(For ancient prompts: Ooh, remember that ancient warrior!Bucky? Can we get more of that? Like, just them being domestic and where did he get that jewelry he doesn’t remove and does Bucky like the zoo or is he horrified by the cages and BACK STORY OF AW!BUCKY HOW DID HE GET THERE AND WHAT DID HE DO AND WHO IS STEVE IN THAT AU? + Ancient Warrior Bucky: All of the animals love Tony, much to his confusion. And it wouldn't be an odd thing to see Tony and Bucky cuddling on the couch, and then like 15 animals sitting around them. Rhodey is very concerned. + If you're taking prompts, can we see some more from the ancient warrior Bucky AU? Preferably with jealous Bucky meeting Tony's good friend Bruce.)
On AO3 by @dezinformatsia
Ancient Warrior Bucky is back! Tony can't stop thinking about that postcard. Bucky can't stop collecting animals. Rhodey gets zen, Pepper needs a drink, Bruce shows up, and Anubis is always a good time.
The world is a bit much right now. I dunno about you, but I need something fun to cheer me up. Didn't want to go crazy with tags and ruin fun reveals within the story. Well, if anyone remembers him, here comes Ancient Warrior Bucky! Also, I’m alive?
Random question thats hopefully ok to ask, but is dezinformatsia ok? They haven't posted anything for a long time and I wasn't sure if they'd just moved on or something had happened. Sorry if thats weird...
No, it’s totally fine, I get it. But I can assure you that’s she’s fine, just not active on tumblr anymore (for the moment, at least).
criminal minds au where bucky and tony have a relationship like garcia and derek sort of. but instead they are actually seceretly in love with ech other an hiding it in plain sight. steve keeps trying to convice bucky to go for it.
AN: This show might be a guilty pleasure of mine. XD You don’t need to watch the show to follow this fic, but here’s a quick montage reference for Garcia & Morgan’s banter-filled relationship.
Bucky crept through what was left of the HYDRA base currently smoldering around them, jaw tight and eyes narrowed. He’d been searching the same spot for a good five minutes, eyes and ears telling him everything was clear, while his gut told him otherwise. There was always the chance that Bucky was wrong, but HYDRA had been getting better at building hidey-holes in the hopes that the Avengers might miss valuable intel or equipment as they swept through.
“Hey, baby boy, you there?” he said into the comms.
“Your friendly neighborhood Oracle of all things knowable and unknowable at your service,” Tony answered.
Hearing the familiar, playful tone of voice eased away Bucky’s building tension. “I need that big, beautiful brain of yours, dollface.”
“Well, consider every last inch of me ready, willing, and—might I add—enthusiastically able to do your bidding.”
Bucky grinned at the empty room around him, summoning up a mental image of Tony back at the compound, spinning in his chair and firing up a dozen different displays as he prepared to assist Bucky in the field.
“Don’t tempt me, baby boy. I need you—”
“Oh, how I love hearing that,” Tony interrupted, voice dripping with innuendo.
“—to put my mind at ease. Cap gave the all clear, but I’m gettin’ the heebie jeebies big time.”
“Uh oh, that’s almost as bad as cooties. Let me work my magic for you.”
“Thanks, babe.”
Bucky surveyed his surroundings, listening to the soft, soothing sound of Tony murmuring to himself as he scoured floorplans and satellite feeds, or whatever else he’d managed to scrounge up. Considering Tony was his go-to guy for… well, pretty much everything, it was strange to think that little over a year before Tony had been more or less determined to take Bucky down. And not in a sexy way.
Thinking back to those days always left Bucky feeling heavy and sick to his stomach. Steve and Tony weren’t talking, the Avengers had been split down the middle, and the world was on high alert in a way that reminded Bucky of the war torn existence he’d known before falling from the freight car. His arm had been disintegrated, and he’d put himself back in cryofreeze, terrified that someone new would step out of the shadows to use his programming against him. Hope had more or less been burned right out of him, leaving Bucky weary and hollow.
And then he’d woken up one day and everything had changed all over again. Well, maybe not everything. The Avengers and the world were still a mess, but Tony Stark had been standing there with his hands shoved in his pockets, and a look on his face that made Bucky think Steve must have been killed in action while he was in deep freeze.
