Chapter 2
“He is dangerously arrogant,” Rhodey says to Tony over the phone and he sighs.
“Coulda told you that a long time ago, platypus,” he says, “but what is it that’s got you so upset?” he asks.
Rhodey lets out a breath of air into the phone’s receiver, “you remember all that Accords business, yeah?” he asks and Tony nods, remembering belatedly that Rhodey can’t see him.
“Yeah I remember,” he says. He climbs out of the car he was in; slipping yellow tinted sunglasses onto his face and gives the large cathedral a frown. On the best of days he didn’t like churches but today he especially didn’t like them.
“Steve said no Tony. One hundred and seventeen countries signed this thing and he said no. You can’t say no to over sixty percent of the damn world when they tell you to do something!” Rhodey all but yells, clearly frustrated.
“I agree,” Tony says and he’s one hundred percent offended that Rhodey makes a surprised noise. “What? I’ve screwed up enough to know that sometimes limits are useful. But I’m guessing this thing has problems, you need lawyers?” he asks and Rhodey sighs.
“There are a few clauses that definitely need fixing in this thing so yeah, if you’d be so kind. I mean I was going to fight the bits I didn’t like anyways but Stark lawyers would make it a whole lot easier and faster,” he says. “I appreciate that. Rogers though, he said no and he isn’t even going to the fucking signing Tony. This is a level of disrespect I can’t even fathom.”
And he’d get away with it just like he always did, Tony thinks, but now wasn’t the time to say it. Now was the time to do something he never thought he’d do- defend Steve. “That… in his defense he’s more than likely at Aunt Peggy’s funeral,” he says as he walks into the church. No one needed to see ID to know who he was and that he was on the list of people to be here, but he does get looks for being on the phone. Truth be told he was on the phone because talking to Rhodey was comforting even if it was about politics and a person he hated.
It helped that until Tony said it Rhodey clearly forgot about Peggy’s death. He’d be offended but it’s been a long time since he talked to his aunt and Tony never really talked about her anyways. Not because she wasn’t important to him, but because it hurt to talk about someone who routinely mistook you for your father and accused you of beating your own mother. Tony just couldn’t handle explaining that no, he wasn’t Howard he was his son and Maria was dead. In light of recent events he wondered how much Peggy knew about that too, if SHIELD had been involved in the cover up and if it had did Peggy specifically know? She was the director at the time but Tony knew people kept secrets even from those in charge of them and HYDRA must have already infiltrated by then. It was wishful thinking to hope they covered their own tracks but truthfully he had no idea.
“Shit man I forgot, I am so sorry,” Rhodey says and Tony shrugs.
“Whatever, it doesn’t matter now. I’ll send some lawyers your way, alright?” he says and he knows Rhodey nods and, like him, remembers belatedly that Tony can’t see his nod.
“Yeah, sounds good. Seriously man, thank you. You didn’t need to help,” he says and he can feel the appreciation in Rhodey’s tone. One of many reasons he loved Rhodey.
“Yeah, I did. I may not have to deal with these laws but you do and I don’t want you having to deal with a bunch of bullshit people who’ve never considered what it actually takes to hero around dish out. I’ll talk to you later though; people are giving me the death stare for being on the phone in a church. Last I checked Jesus didn’t say anything about technology so I don’t get it,” he says and Rhodey lets out a snort.
“Dude, only you would be ballsy enough to show up to a funeral of a highly decorated military vet and spy on the phone,” he says.
“When I was five aunt Peggy dropped me on my head, she earned this,” he says and Rhodey laughs again but lets the call drop. Tony pockets his phone and makes his way to the emptiest corner to hide in it. Everyone who knew him knew he didn’t handle high stakes, high stress, high emotion situations well- case and point that one time he was dying- but most of the funeral goers almost certainly thought he was an arrogant ass with no respect. They weren’t wrong either, but that wasn’t why he was on the phone.
