A/N: Wow, this took me longer than I intended... Another long chapter, and also had to pick it apart. I thought Bucky's going to make only a one-chapter appearance... well... He doesn't want to leave so sooon ^^;
I hope you'll enjoy ^^
Sketches
~10~
~*Doorstep*~
Steve shuffled out of his room to the kitchen, cursing himself for not having set his alarm.
He was more or less prepared to start an average day. Like an average-average day, not like one of those not-at-all-average-spiked-with-Tony-Stark average day.
And he also counted the past few days when he tried to catch up on the guy with a little help from Peter. Damn, the moment he uttered the name of Tony Stark, just by mere accident, maybe it was even some random customer in the café, Peter froze, then a feverish flush coloured his cheeks and ears with that strange gleam in his eyes that Steve only had when he was really into one of his projects. It turned out Peter was a fan of Tony. Steve's only problem with the rambling that started at 1.42 pm. sharp and lasted until good after 5 pm. only interrupted by those small interactions Peter had with their customers, that they weren't on the same scientifically intellectual level.
Even though Peter was just finishing high school, he was really smart – not exactly on the same level as Tony himself, Steve learnt, because what the hell? the guy who had been crashing at his humble abode for three months had graduated summa cum laude at MIT at the age of 17! – and so Peter took Tony as some kind of a role model, especially that he was also interested in physics and other sciences. Peter had been rambling on and on about the dissertations and articles that had been published in this and that famous journal, and he actually could recite by heart where and about what Tony Stark held a presentation.
So by the end of Friday, all the information about Tony Stark's scientific glory had been leaking from Steve's ears, and when his mother greeted him with a package that had been left on the doorstep and he found a StarkPhone within, no matter how much he loved Tony despite every shit he had Steve go through, he just couldn't care about the thing.
'Don't let anyone else touch it'
TS
-wrote the note. Steve took it to heart. He just put the device back into the box and didn't even go near it for two days.
When he finally did though, he had to acknowledge with a resigned sigh that this new technology really wasn't for him. He couldn't even turn on the damn thing. Maybe he'd ask Peter to help him out the next time he goes to work. Tony can't get mad at him. He should have deduced from his cell phone that he was on a cage man level with technology.
But now he was ready to start a day when he hopefully can register and analyze some useful information about Tony, so that he could build up a new picture about the now obscenely wealthy guy. Hopefully while painting some finally.
Well… Man proposes, God disposes.
He had overslept. Lucky, he hadn't had anything very important to do. He had his day off, because Bucky had threatened to drop by the very same day. Well, he hoped he could work on his painting a bit beforehand, but now he wasn't so sure about it anymore. Maybe he should just settle for going through Tony's notes and see how much use he can make of them.
Steve was so dazed and engrossed in his thoughts that on the first go he missed spotting Tony Stark in the living room.
He nearly jumped out of his skin and he was only a hair-width away from spilling his tea all over his tee, but definitely couldn't help the surprised yelp, which he'll still deny till the end of days.
For a bare second they were just standing in the room, as if the universe had been frozen for the moment. If it hadn't been for the flashing screen on the coffee table, half covered with Tony's jacket, Steve would have eagerly believed that time had stopped. That way he wouldn't have had to flip through the old worries of Tony never staying calm and unmoving.
But then Tony shrugged, like just shrugging away a too heavy winter coat when the spring sunlight finally warms you up, and turned to face Steve.
"I never thought I'd live the day I'm up earlier than you, soldier boy" Tony teased as greeting, patting Steve good naturedly on the arm.
"Miracles happen" Steve deadpanned, and took a sip from his hot drink to kick his mind back in gear. "So, how'd ya get in? If you say you picked the lock, I'm gonna kick you out for sure"
"You can't be so mean, Steve. You're too good for that" Tony whined, but his voice spoke volumes of how much longer he had been awake. Judging from the dark circles under his eyes, Steve supposed ever since their previous meeting.
Steve quirked an eyebrow. "You know there are things called bells, right? They are supposed to announce one's arrival, if you don't have a receptionist to do that for ya"
"Very funny, and guess what? I have a bell too, smartass" Tony rubbed at his eyes tiredly, and slightly turned away so that his phone was only at the very edge of the periphery of his view. The lines around his mouth tightened despite the ease he tried to squeeze into his voice. "But nope. Your mom nicked me before I got in. In my defence I didn't want to wake anyone, and I didn't cause a heart attack or anything, and she all but frowned at me and beckoned me in –"
The phone flashed again, and Tony crossed his arms with a huff over his chest and turned even more. Though it didn't actually ease his body language that he was now half facing the door and he could both catch glimpses of Steve's worried look and the picture of Steve in his uniform he had been staring at for hours with shoulders tense and air grim around him.
