December 16, 1991, early afternoon
Maria Stark stands in her kitchen pouring herself a cup of tea as the front door of the house opens with a bang. Then there is the sound of shuffling footsteps and then the sound of someone tripping over her luggage placed in the foyer. "Son of a bitch." She could only just hear the mumbled curse coming from her son's mouth.
"You alright Anthony?" she called out calmly while stirring the honey into her stifled a giggle as her as her twenty-one year old son stumbled into the kitchen wearing a Santa hat and gaudy red scarf with white fringe over his Mr. Softee t-shirt.
"I'm fine, thanks for asking. Merry Christmas mother." The young man says as he leans over to give his mother a soft kiss on the cheek. He continues speaking as he turns away from her and unwraps the scarf from his neck and placing it on the counter, "You and dad going away for the holidays? Business or pleasure?"
"Oh you know your father, it will be a bit of both I assume." She smiles at him as she turns and sips her tea.
"He should try to stick with the pleasure part and skip the business once in awhile." Her son scoffed as he grabbed a drink from the fridge.
"Your father had his fair share of pleasure in the years before we married, he is more interested in making sure his family is taken good care of now." she sighed as she felt a familiar fight brewing.
"Making sure we're safe and taken care of? Or making sure his favorite hero is properly avenged, why else would he have such a hard on for some nazi group no one has heard from in decades?" Tony's voice was getting a bit heated now, his mother just reached out and placed a calming hand on his shoulder.
"Just because they haven't been heard from doesn't mean they are gone. Don't be too hard on him, he just wants us, and the rest of the world, safe." She ran her fingers gently over his cheek as he looked away.
Then he perked up a bit and turned back to his mother with a smirk on his face, "Speaking of pleasures taken before marriage, I'm guessing one of dad's was you."
Slightly taken aback, but by no means scandalized, she dropped her hand from his face, "Whatever do you mean by that Anthony Edward Stark?" She and her son shared many things, a dirty sense of humor being only one of them.
"I might not be a biology whizz mom, but I am pretty good at math. You were already pregnant when you guys got married. So tell me, was there a shot gun involved?" He smirked at her.
She smiled despite herself, it was a kind of wistful smile as memories of years before came to mind, "No Anthony, there was no shotgun wedding but you are right I was pregnant when we married. I will tell you more about it when we return from this trip. It's quite an interesting story."
"I don't want to hear about your sex life!", feigning disgust Tony made his mother laugh out loud which made him smile and laugh as well. "I'm gonna go crash on the sofa for a bit you minx."
June 5, 1968
Los Angeles was hot in the summer and the soldier was uncomfortably warm in his armored leather clothing. He was sitting with his handler on a low rooftop across from a hotel, waiting for the target to come into sight. His new Palensitian handler didn't seem as interested in his well being only the task at hand, and the soldier was becoming dehydrated. Without the ability to get himself something to drink and the inattentive nature of Sirhan Sirhan, his handler, the soldiers dehydration became worse and he was plagued with a worsening headache.
As day turned to evening and the sun set his situation improved slightly, but then the marquee lights of a nearby theatre turned on and their brightness soon turned his headache into a migraine. The soldier glared at the theater as is he could turn off the lights with nothing more than a murderous thought. When he looked he was able to see the name of the film that was playing, "Captain America and the Howling Commandos Save the Day", it brought about another niggling pain in the back of his skull. It was different, a memory trying to break free from the confines of his mind.
It was nearly time for the target to appear and his handler started to nudge him impatiently, trying to get his attention back on task but the soldier just brushed him off and continued to stare at the theater marquee. He was only barely aware when his handler got fed up with him and stomped off toward the door to leave the roof. All the sudden the memories flared up in his mind, taking over his thoughts and shoving his consciousness back to the dark corners of his mind and Bucky Barnes came back up to the surface.
As he lay gasping, clutching at his head, he heard gunshots and yelling in the alley below him. Seeing the sniper rifle in front of him and not wanting to be found near a murder with it he ran from the rooftop and down a poorly lit street, away from the sounds of sirens and shouting.
When he felt he had put a decent amount of distance he slowed to take stock of his surroundings. Seeing a paper in a trash can he learned the date, but it only furthered his confusion, as he didn't remember the past few decades. None of this made any sense, the last thing he remembered was the train and a lot of pain, he was nearly hysterical when he saw a familiar face on the front page of the paper. Howard Stark was shaking hands with a man listed as Robert Kennedy, future Democratic candidate for the presidency.
