Chapter three
"Hurry up we're going to be late!" Bucky called grabbing Peter's backpack.
"I can't find my shoe!" Peter swung into the room, scanning it from a height before making a triumphant noise and landed, grabbing the lost shoe.
"Bucky I can't find my tie!" Tony hopped into the living room yanking on his shoes.
"I have your tie here, Peter get both your shoes on, here are your lunches!" Bucky grabbed the three lunches he had put together the night before, shoving Peter's into his backpack and threw it at Peter without looking knowing that he would catch it, He shoved Tony's into his briefcase and passed it to him, looping his tie around his neck at the same time.
He and Tony grabbed their car keys and Bucky put his own lunch into his backpack before he waved Peter to the garage.
"Have a good day," Tony called racing over and kissing Peter's cheek and then kissing Bucky sweetly on the lips before hurrying back to his car.
"I hope Pepper doesn't kill you for being late!" Bucky called as he and Peter waved cheerfully at Tony for his glare before they took off out the garage.
"We're going to be late!" Peter whined looking at the time.
"We're not going to be late, have a little faith kid," Bucky scolded dodging around a car.
"Oh god! I don't want to die, I don't care if I am late!" Peter amended as they slipped into a gap that didn't look big enough for a car half their size, never mind this size.
"Don't so dramatic," Bucky rolled his eyes before skidding across three lanes.
"Oh god oh god oh god oh god!"
"Are you ok Peter? You look a little sick," Ned asked concerned.
"Bucky brought me to school today," Peter said as tough that answered the question.
"Oh cool, he's cool," Ned grinned before sobering and shaking his head at Peter when he caught his expression. "He's not cool?"
"He's trying to kill me," Peter whined. "He got me here from the Tower in ten minutes,"
"Oh...wow...by car?" Ned blinked, that was a half-hour drive.
"Exactly," Peter looked at Ned with tears in his eyes.
"Oh dear, come on let's get you some water," Ned chuckled dragging his friend away.
"Hey Bucky," Hope smiled falling into step with him as he hurried through the Compound.
"Morning," he smiled a little at her. She was an impressive woman who reminded him of a mixture of Pepper and Tony with a bit of Peggy in there as well.
"We have had word back on the release of the Avenger Bears, they are going down well and the funds that they have raised for the Maria Stark Foundation is impressive, here are the different charities and world events that need looking at to start assigning the money," She handed over about 17 folders to him before waving. "Have fun," She laughed.
"FRIDAY, please tell me that the coffee machine is brewing," Bucky sighed, this was additional work on his additional work.
"It is brewed and ready for you to pour Mr Bucky," FRIDAY said, sounding amused, he would have glared at her nearest camera, but well she had coffee ready for him.
He stepped into his office and aimed straight for the coffee machine, pouring himself a nice big cup and taking a sip before he did anything else, sighing in relief. The kid was in school on time, despite his whining about them dying, Tony was on his way to his meeting with Pepper, and he had made it to the compound on time.
Sitting down at his desk he sat back in his chair for a moment and looked around the office, his office. It was funny really, the Winter Soldier fear of the spy world, in an office, with officey things around him. He had his own computer, pens and paper, phone, and then the personal things that he had slowly been bringing in with him.
He had a few knick-knacks and ornaments that he had bought when he was out and about with Tony and Peter, a little Spiderman glass ornament he had seen in Venice, the pretty little blue glass vase that had a twin red one sitting on Tony's desk in the Workshop at the Tower.
One of his prized possessions, however, was the framed photograph that Tony had given him for his birthday the month before. He had given him a beautiful glass engraved photo frame, but the picture inside was the thing that made it so special, it was a photo that Pepper had taken of him, Peter and Tony together one morning, all three of them in ridiculous Avengers pyjamas in the kitchen, Peter was draped over Tony was way draped over Bucky who was laughing and trying to cook their breakfast.
They looked so happy, they looked close and free, and it was something that Bucky had never thought he was going to have, not since he had been captured by HYDRA in the 1940s, and yet here it was.
He had filled his desk with other photos Tony working into Workshop with Peter the two of them with their heads together, Peter playing fetch with Dum-E and U, Tony sitting curled up in an armchair in their living room reading and tucked under a blanket. Tony's birthday when they had gone to his favourite restaurant as a surprise, the photo held so many of them, Tony, Bucky, Peter, Pepper, May, Rhodey, Carol, Jessica, Matt, Luke, Danny, Vision, Hope, Stephen and Wong, they had asked the waiter to take the picture of them, and they were all glowing and smiling at the camera after a good meal and a good evening, laughing and joking together. That night had healed what had been broken in Tony by the betrayal of the Rogues.
