Pairing: Bucky/Tony
Rating: T
Words: 874
Tags: A/B/O, Scenting, Hurt/Comfort
Summary: As a Beta, Steve might be able to read Bucky’s body language, but he can’t smell the sour, panicked scent basically rolling off of him, growing stronger and thicker by the second. Tony can, though, and he doesn’t even think before he moves closer to Barnes, led by basic instinct more than anything else. He ignores Steve’s concerned, “Tony,” as he comes to a stop only inches away from Barnes, and waits until Barnes meets his eyes before he bares his neck in invitation.
Reasons why I love it:
Short and sweet, this fic is one that I always return to for a little pick-me-up. Bucky getting the comfort he deserves just warms my heart, especially when it's Tony offering it. Throw in some A/B/O dynamics and I'm a goner. A wonderful fic, definitely check it out!
Pretending by cagestark
Pairing: Bucky/Tony
Rating: E
Words: 3,075
Tags: Female!Tony, Drunk Sex, Friends With Benefits
Summary: Bucky takes care of drunken Toni's every last need.
Reasons why I love it:
This fic just makes me so goddamn soft. Bucky is so whipped for Toni, and it's honestly adorable. Plus, the smut and the humor throughout are absolutely superb. I love this fic to death, and I bet you will too, so please give it a read!
Fate Strings Not Required by Akira_of_the_Twilight
Summary: “Hey doll,” a new voice said from Tony’s side.
Tony glanced at the person approaching.
Someone was working the rugged, bad boy look. The new guy rocked a leather jacket and blue jeans.
His blue eyes lit up with joy as he approached Tony. “Something wrong here?” The new guy gave the first guy--the one insisting he was Tony's soul mate--a once over then turned his full attention on Tony. “You’re looking a little stressed, anything I can do?”
Tony took the hint.
Tony wrapped his hand around the new guy’s elbow. He kept his touch light and breakable in case he’d misread the cue.
“Just some guy claiming to be my soul mate, babe.”
The new guy’s eyebrows rose to his hairline in surprise. He chuckled and gave the first guy a smirk. “Strange. Last time I checked we were soul mates.”
Reasons why I love it:
I'm a sucker for soulmate fics, and this one is no exception. Give me all the meet-cute, protective Bucky and little shit Tony shenanigans! One little warning though that Tony is underage when he starts dating Bucky, but they wait until he's of age for any below the belt touching. If that's not a squick for you, I'm sure you'll love this fic as much as I do!
Shameless by Finely Honed (jaqen_hgar)
Pairing: Bucky/Tony
Rating: M
Words: 2,570
Tags: Flirting, Sexual Tension, Lust at First Sight
Summary: Prompt: imagine Tony and Bucky flirting everywhere, in the tower, out fighting random bad guy of the day over the coms, even out in public. it started as a game to see who could get the other to blush or fluster first but it dissolved into shameless flirting quickly. eventually it's Bucky who cracks first, pushing Tony up against a wall, kissing the living daylights out of him and using that super soldier strength to pick Tony up to hold against the wall. bonus if Clint walks in on them.
Tony isn’t actually sure which of them starts it—he’d like to take credit, but if he’s learned anything it’s that Barnes is by no means a wilting flower. Besides, the start doesn’t matter as much as figuring out who’s going to actually finish it.
Reasons why I love it:
Bucky and Tony engaging in a battle of wills about who's gonna crack first under the pressure of constant flirting? Hell fucking yes. Poor Clint being traumatized is just the icing on the cake. I love this fic so much, definitely give it a read if you like light-hearted fun!
Summary: The road to recovery is long, winding and a different one for every person walking it. Bucky chooses to help himself the only way he knows how; by doing what he does best.
Or, alternatively; the one in which Tony is a mess and accidentally kick-starts Bucky’s protective mother hen instincts.
Reasons why I love it:
I have a soft spot for Bucky being a motherhen and making Tony take better care of himself. This fic embodies all of that for me. And the pining is so sweet, it makes my teeth ache. A wonderful fic that I'd recommend to anyone who likes these boys being idiots in love!
Suspected Supervillain(TM) Tony Stark who has engaged SHIELD and its various agents and operatives and the whatnot in an unending battle of bureaucratic red tape?