"Is everything all right, Tony?"
"Look, I just didn't want to wake you. I was just waiting here in silence I swear," Tony carded his hands through his hair, and he looked just slightly at this side of desperate. "because I know that people need sleep, even if I constantly neglect it-"
"When was the last time you slept?" Steve asked sternly, so that even Tony winced at his tone.
"We're not having that conversation again, are we? Because now in my defence I have some actual work to get done –"
"Tony"
"Dunno" Tony sighed defeated and turned back to face Steve, shoulders slumped and all façade falling away. "I took a nap at yesterday's meeting, I guess. Hence the bitching boss"
"A meeting on Sunday?" that sounded just too crazy to be true.
"Desperate times and busy schedules" Tony muttered grimly and tightened his crossed arms over his chest in some way of self-defence.
Now Steve had a vague idea of why Tony hadn't been on his StarkPhone, and why the screen read fourteen missed calls, four voice mails and twelve new texts.
"You'd really need to answer your phone" Steve tried a softer tone – the one his mother tried several times when Bucky was being stubborn and Steve reached his wits' ends to convince his friend about going back to school when a teacher was being mean to him for no reason.
"I certainly don't" Tony scoffed and pouted "She's just pissed because I don't do anything as she commands. I'm not her puppy or anything"
"But she is important to you, not to mention your boss, and you have a job to do. You just said so"
"Yes, true, true and also true, and I also said that, but let me ask you something. How is your genius project going?" Tony's tone was sharp and it kind of stung, and it must have been quite obvious from Steve's face, because Tony went on "Exactly. So that's the same with inventing. It doesn't work on command. I can't come up with something brilliant just because Pepper says so. And it also doesn't count that she's keeping me alive"
So Tony was playing stubborn, and the only person in the universe who could deal with him (according to some hinted information from Peter) was blacklisted because of some reasons. All cool, Steve, you can handle a fussy kid. let's see – Why are kids fussy? Remember, come on, you were asked to look after the neighbour's kid for a day, you should remember… They are fussy, because they haven't had their afternoon nap. Good. Now check. Tony and sleeping. Has he had his nap? Definitely not. All good! Problem solved.
Or not entirely. How to get probably insomniac Tony Stark to go to sleep?
"Umm, Tony, listen" Steve started carefully – Come on, Steve, you're all cool. You can do it. "I think you really just need to get some sleep. You know… you see things from a different point of view when you're well rested"
Steve levelled Tony with a wary look. Is he going to leash out on Steve because he's playing mother hen at him again, or will he have to go through the same torture as getting little Travis into bed a year ago? Because he's surely not desperate enough to offer a bedtime story, not to mention –
"Okay"
"What?" Steve stared at Tony with huge round confused blue eyes.
"I said okay" Tony repeated.
Steve couldn't decide if the small faint glint in his eyes was for amusement and teasing or the same confusion that was climbing up Steve's throat. Were they talking about the same thing?
"I mean, I certainly need some sleep, Jarvis and Pepper and hell, even Rhodey and Happy have been nagging me with that, but if it's an implication to get the hell out of here and leave you alone, than that can be arranged too-"
"Haven't we covered the 'don't be stupid' topic last time?" Steve said trying and failing to sound not too exasperated.
Steve caught glance of Tony's posture changing back to provocative- self-defensive and quickly went on before he'd really have to fetch more energy into this whole thing than he felt like.
"All I meant was I'll offer my bed for you to take a nap, and wake up as a normal human being" Steve offered finally.
"I'm everything but normal, darling, so would you risk the failure of your project?" Tony scoffed, but Steve noted satisfied that his shoulders slumped slightly again. There, he was doing good getting Tony into his bed…
…
Damn. DON'T! Don't even go there. Nope. Not the slightest.
"Yeah. Sure. I'm an optimistic type of guy" Steve shrugged, hopefully as nonchalant as he intended.
"Some things never change" Tony uttered softly.
No, it didn't make Steve's heart flutter. Not the slightest bit.
