basically it’s a project that never saw the light beyond ch1, and that’s mostly bc your beautiful fic fed all my reading needs dear ;-; but also bc I was having troubles researching South Korean legal system and law school education curricula.
it should have been a canon divergence au where Yo Han didn’t become a judge but an Ethics Professor instead (can you imagine?? him?? ethics?? that’s an insane reach even for me), while Ga On began university later bc he did end up in jail in high school after getting (some level of) revenge for his parents. the catch should have been all focused on Ga On’s relationship with Jung Sun Ah as his benefactor funding his studies after charitably reintroducing him to society through a deal with the court. he gets a more lenient sentence and is made to apply for social work in volunteering activities (handled by the cult) before his military service. this all to be allowed to go to university and then law school in the end: so he actively mecame the posterchild for the elite’s facade of well-meaning intentions towards the commons folks and is paraded as such (causing him all sorts of self-esteem issues mixed with pride for “being picked” and for “having made it back to society”).
I thought to myself: what if Sun Ah gets to Ga On first? I wanted to explore something similar to the betrayal Ga On felt in canon towards [redacted..... for spoiler reasons in case anyone hasn’t watched the show till the end yet], but this time around in regards to an “older-sister-like figure”, so to speak. Sun Ah is very deceitful and can act the caring type well, so I wanted to see how Ga On would have grown up to be under her influence rather than anyone else’s. this would have also made him closer to the cult too and he would have been essentially groomed into being one of the many perfect little puppets they used for their schemes.
Soo Hyun would have not been in the picture close-range, since at the time she would have been in police academy, but I still wanted her to project her guilt onto Ga On for “not having managed to save him back then”, or something on those lines. my queen Jin Joo is also there, but I wasn’t sure whether to make her Ga On’s tutor or Yo Han’s teaching assistant yet.
I ditched the idea in the end, but i still think about it from time to time. I envisioned a How to get away with Murder scenario for the high-stakes ethics lectures under Yo Han’s guidance, but in this au Yo Han would have been highly suspicious of Ga On since the kid was basically taken under the 1%’s wing and is consequently indebted to them. Ga On would have been still 27-28 in this au tho.
I’m sad I wasn’t able to give justice to this plot idea, bc coming up with Yo Han’s shenanigans in class was proving to be very difficult for me at the time xD I wrote the basic plot points on my notepad and maybe the first chapter.. but then I gave up.
but in a way I’m glad I did, bc I was frustrated with myself and decided to treat me to some good food on ao3 and found your fic ;—; that way I found you T—T and we became friends T^T so all is well in the end :D
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Categories: Gen, M/M
Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV)
Relationship: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Characters: Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale, SAMMI-B, Scott McCall, Allison Argent, Lydia Martin, and some others but that would be spoiling...
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Androids, Derek is an android, Stiles isn't, but he likes them very much, Science Fiction, Ableist Language, There is also a weird pet bot, All hail SAMMI-B the Adorable
Language: English
Words: 60,040
Summary:
When Stiles finds a high tech, broken down android in a dumpster, he knows it's too good to be true. There has to be a catch somehow — no one throws away expensive androids, and this particular one is unlike any android Stiles has ever seen. D33R3 looks so real that Stiles could almost mistake him for a human being. He can't help bringing him home.
Stiles should have listened to his instincts. It soon becomes clear that someone is looking to reclaim their lost propery, and Stiles is nothing but an irritating obstacle standing in their way.
"Are you spying on me?" The low, dangerous growl was actually quite frightening — and Tony battled supervillains for a living.
"No! Of course not," Tony quickly replied. "That would be all kinds of illegal. I don't even know your phone number. I just asked the computer that if you called, it should be forwarded to me." He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry."
"Why?"
Tony frowned. "Why? I'm sorry because I lied about—"
"No," the man interrupted, "why did you ask the computer to do that? Why would you want to talk to me?"
That was somehow a more terrifying question than the previous ones, but the answer was just as obvious.
Ship: WinterIron, Tony Stark X James “Bucky” Barnes
Rating: teen and up
Major Tags: canon-typical violence, murder, Bucky is NOT okay, angst, implied major character death
Summary: There are a lot of things that Bucky regrets. The list is, quite frankly, longer than he can handle on most days and, right at the very top, is lying to Tony about who killed his parents. Bucky has known even from before they started dating, but he simply can't bring himself to say anything — to ruin one of the few good things he has in his life. It's selfish and wrong, but Bucky just doesn't know how to tell Tony that he is the one responsible for Howard and Maria Stark's deaths.
So when he starts receiving anonymous emails, threatening to expose the truth to Tony and the rest of the world, Bucky is desperate enough to agree to the blackmailer's terms, even if it means breaking up with Tony. Bucky cannot, under any circumstances, let Tony find out about his parents from anyone but Bucky himself.
Too late Bucky realizes that there is much more to the blackmailer's scheme than just having Bucky break Tony's heart. Too late Bucky realizes that despite his best intentions, he will still end up losing everything — in a much more permanent way than he could ever have imagined.
Review’s name: mod tisfan
I read this while it was being posted, and oh, my goooood, it killed me. A lot.
The perceived character death sends Bucky Barnes right off the rails from recovering good guy to supervillain in training... from torture and probable murder and lying, he does it all in a desperate bid for revenge.
We’ve got good-bro Jarvis, a lot of Bucky feels, Winter Soldier feels, Steve is trying but he’s also kinda being a dick...
It starts with Bucky dumping Tony, and that’s just the first blow. This fic is punishing in its angsty goodness, punching the feels right out of you without a chance to catch your breath. This is a two-kleenex fic and it’s only that few because it’s (relatively) short, not quite 20k in six chapters.
