. “I don’t know when you decided you owned this tower, but let’s get this straight--”
“Stopped listening,” Bucky spoke over him. “People who operate flying weaponized suits of armor need sleep. I’m not gonna let you get yourself or my friends killed ‘cause you didn’t want to take a break. One percent or whole milk?”
He looked back at the lack of answer and found Tony glaring in befuddled and exhausted anger. It was pretty cute. Bucky grinned. “I spent years getting Steve to lay down for naps when he wanted to be up and about. The war was pretty easy compared to that.” He snapped his fingers, and Tony flinched. “Now one percent or whole, I’m letting the cold out.”
“Whole.” Tony blinked lethargically. When the milk was in the microwave-- hands down the best invention Bucky’d found in the future so far, discounting modern weaponry-- Tony managed to string a thought together. “Tonight. You and me, dinner. Any restaurant you want. And you’re gonna tell me embarrassing stories about Steve.”
“You’ll sleep at least six hours first?”
“I swear on my Audi.”
“Deal.”
The microwave beeped. Bucky removed the milk, made sure it was hot but not scalding, and handed it off, holding on by the base until Tony’s hands were wrapped around it. He grinned as Tony stumbled out of the kitchen, muttering to himself.
To think Steve said Tony might be hard to handle.
~~~~~
That evening, Bucky waited for Tony on the common floor, dressed in the nicest clothes he had-- a pair of respectable tan pants and a deep green button-up lent to him by Natasha's partner. It wasn't the most comfortable thing he'd ever worn, but it was better than the 'jeans' that had been forced upon him for daily use.
The future was weird.
He was still tugging at the pants when the elevator doors opened. Tony exited, saw Bucky waiting, and a tight smile appeared as if by command.
“Okay, how are we doing this? What are you in the mood for? I've got a couple of four-star places with standing tables, or we can walk into the new French gastronomy place on Third, plus I've got a jet in town so if you feel like it we can hop over to Madrid or somewhere--” Tony caught sight of Bucky's expression and stopped short, halfway down the steps to the couch area. “Or... something less intense for a first date, got it, you're probably still going through culture shock, aren't you? How about your basic Italian? I know a few good places in the city?”
“Somewhere nearby,” Bucky said. The instincts he was still trying to ignore said to stay close to HQ.
“Great, I know just the place.” Tony gave Bucky's outfit a once-over and stripped off his jacket and tie, tossing them carelessly on the couch. “Perfect. What car do you want to take? I've got...”
Bucky let Tony ramble as they descended to the garage, and as Tony picked them a startlingly bright and shiny car, and drove the two of them a few dozen blocks uptown. Steve had mentioned that Tony talked a lot-- 'could talk down a stone wall' had been his exact words-- but it was impossible to see this fountain of words as anything other than nerves. Tony hid it well, but keeping an eye on the Commandos' mental states had been Bucky's job, and he was more than able to spot out anxiety.
He had no idea, though, why Tony was anxious. They were soulmates. What was there to worry about?
By the time they got to the restaurant and were seated-- tablecloths on the tables, candlelight, but only one fork, not intimidating-- Tony's smile seemed more natural as he taught Bucky about Jarvis. Bucky knew his questions about computers were embarrassingly basic, but Tony didn't seem to mind. In fact, he had a gift for coming up with creative analogies when Bucky couldn't wrap his mind around a concept.
Halfway through the entree, Tony leaned forward-- Bucky caught the gleam on genuine interest in his eyes, although his tone remained casual-- and asked about Bucky's arm.
“You guys got it scanned for control and tracking programs, right? I'm sure Cap knows not to just let you walk around with Hydra tech, but future tech isn't really his thing.”
“We got it checked out,” Bucky assured him. “I may not know how it all works, but the one thing I do know about modern technology is weapons.”
Tony's face takes on a speculative cast. “About that. You get your head scanned for control programs too?”
Bucky smiled grimly. “Pretty sure we got all of 'em.”
“Friend of Sam's?” Tony said casually, looking down as he twirled his fork.
Bucky stifled a smirk. “You got it.”
“Sounds like a pretty smart guy.”
