The arm had been a taboo subject the minute Bucky had been cleared to move into the tower. No one spoke of it, no one looked at it, and on the rare occasions that attention was drawn to the arm, no one lingered too long.
It wasn't that the other Avengers didn't like the arm; it was just an arm. It was metal and was useful in missions and saving falling objects from incredible heights thanks to Clint's house 'parkour'.
The problem remained with Bucky. To the Avengers, the arm was an arm. To Bucky, the arm was HYDRA.
HYDRA had created the damn thing to kill people, and it had done it's job. It was a tool meant to help them, not Bucky. As useful as it was to have two arms in use, Bucky wouldn't exactly mind ripping the damn thing off entirely.
He had attempted to do so not long after showing up at the tower, actually. It'd been a Bad Brain Day, as dubbed by the residents of the tower, and he'd stumbled into the kitchen sleep deprived and skittish. With Bucky's luck, he hadn't been alone either. Stark was standing by the counter, looking like a startled rabbit with a mug of hot chocolate held tightly in his hands when Bucky had entered. It was the instant stuff that everyone agreed was shit but bought anyways purely for the sake of convenience.
Bucky was observant. Under HYDRA, he'd have to have been. Careless mistakes were intolerable, so the Winter Soldier had learned to be observant of everything.
Which is why, when Bucky reached for the box of packaged hot-chocolate with his left arm, he caught sight of Stark's flinch and promptly froze in place as the man's grip tightened on his mug and he plastered a dazzling smile onto his face.
People were difficult to manage. Maybe Before, Bucky had been a great people person, but After, he was lucky to even come off as Less-Brooding-Than-Usual.
Bucky's people skills were shit, and he didn't know how to fix the obvious discomfort Stark was feeling from the arm.
It's always the fucking arm.
"Melt some chocolate into that." Stark had said, falsely cheerful, before he fled the kitchen. He'd left his mug on the counter, and his eyes had remained focused on the Arm.
Later that night, Stark had been running around his lab, eyes manic as he'd tried to fix the mess Bucky had made of the metal after trying (mostly successfully) to rip it straight off of his person.
So yeah, Bucky hated his arm.
~~~~~
"Wait! Don't go yet!"
Against his better judgement, Bucky froze in the doorway of the common area. Tony, after getting over the momentary shock that an Bucky had actually listened, scrambled off of the couch he had nestled into with Natasha and hurried towards Bucky.
Tony wiggled his index finger in a universal symbol for, 'come here' and when Bucky squatted down to his level, Tony grabbed Bucky's arm.
To be precise, Tony latched himself onto Bucky's metal arm. His HYDRA arm. The very arm he'd used to murder-
"Goodnight k-"
Bucky was going to be sick.
He jerked away from Tony and fled the room, ignoring the confused shouts for him to wait.
~~~~~
Tony avoided Bucky like the plague, which worked just fine, because young, impressionable Tony shouldn't be around someone like Bucky.
Bucky was totally fine with being avoided. So what if Tony's eyes didn't light up when he walked into the room anymore? So what if instead of talking a-mile-a-minute to Bucky, Tony looked down at the floor like a kicked puppy? So what if Bucky felt more excluded than ever before?
Bucky was fine with it. Tony had Steve, so Tony didn't need Bucky.
Okay, so it hurt a little bit, but Bucky had never been so openly welcome before and it kind of sucked to have that taken away because Bucky had messed up.
He should have just let the kid cling to his arm. (No he really shouldn't have. Bucky wasn't completely stable. A kid shouldn't be around someone unstable. Goddamn get it together Barnes the kid is better off without you.)
Tony's avoidance became a Real Problem though, when Steve lost track of the wild seven year old. Tony must have already learned that JARVIS listens to him above all others, and had ordered JARVIS not to reveal his location. It would have been fine had Tony not begun to avoid all of the other members of the team.
He was skittish towards anyone that wasn't Steve or Bucky. Sure, Tony liked them well enough, but Steve had mentioned that Tony was polite to the team, and nothing more after that first night in the tower.
So Tony disappearing was a problem, and because of the kid's avoidance, Bucky didn't know what the hell to do. Looking for Tony was the first choice, but when he found the kid--and he would find the kid--what would he do then? Just hand him off to Steve like a toy?
It doesn't matter. Find Tony, worry about the rest later.
Bucky set off.
~~~~~
Tony was hiding in Bucky's closet.
