A/N
I only know the fandom from the movies and I've never read the original comics. So the trailer for the upcoming movie made absolutely no sense to me, and I tired to explain to myself what happened in this short story. Dedicated to all those, who were physically hurt by the trailer, just like me.
Many thanks to my marvellous beta Vamp, who supported me greatly in creating this story! :)
"Who are you and what've you done to my friend Steven Rogers?" Bucky asked half-jokingly, half in earnest.
It's been a rough day, which ended in a rough fight that could have easily been avoided, but Steve choose to get involved. And though they were winning the battle when Stark was rescued, it was Steve who now looked bitter and defeated.
Steve ignored him, but Bucky felt he had to press the matter, "I mean, two against one is definitely not a trick the Steve Rogers I used to know would ever pull. Is the Winter Soldier rubbing off on you?"
"Shut up, Buck," growled Steve in exasperation.
"I would, Stevie, I have done it. I kept mum all the time, just tagging along like a good sidekick. But seems it ain't doing any good. What's got into you? You don't just beat up people who don't share your opinion! If that freaky red flying thing didn't intervene, I was sure you'd finish Stark off! As far as I know you used to be friends!"
Steve's manic intent of attacking Iron Man was off-putting. Bucky was only half-heartedly into the fight, because it all seemed just wrong. That's why Stark was able to hold through till help came. Bucky'd heard about Vision from Clint, but hearing about and seeing the immaculate artificial warrior in action was quite a difference. Luckily enough, the red monster was busy rescuing Stark, otherwise they would've had their asses kicked.
Clint relayed a lot about their adventures as Avengers, colorful tales of glorious battles and fun times. Out of Cap's bunch Bucky felt the most comfortable with him. The guy had been brain-washed just like the Winter Soldier, even if for a shorter period of time and by magic. Barton told him stories about other team members, those who were on board, and those who had gone off-radar for now - the Norse God of Thunder and a shy scientist, who had a nasty habit of turning into a raging huge green monster. Bucky was rather glad they weren't involved this time. Clint's tales reminded him an awful lot of his time with the Howling Commandos. Bucky couldn't help but feel deprived, because he could have had it yet again – a real squad, a brotherhood of soldiers that he had missed so much, with his best friend as Captain. But something had gone terribly wrong. He knew it hurt Steve too, no matter how he tried to conceal it.
Bucky had a hard time understanding what could have split a solid team like theirs, but he never asked, because he had apprehension that he might not like the answer. Instead, he wondered why Hawkeye chose to stick with Cap instead of Natasha, whom Clint seemed to adore. "Because I'm good at keeping an eye on someone," the marksman answered enigmatically.
Steve almost never talked about his experience with the twenty first century. He barely spoke at all, always harsh and brooding, and whatever the reason, Bucky decided it was time to get his old friend back to his senses. At least he had to find out what it was all about and help as good as he could.
"Steve?" he ventured, softening his tone a bit.
"Just shut up, please, Buck!" Steve collapsed on their safe house's ragged couch. "Leave me alone!"
That annoyed Bucky. He was also drained and would love to be left alone, have some quiet time even, ideally without having to run and hide. And, most importantly, without having to fight for something he couldn't understand. Sometimes it didn't make any difference to his previous live.
"The hell I will!" he exploded, "You're telling me what this is all about or I'm done with this shit! I'm tired of fighting. I'll never be able to get rid of the Winter Soldier at this rate..."
The outburst cost him his last bit of energy, and he slumped on the couch next to Steve, trying to explain, "Conflict feeds him, he grows stronger…" Bucky sighed audibly, and Steve looked guilty. "That was not what I hoped for when you fished me out of the hole that I crawled into to die. I wanted to be good again. To be good ole Bucky for you. To have some semblance of a normal life, if it's even possible for me..." His voice trailed away while he looked full of loathing at his metal arm, fingers flexing. Steve inhaled a shuddering breath.
"I'm sorry, Bucky, I'm sorry!" Steve put his hand on Bucky's shoulder, turning the man slightly towards him, "I never thought about how it would feel to you... You know I love you..."
"I love you too, man," he froze, noticing the expression on Steve's face – lips parted, hand sliding slightly trembling towards Bucky's neck, "No. No-no-no!"
Steve jolted when Bucky jumped up and away from the sofa as if burnt.
"You can't mean it like that."
He shook his head in disbelief. Pain contorted the features of Steve's face. "Bucky..." he started desperately, stretching his hand to reach and stopping mid-motion, "I-"
"No, Steve, please," Bucky stuck out his metal hand in defense, as if to prevent his vis-à-vis from touching him, "Please, tell me I've just read it all wrong, tell me you love me like a friend, a brother, whatever."
