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Tiberius Stone curled his lip into a sneer as he watched Tony’s bodyguard send away the drink Tony’d just been offered. It wasn’t an unusual sight or anything new, but it still irritated Ty to see. Barnes was hyper-protective of Tony. He wouldn’t allow his boss to eat or drink anything he hadn’t watched be prepared or came from a member of Tony’s inner circle.
“What a fucking lap dog,” he sneered. “Do you think Barnes licks his boots at night, too?”
Sunset tutted from her place on his arm.
“If Tony ordered him to? Undoubtedly. You have to hand it to him, Tony has that boy very well trained.”
Ty scoffed and took another sip of his drink, still glaring across the room as Tony snapped his fingers and made a gesture that had Barnes all but leaping forward to do his bidding. Pathetic.
“Even the most well-trained dogs can be bought with a few scraps of meat and a bit of patience,” he said.
“You plan to bribe your way past Barnes?” Sunset asked with a tittering laugh. “Let me know how that works out for you, if you manage to survive it.”
“It worked with Stane, didn’t it? If I could bribe Tony’s right hand, I’m sure his head of security won’t be much of a problem.”
Sunset hummed and pressed a kiss to his cheek, her eyes gleaming with amusement.
“You know, they say Tony killed Stane with his own two hands when he found out he’d been betrayed.”
“Well, if he kills Barnes, it’ll be no skin off my nose.”
.
“You are not authorized to be in this area.”
The man, a tall blond, jumped a bit before whipping around with a smile plastered across his face. Bucky recognized him instantly as Tiberius Stone, one of Tony’s new associates and a small-time trafficker with big ambitions.
“Jeez, you scared me,” he said good-naturedly. “Barnes, right? I’ve seen you around. Listen, I’ve got a meeting with the big guy in,” he checked his watch and winced, “three minutes ago and I can’t find the damn Virginia Conference Room. Help me out?”
Bucky gave him a blank look. Tony had to stop pulling this on people.
“There is no such room.” Then, raising a hand to his earpiece, “I need Potts to the eastern third floor hallway for her 11 o’clock.”
Relief flooded Tiberius’ face.
“Thank you, thank you!” he exclaimed. “Working with the Stark family is a huge opportunity for me and everybody talks about how ruthless your boss is. I don’t want to mess this up. Here, uh, take this. Have a drink on me. It’s the least I can do.”
He fervently pressed a fold of bills into Bucky’s hand.
“You’re a lifesaver,” he reiterated, once Pepper had arrived to collect him.
Counting the money, one of Bucky’s eyebrows rose to discover he’d been given $500. That was more than just a drink.
.
Tony was still seated behind his large, dark cherry wooden desk when Bucky entered the room. He held his tablet loosely as he scrolled through what looked like legal documents. It was probably a contract for Stark International, that electronics shell company Tony used to disguise his real business. Or at least it had started as just a shell company. These days SI brought in its own healthy contributions in terms of profit.
Tony gave Bucky an absentminded wave but didn’t look up from his work. That was fine. Bucky didn’t exactly have anything pressing to deal with. Instead, he sat down in one of the plush armchairs in front of the desk and stretched out his legs, crossing them at the ankle. He loved these chairs. They were perfect for stealing relaxing moments in, or even the occasional nap. Not to mention they were the perfect width for Tony to rest his knees on either side of Bucky’s waist and ride him. But that was only when Tony didn’t have any important meetings scheduled, Pepper had firmly reminded them. Multiple times.
Bucky pulled out his phone to play with while Tony finished up his work. The mob boss would be with him when he was at a convenient stopping point. Pulling him out of his work mode too soon would only lead to him not paying attention to the conversation. Instead, Bucky pulled up his text messages and shot one off to Clint.
Any updates?
It was probably a waste of resources to assign someone of Clint’s caliber to shadow someone who hadn’t even proven themselves to be a threat. It was probably nothing, but something about Bucky’s earlier interaction with Tiberius Stone just didn’t sit well. And, to be fair, Bucky made it a policy to check out each of Tony’s new business associates when they were being considered. He just usually stuck to checking them out electronically or requesting information from various contacts.
Clint’s answer came back less than a minute later, Nothing yet, except for a disgusting love of juice bars.
