Chapter 5
Stark's tower
He's not scared. In fact, in the past week everything has been almost perfect. Somehow they both adapted to each other very well. And Bucky knows now Natasha's been right all along (but that's not surprising since she always is), the decision to live together has beneficiated both of them. He also likes Steve's company (maybe a little too much) and his presence makes him feel more relaxed than ever; the nightmares are not so frequent and violent (and he always makes sure his door is close to avoid waking Steve up). He feels safer than before. He's not sure what Steve thinks about the whole thing, but guesses he's happy as well, since the guy hasn't done anything but grinning and laughing since he moved in.
They see each other every single day, but somehow manage to spend their free time together, because they want to, they even go shopping together. But it feels so natural the routine, the little things they do for each other, like making breakfast or watching movies on Bucky's couch that sometimes is a little bit confusing for Bucky. He only knows Steve for a few months now, but it feels like he has known him his whole life. He's not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
"I think you brought another conditioner…" Bucky takes the blue bottle in his hands.
"You're right, sorry." Steve says, laughing at his own mistake. "I'll be right back with the shampoo," he adds before taking the bottle from Bucky's hands, he caresses his fingers before walking away.
"Oh my god, you're boyfriend is so sweet," a woman comments then. Bucky doesn't realize she's talking to him till she approaches. "I'm sorry, I know it's not my business, but you two look so cute together."
Bucky blushes, he can't help it.
"No, we're… just friends."
"Oh?" She looks at him, she looks flustered. "I'm sorry, I just... the way he was looking at you, I thought… sorry."
Of course Steve returns in that exact moment and puts a hand on Bucky's waist, he does that sometimes and Bucky lets him, but he sees the woman's eyes following the movement and steps aside to put distance between them. Steve looks at him, confused and hurt. But before he could say something, the woman gasps.
"You're Captain America!" she squeaks, then her eyes lay on Bucky again and something seems to click in her mind. "Oh, I get it! You want to keep it private then! Don't worry I completely understand, I won't say a thing I promise!"
"No, that's not–" Bucky tries to say, but she's so excited she doesn't listen to him. Instead, she waves at them before turning around the next aisle.
"What was that?" Steve asks him, looking even more confused.
"I have no idea," he lies and tries to distract him by telling him he wants to find something to eat, and luckily Steve's always ready to give him anything he wants.
"So… what do you want for dinner tonight?" Bucky asks while he approaches to the kitchen, he's not in the mood to cook, but he doesn't know what to buy either.
"Actually, Fury called. He wants me to go to Stark's tower to meet the other Avengers," he begins.
"I guess it'll be a long meeting. Well, I'll just buy something from the Chinese restaurant down the street for myself then," he says, but when he looks back at Steve, he knows his friend wants to tell him something more, so he waits.
"I would like you to come with me," Steve manages to say. "Only if you want to, of course."
"Are you sure you want me there?" He asks. "I mean, maybe Fury wants to discuss something important, something I shouldn't–"
But he gets interrupted when Steve steps closer and takes Bucky's face in his hands.
"I won't keep secrets from you. Fury knows that." He says. "I trust you."
Not many people have said that to Bucky, not when he was a complete person, and certainly not now that he looks more like a machine than a human. He's so fucked up; he doesn't even trust himself sometimes. And that's why Steve's words hit him so hard, he wants, just for a second, to kiss the man in front of him, but he doesn't, because he's sure Steve wouldn't want that, so he hugs him instead.
"I'll go with you," he promises and feels Steve's arms around his waist, before the captain brings him closer.
Bucky doesn't say it out loud because he suspects Steve doesn't like Stark that much, but he's really impressed with all the things he sees when he enters Stark's tower. The level of technology is so different from what he has seen that the building seems more like something taken from another world. He looks at his hand then and wonders what it would look like if Stark had worked on it instead of the Russians.
After Jarvis (the A.I. created by Stark himself) directs then to one of the rooms, a blond and tall woman enters followed by Natasha.
"Captain Rogers, it's a pleasure. I'm Pepper Potts, director of Stark industries," she introduces herself and offers her free hand to Steve.
"The pleasure is mine, ma'am," he says. Pepper smiles at him and then offers her hand to Bucky.
"Sergeant Barnes, I'm glad to finally meet you, I've heard so much about you," she comments and laughs when she notices Bucky's surprised expression.
Then Bucky looks at Nat and smiles back.
"So what did you bring me this time, Fury?" Stark's voice fills the room even before Bucky can see him. He walks towards them with Fury and another man he doesn't recognize. "Let's see, the Widow, Capsicle… ugh, I remember my father used to talk about you all the time, god, I hated you," he adds frowning.
"Tony," Pepper warns him and Stark just rolls his eyes.
"What do we have here," he blurts out, grinning from ear to ear. "Look at you metal arm boy, I don't know you, but I like you already. I'm Tony Stark."
"Bucky Barnes," he says, shaking Tony's hand, still shocked by the billionaire's sudden approach.
"Bucky? It's that a real name?" Tony arches his eyebrows at him. "I mean, it's not that I don't like it, but I just wonder…"
"It's a nickname. I'm James, but my friends call me Bucky."
"Does this mean we're friends now?" The billionaire smiles at him.
"I thought we we're here for a reason," Steve interrupts, looking annoyed. "Can we just get to the point?"
"I didn't know you were so grumpy, Capsicle," Tony comments and then looks back at Bucky. But the other man in the room steps in.
"Please don't mind him; he doesn't know how to behave himself."
"You wound me, Banner. I thought we were friends," Tony tries to look sad.
"I'm Bruce Banner," he introduces himself, ignoring Stark.
"He turns green when he gets mad," Tony adds and smiles at Banner when the man glares at him.
"I think Captain Rogers is right, we are all here for a reason and we must better start to discuss it," Fury cuts in.
"Is this about the guy from another dimension who took the tesseract?" Tony asks.
"I told you to stop stealing information from SHIELD, Stark," Fury huffs.
"Yes, I remember that, but I chose not to listen."
"Tony, can you please let him talk?" Pepper cuts in and, surprisingly, the billionaire nods.
"Thanks miss Potts," Fury says and moves to the center of the room. "Yesterday at night, a man stole a powerful object and we must get it back, before he uses it against us. I need your help. I need all of you."
Bucky's shocked when he notices Fury is looking at him.
"Yes, you too, Sergeant Barnes. I could use a man with your abilities. Would you help us?"
Steve looks at him, he seems worried. Bucky knows he's going to protest, but he takes his hand in his before he can open his mouth.
"I'll do it."