Thankfully, that hadn’t been the case. Turns out the guilt and sorrow on display in Tony’s big, brown eyes was all for Bucky. Tony had a lot to say about what had happened, the words spilling out of him in a rush as if worried Bucky was going to go for his throat, and not let him finish. The anger over Steve’s betrayal, the frustration and heartache and horror that had been building up inside of Tony throughout the years leading up to that moment in Siberia.
At the end of his lengthy apology, Tony had shown Bucky the replacement arm he’d built, had told him about the Binarily Augmented Retro Framing project, offered it up to Bucky and the team of Wakandan scientists watching over him as a way to work through his own traumas.
Having a bit of context helped, but the truth was, Bucky had never blamed Stark for his actions. He’d said as much, and asked Tony’s forgiveness. Bucky also made Tony promise to return, if only to check on his progress.
Somewhere along the way, they’d gotten to know each other, and by the time Steve and Bucky had been reunited (again), Bucky had wanted to sock the punk in the jaw as much as he’d wanted to hug Steve.
Back in the day, if any of Steve’s people had been going off the rails the way Tony had been, Steve would have been right there to support them, make sure they got the help they needed. Hell, from what Bucky had learned, it sounded like Steve had done exactly that for Wanda, the team—including Tony—coming together in an attempt to support and protect her both before and after her actions kicked off the Accords.
When it came to Tony Stark, though, the rules were different. Intentional or not, the Avengers had followed Steve’s lead and decided to act like Tony Stark wasn’t a person, as if his money or his intelligence meant he should rise above his very human reactions to the shitshow that was his life. Tony’s repeated cries for help went unanswered. Worse than unanswered, they were the subject of ridicule, or dismissed with annoyance or antagonism.
Even Tony seemed to think this reaction to him was normal, which was nuts! There he was, ready to forgive Bucky for everything he’d done as the Winter Soldier, but he refused to so much as consider forgiving himself for anything. Ever. It was enough to make you want to cry, but it also went a long way to helping Bucky work through his own grief. They’d sort of worked through a lot of it together.
Bucky wasn’t the same guy he’d been before the war and never would be again, but that was okay. Steve wasn’t the same either. Some things never changed, though; there was always going to be a part of Bucky that was fiercely protective of little guys who stood up for what was right. It was the reason why he found himself standing tall with a shiny new arm around Tony’s shoulders when they were reunited with Steve.
It took a while, but things changed for the better. Seeing how much Tony had helped Bucky made it easier for Steve to stop being a stubborn ass, and recognize the ways in which he had failed someone who was supposed to be his friend, his teammate. They’d all found a new way to work and live and be together, and Bucky considered it a personal victory.
There was only one problem. Somewhere along the way, without him ever intending for it to happen, Bucky had gone and fallen in love. He had no idea when, or why—ladies had exclusively held his fancy as far as he could remember—but for better or worse, his heart had latched onto Tony Stark.
The sweet talking and borderline flirting had already been a fully established thing between them well before Bucky figured out why it was his heart beat faster when Tony was near. There was no reason to think it was anything more than affectionate friendship on Tony’s side of the equation, but Bucky felt the weight of every last endearment. Worse yet, Steve knew it, the observant bastard, and was endlessly encouraging Bucky to go for it.
Once upon a time, Bucky would have swaggered up to Tony and put it all on the line, never mind the fact that he’d never been intimate with a fella. Sex was sex, and it’d be a hell of a lot of fun having Tony help him figure that part out. And if Tony wasn’t interested, sobeit, right? Friends was pretty great, too.
Except, he wasn’t that guy anymore. Maybe he’d never been that guy, because if he was being honest with himself, Bucky could look back and say he’d never been romantically in love with anyone before Tony. The idea of putting it out there and being rejected was too much to handle, and so he kept his feelings to himself, all while falling a little more in love every day.
“Will you look at that?” Tony said, voice cutting through Bucky’s thoughts and making him jump with surprise. “You were right on the money, my little sugar plum! Do me a favor and take a couple steps back?”