(Can I say that I personally have a “thing” for people who right decent length chapters? I have this ideal spot between 1,500 words and 5,000 words and after that a chapter is too long, don’t people know I have THINGS to do?)
If you need a bit of a cathartic crying jag, I highly recommend this fic.
How bout a Fake Engagement AU? Bucky pretends Tony is his fiance to get Steve, Natasha & Sam off his back, about settling down. Only it backfires, because they demanded he bring Tony to the next family event, to meet his future husband. Only one tiny ity bitty problem, Tony isn't his boyfriend let alone his fiance, just Bucky's favorite bartender down at The Avenger. Bucky may also be like half in love with him. Totally unrelated. Now Bucky has ask Tony to be his finance for a week. No pressure.
Plus One
Bucky took a deep breath and pushed open the door tohis favorite bar, instinctively relaxing when the familiar smells and soundswashed over him. It was still early and The Avenger only had a few patrons,most of them regulars who Bucky knew by face or, in rare cases, by name.
Tony lit up when he caught sight of Bucky, his grinwide enough to cause an excited flutter in Bucky's chest, as always.
"What's this? Is it Christmas already?" Tonycalled from behind the bar, looking delighted as Bucky made his way toward him."Two times in a week, Buckling? I am officially the luckiest guy in NewYork."
Atrocious as the nickname was, Bucky couldn't helpsmiling as he reached the bar and slid into his usual seat.
The first time Bucky had shuffled into The Avenger,he'd done so out of sheer necessity. He'd been cold and shivering, miserableafter having spent hours outside in the rain, walking aimlessly in an attemptto chase away the darkness that tended to creep up on him when he sat alone inhis shitty apartment for too long. The soft, warm lights of the bar had calledto him, promising a sanctuary Bucky had so desperately needed.
Once inside he'd been met with dark wood, soft music,and a subtle murmur of voices, so different from the loud bars and clubs he andhis friends usually visited. There had been enough dark corners that Buckycould easily have disappeared if he so wished, the atmosphere one of politeindifference. He'd known right away that no one would bother him here — no onewould care.
Bucky could still remember how the tension he'd beencarrying — the one that had chased him out onto the streets in the first place— had bled out of him within seconds.
"And why are you so lucky?" Bucky asked,even if he knew exactly where this was going.
"Because you spoil me, Buckling," Tonyreplied, tone playful. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon."
"I just can't resist, doll," Bucky said. Hewas still surprised by how easy it was to banter with Tony. Ever since Buckyreturned from Afghanistan, most social interactions felt like pulling teeth andflirting had been entirely out of the question — until he met Tony. It wasalmost frighteningly easy to talk to Tony. "The thought of going one moreday without seein' your pretty face nearly broke my heart."
Tony laughed, bright and carefree, and Bucky couldbarely breathe for how beautiful Tonylooked in that moment.
(Mobile readers, watch out for the break.)
"I bet you say that to all the boys," Tonyteased.
Bucky rested his forearms against the counter and gaveTony a wink. "You're the only one for me, sweetheart. You know that."
Tony braced his hands against the bar, wide apart, andleaned closer. Bucky could smell a whiff of Tony's aftershave and see theflecks of gold in his brown eyes.
"Good," Tony said, voice low enough to senda subtle shiver down Bucky's spine. The playfulness in Tony's gaze said that hewas probably just joking, but Bucky soaked up the attention all the same."Keep it that way."
Bucky placed a hand over his heart. "You have myword."
He was rewarded with another laugh and Bucky knew he had to be grinning like alovesick idiot. He was so in over his head with this one.
It was strange to think that Bucky had only given Tonya cursory glance the first time he visited the bar. Sure, Tony had beenundeniably charming even back then, with his wide, inviting smile and sparklingeyes, but Bucky had been too preoccupied with his own misery to really care.He'd simply ordered a drink, found an empty booth, and proceeded to ignoreeveryone around him.
Bucky had sat in that booth for almost two hours, coldand wet, fingers loosely wrapped around the tumbler of whiskey and gaze staringblankly at the table in front of him. No one had bothered him or asked him ifhe was okay, and that had been fine by him.
He'd been able to breathe freely for the first time inmonths, which had been nothing short of a miracle.
It wasn't until he had gotten up to leave — asurprising but very welcome calm having settled over him sometime during thosetwo hours — that he had happened to catch Tony's gaze across the room. Onlythen had Bucky noticed how the lighting inside the bar made everything glow asoft and warm gold — including Tony.
His eyes had looked like gently burning embers,bright, mesmerizing, and breathtakingly beautiful.
After that, Bucky felt he couldn't be blamed forreturning to the bar a second time. And a third. And a fourth. He'd done sopartly because The Avenger — with its soft music and low, murmuring voices —helped put his whirring mind at ease, but mainly it was thanks to Tony. Buckywasn't sure why he found the place so soothing, but he wasn't going to complain,especially seeing how well it worked.
It wasn't until Bucky's fourth visit that he and Tonyhad started talking and — as Bucky became one of the regulars — it soon becamea habit.
They had exchanged words before, sure, when Bucky hadplaced his orders, but this was different. It was actual conversations withgently asked questions and equally careful answers. Bucky wasn't sure what itmeant — if anything at all — but he liked it. He liked talking to Tony. Theybecame friends, of sorts, even if it wasn't an entirely conventional relationship,given that Tony was working every time they met.
The fact that Bucky's feelings for Tony weren'tentirely platonic, well — Bucky kept that to himself.
"So, what can I do for you?" Tony asked,straightening a little, but not so much that he was actually out of Bucky'sreach. It was a heady feeling to have Tony that close. "You want theusual?"
And, just like that, Bucky was reminded of his reasonfor showing up at the bar. He'd actually managed to forget his currentpredicament, if only for a little while.
He cleared his throat, feeling his stomach twist fromnerves. "Uh, yeah. Sure," he croaked, almost wincing at how not smooth that response had been.
