Tony regretted everything.
He regretted only having coffee this morning; he regretted staying awake for 40 hours; he regretted that time he showed Howard his first circuit board; and he regretted most of his 20s.
What he regretted most, though, was that he didn't see this coming. He should have, he was a genius after all, but, as per usual, he ignored all of the signs. The little red flags.
The way Bucky’s eyes had always hardened when somebody flirted with him. The way he seemed to isolate himself from the Avengers unless Tony was there. The way his eyes tracked Tony’s movement wherever he went.
He’d just thought it was attraction- a stupid, harmless attraction.
Not an obsession.
That seemed to be the biggest mistake, and was how he ended up tied down in a chair, the Winter Soldier (because that was not Bucky) smiling down at him, trailing an icy cold metal finger down his cheek. (In any situation that would totally be a turn on, but a) he hadn't consented to the bondage, and he was huge on consent- consent is important- and b) the whole situation was just plain creepy).
“ты проснулся.” Tony had no idea what he said, but he sounded pleased.
“What?” He croaked, throat parched and painful. “Why am I here, Snowflake?”
The Soldier smiled at the nickname, moving his hand to run it through Tony's hair. “You're awake.” His deep, heavily accented voice rolled around the sounds, stirring something within Tony that he really didn't need stirred right now. “That is good, котенок.”
“Yes, but why am I here?” Tony persisted.
The Soldier’s lips pursed, and his ice blue eyes roamed Tony's face, considering. “Because you are mine.”
“W-what?” he spluttered.
A nod. “Yes. Mine; and I do not share.”
Tony raised an eyebrow. “So you're just gonna keep me locked up here forever?” he asked dryly, trying to stay calm. “Wherever here is,” he muttered, eyes flickering around the room. Was it a basement?
“Not forever. Just until you learn.” He was still smiling, soft and encouraging. “This is a safe place. You will be safe.”
“Yeah, I'm safe in the Tower, too,” he pointed out. “And you see me in the Tower all the time; we hang out in my lab all the time, we're pals. No need to kidnap me, right big guy? Just take me back and we can forget this ever happened.” He shoved down the panic- learn? What the hell did he need to learn?!
“Mine.”
“Yes, exactly, I'm your friend, and you're my friend. And friends don't kidnap each other, do they?” He tried his best to look playfully chastising, ignoring the growing sense of fear. This wasn't good.
“Good thing we're not friends, then,” the Soldier whispered, bringing his face close enough that his nose touched Tony’s cheek, before kissing him.
Tony’s eyes widened as he froze. Oh boy. This was not good. Not good at all.
The swirling feeling in his gut wasn’t exactly helping, either.
Down boy.
“Bucky, please don’t do this.”
The Soldier sighed, his whole chest heaving with the effort, as he swung his leg until he was straddling Tony, running a hand through his hair. “You just need to learn,” he assured, eager and urging. “You learn so quick, Tony,” he praised, smile turning somewhat proud, his touch almost reverent as he moved his hands to cup Tony’s face. “My genius.”
“Bucky, we don’t own people. Remember, we had this whole conversation with you when we first brought you to the Tower? Nobody owns you, Bucky, and nobody owns me, not even you.”
The Soldier smiled. “I remember,” he agreed. “But you’re wrong. You do own me. I’m your Soldier as much as you’re my genius mechanic.”
Tony shifted in the chair, flexing his wrists, trying to slip through the restraints, but it was no use. Of course it wasn’t, the Winter Soldier wouldn’t be so careless. “Bucky. Bucky, please. You’re my friend, you know that. So why do you need to do this?”
His smile morphed into something knowing, secretive. “You want me as much as I want you,” he murmured in his ear, breath tickling his ear and sending shivers down his spine.
Down!
“So you couldn’t just ask me out?” Tony tried for amused, but knew he missed the mark. He’d been kidnapped by enough delusioned individuals who were sure that their love was true to know how dangerous this situation could be.
“I want to make you mine,” came the growl. “Only mine.”
“Okay, so I won’t flirt with people at the galas, fine. I can do that. Just let me go, Bucky. The Avengers will come looking. They don’t need to know, you just need to let me go so I can help you.”
The Soldier shook his head. “They won’t come. Don’t worry about them.”
Tony’s eyes widened, and his blood ran cold. “Did- did you kill them?” He gasped, horrified and terrified. Tears gathered in his eyes. “Bucky, did you kill them?”
The Soldier tilted his head, swiping a finger under Tony’s eye to catch a tear curiously. “No.” He brought the finger to his lips, tasting it. “That would upset you. I simply told them you had to go on a last minute trip.”
Tony breathed out a sigh of relief. “You can still let me go, then,” he urged. “Come on, Bucky. You don’t want to hurt me, I don’t want to hurt me, so what are we doing here?”
The Soldier leant in and nipped his ear. “Corrective behaviour is necessary. You are my Handler, I must become your Handler, котенок.” He leant back, looking earnestly into Tony’s eyes. ‘It will only hurt for a bit, and then we’ll be made for each other,” he promised, eyes turning awe-ful. “You just need to learn.” Tony’s eyes widened, struck by the horrifying realisation of exactly where he was, what chair he was in.
His voice shook as he pleaded. “Bucky. Bucky, no, don’t do this, you don’t need to- I’m yours, fine. I’m yours and you’re mine. What else is there to learn? Let’s just go back to the Tower, yeah?”
The Soldier shook his head. “You’re just saying that, Tony,” he sighed, sadness piercing his eyes. “You don’t believe it, and you need to. I need you to.” His thumb stroked Tony’s cheek as he offered him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, it won’t hurt as much as they made it hurt. You never hurt me,” and there was that awe, the gratitude, “So I won’t hurt you any more than I have to, I promise, котенок.”
Tony started thrashing. “No. No, no, no, no, no! Bucky, please!”
He screamed, he begged, he pleaded, but the Soldier was unrelenting; an immovable object, resistant against Tony’s pain as he brought the pads against his face, pressing gentle kisses to the skin around him.
“Don’t worry, котенок. You’ll learn quickly, I know you will,” he whispered above Tony’s cries, pressing a final kiss to his forehead before stepping away to the control panel. “We’ll belong to each other, just like we’re meant to.” He stroked his metal arm, smiling softly. “I have something of yours attached to me permanently,” he grinned. “I should really return the favour.”
When Tony learned, when Tony became his, he would give him his heart and everything he wanted.
It was, after all, all he deserved.