Still confused but now with a purpose Bucky moved silently through the city streets. First he found a phone book and tracked down Howard's home address. Then he found a small convenience store and stole a street map while the cashier was busy with another customer. After walking for what seemed like hours he finally made his way up the steep driveway of the Stark mansion. He rang the bell at the front door and then collapsed from exhaustion right there on the welcome mat.
He could hear voices inside the home as he barely clung to consciousness, "God damn it, if that is more cops looking to ask me questions about tonight I might just go to jail for assault! Jarvis make sure we have enough cash on hand for bail money."
"Always, sir." the second voice was a calm almost amused british man who seemed to be closer to the door. The door swung open and Bucky feel over into the doorway and the british man called out, "Good gracious. Sir are you all right?"
"Who is it Jarvis? Good God, Sargent Barnes, is that you?" Howard dropped down to him and looked into his face, he was obviously older than Bucky remembered but it was him. He was safe now, and with that thought he let the darkness take him.
When Bucky woke next he was tucked up in bed, he didn't remember where he was or how he had gotten there and he started to panic. "Whoa there soldier, you're safe!" Howard suddenly appeared at the end of the bed, flipping on a small lamp illuminating the room. It was simple yet opulent, just what he would expect from Howard. What was unexpected was the obvious lack of windows, and what appeared to be concrete walls. Howard watched his eyes take in the room, "Yeah I know not a lot of natural light but I thought you might not want anyone to know you were here. I certainly don't want to be answering questions about a house guest who also happens to be a World War 2 soldier who was listed as Killed in Action over twenty years ago."
"I could see how that would be an inconvenience for you." Bucky managed to sit up rubbing his head as he still had a niggling headache. "What the hell happened?"
"You mean what got you listed as a KIA, where you've been all these years or how you ended up in my bunker suite? Because I don't have all the answers, but I can give you what I know and maybe we can fill in the blanks together."
Bucky pulls his legs off the side of the mattress and looks down at himself, noticing for the first time the black silk pajamas he was wearing, "How about we start with what the hell am I wearing?"
"Hey now, those are some of my finest, and let me tell you quite the improvement over what you showed up in." Howard stood and there was a quiet knock on the door.
Bucky recognized the calm british voice that could be heard through the door, "Sir, I have prepared breakfast for the both of you in the solarium. Whenever you and Sergeant Barnes are ready."
"Thank you Jarvis, we'll be right up." Howard called back towards the door before turning back to Bucky and pointing toward a neatly folded stack of clothes on a chair near the door, "Those should fit you, when you are ready I'll be right up the stairs and to the left. Nice to have you back man." With that Howard left the room, leaving the door just slightly ajar.
When Bucky was dressed and made his way upstairs he found the rest of the mansion exactly like he would have expected from Howard, although the thick carpet, and lava lamps were a bit garish but it was the sixties. His mind was filling with nightmares that were actually memories and that was filling him with guilt over the things that he had been made to do. He wanted Steve, he knew Steve would have his back. Perhaps Howard could help him find him.
He followed the smell of bacon to a room of frosted glass filled with plants. In the center was a small table where Howard sat drinking what Bucky really hoped was coffee and looking over the morning paper. The headline on the front page was about the assassination of a presidential hopeful who looked very familiar to Bucky, and not in a good way. He had been sent to kill this man, he didn't remember doing it though. "Is that coffee?"
Howard looked at him from over the top of the paper, "Best beans available for human consumption, sit I'll have Jarvis bring you a cup." Howard reached over and actually picked up a bell and gave it a ring. Bucky laughed despite himself, he couldn't believe people actually did that. He thought that was just something people did in the movies. "You still drinking it black? That's how you had it in the army right?"
Bucky sat down across from Howard and grabbed a piece of bacon from the plate he assumed was his and took a bite, "Actually I like it with cream and lots of sugar, you just couldn't get that stuff much in the army so we all drank it black." He sighed as the taste of the perfectly cooked bacon filled his mouth. It felt like it had been days since he ate last and he quickly devoured everything on his plate. Soon there was a cup of coffee placed before him and a hand taking away his now empty plate and replacing it with another filled with the same food as the first.