Like, the can’t pin Iron Man’s many transgressions on Tony, can’t even claim he’s the pilot of the Iron Man armor, but maybe they can get him on safety violations or something similar.
So.
Tony’s dealing with them on field as Iron Man, and really, Cap looks good for someone his age.
(Neither Tony or SHIELD choose not to mention the fact SI has funded the search for Steve since he went in the ice because that’s not part of their current “disagreements” and anyway, it’d be tacky as hell.)
Clint’s snark is greatly appreciated - before he came on the scene running into SHIELD was just so boring - and Natasha is both terrifying and even more terrifying, so....
After a year or so of failing to catch Iron Man, SHIELD hits on a new tactic - hoping to catch Tony, idk, building a death ray in one of SI’s labs or something.
Which of course means they send Coulson and his “team” in.
Naturally this means Tony’s on a first name basis with Coulson (he wonders if “Agent” is a family name, otherwise it’s kind of weird?) and is introduced to various members of his little team over the years.
Clint looks adorable in a pair of granny spectacles and little bow-tie - there are pokla dots - but honestly, the suspenders is pushing his luck on the unassuming nerd front.
Natasha keeps it to business casual and sharp pantsuits when she’s feeling especially stabby but has to play the part of site inspector or whatever role Coulson gave her.
Then comes Steve - Skippy from tech support - that Tony loves to talk facial hair grooming tips with because it always throws Steve off-balance?
Somewhere in there he finds and recruits Bruce who gets a shiny new lab and everything his nerdy little science heart desires. Tony absolutely did not lose his mind when Coulson and his team stopped by for an surprise inspection of the labs and found Bruce sciencing the shit out of his latest project, goodness no
Tony kind of loves this nonsense because Coulson and the spy twins aren’t bad at this? Steve isn’t terrible either, and Tony’s not surprised because some stories Howard told him about the Howlies and the nonsense they got up to during the war.
Bruce is loving it too, because Natasha was sent to recruit him that one time, and it’s clear his presence at Tony’s side in this was a surprise, and anyway.
(SHIELD doesn’t do anything about Bruce’s presence because for all that it’s obvious he’s fully on Tony’s side in whatever this is, the Hulk has never made an appearance on the field. Which. Could be Stark keeping him in reserve for something bigger, but it’s more likely Banner just doesn’t want to risk involving the Hullk, so.)
It’s not like Tony’s working a Nefarious Scheme to take over the world, he’s just looking to clean up after Stane and his under the table dealings. And once they get wind of it via sekrit message from a source Tony insists is (mostly) reliable, sniffing out HYDRA.
(And if, in the middle of that they happen upon a cryo-tube and a frozen, horrifically brain-washed assassin inside, well. That’s a thing that happens.)
Things go on for a while the way they usually do - Iron Man goes out and wreaks havoc and a week or two later Coulson and his team are knocking on SI’s doors with supposed complaints of various safety/other violations that need to be checked, you know how it is, Mr. Stark.
Only the thing about Tony finding the Winter Soldier and using his resources to help him piece his life together and anyway.
Tony ends up with a new bodyguard with a hell of a murder glare and prosthetic arm who sometimes slips into Russian without realizing it.
Coulson makes polite inquiries and Tony gives polite responses - the sunglasses are medically necessary - sensitive to light, you know. The mask is...some vaguely plausible and yet obvious lie everyone hears but can’t dispute and so on.
(Coulson doesn’t ask about the prosthetic, but it’s obvious and Tony offers up a tidbit about his new bodyguard being a military veteran, so.)
Everyone knows exactly who the man at Tony’s shoulder is, but they can’t prove it and there’s an unspoken rule about starting a fight with vulnerable civilians around, and anyway.
Bucky kind of gets a kick out of it, especially as he regains more memories and can tell how close Steve is to calling bullshit on Tony, and later on how close Natasha is to doing the same.
Things get a little more complicated when Bucky insists on going with Tony to raid HYDRA bases because obvious reasons? But when the Avengers get involved Bucky usually finds himself facing off against Captain America and Black Widow - sometimes at the same time - and it’s kind of the worst.
Particularly that time they got the mask off him and realiezd who he was, and it was thanks to Tony setting off the weapons depot that got them out of there safely.
After that things get a bit more personal.