Bucky’s lips thinned and he had to tamp down on a swell of frustration, but he texted back a quick thanks before sliding his phone back into his pocket. Clint was a professional. He’d let Bucky know as soon as anything really worrying happened and anything suspicious would be in his report. He didn’t know what he was so antsy about. If Stone proved to be a problem, he would be handled.
“What’s up, buttercup?” Tony’s voice jerked him back to the present.
Bucky tuned back in to find that Tony had set his tablet aside and was watching him with a thoughtful expression, elbows on the table and chin on his hands. His suit cut a clean line across his shoulders and Bucky couldn’t help but run his eyes appreciatively over his frame.
“Possible security threat. Could be nothing, could be something,” Bucky admitted. “It’s too soon to tell yet.”
Tony sighed, the professionalism he’d been exuding disappearing as he slumped over his desk with a pout.
“Why does everyone have it out for me? Am I really so unlikable?”
Bucky couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips.
“I’m pretty sure it’s something of an occupational hazard. Maybe you should have thought of that before becoming the head of a crime syndicate, hm?”
Tony just waved him off.
“Not an option. Then what excuse would I have for you to watch over my body?”
He leered, tone suggestive. Bucky rolled his eyes.
“Right. That’s the only reason. Sure.”
Tony gave him one more once-over before straightening back up and growing at least slightly more serious.
“Who is it, then? The security risk?”
“Tiberius Stone. He’s a little fish in a big pond, but it seems like he’s got a lot of ambition. His operations have been doing quite a bit of growing lately. He had a meeting with Pepper earlier today and I caught him in one of the restricted areas. He claimed he was lost, which might have something to do with someone giving him a location that didn’t exist.”
Tony grinned, not even the least bit apologetic.
“Never gets old,” he mused. “Tiberius Stone, though… That name sounds familiar… I think I might have gone to boarding school with the guy. Hm.”
He started tapping away at his tablet again, presumably to check. Bucky watched him closely. His boarding school years hadn’t exactly been the best for Tony, but he didn’t seem overly upset. At least Stone likely wasn’t one of his regular tormentors. Too bad. It would have made the perfect excuse for Bucky to cut Stone out of the business and maybe rough him up a bit along the way. Possibly rip out a vital organ or two and see how long it took for him to die. (Bucky got a little vicious whenever he thought about Tony, young and alone with his big, pleading eyes, being hurt by the ones who should have been helping him.)
“He’s blond,” Bucky supplied, “with blue eyes, both a bit darker than Stevie’s. Seems to be pretty fit, at least these days.”
Tony snapped his fingers, eyes lighting up.
“Right! Yes! I talked to him at Whitney’s event a few weeks ago, just for a few minutes. He was a few grades behind me in school, so we never interacted much. He’s in trafficking now. I set him up with Pep to see if he could be of any use. That was today?”
“She’ll probably have an analysis ready for you in the morning.”
Tony’s expression went a little gooey and Bucky wasn’t even jealous. Pepper deserved that sort of expression.
“Don’t know what I’d do without her. Best hire I’ve ever made, and that includes you, no offence.”
Bucky held up his hands.
“None taken. If Pepper ever decided to stage a coup, I’m throwing my chips in with her. No questions asked.”
“I knew you were a wise man, Barnes.”
And, well, with a smile like that, Bucky didn’t have much of a choice but to cross the room to kiss it off Tony’s lips.
.
Bucky leant against the wall, face a carefully-maintained mask as he watched Tony pour Tiberius Stone a drink. He clinked their glasses together and leant back against his desk to take a sip.
“Welcome to the family, Ty.”
Stone grinned right back.
“To old acquaintances and new opportunities,” he toasted before taking a sip of his own. Then, “you should come out and see the merchandise sometime. I could give you the grand tour.”
One of Tony’s eyebrows rose, and Bucky understood his skepticism.
“Spilling all your industry secrets already?”
Stone just laughed.
“If you wanted to make care of all the little things yourself, you wouldn’t have bothered bringing me on board,” he pointed out. “Besides, how else are you supposed to know I’m as good as my word?”
“Oh, don’t you worry about that,” Tony told him with a smile. “I have my ways.”
.