“Anything for you, doll,” Bucky answered, meaning every word of it. Ahead of him, a section of the floor slid open to reveal a set of stairs. “Any idea what’s waiting for me down there?”
“No heat signatures or other signs of life,” Tony said, sounding distracted, “but it wouldn’t be the first time HYDRA has snuck one past me. Do me a favor and don’t go down there alone.”
Bucky paused, weapon drawn and aimed at the door waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. “Who’s closest?”
“Our fearless leader. Patching him in now,” Tony answered. “Holler back when you’re done and let me know you’re okay.”
“You got it, baby boy. Barnes out.”
Steve confirmed he was enroute and gave an ETA over the comms, while Bucky watched and waited, finger feeling itchy on the trigger. HYDRA never put anything good behind closed doors, and for Bucky it was always a special sort of agony waiting to find out what they’d discover. More human experimentation? Weapons or plans for weapons that made your skin crawl?
“‘Bout time you showed up,” he grumbled when Steve finally made an appearance.
Down they went, Bucky’s anxiety building up only to break in confusion when they opened the door and discovered nothing more than rows of file boxes. “Huh. Anticlimactic.”
“I don’t know about that,” Steve said, pulling the lid off the closest box and holding up a thick folder. “This could be an information goldmine.”
Smiling to himself, Bucky started doing some rummaging of his own. “How much you wanna bet this is ‘cause they’re scared of my baby? Paper’s a pretty good way to keep Tony outta your business.”
Steve chuckled. “You’re probably right.” And then, because he was a stubborn jerk, Steve swatted at Bucky’s shoulder to get his attention. “How about you deliver these to your baby while we clean up here. You can take advantage of having the compound to yourselves, and finally tell him how you feel.”
Bucky groaned and let his shoulders slump, staring up at the ceiling like it might be able to back him up. “How many times do I gotta go over this with you, Stevie? It ain’t that simple!”
“Sure it is,” Steve insisted. “It’s pretty obvious Tony cares about you, too, Buck. I don’t underst—”
“Caring is one thing, love is another,” Bucky interrupted, slamming the lid down onto his box in a huff. “Tony’s too important to risk losing! I know he’d never stop being my friend, but it’d still change what we have. No matter how sweetly he lets me down, I’d feel that loss all over again every time I looked in those beautiful eyes. He’s… god, he’s essential, like air, Steve, I can’t handle losing him after everything else I’ve lost. Okay?”
Steve reached out to squeeze Bucky’s shoulder. “I get that, honest, I do. But… what if he doesn’t reject you? Think of everything you could gain by telling him the truth.”
“Life ain’t ever worked out for any of us like that before,” Bucky said with a sigh. “No reason for it to start now.”
Bucky let himself be pulled into a hug and even felt a little bit better by the time Steve let up. “The two of you deserve some happiness. Just… think about it, okay?”
“Fine,” Bucky grumbled. “I’ll think about it.”
“Good. That’s all I’m asking,” Steve said, handing Bucky a box before heading for the stairs. “I’ll see you back at the compound.”
Taking a deep breath, Bucky started loading himself up with boxes, but then remembered his promise and thumbed the comms. “Hey, baby boy,” he said, getting no response. Still juggling boxes, Bucky fussed with the comms one more time, heard a little burst of static, and then tried again. “Tony, baby, you there?”
“For you? Always,” Tony answered.
There was a weird undercurrent to Tony’s voice, but probably that was Bucky’s imagination. Considering the conversation he’d just had, he was willing to bet the strangeness was all on his end. “Get your scanning software warmed up, doll, I’m coming in hot with mountains of paper, all for you.”
“You always bring me the best presents,” Tony purred. “I’ll see you when you land. Hurry back, but fly safe, soldier.”
Bucky smiled as the words washed over him. “You got it, baby boy.”
As he loaded up one of the Quinjets and headed back to base, Steve’s words played over and over in Bucky’s mind. He hadn’t been lying when he said he’d think about it—all he ever did was think about telling Tony how he really felt. Bucky had a whole collection of exceptionally pathetic fantasies involving sweeping Tony into his arms, kissing him senseless, and having his love returned. Some days, Bucky was even able to convince himself that Tony might welcome the confession, but reality had a way of making itself known, and reminding him of how dangerous hope was.
