AND!!! “Call me that one more time, see what happens.” for buckytony k bye ♥️
“Hey, hot stuff,” Tony says the first time Bucky walks into the workshop.
He pauses, one foot in the doorway. When he’d moved in, Clint had warned him that Tony gave nicknames to everyone but he and Tony don’t really interact enough for Tony to call him anything, let alone...that. He glances behind him, wondering if Steve came down behind him even though he said he wouldn’t but no, there’s no one there.
Tony looks up from whatever it is he’s doing and smiles reassuringly. “Yeah, you. Come on, what’s up?”
When Tony doesn’t say anything else, just waits patiently, he decides that it must have been a fluke. “My arm,” he says, having to heft it with his right arm. “Think a wire got pinched or something.”
~
“I notice hot stuff over there is being suspiciously quiet,” Tony says, cutting across Bruce and Nat arguing. “Buckaroo, what do you think?”
It takes Bucky a moment to realize that Tony is actually talking to him and then he frowns. So, not a fluke then. But what’s up with the nickname then?
~
“Hot stuff, can you come try the alfredo sauce?” Tony asks, holding out a spoon. Almost instinctively, Bucky looks around, still convinced that Tony can’t possibly be talking to him. Tony rolls his eyes and motions with the spoon again, seemingly not noticing the sauce dripping onto the floor. “Bucky. Come try the sauce.”
~
“Bucky Babe, hot stuff, light of my life,” a drunken Tony slurs as Bucky helps him out of the limo. “Why don’t you like me?”
Bucky freezes, almost dropping Tony on his ass. “I don’t - why would you think that?”
Tony eyes him balefully. “Cause you don’t.” And then his eyes roll back into his head and he slumps. Bucky scrambles to catch him before he can hit the ground, hoisting him up into his arms and sighing as he sets off for the elevators.
~
The thing is, he does like Tony.
A lot.
He likes the way Tony smiles and the way his hair is fluffy in the mornings before he has the chance to style it. He likes Tony’s snark and sass and how he always has a quip ready but can turn serious in a heartbeat if he needs to. He likes the way Tony curls up on the couch during movie nights and how, if Nat has a bad day, he snuggles up beside her before draping a blanket over the two of them.
He likes Tony. He just hadn’t realized Tony likes him back.
~
“Hey, hot stuff,” Tony mumbles when he drags himself into the kitchen the next morning.
“Hey, sweet thing,” he replies easily, flipping the omelet in the pan.
He feels, more than sees, Tony still. Feigning a casualty that he doesn’t feel, he nudges a cup of coffee in Tony’s direction, waiting to see how Tony reacts. After a moment, Tony relaxes and reaches out for the mug.
“Thanks, babe,” he murmurs before inhaling half the cup.
“Anytime, doll.” He has to turn around quickly to hide his grin when Tony nearly chokes on his cup.
~
“Light of my life, will you pass me the remote?” Tony asks, making grabby hands for the remote on the other end of the couch.
Clint points out, “You could get it yourself,” but Bucky stands and says, “Sure thing, darlin’.” He pushes the remote close enough for Tony to grab and continues on to the kitchen, ignoring the way Tony’s cheeks go bright red. “Anyone else want a drink?”
~
“Hey, hot stuff, what are we doing here?” Tony asks him when they’re in the workshop. Bucky is working on one of the cars. Tony is doing...something with a mass spectrometer, he thinks. It might be a different instrument.
He wheels himself out from under the car. Tony is fidgeting nervously, tapping his fingers along the edge of his table.
“I thought,” Bucky says slowly, “that we were trying to court each other, right?”
Tony blinks at him. “Really?”
Oh shit. “If I’m making you uncomfortable-”
“No, that’s fine,” Tony says quickly, waving his hand. “I just - I didn’t think you like me like that.”
Bucky pushes himself to his feet, crossing the room in seconds to take Tony’s hands in his. “I like you a lot,” he says honestly. “I just didn’t know you were serious about it at first. Clint told me you call everyone nicknames.”
“I don’t call anyone else ‘hot stuff.’“
“No, you don’t, do you? You call Stevie ‘Capsicle’ and Natalia ‘Itsy Bitsy’ and Clint ‘idiot.’ But I’m the only one you call ‘hot stuff.’“ He lets go with one hand, reaching up to cup Tony’s cheek, smiling when Tony leans into the gentle touch. “I just wanted you to know that I felt the same way.”
Tony turns his head to kiss his palm, eyes bright with happiness. “I like you too,” he admits shyly and Bucky can’t stop his grin from getting wider. “So, if you don’t mind, hot stuff, I think I’d like to kiss you now.”
“Call me that one more time,” Bucky murmurs, bending his head until his forehead is pressed against Tony’s. “See what happens.”
Tony smiles. “Hot stuff,” he whispers.
“Sweet thing,” Bucky groans and kisses him.