Tony did pause for a second — his concern easy to spotin the sudden sharpness of his gaze — but he clearly knew Bucky well enough totell that this wasn't one of his bad nights. Not like Bucky's first couple ofvisits to The Avenger, when he'd barely been able breathe through the panic andPTSD.
"Coming right up, Buckling," Tony repliedeasily.
Bucky could tell that Tony was giving him time togather his thoughts, but that he would eventually ask why Bucky seemed sonervous. That was one of Tony's best qualities — over the one and a half yearsthey had known each other, he'd learned when to wait Bucky out and when to pushfor answers.
Surprisingly, Bucky did most of the talking in theirrelationship. He wasn't sure how that had happened; not even Steve managed tocoax as many honest answers out of him as Tony did. Bucky wasn't the kind ofperson who liked to share — he kept his problems to himself — but every singletime that Tony tilted his head to the side and asked that one simple question,the words just came pouring out.
"Want to talkabout it?"
Bucky didwant to talk about it. He'd had no idea how much he wanted to talk about thingsuntil he met Tony. It was in that dimly lit bar, fingers holding on to a glassof booze he rarely ever finished, that he spoke freely for the first time inhis life. Bucky wasn't sure why — what Tony did to make Bucky trust him to thatdegree — but it was such a relief.
He told Tony about his anger over losing his arm,about the slow and agonizing recovery and the infernal prosthetic he wasexpected to wear, about his family, and about Steve, Sam, and Natasha. Buckytold Tony things he hadn't even told Steve, though those weren't many.
Occasionally, Tony shared anecdotes of his own. Hetold Bucky about his joy of tinkering, about the wild adventures he'd had withhis best friend while at MIT, and about small tidbits from his everyday lifethat Bucky treasured with embarrassing enthusiasm. Every piece of informationthat he was able to gather about Tony was precious to him and only served tomake Bucky like the man even more.
Bucky couldn't be blamed, he felt, for falling half inlove with Tony. Who wouldn't? The man was charming and kind, and listened to aone-armed veteran without a hint of impatience.
It was easy to fall for someone like that.
The fact that Bucky had managed to convince Steve,Sam, and Nat that the feeling was mutual, well — that was perhaps a bit of aproblem, on the other hand. He should never have told his friends that he had afiancé. Why on earth had he donethat?
Well, he knew why — because Bucky hated how theynagged about him needing to find someone to settle down with. He was in no moodfor dating and certainly not marriage,but that was, apparently, not a sufficient answer.
So he lied. He told them that he did, in fact, havesomeone — they were engaged, even.
Steve had been delighted, so desperate for Bucky tofind happiness, while Nat had been more skeptical. It was her questions thathad pushed Bucky to reveal more about this secret fiancé of his and, in amoment of absolute panic, he'd ended up describing the bartender at hisfavorite bar. It would have been wiser to just conjure up an imaginary person,but no, that was apparently too easy. Bucky had to go and pick someone he wasactually mooning over and then proceed to describe the man in such detail thathis friends demanded to meet him.
Bucky had done a lot of idiotic things in his life,but this might very take the cake.
He was so stupid.
A tumbler was placed in front of him and Bucky took adeep breath before looking up at Tony. "Thanks."
Tony smiled and mirrored Bucky's position with hisforearms braced against the bar between them. The light made Tony's hair glow awarm, dark gold, and he looked so effortlessly handsome that Bucky didn't knowwhether to look away or stare like a complete fool.
Bucky chose the latter, glancing down at his glass ofwhiskey when the warmth in Tony's gaze became too much.
After another couple of seconds, Tony spoke up."Are you going to make me ask?"
"Well, I dolove the sound of your voice." Bucky was just trying to buy himself time,but he was very pleased that it earned him a laugh from Tony.
"Flattery will get you everywhere."
When their gazes met, Bucky couldn't help grinning; thesmile on Tony's face made Bucky a little breathless. As nervous as he was abouthis purpose for visiting, seeing Tony never failed to make him happy.
Tony nudged Bucky's elbow with his own. "Butdon't think I didn't notice you trying to avoid the subject."
There was that wave of vague nausea again. Bucky stareddown at his tumbler of whiskey, absently rubbing his thumb against the rim ofthe glass. It was probably better to just get it over with.
He cleared his throat and forced his voice to remain steady."Can I... ask you a favor?"
"Sure. Shoot," Tony replied immediately — nohesitation or questions asked.
The trust Tony had in him was gratifying, but alsoserved to make Bucky even more nervous. This was a pretty huge favor, afterall, and he wasn't sure how Tony would react to it. Had it just been a matterof him coming along to Bucky's little sister's wedding then they might havebeen fine, but the fact that everyone there expected Bucky to bring his elusivefiancé, well — that made things difficult.
Bucky had actually refused when Steve, Nat, and Samhad tried to convince him that bringing Tony to the wedding would be a lovely idea. There were limits to howmany lies Bucky was willing to tell and he knew that he would be digginghimself into a far too deep hole with that one. If he wasn't able to get Tonyto come along, they'd know Bucky had been talking shit.
But then Becca had gotten involved, thanks to Nat'sscheming, no doubt.
While Bucky might be able to say no to his friends —even Steve, though it was embarrassingly difficult sometimes — he wasn't quiteprepared to deny his sister something she wanted for her wedding day. If onlythat thing hadn't been to meet Bucky's non-existent fiancé. Bucky couldn't evenfigure out if it would be worse to keep lying to her about said fiancé or justcome clean and admit that he was just as pathetically single as he had been forthe past two years.
Bucky only had himself to blame, he knew that, butthat didn't exactly make him feel better.
Fuck his life.
