The two were in the workshop, normal for how they spend their days now. If Tony were being honest, it was nice. Having another person to share this peacefulness with. It wasn’t as imposing as he would’ve thought.
It’s not like when Pepper was here, nagging him and telling him to do something or other. Or Steve, when he’d demand he eat and act like a functioning human.
Bucky was reading on the ratty old couch when Tony walked over, in joggers and t-shirt. His hair was in a loose braid, he was on the tablet Tony gave him when he first came in. Deciding to plop down on the man, he made himself comfortable.
“Can I help you?” Bucky asked with a laugh, his metal arm coming to wrap around Tony’s waist.
“No I’m good,” Tony said. It was weird, he actually meant it. Laying here on his boyfriends chest in his safe haven. Tony closed his eyes, enjoying the rise and fall of Bucky’s chest as he breathed.
Shifting around a bit, Bucky continued reading, propping the tablet on Tony’s back. Tony dosed, actually dosed. The bots were rolling around in the background, Bucky’s heartbeat in his ear.
He couldn’t tell you how long the two stayed there, couldn’t tell when Bucky started reading aloud, when he actually did fall asleep. Tony couldn’t tell you how long they stayed there when the alert that people were trying to invade the tower came. “God dammit,” Tony grumbled, both he and Bucky jumping up.
The lights were down, because of course they were. Deciding that the suit was to much work, he grabbed a set of knives and a gun and followed Bucky, who also drew his gun. The baddies weren’t down at the lab yet, Jarvis helpfully supplying that they were held up in the commons with the others.
When they got up, having to take the stairs, the two wasted no time in taking out the goons. Bucky and Tony shared a look as they saw the Hydra symbol presented proudly on the armored guys chest and upper arms.
It came with benefits, being forced to work together for a couple decades. “Have I ever told you,” Bucky started, snapping one guy’s neck and slicing another. “How thankful I am that we scrambled the trigger words?” He asked, Tony kicked one guy out the busted window. Laughing slightly.
“You have,” Tony answered. “The sex was great.” He mumbled, kicking another goon to Bucky to deal with. Which he did happily
“I heard that.” Was all Bucky said.
The battle was over with quick, with Shield being called and the Hydra goons being tied up. Tony wrinkled a nose as he kicked a gloved hand of one of the bodies.
The Avengers stood in a circle. It was kinda heroic, with them standing among the fallen bad guys, Tony snorted at his own thoughts. Looking up, he noticed Clint looking at him and Bucky with his eyebrow’s furrowed. “What’s up Katniss? Mad I got more goons then you?”
Clint shook his head, wiping dust off his shoulder, bow clenched in his hand. “No. Nothing.” Tony raised an eyebrow, that was obviously a lie. Cling glanced at Natasha, then back at Tony. “It’s just, you and Bucky.” He said, catching Steve’s attention from checking on Bruce.
Bucky tilted his head, the only sign that he’s listening.
“What about us?” Tony asked, resisting the urge to lean on Bucky. He really wanted to go back to sleep, sleep was nice.
Clint shook his head, “Just, Cap and Bucky known each other for like, forever, right?” He asked, glancing around the group. Steve nodded, “Then why did you and Bucky fight together for most if not the whole battle?” Clint asked, looking Tony in the eye.
Tony shrugged, denying it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. Clint nodded, “Yeah you do, Jarvis?”
“Yes, Mr. Barton?” Jarvis asked, “Can you bring up the footage of the fight?” Clint asked, skipping to when Bucky and Tony entered.
It was true, the two did fight together the whole time, fighting back to back. There was even a time where Bucky just, threw Tony at the goons. Tony sent a pointed glare to Bucky, “My back is gonna kill me for that.” At least the assassin looked sheepish at that.
“See! This is what i’m talking about!” Clint said, waving his hands at the two, “This sort of chemistry, that fighting together, you don’t just pick it up! Hell, me and Nat can fight good together, but we aren’t that good!” He exclaimed.
Tony had to admit, looking at the footage, the two did fall in sync together. Maybe it was the trust built between the two, after all, they weren’t willing participants for Hydra. Bucky’s even said, the ones who did do it willingly were volatile, to unpredictable.
Natasha tilted her head, eyes calculating as they watched the fight play out. There wasn’t audio, but you can still see the two talking back and fourth when there wasn’t to many goons to worry about. “There was a time the Winter Soldier had a... Partner,” she said. “Smaller, he disappeared a couple years back. No one knows what happened to him.” She says, looking at Tony, analyzing him.
Tony shrugged again, sniffling. Yeah. Disappeared. More like ran for his life and was wrecked with worrying about Bucky. He sent Tony a glance, it was one of those silent conversations that kids see adults doing. In one glance, not even held for a second, the two had a ten minute conversation.
“So? How does that correlate at all to this?”
“Because a couple years back, you showed up. You were missing for a while, no one even knew you existed until Stane confirmed it.” Tony’s nose wrinkled at the mention of Stane, he watched in vague amusement as Bucky kicked a goon in the head. The two had another blink-and- you’ll-miss-it conversation.
“What if I was then? What would you do then?” Tony asked, pushing aside the forest, the heavy snow that drifted, the promises and the lack of tears. When Tony dreamed of that day, the trees always seemed taller, more looming then they probably were. Natasha blinked. as if she were surprised. Shield came, with them Fury swept in with them, taking in the scene and the broken window.
“Debrief in thirty minutes.” He said, looking them over with his one good eye. Steve nodded, walking off with the director to give his report. After a while, it just became easier if Steve or someone responsible did it. Not like Tony or Clint took it serious anyways, and Thor always seems to think his report was telling a battle tale.
Tony was sipping coffee, sat in the rolling chair, playing footies with Bucky underneath the table like the adults they were. That was when Natasha gave him his answer, “I’d do nothing.” Natasha said, looking at Tony across the table, she was on the other side of Bucky, Steve by the head across from Clint. Bruce was across from Natasha, “I would do nothing. If you were the Winter Soldier’s partner, because there would be nothing I could do.”
Fury wanted to know what she was talking about, but she wouldn’t say. Bucky and Tony shared a look, it wasn’t like she was lying. Everyone in the intelligence community knew it too. The Winter Soldier and his partner were an unstoppable force.