He had family and friends, people who had planned this for him and all shown up to help him celebrate, and he had loved the presents that they had gotten him, they had all tried to outdo each other trying to find functional but hilarious Avengers gifts, and Tony had absolutely loved it.
The photos gathering on his desk and spilling over onto his cabinets and other furniture were proof of a life that Bucky never thought that he would have, and he loved it. He felt guilty that Steve wasn't in those pictures, that he didn't have a place in them, but he knew in his heart of hearts that had Steve been here, these moments wouldn't have happened, his insistence to force the past and a mask onto Bucky of a man he wasn't anymore wouldn't have been good for him. The people in these pictures helped him figure out who he was now, and accepted that person, they let him know that that person was absolutely ok to be.
He even liked that he had work and a job he thought, even as he eyed the paperwork piled onto his desk. He had gotten bored sitting in the Tower while Tony was working, and there were no courses that took his attention that he wanted to do to carry on his education right now. But he was bored and wanted to work. Finally, he had spoken to Tony and Rhodey about it, and the next thing he had so many options his head had spun.
He didn't want to work for SI, no matter how much he loved Tony they worked together enough...and they would be a distraction for each other. Working at the Compound had been a good idea and he helped with the every day running of it, he was technically the head of security here, and he had taken on a role within the Maria Stark Foundation, another way to give back to the world under the name of the woman he had killed. It felt right to be doing good in her name.
Grumbling to himself he stopped daydreaming and putting off his paperwork, tugging the first pile toward himself and started working, FRIDAY started playing some relaxing classical music that he liked working to, and he nodded in appreciation before settling into work.
"Ok?" Bucky asked softly once the call finished, settling down next to Tony and ran his fingers through his hair.
"I don't know," Tony sighed turning and wrapping his arms around Bucky's waist, pressing his face into his chest as though he could hide there from the world.
Bucky wasn't going to turn that down and leaned back against the sofa holding Tony like he could protect him from the world. He wasn't sure how long they sat like that but eventually, Tony sighed and turned his head so that his cheek was resting on Bucky's chest.
"We both knew that this was going to happen," Tony said after a few moments.
"Yeah we did," Bucky agreed, just rubbing Tony's back.
"I…" Tony frowned, and Bucky could practically see his brain spinning. "I am going to try this communication thing that we are working on,"
"Ok," Bucky couldn't help his snort, only Tony would phrase 'I am going to tell you the truth and I am not sure how you're going to take it' like that.
"I am worried about how they are going to change what we have. I am happy, I really like what we have here, even if we are out there risking our lives every day to save the world, twice on Tuesdays, I'm worried that them coming back is going to mess that up," Tony admitted to Bucky's pec, his eyes determinedly not moving from it.
"You're worried about Steve coming back?" Bucky guessed.
"He is your best friend, he has shown that he would do anything for you," Tony sighed again.
"Including ignoring my consent to let the witch into my head because who I am isn't right to him for who he wanted me to be," Bucky reminded him. "Steve was my best friend, and part of me hopes that we can be friends again because I do have those memories, but if time and distance haven't changed his attitude then that isn't going to happen. And no matter who comes back, he isn't getting between what we have,"
"I don't want to have to see them again," Tony said quietly.
"Then you don't have to, if you really don't want to see them, they're going to be staying at the Compound, we live here, aside from a few meetings where we can make sure that they are nowhere near you," Bucky promised.
"I just...it feels as though I have been living in a dream since I walked into the Hulk room to find you sitting there in your underwear…" Tony chuckled softly, throwing his legs over Bucky's thick thighs when the Supersoldier groaned and dropped his head back at the millionth reminder.
"I wanted to be none threatening!" Bucky whined.
"I was threatening a nose bleed seeing all those muscles on display," Tony smiled back in their familiar banter about that moment now. "I just...everything has been good, and it just feels like them coming back is risking everything that I have built going back to how it was. What was and what I thought things were are so different, that them coming back makes me worry about what I have now," Tony rambled, holding onto Bucky like he was afraid he was going to disappear.
Bucky hummed and stared at the ceiling thinking about how he could best put Tony's mind at ease about what was happening.
"Hey!" Tony complained when Bucky dug into the back pocket of his jeans and snagged his wallet. Ignoring his lover Bucky flipped the wallet open and withdrew the picture that Tony kept in there, it was the same one that sat pride of place on Bucky's desk of him, Peter and Tony.
"When you have those thoughts, when you have those worries, look at this and know that this, this is going nowhere, this moment was real, as are the hundreds of others that we have had, and the hundreds of others we will have," Bucky smiled kissed Tony's forehead as Tony took the picture from his hand.