Bucky shrugged. “I guess so.”
Tony peered up at him, still twirling his fork in his pasta. “Smarter than me?”
Ready, aim, fire.
Bucky gave him the trademarked half-smile. “I don't know. Exactly how smart are you, Tony?”
Tony returned a heated look, and-- it was a very nice look. “Smart enough to know you're avoiding the subject,” he said.
Bucky restrained a shiver. “What subject? I'm just a dumb grunt,” he said innocently.
Tony held his gaze. Bucky could see the moment Tony decided to let the information-gathering go, and concentrate on flirtation. “I've met some clever infantrymen in my day. You don't strike me as the sort to take orders mindlessly.”
“I'm pretty good at taking orders, actually.” Bucky rewarded Tony's decision with a smoldering smile, and was gratified to see Tony's pupils dilate in the candlelight.
“Is that so?” Tony murmured. Then, with a sly grin, “You like taking Cap's orders?”
Bucky choked and cringed. He recoiled, widening the tiny distance between their faces, and made an effort to hold in the instinctive retching, while Tony threw back his head and laughed.
Once Bucky was able to start eating again, and Tony was finished actively being smug, Tony rapped his knuckles on the table. “I was promised embarrassing Cap stories,” he demanded.
“Not sure you deserve it,” Bucky grumbled.
Tony laughed, and took to cajoling him. Bucky eventually relented. For the rest of the evening, though, and for their return to the Tower, even when Tony clapped him on the shoulder as he left the elevator and thanked him sincerely for the evening, there wasn't a hint of the electricity that had passed between them earlier, that Tony had abruptly cut off. Bucky wondered why, but... he didn't know Tony yet. He let it go.
~~~~~
The pattern repeated over the next few weeks. Tony would vanish for days on end, then whisk Bucky away to a private Yankee’s box-- after learning Bucky wasn’t nearly the dedicated Dodgers fan that Steve was-- or to Boston for an authentic New England lobster dinner, or to dumplings at a cramped place in downtown Manhattan. When they were out, Tony might talk a mile a minute or take calls the whole time, flirt with waitresses or hold Bucky’s hand where no one could see. He chatted with paparazzi and signed autographs, but insisted on calling Bucky a friend whenever a fan or reporter asked. It was dizzying and jolting and confusing, and it should have made Bucky feel just as young and inexperienced as he really was with Tony’s sort of lifestyle. But it didn’t.
Bucky felt at home with Tony, just like he had with Steve when they first met. However confused he got by QCR codes or cheese whip or half of the things that came out of Tony’s mouth, there was an ease and a comfort in being near the older man that made even the weirdest days out feel safe and contained.
Safe was a new feeling.
He liked it even better when they stayed at the tower. Tony introduced Bucky to his favorite TV shows and got him addicted to Angry Birds for one horrible week. He forced Bucky to sit and listen while he and Bruce tried-- fruitlessly-- to explain what exactly gamma radiation did and why it was important.
Tony had strange foods flown in from all over the country, and invited Bucky and Steve to sample them over a day-long video game marathon. At the beginning, there was a tension to the competition between Steve and Tony, but when Bucky began to crack jokes, softening the edges of the pair’s sharp back-and-forth comments, things leveled off. By the evening, Bucky had gone back and forth, siding with Steve and Tony in turns in what had become a much friendly, if not less snarky, battle of wills. Spending time with both of his soulmates, acting like real friends at last, was the first time Bucky really felt anchored in the new world.
Tony had retaliated the next time they had dinner, asking sharply if Bucky really wasn’t in a relationship with Steve. Not rising to the bait, Bucky replied, “There a reason you wanna know?” with one eyebrow raised. Tony scowled, and changed the subject.
Most of Bucky’s memories involved dragging Steve out of fights, cajoling him out of moodiness or self-righteousness into fun. It was the way they were, and Bucky wouldn’t change him for the world, but he didn’t hate that Tony seemed to want to take care of him for a while, show him the sights of the twenty-first century (even though Steve was in charge of the basics, like the internet and electric shavers). But there was an imbalance to their friendship.
