Do either of you... know the secret to happy relationship?
Bucky is at a complete loss the next day Tony is flying home as fast as his private jet will carry him to fret over his father figure, which unfortunately gives the super soldier who has trouble enough sorting through his emotions very little time in which to do so. Actually Stevies probably more repressed in the emotions department given that he can’t even talk to anyone he’s sweet on but that ain’t the problem right now. Right now Bucky has to think of a sensitive way to approach the teddy bear subject with Tony and give an apology for snoopin’ even on accident, how Tony can flustered him this much without even being in the room is crazy , none of the fellas or dames he used to hang about with ever got him this turned around before, somehow with Tony everything is just more intense. The highs are like soaring in the clouds and the lows nearly have him six feet under, and did put several hydra agents six feet in the ground.
The ways that tony has been hurt in his young life are innumerable and if Bucky could he'd destroy every twisted S.O.B. that ever laid a finger on Tony slowly and painfully. He’s just hoping he’ll be forgiven for what he’s done even though he never intended to breach Tony’s privacy. Unfortunately before Bucky can think of what to say to Tony he’s back at the mansion hair tousled to perfection with just the strangest outfit, a suit worth what Bucky assumes is thousands of dollars is rumpled like somebody’s slept in it for two day which come to think of it is probably what happened.
So moment of truth and Bucky says, nothing. Well not nothing he says hey and everything but nothing about his recent discovery.
Of course in the coming week Jarvis returns to health and Tony's about to fly out to Afghanistan to road test his new defense gear with the US military and Rhodes. Bucky has to say something he's keeping far too many secrets from tony, so he decides that the best course of action is to talk it over in their pre-trip arm maintenance session.
The lab as always is beautiful when bucky walks into it, made even more gorgeous by the astonishing engineer lit up by the holographic screens. He sits down in the designated chair it looks more like a very fancy lay-z boy than lab tech Bucky suspects this is intentional to avoid any of his own mental hang ups about laboratories, it's unnecessary Tony's beautiful workshop could never be mistaken for the cold emotionless lifeless hell scape of hydra to ful of life, beauty and love, too tony to ever be scary, but it's appreciated all the same.
Tony turns toward a tool cart grabs a screwdriver and beams at Bucky, he starts talking though what he's about to do and what he's currently doing. It seems he's noticed Bucky being a little tense, Tony is probably unaware of why Bucky's tense but it helps nonetheless.
"Darlin'" bucky interrupts softly "yeah?"
"Uh, yeah yeah so I got laundry Duty right and it ain't a thing thing but I was in your room laundry duty and uh yeah yeah you you have a teddy bear? Rig-"
"It's not wierd I-"
"Nah nah, not wierd don' don' worry sugar but um it's got it's got my name I got super solider hearing and it ain't like I usually eaves drop or nothing but like ya hear your name one a them books you lent me said it was the cocktail party effect or summit', so yeah anyway I uh heard you talking and I thought you should know,"
"You're.. not .. mad? Or weirded out?" "Nah darlin' course not, I'm actually real happy about it,"
Tony breaks out into a beaming smile and surges forward kissing a stunned Bucky, who just barely catches him. When he pulls back he sees the shocked expression and pauses, "Bucky?"
"Uh yeah, I ain't complaining," he swallows shaking his head as if to clear it "very much ain't complaining but I gotta admit I'm a little confused? Yeah confused"
"You said you were happy about it? You like me back?"
" I- you- you like me sugar? Like you'd be my fella?"
"I'd think that's pretty obvious, wait what were you happy about?" "I mean, this I'm real real happy about this but gotta admit I was more expecting to get punched? I meant tha' a was happy you had somebody to talk t' yanno before us? Um I overheard you months ago and I only really put two an two t'gether when I saw the bear, I guess you been talking about me but I ain't been listening since then,"
"So after- after the crash?"
Bucky loosens his grip his eyes downcast "yeah,"
"And you want to date me? Still?" "Uh yeah! Yeah, I mean why wouldn't I?"
Tony turns to ward the holoscreens but his gaze shifts the middle distance. "Said some pretty fucked up things that night buckaroo,"
" there ain't nothing fucked up about you Tony, darlin' after- after that I destroyed 3 a them super soldier proof punch bags and wiped out a hydra base wi stevie. If you had a gone super villain wi' all a' that I'd've understood babe, ya really ain't mad at me?"
"I don't want- I can't we just make out? All these feelings aren't- kissing?"
"You really are a genius sugar"
~
The next morning Tony flies out to Afghanistan his heart soaring so high he thinks he could get there with out a plane, freshly kissed and with a new boyfriend happier than he's been in years. 22hrs later tony stark is missing, there have been no ransom demands.