Bucky scowled down at his tablet as he shoveled more rice into his mouth, straight out of the take-out box. The screen displayed Clint’s report for the last two weeks that he’d been following Stone around. Bucky should be glad that there were no red flags popping up. It should come as a relief. Instead, he found himself more unsettled. Stone had rankled Bucky with his behavior, and Bucky had learned to trust his instincts a long time ago.
“Hey,” Tony called out as he entered the room and draped himself across Bucky’s shoulders, planting a kiss on his temple. “No working at the dinner table. House rule.”
Bucky couldn’t resist grinning as he snuck an arm around Tony’s waist to reel him back in for a kiss on the lips.
“I do believe I was the one that made that rule.”
“And yet you’re the one breaking it,” Tony lamented. “Whatever is the world coming to?”
Bucky chuckled.
“How was your dinner with Rhodey?”
He pushed back from the table so that Tony could settle in his lap and steal pieces of his sesame chicken with his fingers.
“Profitable,” Tony preened as he licked sauce from his fingertips. “Our weapons smuggling business is booming now that Vanko’s been taken care of. And Rhodey is just so great with our clients. It’s good to have people who can do their jobs without me having to constantly watch over their shoulder.”
“We’re lucky to have him,” Bucky agreed.
Besides, Rhodey was one of the only people Bucky had met who was as focused on Tony’s safety as he was. That went a long way in his book.
“Luck has nothing to do with it,” Tony admonished.
“Right, right. It’s all because of your impeccable charm that you managed to sway Rhodey into joining up. It had nothing to do with the fact that you would’ve gotten yourself killed without someone to watch your back.”
Then he kissed Tony again. He could concentrate on Stone again tomorrow. For now, he had much more important things to focus on.
.
Sunset painted on a smile as Tiberius stepped up to the table and bent to kiss her on each cheek. She reminded herself that there was only so much longer that she’d have to deal with him. Sunset had always been playing the long game, though. She would have as much patience as she needed to see her plans to fruition.
“I take it from your lunch invitation that your little shadow has been called off the hunt?” she asked as he slid into the seat across from her.
“It would seem I’ve passed muster,” he acknowledged. “Tony still hasn’t agreed to visit our facilities, though.”
“Of course he hasn’t. He didn’t get where he is today by being a fool. You’ll have to prove your trustworthiness first.”
Tiberius took a sip of his wine.
“I won’t be content to live under his thumb forever.”
Sunset reached across the table to rest her hand atop his. She needed to keep him on track if she wanted her goals to be met.
“You won’t,” she promised him in a sugar-sweet tone. “You’ve already secured a contract and passed his security check, like you said. You just have to be patient a little while longer. It’ll be worth it.”
He turned his hand over to lace their fingers together. Tony had used to do that, too, Sunset remembered.
“You’re worth it,” Tiberius promised.
Sunset gave him another smile to cover up her distaste. Men and their silly delusions about love… Tiberius was useful for now, so she would humor him. And soon, she thought with a thrill of excitement, she would be able to make Tony pay for ever daring to think that someone like him could leave her.
.
Infiltrating Tiberius Stone’s organization was one of the easiest jobs Tony and Bucky had ever given Natasha. It was almost painfully easy. She wasn’t sure anyone in the place was even familiar with the concept of loyalty. At the very least, Tony would do well to clean Stone’s house for him before going into any serious business with him. It was a miracle he’d made it so far with this team behind him. His only advantage seemed to be that he paid well. Pity that was a strategy that tended to attract people willing to take bribes, but more to Natasha’s advantage, she supposed.
This was going to be a piece of cake… and she was going to so enjoy rubbing it in Clint’s face when she found whatever it was Bucky was looking for.
.
“Barnes! There you are! I’m surprised to see you away from Tony’s side.”
Bucky kept his face carefully blank as he turned toward Stone. Of course, he’d been told that his ‘blank’ looked a lot like anyone else’s ‘about three seconds away from a mass murder spree.’ It sadly didn’t seem to slow Stone down at all.
“Mr. Stark is in a meeting and unavailable at this time,” he informed the other man curtly.
It was technically true. The meeting just happened to be with Steve and involved the two of them visiting Tony’s godmother in her nursing home. Peggy Carter was an exceptionally well-kept secret within their organization. There was no way in hell Bucky was going to let Stone in on it. Stone was already waving his words off, though.