After much deliberation, Bucky had decided it wouldn'thurt to ask. The conversation wouldbe awkward, no doubt, but it probably wouldn't ruin his and Tony's friendshipentirely. If phrased correctly, Tony might even take it as a compliment.
"It's, uh... a big one. A huge one, actually." Bucky scratched his neck before lookingat Tony, already feeling like an idiot. Tony just kept smiling, patientlywaiting for Bucky to continue. Bucky cleared his throat — again — and managedto squeeze out the words: "Will you be my plus one for my little sister'swedding two months from now?"
Bucky desperately wanted to bang his head against thebar when he realized just how corny he'd made that sound. He behaved like ateenager asking his crush to the prom. Then again, that analogy wasn't entirelywithout merit, he supposed.
Tony blinked in surprise, looking quite stunned. Buckycouldn't blame him.
Bucky hurried to continue, not sure if he would havethe courage to explain the whole situation otherwise. "I know it's a strangerequest since we, well... we don't see each other outside of this bar. And itgets even weirder, too."
"Oh?" Tony seemed to have gotten over theinitial surprise, but his face remained carefully blank, as if he was waitingto show his reaction until Bucky had finished. Bucky had never seen Tony dothat before. Tony was usually very expressive, always smiling and open in hisbody language. Seeing him so contained was unnerving.
"I might have lied a little to my friends andfamily." Bucky swallowed, but forced himself to meet Tony's gaze. This wasdefinitely one of the most awkward conversations Bucky had ever had themisfortune of taking part in. "About, uh, my relationship status."
Within seconds, Tony's face broke into a wide grin.
"Ah. Ithink I know where this is going." The hesitation was gone, Tony's posturerelaxing yet again. Bucky hadn't even noticed it had tensed in the first place.
"You do?" Bucky asked incredulously. Sure,he knew that Tony was frighteningly intelligent — it hadn't taken Bucky morethan two conversations to figure that out — but this was a pretty bizarresituation.
"You lied and told them you were datingsomeone," Tony said, as if it was the most obvious and understandablething in the world, "and now they want you to bring this date of yours tothe wedding."
"Fiancé, actually," Bucky mumbled, not quitesure how to react. He'd expected to have to explain everything in detail, nothave Tony figure it out after just a couple of stumbling sentences.
"Fiancé? I like the way you think, Buckling — aimhigh, and all that." Tony tilted his head to the side, his smile almostdisturbingly excited. He was clearly enjoying this but Bucky couldn't quitetell if it was at his expense or not. "And I'm the lucky guy who gets toplay this fiancé of yours?"
To his horror, Bucky felt himself blush.
"Well, I—" He looked down at the bar andscratched his ear. "I guess? If you want to?"
"I would love to."
Bucky's gaze snapped up to look at Tony."Really?"
That was easy — a lot easier than Bucky thought itwould be.
"Yeah, sure." Tony shrugged, still smilinglike the conversation made complete sense and wasn't weird in the slightest.Bucky found himself wondering if anything could bring Tony out of balance."Who would pass up on a chance to see you all decked out in a nicesuit?"
"A lot of people," Bucky blurted out,wincing when he realized just how pathetic that made him sound. It was thetruth, though — one-armed veterans with PTSD weren't exactly in high demand.
"Their loss is my gain," Tony repliedeasily. While Tony wasn't one to give pep talks, there was something incrediblyreassuring in the way he firmly shot down Bucky's self-depreciating comments.Tony smiled and Bucky was so caught up in staring at him that he almostflinched when he felt a touch against his fingers. He glanced down to seeTony's hand gently settle over his.
"Bucky, sweetheart," Tony said, his gazedetermined, "I would be honored to be your fake fiancé at your sister'swedding."
Perhaps it was the serious tone Tony adopted or thegeneral ludicrousness of the situation, but Bucky burst out laughing. There wasa slightly manic hint to it that turned a couple of heads, sure, but Buckyignored the stares.
"There you are," Tony said with a pleasedgrin, squeezing Bucky's hand. "I like it better when you smile."
Bucky shook his head, still feeling the laughterbubble in his throat. He looked up at Tony, trying not to be distracted by theabsent little circles Tony's thumb were rubbing against the back of his hand.
"You're unbelievable," Bucky said.
"Why thank you."
When Tony pulled his hand back, Bucky tried his bestnot to miss its warmth.
"And you're takin' this surprisingly well."Not that Bucky was complaining — he just hadn't expected Tony to be soaccepting. "Have you been asked to be someone's fake date before?"
Tony grinned. "Nope. This is definitely a firstfor me. I'm just very good at adapting."
"I'd say." Bucky took a couple of deepbreaths, feeling his shoulders lower. He'd been so tense and nervous about thiswhole thing that he almost wanted to slump from relief. "You sure you'reup for it? It's a week-long thing. With family get-togethers and socializin'and a wedding reception and shit like that."
"Yes, Buckling," Tony replied patiently,"I'm sure. I'm flattered, actually. This means I must have done somethingright."
That was certainly true. There weren't many people Buckytrusted enough to ask, and few of those knew him as well as Tony did. There weresome details they still hadn't covered, sure — Bucky didn't know Tony'ssurname, now that he thought about it — but the foundation was there. Tony wasaware of the PTSD and Bucky's triggers, and hopefully remembered enough aboutBucky's family and friends not to walk in blind. Admittedly, Bucky knew lessabout Tony than the other way around, but still enough to call them friends.
Still enough to know that when it came down to it,there was no one else Bucky could or wanted to ask.
Bucky tried to swallow the lump of gratefulnessbuilding in his throat, with only marginal success. "Thank you."
"It's my pleasure, Bucky."
"You might change your mind when faced with myfriends and family," Bucky warned, but he couldn't help the soft smilespreading on his lips. Tony had heard enough stories to know a lot about them,sure, but meeting someone in person was quite different, especially people likeNatasha or Steve. "They're a handful."
