Chapter 2
My One and Only
NOTES:
Hi!
First of all, sorry for the late update. It's really close to the Holidays here (Sinterklaas on 5 December) so, of course, I had my family and in-laws visiting this weekend.
It was fun, it was nice, and now everyone is stressing out again for Christmas XD
ANYWAY!
Without any further ado, here's chapter 2! Hope you guys will enjoy it! :D
Tony looked at the large whiteboard in front of him while chewing on the end of the red marker in his hand. He checked al his calculations, just to be sure. He wrote down some extra notes, erased some others and then turned around, facing the latest invention he was working on.
'Hey J, be a good pall and check for any errors or faults.' Tony said as he walked a circle around his new toy, which looked an awful lot like an electric chair.
'As you wish, sir,' J.A.R.V.I.S. replied, visualizing all kinds of numbers and statistics in mid-air for Tony to inspect. 'I detect no errors. The device seems to be in perfect functioning condition.'
'Of course it is, I made it.' Tony joked, though his expression remained concentrated as he swiped through the data.
'Might I however give you one word of precaution, sir?' The artificial voice continued without being asked, making Tony twitch an eye. 'I highly advice against the use of this device. My calculations suggest that Captain Rogers would-'
'Cap won't notice a thing, Jarv,' Tony snarled, hushing the AI. 'plus, this is for his own good. He will understand that, eventually.'
A short silence followed before J.A.R.V.I.S. spoke again. 'Of course, sir.'
'You just make sure no one can get into the recordings. If you manage to do that, no one will know about what goes on around here, and it will be our little secret.' Tony walked towards the door, only to turn around one last time before making his way to the common room. His expression was dark, the black circles under his eyes in great contrast to his skin as cold tubular lighting illuminated his workshop. 'I'm serious, J. Make sure that from now on all recordings will be classified as top secret. No one will get to see them except me, understood?'
'Certainly, sir.'
With lethargic steps, Tony made his way through the large hallways towards the common room. His mind drifting from one thought to the next.
Bucky had been living in the Compound for almost two weeks now. At first, he slept in what used to be Peter's room, considering it was next to Steve's, but that did not last for long. After three days of sleeping apart, Steve suggested his boyfriend to come sleep with him and, of course, Bucky was happy to accept that offer.
After that, the two seemed to become inseparable. They trained together, ate together, and Tony could swear he even heard them shower together a couple of days ago. It was Steve, gentle loving and kind Steve, who managed to make the soldier feel like he was at home. It was Barnes, sly insufferable and arrogant Barnes, who took advantage of the good captain, and seemed to try to steal him away from Tony.
The playboy gritted his teeth, his soft brown eyes now staring in front of him in a sharp glance. Bucky and Steve were in a relationship for almost a year now and Tony was able to make himself come to peace with that. Unable to afford anything better, Bucky lived in an old run-down apartment across town. Considering all the trouble he caused during the Sokovia accord, no one dared to suggest for the man to come live in the Avengers Compound, so if the two would meet, they would always do so at the Winter Soldier's apartment.
Steve visited Bucky each time he would get the chance, so the playboy used to make sure he scheduled the Captain for each and every mission that S.H.I.E.L.D. had to offer. They worked together, fought together, watching each other's back as they risked their lives.
But on Steve's days off he would disappear, and Tony knew he was going to stay at his boyfriend's place. Tony was not stupid, he knew what the two would do there, but the fact that he could not actually see the one he held so dear in the arms of another made the captain's leave slightly more bearable.
Now, however, everything was different.
Tony heard Steve chuckle whenever Bucky whispered something in his ear.
Tony shuddered each time he saw the soldier's cold mechanic fingers trail the captain's skin in affection.
Tony's heart crumbled piece by piece each time he saw his loved one in the arms of a murderer.
Steve was to just too kind, too naïve, to realize the monster lurking underneath the soldier's oh-so gentle appearance, or so Tony concluded. But he was not so easily fooled however, and he would make sure to protect the one person he cannot live without, one way or another.
'Oh, there you are.'
Being pulled from his train of thoughts by the one voice he could not stand, Tony looked up, meeting the deep brown eyes of Bucky who was sitting at the kitchen table, eating a pizza.
'You were looking for me,' Tony grumbled, waiting impatiently for the soldier to continue.
'Uh, yeah, I ordered a pizza and wanted to ask if you wanted one as well.' Bucky gestured at the empty plate next to him, a closed pizza box placed next to it. 'I tried knocking on the door of your workplace, but your computer told me you didn't wanted to be disturbed, so I just ordered you a pizza with prosciutto and mushrooms. Thought it might be your taste.'
'Not hungry,' Tony replied as he grabbed a small glass from the cabinet, filling it to the brim with liquor. 'So, how are the repairs at your place going?'