"You're a soppy bugger you know that," Tony pressed his smile into Bucky's chest.
"Also I have spent way too much on ridiculous pyjamas for this to be anything but real," Bucky grinned.
"So your massive collection of ridiculous pyjamas is your proof of investment in this relationship?" Tony grinned back.
"Exactly!" Bucky nodded firmly, but his brain was already spinning with a plan. He had a month before the Rogues were back to get it done.
He would need help though.
"Hey p...Bucky!" Peter bounced into the room.
The amusement at Peter trying not to call Tony dad and Tony's hoping for it wasn't as funny as Peter kept aborting himself from calling Bucky what he was sure was going to be Pop, and his heart jumped every time.
"Hey kid, good day at school?" Bucky asked digging into the fridge and throwing the salad that he had made for Peter at the teen.
"Oh god, it is your chicken and bacon salad, whatever this top-secret thing is, this is so worth it!" Peter groaned.
"You make it sound shady!" Bucky rolled his eyes.
"FRIDAY is super excited about it and played the Pink Panther theme in my ear the whole time I was swinging over here, it feels shady now. Especially with the whole, don't under any circumstances tell Tony," Peter shrugged.
"I need your help with a surprise for Tony," Bucky decided to cut to the chase before Peter could come up with 1001 ridiculous reasons he could be here that would be nowhere near the truth.
"Ooo ok," Peter leant forward eagerly.
"I need your help making something for Tony, my skills are ok, but I want it to be perfect," Bucky shrugged.
"What is it? What are we making?" Peter was wiggling in excitement making Bucky laugh.
"A ring," Bucky said and sat back as he watched the kid's head explode.
"A...A...A...A...A ring ring! Like ring, you know A Ring," Peter said pointing at the ring finger on his right hand.
"Wrong hand kiddo," Bucky chuckled.
"ARE WE MAKING TONY AN ENGAGEMENT RING!" Peter squealed excitedly. Bucky thanked god for soundproofing considering the hall outside his was full of people and FRIDAY couldn't seem to contain herself anymore and started playing the bridal march loudly.
"Yes an engagement ring," Bucky nodded before the two went nuts again.
"Ok, ok ok!" Peter waved his hands digging a pad out from Bucky's filing cabinet and a pen from his desk and then looked at Bucky seriously. "What are we thinking?"
"I managed to buy some vibranium from Princess Shuri from Wakanda, so I want that as the main ring, and last time Loki visited I asked him to bring back a jewel from Asgard…"
"Oh my god you got Tony space jewels, he will love it!" Peter squealed before looking at Bucky apologetically.
"Yes I did, Loki said that it is a traditional stone given in an engagement, Valkyrie confirmed that for me because I didn't trust him not to give me a funeral stone," Bucky dug into his desk and placed the small stone onto the desk and 2 canisters of liquid vibranium.
"Oh, it is so pretty!" Peter said in awe as he looked at the stone, it was impressive, it was a diamond but it was like a flame had been caught inside of it, constantly shining with a light from within.
"I wanted to twine the gold and silver vibranium so they're twisted around each other and have the stone as the centrepiece. Do you think that this is something that we can do?" Bucky asked nervously.
"Definitely!" Peter nodded reading the notes that Shuri had sent over with the vibranium.
"Brilliant, FRIDAY took Tony's ring size, so we're good to go, hopefully, he will say yes," Bucky muttered but Peter just looked at him pityingly.
"If you think he is going to say anything but yes you're nuts. The two of you are sickeningly in love," Peter snorted before putting the vibranium and the stone into his backpack and grabbed Bucky's hand. "Come on, let's get started!"
"The terms of your parole is not negotiable," Carol said sharply as Steve and Natasha tried to argue the terms.
"Parole?" Steve frowned.
"Oh, please don't tell me that you thought that this was a pardon?" Stephen snorted, ignoring the look that Carol gave him and just raised an unimpressed eyebrow at the man.
"Isn't it?" Clint frowned.
"No, this is parole, you are being allowed back into the country and you will stop being hunted down, but there will be consequences for the things that you have been charged with and you will be on parole. You will abide by the rules that are in this agreement, or you won't be coming back and you will go back to being the most wanted terrorists in the world," Stephen shrugged uncaringly.
"You act as though we don't want us to come back," Sam frowned.