Once out of the bottle, the genie was not one to be put back again.
"I wish I could," Steve groaned barely audible, lowering his head in mortification, blond strands of ruffled hair hiding tears in his eyes.
"I can't believe it," Bucky slammed his human hand over his face, "fuck, how, why, when did it even happen!" He cried in anguish.
"How, why - I can't tell you, it wasn't really my choice. When? Always, Bucky, as far as I can remember."
"Oh, shit, all the time I thought of you as my closest friend, almost a brother, all you were thinking about was how to stuff it up my ass, was that it, Rogers? Damn," Bucky gave a violent punch to the nearest wall with his metal arm and the plaster crumbled.
"No!" It was Steve's turn to protest, "No! You were everything to me, friend, brother, the ideal I took after, but more, so much more... And I'd rather have it the other way rou-..."
Bucky interrupted, "Not a word, Rogers. Not. A. Word. If you want to save something between us." He stood there, shaking, palms kneading his temples. This was absolutely not the outcome he was aiming for when starting this conversation. It was a bad idea from the start. He probably should have chosen another time. He didn't mean to hurt Steve, but keeping his temper was difficult. He didn't know what to do, how to react.
"I'm sorry," came the lame and broken reply from the couch. "I thought it might be mutual..."
"How, Steve? For fuck's sake, how? As if all those pretty girls didn't tip you off? Oh shit. You went on all those dates just for me, not for them." Bucky thumped his forehead against the solid wall, several times.
Steve flinched, "You used to give me that 'till the end of the line' thing..."
"Oh, come on, Steve," Bucky turned towards him, hands raised, "it was just a phrase, to cheer you up. I knew you looked up to me, I knew you were lonely, insecure. I couldn't let you down."
Steve was flushed red with shame, anguish, and exertion.
"I'm sorry, Bucky, I'm so sorry,' he lamented, "I wish I could take those words back!"
"And continue pretending? That would've been unfair, to you and to me," Bucky huffed in indignation.
"Now you're disgusted," Steve muttered, rubbing his forehead with his palm.
"No! I'm just shocked beyond reason. I'll get over it, I promise, because I really love you, but not like that. I hope you understand I can't promise you anything else."
Steve nodded curtly, visibly containing a sob.
Bucky had to calm down and sort it out, if possible. He couldn't just push Steve away, turn around and disappear. The Winter Soldier would have done it without hesitation, probably hitting him goodbye. But he was James Buchanan Barnes again, and there was Steve Rogers, a tiny desperate boy under a mountain of muscles, still the closest thing to him, his only friend from his youth and his only ally in this time where everyone and everything turned against him.
"No chance you could try your luck with a gal?"
Steve shook his head, shoulders sagging as he let out a long sigh.
"But, Steve, Peggy..."
"I guess psychologists call it sublimation these days." Steve sighed, "She was strong and witty, and her smile... too much like yours..." He hid his face in his hands, tears streaming down his face.
"Steve, oh, come on, buddy, I'm sorry," and Bucky really was, he wanted to help his friend, he just didn't know how. He squatted carefully at Steve's side, putting a hand on his arm. Steve shuddered and pulled away.
"What about while you thought I was dead?" Steve cringed at that, like the idea still hurt, but Bucky continued, inspired. "Didn't you get to, I don't know, at least, to like anyone? Find anyone attractive?"
Steve froze like a deer caught in the headlights.
Bucky could read him all too well, "So you did," he summed up. "Who?"
Steve shook his head, "Don't question me on this," his voice betraying too much. Bucky knew instantly he was close to the answers he was looking for from the very beginning of this disastrous evening.
"Hey, hey, Steve, Stevie, just tell me who, please? We'll work it out."
Steve only shook his head, a gesture of defiance Bucky had witnessed all too much that evening.
"We can't work it out, Buck, not anymore..."
"Just don't tell me... No, Steve, please, tell me it isn't Stark!"
But of course it was him, dark hair, dark eyes, the infamous smirk...
"See? I told you, it can't work, no one can make it work!"
"Have you ever tried?"
"How, he's Tony Stark, his list of girls is one thousand times longer than yours. I couldn't possibly walk up to him with a confession!"
"But you've been pretty close from what I gathered from your team. You were friends and today he seemed really stricken to me… He didn't want to fight you."
