“Hey Tony, what are you working on.” Peter asks while walking into his mentor’s lab.
“Oh, hey I didn’t hear you come in and to answer your question, nothing in just looking at specs for your suit.”
“Is it anything I can help with?”
“It’s ok I just finished re-enforcing the body armour and how was school?”
“Flash was out so it was quiet today and I got hardly any homework.”
“That’s great to hear kid. Do you want to order in pizza as usual? “
“Yeah, I would love some pizza right now I’m starving. “
“While we wait for it you can do your homework and I can start on this project I’ve been working on.”
“What is the project?” The teen asks.
“It’s just some upgrades for the team’s suits, you know the usual upgrades and that sort of thing.”
“Yeah, I get you, I’ll just do my homework and then I’ll help you with that.”
“Don’t rush your work like you did last time that wok is important too. “He turns back to what he was doing and says out loud to Friday to order the usual pizza.
“Tony can I ask you something?”
“Depends on what it is but yes?”
“I’ve been thinking for a while now that the feelings I’m having would go away and at first I thought it was just being around someone who is smart.”
Peter trails off and Tony asks “What are you trying to say?” Seeing where it was going already.
Forcing it out before he loses the courage to do it, he says “I have a crush on you Tony I’ve always had and I fell you feel the same way.”
“Oh, that’s not where I saw today session going the genius says to himself. Peter, we can’t be with each other you’re my intern.”
“Oh, ok I get it.” Peter says dejectedly and starts doing his work again
“It’s for the best” he says looking up at the teen seeing him looking down into his book looking like he’s about to cry.
He walks over and knees down in front of him and he says “I’m sorry Peter. It’s just I’m way older than you, you wouldn’t want to stay with me after a few years.”
“Is that the main reason?” Peter asks in a low tone.
“Reason for what?”
“Not wanting to be with me. The I would not want to stay with you part.”
Tony sighs and says “you know me to well. I just don’t want to hurt you kid.”
“I’m not a kid I can make my own decisions and I’m making the decision to ask you to be with me.”
“I can’t Peter. “
Peter gets up abruptly and says “I’m so sorry Mr Stark I’ve ruined everything and he storms out of the lab.”
Before tony could stop him and tell him he didn’t ruin anything and that he’s sorry the teen was gone.
Tony felt terrible because he had been developing feelings towards his intern too. “I did the right thing.” he says out loud and adding in his thoughts that he can now take these feelings away no matter how hard it would be.
While dashing out of the lab towards the elevator of the tower Peter literally runs into the Winter Solider. “Sorry I didn’t mean to run into you.”
“Woah wait a minute.” the solider says catching him before he runs off again. “What’s wrong you seem upset?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“That’s ok I won’t push. It’s Peter, right Tony’s intern?” the bigger man asks.
“Yeah that’s me. How do you know who I am?”
“Well you’re a very attractive young man for one and Tony talks about you all the time. I’m Bucky by the way.” He reaches out his hand.
Heh um thanks you’re pretty handsome too. Peter says awkwardly while taking his hand. “Thank you, Peter, would you like to go for a coffee. I don’t really know where any coffee shops are though. Didn’t get to explore much since getting back to myself with being in Wakanda in cryogenic sleep.”
“Oh yeah, I was very surprised you convinced Steve and the others to sign the accords.”
“It was not the hardest after Tony helped with getting my mind back after all. “
“He was working on that or weeks I honestly don’t know why. I he wanted it behind him and wanted to move forward. Also, I know you might not be that person anymore but I’ll kill you if you hurt him again and I don’t trust you right now.”
“Understandable but like you said I’m not that person anymore.”
“Tony was in the hospital for weeks after that fight in Siberia, it made his PTSD ten times worse and after Pepper left him, he only had me. He’s might be willing to let you guys back into his life but if he gets hurt, I won’t hesitate.”
“I didn’t really think about that we fled quickly it all happened so quickly.”
“Yeah, I’m not surprised no one thinks about Tony. He’s the best guy I know and I don’t want to see him hurt again.”
“I may have a chat with him then about it soon in that case. Also, you didn’t answer my question.”
“What question?”
“The one about having coffee with me?” Bucky says like its obvious.
“You still want to have coffee with me I just gave you a death threat.”
“Heh I know and I’m pretty sure you’ll go through with if I hurt Tony again which I won’t.”
“In that case I’ll accept your offer for coffee then. Starbucks?”
“I’ve never had it before but Steve says it’s very good.”
“You’ll be in for a treat then.”
“I’ll be down in a moment I just need to get my jacket from my room.”
“Ok I’ll wait at the elevator for you.”
“Ok see you in a min.” Bucky gets his coat and smiles feeling the most relaxed as he was in ages. When he gets to the elevator to see Peter he is texting on his phone.
“Hey are you ready to go.”
“Yeah,” the teen respond’s looking up from his phone and putting it in his pocket. They both get in the elevator. The ride down was silent and they walk out into the street.
“So where too?”
“The Starbucks I usually go to with my friends is just down the street if that’s ok?”