“You sure know how to make an entrance, cousin,” someone says from behind him and he turns to find Sharon there. She doesn’t look phased at all, like this was any other day and any other encounter she might have with Tony but he knew her better than that. He could see the slight strain in her features, and the tightness of her muscles in the way she held herself because, like him, she didn’t handle tragedy well.
“I didn’t even do anything,” he says in his own defense and Sharon lets out a small laugh, shaking her head.
“Pretty sure walking into a funeral on the phone is something, Tony,” she says. She steps forward and hugs him though, “I’m sorry,” she tells him softly.
He shakes his head, “you’re the one who deserves the condolences, Sharon. This can’t be easy for you,” he murmurs.
Sharon pulls away and shakes her head, “it isn’t. I loved my aunt, but you lost her long before I did and that has to sting. So I’m sorry, for all of it.”
Tony shrugs and he can feel himself sniff a little- a tell Sharon informed him he had whenever he felt a lot of any emotion and wanted to hide it. After she pointed it out he was hyper aware of it. “It wasn’t her fault, and I guess I can rest easy knowing she called my dad on his shit. Repeatedly apparently,” he mumbles. Sharon reaches out and grips his forearm for a moment before she lets go, looking as uncomfortable as he felt. He smiles though; letting his normal reactions take over because that was easier. “How’s the speech?” he asks, knowing she was the one who was asked to deliver it.
She gives him an offended look, “I didn’t want to give it. I told them to give it to you because I’m a spy. Showing my face at an extremely well know woman’s funeral ensures I’m out of work for the rest of my damn life,” she says resentfully and Tony winces, not having thought of that.
“When they asked I thought they left you out so I told them to go to you. I didn’t think of your job,” he says honestly.
Sharon smiles just a little and shakes her head, “guess that explains why the lawyers came back to me. Guess I could always do Coulson’s job- leading a team of agents is almost as fun as being one,” she says, giving the crowd a brief once over.
“If you want I can do the speech. I only handed it off to you because I didn’t want overshadow you,” he says. He thought he was asked because he was a face and name everyone recognized and he thought it would be unfair to overlook Sharon just because Tony Stark was a household name, not because Sharon was keeping a low profile and asked to be overlooked. She perks up at his offer though and lets out a sigh, handing over an envelope right away.
“Thank you,” she says, leaning forward to hug him again.
“No problem,” he says softly. “Whatever I can do to help you out.”
*
On the best of days he hated speeches, but when Steve was sitting in the front row looking at him in surprise while he delivered it he hated them with an extra amount of passion. But he talks about aunt Peggy anyways, giving a lovely speech about her history, her accomplishments, and her beliefs. He peppers a couple funny stories throughout, like that time she used an old timey dildo and some threats to get information out of a man in Berlin, and eventually he leaves the podium.
It would have been a lot more satisfying if eyes didn’t follow him through the whole church, still setting on him when he retreats to the very back, far away from prying eyes if they didn’t fucking follow him. When he gives the crowd a once over he finds Steve looking at him too and he looks away, staring resolutely ahead and refusing to give anyone any attention by looking straight forward. This was Peggy’s funeral, not a time to stare him down like he was the relevant person here. This exact reaction was Reason Number Two as to why he didn’t want to give the speech. People would focus on him instead of Peggy.
He ignores it though, suffering through the rest of the funeral without moving his gaze from the front of the room. He briefly runs into Natasha after, who was here on her stop over to sign the Accords, but she quickly takes off to Steve. Tony doesn’t mind that because it gives him time to catch up with Sharon a little and she thanks him again for taking over her speech duties. He makes a note to ensure she got a good job after all this damn hassle. He didn’t have much pull when it came to spy agencies but he knew some people who knew some people, he’d manage and once Sharon was there they definitely wouldn’t want to be rid of her. How she hasn’t risen to Peggy’s level of fame by now he had no idea if he was honest. He’s had her do a few things for him over the years and she was far more prompt than half the people he knew with triple the experience.