"Buck, he turned against me! He didn't want to support me anymore. Not since I brought you back." Understanding dawned upon Steve's tear-stained face. "Oh!"
"Yeah, 'Oh'!" Bucky mocked, "Oh, shit, Steve, how can you be that clueless?"
Steve only shrugged helplessly.
"Why would you even choose me over him?" Bucky wondered out loud, because really, Tony Stark? World famous genius, snarky bastard and the best dude ever, if you could believe Clint, and Bucky was inclined to.
"I had my reasons," Steve said stubbornly.
"Like?" He inquired.
"Like, I couldn't be with him, because I thought he wasn't into men."
"And why on Earth would you think I was?"
"I guess… I hoped I could have that one life one love thing." Steve gave a bitter chuckle, "Stupid, I know"
"Well, always the romantic!" Bucky laughed. "I don't even know how to blame you on this", he added already good-humored.
"I was kind of overwhelmed by the way I felt. The way he made me feel. It was all too intense for me," Steve tried to explain, wringing his hands. "Much more intense than I ever felt for you," he added after a pause, took several deep breaths and continued, "It scared me to death. And that it couldn't be mutual was driving me mad."
"So you ran away like a coward? Really, I have to ask you again, who are you and what did you do to Steve Rogers? The straightforward brave soldier? The one who never backed away from a challenge?'
"But this is Tony Stark we're talking about. Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist," At Bucky's astounded face Steve clarified, "That's what he called himself once when I tried to offend him."
"You? You, Captain Decency, tried to offend him, and he showed off? Steve, I'm pretty much sure he at least likes you."
"Can't be. He barely tolerates my presence. He's always jumpy around me."
"Oh, Stevie-Stevie! You are still so naive!"
Steve snorted and finally looked up. "You're right as always. I was so naïve to hope to drive out fire with fire. But ended up in ashes."
"Maybe not," Bucky was hopeful again. "Let's find out," finally seeing a chance of saving the relationship with his only friend, a person he could remember from his previous, better life, Bucky was eager to try everything, "Give me your phone."
"What? No!"
"Give. Me. Your. Fucking. Phone, Rogers. Right now or so help me."
Reluctantly Steve handed him his phone.
"A Stakphone?" Bucky scoffed, "Are you kidding me, Rogers? If the man wanted to end us, he'd had his chance a hundred times already! I wonder why he hesitates... and why do you still have his number," voice dripping sarcasm, Bucky tapped the dial button and waited.
No one picked up.
"Told you so," came a muffled remark from Steve. "No chance. If I maybe had a shot once, it's all ruined now."
"Let's try it the other way round." He quickly typed a message, "Barnes here, it's about Rogers" and hit the send button. The immediate incoming call startled them both.
Bucky picked up cut off the hurried chatter on the other end of the line.
"...He's alive! ...
...Just give me a minute.
...He's alive but not at his best-...
...I'm sorry for today. Steve is too. Very.
...Wait, don't hang up; it's about the two of you-...
...Stark, just come over and take this stupid stubborn guy back home and fuck some sense into him, would you!
...No, I'm not… I had no clue! It's all about you! Come and see for yourself!
...No trap!"
The connection went dead, but the result was even better than expected.
"Steve, I want to tell you one thing. That guy is head over heels for you! Said he'll be here in ten, but I'd bet he makes it in seven"
Bucky paced across the room, Steve sat unmoving on the couch, face covered by his hands, desperately trying and failing to compose himself.
"Fucking shit, all the ruckus, all the crap because you two idiots couldn't sort it out! Damn!" Bucky raised his hands in disbelief.
Steve visibly shrank into the couch, almost reminding Bucky of the man's former fragile self.
Tony made it in five.
Flashing red and gold, he burst inside through the tiny window at the ceiling - the only available entrance for him to the semi-basement room - regrouped and landed in his trademark Iron Man stance, shards of glass showering over him like a halo.
"Show-off," Bucky rolled his eyes, posting himself at the farther wall with his hands up. Steve didn't give any signs of life.
"Get lost," sounded Stark's voice over the helm of the suit. Bucky started to move, when Tony thought better of it and stopped him, "No. Don't. Stay where you are, and don't you dare to move a finger. I don't want an assault from behind."
Bucky nodded his understanding, at which Tony's suit let him out. The suit didn't fold, instead it moved around and aimed one gauntlet Bucky.
"Jarvis controls it, and if you move, he'll fry you!"
"Don't," Steve's voice came out weak and pleading. He still wouldn't raise his head.