While Tony was exceedingly charming, Steve wouldn't befooled by a pretty face, and neither would Becca or Nat.
Tony, being who he was, winked, of all things. "Good. I like a challenge."
Bucky snorted on a laugh. "I think I regret thisalready."
"Are you breaking up with me, Buckling?"Tony teased, his eyes sparkling. "We didn't even make it to thewedding."
There was only one way Bucky could respond to that.
"I've said it before and I'll say it again,doll." He reached out and carefully laced their fingers together, giving agentle squeeze. "You're the only one for me."
For the first time since they had gotten to know eachother, Tony looked a little speechless. As much as the two of them flirted witheach other, they rarely touched. Bucky wasn't entirely sure why. Perhaps it wasthe literal barrier of the bar between them or maybe Tony thought Bucky didn'tlike physical contact considering how rarely he initiated it.
While taking Tony's hand didn't seem all thatadventurous — Tony had touched him first, after all, just a couple of minutesago — Bucky had time to start wondering if he had crossed a line. Or maybe itwasn't the touching that had made Tony fall silent. Perhaps Bucky had saidthose words with a little too much conviction, unintentionally revealing thatthey weren't quite as fake as he pretended that they were.
An anxious knot started growing in Bucky chest and hewas just about to pull back and apologize when Tony smiled, warm and fond, likealways.
"And that's why I'm the luckiest guy in NewYork," Tony said, voice soft.
Bucky felt his heart squeeze, pleased when Tony seemedperfectly content to let their entwined hands continue to rest on top of thebar. They hadn't even started yet and Bucky could already tell that he was goingto be toeing a very dangerous line.Pretending to be engaged to Tony without making it obvious that Bucky was, infact, genuinely in love with the man was going to be tricky, but he was toorelieved to really care in that moment.
There were a lot of technical details to take care ofinvolving the wedding — not to mention that he and Tony had to agree on variousdetails to make their story believable — but that could wait. They probablyshouldn't discuss those things in the middle of the bar anyway. In some weirdway, Bucky was actually beginning to look forward to the whole thing.
For one whole week, he'd get to pretend that Tony washis.
That probably made him all kinds of creepy, but Buckycouldn't help it. He had been in love with the man for so long and he wasembarrassingly eager to see what it would be like to be Tony's fiancé, even ifit was all pretend. Bucky would take whatever he could get.
In fact, a week was more than Bucky could ever havehoped for, and he would make sure to treasure it. For one whole week, Buckywould get to be Tony's fiancé.
Bucky couldn't believe his luck.
A/N: I would LOVE to continue this at some point and write the actual wedding, but because of deadlines and my semi-writer’s block I’m afraid this is all you’ll get this time around. Still, I hope you like it!
Prompt: Bucky forgetting Tony and his anniversary because he spends all his time with Steve.
Tony knew he didn't really have any right to complain. Considering the number of times he had forgotten Pepper's birthday or any other important date they'd shared, he actually deserved to be at the other end of the equation for once. The thing was just that he'd made an effort this time. He had decided, at the very start of his and Bucky's relationship, that he would do better.
Nowadays, Tony made sure to mark every important date in his calendar and asked JARVIS to remind him well enough in advance that he could plan gifts or make reservations — whatever seemed suitable for the occasion. Tony was determined not to make the same mistakes as he had with Pepper. The sheer number of times he'd made her feel ignored or forgotten would haunt him for the rest of his life, and he didn't blame her in the slightest for breaking up with him.
So, when his and Bucky's one-year anniversary rolled around, Tony was prepared. He'd finally learned that unnecessarily bombastic gifts usually weren't the way to go — another thing Pepper had had to suffer through — and had settled for buying Bucky a new, fancy leather jacket and a pair of headphones. Both were of expensive brands, granted, because Tony didn't know how to buy things cheap, but they were also things Bucky genuinely wanted. That hopefully made them better gifts than an obscenely large stuffed bunny.
Bucky's favorite place to eat didn't really require reservations, but Tony had made sure to call ahead to warn them that two Avengers would be dropping by and had politely requested a table in the back, if possible. When Tony had explained that it was for an anniversary dinner, they had been more than happy to help — and offered their well-wishes.
Everything was set. Tony had even made sure he was free from SI and Avengers obligations the entire day, intending to focus solely on Bucky. That had been one of the main problems in all of Tony's previous relationships; his work and projects always came first. In general, Bucky seemed to have nothing against that — he was surprisingly uninterested in changing Tony — but their anniversary, of all days, shouldn't be like that. Tony wanted Bucky to know just how much he loved him, even if he didn't always manage to say it with actual words.
Disappointingly, the day didn't turn out at all like Tony had planned.
(Mobile readers, watch out for the break)
First of all, he woke up alone. That wasn't entirely unexpected — he and Bucky kept different schedules — but he had hoped Bucky might sleep in on account of what day it was. Usually, Bucky loved to cuddle in bed, but his morning run with Steve must have held more appeal.
Tony pushed his disappointment aside, telling himself that didn't matter. There were still plenty of hours left in the day; Bucky would have time for him later.
Except when Bucky and Steve returned from their run and stopped by the kitchen for a water bottle each, all Tony got was a quick smile and a chaste kiss from Bucky before both super soldiers disappeared in the direction of the gym. Tony stood frozen on the spot, bereft, coffee cup in hand and unspoken words dying on his lips. He had wanted to ask Bucky what his plans for the day were, but Tony supposed he already had his answer.
Tony told himself not to be so greedy. He couldn't expect Bucky to always have time for him. Being too demanding was another reason for the rift between him and Pepper — the way she'd put Tony's needs before hers, time and time again. It was both selfish and cruel.