JARVIS had nicely informed Tony that, "Sergeant Barnes is never in his room. His closet is empty."
So Tony had taken up residence in the closet, hiding in the bundle of clothes that all looked untouched. He didn't mind the space; it was huge, like the rest of the house. Tower. It was huge like the rest of the tower.
It wasn't his house.
Tony pulled his legs closer to himself.
"Sir, if I may, I suggest coming out and alerting the Avengers of your whereabouts." came the voice that was JARVIS but wasn't Jarvis.
Tony hugged himself tighter. "No. Don't tell them."
A pause. "As you wish."
Tony hated it. Him. He sounded like Jarvis did when Tony was hiding from Howard. He sounded real but he wasn't and it wasn't fair that Tony couldn't have Jarvis here. The fake JARVIS wasn't the same. Tony wanted HIS Jarvis and he wanted to go home. This wasn't home.
Tony would prefer Howard to the Avengers. Howard was terrible, but the Avengers were new and Tony didn't want to find out what would happen when they get mad, too.
He was scared. He was scared, and alone, and they were ready to sell him out to the scary guy with the eyepatch. He shivered at the thought.
They were going to let Eyepatch-Guy take him. They said they were heroes, but they didn't defend him. Tony had seen their faces. Captain America didn't even look at him, but Tony knew the look on his face. Howard had it when he had to pay the ransom the first time.
Annoyance.
Captain America was annoyed with Tony, and the rest of the team didn't care. Bucky with the Cool Arm had cared, but then he didn't want Tony.
So Tony hid, because no one wanted him and JARVIS wasn't Jarvis and nothing was okay and Stark Men don't cry Tony, why was he crying Stark Men weren't supposed to cry-
"JARVIS, open the door." Bucky demanded, voice muffled by the doors.
Tony covered his mouth and wiggled further into the corner of the gigantic closet. He could build a home in here and Jarvis could-
Oh right.
Jarvis wasn't here.
A fresh wave of tears threatened to overlap, and Tony couldn't hold them back despite his best effort.
"Sir, Sergeant Barnes is requesting access. Shall I let him in?"
Maybe if Tony stayed really quiet Bucky would go away.
There was silence, and then a short knock on the door to the closet. Tony was glad, for the first time, that the doors didn't have knobs here like they did at home. If they had knobs, Tony wouldn't be allowed alone.
"Tony, can I come in?"
Oh, sure. Now Bucky wanted Tony.
Tony heard him sigh. "JARVIS, override code-"
"Don't let him in!" Tony screeched, and then he was sobbing. Loud hiccups escaped and he was shivering and Tony just wanted Jarvis.
Was that too much to ask for?
Bucky's voice was softer when he said, "JARVIS, override code Buchanan six-two-six."
The doors slid open almost soundlessly. Tony curled into himself, watching Bucky while he crouched down and scooted into Tony's space, and then he was silent for so long, Tony thought he forgot how to talk. "What's wrong?"
"Noth'n." He wiped his eyes and sniffled. "Noth'n's wrong. Don't wanna talk 'bout it."
Another long pause, and Bucky awkwardly shuffled closer to Tony. "Was it something I did?"
"No."
"Well then what's wrong, kid? You were alright yesterday. Somethin' happen?"
Tony just glared. Stark Men don't cry. Stark Men don't cry.
"Sir's vitals were indicating a panic level identical to those from previous nightmares." JARVIS chimed in.
Tony glared at nothing. It wasn't Jarvis, but it was so like him that it hurt.
Understanding washed over Bucky's face. "Nightmare, then?"
Stubbornly, Tony remained silent. Bucky indulged him for a bit, but surprised Tony when he reached out to rub Tony's head.
"I know nightmares." He began, staring at the space above Tony's head. "They suck. Wanna talk about it?"
Tony shook his head. He didn't wanna talk about the sand or the water or the man who's face he didn't know but was dead or the pain in his chest.
Tony wanted Jarvis.
"What can I do, squirt?"
Tony shrugged, and on an impulse grabbed Bucky's hand. Shamelessly, Tony cuddled it and refused to say another word. Bucky didn't make a fuss, and he certainly didn't make a fuss about Tony clinging to him as he pulled the kid out of the closet and carried him into the common room.
Tony clung to the arm like it was his last lifeline, and Bucky let him because who was he to take away a child's comfort?
~~~~~
After that night, Bucky refused to leave Tony, and to his delight, Tony was animated around the super-soldier again.