Howard pushed a small tray across the tablet that held a small sugar bowl and cream pitcher so Bucky could make up his coffee the way he liked it. "I thought you might need a big breakfast, you super soldiers usually do if I remember correctly." Bucky looked up at Howard with confusion. "It doesn't take a genius to put it together Buck, there is no way you could have survived the fall from that train if Zola and those Hydra goons hadn't done something to you."
Bucky sighed and took a deep drink of the coffee, "Not all of me survived." he held up his right hand, the metal gleaming in the diffused sunlight.
Howard looked the arm over for a second, "I was wondering if that was a necessity or another bit of experimentation. It is impressive work though. I don't think I could have created something that advanced even now."
Bucky sniffed, "I don't think they would have cared much if it was necessary or not. Where's Steve now a days?"
Bucky didn't miss the way Howards face feel at the question, the paper placed in his lap, eyes closed, "He's dead. He's been dead, almost as long as you."
"Bullshit. He was too stubborn to die." Bucky dropped his fork, breakfast forgotten but unwilling to believe it even as Howard recounted the final battle with the Red Skull and Steve's plane going down in the arctic.
"I looked for him for months, I'd still be out there looking for him if Peggy hadn't begged me to stop. I think she thought I might be losing it, and she was probably right. He went out a hero, saving thousands, it was just like him." Bucky had lost what was left of his appetite. Without Steve he had nothing.
"What about Peggy?" Perhaps she could help him.
"In New York, married with a family of her own. She's running things at the moment. I was meant to head back there myself today. I decided to take a bit more vacation time instead. Let's just say she wasn't too surprised. Did you want me to tell her about you being here?"
Bucky smiled a little, at least one of them got a happy ending. If Peggy was happy and had a family now he didn't want to pull her into this mess, "No, she doesn't need the problems I'd bring her. Neither do you. They are going to be looking for me, I should leave, get as far away from you as I can."
"Don't be ridiculous. You need help, and no one knows your here. You can hide out in the bunker until we figure this out. Let me help you, for Cap's sake. I couldn't help him, but I can do this." Howard implored him.
Suddenly the front door slammed open and Bucky nearly jumped out of his seat when a female voiced called out, "Howard? Are you still here?"
"Miss Carbonell, how nice it is for you to join us again. Mister Stark can be found in the solarium. Please let me take your coat." Jarvis was speaking louder than was needed, obviously to give the men a indication on what was heading their way.
His unusual volume did not go unnoticed, "Jarvis, are you feeling alright? You are practically screaming. Let me guess Howard is not alone is he. So what lovely paramore is climbing out the window this time?" Her voice was drawing closer and Bucky still wasn't sure if he should bolt or not. Howard just raised a hand in a calm gesture to indicate that there was nothing to worry about. A moment later a lovely blonde woman entered the room, still talking "Have you seen the paper? Isn't it horrible, that poor man. Such a tragedy." Bucky couldn't help but stare, she was the loveliest thing he had ever seen.
"Maria, darling. What are you doing here so early?" Howard rose and took a step towards the woman. She stepped into his arms and kissed him on the cheek. Bucky rose as well, the good manners his mother had taught coming back to him. Maria turned to him with a smile, Howard spoke, "Maria, I would like you to meet James. He is staying with me here for a bit. It's all hush hush, I know you understand."
Maria held her hand out to Bucky, who took it and bent low in a bow, lightly grazing his lips across her knuckles. "My, my Howard, he is gorgeous. Not really your type though is he. You always seemed to go for the buff, blonde ones." Bucky couldn't hide the shock on his face, and turned to look at Howard his mouth agape. Howard was having his own issues, choking on his coffee.
"Maria!" Howard finally found his voice between sputters, "James is not my lover, just a friend in need of a place to lay low. Must you be so brash."
Maria did nothing but laugh at the dumbstruck men, stealing Bucky's chair and grabbing a piece of bacon off his plate. Jarvis came in a moment later with a third chair and another cup of coffee for her. Howard and Bucky sat back down. "So," Bucky spoke softly, "Buff blonde ones is it?" a smile tugging at his lips as he reached for his plate. He pulled it over to where he was now sitting, Maria swiping a piece of toast before he could stop her. She winked at him with a grin that no man on earth could say no to.
"I think it has to do with a deep seated obsession with Captain America." Bucky's eyes went wide and he looked at Howard who was turning an impressive shade of red. "You should see his collection of memorabilia. He's got all sorts of things, posters, dolls, old film reels. He even has a ratty old teddy bear in a blue jacket. What was it called again Buddy Bear?"
