Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Challenges listed at the bottom.

Word Count - 1256

Talk To Me

"Tony?"

Tony glanced away from the hologram he'd been working on to see Bucky lingering in the doorway to his lab, a steaming cup of coffee and a plate holding a sandwich in his hands.

"Hi," he grinned. "Are those for me?"

"Sandwich first," Bucky insisted, stepping forwards to hand over the plate. Tony accepted it, his lips falling into a natural pout as he eyed the coffee that Bucky was keeping away.

Deciding that it wasn't worth a fight, he looked back up to meet Bucky's gaze and pursed his lips for a kiss instead, which Bucky happily bestowed on him.

"How's your day been?" Bucky asked, perching on the edge of Tony's desk as Tony tucked into the sandwich.

Tony shrugged. "Fine. You?"

Bucky smiled at the genius. "Good. Stevie and I did a new route this morning, and I beat his ass—again."

Tony smiled but didn't reply. He didn't often reply when Bucky told him about his day, or anything else really.

He'd spent enough time with Pepper to know that his mouth was the thing that got him in trouble more often than not, and he and Bucky were still so new. He didn't want to scare him off, and so, Tony held his tongue a lot.

It was just… safer that way.

He listened to Bucky chattering about his day, and nodded and hummed in the appropriate places. It generally worked, and sure enough, after Tony had finished his sandwich and been handed the sacred coffee cup, Bucky seemed quite happy to wander off to spar with Sam.

It worked. Tony was happy, and more importantly, he was keeping Bucky happy.

…

"I think… I think Tony thinks he made a mistake with me," Bucky said, slumping on the sofa beside Steve.

Steve frowned at him. "What?"

"Tony. I think he wants us to break up."

"Why on earth would you think that?" Steve asked. He sounded utterly unimpressed. "Buck, I've known Tony for years, and I haven't seen him this happy in ages."

"He never talks to me! He encourages me to talk, I guess, but he never asks questions and he certainly doesn't tell me anything about what he's doing or what's going on with him."

Steve's frown deepened. "That… okay, that doesn't sound like Tony at all."

Bucky nodded sadly. "From everything you told me about him… he's normally a motor mouth and with me, he just… doesn't bother."

"I'm sure there's an explanation, Buck. Have you asked him about it?"

Shaking his head, Bucky sank deeper into the soft cushions of the sofa. "Don't wanna. If I do, he might just think it's the perfect open for a 'it's not me it's you' conversation and I don't wanna hear it, Stevie. I love him."

Steve sighed, running a hand through his hair before he patted Bucky's shoulder comfortingly. "Yeah, no, this isn't going to fly. Come on, Buck. I'm pretty sure Tones is still in the lab with Rhodey. He arrived earlier with the suit so… let's go."

…

"—and the repulsor is stronger as well, it's amazing!" Tony was saying, when the doors opened up to let Steve and Bucky into the lab. "Oh, hey guys, you good?"

"Tony, are you trying to dump Bucky?" Steve asked.

Tony paused, his hands stilling in the air, where he'd been manipulating a hologram to show Rhodey the upgrades he'd been making for his own suit, that he'd be adding to War Machine.

"What?"

"Buck says you never talk to him," Steve continues, and Tony looked at Bucky, who was standing half hidden behind Steve, looking absolutely mortified.

Rhodey snorted. "Tony, never talk?" he asked. He looked Tony's way. "The only time you shut your mouth is to keep food inside!"

"You're not helping," Tony hissed at his best friend, before he looked back at the super soldiers. "Buck?"

"Sorry," Bucky muttered, looking down. "I didn't expect Steve to come down here and do… this."

"But you're worried?" Tony prompted. "Cap, move out of the way, this is a conversation I need to have with Bucky, not your shoulder."

Steve nodded and joined Rhodey on the sofa.

"What's this, a peanut gallery?" Tony asked then, before Bucky could say anything. "Out, the pair of you."

Rhodey sighed, looking at the suit standing sentinel in the back of the workshop.

"I'll do the suit later, Honeybear," Tony promised. "Just… let me talk to my Snowflake, first, huh?"

Rhodey nodded, and pulled a slightly hesitant Steve from the workshop. Tony stepped towards Bucky. "You wanna tell me what's going on, Snowflake?"

Bucky winced. "You, I… Stevie told me that you talked a lot, you know? And I've seen you with some of the others, and you… well. You talk a lot. And you're always animated and excited and adorable, but when you're with me, you never… you never talk to me. You listen, but… and I guess I thought that maybe you were trying to tell me that you just weren't really that interested, you know?"

Holograms forgotten, Tony took another step towards Bucky and reached out for him, wrapping his hand around Bucky's.

"This is my fault," Tony said. "I was uh. So. Here's the thing, okay. I don't date. As a thing, that is. Except for Pepper, right? But then, I alway got myself into trouble with her when I opened my mouth, and I thought that maybe, if I didn't talk so much with you, then maybe you'd… find me more palatable?"

Bucky frowned. "I love you for you, Tony. Not for… whoever you're gonna pretend to be. I like it when you talk, you idiot. You're adorable when you're excited about something."

Tony slipped into Bucky's arms, and nuzzled against his neck. "M'sorry. I didn't mean to make you think I wasn't interested."

Bucky's arms tightened around him. "Just be you, okay. I want Tony, not half of Tony, or the Tony that Pepper wanted. I just want you."

…

Rhodey tossed two beers over to Bucky, who caught them both, handing one to Tony, who was curled up on his lap. It was getting late, and Tony was almost asleep but refusing to go to bed since Rhodey was leaving in the morning.

"You really need to get more sleep, Tones. You look exhausted," Rhodey commented as he sat down in one of the armchairs. Steve and Clint were sitting in the others, watching on with fond looks.

"That's just a myth," Tony muttered, fighting to keep his eyes open. "Sleep is for the weak."

"Sleep is kinda necessary to survival, you dumbass," Rhodey replied, rolling his eyes. "Don't make me beat you."

Tony grinned over at him before he tilted his head to look up at Bucky. "Bucky will protect me."

Bucky rolled his eyes, but pressed a kiss to Tony's forehead. "Bucky will protect you by taking you to bed," he agreed, running a hand up and down Tony's spine. "Rhodey's right, you know. You need to sleep more."

"Do you still love me even when I'm zombie'ing?"

Steve snorted, and Bucky glared over at him, because he knew exactly what was amusing his best friend.

"Tony is so adorable when he's sleepy, Stevie. Look at him, he's too fucking cute," Steve mimicked, rolling his eyes. "I'd say he still loves you when you're a zombie, Tones.

"Why are we even friends?" Bucky asked, shaking his head.

Tony just snuggled closer, and Bucky couldn't bring himself to mind one little bit.

This was perfect.

Written for:

Showtime: 9. Romance

Elizabeth's Empire: 9. Kissing someone's forehead.

Bex's Basement: 17. "The only time you shut your mouth is to keep food inside!"

Lizzy's Loft: W1: Late

Angel's Archive: 15. "That's just a myth."

Scamander's Case: 15. Unimpressed

Film Festival: 10. Soft

Murder Mystery: How: Bare Hands: Romance

Game Of Life: College Stage: Beer

Geek Pride: Avengers: Fandom: Avengers

Say It With Flowers: Alstroemeria: Hurt/Comfort