If Bucky wanted to spend his day with his best friend, who was Tony to stop him?
Tony swallowed and quickly gathered up his composure. If Bucky was busy, Tony might as well get some work done on his numerous projects. Bucky would come find him sooner or later, and then they could make arrangements for when to eat dinner.
Tony clung to that thought as he headed for his workshop, but there was no denying the lump of dread growing in his stomach. He had a feeling this day would turn out to be the opposite of what he had hoped.
---
A gentle kiss was pressed against Tony's temple and he felt himself smile, a shiver of delight running down his spine. He looked up from his soldering and was met by Bucky's grinning face.
"How are you, doll?" Bucky's words were soft and drawling, intimate in a way that never failed to make Tony's heart skip a beat. Bucky ran his hand through Tony's hair, as if he just couldn't resist the temptation to touch him.
This was what Tony had pictured their anniversary to be like.
"I'm good." Tony put his tools down and turned his chair around, pulling Bucky closer by his belt loops. "You?"
Bucky's hair was still a little wet from the shower he'd taken after his workout and Tony was pleased to note that Bucky was now wearing that lovely red Henley of his. It was one of Tony's favorites.
"Right now? Absolutely perfect," Bucky murmured with a fond smile, before leaning down for a proper kiss. Tony got so caught up in it — the warmth and taste of him — that he almost missed the words Bucky whispered against his lips as soon as the kiss ended. "I just wanted to see you before Steve and I head out again."
Tony stiffened, blinking in surprise. "Out?"
"Yeah." Bucky straightened and combed his fingers through Tony's hair once more, though this time it didn't feel particularly comforting. "The baseball game, remember? Steve got us tickets months ago."
"Oh. Right." Tony felt his heart sink, cold realization beginning to spread through his veins.
Had Bucky forgotten what day it was? Or did he just not care about celebrating anniversaries? Or maybe Tony had assumed their relationship was a bigger deal than it actually was? Perhaps Bucky saw what they had as something more casual, and therefore didn't want to acknowledge that they'd been dating for a year?
The thought made Tony's throat tighten.
"You okay?" Bucky was frowning, his voice full of concern.
Tony couldn't tell him. He'd either make a fool out of himself or make Bucky feel guilty for prioritizing spending time with his best friend. Tony and Bucky hadn't actually agreed to do anything special for their anniversary — they hadn't even mentioned it, in fact — so he shouldn't feel disappointed that Bucky had other plans.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Tony faked a smile, even if he knew that Bucky could probably see right through it.
Unsurprisingly, Bucky wasn't convinced. "You sure? You look..." Bucky didn't finish the sentence, obviously not sure how to catalogue whatever look was on Tony's face.
"I'm just tired," Tony deflected. "I didn't get much sleep."
It was a flimsy excuse. Bucky seemed to agree, judging by the frown he was wearing.
"Do you want me to stay in tonight?"
"No." Tony shook his head, trying to swallow down the lump in his throat. He wanted nothing more than to say yes, but that wouldn't be fair to Bucky. He and Steve had obviously started planning their evening months ago — even before Tony had started making his preparations. "What good would that do? I probably won't be good company anyway. I'd rather see you go out and have fun with Steve."
"Are you sure?" Bucky asked.
"Absolutely." Tony wasn't even lying. He would only feel bad if Bucky stayed at home because Tony had asked him to, knowing he'd rather be at the game.
Bucky still looked concerned, but relented. "Okay, but let me know if you change your mind."
This was outright torture. Tony's chest felt heavy with disappointment and what could, quite possibly, be grief. He was fairly certain this meant Bucky had forgotten — he wouldn't be this oblivious if he was just uninterested in celebrating their anniversary — but that option was no less depressing. Bucky didn't consider the date notable enough to remember.
"I will." Tony's stomach was a tightly clenched ball of misery, but he managed a smile. "Now get going, before Steve leaves without you."
Bucky smiled too, his thumb stroking Tony's cheek. "See you when I get back?"
Tony nodded, not sure if his voice would carry without cracking. He returned the kiss Bucky gave him, but he could admit his heart wasn't in it. As he watched Bucky leave the workshop, on his way to spend the evening with Steve, Tony was almost a little surprised by how much it hurt.
Was this how Pepper had felt? If so, he didn't know how the hell she'd held out for as long as she had. It was excruciating to know his and Bucky's anniversary had been forgotten by the one other person who should remember it.
As soon as the elevator slid shut behind Bucky, Tony could feel his eyes begin to burn. He had no right to feel hurt, he knew that — he had treated Pepper way worse during their relationship — but he would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed. Bucky had always been so caring and considerate that the possibility of him forgetting their anniversary hadn't even occurred to Tony as an option. It seemed like the kind of thing Bucky would remember even if they had been in the middle of an Avengers mission.
Tony gritted his teeth and looked up at the ceiling, blinking the tears away. He was just overreacting, that was all. They hadn't said the day was special and, just because Tony had, for once, made an effort, that didn't mean he should fault Bucky for not doing the same. Bucky already put up with so much when it came to Tony, so if he wanted to go to a baseball game instead of having dinner with Tony, then he'd certainly earned that.
"JARVIS." Tony cleared his throat to get rid of the telltale tremble in his voice. "Let the restaurant know we're not coming."
"Of course, Sir."
Tony tried to convince himself that wasn't pity in JARVIS's voice, but he wasn't particularly successful.
---
As much as Tony tried to pretend that everything was fine in the days following their anniversary, he couldn't quite shake the feeling of disappointment. He stuffed Bucky's presents into one of the drawers in the workshop, praying he'd forget about them entirely, and did his best to smile like nothing was wrong.
It wasn't a big deal that Bucky had forgotten. Tony had no right to complain about something he had done so many times himself. A part of him wanted to get passive aggressive about it, sure, but Bucky deserved better than that. Tony was trying so hard not to fall back into old, childish patterns.