"It's a Bucky Bear, dear. Created in the image of Cap's best pal." Howard seemed to find no small amount of amusement in the look on Bucky's face at the revelation.
"Oh for christ's sake." Bucky muttered, taking another bite of breakfast.
"So if he's not here to warm your bed what is his story Howard?" She was staring at him over her coffee cup.
Howard opened his mouth to speak, but Bucky beat him to it, "Oh we've known each other for years, mutual friends and all that. Just trying to start over from a bad situation. What's your story doll?" He gave her his best panty dropping gaze.
To her credit Maria didn't even blink, the smile on her face never wavering, "Oh hasn't Howard told you, I'm the cover story. Everytime he has some event to got to I go to. He can't take any of the boys he spends his time with, but if he kept showing up alone at his age people would talk."
Understanding dawned on Bucky while Howard squirmed in his seat. "Of course. Steve used to do that to. Or he tried at least. He was never very good with the ladies back when we were young."
"And what about you? Do you prefer men as well?" Maria asked but it sounded as if she already knew the answer. Howard perked up and looked at Bucky, curious about the answer himself.
Bucky kept his eyes on Maria, a little grin still on his face, "Doll, I like anyone who catches my fancy. Never really mattered what was in their pants, just what was in the heart."
Maria's smile grew a bit brighter, "How progressive of you. It certainly is refreshing to meet one of Howards friends that I might be able to turn the eye of for a change." The two just gazed at each other in a way that started to make Howard uncomfortable.
After breakfast the three sat and talked, Bucky and Maria getting to know each other better, and agreed that she would come back later that evening for dinner and cocktails. As he watched her head for the front door, he felt ten times lighter than he had since the night before. "So you like her." Howard smuggly stated.
"She a hell of a dame, that's for sure." Bucky sighed.
"Always thought you were like me, that you and Steve were a thing." Howard almost sounded wistful, remembering some missed opportunity.
Bucky turned to him, an earnest yet slightly pitting look on his face. Howard had obviously been carrying a torch for Steve, "We were a thing, nothing too serious because I still liked dames as well. Steve was really the only man I have been with like that, at least I don't recall any other men."
"What about Peggy? They seemed pretty gone on each other." Howard asked.
Bucky smiled, "She was the Captain's cover story. Like Maria she knew about Steve, and about me and Steve. She didn't see a problem with love in any form and wanted nothing more than to help Captain America keep a positive persona in front of the cameras. I think they had even talked about getting married after the war, just to keep up appearances. I'm sure you understand that."
"I certainly do understand. I might just make the same leap with Maria. We haven't really discussed it, but I think we have both thought about it." Howard slapped a hand on Bucky's shoulder, "Come on buddy, let me show you the rec room, see how good that arm is at ping pong."
Present Day, Siberia -
"I know that road. What is this?" Tony Stark looked anxiously at the grainy image playing out on the screen in front of him. Steve Rogers was standing next to him but his eyes were not on the screen. Instead they were going back and forth between Tony and his best friend who was standing back from the screen, looking pointedly at his feet.
Bucky's eyes were screwed shut, a grimace on his face as he could hear this moment from his past playing out for the other two men to see. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes as he heard her call out for the husband he had killed moments before. Her cries cut short by what he knew was his hand squeezing around her throat.
"Tony?" Steve tried to sound comforting, but there was fear there as well.
"Did you know?" The man in the metal suit sounded heartbroken. Bucky had looked up, trying to figure out why this man was so affected by the death of these particular people. Bucky knew why it hurt him, but he didn't know this man or his connection to the Starks. He hated not knowing things, it always ended badly for him when he didn't have all the information.
Steve's eyes were pleading with Tony, "I didn't know it was him." His hand reached out for the other man, but Tony shrugged him off.
"Don't bullshit me, Rogers! Did you know?" Bucky could hear the bitter anger in this stranger's voice and his grip on his rifle tightened.
"Yes." The sorrow was evident in Steve's voice as he spoke that one word. Tony erupted, his anger and sorrow bursting forth in a violent manner, backhanding Steve and coming at Bucky, his metal faceplate back it place. Bucky fired instinctively, not that it slowed the man down. Tony had grabbed hold of him and slammed him to the ground.
Steve made it back to them then, two against one, things moved in a blur. Steve yelled for Bucky to run while all the while pleading with this man that it wasn't Bucky's fault. That did not ring true to Bucky, he knew he had been the one to take their lives as well as many others. "I remember all of them.", Bucky stated to the metal man.