“No worries. I was looking for you, anyway. I was wondering if you couldn’t help me out with a little issue I’m having.”
The way he said ‘issue’ made Bucky scowl.
“I’m not a gun for hire. I work for Mr. Stark and no one else.”
Stone held his hands up and backpedaled immediately.
“Oh, no! No, no. Not that kind of issue. I was actually hoping for something more along the lines of some advice.”
Bucky lifted a skeptical eyebrow, but turned to face Stone more fully.
“What kind of advice?”
“Everybody knows you’d do anything to keep Tony safe,” Stone started, and Bucky’s fingers were already itching to grab his gun. “That’s an awful lot of loyalty to inspire in a person. I was wondering how he earned it. I mean, what made you want to work for him?”
Bucky gave him a long look.
“That doesn’t sound much like you’re seeking advice to me.”
Stone looked appropriately sheepish, but Bucky had grown up shoulder to shoulder with Steve ‘Just a Kid from Brooklyn’ Rogers. He could smell bullshit a mile away and this guy didn’t have nothin’ on Stevie.
“I’m just trying to understand him a bit better, is all,” Stone tried to explain. “I made this contact because Tony and I happened to be able to recognize each other’s faces in the school hall way back in the day. I didn’t know him then and I barely know him now. This move, being brought under the Stark umbrella, is a huge thing for me. I want to know what I’m getting into here.”
“Bit late for that, don’t you think? You already signed the contract.”
Bucky wasn’t the least bit shy about letting a layer of threat coat his undertone. Backing out on a deal with the Stark Family wasn’t something tolerated in the slightest.
“And I stand by that contract,” Stone assured. “This is more like… due diligence. I guess. Whatever you want to call it. Tony’s more than proven that everything he touches does well. There’s not a pie he has his fingers in that doesn’t flourish. That’s why I was so enthusiastic to work with him, under him. But… he seems a bit disinterested? Now that he has the contract? I thought he’d want to be more involved, especially near the beginning, and it’d give me a chance to show him what I can do. He doesn’t even want to come out and check over one of the facilities, though. So, I’m just trying to get a better idea of his motivations and how his brain works. Since you’re with him so often, I figured you’d be the prefect guy to ask. Plus, you helped me out before, when I got lost. I thought maybe you’d be willing to help me out again. Maybe put in a positive word?”
It all sounded quite reasonable, actually, if it weren’t for the fact that the hairs on the back of Bucky’s neck stood on end the entire time Stone talked. He bet Peter would have a field day with this guy. He had a sixth sense when it came to trouble. (Not that he’d ever let Peter within a thousand feet of someone he wasn’t absolutely sure of the loyalty of. He didn’t ever want to find out what Tony would do if something happened to one of his kids.)
“Mr. Stark is very good at inspiring loyalty.”
“But his old right hand, Obadiah Stane, I heard he turned on Tony, didn’t he?”
“For which he paid the price. As will anyone else who deems it wise to threaten the head of our family.”
Stone opened his mouth to say something else, but Bucky was already turning on his heel to stride away. He needed to put a call in to Natasha. Stone was far too focused on Tony visiting one of his facilities for there not to be something behind it. Bucky wanted to know what.
.
Tony lounged across the sofa, sipping his scotch and reveling in the sensation of Bucky rubbing the soles of his feet.
“You’re too good to me, love,” he praised, before returning to their conversation. “You know what the easiest way to find out what Stone’s after is, don’t you?”
He grinned at the dark look Bucky shot him.
“No.”
“Aw, come now. I make excellent bait. I must, otherwise people wouldn’t keep trying to kidnap or kill me so often.”
A firm hand wrapped around Tony’s ankle and squeezed gently.
“No, Tony. I will not have you needlessly in harm’s way. Nat will figure out what Stone’s up to soon enough. Until then…” Bucky sighed and raked his other hand through his hair, dark eyes turning to pin Tony with their gaze. “You’re the most important person in my life, Tony. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you. I’ve already come far too close.”
Tony forcefully shoved away thoughts of Stane and the bullet that had come far too close to ending his life. He sat up and scooted down the couch, setting his drink aside to pull Bucky into his arms. Tony pressed a kiss to his forehead.