'Slow,' Bucky scoffed, taking another bite from his pizza. 'Listen, Tony, about me living here, I just really want to thank you f-' he started, but as he saw the playboy's weary eyes on him he quickly swallowed down the bite he just took and changed the subject. 'You okay? I haven't seen you ever since Steve went to visit Clint two days ago.'
'I'm perfectly fine,' Tony managed to smile after which he downed his drink in one big gulp, his eyes then focusing back on the assassin. 'So listen, Barnes, I just received a call from T'Challa,' Tony lied, gaining the soldier's full attention.
'Really?' Bucky frowned. 'Why? What did he say?'
'Oh, nothing much. He just asked me to run some tests… on you.' Tony said casually but as he saw Bucky stare back at him in complete confusion, he continued. 'He helped you with stabilizing that mess that was your brain, right? Well, he just wants to make sure you're still doing okay.'
'Oh,' was the only thing Bucky could come up with to say after blinking his eyes a couple of times. 'But… I'm feeling fine. I haven't had any problems ever since my stay in Wakanda.'
'And that's just great,' Tony smiled, gesturing Bucky to follow him. 'And we want to keep it that way, right? So let's just do a few tests, send the results to Wakanda and everyone will be able to sleep again at night.'
'Uhm, yeah, sure, no problem.' Bucky stood up and followed Tony into his workplace. He slightly squinted his eyes as he had to adjust to the bright fluorescent light.
'Here, take a seat,' Tony gestured towards the mechanic chair in the middle of the room with a carefree wave of his hand and walked over to the computer attached to it.
Bucky stood still for a second, his eyes nervously darting from the playboy to his newly created device. With a deep breath, he took a step forward, carefully sitting down like he was told to. 'So, how does this work, exactly?' he asked as his chest started to heave slightly. He felt the cold iron in the palm of his hands, causing a shiver to run down his spine. His fingers traced the line where metal was welded together as he tried to remain a steady breathing. Finally, he looked up, his eyes falling on what seemed like a helmet hanging slightly above his head. He gulped, the entire scenario bringing back unwanted memories he had tried so hard to suppress.
'You just sit still and let technology do the work. It'll all be over before you know it.' Tony looked up, a delighted smile forming on his face as he saw the soldier slightly adjusting himself in the seat, his hands nervously clasped around the arm rests.
Tony pressed a few buttons, causing the computer to start up with a loud humming noise. He walked over to Bucky and lowered the helmet that hovered above the soldier's head. 'J, tell me how we're doing.'
'All systems functioning, sir.' The mechanical voice sounded as the room brightened up with the soldier's statistics displayed in mid-air. 'Heartbeat; 163 and increasing. Cortisol levels; 617 nmol/l and increasing. Temperature is 37.3o C and steady. Neurologic system attached and activated. All codes green.'
'Good,' Tony nodded, his smile increasing as he saw a hint of fear gleaming in the soldier's eyes. He excitedly walked back to his computer, 'Don't worry,' he mumbled under his breath, pushing one last button. 'This will only hurt a lot.'
Iron straps expanded from the legs and armrests of the chair, holding the soldier in a tight grip by his wrists and ankles. Before Bucky could even grasps what was happening, a sharp pain shot through him like lightning and he screamed.
Tony remained in the shadows of his workshop, watching the soldier's entire body convulse in agony. It was only when a loud hiss came from the chair that he took a step forward. Bucky was trembling in his seat, his skin covered in a thin layer of cold sweat. Tears formed in his eyes as his chest heaved, leaving him gasping for air.
'So… did it work?' Tony asked nervously. 'Come on, Barnes. Speak to me. And stop giving me that thousand-yard-stare, it's creeping me out.'
'Я готов отвечать,' Bucky mumbled, his voice low and hoarse from screaming.
'Uh, yeah, I have no idea what that means.' Tony remarked as he crossed his arms, 'I would prefer an English manual.'
'Ready to comply,' Bucky repeated softly.
A wide smile formed on Tony's face, 'Now that's what I wanted to hear.' He grabbed a chair and sat down in front of the soldier, irritation tensing every muscle in his body as Bucky seemed to stare right through him. 'Listen, Barnes, I'll be honest with you. This whole thing that's going on between you and Steve,' Tony paused for a moment, staring at Bucky as if to wait for a reply. 'I'm not a big fan.' The playboy stood up, casually walking back and forth through his workshop.
Tony looked at his subject from the corner of his eye as Bucky remained completely silent. 'It seems like you are having a lot of fun at my expense lately,' he grabbed a silver watch from his desk, hesitated for a moment, but then smoothly slid it on his wrist. 'You almost tore the team apart, you know that? The Sokovia Accords, you played a very big part in that.' He stood close to Bucky, only a few inches of thin air separating the two. 'Steve almost went to jail because of you.' He whispered, his voice dark and threatening. 'Agent Ross wanted him locked up for helping the psycho killer who murdered the King of Wakanda. If it wasn't for me, he would be in a cell right now and that would be all on you.' A silence lingered as Tony glared at the hollow eyes in front of him and he whispered; 'What do you have to say to that, huh?' He impatiently slammed his hands against the back of the chair right next to Bucky's face, causing the man's eyes to shoot up at him. 'Answer me!'