Bucky felt it when they were slumped on wide couches at two in the morning, when Bucky talked about the weird gaps in his memories and Tony danced around the subject of his own past. He felt it when Tony showed moments of capriciousness or frustration, then excused himself and vanished into the private areas of the Tower for days on end. He felt it when Tony emerged, tired and sometimes disheartened, and the familiar feeling of failing to take care of his soulmate swamped Bucky. And he tried to give Tony the benefit of the doubt, but the ever-vigilant remnants of the Soldier caught the heat in Tony’s eyes, and the way Tony’s touches would linger then snap away.
Something was wrong, and it was starting to spoil the new life Bucky had found at the Tower. It was time to find out what it was.
~~~~~
Bucky wasn't a common visitor to Bruce's lab, but he'd been by often enough to know the proper procedure. When he arrived in front of the wide double-doors, he poked a blue button next to the doorframe.
“Doc? You in there?”
After a few moments, Jarvis spoke. “Dr. Banner is in the middle of a project, but you may wait inside as long as you do not disturb him.”
The 'project' looked a lot like Bruce was drawing blobs he saw under a microscope, but this wasn't exactly Bucky's area. He spent a half hour fiddling with the cell phone Tony had given him. Although he'd gotten tips on how to use it from Tony, Steve and Natasha, he could still only work half of the crazy thing.
Finally, Bruce looked up from the microscope and rubbed his eyes. “Jarvis? Did someone stop by?”
“Over here, Doc.” Bruce spun around in surprise, and Bucky waved ironically.
“Oh. Sorry about that.”
“No worries. You all finished now?”
“Yeah, I, uh.” Bruce blinked twice, then went for the mini-fridge. He pulled out a wrapped sandwich and a soda, then came to the couch in the back of the lab where Bucky had made himself comfortable. “Is something going on?”
“Not sure,” Bucky said wryly. “I have a few questions. I can't tell if this is a future thing or a Tony thing.”
Bruce snorted into his sandwich.
“You're his best friend, right?” Bucky asked. Bruce just shrugged, and Bucky worried for a moment on whether the scientist could breathe through the massive bites he was taking. “You got any idea why he'll spend four days in his workshop without coming up for air?”
Bruce swallowed. It looked painful. “That's kind of... we both do that. You get wrapped up in your work, and the rest of the world just, disappears.” He took another huge bite.
“And you forget to eat?” Bucky asked, raising his eyebrows.
Bruce looked sheepish around his mouthful.
“Well that explains a lot.”
Eventually, Bruce could speak again. “Pepper used to organize his schedule, but... since they broke up...”
“Ha. Is that supposed to be my job now?”
Bruce frowned at the sandwich wrapping as he crumpled it up, and cracked open his soda. “What do you mean?”
“I don't know, are we supposed to be managing him tag-team style? No one told me about it.”
Bruce's frown has gotten more intense, and focused on Bucky. “Are you... I don't--”
“He didn't tell you? We're soulmates.”
Bruce fumbled his soda. “No, I-- he didn't tell me. But, after what happened with Pepper, I guess I can see why.”
“What happened with Pepper?”
Bruce looked supremely uncomfortable. “This is... not really my business. You should... talk to him. I know that's tough, when he doesn't want to talk,” he sounded exasperated for a moment, “but-- he'll probably listen to you, if you're his soulmate,” he finished awkwardly. He stood up and headed back to his lab bench, throwing out the remains of his lunch on the way.
Bucky followed him toward the door. “Thanks, Doc. I appreciate the advice.”
“Bucky!” Bruce called. Bucky looked back at the once-again very uncomfortable-looking scientist. “Uh... you know, if you hurt him, I'll probably tear you apart?” Bruce winced. “I mean, not-- intentionally, I won't be able to help it, but...”
Bucky nodded, hesitantly, and Bruce failed an attempt at a friendly smile before turning back to his work.
Bucky exited the lab post-haste.
~~~~~
Two days later, Jarvis interrupted a sparring session with a very realistic throat-clearing sound. Steve backed off his assault, and Bucky tried to catch his breath. He could still easily outmatch Sam in hand-to-hand, but without the Soldier's cold and clear mindset, Steve beat him three times out of four. He nearly missed Jarvis's words over his own gasps.