He was a little stiffer than usual, though, and found himself spending more time in the workshop, unfairly trying to spare himself the stab of hurt he felt whenever seeing Bucky. Tony just couldn't let it go, even if he knew he should. Whether or not they celebrated their anniversary didn't make or break their relationship. Tony might feel a painful clench in his chest whenever he thought about it, but he could learn to ignore that.
If Bucky noticed something was wrong, he never said anything.
---
Tony woke to gentle fingers stroking his hair and a soft kiss against his forehead. If the purpose was to make him eager to get out of bed, it was a poor tactic; tenderness of that kind only made him want to stay in bed longer.
"I brought coffee," Bucky whispered fondly.
Reluctantly, Tony cracked open one eye. "Are you bribing me?" he asked, mock-suspicious.
Bucky laughed and kissed his cheek. "I might be." He straightened and gestured towards Tony. "Come on, sit up."
Tony rolled his eyes but did as told, failing to suppress a wide yawn. He glanced at the clock on his nightstand — 9:13 AM — before getting distracted by the breakfast tray standing on fold-out legs next to the bed.
"You brought breakfast?" It was a stupid question since Tony could see for himself that Bucky had — toast, pancakes, sliced fruit, juice, and the aforementioned coffee. He wasn't displeased, just a little surprised.
"Nothin' gets past you, does it?" Bucky replied teasingly as he lifted the tray off the floor and placed it in front of Tony instead. Only then did Tony notice the rose lying next to the juice pitcher — rich, dark red with gold glitter along the edges of the petals.
"That's for you," Bucky said, obviously having noticed where Tony's gaze had strayed. Bucky picked up the rose and held it out to Tony, his smile breathtakingly sweet. "I know it's a little cheesy, but I figured you wouldn't mind."
Truth be told, Tony had trouble swallowing the sudden lump in his throat. He was pretty bad at romantic gestures and perhaps not overly fond of showing heartfelt emotions, but he couldn't not like it when Bucky was being so sincere. This was why Tony had wanted to do something special for their anniversary — he knew Bucky valued these kinds of things.
"You dork," Tony whispered, albeit fondly. He accepted the rose with one hand and pulled Bucky down for a kiss with the other. Bucky hummed against Tony's lips but soon drew back, grinning proudly.
"Let's eat." He was unusually eager, even for a hungry super soldier, and Tony couldn't help laughing when Bucky crawled over Tony's legs to settle next to him, propped up against the pillows. As soon as Bucky was in place, he leaned in to kiss Tony's cheek. "I love you."
Tony's throat closed up. He knew he was being ungrateful, but why couldn't Bucky have done this on their anniversary instead? This was exactly the kind of thing Tony had expected to share on that day, but instead Bucky had been off spending time with Steve. Of course Tony still appreciated the attention he was given now, but he'd been carrying the disappointment for days and it wasn't any easier when knowing just how considerate Bucky could be.
"I love you too," Tony replied, even if his voice sounded a little choked. Hopefully, Bucky would take it as Tony being touched instead of a tiny bit heartbroken.
To give himself some time to gather his composure, Tony picked up his coffee and took a sip. Immediately, Tony could tell Bucky had prepared it himself. It was quite endearing that no matter how many times Tony explained that he had appliances that could grind the beans and make the actual coffee, both Bucky and Steve occasionally insisted on doing it the old-fashioned way. Tony would be lying if he said it wasn't terribly flattering that Bucky wanted to spend that kind of time and effort on Tony's coffee, though.
Tony cleared his throat, careful not to meet Bucky's gaze. "So, what are we celebrating?"
While Bucky was a whole lot better at romantic gestures than Tony, they usually had a purpose of some kind.
Tony froze, coffee cup halfway to his lips. He turned his head and stared at Bucky, feeling a sickening roll in his stomach. "No, it's not," he said.
Their anniversary had been five days ago — Tony was sure of it.
His heart clenched when Bucky reached out and took his free hand, raising it to his lips to kiss Tony's knuckles. "Yes, it is." Bucky smiled, thumb stroking Tony's fingers. "And it's okay if you've forgotten — Pepper warned me that you might."
Tony's throat clicked and he hastily looked down at the breakfast tray in his lap. He hadn't forgotten. For once he hadn't forgotten, but he understood if everyone assumed he had — it was how he usually operated, after all. He wasn't sure how they'd mixed up the days — Tony trusted JARVIS with his life, and he would never have given the wrong date — so the fault must lie with Tony.
That shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.
"Okay." He swallowed and carefully placed his coffee cup back on the tray. "I'm sorry." Even he could hear that his tone was too flat.
"Tony?" Bucky sounded concerned — maybe even a little sad. "I mean it. It's okay if you don't—"
"I should get to work," Tony interrupted. He pulled his hand back from Bucky and grabbed the handles of the tray, preparing to lift it to the side. "I have a lot to—"
"No, wait!" Bucky took hold of Tony's wrist, not tightly enough that Tony couldn't break free, but still enough to make him freeze in place. "Tony, what's wrong?" There was outright panic in Bucky's voice now. "Was it something I did?"
Tony quickly shook his head, but he didn't let go of the breakfast tray or look up at Bucky. "No, you're wonderful. This is wonderful. Everything is fine, I just need to—"
"Please don't lie to me."
Tony shut his mouth with a clack. Lying never helped a relationship, Tony knew that much. Bucky deserved better than lies.
"Tony, please. Talk to me." There was so much pleading sincerity in Bucky's voice — Tony didn't have the heart to deny him.
It still wasn't easy, though. Tony sat quiet for long, agonizing seconds before he gathered enough courage to speak. Bucky's fingers remained wrapped around Tony's wrist the entire time, as if he was afraid that Tony would leave as soon as he let go.