And sure enough, Bucky’s heart lurched as he landed the Quinjet, because there Tony was, waiting for him. As good as he looked in the fancy suits, Bucky liked Tony best when he was dressed down, like he was at the moment. T-shirt and jeans and an old MIT hoodie looked good on the man. Unfortunately, Tony was also sporting a cast on one leg, which was why he’d stayed behind in the first place.
“You’re s’posed to be resting up,” Bucky shouted as he headed down the ramp.
Tony grinned. “I am! Look, I’m using the stupid crutches and everything.” He shook one in the air as if to prove his point. “Can’t expect me to stay inside when I know you’re out here, strutting around in your leather.”
Bucky laughed at this and put a bit more swagger in his step as he crossed the distance between them. Tony’s smile was a sight for sore eyes, made Bucky’s blood pound dangerously and his fingers itch. God, but what he wouldn’t give for the chance to touch. Not that he kept his hands off of Tony as it was, but the sort of touching Bucky had in mind very much required consent.
Instead of following through and kissing Tony breathless the way he wanted to every time he saw the man, Bucky stopped and dropped an innocent kiss on Tony’s forehead, instead.
“Miss me?” he asked, winking.
“Yeah,” Tony croaked. As Bucky watched, something shifted in Tony’s expression. He swallowed, Adam’s apple bobbing. “I miss you any time I don’t have eyes on you.”
Bucky’s stupid heart was still racing. Unable to help himself, he brushed a bit of Tony’s hair back from his forehead. “Is that a fact?”
“It is,” Tony said. He was staring up into Bucky’s eyes with an intensity that seemed out of step with their normal, playful banter. It made all the hairs stand up on the back of Bucky’s neck in alarm. “Bucky, I…”
“What’s wrong?” Bucky asked, but even as the words were leaving his lips, everything fell into place in his mind, the answer to his own question coming to him in a flash.
The comms. The fucking comms. He’d signed off verbally when talking to Tony, but had never actually disengaged them, too distracted by the creepy crawls the HYDRA base was giving him. Coming back up the stairs, he’d thought he was thumbing the comms back on, but Tony hadn’t heard him because he’d actually turned them off. Which meant Tony had heard everything else, the entire conversation between him and Steve and…
“Oh,” he whimpered. Bucky squeezed his eyes shut. “You weren’t s’posed to hear that.”
A warm hand cupped the side of his face, prompting Bucky to open his eyes again. Tony’s eyes were wide, and there was a bit of fear there in them, but nothing like pity or disgust, which was something at least.
“Yeah,” Tony admitted. “I didn’t mean to snoop, honest! It’s just that I worry about you when I’m not there to watch your back.”
Bucky dug up a smile, covered Tony’s hand with his own, turning to press a kiss against his palm. “It’s fine,” he said, feeling anything but. Cold had washed through his body from the top of his head down to his toes, leaving him oddly numb. “Tony, you don’t have to—”
He’d always wondered what Tony’s lips would feel like. Soft, warm, insistent. They were pressed against Bucky’s own, cutting off his words. Bucky heard Tony’s crutches fall to the ground, but the sound seemed to come from very far away. Tony was holding onto him with both hands now, holding on tight as if worried Bucky might try to run away, holding on as if he never wanted to let go, and that was…
Bucky made a strange, strangled noise as his mind caught up with what was happening, and unable to help himself, he kissed back like he’d never get another chance. Finally wrapped his arms around Tony, wound his fingers through the man’s hair, sighing into his mouth as the kiss went on and on and on.
Somewhere along the way, Tony started talking, disjointed words spoken against Bucky’s lips. Things like, “Do you have any idea?” and, “Wanted this for so long,” and, “I love you, too, Bucky.”
Bucky could probably be excused for lifting Tony up off the ground and spinning him in a circle. He held on tight, giddy with relief and happiness, couldn’t seem to let go. Didn’t want to.