Fights get nasty, and more than once they limp back to the closest lair of Tony’s with the suit in need of serious repair. Bucky’s arm enough of a mess he can’t fix it himself and needs Tony to take a look at it.
(Not that that’s a hardship, you know, because he likes Tony working on the arm, but Tony’s all battered and bruised after being knocked around in the armor and he needs to rest, not take on more work, and anyway.)
The “surprise inspections” and so on get more...vicious? Exacting, whatever, and the slightest infraction brings down trouble. Things that are like a hairsbreadth from being a problem and Coulson and his team are breathing down Tony’s neck.
“You could tell them,” Bruce and Bucky both point out because, okay, because.
The Avengers think Iron Man’s a villain thanks to misunderstandings and HYDRA’s influence and Tony being a stubborn son of a bitch who keeps saying he needs to/has to do this himself.
(Like Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy haven’t been in on things from the beginning. Like Bruce and now Bucky aren’t major players in Tony’s plans. But you know how it is.)
And Bucky, okay.
He likes Tony, is grateful for everything he’s done for him and all that. Understands what Tony’s doing, and even better believes in it to the point he offers to help out.
And maybe he’s wandered down to Tony’s lab when he can’t sleep to play and JARVIS tells him Tony’s tinkering with something or other. For the company or something else, and he’ll let DUM-E and the other bots pull him into a game of fetch or trying out new smoothie recipes - “No motor oil!” is Tony’s only input - or tinker with a project of his own.
Rebuilding an engine using holographic blueprints or something else Tony let him have the space for.
And maybe they talk, about their day or whatever Coulson has up his sleeves both regarding the endless red tape battle or Avengers-related shenanigans. Their current projects or something else, and it’s...nice.
At some point there’s flirting, because of course there is. Tony delighted that Bucky gives as good as he gets and Bruce and the others rolling their eyes because at some point it stopped being harmless flirting and turned into flirting with intent and neither Tony or Bucky have realized it yet.
And then!
Some crisis or other that forces Tony and Friends to team up with Coulson and the Avengers and it’s not the worst thing ever?
Certainly not the first time for it, although this is the fist time doing so with a global-scale crisis in play, and anyway.
Not all that hard to portray Iron Man as a ~hero after he makes the sacrifice play to save the world.
Sure, the press is keen to find out who the pilot of the armor is, but SHIELD is keeping mum on the subject and anyway, yes.
Tony thinks it’s hilarious how rumors claim his new, mysterious bodyguard must be the Iron Man pilot because Bucky gets such a look on his face when someone brings it up.
But it works in the way it allows Tony to continue as Iron Man without worrying about SI taking a hit, and other assorted reasons.
Also, also.
Bucky totally kissed Tony from sheer relief at finding out he hadn’t managed to get himself killed saving the world, which is wonderful and amazing and terrific?
And also caught on camera, which clearly means no takebacks, Barnes.
But it also means the tabloids get involved, which is hilarious to Tony and annoying to Bucky?
Because Tony cannot stop laughing when tabloids start running stories about him possibly being a relationship with either Iron Man or his new bodyguard depending on the day.
After a bit the tabloids hit on the ~truly scandalous idea that if Bucky isn’t Iron Man, perhaps Tony is involved with Bucky and Iron Man at the same time?
(Tony has the firs tabloid he sees with that headline framed and hung by their bed because Bucky’s >:(((((((((((((((((( at seeing it is the best thing in the world, okay. The best.)
And!
Thanks to the Avengers saving Tony’s life during the crisis he insists they move into the Tower rent-free and it’s a major boon for SI because image boost of Tony and Captain America shaking hands and being all smiles, and anyway.
Every so often Coulson will show up for surprise inspections, and Tony is like :DDDDDD ah, yes, this old game, and it’s delightful.
who’s ready for another round of Machi Makes Steve Sad!!!
****
“Are you dating Bucky?”
Tony stops, halfway into pouring himself a coffee, taken aback by the sudden interruption. Steve can’t see his face, but by now, he knows Tony’s body language like the palm of his hand - he’s looked long enough at him to learn, against his better judgment. He can see the stiffness in his shoulders, and he knows it means defensiveness. Steve’s jaw clenches in displeasure, hating that he is the one to cause the distress in the first place.
But he has to ask.