When Sharon leaves him though Steve quickly replaces her to Tony’s surprise. He catches a snatch of red going out the door and realizes why, silently cursing Natasha for leaving so soon. “Didn’t know you knew Peggy,” Steve says, drawing his attention back to Steve.
Tony glares at him, “literally anyone who’s picked up a text book knows who Aunt Peggy is,” he snaps. All two pages of information on her compared to the four chapters on Captain America. Who cares that it was Peggy who spurred him on and made sure he got to do what he wanted when he went to rescue Bucky and his unit. Even Howard got more than her and all he did was make things go boom. That wasn’t even hard, Tony knew from experience.
Steve raises an eyebrow, “she’s you aunt?” he asks and Tony lets out a harsh sigh, pissed that he left that out. On the podium he’d just referred to her as someone with a working relationship with his father- it was best to leave out how personal their connection was because he damn well knew the media would sooner focus on his relation to Peggy rather than Peggy’s accomplishments. That, he thought, would just be disrespectful to her memory.
“Biologically no, but she was around a lot when I was a kid,” he says evasively. She didn’t come around as much when he was a teen and after she got Alzheimer’s he realized why not that he ever needed that information.
“I wondered how you could have known so many personal details. Or why you were asked to give a speech before I was,” he says and Tony rolls his eyes, unable to help it. “I don’t see why I got that reaction, she was the love of my life,” Steve adds and Tony lets out an actual snort at that.
“Everyone is playing second fiddle to Barnes and Aunt Peggy wasn’t stupid enough to think she was an exception to that. You two used each other as beards because your time wasn’t much accepting of your attractions. Love of your life my ass,” he mumbles. “And they didn’t ask me first either. Its not like she didn’t have other relatives, they just had prior engagements,” he lies.
“Still don’t see how you got asked before I did,” Steve says.
Maybe because he knew Peggy for a few months and Tony knew her for years. “Look, I didn’t make the plans, okay? Take it up with the lawyers if you’re that offended,” Tony tells him. He pauses for a moment and sighs. “You know what, today isn’t a good day okay, for either of us. I’m sorry you lost her, I know she was important to you on some level,” he says softly. It’s not something he wants to say, but aunt Peggy would beat his ass if she knew he was being an asshole at her funeral. He didn’t much believe in the afterlife, but he did have enough respect for his aunt not to do something he knew she wouldn’t like at her funeral of all places.
“She didn’t join the army in thirty six, it was thirty eight,” Steve tells him, stepping around him and barely missing his shoulder as he walks away. Well okay then, there went any attempt at being polite. A couple nearby people give him a poisonous look, like they were offended that he forgot the year Peggy joined the army or something.
“She was a secretary for two years before she had enough, punched the local Lieutenant probably because he was sexist, and gave out orders that saved an entire platoon from certain death. Army couldn’t really deny how useful she was after that. She was recruited by Erskine not long after- I know my history,” he tells them, walking away. It wasn’t his fault Steve didn’t consider the two years she was technically in the army as a secretary. Not being in the field didn’t somehow negate her army experience, at least to him.
He decides to leave the church after that, tired of his current setting and looking to do something less… depressing. Bucky’s arm could use some more updates- most of the tech needed replacing from age alone- and he had ideas. On his way out he spots Steve giving him another dirty look and Tony considers Bucky again but this time he has different ideas entirely.
*
The next time James has the pleasure to spend time with Tony he’s in his penthouse and it is stunning. He looks around in wonder, noting all the things he wasn’t sure about and the list was surprisingly long given he had a lot less to catch up on than Bucky had. Bucky had pretty much no memories of the last seventy years but James remembered everything- every sordid fucking detail of his torture, his murders, and his eventual escape.