Tony turned to face him, presumably appalled at how broken the former national icon looked. He himself didn't look any better after the long hard day and an unwanted fight.
"Captain dearest," Steve shuddered at the sarcasm in Tony's voice, "There's just one question I want to ask you." Steve found the courage to meet his ex-friend's heated gaze. "Was at least one word this lunatic was babbling over the phone, I mean, at least one syllable, true?"
"All of them, every single word," Steve had nothing to lose. He'd lost his friend that day –no matter what Bucky told him, things weren't going to be the same again. He was about to lose everything and he didn't care, not anymore.
"Then," Tony gulped audibly, trying to compose himself, "I have another question. Why?"
Steve shrugged, "Why what?"
"Why didn't you ever say a word? Never showed me a sign? Why did you leave me? Why all this shit?" He gestured wildly, indicating their recent rivalry, "Why did you nearly kill me today?"
Steve jumped up, agitated. "You are asking me?" He clenched his fists."Why is it you never said a word? Never gave me a sign? Why would you of all people choose to support that stupid inhuman law, with all your authority issues?"
Tony gaped, seemingly shocked at the sudden turn of events, but Steve continued, the hurt audible in his voice, "You're Tony Stark, the infamous playboy-"
That burst the dam Tony had been trying to hold back. With an anguished cry he took two rushed steps forward. The sudden movement caused Steve to retreat and to plop back on the couch. Tony remained towering over him.
"Well, pardon me for not wanting to be killed while confessing my perverted desires to the all-American icon of immaculacy and chastity!" Tony exclaimed, raising his arms in exasperation. "And then," he continued heatedly, pointing an accusatory finger at Steve, "when I summoned all my courage to confess," Steve stiffened, "you eloped with this sweet century-long infatuation of yours. I stood no chance against that," he pointed a finger at Bucky, who was true to his word and didn't do much moving except for eye-rolling. "I chose to support this stupid law just to spite you!"
Bucky muttered, "Shit, I can't believe we're having a war that's split the world into halves because of some jealousy and some cowardice!" They turned to glare at him, but he continued unperturbed, "I do hope you guys sort it out."
"We probably won't have much time to sort it out right now," said Tony mysteriously, kneeling in front of Steve, who had to make an effort not to flinch at this sudden gesture. "Steve, don't say anything, just please take this. This is something I made for you. I'm not putting any meaning or obligations on it, not anymore. I tried to destroy it, I did, but vibranium isn't easily destroyed. Maybe I should have assembled a bunch of freaks and gone to a volcano to drop it off, but I... I just couldn't. Dum spiro spero and that shit. On the day I was going to propose, you won't believe it, but I was, I figured you wouldn't be interested in a short fling, well, that day you found him and everything went downhill and now I just want you to have it. Let it be a memento," he shoved a small sleek metal box into Steve's slack hand.
Slowly, as if it might bite or explode, Steve opened the square lid. There a ring laid on black velvet. Smooth, silvery, elegant and stylish. Steve looked at it completely forlorn.
Bucky whistled, "I'll be damned!"
Disregarding him, Tony babbled on, "I wanted to make it discreet, because you're not a flashy kind of guy, unlike me, but it has an ingrained nano-coating of interweaving ruby and sapphire layers on the inside." Tony gulped. "Well, you have red on you too."
"Tony..."
"Don't! Do not say anything! We have an alien invasion due in three...two..."
"Tony, are you nuts?"
"One!"
The ground made a mighty lurch, and they all stumbled to the floor, Tony expertly avoiding Steve collapsing on the top of him.
"An alien invasion, Stark? Really?" Bucky raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Isn't that a bit far-fetched?"
"Well, that wasn't really my idea," Tony explained as he suited up. "Okay, no, it was, well, the idea was, we needed someone to fight against instead of fighting each other, and then I kind of stumbled onto Loki..." Steve frowned, but Tony babbled on unperturbed, "and I kind of sided up with him to make it go according to a plan."
"Kind of?" Rogers stood there, fuming, almost back to his old self, "Stark, kind of?" he frowned.
"Cap, no time for reprimands, will you fight this battle side by side with me?" Tony asked daringly.
"What if I don't?" Steve was still frowning.
"Fine by me," Tony waved him off matter-of-factly, trying to override the chaos breaking loose on the outside. "We'll be outnumbered and I'll have more chances to die and end this theatre of the absurd once and for all."
A shadow snuck in through the broken window and suddenly Natasha was there. With her arms folded and eyebrow raised high, she scrutinized Steve and Bucky with a glare.
