Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.
Challenges listed at the bottom.
Word Count: 1928
Warning: Mentions of abuse
Also, side note, I know that proms aren't a thing at uni, but like… they are now. For reasons.
You Had Me At The Cat Video
He could feel Stark's eyes on him again. It seemed to be a constant feeling lately, especially when they were in physics, when in all honesty, Stark probably knew the material better than the teacher.
Bucky shifted in his seat, trying to hide the fact that he was in fact watching cat videos on his laptop instead of paying attention.
They just calmed him, okay?
Of course, he couldn't have anyone knowing he watched cat videos, because everyone saw him and they saw the tattoos and the piercings and they thought he was a badass, and Bucky was okay with that, because it meant they left him alone.
Or… until Stark, they did.
He was an odd one.
…
"So… did you see the one with the ducklings following the cat?"
Bucky startled and turned to glare at Stark, who was a head shorter than him and unfairly adorable.
"What?"
"I saw you watching the compilations in Reed's class. I just wondered if you'd seen the one with the ducklings because it's like the cutest thing ever and if you haven't seen it then you need to see it."
Bucky blinked. "Did you even breathe between all those words?"
Stark grinned up at him. "So have you seen it?"
…
Bucky couldn't help it; he grinned at his laptop screen. He didn't know how Stark had gotten his email address to send him the link, but the ducklings following the cat was indeed one of the cutest things he'd ever seen.
…
"Did you like it?"
Bucky didn't jump this time. He'd been almost expecting it, in fact, because Stark was an odd one and he clearly hadn't gotten the memo that Bucky was to be avoided.
He nodded silently, only willing to concede that way that he had, in fact, enjoyed the duckling video immensely. He certainly wasn't going to verbally confirm that he'd watched it on a loop for almost the entire class.
"I have so many more to send you," Stark said, actually clapping his hands as he bounced on his heels. "You're going to love them!"
…
Bucky did love them. All 29 of them. And that was only one class.
…
"Why are you not scared of me?"
He hadn't meant to ask, but he couldn't help it. Start was odd, yes, but he was socially competent enough to know that he really shouldn't be hanging around Bucky.
He had friends, Bucky had seen them.
"Erm. Am I supposed to be? I thought you were just grumpy. You do seem grumpy, but do you have a serial killer past that nobody warned me about, because honestly, Cupcake, killing me would take a lot of effort."
Cupcake.
Cupcake. What the actual fuck?
"Did you hit your head a lot when you were younger?"
Stark laughed. "Probably. Come on, let's get lunch. I want pizza."
And then he promptly fell over his own feet. Bucky barely managed to catch him, and he didn't realise until later that he'd kept the arm around Tony's waist all the way to the cafeteria.
…
They got lunch. Mostly because Bucky was too baffled to refuse. The pizza in the cafeteria was awful but Stark seemed to enjoy it anyway.
Grumpy. Well, he supposed Stark wasn't wrong about that.
…
"Who did your tattoos?" Tony—because he was Tony now, not Stark, and Bucky still wasn't sure how that happened—asked, tracing a finger over the one that trailed down Bucky's arm onto his hand.
He tried not to shiver at the touch, but he didn't think he succeeded, judging by the way Tony blushed and looked down at his lap.
"I did them myself," Bucky admitted. "I, uh, I want to be a tattoo artist, but my mum wanted me to at least do a few years at university first, you know? So I have something to fall back on."
Tony's eyes widened. "How did you do them yourself? I didn't even realise that was possible."
Bucky shrugged. "I'm left handed."
"Yeah but… ouch?"
Startled into a chuckle, Bucky rolled his eyes. "Wasn't the worst feeling ever."
"Huh. Would you do me? I mean, uh, tattoo me?"
And yes, Tony was thoroughly blushing now, and it was charming and Bucky was officially doomed.
…
He promised to tattoo Tony as soon as he got his license.
…
"So, I uh. Might not be here for a few days," Tony warned him from nowhere on a Monday.
Bucky blinked. "Where you going?"
"Home. I, uh. I came out to my dad and he's… he's not pleased. He's threatening to cut me off if I don't go home and well… he's paying for my room and board. I don't have much of a choice."
Bucky nodded. "Text me."
"Will do, Cupcake."
…
Tony didn't come back for two weeks and when he did, he didn't hide the bruises well.
…
"You shouldn't have to lie about who you are to appease your father," Bucky growled, when Tony told him that he had to take a girl to Prom.
Tony shrugged. "There are certain expectations with me being who I am. I guess I'd hoped that who I date wouldn't come into it but… I think I always knew that it would. Wishful thinking or just plain naivety maybe."
Bucky shook his head. "Then will you do this one last thing for me?"
"Anything for you, Cupcake."
"At the prom, I want you to save me a dance."
Tony blinked. "I thought you said that you weren't even going?"
"I am now."
…
Bucky bought a tux because he didn't own one. It cost too much money but he didn't care.
…
"Holy shit, Cupcake," Tony said, eyebrows rising as he took Bucky in, eyes travelling from head to toe and back. "You look incredible… although I won't lie, I think I prefer the beat up leather jacket."