"I didn't forget," Tony said, gaze fixed on the cooling pancakes. He licked his lips. "I just thought it was five days ago, that's all."
There was a stunned silence.
"You did? Why didn't you say anything?"
Tony refused to reply to that, and he also refused to meet Bucky's gaze. He couldn't quite decide if he felt depressed or just stupid — perhaps both.
"Five days ago was—" Bucky cut himself off, sucking in a sharp breath. "Oh Tony, no." He sounded devastated. "That's why you looked so sad when I said I was going to the game with Steve."
Since it wasn't a question, Tony saw no reason to reply.
"I could tell somethin's been off these past couple o' days," Bucky continued softly, "but I didn't know if you wanted to talk about it."
Tony closed his eyes when Bucky touched his cheek, breathtakingly gentle, as always.
"Please look at me."
Tony sighed but did as asked — there were few things he could deny Bucky — and wasn't the least bit surprised when he saw the pained look on Bucky's face.
"I would never do that to you." The amount of conviction in Bucky's voice was rather comforting, but Tony still felt a pang of sadness. "I would never force you to spend our anniversary alone. Not even for Steve."
"I know." Tony did know that. Bucky wouldn't knowingly be that cruel to someone he cared about, and Bucky did care about Tony. It had taken a while to get used to the thought, but Tony eventually had. "I just figured you'd forgotten."
Tony tried to sound nonchalant but he was fairly certain that he failed.
Bucky cupped Tony's cheek. "I would never forget somethin' as important as that." He swallowed, his smile faint. "And I'm sorry I assumed you had."
"Hey, it's okay — it's what I do." Tony shrugged, gaze skittering to look at the wall behind Bucky's shoulder. "You're right to expect the worst—"
"Tony, no." Bucky's words were gentle but the look in his eyes was firm. "I'm sorry. I know you've been tryin' really hard and I shouldn't have doubted you. That wasn't fair. Please accept my apology?"
Tony frowned. "I still got the wrong date so I don't see why you should apologize for—"
"Tony."
"Fine!" Tony exclaimed, both exasperated and a little bit fond. He felt a reluctant smile twitch at the corner of his lips. "I accept your apology."
"Thank you." Bucky leaned in for a soft kiss, clearly relieved. He bumped their foreheads together. "Are we good?"
"Yeah." Tony closed his eyes, soaking up the comfort of having Bucky close — their breaths mingling, Bucky's warmth pressed against his side. "We're good."
Bucky hummed and gave Tony another quick kiss. "In that case, I suggest breakfast."
Tony snorted but saw no reason to protest. A lot of the tension he'd been carrying the past couple of days was gone. Sure, he'd still gotten the date wrong, despite his best efforts, but at least this meant Bucky hadn't forgotten about their anniversary.
"I'm sorry I mixed up the days," Tony said, settling back against the pillows before taking another sip of coffee. "I still have the presents I got you, but I haven't made any dinner reservations."
Bucky picked up a piece of toast and smiled. "That's okay — I have."
Tony grinned back and was a little surprised when JARVIS interrupted the sweet moment — he usually had enough tact not to.
"Sirs, if I may?"
"Sure, JARVIS," Tony replied, reaching for one of the forks. "Go ahead."
"You were not mistaken about the date."
"JARVIS, it's not your fault." Tony used the side of his fork to cut a decent piece of pancake for himself, slapping Bucky's fingers away when he tried to steal it. "I just gave you the wrong date to keep track off. No harm done."
"No, Sir, you were right. All of my logs — and your credit card receipts — confirm that it was one year and five days ago that you and Sergeant Barnes had your first outing."
Both Tony and Bucky froze, then turned to look at each other in surprise. Bucky couldn't be the one who had gotten the date wrong, could he? Tony was pretty certain that was his job.
"Wait, you count from the first date?" Bucky asked, frowning.
"You don't?"
"No?"
It was Tony's turn to frown. "Then what anniversary are we having today?"
"Our first kiss." Bucky looked a little hesitant. "I mean, isn't that technically when we got together?"
"I..." Tony was beginning to feel hesitant too. "I don't know?"
There was a brief silence, Bucky and Tony staring at each other in confusion.
"Both dates are milestones within your relationship," JARVIS helpfully cut in, "so neither of you are necessarily wrong. They are both anniversaries."
If Tony hadn't been so stunned, he would probably have found the situation quite hilarious. But at least he was beginning to understand why they said that communication was key in any relationship.
"Perhaps, in preparation for next year, you should agree on a date together?" JARVIS kindly suggested. "To avoid further misunderstandings."
Bucky let out a short laugh, his shoulders relaxing. "Yeah, that's probably for the best."
"Let's go with today in that case," Tony decided. "A first kiss is more fun to celebrate than a first date."
"Sounds good to me," Bucky replied, a soft smile on his lips.
Tony just had to lean in and give him a quick kiss which, unsurprisingly, ended up being everything but quick. Once Tony managed to pull back, he wasn't ashamed to admit that he felt slightly lightheaded, his entire being tingling with happiness and contentment.
He cleared his throat while trying — and failing — not to smile. "JARVIS, rearrange the schedule and mark today as our anniversary instead."
"Certainly, Sir."
JARVIS reply was partly lost to Tony since he was busy returning the next kiss Bucky pulled him in for — a deep and needy thing that made his heart rate spike and toes curl. There was a flutter of warmth in Tony's chest, growing steadily stronger, and he reveled in the closeness — the feeling of belonging and the sizzle of desire pooling low in his stomach.
Bucky made him feel all kinds of wonderful things.
For the first time in five days, Tony was able to let go of the worry he'd been carrying and simply enjoy Bucky's company.
It was, after all, their anniversary, and what better way to spend it?