“You alright over there?” Steve called from across the ring. Bucky flipped him off.
“Say that again, Jarvis?”
“Mr. Stark would like to know if you are available for dinner this evening.”
“Sure. We going out?”
“Mr. Stark... is planning to cook.”
Jarvis didn't usually hesitate. “Is that--” He saw Steve snickering. “Is this a prank?”
“I'm afraid not.”
“What's so funny?”
Steve shook his head. “Tony tried to make a grilled cheese in the common kitchen once. He got distracted by work and set off the fire alarm.”
Bucky gritted his teeth. “Jarvis, is Tony gonna get offended if I'm in the mood to go out?”
“He does rather seem to have his heart set on this plan.”
“Well, you sure can't disappoint your soulmate, Buck,” Steve taunted.
Bucky didn't know how anyone thought this guy was kind and sensitive. However, he wasn't afraid to hit back. “How's that survival course going?”
The smile dropped off Steve's face. “It's...” He stretched his neck and shoulders, clearly a stall for time. Bucky smirked. “Natasha's enjoying it.”
“I told you she wanted to go out places with you!”
Steve scowled and started rewrapping his hands. “Not sure humping through a mountain range upstate every weekend is what you meant.”
Bucky snickered. “I'll be there, Jarvis.”
“I shall relay the message.”
“You gonna talk to him?” Steve asked as they began to circle each other once more.
“'bout what?” Bucky jabbed.
Steve dodged effortlessly. “What Banner--” He landed a solid punch on Bucky's ribs, and got a backhand to the ear in response. He danced out of range. “What Banner said. About Ms. Potts.”
“Why do you keep asking?” Bucky huffed, following.
“You're my soulmate too, Buck, I can be curious when-- oof!” Steve swiped Bucky's feet, giving him time to recover from the uppercut to the midsection. “When-- your other-- soulmate is acting strangely.”
“You noticed that, too?” Bucky comes to a stop in the middle of the ring.
Steve stopped as well. “When I first met him, he called himself a playboy, and his file backed it up. Nat says he was monogamous with Ms. Potts, but when they broke up, Nat says he was even worse. He doesn't even touch you, not that I've seen. It's out of character.”
“'Nat says.' You never used to be a gossip, Steve,” Bucky pointed out to distract himself from the Soldier agreeing in the back of his mind.
Steve's hands clenched and unclenched. “I just want to know your soulmate's treatin' you right, is all,” he said stubbornly.
Bucky raised his eyebrows. “You look wound pretty tight there. Nat got anything to say about that?” he teased.
Steve lunged.
~~~~~
Dinner was mostly-cooked waffles, sausage, fruit salad, and passable scrambled eggs. And red wine.
“Breakfast for dinner, that's a thing, right?” Tony asked, and once again Bucky picked up on a strain of anxiety in his voice.
“Food is food,” Bucky answered. “It's nice that you cooked.”
Tony seemed to relax. “Yeah, well, it's not my forte, but I figured I'd give it a shot. So hey, has Steve figured out that Natasha's playing him like a fiddle yet?”
There was nothing wrong, exactly, Bucky mused over dinner. He and Tony got along. They had the same comfortable banter as he did with Steve, except he could make far more off-color jokes with Tony that Steve just wouldn't appreciate. He liked listening to Tony talk, and liked that Tony noticed (sometimes) when he was steamrolling the conversation and tried to tone it down.
But sometimes, they'd slip onto another level, where their eyes would meet, and Bucky found them inching closer together, and they said a few things that Steve would definitely not appreciate. Bucky was used to making the first move to start things going, but Tony had a gift for diffusing the moment in a way that made it impossible to continue.
Tonight, though, Tony'd had several glasses of wine with his eggs, and when the atmosphere got too close, simply excused himself to the kitchen for more waffles. Bucky waited a few seconds before entering the room silently, and found Tony leaning over the counter with his head down, taking a deep breath.