"So. Bed?" and that smirk was luckily too tired and wavery at the edges to get him flushed.
"Yeah. I'd get you new sheets-"
"Don't worry, Steve" Tony took pity on him and waved him off. "The last times I've slept were in offices and in my workshop hunched over a bench, so anything horizontal would be like heaven. I swear, even your floor looks appealing"
With that Tony winked at him and before he could look too expectant Steve led him to his room, just to check if he left any of his sketchbooks lying around in the corner of his bed or something. But he couldn't fail to notice the edge of a blue circle from days before more or less hidden under Tony's tie.
Must be some kind of a vintage thing Steve assumed. Not that such thing would stop his realization from bugging his mind.
After the doorbell rang Steve wasn't far away from tearing the door open and he literally had to restrain himself from doing so and looking too eager like a teenage girl or her prom night waiting for her date, who just miraculously happens to be her greatest crush.
He had been working himself up to unbelievable heights of anxiety and giddiness, worrying that Bucky might have changed much, that he wouldn't be the same person anymore after so many years spent in the war zone. Steve remembered he took a long time to accomodate himself back to normal society "just" after four years of service. Then what about Bucky who stayed even longer?
However, as soon as he opened the door all his fears were blown away. Because the only thing that maybe changed on Bucky was his tan. It got a bit darker. But it could have been due to the poorly lit corridor. It was hard to tell. Bucky's eyes gleamed all the same with mischief and anticipation about seeing his best friend again, and also with the same macho-flavoured kindness that came from the old times when Steve had been small and sickly. The admiration was all gone now that they were both off military, but Steve didn't miss that the slightest bit. He didn't like remembering those times that earned him that strange glint in the other's eyes.
Bucky was well shaven and as handsome as ever – he couldn't sleep off all the weariness yet, but it happens, and anyway, Steve's recent guests hadn't been all that well-rested either, so it didn't count. There was also the unavoidable leather jacket – no matter how much they both hated the cold, Steve and Bucky wore leather jackets until they were blue in the mouth and shivering to the bones for days after they had been out and couldn't take it any longer. It was an old habit Steve picked up from Bucky still from the time when he adored the guy like his missing father-figure or big brother. Then it just became a friendly thing they both shared.
With a crooked smirk on his face Bucky thrust his right hand with his usual bravado, one eyebrow slightly arching in challenge – but Steve decided he was passed taking his friend's shit even at this early stage, he had been through this with Tony already, though on quite a different level – he grabbed his hand and squeezed with such enthusiasm that it got even the soldier close to wince, but still with the same swung Steve pulled Bucky to his chest, hugging the slightly shorter man tightly.
He was taking up the habit of hugging his best – long-time-haven't-seen – friends on his doorstep.
Bucky was hungry.
Well, that shouldn't be so surprising, but in all honesty Steve'd expected Bucky to have had breakfast just before he dropped by. He had always been like that. While for Steve it was a miracle if he slept longer than seven, when not on duty, Bucky pretty much liked sleeping in. Sometimes through the whole day, especially during the first week they were home.
"I've eaten, mom, there's just been a fuck-up and was called in for another fucking-boring debrief" Bucky explained, expression dark and definitely murderous. "I swear they want to kill me. They are pissed that I forgot to turn up my toes in the desert…"
Bucky went on fuming about his superiors, especially the ones working in the bureau and never had held a gun in their hands, not to mention made a field-trip to war-zone while Steve played the nice host and made him his second breakfast and brew a pot of coffee.
"Man, you'd never believe what a hustle there had been for the past weeks" Bucky grinned.
The whole base was a mess; nobody knew where their heads were – according to Bucky. Not just because of the anticipation of the first news of withdrawal, but also because the unbelievable miracle happened that the Stark-name had been flying about the base, and at first no one knew why. There were rumours that Stark finally had given in, and was making weapons again to aid finishing this fucked-up-drawn-out-too-long war, and a good part of the officers were delirious. Sort of. They all hated the Hammer guns.
"You actually missed a poor kid – in my unit! Damn, of course it had to be in mine! – he was barely out boot-camp, I don't even know how he got there, it wasn't even our unit, I was reassigned – whatever – so the poor bastard shot himself in the knee"
"Auch" Steve winced. Well, that wasn't that uncommon if someone wanted a way out military, but based on the context it wasn't the case.
