James Buchanan Barnes
"How is Mama and Daddy?" Magni asked Sigrid.
Sigrid doesn't say anything for a long time.
+
"What is it, Stark?" Bucky asks.
"We need to make amends." Tony sighed.
"Over this Loki thing?"
"And Siberia."
Bucky doesn't say anything for a long time. Tony doesn't say anything either. Tony needed to make amends over this ugly situation and he knew somewhere deep inside, Siberia and the Accords have been in the back of Bucky's mind even though things have long been cleared up.
"I meant it." Bucky said. "When I said I remember them all."
"I know that now." Tony nodded.
"I remember your mom the most. She was just the bystander."
Tony just nods again. He still doesn't want to talk about his mom's murder. It still hurts.
"Let me ask you something." Tony gulped. "Did you ever have bad problems with Steve?"
"I mean it was like 20s, 30s, 40s." Bucky chuckled to himself. "You can imagine how bad it was back then. Especially when Steve was a little guy."
"I got that much. It's insulting you think I'm an idiot."
"You make it so easy, Stark. Howard did too."
Tony rolled his eyes. At least, they could occasionally joke.
"I meant did it ever get real bad between you and Steve?" Tony asked again.
Bucky doesn't say anything at first.
"We broke up once." Bucky sighs, defeated by life.
"Get out of here." Tony scoffs. "You're pulling my leg."
"I'm serious. Steve's dad died and we broke up. I mean we got back together two weeks later and I even recently asked if I ever hit him back then because we've been hurting ever since your ordeal with Loki happened."
Tony goes quiet. Bucky keeps talking.
"I mean. He says I never did but I can't help but feel maybe something happened." Bucky just rants. "Did you know Steve's dad used to try to beat the gay out of him? He was already sickly and the beatings always nearly killed Steve. He'd get more aggressive because Steve's mom would use herself as a wall between them. He'd always stop me when I would try to throw my fists up, ya know."
Bucky finally goes quiet. He doesn't know what to say anymore.
"I hated you." Tony says. "God, I fucking hated you. I mean you killed my parents and Steve covered for you. Fought for you. Lived for you. Even after things cleared up, I just hated you so much. You can imagine how much red I would see every time you came at me with all this bullshit going on."
"I'm easy to hate." Bucky shrugged his shoulders. "It's a gift."
"But you're right, Barnes. All of this shit, you're right. And I'm fucking trying."
"It's a long road, Stark."
"So is recovering from Hydra."
The men looked at each other. Tony forgave Bucky. He knows now. It wasn't Bucky's fault. It can't be someone's fault when they lost their free will long ago.
"If it means anything, Tony." Bucky pats Tony's back. "You're a damn good man and that is something Howard will never take from you."
"Thanks." Tony smiled.