“That’s perfect.”
They start walking and when they get there, they have to wait in line a few people taking pictures and looking Bucky’s way because he’s been on the news recently about joining the avengers.
“You’re very popular right now.” Peter comments.
“Yeah it seems that way, I don’t really like being in the spot light not going to lie.”
After waiting a few minutes, they order their drinks and peter is about to pay for his but Bucky says that it’s his treat and before Peter argues with him, he gives the girl behind the desk his debit card.
“I’ll pay you back.”
“You don’t have to I want to buy this for you.”
“I appreciate that I don’t but it feels wrong.”
Here look if it makes you feel batter next time were out you can buy me a coffee then were even.
“Sounds like a plan Peter responds.” Smiling to himself at the thought of a next time.
They sit down at an open table. “So why where you upset and not be paying attention enough to not see me and bump into me?”
“You said you wouldn’t push.” Peter says while he blushes embarrassed at the memory of his mentor rejecting him.
“I know but come on I’m curious.”
“Fine I embarrassed myself.”
“How did you do that?
“I said some things to Tony that I regret saying to him I don’t want to get into Pacific’s but yeah, he probably hates me now.”
“I doubt that he talks about you all the time and from what Steve says he seems more grounded and he thinks it is because of you.”
“I didn’t realise if he has changed because of me.”
“So how long have you had a crush on him?” Bucky says in a low voice so no one else could hear what they were talking about.
Peter blushes and denies the accusation.
“Well you got very protective of him, he is your idol and then I bet the thing you embarrassed yourself with was you either told him how you feel or you got really close to him and got a boner and he noticed or something like that.” Bucky jokes.
Peter goes redder than he already is and says your right it’s the first one. “I told him that I had feelings towards him but he shut me down almost instantly. So, I ruined our relationship and he probably hates me now.”
“Look Tony seems like a good guy I doubt he’d hate you. He might distance himself from you to there not to hurt you anymore that what he has. It will be awkward at first but it will be fine. Do you still have time with him today in the lab today?”
“Yeah, I’m meant to stay the night since it’s a weekend. I was just going to go home to May and say we got loads of work done so I got to go home early.”
“Are you wanting to go back to the tower now?” Bucky asks finishing off his drink.
“Yeah but can we walk slowly I don’t want to face Tony right this minute.”
“I’ve nowhere to be right now so we have all the time to walk to the tower.”
After waiting for Peter to finish his drink they both walk back to the tower.
“Do you want me to walk you with you?”
“Yeah please I would like that.”
They get in the elevator and are laughing about some video Peter decided to show him. The elevator door opens and they go to the lab and see tony moping around looking at the fresh pizza that was delivered.
Peter knocks on the glass window and Tony looks up and is relieved to see his intern.
He gives Bucky a confused look and the solider just nods and turns to Peter.
“Peter I’ll talk to you some other time and we should grab another coffee sometime soon.”
Peter debates giving the ex-assassin his number. He sees him turning away and says “Bucky would you want my number.” Peter asks nervously.
The bigger man turns back to him and says “Huh I would actually better than just randomly seeing each other then making plans. “
They exchange numbers and he walks off.
“What was that about I didn’t know you talked to him Tony asks?
“I ran into him earlier he noticed I was upset and asked me out for coffee. I accepted and he calmed me down. Then we came back here.”
“Ah ok and about earlier you didn’t fuck anything up everything is still the same. You’re a smart guy you get how it isn’t a good idea.”
“I’m sorry again Mr Stark about earlier.”
Tony fought hard not to flinch at the formality Peter hasn’t called him that in ages. Trying to act like it didn’t affect him l Tony says “The pizza we ordered just got here.”
“Thank you for getting it for me I know it’s not your favourite thing to eat.”
Tony genuinely smiles and says “It’s not a problem kid.”
It was awkward for the start of the evening but then it got back to being somewhat normal.
They finished their work and start setting up a movie. Peter looks up at Tony debatingly and asks “Can Bucky watch the movie with us.
“Friday can you ask him if he would like to come watch this with us.”
After a few minutes the solider walks into the living room “I was summoned.”
Peter smiles and says “We’re watching a movie we were wondering if you would like to watch it with us.”
“I’d love too.”
He sits next to peter and half way though the movie the soldier has the student sleeping on his shoulder. They stay like that until the movie ends and Peter just cuddles into Bucky more.
“I’m going to taking him to his bedroom.” Bucky says to Tony.
“Yeah that’s fine.” Tony responds dejectedly.
“You sure?”
“Yeah Buckaroo just tired.”
“Ok” he responds not convinced. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
After Tony said goodnight. The solider brought him up to the room with the help of Friday and puts him in the bed. Peter grips on hard.
“Don’t go I don’t want to be alone” he says groggily waking up from his sleep.
After a moment of debating he says “Sure just leave me get changed.” A few moments later he is crawling into Peters bed and Peter says “Thanks for staying with me I know we don’t really know each other” and then the intern falls back to sleep cuddling back into the soldier. Bucky falls asleep shortly after.