"Hell, yeah. He was a stripling newbee, but not stupid. The gun wasn't uncocked"
"Maybe he just forgot it"
"He fucking didn't. I gave him an earful the morning about uncocking your gun, and he'sn't stupid"
Well, that sounded acceptable. Having Bucky give you an earful of what a shitty bag of crap looser you were wasn't something you forgot easily. The kid would uncock his gun for the rest of his life. It was a miracle he still cocked it in the first place.
"They gave us guns that weren't secure! In a war!"
Well, Steve had his own experience with all the fuss the weapons brought to the field. Your life depended on them, and if you couldn't rely on your weapons… then you were as good as dead. So it was obvious that a good part of the bigheads were delighted that reliable and effective weapons might be coming back to field. So that they finally could relax and not worry about the well-being of their soldiers at least during the rare periods of cease-fire and no missions.
"So what was the case?" Steve sounded really curious now. He guessed it wasn't the case that Stark Industries started arm-manufacturing again. The interview from two weeks ago was clear proof for that.
It turned out that SI hadn't cut all ties with the military after all. And even though they were no more weapon shipping (all from stores had been dismantled or destroyed as far as Bucky's information went) there were other means, like planes and helipads being created. They were still in more or less test phase and not in big quantity at all, but they were proven useful. Faster and lighter than all the others (there were no guns to slow them with the extra weight) and even the bigger planes that were sent there to assist the withdrawal and transport of the soldiers were "really cool".
"I don't know what's gotten into Stark, and how did I end up as the luckiest for travelling on those babies among the firsts, but I'm quite grateful" Bucky was stirring his second cup of coffee by this time and wolfing down the remains of sausages and scrambled eggs Steve had made him.
"You could thank him" Steve offered with a soft smile, and created a mental note to ask Tony about Bucky's miraculous return later.
"Yeah" Bucky drawled all sarcastic "The guy clearly gives a shit about soldiers' love letters. Have you ever heard of Stark, Steve, I'm honestly wondering?"
"Actually yes. I have him in my bed" Steve wanted to bite off and swallow his tongue the minute the words left his mouth.
Bucky stared at him as if he had just told him he kept an alligator in the tub.
"You've got Tony Stark, asshole of the universe in your bed?!"
That's it. The gratitude went only as far as Bucky was like a whole solar-galaxy away from the need to express it.
Steve noted with a wince to store this squeak for later blackmailing.
"Well, not anymore" came Tony's drowsy voice from the doorway. "You're impossible to sleep next to"
On the first whim Tony made a beeline towards the coffeepot and immediately took claim of the whole thing before settling on the last empty chair at the table glaring at Bucky from under heavy lidded sleepy eyes and hugging the pot close to his chest all possessive and oh so childish.
Steve took pity on him, and because he was afraid Tony'd pour all the coffee down his front by accident if he tried to drink from the pot, he stood to fetch a mug for him.
"Why do you look so familiar?" Bucky asked with narrowed eyes as he glared at Tony.
Steve couldn't really blame his friend for the hostile impulse. He felt the same after all until he recognized that this cocky idiot was the same person as his long-lost friend. Well, Tony wasn't making any effort to get into Bucky's good graces either.
"I don't know. I'm often on magazine covers." Tony glared back. "Though probably not on the ones you were reading"
"No. I think those are saved up for you. I wouldn't put it past you to be able to jerk off only for your own glorious face"
Tony's eyes narrowed to malicious slits before opening up again and a dry chuckle erupted from his chest.
"Unlike you, sergeant jerk, I don't need to jerk off"
Before Bucky could retort and things could accelerate too quickly into a fight Steve decided it was time to intervene in the Alpha-match. Seriously, what was his life?
"Guys, guys please. Try not to kill each other"
"But I don't like the brat, Steve" Bucky whined.
"Yeah, me either. You have one friend of an asshole. That hasn't changed"
Now Steve felt like the mother of two petulant children who were too eager to pick a fight because of no reasons and then just pouted at each other.
"Seems like the only type of friends I have" Steve retorted dryly. "Bucky, you surely remember Tony, who lived with me and mom during third grade?"
"You must be fucking joking, man! This asshole?"
"Bucky!"
"I've never liked him. In case, I've always hated him" Bucky groaned, his grip on the fork tightening.
"The feeling's mutual" Tony muttered.