When Tony turns around it’s slow, calculated, his expression infuriatingly neutral and eyes as cold as Steve’s nightmares.
“What?” He asks, with a little edge of something dangerous lurking right beneath.
“Are you dating Bucky?” Steve repeats, struggling to keep himself calm. “I’m just asking.”
“Why are you asking?” Tony retorts, full of caution.
“You know why I’m asking.”
“Actually, I don’t.” Tony puts the mug down, setting it aside, and Steve knows he’s treading on dangerous waters here. “Not like it’s any of your business, who Barnes dates or not. Or who I date, for that matter.”
“I just-” Steve stops, recognizing he’s getting too anxious and forceful, and he needs to take in a deep breath and control his tone before he can offend Tony. “Pepper said you’re going to the gala together. You and him.”
Tony raises an eyebrow, surprised. “Since when do you talk to Pepper?”
“Ever since I moved in.” I, not we, because Steve won’t pretend this is about anyone but himself. He can at least be honest about that. “I not gonna say you can’t date him. You can. I wouldn’t stop you. You know that.”
“Then why are you asking?”
“Because I need to know.” Steve insists, angry, angry at himself, because if he were a better man he would let this go, he wouldn’t have even thought of cornering Tony like this, but he’s not, he’s weak and he’s a masochist, and he needs to hear Tony say it, or else he won’t be able to sleep. “I need to know, Tony, and that’s why I’m asking you, because I won’t go behind your back and break your trust. Not-”
“Not again?”
Steve pauses.
“Yes.”
“Why me?” Tony shrugs, but not nonchalantly - daring, mocking. “You could ask Bucky. Why are you asking me?”
“You know why.”
This time, Tony’s mouth clicks shut.
Because it’s true, isn’t it?
They both know why.
“If you say you are, I’ll back off.” Steve promises him, because he has nothing else to offer, really. This is a losing battle. He knows it. Usually, he would fight tooth and nail until the bitter end, until blood flooded his mouth and his body ached with cuts and wounds, but this is not a battlefield, and Tony is not an enemy.
Steve doesn’t know how to win this because Tony is the one thing Steve is unable to defend himself from.
“I promise.” He says. “You don’t have to worry about me being...”
“Jealous?” Tony asks, but his voice is disbelieving. It’s fair - Steve is jealous. What would be the point of pretending he’s not?
“Against it.” He offers instead. “I won’t cause any trouble. I wouldn’t do that to you two. I just... I just wanna know.”
Tony takes in a deep breath, and looks away. His coffee, on the counter, slowly goes cold.
“We went on a date.” He admits, quietly, and suddenly, Steve’s entire body goes cold.
“And?” He asks, hesitantly.
“And that was it.” Tony makes a resigned face. “It was one date.”
“But you’re going to the gala together.”
Tony gives him a cautious look. “I didn’t say it was a bad date.”
“Ok.”
“Steve.” Tony starts. “I-”
But then he stops. He turns around, grabs his coffee, and only then realizes it’s gone cold, like Steve had moments before. He had completely forgotten it, Steve realizes. So unlike him. Tony clicks his tongue, annoyed, almost a little too harshly, and he dumps it all in the sink, giving up completely on his dose of caffeine.
Steve feels like he’s balancing on a tightrope, and below him, there is only an abyss. The silence between them has never felt so suffocating.
“We should talk about this.” Tony says, still looking down, reluctant to face Steve’s gaze.
“I won’t pry, Tony.” Steve assures him, even though it hurts his throat and chest to even say the words, let alone attempting to convince his heart that that’s it, he’s gotten his response, and now he should back off. “I told you. I just wanted to know.”
“So you’d know if you still had a chance?” Tony says, in a voice that’s almost an accusation, raw and wounded, with a jagged edge of a plea.
Steve wants it to be a plea. He doesn’t want Tony to hurt, but he desperately wants it to be true that deep down, maybe somewhere in his heart, Tony still has in him the mercy to give Steve one more shot.
“What if I said yes?” Steve asks, in a leap of faith, laying down his feelings like he’s prying open his chest open with a crowbar. “Would you give me that chance?”
Tony finally, finally raises his eyes to look at him.
His eyes are bright, shiny. Wild.
“Maybe.”
Maybe.
That is enough for Steve’s treacherous, foolish, foolish heart.