“You mean it, baby boy?” Bucky asked, unable to help himself, smiling like a goon.
The look in Tony’s eyes said it all, but the words were awful nice to hear, too. “I’ve meant every word of it. Felt this way for a while, but I’ve been scared, too. I might have some abandonment issues.”
Bucky stroked Tony’s cheek and kissed him again. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Promise?”
“I promise, baby boy,” Bucky said. “You’re stuck with me for the rest of my life.”
Tony grinned wolfishly. “I can handle that. I kind of love you like crazy, Bucky Barnes.”
“I kind of love you, too, Tony Stark.”
And because he could, Bucky swept Tony up into his arms, leaving the crutches behind as he carried Tony back inside to celebrate the new direction their lives had just taken.
“To invent your own life’s meaning is not easy, it’s still allowed and I think you’ll be happier for the trouble” - Bill Watterson
PEOPLE. OHMYGOD. I've been making terrible whale noises over this fic, and now I can cry about it publicly, this is important. @finely-honed is continuing the beautiful ache that is the Deep in the Heart of Me 'verse. Winterhawk style. I cannot even word how amazing Clint and Bucky are, never mindthe insights into DITHOM. Listen, listen, I'm a mess, go read the thing and be a mess with me okay. And make sure to let Dez know what you think about these beautiful sunshine boys okay
Summary: There were days when the realization that he was someone’s father made Steve’s head hurt, but mostly he was grateful that he could trust his instincts, because apparently Peter was what had been missing from his life. Yes, he still had lingering, unresolved issues from his time in the Army, and sure, he had what Bucky annoyingly referred to as a criminally untapped ass, and no life outside of work and Peter, but Steve was okay with how his life had turned out because of trusting his instincts.
Unfortunately, those same instincts had straight up betrayed him by going absolutely haywire upon being exposed to Tony Stark.
Veteran single dad Steve runs a tattoo shop. For his 40th birthday, Pepper arranges for Tony to get that tattoo he always wanted, and he winds up with the mother of all crushes instead. Jumping out of airplanes is one thing, but falling in love is something else entirely. Steve struggles with the idea of actually letting someone into his life. Tony is left trying to keep his heart from being broken while Steve figures things out.
Words: 258k in 35 chapters
Notes: I’d subscribed to this fic when it was in its early stages, but put off reading it when it was completed because of its sheer length. I HAD NO IDEA I WAS DEPRIVING MYSELF OF SUCH PERFECTION. Oh my god, but this was something else. This was nothing like any fic I’d read before, partly because I’m an emotional wimp who can’t take a lot of angst, and partly because I don’t think (or it’s been a while since) I have ever been this emotionally invested in a fic. I cried so much while reading this. It really takes you through each step of the mental health process, with special emphasis on step 1: acknowledging you have a problem. You really feel the gravity of each moment, and it’s kind of amazing that even though it’s one of the longest fics I’ve ever read, I can honestly say that I don’t think even one word was wasted with regard to how this story was told ♥ All the characters are so amazing and hilarious and so well-developed, the relationships and friendships are so great, it had a freaking timeline devoted to it by the author, PETER PARKER(!!!), and just… GAH. Also, what makes this so great to read is that you inherently trust the author to take care of the characters and the plot, and you’re really just along for the intense journey without having to sacrifice your own mental health while reading (which is a huge thing for me, since like I said, I am The Worst when it comes to angsty fics). I’ve been wanting to rec this since I finished chapter 1, and now it’s basically a no-brainer. When I got to chapter 30, I was reading as slowly as I could because I didn’t want it to be over. *sobs hysterically*
I could go on. But I have to stop because I need all y’all to do yourselves a favor and read this already. Go forth and enjoy the feels!!
A Podfic version of my 2nd Imagine Tony & Bucky story!
Prompt: AU idea where Bucky and Tony meet in dreams occasionally and have done since Tony's parents died. Tony thinks it's just his subconscious trying to cope with the grief and Bucky doesn't remember any of it as the Winter Soldier, but then Steve brings him to the tower, and they recognize each other.
Be sure to give @duendeverde4 some serious love for transforming my little story into audio gold! ~ dezi