"I'm sure this is why he got back in the first place from Afghanistan on a Stark-plane" Steve remarked, the puzzle pieces coming closer and some of them falling in place. Now Steve was slightly more amused as Tony shot him a dark look.
"I'm already regretting that decision"
"How on earth did you manage that?" Steve grabbed the opportunity to prod a still half-asleep and so hopefully more willing to reveal some of his secrets Tony Stark for answers.
"I was just going through the enlisted names in Afghanistan, spotted the bastard, felt a bit nostalgic and pulled some strings. I have connections, you know"
"I might hate you a little less, but I still hate you" Bucky said. He looked genuinely surprised and maybe a bit moved – but even Steve couldn't say it for sure, that Tony might really have a philanthropic side of his nature.
"I still hate you all the same" Tony answered the heat of the argument gone. For some undisclosed time.
"It's not nice to hate someone for no real reason, Tony" Steve scolded as he watched Tony pouring his second cup of coffee.
"See, this is why it's awesome to be me" Tony downed his coffee and already poured the third one. Steve didn't even know he'd made so much. "I can hate people because they exist. And they pretty much can hate me because I exist. So simple and awesome"
"Surely it's great in some universe"
"And it sucks to be you, because you can't hate people no matter what an asshole they are"
"Like you" Bucky jabbed in with a malicious glare.
"Or you" Tony returned with the same expression.
"Uh-humm" Steve steered the attention back to himself before the two were barring teeth. "Still, coffee doesn't count for breakfast the last time I checked"
"Steve, not you too" Tony whined miserably and dropped his forehead on his folded arms, pressing his temple to the side of his warm mug.
"Yeah, come on, Steve. Let the brat starve to death. Nobody would miss him. I certainly won't shed a tear for him"
"That's the spirit, Barnes! And next time I'll just let you rot away in the Afghan desert, because I certainly won't miss you either"
These two – currently too embedded in a glaring match – are going to be the death of him in the near future…
Before Steve could realize it, Tony was off the table, strolling nonchalantly into the living room asking "Baby, how many missed calls do I have?" over his shoulder, and Bucky was close to snap his fork in two, his knuckles white, while sneering about Tony being a jackass, and certainly remembering his flirtatious insufferable ass from years back.
Not waiting for Steve's answer of "I don't know, it's been flashing most of the time" Tony exclaimed in surprise and some uncharacteristic childish excitement mixed up with a frown – how he pulled it out, never ask – and re-emerged in the kitchen with Steve's dark and mute StarkPhone in hand.
Tony carelessly tossed his on the table, and devoted all his attention to Steve's device.
"How's it working?" He asked with giddy anticipation.
"It's not" Steve admitted on a low shy voice. Now Tony would realize what a real catastrophe he is and lose interest in him. The thought left him chilled out cold. "I can't turn it on" Steve dropped his head low. He couldn't explain all these awkward feelings rushing him all of a sudden, but he really felt like a child just about to get scolded and then left behind.
"Did you read my note?" Tony asked, tone suspiciously neutral, and Steve felt the strong desire to shrink and disappear wash through him.
Steve nodded.
He only dared to risk a glance up in the outstretching silence. Bucky decided it was better to return to his cooling breakfast and the only thing that suggested he acknowledged Tony's presence was the heated dark aura surrounding him. While Tony on the other hand didn't look angry at all, as Steve had feared. His frown was directed at the phone, turning it among his nimble fingers, staring at it with an expression that said 'you're misfunctioning for some reason, I'm very disappointed in you, and I'm going to fix you'. Steve wondered slightly why the poor device hadn't turned on by pure shame and terror.
"I don't know what's the problem then" Tony murmured, then without averting his intense glaze from the tech, he extended his hand toward Steve "I need your hand" He stated it so matter of factly and without the usual flirtation that it made Steve blush and even Bucky dared a curious glance.
Tony took Steve's hand, put the phone in his palm, organizing his fingers over the edge and then tightened his grip on them just to press on all sides of the phone. There was a long moment of silence, before Tony huffed, his hand slipping away from Steve's, but stealing the phone back first, the other carding through his sleep-mussed hair – an obvious sign of irritation.
"I don't know why it doesn't work. It was totally fine on guns"
"GUNS?!"
"Yeah. The surface of the handle would recognize your palm print and only you could use it" Tony answered as if on autopilot on a distant tone, his hand flashing out and stealing Bucky's knife. For a bare second horror froze Steve's mind, because he saw the look that crossed Bucky's face, and knew if the soldier hadn't had such practiced self-control, Tony would be missing a hand.