Bucky could say the same about Tony—but dressed up in his own tux, Bucky couldn't help but think this was the man his father wanted him to be, rather than who Tony actually was.
"You look amazing, Tony," Bucky replied softly. "But I think I prefer the rumpled Tony that assaults me with cat videos."
It was the right thing to say, as Tony ducked his head, pleased but embarrassed.
"I should uh, go inside," Tony said, nodding to the decked out girl waiting for him. Bucky nodded and watched him go, grimacing at the grip the girl got on Tony's arm as soon as he was in reach.
With a sigh, Bucky followed them inside the hotel. It was going to be a long night.
…
Bucky didn't watch Tony and the girl. He didn't. Okay, he did a little, but it made him feel nauseous so he stopped. The fake laugh he heard from Tony only made it worse though.
…
"Dance with me."
It wasn't a request, and Bucky held his hand out to Tony expecting him to take it, because it was the only reason he was here. To dance with Tony.
Tony swallowed hard and glanced at the girl, who was glaring daggers at Bucky.
After a pause that felt both like a second and a lifetime, Tony slid his hand against Buckys, and allowed him to pull Tony from his seat and towards the dancefloor.
"I hope you know that I'm sleeping on your floor when my father disowns me."
"If it comes to it, Doll, you can have my bed. You know you're always welcome, right?"
Tony looked up at him, a questioning look in his eyes. "You really mean that."
Bucky twirled him and then pulled him close, aware of the eyes on them and for once, not caring a single bit.
"I really do."
…
Tony was called home again, and Bucky put his fist through a wall because he knew that when he came back, it would be with bruises.
But Tony never came back.
…
"Uh, Buck? New customer. Think you'll want to take this one yourself."
Bucky looked up from the art he'd been working on for a customer and rolled his eyes, tossing his pad on the table.
"You don't think my schedule is full—" He cut himself off when he realised who was standing at the desk, scuffing his foot against the floor and looking every inch the awkward teenager he'd been the last time Bucky saw him.
"Tony."
"Hey, Cupcake."
"What are you… doing here?"
"I, uh. Well, you said that you'd do my first tattoo and… I guess I'm ready for it?"
Bucky's eyebrows rose. "Yeah?"
"Yeah."
…
Bucky didn't even consider turning Tony down. When Steve asked him about it later, he mumbled something about cat videos and kept his eyes on the pad he was drawing on.
…
"I saw you, in the papers and magazines and stuff. I guess I thought that you'd grown out of uni," Bucky admitted, the needles buzzing soothingly in his hand as he traced the faint outline on Tony's skin.
"I got cut off," Tony replied softly. "Don't misunderstand me, I'd have come back in a heartbeat if I thought there was any way I could have afforded to live and pay for school myself but. There was no way."
"So what did you do?"
"I had a little money, not much, just a few thousand, stashed away, you know? Me and my dad, we never got on, so I knew it was always a possibility I would need it. I took that and got a shitty room, and I started working as a mechanic for a while. It paid the bills."
Bucky nodded to show he was paying attention.
"I tried not to let anyone know who I was but then my parents died and…" Tony shook his head. "It turned out that my dad didn't disinherit me like I thought he had. Suddenly I had the company and…"
"You've turned it around though. Weapons to clean energy… I never doubted you could do it. Used to laugh at all the papers saying you were crazy, because if anyone could do it, you could."
Tony snorted. "It nearly got me killed, but yeah, I did it."
Bucky looked up sharply. "What do you mean?"
"Obadiah—my dad's partner—he wasn't happy about the change. He tried to have me kidnapped and killed, except the kidnappers got greedy and didn't kill me like they were supposed to. I'm not surprised you didn't hear about it; we worked really hard to keep it out of the press."
Bucky shook his head in disbelief. "Jesus."
…
The thought of Tony being killed hurt something deep inside of Bucky, so he tried not to think about it too much.
…
"I love it," Tony said, looking down at the tattoo on his right arm. "You did it even better than I imagined."
Bucky smiled. "I'm glad you came and found me. I'd have been mad if someone else got to tattoo you first."
Tony shook his head. "It was only ever you, Cupcake."
Bucky took a step closer. "And now?"
Tony leant into him. "It's still only you. Sure you know that? I never… just because those girls say I slept with them, doesn't mean I did. I've been yours since you twirled me around that dance floor in that shitty hotel ballroom, wearing a tux that you clearly weren't comfortable in."
Bucky pressed his lips against Tony's and pulled him close. "I've been yours since you sent me that video of ducklings parading after a cat."
Written For:
Showtime: 2. Dancing
Amber's Attic: 14. Coming out
Elizabeth's Empire: 8. Tattoo Artist!AU
Liza Loves: 8. You're the one in class who has tattoos all over their arms and piercings and everybody's scared of you and one day I catch you watching cat videos and doodling in the middle of a lecture and wow you're a dork.
Scamander's Case: 7. Misunderstood
Film Festival: 8. Dancing
Marvel Appreciation: 19. Runaways 1: Lying
Lyric Alley: 14. Then will you do this one last thing
TV Spree: 17. Expectations
EnTitled: 13. Write about prom
Treasure Hunting: Quiver Of Arrows: Falling
Auction: Day 2, Auction 1: Grumpy