Bucky ended up on a platform, high above the concrete floor where Stave was still pleading and fighting with the man he called Tony. Catching his breath, he could hear what the two men were saying. "This isn't gonna change what happened." Steve had that right, nothing could fix all he had done.
"I don't care. He killed my mom.", it was like a punch to the gut, Tony was Maria's son.
Summer of 1968
Bucky stayed with Howard in his mansion for many months, it was a solitary life with only Howard and Jarvis for company most days. He spent his days reading and watching the television, it may have been similar to house arrest but compared to what he could remember of the years with Hydra it was paradise.
There were days that were better than others, those were the days that Maria would come to the house. As they got to know each other Maria and Bucky started to spend more and more time together. By the time autumn rolled around she was there more days than not. Of course all the papers assumed she was there to see Howard and that a engagement was on the horizon. Howard was fine with this, it kept people from looking too closely at the other male visitors he had been entertaining.
"You two have gotten very close lately." It wasn't a question really, but the way Howard had said it, it was clear he was looking to start a conversation. He and Bucky were alone in the solarium for breakfast some months after he had first arrived.
"She's a great gal. It's nice that such an angel would spend anytime with me now a days." Bucky tried to sound solemn but he couldn't stop the smile on his face. He was falling for Maria hard, and could only hope that she felt the same.
"Don't sell yourself short my good man. You are still very much the charmer that Steve would tell stories about. If there was anyone I would hope for Maria to find love with, I could think of noone better." Howard smiled at Bucky from over the top of his newspaper.
Life continued on, blissful in their little bubble inside that house. Christmas came and with a little push by Howard and some carefully placed mistletoe Bucky finally got up the courage to kiss Maria. They were pretty much inseparable after that.
After the new year had started Howard was pushing the limits of his unending vacation. Peggy was calling almost daily to find out when he was coming back to New York. She was tired of dealing with all the mysojistic businessmen without Howard to back her up. She was more than capable, but men hardly ever believed her without Howard at her side. He couldn't put off his return any longer.
"You'll be fine, just stay in the house, no one will even know you're here. Jarvis will be here still, he lives on the grounds with his wife. He will take care of everything." Howard reassured Bucky, and himself as he packed his bags to head for the airport. "I've also invited Maria to come stay here at the house to keep you company. It will be a good cover for her and I, the progression of our relationship as it were." Bucky couldn't help but laugh at it all. If only the rest of the world knew what actually went on inside this house. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"That leaves it pretty open there Howard." Bucky tried to laugh through his nerves. He knew nothing should change with Howard gone, but his personality was so large it seemed to shield Bucky from the world. Without it there Bucky felt exposed.
Maria did her best to keep his mind off his situation. He and Howard had already shared with her what they knew of his past and she didn't hold it against him anymore than Howard did. She wanted to make his current situation as happy as possible.
Once they were spending their nights together under the same roof they were soon spending them in the same bed. Their passion eclipsed only by the growing love they had for each other. Bucky wanted nothing more than to marry her, but he knew that would never be possible while Hydra was still a threat.
No one knows for sure how they found him, but in the early evening of a day in mid-May they came for him. Maria, thankfully, was out for the evening at a society event. Jarvis and his wife had also left the house for evening out as well. Bucky fought them off as best as he could but there were too many of them and he was soon overtaken by the sheer numbers.
When the rest of the household returned they found the house in shambles, windows broken, furniture in pieces blood and bullet holes all over the place. Jarvis immediately got in touch with Howard to let him know what had happened while Ana comforted and distraught Maria.
Howard tried his best to track Hydra and find out where they had taken Bucky. Everytime he would find a hint of their presence somewhere they would be long gone by the time he got there. He was starting to think there was a leak in his team and he began getting paranoid and more cagey. Maria was still living in his home, trying not to get her hopes up. One day in June Howard came back to California and Maria sat him down.
She was very calm and serious, it was very unlike her so Howard knew whatever it was it was important. "Howard, I think it's time that we got married. Time to take the next step in this lie of ours, for the both of us."
A little shocked, Howard stared at her, "What brought this on, what is so urgent?" He reached out and placed a hand on top of hers and felt they were shaking slightly.
Maria took a deep, shaky breath, "Howard, I'm pregnant."