However, the genius in question was obliviously prodding at the cover of the phone with the edge of the knife.
"Like in James Bond?" Bucky asked – his tone strained and shoulders tense – he obviously needed something to distract himself from the instinct that was barely fading from him. "I thought that was still fictional"
"Nope. I've created it years before Skyfall, just didn't have time to put it on market"
"Maybe you should think about it" Steve said.
Tony tensed up and sent a glare so cold at Steve it froze the blood in his veins.
"I don't make any more weapons, Rogers"
"Maybe you should consider this one"
Bucky had no idea how grateful Steve was that Tony's hostile icy glare turned away from him and pinned Bucky instead to his seat. But Bucky apparently had a better hold of himself, because he met Tony's glare with his cool steady gaze.
"If gun-use could be restrained only for those who buy it and have the right to ownership, a lot of accidents could be avoided. Like stupid drunk kids thinking it's fun to play around with daddy's rifle and then shooting each other dead"
"The only thing that would solve the problem is not to make and sell weapons at all, but we all know that's going to happen sooner in North Korea than here in our precious US" Tony's tone was surprisingly calm, even, if cold and cruel, his eyes empty and dark. A perfect match for Bucky's.
Steve had to admit, he was terrified – even if the slightest bit. he felt something stir deep inside. Something from the war that he wanted to bury desperately. Something very similar to the expression on Bucky's blank and winter cold features.
"But it could at least cut back on the amount of deaths, happening out there" and here Bucky didn't only mean the amount of crime, but also the wars – just remembering the poor lad he mentioned barely half an hour ago.
"Too expensive" Tony pulled the edge of his lips up in a cold sneer. "Why should we care for junkies and drunkards if the use of such tech wouldn't even return?"
Before the heavy blanket of tension brought up by the topic could settle on them Tony's phone flashed and went into a crazy buzzy dance on the table and the atmosphere was back as if the guns hadn't even been mentioned.
With an irritated huff Tony tossed the obnoxious device in Bucky's big mug of coffee.
"HEY!" the soldier yelped and Steve saw the fork turn in his hand, just a second away from stabbing it into the billionaire's hand for ruining his precious beverage, which he needed at least as much as Tony before noon.
"Tony, I'm not sure it's good for your phone" Steve interjected before Bucky's vision was irreversibly filled with red, the seriousness and coldness of a soldier blown away, and also sent him a warning look just to be sure his two friends weren't killing each other in his kitchen.
Okay that the bantering was better than the looming topic of arms and deaths, but only until his flat didn't turn into a fighting scene that is.
"If it won't survive, I'm taking a nosedive from the nearest skyscraper" Tony mumbled irritated, the instant threat of Bucky's anger forgotten, totally indulged again in the problem of dismantling Steve's misfunctioning phone with the knife.
"I thought you went for bridges" Bucky stabbed in, and only glared back at Steve when the blond looked at him with disappointment.
"They aren't tall enough"
"Smartass"
"Jerk"
"Spoilt brat"
"Pest"
And in the next few minutes Steve's swear-word-vocabulary got a massive update just in case he ever needed them. He was suspicious that at some point there were some French and Russian inserted as well and some others he couldn't actually identify.
"Why don't you simply turn it off?" Bucky asked, voice eventually closer to amused after they more or less let out some steam after the phone buzzed again, stirring Bucky's coffee.
"Because I don't know the PIN code" Tony snarled as he directed a murderous glare at the device.
"Seriously? And you call yourself a genius?"
"I am, but Pepper changed the code and I forgot to ask, and it would take an hour to crack it. And I just refuse to hack my own damn phone"
"Then why don't you simply ask her?" Bucky said teasing and levelled Tony with a pitiful look. As if it was the easiest thing on earth.
"The woman I'm trying to avoid?" Tony pulled the right side of his mouth into a disbelieving smirk.
Wasn't it precious that the two were looking at each other, radiating with the pitiful opinion of Idiot, when they thought themselves so much higher than the other? Steve really didn't know if he should laugh or try to freeze time and make a headstart for his sketchpad.
"She's gonna need your sorry ass sooner or later. She's gonna tell"
"Have you ever had a girlfriend, Barnes?"