'…I love Steve,' a weary and hardly recognizable voice came from the soldier's throat. 'I never meant to-'
'Bullshit!' Tony shouted. He tapped twice on the watch around his wrist, causing it to expand into the iconic red and golden glove of the Iron Man suit. Tony gritted his teeth and punched the soldier in his stomach with all his strength, knocking the air straight out of the man's lungs. 'You don't love Steve like I do! You don't care for him like I do!' he punched again, and again, only stopping as he saw small drops of ruby red liquid staining the white sleeve of his shirt. He stood still for a moment, looking down at the soldier who was couching blood. 'You don't love him like I do.'
'And yet,' Bucky spoke, his mouth slightly ajar as the foul taste of copper lingered in his mouth. 'He choose me.' He looked up, staring straight into the playboy's face, a small glimmer shining in his dull and empty eyes.
Tony's eye twitched as his hands clasped into tight fists. He took a threatening step forward and pulled the man to his feet by the collar of his shirt, his arm raised, ready to circle those eyes in black.
'Sir,' a mechanical voice stopped Tony just before the iron of his glove was going to collide with the soldier's pale skin. 'Captain Rogers has returned from his visit from the Barton family. He is asking for you and Sergeant Barnes.'
'… Thanks, J,' Tony's eyes remained on Bucky. 'You listen very carefully, soldier,' his voice was dark, echoing in a intimidating whisper, 'you keep your distance from Steve or I will smash that head of yours into the wall till you won't even remember how to breath.'
With this threat, this promise, Tony pushed Bucky back into his chair, making sure to place the helmet back on tightly. 'Jarv, make sure this will all be lingering in the far back of his subconsciousness. No clear memories.' Tony walked out of his workspace, the horrific screams of the soldier falling completely silent as the mechanical door closed behind him.
'Hey Tony,' Steve smiled as he saw the playboy entering the common room. 'Busy in your workshop as usual?'
'You know it,' Tony smiled brightly and raised his arm, showing the red and golden glove which was still on his hand. He tapped the wrist part twice, at which the machinery smoothly retracted. 'Been working on this baby for a week now, but I'd say it's about finished.'
'Impressive,' Steve chuckled, causing Tony to smile as he stared into the man's deep blue eyes. 'Oh, Clint said he wanted to visit us sometime soon, also he-' Steve then tilted his head a little. He stood up from his place on the couch and gently grabbed his friend's hand in his own.
Tony's heart skipped a beat. He blinked his eyes, his body tensing up as the captain seemed to scan his arm. His hands were warm and gentle, his skin so soft. 'What is it, Rogers? Don't like my shirt?' he managed to joke after clearing his throat.
'No, Tony, I just wondered,' Steve traced the man's arm with the tip of his fingers, his hands stopping at the blood staining the white fabric. 'What happened?'
'Oh, this?' Tony flinched but managed to let out a scoffing snort. 'You know me, I can get a little too enthusiastic with my toys.' He then looked into the kitchen, spotting the two pizza boxes on the table. 'You hungry?'
Steve held on to Tony's hand for a moment longer, scanning his skin for any serious injuries, but as he found none, he let out a relieved sigh. 'I guess I could eat,' he followed his friend into the kitchen. 'Though I can't shake the feeling that it will be the last thing I'll do if it is something you cooked.'
'Hey, that would be one honorable death,' Tony sassed, gesturing Steve to take a seat at the table. 'Well, don't worry. I didn't feel like cooking tonight, so I ordered Pizza.'
'Sounds great,' Steve smiled, but his gaze soon drifted towards the kitchen entrance.
'Something wrong, cap?' Tony asked as he took a bite from the pizza that used to belong to the Winter Soldier, relieved to find it still warm.
'Well, I thought I'd wait for Buck, but I don't know where he is.' The captain pulled an old-fashioned phone from the pocket of his pants and flipped it open. 'I sent him a couple of texts but he still hasn't replied…'
'Oh, don't worry about Barnes, he told me he'd go out for tonight, won't be back till late.' Tony quickly grabbed two wine glasses from the cabinet, pouring the blond his favorite drink. 'Here,' he said as he handed one over.
'Thanks,' Steve let the glass rest on his lips and closed his eyes, smelling the sweet aroma coming from the beverage. He might not be able to enjoy the effects of alcohol anymore, but he could still relish the flavor.
'Here's to us, Steve,' Tony smiled as he held up his glass, enjoying their alone-time to the fullest.
Steve stared at him for a moment but eventually raised his glass with a chuckle. 'To us.'
NOTES:
And that's it for this chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed it :D
See you again in 2 days!