"Fuck!"

Tony and Bucky both freeze and stare at each other across the kitchen, baffled. Lunch preparations were put on hold. They turn around to stare at Steve who was gripping his left foot in his hands, the man's face twisted in a pained grimace.

"Motherfuckin-…" Steve says as he hobbles over to the couch. "Who the FUCK moved that bloody thing? Shit!"

7 months, 15 days. They had been trying to get Steve to swear for 7 months, 15 days, and they had gotten nowhere. They had heard the various alternatives to swears such as: sugar, gosh darn, fudge nuggets, dang it, etc. But neither Tony nor Bucky had managed to get Steve to actually swear.

"Fucking Hell!"

Apparently, all it took to make Captain America swear was a coffee table that was slightly out of place.

Tony turns back around and continues preparing their lunch. "So… who won?" he whispers quietly to Bucky.

Bucky shrugs. "I say we split it" the man whispers back.

"I say," Steve growls from behind them, "that you tell me what all this is about."

They turn around slowly. "Uhhhh…" Tony says, "I plead the 5th?"

The frown on Steve's face deepens as the man folds his arms across his chest. "It sounds to me like you had a bet going. On me. Swearing." Steve says.

"Well, you see…" Tony says, trying to think of any reasonable explanation he could give to Steve. But he finds none. "It was Bucky's idea," He says, wincing knowing that wasn't any better. Out of the frying pan, into the fire. He shoots a look at Bucky to find the man's face completely black. Oh no.

A slow smile appears on Bucky's face. And Tony is sure that he's not going to like what's going to come next.

"We're sorry, Steve. That was very unfeeling of us, I can't imagine the stress and irritation we must have put you through the past few months" Bucky says.

'What?' Tony thinks to himself. That was certainly not what he was expecting.

Steve cocks his head to the side, eyes narrowing. The man says nothing, but Tony can see that he obviously knows that something was up.

"So," Bucky continues, "I think it's only fair that all the winnings would go to you. You were the one to make yourself swear, so in all fairness, you did win"

"What? No!" Tony exclaims. "That wasn't part of the deal. He wasn't in on the bet, that's not fair"

Bucky turns to him, smile nearly stretching ear to ear. "You did say it was all my idea, didn't you? Well as it was 'my idea', I say Steve won."

"Ahhh…"

"So what do I win?" Steve asks, a grin now on his face.

"Enough to get you that upgrade you wanted for your bike," Bucky says, leaning back against the kitchen counter.

"Oh no. No no no. That bike of yours is already a death trap as it is. You are not getting whatever upgrade you're on about. No. Not happening"

"But I won," Steve says, pouting.

"Don't" Tony warns, holding up a finger. "Not going to work."

Steve sighs, looking down at his feet dejectedly.

"I bet it would be safer if you did it," Bucky says.

Tony groans and buries his head in his hands. "James…"

Steve's body is warm and comfortable as it slides up against him. "I can make it worth your while," Steve whispers into his ear.

"You better," Tony sighs.

Steve may have won the bet, but Tony was going to be sure to get the most he could out of it. And if he could involve Bucky? All the better.


The End

Notes: In response to a prompt by ladysunflower in the stuckony_summer_stocking_2020 collection.

For the prompt "getting Steve to curse"