"The quinjet is outside! Are you with us?" she asked upon finishing what seemed like a deep brain scanning of every man in the room.
Another head showed itself through the window this time it was Clint inquiring, "Cap?"
Steve faltered for a fracture of second, then gave them a firm nod and moved for the window, but Tony stopped him.
"Wait. This was supposed to be a wed-... nevermind," he broke off, putting a small case at Steve's feet. It opened itself, and its contents started winding up Steve's body. Cap froze in shock, luckily not struggling against it. "It's a new suit I was able to develop, it contains both atoms of vibranium and adamantium in it, but it's also very light and doesn't restrain movements. With you in it, I stand no chance against you. Neither will the aliens, I hope," Tony gave a bitter smile.
"If you finished your little sweet reunion, I might ask you to join the others, the battle has been going for almost five minutes by now!" Natasha put in impatiently. She jumped up and disappeared out the window, Bucky followed suit.
Steve was about to reach for the window, when Tony stopped him, calling out his name softly.
"Yes?" Cap looked back cautiously, and eyed him, conflicted.
"Just promise me one thing," Tony paused, as if insecure, and finally managed, "Do not die in this battle, okay?"
"You too, Tony!"
Chatting animatedly, relieved they survived again, happy they fought together, the team exchanged their impressions of the Battle of the Century, how Clint named it.
"Who would have thought that the Allfather himself shows up, to pick up his prodigal son!" the archer was excited that Loki was removed from Earth for the time being.
"And his speech about all 'Midgardian heroes unite, for a greater evil might be approaching, and no laws should separate you' was pretty impressive." Sam complimented.
"Yeah. That wasn't actually planned!" Tony was really pissed that he hadn't foreseen that kind of outcome.
"How did you ever come up with this plan at all, Stark?" Bucky still wondered.
"I did some research and wanted to go hunting down the Tesseract, just out of scientific interest," Tony was happy to brag. Still he emphasized the last two words, daring anyone to accuse him of ulterior motives.
"Hell yeah, who's gonna believe it!" Clint scoffed, unimpressed.
Bucky knew about the Tesseract, but it didn't make things clearer, so Tony continued,
"So I somehow got connected to Loki, maybe because he was still wearing the energetic signature of the artifact."
Vision did a short probability check and stated, "That's theoretically possible."
"Loki was eager to get home and to spite the Midgardians even more, so he was going home via Earth tagging an army of these freaks along. I just made it go according to a plan. I even prepared a small robotic army which came in handy. What I didn't really expect was him teaming up with us to show off in front of his father."
"Lucky for us Thor found Bruce, Hulk was really needed there!" Clint noted. The team turned simultaneously towards the tent where Banner was recovering after his victorious entrance.
Natasha, who kept still throughout the conversation, sighed, which drew Cap's attention towards her.
"How come you showed up with Barton at our safe house?" Steve inquired, finally joining the lively exchange.
Natasha's eyebrow quirk should have been the answer, but Clint intervened, "I guess now we can tell them, Nat."
"I knew what it was all about from the beginning so I teamed up with Stark so that he had someone he could trust by his side."
"Oh, Romanoff, do me a favor, spare me your pity!" Iron Man huffed, finally taking his helmet off with a sigh of relief.
"It's not good for the kids when mom and dad fight, so we decided to split up to support you both and to try to make you change your minds." Clint put in.
"It was pure logic for me go to Stark, as I already did it, naturally Vision as his own creature wanted to be with him. Clint was sent to keep an eye on Cap, Sam and Rhodey go without saying. No way Tony would trust Wanda, considering what she made him go through, and, by the way, she knew first and confirmed my suspicions."
"What suspicions?" Steve still didn't understand.
"That you are two idiots in love!" Wanda bursted out, because for her it was even more ridiculous than for anyone else.
Steve went crimson. Tony groaned.
"But you actually fought each other!" exclaimed Steve.
"We sparred!" retorted Natasha and Clint in unison.
"It was actually only you who fought, Steve," Bucky put in. "And, by the way, you got yourself some swell pals!" he patted Steve on his broad shoulder.
Everyone laughed.
"Tony," Steve, sounding anguished, tried to override the friendly laugher of their re-united team-mates. "Thank you for the suit, it's ingenious," he reached out the package that contained the folded armor towards its inventor.
Tony shook his head, "It's yours."
Steve nodded, visibly trying to brace himself.
"It's time to sort it out," he said somewhat sharply.
Tony cringed at the wording. "Shall we go somewhere quiet?" He suggested.
"No. Right here and now." Steve said sternly.
