Ex-husband

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the air was crisp and cool, and even people seemed nicer in the always busy New York City. People were smiling, chatting, couples sitting in the cafeterias, cooing to each other over cups of coffee and shared desserts.

Oh, how Steve hated them all.

"There you are!"

Steve turned around, spotting Bucky making his way through the crowd, taking bold steps towards him.

"I thought we agreed to meet at the bus stop!" his best friend said, smiling brightly. He should be comforted by the presence of his friend, but Steve couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy, knowing that the history behind that smile was not only of a friendship but of a fulfilled relationship. Bucky had definitely more reasons to smile than he had.

"Sorry, I… I wandered off," Steve admitted in a sigh, his eyes going back to the couples sitting at the front of the cafeteria. The cafeteria he and Tony -

Bucky narrowed his eyes angrily, knowing where Steve was looking. "Come on, let's go," he asked, grabbing his friend's wrist and walking away. Steve took a last, long look at the table in the corner, remembering when he and Tony were there. When he got on one knee and asked a life-changing question and how Tony agreed with teary eyes and a big smile, and how people clapped for them as they kissed, promising to be together forever and always love each other.

"You will just break each other's hearts!" Steve yelled in the direction of the couple that occupied his and Tony's ex table, and before the stunned people could figure out who said that, Bucky already pulled him into the crowd, mingling with others.

"Jesus!" Bucky hissed, shooting a short glance at his friend, "can you calm down?!"

Steve didn't answer, just zipped his mouth angrily. He didn't ask to be dragged out of his apartment. He was perfectly fine with eating microwave meals and walking in stretched out clothes with stains from the mentioned microwave meals and growing out a scruffy beard instead of his usual, clean shaved look. He was happy as he was. In his own, hermit hole and didn't feel the need to have human relations. He looked at Bucky's hand and his heart tightened at the sight of the gold ring. It was a cruel irony of faith, that when he was going through a divorce, Bucky was getting married. Steve liked Sam and was happy for them, but he still felt wounded after his own heartbreak and would prefer to be left alone, even if Bucky was uncharacteristically tactful and never rubbed his happy marriage into Steve's divorced face.

"Where are we going?" Steve asked, letting Bucky lead.

"We are going to get you some new clothes," Bucky answered, swiftly maneuvering through the crowd of people, knowing the way, "and preferably a date."

"I don't need a date-" Steve started in a heavy voice, just to be interrupted.

"Ah ah ah! I don't want to hear this crap again! It has been six months, Steve, I am not saying you have to date right away, but a pair of underwear that doesn't have holes in them would be a good start!"

Somehow, Steve couldn't argue with that…

They made it to the clothes store, one of those big ones that had everything, starting from socks and ending on the most expensive suits. Seemed that Bucky planned to replace his whole wardrobe. Just as they were passing the window on their way to the front door, Steve's eyes widened in panic and he tugged his hand away, strategically flattening himself down to the sidewalk.

"What now?" Bucky asked, watching his friend crouching down and holding hands pressed the back of his head and curling as if expecting an explosion.

"I can't go in there," Steve muttered into his chest.

"Why?"

"Because Tony is in there."

"What? He is?" Bucky asked, turning front to the window and scanning through the people inside.

"No, don't look!"

But he already did. And Bucky's lips stretched into a mischievous smile when he spotted his friend's ex-husband. "Steve, you need to see this."

"No, I don't."

"You do," Bucky emphasized and despite all the silent protesting Steve did, he was still forced inside the shop. Fear almost paralyzed him when he saw Tony, standing at the register and chatting with the saleswoman paying for a stack of clothes. He was smiling and Steve couldn't figure out what he was saying but he heard the soothing melody of his voice, and it was melting his mind. He didn't hear Tony's voice since the day they signed divorce documents and went their separate ways. How he missed that voice.

"Barnes."

Bucky stopped, and Steve almost collided with him.

"Oh," Bucky forced on a smile, hearing the cold greeting. "Rhodes," he said, nodding to the man who purposefully stood in their way to Tony. Of course, Tony wasn't shopping alone.

At the familiar voices, Tony turned around, his already big eyes getting even wider when he spotted the familiar faces. And Steve stood there, completely shook.

Tony didn't change much. His hair was still in that unruly, carefully stylized mess and his goatee looked sharp as ever. Steve felt like a mess in comparison to his always pristine-looking ex-husband. But the longer he looked, the more he noticed and he realized the reason behind Bucky's mocking smile from earlier.

Since the divorce, Tony put on some weight. Well, Tony appreciated the finest things in life, like a glass of good scotch, or a delicious meal, but he was also a stress eater. And while Steve during stress turned into a slob, not caring about anything, Tony turned for comfort to food. And it showed. Showed in the round face. In the slightly curved stomach and wider hips. Tony was facing him, and Steve could only guess that Tony's already round and plump ass he loved to grab and squeeze while he still was allowed became even rounder.

