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It wasn’t the oddest thing he’d walk in on. He’d seen Thor’s naked butt and Clint’s Barbie pajamas enough times not to be too fazed by things in the Avengers Tower. Even Sam’s odd taste in romantic comedies doesn’t shock him anymore or Natalia’s – no, she’s Natasha now – odd habit of painting her toenails at the kitchen table.
But to find all the Avengers but Toni arguing while Steve’s holds a handful of straws?
He almost turns right back out of the room. But the punk spots him and moves between Thor and Bruce to get to him. Bucky could flip Steve and make a run for it. But Natasha looked ready to hunt him down herself if he does.
Her green eyes bore into his and he just sighed. He was a deadly assassin – the deadliest – and he trained her. How could she make him freeze?
“Buck,” Steve smiled as he pulled him into the little circle they had going on. There was dread in his stomach and he cursed Jarvis for not warning him about what he was walking into. Then again, the AI was the biggest troll – Toni’s words – to ever come about. “You’re just in time.” Bucky eyed them all, noting how they looked nervous.
He should have ran.
“For what?”
Bruce cleared his throat and gave a shy smile. He wasn’t green so it couldn’t be too bad. But then again, even Thor looked nervous and unsure. He’d been here for almost five months and had yet to see anything like this. What could make the world’s most badass group turn into nervous children?
“Picking straws to see who drags Toni up.” Sam said, a shiver in his voice. Bucky blinked before slipping out of Steve’s hold and trying to make a break for it. All at once, Natasha jumped on his back and Thor stood in front of him gripping his shoulders.
“My friend,” the God of Thunder said, “if we have to draw, so do you.”
“Think of it as your introduction into the real life of the Avengers.” Clint offered from somewhere behind him. To the left, ten steps away. Bucky could toss Natasha into him and flip over Thor’s head-
Steve thrusted the straws in front of him.
“We all have to do this, Buck.” He sounded tried, as if he had gone down to get Toni the most. He most likely had. “No one has seen her in days and the lab was just taken off of black out mode.” Bucky furrowed his brows, passing Steve an unimpressed look.
“If you’re so worried just go get her, punk.” Slight fear passed in those blue and Bucky raised a brow. He didn’t want to do because things were still tense between him and Toni. She told him to call her by her first and she called him anything but Bucky or his last name, but still. He killed her parents and she was letting him live here.
He didn’t want to be in her way too much. He owed her so much.
If he spent too much time around her, he was afraid she would realize his growing feelings for her. He couldn’t put that on her – she had so much on her plate as it was.
“Bucky.” Bruce came out, wiping off his glasses. Nervous tick. “The last time Steve went down, she threw her helmet at him. She was 50 hours in with no sleep and thought he was a ghost.” He paused. “We’d ask Rhodes or Pepper, as they have the best luck, but they’re out of the city.”
“Pardon my interruption,” Jarvis cut in, “but Ma’am is moments away from putting the lab back into black out mode. I ask that you hurry and get her to come up.” How an AI could sound so worried was beyond Bucky. Toni really did create some amazing stuff. Things. People. Jarvis was people, AI or not.
“Wouldn’t she be . . . uncomfortable with me getting her?” There was a silence before Client and Sam started to laugh. Steve threw them the Eyebrows of Disappointed – again, Toni’s words – before clearing his throat. He looked uncomfortable himself for a moment before it passed.
“Thank you, Jarvis. Forget it. I’ll grab her.”
Natasha reached out with her foot to stop him. “We agreed to draw so we’re going to draw. We’re teammates, Steve. We all have to pitch in when it comes to wrangling our genius.” She moved off of Bucky’s back and Thor turned him back around to face everyone else. Clint and Sam were holding onto to each other in silent laughter.
Assholes.
Steve twitched as he held out his hand and they all reached out to grab a straw. Everyone looked at theirs and then around. Bucky kept his gaze on the shortest one and felt looks of pity. Though, Steve’s was something else. He clutched the longest straw tightly but gave Bucky an encouraging – slightly strained – smile.
Sam patted him on the shoulder.
“Good luck, man.” He blinked. “Bring down some coffee. And my mom’s cookies. That’s what I do when I go get her.” Natasha flicked his head and Sam let out a dramatic cry.
“The point is to get Toni to eat something healthy and then actually get some sleep.” She pushed Bucky towards the elevator leading to Toni’s lab. “Just threaten to call Jim. That usually gets her motivated. And if that doesn’t work, use Pepper. She’s the big gun.” What is with red haired women and being scary as fuck? He was sure Ms. Potts could kill him with just a paperclip and her shoe. He was even sure Natasha was a bit scared of the other woman.
He blinked and the elevator was closing, just in time for him to catch Steve’s deep frown as he talked to Clint. ‘She likes likes him, Cap’ he read from Clint’s lips just as the doors closed. Likes likes who?
“Sergeant Barnes?” Jarvis’ question tone had Bucky looking up. He knew Jarvis wasn’t in the building like that, but he couldn’t help it. He needed to break that habit and soon. Toni was too amused with it. “I’ve held off black out mode for two more minutes.” Bucky sighed.
“Thanks, Jarvis. You’re the best.”
“I’m aware.” Amusement filled the British accent. He really was basically human. The elevator stopped and Bucky took a deep breath. Stepping off of it, he stopped in front of the door and just watched. Toni was working with holograms all around her. Bright blue things that matched the blue from her chest. There were bags under her eyes and her hair was thrown into a messy ponytail. It also looked greasy but a shower could wait until she had some sleep.