When he had been kicking Steve’s ass on that helicarrier it was the first- no technically the second- time Bucky had resurfaced in seventy years. The first was right before HYDRA zapped him out of existence again after the bridge. Sometimes he reappeared elsewhere, but never long enough to matter. The first time Bucky forced a take over was when he stopped trying to kill Steve and when he dragged his stupid spangly ass out of the river.
“See something you like?” Tony asks, leaning against his living room wall, one hand in the pocket of his sweatpants that looked way too good on him.
James gives him an appreciative once over, “don’t think I’ve ever seen a phone that looks like yours before,” he says and Tony smiles wider, shaking his head and pulling himself off the wall.
“You haven’t. Phones like mine aren’t marketable, people wouldn’t know what to do with them,” he says, picking up the slim, nearly transparent device that apparently recognizes being lifted because color immediately floods the screen. Looked like his screen saver was currently Rhodey. Tony makes a motion at the far wall that held the TV and music starts to play- early rock from what James could tell- though he couldn’t identify where the speakers were.
“Impressive,” he says and Tony nods.
“Easier to control my house with tech than relying on myself. I trust my bots more than I would me- they’re programed not to fuck up,” he says and James laughs.
“Something tells me that isn’t always how it goes. Steve said something about a high tech stove but that doesn’t look much different than the one we have,” he says, spying it from across the room.
Tony raises an eyebrow, “stoves are pretty much stoves. There’s only so many ways to make them and to be honest I find household appliances boring. I like luxury items a lot more- gives me more freedom in function,” he says easily, smiling at James over his shoulder.
James grins, “Steve doesn’t even know the difference between Star Wars and Star Trek, what does he know?” he asks, shaking his head. “So what’s on the agenda for the arm today, hmm?” He steps closer to Tony, expecting him to step back like he usually did if Bucky got too close. Or at least who he perceived as Bucky. He doesn’t though, instead he steps closer, eyes on James’ arm as he does and he reaches out to run his fingers down the limb.
“Replacing the metal panels- specifically that fucking tacky star. I thought you’d appreciate it,” he says, giving James a heated look from beneath his eyelashes. Tony smiles just a little, clearly aware of how his behavior was being read and that makes James curious. He reaches out and settles his metal hand on Tony’s hip, drawing him closer as he does so, pleased when Tony goes easily and presses himself to James’ chest.
“I have other ideas,” he tells Tony and he grins.
*
Tony wakes up to frantic knocking on his door and he makes an annoyed noise, “FRIDAY what the fuck is this?” he mumbles. Beside him Bucky stirs, blinking blearily before spying him and smiling.
“Hey gorgeous,” he says softly, pulling Tony into a kiss and he goes, knocking at the door be damned. Bucky laughs softly, dragging Tony into his lap and he goes, straddling Bucky as he pushes him back into the mattress.
“Sir, Natasha is at the door and she says its urgent,” FRIDAY says and he pulls away from Bucky, earning a disappointed noise that just breaks his heart, really, so he leans back in and kisses him again. “Sir,” FRIDAY says again, “Natasha is telling me that she was attacked at the UN signing of the Accords.”
Tony all but leaps out of bed at that because that was serious business. “Shit,” he says softly, trying his best to put on pants before he briefly returns to Bucky. “You should probably go home anyways. Steve is probably wondering where you are,” he tells him, giving him a brief kiss before he all but runs out of the room. He trusts an ex assassin to get out of his penthouse unnoticed. It would be a test of his skills to see if he could do it without Natasha noticing.
When he opens the door Natasha is standing there with a black wig and dark brown contacts in. “The King of Wakanda is trying to kill me,” she says bluntly and Tony raises an eyebrow.
“Wow, okay. He seemed nice on TV…” he mumbles, unsure what to do with that.
“No, not that one. T’Chaka is dead, blown up by some asshole. I mean his son, T’Challa. Also I’m wanted for terrorism,” she adds and Tony’s eyebrows fly up because today just got a lot more interesting than just fucking over Steve’s relationship.
“Come in,” he tells her, stepping aside so she could hide in his penthouse.