“Alright,” he agreed softly. “If that’s what you want. Anything for you. Always and forever.”
And then he held Bucky a bit longer, neither of them speaking. Just for now, they didn’t need to be strong. They had each other.
.
It wasn’t for another week that Bucky got his answer, delivered straight to him by Pepper. The formidable woman paced her office in her dizzyingly high heels, looking every inch a warrior queen about to set off on a path of death and destruction. Fuck, but the family was lucky to have her.
“Sunset Bain,” she hissed. “Stone’s working with Sunset Bane.”
Bucky frowned.
“Isn’t that-?”
“Yes,” Pepper bit out. “Tony’s ex-fiancé. The one he dumped a week after meeting you.”
Bucky winced. There was a reason he was so careful about what food or drink he allowed to get through to Tony.
“Do we know what they’re planning yet?”
Pepper’s grin was sharp enough to slit someone’s throat.
“As if Natasha would come back with anything less,” she purred.
“I’ll let Clint know he’s down another point on the scoreboard.”
.
Nicholas J. Fury, New York City Police Commissioner, didn’t even look up from his desk when Coulson pushed open the door to his office.
“Sir,” Coulson said to draw his attention, “you’ve got a call on line two.”
“Then they can sit on hold until I finish this paperwork.”
“It’s Stark, Sir.”
Fury swore colorfully.
“Of course it is,” he grumbled. “Make sure no one disturbs me.”
Coulson gave a sharp nod and saw himself out, giving Fury a moment of silence as he stared at his desk phone for a long moment. With a feeling that was nine parts resignation and one part worry, he picked the phone up from its cradle.
“What have you gotten yourself into this time?”
On the other end of the line, Fury heard a scoff that could only belong to the godson he shared with the legendary DA Peggy Carter. By the time she retired, there wasn’t a criminal in the city who didn’t fear her. Except Tony, of course, no matter how many times she reminded him that she wouldn’t take it easy on him if he ever got caught. (It was a lie and they all knew it. Peggy would have destroyed her career in a heartbeat if it meant keeping Tony safe. Fury couldn’t judge. He felt the same way.)
“You know, I resent the implication that this is somehow my fault.”
“Are you going to tell me it’s not?”
Tony made a noncommittal noise.
“Well, technically, I did dump her. It was a bit rude. We’d already picked out the cake flavors.”
Fury’s spine stiffened.
“Bain?”
“Of my existence,” and Fury could hear the grin in Tony’s voice. “I’m going to need you to run some interference with the cops so I can clean up this mess once and for all.”
Fury leant back in his chair to glare a hole in the painting that was hung on his wall.
“I never liked her. I did warn you she’d try to kill you one day.”
“Yeah, yeah. You told me so. At that point, I just thought it was going to be with sex. Can I count on you or not?”
Fury almost wished Tony was in front of him. There was no way his unimpressed look translated well-enough over the phone.
“Always. You’ll have whatever it takes.”
As a career-focused man, Fury had never spared the time for a serious relationship or building a family. Like hell he was going to let that stop him from doing anything to take care of his kid. Even if he was still a brat at nearly forty. That was okay. Fury couldn’t be prouder.
.
“Um, Mr. Stone?” Ty’s newest employee, a red-headed drug packer almost as gorgeous as Sunset asked hesitantly. “Were you expecting visitors?”
Ty shot to his feet.
“What? Who’s here?”
The cops? The feds? Shit, was he about to be busted?
It did not make him feel any better to step out of his office to find Tony Stark and Barnes grinning at him. Well, Tony was grinning. Barnes was watching him in the same way he imagined a lioness watched an antelope herd, waiting for the barest sign of weakness.
“Tony!” he greeted, a swell of panic rising in his chest and trying to hide it as best he could. “Finally decided on getting that tour? I’ll admit, I’m not exactly prepared for company, but I’m sure I can still show you a good time. If you’ll spare me just a few minutes to wrap up some business?”
It wouldn’t take long to place a call to the anonymous tip line to inform the police of a drug den and a metaphorical smoking gun in the hands of the head of the Stark family if they hurried. Sunset would make sure Ty got out of it clean. She’d made that promise. Ty just had to help her with this and then there was nothing to stand between them being together.