Present Day, Siberia
Bucky lay on the platform gasping, trying to get his head around the news that was just revealed to him. The sound of fighting below him brought him back to the situation at hand. Bucky grabbed Steve's shield as it lay near him and dropped down to land in between the two fighting men. He held the shield up to block a blow from Tony, while at the same time backhanding Steve with his metal arm. The blow threw the blonde back and to the ground. The sudden shift made both men stop in confusion and shock.
"Bucky?" Steve slowly got to his feet, staring at his oldest friend. Bucky couldn't bring himself to look him in the eye.
"They never told me she had a son." Bucky whispered it, but Steve and Tony still heard him. "I would have moved heaven and earth to save her and her child," He was on the verge of a complete breakdown dealing with this revelation, "They didn't tell me."
"Why would you do that? Did you know her?" Tony was still on edge, his arm raised at Bucky, not sure what to think of the change in conversation.
"I knew her. I loved her. I loved her so much, that's why they made me kill her. They could have had me go after the serum before Howard got home, while he was still alone. They insisted it had to be done later." Bucky felt like sobbing remembering that night. "I managed to keep myself from watching her die. I couldn't bear seeing the betrayal in her eyes."
"Bucky, we didn't know Maria. She wasn't there during the war, you must be mistaken." Steve was talking very slowly, sure his friends memories were jumbled.
"You didn't know her Steve, but I did. I broke their control on me in the late sixties, went on the run. Howard took me in and hid me in his mansion for almost a year before they found me and dragged me back. I met her then, Maria, god she was beautiful." Bucky finally looked up at Tony, and though he couldn't see his face behind the mask he knew it to be true, "You have her eyes."
Tony stumbled back a step in shock. It had been years since he was around anyone who had known his parents, but they had all said how his eyes were just like his mother's. Steve took the information better, but was still a little confused, "Are you saying that Maria Stark and you had an affair right under Howard's nose?"
Bucky looked over at Steve a small smile on his face at his friends oblivious nature. "The only relationship Howard was ever jealous of was the one I had with you." Bucky gave Steve a knowing look and Steve blanched. He looked up at Tony, his face was turning quite red. "Maria was nothing more than what Howard called, a cover story. They were close friends, but that was all. He preferred his lovers to be muscular, blonde and male."
"Like father, like son." Tony quipped quietly as his arm finally lowered. "Wait, if dad like men..?" His thoughts moving at a speed faster than most."Friday?"
The female AI responded, but only Tony could hear her inside the suit. "I'd have to do a blood test to be sure boss, but there are many physical markers that match up. Abilities passed down from father to son would go a long way to explaining how you survived all that you have."
Tony retracted the helmet on his suit completely and looked at Bucky, "Are you telling me that Howard wasn't my father, that you're my father?" Steve was looking between the two other men, not knowing what to say, this was not how he ever imagined the day going.
Bucky sighed, "I can't be sure, but it makes more sense than Howard being your father."
"Holy paternity test Batman. This explains so much."
The three men decided an old Hydra base in the middle of Siberia was not the place to figure this out and headed back to the surface where they were surprised to find T'Challa waiting by the quinjet. At his feet, a bound Zemo waiting to be taken into custody. After some discussion about how to best proceed, they headed to Wakanda.
Tony immediately called in to Ross to explain that he and T'Challa had tracked down the real culprit and were transporting him back to Wakanda to stand trial there for regicide. There was no mention of Steve or Bucky. Ross didn't like this at all of course, but Tony being Tony barely let him get two words in edgewise. Instead he let Ross know that charges would need to be dropped and the prisoners from the Raft would need to be released if he didn't want to be called in for a congressional hearing for misconduct.
Tony hung up while Ross was still sputtering in anger. "Got to admit it's great to have you back on my side Tony." Steve stood and walked over to Tony, who was now out of his armor. Steve grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him in for a hug. Even from the pilot seat Bucky could see the tension melt away from both men.
Tony pulled back, "Don't get cocky there Cap, I'm still pissed at you."
"When are you not." Steve smiled and pulled Tony's face to his and kissed him.
Bucky just turned back to the windshield to give the two some privacy. Then a thought occurred to him and with a laugh he interrupted the couple, "You realize, if I am his father you've slept with two generations of my family." Bucky could hear the shocked sputter and cough from Steve and could imagine just how red he was getting.
"Well, this is gonna make for some awkward holiday dinners." Tony quipped.