"We don't," Carol said simply, and Stephen glanced to her impressed, he couldn't have been blunter himself. "To be honest, we don't. We don't feel that we need you, we have a good setup here with multiple teams that work well together, and we are only improving by the day. We have used your example and ensured that the mistakes that were made won't happen again. I run a tight ship here and I, in particular, do not feel that you are going to be able to settle into the Compound and follow the rules, you coming back is just a headache in the waiting for me,"
"Not to mention the fact that you have already shown disregard for the agreements that we have worked hard to improve and work, to make sure that it suits everyone, if you come back and muck it up, you are going to be undoing over a year's worth of hard work with the Accords," Stephen snorted.
"The only saving grace is that it was the Accord Council's decision to hold out the olive branch to you and bring you back, probably because they are fed up having to hunt your arses down and don't want you to be their problem anymore so they are dumping you on us. If this goes tits up we can blame the Council themselves and just say 'we told you so' and refer them to the minutes of the meetings we attended listing the reasons that we thought this was a bad idea," Carol nodded to Stephen.
"I do like saying I told you so," Stephen smirked.
"The Accords Council wanted us back?" Steve said quietly, gaining their attention.
"Tony Stark was not the one to organise this for you no," Carol said cutting to the root of that comment.
"He owes you nothing, why would he organise this for you? He has been making a life here, a life that you all broke apart. He doesn't want you back either," Stephen crossed his arms.
"He has been living the fine life while we have been banished!" Clint snapped.
"I am going to stop you there. You are not banished, you are on the run because you committed criminal acts in multiple countries, and you chose the side that you were on, and Tony's fine life has consisted of fixing the mess that you all left him, including looking after your family and making sure that they had a roof over their heads and food on their table because you were on the run and couldn't supply them with money. You made your choice, these are the consequences, you have no one to blame but yourself. For a spy you are particularly stupid, what did you think was going to happen choosing the side of the guy who was against the Accords that 117 countries had demanded, with more joining each day?" Stephen sneered.
"I will say this only once, Tony Stark is not to blame for the situation that you find yourselves in, and I will not stand for anyone attacking him, if you choose to sign and come back I will not stand for any personal attacks on him, and neither will his friends and family here. The only thing standing between you being cooked alive by Pepper Potts is that Tony has requested that you are given a fair chance by everyone when you come back," Carol met each of their eyes.
"What are the terms?" Steve asked after a few beats.
"They are simple:
You will not be engaging in Avenger missions for a month while you take place in training and find a rhythm with the current Avengers, or until I see fit.
You may be split up and placed onto different teams, it is unlikely that you will all stay together.
You are limited in your movements and if you wish to leave the New York state you have to put a request in with either your team leader or myself and have it authorised. If you are told no, the answer is no. If you leave the State without permission you will be found and arrested.
You will not in any way physically or mentally attack another Avenger member or Compound staff member unless your life is in danger, the use of any enhanced gifts, spying or otherwise will not be tolerated
You will be monitored for 6 months, after this time if the Council feel that you have done satisfactorily this will stop
You are to perform 350 hours of community service, each, the type will be assigned by the Maria Stark Foundation, chosen by Virginal Potts and James Buchanan Barnes.
More than fair I believe?" Carol crossed her arms.
"Bucky? Why does he choose our community service with Pepper?" Steve asked.
"Bucky has been working for the Foundation for a year now, and he works here at the Compound so he was the best choice," Stephen sighed.
"Stark is making him work?"
The Rogues were all baffled when Carol and Stephen started laughing.
"Oh good one," Stephen chortled.
"What! Why is that funny?!"
"That is Bucky's place to say, Rogers, if he wants to tell you what he has been doing, he can," Carol shrugged.
"I…"
"We're not here to discuss anything but your Parole agreements and you signing the Accords. Now, the Accord rules are…"
"Bucky Bear," Tony whined. Bucky just laughed and shifted Tony a little further up his back where she was clinging onto his like a koala bear, his legs around Bucky's waist with Captain Marvel socks on his feet, his arms twined around Bucky's shoulders and his face pressed into Bucky's shoulder.
"I can't make food cook any quicker Sweetheart," Bucky laughed.
"You could if you had let me put that laser in your arm," Tony huffed.
"Then it would be burnt," Bucky said simply, turning the bacon over.
"Hmmm, you're comfy at least," Tony sighed contently nuzzling his throat.
"I have seen the places you fall asleep, I am not sure that that is the compliment that you think it is," Bucky rubbed Tony's leg gently.
Finally, their breakfast was ready and once he had placed their plates onto the table overlooking the city, and crouched so Tony could just drop into his seat, he sat opposite him and twined their legs together.
They ate quietly, Tony hummed happily at the food and just enjoying his quiet time with Bucky. They tried to make sure that they did something like this a few times a week.