That was the moment when Bucky's eyes narrowed and it didn't take to be a mindreader to know that the countdown for Tony's unexpired seconds had started. Tony just booked himself a straight way to the cemetery. If Bucky leaves something of him to be buried – that is.
"Because then you should know what vengeful creatures women are"
"Maybe with you they are" Bucky leaned back in his chair smugly crossing his arms over his chest "but I'm too handsome for that"
Steve felt a strong urge to facepalm over such argument.
"Oh, darling, you think being handsome protects you from revenge?" Tony cooed and stopped his tinkering to lean his own elbows on the table mirroring Bucky's smugness.
"Well, I surely have been doing something better than you, brat. Don't worry much, when you get the eggshell off your pretty ass maybe I could give you a crash course in handling ladies"
Neither Tony challenged Bucky's self-declaration of being so handsome, nor Bucky's opinion on his ass. Dear Lord… Steve had a basic idea where the conversation was going…
"Does it include practical demonstration of your personal charm?" Tony leaned even closer to Bucky over the table, challenge sparkling in his eyes and at the edge of his smirk.
"Maybe I'd be generous and pick you for that" Bucky answered with the same cocky air radiating from him and taking up the same posture, their faces not too far apart and Steve couldn't decide if that was worrying or not.
"Um, guys – I'd say to get a room, but since it's my home, could you leave it for a bit later?" Steve asked looking irritated and was very proud of himself that he hadn't flushed – until both men turned their mischievously gleaming darkened eyes and cocky smirks at him –
Of course both devils noticed his reaction. They glanced at each other from the corner of their eyes with a wolfish grin.
Steve knew immediately that he was going to regret it.
"Why, Steve honey, feeling jealous?" Tony cooed sweetly.
"Or left out?" Bucky was quick to add.
Steve sent them a dirty glare and pushed himself up from the table, his cheeks on fire.
"You know what? Do whatever you want. I have some work to do"
"But we dun' wanna leave you out" Came the teasing whine in sync.
But Steve had been mastering his glares while these two hadn't been around. However, that only resulted in them snickering loudly.
Before Steve could turn to leave the kitchen fuming for Tony and Bucky to go back and hopefully kill each other the way they want, a warm and calloused hand caught his wrist. The laughter that shook the hand belonged to Tony.
"Don't take it seriously, Cap, or you're never gonna survive us" Tony laughed – that warm, honest laugh that was so rare hearing from him. "Besides, I'm the one who has to go, or Pep's really going to end me."
"No one's gonna miss you, brat" Bucky piped in as good-naturally as he had been treating Tony from second -1, just less hostile. "But if that means I can get rid of you, then please, stay a bit longer, I'll make this sacrifice"
"I love you too, Barnes" Tony fluttered his too-long eyelashes at Bucky before turning back to Steve rising to his feet himself. "I'll send you another phone, that's actually functioning. I suppose I have a meeting to fix it. Don't bother I'll see myself out"
A/N: Tony just doesn't know how to shut up. If I wasn't so pathologically uncapable of killing characters I love, I'd be afraid Bucky would kill him soon...
A/N.2: I'm about to feel that my portrayal of Steve it pathetic. Like he's always blushing, which is cute, but hey! he was a soldier and all… and in this one he's acting as a mother, with which I'm absolutely comfortable with, but I can't shrug away the feeling that I'm making him too vulnerable. Especially after the scene when Tony freezes and calls him Rogers. I mean, it's totally fine in my head, if you consider that he's very nice and open and kind to his friends, accepting Tony back as if nothing had happened and he hadn't gone through one hell of processing the possible suicide of his friend (jeez, is it a spoiler? I hope not! please, forget this if it is!), and then without any warning he is faced with such coldness and hostility… If it had been only him without Bucky, I guess there would be a fight, because he wouldn't swallow everything just like I would… but yeah. This part has Bucky in so…
A/N.3: I'm noting too much -.- So this would be the story for a good while, sorry guys! I have a lot of things to attend and a Frostiron fic to write with actual deadline, and I still have to organize where I could go abroad for the summer and these chapters as much fun they are, are getting too long and out of hand. So I can't promise when there'll be another update.
Please let me know what you think, if I'm doing something good or wrong! your intakes on the story had been very precious to me so far! I also have a few of your reviews on notes on my desktop :)
Thank you very much! you're awesome! I don't deserve you! But I LOVE you even more!