#48 for winteriron for the kisses ask??
Much to Bucky’s delight and Tony’s dismay, he is able to identify twelve different ways to steal the Declaration of Independence other than what was portrayed in National Treasure.
“I can’t believe I missed that one,” Tony groans, sounding like he’s genuinely embarrassed at having only identified eleven ways to steal the Declaration of Independence versus Bucky’s twelve.
Bucky just laughs and tells Tony, “Eleven’s not bad, doll, for an amateur.”
“Excuse me?!” Tony cries, sounding put out. “I may have only been 34 when I saw National Treasure for the first time and not a senior citizen like you, but I’m not an amateur, I’m a professional.”
“A professional would have identified all twelve ways to steal the Declaration of Independence,” Bucky tells him seriously.
“Fri, are you hearing this? Betrayed by my own friend in my own home- make note of this frankly hurtful behavior, and the next time I’m inclined to have a movie night with Bucky, remind me of the cruelty that took place tonight,” Tony says with his arms folded across his chest, looking amused despite his best efforts to appear disgruntled.
Bucky takes one look at his expression and bursts out into laughter all over again.
“You’re mean,” Tony pouts, clearly trying his best to look offended. It’s a futile attempt on his part though, given how obvious it is that he’s on the verge of laughing too.
“And you’re a sore loser,” Bucky points out, grinning as he adds, “In addition to an amateur.”
Tony grumbles under his breath at his rude and unfair comments, but he’s smiling as he says it.
Bucky just smiles back at him as he turns his attention back to the-
Tony leans over into his space and kisses him on the cheek. Bucky knows his eyes are wide as he looks over, and no doubt he’s blushing too as he clears his throat and goes, “That- um, you- what was that for?”
Tony shrugs, flush high on his cheeks as he says nonchalantly, like it’s no big deal, “You looked happy.”
Happy? Bucky almost clarifies- me? He hasn’t felt happy in- in a long time, so long that he’s not even sure he remembers what it feels like to be happy. But he looks at Tony, thinking of the peace and safety he feels when he’s with him, and he thinks of their laughter and he realizes, I am happy.
A couple of days later, Bucky’s grinning as he watches Dum-E and U argue over who gets to bring the tennis ball back to him when Tony does it again. Bucky’s aware that he’s approaching from the desk he was working at, but he is still utterly taken by surprise when Tony presses up close into his personal space, stretches up on his toes, and kisses his cheek. He’s gone as quick as he comes, going right back to his desk and the gauntlet he’s working on, but the same flush is high on his cheeks again.
“What was that for?” Bucky manages to ask, when he’s done gaping at Tony like a love-struck teenager.
Tony glances over at him as Dum-E drops the ball into his hand triumphantly. “You looked happy,” he says.
Bucky turns away and smiles.
It happens again and again, and again. Bucky asks every time and Tony gives the same answer every time: you looked happy.
And if Bucky finds himself coming to the workshop more often or asking for more movie nights to see if he can get a kiss on the cheek from Tony, well, that’s nobody’s business but his own.
Bucky is in the middle of arguing with Sam over who has the better taste in music when Tony enters the kitchen, half-asleep and clearly in search of coffee. Bucky stops his argument long enough to smile and say, “G’morning, Tony,” before he’s right back in the argument again.
“Now, hold on, I know you didn’t just insult Marvin Gaye!” Sam cries out, affronted.
“Of course I didn’t!” Bucky says, offended. “I like his music just fine, I was just merely pointin’ out that your taste in music could be improved if you listened to- what was that for?” he interrupts himself on autopilot when Tony sits down next to him at the kitchen counter and kisses his cheek before raising his mug to his lips.
“You looked happy,” Tony mumbles back his standard response, clearly still more asleep than awake as he sets his mug down on the counter and leans over to put his head on Bucky’s shoulder.
Bucky smiles softly at him and brings his arm around his shoulders before he continues, “Like I was saying, your music taste could be improved if you listened to- what’s wrong with your face?”
“Excuse me?” Sam huffs, staring at him weirdly still. “Take a look in the mirror, Barnes, and are we just not going to address the elephant in the room?”
“You were the one who cut me off before I could tell you-”
“No, not that, when did you two become a thing?” Sam gestures wildly between him and Tony. Bucky just stares at him blankly. “The kiss on the cheek, Tony sleeping on your shoulder; when did you two start dating?”
“We’re not,” Bucky says, frowning at him. “Tony just kissed my cheek, it’s our thing, you got a problem with that?”
“Our thing,” Bucky repeats, starting to get defensive. “It’s nice, I like it, and it’s none of your business.”
Sam raises his hands a little. “Not judging, man,” he’s quick to reassure. “Just didn’t expect it, I guess.”
“I kissed him cause he was happy,” Tony says softly into his shoulder like it’s the only necessary explanation, and it is.
Bucky glares at Sam, silently daring him to say anything either against their thing or Tony. “It’s sweet,” Sam says after a moment, giving Bucky an all-knowing grin like he’s aware of something that Bucky’s not. “Now, bionic man, tell me, exactly whose music is so good that it’ll refine my already perfect taste in music?”
Bucky snorts and off they go again, like nothing ever happened.
Tony continues on with the kisses after that, now just without care of whether they’re alone or not. When they’re together, Tony kisses him all the time: while they’re watching a movie, while they’re working on a car engine together, and even while they’re talking about what their plans are for the day.
Tony also kisses him while he’s baking, while he’s reading, and while he’s playing with Dum-E and U. If Tony’s up early to catch a flight and happens to come across him and Steve as they’re laughing and coming in from a jog, Tony kisses him. He’ll kiss him while he’s bickering with Sam about something, or while he’s competing with Clint about who’s the better sniper. (He is, but Clint isn’t willing to admit defeat yet.) Tony’ll kiss him while he’s eating breakfast with Nat, or listening to Thor’s stories of Asgard, and he’s even brave enough to interrupt his cooking sessions with Bruce in order to steal a kiss.
Every time Bucky asks, “What was that for?” and every time Tony always says, “You looked happy.”
“You know, that first time you kissed my cheek when we were watching National Treasure, that was the first time I’d been kissed since HYDRA captured me,” Bucky tells him one day as they’re lounging on the sofa together.
Tony sets his tablet aside and looks at him. “I didn’t know that,” he says, looking unsure for a moment, as if he’s trying to gauge how serious the conversation is. He must see the gleam in Bucky’s eye because he adds, “I’m glad I was your first though.”
Bucky snorts, laughing easily like he always does with Tony. “Yeah doll, me too.” He looks at Tony, taking in the warmth in his eyes, and then leans over to kiss his cheek. He lingers there for a moment and then pulls back, heart pounding.
Tony half raises his hand like he’s going to touch his cheek. His eyes are wide and his cheeks a little flushed; in the last four months he’s been kissing Bucky, Bucky has never kissed him back, until now. “What was that for?” Tony asks hoarsely.
Bucky shrugs and says nonchalantly, like it isn’t a big deal, “You looked happy.”
Tony’s blush deepens. “I’m- I’m always happy when I’m with you,” he says quietly.
Bucky leans forward so there’s only a few inches of space between them. “Can I kiss you?” he asks quietly.
Tony glances down at his lips briefly and then looks back up as he nods, saying softly, “yes.”
Bucky leans in and closes his eyes, kissing him gently.
“What was that for?” Tony whispers when he pulls back.
“That was for always making me happy.”
Tony grins and kisses him again.