Tony’s grin never wavered, but his eyes were cold as he gestured back toward Ty’s office.
“Please,” he all but purred. “Go right ahead. We’ll wait.”
.
Oh, but Tony was enjoying watching Stone sweat. His gaze kept darting around the room. He kept losing his train of thought and having to scramble to reclaim it. All of the slick composure he’d held onto during their previous meetings had fled. Tony could practically see him wondering where the fuck the cops were.
“Well,” Tony said happily, “that was a great tour. Top marks, really. I’m more convinced than ever that this operation will add a lot to our family.”
Under his lead, of course. It would absolutely flourish without Stone running the show. He clearly didn’t have the brains for this business.
“Great!” Stone said, a little to quickly and a little too loudly. “We could go back to my office, if you’d like. Discuss some plans for the future over a drink.”
“I appreciate the offer,” Tony demurred, “but we really must be going. Perhaps you could spend your efforts entertaining these fine fellows, though.”
Eight of Tony’s people appeared as if summoned by magic, dressed in cop uniforms. Clint was front and center next to Steve, grinning like a loon and spinning his cuffs around one finger.
“We heard someone’s been naughty,” he teased.
Stone stumbled half a step back, eyes wide and fear palpable.
“What? No! How?”
Tony sneered in derision. Beside him, Bucky chuckled darkly.
“You know what, Stone?” Bucky mused. “I think I’ve got a little advice for you after all, since you clearly aren’t able to take a hint. Don’t ever betray the Stark family. Not that you’ll get the chance to again. Barton, Rogers, if you will?”
He steered Tony out of the facility by a gentle hand between his shoulder blades, neither of them looking back at the sound of gunfire.
.
Sunset froze as soon as she stepped into her living room. Something wasn’t right. Something was off here. A pleased hum broke the silence as a figure practically melted out of the shadows of the room, accompanied by the cocking of a gun pointed right at Sunset’s chest.
“Bain,” Pepper Potts greeted with false pleasantry. “I warned you what would happen if you threatened Tony again.”
Fear curled low in Sunset’s gut, tempered only by her rage.
“What’s this? Still running after Tony’s heels like the good little bitch you are?” she taunted. “One of these days he’s going to have to man up and do his own dirty work.”
The light from Sunset’s foyer gleamed where it reflected off the barrel of Pepper’s gun.
“Mr. Stark’s a very important man,” Pepper said. “He has more important things to deal with than giving his attention to those who don’t deserve it. That’s why he has people like me to take care of the boring things.” Her grin widened. “Like taking out the trash.”
.
Bucky finished up the last of his security sweep for the night before heading to bed. Tony was already there, tablet still in hand and reading glasses perched on his nose as he worked. Bucky couldn’t help but take a moment to just watch him, drinking in the sight of him safe, happy, and whole. Tony finally glanced up at him, playful smirk tugging at his lips.
“See something you like?”
Bucky strolled over to kiss him gently.
“Absolutely. Have I mentioned lately how attractive you are in glasses?”
The tablet was quickly discarded as Tony arched up into him, deepening their kiss.
“You might have mentioned,” he murmured between their lips. “In passing. A particular instance springs to mind of when I first got them and you dropped to your knees and blew me before I even managed to get a ‘hello’ out. Not that I was complaining.”
Bucky kissed his way along Tony’s jaw before nipping his neck in warning.
“You better not be.”
The settled further onto the bed, finding a comfortable position to just lazily kiss without any driving need to take it further. Several long, satisfying minutes passed that way. Bucky knew the silence couldn’t last forever, though, not with Tony in the room. And, sure enough, he was speaking up again in short order.
“So today went well. Everything all set up for a smooth absorption of Stone’s assets?”
“Natasha’s handling it,” Bucky confirmed. “She’s already got a list of people she wants replaced.”
Tony chuckled.
“Sounds just like her.” He pressed another soft kiss to Bucky’s lips. “I’m glad your mine. There’s no one I’d rather have by my side.”
He was warm in Bucky’s arms, a comforting weight against his body. Bucky’s heart pounded in his chest at the thought of the ring he had tucked away in Natasha’s apartment. (Because Tony would find it no matter where Bucky hid it here and he didn’t trust any of their other friends not to be idiots.)
“There’s no place I’d rather be.”