Smart Move
“Move in with me.”
Bucky’s words hang in the air for a second, drifting across the haziness of Tony’s brain. He blinks rapidly, trying to clear his head from his post-orgasmic bliss. “What?”
Bucky snuggles up behind him, nosing at his hair. “I’m tired of you having to leave after we have sex. I want to wake up next to you in the morning – always, not just once a month when you have a free day at work.”
Tony scrubs at his eyes, feeling far too sleepy for this conversation. “You live in Philadelphia, Bucky; SI’s headquarters are in Manhattan. Your apartment is almost two hours away, while my penthouse is in the same building. We talked about the logistics of me moving here before, and we both agreed it wouldn’t work out. Why are you bringing this up again?”
“Because we’ve been dating for a year, Tony. A whole ass year, and we still only see each other when we can find more than three hours of free time. I want to spend more time with you.”
“We can try to make more time for each other, then,” Tony says, a bit bewildered. He hadn’t expected this conversation, and it was making him feel unbalanced. “Or… you can move in with me.”
“You know I can’t do that,” Bucky huffs. “This apartment is two blocks away from Stevie’s gym, and I need to be there every day for work.”
“So do I!”
“Yeah, but you’ve got a chauffeur, and fast cars, and no boss that can fire you for coming in late! What am I supposed to do, take the train every morning to work?”
Tony turns around to glare at Bucky, starting to get angry. “Are you even listening to yourself right now? You’re treating me like shit for no reason. What’s going on?”
“Nothing is going on! I just don’t understand why you’re so opposed to the idea of living with me!”
Tony gapes at him. “Barnes, you know damn well that moving in with you has been a dream of mine since day one. It’s not my fault that we both have jobs in different states! We’ve had this discussion before and we agreed we’d wait to see if something would change.”
“I have been waiting, but it’s just…” Bucky hesitates, looking away as all the fight leaves his body. “I’m tired of dating you like this, hanging out for a few hours before going home. I want to build my life with you.”
“So do I, Bucky,” Tony says, worried. “What prompted this, baby? I know you, and you would never bring this up unless you were upset about something.”
Bucky bites his lip, looking almost ashamed until he says, “I ran into Rumlow the other day.”
“Oh,” Tony whispers. All of his anger evaporates as he shuffles closer to Bucky to hug him tightly.
“It’s just… seeing him made me remember the last few months of our relationship, when he was always out of the house, acting so fucking distant. And my brain just went, hey, I guess some things never change.”
Tony looks hurt, so Bucky hurries to explain. “Not like that! I’m happier with you than I ever was with him, and you’re a great boyfriend, but it made me realize… living in different places is fucking me up.”
Tony sighs. “I get that, Bucky, I really do, but I can’t just move away from SI. It’s not just the commute; sometimes there’s an emergency board meeting, or someone needs my help in R&D. The security system of Stark Tower is so much better than this apartment’s, paparazzi can’t find me there, and my lab is in Manhattan. I can’t just-”
“I know,” Bucky interrupts him, resigned. “You told me this stuff last time we argued, and I agree with you. I shouldn’t have brought it up. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Tony says, kissing him softly. “You’re allowed to be upset about this. Just, next time, try not to paint me as the bad guy?”
Bucky nods quickly, hating the uncertainty in Tony’s voice. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s still habit, from when Rumlow-- no. Doesn’t matter. It won’t happen again.”
Tony smiles. “I know, baby. I forgive you.”
That night, Tony can't fall asleep, but a new idea starts to take shape in his mind. In the morning, he decides, he’ll have to make some calls.
***
Three months later, Tony shows up on Bucky’s doorstep with a wide smile on his face.
Bucky looks at him suspiciously, still standing in his doorway. “Hey,” he greets, squinting when Tony returns the greeting a bit over-enthusiastically. “Everything okay?”
“Just peachy. Have you seen the news?”
Bucky’s suspicion rises at that. “I haven’t.”
“Go turn it on, then!”
Bucky lets Tony into his apartment and turns on the TV, still squinting suspiciously at his boyfriend. “Why do I need to…”
His words trail off and die in his throat when he sees the headlines scrolling along the bottom of the screen.
STARK INDUSTRIES SET TO OPEN NEW BRANCH IN PHILADELPHIA. SI’s CEO, TONY STARK, CONFIRMS IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW THAT…
Bucky swirls around to stare at Tony, and manages to stop gaping long enough to ask, “Are you serious?” before getting swept into a hug.
“I am,” Tony replies, giddy. “Pepper agreed it was a good idea, and it means I can move out here without hurting the company.”
“Tony, this is…” Bucky tries to swallow down the emotions threatening to choke him, but Tony just smiles at him.
“I know. I love you too. Now,” he continues, grabbing Bucky’s hand, “we need to celebrate. The new branch opens in two months, and that’s going to mark a new beginning in our relationship.” He smiles and looks up at Bucky. “We’re going to move in together!”
Bucky laughs, tugging Tony into another hug. “Yeah, we are,” he says.
And just like that, a new chapter of their lives was finally going to unfold.