Tony chewed happily on his breakfast as he watched Bucky eat his own breakfast and read whatever book it was he was reading now on his Stark Pad.
He was struck again how different from Steve he was. Both were men out of time, both had been through a hell of a lot, two Supersoldiers. But so different.
Once upon a time Tony had imagined that he could fall in love with Steve, he had a crush on him, and he thought with a little work it could become love. He liked to think that he had not fallen in love with Steve Rogers because part of him had known that Steve didn't really care for him and that he wasn't one of his top priorities, the lack of phone call when Tony 'came back from the dead' after the Mandarin proved that to him.
But part of him, the romantic part that he had liked to pretend didn't exist, liked to think that he had known that Steve wasn't right and that there was someone else out there for him, another Supersoldier who was Mr Right.
Steve was stuck in the past, always looking back to the 1040s like it was the best time ever, and that nothing could be as good, or as right as that time again. He was mistrusting of the future and technology and all the advanced things that existed, and even though he had gotten used to it and used it quite well, a part of him still didn't like it.
Bucky though, Bucky was in awe of the future, he looked around in amazement at what the world had become, how it had advanced, he saw how it was better, how it had improved. He embraced every new thing he came across with excitement and passion, and he loved every moment of it. He snorted when Tony had asked if he missed the 1940's and asked if he would go back if he could, the answer had been amusing.
'No, it was shit, we were always hungry, we boiled everything, we were cold and dressed in third or fourth hand clothes, we were packed into tiny houses and one-bedroom flats, medicine was stupidly expensive, there weren't any rights, you and I wouldn't have been allowed to be together like this and I had to pretend to be into dames all the time, we didn't have phones, computers, internet, why would I miss that? I miss the people I loved there, but as much as it hurts they're gone, and leaving you, Petey, Pepper, Rhodey and the others? I had friends but not like I have here, where I can be 100% myself with them, not having you or Petey to love? No thanks,'
And that was it.
Steve disliked the future.
Bucky loved the future.
Tony was a futurist. How could Bucky be anything but the one for him?
"What you thinking deep thoughts about?" Bucky asked curiously without looking up from his book.
"How much I love you and how happy I am that you came into my life," Tony said softly and was rewarded with bright blue, happy eyes snapping onto him before he got that dopey, heartwarming smile that was just for him.
"FRIDAY?" Bucky called, confusing Tony, he had expected some nice words back! And he wasn't pouting!
"Is it time?" FRIDAY sounded so excited.
"Yeah, go," Bucky smiled even more dopely at him.
Tony opened his mouth to ask what was going on, when suddenly the song It had to be you, filled the room.
"This is…"
"The first song that we danced to, at that gala," Bucky nodded standing and making his way around the table to Tony as he dug something out his fluffy Spiderman pyjama bottoms pocket.
"What are…" Tony's mouth dropped open as Bucky dropped down onto one knee, making it quite clear what he was doing.
"You saved me, you saved me from being lost, you gave me a home, family, a kid! You have given me love, understanding and acceptance. You became my home Tony, and I have never loved anyone the way that I have loved you. Before I even realised that I still had a heart left to give, it was in your hands, and I know that it is perfectly safe there. We spoke a couple of weeks ago about how invested I am, and I want you to know that I am invested the whole way. You're my fella, and I am yours, and the thought of getting to spend the rest of my life with you is the only way I can imagine spending it now. So, I want to ask, if you will do me the amazing honour and become my husband?"
Bucky held the ring up, beautifully shining silver and gold vibranium twisted together beautifully, with the stone shining fiercely at the centre of it reminding him always of Tony, shining out to the world from the light inside of him.
"Bucky...where did you get this?!" Tony gasped at the ring.
"The kid and I made it," Bucky smiled embarrassedly at him, and that was the final straw for Tony.
He launched himself at Bucky, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and kissed him repeatedly, muttering 'yes, yes, yes' between kisses, and during them.
"Oh thank god!" Bucky laughed weakly, quickly sliding the ring onto Tony's finger before he could change his mind.
"You two made this together?" Tony smiled contently looking at the ring on his finger.
"Yeah, the swear jar may be slightly fuller after it, we had to call the Princess for help as well," Bucky snorted holding Tony close.
"I love you too, you know," Tony looked at him. "When I look at the future I see hundreds of different options and paths and ways that things could go, it is the way my brain works. But my life, since realising that I had fallen in love with you, the only future I see is one with you," Tony smiled cupping Bucky's face and kissing him properly this time, his heart fluttering with love and amazement for the man in his arms.
And his future hadn't looked brighter or better.