Steve just wanted to rip the clothes off his ex-husband and test with teeth and greedy fingers how more exactly there was of Tony to touch and kiss and admire.

"Funny meeting you here," Bucky started a fake, friendly talk, looking at Rhodes.

"I could say the same," Rhodey replied in a cold voice. Of course, since Tony and Steve broke up, the friendship between Bucky and Rhodey went down the gutter as they both were defending their best friend's with their lives and blaming everything on the other person. "Tony, are we done here?"

"Um, yeah," Tony answered, gathering his bags at the register and walking to Rhodey, unsure where he should look. Steve just took in the moment and didn't let his eyes off Tony.

"Hi Steve," Tony said hurriedly, passing by him as both men left the shop without saying goodbye.

Steve closed his eyes and inhaled. God, not only Tony looked hell good, but he also smelled delicious.

"I guess we know who won this breakup," Bucky perked up and nudged Steve after the door closed.

"Um, yeah… I…" Steve glanced to the back. What was he doing. "I will be right back, Buck!" he said, turning around and rushing out of the store, leaving his friend puzzled. They couldn't make it far. Steve looked right and left, searching when he saw both men walking in the distance. Even from here, he could see that Tony was huddled into himself, probably overwhelmed by the unexpected meeting, as Rhodey was whispering some things to him.

"Tony!"

That wasn't a good move. Immediately, both men stopped and Rhodey stood in front of Tony as if guarding him.

"What do you want, Rogers?" he asked, eyeing Steve when he had gained on them.

"I want to talk to Tony," he blurted out, technically not needing permission from Rhodes.

"Oh yeah? But he doesn't want to talk with you-"

"It is fine, Rhodey."

A quiet, meeped out voice. Rhodey looked in disbelief at his friend and after some hushed out words, he stepped aside, but still gave Steve a clear signal that he would be watching him from the distance.

After a deep breath, Tony turned around.

And… wow. Steve could just stare. He forgot how gorgeous Tony was.

"What is it, Steve?" Tony asked, trying to urge the conversation. He forced a smile on his face, which looked as if he was in pain. Steve felt terrible, knowing that he was the source of the pained smile and wishing to hit himself in the face for causing it.

"I… I just wanted to ask how are you doing," Steve breathed out, just wanting to hold to this moment. To feel completed again.

Tony gently tilted his head to the side, analyzing the question and trying to figure out if there was any malicious intent behind it. "I am fine. Working a lot."

Steve nodded. "You always worked a lot," he laughed, hoping to loosen the atmosphere, but more hurt appeared in Tony's eyes after the comment. Right. This was one of the things they used to argue about.

Tony sighed. "You look good, Steve."

"You too," Steve quickly said and that added more pain to Tony's eyes. Of course, Tony never saw himself attractive whenever he gained some weight and no amount of soft words and reassuring touches could change his mind. Steve remembered those evening vividly. Touching and kissing and laughing.

"Right," Tony coughed, taking a step back, "I have to go-"

"Do you want some coffee?" Steve blurted out, his mind screaming at him to keep Tony for a bit longer. Or maybe forever.

"What?"

"Coffee. With me. If not now, maybe tomorrow-"

"Steve…" Tony sighed, reverting to his previous position and even closer to Steve. With the corner of his eyes, Steve saw Rhodey leaning to the front as if just waiting to rush in and pull them apart. "What are you doing? We once tried and it didn't work out."

"I know that," Steve swallowed. Tony was so close he could feel the warmth radiating from him. One step closer and he would be kissing those sweet lips and holding him around the waist. "It is just… Bucky wants me to date."

"Oh," more hurt as Tony looked down. "Seems like a good idea to move forward-"

"I want to date you."

Shit.

"What?" Tony asked, looking back at Steve again.

"I mean, it is just fitting, right?" Steve laughed in faked humor, "my first date was with you, maybe it should be again?"

"Steve…"

"Please," Steve said, taking Tony's hand in his and that made Rhodey leap. "Just a coffee. For old time's sake."

Tony swallowed, looking at their hands. None of them kept the wedding rings. Tony didn't know what Steve did with his, but Tony's was on the bottom of the ocean when after the divorce he had decided to hide in his house in California for some time as being in New York was too painful.

"Okay," he agreed in a shaking voice. "One coffee. Tomorrow at noon at the usual place. For old time's sake."

"I will see you there," Steve agreed, letting Tony slip away and walk away with Rhodes who already started asking questions. Steve turned back and headed to the shop, his steps and heart the lightest they have been in the past six months.

"Bucky's going to kill me," he said to himself and laughed a little imagining his friend's reaction to the news that his first date in his single life would be with his ex-husband.