"Wow, that was almost scary!" Stark attempted at mocking, because it did sound scary. All the 'we need to talk' crap sounded scary to him.
"We'll get lost, Stark," Bucky offered. Turning to Natasha, he asked, "My colleague assassin, would you mind showing me that nasty trick with your knife you did back there, it was pretty impressive."
They all dissolved in a matter of seconds, followed by "Not too far away!" from Tony.
"Just in case!" he offered with a weak smile to Steve's questioning look.
"I'm not-"
"I know you aren't going to hurt me, just, I'm always babbling when things get serious."
They kept silent for a moment, desperately trying to decipher each other's expressions.
"Tony, I-…"
"Steve, I-…"
"Please, Tony, let me speak, I heard you out, and I have something to say as well." Steve insisted adamantly.
"Fine, shoot!" Tony let him.
"First of all, I'm sorry. I know no words can atone for what I've done. I hurt you, I hurt your friends, Rhodey-"
"He'll be fine, he's a sturdy guy, and Steve-"
"No, I'm not done here!" Steve interrupted him once again. "I put the world's peace in danger, just because I was incapable of dealing with my feelings." He cringed in embarrassment. "I just want you to know I hated every second of fighting you. In reality, it wasn't fighting you, it was fighting myself, fighting my feelings, a desperate attempt of crushing something that can't be crushed. I thought that if I hurt you, I would have no moral right to love you anymore. But it hurt me too, very much so, Tony."
Tony grimaced, but refrained from commenting.
"When Bucky turned up, I was hoping that my adoration for him would suppress the feelings I had for you, because they really scared me, I believed they couldn't possibly be mutual. I also thought I could have that stupid fairy-tale one life one love thing." he waved off, lost for words. "Well, I guess I'm too conflicted, I can't explain it even to myself sometimes." He took his hands out of his pockets, and moved one towards Tony, slowly, as if hesitating.
"Steve, if anyone in this world can pull off this 'one life one love once and for all the time' thing – it would be you," Tony shook his head in adoration and reached up to meet Steve's hand but stopped mid-motion. In Steve's outstretched palm lay his ring. "I still hope I maybe could have that chance," Steve said.
Tony staggered backwards, as if Steve punched him. He was suffocating, all the air drained from his lungs. Automatically, his mouth produced words, "Oh. I see. I understand. It's okay, Steve. Whatever makes you happy. I'm just glad we can part on civil terms instead of slicing each other's throats." He couldn't fight his tears, he didn't have the strength, not now, not after the battle of the century, not after he had hoped so much.
"No, Tony, you don't understand." Steve shook his head and caught Tony's hand, who tried to tear it out of his iron grip. "Listen, please!" He pleaded and Tony stopped wrestling, but couldn't stop his tears, "I want you to take this ring," Tony shuddered, "…and put it on my finger, like you were planning to. That is, if you still want to. If you'd still have me after all that's happened."
Tony just blinked owlishly, seemingly uncomprehending, so Steve continued, finally voicing the feelings he had stuffed so deep inside and fought so savagely, "My love for you is a thousand times stronger than the ridiculous childhood crush I used to have on Bucky, and hard as I tried to fight it, it still totally overpowered me. That's why I wish it would be you and only you for the rest of my life. If it's what you wish. Will you take me, and maybe forgive me?"
Tony gave an unrecognizable sound, something between a sob and a laugh and a great sigh of relief, and gripped Steve's other hand in return, "Steve, how can I not? I can't eat, I can't sleep, fuck, I can't breathe without you. I work myself into oblivion and when I collapse, I dream of you. I love you." He extracted the ring out of the confine of Steve's convulsively clenched palm and put it on his finger.
"Okay?" Tony asked simply, short of breathe, having no power left whatsoever to comment on his action, hoping it would be clear without words.
"Okay." Steve nodded, winded as well.
They stood there, just clasping each other's hands tightly, and smiling like two idiots they were, until someone, probably Clint, yelled, "Kiss already, you morons!"
At that, Tony finally found the much needed breathe and his much missed loquacity again, "Forgive me for being a little selfish and wanting our first kiss to be really private."
He grabbed Steve's waist and clung to him like a drowning man. They fit like two pieces of a puzzle. With the little power that was left from his exploited in the battle reactor, Tony took off to their new beginning.
Upon seeing them depart, Bucky smiled. He thought that maybe, just maybe, he not only saved his old friendship, but also got himself several new pals. His life probably will never be normal, not with this bunch of freaks, but he was totally fine with that.