tender lovin' care bear
It’s months before tony starts speaking to people again but little by little he does he’s far less bubbly, but the smiles are real, and that’s more than anyone would have hoped. Bucky wants to tell him he’s the strongest person he’s ever met but he can’t let tony know he was listening. So, he makes Sarah Rogers’ famous apple pie and takes it to Tony. Then he makes cookies then, well then it escalates.
Soon enough Bucky is taking Tony’s meals to him and bringing him snacks when he’s still awake at four in the morning gently reminding him of the time rather than scooping him up and carrying him to bed as he would like.
On one occasion however, Tony falls asleep in the lab dark lashes fanning over his cheeks as his head lays on the cold metal of the work bench his brown curls fall over his face, it’s obvious from the just a shade too big for him sleep wear that Tony has already been sent to bed this evening, but for once Bucky’s mother hen instincts are out voted by the selfish part of him that is so happy to see Tony like this beautiful, peaceful, and vulnerable.
As he carefully scoops Tony into his arms he feels him lean into his chest, it is the most exquisite torture Bucky has ever been on the receiving end of, as he valiantly suppresses a full body shudder as Tony’s warm breath hits his chest he feels soft curls brush his collar bone.
Eventually they do make it to Tony’s room and Bucky is able to place tony on to the mattress and tuck the warm covers around him, he briefly wonders why the bed was so impeccably made but there are blankets on the floor, but all thoughts immediately leave his head as Tony makes a soft hum in his sleep, and Bucky may as well have an error 404 sign on his forehead as his brain has shut down all but the necessary functions for survival.
As he stares at the sleeping form of the young genius, his lungs deflate, and he feels a pulse through his heart and the tension rises behind his eyes. Seeing Tony here he’s so beautiful but that’s not what takes Bucky’s breath from him, it’s that Tony is lying here looking so fragile but knowing how very strong he actually is Bucky breaks to know that anyone could look at Tony and not see something precious that should be protected, for Howard to have taken the most precious reality of his life and, have tried to destroy it. Harm his own son, that is a more devastating tragedy than Bucky can handle, and while Bucky has never cried for himself. He weeps for Tony now. The tears run down his cheeks and he fights the urge to run his hand through the soft curls that fall over Tony’s face. He pushes himself from the room and just sits outside until it’s suddenly morning and Jarvis is placing a gentle hand on his shoulder with a quiet reassurance “the young master will be alright sargent.”
Three months in and Stevie catches on and starts teasing Bucky about his crush. A week later Peggy carter makes fire and brimstone look like a good option and hydra seem like a cake walk, until she sees the look in his eyes as he takes dinner off the stove and decides “it’s about time that somebody took care of my darling boy” Jarvis supports him from the get go having been “unable to get the young master to consume an appropriate amount of food for growth.” but he still eyes Bucky carefully from time to time.