God, even in this state – she’s beautiful. Taking a deep breath, he waited until Jarvis opened the doors and he slid in. Toni didn’t even look over, too focused on what looked like a bodysuit. She was mumbling something, but it was too low and soft for even him to hear. DUM-E came over to him, his claw-hand waving at him. Amused as always by Toni’s bots, he shook the claw.
“Hello, DUM-E. I’m here to grab ya Mama.” He beeped and that seemed to be the magic sound. Toni blinked and finally looked over at him. She squinted at him before rubbing her eyes. Opening them again, she grabbed a wrench and threw it at him.
He caught it with his metal hand.
“Oh.” She simply said. “You’re real. Cool.” And went back to her work. Bucky set the wrench down on a table and walked threw her holograms. She swatted at him. “Move. Your big chest is in the way of science, Elsa.”
“Time to go up.” He grunted, waving a hand. “You look ready to pass out, Toni. You need to eat and sleep.” She ignored him, trying to move him away. Bucky was almost amused at the fact he didn’t move an inch while she put her whole weight against him.
“Stupid super soldiers. The lot of you. Big and in the way of science.” She complained, falling back into her chair. Toni glared up at him. “I already ate.”
“Jarvis, when was the last time she ate?”
“J-“
“32 hours ago.” Toni blinked, brows furrowed in confusion.
“I just ate some blueberries.” That was a meal to her? Jesus fuck. “That was like, barely an hour ago.” She looked even more confused, staring hard at one of the holograms. Ah, it was his bodysuit. His last one got nearly burned off when dealing with Doom. Toni had been offended that Doom’s bots could do that to her tech.
He placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Come on,” he mumbled, brushing back a lock of her hair. Definitely needed a shower soon. “I’ll make you something Italian, yeah?” She was wavering, he could see it. He’d found out that Italian was her favorite while in a mission in Italy. They had been alone in a little town in South Italy when she commented on how no one else does food the way her people do.
Even if she just tolerated him, her sharing anything about herself with him was something he horded liked gold. She glanced at her holograms before looking at the door.
“I need to get this done-“
“Once you’ve gotten some sleep.” She was sitting and at the perfect position for him to pull her against him, laying her head on where his chest and stomach meet. Toni tensed and he almost pulled back before Toni let herself go lax. He felt a bust of affection for her in this moment. She was a mess, but she was everything.
She gave them all a home, a family and just about everything she had. Leaning down, he moved her head to his shoulder, his left arm under her legs and his right supporting her back.
When he lifted her, she gave a squeal and grabbed onto his shoulders.
“What the hell, Frostbite-“
“Food then bed.” He mumbled into her hairline. He made no comment on the shower part, knowing she would be offended. He’d leave that up to Natasha. Toni was shaking a bit, either from fear or just pure exhaustion, he wasn’t sure. But when she pressed closer, her face in his neck, he knew it wasn’t from fear. She would have pushed him back – he’d let her, God would he let her – and tell him to get out.
She sighed against his neck before speaking. “J, save and close everything.”
“Of course, Ma’am.” Jarvis’ voice was low, pleased, as he did just that. The lab darkened behind them as he carried her to the elevator. She was a good weight in his arms, felt so damn good pressed against him. His heart raced in his chest as he breathed in her scent. Motor oil, sweat, and a bit hobo like.
It was pure Toni and he loved it.
Walking into the common room and towards the kitchen, all chatter died down when the rest saw them. Shock was found on everyone’s face and when Bucky looked at Steve, he found something else. Before he didn’t know what it was but now he does.
Jealously.
He wasn’t staring at Toni with that look, but at Bucky. He wasn’t too sure what to say to his best friend – they had never liked the same dame before. They had slightly different tastes in their partners and Toni seemed to be all that wrapped into one.
“Good job, James.” Natasha’s shock formed into something fond as she walked over. Toni pulled her head back and blinked before giving Natasha a tired smile. Natasha returned the smile with a kiss on Toni’s forehead.
Bucky knew the two women had a rough start to their relationship but looking at them it was hard to tell. Natasha cared about Toni in a way Bucky didn’t think a Black Widow ever could. Toni herself was so closed off from other people and always seemed to want a between them and her. They had built a sisterhood between them and it warmed his heart to see the two women so caring towards each other.
“Nat kisses fix everything.” Toni mumbled and Natasha let out a laugh as Bucky sat Toni down at the table. “I was promised Italian, Buckaroo.” She laid her head down on the table and watched the others. Clint was drinking out of the carton and Sam was yelling at him. Thor was staring at them, looking mare moments away from joining on the soon to be battle. Bruce was fixing tea, a cup of which he placed in front of Toni before giving her his own kiss on her head.
“I know you hate tea, but it will help.” Bruce mumbled into her gross hair. She shot him a look of betrayal but took a sip.
Bucky got started on fixing Toni her dinner – “Back off, Birdbrains; this is for Toni!” – as Steve took a seat next to Toni. His bulk blocked her from Bucky’s view at the stove and a shot panic went into Bucky’s chest before he pushed it down.
This didn’t need to be weird between them. Falling for the same women was common between friends, right? He and Stevie could get past this and figure something out. Though, it just make Bucky want to move back even more. He had no plans to say anything to Toni before and now he really doesn’t want to.
Steve had lost so much himself; he deserves a chance to be happy. And Bucky was too broken for the genius. He was happy with her friendship. Just having her there would be enough for him.
He watching them out of the corner of his eyes and watched as Steve ran a hand down Toni’s back. She grinned up at him and pushed herself into his and let out a groan.
His hand gripped the wooden spoon he was using.
Fuck.