“Looks like you need to calm down,” Bucky said in a low voice, and Tony immediately stood up straight. Before he could deny anything, Bucky had him turned around and backed up against the counter. “Or maybe I should rile you up instead.”
Bucky kissed him roughly, with all the pent-up lust that had been building for the last two months. Bucky moaned at the long-awaited press of Tony's plush lips, that damn sexy goatee scratching his face, and then Tony responded. His hands gripped the base of Bucky's skull and his lower back, tugging Bucky in so there wasn't an inch of space between them. Tony tilted his head and all of a sudden they fit perfectly.
And then he pulled his head back, breathing heavily. “No, we don't-- we don't have to do this.”
Bucky nearly growled. “Don't have to? Or don't want to?” The alternatives he'd been keeping in the back of his mind-- Tony just wasn't attracted to Bucky the way Bucky was to him, he just flirted by habit and stopped himself whenever he noticed-- suddenly seemed a lot more likely, and he stepped away from Tony.
Tony remained in a slump against the counter, looking at the ground. “Don't-- we shouldn't. It's best for you if we just keep it platonic.”
“Best for me?” Bucky didn't usually get angry fast, but he could almost feel the blood running to his face. “Is this about my psych eval?”
“What, no, wait what about your psych eval?” Tony narrowed his eyes.
“Nothing, I passed it! What part of this is best for me?”
“You-- You're better off-- I can't. I can't do soulmates, Bucky. That's all.” Tony looked haunted, or hunted, dark eyes wide and jaw stubbornly set.
Bucky let the Soldier come forward recklessly, just enough to force his heartbeat down and clear his head. “Is this about Pepper?” he asked, and Tony jumped the slightest amount from the sudden coldness in his voice.
“...We were platonic for years, and it was fine, it was great, we were a team, and I made it more than that, I convinced her to try it out, and now-- I haven't even talked to her in months, unless it as business. And it's been busy, but we used to make time, and I know I ruined it. I don't want--” he reached out and held Bucky's wrist, and it was the metal one, but Tony didn't seem to notice, “I don't want to run you off too.”
“Hate to break it to ya, but we're not platonic,” Bucky said gently. “We go out on dates all the time. You cooked me dinner, look. And you're a good boyfriend, from what I've seen. The disappearing into the lab with no warning is weird, but I have my own life. I like being with you but I don't need you all the time. At this point, we'd just be adding sex. And you can't tell me with a straight face you're not interested in that,” he said with a smirk.
Tony's gaze dropped to Bucky's mouth before he visibly corrected. “I'm a mess. I'm self-centered, and an asshole, and I don't respect other people, and sometimes some people can just barely stand me if they don't have to see me too often, and I don't want you to get over-exposed.”
“I can handle it,” Bucky said firmly. “You're an asshole, I'm an asshole. My other soulmate's an asshole. Nobody's winning any prizes over here. If you mess up, I'll tell you. Hell, you won't be able to get away from me telling you. And you've been pretty attentive since we met, so I don't know where self-centered is coming from.”
Tony shook his head. “I didn't think she'd leave. I never thought it'd be over. I... you're a clean slate.”
“And you're doing good. You should maybe give Pepper a call and tell her that. I'll swear to it. But first,” Bucky stepped in close again, “we should reward your hard work.”
Slowly, Tony smiled. “You think so?”
“Frankly, we should reward my patience. You're a cock-tease, Stark.”
Tony's hands slid up Bucky's arms, followed by his gaze. He seemed equally entranced as he felt the flesh and the metal in turn. “I wouldn't be a very good soulmate if I didn't pay up, would I?”
But then he stepped away from the counter. Bucky felt a pang of despair, until he realized that Tony was flicking open the buttons of his dress shirt and backing toward his bedroom.
“I should make up for all the time I've made you wait, shouldn't I?” Tony said. At last, that fire was back in his eyes and he clearly had no intention of slamming on the breaks.
Neither did Bucky. “You should make up for it a lot,” he shot back. He felt the Soldier peek out as he strode forward, but for the first time since he'd come back to himself, it felt like it was a part of him instead of a threat. Bucky was in control, and his mission was beckoning him forward.