He was even more animated when Bucky allowed Tony access to his arm.
He would sit on the sofa while Tony's chosen movie played in the background, watching Tony fawn over the metal limb. He hadn't been too sure about letting Tony near the damned thing, but Tony knew how to convince Bucky of anything.
He wanted ice-cream before bed? All Tony had to do was stare up at Bucky with sad little eyes, and a pout on his lips, and Bucky would be asking if Tony wanted chocolate, vanilla, or both.
Tony wanted to play dodgeball in the training room? Pout, and Bucky was asking JARVIS to find the softest, squishiest balls out there to fake throw at Tony.
Tony wanted to play with Bucky's metal arm? Pout, and Bucky was sitting on the couch letting the seven year old pet it absentmindedly while watching Avatar on the TV.
Bucky was a sucker for the pout, and Tony knew it.
~~~~~
"G'morning beautiful." Tony coos as Bucky shuffles into the kitchen for some well deserved breakfast.
"Sweet talkin' m'arm like that's gonna make a man jealous squirt."
All at once, five pairs of eyes are staring at Tony, and then at Bucky, and then back at Tony as he continues to talk.
"Yeah, you're pretty too Bucky. You sound squeaky today. Bucky doesn't oil you does he? How dare he not oil you regularly. Howard says metal has to be oiled and you need it, yes you do. Bucky! Why don't you oil it!"
Bucky just shrugs. "Forgot."
The speed at which Tony jumps over to Bucky is impressive, and then he's up in Bucky's face, eyebrows furrowed. "Bucky! You have to oil it! The squeaking it bad it means the metal is going to get yucky and rusted and--Bucky stop laughing this is serious business--stop laughing!"
"Anyone else creeped out by how obsessed tiny-tony is with that thing?" Clint chimes. Tony shoots him a glare and continues to lecture Bucky about why he needs to 'be nice to her, she's a delicate beauty--I told you to stop laughin!'
"Nah, man." Sam stretches in his chair. "Its kinda cute. In a weird, obsessive kind of way."
Steve was too busy smiling at the sight of Bucky relaxing enough to snort some laughter, and Tony to fall down crying because "You snorted! Like a pig! Oink oink--Hey don't tickle me! Bucky no!"
~~~~~
"Wait!" Tony sits up in bed. "Bucky wait! C'mere! I forgot something!"
He rubs the sleep out of his eyes and returns to Tony's side. "Wha'd ya forget squirt?"
Tony grabs Bucky's arm, and firmly plants his lips on it and plants a loud, wet kiss on it. Then he reaches up and leaves a slobbery kiss on Bucky's stubbly cheek. Tony makes a face, but then smiles right after. "Goodnight kisses! Mama loves goodnight kisses!"
Bucky leaves the room stunned, staring at the spot on his arm where Tony had actually left a bit of spit. He should be disgusted; he should be wiping the spit off immediately because it's going to make the arm slick.
Bucky stares though, and a small smile makes his way onto his face, because for once...
Someone doesn't fear his arm.
If Tony loves it, maybe it's not so bad after all.
~~~~~
"Hey Tones-"
"Shh! I'm fixing!"
Rhodes had never looked so offended in his life. "Tony, you're cleaning off flour from Bucky's arm. That's not-"
The look Bucky gave him was enough to interrupt Rhodes' sentence before Tony could fly into a rage. "Not an easy job, I agree."
Rhodes stared at Bucky. "...Yeahhh...That's-That's right, Tones. Good job bud, for fixing Bucky's arm right up. How'd he even get the flour on it?"
Tony's ears tinted red. "I dropped it. He got it but it was ripped and exploded."
Rhodes couldn't hold back the grin. "Why were you using flour?"
"I wanted to make cupcakes."
"Did you?"
Tony slumped down. "No. Pepper kicked me out of the kitchen cuz I was messy."
"Sounds like her." Rhodes sat down. "Anything good on TV?"
Tony shrugged, too distracted rubbing the wet rag on Bucky's arm to answer. His tongue poked out of his lips, and then he jumped up excitedly. "I got it! I fixed it!" He puffed his chest out. "You're welcome!"
Bucky grinned at the spotless clean up job on his arm. Tony had even gotten the red paint dot by his elbow that Bucky had never been able to reach properly.
Tony pressed a sloppy kiss onto the arm. "All better."
And it was. It really was all better. Not perfect, but better.