WI Pride Prompt Party, day 15: Birthday
Rating: G
Pairing: winteriron
Tags/Warnings: established relationship, old married life, softness, the bots!
Tony wakes up at 5am, and his first thought is an annoyed oh come on.
He feels it without looking at the watch: the world’s too dark and quiet, and Bucky’s still asleep beside him, although he wakes up early, these days. Today, especially: he planned something sweet for the morning, no doubt, breakfast in bed, perhaps, to wake Tony with.
But no. The sleep runs away, and Tony’s brain is immediately alert and fresh — something that can’t be said for his body. His days of sleepless nights are over: it’s harder now to withhold their toll. He’s content with it, now, glad for it. Age suits him: there’s peace and comfort in it he had no hopes of ever achieving, and now it feels like heaven, like a fairytale come true.
But today — of all days! — his insomnia catches him unaware. It’s not a problem: he will live through the day just fine, but it is an annoyance. A welcome one, to be fair, a sign of a happy retirement: to be annoyed at minor inconvenience. He turns and lets his eyes rest, mind wandering, and his attention turns, as it’s prone to do, toward his husband.
It’s a joyful sight to wake to, even with insomnia, even with his brain so heavy. Bucky looks happy and at peace, his hair all over his face. Tony moves closer to him and is rewarded with an unconscious embrace. It is a marvel, how Bucky tends to follow him even in the sleep.
How far they’ve come. It is a miracle in its own way, the true magic of the world, to live through all they did and come out whole and happy. Together, always together.
Tony smiles and buries his face in Bucky’s chest. The contact is a familiar comfort, and the sense of stability and peace that embraces him at that is encompassing.
“Hmm,” the sleepy voice comes from above, “you’re not supposed to wake up yet.”
“Sorry. I can pretend to sleep if that would help?”
“Nah. Like you better this way.”
A hand goes into his hair, so tender.
“You like me in every way.”
The conviction in Bucky’s voice is exhilarating.
“So. Are you planning to feed me?”
“Hmm. At some point, yeah. Are you hungry already?”
“Yeah, but I don’t want you to stop holding me.”
Bucky’s laugh is soft and happy.
“I think I can work around that.”
“I have a plan, yes. J? Tell the children it’s time.”
Tony has only a moment to lift his head in confusion when the door opens and here they come: all his bots in a row, beeping excitedly.
“Hush, you, let them do it.”
DUM-E comes to the front and does a little dance. Tony thinks he’s going to cry, but that’s not even the end, for then he sees the tray with his breakfast held carefully by U and Butterfingers, with a card on it that has too much glitter which is now definitely in his food, and at that — fuck it — he wipes his eyes.
Bucky kisses the questions from his lips.
“Happy birthday, love,” he says, and this is, Tony thinks, what happiness looks like.
jacobvanloon
areudirty
prguitarman
discoholicmusic
stormborns
pixelskylines
ellievsbear
